Chapter 8
Holly
I chew on my bottom lip as Alex lifts the hood of my car and steam bellows out, making him take a step back, and I wince.
Okay, that can’t be good.
“Mr. Dirty, is the car meant to smoke like that?” I hear Lyra ask, and Alex looks up, and our eyes lock, and the spark, yep, it is still there and still scary as hell.
“No, cutie, it isn’t,” Alex replies to my little girl without looking away from me, not correcting her that it is in fact steam.
“Is it fixable?” I ask with hesitation, and he sighs, glancing down at the hissing pipe.
“It’s your radiator,” he answers, and I swallow hard and ask, “What does that mean?”
He winces as he stands straight, his muscles stretching across his wife beater making it really hard not to look down his body while he’s giving me his whole attention that sets a million butterflies in the pit of my stomach, and he states, “It could mean a number of things. Your coolant pipes may be leaking and if that is the case then no problem, worse case scenarios, you’ve blown your head gasket or caused damage to the engine.
If that is the case then you may as well look into getting a new car and I know you don’t want to, darling, but fixing the engine, the parts alone could come up to a cost of a used car. ”
I groan and drop my chin to my chest with disappointment and the memory of Matty driving under ten miles per hour while cars beeped behind us hits me.
My sole focus was my precious little girl, whom I was petrified to pick up before the memory shifts to me rushing into my uncle’s home, doing a happy dance, waving my new keys because I bought my first car from the scrapman down the street.
Uncle Mathew tried to suppress his smile, knowing my parents wouldn’t approve if he celebrated with me but Matt twerking just made my day even better.
“I’ll take a look, darling,” Alex whispers, his voice nearer, and I look up to find him standing right before me and my whole body tingles, down below aching, something it has never done and a connection that I can feel deep down to my bones hits me hard in my chest.
Oh crap.
“Okay,” I whisper, not able to look away from his deep blue eyes that have me entranced, even as Lyra giggles. Alex has my sole attention, and again, fear hits me.
I want him, oh crap, I want him…
Alex tilts his head and, as if seeing my terror, knowing I finally want a man who is technically forbidden fruit, so to speak, because he’s my student's parent, and I’m pretty sure you’re not meant to date a student's parent, he smiles softly before saying, “Brother, can you do me a favor?” without looking away from me.
“Sure…” Ace replies.
“Take Ly and Hol here to my house, but collect Caleb on the way from Dad's while I have a look at her car,” Alex commands and I blink.
Hol…
Why did my heart just skip a beat when he called me Hol?
“I can always–”
He cuts me off, “I don’t know how long I’m going to be, and Lyra would probably prefer to be on the jungle gym in my yard with Caleb than sit around here. Go on, I’ll be home soon and let you know what I find.”
My eyes race between his before I nod slowly, and he tilts his lip, making him look even sexier, and I swallow hard as Lyra grabs my hand and says, “See you soon, Mr. Dirty,” and he grins at her, which just lights up his whole face.
Damn….
I clear my throat, look at my daughter, and smile while I try to calm my racing heart and the urge to throw myself at this man who didn’t want to meet me before yesterday.
I say, “Come on then, sweetheart,” and she grins and without looking at Alex again, I walk over to Ace, who waits with a grin next to a black truck all while I feel eyes on my back.
I debated whether coming here was a good idea.
We were on our way to the park when the steam came from the hood, and I just, I didn’t have a choice but to pull into here as we were driving past, and if my car hadn’t broken down, I would have lasted longer than sixteen hours before seeing the man again or, that is what I keep telling myself anyhow along with two words – Forbidden fruit.
***
I chew my bottom lip as I check the time for the fifth time in the space of an hour, and I swallow hard as the kids giggle on the jungle gym, the sun setting behind them.
It’s been four hours since I took my car to Alex, and I haven’t heard anything since Ace dropped me and the kids off here before heading to the club’s diner that he runs, two very excited kids at that.
Caleb’s still got a grin on his face, even now.
To say he was happy to see me was an understatement, for sure, but now I’m concerned. They’re both hungry, it’s getting late, and I’m beginning to think my car isn’t fixable.
Taking a deep breath, I look out over the children again, and I tilt my head with a small smile seeing their happiness.
The yard is amazing and a child’s dream with a two seat swing set and a jungle gym with a large slide, making the ones at school look cheap. The two-story Victorian-style house with a wraparound porch behind me is, well, it’s a woman’s dream home.
I feel out of place here, like I’m in some woman’s territory, maybe Caleb's mama, who was definitely not happy earlier, though today was the first time I’ve ever even seen her because not once has she been to school and not once has Caleb brought her up, heck, she isn’t even on the pickup list and I just automatically assumed she wasn’t involved.
I guess my assumptions were wrong and of course she’s beautiful and not afraid to hide it.
I swallow the jealousy I can feel rising, jealousy I really shouldn’t be feeling right about now.
He’s a student’s father, and I am definitely not his type, though his being Caleb's father should be the reason why I shouldn’t lust over the man and not because I don’t go around wearing a ton of makeup and clothes that barely fit.
I chew my bottom lip. The last guy I was interested in was Adam, and I think that is why I’m struggling because I swore I’d never feel anything towards a man again, not after that nightmare, and yet here we are, nearly eight years later and I-I…
No, nope, not going there, I can’t, I won’t.
