A Chance Encounter 69

Lucy tossed her sunglasses on the passenger seat and swore under her breath. Even with no mechanical skills, she knew cars weren't supposed to rumble and hiss, especially when they weren't running.

She wrapped her fingers around the steering wheel and fought the urge to bang her head against it until she slipped into peaceful oblivion. After five continuous hours on the road, with another three still ahead of her, she'd just about reached her limits.

She elbowed the door open, and as she stepped from the car, her blue eyes swept over her surroundings, taking in the sameness of the harsh countryside. A scattering of eucalypts broke up the flat, golden terrain, and sunlight streamed through breaks in the clouds, highlighting cracks in the earth at her feet.

As the breeze warmed her skin and whipped her dark curls into disarray, Lucy turned to face her car.

Dust coated the faded red paintwork, and her windshield had become a graveyard for the countless bugs she'd collected along the way. Although it had held up well on the long journey, the steam forcing its way under the bonnet made her wonder how much life it had left in it now.

She planted her hands on her hips and stared at the road. She hadn't seen another vehicle in at least half an hour, and the last sign she'd passed indicated a town called Barkly Creek was still another twenty kilometres away. There was no way she could walk that far before nightfall, and the idea of sleeping out here all alone in her car didn't appeal to her either.

She let out a frustrated breath and leaned in through the door to release the catch on the bonnet, figuring it should at least look like she needed help on the off chance someone happened to come along. Lucy rounded the car, wiped her palms on her khaki skirt, and lifted the bonnet.

With the heat radiating off the exposed engine and the gurgle coming from somewhere inside, it didn't take her long to realise she had a big problem on her hands, and one she had no chance of covering with her non-existent savings.

Lucy pulled her phone from her pocket, checking the display as she wandered to the rear of her car. No bars, but it didn't really matter anyway. Her roadside assistance had lapsed two weeks ago, and she hadn't been able to renew it with her other bills taking priority.

She leaned against the rear bumper, alternating between watching the road and making futile checks of her phone, when the sound of a distant engine registered. Hope bloomed inside her, along with a dose of fear that had her heart beating faster. She'd seen enough horror movies start out this way to know she needed to be careful, and she looked up to see what was headed her way.

A flat-bed truck pulled off to the side of the road, and a surge of relief travelled through her. She shoved her phone in her pocket and closed her mouth to avoid breathing in the gravel dust billowing toward her.

The door creaked open, and the man who jumped out gave her an easy smile as he slammed the door and headed her way.

Lucy let out the breath she'd been holding and took in his messy, dark blonde hair and the long, lean body filling out his navy-blue shirt and battered jeans. He wore a pair of scuffed work boots, and his sleeves had been rolled up to reveal forearms that appeared to be speckled with paint or varnish.

He looked like one of those capable types, the kind of man who could just look at a problem and find a solution. Lucy hoped that turned out to be the case today.

She brushed imaginary lint from her skirt. Her hair was a tangled mass of long, loose curls and her white tank top sported smudges of grime from her tyre-changing adventure a couple of hours ago. She tugged the hem lower and tucked the edges under to hide the worst of the damage.

"Having some trouble?" he asked, coming to a stop before her.

"I am, unfortunately." Lucy tipped her head back and squinted against the sun's glare as she looked up at him. The friendliness in his hazel eyes helped ease her nerves. "Any chance you know something about cars?"

"Well... I'm not exactly an expert, but I'm guessing I know more than you."

She used her hand to block out the sun and stared at him, amused. "Because I'm a woman?"

His gaze skimmed over her, and his lips quirked. "No, because I'm not the one who's stranded."

His voice made her stomach quiver with pleasure, and his eyes... well, she didn't even want to acknowledge what they were doing to her. Lucy tried to shake off the warmth growing inside her, hoping he'd put her flushed cheeks down to the heat rather than his closeness. "Fair point. I'm Lucy, by the way."

"Hi." His smile gave her the impression he was aware of his effect on her. "I'm Drew."

She cleared her throat and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Would you be able to help me, Drew?"

"Why don't we find out?" He wandered down to the front end of her car, and Lucy followed. After a quick visual assessment, he leaned over the radiator and used the corner of his shirt to protect his hand, working the cap slowly. He sent her a sideways glance. "Do you have any bottled water with you?"

