Part 3 (1/2)

Swinging into the driveway of his ranch-style brick home, he parked, not wasting time to stuff his truck in the garage.

CeCe pulled into her driveway a few seconds later.

Jeremy jumped out and reached the driver's side of her truck bed in several quick strides. He lifted the base from the back.

”I can unload that,” she complained, climbing out of the truck and leaving a dusty white trail. Her garage door finished opening with a groan exposing the single-car storage s.p.a.ce cluttered with packing boxes that prevented parking inside.

Jeremy ignored her. ”Where do you want it?”

CeCe sighed then pointed at a spot in her garage with a chalky outline left from where she'd obviously stored the fibergla.s.s unit before. He carried it over and dropped the base into place. The overhead fluorescent lights flickered on.

When he turned around CeCe was standing next to the switch by the door to her mudroom. White-dusted hair fell loose from the twisted-up 'do she'd worn earlier. Sweat drizzled along her face and streaked the coating over her shoulders.

She'd wiped most of the makeup off her face, revealing her eyes and lips. ”I look like a bad Halloween costume.”

”No, you look... sweet.” He stepped closer and used a finger to lift a lock of powdered hair that had broken free and pushed it behind her ear. ”And s.e.xy.” She didn't move. He trailed the same finger down her neck and across her shoulder.

She s.h.i.+vered.

d.a.m.n it, he wanted this woman. She wasn't the kind of woman to date casually. For once, he considered that a good thing if she said yes, which was why he had to get it over with and ask her out. The sooner he got an answer, the sooner he'd either be in heaven or licking his wounds and leaving a day early for the BAD headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.

The overhead fixture in the center of her garage flashed on and off, then made a sizzling sound.

”I'll have to get a bulb out of the attic,” she mumbled, still not moving. Her eyes were locked on him, but he couldn't tell if she was daring him to take the next move or preparing to back away if he did.

”It's probably not a bulb.” He lowered his hand. She might be more receptive if he gave her time to shower first.

She blinked, coming out of her daze to look at the light. ”No?”

He angled his head around to look at the fixture. ”Acting like a transformer.”

”Figures,” she grumbled. ”Because replacing a bulb would be something I I could do instead of bothering Miss Betty.” could do instead of bothering Miss Betty.”

Jeremy smiled in agreement. He never bothered their landlord with repairs either, just took care of everything himself.

”I've got some spare parts from fixing one of mine,” he offered, then added casually, ”Why don't you get a shower and I'll swap out the transformer?”

The indecision in her face was beating the h.e.l.l out of his ego. One minute she had eyes that called to him like a sultry siren and the next she was clearly backing up.

Then, bright as a ray of suns.h.i.+ne, CeCe broke out a smile that drew him in faster than a suicidal moth to a flame.

”That's a great idea. I'll get cleaned up quick.” She'd clearly made some decision. The siren was back when she gave him a smoldering look that ran all the blood in his body south.

His c.o.c.k twitched in response.

But did her response mean she'd go to dinner with him tonight? He had two days. Tick, tick, tick...

When she spun away and opened the door to her mudroom, he stopped her with, ”CeCe?”

She paused and looked over her shoulder. ”What?”

He didn't know why he had to constantly push limits, but that had been his nature since speaking his first words and Jeremy wanted a straight answer now. He couldn't take guessing any more. He had to know he wasn't misreading those heated looks.

If all she wanted was friends.h.i.+p, he'd fix her light and leave her alone. Forever.

”After I get this done,” he said, pointing up at the lights, ”you can see your girlfriend... or have dinner with me.”

She chewed on the corner of her lip, another moment of indecision that rankled him so he decided to push all the limits at once. ”Dinner... at my house.”

Her lips parted in surprise then a clash of thoughts conflicted in her face before she finally settled on a decision that cranked up the wattage on her smile. ”I'll bring the wine.” She disappeared inside.

Jeremy stood there a moment, not believing she was really going to have dinner at his house.

Tonight. Alone with CeCe.

When the fog cleared from his mind, Jeremy jogged back over to his vehicle and pressed his garage opener.

He heard opportunity calling with her enthusiastic rush to shower. Jeremy was not one to pa.s.s up any opportunity that looked like CeCe Caprice.

DINNER... AT MY house house.

Jeremy's words played over and over in CeCe's mind like a favorite tune.

She could have said no, should have said no. But all she could think was Why not if I'm careful? Why not if I'm careful?

When she finished toweling her hair she lifted a hair dryer then changed her mind. Drying the wavy ma.s.s never helped so why waste that time?

Cece brushed her teeth, smiling over her luck. He'd solved her dilemma. She hadn't wanted to risk inviting him to dinner in her house for fear of an unexpected guest-Vinny-showing up and couldn't very well have suggested to Jeremy she'd love to have a date on the condition of it being after dark and inside his house with the doors locked.

Jeremy would have thought she was psycho or way too forward.

She'd heard enough around the gym to know Jeremy didn't accept dates from female members who asked him and none of the girls she'd spoken with mentioned him having been in a serious relations.h.i.+p. Sounded as though he didn't monopolize a woman's time, which would normally be a positive trait for her situation.

What would it be like to have a man like Jeremy wanting to monopolize her time? Heaven.

Stop dreaming about the impossible and just live in the moment for once.

She leaned close to the mirror, inspecting her face where scrubbing the makeup off had left her skin red-blotched in places. She could take the time to put on new makeup once she told him she'd come over after after dark. But if she didn't get back to the garage soon, Jeremy might finish fixing the light and go home. She didn't have his phone number and didn't want Vinny to show up with her standing at Jeremy's door. dark. But if she didn't get back to the garage soon, Jeremy might finish fixing the light and go home. She didn't have his phone number and didn't want Vinny to show up with her standing at Jeremy's door.

Vinny would come over to meet Jeremy. Bad move.

She wasn't expecting her brother, but he hadn't been around the festival or at least she hadn't seen him. Her sixth sense warned her he was due to drop by unexpectedly.

Vinny was one of those insane people who got up before daylight so he normally stopped by early. If she orchestrated it right, she'd run out and get Jeremy to agree on the time then scoot him home before anyone saw him inside her garage.

She brushed her damp hair back and grinned at the mirror.

Tonight with Jeremy. She couldn't believe it. Chills skittered over her skin at the possibility of kissing him... just as an appetizer.

She pulled on a knit-and-lace top that stopped short of where her white running pants. .h.i.t her hips. The lace was too much, too girly. Yanking that off, she dug out a powder blue sleeveless top, eyed it once in the mirror, and hurried to the garage.