Miss Mechanic

How was I meant to forget what it was like to have her body yielding to mine? To feel the rapid beat of her heart against her chest? To feel her gasp and shudder and touch me back?

Motherfucker—I’d just cursed myself. I’d cursed myself with the memory of Jamie Bell and her smartass mouth finally silenced.

Jesus, yes. I’d silenced that smart little mouth.

That revelation didn’t help.

Now, I’d want to kiss her every single time she opened it and sassed me.

How the fuck were we meant to work together now?

***

One hour later, Jamie slid into the garage with a paper bag with the logo of the taco place on. I slid out from beneath the car and met her gaze across the garage.

She lifted the bag lamely. “It’s probably cold, but here. Your lunch.”

“What about yours?” I got up and followed her to the staff area.

“I already ate. I ate there and ordered yours before I left.” She set the bag on the counter top and turned on the coffee machine. “Is that a problem?”

I paused. “No. It’s your lunch break. You can do what you like with it.”

She flashed me a smile and grabbed her mug from the cupboard. The spluttering of the coffee machine and rustle of my lunch as I unwrapped it filled the need for conversation.

The awkwardness that hung between us was palpable. It was almost electric, hovering uncomfortably in mid-air. Waiting for one of us to address what had just happened.

I ate and watched as Jamie finished making her coffee. The strap of her dungarees kept sliding off her shoulder, and after pulling it back up three times, she made a “hmph” noise and pulled her arm out of the strap, leaving it to hang by her side.

I hid my laughter when she turned around.

“Something funny?” she asked, eyebrow quirked.

I shook my head. “Thinking about you in striped socks again,” I answered.

I hadn’t been, but now that I was…

“You know, the ones that go over your knees? They’d look great with those shorts.” I paused. “And probably without them, too.”

She blinked those wide, blue eyes at me, but there was no innocence or humor back in them. “Are you being an asshole to purposely stop me from asking you what the hell you were playing at earlier?”

“Even if I was, it clearly didn’t work.” I shoved the last bite of the taco into my mouth and crumpled up the paper. I tossed it toward the trash can and it bounced in off the side.

Jamie watched it fall in and then looked at me expectantly. She even cocked her hip and put her hand on it. “Well?”

“I’m sorry,” I said around a mouthful of my second taco. “Was I meant to answer that?”

Her pursed lips said everything she didn’t need to.

“Right.” I wiped my mouth with my hand and set down my food. “Well, this might be fairly obvious, but I kissed you.”

“No, stop, really?” she deadpanned, not missing a beat. “That’s what that was? Well slap my ass and call me Sally, that was a new experience.”

“I’m going to do it again if you keep up with that sarcastic bullshit.”

She shoved her finger in my direction. “If you do that again, I’ll rip your eyes out of their goddamn sockets.”

“Have you ever kissed yourself, darlin’? It’s a risk I’d be willing to take.”

Her cheeks flushed. Embarrassment or anger? Who knew?

“You’re insufferable, do you know that? You had no right to kiss me. I told you that you should have done it on Saturday, not there and then!”

“And you had every chance to push me away,” I said dryly. “I didn’t see you doing that while you grabbed onto my shirt and kissed me back.”

“How could I push you away? You had me pinned to the truck!”

“I’m going to pin you to that wall and shut you the fuck up in a minute.”

“You dare!” Her eyes narrowed, and something flashed in them—something darker and more passionate. “You pin me to that wall and I’ll pin your balls to a goddamn dartboard!”

I got up and rounded the coffee table, keeping my eyes firmly on hers. Another flush rose up her cheeks, and she clenched her fists as I got closer to her.

And closer.

Close enough to smell the coffee on her breath.

Close enough to smell the lingering perfume on her skin.

Close enough that she stepped back once, then twice, and then a third time.

Every time she stepped, so did I. I didn’t reach for her or touch her. I invaded her personal space, and by the time she’d stopped walking, she’d pinned herself to the wall.

“Looks like I don’t have to do anything except get close to you,” I said in a low voice. “And you’re the one who put your back against the wall, darlin’.”

“You sneaky bastard,” she muttered.