She shook her head as he loosened the cap and set it aside.

"Shame," he said, leaning in for a closer look. "Probably could have just filled you up and got you on your way."

Lucy ignored the sexual connection her brain desperately wanted to make with his words, wishing her dirty mind had an off switch. She scooped her hair into one hand and moved closer, brushing his arm with hers as she peered into the engine bay. He smelled like sawdust and faint cologne. "It just needs water. That's all?"

"No, but I'd say it'd be enough to get you to the next town." He replaced the cap and screwed it on tight. "Your radiator's clapped out. You're going to need a new one."

"That's... not good." Lucy pressed her lips together and gazed absently at him, thinking about the cost involved and the time it would take to fix a problem like that at a mechanic's workshop in the middle of nowhere. She had a hundred dollars left in her wallet, and she couldn't exactly sleep in her car while it was being worked on.

"Where are you headed?" Drew asked. He lowered the bonnet and pressed until it clicked into place.

"My sister's house in Adelaide." Sarah was only eighteen months older than Lucy's twenty-six years, but she'd always been the responsible one. Organised, efficient, mature. Now Lucy would have to ask her for money, and she cringed at the thought of admitting to yet another setback in her already disordered life. "I was hoping to get there today, but I can't see that happening now."

His attention strayed to the interior of her car where she'd shoved some of her belongings. The rest of them filled the boot. "You're moving there?"

She didn't see the point in hiding her current predicament since her reasons for ending up here had mostly been out of her control. "I don't have much of a choice at the moment."

Drew dusted off his hands and cradled her hips while he sidled past her. He opened the rear door of her car and sent her a quizzical look. "Why's that?"

The close contact and the casual way he'd handled her made her pulse race. She could still feel the warmth of his hands even though they weren't touching her any longer. Lucy gave her attention to her chipped manicure. "I got fired from my job two weeks ago. The owner of the car dealership I worked for couldn't afford two receptionists, and the other one was sleeping with him, so..."

"Arsehole."

Lucy glanced at him, smiling despite the irritation the memory still caused. "Pretty much. Then I got home that same day--earlier than I usually would, of course--to discover my housemate had cleared out our apartment and disappeared. She did leave me with all the bills, though, so at least I got a parting gift."

Drew let out a low whistle. "You're a shitty judge of character."

Shocked, Lucy met his eyes and laughed. She'd known her housemate hadn't exactly been reliable, but then she hadn't had the luxury of being choosy at the time either. "Thanks--and I was starting to think you were a decent man."

"That just proves my point." He dragged her bags from the backseat, slinging the heaviest one over his shoulder while the remaining two swung from his other hand. "Anything important in the boot?"

"Just another couple of bags, that's all." Lucy rested her hand on the open door. "What are you doing?"

"Taking you to my place in Barkly Creek. I'm guessing you have no mobile reception. You can call your sister from there and let her know what's going on." He nodded towards the boot. "Grab the rest of your stuff--and when you lock up, leave your keys on the front left tyre. The mechanic's a friend of mine and owes me a favour. I'll organize a tow."

She watched him walk away, too caught up in her thoughts to appreciate the rear view of him. He made her feel comfortable in his presence without even putting any effort into it. Now he was apparently taking her home when all she really knew about him was that he had a nice smile and his voice inspired thoughts she didn't want to entertain right now.

He could be a married man with a family... or a psychopath.

She realised this was one of those moments where the next decision could alter the direction her life had been previously headed. The question that had her narrowing her eyes was whether the outcome had more of a chance of being bad or good.

"Are you coming?" he called over his shoulder.

Lucy snapped out of it and noticed he'd already tossed her bags in the back of the truck and jumped in behind the wheel. She pulled in a long breath and let it out in a rush. She got a good feeling about him. Everything he'd said and done so far gave off a feeling of safety.

It was either a case of follow the good-looking, helpful stranger, or sleep in her car, all alone on the side of a quiet road in the middle of nowhere. It didn't take her long to work out the most appealing option. "I'm... yep, just a second!"

