Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 166(@200wpm)___ 133(@250wpm)___ 111(@300wpm)
I pull my cellphone from my oversized purple bag. No reception.
For the first time since I started this journey, I wonder if it was meant to be. Maybe I’m not meant to find my soulmate. Maybe I’m meant to be alone with just my cat and my book boyfriends for the rest of my life.
While I’m lost in my musings, a truck goes by. The sleek black vehicle doesn’t even stop for me. So much for small town friendliness.
As soon as I have the thought, the truck stops as if the driver heard me. Slowly, the vehicle reverses, and the passenger window rolls down.
I push my wild hair back from my face and march up to the truck, indignation running through me. It’s late in the day and it’ll be hours before I can get the roadside service out here, which means I’m stranded. “Would you believe some asshole sold me this piece of junk?”
The ignition cuts off, and a man emerges from the truck. The first thing that catches my attention are his eyes. They’re so brown, they’re almost black. His dark hair is cropped close on top, reminding me of those military haircuts. But his short beard definitely isn’t standard issue. His black t-shirt stretches tight across his shoulders and clings to his chest.
He gestures toward the steaming pile of metal with one hand. That’s when I realize he’s missing an arm, or part of it at least. It stops just above where his elbow would be. There are tattoos and scars, though the scars seem newer than the tattoos. It makes me curious about how he lost his limb. “Want me to take a look?”
Oh, I’d love for him to take a look at a whole lot of things, the least of which is this disaster of a financial decision. I’d much rather he do a thorough inspection of my body. As if he’s reading my thoughts, his gaze travels over me. I have an overwhelming urge to tug my too-short skirt even higher, to tease him with a glimpse of what he could have.
His look feels like a caress, warming every part of my body. That place that only tingles when I write the sexy scenes in my books tingles now.
No, bad Gwen. There’s only one person that should be giving me those tingles and it’s him. My soulmate. Not a random stranger on the side of the road who raises his eyebrows as he waits for my answer.
“Do you know anything about cars?” I ask him. Maybe this kind stranger will fix the car and send me on my way to Landon. Then during our wedding, he can be a special guest. He’ll read out a speech about how he knew we were meant to be. Alright, I’m a romance writer. I’m always imagining a happy ending.
“Enough that I boosted them way back when.” He pauses and runs his hand affectionately over the bright yellow roof. He lets out a slow whistle, a sound that I don’t normally think is sexy but with him, it somehow is. “You got a beauty.”
“If only she ran,” I point out with a grumble. In his speech, I’ll be annoyed but charming. He’ll think I looked like the cute but somewhat flighty beach girl from the city. Landon will laugh along with the description and put his arm around my shoulders. He’ll squeeze me tight and smile, his eyes filled with the kind of love I’ve only ever written about.
The mysterious stranger moves around the front of the car. He carefully raises the hood so as not to get burned. He ducks his head when it’s safe and peers into the engine area. “What are you here for anyway?”
“My boyfriend lives around here,” I answer, the lie rolling off my tongue far too easily. OK, I’m not so far gone that I believe Landon Shaw is my boyfriend. But I’m out here on a deserted area of a freakin’ mountain with a man I hardly know. It seems like the smart thing to do is to let him think that someone will miss me if I disappear.
He peers around the hood, taking me in again. “Is that right?”
“Yes,” I answer, nodding vigorously. “So, it would be a bad idea to make me disappear.”
He grunts and stomps back to his truck where he grabs a toolbox. He brings it back, sets it on the ground, and clangs around under the hood.
“Your radiator is shot,” he finally calls. “I can pour some water in. Then I can follow you in my truck to the local garage. Got to warn you though. They aren’t likely to have the parts in stock for a car this expensive.”
My shoulders slump, but I remind myself to be plucky. That’s how I want him to remember me in his speech. Will he mention my lie about the boyfriend in it? Then again, I guess it doesn’t matter. Landon will understand. He’ll find me delightful and quirky.