Discovering Stella Read online

  Todd chuckled again. God, I missed him. “Suck it up, Stel Bel. I’ll send a knight to rescue you as soon as I can.”

  Rolling my eyes, I shook my head and thanked Todd before disconnecting the call. By this stage, Tall, Blond and Handsome had stemmed the flow of blood from his nose and was cleaning the last trace off his face. “So, did you sort out —” he began to ask, but was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. Pulling it out, he smiled broadly to himself as he answered. “Mate, what’s up?”

  I watched as he placed the soiled tissue in his pocket while leaving his hand resting on his hip and, considering he was in a pair of denim jeans, polo t-shirt and steel-capped boots, I assumed he was unbearably hot — temperature hot, that is. Hell, I was unbearably hot just looking at him. It’s so hot. So stinkin’ hot. It seems to be getting hotter by the second.

  Feeling flustered, I leaned over my centre console and stretched for my bottle of water, taking a quick swig and finding it to be a little too warm to quench my thirst. Damn it! Damn this heat. The fact that I was sitting stranded in my stupid car wasn’t helping; neither was the radiant heat which bounced off the bitumen surface and attacked me with force, the assault resulting in me feeling overly clammy. I needed a reprieve, so I lifted the hair off the back of my neck and gently poured some of the water there to cool myself down.

  Unfortunately, the lid was not screwed on tight enough and the water came out with a gush, saturating my already sweat-dampened singlet top. “Shit!” I muttered.

  Tall, Blond and Handsome seemed to stumble on his words, which was when I looked up and noticed him staring at my drenched front ... my soaking and now see-through drenched front.

  I glared at him then quickly crossed my arms over my chest.

  He chuckled, but then his eyes widened at what the person on the other end of the phone was saying. “No shit, really?”

  His eyes met mine, his expression speaking mischief, desire, excitement and potential. It was an expression that made me a little nervous.

  “Of course I can. Leave it with me ... yeah, you owe me, all right,” he said playfully before disconnecting the call and placing his phone back in his pocket.

  Feeling a little awkward, I raised my eyebrows at him as I hugged myself. “So, um ... thank you for saving me from a painful burn. And once again, I’m sorry for head-butting you, but you really don’t need to hang around. My stepbrother, Todd, has a friend coming to pick me up.”

  “You mean Lawson, right?” he asked with a cocky grin.

  I furrowed my brow. “Yeah, Lawson ... how’d you know that?”

  “Because I’m already here.”

  T W O

  Think before you act

  The look on her face was priceless. In fact, the entire look of her was priceless. Long brown hair framed her hot-as-fuck face, which had lips that made my cock beg for a kiss. I couldn’t stop looking at them: plump, soft, and slightly wet from her darting tongue — they drew me in like an addiction.

  Stella — her name, which I knew thanks to Todd’s phone call — had golden tanned skin that glistened with perspiration all the way down to her legs, which were now pulled up to her chest. Clearly she was the modest type, although I think it was safe to say that she was also incredibly feisty — my throbbing nose, the proof.

  Wishing she would drop her legs and give me another view of her tits, I stood waiting like a horny teenager. I swear that, before she pulled her legs up to cover her chest, I had glimpsed a nipple, a nipple I wanted to suck in between my lips and gently nibble on. Jesus, get a fucking hold of yourself, Drake.

  Shifting uncomfortably in order to create some space in my now restrictive jeans, I managed a quick adjustment to the package. It took a shitload of willpower not to keep my hand there and stroke my growing cock right in front of her. Fuck, she’s hot. I was not normally this turned on. Sex was not something I’d ever been starved of ... a perk of being a fit, good-looking bloke in a small town. But, for some reason, this chick had me raring to go.

  Stella’s cheeks flushed red and she diverted her gaze when she noticed my not-so-subtle cock fine-tune. And that was all it took to give me a full-blown, raging hard-on.

  Her mouth dropped open then closed almost instantly, before she raised her eyes to mine. “You ... you’re Lawson, the mechanic?”

