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Chapter One

His doctors had it all wrong: another 190to kill hi to be the death of hiriine and began to ratchet the bolt

For the past three weeks, Melanie had been coe to check on hio insane fro to take so hihts, platfor if anyone asked hih no one ever did, mostly because he wouldn’t tell anyone that he’d started noticing a da about Melanie Ann Smith She was off-limits, forever on the list of wohts about A man just didn’t do that with his sister’s best friend

The side door to his garage opened and closed

The sound of her heels had his wrapped around his waist while he tasted her strawberry-flavored lip gloss So he knew, because he’d covertly watched as she coated her pouty lips with the stuff at least a hundred tiht of stats, of his crew chief balling hi to let his teammate, Jake Henley, permanently race without hi a friendly competition back in September

A total rookiefro wasn’t an option, not anyamble on his health Besides, he’d actually like to settle down and have kids one day

Only he wasn’t sure how soon he wanted to pursue that avenue And he wasn’t sure where he wanted to live or start his classic car restoration business--ss, with his entire fa friends and extended fa in Holland Springs cleared his s in perspective Usually

"What are you working on today?" Melanie asked, sidling right up next to hihts She was the wrench in the clear-his-head plans

Her hip bumped his as she leaned over and he dropped the socket wrench Then the bolt fell through the engine and hit the concrete floor withas yesterday," he muttered and hair the color of sunshine filled his vision, along with the s his senses Damn if she didn’ttoon the beach with a six-pack

"I’ll get it!"

Carter turned to tell her no, got a glimpse of a white bra with cherries on it and buainst the hood of the Jeep Only years of his dad’s ‘don’t-curse-in-the-presence-of-a-woman’ speeches made hi the top of his head

Melanie stared at him, her chocolate brown eyes ith concern, as she held out the socket wrench Across the bridge of her nose was a s of freckles that should’ve ht those little golden dots were sexy Lately, he had been thinking everything about her was sexy

God help hi the tool froet the hint and leave before he did so stupid Like kiss her senseless

She shook sory"

"Nope"

Glancing out of the corner of his eye, he watched her green platforle from side to side "But it’s your favorite: chicken salad and crackers with a slice of Daisy’s famous German chocolate cake I had her add so"

So that’s ashis mouth water, not her Relieved, he moved to his work bench and carefully placed the socket wrench in the third drawer, then turned and smiled "You’ve convinced me"

Her smile lit up the rooe brown bag down and pulling out the contents "Hope you don’twas he didn’t; he actually liked Melanie Always had, even when she was being a pain in the ass, along with his sister, Zoe "Sorry for being so short with you"

"That was the hunger talking," she said with a wink She hopped on one of the four barstools he kept near the worktable, crossing thosehim s hard

"Shouldn’t you be at work?" he asked,his hands Then he ambled over to her and sat down Melanie had opened all of the containers and fixed the a bite of chicken salad, she held up a finger and sed "Jen didn’t need me anymore Whose Jeep?"

"Rose Holland She needed so for her"

Melanie’s eyes lit with genuine waruy to help her"

Maybe so, but it hadn’t stopped so her or her older sister, Su care of her little sister all by herself No one’s seen theira grape into her mouth

"You’re nota look of annoyance from her

"I’rapes, once again flashing her bra and ae

He choked down a half eaten cracker Grabbing the bottle of water she’d brought, he drank down a third of it before he came up for air "Yeah, I saw pictures on facebook of your drunk tail celebrating your twenty-fourth birthday at Poor Boy’s My sister’s, too"

"Why, Carter A at my tail" She unscrewed the cap of her water bottle "What would your et the hell away froain Leah A away from every woman that didn’t meet her standards So far that had meant all of them, but one--his ex-fiancé

"Are you looking for another job?"he asked, trying to steer their conversation away fros that would never be in the sa her eyes, she stared at the ground for a h lacey, black lashes "Zoe said you needed a temporary assistant"

"No, absolutely not" He couldn’t get the words out fast enough Yes, he needed soanize his office, answer emails and a slew of other tasks that he didn’t have the time or inclination to attempt to do or finish But there was just so much temptation a man could take

"Oh come on, Carter You’ve been here for almost three weeks and haven’t hired one person" She held up her hand and began to tick off her fingers "Not Kelsey Greggs, Maisey Perry, Bernice Waters or--"

"How in the--"

"Evangeline told Zoe, who then toldshe’d brought "Where did youbins?"

"Over by the door" He watched her cute ass shake as she walked over to the bins He hadn’t hired any of those wo for a ht a bridal azine with her to the interview "Did Zoe also tell you not to repeat what you heard to anyone?"

"I didn’t repeat it"