I swallowed, wondering what in the hell I was in for today.
I hated when Jackson singled me out, and he seemed to do it a lot in front of these guys. I didn’t know if I was being too sensitive, but it felt like he was testing me, like he couldn’t believe a girl would out-wrench a group of guys.
I knew I had the skills to prove him wrong, I just had to contain the erratic beat of my heart when he was next to me. It was hard to focus when Jackson Fox walked into a room. The little hairs on the back of my neck stood up, goosebumps pricked across my skin when his eyes landed on me, and that voice. Sweet lord in heaven, that voice was nothing short of sinful in the way it made my stomach coil and burn.
But I did have something to prove here, if not to him then certainly to myself.
No way would I let a man like Jackson Fox throw me off my course. I had dreams of opening my own body shop some day—McGuire Auto Body, after my dad. Working at Fox Motors was a priceless learning experience—picking up on the business side of fixing cars was something I didn’t know how to do—but I was determined, and that had to count for something.
“You ready to get dirty?” Jackson came around the corner of his desk, fixing his gaze on me.
I sucked in a quick breath. “Always.”
“Good. My kind of woman.” His lips twitched. “Now let’s get under that car.”
I followed him out the office door and to the back of the garage.. The way his long legs carried him across the lot was nothing short of intriguing. The faded jeans hugging his hips and the broad cut of his shoulders with those massive biceps stretching the thin white cotton of his T-shirt were a mouthwatering distraction.
I wasn’t sure why in the hell Jackson was working hands-on with me—until now he’d spent most of his days in the office handling scheduling and paperwork. But now he was here. With me.
What in the hell was I thinking?
My brain would short-circuit the minute he leaned over and asked me for a screwdriver.
Nothing about this job was easy, but working alongside Jackson Fox would make it almost impossible. I could only hope I didn’t make a complete ass out of myself and get fired by the end of the day.
We stepped into the garage, my nerves on high alert already, before he turned, piercing me with his intense fucking eyes that stole all the breath in my body.
“Sadie…” The way his tongue curled around the word had the effect of his mouth fucking my name. My stomach fell into a dark pit, my nerves crawling with arousal, my thighs aching to shift back and forth to relieve the pounding desire between them.
“Yes?” I finally breathed.
Jackson took a step closer, his eyes burning up the contours of my face before settling on my irises. One hand rose, his thumb and finger brushing across my temple. “I hope you don’t mind I pulled you today. I wanted to have some one-on-one time with you.”
My heart ratcheted another dozen notches, no thoughts in my mind, only the urge to throw myself into his arms and taste his lips. “Oh…kay.”
My brain ceased to function. It died a painless death right there on the floor of that garage.
“It can’t be easy, being the only woman in the garage.” His eyes trained on my lips, one hand settled at my neck, his thumb dragging across the hollow of my throat.
Oh Jesus.
Oh Jesus, Sadie. Get it together.
“I don’t let it get to me,” I uttered, my eyes focused on his. His own eyes watched my lips form the quiet words.
“I know you don’t,” Jackson muttered, leaning a little closer, his nose dusting the shell of my ear. My stomach flipped, my knees weak with every one of his movements. “Thing is, Sadie, I can’t get you off my mind.”
My fingers clutched at his steely forearms. His other hand weaved down the dip of my back, fingertips sliding just under the waistband of my jeans, making contact with my skin.
Jackson husked in my ear, “I’m bringing you home with me tonight and every night after.”
Chapter Two
JACKSON
“I keep imagining the taste of you on my lips.” My fingers slid a little farther down the waistband of her jeans, those sexy fucking jeans that hugged her enticing curves, leaving me with a throbbing hard-on all day as I watched her work.
“Jackson,” she gasped, her eyelids fluttering closed. She was so fucking sexy, so innocent, so completely fucking made for me I couldn't believe I finally had her under my hands. It’d been torture watching her these last few weeks. I even had a moment where I thought it was a mistake to hire her. A girl in the shop was one thing. A sexier-than-hell one was a whole other deal.
“The way you’re rockin’ your hips makes me think you want my tongue on you,” I growled when I slipped my hand farther inside and found her ass cheeks completely bare. “You’re wearing a thong, Sadie?”