Chapter One

Grace grumbled as she dug through her purse for her cell while jogging to make it to the bus stop in time. Her purse vibrated with each ring, yet her fingers couldn’t find the blasted device to get it out. She grasped the phone and glanced at the caller ID, cursing under her breath before sliding her finger over the screen.

“Hello?” she asked, trying not to sound out of breath even though her lungs were on fire from her frantic pace.

“Hey, Grace. It’s Dave.” His voice came out velvety smooth like it used to when he wanted her to do something for him. Bastard!

She ground her teeth and clutched the phone a little tighter as she increased her pace. She didn’t have time for this. The bus was almost to the stop. If she didn’t hurry, she was going to miss it. Then she’d never pick her car up before the shop closed.

“What do you want?” she asked, unable to keep the growl from her voice.

“I need you to get Caden tonight. I’m, uh, working late.”

Grace hoisted her purse up her arm and looked at her watch. No way could she get her car and get their son from daycare before six. “I have to pick up my car, Dave. It’s your night with him. You can’t spring this on me last minute.”

She shouldn’t be surprised. Several times a month, Dave called to cancel his parenting time with Caden. He always had some excuse—not that she believed him for a minute.

“I just found out I have to work late. Look, I’ve got to go. Tell Caden I’ll see him tomorrow night and remind him I got those tickets to see wrestling live.”

“No. Dave, wait!”

The phone clicked, cutting her off.

“Bastard,” she said, shoving the phone back in her purse. It was just like him too, to cancel on their son and then ‘make it up to him’ with some expensive outing.

Brakes squealed, and a bus hissed as it came to a stop. Shit! The bus.

Grace sprinted down the sidewalk, her heels clicking against the concrete. Her gaze flicked between the stop and the ground, watching for any icy patches. It would be just her luck to slip and fall. The bus whooshed, creaking forward before easing back into traffic.

She lifted her hands, waving them wildly. It drove past her. She let her arms flop to her sides, and her purse fell to the sidewalk, spilling its contents on the ground.

“Crap.” She stooped over and gathered her things. Her eyes drifted to her watch again. Thirty minutes. It was never going to happen. There was only one thing she could do, and she hated having to do it.

After inhaling a breath and letting it back out, she found her phone again. She shoved her glasses back to their spot on the bridge of her nose and closed her eyes. It wasn’t that her mom wouldn’t help; it was that she shouldn’t be asking. What other choice did she have? Her fingers jabbed at the familiar numbers before she put the phone to her ear. It rang several times before her mother’s voice answered.

“Hi, Mom,” she said as she made her way down the sidewalk again. “Can you get Caden from daycare for me?” She held her breath and waited. If her mom couldn’t help, she was beyond screwed.

“It’s Dave’s night with Caden.”

Grace rolled her eyes and ground her teeth to keep from cursing, which would only offend her mother. “He has to work late.”

Her mom sighed heavily into the phone. “What time do I need to get him?”

“By six. Can you make it?” She bit her lip, waiting for her mom’s answer. It was last minute, and she knew her mom already had her hands full.

“I’ll do my best, sweetheart. Let me make sure your dad has everything he needs, and I’ll be on my way.”

“Thanks, Mom.” She closed her eyes.

“You can’t let him keep doing this to you, sweetie. It’s his night to be with Caden. He should want to be a father to his son. I don’t like leaving your father alone.”

“I know, and I wouldn’t ask if I had another choice. The prick called and practically hung up on me before I could argue with him. If you can’t do it, I understand,” Grace said. She’d call ahead and then pony up the late pickup fee. She shouldn’t have called her mom to begin with. Her father needed around-the-clock care. Thanks to the wonderful healthcare system, her parents’ insurance would only cover some of the cost, leaving her mom as his primary caretaker. The stroke he’d suffered four months ago had left him completely paralyzed on his left side. It didn’t help that he’d already been fighting a losing battle with lung cancer.

“Did you ask them if they fixed your car right this time?” her mom asked, drawing her from her thoughts.

“I think they do an okay job, Mom. The car’s just old.” She’d gone from a stay-at-home mom with a comfortable income to a single, working mom who could barely make ends meet. The car was an old, used sedan, but she didn’t owe anything on it–except the repair bills, which seemed to be getting higher every few months.

“You know you can take the—”

“No, Mom. No. You need a reliable car to get Dad back and forth to his appointments. I can manage.” Things were tight, but she was scraping by–barely.

“I just hate seeing you struggle.”

The feeling was mutual.

“I have soup cooking in the crock pot. Do you want to eat with us tonight?” her mom offered.

“No. It’s okay. Caden and I will get something on the way home, but thanks.” If there was anyone more hard up for money than her, it was her parents.

“I’ll see you in a bit, then. I’m going to get your father some water, and I’ll be on my way.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Love you, sweetie.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

The phone clicked as her mom hung up. She huffed and put her phone back in her bag before looking at her watch again. If she didn’t make it to the mechanic’s shop before six, she’d have to go another day without her car. Riding the bus added an extra hour to her commute, probably more since she’d have to figure getting Caden to school in the morning. Damn Dave and whatever woman he was shacking up with tonight.

