Chapter Eight

The next morning, Finn dragged Eden’s scooter through the open garage door and into his friend Sam’s workshop.

The guts and entrails of classic cars littered every available surface, but the place had a life, a vitality to it that made Finn want to breathe in deep, to fill his lungs with petroleum fumes. He gave in to the impulse, then coughed so hard he almost hacked up a lung. Not such a great idea after all.

Finn deposited the Vespa on the garage’s concrete floor, stained with psychiatrist-style inkblots made of engine oil. The pattern nearest to his feet looked like an open umbrella with raindrops falling underneath it. What did that say about his state of mind?

The scooter looked sad and broken. Betsy. Eden had given it a cute name. Poor, mangled Betsy. He’d make sure she was all fixed up, good as new. Better than new. He smoothed his hand over the seat, causing the scooter to shift and clunk against the floor.

Sam slid out from under a gorgeous turquoise, semi-restored 1950s muscle car propped up on jacks. Dressed in his typical gear of ancient Levi’s and black T-shirt, Sam had motor oil slicked across his face. When his friend glanced at the scooter and then up at Finn, he couldn’t have looked happier. Like a pig in mud. Sam loved his work.

Sam’s tanned face twisted into a wry smile. “What has the cat dragged in?” He pulled himself up to standing.

Finn tipped his chin at the metallic carcass at his feet. “Vespa scooter. I had a little run-in with her owner last night. Woman I work with. And I promised I’d get her ride fixed up.”

“Ah, man. Hope the lady’s alright. And your truck, of course.”

Finn stuck his hands in his pockets and met Sam’s eyes. “Sure, they’re both fine. Me too, thanks for asking.”

Sam laughed like the low rumble of a V8 engine before pacing over to the scooter and letting out a sigh. “This paint job’s wrecked. I can respray it, but I’ll need to order in the right shade of red mica. Might take a few days. Needs a bit of bodywork too.”

Finn felt Sam’s gaze on him as his own face stretched into a grin. An idea took hold that shouldn’t have made him happy, but it did. Some might even say he was twisted. “Okay, no worries. I can drive her to work while her scooter’s in the shop. We have a few things to discuss.”

Eden’s scooter would be out of action for days, and he already knew she didn’t have a car. Finn could swoop in like a white knight to save her. She’d hate it. For some reason, the thought of getting her all riled up had him grinning even wider.

“Mate, you could have told me you’re in love.” Sam raised his eyebrows and waggled them so they looked like fuzzy black caterpillars wriggling around his forehead.

Finn crossed his arms. “I’m pretty sure if you’re not an Aussie, you don’t get to call me mate, dude.” Then the rest of his friend’s words filtered through, sending a blast of heat washing over his face. “What do you mean, in love?”

Sam wiped his hands on a cloth from his jeans pocket, transferring grease from one blackened hand to the other until he gave up and dropped the rag in the trash. He fixed his gaze on Finn, his expression serious. “Seems to me you’re here bright and early on a Saturday morning, wanting to get this woman’s Vespa fixed as priority number one. You’ve hardly mentioned a woman in months, only some faceless online hook-up and your Chevy. Sounds like lovesick-puppy territory to me.” Sam scratched at the stubble on his jaw and crouched to inspect the damage to the scooter’s paintwork.

That weird heat flared up again, and Finn swiped a hand across the back of his neck. It sure was humid in the workshop. “Yeah, right. Eden’s someone I work with, and she’s bloody annoying. But I need to keep things civil between us, or at least not declare outright war.”

“Hmm, sounds like she’s got you jumping through hoops. Just like when Gina and I first got together. I couldn’t take her out for burgers, oh no. Had to be a fancy Italian restaurant where the waiters wore black, and she had her choice of fine desserts.”

“But you’re Italian, and you like fancy Italian food. And dessert.”

“Sure do.” Sam patted his stomach with a grin. “My wife was an excellent cook, and I love to eat. A match made in heaven, or in Italy at least. One of the many reasons I miss her.”

