Slide Down on Me

By Lissa Matthews

Travis couldn't believe his eyes – Arabella Drake really was back in town. He heard the rumors for weeks, but until she inched her car into the parking lot of his garage, he wasn't sure he believed them. Yet, there she stood with her beautiful curves, a timid smile on her lips, and in need of his help.

 

To everyone in their small town, Bella was guilty by association and blood for the underhanded behavior of her brother. But to Travis… She was the one he always wanted, but never got close enough to have outside of his dreams and fantasies.

 

Until now.

 

The repairs on her car cost more than she can pay and he's made it a policy to never work for free, so with zero thought for the consequences, he proposes an unconventional solution until she can gather the money together.

 

Her… Sliding down all over him whenever he wants, wherever he wants.

 

Author's Note: This book was previously titled and self-published as Dirty Mechanic in 2018 and originally published as Slide Down on Me with Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc. It has been lightly revised and updated.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lissa Matthews
• Release date: Aug 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781386719199

Lissa Matthews

Coffee drinker extraordinaire, author Lissa Matthews lives and writes in North Carolina. When not at the keyboard with blue collar bad boys, race car drivers, cowboys, shifters, or pretty much any other hero that tickles her fancy, she can be found reading in the backyard on her swing, in the kitchen trying a new recipe she found on Pinterest, watching sports and movies with her family, or perfecting her nap ninja skills.

Book preview

1

WEDNESDAY

T wenty-five hundred dollars? Bella’s lips whispered over the words. Her throat closed and nausea rolled through her belly. If she said anything, her small breakfast of toast and coffee would be all over the garage floor. Given the oil and gasoline stains, they may not even notice.

She supposed it could be the fumes making her lightheaded. She wasn’t used to such strong, bitter smells.

Close, he said, looking down at his clipboard. Twenty-five hundred, sixty-seven dollars… He looked up again, giving a benign smile. And thirty-nine cents.

Bella met his gaze. Travis Montgomery. He was gorgeous as ever. His midnight eyes held no hint of emotion, but sarcasm dripped from his lips.

Tattoos traveled his arms and disappeared under his shirt, drifting up the sides of his neck. Black hair brushed his collar and was so dark that in the right light, one would swear it shown blue. He was tall, lean-hipped, and she’d wondered for years what his rough mechanic’s hands would feel like on her skin.

She’d had a secret crush on him since she was in high school. Whenever she’d see him around their small town, or out on the lake she was always aware of him. But they were from two different worlds and he wasn't what her family had planned for her.

I… She stared at him, unblinking. I don’t have that kind of money anymore, she said, squaring her shoulders. Thanks again, Artie, she thought. Humility was her new best friend, but in front of Travis? The guy she’d snubbed more than once years ago. She had to admit it was a new level of embarrassment she wasn’t exactly comfortable with.

Heat bloomed in her cheeks, but she was stubborn and wouldn’t look away. She wanted to get out of there, run as far as she could, but there was nowhere to go, no place for her to hide. And thanks to the transmission in her car, no way for her to get anywhere. She swallowed past the queasiness.

That’s as low as I can go, Bella. But as he said the words, his gaze slid down the front of her body to settle at the V between her thighs.

Bella sighed, but didn’t take offense at his blatant suggestion. Once upon a time… Except, she didn’t, hadn’t.

That low or going lower or raising the number doesn’t matter. Not even the sixty-seven. At least for a couple weeks. She was proud of the fact that her voice didn’t shake. It’s possible you could find thirty-nine cents in the seats. He was sexier than a man ought to be, but she wouldn’t let that distract her. Can you hold the car for a little while? Maybe until the end of the week?

It doesn’t have to be cash. I take all major credit cards.

Really? She didn’t roll her eyes, but the sarcasm in her tone couldn’t be mistaken and matched his from earlier. Travis… This wasn’t the first time she’d come up against this argument. I don’t use credit cards anymore.

And I don’t hold cars for anyone. As you can see, the lot is pretty small, he observed, looking over her shoulder out the bay door. I don’t want legit customers thinking I can’t take care of them because there’s a fancy piece sittin’ out front.

She ignored his emphasis on the word piece and fought the strong, sudden urge to kick him. Instead, she turned her head and followed his line of sight.

