Taken By The Mechanic (Curvy Librarians Book 2) Read online

  The day before, I’d bought fish at the market. It was about as fresh as you could expect it to be, away from the coast out here in Colorado. In a small bowl, I combined the brown sugar, mandarin orange juice, and chopped parsley. Using a brush, I coated the filets and put them on a buttered cookie sheet, then added mandarin orange slices and the onions on top.

  As I began to chop veggies for a salad, a knock echoed from my door. “Please, be Noah,” I whispered under my breath as I tidied myself on the way over.

  I peeped out the hole in the door and saw my mother standing on the front step, looking annoyed as usual. She had arrived twenty minutes earlier than I told her. So typical.

  After a long sigh and deep breath to steel myself, I opened the door. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Hello, Jenna.”

  “Happy birthday,” I said and gave her a hug.

  Mom pulled away and crinkled her nose. “Why do you smell like a man?”

  The memory of the warm feeling of Noah’s muscular body in my arms sent shivers down my spine. I shrugged. “I think you’re smelling things.”

  “If I’m smelling things, why is there an older man covered in tattoos peering under the hood of your car right now?”

  I went back to chopping tomatoes as my mother followed with her inquisition. “Oh, that’s Noah. My car wouldn’t start this morning so he’s looking at it.”

  “Where did you find a mechanic who makes house calls?”

  “In a parking lot on the wrong side of the tracks.” A sly grin formed at the side of my lip.

  “Jenna Marie, I hope you’re kidding.”

  The righteous indignation on my mother’s face always amused and scared me at the same time. I found her opinions ridiculous but always ended up falling in line with her wishes. Even at twenty-five years old I found it hard to shake her influence.

  I finished prepping the salad and preheated the oven as I told Mom all about borrowing the bookmobile and getting a flat tire. I left out the part about the weird men that Noah chased away. She didn’t need to worry any more than she already did about her only child.

  “That’s nice of him to fix the flat and look at your car, but don’t let him overcharge you,” mother said.

  “He’s doing it for free,” I said.

  “Uh-huh, sure. He’ll want something in return. All men are like that.”

  “No, I trust Noah’s word,” I said.

  “Lord knows you could use a father right now. He could’ve fixed your car, or at least kept that Noah character away from you.”

  “Hasn’t it been long enough now that you can stop mentioning my father? You got divorced so long ago, I don’t have any memories of you being married.” It hurt to only see my father on special occasions, but the sting had to be less for me than it was for my mother. He moved to Vegas, and I got to know him better as an adult.

  “I’m just saying, that’s all. I worry about you in the city by yourself and pray every night you find a good, church-going man to take care of you.”

  I slammed the pan of fish onto the baking rack in the oven. “Why, so I can be a good, obedient wife?”

  “Of course, sweetie, that’s what the Lord wants for you.”

  The thought made me want to vomit. My mother and I had two different ideas of the perfect relationship. Although I outwardly scoffed at the concept of obedience, that had always been the dynamic between mother and me.

  Since it was just the two of us growing up, I learned that I could earn her love through obedience. The better I listened, the more affection she showed. Things got better after I moved out on my own but I still struggled when catching myself caring what she thought.

  “Mom, it’s your birthday. Let’s put aside how I disappoint you and have a pleasant evening.”

  Mother rolled her eyes. “It goes in one ear and out the other anyhow.” She sat down at the table and waited for dinner service.

  When the fish finished baking, I set out two plates and a salad bowl and began to dish out the food. The entrée smelled amazing and had a perfect, golden roasted finish.

  Before I could take our dinners to the table, someone knocked on my door. A flutter developed deep inside me as I realized it might be Noah.

  Sure enough, my knight in tattooed armor stood outside with greasy hands. “Hey,” I said as I opened the door.

  I had to hold on to the door frame to keep my knees from giving out. The entire world disappeared, other than the sexy man with dark eyes, black hair, and a handsome face smiling on my porch.