  I pointed to the logo on the pocket of my t-shirt which read Knight Repairs. “Sure am. Consider me your knight in shining armour,” I said with a cocky smile, loving my business name and its double meaning. “It also appears that you’ll be getting a ride from a strange man, after all.” Continuing to smirk arrogantly, I slightly adjusted myself once more, prompting Stella to furrow her brow and deliberate her situation, seemingly weighing up her options, which were few and far between.

  “Right! So what will you do?” she asked with a heavy swallow.

  “I’ll start by hooking your car to my truck back there.” I pointed in the direction of where I had parked. “Then I’ll drive it and you to Pittstown where Todd will meet us.”

  She nodded and sighed. “Okay.”

  Realising that she wasn’t in a hurry to release her legs and display her tits anytime soon, I bit back a smile and opted to play with her.

  “You gonna get out of the car so I can hook it up?”

  “Yeah, of course,” she answered, waiting for me to walk away. When I didn’t move, annoyance slowly crept across her face in the form of pursed lips. She knew my game plan. “Are you going to go and hook up my car?”

  “Are you going to get out of it?” I countered.

  She gritted her teeth. “Yes! When you turn around, I will.”

  “I have no plans to turn around,” I answered, defiantly.

  Stella blushed again and let out a frustrated breath. “My top is wet and see-through.”

  “Yes, I know.” An enormous smile crept across my face. One I tried to subdue, but failed miserably.

  She stared straight ahead. “I’m not moving until you turn around.”

  “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before, angel,” I declared, like a cocky fucker.

  Before I knew it, she was out of the car and in my face, her cheeks red and her eyes blazing with fury. It nearly knocked the wind right out of me.

  “Don’t you dare call me angel,” she screamed, pointing her finger into my chest.

  Stunned stupid, I raised my hands in surrender while watching a tear escape her eye. Jesus fucking Christ, what did I say? “Okay, okay. Shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean —”

  My apology was cut short when she wrenched her wet singlet top over her head and threw it at my face. “There, you happy now? You wanted to see my breasts, so here they are. Take a good look.”

  More tears were making their way onto her cheeks, descending further where I tried desperately not to look — really tried. But I was a man, a horny fucking man with a beautiful set of tits right under my nose, and no matter how much I struggled with breaking eye contact and proving I was not a chauvinistic pig, I failed and looked down.

  “Like what you see?” she sobbed

  Hell yes, I like what I see. Perfectly rounded tits, rising and falling before me with every breath she took in. They were stunning. Closing my eyes for the briefest of seconds, I clenched my fists by my sides in a desperate attempt not to raise my hands, touch her rack and bring her lips to meet mine. Instead, I got my shit together and quickly snapped my eyes back to hers, wrenching off my polo shirt and threading it over her head. “I’m sorry. Fuck. Here.” I fumbled like an idiot. What the hell is wrong with me?

  She just stood there like a statue, as if her body were present but her mind elsewhere.

  “Stella. Stella, shit, I’m sorry,” I said in panic, fumbling further with my shirt. Her eyes were focussed on my chest, as if I were a brick wall, or not even there at all. “Stella!” Fuck, what have I done?I picked up her arm which fell limp, so I picked it up again and pulled it through the sleeve of my top, repeating the action with her other arm until
she was completely covered up. Then, taking a step back, I placed my hands on her shoulders and bent down so that I could look her in the eye. “Stella, are you in there?”

  Her gaze slowly refocussed, which was when she jerked herself free of my grip and stepped backward, nearly tripping over the uneven ground.

  “Be careful,” I warned, my voice gentle, reaching my arms out to steady her.

  She slapped them away and glared. “Don’t touch me,” she snarled.

  Stella then zeroed in on my truck and started walking in its direction, stumbling as if she’d downed a bottle of wine. She opened up the passenger-side door and climbed in without so much as a word.

  What the fucking hell was that all about? My heart pounded as I stood there in shock, trying to comprehend what had just played out between us — It was as if I’d just stepped into The Twilight Zone.