The front of the garage had a small parking area, but Bella also knew there was room out back. It’s a Cadillac. People drive them all the time. Please, Travis. The end of the week. That’s all. I get paid on Friday.

Please had become the most-used word in her vocabulary lately. She’d always used it, along with thank you, excuse me, yes ma’am and no sir, but they had all taken on whole new meanings since she was no longer an heiress living in a mansion.

Their gazes locked again, and he didn’t seem moved by her plea.

It was all I could do to get it here this morning. It kept dying anytime I got it over forty. I don’t have any way to get it back to the lake or anywhere else to keep it.

He heaved a sigh. Until Friday at closing. Not a day later.

Relief swamped her, and she smiled. Friday. Yes. Thank you, Travis. Thank you. It was a small battle, but she’d won. I have to get to the flower shop now, but I’ll be in touch Friday when I get off work. She spun on her heel, heart thumping wildly in her chest at the victory. Of course, her mind whirled with the fact that it would take longer than two days to get the money, but one step at a time.

Do you need a ride?

His voice stopped her forward progress. She was thankful that she didn’t stumble over herself.

Lust flooded her body, but Bella masked her reaction before facing him again. Oh yes, she’d love a ride. A long, hard, naked ride. On him. He hadn’t moved closer, but heat flared between them. Maybe he wasn’t as indifferent as he’d have her believe. No. I walked here. I can walk back. I don’t want to owe you more than I already do.

Travis shrugged. Suit yourself. Have a good day.

She nodded. She didn’t believe his uncaring, all-business tone for a second. The spark she’d felt was real, but if he could pretend it didn’t exist, she could too.

Stepping outside the dim interior of the garage, the bright sun blinded her. She lifted her hand to shield her eyes and by the time she reached Main Street, she was able to see without squinting.

A sense of home and belonging filled her. She couldn’t remember loving this little town when she was a kid. What she could remember was not being able to get out fast enough. Even though she and her friends ran around unchecked, none of them ever planned to stay or return.

But life changed overnight, then changed again, and she couldn’t wait to get back. She couldn’t wait to walk down the street safe, smiling and looking people in the eye.

The crepe myrtles were in bloom along the sidewalk. The ice cream shop would have its door open all summer. And the farm stand would offer fresh fruits and vegetables, honey and jams.

Everything she’d never appreciated while growing up here…

The transmission issues weren’t her first hurdles; they were only the latest. Her brother’s arrest on white-collar crime charges had been the start of her life as it was now. Despite the years he’d worked for and with their father, it seemed Arthur Drake, III believed the rules didn’t apply to him.

Ten years, eight months and twelve days younger than Artie, Bella was the accidental child. Their parents doted on her and heaped all the expectations for the continued success of the family business on Artie’s shoulders. She’d felt bad, and even asked him to let her help with the business after she graduated from college. And he’d always pat her on the head and tell her not to worry about it.

She worried about it now, though. He made sure of that.

Everything she’d known and loved as a child, was gone—sold or auctioned off. She had an Ivy League education, but that didn’t do her any good in her hometown. Her degree and family name had helped her land a job with a boutique design firm in Nashville. All the work was hers and it had been the greatest feeling. A strange freedom. At her brother’s urging, she’d invested a small sum in the family firm. She’d lost it, too. Artie and his partner had left many of their clients without a cent. Lucky for her, she’d kept some in a local Nashville credit union. There was also a trust fund left to her by their grandmother, but she couldn’t get to it. Yet. Too many stipulations and red tape.

The striped awning of the flower shop came into view. She took a deep breath and smiled, as she unlocked the door. The sweet scent of flowers greeted her as she walked in. It was a far cry from the scents she’d encountered at Travis’ garage.

Her fancy Wellesley education hadn’t included flower arranging, but growing up in Southern high society, had. She could also play the piano with her eyes closed. Write thank you notes in three languages. Dance around a ballroom. Arrange place setting with enough silver for the diner to need a road map. And, of course, she could flash plastic with the best of them. Debutante balls, cotillions and parties of all sizes were on her list of abilities, as well.

But her expertise those areas weren’t wanted or needed anymore. After college, she found she liked working and helping people. Yes, the interiors she designed were often for the rich and sometimes famous, but she gave them what made them happy.

What she didn’t like was owing Travis.

Okay, well, that wasn’t exactly true. She’d rather owe him pleasure and fun instead of money.

There was something else she had