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Chapter Seven

After breakfast was over and they had both cleaned up, Dezarae sat in her office filling out form after form of tedious paperwork. Her guest, now going by the name of Jeb, was in there with her.

He was silent, though, as he looked through some of her books on classic cars that she had in the room. She worked until her watch read eleven o’clock. With a groan, she stretched and rolled her neck. The desk was clean. Papers had been filed.

“Done?” a deep voice asked from behind her, setting butterflies to fluttering in the pit of her stomach.

“Finally. I hate this part of running a business.”

“Anything I can help you with?” he offered as his body materialized beside her.

Don’t answer that, Mouth, don’t answer that. She shook her head. “I am going to make lunch and then work out in the shop. You are welcome to come along if you want,” Dezarae offered.

He arched a brow as one lean finger brought her chin up to meet his gaze. “Why the change of heart?”

She didn’t even pretend to misunderstand. “I’m sorry, okay? I took my instinctive reaction to the flag and lumped you into a category. Combined with the stuff I heard from Dale…”She stood and shrugged as her deep, pooling eyes met and held his gaze. “I’m sorry. I was out of line.”

Granite eyes bore into hers as another few inches of snow fell outside. “Apology accepted.”

Dezarae winked. “Besides, it’s hard to court if we aren’t together.”

He smiled, showing a perfect white smile against tanned skin. “That is very true.”

“Well, let’s go, then. I told the sheriff I would check back in with him later.”

“Why don’t you have a CB in the house?”

“I spend more time in the garage than I do here, so it makes more sense.” They walked up the hall to the kitchen where Dezarae made some sandwiches and soup that she put in a thermos. “Dale is always after me to get another one for the house.”

“Who’s Dale?”

“Oh, sorry, he’s the sheriff.” Finally ready, they bundled up and gathered their food. Talk halted as they walked through the storm to the shop, holding tightly to the connecting rope.

As the door slammed shut and they were shaking the snow from their hair, she spoke again. “I have an extra pair of coveralls you can use.”

“What do you want me to do?”

Well, that’s a loaded question. “Give me a second. I want to turn up the heat.”

“Okay,” he said as she walked off to the thermostat.

Jeb watched as the exquisitely lovely black woman sashayed away from him. He knew it was her natural stride because of the fierce way she was fighting her sexual attraction to him. She wanted him and he knew it. But then, he wanted her, a fact she was soon going to learn.

He heard the motor kick in and knew that more heat was soon to follow. She walked towards him and tossed him a pair of green coveralls. Without missing a beat, she slid her body into a second set and he saw she was indeed curvaceous.

Damn, she is stacked!

He pulled on his coveralls and waited for instruction. All the lights were on and she pointed over by a wall. “What?” he asked.

“There is a radio over there, go put on some tunes. I have a whole bunch of CDs, so mix and match.”

“What do you want to hear?” Jeb yelled over his shoulder as he walked away.

“I like all the music that’s there. Doesn’t matter to me,” she hollered back.

Dezarae approached the hardtop Aston Martin. Rolling over her tall cart of tools and parts, she lifted the hood and disappeared under it.

Destiny’s Child filled the shop as, from under her arm, she noticed Jeb walking back over towards her. “What now?” his seductive voice teased her.

“Eat something. I could use your help in just a moment.”

“No rush. I am enjoying the view from here.”

Glad her head was under the hood, she blushed. “I know; the cars are nice aren’t they?”

“Well, there is a nice back end that I am looking at.”

“And you have a nice everything,” she muttered as she gave the ratchet a final turn.

“Thank you,” he purred in her ear.

Dezarae jumped. “You heard me?” Still, she refused to turn toward him.

“Most definitely.” His shoulders settled beside her as he cocked his head and asked. “What are you doing?”

“I, well, we are about to make sure this baby runs.” Wiping her hands on a rag, she backed out from under the hood and put her tools back.

“What do you need from me?”

“Well, can you cover the seat in that plastic and then get in and start it up?” Her gaze turned mischievous. “That is, if you can drive a stick.”

Molten mercury was the only way to describe his eyes. “Oh, I can drive a stick. I promise you that.”

She trembled. “Talk is cheap, Jeb. Get in and prove it.”