  4

  Noah

  “Hi,” I said. “I’m finished down there for now.” Hot damn, Jenna oozed hardcore sexuality. If her mother wasn’t there, I’d want to take her and make her mine.

  “What do you mean ‘for now’?” Jenna asked.

  “Your car has a cracked distributor cap, that’s why it won’t start. I couldn’t locate a replacement locally, so I placed an order. It’ll arrive on Wednesday.”

  “Will that be a long fix when the part arrives?”

  “Nope. I’ll plan on coming back Wednesday evening,” I said. Damn, her cute face and smoking body made my cock grow hard again. I didn’t like that her car broke down but the fact I had to come back again made me happy.

  “Noah, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me this evening,” Jenna said. “Please, stay for dinner.”

  I shook his head. “I couldn’t. It’s your mother’s birthday, and I’m filthy.” I held up my greasy hands and wrists for her to see.

  Jenna opened the door wider and motioned me to enter. “Come on, you can wash up. The food’s getting cold. And don’t worry about my mother.”

  With a shrug, I stepped inside, filling my senses with her sweet scent and vibes. It would’ve been better if we were alone but I couldn’t complain.

  Jenna pointed to her right. “My bathroom is down the hall to the right, second door. Wash up, dinner is ready.”

  The colors pink and purple dominated Jenna’s bathroom. That much femininity hadn’t surrounded me in a long time. The grease washed off with ease and I didn’t stain her towels when I dried off.

  I took a deep breath and prepared to meet Jenna’s mother. I ached to have Jenna alone but mixed company was better than nothing.

  “All fresh,” I said as I entered the dining area holding up my hands for Jenna to see.

  Jenna’s face lit up. “Mom, I’d like you to meet Noah. Noah, my mother.”

  Her mother hesitated, then stood halfway and shook my hand. “I’m Lisa,” she said while averting my gaze.

  “Noah. The pleasure’s all mine.” Her limp, cold handshake did not make a good first impression.

  “Noah saw to it that I got home safely. The least I could do is offer a good, warm dinner,” Jenna said as she winked at me.

  My body ached to touch hers as I sat across from Jenna. “I wouldn’t let a pretty woman stay in danger at the side of the road,” I said, returning her wink.

  “I bet you wouldn’t,” Lisa said.

  “Mom,” Jenna whispered.

  I grinned inside. Nothing Lisa said or did would deter me from getting to know Jenna better.

  “This dinner looks and smells amazing,” I said. The salmon had a perfect sear, and the glaze made my mouth water.

  “Thanks,” Jenna said. “Ever since I moved out on my own, I’ve been improving my cooking skills.”

  “So, Noah,” Lisa said. “I see that you’re… colorful.”

  I glanced at my tattoo sleeves. “Yes, I’m proud of these arms. A dear friend of mine did these a year before he died of cancer.”

  Jenna held her breath, looking unsure whether to interfere with her mother’s line of questioning. Lisa continued, “Do you know what the Bible says about tattoos?”

  I cleared my throat. Jenna looked like a cat had her tongue, so I said, “Probably not much, since the word ‘tattoo’ originated in the 18th century, long after the Bible was written.”

  Lisa let o
ut a “hmmph”. “Well, I think it’s unsavory.”

  “Mom!” Jenna said. “Be nice.”

  I smiled at Jenna. “It’s okay, really.”

  “How’d you know that word origin?” Jenna asked.

  A sly grin crossed my face. “Librarians aren’t the only ones who like to read,” I said.

  I took a bite of salmon and moaned as it melted in my mouth. “Jenna, you’re an amazing cook,” I said. If she tasted half as good as her dinner, it would kill me.

  Lisa picked at her food. I suspected Jenna got her looks and personality from her father’s side of the family.

  “So, you’re a mechanic then?” Lisa asked. “That doesn’t pay much, does it?”

  Damn, do you have no boundaries, woman?

  “I do pretty well for myself. Outside my regular job at the shop, I do a lot of custom work on luxury vehicles and sports cars,” I said.

  “Are you from around here?” Lisa asked.

