Chapter Two

Penny

I wait for the door to close behind the handsome mechanic before rushing to the window. I slowly tug down the blinds and peek out, watching as his broad back disappears from view.

Did he go to call the cops?

I bet he went to call the cops.

Oh my God, what do I do if cops storm in here and arrest me? I can't go to jail. I just escaped from one.

The man didn't say anything about going to call the cops, but the fact that he didn't call me out on my lies worries me. He has no reason to play along. Well, if he doesn't already know that nothing's wrong with the car, he'll soon find out that I lied about everything.

"Deep breaths, Penny. You're just a girl. You can always play it off like you had no idea the car was in perfect condition."

Christ, the anxiety is killing me.

Maybe I should tell the mechanic the truth . . .

"No, Penny," I scold myself, pushing back from the window to pace the room.

I can't tell him or anyone else the truth. That would only put more people in danger. I just need to stay calm and wait until he comes back with the bill, and then I'll be on my way. By then, I'm sure it will be safe for me to get back on the road.

With that thought in place, I quit pacing and settle on the leather chair. My heels tap restlessly against the floor and I fight the urge to get up and pace around the room again, so I grab the white box the mechanic gave me and peek inside. My stomach growls and my mouth waters at the sight of the cinnamon rolls.

I . . . I shouldn't.

The cinnamon rolls look heavenly with their golden brown, perfectly baked exterior covered in rich white icing . Their inviting aroma fills the room.

It's true that I haven't had anything to eat for hours, not since I escaped . . . him .

No, I am not going to think about him or the fact that he could be out there looking or me—and his car. I turn my focus back to the box, and I question if the mechanic will notice if I grab one. Just one.

With shaky hands, I lift a roll from the box and take a bite. The soft, buttery layers melt in my mouth, and I close my lips, moaning deeply at just how good it tastes. The noises I make are downright sinful as the gooey cinnamon filling oozes out and fills my mouth. This has to be the best tasting thing I have ever had in my mouth, and for a hot moment, I forget all the worries that have plagued my mind since I fled this morning. It's that good.

When I open my eyes to reach for another roll, I notice the figure standing by the door watching me. I jump at the sight of the handsome mechanic and almost tip the chair back, but he moves lighting fast, grabbing the chair to steady it before I can fall.

My cheeks flare in mortification as I straighten up and silently beg the floor to open and swallow me whole. As a matter of fact, that would provide a solution to most of my problems.

"Are you okay?" the mechanic, whose name I have yet to learn, asks from behind me in a deep voice that sends a hot rush of air trailing down my spine. This close, I can smell the faint scent of car grease on him, but it's the deep earthy scent clinging to his skin that has my most intimate place pulsing with need.

I tr to force in slow deep breaths to calm my racing heart, but all I do is inhale more of his scent, and it sends my head reeling.

"Y-yes, I . . . I'm fine," I stutter, clearing my voice when it comes out a little high-pitched.

"I came in to ask for your car key. You forgot to hand it over to me."

"Oh, right!"

I reach into my purse and grab the key fob before handing it over to him, and while I expect him to leave immediately, he does no such thing. With his hand on the back of the chair, the man stays, his sharp gaze focused on my face.

"Enjoying the cinnamon rolls, I see."

My cheeks flush deeper, and I avoid meeting his blue eyes. They are so dark and intense, and coupled with his deep warm voice, it's a wonder I am able to keep my composure.

"Um . . . I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd mind if I had one," I whisper, looking up, but I quickly avert my eyes when I find his eyes intense ones on mine. "I'll pay—"

"No need," he says, straightening and finally pushing away from me, giving me space to breathe. "You can have as many as you want. It might take me a while before I am through servicing your car."

My eyes shoot up, and I fight the need to tell him the truth.

I want to tell him there is nothing wrong with the car. I came up with the lies because I needed a place to hide. To hide from the man looking for me and his car. I was thought someone was tailing me, so I stopped here to be sure. This was the first place I saw that looked busy.

If I tell this man the truth, then maybe he'll let me hide here a little longer and I can leave later when it's dark.

I just need to open my lips and tell him everything, and with the way he's watching me, it's almost as if he's expecting me to explain myself, but I can't get the words out.

So, I remain quiet, and he doesn't push me for answers.

"Alright then," he says, sliding the key fob into his coveralls. "I'll be outside if you need me."

He waits for my nod before heading out, and I wait until he's left before falling back on the chair with a sigh. I reach down and tug off my stilettos, moaning in relief as I stretch my feet.

These are not the shoes I thought I would wear when I escaped the tight hold of that monster, but they were the first shoes I could find, and I didn't exactly have the luxury of time to look around for something comfier. Once I'm out of here, I'll probably purchase sneakers for ease of movement.

I sit in the office for what feels like an eternity before I grow restless once more. I grab another cinnamon roll, and another, and when I reach in next, the box is empty.

Oh my God!

I did not just eat four cinnamon rolls that weren't even mine in the first place, did I?

"He said you could have them, relax," I console myself, looking around the office, and my eyes widen when they connect with the clock. It's half past noon. I've been here for four hours!

Restless, I walk to the window and peek through the blinds, my heart falling to my stomach when I notice just how many people are out there, and none of them happen to be my hot mechanic.

Hot? Mine ? I blush at the unbidden thought.

Christ, what is wrong with me?

I shouldn't be thinking about the mechanic, but instead about where I am going after this. The goal was to get away from him , and now that I have, I don't know what to do next. That's what I need to be thinking about, not the hot mechanic with a manbun and eyes so intense, they send a pulse building up in my core.