She collected her remaining two bags, locked up, and hurried towards him before either of them could change their minds.

~ * ~

Less than half an hour later, Drew pulled into a tree-lined driveway a couple of streets back from the main road in Barkly Creek. The sun had begun its decent, and long shadows fell across the front yard. Gravel crunched beneath the tyres, and the breeze coming through the open window carried with it the scent of roses.

In the blush of the early evening light, Lucy got her first look at his house. Her eyes widened, and she let out a gasp. "This is your place?" Drew came to a stop in front of a garage situated away from the main building. She unfastened her seatbelt and stared at him. "Really?"

"Yeah." He sent her a smile and shut off the ignition. "It has its charm."

"It oozes charm," she said. And so do you, she added silently.

He'd been such good company on the drive here, she found herself warming to him more and more. Lucy hadn't learned a lot about him yet, but she knew he was thirty-three, enjoyed cooking, and he made his own furniture. He'd been on his way back from delivering a piece when he spotted her at the roadside.

She jumped out of his truck and nudged the door closed behind her. Her hands rested on her hips as she took it all in. "It's a church," she whispered in wonder. A beautiful stone church. Ivy climbed up the walls on either side of the front door, framing two narrow leadlight windows. An old wine barrel had been cut in half, and both sections overflowed with silver foliage, flanking a cobble path.

Lucy heard the door creak on the driver's side. "How long have you lived here?" she asked as Drew came around to join her.

"Four years," he said. "It's taken that long to finish the renovations. Come in. Have a look around while I grab your things."

She'd originally wanted to stand out the front and soak up the atmosphere a bit longer but the pull to see the interior got the better of her. Lucy followed him inside and let her gaze wander as he went back out for her belongings.

She got the impression straight away that this was a man's domain; big, comfy furniture, with no knick-knacks or fussy decorations.

A kitchen and living area dominated the main room, and an archway opened to what she guessed would be the bathroom. A couple of couches took up most of the floor space, and a metal staircase led to a mezzanine level where she caught a glimpse of a bed.

The aroma filling the air reminded her of Bolognese sauce, and it gave his already welcoming home a feeling of being alive. She wondered what it would be like to wake up in a place like this every day.

He dropped her bags behind her and closed the door. Lucy sent him a smile over her shoulder. "That's it," she said, "I'm moving in."

Drew smiled before heading over to the kitchen. "Unfortunately, there's only one bed."

The flirt in her almost told him she didn't mind sharing, but she ignored the hussy and trailed after him. She didn't even know for sure if he lived here on his own since he hadn't mentioned his relationship status on the way over. There was no ring on his finger, but Lucy figured working with furniture and machinery would probably make wearing jewellery dangerous.

What if his wife was out the back picking wildflowers right now while she was in here lusting after her husband?

"Did your... uh... girlfriend do the decorating?" Subtlety had never been one of her strong points.

"Smooth." He shot her an amused look and tossed his keys on the counter. "I'm single if that's what you want to know."

Her face grew hot, and she'd never really been one to feel awkward around men. "I didn't mean to pry. I just wondered if you were likely to get in trouble for bringing a woman home."

He pulled a wooden spoon from a utensil holder on the counter and lifted the lid on the slow cooker to stir the contents. "Do I look like the type of guy who'd let anyone tell him what to do?"

"A little bit." Lucy bit her lip to contain a smile.

Drew tapped the spoon on the edge of the cooker and rested it on the bench top. His eyes glimmered with laughter as they met hers. "You'd better be nice to me if you want to be fed."

Whatever he had bubbling in that pot smelled delicious. Lucy's stomach rumbled to remind her just how long it had been since she'd downed that dodgy hot dog at the last petrol station she passed. "I'll be on my best behaviour from now on, I promise."

"For some reason I find that hard to believe." He opened a cupboard and pulled out a saucepan, placing it in the sink to fill with water.

Lucy wandered over to him, wanting to get a closer look at those capable hands in action. The only man she'd ever lived with was her dad, and his idea of cooking had been to slap a steak into a smoking frypan and burn it beyond recognition. She found Drew's familiarity with the kitchen oddly arousing and shivered at the sudden awareness.

