Jenna bit back a smile. He wasn’t the first man to assume that she needed help. He wouldn’t be the last. “That’s all right. I think I can handle it on my own.”
The man’s gaze turned more assessing.
“Don’t worry, I won’t get in the way.” The smell of grease and sweat greeted Jenna as she entered the garage, reminding her of home.
The large space had several bays, but only three were used for repair. The rest held luxury sedans and sports cars. Each work bay came equipped with hydraulic lifts and enough diagnostic equipment to open a shop.
Various sized tires were stacked against the right wall. Shelving units containing standard parts lined the back. To the left of the tires, a row of tools hung above a long workbench, organized from small to large and by type.
The man who’d questioned her stepped forward and gave her a sheepish grin, which was at odds with his hulking size. “I’m Nic. That’s Bernie.” He hiked his thumb over his shoulder to point to the man under the hood of the Lincoln. “And that’s Josh.” The latter stood near the rear of the car and didn’t look old enough to drive. He smiled and waved as their eyes met.
“Nice to meet you,” Jenna said. “I’ll let you get back to it.”
Nic continued to stare at her.
“I’ll call you, if I need you,” she said.
“Sure.” Nic hesitated, then backed into a tray of tools. The tray crashed onto the ground, sending socket wrenches and screwdrivers skittering across the concrete floor.
“Might help if you look where you’re going,” Bernie said.
Jenna watched crimson creep into Nic’s cheeks.
He spun around, took one step, and tripped over a crowbar. Nic grunted and somehow kept his feet under him. That didn’t stop Bernie and Josh from busting a gut though.
“Something got you distracted, Nic?” Josh howled with laughter.
Keep it up, pup,” Nic muttered.
Jenna poked her head under the Bug’s bonnet, so Nic wouldn’t see her laughing, but she couldn’t stop her shoulders from shaking.
The laughter gradually faded and the men went back to work.
Jenna grabbed a nearby light and clipped it to the metal frame, then slowly examined the engine. While she did, she couldn’t help but overhear the conversation taking place beside her.
“I changed out the right rear hub bearing assembly,” Nic said. “That got rid of the noise, but caused a glitch in the ABS braking system. Now I have speed sensor code being set during the test drive.”
In her peripheral, she saw Josh glance her way, then quickly turn his attention back to the job. “I can’t figure out why you’re getting an ABS light and no speed signal from the wheel with the new hub bearing assembly in place.”
They bantered various theories and suggestions back and forth, but no one was coming up with a solution. Jenna stopped what she was doing. “It’s none of my business,” she said, “but did you happen to use an aftermarket assembly?”
Three sets of eyes locked onto her. Nic hitched his hip against the side of the car. “Let’s say that I did.”
“Then that’s your problem,” Jenna said. “You need to use the Ford OEM assembly. The aftermarket assembly’s toner ring doesn’t play nice with the Ford sensor.”
“How many days have you been working on the problem, Nic?” Bernie asked. “Three? Four?” He laughed. “Jenna here just fixed it in five minutes.”
Nic flushed.
“Don’t bust his chops too bad,” Jenna said. “The only reason I knew what the problem was, is because I went through the same issue at my…at the,” she corrected, “garage I worked at a few months back. Course it only took me two days to figure it out.” She winked at Bernie.
The men roared with laughter. Jenna joined in, feeling relaxed and at home for the first time in months. She missed this kind of camaraderie. It seemed like a lifetime ago that she’d stepped foot inside a garage.
Until now, she hadn’t dared. It would’ve been the first place Ethan and Carl Rich would’ve looked for her, the first place they would’ve checked.
“See, that proves you’re a better mechanic than old Nic here.” Josh playfully dug his elbow into Nic’s ribs.
“He would’ve figured it out eventually...once he stopped staring at my butt,” she said.
“Busted!” Josh shouted.
Jenna grinned at him, then went back to work on her car.