  “No, I’ve moved around a lot. Never spend more than a couple years in one place.”

  “Wife? Kids?” Lisa continued with the rapid-fire questions.

  “No.”

  “How old are you?”

  “Thirty-six,” I said.

  Lisa turned to Jenna. “A nomad, nearly forty years old, no wife or kids.”

  Inside, I wanted Lisa to go the hell away, but I smiled for Jenna’s benefit. “We all have our own paths in life.”

  “There’s only one path,” Lisa said. “The one the Lord showed us how to live.”

  I suppressed a grin. “Well, if I remember correctly, Jesus also was single and moved around a lot.”

  That shut Lisa up for a few minutes. She quietly chewed her salad and allowed the rest of us to eat in peace. I had no problem with anyone living their religion but she didn’t need to push it on others, including her daughter.

  “Noah, what do you like to do in your free time?” Jenna asked.

  “I like to help the local animal shelter,” I said.

  Jenna’s eyes grew larger. “Oh my goodness, me too.”

  “I play with the dogs and walk some of them on Friday evenings,” I said.

  “Get out of here, I do the same on Saturday mornings. You mean we’ve been one day off from meeting each other for a while now?”

  “Looks that way,” I said.

  I added compassion to the list of attributes that turned me on to Jenna. Despite her opinionated mother, I enjoyed spending time with her at dinner.

  “Can I ask why you’re fixing my daughter’s car for free?” Lisa asked.

  “I like to give back,” I said.

  That was the last of Lisa’s prying questions. For the rest of the dinner, the conversation turned more pleasant as Jenna and I got to know each other better. The more I learned about her, the more attracted to her I grew, threatening to demolish my personal policy against relationships.

  After polishing off my food, I stood. “Dinner was delicious, Jenna. I need to head out now.”

  “I’ll walk you down,” Jenna said. My heart pounded in anticipation of being alone with the curvy goddess.

  “I’ll go too,” Lisa said. I could feel my balls shrink.

  Jenna pointed at her mother. “Stay up here, Mom. I’ll be right back, I just want Noah to show me the part on my car that’s bad.”

  “Fine,” Lisa said. “I’ll start cleaning up the table.”

  “Happy birthday,” I said to Lisa with a polite little wave. “It was great meeting you.”

  “Likewise,” Lisa yelled over without looking at my face.

  It took a great deal of restraint to not grab Jenna’s hand on the way out of her apartment. I took one last whiff of her sweet home air and stepped outside with the mouth-watering young woman.

  5

  Jenna

  Noah’s tight ass gave me a show on the walk out of the apartment. It was a nice diversion from the embarrassment my mother put me through during dinner.

  “Sorry about my mother,” I said. “She’s in fine form tonight.”

  Noah laughed. “It didn’t bother me. When I meet people like that, I don’t even hear their words.”

  “Well, she pisses me off,” I said.

  “Your dinner tasted spectacular. She couldn’t ruin that.”

  “Thanks,” I said, wondering what it would be like to cook for Noah more often.

  We reached my car in the parking lot. “I’ll get the hood popped open so I can show you the bad part,” Noah said.

  I touched the back of his muscular arm. “Don’t worry about it. I only wanted to talk to you alone for a few minutes.”

  Noah faced me and looked into my eyes, causing a rush of energy to stir in my chest. “Do you agree with anything your mother said up there?”

  “No, of course not,” I said.

  “Do you think I’m too old?”

  “Too old for what?” I asked.

  “Too old to claim you.” Noah’s gaze pierced deep into my soul, and my knees almost gave out.

  My cheeks flushed, and it took a couple of tries to get words to escape my mouth. “No.”

  “I’m going to kiss you now,” Noah said.

  I nodded. Noah pulled me against his body and lowered his face. I looked up along his tall frame and closed my eyes, letting him do anything he wanted.

  Noah moaned as his full lips contacted mine. Hours earlier, I would not have dreamed of meeting such a stud and have him want me. Years of dating frustration melted away as his warm mouth and hands brought us close together.

