“It is,” he said with a sigh and was quiet for a few more minutes.
I had just turned onto Shadeland when he finally spoke again. This time the question came out so quiet I almost missed it.
“Why are you helping me?”
“Truthfully?”
“Always.”
“I have no idea, but something inside me wants to help you in any way I can.”
“I’m not a charity case,” he hissed.
“Never said you were.”
I pulled to a stop at the apartment building and put the gear in park. “I’ll get your information from Chris and give you a call when your car is ready.”
“Thank you again. I guess I’ll see you then.”
“Definitely.”
Foster climbed out of my car, but I refused to back up until I knew he was safely inside. I had no idea which building was his, but I sat there until I felt like enough time had passed for him to enter his apartment. Only then did I allow myself to leave.
I wasn’t sure what it was about that bartender, but he brought out instincts inside me that I never knew existed—protective and primal. I wanted to shade him from all the harm in the world while simultaneously ripping off his clothes and pounding into him.
And while I knew it would probably be best for both of us that I stay away—since he screamed innocent—I had to be honest with myself. Staying away from him just wasn’t possible, and it wasn’t a battle I even wanted to enter. There was no point when I already knew I’d lose.
The week crawled at a turtle’s pace as I split my time between working at Baker’s and meeting with the guys for band rehearsal, but I finally fit Foster’s car into my schedule. I was right with it being the starter, and after ordering the new part and waiting for it to arrive, I got it up and running again. On my dime, I also aired up his tires, checked all the fluids, and threw in an oil change. Everything was low, and hopefully it’d run better than ever and keep him on the road a little bit longer. I’d been in Clancy’s twice now and seen the crowd, and with any luck the tips he’d pocketed would help him through whatever slump he was in.
I found the paperwork Chris had left behind after he’d towed Foster’s car in, and then picked up the phone in the office to give him a call. I could’ve used my cell phone, but I knew I needed to keep this as professional as possible. Especially since I had such an electrifying reaction to him, and I barely knew the man.
“Hello?” he asked as he answered the phone, and I could hear the caution in his voice.
“Foster? Hi, this is Stellan from bar? I’m calling about your car.”
“Stellan?”
Fuck, why did the sound of my name on his tongue send shockwaves down to my balls? Images of his wide, brown eyes popped into my head, and my dick stirred to life. Since when had innocence been such a turn-on to me? Or maybe it wasn’t the innocence, but the man behind it.
“Yes,” I managed to confirm.
“Sorry, I just realized I never knew your name until now.”
Shit, he was right. During all of that time spent at the bar and in the parking lot, I never bothered to tell him my name. “Well,” I said, drawing out the word, “now you do.”
“Right.” He cleared his throat. “So my car? Don’t tell me it fell apart on you or something.”
“Nah, it’s still got a few more miles left in it before that happens. I was just calling to tell you it’s all finished. So you can pick it up whenever you have the time.”
“Oh…well, I have to work tonight. Any way I can pick it up tomorrow afternoon?”
I wanted to point out it was still early in the afternoon, so he had plenty of time before his shift, but I knew that wasn’t the reason. Something told me he was hoping to get more tips tonight to pay more toward his bill.
“Sure. We’re open until three on Saturdays.” It was typically my day off, since I usually worked Monday through Friday, but I’d make it a point to be there.
“Great. That’ll give me plenty of time after I wake up,” he said with a chuckle.
I knew I should’ve ended the call so I could get back to work, but I was enjoying talking to him without the interruption of bar patrons or tow truck drivers. And since he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to get off the phone, either, I wondered if he was feeling the same way.
“Oh, I have your sunglasses. They were exactly where you said you’d left them.”
“Great. And by the looks of it, you’ll be seeing me twice in one day.”
“I…I will? I just thought I’d bring them to you when I pick up my car.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at his confusion. “Right. But the band is playing there again that night, so you’ll see me later that evening, too.”
“You are? Mina didn’t tell me that.”
“Did you need her to give you a warning?”
I wasn’t offended by the idea of it. Just the opposite, actually, and a wolfish grin stretched my lips.
“N-no,” he denied, and his voice rose an octave. “She…she just lets me know the band lineup is all.”
“I see.” But the smirk was still on my face. “Well, consider this your warning then.”
“I didn’t need a warning,” he protested.
“Sure you did, but it’s okay. I don’t bite unless you really want me to.”
I should’ve regretted the words the second they were out of my mouth—or not let them out at all—but I didn’t. I was too curious to see what his reaction to be. I found myself wanting to test my limits with this man and find out just how far he’d let me go.
“Um.” He swallowed audibly into the phone, and the noise made my pants feel even more snug. “I’ll s-see you tomorrow.”
“I’m counting on it,” I replied huskily before disconnecting the phone.
I knew I was playing with fire. Every time I spoke, my words were like striking a match near gasoline, and I was just waiting for the spark to finally ignite. But with Foster, I was more than willing to risk the explosion.
7
Foster
I got off at the bus stop closest to Baker’s Auto and Body, and then walked the rest of the way. It was only a block, but with each step I took, my nerves continued to grow until I was riddled with anxiety. I knew I shouldn’t have been, since I was only picking up my car, but it’s because of who I was picking it up from. Stellan.
Of course the Sax Man would have a sexy name to go along with his looks, but it was that thought that made me more nervous than anything else. I thought another man was sexy. I had never been so intrigued by another human being before, especially a male human. But even though his raspy voice had me tripping over my own tongue as we talked, I was still so drawn to him. And even as the rational part of my brain was holding up red flags and screaming at me to stay the hell away from him, I couldn’t find it within myself to listen. I wanted to know more.
Maybe if I spent more time with him, I could get a better understanding of what was going on with me. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself so I could feel better about my reaction to him. But as I drew nearer to the shop, the sweatier I became, and it had nothing to do with the afternoon sun glaring down on me and everything to do with the man waiting inside. I just hoped I didn’t make an ass out of myself while I retrieved my vehicle.