* * * * *
CHAPTER SIX
Aidan tried to keep his distance, but he couldn’t ignore Jenna’s sweet scent floating on the breeze. The alluring aroma wrapped around his senses, leaving him dizzy.
He’d intended to work, instead he found himself following his nose all the way to the garage. As he passed the Rover, he spotted Jenna’s bag in the back.
Why hadn’t she dropped it off at her motel last night? He shrugged it off and continued to the door.
Aidan stepped inside. A wrench hit the concrete with a loud clang. All three men slipped out from beneath the hood of the car to face him. Jenna didn’t notice that he was there, until Nic muted the music.
She popped her head up. “Hey, that was my favorite song.”
Aidan moved into her personal space and cleared his throat. Jenna spun around, pressing a hand to her chest. Her eyes widened, when she saw him. Was it his imagination or had her pupils dilated?
“Aidan,” she croaked. “What are you doing here?”
He did his best to ignore the men’s gaping mouths. “I thought I’d check to see that you had everything that you need.”
“Uh. That’s kind of you. Thanks!” Jenna took a step back and focused on her car.
She probably thought he wouldn’t see her blush.
“I believe I have everything I need,” she said.
“Good. How is the Rover working out?” Aidan rolled his shoulders. He didn’t like having an audience, especially when the conversation was so awkward. He’d never had trouble speaking to women, not even when he was a pup. Being tongue-tied was a new experience for him. One Aidan didn’t like one bit.
Jenna rubbed her face, smearing grease across her cheek. “It’s great. Thanks again for letting me use the space.”
“Sir,” Nic interrupted. “Did you need something?”
Aidan’s attention remained on Jenna. He didn’t bother to glance at Nic. “No.”
“It’s just that you never come down here,” Nic said.
Aidan’s wolf brushed his skin as he slowly turned to face his mechanic. “Then it’s high time that I did.”
Nic’s blue eyes glowed.
Aidan bristled.
Nic’s gaze immediately dropped to the floor. “Of course. Let us know if you want to see anything in particular.” He glanced at Jenna, which only made Aidan’s hackles rise even more. The tension in the space increased.
“I will.” He showed more teeth than was necessary. Aidan didn’t like the wolf’s interest in Jenna, but he let it go...for now.
It shouldn’t matter to him if Nic and Jenna went out. If anything, he should try to encourage the relationship. It would take her off his hands and hopefully get her out of his thoughts.
His wolf snarled in protest.
Before Aidan could examine his wolf’s odd response, Robert LaBeouf popped his head into the garage.
“Sir, you have a phone call,” he said.
Aidan sighed. The work of an Alpha never ended. He rubbed the back of his neck. Aidan wasn’t ready to leave yet. He hadn’t gotten his fill of Jenna’s lilac scent.
“I’ll be there in a moment,” he said.
Robert hesitated like he was about to say more, but caught Aidan’s censorious glare. “I’ll let them know.”
“You do that.”
“Your garage is incredible.” Jenna’s comment drew his mind away from the unwanted distractions. “Better than...” She stopped short. “I should get back to work. It was nice seeing you again.”
Aidan nodded, feeling oddly disappointed as
he left the garage. She’d dismissed him. Dismissed him like he was some kind of annoying pup, nipping at her heels. Aidan had never been dismissed before. Not by a woman. He had no experience with this type of rejection and wasn’t altogether certain how he should act.
Bernie followed him out. “Alpha, can I have a word?”
“Can it wait?” Aidan needed to get away from the garage. Away from her.
Bernie glanced toward the open door, then lowered his voice. “No, it’s about Jenna.”
Aidan halted immediately. “What about her?”
Bernie’s nervous gaze darted to the garage once more.
“She’s human,” Aidan said. “She’s not going to be able to hear us.”
His shoulders slumped in relief. “I think she’s been living in her car,” Bernie said.
Shocked by the statement, Aidan moved them away from the entrance. “Why would you think that?” His chest clenched at the thought of Jenna being in such a vulnerable position.
