The man had done a real number on me.
I couldn’t even look at him without thinking about all the wicked things he’d done to me. I could almost feel his mouth on my neck. On my shoulder. On my stomach, andeverywhere else. I’d never had a night like that before, and I wasn’t sure I would again.
I hoped him agreeing to check out the car was a good sign.
When he started over to us, Daniel stepped back, giving us some space. He came over and kissed me on the cheek as he whispered, “Hey there, beautiful.”
“Hey.” Just being close to him had me blushing, and I could feel the heat of it as it crept up my neck. “Thanks for coming.”
“No need to thank me.” His eyes skirted over me, and his sexy smirk grew wider. “Gave me an excuse to see you.”
Without another word, he turned his attention to the Rogue.
He walked around it slowly, methodically, and crouched to look underneath it. That’s when I heard him ‘hmmmph’ for the first time. He popped the hood and started the engine, then walked around and gave everything a good look. That’s when I heard ‘hmmmph’ for a second time.
His expression didn’t give anything away, but it was clear from his clenched jaw that something wasn’t right. And I must say, he looked so damn hot and confident and sexy looking things over. It was one of those moments where I wished I had one of those T-shirts that said, ‘I’m with him.’
After a few seconds, he turned to me and said, “I’ll be right back.”
I nodded and watched as he walked over to the salesman and started talking. Their voices were too low for me to actually hear what they were saying, but it wasn’t long before the salesman’s smile started to fade. Luke, on the other hand, looked completely relaxed.
A few minutes later, Luke came back over to us and smiled.
“Well,” Lila asked impatiently.
“There’s good news and bad news.” He crossed his arms as he leaned against the hood. “The car’s solid, other than what looks to be an oil pan issue. Owner probably hit a curb or something, but it’s nothing that Skid and I can’t fix. The good news is I was able to get you an even better deal. Took another grand off.”
“Seriously?” Luke gave her a quick nod, and Lila Kate squealed and launched herself at him, hugging him as she chanted, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“No problem.” He gave her a little pat on the shoulder. “But you owe me one now. One of those coffee drinks you girls like, or a beer. I’m flexible.”
“You got it.”
And just like that, Luke had saved the day once again, and he’d done it so easily. He’d not only stepped right into the middle of our mess like he was part of it, but he actually seemed happy to be there. He was still smiling when he turned to me and asked, “What do you girls have planned for later?”
“Well, right now, I’m about to head over to the jeweler and see about getting my grandmother’s ring back.” Just saying it out loud made my chest tighten. “Lila Kate will finish up here and head into work, and I’ll probably just go home for the night… Oh, I almost forgot. I have to go pick up Chrissy and take her to get the van from the other dealership.”
“I’ll take care of that.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know. I want to... It’s nothing to it. I’ll get Smitty or one of the boys to drop it off. I just need the keys.”
“That would be great.” I reached into my purse and pulled out the keys, offering them to him. “You just keep saving the day.”
“It’s my job.” He gave me a wink. “I’ve got a shift at the casino tonight. Why don’t you swing by, and we can grab a bite to eat?”
“Sure. I’d love to.”
“You two are so cute I might barf,” Lila Kate whined.
I gave her a playful nudge. “We’re notthatbad.”
“Oh, but you are.” She smiled. “And I love it.”
And just like that, standing in the middle of some no-name car lot with my sister and Luke, it felt like things in my life were finally clicking into place.
Sadly, it wasn’t a feeling that would last for very long.