Grace wasn’t foolish enough to think he was working. All those nights he’d claimed to be working during their marriage, he’d been sleeping around. She doubted that it’d changed now that they weren’t together anymore. This time, Dave wasn’t cheating on her; he was doing it to his son. At five, Caden didn’t understand what was going on, but once again, she’d have to be the bearer of bad news.  

The bus’s squealing brakes drew her from her thoughts. She pushed off the glass and waited until it stopped in front of her. She fished a few quarters from her change purse, boarded, and found a seat in the middle.

She used her free time to open her email. Most of it was junk, but she had been working a few freelance sites to find editing jobs. Any little bit to help pay the bills. Plus, it let her do what she wanted. She’d been a journalism major until she’d dropped out of college after getting pregnant and marrying Dave. Quitting school was the biggest mistake of her life. If she could go back and yell at her twenty-something self, she would do it in a heartbeat.

What was done was done. No use crying now. Grace replied to a few emails and then looked up; the next stop was hers. She put her phone away and waited for the bus to stop.

Her eyes drifted to the time—ten minutes to go. She was cutting it close. Her hand went to the back of the seat for support so she could stand. When the bus came to a stop, she darted into the aisle and bounded down the steps, making a beeline for the shop.

The frosty January air hit her hard, and she tugged her jacket tighter around herself. All that running, and then being on the bus, had gotten her heated and now she was freezing. At least the shop would be warm.

Five minutes until they closed. She rounded the corner and fought the urge to clap her hands when she saw her car sitting out front. The four-door sedan left a lot to be desired, but it got her where she needed to go–most of the time. She leaped up the steps to the shop. She pulled on the handle and grunted when the door didn’t budge. She tried to push instead. Nothing. It was locked.

Grace pressed her face to the glass to peer inside. Empty. She still had a few minutes before six. Maybe someone was still around out back. She needed her car. Tonight.

She groaned after trotting down the alley to the back of the shop. All the bay doors were shut, but music blared, growing louder as she walked closer. It was an odd, jazzy melody. Not something you’d expect to hear coming from a mechanic’s shop. Whatever. She strained to see through the dirty windows, barely making out a manly form. Yes. Someone was inside.

She opened her palm and tapped on the window. “Hey! Hey! I’m here to pick up my car. It’s not six yet.”

The man took a step back from the car and turned his gaze on her. A pair of icy blue eyes met hers. He stared for a moment before hitting a button on the wall. The garage door lifted, humming as it opened.

“I’m sorry, miss, we’re closed,” the man said, speaking with an accent she couldn’t quite place, though it was sexy as hell, and he had a body to match. He picked up a greasy towel and wiped his hands on it as he took a few steps toward her. She gulped as his movements made the well-defined muscles ripple beneath his formfitting tee.

Snap out of it. Remember what happened the last time you got near a hot guy? He broke your heart. Grace pointed to the clock. “It’s 5:57. You don’t close for another three minutes.”

The guy ran a hand through his jet-black hair while his gaze followed her finger to the clock. “I’m sorry. I’m just finishing up on this car here. Everyone up front’s already left.”

Grace exhaled loudly and let her shoulders slump. “I just want to get my car. Can’t I write you a check or something?” So much for putting the repair bill on her credit card. Now she’d have to do some creative banking to make her bills.

“Sorry. I don’t know much about what they do up front, miss. You’ll have to come back tomorrow.” He let his arm drop back to his side, giving her a clear view of his dragon tattoo. It was all black, except for the eyes, which were strikingly silver. Tattoos weren’t appealing to her, but this one was intense and beautiful, much like its owner.

She snapped her gaze away from the tattoo. It wasn’t going to help her get her car. Part of her wanted to go home and lick her wounds. The other half had had enough. “Look, I got here before close. It’s not my fault the people up front cut out early. I need my car, so you’re going to have to figure something out.” She folded her arms over her chest and tapped her foot, hoping she was giving him her best no-nonsense look.

He studied her for a long minute, leaving her wondering what he was going to say. He’d been polite so far, and she hated to be rude, but come on. Something had to give.

“I guess if you wanted to write a check, I could leave a note up front for them,” he said.

Grace let out a breath. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

“Sure.” He nodded then turned, placing his towel on his workstation before making his way to the lobby area.

She followed behind him. Her eyes lowered to his butt. The dark wash jeans he wore fit him snugly, accenting every delicious move of his taut behind. She should look away, but her effort to do so failed. Just because she was a single mom didn’t mean she couldn’t ogle a little, right?

“Which car is yours, miss...?”

“You can call me Grace. And I have the red sedan.”

“The one with the bad brakes?”

“Among other things,” she said with a sigh. In another month or two, something else would go wrong, and she’d have to foot another repair bill. She was beginning to wonder if it might be cheaper to lease a new vehicle instead.

