His lips smacked together, opening and closing adorably. “Sorry.”
And he was. There was no need to prolong his embarrassment, and she never got off on holding a grudge. He apologized, and they could move on. But not before learning an important lesson in tact.
She walked to the edge of the workbench, standing between the brothers. “You’re fine. I’m not offended. I’ve got four brothers. There’s not much you can say that would shock me. Besides, I appreciate you saying you’d show all your friends my picture.” She smiled. “That was sweet.”
He straightened his back, relief flashing across his face. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She folded her arms and sighed. “But then you ruined it with the whole banging comment.”
His smile faltered.
“Girls don’t like it. Talking shit like that? It’s what separates the men from the boys, you know?”
He clamped his lips, dropping his gaze to the floor. The silence lasted a few seconds.
“Go order the pizza,” Jonah said with an edge in his tone. Holden practically ran out past her, making no eye contact. She watched until he disappeared, then turned to see Jonah staring at her with the corner of his lip quirked up.
“Too harsh?” She asked.
“Fucking perfect.”
She snickered, tossing her pocketbook onto the bench. He had all the replacement parts laid out across a tarp on the ground.
“So, what am I looking at here?”
He bent down and proceeded to explain what the parts were, where they needed to go and the names of tools she’d never heard of. She sort of listened as he broke down the repair and what he was going to do. She heard him speak, but her focus was mainly on the edge of his shirt, which lifted when he reached forward. A small sliver of tan skin, and the curve of his waist. With no sense of shame, she craned her neck, hoping to see a bit more. When Jonah hitched back, she slid around his side.
“I’ll pull your car in and get started.” He glanced up. “Sound good?”
She grinned and felt a tinge of heat prickle her cheeks. Getting ogled was not what he’d signed up for when he offered to do the repairs. But by the way the corners of his eyes crinkledand his lips flattened, she didn’t think he was taking issue with it.
“Sounds great.” She dug in her bag, grabbing her keys and handing them to him. Her fingertips caressed over his scabbed knuckles during the exchange. With just a simple touch, her heartbeat accelerated and her mind was contemplating different scenarios. She needed a distraction.
Roxanne drew a breath, resting her hands on her hips. “So? What’s my job?”
“You’re serious about helping?”
“Sure, it’s why I’m here, right?”
“You’re here ‘cause my brother wrecked your back end. It’s his ass that’s supposed to be helping.”
She glanced around the garage. “Where is Crash Cord, anyway?”
He snickered, shaking his head, and circled the large toolbox. She’d noticed the beat-up fridge in the corner when she came in. He opened the door and reached in.
“Working overtime. He had a decent argument considering how much he owes me.”
Roxanne had a distinct feeling that Jonah was footing the bill for the parts. Though unwarranted, she felt a tinge of guilt.
He came back around with her beer and handed it to her.Awe … he even took the cap off.Getting giddy over small details seemed juvenile.Yet here I am, butterflies swirling.He pulled a stool over and propped it next to the workbench. This could be equivalent to pulling out her seat, which she had a feeling Jonah did regularly for women. She fought back the urge to smile and took a swig of beer, settling onto the stool.
Jonah left the garage momentarily to pull in her car. She’d never been the type to join her boyfriend in the garage for car repairs. The usual murmur from her brothers about anything automotive had her seeking new conversations. But sitting inJonah’s garage with him working in his space and sliding under her car? She bit her lip, wishing the hem of his shirt would shift up. Just a little more.
You’re being creepy.
She went in search of a distraction and scanned the garage. It was large and manly, with lots of tools, some familiar, most foreign to her. It was large enough for two cars, but hers was centered in the middle. The walls held banner flags of what she assumed were sports teams, though she didn’t know any of them.
“Where are your wood tools?”