"Why don't you go freshen up while I finish dinner?" he said. "The bathroom's right through there." He indicated the archway with a nod of his head.

She'd become so comfortable in his presence that the intimacy of using an almost-stranger's bathroom barely registered, and the idea of showering almost tempted her more than the smell of his cooking. "That'd be great," she said. "I'll be quick."

"I doubt it. That bathroom's my pride and joy. You'll love the shower so much I'll probably have to drag you out of there." Drew glanced up as he placed the saucepan on the stove. Their gazes meshed and a bolt of heat leapt between them.

Visions of him man-handling her wet, soapy body had Lucy's stomach fluttering. A smile hovered at her lips, encouraging the same reaction from him. He seemed to know the direction her thoughts had headed, and the warmth in his eyes told her he appreciated the destination.

"I'll be sure to let you know if I need a hand."

"You do that." His voice had taken on a husky note.

It took all her effort to break eye contact with him and walk away. She let out a shaky breath as she headed for her bags and willed her racing pulse to settle.

~ * ~

After they'd finished dinner and she'd made a phone call to her sister, Lucy wandered around Drew's home, taking the time to explore while he showered. She'd changed into a pale blue dress with spaghetti straps and left her feet bare. No bra, no underwear--she couldn't find the stupid bag she'd packed them in--and her dark curls had now air-dried to tumble softly past her shoulders.

She sipped her wine and stared through one of the front windows to the garden beyond. Night had closed in now, and the moon glinted through a blanket of dark clouds. She took in the peaceful scene and mulled over the time she'd spent with Drew so far.

Although their dinner had started out relaxed and easy, the longer they'd spoken, the more it seemed like they were engaging in verbal foreplay than friendly conversation. Between all the long looks and the heat building between them, the chemistry had been undeniable.

During the meal, she'd discovered Drew's girlfriend had talked him into relocating here four years ago so they could experience a more relaxed, rural lifestyle. Only six months into their adventure, she'd grown tired of the isolation and moved back to the city, while he'd adapted to the change of pace and decided to stay behind and finish the renovations.

Lucy hadn't expected to feel so attracted to him this early on, and she found herself being thankful to a nameless ex-girlfriend she'd never met.

She turned at the sound of the bathroom door opening and saw him emerge wearing worn jeans and a grey t-shirt. His damp hair glistened under the subtle lighting, and he'd scrubbed the paint splatters from his skin. She took her time looking him over, trying to decide if she liked him better dirty or clean.

Lucy rounded the dining table and walked over to the kitchen bench, keeping her movements slow and deliberate--partly to build the mood but also because she just needed more time to get ahold of herself.

Drew watched her progress, his gaze skimming her breasts and travelling down her legs. Her skin flushed under his appraisal, and the intimate way he looked at her left her feeling as if he'd physically touched her.

She set her glass down and ran her hands over her dress, deciding the best way to get control of herself was to throw him off balance. "So," she said, giving him a half-smile. "I'm not wearing any panties."

His expression filled with amusement as he strolled toward her. "Is that so?"

She looked up at him as he stopped before her. "You can check for yourself if you don't believe me. I couldn't find the bag I packed my underwear in."

He bent his head and let his mouth hover beside her ear. "I should probably see if you're telling the truth." The smell of his shampoo and the freshness of his soap teased her senses. Her heart pounded as his hard body pressed to hers.

Drew slipped his hands beneath the hem of her dress, and his palms cupped her buttocks. He massaged her bare cheeks and trailed his thumbs along the cleft of her ass.

"See?" Lucy's breath caught and her voice didn't appear to be working properly anymore.

He nibbled her ear and rubbed his jaw against hers. "I'm not done checking." He slipped one hand around to the front of her body, delving between her legs to caress her pussy. His fingers trailed over her, and the teasing touch had her sighing deep in her throat.

She parted her thighs and leaned into him. Her past experiences with men had always involved kissing--a lot of kissing--before working up to this kind of contact. She'd never moved so quickly with a man she'd just met, and the novelty of it had her legs trembling. "Do you believe me now?"

"Yeah." He pushed one finger between her damp lips and slid it along the length of her, stopping to slowly circle her clit. "You're soaking wet, Lucy."