Carmen gasped in surprise and jumped away from Clark when the front door slammed shut.
“Carmen!”
Rachel was home, and Clark moved awkwardly away from her and back into his armchair.
“In here, Rache,” Carmen called. She hoped that her voice wouldn’t sound as shaky to Rachel as it sounded in her own ears. Clark refused to meet her eyes, and continued staring at the television set, his expression brooding and dark.
“Can we talk upstairs?” Rachel asked, popping her head into the living room. “I wanted to apologize.”
“Sure,” Carmen said, standing up. She was surprised to find that her legs felt weak, and it took her a few steps before she got the hang of walking again. Still, she managed to keep her composure as she followed Rachel up the stairs and into her room.
“I am SO sorry about what happened with Greg,” Rachel said. “You should have heard Bobby! He was so pissed off at Greg, and spent ten minutes after you left standing up for you. It was kind of hot, actually. He’s such a good guy when he wants to be.”
“That’s nice of him,” Carmen said. “But don’t apologize. It’s not your fault. Greg was being a pain, not you. Sorry I ruined your date, though.”
“Oh my god. You leaving made it so much better!”
“Well, thanks…”
“No!” Rachel laughed. “I mean, I got to see the side of Bobby that I love. He kicked Greg out of the car and we drove off to look for you so we could give you a ride home. And that’s after he tore Greg apart and basically said he could forget ever going out with us again. But we couldn’t find you so he dropped me off here to make sure you got home okay. You did get home okay, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, your dad found me and gave me a ride.”
“Good old dad,” Rachel laughed. “He’s always there right when you need him.”
Carmen nodded, but the truth was, she couldn’t relate. Her father had been the exact opposite. He always bailed when Carmen or her mother needed him. She wondered what it would be like to have a father like Mr. Thomas. She would never have to worry about anything again. Carmen couldn’t even begin to imagine how nice it would be to have a strong, experienced man like Clark to rely on.
She frowned, reprimanding herself for her inappropriate feelings toward Clark. Obviously, she was just one of those women with daddy issues. It was nice to feel taken care of for once, and at every turn, it seemed that Clark was stepping in to save her. Maybe if she managed to avoid him for a while then her feelings for him would go away. How could she keep feeling so strongly for him when she knew she only felt that way because she had problems with her own father?
The phone rang suddenly and Rachel answered it quickly.
“Bobby? I know! Yeah, Carmen’s here safe and sound. My dad found her.”
Mention of Mr. Thomas brought another surge of desire through Carmen. It was really starting to get pathetic.
“I think I’m going to get to bed,” Carmen said. “Tell Bobby thanks for me, will you?”
Rachel nodded, a big smile spread broadly on her face.
Carmen left the bedroom, surprised to see Clark on the landing, frozen in place as the door creaked open.
“Good night,” she said, her cheeks blazing with fire.
“Good night,” Clark said rigidly.
Carmen retreated into the guest room, her heart pounding rapidly. What was she doing? He was old enough to be her father. Maybe Rachel was right. It would do her some good to hang out with guys her own age. Who knows? Maybe if she gave them a chance, she would be able to shake these inappropriate feelings once and for all.
***
The next week went by uneventfully; for Carmen anyway. Rachel was spending more and more time with Bobby, who she claimed was being the perfect gentleman. He was not only handsome, but he had found his passion working on motors at the local bike shop, and was actually making a steady living doing it.
“Isn’t it great!” Rachel had exclaimed. “I thought he was going nowhere; he didn’t even finish high school. But look at him now. He’s really making something of himself. He even got his GED.”
“Maybe he saw you going to college and it inspired him,” Carmen suggested. Rachel shrugged.
“Whatever it is, I like it. Motivation looks good on him.”
“Better than it does on Roger?” Carmen had asked, regretting the question as Rachel’s face fell.
“Not exactly. I don’t know. Roger’s such a good guy. Bobby does what he wants when he wants. It’s infuriating in a way, but…”
“Bobby is crazy about you,” Carmen said.
Rachel’s face brightened up again and Carmen’s guilt had lifted. “I’m starting to believe that.”
A few moments later, Rachel had been on the phone with Bobby again, and about an hour after that, she had left to meet up with him.
Now, Carmen was sitting on the front porch of the Thomas household, enjoying the solitude and fresh air. She could smell cut grass from a few yards over and inhaled deeply. That was a rare scent in the city she was living in with Rachel. She had a vague memory of her own father cutting the grass once or twice when she was little, and it had been one of her only pleasant memories with him attached.
“Hey,” Clark’s deep voice said suddenly from behind her. The screen door slammed shut as he walked out, carrying a tool box.
“Hi,” Carmen said, annoyed by the involuntary murmur in her heart as Clark walked past her. “Is something broken?”
Clark glanced down at his tool box and smiled at Carmen.
“No, but I was thinking of doing a little work on the engine. Do you know anything about cars?”
“Not even a little bit,” Carmen admitted.
Clark frowned.
“Well can you drive?”
“Yes,” Carmen said. “I have to go all over the place, back and forth from school to visit my parents. In fact, I would have driven here if the shifter communities were more easily accessible. But Rache said it would be easiest just to take the train.”
“Well, what kind of parent lets their daughter drive so far without teaching her a thing or two about her car? What if you got stranded?”
The concern and annoyance in Clark’s voice warmed Carmen, and she shrugged.
“Well, come with me. I’ll show you everything you need to know. That way if something happens, you’ll be prepared.”
“Thank you,” Carmen said, surprised by the offer. She’d had a scare or two on the road. It was a relief to know someone who could give her some advice. And even more nice knowing that Clark was caring enough to look out for her. That wasn’t the kind of thing her own father ever did.
Clark grinned. “No problem. The truck is this way.”
Clark led the way, his long strides making it difficult to keep up with him. He circled the big yard until he came to a small garage and they stepped inside.
“Hey, I meant to apologize,” Clark said, setting the toolbox down with a heavy clanking sound and turning to face her.
Carmen’s heart thudded. What could he possibly have to apologize to her for? She was the one who was impossibly attracted to him.
“Why?” Carmen asked nervously. What if he was attracted to her too? Wouldn’t that make this whole situation kind of weird?
“I didn’t tell you how hot the exhaust can be on the motorcycle before you got on. I wasn’t even thinking about it.”
“What?” Carmen asked, grinning. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Clark gazed at her, a dark expression flickering across his face, and then looked away quickly. He picked up a tool from the box and circled the truck until he reached the hood. He lifted it, and suddenly, she couldn’t see his face anymore.
“I should have warned you, though. I feel bad. How’s your leg feeling?”
“It’s fine,” Carmen said. In truth, she had forgotten about it; at least until she was stripping her clothes off and she could see the burn mark on her leg. In a way, she liked the burn; it reminded her of just how capable and protective Clark had been when he saved her from the other shifter.
But she knew she shouldn’t feel that way about Clark. Still, she couldn’t help herself. In a way, she wished she wasn’t a virgin so she would know what to do with the feelings she was developing toward him. Never in her life had her interest in someone felt so powerful.
“Get in here, kid,” Clark said gruffly. “I have a lot to show you.”
“All right,” Carmen said, walking nervously toward the open hood of the truck.
She stood beside Clark, his muscular, capable body just inches away from her own. It was unsettling to be so near to him, especially after all the feelings she had been trying not to have for him. Clark’s broad chest brushed against her back as he leaned behind her to grab a wrench, and she had to close her eyes to avoid being lost in the electric charge of her desire.
“Now,” Clark said, handing Carmen the wrench. “Where should I begin?”