Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
O ne hour later, Charlie drove home from the restaurant, tired and unsettled. Something happened back there between her and Luc. What, she had no idea, but it made her feel…edgy. Like her skin was too tight. Tiny pricks of awareness sparked along her flesh making her conscious of every inch of her body in a way she’d never been before.
What the hell was happening to her?
Sure the man was hot, but he shouldn’t be affecting her like this. Her brain got all muddy around him, her body heated. If it was purely physical attraction, she could handle that. She’d found a lot of guys hot, put them in the spank bank, and gone on with her life. So what was different about Luc? Why couldn’t she get him out of her mind? Why did she care?
A familiar pop and hiss sound filled the car. She swore as the ride got bumpy, gripping the jittery steering wheel tight. The sun had set hours ago, and she’d left the main town area a few miles back. No street lamps in outer Kismet. The darkness curled around her, broken only by her own headlights, illuminating the dirt road in front of her. As the car shuttered and jerked, she gently applied the brakes and pulled over onto the small shoulder.
Turning the engine off, she left the keys in the ignition and kept the lights on. Grabbing the small emergency flashlight from her glove box, she exited the car, swearing once again as she gazed down at her front tire.
Check that. Her flat front tire. Another one.
“Really life? You haven’t been a big enough bitch to me lately? Two flat tires in the span of a month?”
Technically three if she counted the one that caused her to ride on her spare for weeks while she avoided getting it fixed.
The wind whistled as a gust picked up the strands of her hair that had fallen out of her work frazzled ponytail, whipping the locks in her face. “Ouch!” Felt like the sting of those stupid towel snaps her annoying brothers used to do every time they got out of the shower. Boys were dumb.
But she wasn’t. The flat may be an annoyance, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. Flipping off the night sky, she made her way to her trunk where her spare and jack were. As she pulled the items she needed to change the tire out of her car, a pair of headlights flashed, blinding her. She shielded her eyes with a hand, dropping it when a familiar car pulled up.
“Got car trouble, girlie?”
“Hey Apple, that Olive driving?” She leaned down, poking her head in the open passenger window.
“Hello, dear.” The sweeter Blithe sister smiled. “Oh my, what happened?”
Glancing from her car back to the women, she shrugged. “Don’t know. Probably ran over a nail or something. I just got new tires from Fred last week too.”
“Do you need any assistance?”
From these two? She doubted the old women had strength enough to roll a tire, let alone work a lug wrench. “No thanks.”
“You sure? We could call someone.”
So could she, but she didn’t need to. “I got it.”
Apple snorted. “You’ll never get a man that way.”
Right, because she wanted a man who saw her as a helpless damsel in distress. The poor little woman who couldn’t take care of herself. Yuck! No thank you. She could change a tire, earn a living, and self-induce orgasms all by her little lonesome and if a guy had a problem with that then she didn’t need or want him. Charlie Jackson didn’t need anyone.
“That how you got all your husbands, Apple? By acting all helpless when all the while you were really the one pulling the strings?”
“I believe she just burned you, sister dear.” Olive smiled sweetly. “As the kids say these days.”
“Stuff it, Olive.” Apple glared at her sister before focusing on Charlie again. “I do like your sass, but I still think you’re a fool to waste this opportunity.”
She sighed, taking the woman’s bait. Apple had something to say, might as well let her get it out. “What opportunity?”
“The chance to call Doctor Hottie and have him come play your knight in shining armor.”
A shiver ran over her body, having nothing to do with the chilly night air. “It’s just a flat. I can handle it. Besides, I don’t have his number.”
Even if she did, no way in hell would she call Luc for help. Not after the weirdness at the restaurant. The last thing she needed was more time alone with the guy. Quiet, dark time where no one was around for miles, and they could—
No. No, she wasn’t even going to finish that thought.
“Suit yourself,” Apple sniffed.
“I hate to leave you out here all alone, dear.”
She smiled at Olive. “I’ll be fine. I promise. You two better get home or you’ll miss your shows.”
“If you’re sure?”