Come to think of it, I haven't met anyone who can pull off a manbun and a thick beard and look equally hot and scary. Not to mention the tattoos I noticed peeking from under his coveralls.

Almost as if summoned by my thoughts, he steps into my line of view as he approaches someone. He motions in my direction, and that has me pushing away from the window before the two men can spot me watching them.

I barely make it back to my chair before the door is pushed open, but this time, it's not the mechanic who walks in. It's the other guy from earlier. The one who brought the cinnamon rolls I just devoured.

His lips part in a wide grin when he spots me, and I expect him to just come in and grab whatever it is he came in for, but he doesn't move past the door. "Miss Moore, I'm Ralph," he says in greeting. "We're about to break for lunch. Ray told me to ask if you want anything to eat, and I'll bring it back for you."

I blink owlishly at him. Ray? Is that what the hot mechanic is called?

"Do you buy lunch for all your customers?"

"No."

"Then why—"

"Ray mentioned he'll be working on your car for a while, and he worries that you might starve while waiting for him to finish up."

I bite nervously at my lips as I stare at the stranger, taken aback by his words. There isn't really anything to fix, why is Ray drawing this out? Or maybe there's actually something wrong with the car. No, that can't be it. The monster barely had the car for a month before I stole it. I'm sure it's in perfect condition, so why is Ray pretending that it's not?

"Miss Moore?"

I look up to find the stranger staring at me, so I shake my head, politely turning down his offer to bring me lunch. I don't intend to be here that long anyway. He nods in response and exits the office, closing the door behind him when he does so. I give it a few minutes before rushing back to the window and tugging down the blinds to watch the staff slowly file out of the auto shop.

Once I'm sure they've all left the shop, I slide back into my stilettos and hurry out of the office, hoping that Ray left with the others to grab lunch and that, by some miracle, I'll find my car key in my car and I can just leave without having to admit my lie to the man.

Maybe coming here was a bad idea.

I should have kept driving and hoped the tail I'd picked up on was just my panicked brain overthinking.

"Okay, don't panic, Penny," I whisper as I creep around the empty auto shop. "You stole the car once. You can do it again."

I make it to the car without spotting a single soul, letting out a sigh when I find the door open. I lean in and look around for the car key but come back empty.

Did Ray take it with him?

Someone clears their throat from behind me, and my heart nearly stops. I straighten and quickly close the car door before slowly turning around to find Ray standing too close for comfort, his eyes crowded with something akin to heat, but I am too afraid to look too deeply into it.

"Miss Moore, are you okay? Do you need something from the car?"

"Yes," I say, clearing my voice. "I was, um, looking for my purse."

The edge of his lips twitch. "You took it with you to my office."

Damnit. I search my brain for another lie. "Oh, I was looking for you. How long do I have to wait for the car?"

"I'm afraid it's too early to tell," he says, folding his arms in front of his chest, and my eyes linger on his sturdy chest before I quickly look away. I shake my head to clear the unbidden thoughts that keep creeping in and focus on the man clearly set on toying with me.

We both know nothing's wrong with the car. Heck, from the looks of it, he's barely touched it. Why, then, is he drawing this out?

Is there a point to it?

"If you are too busy, then I . . . I can take the car to another mechanic," I tell him, chewing nervously at my lips.

"This is the only auto shop in the entire town, Miss Moore."

"I'm sure I can find another one in the next town."

A long beat of silence passes, and something akin to humor crosses his expression, but it's gone just as fast. Ray tilts his head to the side, those intense blue eyes causing my heart to flutter in my chest.

"We can play this game all day, or you could tell me what it is you are hiding from."

My eyes widen at his words, and I back up a step, except there is nowhere to go. "W-what are you talking about?" I sputter. "I . . . I'm just here to get my car serviced!"

Ray takes a step toward me, and then another. My heart is racing fast in my chest as he closes the distance between us, basically blocking any exit.

"I've been thinking about it all morning, Penny," he drawls, the sound of my name on his lips sending a storm of heat rushing to my abdomen. "Why would a pretty girl like you show up at my garage with a car in perfect condition unless you're looking to hide in plain sight? Smart, I have to say."

"N-no. You're wrong. There is something wrong with my car."

"One advantage of being raised by and around lawyers is I always know when someone is lying."

"I'm not!"

I swallow thickly when he places his arm on the roof of the car and cages me in. He's so close, I can practically smell his strong masculine scent, and it's doing things to my insides, but I can't allow myself to be distracted.

Focus, Penny. Focus.

And yet, I can't. At least not with this man standing so close to me.

"You are running from something, angel, and until I find out what that is, you are stuck here with me."

Oh God!

I shake my head at his words. No, I refuse to be another man's prisoner. Not again. This man cannot keep me here if I don't want to stay. I should fight him, press my hands to those delicious-looking muscles, and shove him away from me. Of course, that'll mean I won't get to smell his scent so close to me or feel the warmth from his sturdy body.

Snap out of it, Penny.

I need to run. I have to get out of here and hide.

And I will. Right after I touch his sturdy chest to see if it feels as firm as it looks. I wonder how far those tattoos spread, and his beard . . . will it be soft against my fingers? How will it feel if it brushed the sensitive skin of my inner thighs? Christ, and those lips. His firm, sexy lips are so close to mine. Just one move. A single move, and I will feel them against mine.

A first kiss with a perfect stranger.

I could play it off like an accident. Pretend I didn't mean to lean in so close, and the press of my lips was an accident. I've seen it happen too many times in the movies. Just one kiss, and then I'll leave.

Christ, what am I even thinking?

Something is happening to me, and I am too weak to resist. With the way Ray is watching me with those ocean-blue eyes, I know he can see it too.