Mustang Sassy (33 page)

She crawled into the Camaro and fit the keys into the ignition but the car didn’t turn over. She tried again, still nothing. She got out and popped the trunk. But it was pretty dark in the parking lot and she couldn’t see a whole lot.

“Need some help?”

Just the sound of his voice was enough to weaken her knees and send her heart into overdrive. “It’s hard to tell, but I think the alternator’s gone.”

“Can I give you a ride?”

“The shop’s closed tomorrow. Aren’t you going back to Denver?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because, Sass,” Jordan came closer and her throat made a strange sound when she swallowed, “I’m helping you in the shop tomorrow.”

“You are?” she whispered.

“I am.”

How it happened, Sass had no idea, but suddenly, Jordan was right in front of her, lifting her chin up to meet him. Then he was kissing her. His lips moved gently against hers, like he had a secret he wanted to share but wasn’t sure she could keep it. He pushed his tongue softly between her lips and then pulled back as his hands came up to cup the back of her head.

“Jordan, I…”

“Shh.”

He kissed her again until Sass was shuddering in his arms. Then he stopped and Sass could only stare up at him with longing. He smiled down and then took her hand. “Come on,” he said.

“Where are we going?”

“I’m taking you to the movies.”

“The movies?” Sass grunted. “Why?”

“Because that’s what people do on their night off. They go on dates.”

“I don’t.”

“You do now.”

He led her to his car, a 2005 Ford Thunderbird, and opened the door for her. Then he got in and started it up. It was strange riding in a newer-model car. Though the 2005 had a retro feel, she missed the rumble of the older engines and the smell of old leather. But Sass didn’t spend much time thinking about Jordan’s car, she was too busy thinking about him. What the hell had he been thinking, kissing her like that? Why the hell did she kiss him back?

Well, pretty much she’d been fantasizing about kissing him—and more—for the last week straight. That’s why she asked for his help, that’s why she bought new clothes. That’s why she’d agreed to pose for him again. Her body was staging a coup, and her thoughts were going right along with the rebellion.

Ignoring her complaints about the movie, Jordan took the exit for Sterling and parked in the farthest spot of the near-empty Sterling Cinema parking lot.

“Look, they don’t even play new movies. It’s all old ones.”

“So? There’s one I want you to see.”

The choices were listed on the cracked old billboard that was missing more than one of its letters. The first movie was
Platoon
. The second was
Ten Things I Hate About You
.

“We really don’t have to do this,” Sass said as Jordan switched the car off and turned to her.

“I want to.”

“Why?”

He leaned toward her and kissed her again. Then, that sneaky hand of his slipped up and under her sweater. “I want to go on a date with you,” he whispered.

“Why?” She groaned into his mouth.

“Because, we’ve never been on a date. It’s time.”

“But—” He kissed away all her complaints.

“You know. There’s only one thing about the way you’re dressed tonight that I’m not crazy about.”

She tried to pull back and straighten her sweater. “What?” she asked, feeling defensive.

“This.” His fingers slipped beneath the band of her brand-new bra and Sass wriggled from the pleasure of his thumb brushing her nipple. Then he slid his hands around her back and like that, he had it undone.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m taking it off.”

“Hey!”

“Doesn’t that feel better?”

His hand was on her bare flesh, and she leaned into him because it did feel better. It felt
so
much better. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. God, he was so big and so strong and he felt so damn good. She kissed him hard as she tried to climb onto his lap, though the steering wheel was kind of getting in the way.

“Where are you staying?” she asked, then touched his earlobe with her tongue.

“Sass,” Jordan murmured.

“Are you staying at the Greenwood?” She moved her hand down between them, sighing into his mouth when she found the stiff ridge beneath the fly of his jeans.

“Oh, God.” Jordan groaned at her touch. She rubbed him until she thought he’d burst his fly, but he captured her hand and brought it to his lips to kiss her palm. Gently, he closed her fist around his kiss and eased her off him and, with what seemed a great deal of discomfort, got out of the car.

Feeling a little disorientated she stayed where she was until Jordan came around to her door, opened it and offered her his hand. “Let’s go.”