  Right, break it down, Drake. She found out I was Lawson. I told her she was going to have to get into a strange man’s car. I groped my cock in front of her and basically forced her to show me her tits. “Fucking hell,” I murmured to myself as I ran my hands over my head. Lawson, you idiot.

  Turning in the direction of my truck, I went to walk over to where she was seated in order to apologise profusely and explain I wasn’t a creep, but I thought better of it. No, you tool, give her some space. She probably thinks you’re a rapist.

  “Shit! Motherfucking shit!” I cursed to myself quietly, now resting both hands on top of my head.

  I had to let it go for the time being, give her a chance to calm down or take a breather. The whole situation was just fucking weird and, to be honest, I wasn’t convinced that she wouldn’t smack me in the nose again as soon as I got anywhere near her. That was why deciding to focus on securing her car to the back of my tow truck and giving her some space was the perfect option — the only one, really.

  As I activated the tilt tray to elevate, I couldn’t help but think that even though I’d been an absolute arsehole, there also had to be more to her reaction — she had flipped quicker than a fish out of water. Everything about her response was weird, so much so that I was now hesitant to go anywhere near her. I didn’t know how she’d react, and I sure as shit didn’t want to set her off again. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the option of just standing by my truck for all eternity, so I bit the bullet and opened the driver’s door, tentatively climbing in. She didn’t acknowledge me at first, and feeling as if I had to say something, anything, I proceeded to apologise.

  “Stella, look. I’m sor—”

  “Drive,” she demanded harshly, turning toward her door and giving me the cold shoulder.

  Fair enough.I’d fucked up and obviously pushed her past a breaking point I never knew she had.

  Todd was going to kill me.

  * * *

  After finding a spare t-shirt in the back of my truck and enduring the most uncomfortable, awkward, thirty minute drive of my life, I arrived in Pittstown and pulled the truck to a stop. Stella appeared to be in some kind of trance once again, staring out of the window and unaware that we’d stopped. I took the opportunity to study her profile, taking in her saddened and seemingly lost expression. It was now very clear to me that something had happened to this woman. Something bad. Something that had the ability to put the fear of god into her and zap all of her light at the flick of a switch. That much was obvious. And it was in that moment that I found myself desperate to find out what that something was.

  “We’re here,” I said softly.

  She blinked a couple of times and then turned to face me, her brow furrowed with confusion, as if she’d had no idea I was even there. “What?”

  “We’re here,” I informed her again.

  Stella straightened and looked back out the window, this time taking in the scenery before her. “Oh, thanks,” she said quietly, giving me what I thought was an apologetic smile before opening the truck door and climbing out. Why the fuck is she feeling sorry? I’m the world’s biggest arsehole here.

  I followed suit, making my way to her car and popping the boot to retrieve her bags. There were only two, which surprised me; for a girl, she sure as hell travelled light.

  The front door of the house opened, and Todd made his way down the porch steps, greeting Stella with a massive bear hug. “Holy fuck, Stel Bel, look at you. What happened to your blonde hair?”

  She appeared to grip him tightly, choosing not to answer at first, which made me panic just slightly. If Todd found out what had happened, there was no doubt in my mind we’d be having words, words with our fists.

  “Stel Bel, what’s wrong?” he asked, clearly worried. He looked toward me, eyes wide with uncertainty. “And why are you wearing Lawson’s shirt?”

  Before I could answer, Stella spoke. “I’m fine,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “I’m just tired and hot, and upset about my car. And the reason I’m wearing Lawson’s top is because mine got wet.”

  Well, fuck me laughing. The fact that Stella had chosen not to elaborate on her somewhat truthful answer and place me in the shit with her stepbrother surprised the absolute hell out of me. At the very least, I’d expected her to tell him I was the worst tow truck driver in the world.

  Nodding an unspoken greeting at Todd, I walked past with Stella’s bags. “I’ll just put them inside.”

