And two spark plugs.They’re in my pocket right now.
“Jess and I swung by the auto shop to get more spark plugs.” She takes out a can of soda and offers it. “I swear we had enough the other day. I counted them out while you were screwing around with the whitewalls, but whatever.” Her silky blonde hair floats in the gentle breeze when she cracks her soda open. “Doesn’t matter, because I figured it out, got more from the store. Put ‘em in.” She lifts a hand with attitude. “Broke a damn nail.” When I lurch forward to inspect her hand, she simply waves me off and bounces. “But it doesn’t matter, because I did it! Wanda’s done and I maybe cried a little bit.”
“You cried?” I try to catch her flying hand as it whips around like a whipping hose on a summer day. She’s always been like that; she talks with her hands. “Show me your nail. Does it hurt?”
“No! I did it. I fucking did it!”
“And you cried?”
“Happy tears!” She sits her soda on the edge of the sink and spins toward me – long, floating blonde hair, a little peach colored tank top, and faded, almost white denim shorts that I’m pretty sure she wore when she was sixteen – and with a breathtaking smile, she throws herself into my arms, forcing me to catch one-armed or risk dropping her.
I toss the soda into the engine bay and bring my hands down to hold her.
“Wanda goes, Ang!” She wraps her arms around my neck and buries her face beneath my ear. “I’m so happy, she goes. We rebuilt her from scraps and broken shit, and now she’s strong and sounds so pretty. The car doesn’t backfire. Doesn’t misfire. It purrs like a damn puma.” She leans back in my arms and looks down into my eyes. “I started the car, and when it purred, I maybe groaned with pleasure.” Her eyes light with teasing. “And I haven’t done that inforever!”
Lord, have mercy. If she slides down my body, I’m a dead man.
“Um.” My voice cracks. My hands are full of Laine’s ass, my cock stands from the thought of her making any sounds of pleasure, and now my voice is cracking like I’m fifteen all over again. “You started it?”
“Uh-huh.” Her fingers absentmindedly scratch the back of my neck.
She’s going to be the end of me.
She’s looking for a celebratory hug, and I’m rocking an inappropriate fucking boner.
“I found everything I needed and finally got her to turn over an hour ago.”
“You did the oil already?”
She nods. “And something arrived in the mail. A gift for you. Wanna see?”
“Umm…”
“It’s actually a gift for me.” When she pushes back to be put down, most men would let her slide down their bodies. Hip to hip, chest to chest, a real man would hold her tight and enjoy every last bump and curve.
But not me, because I’m a fuckin’ pussy, and if she finds out she made me hard, she might freak out.
Instead, I lift her up and away from me, stretching my arms out as far as they will go before setting her down. When she stares at me with a frown, I turn away.
“Ang?”
I walk away from the car. Toward the sunlight in the front yard.
“Ang?” She grabs my arm and undoes whatever work I might have managed to soften my cock. “Ang!” She snags my sleeve, but I busily rush away and shove my hand into my pants to rearrange my dick before she notices.
“Angelo Alesi!” Standing on the grass in front of Kane’s house, she finds one of those pockets of sass I thought Graham had long ago stolen, and spins me around to face her. “Why are you ignoring me? I was talking to you.”
“I’m sorry. The oil fumes in the garage were making me feel weird.”Yeah. Weird like a fuckin’ sissy.“Sorry. What were you saying?”
Shadows stop at the front door of the house, but with her back to them, Laine doesn’t notice. “I was saying I finished the damn car.”
“Yeah, I know. I got that.” I finish it off by offering a high-five.A fucking high-five!“Awesome work.”
“Are you mad because I finished without you?” Instantly, her fire is doused with insecurity. “Are you mad because I took over? I didn’t mean to take over, I was just having so much fun with it. Something to do during the day that made me smile and helped me dance.” Her eyes turn watery. “I know it’s your car, and I know you enjoy building them, too. I took over.” Her hands begin shaking. “I’m so sorry I took over.”
Right now, right this second will be a defining moment in our lives. A moment we’ll look back on that I’ll either fuck up so bad we’ll never recover, or I’ll help her. I’ll soothe just a little of the rough edge that Graham chipped into her armor.
Laine never used to be insecure.