“Yeah, I know. But my prospects of gaining a wonderful wife are slim to none. Eden can’t even be civil to me.” Except, even as he said it, Finn pictured her panting beneath him on her sofa, lips red and welcoming.

Sam tipped his head to look up at Finn, his expression now serious. “It’s good. You need someone to give you hell and keep you coming back for more.”

Finn sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Let me know how much for the respray and bodywork. I’ll leave the love stuff to you. I’m not cut out for it.”

Sam straightened and glared at him. “That’s not the go-get-’em attitude I’m used to hearing from you. What about the online dating chick?”

“I’m giving it a shot. But it’s complicated.” The whole situation with LittleMissPerfect-slash-Eden was complicated. And getting more so by the day.

“Sure, I get it. You’re chatting to one woman, then along comes this work babe, and it’s all you can do to think about anything else. Next minute, you’re crashing into her Vespa so you can drive her to work…”

Finn’s mouth popped open. “Shit, no. She wouldn’t think so, would she? I swear it was an accident.” He flopped down into the nearby visitor’s chair against the wall separating the garage from the office.

Sam laughed again, shaking his head. “Well, my friend, yours is an expression I’ve seen all too often. You sure look like you’ve been sucker-punched by love.” He walked past and patted Finn on the shoulder. “Come on. I’ll make you an espresso, and you can tell me all about her.”

HotAussie007: So sorry I missed our date. Helping sick friend. Forgive me?

HotAussie007: I won’t blame you if you don’t reply.

Eden stared at his messages over breakfast on Monday morning. She read them again, even though she’d read them about a million times over the weekend.

As a scientist, she preferred facts to fairytales and wasn’t prone to exaggeration, but she really had read them numerous times. Then she’d scrolled back through their past messages and read them a few more times, index finger hovering over the reply she hadn’t sent while trying to watch another Grace Kelly movie. Should she reply?

Her breakfast of organic peanut butter smeared on whole wheat toast followed by water and a small bowl of fruit salad topped with Greek yogurt left her feeling healthy and virtuous, so she washed it all down with a large mug of coffee and cream. She read a couple of work emails while she drank, but her messenger app called to her again. Should she message him back? The man who’d stood her up?

After telling Faith the story of her non-date and Finn’s unexpected appearance on the scene, she’d listened to her sister’s enthusiastic urging to jump Finn again at the first opportunity. Eden wasn’t sure what to think or feel. Faith seemed convinced Finn was a good bet.

Finn was undoubtedly a great kisser. If she had to rate him on the one-to-five scale they used on surveys at work, she’d mark his kissing ability as ‘Exceeds Expectations,’ five out of five. Her lips and various parts down south tingled again from thinking about it. But there was the whole work situation to consider.

HotAussie007 had added a little love heart to the end of his last message, but Eden’s heart wasn’t exactly melting. She found the whole sick friend excuse a little hard to swallow. Was there some reason he couldn’t have contacted her at the time? Even if he’d been in a hospital, he could have used his phone in the visitors’ waiting room. And why had he messaged so late, after eleven o’clock on Friday night?

A message alert popped up on her screen, and her heart did a little flip-flop when she wondered if it might be Finn. Finn, not HotAussie007. Not good. Not good at all. Her primitive lizard brain and hormone-fueled body were leaping to all kinds of conclusions, colluding against her more rational self. Finn didn’t even know her online handle. He only had her work cell number and email. He didn’t have her private phone number.

She checked. It was only Faith, asking if she needed a ride to work. Eden didn’t want to make her sister drive clear across town for no good reason.

Eden picked up her dirty dishes from the table with a sigh and popped them in the dishwasher, ensuring everything was clean and tidy. She hadn’t decided what to do about a ride to work. Taxis, probably. It would be expensive. Betsy was out of action. Finn had left in a rush, and he’d probably forgotten about Betsy still in his car. But even if Betsy had been there and in full working order, Eden wasn’t.