…

Two hours later and they were on their way back to Greenview. Jordan glanced over at Sass’s dark profile. After complaining profusely about going to a “stupid movie,” Sass seemed to enjoy herself.
Ten Things I Hate About You
was the film Millie had suggested Sass watch with him. It seemed like eons ago, another lifetime ago. So, when he’d seen the movie advertised in Sterling, he’d known he had to take her. He couldn’t believe he’d actually managed it and that Sass had gone, well, maybe not willingly but still, she’d gone.

Now Jordan wondered what was up because for the first ten minutes of the ride back to Greenview, she was unusually quiet. What was she thinking about? He hoped it was the same thing he was thinking about, Sass staying over with him at the Inn. Willingly.

Then, out of the blue, she said, “Millie thinks I’m Kat.”

“What?”

She kept staring straight ahead. “The girl in the movie, Millie thinks I’m her. That’s why she wanted me to read
The Taming of the Shrew
. That’s why she wanted me to watch that movie.”

Jordan laughed. “Yes, well there is a striking resemblance.”

Sass didn’t laugh in return. She just continued to stare straight ahead. A few minutes later she said, “Except I don’t have a sister. And I don’t think I’m…” She didn’t finish her sentence.

“I guess that makes me Patrick,” Jordan said, at first with a degree of lightness. Then he thought more about it and realized just how similar their situation was, the deception, the pretending to the point where he wasn’t pretending anymore.

He took the exit to Greenview and after driving past the Snake Pit, Jordan found a quiet, secluded place to pull over. He put the car in park and turned in his seat to face her. “And, just like that dude, Patrick, in the movie, Sass, I fucked up.” Her eyes glistened in the dark as she gazed at him, her expression unreadable. “I am so sorry I hurt you.”

She looked away and Jordan waited, his heart pounding, his breath coming a little too quickly. She reached out for his hand and kissed his palm, just as he had done earlier. She closed his fist around it and whispered. “Let’s go back to your hotel.”

Jordan exhaled slowly. “On one condition.”

“What?”

“You stay over.”

She blinked, her expression still strangely blank. Then she smiled and Jordan caught sight of her one crooked tooth. “Okay,” she whispered. “Okay.”

Chapter Twenty-seven

Sass wished she was driving because she couldn’t get to the Greenwood Inn fast enough. Her whole body was pulsating, her head, her lips, her hands, her tummy. Her now-bare nipples rubbed against the cotton of her sweater, aching for Jordan’s touch. Stifling a groan, she leaned back into the seat, imagining what was going to take place in only a matter of minutes.

The car came to a stop, and Sass opened her eyes. “Why are you parking out front?” she asked.

“My room is on the inside this time. We’ll have to go through the lobby.”

She glanced up at the sign of the Greenwood Inn and felt a strange quiver in the pit of her belly. Unlike the ones of a second ago, it wasn’t a good quiver, it was something else. Did Jordan sense her unexpected unease? Was that why he opened her door for her and pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair back from her face? As quickly as the strange feelings appeared, they were gone, replaced with one all-encompassing sensation. Need.

She met Jordan’s kiss as if she’d been starving for him.

“Oh, Sassy. Do you have any idea how many times I’ve thought about doing this?”

“Come on,” she whispered raggedly. “Let’s take this inside.”

Taking Jordan’s hand, she ran toward the front entrance, feeling giddier and more alive than she’d felt in ages. She could not wait to strip him down and see that wonderfully built chest of his, rub her cheek against it and taste his skin. Her body twitched in anxious anticipation of Jordan’s tongue and lips on her, too.

They rushed through the small lobby, Sass squeezing his hand as she pulled him along.

“Sass?”

She stopped, her gaze straying to the lounge where a familiar figure stood just inside the entryway, an unlit cigarette hanging from his lips.

He ambled up to them, tucking the cigarette behind his ear. “Heya, girl.”

“Go away, Dex.”

“This is Dex?” Jordan asked.

Dex turned his attention to Jordan. “Dex Whelan. That’s me and you must be Sass’s latest midnight rendezvous.” A quick glance at his watch and then back up at her. “Eleven thirty on a Sunday night? My God, girl. You are nothing if you’re not predictable.” He leaned down so close she could smell the whiskey on his breath when he started singing the lyrics to “Midnight Rendezvous” by John Waite. “
Driving faster than you want me to. Can’t help myself when I’m alone with you. Alright
.”

