Hellion, a New Adult Romance Novel (The Rebel Series) (17 page)

“You’ve got skills,” I say, nodding in appreciation.
 
Hot
and
good with his hands.
 
Down, Hootchie!
 
Down!

“Yeah, I’ve got skills.”
 
He leans back into the engine.
 
“Too bad they’re not skills like doctoring or engineering.”

I sense a note of something in his voice I can’t quite put my finger on. Jealousy, maybe? Regret?

“Being a mechanic is cool,” I say, meaning my words with everything I have.
 
“My dad works at the power company.
 
He’s an engineer, but his job sounds boring compared to yours.”

“Really?” Mick glances at me before going back to cranking his tool.

“Yeah.
 
I guess once you get up in the ranks, it becomes all paperwork and administrative stuff.
 
He doesn’t get to do the things he likes anymore.
 
As a mechanic you get to do the cool stuff every day.”
 
I look around.
 
“Hell, you can even own your own place and call all the shots.”
 
I look back at him.
 
“My dad could never do that.
 
He’s stuck.”

Mick pulls his tool out of the engine and puts it down, using a nearby rag to wipe his hands off.
 
“I guess that’s true.”
 
He nods at the driver’s door of the car.
 
“Hop in there and turn the engine over, would ya?”

I look at him and then the car.
 
“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, just turn the key.”

I get in gingerly and shut the door, hoping I’m not about to blow the engine up.
 
This car looks expensive. Teagan has told me how much they go for once they’re done being restored.

“Just turn the key?”
 
I stick my head out the window, trying to see around the hood to Mick’s face.

He leans out to see me, smiling.
 
“Yeah.
 
Just turn the key.”

“Don’t blame me if she blows,” I say, going back in the car and turning the key very slowly.

I jump a little when the engine roars to life.

“Take your foot off the gas!” Mick yells.

I yank my foot back and accidentally turn the key off at the same time.

I sit there feeling foolish as the sounds of footsteps come from the side of the car.
 
Mick’s torso comes into view through the window.
 
He bends down and puts his face right next to mine.
 
“Do I make you nervous?”

I look out the windshield and try not to smile.
 
“No. I’m perfectly calm, thank you very much.”

He leans in and takes my right hand, lifting it to put it over the key.
 
“Your foot’s off the gas, right?”

“Yes.”
 
I try not to react to him being so close and touching me, but it’s impossible.
 
His hair is tickling my nose and he smells so good.
 
I want to lean forward three inches and bury my face in the back of his neck.
 
But I don’t, because I know he’s a hellion and I don’t have time for that kind of foolishness in my life.

He makes my hand turn the key.
 
The car comes to life again, but this time with something more like a purr going on under the hood instead of a roar.

He pulls his hand back but doesn’t come completely out of the car.
 
“See?
 
That was easy.
 
Maybe you just need my guidance to get it right.”

“Pffft.
 
Yeah right.
 
That’ll be the day.”
 
I look right at him, amazed at how those green eyes of his can make my blood pressure go through the roof.

“I’m a good teacher,” he says, pulling his head out of the car.
 
His voice goes all sexy-like.
 
“I could show you some things.”

My jaw drops open a little.
 
He has some nerve being so hot with me right now when it’s taking everything I have to keep my hands to myself.
 
Time to bring him down a notch or two.
 
My eyebrow goes up on its own power.
 
“I’m not so sure about that.”

He stands up. “What? You know how to tune-up a car?”

I lean over towards the window so I can see his face.
 
It’s the picture of innocence.

“Tune up?
 
What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about car repair.
 
What are
you
talking about?”
 
He smiles evilly.

I open the door and catch him in the knees.
 
He bends over and walks backwards, smiling through his surprised pain. “Ow, shit …”

“That’s it,” I say, my good humor and all this sexy talk getting me riled up.

He backs up, limping, holding his hands up in front of him.

“Wait, wait … what?”
 
He looks behind him to be sure he’s not going to trip.
 
When he turns back he’s laughing at me.
 
“Slow down!
 
I’m going to trip and bust my ass.”

I start running at him but not in time to catch him.
 
He sees me coming and does some kind of jump-up-spin-around maneuver and is out of the garage before I can even get to the office.

I reach the entrance to the business and stop at the door, trying to figure out which way he went in the parking lot.

I’m grabbed from behind, strong arms wrapping around my body like a big vice.

Dammit!
 
Foiled again!

I scream with laughter and fright as Mick swings me around and around out in the parking lot.

“Stop!” I shriek, gripping onto his forearms that are wrapped around my waist.
 
“I’m going to barf!”

“Cry mercy!”
 
he grunts out.
 
“Cry mercy and I’ll let you go!”

“Fuck that!”
 
The world is spinning, spinning, spinning…

I hold out as long as I can, but when the butterflies in my stomach turn into angry bees, I cave.
 
“Mercy!
 
Mercy!
 
Ow, Mercy!
 
I’m dying!
 
Help!”

He stops and drops me to me feet, breathing heavily.
 
“Good.
 
Glad you finally … came to your senses.”
 
He’s struggling to catch his breath.

I scramble around to fix my hair.
 
Fool has my ‘do all over the place. “Payback’s a bitch, you know.”
 
I try to kick him but he jumps to the side and I miss.

“See you tonight,” he says, leaping towards me and pinching my butt before running back into the garage.

I stay outside.
 
Everyone will be safer with me cooling off alone.
 
“You’re going to be sorry you did that!” I yell into the open space.

“I’m pretty sure I won’t!”

I smile as I think about our upcoming date.
 
