by Nikki Wild
I should have at least acknowledged his name, but I didn’t. I clearly wasn't done making an ass of myself. “Whatever. It's not just that," I told him sincerely, only slurring a little. "I've got people to see, too. Better people than you."
It was a horrible thing to say out loud. It was the type of thing that somebody says when they're sure they're never going to see someone again. You certainly don’t tell it to the man who rescues you from a gang of bikers on the side of a dark, lonely road.
It wasn't the type of thing a person says to a stranger…
But he either didn't care what the words meant, didn't believe them, or very much did. Whichever one it was, his smile didn't falter for an instant. If anything, it got even bigger. "You know what Kara? I bet that's true. I bet the people you're on your way to see are Big. Fucking. Deals. But from where I’m standing in this ditch, I don’t see any of them coming to give you a lift. So, unless you're going to hike out of this joint, they’re just going to have to wait to see your pretty face, no matter how special they are."
Chapter 4
Dane
I’d ‘known’ her for all of two minutes, and already she was getting inside my head.
It was stupid. Why had she said that?
Because of her concussion… or maybe she's just got a stick up her ass, that's why.
But why wasn't I angry? More to the point, why wasn't I furious?
Maybe it was because I could tell that she wasn't in her right frame of mind, just now. And maybe it was because…
Who was I kidding? I could make as many excuses as I wanted, but the truth was clear. She wasn't wrong. All she had said was what I'd been telling myself for years. This two horse town wasn't the future. It was set so firmly in the past that the biggest thing we had going for us was proximity to the interstate and a big truck stop with cheap gas.
But aside from her being right, there was more.
She was drop-dead, bring home to mama, never look at another woman the same way again gorgeous.
Maybe the tight, fitted blouse and the short, crawl-up-her-thighs miniskirt she was wearing would pass for work attire in New York, but down here the only people that were ever going to see anyone dressed like that were people surfing the Internet for porn with a plot.
She was the total package, as far as looks went. Hair as black as the surrounding night. Big, dark eyes. Strong and lean, and probably running on too much coffee and not enough sleep, but I couldn't argue with the results.
I knew I was supposed to be rescuing her, but in the gently strobing orange lights of my tow truck, it was hard not to drink her in at the same time. She was a bombshell. A woman like that, in a town like this… Life wasn’t fair enough to drop her right in my lap.
And that was just the thing. Despite her wishes, she was going to be stuck in this place for a while. I could tell by the stickers on the windshield that the Bentley was from a rental place, but clearly it wasn’t one of the cheap ones. They'd send this pretty little rich girl a replacement car, but it wouldn't happen right away. She’d be waiting a for some suit wearing prick to bring down another automobile that cost more than the nicest house in this little town.
And in the meantime…
I leaned my head back to look at the broken axle and the remains of her front, right rim. I was a damn good mechanic, and I could eyeball a crash like this and know right off whether it was totaled or not. You could sure salvage pieces from this one, but the frame might even be cracked.
Still, the engine might be worth saving… My mouth watered when I thought of how much torque that beast could put out.
The only thing that took my mind off of that was Kara.
She said she didn't want to go to the hospital, and I could tell that there was going to be a knock-down, drag-out if I tried to take her. I supposed it didn't really matter. The closest hospital was a county over. I could call for an ambulance, but that might bring state troopers out this way. That wouldn’t be good. I didn’t need them sticking their noses in this, wondering how the car came to be in the ditch and asking Kara questions about bikers and all the rest.
I already knew what had happened. It was Reed, of course. Even though he hadn’t called me to come and pick up the pieces yet, it was him. Every ‘accident’ like this happened because of Reed Jacobs and his Reaper gang. They’d been nothing but trouble since they started to use Silver Creek as more than a place to drink and piss and fuck.
This girl must have put up a fight. The Reapers didn’t need an excuse for violence, but putting a bullet in a tire was a step further than I’d ever seen them go. A car this nice driving through their territory at night would've been simply irresistible, but they damn near killed someone to get it.
She didn’t stand a chance.
Lucky for her I’d come along when I had. Sure, I would have gotten the call out later tonight, but this way maybe I could…
And there it was. A plan. I could stash the car and girl somewhere and play dumb when the bikers wanted to know what happened. She’d be safe, and I wouldn’t have to feel the weight of the guilt.
I realized that, at last, I was done with all of that. I wasn’t going to let them have the car. They probably expected her to run like hell like all the other hapless drivers they’d run off the road, but this time was different.
I’d protect her.
Something inside me clicked. It was like a switch was thrown. I'd only been doing their dirty work to pay down the debt, but seeing the hurt and confusion her eyes… and that fury!
It changed me, somehow. Maybe I was just happy to meet someone with a fire still burning inside. I was born and raised in Silver Creek, a place where dreams fade and ambitions die. She came from somewhere else… Somewhere better…
She may have been blunt when she told me she had better places to be and better people to see, but she didn't deserve this. She didn’t deserve for her life to hit the skids, and maybe I could help.
