Three

 

Aniyah’s fingers ached as she uncurled them from around the steering wheel. Being in Gauge’s presence stressed her out more than it should have. The fact that he gave a damn about her drew some suspicion about what he really wanted with her, if anything. She was afraid to ask, fearing the rejection she’d come to know and accept. Asking too many questions might make him think she was being insecure. But the idea of trusting him left her conflicted. Trust was so easily broken and usually set her up for heartbreak. But perhaps she could at least consider trusting in Gauge after he’d saved her life—something no man had ever done for her.

Hell, he’d even been willing to break the law just to get her a bottle of rosewater. The whole idea was absurd yet noteworthy. He barely knew her, and he was willing to make sacrifices for her—and risk his own life for her. Gauge carried a spark of chivalry that she hadn’t seen in any man she’d met. It might be nice to get to know him a little more.

“Are we in the city?” Gauge asked, interrupting her thoughts.

She glanced at him. “Not quite. Just a few miles outside the city limits.” She nodded toward the townhome before them. “Here we are. Home sweet home. Unit 5B.’

Gauge looked ahead. “Cute.” He got out of the car.

Aniyah followed suit. As they made their way to the front stoop, Aniyah fell behind and admired his physique. He was even bigger up close. The rigid muscles in his arms were defined, as if he’d done hard labor all his life. Reaching the stoop, Gauge turned and smiled at her, the ominous scar on his cheek returning.

“Thanks for everything,” Aniyah said, pulling her house key from her purse.

“Anytime, Aniyah.” Gauge nodded. “I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Though his words were sincere, she noticed the way he looked at her expectantly. Her heart beat faster. Was he expecting her to let him in? Should she let him in? Probably not a good idea…

“So, uh… What about your rosewater cake?” Gauge asked, breaking the awkward silence.

That damn cake. “It’s too late to call my client about it now. I’ll have to call her first thing in the morning and cancel the order. There’s no way I’ll have it finished by ten a.m. tomorrow for their special event.” She sighed. “Six hundred dollars down the drain.”

He blinked. “Six hundred dollars for a cake?”

“It’s a specially decorated gourmet cake for one of my top clients.”

“I guess that explains why you drove a long way just to get some rosewater.”

“That store is the only place around that sells the Niagua brand I use. Besides, I know the owner, and he usually cuts me a break on the price.”

“I see.” Gauge rubbed the light-brown fuzz on his chin. He paused and looked at her carefully. “So I guess this is the end of our first date?”

“Date?” She looked at him with raised eyebrows. She wasn’t sure what to call their odd meeting.

He shrugged. “Well? It’s gotta be something. Especially since I’m into you.”

“You barely even know me.”

“True, but you’ve got me curious to want to know more about you. Maybe there really is something to this PDA thing that I hear so many people swearing by.”

She chuckled. Then she suddenly felt him draw closer to her, close enough that she could feel the heat from his body. He smelled like a garage—oil, gasoline, metal, and a little sweat. Is he a mechanic? That would explain a lot. She looked up at him and blushed.

“Hope this isn’t the last time we see each other,” he said in a low tone. “And I hope you’ll believe me when I say that I really am into you.”

She swallowed a lump in her throat. The sincerity in his tone made her eyes burn. Apparently, he was for real. How could this possibly be happening to her? She averted her gaze and said softly, “I… I believe you…”

His face brightened. “Great. So how about tomorrow, then?”

She wasn’t sure if she really wanted to wait until tomorrow to get to know her handsome savior a bit more. Besides, without rosewater, she was out of a contract, and the rest of the night would be pretty lonely and boring. “Why wait till tomorrow?” she finally said. “Unless you’ve got stuff to do tonight.”

“I could think of nothing better than to spend an evening with a beautiful woman like you.”

Smiling, she rolled her eyes. His cheesy compliments were flattering, and his sincerity made her more curious about him. She opened the front door and walked inside. She flipped on the living room light as Gauge shut the door behind him.

“I like this setup,” he said, looking around. “Small, quiet, and cozy.”

“Thank you.” She headed to the kitchen. Gauge had made more meaningful compliments to her in one night than all the other men she’d been with combined. “Want something to drink?” she called, opening the fridge. She stared blankly at the bowl of cake batter she would soon have to find another use for.

“No, thanks.” His voice was so close to her that she froze.

She hadn’t heard him follow her. Figures. A tiger-man like him would be extra stealthy. She poured herself a glass of rum. Heaven knew she needed it.” Okay, then.”

“So this is where you make magic, eh?” Gauge said, admiring her tiny kitchen.

She laughed. “What magic? All I need is an oven and a fridge, and I’m golden.” She took a gulp of her drink and made her way back to the living room. “You live around here?”

He followed her as she brushed past and plopped down next to her on the couch. “Yes and no. I’m currently staying in a motel after not too recently turning my auto shop over to a close friend. I’m kind of deciding my next course of action.”

Aniyah arched an eyebrow. Her intuition had been right about his profession. “Your shop. So you are a mechanic.”

“What gave it away? And don’t say it was my name. Believe me, my brothers and I have heard every joke in the book.”

“What joke?”

He rolled his eyes. “When your gearhead father names his sons Axle, Gauge, and Diesel, you tend to become the butt of every car joke known to man.”

She blinked. Brothers? So there are more charming men like him out there? “Well, you don’t have to worry about that. I’m not enough of a car enthusiast to find humor in such things.”

“Damn. Your hotness level just went up even further.”

She hid her smile. More cheesy lines. “Why? Because I’m not a car enthusiast?”

“No, because you just don’t give a fuck.”

She laughed. The way he said it so innocently, like he was so new to picking up women, emphasized his unique tenderness and charm. “You’re too much.”

“I’ve wanted to meet someone for a long time. I gave it a shot with Gerri’s services, and she led me to you. I want this to be the start of something special. Hopefully, long-term.”

Am I dreaming? What guy had she’d known ever wanted anything long-term? “Wait. Did I hear that correctly?”

He nodded. “Is that not what you want?”

“Actually… yeah. I’m just surprised to actually hear you say that. For so long, most guys I met were just looking for quick booty calls.”

He frowned. “I don’t want that from you. I want a mate for life, and I want a family.”

Her mouth opened slightly. How could he possibly want all the same things I want? Is this more of Gerri’s doing? “Did Gerri tell you about me?”

He looked at her curiously. “Only that you’ve had bad luck in men.”

“That’s an understatement.”

“Well, I’m trying real hard to be the man you want me to be.”

“I want you to be yourself.”

He shrugged. “Ta-da.”

Really… So this is Gauge. Caring, sweet, attentive, eager, and as hot as fuck. She gave him a coy smile. “Too bad you’re not a chef, or else we’d really be making magic in the kitchen.”

He mirrored her expression. “Hey, I fix cars, not plates. But I can make a mean grilled cheese sandwich.”

She laughed. Add a sense of humor to his list of desirable traits. Aniyah thought she could learn to like this tiger-man.