“Ready to go?” he asks, standing up from the couch. I’m able to check him out as he walks into the kitchen to get his keys. He’s incredible sexy in the dark-washed jeans that fit his ass perfectly. The green button-up he has rolled up to his elbows complements his eyes, and I can’t get enough of him. My mouth’s gone dry at the sight, and I have to force myself to look away before he catches me staring.

“Yep, let’s go.” I wince as the words catch in my throat and he looks at me questioningly. Avoiding his eyes, I grab my purse off the table by the door and make my way outside. I head towards my car as he locks up, but when I go to get inside, I hear him yell my name. Still standing on the porch, he gestures for me to come back to him. When I do, he dangles a set of car keys from the tips of his fingers.

“You’ve played chauffeur long enough. It’s my turn to take you for a ride,” he says, shooting a sexy grin my way.

Shaking my head, I disagree, hating to burst his bubble. “Knox, you heard the doctor. You’re supposed to ease back into it. And under no circumstances are you supposed to drive while still on your meds.” I feel awful that I’m acting like his mom, but if he won’t follow the doctor’s orders, someone’s got to make him.

He frowns at me, and I prepare for the argument that’s about to ensue. I shouldn’t be surprised since it’s par for the course for us. “For your information, sweetheart, I started cutting down on them weeks ago, and I haven’t taken a pill since I got my brace off. I was tired of how they were affecting me.” He pauses to clear his throat. “I just stopped cold turkey. I’ve only had naproxen since then, and I’ve started weaning myself off that as well. I think I can handle driving for one night.”

How the hell did I miss that he’d stopped taking his meds? Racking my brain, I realize I never did see him take them. I guess I just assumed that he did, and since we don’t share a bathroom, I haven’t seen the state of his pill bottle. Thinking back on it, I have noticed a slight shift in his personality over the past couple of weeks, and I have to wonder if the meds were part of the reason he was so gruff when we first met. Pushing the thought aside, I decide to give in since this is his night.

“Okay, Knox. But you better not have a lead foot after having not been able to get behind the wheel for so long.”

Grinning at me, he grabs my hand and leads me to a detached garage that I’ve never been in. Leading me through the door, I gasp when I see his ride. A sleek black classic Mustang sits inside. Aside from the color, it’s the spitting image of Eleanor, the car from Gone in Sixty Seconds. I’ve been wanting her ever since I saw that movie when I was fifteen years old.

I don’t even realize that I whisper her name until Knox’s voice echoes in the garage. “What’d you say?” he asks as I walk towards the car and gently slide my fingers over her hood.

Turning towards him, I can’t contain my awe. When I was a kid, I loved going to custom car shows with Dad, and I was always drawn to the classic Mustangs. I’m kind of freaking out that I’m about to ride in one.

“You have Eleanor!” I squeal, unable to contain my excitement. I can’t believe she’s been sitting out here so close to me this whole time.

Chuckling, he leans his ass against the hood, and it’s all I can do not to tell him to take his ass off the car. “Actually, she’s Evelyn, but close enough. I’m kind of shocked you see the connection. No chick that’s ever been in my car has caught that.”

Shrugging, I know it’s probably because of Dad. “Single father. Tomboy. I was raised to love classic cars and classic rock.”

“Ah, Charlie Davenport, you may just be the girl of my dreams,” he teases, winking at me. Even though I know he’s joking, his words send a fluttering deep in my belly, and I pray I’m not blushing. Before I can respond, he motions for me to get into the car. I try to reel in my inner fan girl, but when my legs slide across the smooth leather, I’m in heaven. Leaning back against the seat, I close my eyes, taking it all in. I’m in Eleanor. Well, Evelyn, but still.

“Okay, sweetheart. I might just get a complex that you only like me for my car,” he teases, shooting me a wink. “If you can go the whole night without arguing with me, I may just let you take her for a spin.”

My eyes widen at his offer, and a wave of excitement washes over me. I’d do just about anything to get behind the wheel of this car. I know that I will be on my best behavior for the rest of the night. “You’re on.”

Smiling, he puts the car in drive and we hit the road. For the first time, I’m completely content and comfortable just being with him.

Knox

AFTER BEING off the pain pills for over two weeks, I can happily announce that my cock is fully functioning again, and it’s currently straining against my jeans. The way Charlie practically moaned the name Eleanor as she took in the sight of my car was fucking hot. I can’t call it anything other than auto-lust, and she was head over heels. Honestly, I was shocked that she knew anything about cars, but I’m beginning to realize that nothing about this girl should surprise me.

She spends the car ride checking out all the controls, and it doesn’t escape my attention the way she fingers the leather and then the gear shift. It’s hard as hell to look away when she’s palming it, her thumb rubbing over the shift knob, and yeah, my mind immediately goes into the gutter as I picture her doing the same thing to the head of my cock. Turning my attention back to the road, I turn the radio on and we make the rest of the drive in silence. It’s an unusually comfortable one.

When I pull up to the restaurant I decided on, she’s still messing with the controls on the car. I finally coax her out of the vehicle with promises to let her rev the engine later. As we’re walking into the Blackhorse Pub, I can’t help but place a hand on the small of her back as the hostess leads us to a booth in the corner. This feels suspiciously like a date, but I know it’s not. Hell, I can’t remember that last time I went on a date, and I probably wouldn’t even know how it works these days.

A cute waitress comes up to the table, flashing me her biggest smile while practically ignoring Charlie. Leaning in close, she relays all their crafts brews to me, and I want to shake my head. I have no idea why chicks do this, especially when the guy is with another girl. Newsflash: If I’m with a gorgeous girl who doesn’t look like my sister, I’m not going to give you the time of day, so back the fuck off.

Ordering a beer, I gesture towards Charlie, who’s watching me with amusement. A sweet smiles spreads across her face as she orders the same. We make small talk for a few minutes before our drinks arrive and the waitress asks for our orders.

“I’ll have the filet, medium, with mac ‘n’ cheese and asparagus,” Charlie tells her, and I have to suppress the grin that wants to spread over my face. I nearly order the same, and when the girl leaves us, I turn back to Charlie.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been out with a chick who’s ordered a steak. I mean, never.”

She laughs, and the sound of it does something to me. Not butterflies. Men don’t get those. But it’s something and it’s foreign and I don’t know how I feel about it.

“Yeah, well, I think we established a while ago that I’m not your type, so I can understand why a girl eating a real meal is unnatural for you. Besides, I’ll be sparring at the gym tomorrow and I need the protein.”

Umm, what the fuck? Sparring? She must see the look of confusion that crosses over my face. Taking a sip of beer, she raises her eyebrows and sends a cute smirk in my direction.

“What? You don’t think I can spar?” she asks, and I’m immediately drawn back to the girl-of-my-dreams thought I had when she first saw Evelyn.