Page 64 of 12 Months of Mayhem

I swallowed, and my heart still raced as his eyes stayed locked on mine. I should have looked away and walked back inside where it was safe and Diamond was waiting. But I couldn’t seem to move.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Maddie,” I replied before I could think better of it. My name felt small compared to his presence.

“Maddie,” he repeated as if testing the sound of it. “I’m Tank.”

I glanced at the patch on his chest, and my lips curved in a slight smile. “Yeah, I figured.”

His eyebrows lifted just a fraction. “That so?”

I shrugged and tried to play it cool even though my pulse was racing. “You look like a Tank.” I pointed at the patch on his chest. “And it also says it right there.”

A smile graced his lips. It was fleeting, but it was enough to make my heart do a weird flip.

“Observant,” he said and stepped back to his bike. He took off the gas cap and then pulled his wallet out of his pocket. “Thanks for fixing the pump, Maddie.”

His voice was low, almost gentle, and how he said my name sent a shiver down my spine. I took another step back and needed the space to think clearly.

“No problem,” I managed, my voice a little shakier than I’d like. “Just part of the job.”

He nodded as his attention shifted to the gas pump, but his eyes flicked to me one last time before I turned to walk back to the store. I felt his gaze on my back the whole way.

Diamond was waiting behind the counter, her eyes wide and curious. “You okay?” she asked as soon as I walked in.

I nodded and tried to play it cool even though my heart was still racing. “Yeah. Just... had to reset the pump.”

Diamond’s eyebrows shot up. “Uh-huh. And that took you, what, five minutes?”

I glared at her and pulled my hood down. “Shut up.”

She grinned and was clearly amused. “Hey, I’m not judging. Just curious about the big guy.”

I felt my cheeks heat up again. I turned away and busied myself with the drink cooler. “I was just doing my job.”

Diamond snorted and folded her arms. “Sure you were.”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help the smile that played on my lips. “I reset the pump, Di. That’s all.”

“I couldn’t hear what you two were saying, but I could sure watch the way he looked at you the whole time.”

I glanced at Diamond. “What do you mean?”

“I mean he did not take his eyes off you until your ass was back in this gas station, Maddie. It was like you put a trance on him.”

“Trance?”

Diamond nodded.

I huffed and waved my hand at her. “You’re crazy. I’m hardly the type of girl to put a man into a trance.” I motioned to my clothes. “I’m wearing a hoodie that is two sizes too big and baggy jeans, Diamond. The only way Tank would be into me is if Adam Sandler tripped his trigger.”

Diamond tipped her head to the side. “Tank?”

Shoot. Of course, she would pick up on that. “It was on his cut, Diamond. I would have had to have been blind not to see it.” I wasn’t going to mention to her that he had also told me it.

“But you noticed it.”

I rolled my eyes again.

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