Page 3 of Mechanic Daddy’s Girl (Daddy’s Girl #10)

CALLIE

T his can’t be real life.

That’s been stuck in my head since Boone asked me to lunch, and I’ve tried reasoning how comfortable it all feels, how easy he makes it.

Teased the idea of Boone showing hospitality to a stranger in a strange land, but I’d be a fool if any of them felt more real than his hands wrapped around my body.

Or his burning gaze trying to unravel me with a single glance.

It's working, too. Far better than I want to let on. But sometimes it’s better not to overthink it. Go with the flow and see where you get spat out.

“Probably not the kind of place you’re used to.” Boone leans back in the booth, toothpick working between his teeth. “It’s greasy, a little grimy, but no one can argue old Joe makes the best burgers in the county.”

I roll my eyes at his attempt to play the place down. Living in a big city on a low salary means places like this are like a second home. Hell, Joe’s Diner probably ranks higher on the list than most of my usuals.

“It’s a good thing I like greasy .” My words come out exactly as intended. Flirtatious and playful, to see how far I can push things.

After our moment in this workshop, he’s slipped back to his quiet, reserved self. I like the other side of him better, the one who looks at me like I’m the only thing that matters in his world.

“Couldn’t have come to a better place.” He lets go of the toothpick, letting it dangle from the corner of his mouth. “The black stains on those pretty white shoes of yours should be proof enough.”

“This place pales in comparison to your shop. Why do you think I’m so ready to get back there?” This time, even I can’t control the words spewing from my lips. They’re instinctive and insistent, my body knowing what it wants long before my mind can catch up.

The craziest part about it is I shouldn’t know how to want like this. I’ve never spent time with a man, at least not in any meaningful way. The closest I’ve come was a peck on the cheek in middle school. I’m totally out of my depth, yet everything comes so easily with Boone.

He grins widely and toothily. “Shoulda said something. I’d have gotten our food to-go.”

“We’ll just have to find a way to make up for lost time then.” I wink at him as my cheeks start burning.

And if they’re hurting this bad, I can’t imagine what they look like.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, ripping me out of the moment. I grab it, only to see Boone’s features harden at my distraction from this, from him. Almost as though he’s already jealous I’m not giving him my full attention.

And that’s so freaking hot.

I drop my phone on the table, and Boone’s eyes travel to it. But after a few more buzzes, the screen lights up with a phone call coming through. Boone sees Travis flash across it, and his jaw flexes.

Ah, shit, my boss. Don’t you dare get in the way of this. I’m not ready for this fairytale daydream to end.

“Need to get that?” His voice is husky and grim.

“I should,” I groan. Ignoring Travis’s texts is one thing. There’s no way he could know I’m not near my phone, but a call? That won’t go over well, and he’s already not a pleasant man to work for.

His head snaps back to mine, and sharp possessiveness flashes in his eyes. His lips barely move when he says, “Don’t.”

“Travis isn’t the kind of guy?—”

He cuts me off. “I said, don’t.”

The finality in his tone sends a chill up my spine.

But where I should be terrified of his reaction to a phone call, I can feel my legs turn to jelly and a fluttering in my belly from how intense he’s getting.

No one’s ever wanted to spend time with me like this, especially not to the point of losing their cool over it.

But maybe that’s exactly what I need right now.

“Boone, I have to,” I gulp, sliding my hand over my phone. “If I want to keep my job, anyway.”

This time, he yields, crossing his massive arms over his chest.

I bring the phone to my ear and answer. “Hey, Tra?—”

“Where the hell are you?” Travis barks so loud, Boone’s ears prick up.

“On my way to?—”

“You’re supposed to be here. I need you,” Travis interrupts. His panicked voice is laced with the annoyance of not having what he wants. A typical spoiled brat attitude, but what can you expect from someone who has had the world handed to him on a silver platter from birth?

“I’ll be back on Monday. I scheduled my vacation three months ago.” I really don’t need this right now. A brooding beast sitting opposite me while my boss tears me a new one.

“You’re not being a team player, Callie.

And I can’t have anyone dropping the ball this close to the biggest moment of my company’s existence.

” Blowing things out of proportion is what Travis excels at, and this is no different.

Sure, his company is in the middle of a huge negotiation with some tech company for some sponsorship deal, but it doesn’t even concern me.

I’m so far down the corporate ladder that my involvement in the deal is bringing a coffee and a smile to the meetings while the bigwigs chat among themselves.

“It’s two days off. I just really needed a break.” Noticing the quiver in my voice, Boone stands upright.

His eyes slowly turn to me, nostrils flaring as he listens to my conversation.

I’d call it eavesdropping, but Travis is yelling loud enough for the whole diner to hear.

Suddenly, Boone rises slowly, looming over me, and my heart sinks at the thought of him walking out the door.

Instead, he shoots a hand out toward my head, fingers latching onto my phone.

“What are you doing?” I ask, but don’t put up a fight as he yanks my phone away.

He brings it up to his ear, waiting for Travis to finish saying whatever he’s going on about.

“She said she’d be back on Monday,” Boone growls the same way when I called him.

“Who the fu—” He kills the call before Travis can finish the question.

“You know I’m gonna get in a lot of trouble for that, right?” Though it’s the truth, a smile creeps over my face anyway. These actions might seem small, maybe even imperceptible to him, but God, he makes me feel wanted.

“Fuck ‘em,” Boone grumbles, sliding my phone across the table and offering me a hand up from the chair. “They can’t make your life hell if you’ve got the power.”

“But I don’t have the power.” I look at him, puzzled, accepting his hand and standing.

“Not yet, but you will.” He forces a smile onto his rock-hard face, doing his best to steady his aggression.

