Page 9 of The Sweetest Devotion

Savon acted as if it was nothing to help me. “Not a problem. Take care.”

He got back in his Bronco and took off.

Keith stood from observing my tire and faced me. Mean face or not, he was fun to look at. Along his impressive jaw was a light dusting of facial hair, as if he’d shaved just a couple of days ago. His full lips were in an impassive line as he stood before me, and I wondered if they’d ever curled to smile a day in his life. The sight of those dark eyes told me he wasn’t one for smiling.

I stopped staring and focused on my car. There was no hiding now, because whatever the damage cost, I would have to use my debit card, a fucking Bat-Signal to my whereabouts.

“What’s the model of this car?” Keith asked as he looked down at my tire again.

I looked at my cobalt blue convertible and felt very stupid. “It’s a Lexus.”

Keith’s eyes cut to me, aduhlook etched on his face. “I’m aware. What’s the exact model?”

Why was he asking me this? When I’d wanted a car of my own as opposed to the car service my family would often use, I simply went into the nearest dealership and pointed to the car and got it.

“A Lexus…? I don’t know,” I said helplessly.

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose. “Is this car even yours? Or are you driving someone else’s?”

Technically, everything I owned wasn’t mine because I didn’t really have myownmoney, but yes, the Lexus was mine and I didn’t know a thing about it outside of what type of gas it took and how it felt to drive with the top down on a sunny day.

“It’s mine,” I snapped.

Keith shook his head, mumbling something under his breath as he took a step away from my car. “Forget it. Let’s get it hooked up and we’ll drive back to the garage.”

I took in the tow truck behind him, one that could use a wash, and frowned. “You expect me to get in there?”

Keith’s eyes narrowed as he looked at me. “How else am I going to transport you from here to there?”

Clearly, we weren’t on the same page.

“Thisis Valentino,” I said incredulously as I gestured to my dress.

Keith’s dark eyes ran down my figure, examining my designer dress and my body in it. He did this boldly and unashamed. “And…?”

“If even a speck of dirt gets on me…” I let the idea trail in the air, hoping he was smart enough to catch on.

An impasse settled between us when I said nothing more and he didn’t either.

I was being a diva, I knew, but I wasn’t about to ruin this dress.

Keith soon snorted, shaking his head. “Jesus.”

My disgust annoyed him, but finding an ounce of chivalry, he alleviated the situation by smoothly peeling his jacket off.

The only way to describe the movement wasfluid. And for a brief moment, I was distracted as he stood remaining in his burgundy T-shirt and black jeans. His arms. So bulky. So tatted. So delicious looking. He wasn’t muscular in that way that said he was a gym rat, but in a way that said he’d earned his brawn through manual labor.

I angled my head, admiring the sleeve on one arm holding vivid imagery. Cursive script could be found as well, but he wasn’t close enough so I could read it.

Keith stepped closer and held out the jacket for me. “You can sit on this.”

I didn’t want to be any more of a nuisance, so I accepted the jacket and put it on. Immediately I was hit with the smell of his cologne, something woodsy, vibrant—male. I didn’t know a thing about Keith, but the scent of his cologne fit him to a T.

Mmm.

Snapping to, I went into my car and grabbed my clutch and keys. I passed the fob to Keith before looping my strap over my arm.

He led me over to the passenger side of the tow truck and helped me up the lift as I opened the door. I got in and he shut the door behind me before getting to work on hooking up my car.

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