Charged (4 page)

“If you really are interested in fixing that fucked up piece of ancient metal, then give Trav the money for the tow, a deposit for the first three hours diag’, and a phone number where we can reach you to give you the bad news. PS, the bad news is, it’s fucked.” I mentally shake my head, pull my arm back and point down the street. “Go see Joe down the street. He has dirt cheap cars for sale, maybe something will be good enough to get you going.” 

“I don’t have the money to buy a new car. All I have is in that car, except for this.” She holds up a ring, three diamonds set in a wide gold band. It’s not extravagant, but I’d bet it’s at least a carat, maybe two. 

“Lead me to the closest hock shop and I’ll pawn it, then I can pay you and be on my way. I’ll be out of your hair before you know it.” That’s when her accent pops out — a New Yorker — the Bronx to be exact. In rural Mississippi you might not think it would be something normal, but I could pick it out of a lineup any day of the week after hearing it for years.  

“I
need
that car. Can you please help me? I have to leave here, this state — hell the next few states — as soon as possible.” 

The predator in me can smell the fear on her, and even though she’s visibly panicked, I find the chase enticing. Her skin is ghostly, her voice shakes, and the way she twists her hands together in a vice like motion gives it all away. This girl is running from something or maybe even someone.

“What are you running from? I mean what else would you be doing all the way down here, if you’re not trying to get
to
the school?” I ask.

Kate looks at me sideways. She wouldn’t be trying to get away if she was here for school, so where is she running to as if the devil himself is on her heels?

Inhaling a huge breath before speaking, I can see Kate trying to internally compartmentalize her fear. I can read it. Hell, I’ve done it so often it’s second nature. Hide the fear, show you’re the big dog, even if you’re only a Chihuahua. Especially then.

“It’s none of your business, so just answer if you’ll fix my car. If it means I have to hock the ring or even sell my fucking body, I’ll do it.” 

Her hand lands softly on my chest, her fingers trailing down to my belly. It sends an electric shock straight to my cock, making it twitch in anticipation. Fuck. I look down at her hand as she pulls it away, stepping back once more. Well, it seems the prey does know who the predator is after all. I smile.

“Look Kate, to be honest your story sounds interesting—” 

“I didn’t tell you a—” she interjects, but I hold my hand up to cut her off. She’s pissy that I cut in, halting her thought, and that only serves to work me up even more. 

“I know you don’t think you did, but trust me, that body language gave it all away, sweetheart. Now I’m fucking hungry, Hazel has my lunch ready, and I need to get back to work.” I know Jack’s gonna bust my balls for this, but fuck it. “I’ll look at your car, but only under one condition. Your stomach has growled three times since I said lunch, so go get something to eat, and tell Hazel it’s on me. Then go see Horny. He’s the pawnbroker just up the street, down two blocks on the right. He’ll get you fixed up with that ring, so I can get paid and keep my job for fixing your welfare ass car.” It’s not totally true, but she has no clue otherwise.

“I’m not hungry, but thanks. I’ll take care —” I cut her off again but this time, stupidly, I lift a finger to her lips to silencing her. 

Fucking
big
mistake. 

My cock stands at attention as soon as I touch her lush, soft as silk lips, and as I slowly move back a step to put some distance between us, she notices the hard on she has created.

“I said, that was the condition.”

It felt right to have my finger against her plump lips. Taking it away and stepping back created a void. This girl is sweet on the outside, but fire and all attitude inside. She’s definitely not someone that could take me. I’d break this one in a heartbeat. The shell would be left on the side of the road like carrion. 

Now it’s either a cold fucking shower in the shop, beat off in the bathroom, and deal with the razing later, or — call Kendra over for a quick fuck to let off steam before I burst and beat one of the guy’s heads in, just for happening upon me at the wrong time.

“Look, either you do as you’re told, which I have the feeling is a first, or I tell Travis not to wait for tomorrow and to crush it this afternoon right after lunch. Which coincidentally is about, oh — now.” It would only take a little dip of my head to taste her, and I know that would be a colossally bad thing to do. 

She huffs, sighs, then nods her head in agreement. “Ok but,
I really
need to get moving, and Creature really is all I have, so be nice to him.”  

As she turns away from me, going towards her car, I watch as she walks away. That girl has a lovely ass. Those cheeks beg to be pinched, slapped, then have a dick stuck between them and ridden hard. I tuck my fucking erection into the corner of my pants and make my way back to Hazel’s to grab my lunch. Pulling out my phone as I’m walking, I dial. 

“Kendra, yeah it’s me. Come over, I need a release.” I hang up after a quick yes, and walk in the door of the Harvester. Picking up the trays from Hazel, I give her a peck on the cheek, tell her about Kate, and saunter back over to Jack with our burgers and a rev’d up cock. 

I got way more than I asked for when I went for lunch. Not only do I have fucking rust bucket to fix, but now I also have to find a way to clear my head of the girl that was somehow able to make my dick hard in seconds.

Kate

I
t’s a quaint place with blue gingham curtains, white old-style china in hangers on the walls, black granite bar top, and blue vinyl covered, spinning style, round bar stools, which makes it almost the same as any of the other places in the Florida panhandle I just left, but for sure the food is decidedly better. 

The ‘mechanic’ had gruffly told Hazel to feed me and as I sit here eating the best damn fries in three counties — so I’m told — with homemade white gravy, two pieces of cornbread and chicken gumbo, I watch as Travis and his tow truck push another car towards the shop. 

