by Sarah Curtis
“It’s where the work brought me,” he generalized, wanting to be as honest as possible.
“Have you always been a mechanic?”
He got distracted by her tongue as it darted out to catch a falling drop of ice cream before it reached her hand that fisted the cone. Her eyes moved to his when he was slow to respond, and he cleared his throat before answering, “I’ve always loved working on cars.”
She took another swipe of her ice cream before saying, “That didn’t really answer my question.”
No, he guessed it didn’t. “I was in the military for a handful of years then had a couple odd jobs when I came out.” Truth.
That seemed to appease her because she moved on. “What branch did you serve?”
“Marines.”
“Oorah!”
Fuck, she was adorable. He squeezed her hand and decided turnabout was fair play. It also wouldn’t hurt to have the attention taken off him and his past. “Why’d you become a nurse?”
“I know this will sound cliché, but it was because of my dad.”
She turned quiet, and he squeezed her hand again. “Hey, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.” They were passing a rare empty bench, and he steered her toward it.
Ice cream gone, she tossed the cone away in a nearby trash can, rubbing her hands on her pants before sitting down. “No, it’s okay. It’s been a while now, though sometimes it feels like yesterday.”
There was a wistful note to her voice, and he hoped that meant she was thinking of good times along with the bad.
“I was fifteen when he got sick.” She took another deep breath. “Lung cancer. He smoked his whole life.” She stared down at her hands tucked between her thighs. He reached over, prying one out and clasping it. He got her eyes and a thin smile. “I’m okay. It’s just the hurt is unexpected sometimes.” She squeezed his hand and continued. “Anyway, I always thought if I could’ve done more—helped him more—he would’ve gotten better. Obviously, that’s not how the disease works. I used to tell him I was going to become a nurse and cure him.” She chuckled, but it wasn’t filled with humor and was accompanied with a head shake. “I was naive. And even though he died the summer after I graduated high school, I still went on to do what I’d promised. I went to nursing school, but I couldn’t face working with cancer patients, so I specialized in trauma, wanting to save lives.”
“Noble,” he murmured. He could see that in her—the caregiver. “And you like it? Being a nurse.”
A smile transformed her face, making her eyes glow. “I love it.”
Dean couldn’t stop himself if he tried. Cupping her face, he tasted her lips. They were still cool from the ice cream and so damn sweet, it made his head spin. Heart racing, he forced himself to pull away. He stared into her beautiful green eyes and knew he hadn’t been wrong. Sadie Pierce was his.
“When can I see you again?”
They were slowly strolling through the parking lot, neither, it seemed, in a hurry for their date to end.
“I’m working the next five days.”
Unacceptable, Sunday was too long to wait. “What time do you get off tomorrow?”
She scrunched her nose. “Not until eleven. I’m working the late shift.”
Shit, he would be getting off work about the time she started.
“What time’s your dinner break?”
“Seven. But I only get forty-five minutes. It’s not worth the bother.”
He stopped them, tugging on her hand so she faced him. “Let’s get one thing straight before this goes any further. Any time spent with you, whether it’s one hour or one minute, is never a bother or a waste of my time. Understood?”
She had her head tilted back, looking up at him. By the time he’d finished speaking, her eyes had gone wide, and her mouth had formed a cute fucking little O.
He placed a finger under her chin, closing her mouth. “Tell me you understand where I’m coming from.”
Headlights from an approaching car hit them, startling her, and she tried to get out of the way, but he held her in place. “They can wait. I’m not moving until you answer.”
A horn honked, making her jump and spurring her into action. “I understand.”
He studied her. Saw the sparkle in her eyes and the slight smile curving her lips. Yeah, she got it.
He pulled them to the side, out of the way of the oncoming car, lifting a hand to the driver as he passed.
“Are you always this demanding?” she asked, watching the car as it drove down the aisle.
“And if I say yes?”
Her head whipped around, and she laughed. “Then I guess it’s best I know that now.”
He grinned, pulling her so her front plastered his. Her head tipped back, and he stared into her beautiful eyes. “Just a warning, darlin’, I’m about to get demanding again.”
One of his hands dived into her hair, fisting it and pulling her head back farther while the other pressed into the small of her back. He dropped his head, sealing her mouth with his.
The kiss wasn’t gentle. He couldn’t rein it in after spending so much time with her. Watching her perfect ass as she climbed in and out of rides. The smiles she’d thrown at him all day. Her fucking tongue licking her ice cream.
Heat filled his veins, hardening his dick as his tongue went on an exploration. She tasted of strawberries from her lip gloss, and he decided it was his new favorite fruit. He’d never eat one again and not remember that moment.
Fucking heaven.
Her response was tentative at first but gained confidence the longer they kissed. Her hands clutched his hips, pulling him closer to tease his dick as it cradled in the softness of her belly.
Dean couldn’t stand much more of that and not lose all control. He raised his head, taking a small step back. A tiny whimper fell from her lips. And that sound, with the disappointment he heard behind it, hand to God, nearly had him exploding in his pants.
Sadie was fucking dangerous.
Good thing for him, he didn’t like to play it safe.
