Kristin slid around on her stool, her jaw nearly dropping to the floor as she spotted the man who'd entered the pub. Talk about a hot man on the hoof. She guessed his height at about five ten, with neat, short brown hair, a muscular compact body accentuated by the T-shirt stretched across his shoulders and the jeans that emphasized his strong legs. Even in the low light of the bar, she could see he had about a three-day scruff decorating his jaw line, just enough to be sexy and send out a message to her misbehaving hormones.Now there was someone she could get on board having fun with. If she was into fun.Down, girl!With her luck, he was either married, recovering from a bad breakup, or gay. Yup, she sure could pick them.From the way he looked around, it was obvious he hadn't been here before. He glanced at the scarcely inhabited booths and tables then headed toward the bar. In another life, she would have given him a welcoming smile."Lucky you," Sophia murmured. "He's heading
Josh finished replacing the fan belt in the car he was working on, wiped his hands on the oil rag, and took a long drink from the bottle of water he kept near him. He was on his fourth day at Love Garage and congratulated himself on settling in as well as he had. He had to say, the garage was a busy place and ran with great efficiency. He wasn't sure if it was because the men feared Antony or respected him or, as he thought most likely, it was a combination of both.All the mechanic skills he'd learned when he was younger came back as if he'd been doing it every day of his life. Antony seemed pleased with him, which was a good thing. He didn't look like a man whose bad side you wanted to be on. And Josh had to admit he was enjoying the work.He was also pleased he hadn't had to pop too many acetaminophen. His body was apparently getting used to the work and the bruises were healing nicely.The boardinghouse had been a real surprise. He guessed his expectations had derived from movie
Mrs. Patterson was nowhere in sight when he reached the boardinghouse, although he heard movement in a couple of the other rooms. He ignored everything as he stripped off his clothes and dumped them in the big canvas bag he was using for laundry. Saturday was bound to be a busy day at the garage, but they were closed Sunday. He'd have to hunt up a Laundromat somewhere.He showered and shaved then knotted a towel at his hips. With plenty of time, he turned on the little television on the dresser. Mrs. Patterson provided one for each room, which he thought was a nice gesture. He was idly thumbing through the channels when the picture on the screen shocked him. There he was, in living color, on a major network news report. He turned the sound up only enough so he alone could hear it."Still no word on the whereabouts of star NASCAR driver Josh Nelson. It's been a month since the big accident at the Darlington Speedway. Once he left the hospital, he apparently disappeared off the map. We
"Yes." Think! Think! Think! "They know I wanted to see other parts of the country and find a place to relocate. They're good with it." He glanced around the table. "So have you always lived in Lucasville? It seems like a really nice town."Someone started to tell them about how the patriarchs, Lorenzo and Anton, had started the brewery and the garage and soon they were all falling over each other's voices adding tidbits and information. In the middle of the hubbub, Patsy brought over two more extra-large pizzas and made room for them on the table."Danny's got that stone oven working overtime tonight," she told them, "so keep the orders coming.""Nice diversion back there." Kristin's voice was pitched low, only loud enough for him to hear.He had just taken a large bite of his slice and had to swallow fast to keep from choking, chasing it with some beer."I have no idea what you're talking about."She laughed very softly, but it had such a musical sound he wanted to give her reas
At once, he wanted to kick himself in the ass and bang his head on the table. Low profile, he repeated silently. Low profile. No women. No women! But holy fucking shit. Kristin Kitts must be weaving a magic spell of some kind around him. Anyway, he reminded himself, she'd soon be off to her next assignment. No reason why they couldn't keep each other company while she was here.Keep each other company? Okay, if that's what he wanted to call it.Dumbass.I'm doing exactly what I said I wouldn't and probably getting in over my head.Yeah, that was the fucking truth. But since he'd laid eyes on her, he hadn't seemed to be able to get her out of his brain. Not to mention the fact he seemed to be spacing out in the middle of conversations. He was grateful the crowd at these tables was large and noisy, everyone talking over everyone else. Hopefully, none of them noticed."Well." Kristin crumpled her napkin onto the plate in front of her and pushed back her chair. "This has been fun, guy
Josh wiped his hands on the grease rag he kept tucked in his back pocket and heaved a sigh of relief. Wrestling a new radiator into place on the big pickup with the double cab and the jacked up tires had taken longer than he expected. He wished he could figure a tactful way to get Antony to pass along to his customer the value of continued, regular maintenance. He could have spent the entire afternoon on this baby alone. But hey, it wasn't his garage. He did the jobs he was given and made sure he did them right.He stretched and tried to stifle a yawn."Too many late nights?"He looked over to see Tank grinning at him. Rather than being giant-sized as the name indicated, Tank Murphy was tall and lanky. But he had muscles of steel, and Antony once said he was sure the man was an engine whisperer. He could fix anything no matter how crappy the shape it came in."Nope." Josh shook his head. "As a matter of fact, early to bed is my motto." Then he snapped his mouth shut. In less than a
