Page 39 of Creep

I closed my eyes.

It felt like God was laughing at me.

It was a no-brainer.

I started my walk back down the road.

* * *

It didn’t take longat all for a black SUV-type vehicle to show up, pulling to a stop behind my car. I had been sitting inside, keeping out of the cold, when headlights in my rearview mirror caught my attention.

Please let it be who I think it is.

I held my breath when the engine turned off, and the door on the driver’s side opened. It was too dark to see clearly, but I could make out the silhouette of a man—a huge man at that—as he closed the door behind him and approached my car.

Even if I had been watching him and could see him coming up to me, I still jumped when he knocked on my window. I looked up at Mael’s unreadable expression.

Then, “Come out, kitten. Let’s see what we’re working with.”

I blinked at how the silly nickname seemed to roll off his tongue naturally. Why did I suddenly get a strange sense of déjà vu over it?

I shook away the thought and focused on the problem at hand.

Even if I had been wishing he would leave me alone for most of my shift, I was so fucking glad to see him here. He moved back for me to open the door and get out, but didn’t pull away far enough. Our bodies were nearly pressed up against each other when I closed the door, leaving me stuckliterallybetween two hard places—the metal of the car door and Mael’s solid body.

I swallowed and looked up… and up and up at him. I was thankful for the fact that I couldn’t see his face clearly. I was already having a hard enough time thinking with him so close to me, his scent invading my space and making it hard to make sense of anything except for him.

Just him.

“Thanks for coming,” I said.

“Always,” he answered gruffly. What an odd reply. I didn’t comment on that. After all, he was here to save my butt.

I shot him a small smile, unsure if he could see it, but then he moved away from me, taking with him any warmth he might have been able to build between us. I shivered, and he looked back at me.

His piercing eyes seemed to never miss anything. “You should sit in my car and wait. Turn it on and turn on the heat. It won’t take me long.”

“I should help,” I half-heartedly protested. If I knew how to change a flat tire, I wouldn’t have called him in the first place. I could feel the weight of his stare on me. If I could see him, I imagine he might be wearing an incredulous look on his face at the moment.

“I think I can manage. No offense, baby, but you’d probably be in the way more.”

I should probably tell him not to call me baby. I wasn’t his baby. But I liked it a little too much.

God, I was in such trouble. He turned me around and gently pushed me over to his car. I walked over to the driver's side and started it, leaving the headlights on for him to see.

I watched Mael work, completely mesmerized by the way he made his way around my car, confident and strong—everything I really,reallyloved about a man. My thoughts about being in trouble came back to me.

I shouldn’t bethisattracted to a man, to any man. I had never felt this kind of attraction before, which made my feelings toward him even more confounding.

His massive form moved with surprising grace as he jacked up my car and removed the flat tire. His muscles flexed beneath his tight black thermal shirt. He wasn’t wearing a jacket, despite the cold, and that shirt… hell, made me feel weak in the knees.

I watched the fluid motions of his hands as he worked with keen focus. I always had a thing for a man’s hands, and his were just… perfect. Big and manly and… so sexy.

I shook my head.

What was I doing?

I had been cold outside, but now, with the heat from the car’s vents and my—impurethoughts, I was feverish.

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