I didn’t eat last night, so I’m starving to say the least. I’ve already ate all the fries, sucked up as much gravy as I can with the corn bread, and I’m close to finishing off the gumbo. The best part of the whole experience; I’m almost full and the mechanic has been working on my car the whole time. I can see him across the parking lot, working away under the hood, taking covers off, slinging wires and hoses all over the place.
But
if I’m being perfectly honest,
that’s not what has me watching so intently. 

Oh, of course I’m watching. It’s Creature, and my only means of getting away from GF, but
goddamn
has that mechanic got a body. When I touched his chest, I thought he was going to shove me away, but as he pressed his finger up against my mouth and brought us closer together, I was more afraid that I’d internally combust, lighting my clothes on fire. 

It was instantaneous, and a purely unavoidable reaction. I mean, sure his hands smelled like fuel, charred metal and grease — but, shit — I didn’t care if he kept that finger there all day, just as long as he kept touching me. 

I’m not normally the girl that goes for rugged and dirty, but the neatly trimmed beard, bright blue eyes that I couldn’t drag myself away from, and his cheeky smile just made my belly flutter, even if he was an asshole. Never mind his rock hard abs that were visible through his threadbare, white t-shirt, showcasing every hill and valley in that sexy as hell six pack. 

Unfortunately, now I find myself staring across the lot, working myself up second by second. My breathing deepens, my temperature I’m sure is visibly rising, causing a caustic red to splash across my cheeks. Because I can’t take my eyes away as he bends and twists, pulling here and there on my car, I’m drawn to his exposed taut, tattooed back when he dips low enough his shirt rises.  

His sexy dark hair is flopped back in a blue bandana — I’m sure to keep it out of his way and clean — but it adds to the air of rough, manly hardened mechanic that I am finding difficult to look away from. 

“His name is Ryker.” 

I look across the counter with the last vestiges of my fries hanging from the fork, eyeing the lady he introduced to me. I’m trying to give Hazel my best quizzical look, but I’m sure it’s not working. I know who I was looking at, she knows who I was looking at, but there’s no fucking way that I have to let
on
that we both know that.

“Excuse me. Sorry, who are we talking about?” I try to sound aloof, but I don’t think I’m pulling it off. I put the fries in my mouth, avoiding the words I want to say aloud;
my precious
. 

“The guy you’re staring at like he’s the last man on earth, his name is Ryker.” She comes off way better on the aloof than I do, so I try the uncaring bitch tactic.

“No, no, no. I’m not staring at him for that reason, I’m watching to make sure he doesn’t fuck up my car further.” I’m sure it was a poor attempt at covering my ogling, but even worse, I’m still staring at his ass which isn’t helping my own cause. 

Hazel is a pretty older lady, mid-forties maybe. She looks too young to be anything over that. I wouldn’t say she’s model beautiful, but for sure she’s a classic pretty like Greta Garbo. With her deep brown hair, bright eyes, and the smattering of freckles across her nose, she would have been a total knockout when she was younger.  

“Uh huh. Sure.” Hazel takes away my dirty dishes, then smiles as I meet her eyes. “Trust me, I know. Even I’m not blind. That boy’s as hot as a worm on pavement in July.” 

Ok, odd analogy but it works. She’s totally right —  he’s damned hot. 

As Hazel leaves me to blush in private, I turn my stool, directing it back towards the window and Ryker’s perfect body. I can’t tear my eyes away as he rubs his rag across his brow, or pulls at the shirt that is now fully plastered to every plane on his upper body. Hell, even the way his muscles flex and contract as he pulls my car apart is fucking eye candy. 

I know I should be reading a map, or going to find Horny’s — truly, what a name — or maybe I should go out and watch so I can learn something mechanical. But I know that if I venture out there, I’ll want to do more than stand there and view. My mouth will get me in trouble for sure, it always does in these circumstances. I say something that always halts help. I’m just afraid of telling people too much, or giving them a really shit set of lies. I kinda suck at lying, even though I should be a pro. I don’t have a poker face — like at all. 

Honestly, how is there not a lineup to this shop, filled with broken down college girls wanting to get a piece of that? There should be a ticket taker for heaven’s sakes. Next up,
Number seventy-seven thousand and three.

Just as I finish that thought, a big-boobed blonde strolls right up behind Ryker. He’s bent over in the engine area, totally oblivious to her presence and she takes full advantage of that. Pulling up her shirt a tiny bit — not that there was much more to be done with a barely there cut off tank — she pushes her tits up and adjusts her loose fitting shorts a little lower before advancing on him. 

A gleeful grin sweeps across her face as she feathers her fingers up the inside of his leg, moving up to his inseam. Ryker doesn’t flinch or stop what he’s doing as she bends low to talk in his ear. I can’t hear a word of what she’s saying, but I’m sure it’s along the lines of ‘last time was great,’ or how about, ‘the things I want to do to you’ as she strokes her hand along the front of his jeans. God, talk about a bucket list moment. What I wouldn’t give to do that. 

No I don’t. 

Yes, I do. No. I. Don’t.  

Fuck. Who am I kidding? Of course I do. 

As I watch them, Ryker finally stops what he’s doing, turns to the side and kisses her long, hard and full of fire. I want to look away, but it’s like waiting for a car wreck you know is about to happen. I want to watch what unfolds between them, yet I feel obliged to turn away. 

Christ on a cracker, this could be his girlfriend or wife and I’m sitting here wondering where the popcorn is. As his hand wanders down the bare flesh of her waist to massage the front of her cut offs, arousing her through the material, I squirm, suddenly feeling very warm.