“Need a place to stay? I’ve got an apartment above my workshop.

It’s all yours as long as you need it. And Meadowview might not be much, but it’s a far cry better than the big city beating your ass. ”

“You’re offering me a place to stay?”

“Need one while you’re waiting for the radiator, right?” He raises a brow. “Might as well extend it if your boss brings the hammer down.”

“But I wouldn’t be able to afford it without a job.”

“Who said anything about paying for it?” Boone scoffs, shoving a hand into his pocket and drawing his wallet. “Hell, I’d offer you my spare room if it wouldn’t scare you off.” He heads to the counter to pay for our lunch.

Is he even trying anymore? Or has he just burrowed himself so deeply into my head so quickly that everything he says and does takes my breath away?

And what’s worse is that everything he’s doing makes me wish that Travis would bring the hammer down .

Removes the element of this being a long weekend fling and turns my dreams into a reality.

“How about we go back and I show it to you?” he asks once back at my side. “Might as well get comfortable while you’re stuck here. The rest we’ll work out when we get there.”

Without thinking, I swing one of my arms under his and pull myself tightly into his side. “You’re too good to me, y’know that?”

His head cranes downward, a big smile on his face. “You haven’t seen the half of it, doll.”

The studio apartment above Boone’s workshop has a bed, a small couch, a coffee table, and a TV on one side, with a kitchenette and a door to the bathroom on the other. Though small, one look is all it takes for me to fall in love with the place. It’s safe, cozy, and mine … for now.

“You’re sure about this?” I ask once Boone concludes the tour. He’s standing with his back against the door.

I drop my handbag and phone on the coffee table, warmth swelling from my core at Boone’s hospitality.

“Place has been empty for months, with few prospects of anyone wanting to rent it. I couldn’t be more certain,” he says.

“I can’t thank you enough,” I say.

“And you’ll never have to.”

My phone buzzes again, the sound amplified by the vibrations over the wood. Boone instantly grits his teeth.

“Look, I appreciate everything you’re doing for me, but I should get that,” I sigh, knowing it probably means the end to our fantastical day together.

“Or you could ignore it. You’re on vacation, and you need to put your foot down.” He pushes off the wall and takes a step toward me. “Otherwise, he’ll just keep walking over you.”

“It’s not that simple.” I wish it were, but I don’t have the luxury of throwing my life into a tailspin and hoping for the best. Things are hard enough as is without the chaos.

I grab my phone but don’t answer yet, feeling the twisted knot in my belly tighten as Boone steps closer.

“Yes, it is.” He pauses when we’re an arm’s length apart. Too nervous to meet his eyes, I keep mine pinned on his chest, watching it rise and fall with every angered breath. “Don’t answer that phone, Callie.”

“But—”

“No buts. Look how it ended last time.” His hand leaves his side and rises to mine, holding the phone. I expect him to grab it, but instead his fingers gently brush against my skin instead. “He’s not going to fire you anyway,” he reassures me.

“How could you know that? Who says this isn’t the call to end it?” I sink my gaze to the screen, then to Boone’s hand. “I’d rather rip the band-aid off and be done with it.”

“He can’t go two days without you in the office. He’s not gonna cut you out this easily.” Boone’s logic is exactly what I need, but it also leaves me feeling hollow.

I should be happy he’s probably right, and apart from an earful from Travis, I can go back to work on Monday. But that means I’ll be pulled away from here, and Boone’s offer of this apartment and the spare room in his place, which I want so much more, will go unaccepted.

“I’ll answer him quick and we can go back to?—”

“No,” Boone all but barks the word. “Put the phone down and enjoy your weekend.”

Holy shit, this controlling side of him … it’s so fucking sexy. Deep down, it pulls me back to his off-hand comment: If I wanted to keep you here, I’d just do it .

Because he’s right. There’s nothing I could do to stop him, and even now, while my job hangs in the balance, I find his demands irresistible.

“And what if I can’t do that without getting this conversation over with?” I ask as Boone’s hand travels up my arm, and he takes another step closer. This time, standing so close that our bodies are practically touching.

He slides two fingers under my chin and lifts my face to meet his. His intentions are clear in his smoldering gaze. The lust, want, and need that formed on the side of the road and mounted right up to this point.

“I’ll have to find a way to distract you.” And he does it in the best way possible, leaning forward until I can feel his hot breath against my cheek.

A yelp catches in the back of my throat as he moves in closer. As my thoughts start to spiral that this is actually happening, his lips brush against mine tenderly, but the softness doesn’t last long. It morphs into a mess, our lips devouring one another hard, fast, and hot.

My phone slips out of my hand as I lose myself to Boone. Our mouths work overtime to release all the tension we’ve built up through the day. His grip on my shoulder tightens while his free hand slides around my waist, pulling me tighter into the embrace.

And just like it started, it’s over … fast, overwhelming, and gone before I can get utterly lost in him.

Boone releases me and pulls back, his mouth parted in awe.

“I … don’t know what came over me.” Still stunned, a sheepish smile prickles over his face.

“If you’re trying to apologize, stop.” I fight him. That was what I needed, not only to forget about my troubles, but in general.

A perfect distraction from life.

Boone mumbles something under his breath about me getting comfortable and unpacking before heading for the door. And while I don’t want it to end, and him to leave, I understand his strange reaction.

Both of us knew that’s where it would end, but it happened in the midst of tension. The best part is how adorable he is in the bewilderment of something he did.

He clears his throat. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

Before I can say another word, he vanishes through the door.

And though his reaction isn’t what I expected, I raise shaky fingers to my smiling lips.

My stay in Meadowview just got a whole lot more interesting.