“I don’t have proof,” Bernie said. “But her scent is unusually strong in the Bug’s backseat. And I found a tremendous amount of food packaging material scattered throughout the car.”
“Are you sure she’s not a slob?” Aidan asked. It wasn’t unusual for humans to use their cars for trash heaps.
Bernie shook his head. “Don’t think so. I also found a blanket rolled up and tucked into a side panel. Taken individually, I wouldn’t think much of it, but when you add in her scent...” Bernie tapped his nose. “I just thought you should know.”
Aidan nodded his thanks, then walked over to the Rover and opened the back door. He leaned in and inhaled deeply.
Jenna’s scent filled his lungs. Aidan breathed in again and frowned. “You’re right. Her scent is all over the backseat. There’s only one reason for that. She must’ve slept in here last night. But why?”
Bernie shrugged. “The stuff I found in the Bug was old—at least a couple of weeks. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of it is even older.”
Had she been living in her car for months?
Aidan stared at the backseat. It didn’t make sense. Why was Jenna living out of her car? She obviously had skills. Without them, she wouldn’t have a job at the paper or be able to repair her car.
Bernie stepped toward the garage and stopped. “I’ve got an extra room in town--”
“No!” The vehemence in Aidan’s response shocked them both. “I mean that’s not necessary.”
“She can’t stay in the SUV,” he said.
“She won’t be,” Aidan said.
Bernie’s brow furrowed. “I’ve only known her for a couple of hours, but I can tell you right now that the girl is proud. No way is she going to let us help her, if she thinks we’re trying to give her a handout.”
“Leave it me.” Aidan’s mind raced, but kept coming back to only one option. It was sheer insanity on his part, but what choice did he have? He couldn’t let Jenna sleep in the vehicle. It wasn’t safe. For some reason Aidan needed her to be safe.
He glanced at the sky. The moon peeked out from behind the tops of the trees. Not quite full yet, but it would be soon. When that happened, the estate would transform. He would transform.
It will only be for a couple of days. She’ll be gone long before the moon run, he told himself.
Aidan stared at her bag in the back of the Rover. What kind of Alpha would he be, if he let her leave without at least trying to convince her to stay?
The phone call could wait. If it were important, they’d call back. Aidan shut the Rover’s door and walked back into the garage. Jenna was once again under the hood of her car. “I was thinking,” he said.
She gasped. Her head shot up and hit the hood. “Ouch! Stop sneaking up on me.”
“Sorry.” Aidan fought the urge to walk over and examine her. Touching her was a bad idea, especially when he needed to convince her to stay. “You okay?”
Jenna rubbed her head. “I’ll be fine. What were you saying?”
“I was thinking about the repairs you need to do on your car,” he said, not entirely sure where he was going with this idea.
She paled. “What about them?”
“It’s ridiculous that you aren’t able to work on the vehicle anytime you like,” he said.
Confusion marred her face. “I can’t. I have a job.”
“I know.” His nose wrinkled in disgust. “That’s not what I meant. I thought it might be easier for you, if you stayed here at the estate—at least while you’re working on the car. That way you could do the repairs anytime you felt like it. You wouldn’t have to worry about driving back to your motel every night.”
The last of the blood in her face drained away and her scent soured. It was as Bernie suspected.
Aidan pretended not to notice her reaction. What if she turned down his offer? What would he do then? He couldn’t order her to stay. Jenna wasn’t part of his pack. He couldn’t hold her against her will. Though that thought held some appeal.
His wolf perked up. Forget about it. Not going to happen. Aidan’s heart pounded. The need to protect thrummed in his head, as he waited for her answer.
* * * * *
Everything inside of Jenna screamed for her to say no, but Aidan was right. If she were here, she could spend every moment of extra time that she had working on her car. It would be a relief to not worry about driving back to the campground every night.
Staying on the estate would also give her the opportunity to interview Aidan. Jenna liked the idea of getting to know the real man behind the success, solving the puzzle that was Aidan Fortier.