Nodding, she stepped back from the car, waving them off. The sisters pulled away and she turned back to her car. It took her less than twenty minutes to change the tire. Her father had insisted all his children learn basic car maintenance. Lawrence Jackson had taught them all how to change a tire, air filter, oil, even an alternator. She’d never been big on fixing up cars. That was Del and dad’s thing. But at times like this she was grateful her father insisted on her learning the basics.
As she hauled the flat tire with—as she suspected—an old, rusted nail poking through the rubber into her trunk, another set of headlights flashed. The car looked familiar. She hoped she was wrong. That it wasn’t who she thought. She couldn’t stand the second round of humiliation. Maybe she was wrong, and it was a serial killer or something.
“Please be a killer, please be a killer, please be a killer.” The muttered plea died on her lips as the car stopped and a tall, devilishly handsome Luc stepped out. “Craaaaaaap!”
“Nice to see you again too,” Luc chuckled as he approached her.
She slammed her trunk, temper rising for reasons she couldn’t fathom. “What the hell are you doing here?”
He raised a brow but spoke with that infuriating calm tone he used in class. “I’m on my way to the hospital. Late shift, remember?”
Right. He mentioned that at dinner just a little bit ago.
“Another flat?” he chuckled, glancing into her trunk. “Did you piss off some car gods or something?”
“Apparently.” A heavy sigh left her as exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her. “Ran over some metal. At least this tire is under warranty. Fred will patch it up for me.”
“You’re going to take it in tomorrow, right? No driving on that spare for weeks again?”
She narrowed her eyes, resisting the urge to flip him off...barely.
“I have three brothers, ya know. I don’t need another one telling me how to live my life.”
Something dark and heated burned in his eyes. His gaze zeroed in on her face. He stepped closer, so close she could smell the fresh scent of whatever spicy aftershave he used.
“Trust me, Charlie, I am in no way trying to be like a brother to you.”
She swallowed down the lump of desire clogging her throat as she stared up at him, her body screaming at her to jump him and climb him like a tree.
“Can I ask you something without you threatening to geld me?” He tilted his head, glasses slipping slightly as he stared at her.
She choked on a laugh. “Who in this century says geld?”
He shrugged. “I figured it was more polite than saying ‘chop my junk off.’”
There were many things she wanted to do with Luc’s junk and none of it required detaching it from his body.
No, bad Charlie. We do not want him.
Except she kind of did.
“You can ask.” She waved a hand in the air. “But I make no promises about the safety of your manhood if you piss me off.”
“Fair enough.” He paused, face taking on a serious mask when he spoke again. “I’m not a psychiatrist, but I am trained in the mental health field to recognize certain patterns and symptoms, and I was wondering if you’ve ever considered seeking an evaluation for ADHD?”
“ADHD? Isn’t that when you’re hyperactive and can’t sit still?” Some days she couldn’t even get out of bed, no way was she hyperactive.
Luc frowned. “Hyperactivity is one aspect, but there’s also inattentive ADHD. ADHD consists of a variety of symptoms including hyper independence, resistance to authority, impulsivity, forgetfulness, distractibility, mood-swing, a strong sense of justice, difficulty focusing on tasks. It’s not an extensive list, but from what I’ve…observed in my time with you, you may be one of the people who fell through the cracks and was labeled—”
“A problem child?” she finished for him. The phrase spoken to her mother at every parent teacher conference since fifth grade.
“It’s often overlooked in girls because our medical system tends to only study white males when researching.”
Sounded like a huge flaw in the system, but she wasn’t surprised by it.
“I’m not trying to diagnose you or be presumptuous, I just thought it might be something you would want to look into.”
She gave a small chuckled when Luc discretely placed his hands over his groin.
“Relax, Luc. I’m not going to knee you.” She sighed. “Honestly you’re not the first person to suggest I get an evaluation.”
One of her college professors had offhandedly mentioned she might be neurodivergent after a particularly hard finals week where she had a meltdown in class over a light buzzing too loud. Truthfully, she’d never sought out a diagnosis because she kept forgetting to look into it.
