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Sadly, it reminded me of one of those moments inDeliverance, a movie my first Neanderthal ex-boyfriend had forced me to watch a half dozen times. There wasn’t a car in sight, and I hadn’t seen a single vehicle for at least forty-five minutes. While my cellphone still had a charge, I wasn’t entirely certain where the hell I was other than in New Mexico. Every mile for the last hundred and fifty had looked exactly the same.
Boring as hell.
Except for the single gas station a bazillion miles away.
I rubbed my arm across my forehead before heading toward the front of the car. Right now, all I wanted to do was bash the hood with the baseball bat located in my trunk.Don’t act like a prima donna. You need your car. My little voice could go straight to hell. No amount of her being right made me feel any better.
As I shifted around the front, sliding my fingers underneath the hood, I said a silent prayer that it was something simple.Like you know how to fix cars.
“Shut up.” I jerked it open, glaring at the engine as if I was actually going to figure out what the hell was wrong.
Somehow, I didn’t think that prayer was going to work. Nothing appeared out of place, but something was very wrong. Then it dawned on me. The alternator. Freaking fantastic. That would cost me a pretty penny and I barely had two copper coins to rub together. Every dollar I had left was precious. After all, it wasn’t every day a girl like me had the opportunity to start over again in a new city.
Anger swept through me at the reason why I’d had to leave the city that had been home for so long. I even had vivid images to go with the wretched memory. Groovy. This was turning out to be a shit day after an even shittier ten days.
I tried not to replay the scenario all over again as I stood back, but I could still see the same smug look on Christopher’s face. Damn it!
A noise in the distance grabbed my attention. Maybe I could thumb a ride to the closest gas station. If I ate peanut butter and jelly sammies until I got my first paycheck, I’d be okay. At least I’d worn a skirt. I shifted into a provocative pose and stuck out my thumb, planting a plastic smile on my face.
The rumble increased, the sound reverberating in my core. As I stared down the lonely road, I could swear there were heat vibrations dancing across the horizon. The powerful engine drew closer.
And closer.
Oh, no. There was no chance in hell my luck was that bad. The rumble was coming from a motorcycle.Where else did you think he was going to go?
“Just shut up.”
Finally, I was able to catch a glimpse of the approaching vehicle. I was right. The same motorcycle. I was certain of it. I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to apologize.
A split second before I was pitched to the ground as the asshole blew by.
And the cretin of a man kept going.
CHAPTER2
Harlow
Umpf!
Jarred, I shook my head as a cloud of dust settled over me. The bastard had not just knocked me down then left. He’d done it for payback. Really? I’d been playing. This was…
You deserved it.
Now my little voice was being harsh. But truthful. Would the sexy hunk really leave me out here all alone?
My butt hurt, the palm of one hand killing me, but I jumped to my feet, using my middle finger as a sign of exactly how I felt about his less than gentlemanly display. I should just get used to it. There wasn’t a decent man around.
Especially in the middle of the desert.
I stared at him, the same heat vibrations encapsulating his bike. A sinking feeling pitted my stomach. I was stuck. Alone. Then just as he started to slide from my vision, the loud rumble changed. Within seconds, I could tell he’d turned around, heading in my direction.
At this point I wasn’t certain whether to be grateful or get ready to punch out his lights. I smoothed my hands down my skirt, grabbing the hem on both sides to make certain my butt was covered by material.
The rider slowed as he neared, almost idling for a few seconds before he pulled over to the side. Was he still debating whether he’d help me out? Biker boy eased off the Harley, yanking the helmet from his head. Long strands of honeyed chestnut hair fell down his back, the light breeze swishing it back and forth across broad shoulders. I’d be damned if he didn’t look even hotter than he had before. That wasn’t possible. I was melting in the heat, and he was cool as a cucumber.
I took a step back, smacking my aching butt against the front of my car, watching as he slowly turned, making his approach.
He took long strides, but everything seemed to be in slow motion. The waning sun spun a golden glow around his massive body, highlighting his structured frame. In my mind the man was a monster, at least seven feet tall with muscles so large he could kill a man with his index finger.