For the first time in a long time, I could feel a bit of the fire back in me. I swore right then and there that Reed and his Reapers weren’t going to benefit from what they'd done to her.
No way in hell.
Chapter 5
Kara
It was late. I looked at the moon and the stars, trying to gauge the time. It didn’t work, of course. I was a city girl through and through. I could see more stars up there than I knew what to do with, but that didn’t help me know what time it was.
Even though I'd refused to let him take me to the hospital, I knew I was banged up enough to need a good night’s sleep. There was a lot I’d have to do if I was still going to have a chance at making it to Orlando in time, but I didn't have it in me to wrestle with the insurance companies and the rental place on the phone right now. All of that nonsense could wait until the morning, when I figured out what the hell I was going to do…
Besides, when I glanced into the rearview mirror I could see that there was a tow truck behind me. The hot guy currently trying to gingerly pull me out of the Bentley must be its driver.
Had I been out that long? Had someone really called in the accident already?
I didn't know, and I supposed it didn't really matter. At least my head was starting to clear. I felt like I'd be okay in the end, but I was going to need to find a place to grab some sleep.
I cleared my throat. "Once you drop the car of, do you think you could recommend a hotel and call me a cab?"
The muscled, tattooed Adonis… what had he said his name was?
Dane.
That was it. Dane looked over at me and smiled, and I was starting to think that it, despite everything I had to lose, getting stuck for the night might not be all bad.
A girl could get used to that smile. There was something wholesome, something completely genuine and honest about it. I knew that, looking the way he did, he was probably considered a bad ass around these parts, but coming from New York it was nice to meet a man who would say what he thought and take what he wanted.
>
There was certainly an edge to him. He wasn't your typical ‘nice guy’, not by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, I was sure there were people in town that feared him when he’d had a few too many. That didn’t bother me. You knew where you stood with a guy like this, and I felt like I could trust him.
Dane glanced over at me, and now that I was getting my wits about me again I could plainly see that he was checking me out. “I'll take your car to a garage I own,” he said. “It'll be safe there.” He tapped his finger against my leather purse. “You should take this with you, and any luggage you’ve got, too. Leave the keys in the ignition.”
“Why?” I felt like I could trust him, but I still didn’t like the idea of handing them over.
“Because it's a pain in the ass when these things lock themselves, and I don't want to have to break into your car just to fix it. Relax, Kara. This thing isn’t going to be drivable for a while. I’m hardly going to steal it."
"Oh," I said, surprised, "but you think you’ll be able to fix it?"
He shrugged. "Like I said, I own the garage. If you want to drive this out of Silver Creek, I’m your only hope right now."
"I just meant…" I said, thankfully finding enough diplomacy to let me voice trail off instead of simply calling him out. I couldn’t see any way that this guy would have either the skills or the equipment to fix the Bentley. It would be like a monkey banging away at a typewriter and hoping to turn out some Shakespeare, but I figured there was no real point in telling him that.
But he was watching me too closely for me think that he didn’t know what I’d been about to say. Thankfully, he didn’t press the issue.
Good. I didn't feel like arguing with him. I needed to find a hotel and some fresh linen, maybe even a couple of fluffy pillows and a mattress that didn't squeak, and sleep.
"There's a motel just down the road from the garage. I'll drive you there myself."
"That's okay," I said, holding up my hand. I wasn't looking for any more favors, especially since I had no idea how I was going to pay for the repairs in the first place. I had a feeling the rental car place and my insurance would cover it eventually, but eventually wasn’t going to help me make my deadline. "I can get a cab."
The look on his face was equal parts humor and incredulousness. It was enough to make my blood boil.
“What?” I demanded.
He shrugged. "You really have no idea where you are, do you? There's no cabs here. There's no twenty-four-hour, seven-day week supermarkets or malls. Hell, they don't even sell liquor in the county. There's one motel. Count it, honey, one. And I said motel, not hotel. That missing 'H' is important. It's a dive and you’re going to get eaten alive by bed bugs, but it's your only option."
I sighed. I guess even a four-star hotel had been too much to hope for. Somewhere in the back of my mind I'd still been expecting that I could check into a Marriott or Hyatt Regency.
Dane had helped me out of the Bentley, but when he reached out to guide me back to his tow truck, I shook his hand away. He let me go, but I saw how near to me he remained. If I fell, he’d catch me. He was a reassuring presence, and I realized again exactly how hard it was to stay angry with him.
Dane motioned me toward his truck, and I picked my way along the side of the road in that direction. It was dark, and the pavement was crumbling. I reached out to him to catch my balance, but before I could grab his arm one of my high heels twisted beneath my foot and sent me sprawling.
At least, it would have… Dane’s reflexes were on point, and he turned what could've been a dangerous fall into the ditch into a moment that took my breath away as his strong hand caught my wrist and tugged me back into his arms.
I was panting, my heart going wild. He smelled like clean, hard-earned sweat and motor oil. There was a hint of something else, gasoline or leather.
There was nothing fake about him. The men I was used to stunk of the sharp, nose-tickling colognes they doused themselves in. They were boys compared to this guy.
