Page 13 of Brazen

Definitely not.

I forbade it to do anything of the kind. There would be no flirting. No flutters. No ogling bare torsos.

Well, he’d have his shirt on this time, hopefully.

Why did I find that vaguely disappointing?

Because I needed to get laid. That was why.

I’d signed up on the dating apps last night after I put JT to sleep in hopes of resolving this sudden need, but they hadn’t shown me one guy from Cooper Valley. Maybe in a small town, no one used apps because they already knew who was and wasn’t single. They didn’t need to read their personal details because they knew all of them.

I parked in the fenced yard in the back and went straight into the garage through the rear door. Ernie didn’t need my help with Sam in the office, and I didn’t want to encourage Sam in his pursuit of me. Or flirting.

I grabbed a rag and brushed imaginary dust from the interior of Mrs. Marsh’s VW. It was ready to go. I’d given her a call before the shop closed to tell her she could pick it up any time today.

It had taken me a few weeks to earn Ernie’s trust–at first he’d checked my work and insisted on handling all the customer conversations. But as soon as he realized I could run circles around him on any car and could also be trusted to treat the customers professionally, he seemed ecstatic to let me handle things. The poor guy hadn’t ever had a good manager before.

I didn’t look through the window to the office, but a tingling prickled all over, telling me I was being watched.

Don’t look. Don’t look.

I backed out of the Beetle and shut the door.

“Good morning.”

Fuck. I jumped and spun around, shocked to find Sam right behind me, holding a paper coffee cup with a lid. He had a grin on his face and a Stetson on his head. His blond hair curled out from beneath it.

“Damn, you’re stealthy,” I muttered. I hadn’t even heard him come out of the office.

“Coffee?” He held the cup out to me.

I sent it a dubious look.

“It’s a cappuccino,” he added. “I wasn’t sure how you like your coffee, so I guessed.”

Cappuccino. It had been a long time since I’d treated myself to a barista-made coffee. I’d made a decent salary when I worked on the IndyCar crew, but now, I barely made ends meet. Every time we moved, it cost me the little savings I’d managed to put away. Starting over was expensive.

But taking it would open the door to Sam’s attention.

Then again, if I didn’t take it, wouldn’t it just go to waste? I smelled the dark roast, and my mouth watered. My tired body perked up from that alone.

I reached for the coffee. “Thanks.”

Our fingers brushed on the handoff, and his blue green eyes took on a hungry look. For a moment, he refused to let go of the cup.

“Don’t think if you spill this on me, my shirt’s coming off,” I warned then closed my eyes.

Shit! Why did I say that? Why, oh why, did I say that? I was supposed to shut him down, not flirt!

A feral smile curved Sam’s lips. “The thought hadn’t occurred to me, but now I’m into it.” He flicked his brows then glanced down. “Really into it.”

Ugh, why was he so cute when he was being ridiculous? Why did I find it a turn on? Most guys, I’d want to throat punch them.

With Sam, my nipples instantly became hard. Hopefully, my padded bra hid that.

“Not happening.” I claimed the coffee and turned away, so he wouldn’t see that my face was heating.

“Kidding.” His voice was softer, less chiding as he leaned in close. “It was just a joke. But in all seriousness, Clio, I’d love to take you out for coffee. And not a to-go cup at your work. We could do dinner. Or a hike. You and JT together, if you want. Whatever works for you. I’d like to see you.”