“Let me know when you are ready to let me ‘get in and prove it,’” he said as he carefully protected the leather seat and climbed in the right side of the car.

“Ready back there?” Dezarae asked as another blush overtook her body.

“Let me know.” His hands lovingly caressed the interior of the car. It was beautiful.

“Hang on.” She tinkered more under the hood. “Okay, go now, nice and easy,” she hollered to him from where she was.

“Gotcha.” Jeb turned the car over and it started but sounded a bit off. “Now what?” he yelled to her.

“Let it run for a bit. I have to do some adjusting. Make sure the brake is on, please,” she said as her head peered at him from around the hood briefly before she hid it again.

Jeb sat on the butter-soft leather and just admired the car. His eyes drifted closed as his memories be-came clearer.

There were eight men together as they walked through the beach town, all of them talking and laughing. “Let me know when you get your hands on an old Jag and then we will talk, Jeb,” the large black man in the group said to him.

“I’m just a noncom; you are commissioned. How about you buy me one?” Jeb teased back.

“But you’re the newbie. It’s customary to buy us a gift.”

“Oh, sure, I will get right on that…” The picture faded before a name could be revealed.

Frustrated, Jeb opened his eyes to see a concerned look on Dezarae’s face. “You okay there, man?” she asked.

“I had a memory, but I lost it.” He didn’t want to tell her of what yet, not until he was sure.

“I’m sure you will get it back. Can you rev the engine for me?” She slipped back out of view.

He did and before long the car was purring like a kitten. With a slam, she shut the hood and winked at him. She made a slashing motion with her hand and he cut the engine, climbing out of the car.

“Awesome! I think that is fine. I just have to clean it up and cover it and he will be ready to go. Of course, he will be a she once the client gets him back.” She shrugged.

Before he could say anything, a loud squawk came over the CB. “Phoenix, you there, girl? Come back!”

Dezarae smiled as Jeb frowned at the male voice. She eagerly headed over and picked up the handset; Jeb followed. “I’m here, Sheriff.”

“Girl, I’ve been calling for the past thirty minutes. Where have you been?”

“Working on a car. Why, what’s up?”

“How you doing?”

“We’re fine.”

“We? Oh, that man’s still there?” Dale snapped even as Jeb’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m here,” Jeb’s masculine voice said as he pressed the talk button, his large hand covering her smaller one.

“Don’t you be hurting my Phoenix or you will answer to me.”

With a glance to the woman who was beside him, an evil glint took root and grew in his eye. “Your Phoenix? I’m the one courting her.” Jeb smiled as he heard her gasp seconds before the man on the other end exploded in a string of expletives.

“That’s not true,” Dezarae interrupted.

“What, didn’t I just get finished driving a stick for you?” Gray eyes never left the shocked ones of the woman near him.

“Yes, but that was—”

“I’m coming up there!” Dale thundered.

“No, Dale, it’s too dangerous with the snow still falling,” Dezarae said.

“What is going on with you two?” the sheriff demanded. “Why does he say you are courting? Why did you say you were courting?”

“Well,” Jeb said and smirked, “what would you call it when a woman strips you down to your boxers and insists you sleep in her bed…the same bed she wakes up in later?”

“You aren’t telling the whole story!” she screeched as she tried unsuccessfully to reach the handset.

“Oh, I didn’t know if you wanted me to tell him how I tucked you in at three in the morning when you were sleeping so soundly.” Devilish delight was alive and well in his gaze.

Dezarae was speechless. She stood there and gaped at him. And all he did was wink. “Or how just a bit ago you said it was going to be hard to court if we weren’t together.”

With a groan, she dropped her head on the table. “He is going to kill me.” She gestured to the CB.

“Anyway, Sheriff, she is in very good hands.” Jeb turned off the CB and smiled at her.

“What did you do that for?” Her question came as she finally picked her head up to meet his smile.

I felt the need to claim you. “Didn’t like how he made you smile. Like you felt safe. That’s not his job, its mine.”

“Excuse me?” She stood up totally and glanced at him. “What did you say?”

“I said,” he replied smoothly, “I am taking care of you now.”

“What makes you think I need you to take care of me?”

Shaking his head he said, “Doesn’t matter. I’m going to.”

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