Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 19583 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 78(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19583 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 78(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
As soon as I get downstairs, Mrs. Brogan's hurrying toward me.
"Oh, Collin, good morning. Are you staying for breakfast? There's pancakes and some bacon. I can make sausage, eggs, waffles, breakfast potatoes—"
"Mrs. Brogan," I stop her gently with a smile. "I'm fine. I swear. I need to open up the shop to get Danielle's car on the lift. I'll be back later tonight for that dinner."
Danielle smiles but isn't paying attention as she pulls the sofa cushions up. "Yeah, Mom. Collin will be back for dinner. Ev said something about karaoke at the bar tonight, so we’d come home after. Have you seen my keys?"
"Um, no, hun," Mrs. Brogan replies. "Josh slept on that couch. If your keys were in it somewhere, then he probably moved them. Collin, are you sure I can't get you anything to eat?"
I peek over her shoulder to see a mound of pancakes on the table. Josh forks a few onto his plate while guzzling a beer. I'm ready to grab a few but decide against it since Josh looks like he'd throw a punch if I tried.
"I think Josh needs that more than me right now. Don't worry about it. I'll take Danielle out for breakfast."
"As soon as I find my keys," Danielle murmurs.
"Oh, these?" Josh fishes a pair of keys out of his pocket as he drizzles syrup on his next stack. He tosses them through the air, giving me a split second to catch them before they hit Danielle. "Nice one, Leftie."
"Don't call him that," Danielle hisses.
I pass her the keys, and she follows me outside. The pleasure of having Danielle fight for me. Now, possessive feelings curl in my gut. God, this woman. Everything she does turns me on and makes me happy we reconnected.
My tow truck sticks out like a sore thumb on the street, but it gets me where I need to be.
"Ignore him, Jelly Bean. He's only doing that because he knows it gets under your skin."
She loops her arms through mine and kisses my bicep. "I hate that he doesn't get it."
"It means the world to me that you're the one of the only people that does." Turning to face her, I kiss her tenderly, languid this time, and we head off to start our day.
We're only a few blocks away from the shop when I see Danielle's car stutter to a smokey stop. Fuck. What now? The shit wasn't that bad when I topped off the oil yesterday.
I get out to meet her in front of the car. We both fan the smoke away from her hood and open it.
"I'll get it hitched up and pull it the rest of the way to the shop."
"I can't afford this, Collin."
"Jelly Bean, I know how hard it is to trust people. Believe me, I do. I spent my entire childhood avoiding it, but when I tell you I'm going to take care of it, let me take care of it. Wait until I don't before you believe I won't."
She nods, letting out a sigh of relief. After towing her car into my shop, I run a diagnostic and flush her system. She watches, her arms folded across her chest, slowly pacing back and forth.
"Jelly Bean, I thought I told you not to let anyone else touch this car until I got it up on this lift."
"I didn't. I mean, I haven't." She shakes her head, pure confusion on her face.
"Well, there's brake fluid in your oil pan," I tell her. "I sure as shit ain't put that in there. The color and consistency says it's new."
"Hold on," she says, pulling out her phone. The call only lasts a few minutes before she shoves it back into her pocket. "Josh poured in the wrong fluid. He got the bright idea last night."
"He was plastered last night."
"Yeah, and poured the wrong fluid in the wrong hole. Is this going to cost extra? How am I going to drive back to D.C.? He said he's sorry and will pay for the new oil and system flush."
I come out from under her car, shaking my head. "I'll fix it. You, on the other hand, broke the rules, Jelly Bean."
The dark promise in my voice isn't lost on her, and she perks up like the good girl she is, her eyes flaring with desire.
She grins, scanning the shop. "We never said what the punishment was for breaking the rules."
"I have a feeling I can come up with something."
7
DANIELLE
My heart pounds against my chest with every step, following Collin through the empty shop. Anticipation hums within me, and the desire to have him inside of me again pushes my senses on overdrive.
"Is no one else here?" I ask, my mind running a million miles a minute.
"I am not the type of boss who asks my employees to work on Christmas. No one's going to be here but us."