Best Erotic Romance 2014 by Kristina Wright Read Free Book Online Page B

slipped in any patronizing words about her gender—this was definitely the first write-up she’d gotten that didn’t include a line about how surprising it was that Tamara could be a competent mechanic and decently pretty woman at the very same time. As far as what had happened between them, she was the one who had sent him away. She was disappointed he hadn’t called, but he didn’t owe her anything.
    Unfortunately, knowing that hadn’t helped her get over her evening with Randal. “I just feel like he took us for a bit of a ride,” she admitted to Lucy, ducking her head at her inadvertent car imagery and the memories it summoned.
    â€œHe paid us, and he gave us great press,” Lucy returned brightly. “I don’t know what else you want from him!” She turned on her heel and returned to the front office, leaving Tamara to stare after her. She knew exactly what else she wanted from Randal Dean, but she also knew she had no chance of getting it.
    â€œTamara, can you come out to the front?”
    Tamara took a deep breath and emerged reluctantly from the engine she’d been working on. “Seriously, Lucy, you are probably better prepared for talking to customers than I am.”
    Lucy seemed exceedingly nervous this time, her fingers lacing together and unlacing in front of her body in rapid succession. “Would you please just come?”
    Tamara wiped grease from her fingers, wincing a little at the way that always reminded her of Randal now. “I’ll be there in a second.” She cast a longing glance over her shoulder at the parts laid in a neat array on a cloth beside the car, then followed her service consultant to the front.
    â€œI need timing belt service,” a familiar voice said. “Something is leaking or something is broken—I’m not sure what it is, but I have to make it right before I suffer catastrophic engine failure.”
    Tamara stared. Randal stood in her front room, as sharply dressed as he’d been before, with a dozen roses in his hands. She struggled to find her voice. “Didn’t you just have that service recently?”
    â€œI should have asked my mechanic to look at the valve covergasket, too. My fault, really. How can she work when she doesn’t know the car’s whole situation? I’m hoping that sort of problem won’t happen anymore once I get a permanent arrangement set up with her.”
    Tamara recognized his apology, and his invitation. She stepped forward and took the roses, their hands brushing together as she did. As before, he made her feel beautiful despite—or perhaps because of—all her grease and dirt.
    â€œCan I talk to you outside?” Randal murmured when she came close.
    Tamara smiled. She went behind the counter and palmed the keys to the souped-up Civic she drove herself. They would talk, certainly, and sort out anything they needed to. First, she meant to take him for a nice long ride.

RULES
    Emerald
    â€œWhat are you doing?”
    Joyce looked up to see Pete in the doorway. “Just going through some pictures,” she said, looking back down at the disorganized box in front of her. “Many of which I had forgotten I had.”
    Her husband moved to stand behind where she sat cross-legged on the basement floor. He squinted at the photo in her hand.
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    Joyce laughed. “It’s when I dyed my hair purple.” She held it up for his better viewing.
    â€œYou dyed your hair purple?” Pete took the picture from her.
    â€œYeah. When I was eighteen. I told you that. Didn’t I? My parents had a fit.”
    Pete shook his head, his eyes on the photo.
    Strictly forbidden to by her parents, she recalled clearly howshe’d grinned the whole time she’d sat in the salon swivel chair the day she turned eighteen, the stylist casually stripping even her light-blonde hair of its natural color—along with its