Kinda fit with what Luc said about ADHD and forgetfulness.
He smiled. “I try not to do armchair diagnosis, but when I think of something that might help someone, I have to share.”
“A regular white knight,” she joked.
Her breath caught as his hand reached out. His thumb brushed against her cheek, warm, burning her skin from the contact.
“You had a spot of grease,” he explained, showing her the black smudge now covering his thumb. “All gone.”
“Thanks,” she muttered in a breathless whisper.
The sound of crickets filled the night air as they stood there in silence, staring at each other. Charlie had never been more turned on in her life and all he’d done was gently touch her cheek. What was wrong with her?
Finally, Luc broke the silence. “I should get going. My shift starts soon. Do you need any help or—”
“No.” She shook her head, trying to dispel the weird tension in the air. “I’m good, but…thanks for offering.”
He inclined his head, a small smile curving his lips. “You might want to look into industrial anti-flat tires if they make them.”
She snorted. “Ha ha. I swear I don’t usually get this many flats. Maybe you’re just bad Carma. Get it? Car-ma.”
He laughed softly, shaking his head. “Never took you for a pun lover.”
“I have my moments.” The air around them started to grow tense again with the silence. Afraid she might lose her battle of will this time and do something stupid like haul off and kiss the guy, she cleared her throat and motioned to her car. “Okay, then…bye.”
She turned to get in, but his words stopped her.
“I’ll follow you home.”
Glancing over her shoulder she shook her head. “Why.”
For some odd reason she didn’t like the idea of Luc knowing where she lived. Not because he freaked her out or anything. But right now, their interactions had all been held at public places. Safe. Even here, in the middle of nowhere with no one around, it wasn’t exactly private. Someone could drive by at any moment. If he came to her house…she had no idea what bad choices she might make.
Liar. You know exactly what kind. The naked kind.
“I want to make sure you get home safe.”
A snort of laughter escaped her lips. “It’s Kismet. The worst thing I’m going to run into on the way home is a bear.”
His dark brown eyes widened. “There’s bears here?”
Poor city boy. He had no idea what he signed up for when he transferred out to the Rockies.
“Yeah, but don’t worry, most of them steer clear of town. Besides, they prefer picnic baskets over people.”
“Smart-ass,” he chuckled.
“Couldn’t resist.” She shrugged, leaning back against her car.
“Let me see you home. Please?”
He stepped closer. He hadn’t turned his lights off when he pulled over, so the headlights flashed over his face, highlighting the sharp lines of his jaw, the fullness of his lips, the dark, heated look in his eyes as he stared down at her. Her heartbeat picked up, racing in her chest, nostrils flaring as they picked up his heady scent of cinnamon and a deep musk that could only be described as man.
“I thought you had to get to the hospital?”
“Isn’t everything in this town a ten-minute drive away?”
Yes, and technically her place was on the way to the hospital, so he’d be going that way anyhow.
“It will make me feel a lot better knowing you weren’t eaten by some bear who wandered into town and couldn’t find a picnic basket.”
She chuckled. “Okay, fine. But don’t blame me if you’re late to work all because you felt the need to escort me home the two point three miles.”
“I still have twenty minutes before my shift starts. I’ll be fine. Unless we run into a deer and they pop your other tire,” he grinned before pausing. “You guys have deer here, right?”
Dammit, why did he have to be so freaking adorable? “Yes, City boy. Deer and bears and wolves. Oh my!”
They got into their respective cars. She pulled out onto the road with Luc following. In less than five minutes they pulled into the driveway of her small two-bedroom house.
Charlie lived just outside Kismet proper, up in the hilly wooded area. Her nearest neighbor lived a mile away and that was how she liked it. Growing up in a house with three brothers she valued her space and privacy dearly. She turned off her car and exited. Luc pulled in behind her. She waved intending to head up the porch steps and go inside, but he parked, turning off the car and stepping out.
Did he want to tuck her in too?
The idea held appeal. As long as they were both naked and he was tucking her in after a night of hot and sweaty—No! She had to stop thinking like that. Right now.