I look at the time and notice it’s nearly past dinner time, and I take a deep breath before getting my phone out of my pocket, then bring up the number Matty gave me if I ever have trouble with my car like today.
I hover my thumb over it before muttering, “Screw it,” and I press on the number before putting the phone to my ear.
It rings five times, and just when I think it’s about to go to voicemail, his deep, gruff voice echoes in my ear.
“Rebel’s Motors?” he answers, and my hand trembles at the little flip my heart just did.
“Hi, uh, hey, it’s uh, it’s Holly,” I stutter and instantly wince.
A man has never made me this way before…
“Is everything okay, darling?” he instantly asks, and I melt slightly at the ‘darling’, something he has taken to calling me, and I quickly clear my throat as Caleb's giggles get me back to the here and now as I tell myself to act professional.
“I uh, well, it’s late and well, the kids are getting hungry,” I stutter again and instantly want to smack my forehead.
So much for professional. I’m a teacher for Christ’s sake! I should be able to speak normally.
“Ah, I haven’t been grocery shopping yet, my card details are on the fridge. Why don’t you call for takeout? I’ll be back soon. I’m nearly done,” he says, and I swallow again.
“Do you uh, have macaroni and some cheese?” I ask, and he hums, “I don't know why?”
I clear my throat and mutter, “Well, I uh, can I cook it if I find the ingredients?”
He’s quiet for a moment before he replies softly, “Yeah, darling, you can, I’ll be home by the time you’ve dished. See you soon.”
I swear I could hear the awe in his voice before he hung up, making me look at my phone, and I can’t seem to swallow the lump that is forming bigger and bigger.
The man reduces me to a stuttering mess, and yet as soon as he hangs up, I’m disappointed.
Damn.
Shaking my head, I call, “Come on, kids, I’m going to make mac and cheese,” and they instantly cheer, because hello, a kids favorite meal and all that, and I stand as I smile, watching them run my way before going past me, and I follow while trying to give myself a pep talk to not go mute when Alex gets here.
“He’s just a parent,” I mutter and head into the kitchen, keeping the words on repeat while promising myself to keep things strictly professional between us.
“Famous last thoughts.”
***
“Hi, Mr. Dirty!” Lyra squeals in delight as I dish up the food half an hour later, and my body instantly lights up, humming with electricity and I suck in a breath.
Crap, he’s here.
“Hey, cutie, you had a good afternoon?” Alex asks and his deep voice goes through me as Lyra hums in confirmation before I feel his body next to mine as I scoop a spoonful of mac and cheese onto Caleb's plate trying to psyche myself up to be professional before looking to my left, my eyes yet again instantly locked in with his deep, intense blue ones.
“Mac and cheese, huh?” he confirms, tilting his lips into a smile, and I smile slightly back as Lyra adds, “With extra cheese, just how we like it!”
Alex chuckles as he raises a brow at me, and I admit, “It’s perfect comfort food, and you are just in time.”
He hums as his eyes take me in, making me want to fidget under his intense stare, but I try to hold off on it.
“Why the comfort food?” he asks with a husk, and I swallow.
“Bracing myself for bad news,” I mutter, and he smirks.
“Well, you won’t be getting any from me, your shit box is fixed,” he states, and my mouth parts as I turn my whole body towards him in shock, and he grins wide as he grabs the kids' plates, winks at me then takes them to the dark grey breakfast bar and I watch in awe.
Did he, I mean, my car, I mean, huh?
“Be careful, it is hot,” he warns the kids, and they both nod before he returns to me, leans against the counter, picks up a fork, and grabs some of the food.
Blowing on it, he puts it in his mouth and groans, “Fuck, this is good,” and I mutter, “It’s the extra cheese,” before shaking my head and confirming, “You fixed the shit box?”
“Is that the new name for it?” he asks, dodging my question, and I reply, “It’s always been the name for it,” before I press, “Alex…” needing to know if he managed the unmanageable, or that is how I thought of it earlier.
He chuckles, takes another bite, and says, "I did. The head gasket was a goner—that’s why I took so long."
My mouth parts in shock, giving him a chance to gently place some food into my mouth and I blink and quickly bite down so food doesn’t fall because that would be embarrassing before he gently removes the fork from my mouth.
I chew as I assess the man, professionalism completely gone before I furrow my brow as the taste finally hits me and I mumble, “Too much mac and not enough cheese,” and he grumbles, “Bite your tongue, it’s perfect,” making me bite down a smile.
It’s weird because with Adam, even before I knew about everything, before I found him with someone else and everything after that, I was always careful around him, yet with Alex, who I don’t even know, who is off limits, I don’t even think before I speak.
I’m comfortable around him, and that is well, it’s terrifying if I’m honest, because if I’m comfortable around him, then there is a high chance he could really hurt me.
“How much do I owe you?” I ask, and he grabs some more mac and cheese from the pan and holds it to my mouth, and without thinking, I open and allow him to feed me, and I chew slowly then swallow before realizing what he’s just done, and that I allowed.
Uh oh, one day and he’s under my skin and not once did I feel this way with Adam.
Alex gives me a sly smirk at my question, and I try not to tense because surely he wouldn’t…
“One date,” he says, reading my mind, and my eyes widen, and I freeze and quickly clamp my mouth shut before it agrees without my permission because damn, I want to agree.
I want to agree!
Oh crap, oh no.