Jenna bit her lip. “I don’t want to put you out.” Pride reared its ugly head.
“You won’t,” Aidan said. “As you’ve seen, the house is quite large. There’s plenty of room for one more.”
“If you’re sure?” Say yes! Her brain screamed. She’d never get a better chance than this.
“I am.” Aidan cleared his throat. “Now if you’ll excuse me. I’ve kept whoever is on the phone waiting long enough.”
“They’ve probably already hung up,” she said.
Aidan smiled. “That’s highly unlikely. When you’re finished here, find Robert. He’ll have a room waiting.”
“Thank you,” Jenna said.
Their eyes met fleetingly, long enough for Jenna to see the heat burning behind Aidan’s amber gaze. In a blink it was gone, but there was no doubt in her mind that it had been there. Most shocking of all was her reaction to it. To him.
With one look, Aidan made her want. Made her ache. Her body had been dormant for three months. Now suddenly it was awake, aware of what it had been missing. And Jenna wasn’t sure how to handle that.
When in doubt—run!
Jenna opened her mouth to tell Aidan that she’d changed her mind.
“Please excuse me, I really must go,” he interjected, before she got the chance.
She glanced over her shoulder. All three mechanics busied themselves, pretending that they hadn’t been listening to every word.
Bernie looked at her.
“What?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He grinned, then grabbed the remote from Nic and turned up the music.
* * * * *
Aidan spent twenty tedious minutes on the phone, listening to all the areas that the southern Moonlight Kin pack Alpha would like to see reformed.
Some of his ideas were genuinely innovative, while others simply rehashed old notions and outdated concepts. Aidan tried to concentrate on what Pierre was saying, but his thoughts refused to leave Jenna.
He didn’t like the idea of her out there in the garage surrounded by his wolves. She was perfectly safe, but Nic had shown far too much interest in her for his peace of mind.
Now that she was under his roof, Aidan felt responsible for her. It was his duty to protect her, especially from his wolves.
Pierre said something else that Aidan missed. This was ridiculous. They were going to have to have this whole conve
rsation over again, but not tonight.
“Rest assured that I will bring up your suggestions at the next Lycanian Elder meeting.” He gave the southern Alpha his standard political reply and excused himself.
The second he hung up, Aidan pressed a buzzer to summon Robert into his office. His assistant entered, his face drawn in concern.
“Sir, I noticed that Ms. Dane is still here,” he said. “Should I tell her that it’s time to head back to town? I can’t help but think she’s taking advantage of your hospitality.”
No one took advantage of him. Aidan wouldn’t allow it. “Jenna will be staying with us for a few days,” he said. “I’d intended to let you know before I answered the phone, but I’d kept Pierre waiting long enough.”
“Jenna?” Robert startled. “But Alpha, the wolves were planning to run tonight.”
Aidan played with the miniature Zen garden on his desk, but the repetitive sand raking did little to bring him inner peace. “Make sure that they shift in the woods and tell them to keep away from the house.”
“But Alpha, we risk exposure with her here,” he said.
Aidan set the tiny rake down. He was well aware of the risks. He didn’t need reminding. Perhaps he should be more concerned about Jenna given the phase of the moon, but she’d already faced down one wolf without batting an eyelash. He didn’t think she’d wilt, if she accidentally caught sight of a few more.
“My orders are clear,” he said. “Prepare a room for her in the west wing.”
Robert shifted in place. “Wouldn’t she be more comfortable in the east wing?”
“With the pack?” Aidan arched a brow. “Do you think that would be wise?”
Robert shook his head. “I was merely concerned for your safety. Humans are untrustworthy vermin. If it were up to me, I’d send her away or have her exterminated, before she has a chance to ‘infect’ the pack.”
Aidan rose from behind his desk. “Of that I have no doubt, but since you are not in a position to give orders...”
Moonlight Kin 2: Aidan's Mate (Mid-Length Novel) Page 5