Next to Me (Triplets book 3)

Chapter 8

Elyse sat in the jeep and looked at the back side of the hood. Gene had claimed to know a good place to go for the day on Grand Turk that was private and quiet, so they had rented a jeep and headed in that direction. He had assured her that he had been there before and knew where they were going, but the jeep had stopped running about ten minutes down a very suspect road that looked like it was abandoned.

"How do you know about this place?" Elyse yelled out the window. All she could hear was cursing and the occasional hiss as if he had touched something hot.

"I know a guy!" he yelled back.

"Are you sure we're going the right way? This road doesn't look like it leads to much of anything?" Elyse looked out all the windows, expecting a possible Jurassic Park moment.

Gene's head popped around the hood, and he glared at her. Evidently, his romantic moment was not going according to plan, and she stifled a smile.

"This isn't one of those 'I ran out of gas' gags, is it?" His only response was to shoot her another dirty look before disappearing behind the hood.

"Would you like me to take a look?" Elyse offered.

"Do you know about cars?" he asked drolly.

"Yes, not the newer electrical ones so much, but the old beaters like this, sure. I used to work on them with my dad when I was a kid, and I'm mechanically minded." Elyse leaned back, not expecting him to agree to let her help, but suddenly he was at the window next to her, pulling open the door.

"Be my guest," he waved a hand.

Elyse smiled sweetly as she got out of the car and stretched as if she had been stuck in it for hours and not only half an hour. "Tell me," Elyse asked, ignoring his pursed lips at her stretch, "is this spot worth it? The beaches near the ship looked fine to me."

"It's worth it," he nodded, closing the door behind her and following her around the car.

Elyse saw the problem immediately. "When was the last time this thing was serviced?"

"How should I know?" Gene grumbled and leaned in next to her to look at the engine.

She turned to look at him, and he was so close she could see the fine wrinkles around his eyes. She wondered if he had them around his mouth as well. Her gaze fell to his lips, and she couldn't help but wish for another kiss. He must have caught on to her thoughts because he leaned in and did that very thing.

After a few moments, he broke the kiss and smiled at her. "That was nice."

"It was," she agreed breathlessly.

"Can you fix it?" Gene asked, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Fix what?" Elyse asked, confused.

He motioned with his head. "The car? Can you fix it?"

Elyse blushed. His kiss had made her forget they were stalled out on a dirt road on a tropical island.

"That's nice, Mary. I like it when you blush. Do you do that with your whole body?" He let his eyes wander over her curves, which deepened Elyse's blush.

Flustered, she leaned in and tightened the spark plugs. "We should charge them for automotive work." After a minute, she stood up and looked at her dirty hands. "That should do it."

"Hold on," Gene said as he walked over to the back of the jeep and pulled out a towel and some hand sanitizer. "This might get the worst off." He then took his hands in hers and started to clean them. "You have lovely hands."

"Thank you, so do you," she watched his hands as they worked. Even after her hands were cleaned, they both just stood staring at their joined hands, and Elyse felt a connection at that moment that she had never felt with anyone else. She felt that if she let go, she would lose something important.