  “Thanks, Lawson. I owe you, mate.”

  “No sweat.”

  “I can take them,” Stella called out after me.

  “It’s all good. It’s the least I can do,” I replied, ignoring the objection in her voice.

  Moments later, I exited the house to find Todd staring deeply into Stella’s eyes, his hands cupping her face. He looked at her with grave concern. Shit!

  “Stel, you can tell me —”

  “I’m fine,” she replied sadly, flicking her gaze toward me then quickly flicking it back to Todd. “Really, I’m fine. I’m just so happy to see you, and even more so because nothing has changed between us. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how you’d react after not seeing me for so long.”

  “What? I’ll always consider you my little sister.” He winked and pulled her in for an embrace. “You’re the only one I’ve got.”

  “I’ve missed you, Todd,” Stella said, choking out a sob.

  Not wanting to interrupt their reunion, I walked past the two of them and opened my truck door, climbing onto the side step.

  “Wait! What are you going to do with my car?” Stella called out with desperation as she broke free from Todd and jogged to my door.

  “I’m taking it to the workshop to have a look at it. You may have blown a head gasket,” I explained.

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means that if you have, I’ll need to order a replacement.” She looked down at her feet then up again. “Is that expensive?

  And how long will it take?”

  “A week ... maybe two. Don’t worry; as soon as the part is in I’ll get to work on it. How long are you hanging around?” My query hid an ulterior motive. I wanted to know how long I had to find out as much about her as I possibly could.

  “I don’t know,” she replied with a shrug. “I haven’t thought about it. I guess that’s up to Todd and Meg. Anyway, um ... thanks for the ride, and thanks —”

  “You don’t need to thank me, Stella,” I said quietly, cutting her off. “And again, I’m so sorry for the way I acted.”

  She nodded, just slightly, before turning around and entering the house with Todd and closing the door behind them. I let out a frustrated breath as I lowered myself into the driver’s seat, staring after her and realising I had to know more. I couldn’t exactly say why. Yes, she was the sexiest chick I’d ever seen, but it was more than that. Maybe it was the broken damsel thing, and because Mum had always tried to teach me to be chivalrous. Or maybe it was because her flip out left me feeling unsettled and like a complete bucket of shit. Whatever it was, I had to know. And I had the perfect way to extend the time I would need in order to do it.


  * * *

  I’d spent the afternoon performing a compression test on Stella’s car, discovering that it did, in fact, have a blown head gasket. For the few hours that followed, I’d stripped down the motor and removed it, finding one bloody huge crack. I couldn’t have been happier.

  Pulling into the driveway of my house several hours later, I was still smiling because I would have to send the cracked cylinder head off to Shepparton to have it checked and tested, which would inevitably buy me an extra week or so. I also hoped that, upon further investigation of her shit heap of a car, I would find further defects that needed seeing to and would inevitably require more time to do so. The result was perfect.

  Opening the front door to my house, the smell of garlic and onions hit me almost instantly, putting an even bigger smile on my face and a hungry ache in my gut. “Smells great,” I called out to my sister.

  “Tell me something I don’t know,” she yelled back. Little smartarse.

  Stopping in the doorway to the kitchen and spying her stirring a pot, I threw a tape ball at her back. “I can’t,” I said with a smile. “Have I got time for a quick shower?”

  She looked over her shoulder at the ball of masking tape that I often formed out of left over scraps and … boredom, then glared at me. “I hate those stupid things.”

  I waggled my eyebrows. “I know.”

  “You have less than ten minutes. Make it quick!”

  “I knew there was a reason why I love you,” I mocked as I headed for the bathroom.

  She turned back around and scoffed, “Yeah, there are many.”

  I agreed with my sister; there were many reasons. She was only eleven months older, yet it may as well have been eleven years: she was smart, organised, far more mature and, as far as sisters went, she was the best.

  Turning the handle to the bathroom door, I walked in while pulling my t-shirt over my head, eager to wash the day’s grease from my skin.