Pieces of Us (Confessions of the Heart 3)

I stumbled to a stop when I came around the front.

Maxon had his arms stretched overhead so he could grab the hood to slam it down.

Masculinity radiated from him as if it possessed its own lifeforce.

This raw, potent sexuality that glowed beneath the sun.

Then he went and lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

My eyes dropped, sight filling full of nothing but rippling, defined abs, as chiseled as that face, and it was my own stomach that was clenching.

Oh my God. Men shouldn’t be allowed to be that alluring. It made common sense go flying out the window.

He dropped his shirt, and he actually had the nerve to smirk when he caught me staring.

I dropped my gaze just as fast.

“Thank you so much, Maxon . . . this is amazin’.” I managed to give him my thanks while my entire being was itching to run. Or maybe what I was really itching to do was reach out and touch him.

He leaned down and gathered his tools, latched the lid of the box, and pushed to his full, towering height.

It cast me in his shadow.

A hedge of protection.

“Glad I could get it running, but that fix is only temporary. You need to get it into a shop and do it soon, or you’re going to find yourself stranded on the side of the road again.”

“Right,” I agreed with my mouth, calculating how many paychecks it might take to be able to pay for it.

Agitation coming on, I hesitated, tapping my foot when I tentatively asked, “Any idea how much it might cost?”

He sighed, roughed a hand over his jaw. “Thinking . . . four hundred. Maybe five. You’re going to need some new parts. I have a friend I can get in touch with . . . might be able to pull in a favor.”

I probably shouldn’t be taking favors from Maxon Chambers. But was I really gonna be bitter enough to turn down that offer?

“That would be really nice.”

He smiled. Smiled one of his soft, tender smiles. The one that moved through my senses like a cool breeze after he’d heated me up with everything else. “I’d be happy to.”

“Thank you, again. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done if you didn’t find me out here.”

“Hoof it in those heels for ten miles?” A playful grin worked itself onto his lush mouth, that dimple showing up in his cheek just to make my life a little more miserable.

Gentle laughter rippled out, unstoppable, and I was chewing at my lip again, trying with all of me to keep from goin’ soft.

We just stood there staring for a minute, gazes tangled, our tongues holding back so many words.

So much time had passed, and the mistakes littered between us were almost palpable, nothing but mountains and cliffs and caverns. Was there any chance we could find common ground?

I pushed out a sigh and shook myself from the thoughts. “I really should get going. Thank you, again.”

Why was it so hard to walk away from him?

Don’t do this, Izzy. Don’t let your heart get wrapped up in him. It isn’t a safe place.

“All right. I’ll give you a call on Monday. Let you know when I talk to Dalton. He owns a shop in Charleston. Your parents still have the same number?”

I laughed out a small laugh. “Um, yeah. Neither of them even have a cell phone.”

Something wistful pulled across his face. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

I just shook my head, fighting the grin that felt more dangerous than anything.

“Hope they’re doing well, Izzy. Just like I hope you are, too.” He started to walk around me, and then paused, right there, looking at me from the side, though I could see the way his thick throat was bobbing in unease.

“Can’t believe you’re here. Never thought I’d get the chance to say sorry to you. For what I did. For being a coward. But I want you to know, I’ve thought about you every single day. Every single day. Every single one of them was spent praying that you were okay. That you were happy. Know it doesn’t make up for anything, but I need you to know that.”

His words were raw—grating—the pain coming from them almost knocking me to my knees.

Emotion fisted in my throat, and I couldn’t say anything, only gave him a tight nod and tried not to breathe him in as he offered me another apologetic smile and started for his SUV.

Panic built up in me the farther he got away.

“Maxon,” I shouted before I could stop myself.

He paused, his shoulders going rigid as he swiveled to look back at me.

“You want to come for lunch tomorrow?”

A frown of surprise pulled all over his face.

“I think there are some things we need to talk about,” I said.