4. Chapter 4
Chapter 4
O ur southern mechanic resembled a demented elf. Bundled to the hilt, she blew in through the side door leading to the full-service pumps, slamming it behind her. Her breath created a foggy shroud around her head as she glanced wide-eyed around the shop but deliberately avoided looking directly at Ezra.
“Brr, and oh, my God!”
“It’s not even that cold out yet,” Tobias teased as he finished sweeping up for the afternoon.
“Hmm, we’ll have to agree to disagree, Tobias. Though it’s not so much the cold this time as it is those crazy snow bunnies in the Escalade. Lordy, they were as frigid as the North Pole when they saw it was me and not one of you guys who came out to put another ten bucks of gas in their tank.” Jorie retorted.
Masculine chuckles and off-color comments echoed throughout the garage.
“What do you say, Jorie? It’s Friday night. Are you finally going to take the plunge and join us for a drink after work?” Manny asked, wagging his eyebrows suggestively at Ezra. The fucker.
Ezra groaned. He’d been mentally keeping his distance from his newest employee, though he couldn’t help but watch over her while she worked. As his best friend, Manny had noticed. Jorie was smart, competent, and had just the right amount of sass. She didn’t take shit from the guys and was able to hold her own—giving it right back when needed. From that first day in Vegas, she’d sparked his interest. Jorie was a warm light that drew people in—co-workers, customers, especially the men.
She was a fire in Ezra’s blood… and she was too damned young for a man like him.
“You are old enough, aren’t you?” Tobias teased.
Ezra winced as the words echoed that very thought. He was pushing thirty-five. According to her employment records, Jorie had just turned twenty-three in September.
“Well, bless your heart. I’ll have you know I’m legally able to imbibe in all fifty states, thank you very much.” Heat sizzled between them as Jorie peeked up through her lashes to meet Ezra’s gaze. Her little pink tongue slicked out, wetting her bottom lip as she held his stare. I see you, baby. Her cheeks pinkened, and she quickly looked away.
Ezra smirked. Earlier in the week, he’d scared the ever-loving hell out of her. It hadn’t been his intention, but when raised voices distracted him from his weekly payroll nightmare, he’d left his office to find out what was going on.
He shouldn’t have eavesdropped on what turned out to be a phone conversation, but despite himself, Ezra found himself more interested in Jorie’s personal life than he should be. Listening to her lay out what she expected from a man and what she was willing to give in return struck something deep within him—something he never realized was possible. Maybe that’s why Kirsty threw away five years together and chose Sam in the end.
“I’m afraid I wouldn’t be the best wingwoman. I’d probably put a damper on your evening’s, uh… escapades. Besides, I was going to check out the Christmas Market. You know, do some shopping, see the lights? Maybe meet a nice guy and dance the night away?”
Her southern drawl washed over his senses like sweet candy, but the image of her dancing in another man’s arms? That ignited a response in him that bordered on possessive and confrontational. Which was colossally stupid. She was an employee. He’d been down this road before. The last thing Curtis Garage needed was for her to screw him… and them… over.
“We could do all that, but first we’ll grab some dinner and drinks,” Aaron announced as he pulled on an insulated buffalo plaid flannel, clearly not sharing Ezra’s hesitation.
“We’ll meet you guys at The Range in about an hour. Jorie, you’ll ride with Ezra and me. It’s supposed to snow later, and we can’t have our rookie mechanic calling work for a tow because she doesn’t know how to drive in it. It would look bad for business.” He laughed.
Ezra could tell Jorie was still undecided as she peeked up at him again, as if seeking permission. He liked that. With a small lift of his chin, he gave her his approval. Her cheeks flushed, and she scurried past him, heading into the employee locker room and then out to the parking lot.
***
As Ezra showered, he wondered what he was going to do about Jorie. She was a skilled mechanic, but that wasn’t the problem.
The problem was his overwhelming attraction to her. What was it about her? She wasn’t classically beautiful, but there was something undeniably cute about her—her pert nose, sparkling blue eyes, and the way she often looked like an impish little girl, especially with her braided pigtails and nerdy safety glasses. All she needed was a lollipop and one of his button-down shirts to complete the look.
Before Kirsty, Ezra had never defined his dominant nature or the things he preferred sexually. He hadn’t thought about it while he was with her either—it just wasn’t part of their dynamic. But now, the feisty little blonde working for him had him thinking about all sorts of things. Especially what he wanted to do to her… and with her.
His body responded immediately, and he reached for the beard conditioner. Pumping a generous amount into his palm, he let it warm before wrapping his hand around his cock and giving it a stroke.
His eyelids dropped closed as his hand found a steady rhythm. He imagined Jorie’s blue eyes widening with desire as she watched him. In his mind, she was kneeling at his feet, her warm hands resting on his thighs as she leaned into him.
He teased the head of his cock against her lips, a silent demand until she opened her mouth and let him in. Her soft tongue flicked over the glans. Fuck. Ezra groaned low in his throat as he thrust into the depths of her mouth, pulling back and pushing forward again, hitting the back of her throat over and over.
Jorie’s hum of excitement vibrated against him. His balls drew tight, and his legs began to shake. He braced his free hand against the glass, his cock hardening painfully as he neared his release.
Just then, Aaron pounded on the bathroom door. “Ezra? Let’s go, man. I’m starving!”
Ezra groaned. He was starving too. But food had nothing to do with it. She was his employee. He needed to maintain his distance. Nothing good could come from this attraction.