Impulsive

But as she walked inside, she froze when she caught sight of a gorgeous brunette openly flirting with who she considered her naughty indulgence as she watched him ringing up her bill. His gaze shot to Karina's and held as he watched her walk in, and she noticed he quickly stopped laughing with the other woman. "There you go," he said casually handing her back her credit card along with the receipt. "Your car should be good as new now."

Karina watched as the flirty little bombshell in the thigh high dress and skin tight leather jacket leaned close and said something in his ear. Whatever it was, his brow shot up and he just shook his head and smiled. "Sorry, but I've got plans tonight." Then his gaze went straight to Karina's again and never left, making her insides quiver just from the heat in his eyes.

But since she wasn't the only one who'd noticed how hot he was, it made Karina begin to question the idea of following through with her plan for another hit and run. But as the other woman took her time putting everything away in her purse and of course giving him a teasing little wink, Karina had time to think it over. Deciding, what the heck, if this was just sex, there was nothing to be jealous about. He wasn't hers, any more than she was his. Besides, she was really here just for her car, right? Or at least should be. Oh, and of course if he was willing, maybe just one more quick little hookup. So why should she care if he flirted or even messed around with other women? At least tonight she'd had the foresight to bring a condom -- fingers crossed -- just in case.

Once the door closed behind the brunette, he locked the place up, turned and looked at her, with his brow lifted expectantly, telling her, "Your car is ready now, Karina."

Nodding her head with a vague sense of disappointment, she wondered if those plans he'd mentioned were with someone else, since she had a sinking feeling he just wanted her to pick up her car and get out. She opened her bag, trying her best to appear unfazed. "Oh, good, how much do I owe you?"

He shrugged. "Two hundred bucks ought to do it. It was the alternator."

Frowning, she finally looked at him, pretty sure something like that should be a lot more expensive. "And replacing something like that is only two hundred dollars?"

"For you, yeah," he said, keeping his eyes on hers, a hint of smile on his lips.

Oh hell no. Never one to accept charity, she'd always paid her way, and was not about to let him give her the friends-with benefits-discount. Pretty sure the little bimbo who just left hadn't gotten any kind of deal, then why should she? "You don't have to do me any favors, uh -- sorry I didn't get your name."

"It's Zane."

Looking him over, she nodded. For some reason he looked a Zane, with all those tatted muscles and testosterone oozing from every pore. Finally she found her voice and said, "Actually, I'd rather just pay whatever it cost."

He shrugged. "Fine, then it'll be eight hundred."

She blinked. Oh, shit. Maybe she should have sucked up her stupid pride and let him give her the fuck-buddies discount after all. And she might have, if she'd known it would be that much. Still, she said, "Fine," and handed him her credit card.

But instead of taking her card, he surprised her when he clasped his hand over hers, looked into her eyes with a little smile curling his lips and said, "So, how 'bout you tell me how your day went?"

She could barely believe her ears. He actually wanted to make small talk? But the thought gave her hope. Maybe she was the reason he'd turned down the brunette, after all. Her anxious gaze softened on his as she told him the truth, "Busy."

Nodding his head, he said, "I hear ya." Those striking blue eyes warmed on hers as she watched them begin to darken with arousal, sending a little rush of awareness all through her. "So, should we go take a look at it?" he asked, nodding his head at the bay area where they'd had their hot little tryst the night before, both very aware that really wouldn't be the reason they'd be going out there again.

Sucking in a breath, trying hard to sound in control, she nodded her head and said, "Sure, might as well."

He smiled as he held the door open for her to lead the way. And once they were inside, he once again turned down the lights, leaving them bathed in only the soft light filtering in from the office door. Coming up from behind her, he nuzzled her neck and murmured, "God, you smell so good, Karina." And she really did -- so delicate and sweet like vanilla or warm honey, making him desperate for a taste.