Stepping through the sliding doors of the ER, leaving the aroma of fried chicken in his wake, Dean headed straight to the reception desk.
A young woman in pink scrubs sat behind the counter, a smile appearing as he approached. “Can I help you?”
“I’m here for Sadie Pierce. She’s a nurse in the ER.”
“One moment.” She picked up the handset on her phone and hit an extension. “Hey, Carol. Can you tell Sadie she has a visitor.” She paused a moment before her eyes rolled up to meet his. “I don’t know, but he’s very tall, extremely handsome, and holding something that smells delicious.”
Dean chose to ignore all of that.
“Thanks,” she said into the phone before hanging up. “She’ll be right out. You can take a seat if you’d like.” She waved to the waiting area. “She’s finishing up with a patient but should only be a few minutes.”
Dean scanned the room, spying an empty seat that wasn’t too close to anyone coughing up a lung. But as he started to step away, the receptionist stopped him by saying, “Hey, can I say what a lucky girl Sadie is.”
He smiled at her. “You’ve got it wrong, sweetheart. I’m the lucky one.”
Sadie didn’t make him wait long. Not five minutes had passed before the doors to the treatment area opened, and Sadie walked out, beautiful, even in baggy scrubs with her hair in a messy pile atop her head and no makeup—natural looked good on her.
“You came.” Those were the first words she spoke once she reached him.
“Told you I would.”
“I know, but…” She shrugged.
“But you thought I wouldn’t follow through? Told you last night where I was coming from. You said you understood.”
She took his hand and squeezed it. “I understand now.”
“Good.” He pulled her toward the exit.
“Where are we going?”
“Saw a p
atch of grass outside and a shade tree. Thought we’d sit under it.”
Her eyes lit. “A picnic?”
“Better than the cafeteria.”
“Amen to that. I don’t get out much while at work.”
“Now I’m doubly glad I came.”
She looked at him and smiled. “Me, too.”
The shady patch of grass wasn’t far, but it was well away from the front entrance and foot traffic. Dean helped Sadie sit, before taking a seat himself and resting his back against the tree.
“Smells like you brought fried chicken.”
Dean opened the bag, pulling out a box and opening the lid. Reaching in again, he pulled out a hefty stack of napkins. “Didn’t think to ask for plates. These will have to do.”
“Works for me.” She took a few from him and grabbed a thigh from the box.
Dean took the breast.
“Didn’t peg you for a breast man the way you were eyeing my legs at Mom’s house.”
His lips tipped into a smirk. “Noticed that, did you?”
“A blind person would’ve noticed.”
“Funny thing is, I wouldn’t have called myself a leg man until I saw yours.” He swept his eyes over her. “Now, I’m a leg, ass, and breast man.”
A tinge of pink hit Sadie’s cheeks.
Fucking adorable.
“How was work?”
Dean laughed outright. “Are you changing the subject?”
Sheepishness transformed her features. “Maybe.”
Though he’d love to tease her, he let it slide. “It was fine. Worked on a sweet ride. An old-school Chevy Camaro. Boy, was she a beauty. 3.8-liter v-6 engine, cherry red, and pure muscle—” He stopped abruptly when he saw her eyes glaze over. “And you’re not interested.”
“No. I am.” But her body language said otherwise.
“So noted. When you ask me how work was, keep it short and sweet.”
A blush stole her cheeks again. “I’m sorry. It’s just when my brother first opened the shop, that’s all he ever talked about. I think it’s a natural reflex now to tune it out.”
“How long ago was that?”
“What? When he opened the shop?” At his nod, she shrugged. “I think about four or five years ago.”
She made a funny face, and he asked, “What was that look for?”
She pretended ignorance. “I had a look?”
Taking a bite of chicken, he wiped his mouth with a napkin before saying, “Yep.”
Her eyes roamed everywhere but on him.
“Come on, spit it out,” he prodded.
Sighing, she finally admitted, “I don’t like talking about how my brother opened the shop. But you’re new in town, and I…” Color hit her cheeks. “I like you and don’t want to see you get hurt or in trouble.”
“What do you mean?”
Setting her chicken down, she wiped her fingers on a napkin, turned to face him, and moved in close, lowering her voice. “I’m not sure if you know this—after physical therapy Ray’s limp is barely noticeable—but my brother’s leg was injured in the service. After he was discharged and came home, not being able to find work, he grew more and more depressed. Then one day, out of the blue, he announced he’d opened a mechanic shop.
“Now, understand, we’re not rolling in dough. Daddy worked hard to give us everything we needed, but we never got everything we wanted. And after Daddy died, times were tight. I’ll probably be paying off my nursing school until the day I die, so when I asked Ray where he got the money, and he would only say he had a silent partner, that had my hackles rising. I’m not stupid. There aren’t many legal ways to raise that kind of cash. So, if a bank won’t back my brother for a loan, who else is left?”
“You think it was someone shady?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know, but I do think the silent partner is using my brother.”
Dean whistled. “How so?”
She shrugged. “Little things that’ve made me suspicious. I’ve seen people come to the shop and not to get their cars fixed but money is exchanged. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together. That’s why I told you I don’t date my brother’s friends and why I wanted to warn you. I don’t want you getting mixed up in Ray’s mess.”
