Propositioning Her Brother's Best Friend (8 page)

“What woman troubles?” Paul threw a
rag over to his worker and chuckled. Nothing was going to put him in a foul
mood today.
 
Rachel was everything he’d
hoped. She was funny, smart, and sexy as hell all rolled into one.

Mitch still posed a problem. Paul
knew it was only a matter of time before he came home. The last time Mitch had phoned
he was in some field in a tent, camping. Paul would never understand his
friend’s need to become one with nature. His friend’s reaction was something he
was going to need to discuss with Rachel. She might have a solution to their
problem when it came to Mitch.

“When do I get to meet her?” Darren
asked.

“Soon.
Real soon.”
Paul was determined
not
to keep their
relationship a secret. He wasn’t embarrassed by being with her. The only thing
holding him back from screaming his love for her from the rooftops was his
respect for Mitch.
 

He would talk to her at some point
that night. She was coming over to his place, and there he intended to go the
whole way with her. The teaching was off the table. He wasn’t going to teach
her like some fucking pupil. Rachel was his woman. He looked forward to dating
her and had already picked a movie for them both to watch. Also, he was going
to make them dinner. Paul would never be a chef, but a meatball pasta dish he
could throw together and it would be edible.

“I look forward to meeting her.
Whoever can put that damn grin on your face is a mighty fine woman in my book,”
Darren said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’ve had your fair share of women,
and none of them have left you like that. You look … happy. Like real happy.”

Laughing, Paul went back to work. He
needed to get this car fixed before he could get home and start cooking. Everything
needed to be perfect, the dinner, the movie and the mood.

Paul wasn’t sure if he was ready to
take her virginity yet. Her first time needed to be pretty special. The last
thing he wanted was to cause her pain and make Rachel hate him for the rest of
her life.

Stop panicking. Get the car fixed, and then I can deal with everything
else.

He drowned out the rest of the noise
Darren was making. Darren was known for singing out of tune while working on
cars. Ignoring the sound, Paul allowed himself the time to simply work. Pushing
Rachel out of his thoughts he started working.

Time passed. He wasn’t known for
wearing watches and didn’t know how much time had passed when Darren whistled
at him.

“Hey, boss. Tracy Hall is outside
waiting for you.” Darren knocked on the car gaining his attention. The garage
was sectioned off from the main reception. They had the shop closed off today,
and only on a few rare occasions did Paul open it up. He hated people watching
him from across the street. It drove him insane.

“What?”

“Tracy Hall is here to see you.
She’s dressed to impress and won’t leave until she sees you,” Darren said,
shrugging.

“What does she want?” he asked,
feeling uneasy. He did not need Tracy at his door, not now. It had been a
couple of months since he’d last been with her. She was a woman who was easy to
get in the sack.

Shit, he hated his old habits.

“You fixed her car, and she’s
refusing to pay anyone but you. She’s got it bad, Boss. I’d be careful if I was
you. That girl has a mean streak.” Darren walked back to the car he was working
on.
 

Paul cursed. He’d forgotten about
Tracy. This was not what he needed today. “I’ll be right out.”

Tracy had been badgering him for
months now. Up until now he’d been able to deflect her attentions. Wiping his greasy
hands on a cloth he made his way through to the main office. He didn’t want to
deal with Tracy, not after what Rachel told him the other night with regards to
her gossiping. Rachel knew he had a past. She would have to wait for him to
explain Tracy’s appearance. For the past few months Tracy had been hounding him
trying to get him to agree to a more permanent relationship. He refused. One,
because Tracy couldn’t keep her fucking legs shut. When he was with a woman,
exclusively, he didn’t cheat. Two, he never loved her, and
three,
she wasn’t the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Tracy would
never be that kind of woman.

In that moment Paul wished he could
wipe out his past. Unfortunately for him, he did not possess a magic wand. If
he did there would be a whole lot of things he’d change.

Mussing up his hair he made his way
to the main office where they dealt with the customers. There leaning on top of
his counter was Tracy Hall. She wore a mini skirt and tight tank top that left
nothing to the imagination. Her breasts were practically heaving out of the
top. Tracy clearly bought clothes a size too small. He’d never let Rachel out
looking like this. What shocked him the most was that before having Rachel like
he did last night, Tracy had been the woman who turned him
on.
At any other time he’d have pulled her through to his private office, where he
kept all the personal details, and have her spread across his desk fucking her
by now. Judging from the way her clothes fit, she seemed to be in pain, they
were that tight.

“Hey, sugar.” She purred at him with
her full lips pouting. Keeping the counter between them, Paul stood with hands
on his hips waiting.

“I’m busy, Tracy. Why couldn’t you
pay Darren?” he asked.

“He and I don’t have a thing. Besides,
I can barely understand the man. Does he even talk English?” She gazed down at
her nails while insulting his staff. He would bet Rachel would have found
something to talk to Darren about.

“You’re being a bitch.”

“Well, that’s the way you like me,
baby. I can be a dirty bitch when needed.” She handed over her card. Paul took
her card, typed in the bill and waited for her to finish typing in her code and
whatnot. “You’re in a mood today. What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.
I’m busy.”

I want you out of my life. I’m in love with my best friend’s little
sister,
and you could fuck that up for me.

Paul didn’t say anything. He handed
her back the card. She tried to caress his finger-tips, but he pulled away. “What
do you want?” he asked when she made no move to leave. Paul could not stop his
annoyance, and he sounded abrupt. Never in all the times they were together did
he give Tracy the idea they could be more than what they were. It was never
going to happen, no matter how much she wanted it. Paul wasn’t interested in
her like that. He wasn’t worried about her reaction as she didn’t even bat an
eyelash at him and didn’t seem to even notice his annoyance or lack of interest
in her.

