Jace unhooked an elastic cord from the back of his bike and the cargo net snapped free. He tugged a duffel bag off the back of the seat and tossed it to Eric.
"If you're trying to impress her with your car, man," Jace said, "I think you should reconsider your strategy." He snorted as he attempted to withhold a laugh.
"She loves it," Eric said.
"She's just saying that so you don't cry."
Rebekah shook her head. "No, he's right. I do love it. I can't wait to help him restore the engine."
Jace lifted one brown eyebrow at her. "You're going to help him restore it?"
Before she could take Jace down a peg about women's lib and all that, Eric said, "Apparently, she has mad mechanic skills. Right, Reb?"
"Uh, yeah. I guess." She blushed. "Well, I get auto mechanics, but sometimes I'm not strong enough to … But I do have little hands, so I can reach into small places easily." She held up her hands, fingers splayed wide, and tapped her fingertips together. "I prefer to work with big hunks of metal-"
"Big hunks of metal? You've signed up with the right band," Eric said.
Jace snorted and slapped Eric's shoulder.
She rolled her eyes at Eric and tried not to laugh. "As I was saying, I'm not a fan of electronic components. That's why I love these older cars so much." When she beamed a smile at Eric, he got that melty look that Dave sported when he gazed at his adorable little sister with sappy affection. Ugh! She hated when guys looked at her like that. Rebekah was not Eric's adorable little sister. She was a strong-willed, sharp-minded, tough, independent, sensual creature, and he'd damned well better remember it.
Rebekah grabbed Eric by the front of his white T-shirt and pulled him down to eye level, prepared to give him a good tongue-lashing. "J-just because I'm s-small doesn't mean I'm not capable of t-taking care of myself or that I'm not s-sexy." She hated how she stammered when she was perturbed. It sorta took the significance from her words.
Eric just grinned at her, the heart-meltiness in his look intensifying. "Are you sure about that, precious?"
Maybe she'd get her point across better if she did something other than lash him with her tongue. She wasn't precious. She wasn't. She was bold. Daring. And more impulsive than strong-willed, sharp-minded, tough, independent, or sensual. Her free hand found the long hairs at the nape of his neck. She grabbed them with enough force to draw his lips against hers. He put up no resistance to her unexpected kiss, but didn't exactly respond the way she'd hoped, or at all for that matter.
Rebekah kissed him hungrily, with an open mouth and a seeking tongue, as if they were red-hot lovers rather than barely acquainted.
Eric made a strange sound in the back of his throat, dropped Jace's duffel bag between his feet, and drew her against him with both arms. Plastered against the solid length of his body, her feet rose off the ground as he stood straight. One strong hand pressed against the middle of her back, and the other slid down over her ass as he drew her closer and kissed her senseless.
Whoa! She hadn't meant for this to happen. She'd meant it to be more of an exercise in "don't underestimate my power" than "make my toes curl and my heart race." Rebekah's hands loosened their hold on Eric's shirt and hair to slide over his solid shoulders. Yeah, solid. Everything about this guy felt solid. Well, at least bodily.
"Um," a deep, quiet voice said from somewhere near Rebekah's shins, "if you'll just … let me … get my bag." There was a loud umph as Jace pulled his duffel bag from beneath her feet. "I'll get out of your way."
Regaining a few of her marbles, Rebekah tugged her mouth away from Eric's and opened her eyes. "Let that be your lesson," she whispered breathlessly.
His lashes fluttered as he opened his eyes to gaze at her. "My lesson?"
"I'm not the most precious, adorable, little thing you've ever seen in your life."
"Oh, yes … you are," he murmured and closed the narrow gap between their lips to kiss her again.
Um … whoa! What the fuck? Her entire body was thrumming with unexpected sexual energy. She eased away, kissing Eric intermittently to wean her mouth slowly from the delight his gently sucking lips instigated. She even put a hand on his face and pushed in an attempt to restrict her mouth's access to his. It was not very effectual, really. Even when he leaned back at her prompting, she leaned forward to follow. Damn, the man had strong lips. And hands. Dear Lord, they felt good against her ass and lower back.