Her heart did a little dance of anticipation, as his warm breath tickled her ear. Inhaling deeply, she didn't smell the grease or motor oil permeating the air, only red hot male, and was already so wet she suddenly wished she'd brought a change of undies. Surprising her, he turned her in his arms, dropped his head, gently grasping her nape in one big hand, he bent his head and claimed her mouth. Starting off slow, the kiss quickly deepened till she nearly swooned from the delightful way he made love to her mouth, lingering over her lips till she felt her legs growing weak. Dear god, but the man could kiss. Twining her arms around his neck, she couldn't resist kissing him back. Fitting her body to his she felt the tempting steel of his erection pressed to her belly. Finally, lifting his head, his smoldering gaze holding hers, he quietly confessed, "You know, I've been wanting to taste you since last night."

And she couldn't believe how much she'd looked forward to this, to being with this man again. Zane touched a finger to her cheek, slowly running it down along her jaw. "You're awfully pretty, you know that?" She had to force herself not to groan when he said that. But as nice as it was to hear, knowing she had no plans on getting involved with him, she still felt herself melting just a little at the sweetness of his words. Her mind reeled at the change in him, wondering if this really was the same guy who'd slammed her against the car last night and had her coming like there was no tomorrow. Since surprisingly, now, he seemed almost sweet and kind of tender. With a final soft touch of his lips to hers, he grinned. "Like I said, I've been dying to taste you." Then before she realized his intent, he swept her off her feet onto her back, and spread her across the hood of a classic powder blue Buick. Keeping his eyes fixed on hers, he pushed up her silky gray dress and quickly began to tug down her panties, his eyes lighting up at the sight of her tiny white lacy thong barely covering the patch of her sex. Smiling like the devil himself, he appreciatively murmured, "Nice."

Quickly tugging her panties the rest of the way down, he pressed warm, tender little kisses first to each knee, then higher along her thighs, and then looking up at her one last time he closed his eyes, and softly moaned low in his throat as he spread her wide and licked into her deep, as he savored the taste of her. Karina instantly gasped and made a grab for his hair, afraid she'd slip off the hood of the car, because gawd, it felt so good and oh he was getting her so damn wet, and so damn hot. Zeroing in on her clit, Zane licked, sucked, teasingly nipped and basically had her losing her mind, as the tell-tale signs of one wicked orgasm quickly began to race straight through her all over again. "Jesus, Zane!" she gasped. And as she tore at his hair he just chuckled and pressed his lips to her hot pulsing clit for the most sensual of kisses, while he pushed two fingers deep inside her, stroking in and out, giving her one hell of a finger fuck, showing her absolutely no mercy.

Soon, the incredibly sharp tingle that ran up her spine, zinging through her sex like a delicious mind-numbing never-ending little bee sting, had her embarrassingly screaming out his name and writhing so hard, he had to hold her down to keep her from sliding right off the hood of the car.

Satisfied that she'd climaxed good and hard, he stood up and made fast work of getting out of his overalls, letting her see that tonight he wore nothing beneath the gray denim but his incredibly erect cock. As her eyes went wide at the sight of him, he smiled, suggesting, "How about we get you down a little closer?" tugging her to the edge of the car hood, caressing her sweet ass in his hands, he could not wait to get inside her. In fact, today, it had been all he could think of -- the tight welcoming heat of her body clasping hard around him -- he was more than ready for her.

Then out of no-where a small grain of sanity finally seeped through the haze of lust clouding her brain and she blurted out, "Wait, I brought a condom!"

Zane pulled back, looking a little startled. "Yeah, but I said I was clean." Stepping away, he frowned at her. "Why? Don't you trust me?"

She winced, looking guilty. How could she really, when the only thing she knew about him was that he was good with cars and a genius at delivering orgasms. "Sorry, I just wasn't sure how many women..."

"What, that I fuck?" Suddenly he was glaring at her, annoyed, which made her flinch. Put like that, she felt a little dirty, realizing she might be just one of the many he serviced in more ways than one. With a nervous nod of her head -- she let him know it was exactly what she thought, that he was basically an indiscriminating stud -- while doing her best not to squirm under his harsh glare.

Standing back, he narrowed his eyes on her, feeling absolutely pissed. First time he'd ever stepped over the line and agreed to anything with a client and she gets it in her head that he's some kind of dog who'd screw anything that moved. Like that little tease he'd just turned down in his office.

