Page 15 of Beautiful Distraction

“Get your friend. I’ll switch on the lights,” he says. “And youbetter hurry. You’re letting in the cold.”

“What about—”thecar, I want to ask, but he’s already disappeared inside, closing the door inmy face and leaving me to figure out the rest.

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CHAPTER THREE

Friggin’ unbelievable.

Out of all the places Mandy could have taken me, she’s justmanaged to find the one place with the one guy I hoped to never see again.Judging from the way he acted, almost kicking me off his property, he waspissed.

Like, really pissed.

Like I-had-no-sex pissed.

I don’t know if he remembers me, but if he does, he’s mostcertainly someone who doesn’t take rejection well. Either that, or the repairbill for the chip on his car was higher than he expected.

Big deal!

My poor Ford’s still not professionally fixed.

I roll my eyes and hurry back to the car, my pulsequickening with—fear? No! Anticipation? Maybe. Sexual tension at theprospect of seeing him again?What? What!So not true. (Okay, maybe a bit.)

Whatever it is, I know I’ll have to confront him, break theice, so to speak, and explain why I didn’t take him up on his offer. Maybe thenhe’ll find his lost hospitality and offer me a steaming cup ofcoffee—God, I’d kill for one, metaphorically speaking. I’m pretty sureafter a mature conversation and getting to know him a little better, thisfantasy attraction of mine will dissolve into thin air.

The attraction I’ve been feeling over these past three months,six days, and six hours has been just that—a mere fantasy.

Obviously, that’s not something I’d ever admit to anyone’sface.

Nor the fact that, in my mind, I got to know his bodysurprisingly well whenever I took out my vibrator.

With the rain cascading down on me, I stop and groan, unsurehow to deal with the baffling discovery that we’ve just met again.

In real life, he looks even hotter than in my daydreams. Thesexy tattoo snaking down his arm and chest even gives him a dangerous flair.There’s a blurred line between daydreaming about some fantasy guy with a fastcar and a dirty mouth, and the nightmare of a guy who thinks he rocks everywoman’s world. Until now, I sort of managed to push the latter to the back ofmy mind. Now no longer.

The dream, I could handle.

The nightmare…not so much.

Because as sexy as he is in real life, he’s most certainlynot all sugar and glitter.

In the distance, the faint lights of my car remind me thatobsessing over don’t-even-know-his-name isn’t a priority right now. Mandy and Ineed to find shelter for the night…and that in three hours before Mr. Hot Guythrows us out.

Mandy must have switched on the lights, or maybe they wereon all this time.

I can’t remember with the icy wind piercing through myclothes.

Tightening my grip around my umbrella and shielding my eyesfrom the dirt flying through the air, I dash for the car. Once or twice, thewind trips me and I almost take a tumble, but I eventually reach it. The momentMandy spies me, she opens the door and totters out.

“God, Ava. I thought you’d never come back!” she yellsagainst the howling wind as she crosses the distance between us. Her expressioninstantly changes as she catches my expression. “You didn’t find someone, didyou? God, I knew it. We’re going to be trapped in a storm.”

I shake my head. “No, I found someone, all right.”

“You did?” Her expression relaxes, and then she hugs me,letting out a laugh of relief. “I was so worried about you. Where is he? I hopehe’s bringing help because the bags are way too heavy for us.”

“I highly doubt that.”

Her arms drop. “Why? Is he old?”

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