She’d visited her doctor on Saturday, and as Finn had suspected, she had a badly sprained and bruised ankle. As long as she took it easy, it should be healed in a couple of weeks. Her doctor had insisted on a few other routine health checks while she was there, but all in all, she seemed fine. Fine. She gritted her teeth as she hobbled across her kitchen.

She couldn’t ride her scooter or drive a car, not that she owned one. Taxis were definitely out of her budget. All of which equaled one thing—public transport. Eden sighed again, letting the released air carry away some of her frustration. The idea of limping to the bus stop and the circuitous route to work, complete with noisy teenagers on board, wasn’t something she relished. She’d like to take up Faith’s offer of a ride on the one hand, but on the other hand, it was half an hour in the wrong direction for her sister. Eden hated being a burden almost as much as she hated things being out of her control.

She texted Faith back and let her know she’d get the bus. She’d be fine. Probably.

Just as she was slipping on her Converse and wondering whether to strap her ankle more firmly, the doorbell rang. That familiar ding-dong had become an omen of impending excitement around her place. She froze. Was Faith there already?

Eden hobbled to her front door, trying to keep the weight off her bad ankle. She’d left her new crutches in the kitchen. When she peered through the peephole, her heart stopped dead for a second. She backed up against the door and took two deep, calming breaths before looking again. Just to double-check.

Finn.

It was definitely Finn, definitely standing at her door. She wasn’t ready to see him. Maybe after the long bus ride, when she got into work. Maybe sometime in the afternoon. But not straight up, after only one cup of coffee. But avoiding him was ridiculous. As if she was afraid or something.

Full of trepidation, she eased the door open, her heart ka-booming like she’d run a sprint. Not that she ran, unless something or someone was chasing her.

Was Finn chasing her? She bit the inside of her cheek, but not to keep herself from smiling. Nope.

His golden hair flopped to one side, luminous in the morning sunlight, and his shoulders looked impossibly broad in a plain green business shirt, the color of springtime, matching his eyes. She stared, waiting for him to say something. Finn’s smile was infectious, like a disease. Obviously, she needed to be inoculated.

He leaned in her doorway, all large and sunny looking. “Good morning, Doctor Eden. Care for a ride?”

Oh. My. God.

“Oh. My. God.” Eden stood there, tension holding her body perfectly still. She looked about ready to vomit.

Finn should’ve expected her reaction. Being pleased to see him was asking too much.

Eden stared him down, even though she wasn’t exactly tall and had to tilt her head skyward to do so. Her right hand still clutched the doorknob, as if she might slam the door shut in his face any second. She was probably considering it.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, her tone frosty.

Finn had anticipated her question and, of course, had an answer ready to go, like a TV chef presenting a meal. Here’s one I prepared earlier. He cleared his throat and stuffed his hands in his pants pockets. He had to do something to stop himself from grabbing her and kissing the hell out of her. Again.

He shrugged, acting calmer than he felt. “I figured you’d need a ride to work, and I wanted to tell you I delivered Betsy to the mechanic. You know we left your scooter in my car on Friday night.” He waited for her to react. Instead, she continued to stare at him.

He carried on with his explanation, even though she didn’t seem to want to listen: “I dropped her off to my friend Sam because he’s kind of a genius with classic cars and bikes, so I called in a favor.”

Finally, Eden moved, removing her hand from the doorknob and folding her arms under her breasts.

He wouldn’t look, he wouldn’t look… He looked. But only for a second. Then he took his time checking out the rest of her. She wore a white button-down shirt, fitted in all the right places, teamed with a slim gray skirt. Purple sneakers on her feet, ankle strapped in place. She’d tied her hair in a ponytail and small, black-framed glasses perched on the end of her nose. She looked adorable.

“I don’t want you to give me a ride.” She hesitated, closing her eyes.

