Impossible, Ben thought. But the longer he stayed there, the stronger the feeling grew.
Chapter Four
Grace lowered the camera and placed it on her dresser. A light sheen of perspiration tickled the back of her neck and blood was pumping fast and furious through her system—a result of both watching Ben and worrying about the day to come. She stretched, arching her back and feeling her sore muscles from yesterday’s struggle with her attacker. She shivered at the reminder and decided some raw courage was in order.
She couldn’t live in fear of walking through New York City nor could she avoid the neighborhood where she’d made friends and had found a source of perfect photographs for the CHANCES brochure. She had to get back on the horse, so to speak. But she’d do it the first time without the camera. She needed to face down her trouble, not look for more. And she needed to go alone.
By the time she headed outside, Ben had soaped his truck into a good lather. She could slip by him with a quick wave and there was nothing he could do about it. But she took one look at him and all her intentions dissolved in a puddle of soapy water.
He’d stripped off his shirt and her first glimpse was of his bare back. Muscles in his upper arms and shoulders rippled each time he wiped down the vehicle with a soft rag. She couldn’t walk away from him any more than she wanted to.
He was a mystery beneath the tough-guy exterior. A private investigator, he’d said. An intriguing profession for an intriguing man, a man she admired for going back to low-income areas similar to where he’d grown up. It took guts to return to your roots—Grace ought to know considering she’d run from hers.
She stepped up behind him. “Working hard?”
He turned, one arm propped against the side-view mirror. “I’d hardly call this working. I’m just grateful to have the day off.”
“I know what you mean.” The sun beckoned overhead, already warming her arms and legs. Though she could go to the park on her day off, she could also afford to follow his lead and take a few hours to herself first.
“Where are you off to?” He glanced down at her sneakers and narrowed his gaze.
She could read his thoughts and knew he was worried she was heading to the park alone. She appreciated his concern but didn’t want the argument. Besides, she’d already decided to hold off on her jaunt.
She held up her hands in mock surrender. “Nowhere you have to worry about.” Yet, she thought.
She walked around the car, sliding her hand over the cool metal as she inspected the gleaming exterior. “Good job. Have you started on the inside?”
He shook his head. “Not yet.”
She rolled up the sleeves on the jersey she’d swiped from her brother’s drawer before he went away to college. “Then let me help.”
“What about your hands?” He reached out to take a look. His hot touch singed her skin and she felt the pull inside her as well.
“Sleeping Beauty’s got them covered. I changed them this morning.”
He still held onto her hand. She didn’t know if he was even aware of it, but she was. And along with the enticing sensations he inspired, a wave of determination rose in her chest. She’d spent her childhood suppressing her desires in favor of the good-girl role. She’d finally broken free, and thanks to Ben, she had the chance to experience being bad.
With her window of opportunity limited to three weeks, she had every reason to be more brazen and bold, no matter how difficult the act. She drew a deep breath and rubbed her thumb over his more callused flesh.
He jerked his hand back in surprise, then turned toward the car. “Go ahead and help. If you’re sure you’re up to it…”
“I am.”
He gestured to the pile of supplies on the ground. “Then get to work.”
She bent, picked up a dry rag and a bottle of spray cleaner, and climbed into the front seat. Though she’d left the door open, sitting in Ben’s truck, she was enveloped in his scent, in the essence of what made him sexy and real. Chemistry, a subject she’d never understood but now appreciated, was at work. And as usual, when it had to do with Ben, it made Grace burn.
She wondered as she wiped down the inside of the front window what would make a man like Ben lose that rigid control. She darted a glance out the window, and to her amusement, she caught him watching her before he jerked his attention back to whatever task he’d been doing. It wasn’t the first time she’d caught him looking, and after a few minutes passed, she realized it wasn’t the last.
She slid out of the truck and leaned against the exterior. “It’s hot out here. It may only be spring, but it has to be near seventy already.”
“Perfect day for a wash,” he said from his position on the opposite side, w
here he was working on polishing the hubcaps.
“Yup. A girl can work up a good sweat if she’s not careful.” Gathering her courage, she lifted the hem on her jersey and pulled the center upward, tucking the bottom into the rounded collar and yanking down on it. The result was a bikini-like top. A shirt that had once covered too much now covered very little.
“Whew.” Grace made a show of fanning herself with her hand. “That’s better.”