Glancing up at her sitting on the car, he heaved a sigh. Deciding from the look of her, he'd guess she was some kind of professional, like a lawyer or something. So for her this was probably nothing more than a naughty fuck with a guy she'd never dream of even bothering to say hello to if they ever happened to meet on the street. Although she had no way of knowing it, he wasn't the type to screw just for the sake of getting his rocks off. Call him a pussy, but he had to feel something, had to feel an attraction. And damn, when she walked in last night and let him know she was interested, there was no way in hell he could have turned her down. And today she was all he could think of, and had even banged his head on the hood of her damn car installing her alternator when he'd started to think of what he wanted to do to her when he had her again. And now she wanted him to use a condom? Did he really look stupid and depraved enough to be screwing around bareback with every woman who walked in the door?

Scrambling to pull herself together and sit up straight on the car, she reached for his arm. "Look, I'm sorry, Zane. It's just that, one can never be too careful. And when I saw you with that woman when I walked in... I just wasn't sure."

He lifted a brow, and asked, "What, if I was screwing her, too?"

She nodded, looking guilty. "Yes."

Shaking her hand off his arm, he reached for his overalls, stepping back into them one leg at a time. Now that he knew what she thought of him, she'd killed it for him, and there was no way he wanted this anymore. Not when he could barely look at her. "Why don't you just take your car and go?"

She bit down on her lip, feeling terrible. "But I haven't paid you yet."

His smile was less than kind as he flashed her a snide grin. "Well why don't we just call it even and say I took it out in trade, huh?"

Karina winced, thinking she might have deserved that. After carefully sliding off the hood of the big old boat of a car, she tried reaching for his arm again. "Look, I really am sorry, Zane. If it means anything, I do believe I'd be safe with you. It's just that I've never done anything like this before and realized I probably should be taking some kind of precautions. You can understand that can't you?"

He looked down at her pale little hand wrapped around his big, thick inked bicep and slowly began to nod. "Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. I mean we barely know each other." Then his eyes narrowed on hers. "So, why don't you come upstairs and I'll fix us some dinner and we can talk." And if she really did want to get to know him, then he figured she'd agree.

Studying him, she bit her lip, not sure if she wanted anything more from him that the rush of these illicit little trysts. Not that he didn't seem nice -- he did -- but she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to get into anything too deep with anyone right now, not even him.

Then sensing her indecision, he shook his head and held up his hands, and said, "Fine. I didn't think you'd go for it. I mean, I'm not exactly in your league, am I?"

Shocked he'd even think that, she quickly jumped in to correct him. "Why would you say something like that?" Wondering how he could even think it. She didn't believe she had an elitist bone in her body. And had been told by nearly everyone she knew that she could be making a killing if she'd be willing to set up herself up in private practice and give up the one she currently ran dealing predominately with indigent patients who paid only what they could afford, and quite often nothing at all. So, what he did for a living didn't matter to her in the least. In fact, she'd always been impressed with people talented enough to who work with their hands. Her own father, before he died, had been a finish carpenter and she cherished every last thing he'd made for her, and still had the first tiny little table and chairs in storage, just in case she ever had kids of her own one day. But after the mess she'd made of everything, he probably wouldn't even want to know who she really was.

He shrugged, shaking his head, bringing her back to where she was when he said, "Figured if I asked up to my place just for a meal and you turned me down, I'd know."

Annoyed now, folding her arms across her chest, she began to tap her foot. It was her turn to narrow a suspicious gaze on him. "You'd know what, exactly?"

He pointed at the Buick he'd just succeeded in driving her crazy on, looked her square in the eye and said, "That unless we're in here making out, you wouldn't be caught dead with me."

Karina actually gasped out loud. "How dare you? You don't know a thing about me."

He began to chuckle. "I know you're way out of my league, and figured you were just slumming it for kicks before you went back to your own kind."

Straightening out her dress, she stomped toward the door, the angry click of her kid-leather boots echoing off the high-ceilinged bays. About to turn and leave, she spun around, her eyes bright with unshed tears, that she flatly refused to let fall. "I think you're the one with the problem, Zane, not me. All I know is that I was looking forward to seeing tonight, and had you in my head all day. So thanks for ruining this for me. And if I'm that far out of your league, then don't worry, I won't be back." Turning on her heel she pulled open the door and said, "And you can expect a check in the mail for your work."