Not entirely oblivious to his double entendre then. But she obviously wasn’t about to mention kissing him, either.

She opened her eyes, black lashes fluttering, and stared at him. “I’ll take the bus.”

He shook his head. “Eden, you don’t need to take the bus. I doubt you’d even make it to the bus stop, walking on that ankle. I’m here, so why not take advantage of me?” He tried but failed to contain his grin. Okay, he didn’t really try.

Her mouth popped open slightly. She wasn’t wearing any lipstick today, but her full, pink lips looked luscious anyway.

Then, out of the blue, she shoved him in the chest.

“Grr, stop it!” Eden growled as she attacked him like a cute grizzly bear.

Finn took a step back. “What’s the matter?”

Her shoulders slumped, and she breathed out, then took another deep breath in, like his half-hearted attempts to meditate. “Stop it. Stop with your sexy one-liners and the turning up and rescuing me. I don’t want you here. I don’t need you.”

Right. Of course.

How could he have forgotten her usual sunshine-and-lollipops attitude? But he wasn’t taking any of her crap today. Not after he’d kissed her and held her in his arms, felt her melt against him. No, he knew her now. Knew the sexy, passionate side she attempted to hide. Whether she liked it or not.

Finn stood his ground and slowly shook his head. “You can pretend you don’t like my ‘sexy one-liners,’ as you put it, but I know you enjoyed kissing me. I sure as hell enjoyed kissing you. And I’m going to do it again.” He smiled, enjoying the look of stunned indignation furrowing her brow. “But I won’t kiss you again until you want me to. Until you ask nicely.”

She raised a haughty eyebrow. “Don’t hold your breath. You’ll be waiting a while.”

“No worries, I’m a patient man. Good things come to those who wait.” His mouth stretched into a wider smile. Teasing this woman was too much fun.

Eden growled again, softer this time, and he almost groaned at its effect on his body. It was like she was winding him up with a string, tightening his muscles, getting him ready for action. He laughed, unclenching his body. Time to get this show on the road.

Finn pulled his car keys from his pocket. “Okay, I’m giving you a ride today and every day until your ankle’s healed. You might want to text your sister and let her know. She’s the one who suggested I drive you to work this week.” He paused, waiting for that to sink in.

Her mouth fell open, but she didn’t say a word, only turned and hobbled into her living room. He followed her as far as the hallway. She picked up her purse and phone from the coffee table and retrieved a pair of crutches. A minute later, she was back by his side and locking her front door.

He could have offered his arm as they walked to the car. She was using the crutches but putting too much weight on her leg. But he didn’t offer. Pride was important to Eden, both professionally and personally. He was getting to know her, and it was obvious she wanted to do things herself, to her own high standards, even if it was a struggle sometimes. He could respect that.

Huffing and puffing, she navigated the slight downward slope and approached his truck in the drive. He couldn’t stop himself from opening the passenger door for her and watching to make sure she got in okay.

Eden puffed out another breath as she sat, blowing a couple of loose strands of hair out of her eyes. He resisted the urge to smooth his fingers through her hair. It wasn’t easy. “You alright?”

She kept her eyes focused on her purse in her lap. “I’m not an invalid, you know.” She glanced sideways at him. “Just drive.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Finn saluted and doffed his imaginary hat, acting the part of a proper chauffeur.

Then all was silent. No problem. He had more than enough conversation for the both of them.

After he settled in the driver’s seat and revved the engine, he backed out of the drive and turned onto her quiet street. Then he began his life story—at least the parts he didn’t mind sharing.

“I’ve never told you about my hometown of Melbourne. You know I’m Australian, right? Lived there all my life until I finished uni at the ripe old age of twenty-one. Then I worked in sports marketing for a while before I decided to try my luck at grad school in the States. Anyway, Melbourne’s a great city. Really cool, lots of sporting events, and it’s a cultural capital too. I’d love to show you around sometime if you ever visit. I lived right near the beach growing up —”

Eden shifted in her seat to face him, interrupting his flow of thoughts when her slim skirt rode up her bare thighs. He snapped his attention back to the road, just in time to get on the highway.

