And now he’s a swaggering alpha male, which I’m really trying not to think about. He did bring me roses before I went to college. Do I really know him at all?
“Still there?” he asks.
“Sorry. I got distracted.” Head spinning more like.
“Alright, I’ll let you go. I’ll be in touch about the repair.”
I say goodbye and hang up, running a hand through my hair, a little disoriented. I don’t know this grown-up version of Eli, and the scary thing is, part of me wants to.
Eli
I head over to Murray’s on Tuesday, which is the auto shop in town. They do repairs and minor bodywork. It’s around noon, and Jenna’s meeting me here. The appointment for the estimate worked out perfectly because Jenna’s shop is closed on Tuesdays, and my work shift doesn’t start until five. I figure we can get Jenna’s car looked at too. She has a sizeable dent in her back bumper.
I step into an open garage bay. There’s two bays, both with a car in them. I peek under an old white Toyota, where short legs in blue coveralls are sticking out. “Hey, Sloane.”
She rolls out from under the car, her amber eyes striking against her dark hair and the smudges of grease on her forehead and cheek. “Eli, just give me a minute to seal this back up.” She rolls back under the car. Sloane Murray was a year behind me in school and just recently moved back to town.
A few minutes later, I direct Sloane over to my Mustang. She winces, looking at the damage. “Such a shame for a brand-new beauty like this.”
I stare at the front bumper, my voice somber. “I know.”
She peers around the sides of the bumper and under it.
My eye catches on the red Honda Accord pulling into the lot. Jenna waves at me, and I lift a hand, telling myself to play it cool. Just because I used to have a thing for her and I haven’t been able to get her out of my mind since she ruined my car doesn’t mean anything’s going to happen. I’m no longer that lovestruck teen in the throes of a killer unrequited crush.
I have experience.
I have options.
She pulls up next to my car and steps out.
I have a killer unrequited crush. Dammit. It wouldn’t be so bad if she didn’t know it, but she does, ever since I gave her those roses with the note I would do anything to take back. What the hell was I thinking making a hail-Mary pass the day she’s leaving for college? My only excuse was that I was too young to think it through. Sixteen, pumped on testosterone, with years of built-up longing. I gave her my heart, and she patted me on the head and said, “Thanks, buddy.” Patted my head! Like I was still a kid. Of course, she didn’t know about the note when she patted me. I tucked it into the paper wrapper because I didn’t want her to read it in front of me. Still, so damn embarrassing.
I’m surprised she hasn’t mentioned it. Maybe she’s embarrassed by it too. If that’s the case, we can move on as if nothing ever happened. That would be ideal. Yeah, let’s go with that. A man needs some dignity.
Her light blue blouse is unbuttoned just enough to display the curve of her cleavage. My mouth goes dry as my gaze trails to her narrow waist and the slight curve of her hips in tight white pants, ending at the curve of her shapely calves. Tiny white socks in white sneakers.
She elbows me in the ribs. “You’re much less intimidating in the light of day.”
“I intimidated you?” This is Jenna Larsen, sex goddess, confident woman.
“My car!” she barks in a deep-voiced impersonation of yours truly. She postures in front of me with her shoulders hitched up. “You’ll pay for this!”
I shake my head, smiling. “I did not sound like that. Besides, you offered to pay. Hopefully, insurance will cover most of it, so there’s just the deductible.”
Her eyes linger on my lips before she turns abruptly to Sloane. Interesting. “How bad is the damage?”
“I’ll have to order a new bumper,” Sloane says. “Fortunately, the surrounding area is intact.”
“What do you think of her back bumper?” I ask.
Jenna slaps my arm playfully. “Fresh.”
I grin, enjoying this new flirty vibe. What was I so worried about? She probably never gave my note a second thought with all the excitement of leaving home for her new adventure in college.
Sloane shifts to inspect the Honda’s back bumper. A moment later, she jams her hands on her hips. “I’m estimating a couple of thousand for Eli’s work. Fifteen hundred for yours, Jenna. I looked up replacement bumper cost before you got here and, fortunately, there’s not a lot else that needs to be done. Just some touchup work. I’ll send the insurance companies a detailed estimate for both cars. Let’s see how much they agree to cover, and I’ll get back to you for the go-ahead.”
“Fifteen hundred!” Jenna exclaims. “Forget that. I can live with a dent in my bumper.”
“It’s really not safe to drive a car with a damaged bumper,” Sloane says. “You want it to protect you in case of another accident.”
Jenna presses her lips together before turning to me. “How much is your deductible?”
“Thousand.”
“Mine too. This is a very expensive fender bender. Plus my insurance will go up because it was my fault.” She worries her lower lip, finally looking as upset as I am about the whole thing. Somehow it’s not much consolation.
I step closer, wanting to make her feel better. “Let’s grab some lunch, and we’ll work out the details.”
She nods. “Okay, sure, where?”
“The Horseman Inn is closest. Plus I happen to know the owner.”
She smiles a little, her brows still knitted in concern. “Yeah, me too. I’ll meet you there.”
It’s a date.
3
Jenna
This is not a date. I’m having lunch with Eli for a specific purpose. It’s just that the air feels charged between us, and I’ve caught him checking me out a few times. Probably because I’ve been checking him out too. I never noticed how beautiful his hazel eyes were before. There’s a thin light brown ring around the green with glints of gold throughout. His dark brown hair is trimmed short, emphasizing his masculine wide-set cheekbones and clean-shaven jaw. And I can’t help but notice how his snug black T-shirt stretches across his broad chest and wide rounded shoulders. Bulging biceps, muscular forearms, big man hands. I can admit it. He grew up into a world-class hottie.
I glance guiltily around. Sydney’s here somewhere, probably back in the kitchen at the moment, and I can’t help but wonder what she’ll say about the two of us having lunch together. It’s completely innocent, but what if I can’t hide the lust I’m battling?
I pick up a fry and dip it in ketchup. I usually just have a salad for lunch, so today I went for a hot lunch—warm roast beef sandwich and fries. It’s heavenly. I was blessed with a high metabolism, so I can eat whatever I want. Good thing too because I always sample my newest baking creations. “So what did you have in mind?”
His hazel eyes are intent on mine. “What do you mean what did I have in mind?”
My face heats, which is odd. I hardly ever blush. Nothing fazes me. “You said we’d work out the details about the fender bender.”