Kristin was such a nervous wreck she had to laugh at herself. She was glad Sophia was at the pub and not sitting here in her bedroom laughing at her. She was thirty-two years old, for god's sake, not some shy young virgin. Not that she'd had all that many lovers. And the ones she'd picked had sure turned out to be duds, leaving her to question her taste in men and her ability to judge them.Hadn't she made up her mind, agreeing with Josh this was for fun and nothing more? No strings or commitments? After all she'd be gone in a few weeks, and who knew how long he'd be around. For the first time in forever, she could be with a man and not worry about her future or the rest of her life. Yup. The "test drive" they'd agreed to was working out well. So why was she dealing with a bad case of the jitters?Stop it! Get dressed and go have fun. Just. Plain. Fun.Okay, then.By the time Josh rang the doorbell, she had her overnight bag packed with a naughty nightie she'd picked up in Lexingto
"We may be doing this for nothing more than fun, Kristin. Not anything serious. But that doesn't mean I'm going to take you to a motel for a quick roll in the hay. I like to think I've got more class than that.""But Josh," she protested again. "The cost has to be - "He touched two fingers to her lips. "Antony pays me a good salary, and what else do I have to spend it on?""B-but don't you want to save so you can find some place to live besides Mrs. Patterson's?"He cupped her chin and tilted her face up to his. "I'm doing fine, Kristin. This won't put any kind of dent in my budget. Now stash the adding machine for the night, and come let me show you the bathroom. I've only seen it in pictures."She lifted her eyebrows. "The bathroom?""Uh-huh."He guided her to a door beside the bed. When he opened it, her breath caught. The owners had definitely maximized the space. Besides the double sinks set in a marble vanity, the room held a glass enclosed shower and the centerpiece of t
Kristin stood beside Andy Grant, watching the cars zip around the Darlington Raceway. She knew Josh had been exceptionally nervous about this race because it was where his career had come to a crashing halt a year ago. But so far so good. And last night, he had told her he finally had his mojo back, so his head was in a very good place. They had three laps to go, and he was currently in third place. She'd brought a small camera but was too nervous to do anything but watch."He's fine." Andy leaned down and spoke in her ear. Otherwise, it was hard to hear over the noise of the engines and the screaming of the crowd. "He was good on both pit stops, remember?"She nodded. Yes, he had been. Revved up but in control."He'll make his big play any minute," Andy went on. "Keep your eyes on the track."She and Josh and Andy had driven up from Atlanta a few days ago so he could do all his prerace things. He'd said they could move anywhere she wanted, but she loved his big house in a suburbs
Saturday dragged by with interminable slowness. He drove into Sparta and hunted up the track manager, apologizing to him for his behavior and promising the man he'd do some special promo for the track to make up for it. Then he drove into Lexington to have something to do so he didn't go crazy sitting around. He ate dinner there and headed back to Lucasville, where he got into bed and spent the most restless night of his life. He thought of every minute he and Kristin had been together, the lushness of her body, the selfless way she gave herself to him, and the erotic combustion of their lovemaking.He lay in bed, reliving every one of their moments together, so aroused he finally stumbled into the shower, turned it on hot, and stroked himself to completion. He'd never thought that, at his age, he'd be jacking off to get relief. And relief was barely a word to describe it because it, in no way, gave him a tenth of the satisfaction he got from Kristin's hands on him, her mouth on him,
Josh couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this miserable. He was lucky Antony was so understanding when he'd explained about who he was and what was happening. He'd listened to everything Josh said, nodding his head."So the crazy lady story was just that. A story."Josh nodded. "I'm sorry. I had to think of something real quick and - "Antony flapped a hand at him, brushing away his comment. "One question.""What's that?" Josh asked."Are you sure this is what you want? That you're ready to go back on the track?"Josh nodded. "Truth be told, I was nervous until I actually got behind the wheel of the car. But no panic, no fright, nothing but excitement and anticipation. The way it used to be.""Man. That's some story. More excitement than we're used to here in Lucasville." Antony shook his head. "So I guess you're finally over your demons. Or at least are managing them.""I hope so." He grinned. "I'm excited about getting back into competition. And about slaying my demons.
