“It just died. I was barely able to coast to the side of the road.”
Warily, I peeked at her as I moved closer because I was pretty sure she wouldn’t hesitate to chop off my dick if I made the wrong move. I leaned over the engine, jiggling a few hoses and wires to see if it was something simple that I could fix right there.
“Hopefully it’s just the alternator or battery,” I mumbled as I poked around.
“And how much is that?” An edge of hysteria slipped into her voice, like she was going to lose it if one more thing went wrong.
My chest squeezed tight as I peered her way through the rain.
Could see it written all over her, this desperation that lined her being. Padded her in steel and severity.
“Not sure. If it’s the battery or alternator, it won’t be a biggie. If your engine seized—that could get dicey. Will have to get it into the shop and take a look before we can know for sure.”
“Shop?”
Our voices were raised over the drone of crashing rain.
“Have one, right up here around the corner. Iron Ride.”
So okay. Iron Ride was a custom bike shop. A spot for a restoration was highly coveted and didn’t come cheap. Our specialty was motorcycles, but every now and again, we brought in a collectible car that we rebuilt from the bones. Didn’t need to tell her my mechanics were going to have a field day when they found out I’d hauled in a ’99 family sedan.
Her eyes narrowed in contemplation before she suddenly stepped back and shook her head. She looked like she was the one commanding the raging storm.
This dark chaos that thrashed in the night.
“What are you doing out here by yourself, anyway?” I asked, swiping the deluge pummeling my face.
“You know what? It’s fine. I’m fine. Just…I’ll figure something out. I’ll call for a ride. You can go.”
She flung her hand at my bike sitting in the distance, totally ignoring my question.
Through the rain, I looked at her, studied her face that shimmered in the glow of hazy light. Her teeth were clenched, and my gaze locked on the long, jagged scar that ran the side of her left jaw that the grinding somehow accentuated.
I had the urge to reach out and touch it. Run my fingertips along the flesh.
That was some serious fuckery. This reaction she evoked. Like I suddenly couldn’t move.
As stranded as she was.
My hand curled into a fist to stop myself from doing something stupid.
Like she felt the attention there, her teeth ground harder, but instead of dipping her chin and hiding it, she lifted it in some kind of challenge.
Lust jumped into my guts.
Yup.
I was losing it. Mind traipsing into things that could set this freezing cold rain to boiling.
I was there to help and that was that.
But this girl was seriously hot and seriously savage, and my dick didn’t seem to get the memo that we were going to help her out and send her on her way.
Thing was, I thought she could cast a spell with a glance.
Hypnotize and mesmerize.
Could feel it—some kind of magic that floated in the air.
Enchantress.
It wound with the storm and beat into the ground.
A bolt of lightning lit the sky around us.
One second later, thunder cracked.
The hairs lifted on my arms.
I inhaled a steadying breath and shoved the crazy shock of attraction down. I angled my head. “Do you really think I’m just going to leave you out here in this storm?”
Defiantly, she crossed her arms over her chest. “I said I was fine. You can go.”
Another bolt of lightning. I saw her flinch.
“Go? That’s not gonna happen. Come on, we need to get out of this rain.”
“That would be great…you know…if my freaking car was running.”
I almost laughed. She was a fiery thing.
“Grab your purse.”
Her brow curled as a river of mascara ran down her cheeks. “What?”
“Let’s go.” I pointed at my bike.
She huffed and stomped her foot like I was crazy. “I don’t even know you.”
“Name’s Jud. Jud Lawson. Like I told you before, my shop is around the corner. We can take shelter there until the storm passes. And guess what, don’t know you, either, darlin’, yet I’m out here trying to get my ass electrocuted to help you. So how about we get the hell out of here before we both end up on tomorrow’s news, yeah?”
Distrust filtered through her expression, gaze narrowed before she huffed and threw up her hands. “Fine.”
She strode on those sexy-as-fuck heels over to the driver’s-side door. She dipped in and grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder before she stormed back my way like a tempest.
I closed her hood and reached for her hand.
She glared at it like it was poison.
A rough chuckle flooded the air around us as I dropped my hand. “Not gonna bite.”