“Have you told anyone else about your suspicions?”
She shook her head. “No. No one. Not even Ray.”
“Good, keep it that way. I mean it,” he stressed. “If what you think is true, the people your brother’s in bed with are dangerous. No more snooping.”
The little minx actually rolled her eyes at him. “I’ll say it one more time even though I shouldn’t have to. I’m not stupid. Figured that much out for myself. I don’t go near the shop now unless I absolutely have to.”
He leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose. “Good.” He gestured to her half-eaten piece of chicken. “Now, finish eating. I don’t want you going the rest of the night hungry.”
She did as told. And even managed to do it without rolling her eyes.
Their time together was over too soon. Dean packed up the trash and walked Sadie back inside. “You’re off on Sunday, right?”
She smiled and he hoped it was because she was excited to see him again. “Yes.”
Five days. Too fucking long to wait, but he wouldn’t interfere with her job—it was too important to her. He nodded. “Don’t make any plans. You’re mine all day.”
Chapter Four
“I’ve never been to a real-life baseball game, have you?”
Dean was behind the wheel of Sadie’s car, sluggishly navigating the freeway traffic on their way to Angel Stadium. He glanced over at Sadie who sat in the passenger seat. “Once. My friend Cobi and I went to see the Braves play the summer before our senior year.”
She turned toward him as far as her seatbelt would allow, and his eyes caught on her legs. They were on full display in the shorts she wore. “Is that where you’re from, Atlanta?
He forced his eyes back on the road. “No, a town in Tennessee about four hours out from Atlanta.” Dean shook his head. “We thought we were so big and bad, driving out of state and staying the night at a motel. Don’t know what our parents were thinking, letting us on the loose.”
“You guys get into a lot of trouble growing up?”
“Not more than the average teenage boy.”
“That much, huh?” He glanced Sadie’s direction again, and she had a grin splitting her face.
He chuckled. “We got into our fair share of scrapes.”
“Yeah, like what?”
“Let’s see…” He wracked his brain for a story that didn’t make him sound like a juvenile delinquent. “There was this old, abandoned house about a mile into the woods behind our neighborhood. Everyone said it was haunted, so, of course, Cobi and I had to check it out.”
“How old were you?” Sadie interjected.
Dean shrugged. “About ten, I think. We went at midnight,” he glanced at her and wiggled his brows, “the witching hour.” She giggled, and he continued. “It was so dark in the woods, we couldn’t see a hand in front of our face. Thankfully, Cobi thought to bring a flashlight, or we’d have been screwed.
“Anyway, when we got to the house, the place was as we imagined—rotting wood, spider webs, broken windows. The stairs leading to the porch were practically nonexistent, and climbing plants choked the railings. Even the front door was sagging on its hinges and wouldn’t open, so we had to squeeze through to gain entrance. The place was a ten-year-old’s worst nightmare and most exciting adventure all rolled into one.
“The ground floor was covered in debris—dirt, leaves, trash—whatever the wind blew in. Broken furniture created a maze to travel through. I’m telling you, the place was creepy, but it wasn’t until we heard moaning that we really started to freak out.”
“Moaning? Surely it was just the wind coming in through the broken windows.”
&nb
sp; “That’s what we thought at first, too. The noise was coming from upstairs, but the inside stairs were in worse shape than the porch steps, and we knew if we had to make a fast getaway, running back down them would be risky.”
“So, what did you do?”
Dean remembered he and Cobi had argued for a full five minutes at the base of those stairs, debating that very question. “What else? We dared each other. And by the time Cobi got to I triple dog dare you, I was already halfway up the stairs. Not wanting to be a wuss, Cobi followed.”
“Being accused of being a wuss is a serious offense.”
“Exactly.” Dean agreed. “When we neared the top of the stairs, the moaning grew louder, and it sounded like it was coming from one of the bedrooms. We inched our way closer.” He glanced at her and explained, “Seriously, a snail moves faster than we did.”
Sadie’s soft chuckle filled the car.
“When we got to the partially open door where the sound was coming from, Cobi nudged it open farther with the flashlight and BAM!”
In his peripheral, he saw Sadie jump, and he grinned.
“A ghostly figure jumped out at us. A hand clawed at my hair as I turned to run away. Cobi actually pushed me out of the way to be the first one down the stairs. To this day, I’m not sure how we made it back down those steps without killing ourselves. Anyway, as soon as we reached the bottom, that’s when we heard the laughter.”
“Evil and sinister laughter?”
“No, Talon and Sage’s—Cobi’s cousins—laughter.”
“Oh no.”
“Oh, yes. Somehow, they’d found out about our plans and set the whole thing up ahead of time. There they were, Talon dressed in a bedsheet, pointing and laughing at us from the top of the stairs.”
“What did you do?”
Dean shrugged. “The only thing we could do to save face. We bloodied their noses.”
Sadie laughed again. He loved the sound of it and told himself he needed to make her do it more often.
“What about you? Did you and Ray ever play pranks on each other?”
“No. There’s a fairly large age gap between us—almost seven years. He took the role of a protective older brother, and I was the annoying baby sister.”