Beyond Broken(6)

The sight of her so quiet-even though that was exactly what he wanted-bothered him. He didn't even know this woman's name. Before he knew what he was doing, he murmured, "I'm sorry." The words rebounded around the cab of the truck like an echo. She jerked a little, so he knew the words found their mark.

The woman turned to him, offered a small smile, something he would not have done had their situation been reversed, and said, "It's all right. My brother also thinks I'm annoying, so I don't blame you."

Caleb didn't know what bothered him more … the fact that she'd just likened him to her brother or that she forgave people so easily.

He pushed the door open and walked towards her car. He heard her high heels clicking on the pavement behind him as she followed. His body tightened; he'd always loved a woman in high heels. He imagined them pressing into his back as he thrust between her legs.

Angry at himself, Caleb shook his head and closed off his mind. He let it go blank, like he used to when he'd been younger.

"Keys?" he grunted.

He heard a jiggling sound as she pulled them from the back pocket of her dark jeans. He did a double-take when she dropped them into his outstretched hand.

Fucking hell. A pink rhinestone-encrusted 'M,' an assortment of touristy landmarks keychains, a small little plush dog with huge blue eyes, a mini flashlight. How the hell had this monstrosity even fit in her jeans?



       
         
       
        

Caleb scowled down at the offending object and then glared up at their owner. She looked up at him with those wide innocent eyes that got him into this mess in the first place. And all he could think about was bending her over the hood of his truck and fucking her senseless, despite her ridiculous, tacky keychains.

He turned to unlock her door with a barely concealed growl, his body pulsing with angry desire. He decided then that it'd been much too long since he'd last had a woman.

Caleb slid into the driver's seat of her car. Her delicate, citrusy scent was more noticeable in the confines of the little Volkswagen. His mouth watered, but everything that made him desire her more angered him. He pushed the thought away. The quicker he towed the car back, the sooner he could get away from her.

Caleb tried the ignition just once, to make sure it wasn't the battery. The engine sputtered, a strange clicking sound he, unfortunately, recognized. Something she said nudged into his mind. He slowly climbed out of the car.

"What did you mean when you said you funneled in the gas?" He was afraid he already knew the answer and if what he thought was true, he couldn't believe her carelessness.

The woman must've noticed something in his tone because she took a step away. Good, Caleb thought. She should stay away.

"I … I couldn't make the nozzle fit, so I held it there until some of the gas leaked in."

Caleb took in a deep breath for patience. "And that didn't seem odd to you?"

"I was just trying to get out of there as quickly as possible. I was nervous. There were men-"

"What color was the nozzle you used?"

"I-I don't know. Green, maybe?"

"Un-fucking-believable," he murmured, raking a hand through his hair. "You used diesel, didn't you?"

"Diesel? Is there a difference between that and gasoline?"

Fuck, this woman was clueless. Completely fucking clueless. Caleb didn't know why but her naiveness infuriated him. She was so young, even though she couldn't be more than three or four years younger than him. Craving the inside of his office, where he'd be alone, where no one could touch him, he told himself to take calming breaths. He'd be there now if not for this slip of a woman.

"You're looking at a minimum of $450 to flush out your engine and fuel lines." He ignored her gasp. "And that's only if the spark plugs or filters aren't damaged. If they are, then it can be up to $800."

Caleb simply quirked a brow at her look of outrage.





THREE





Maddie couldn't believe her ears. 

"$800?" she sputtered, her eyes wide. "I don't have that kind of money!"

She could barely afford her rent every month. She briefly thought about putting it all on her credit card, but then she realized her credit limit was dismally low.

"Not my problem, princess." Caleb had the gall to actually smirk. "That's not including the tow, either. It's $100 for that."

Teenage crush or not, Maddie wanted to swipe that smug look off Caleb Montgomery's face.

"My car was only a mile away from your garage, if that!" she argued. There was no way she was paying $100 for twenty minutes of his time.