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Shewaited for him to judge her, but he just nodded again, a neutral expression on his face. “Popthe trunk, let’s take a look.”
Shepulled the keys out of her pocket and pressed the button to unlock the trunk.Hepeered inside, giving her another chance to thoroughly ogle him, before she heard a soft click.
“Aha!Success.”Helifted the trunk’s floor panel up and pulled out a spare tire, a jack, and a wrench.
“Isit…”Shelost her train of thoughts for a minute as she watched him haul everything around to the side of the car. “CanIdrive back to the city on that?”
Henodded. “Youshould be fine.Thisisn’t just a donut, you’ve got a full spare.Butyou’ll want to take it to a tire shop and get it looked at right away.”
“I’llletTrevorknow.”
“Trevor?” he asked, and something inside her thrilled at the almost indiscernible—but still very much present—note of jealousy in his voice.
“Thebusiness manager.”
“Right.”Heleaned the spare tire against the side of the car. “Canyou put your hazards on?Andthe parking brake?”
“Oh.Right.Yes,Ican do that.”
Asshe hurried inside the car to do as he’d asked, her happiness warred with confusion, and was tinged with disappointment.Heseemed happy to see her, but…she’d expected him to be flirtier.Thenagain, he was working.Hewas being professional.Andshe wasn’t exactly being flirty either.
Andjust because they’d spent the night together didn’t mean anything.Sheknew that.Hell, it was what she’dwanted.Ameaningless hook up with a hot guy.
Butit hadn’t been meaningless, had it?AndseeingJackagain was bringing that point home, as much as she didn’t want to admit it.
Regretcrashed into her as she remembered the way he’d subtly suggested seeing each other again, and she’d squashed it because she was scared.Maybethat was the cause of the hint of distance she was picking up on?
God, she was bad at this.Allof it.
Jackretreated to hisSUV, coming back a moment later with traffic pylons, which he set up around her car, and some wedges he placed in front of the car’s front tires.Shruggingout of his bulky coat, he tossed it on top of the roof of her car, and then got to work removing the hubcap.
“So…” she said, standing awkwardly to the side, feeling both utterly useless and grateful for his help.Sheshuffled a little closer to whereJackwas working, gravel from the shoulder skittering beneath her boots. “Youjust happened to be driving by?”Shedidn’t doubt it, she just couldn’t quite believe her luck.Thenagain,GossamerFallswas a small town.Peoplewere bound to cross paths.
“Yeah.Justdoing my regular patrol route.”
“Luckyme.”
Hechuckled and glanced up at her. “That’swhatIwas going to say.”
“Oh?”
Hepicked up the wrench and started working on loosening the nuts.Hismuscles strained visibly beneath his shirt as he put all of his weight on the wrench. “Christ, that’s tight,” he said, and heat pooled low in her belly at his words.Hiseyes snapped to hers, and she bit her lip because she knew they were both remembering the night before.Hecleared his throat and returned his attention to the tire, working on loosening the nuts.Oncehe was satisfied, he slipped the jack under the car, cranking it until the flat tire was a good six inches off the ground.
“Youseem like you’ve done this before,” she said, partly because the silence was getting to her, and mostly because a sense of panic was starting to envelop her.Sheneeded to say something, do something.Shewas happy to see him again, she wanted to see him a second time…and yet she couldn’t find the words.Everytime she opened her mouth to flirt or suggest something, the words turned to ash on her tongue, dissolving into nothing before they could materialize.
Becauseshe was scared, but it wasn’t a visceral, terror-inducing kind of fear.No, it was the kind that she’d lived with for so long, simmering just below the surface of her subconscious, that she didn’t even realize it was there most of the time.
Jackunscrewed the lug nuts by hand, dropping them one by one into the hubcap he’d laid on the ground. “Afew times, yeah.”
“Yousaid ‘lucky me,’” she blurted, twisting her fingers together.Sheblew out a breath, tucked her hands in her pockets.Thefidgeting wasn’t helping. “What…Imean,Iknow whatImeant, but did you…”Shecringed inwardly at how awkward and insecure she sounded.Notat all like the confident “bad girl” she’d been last night.
Hepulled the flat tire off easily, setting it down on its side.Heshrugged, slowly mounting the spare tire on the lug bolts. “Imeant,Ididn’t thinkIwas going to run into you again.Sucksyou’ve got a flat, butIcan’t sayI’mnot happy to see you again.”
Everythinginside her lit up, and she felt as though she were floating.
Jackset to work tightening bolts by hand, his thick fingers twisting them with quick, efficient movements.Shefound herself clenching her thighs.Whywas watchingJackchange a tire—in uniform—so hot?
“Ican’t say that, either,” she admitted, her cheeks burning.Shedidn’t even recognize herself right now.Shewasn’t a woman who got blushy and shy and awkward around men.Theopposite, really.
