she said, her voice shaky. “You were a real life-saver today.”
“It was my pleasure.”
The words echoed in her head. Pleasure . The word meant different things to different people, but right now the only thing she could think of was Jace’s big strong hands.
My p leasure .
“Don’t forget this ,” he said, waking her from her reverie. He disconnected her phone from the charger and handed it back to her.
“Thanks.” She rested her fingers on the door handle. “Your next massage is on me. It’s the least I can do for you after everything.”
“Nah, the Razors are footing the bill anyways. We’ll figure something out.”
We’ll figure something out.
The words bounced around in her brain like pinballs inside a noisy arcade game. Violet fumbled with the seatbelt and finally freed herself. When she opened the door and got out, so did Jace.
“You don’t have to get out ,” she told him. “It’s freezing out here.”
Jace shrugged. “That’s okay.” He took the gas can from the trunk and proceeded to fill up the tank of her Jetta for her.
Watching Jace insert the nozzle into the tank had Violet hot and bothered all over again.
“ There, all set,” he told her and screwed the gas cap back on. “See if she’ll start now.”
Violet got behind the wheel and turned the key. Sure enough, after some initial sputtering, the engine purred to life and the light on her dash flickered off.
A non-empty gas tank and a charged cell phone. All was right in the world again.
Jace grinned and patted the roof of the car and she rolled the window down. “Drive safe,” he told her.
“ I will. Thank you for all of your help.”
“Thanks for the massage.”
“Well, I’d better get back. Pats keeps me on a short leash.”
Jace smiled. “As much as I’m enjoying the view,” his eyes darted down to her chest and back up to her eyes again, “I should get going, too.”
Violet gasped and pulled the windbreaker closed. He winked, turned on his heel and strode to his car.
It took Violet a full two minutes before she was composed enough to shift her car into Drive.
* * *
Jace drove away with his head spinning and headed toward the freeway. Violet James was the most beautiful and fascinating woman he’d met in a long while and she was talented beyond belief. She had worked his muscles with precision and his other muscle into an absolute frenzy. He just hoped he hadn’t scared her away with his amateur flirting.
Smooth one, McQuaid , he thought to himself.
Jace stopped at a red light, his mind taking him back to the blissful forty-five minute massage Violet had given him. He’d had a lot of massages in his day, but there was something in the way she touched him that brought his thoughts past the client/therapist relationship. Sensuality boiled just below the surface as her hands had skimmed his back. The way she moved oozed with sexuality. She didn’t seem to be aware of it even, but it would take a damn fool not to notice.
A car honked from behind him and Jace looked up at the green light. Shaking himself out of the daze, he punched the gas.
Not only was Jace physically attracted to Violet, but he was finding out she had a boatload of good qualities too. That thing about her arthritic grandma was pure personality gold.
Sure, he’d just met her, but he felt some kind of connection with her. Which was shocking considering he’d sworn off women ever since one in particular had taken a machete to his heart, divorced him, and took his bank account with her. There weren’t enough magic hands that could heal that type of wound. But he might be willing to let Violet give it a shot.
The more Jace thought about it, the more he thought Cody and Sebby might be right. He needed to let loose and just have sex. No strings attached. No awkward first date or uncomfortable morning after. Just pure sex for the pleasure of it followed by an amicable sayonara .
It had been a while. Too long. And Jace made his
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