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The back of my fingers brush against cold metal. Frowning, I pull the keys out of my pocket. With a groan, I pivot and head back to the garage.
Jake stands at the workbench messing with some tools. Before I can say anything, he looks up and turns to lean his back against the bench, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes meet mine, but this time when he sees me, I don’t get a grin or smirk. Just a polite smile that he probably gives all his customers.
It bothers me more than it should.
“Do you need something?” he asks, his tone not matching the smile.
I clear my throat and hold out the keys in the palm of my hand. “I forgot to leave the keys.”
He pushes off the bench and crosses to me. His physique is strong and masculine in a way that makes me ache.
Jake Henderson at eighteen made my heart race with kisses that turned me inside out.
Jake Henderson at thirty is bigger, broader, and I have no doubt he could make other parts of my body turn inside out. Parts that haven’t seen any action in a while.
When he stops in front of me and I look up into his blue-gray eyes that haven’t changed, I know in my soul that his heart is still the same too.
I don’t know how to feel about that.
You don’t need to feel anything about it.
My gaze rakes over his face, and I want to rub away the faded smudge of grease on his strong jaw just to touch him.
“Thanks.” His hand wraps around my palm briefly before he slowly slides his hand over mine and takes the keys. Every place our skin touches tingles.
My breath backs up into my lungs, and I bite my lip to keep the gasp from escaping me.
“You’re welcome.”
His stare falls to my lips when I lick them, then flicks up to mine. “I thought about you. Every day. Hell, I still think about you every day. I want—”
I shake my head quickly and step back. “No. I’m sorry, I can’t—”
“Lia, wait.” He takes a step toward me, his hand outstretched. “The hose—”
About the time I feel something wrap around my ankle, my eyes widen and I start to fall backward. The next thing I know I’m against Jake’s hard chest, one muscled arm around my waist, the other around my upper back. My fingers curl into the soft fabric of his shirt.
“You okay?”
I’m already breathless, but when I look up and see his face is mere inches from mine, his eyes full of concern, his arms wrapped around my body, it’s like getting kicked in the stomach.
I swallow hard and try to bring my breathing under some semblance of control. Or at least try not to sound like Marilyn Monroe singing happy birthday to Mr. President.
“I’m good. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” His voice is low and he licks his lips as his gaze snags on my mouth again.
What seems like an eternity passes before his dimples make an appearance. Those damn things are my kryptonite, even though I know the next words from his mouth will be a smart-ass remark. “I’d hate for you to bust your head open and get blood all over my clean floor.”
The smirk on his lips gives me the impetus to push him away before I do something stupid, like kiss him.
I would never admit it to him, but for the first time, I was happy to see that smirk. Why I cared whether or not I was mean to Jake was beyond me, but I couldn’t deny the relief in my veins.
He chuckles and releases me from his hold. I narrow my eyes and adjust the beanie on my head. “What clean floor? There’s grease everywhere.”
“It’s clean.”
“You call all that grease on the floor clean?”