“Come on,” Jordan tugged on her hand, but Sass pulled away. She needed a moment to recover from the shock of seeing Dex in the very place they used to meet up.

She squinted. What the hell had she ever seen in him?

Straightening her spine, she linked her fingers with Jordan’s. “This is Jordan Carlyle. From Denver. He’s my boyfriend. We’re in love.” She lifted her chin and narrowed her gaze. “He’s been staying here, helping out at Hogan’s while we wait for the deal to be finalized between our shops.”

Dex removed the cigarette and tapped it against his palm. “You’re a terrible liar, Sass.”

She angled her head. “You think I’m lying?” She laughed. “You know what? I don’t care.” With that she turned and tugged Jordan down the hall toward the rooms at the back.

“Sass?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m on the second floor.”

“Oh.”

They took the stairwell at the end of the hall up to Jordan’s room. Once inside, she sat down on the end of the bed resting her head in her hands.

“You okay?”

“Yep.”

“So that’s Dex Whelan, huh?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Kind of an asshole.”

“Kind of.”

The mattress buckled beneath her as Jordan sat down beside her. He took her hand and held it in his lap.

She glanced at him. “I’m not really in the mood anymore.”

“Okay.” He continued to caress the back of her hand.

“Sorry about all that stuff I said back there.” She drew her hand away. “About being in love and you being my boyfriend and all that? I mean, this is really our first official date. I
know
you don’t feel that way about me and…I just hated the way he was talking to me and—”

“Sass?” He took her chin and turned her toward him. “Shh. It’s okay.”

Then he kissed her. Softly. Sweetly. Without any of the crazy lust that had driven every single one of their kisses in the past.

Resting his head against hers, he said, “Stay as long as you like. We can just talk or watch another movie. Then, when you’re ready, I’ll give you a ride home.”

…

True to his word, Jordan drove her home after they watched
The Fast and the Furious 6
on pay-per-view. However, once home, Sass barely slept. She couldn’t stop thinking about what she’d said about Jordan being her boyfriend. About being in love.

Was she?

Maybe. Kind of.

What about Jordan?

The guy might have been extra considerate tonight, but it wasn’t like he made any proclamations about his feelings for her. In fact, apart from that chaste kiss, he’d barely touched her. Had she freaked him out?

Finally, after dozing off for a few hours, she got up, ate one of Mary-Lynn’s muffins, and then headed over to the shop, where she threw all her energy into the car. Everything was better when she was working on the car. There was a certain magic to its creation, maybe because it was like nothing she’d ever built before. Or because it had been conceived by the two of them, her and Jordan.

Her sleepless night and the incident with Dex became a distant memory as she concentrated on welding pieces of steel together. In fact, Sass was so engrossed in what she was doing that she didn’t even hear Jordan come in.

It wasn’t until she turned off the MIG welder and removed her welding helmet that she saw him sitting there. She jumped, “How long have you been there, Carlyle?”

“A while.”

“What were you doing?”

“Watching you.”

Her stomach flip-flopped. “You want to get up off your ass and give me a hand?” She teased.

He bowed with exaggeration. “Absolutely. I’m at your disposal.”

Despite the fact she’d had no sleep, Sass had never felt more energized. Working with Jordan all day was…she couldn’t describe it. The just fit like two pieces of metal custom-made for each other. Today, the banter, the teasing, the purposeful inadvertent touches all took on a new meaning, like they’d agreed to something that neither was quite ready to talk about.

While she was at the utility sink, washing her hands, Jordan came up behind her, swept her hair away from the side of her face, and leaned close. “Do you have any idea what time it is?” His voice was warm in her ear. So was his tongue.

She laughed and pulled away. “Five thirty?”

“Seven thirty.”

“No way.”

“Mmhmm. I’m going to pick up some pizza. I’ll be back in half an hour, sound good?”

Before Jordan could walk away, she grabbed the front of his shirt and tugged him to her. Going up on tiptoes, she kissed him full on the mouth. She backed away, wiping her lips with the back of her hand. “Hurry back.”