“I was wondering if you were busy
tonight?
I feel really lonely, and I could use some of your
cock.” She pushed her tight breasts out to him. Her crude language didn’t shock
him either. Paul wished it did. Tracy simply didn’t care unless she got what
she wanted.

“No thanks, I have plans, but thanks
for the offer.” He picked up the notes taken for her car and made to leave.

“Maybe another
night.
Come on,
Paul. I know you and your appetite. I’m sure you’re begging to fuck something
soon?” She was not put off at all.

“I’m good, thanks, and don’t bother
asking. I’m going to be busy for the rest of my life. I think it’s time we
moved on.” Paul told her the truth. He didn’t see the point in lying to her.

“Surely one woman won’t keep you
that busy. I know you, Paul. Your passions could never handle just
one
woman. I promise to help you with
more than one woman.” She gave him a wink, and he shot her down again.

“It’s not going to happen, Tracy.
I’ve moved on. I’m a one woman man.”

“One woman cannot keep you
satisfied. You’re a fucking animal in bed.” He saw the instant Tracy started to
get angry, and it was the moment she realised he wasn’t going to give in to her
demands.

“Yep.
There is only one woman out there
for me,” he said, moving away from the counter.
 
She was the last customer to collect her car for the day. All he had
left to do was finish with the mechanics of the car he’d been working on and
then he could get home. He wanted to get started on the meatballs for Rachel.

“But you said I was a really great
fuck,” she said. He watched the outrage cross her face. Actually, she’d asked
him if she was a great fuck, and he’d nodded in agreement.
 

He was really starting to hate his
past. The women he’d screwed at the time knew the score. Paul had never been
about manipulating women. He told them what to expect, and he never promised to
give them anything more than a few orgasms. Tracy was the only woman hanging
around. The other women backed off and knew how to play the game. Tracy knew
how to play the game. He’d seen her with more than enough men. From what he
heard she was with someone different last night. Tracy could really bite him in
the ass if she wanted to make waves for him and
Rachel,
especially after he told Mitch and they went public.

Shaking his head, he turned back to
her. “It was just a fuck. You wanted it, and I wanted it. There was nothing
else for us. We didn’t give each other promises. You were the one who stated
you wouldn’t be tied down to a man. You wanted sex, Tracy. I gave you sex. Damn
good sex, but sex all the same.” Not the kind of sex he intended to share with
Rachel. With Tracy their time together had been empty and meaningless. In the
short time he’d been with Rachel, Paul already saw a difference.
 

“Are you calling me a whore?”

“No, I’m not calling you a whore.
Stop putting words in my fucking mouth. We fucked. Get over it. I have.”

Paul was losing his patience.
Glancing at the clock on the far wall he saw he only had a short time to get
home. If he didn’t hurry his plans would be ruined. The only woman he wanted in
his life was Rachel.

Why didn’t he fight Mitch for her
when he had the chance?
 

“Well I wonder if the tramp you’re
screwing knows about your past. I’m sure she would not want you if she knew the
truth. You’re an animal, Paul Ellis, and you treat women like shit.” Her anger made
her voice high pitched and squeaky. He winced from the sound.

“She knows everything about me. More
than anyone else will ever know. I don’t lie to her. I’ve never been able to
lie.” Paul forced himself to stop speaking. The more information he gave her
the more the likelihood of her finding out the person rose. “Nothing was ever
going to happen between you and me. In reality, nothing ever did.” He watched
as she stormed out of his mechanic shop cursing his name and slamming doors.
Darren clapped his hands.

“Bravo, mate.
That’s the best dumping I’ve ever
seen. Just out of curiosity, does Mitch know you’re in love with his sister?”
Darren asked.

Paul stared at him, shocked. “What?”

“I’m not blind or deaf, Boss. The
only girl sweet enough to tame you is Rachel. She’s a nice girl. I doubt Mitch
will have anything nice to say about it, though.”

“Don’t say anything to him. I hope
Tracy doesn’t figure it out and start spouting her mouth off.” Shaking his
head, Paul wondered where he’d lost control. “I want to break it to Mitch
slowly.”

“I wouldn’t do that. Mitch is the
type of guy to shoot the messenger and ask questions later. I like my life,
Boss. I’m not about to do something crazy like tell Rachel’s big brother that
you’re in love with her. No, no way. You’re on your own with that one.”

Paul laughed. “Mitch is not that
bad.”

“You’ve always been in his good
books with you being his friend and all. Take care, and break it to him
quietly.”

Darren left him alone to lock up.

Man, he really did some stupid shit
over the years. One of the stupidest things he’d ever done was not tell Mitch
his true feelings. When Mitch warned him away he hadn’t fought for Rachel. Then
had been his opportunity to make her his. He wouldn’t let another moment pass.
Picking up his keys, Paul headed out and pushed the thoughts and regrets to the
back of his mind.

Tonight was all about him and
Rachel.

Chapter Eight

Rachel was nervous, excited but
nervous. Her time with Paul wasn’t about teaching anymore. This was the real
deal. Checking her hair in the rear view mirror Rachel rolled her eyes.

It’s Paul, for crying out loud. He’s known me since I was a little kid.

Closing her eyes she gained her
composure before turning off the ignition in her car. She’d been at work, which
required her to take her car, as otherwise she’d have left it at home. Grabbing
her bag from the passenger seat, she climbed out of the car and walked over to
knock at the door. Rachel stood waiting, tucking loose strands of hair behind
her ear. She was dressed in a blue pair of jeans and a plain rose coloured shirt.
He’d told her that morning to dress casually. She’d decided not to bother
changing from the clothes she wore to work.