Watching her leave, he had an overpowering urge to stop her. Not even sure why he went off on her like that. He frowned, shaking his head. What was it over anyway? She wanted him to use a condom. Most women would. And she was right to ask. She didn't know him from Adam. For all she knew he'd just had that little tease up on the hood of the Buick right before she got here. Damn, maybe she was right about him, too, and he'd just pushed her away over nothing. Dammit, what an idiot he could be. He slammed his eyes shut and ground his teeth. Beautiful woman like that wanted him and all he'd done was drive her away.

Angry with himself, he locked up his shop and went upstairs to his apartment, punching the door to his flat with a good hard wack of his fist, before he unlocked it. Trying to shake the sting from his throbbing hand, he began to wonder if his divorce was bothering him more than he knew. His life with his ex-wife Bella had been going south for more than a year before they'd ended it. And he'd suspected with all her late nights out that she'd been messing around on him, which was why, after they'd split up he'd gotten himself tested, so at least knew that he was clean. But he hadn't wanted to get into all that with Karina and ruin the mood, and just hoped she'd take his word for it. Still, somehow, losing her hurt worse than when his marriage had ended, which was odd, because she was right, and he barely knew her.

It took a long time for sleep to come that night for Karina. Tossing and turning, she kept wondering how things had gone so wrong. More than that, she wondered why it even mattered. There was nothing between them but the kinky sex they'd enjoyed once, no, make that twice, after he went down on her on the hood of that beautiful old car, giving her yet another crazy hot orgasm. But so what if he'd made her come like he'd been put on this earth to make it happen, and had given her the most memorable sexual experiences of her life and by far the most erotic. Even if the man was a sex god, he was just so exasperating she wondered how it would ever be worth it to try to have something with him.

Still, it bothered her that he might think she thought herself above him somehow. He had no idea who she was, or what she did for a living. For all he knew she wore an apron all day and served soup in a deli, and there would be no shame in that if she did. He was the one with the problem, wondering if he might be bearing the scars of something from his past that had soured. Tossing off the blankets again and flipping her pillow for the umpteenth time, she knew it would be best to put him right out of her head. After all, she had her car back, working perfectly now, thanks to him. He'd also given her a nice little sensual tune up that she'd desperately needed, so that should be the end of it. And now they were done. End of story. Not that they'd had anything to begin with. She wasn't stupid. They'd only been filling a need with each other, and nothing more. But then she closed her eyes and softly sighed, remembering that earth shattering kiss, that felt like so much more than just sex, for both of them, she felt sure. Still, what difference did it make? She couldn't see any way to reach him and try to make him understand how she felt, and wasn't entirely sure she even wanted to try.

Thankfully, Friday night with the girls was always a fun night out. And with any luck, would help get her mind off her insanely hot indiscretion. But damn it had been so good, and felt so incredible until she'd mentioned the condom. And if he didn't think she needed to protect herself, even belatedly, then too darn bad for him. Annoyed, she began to shake her head as she walked. For heaven sake, she was a doctor, and knew the risks too well. That first night they'd been reckless, although at least they'd had the clean health talk. But no matter how he felt about her asking, she had every right to ask for protection. Although, she had to admit, as she walked through Pedro's Bar and Grill looking for her friends she had a pretty strong feeling she could trust him, and he'd never do anything to cause her harm. But she also knew she had to do her best to forget him, or risk driving herself crazy.

Her friend Mel stood and waved her over once they spotted her strolling in. Hugs and kisses were exchanged, and the moment she took her seat, Krissy quickly grinned. "Okay, girls, guess who's found a new guy?"

"Have you?" Karina asked, thrilled for her friend. Up until now, she'd never had any luck with men, but from the smile on her face, she seemed pretty darn happy now.

Then Krissy began to gush like old faithful, leaning close so they could all hear her over the music. "Oh, god, wait till you guys meet him. Brent's tall, dark and handsome, just like in the movies. And he's a disc jockey who works regular hours. And we've practically moved in together, we've already become so close. She closed her eyes and smiled, looking so over-the-top happy.