All Revved Up Read Online Free Page B

Faith was a gold digger, and while it took one to know one, he’d never believed it. In fact, he’d come to wonder if his father’s money had actually been a sticking point between him and Faith. While she’d never said so aloud, Faith had grown noticeably uncomfortable whenever he talked about the things he wanted to buy her and the places he wanted to take her.
    As they entered the sports bar with his hand at her lower back, he felt the same pride at being seen with her that he’d felt as a kid. She was beautiful, with a body built for sin, but she was also down to earth and self-effacing. She had a wicked sense of humor and a keen sense of fair play. He found it sexy as hell that she could diagnose and repair any car trouble, had minor plumbing skills, and could put together any home electronics system, regardless of how many cords and connections were required. His best friend in high school had said she would be the perfect girl if only she liked sports. Miguel knew she was perfect even without that interest.
    They slid into a booth, and ordered some beer and hot wings to start. After the waiter moved away, Miguel leaned back and opened conversation. “It looked like business is doing well at the shop.”
    “It is. Although the town has grown, it still has that small town mentality. Even after they built the auto mall and the dealerships moved in, most of the residents trust us more. And they send a lot of referrals our way.”
    “I’m not surprised. You’re the best mechanic there is.”
    Her eyes sparkled in that way that made him feel like a king. He wanted to give her everything, spoil her to excess, just so he could see her look at him like that every day.
    “Thank you.”
    “Are Russell and Jason still there?”
    “Of course. They love it, too. It’s in our blood.” She thanked the barback who brought their drinks and the young man’s appreciation of her beauty was evident in his returning grin. His expression sobered, however, when he looked at Miguel.
    Faith laughed. Even over the blaring music he heard it and the sound tightened his chest. “I see you’re still possessive.”
    “Only with you.”
    Her smile faded slowly. “Don’t waste the energy on me.”
    One brow arched. “Why not?”
    “Because when I’m with you, you’re the only man I see.” Her words were accompanied by a Mona Lisa smile that left him wondering if there was any truth at all to her words, or if she was teasing him.
    “Then maybe I should stick around.”
    She took a long pull on her beer, choosing to drink from the bottle rather than use the frosted glass next to it. He found that erotic. Of course, everything about her was erotic to his mind.
    “You’d go stir crazy around here,” she said.
    “Probably,” he agreed, knowing he was addicted to the adrenaline rush inherent in his line of work. The closest he came to relaxing while conscious was when he was with Faith. “Are either of your brothers married?”
    “Jason came close once, but the gal joined the Coast Guard and he wasn’t willing to leave Rio Penasquitos. Russell has never come close. I’m beginning to doubt he ever will. He’s got commitment avoidance syndrome.”
    Miguel picked at the label on his bottle. “He just hasn’t found the right woman yet.”
    “That’s what my mother says.”
    “I’ve been told I have commitment issues.” He held her gaze. “But I was prepared to marry you. Was desperate to, actually. So everyone would know you belonged to me.”
    She paled.
    He pushed forward. As always, he was playing to win. “You didn’t ask me why I’m here. Aren’t you curious?”
    The hot wings arrived at the table. The large round plate was set between them, but neither of them moved to eat.
    “Yes,” Faith said, so quietly that he read her answer on her lips rather than heard it. “I’m curious.”
    “I recently broke up with someone I’d been seeing for several months. She was pressing for... more. And I couldn’t give