“So you rescued me twice in one day already,” I purr against the back of his shoulder. The points of my breasts brush against the taut tendons in his back sending me into another tailspin of crazed desire.

“I’ll do that as many times as I have to,” he grunts back over his shoulder before turning around to face me. “Just say the word.”

I see the longing in his eyes but it’s changed now. It’s different from the searing lust I saw burning there when we were standing at his bench. It’s softened now, but the heat is still ravaging through me from the way he rips my clothes off with his gaze and lays me out before him.

“You’d better go,” he suddenly says and his shoulders droop enough that I know that’s not what he really wants.

“I don’t want to,” I whisper.

“Your father,” he grits.

“Are you worried about my father?” I ask, thinking this man is surely not afraid of anyone.

“Only for your sake,” he says.

“I can handle my father.”

“I want to do this the right way,” he blurts out in a rush, like he has to speak now or he won’t ever. “If it’s what you want too.”

“I do,” I spout, without a second’s hesitation, then add, “All of it,” my words loaded with meaning. I would still happily stay here in the garage with Rand while he does whatever he wants with my body. Right here in public.

He smiles to himself and slides his hand into the small of my back. It’s so huge it almost covers my ribs. But it’s also very comforting and makes me feel completely safe as he leads me towards the Lincoln.

I guess he’s decided it’s over for now. I’m not going to get what I crave. I’ll go home with my pussy throbbing and my head wondering. So where do we go from here? I guess that’s also what’s bothering him. What do we have in common? Where can we even go to be together where people won’t stare and mutter to each other from the side of their mouths like they think we can’t see?

There’s not only the age difference between us. There’s also the difference of class and money. Which means nothing to me but everything to other people and Rand, I can tell, is a proud man. He won’t appreciate them snickering behind his back.

I’m more than willing to come here to the garage, go to his place, or anywhere else just to be with him but he won’t allow it.

“I want to do this properly,” he insists, holding the door for me to get into the car. “I want to take you out. Will you go out with me, Caila?”

“I’d like that a lot,” I say softly, throwing him what I hope is a tantalizing smile.

“Good,” he says like everything’s resolved. “Go home now and I’ll talk to you soon.”

I don’t want to leave him. Now that he knows how I feel and I’m comforted knowing he wants me just as much, leaving him feels like ripping off an industrial grade band aid. I could sit here all day and watch him work. I love the way his muscles are constantly flexing and bulging as he tugs on his tools. My nipples harden just being here in Rand’s garage.

But I do as he says, not before leaving him with a memory. I reach up to stroke my roving fingers across his slash lips and then quickly get on tiptoes to plant a kiss. Then I scoot into the car while he’s still reeling a little from the surprise. He closes the car door, still stunned. As I drive away, I see him in the rear-view, standing there grinning to himself like he’s not only got the cream but he’s covered in it.

At home I take another bath, this time with luxuriating in fragrant bubbles so my skin will smell amazing when he buries his face into it. I plan out an outfit, taking every possibility into consideration then I curl up on top of my bed willing the time to pass faster.

Every time I check my phone, it seems impossible that not even a minute has ticked past. Time is literally standing still.

I swipe to favorites and call Angela. She’s not my bestie of my crew but she is the one I trust not to spread a lot of chatter.

“Ohmigod, he’s so hot,” she says when I ask, kind of casually first, whether she knows the mechanic at Hangetons. “My mom was talking about him at book club the other night.”

“You go to book club?”

“No, but I came down for ice cream and heard them yakking in the living room. They talk about almost everything but the book they’re reading.”

“Oh. So what did they say about Rand?” I inquire, not liking that half the women in town have their eyes on my guy.

“You know – filthy stuff,” Angela says. She doesn’t go out much so she’s more reserved than the rest of my group. She’s always the only one that never gets hit on when we go out. “They’re reading one of those steamy romance books and one of them said; ‘would any of y’all do that with the guy at the garage?’

“Do what?”

“Something about lubing up and letting him use his tool.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah, I know but they were all twittery about it, talking about the mechanic’s huge biceps and um, other parts.”

“Right, that’s funny,” I snip, not finding it amusing at all. I have the urge to disconnect the call.

But then Angela says; “Mrs Howers asked everyone if they weren't afraid. What with him being so dangerous.”

“He’s dangerous?” I say, my interest spiking again.

“I know right, I got real interested about that too but they were all giggling worse than Annabel and Christy ever did. My own mother acting like a schoolgirl and talking about the size of some strange man's thing.”

Suddenly I can’t take it anymore.

“My dad’s just come in and is calling me, I better run.”

“Oh, okay, thanks for calling, Caila. We hardly ever chat since we left school.”

I get the tinge of loneliness in Angela’s voice and think I really have to try harder to be kind to my old friends.

“Let’s get together soon,” I say and swipe her off.

I push Angela’s nonsense out of my head. Those old women are just bored with their lives. Now their kids are grown up all they have is book club. Of course they’re going to live in their fantasies. I bet I will too.

No – I won’t. Because I intend to live as many as I possibly can, not just talk about them. Starting from tonight.