As much as I want to regret saying yes and be mad at him for what he’s about to do to my heart, I just can’t.
 
Maybe this broken heart will be worth having.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

TEAGAN IS ON SPEAKER-PHONE as I put on my makeup in my bedroom mirror.

“So, what did you guys finally decide to do with Alissa?” I ask, putting on my eyeliner.
 
I’m going with the smokey-eye look tonight.
 
I figure since this will probably be our one and only date, I might as well play it up right.
 
Mick is going to be speechless with lust.
 
I wonder if I’m going to leave him hanging or indulge a little.
 
Talking about Alissa kind of makes me lean in favor of
not
.

“She’s going to stay here until further notice.
 
She doesn’t want to talk much, though, so it’s kind of frustrating.”

“What do you mean she doesn’t want to talk much?”
 
I smudge the liner under my right eye.
 
Perfection
.
 
I grin all vixen-like at my reflection.
 
Mick is so going down.

“She won’t say anything about the father or what his reaction is to the whole thing, so I have no idea if he’s even in the picture or knows what’s going on.
 
And she says very little about her parents, other than they’re ultra religious and she’s now considered the spawn of satan or something.”

“Whaaaat?”
 
I pause in the middle of doing my other eye.

“Well, those are my words, not hers, but that’s the gist of it.”

“What kind of parents reject their kid when she’s about to have a kid of her own?” I shake my head as I take in the reflection of my bedroom around me through the mirror.
 
I know for a fact my parents would never abandon me like that.
 
I should probably be nicer to them.
 
I vow to myself in that moment to take Jersey to the park tomorrow for two hours to give them time to do stuff I don’t like to think about as it relates to my parents.
 
Ew.
Parents having sex.
 
Ew again.

“Terrible parents, that’s who,” Teagan says.
 
“Assholes of the highest degree.”

“Maybe they’ll change their minds,” I say, doubting people like that are capable of such a feat.

“I don’t know.
 
Anyway, we need to get her maternity clothes.
 
She’s busting out of her pants.
 
I’m not sure if you noticed it or not but she’s wearing her normal jeans with the zipper down and a rubber band holding the button to the button hole.”

“No, I didn’t notice any of that.
 
She had that big old shirt on over it.
 
Do you want me to see if my mom has any of her old stuff? I mean, it won’t be trendy or anything but there aren’t any rubber bands involved, at least.”

“Yeah, that’d be great.
 
And Rebel said the business could donate some money if she wants to go shopping, but I’m pretty sure she’ll say no to that.
 
She’s freaking out about hand-outs and charity.”

“I get that, but still … she has to think about her baby.”
 
I finish up my other eye and give myself a double eyebrow-raise in the mirror to check the effects.
 
Mick, you are in so much trouble.
 
Putty.
 
You will be putty in my hands.

“I hear ya.”
 
Teagan sounds distracted.

“So how is Rebel dealing with all this?”

“What do you mean, ‘all this’?”

“Well, first he falls in love with a girl who hijacked his office, then he moves in with her, and now she has a pregnant buddy on the couch.
 
Seems like a lot to deal with.”

“Yeah,” she sighs, “you’re right.
 
I should probably blow him tonight, huh?”

I giggle.
 
“Yeah.
 
Sexty-nine all the way.”

“You’re mocking me.”

“Who me?
 
Nah.
 
I’d never do that.”
 
I throw a kiss at the mirror.

“Rebel is actually fine with it.
 
He and Alissa had a long talk.”

“What?”
 
I slam my mascara down, my happiness evaporating.
 
“Now
that’s
just total bullshit.”

Teagan laughs.
 
“Why?”

“Because he has said maybe
ten
words to me the entire time I’ve known him and now he goes all chatty bitch with Alissa? Why?
 
Because she’s pregnant, that gives her some sort of special pass into his super secret, private, silent man-world?”

Teagan’s still laughing.

“Shut up,” I say, taking my mascara back in hand.
 
Mick is going to be here any minute.
 
I need to let this rejection slide off my shoulders so I can focus on the man-killing I have ahead of me tonight.
 
Maybe it’s a terrible plan, but if I’m only going to be with Mick once after we both decide it’s a terrible idea that we be together, I’m going to make it count.
 
All this smokey eye stuff is convincing me that playing it safe is a silly, stupid idea.
 
I’m only going to be young once.
 
One of these days I’ll be old and pregnant and wishing I’d had more fun when I could have.

“Are you seriously jealous of an unwed pregnant girl?” Teagan asks, jerking me out of my mind-wandering.

I pout.
 
Hearing the words sobers me up pretty quickly.
 
“No.
 
Not exactly.”

“Good.
 
Because that would be seriously wrong of you.
 
Now go and finish up with the eyebrow grooming.
 
I have blow jobs to hand out.”

“Ew.
 
And how did you know I was about to do my eyebrows?”
 
I look down at the toothbrush I use for just that operation.

“Because, you’re obsessed with those things.
 
I’m surprised you haven’t named them yet.”

“Actually, I have. Vixie and Trixie.”

“Oh, God.
 
You are disturbed.
 
I have to go.
 
Be good.
 
Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

“Well, that leaves the playing field wide open doesn’t it?”
 
I pause.
 
“Get it?
 
Wide open?
 
Get it?”

She burps loudly and hangs up without another word.

I sigh with happiness as I stroke my right eyebrow with the toothbrush.
 
I love my best friend.
 
Someday I’m going to live right next door to her so I can harass her all day long.
 
She doesn’t know this yet, but I’d love to see her stop me.