“It’s fine,” I say, shaking my head with a small smile. “I’m Kyle Jacobs, by the way.”
“Allison Miller,” she says, grinning at me.
She sticks her hand out toward me and, bemused, I shake it. Her hand slips into mine, warm and soft, and I’m suddenly aware of her long, smooth legs, which are being accentuated by her black skirt and the sharp heels that she’s wearing. I breathe in and catch a whiff of a floral perfume that makes me feel a little dizzy.
I clear my throat.
“You on your way home from work?” I ask, nodding at her bag.
“College,” she corrects. “I’m studying law.” She laughs and shakes her head. “I’m not normally out so late, but my classmates and I were celebrating getting through some hard tests.”
Law? She’s a smart one, then. She’s more down to earth than many college-goers that I’ve met in the past, who have looked down on me for my bike, my jacket and my profession, as though I’m not good enough to fit into polite society.
“Sounds interesting,” I say. “I’m a mechanic.”
She blinks and then her eyes light up.
“We’ve been looking for a mechanic!” she says enthusiastically, and I’m taken aback. “My friend’s car hasn’t been starting, but her old mechanic moved and we have had a bad experience with another mechanic… You any good?”
I grin. “I’m pretty good. Bring it around to Brooks Automotive, we’ll have a look at it.”
“I’ve heard some pretty good things about that place,” she muses. “Great, there’s another favor I owe you for, now,” she adds, smiling.
I know she’s joking. So, I decide to joke back. But I’m still a little drunk, and the night has been long and my brain isn’t sending the right signals to tell me what is and isn’t a good idea right now.
I trail my eyes over her body, making her smile falter, and lean in closer.
“Well, maybe we can work out some payment, then,” I say huskily, giving her another look to make it clear what I mean.
Then my brain catches up. What am I thinking? Allison was just assaulted by her ex-boyfriend. Not only that, but I’m a complete stranger and I’m hitting on her in the middle of the night, while we’re standing in a seedy alleyway.
Smooth fucking move, idiot.
I start to lean back, an apology on my lips.
Then she plants her hands on my chest and pushes. Caught by surprise, I stumble backward and hit the wall, blinking at this unexpected turn of events. Allison presses her body up against mine, her breath teasing my lips.
“I think that could be arranged,” she purrs.
And then her lips meet mine.
Chapter Three
Allison
I’m completely over tonight. I just wanted to get home and sleep, but then Jesse came out of nowhere and acted so out of character that, for a moment, I wondered if I was facing a different person.
I’m tired. I’m hungry. I’m still a little drunk and dreading tomorrow’s hangover. Now, I’m standing in an alley with a sympathetic stranger who is saying all the right things, who just punched Jesse for me, and he’s leering at me in a way that reminds me that I haven’t been out with anyone since I left Jesse.
So, I snap.
If I was thinking rationally, I might have slapped him. As soon as the words left his mind, I could see that he realized how stupid they were. I wonder if he meant it as a joke, and didn’t notice how bad it sounded until he had said it. Either way, the logical thing to do, right now, is to walk back home and forget this night ever happened.
Instead, I find myself pushing Kyle against the alley wall and kissing him fiercely.
He freezes for a moment, stunned, and I press myself against his body. I thought before that he was good looking but, close as I am, I can feel the hardened muscles beneath his clothes. He’s so tall that I have to stand on my toes to reach him, and this is a delight because normally I’m the tallest one around, and that makes it really damn hard, sometimes, to find a partner who’s taller than me. Jesse was taller than me, but only by a little, so I was never able to wear heels while being with him.
Kyle, on the other hand, is still taller than me, even with my stilettos.