"Josh, what the hell is going on here?" Andy asked."Why don't you ask your photographer," he snapped."Because I asked you. Now come on. Give.""Miss Kitts has also been staying in Lucasville." He spat each word out like it was a rotten piece of fish. "When she met me, I guess she recognized me and made it her business to get close to me. That way she could get the real skinny. I'll bet this thing today is so she can sell the first pictures of Josh Nelson back on a track for a big fat bunch of money."Kristin's face was chalk white, and she clutched her camera as if it were the last item on earth. "That's not true at all, Josh. It's not. I had no idea who you were. Honestly. I - ""Yeah, right," he interrupted. "I'll say this. You should get an award for your acting. I hope I wasn't too much of a disappointment in bed because you sure had me fooled." He looked at Andy. "Let's get the fuck out of here."His manager, who knew him well enough not to argue, nodded. "Let me tie thing
Josh checked his seat belt and the fastening on his helmet. Andy had brought his fire suit - just in case. He'd grinned. Zipping into it had been, unexpectedly, like being with an old friend. Andy had cleared everything with the manager of Kentucky Speedway, and, this morning, there was a car for him to use, a pit crew, the manager, and nothing else. The manager had told him there might be a person or two wandering in who had business, but no media or anything like that. It was the best he could do. Josh would have to be good with that and block it all out of his mind.NASCAR tracks ran in length anywhere from half a mile to two-and-a-half miles. This one was one-and-a-half, a hair over Darlington - the scene of his famous flameout. He thought the extra length might be to his advantage."You all set?" Andy leaned on the door of the racecar.Josh nodded. "As I'll ever be."He pulled in a deep breath and let it out slowly, waiting for the familiar panic to take over. Nothing. Nada. S
Josh was working on a jacked-up track when the call came from Andy. He put down his tools, hollered he'd be right back in, in case anyone cared, and headed to the side of the parking lot to answer."It's all set for Thursday," Andy told him. "Day after tomorrow.""That soon?" Josh felt every one of his muscles tighten."Putting it off won't change things." Andy's voice was kind but firm. "If you're going to do this, putting it off won't help. And if it turns out you're done with NASCAR, well, then, we'll discuss all your other options."Josh blew out a breath and forced himself to relax. "You're right. As usual.""Listen. I want you to meet me in Lexington the day before. I'll text you the hotel reservations. We can have time to talk, think about options for your future no matter what happens, and get you ready for Thursday.""Okay. Yeah. Alright. Text me the hotel and time.""It'll be fine," Andy assured him. "No matter what happens."And Josh had to believe that.He did his
They were cuddled on the big four poster, naked and exhausted but unwilling to stop touching each other. Josh had thought he'd never find a woman who completed him the way Kristin did. Who gave of herself so unselfishly in bed. Who was both strong and undemanding. Didn't it figure the minute he found someone like that, he might be getting ready to walk away from her.Less than a month had passed since their first date, and he couldn't pinpoint exactly when the Just for fun had turned into something else. Neither of them had put it into words, as if saying it out loud might spoil something. But this was definitely way past casual."I need to tell you something." He kept his arm wrapped around her, stroking her with his free hand.Next to him, her body tensed."Is this something good or something bad?""Don't know yet. Might turn out to be good. I hope so. Anyway. But the thing is, I'm taking two days off from the garage next week. I have some stuff I need to do.""Oh?"If possibl
"Andy Grant here."Josh clutched his cell phone, stomach tightening the moment he heard his manager's voice."Hey, Andy. It's me."There was silence for so long at the other end of the connection he wondered if Andy had hung up."So you're not dead."Josh blew out a breath. Andy's voice was so flat and even he wondered if the man was going to tell him how glad he was Josh had surfaced or tell him to go to hell."Nope." He tried to lighten his voice. "Still walking, talking, and breathing.""You ready to come back to the land of the living?"Was he? Was he ready for this, even though he wasn't sure if he could drive? But he owed Andy a meeting, if nothing else."Only if you keep it between us for a little while longer."Another long pause."How long would that be?""Not very." He raked his fingers through his hair. "Andy, I'm real sorry I left you in the lurch the way I did. I know it was a rotten thing to do. But I was so fucked up after the accident, I didn't know if I'd e
This is either the best thing I've ever done or the stupidest.Kristin kept repeating it in her head over and over as she headed back to Lucasville. She should have rescheduled her appointment because she was so distracted she knew the pictures would come out looking like shit. The owners of today's horse farm were beyond gracious. Kristin was sure she came off as a bumbling idiot and would probably have to figure out how to schedule a retake.So much for her new outlook on life, her decision to forget about men, and her vow to focus on nothing but her job. She'd heard all about Murphy's Law, but Kristin's Law outdid it: If it is possible to fuck anything up, I will do it.She never should have agreed to the weekend at the bed and breakfast. But she'd thought, okay, just fun. Right? Lighthearted fun and lighthearted sex. Only it appeared with Josh Everett, sex was anything but lighthearted. It was intense and exciting and satisfying in a way she'd never known before. He hadn't left