He walked toward her, sauntering like a tiger stalking prey. Her eyes feasted on every inch of his muscled body, keenly displayed by the crisp fitting sweater, hugging him like a second skin.
Crap. She wasn’t just thinking about it, she was salivating over it.
“I’m home now.” Shoot. Did that sound breathy? She meant to sound cool and collected. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “All safe and sound. Thank you, Mr. Woolf.” Bears and deer and Woolf…of my! “Unless you want to come in?”
What? What the hell had she just said? Sure, she’d been thinking it. Thinking about getting him inside and ripping every stitch of clothing off him. Having her dirty way with him all night long until neither one of them could walk again. But she wasn’t supposed to say it out loud…unless he’d been thinking the same thing?
Luc stopped inches from her, a tortured expression in his eyes. His gaze slowly dipped down her body and back up again. Heat gathered between her legs, and she swore her knees buckled a little.
“I can’t. I’ve got to get to work.”
Damn. She hadn’t realized how much she desperately wanted him to come in until he’d said no. Stupid Apple had been right all along. She did want Luc. Badly. And Charlie had never been known for her restraint. When she wanted something, she went for it. But she shouldn’t go for this. For him. There were so many reasons it would be a bad idea. So, she wouldn’t. She’d thank him for seeing her home and—
“Is it against the rules for you to date one of your students?” Crap! Why the hell had she said that? She didn’t think. It just popped out of her mouth like a stupid revealing time bomb.
Shock filled his face, and she groaned, embarrassment flooding her. She covered her face with her hands.
“Oh shit, never mind. Forget I asked that.” Why? Why the hell had she asked that?
Because you want him!
Mortified beyond all belief, she turned intending to run into her house, crawl under her covers and stay there for the rest of her life. Her plan was foiled when a pair of strong hands grasped her, pulling her into his embrace. A whoosh of air left her as she settled against Luc’s warm, hard chest. She gazed up into deep, rich, brown eyes hidden behind his glasses. The night was chilly enough for her to see the faintest hint of his breath leave his lips, but she burned hotter than the middle of August at noon, wrapped in his arms.
“It’s not against the rules per-say.” He cleared his throat, one large hand coming up to stroke her cheek. “I mean technically you’re not my students and I don’t have any authority over you. All I do is track attendance and provide skills for the class. There’s no conflict of interest as long as you show up. But it is frowned on. And my life is…” He grimaced. “Complicated right now.”
“Ditto.”
“It’d be a bad idea all around.”
He pulled her closer. Her breath caught in her throat.
“Ditto.”
“No matter how much I want you.”
He wanted her? Something in her exploded at the knowledge. The little devil on her shoulder screamed do him, do him, do him! Damn horny devil. Her tongue came out to wet her lips, his eyes burned, tracking the movement.
“Ditto.”
He let out a low moan, almost growl like, and hauled her up as he bent his head, crushing his lips against hers. The devil cheered. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on for dear life as Luc Woolf kissed the ever-living hell out of her. His lips devoured, claiming her in a way no other man had before. His tongue demanded entrance, and she gladly gave it. He consumed her. Pleasuring her entire body with just the touch of his mouth to hers. Desire coiled tight within her. Need rising like the car of a roller coaster climbing that first big drop.
And then he was gone.
Pulled away and she was left sucking in the night air which had somehow turned frigid without his breath to warm her.
“Goodnight, Charlie.”
He looked as if he might step forward, kiss her again—oh hell yeah, she wanted him to kiss her again—but he didn’t. Instead, he turned and headed back to his car, entering the vehicle and shutting the door. He didn’t leave though, not until she turned and headed up the stairs to her front door. He didn’t leave until she went inside, locked the door and waved from the living room window. Only then did Luc turn on the car and pull out of her driveway.
She watched as he pulled away, heading back down the road toward the hospital. Her lips still tingled, the taste of him lingering on her tongue. She had no idea what had just happened, but she knew she wanted it to happen again.
And soon.