3. Brielle

Iclutched the steering wheel tightly, knuckles turning white as Cassidy's rusted car rattled along the winding country road. My car sat in Max's garage, waiting for some obscure part to arrive from some other dimension or equally distant store, and Cass had been kind enough to loan me her wheels.

I loved and hated how welcoming she'd been. A bed, a car, a lead on a job. Anyone else, and I'd suspect those favors required payment in humiliation somewhere down the road. My father certainly would have held them over heads.

But he was gone, and Cassidy just wanted to care. And probably get me out of her guest room.

The trees whipped past in a blur of green, the mountains looming on either side. My heart pounded with a mix of anxiety and anticipation for the job interview that could finally put my art history degree to use.

The directions and rough map Cassidy had scribbled down seemed straightforward enough—turn off on the old mill road, hang a left at the fork for Mill Creek, and the abandoned Briar House would be on the right. But as the pavement gave way to a pockmarked road with painted lines faded to nothing, I wondered if I'd taken a wrong turn somewhere.

I grimaced and swerved between the bigger potholes. My car would probably sink in and never be seen again. Cassidy's wouldn't fare much better. A tank, though, might just do the trick?—

A sickening thud echoed through the car as a wheel tipped into a deceptively deep puddle, the impact rattling my jaw.

"Please, no," I groaned. I had places to be, a possible employer to schmooze. I could not be stuck on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.

The engine echoed my noise of displeasure when I hit the gas and tried rolling out of the hole.

"Fuck!" I slammed my hand on the wheel and followed it down with my forehead. Prayers went out to every corner of the universe with my deep inhale and extra-long exhale.

None of them were answered by the time I dug deep for the courage to eyeball the damage.

Sure enough, the driver's side front tire was completely flat, the rubber shredded to pieces and half-submerged in a muddy puddle.

Grabbing my phone, I held it up hopefully, but the screen remained stubbornly blank—no signal with the towering mountains, of course. I'd never changed a tire before. I was well and truly stranded. The interview was in less than an hour, and my chances of making it were rapidly dwindling to zero.

I slammed the car door shut, clutching my phone in my hand as if it might magically gain a signal. Fat chance, but I wanted to be prepared if I found half a bar in the trip between the hood and the trunk.

The rumble of an engine made me whip around. As if the heavens opened up and graced me with favors I truly didn't deserve, a big tow truck eased around a bend.

I waved frantically at that faded red beacon of hope, praying the driver saw me and cared enough to help. The seconds ticked on as the truck's tires ate up the distance. Then slowed.

My heart jumped into my throat when the engine cranked off—until the driver's door swung open.

Orion stepped out from the truck, his broad shoulders filling out a snug t-shirt that clung to the hard planes of his muscular chest. My mouth went dry at the sight of those intense green eyes roving over me with an unmistakable heat. The memory of the rugged stubble of his chiseled jaw rasping deliciously against my flushed skin made my heart plummet from my throat to my toes.

He sauntered over, an easy smile curving his lips like he knew exactly where my mind went. "Well, well. Fancy meeting you here, city girl."

Swallowing hard, I crossed my arms and tried to appear casual despite the mass of nerves churning inside me. Orion's impossibly fit frame was hard to ignore as he came to a stop within arm's reach. He'd been hard to ignore a year ago at Brittany's wedding. He'd been hard to ignore at Hollow Leg my first night back in town, too, and had my full attention when the first punch landed.

"Seems like you have a habit of stumbling into trouble," I remarked, arching a brow.

He chuckled, the rich sound sending a shiver down my spine. "Only when beautiful women are involved."

His wink flamed my cheeks and I fought the urge to squirm. I shouldn't want him. I shouldn't like the twisting in my stomach as his eyes ran down my body, or the powerful feeling it sparked. My old friends would have hated his unpolished looks and those calloused hands, despite how good he was with them.

But where were they when I needed them? Flying off to Ibiza, partying with their latest eye candy, answering my texts weeks later with half-hearted apologies and vague plans to meet up when they're back in the States.

I had enough complications in my life. I didn't need more. Definitely not a man tossing insults and blows over a conquest. Fun for a secret night, not the makings of a happily ever after like Cassidy and Max.

"Those poor women." I answered coolly, finding a rough spot of nail polish to study.

"Well, you're in need of a tire change, and I haven't heard a word of complaint about my services." He jerked his chin toward the sad remains of rubber, smirk twitching the corners of his mouth. "Unless you'd rather I give you a ride?"

The heat of my cheeks turned into an inferno, but I turned to stand beside him and eyed the damage. I ran through the scenarios to try calming my racing heart. Car trouble anxiety had practical solutions. Ones I couldn't manage on my own.

As tempting as it was to put distance between me and my Orion-shaped fixation, the thought of missing my interview stung. "I think Cass would prefer a tire change to getting towed anywhere."

"Tire change it is, then." That wolfish grin of his widened. "On the house as long as you make sure to tell Max who did the work."

He set to work fiddling with something inside the car, then glared at the flat with his hands on his hips. Two seconds later, he stepped behind the car and with muscles rippling beneath his shirt, shoved the whole thing forward with a grunt.

"So," he said, breaking the silence as he rolled the spare past me, "what brings you to my neck of the woods?"

I shifted from foot to foot, wondering how much to divulge, and eyed him from under my lashes. "Job interview, actually. For some renovation project."

One brow quirked upwards as he shot me a look between pumps of the jack. "At the old Briar House?"

Nodding, I fidgeted with smoothing nonexistent wrinkles from my blouse. Better that than staring at the bead of sweat trickling down his temple. I swallowed hard, hating how my pulse quickened at the mere sight of him exerting himself. "You know about it?"

