The Mechanic

By Lexie Davis

When my mother drained my father’s bank account and nearly bankrupt his auto shop business, I stepped in to help. Long nights at the shop meant plenty of time for me to spend with Taylor Jensen. Alone.

From the first time I saw Taylor Jensen, I knew I was in trouble. He had the kindest blue eyes and the sexiest little smirk. He worked for my father’s garage as a mechanic. He was a bad boy with a good heart and I’d fantasized about him more than once.

With all the bills piling up and my savings running out, I found myself in a bind with payroll. I had to come up with another arrangement for Taylor’s pay. The lines blurred with passion and our arrangement quickly became more. He made me feel wanted, desired. I didn’t mind getting a little dirty with him, but could I trust him to mend my fragile heart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Publishing
• Release date: Jul 25, 2019
• ISBN: 9780369500069

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Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2019 Lexie Davis

ISBN: 978-0-3695-0006-9

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: Audrey Bobak

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

THE MECHANIC

Temptations, 1

Lexie Davis

Copyright © 2019

Chapter One

Eve

The heat of his gaze bore into me. I wanted to blame the sweltering warmth of the July sun, but the longer Taylor Jenkins stared at me, the hotter my temperature got. I carried my tote bag toward the garage’s office, bypassing him with a silent gulp. His sexy-as-sin grin had me resisting the need to squirm. My skirt was a little short. My heels were a little tall. I couldn’t have possibly looked more out of place with the grease monkeys who worked for my father’s garage.

And that was the problem. Nearly two months after my parents’ divorce, I found myself trying to straighten out my father’s books. Several months ago, my brother caught my mom stealing from the business. We later discovered it was to fund her alcoholic boyfriend who couldn’t keep a job. Not only was my father distraught when he found out, but it also tore apart my family. In a desperate plea of love or insanity, my father forgave her, simply requesting that she wouldn’t do it again. That lasted all of one month before she took everything and left. Right now, only God knew what she was doing and with whom. None of us talked about it, but my father held out hope that she’d come back. My siblings and I, however, never wanted to see her again.

I’m here, boss, I said to my father with a smile. Reporting for duty.

He gave me a tired smile as he looked up from the desk. Hey, baby. How was work?

Work. I gave him a wry smile. I just finished tax season so I’ve got plenty of spare time to work here.

He glanced around. Mountains of paperwork lined the small closet-sized room. I’ve got people calling about not paying the bills and they’ve halted any orders for me until they’re paid. I need to get some parts or I’m going to lose business.

He looked tired. I knew he didn’t sleep well. He hadn’t since my mom started all this mess. My brother Davy told me that he was restless at night. He’d wait up just in case my mom came home. While none of us cared too much about her, we all loved our dad. The hardworking man didn’t deserve to have everything taken from him the way she did. One way or another, I would fix it. If I had to file charges against her, I’d do it too.

Accounts payable it is. I sat my bag in the chair. Don’t worry about this, Dad. I’ll handle everything. It’d probably take me all weekend but I’d figure something out.

I’d always had a rocky relationship with my mother. My mom wanted to do what she wanted to do and she really didn’t care about anyone else. My father raised his kids. He was at every school function, every baseball game or dance recital. He worked hard to buy us things we wanted. Just looking at how distraught he was sitting behind the desk made me mad all over again that my mom would do this to him.

You’re sure you can handle this? he asked me. I can help. It’s been a while since I’ve done accounting but I’m sure it’ll come back to me.

I have a very expensive degree and a licensure that says I’m more than qualified to fix this. Go home and relax. I’ll fix the mess she left. Don’t worry about this.

He pressed his lips together and nodded. I’ll put a list of parts together. I need them soon or I’ll be out of business. Jerry is already talking about taking his business to that new garage on the other side of town. He says he doesn’t have to wait as long.

I’ll get you the parts. I hated seeing the worry on my father’s face. I promise. Go home and relax. I’ve got this.

He finally stood and walked around the small desk. I love you, baby. I don’t know what I’d do without you.

I love you, too, I told him. You need to take care of yourself, Dad. Don’t worry about the business. I’ll handle everything.

He nodded and left the room. I glanced around the office, trying to decide which pile to start on first. Nothing was organized and I found orders for parts that were past due. I sat down behind the desk and pulled up my father’s accounts. Nothing had been entered into the computer. I didn’t know what was received and what he owed. The phone rang and I answered it.

Parker’s Auto Garage, this is Eve. I propped the phone on my shoulder while I reached for a pile of papers on the desk.

I need to speak with someone in accounts payable.

I stopped sorting through the papers, focusing on the caller. What can I help you with?

She told me who she was and how much the garage owed them. I pursed my lips, having no record of that order. The nightmare of finding all the past-due bills had only begun. Paying them would be a completely different nightmare.

After I hung up the phone, I decided to pull up my father’s bank records. I knew my mom had taken everything in the account, but that was two months ago. The money made since then should be there now.

Negative twenty-two dollars. I blinked a few times. With no idea what money was coming in or going out, I had my work cut out for me.

I sorted through the stacks of papers for what felt like hours before I finally had a good amount of the past-due bills in front of me. My father owed thousands to businesses and had no ability to pay it.

I huffed a breath and thought about my father’s business. He worked so hard to help people. Being an auto mechanic was all he knew. He inherited the business from my grandfather and turned it into a family affair. My two brothers, Davy and Joe, worked with him. My Uncle Ted did too. He hired Rodney and Taylor as extra help, which proved to be a great asset. People depended on him and he didn’t want to let them down.

The door opened and a big body stepped into the small room with me. Your father wanted me to give you this list.

Taylor’s dirty hands handed me a once-white piece of paper with scribbles on it. I read it the best I could then glanced up at him. Those damn sparkling blue eyes of his turned my mind to mush. His dark hair fell onto his forehead while the tight ribbed cotton tank clung to his muscular chest. Swallowing hard, I let my gaze roam down his body to the arms of his navy coveralls tied at his waist. It was too damn hot to have so much clothing on. The sweat dotting his forehead and arms proved that much.

You okay? he asked.

I shook myself from ogling him. Yes. Thank you.

He studied me for a moment. Nearly everyone has left for lunch. I doubt your dad would be mad if you got something to eat too.

It’s too hot to eat, but thanks. I sat the note full of auto parts aside and focused my attention on inputting the data into the computer.

Taylor lingered a moment before leaving. I didn’t know what it was about the man that turned me into a hot mess when he was around. The sexy bravado of his voice had my pussy clenching. Had it really been that long since I’d fucked a man? I thought about it for a moment and determined that it had. If I couldn’t remember my last time then it had been too long.

Nothing really got me hot and bothered quite like staring at Taylor’s ass in the

Reviews for The Mechanic

[Jasmine Simone woodley · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quick read, a little jumpy and disjointed but not bad.