She kept her gaze on him the whole time — he could feel it, a palpable lick of flame against his skin. She narrowed her eyes when he glanced at her. “Why are you telling me all this stuff?”

Finn shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road ahead. “I thought you’d be interested, now that we’re friends.”

“Well, I’m not. And we aren’t friends. Or anything close.” Her voice was high-pitched and weird, as if her throat was constricted.

“We got pretty close on Friday night. I liked it. A lot.”

Eden sighed but said nothing more. When he looked across, he found her staring at her phone, texting someone. He clenched his jaw, almost biting his own tongue.

Shit a brick. Was she messaging HotAussie007? With his phone sitting right there in the center console, next to the gearshift, if she sent a message now, his phone would ping like an alarm right in her ear.

But, of course, Eden wasn’t messaging HotAussie007. She hadn’t responded to his admittedly lame attempt at an apology on Friday night. He’d considered telling her the truth, mulling over the pros and cons all weekend.

Sam thought he should come clean, tell her he’d been attracted to her online long before he knew who she was in real life. But for some reason, Finn didn’t want to drop his online persona. Not yet. Eden actually liked one version of him. Well, she had for a while.

He glanced across at her, staring glumly out at the beautiful sunshiny day. “Aren’t you going to say anything about Friday night? About us?”

Eden huffed out a slow breath. “I don’t want to talk about it. And there is no us.”

“C’mon, Eden. I was there. You were into it, and I was way into it. There’s definitely something between us, whether you call it physical attraction, chemistry, whatever.”

She whipped her head around to glare at him. “I do know a thing or two about chemistry. Outside factors can influence the result of any experiment. For instance, if a certain element has an urge to merge, it will combine with another element, even if not ideal, to form a compound.”

He chuckled. “Urge to merge?” Somehow, he suppressed another comment. Since when was science talk so sexy?

She crossed her arms. The frown on her face would’ve been cute if she hadn’t looked so fierce. “You heard me. The resulting compound may be something useful, or it may be junk.”

“Junk. Right.” Finn nodded but couldn’t help feeling discouraged. Feeling like shit, actually. Being compared to junk was never a good sign.

Eden continued her spiel, unaware of the way his guts were churning. She waved her hands around in the air, getting into her explanation. “Speaking for myself, I’ve been running a kind of experiment by dating new people. My date didn’t exactly work out last Friday, hence the, um, random element and failed bond.”

Great. Now she was describing him as some random element and their kiss as a failure. At least he knew where he stood with her. He didn’t stand anywhere. She’d barely even noticed him, and she’d already kicked him to the curb.

Finn shifted gears and concentrated on the road ahead. “Far be it from me to adversely affect your grand experiment.”

His words must have sounded colder than he’d intended because she swung around and stammered out a response. “Sorry, I guess I’ve done it again.” She scrunched up her face.

He returned his eyes to the road as he spoke. “Done what, exactly? Kissed the hell out of some guy you obviously don’t even like?”

“No, I don’t do that. Not usually. I meant I tried to explain something of what I’m feeling, and it came out sounding bitchy.”

“Yeah, you really should work on those people skills.”

Eden huffed out another breath. “Let’s just get to work.”

“Fine.”

By the time they reached Magna Smart’s parking lot, the temperature within the confines of his car had gone from cool to scalding hot. And it wasn’t just the summer sunshine warming up the early morning, glinting off his rearview mirror. No, Eden was fuming. He couldn’t exactly say why, but he was too.

There was definitely some sort of chemical reaction going on between them, but he didn’t dare risk Eden’s wrath by disagreeing with her. Even though she was dead wrong.

The compound they formed when they were together wasn’t junk. It was something new, something amazing. Something highly flammable.