  Desire burned inside me as Noah nibbled on my lower lip. I moaned and parted my lips, letting his tongue meet mine. The intermingling of our tongues caused the fires to stoke higher.

  After exploring for another minute, I pulled away. “Damn.”

  “Damn is right,” Noah said.

  “I should get back inside before my mother sees anything,” I said.

  Noah ran his hand along my cheek. “Who cares what she thinks?”

  “You heard her earlier. If she saw me kissing you, she’d make my life hell.”

  Noah sighed and rolled his eyes. “I’ll be back Wednesday evening to finish your car.”

  “I appreciate it more than you could know,” I said.

  “After that dinner and kiss, I have a good idea how you feel, Jenna.”

  But you don’t know my panties are wet and I wish the rest of the world would disappear.

  “I can’t wait to see you Wednesday. Have a good night,” I said.

  Noah leaned down and whispered in my ear. “You are beautiful. It was a privilege helping you today.” Shivers exploded along my spine as he gently kissed my neck, then turned to go to his car.

  I floated on air as I returned to my apartment. I’d never had such a man show interest in me. My typical boyfriend wasn’t half the stud as Noah and my relationships never lasted over three months. Even if Noah and I never touched again, his kiss should carry me through a lot more barren times.

  Mom had the kitchen and dishes cleaned up when I returned. “Girl, what took so long out there?”

  I shrugged. “It was like five minutes.”

  “It seemed like twenty. I got everything cleaned up already.”

  “Thanks. You didn’t have to do that. It’s your birthday dinner,” I said.

  “Well, it was supposed to be my birthday dinner but then you invited that bum to eat with us.”

  My face turned red. “Noah isn’t a bum. He’s a hard-working, intelligent, generous man.”

  “He’s too old for you.”

  “There’s an unwritten rule—half his age plus seven years. The math says I’m old enough for him. But it doesn’t matter because we’re not a thing. He’s coming back to fix my car, that’s it.”

  “I’m sure that’s not all he wants from you.”

  “Why do you assume the worst in a man?” I asked.

  “It’s the way they are.”

  “You need to get out more.”

  “I’ll get ou
t now,” mother said. “I’m feeling tired.”

  “Okay, then. I have to work in the morning anyhow,” I said, giving her a hug which she never could bother returning more than a half-assed squeeze.

  “I’d rather see you drive that bookmobile every day than have that Noah character come back to fix your car.”

  “Mom, drop it already.”

  Mother sighed. “Have a good week, Jenna. Be careful.”

  “I will. Good night.”

  Mother left my apartment not a moment too soon. It wore on my nerves being around her more than an hour or two because of her controlling ways.

  I went to the bedroom to change into pajamas and found my pussy still wet from my kiss in the parking lot. After bringing up the mental image of Noah’s muscular arms and chest, I brought my hand downstairs and began to pleasure myself. The memory of his hot mouth against mine only made me hornier.

  My mind flashed to all the shit my mother said, and it killed the mood. Frustrated, I finished changing clothes and curled up on the couch with my e-reader.

  I knew I couldn’t keep peace in my life if I had a man like Noah. But hot damn, it sure was tempting if Noah showed any further interest in me.

  The next morning, I strolled into work with a huge smile on my face. Dawn knew I never looked happy before two mugs of coffee. “Girl, what’s going on with you?”

  I told her all about the harrowing experience with the bookmobile, and Noah rescuing me. Her mouth hung open in disbelief as I told her about dinner and the kiss in the parking lot.

  “That’s like something out of a movie. What timing that he drove by right when those thugs were surrounding you,” Dawn said.

  “I know. I keep replaying the evening in my mind and can’t believe it.”

  “You said he’s coming back tomorrow?” Dawn asked.

  “Yes. I can’t wait.”

  “Do you think you’ll end up dating?”

  “I’m smitten. He’s more man than anybody I’ve ever met. But my mother would never let it happen.”

  “Girl, you’re twenty-five. Who cares what she thinks?” Dawn asked.