“The tires are going to need to be replaced soon,” he said over his shoulder.

“Of course, they are.” Just one more expense she didn’t have the money to cover. “It must be nice being a mechanic. I bet you do all your own repairs, huh?”

“I don’t own a car.”

“Oh.” The bus was great in a pinch, but who had time to get to each stop early enough to ride multiple buses to their destination? She shook her head. “You must be new here. I don’t think I’ve seen you before.” She’d remember seeing him around too. St. Joseph, Michigan was a nice, small town, but it was mostly touristy. There weren’t a lot of visitors this time of year.

“Just started this week,” he said.

He just started, and they were letting him stay here alone? Weird. Not her business.

“You in here often?” he asked as he held the door to the lobby open for her.

“Thank you,” she said as she squeezed past him. His musky cologne mixed with oil from the cars permeated the air around him, and she breathed it in. Damn, did he smell good. Focus. “Unfortunately, it seems like something is always going wrong with my car.” First, it’d been a belt. Then, a problem with the starter. Now, it was the brakes. She almost wanted to question what was next but didn’t want to jinx herself.

Grace let him get ahead of her and make his way to the desk. He rummaged through a few drawers and a stack of papers before he pulled one out with a key attached to it. “Grace Tyler?”

“That’s me.”

“You live in the Lakeview Apartments?” he asked, quirking his brow up at her.

“Uh, yeah. Why?”

“I just rented a place there, too,” he said. He ripped the key off and pushed the paper toward her.

“Really? That’s nice.” Should she be excited hotty mechanic lived in the same complex or a little creeped out? He seemed to be a decent guy and was probably making polite conversation. It might not be so bad to have a hot, friendly neighbor to help her out if she needed something.

Her eyes drifted over the paper, stopping at the final number on the bottom. Thank goodness it was payday tomorrow. She set her purse on the counter and pulled out her checkbook. She signed a chunk of her pay away and handed it over to him.

He took it and then handed her the key. As she slid it from his hand, her fingers brushed against his callused palm. It was warm to the touch, sending a series of tingles fluttering through her. Heat crept across her face and into other areas she’d rather not think of. She shifted on her feet, hoping he didn’t notice.

“So, uh, thanks.” She forced herself to take a few steps back, needing some distance between her and the cute man. She pushed her glasses up on her nose and smiled.

He inclined his head. “Sure. Maybe I’ll see you around.”

“Maybe.” Yeah, then once he realized she had a kid, he’d go running for the hills like the last guy she’d briefly dated. It was probably for the best. Between work and Caden, she didn’t have time for a relationship, even though she’d like some adult time. She spun on her heel and hurried to the door. Her hand shoved on the handle, but it didn’t open. What the...

“Here, let me.” He came around the counter, leaned in close enough for her to smell his alluring musk again, and reached above her head to wiggle a lock loose.

His chest pressed into her back, and her breath caught in her throat. He felt even more muscular than his fitting tee suggested. Part of her wanted to turn around and kiss him just to see what would happen, but she wasn’t that type of girl, and it had been too long since she’d been with a man. “Thanks,” she said, shoving the door open once he’d released the lock. The cool winter air hit her, cooling her flushed skin. “See you around.” She didn’t look back as she hurried to her car. Mr. Mechanic could be a nice little fantasy in her dreams, but that was about all she had time for.

***

Daire watched as the curvy, petite woman hurried across the parking lot. Wisps of her curly amber hair fluttered in the wind. He would love to tangle his fingers in her long tresses as he drew her in for a kiss. It had been a long time since he craved a woman like this, but there was something about her chocolate eyes that had peered at him through her glasses. She had a kid, too. He’d seen the child seat in her car when he’d parked it in front earlier this afternoon.

Women and children were his one soft spot. This town was flooded with lycanthrope and the woods behind the Lakeview Apartments reeked of them. He was going to have to keep an eye on the bewitching human to make sure nothing happened to her or her child. 

He yanked the door shut and reset the lock before going back out into the garage. Grace’s sweet, vanilla and cinnamon scent still wafted in the air. His cock hardened, straining against his jeans. He’d had the random woman over the years to sate his needs, but he hadn’t craved a woman since Alannah.

Guilt charged through him. It had been many centuries since his wife’s death, but it didn’t stop the shame he felt for looking at another woman.

He shook his head and smashed his palm over the button to close the garage. Forget working on the car for the night. He needed to clear his head.

Daire slipped under the door, careful not to trip the sensors as he exited. He looked around the back alley. No one was in sight. Closing his eyes, he called upon his dragon.

His arm tingled where the beast rested. Heat swept over him as his bones snapped and popped. They realigned, lengthening with him as he took on his new form. When he opened his eyes, the alley looked different—sharper, clearer.

He stretched his wings, flapping them up and down a few times before soaring into the sky so fast that no one would be able to see the giant black dragon joining the darkening night clouds.