"I've run around these parts since before I could walk." His eyes danced with amusement. "Hope you like ghosts. Rumor has it that place is full of ghouls."

"Ghouls?" I prompted, chuckle of disbelief slipping free.

"Ghouls." Orion shot me a victorious grin. "But that's nothing on the actual ghoul that is Bill at the hardware store. Missing two fingers that I swear he traded for the ability to be as mean as a polar bear to me, and me alone."

"So… what did you do to him?" I asked, biting my lip to stifle another laugh. The mischief dancing in Orion's eyes was far too infectious.

"Me?" Orion feigned innocence. "I did nothing wrong! It's not my fault some men can't handle my dashing good looks and natural charm."

I snorted indelicately. "Uh huh. I'm sure that's it."

Orion's gaze sharpened for a beat, that smirk turning predatory as he drank me in. My skin flushed hot and I folded my arms over my chest, a familiar thrill zinging through me.

He could be fun. I knew exactly the kind of fun he could be. As did, apparently, that redhead at the bar and who knew else.

I didn't want fun. I wanted someone to lean on, to be there at the end of the day. Those sorts were in short supply in my life.

"Anyway," Orion hit me with an overly patient and put-upon sigh. "It's not the ghouls that will get you. You need to watch for the monsters in the woods."

I rolled my eyes, playing along. "Is that a warning against traveling under the moon lest I'm accosted by a vampire?"

His grin widened. "Nah, vampires are too pretentious for Mill Creek. We've got werewolves. They're more down to earth, you know? Prefer a good steak over a fancy blood cocktail. Neither of which will be found in Mill Creek, so don't get your hopes up for fine dining when we go out."

A shocked laugh bubbled out. "You're very sure of yourself."

"How could I not when Bill and I both know I look like this?" He swept a hand down his now dirt-streaked shirt and waggled his eyebrows. "But don't worry, I got you covered on where to take your lunch break. The one, the only, Tall Pines Diner will serve you something akin to nutritious paste better suited for alien visitors from a prison planet."

I shook my head at Orion's ridiculous comments about the diner, but a smile tugged at my lips all the same. "You're really selling Mill Creek hard. I might have to reconsider taking this job if the food is truly that dire."

"Don't knock it till you try it." The broad expanse of his shoulders strained against the cotton fabric as he bent back to work. "Besides, we could do lunch. I'll show you all the scenic hot spots."

"I don't even have the job yet." I shook my head, amused. Something about Orion's playful banter and easy confidence put me at ease in a way I hadn't felt since arriving in this quiet little town.

Tightening the last fastener into place, Orion pushed himself up with a grunt and easily lifted the damaged tire with tools piles on top. "How could they not hire you? You're perfect."

Our gazes met and held on the short trip to the trunk, the amusement fading into something heavier, more charged. My skin prickled with awareness as the memory of his calloused hands roaming over my bare flesh flickered through my mind. I swallowed hard against the sudden tightness in my throat.

Slamming the trunk shut and wiping his hands clean, Orion walked around the car. He was so close I could smell the earthy, woodsy scent that clung to him—heady and intoxicating. I swayed forward a fraction, craving more of that delicious aroma and the hard lines of the body attached to it.

Orion took a deliberate step closer, eyes darkening as he closed the distance between us. The air thickened with crackling tension that had my pulse thundering. "There," he murmured, gaze dropping to my lips. "All taken care of."

My mouth went dry as I met that piercing stare. The green seemed to brighten to an impossible color. "Thanks for the help."

One side of his lips curled upwards in an early warning of more irresistible ridiculousness. "My pleasure, city girl." He dipped his head closer, voice lowering to a husky rasp. "Though I could think of a few other ways you could thank me properly..."

The blatant innuendo made my cheeks flame, but I fought the fluttering in my stomach and forced myself to meet his eyes. "Too bad I have prior engagements."

His smirk widened, eyes dancing with that predatory gleam I remembered all too well. "Can you blame me for trying?"

He inched closer, the heat of his body radiating against me, that woodsy, masculine scent overwhelming my senses. My breath caught as he reached out, calloused fingertips ghosting along my jawline.

"You're stunning, Brielle." His voice dropped to a low rumble that had my pulse kicking up. "I haven't stopped thinking about you since that night."

A shiver raced down my spine at his words, at the heat blazing in his stare.

Then his mouth was on mine, hot and demanding, stealing my breath with a fierce kiss. I melted against him as his arm snaked around my waist, pulling me flush against the solid strength of his body. My fingers tangled in his dark hair as I surrendered to the storm of desire crashing over me.

His tongue slid boldly past my lips and I moaned softly into the kiss, any lingering hesitation evaporating under the onslaught of pure, primal need. Nothing existed in that moment but the scorching heat of his touch, the rasp of his stubble against my tingling skin, the way my heart pounded in my ears.

More. I wanted more of him. Needed the distraction from my very uncharmed life.

His hands tightened on my waist, dragging me the last breath of distance closer. Another needy moan slipped past my lips when I felt the thickening of his cock roll against my middle. Fire shot through my veins, boiled my blood, and sent liquid desire right to my core.

All too soon, he eased back, leaving me dizzy and breathless. I blinked up at him, dazed, panting from the fierceness of his kiss.

Pure pride curved his mouth as he drank in my flustered state. "Good luck with your interview, city girl." He leaned in, lips brushing the shell of my ear. "I'll be counting on eating you for lunch."

A shudder ripped through me with his low, husky tone, my face flaming. Orion chuckled, the deep rumble of it vibrating against me in a way that had my knees weak and shaky.

With a roguish wink and that infuriatingly smug grin, Orion sauntered back towards his truck, every inch of his broad-shouldered frame oozing confidence.

I could only gape after him, fingers pressed to my still-tingling lips.