"If you can’t find your balance, I should find you a doctor," Dane told me, his lips almost against my forehead.
I was trapped against him, my breasts pressed against his muscled chest, and I craned my neck and looked up into his eyes. There was a heat rolling of him that made me want to press my flesh to his. I wanted him.
No, I needed him. My breath caught in my throat as I realized that, if I wasn’t careful, I could lose myself with this guy. I could happily throw all of my responsibilities into the ditch right beside the Bentley as long as I had him beside me.
It was a stupid thought. Crazy. I must have hit my head pretty damn hard.
But more than that, it was a dangerous thought to be having. I'd always been so disciplined, but if I slipped up here it could easily be my undoing.
"Take me to the motel," I said to him, looking up into his eyes and adding softly, "please."
"I thought you’d never ask," he said, and for a brief instant it felt like he was going to bend down and actually give me the kiss I’d struggled to steal when he’d first found me behind the wheel. Instead, he guided me back to his tow truck and helped me climb up into the passenger seat. Once I was strapped in he went around to his side, getting in and starting the car with a flick of his wrist. He turned on the high beams to get one last look at the crippled Bentley before pulling around in front of it so that he could drag it up on the truck and haul it back to his garage.
While he got back out to wrangle the car from the ditch, I had a little time to try to sort out my thoughts.
You must get to Orlando. This is a bump in the road, but you’ll get over it. Great things came through perseverance… I told myself all of that and more, but the thoughts wouldn’t stick in my mind. All I could focus on was Dane. Those muscles. That devil-may-care grin. The curve of his full lips…
He scared me. For the first time, he had me wondering what my life would be like if I slowed down a little. When I woke up tomorrow, would the old, familiar Kara be the one in charge of her own destiny? Or would this new, unpredictable one I’d discovered today still be around?
I hoped not.
Chapter 6
Dane
Kara was certainly dressed classy enough for the Bentley, so I wasn't surprised to find that she was out of her depth in a rig like this. Everything in here would be different from what she was used to, and that included the angle of the seats.
Not that I was complaining. Maybe in a Bentley the Corinthian leather bucket seats would've cupped that sexy ass and made those strong thighs sit naturally against one another, but not in the big, springy bench seat I’d installed in the cabin. As I pulled the truck in front of her car, I couldn’t help but watch in fascination as the engine’s vibrations coaxed her legs apart ever so slightly.
I licked my lips and tried not to stare as the miniskirt she was wearing crawled a little bit higher. Another couple of inches and I figured I could see all the way to heaven, but the view was pretty damn good as it was.
I couldn't help but drink her in. There was no way I could hide what I was doing when she caught me looking, but so what? How could I not?
"Don't you have a job to do?" Kara asked, though I noticed that she wasn't as pissed off as I expected her to be.
"Yes ma'am," I said, opening the door and climbing down once again. I was glad to be out here on my own, where I could reach down and adjust my aching cock into a slightly more comfortable position. That women made me want to erupt, and I spent the next couple of minutes on autopilot, imagining her beneath me in my bed.
Getting the Bentley onto the back of the truck wasn't going to be that hard. If it had simply broken down, it would've taken me half an hour to rig it up right. With the front axle fucked up I had a little more leeway. Whatever damage my chains did would be next to unnoticeable compared to what had already happened. All I had to do was get underneath and rig a few hooks and the winch could do the rest.
The Bentley groaned in protest as I ha
uled it up onto the flatbed, and in a couple of minutes it was secure.
When I opened the door to the truck again and got back in, I glanced over at Kara. I told myself that I was just making sure she was okay, though a split second later that I was back trying to give myself x-ray vision so that I could see through her blouse.
The woman was stacked. They sure didn't grow girls like that around here. Kara was a knockout, but she was also classy and sophisticated. Sure, she looked down her nose at me, but I could turn that around.
Not that it wouldn’t be a challenge. It was one thing for her to think she was better than me. It was quite another for her to know it, and Kara had already made it clear that Silver Creek was barely a blip on her radar.
Hell, wasn't that basically the first thing she'd said to me? That she had better places to be than here, and better people to meet than me?
I couldn't help but laugh as I remembered the way she'd said it. She'd been so sure of herself. She wasn't asking, she was simply letting me know. It wasn't even intended to be mean. The matter-of-fact way that she informed me that my time was worth so much less than hers… Well, she was probably right, when it came right down to it.
Judging by the trendy clothes she was wearing and the jewelry that was dripping from her, not to mention the fact that she had been driving a Bentley in the first place, there probably wasn't anybody in town that she couldn't buy and sell a hundred times. Well, maybe not Reed and his Reapers. They made money hand over fist, a fact they didn’t let anyone forget.
Kara may think that I was just a simple bumpkin in some country town, but I had problems of my own.
Expensive problems.
I gunned the truck’s engine and took my foot off the clutch, shifting to second gear as quickly as I could. It didn't take us long to get out of there, and I could tell as we got farther and farther from the place where the attack had gone down that she was happy to be leaving it behind.