Actually, these rollerblades were still pretty fun.
I whipped around a bend, and Randy’s Auto Body appeared down the road. The parking lot out front was empty, but there was a black truck with Illinois plates in the left-hand bay. My stomach twisted, and bile rose in my throat. What the hell was that asshole doing here?
I glided into the lot and started applying the heel brake when a dark shape stepped out of the shadows of the garage. I jerked back, my foot caught some gravel, and I launched into the air.
Instead of hitting the pavement, I jerked as two strong arms grabbed me and hauled me up onto my unsteady feet. A jolt of electricity ran through my body, and a shiver danced across my skin.
Jaxson Laurent. A light breeze carried his forest-scented cologne, and heat rushed to my lower belly. His pupils dilated as his dark eyes penetrated mine.
Oh, God.
With my cheeks burning like I’d spent the day in the sun, I awkwardly disentangled myself from his strong arms and balanced ungracefully on my blades. I was a sweaty mess, and my blouse stuck to my body in awkward places.
Jaxson, on the other hand, was just as gorgeous as he’d been last night, only today he was wearing a business suit that contrasted well with his tousled hair and stubble-lined jaw. His deep brown eyes traced over my body, and his lips quirked into a smile. “You should keep your eyes on the road.”
I drew in a ragged breath as his smoky voice skated over my nerve endings. “I hit a pebble.”
Blood rushed to my already red face. That was all I could say? Desperate to rekindle my dignity, I snapped, “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Oil change. What are you doing here, Ms. Caine? Not planning to leave town, I hope?”
I sure the hell am.
Something about him made the hair on my neck stand on end, though I couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Power. Presence. An undercurrent of danger.
I dragged my gaze from his. “I’m checking on my car. I was in an accident last night, remember?”
He smiled, though it was nowhere near genuine. “I do. And as luck would have it, we’ve been wanting to ask you a few questions about what happened. Let me introduce Regina Martin.”
A chestnut-haired woman stepped up to his side and held out her hand. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes—not even close. While Jaxson’s expression had been a pleasant façade, the one on her face was an abject lie. I could smell it on her. While her extended hand said, Let’s be friends, everything else about her said, I want to leave your body in a ditch.
Nuh-uh. I knew better than to shake hands with people like that. “Sorry, I’m here for my car. Maybe another time.” I leaned to the side so I could peek into the garage, only to find that Randy was busy working on Jaxson’s ride, not mine.
That ass. Ignoring Regina’s hand, I shoved off my right foot and skated around Jaxson and his sour-faced henchwoman and into the garage.
Jaxson’s relentless gaze never left my back, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how that made my skin feel flushed and sensitive.
It’s hotter than a fish boil in here.
I stumbled over to Randy in my skates. “Hey! How’s my car?”
Randy tilted his hat back on his head. “Pretty banged up. It’s going to take me a couple of weeks to fix.”
I couldn’t have been more surprised if he’d thrown motor oil in my face. “What the shit, Randy? You told me it was running just thirty minutes ago!”
His eyes flicked over my shoulder and back. “I had a chance to take another look. If the cops don’t bust you for a broken headlight, the tranny or radiator will leave you stranded somewhere you don’t want to be. You need to get this fixed.”
Anger boiled up inside of me, but it lacked a good outlet. While I had a nose for lies, Randy was telling the truth—my car was screwed.
The heat of Jaxson’s stare was practically unbearable. I peeked over my shoulder, then leaned toward Randy and lowered my voice to a whisper. “You know I can’t afford to fix all this. I’m broke, and my insurance is crap.”
He smiled. “Well, there’s good news. I called your insurance agency. Everything is covered, including the tranny. They won’t even raise your rates.”
There it was. That was the lie I was waiting for. Fury surged through my veins, and I fixed Randy with a soul-rending stare. “Is. That. So?”
His eyes darted over my shoulder again, telling me everything I needed to know. The goddamned spooks had gotten to him.
“You ass,” I hissed, and skated out of the bay. Coasting over to the suspects, I shouted, “What did you tell him?”