Acts of Mercy: Part 1 – Chapter 2

“Come on, Big Red. Don’t fail me now,” I whisper to my 1975 K5 Blazer. She’s definitely seen better days, but there’s no way in hell I was going to leave her behind in California.

Knowing my stepdad, he’d probably sell it to some junk yard without so much as a thought.

No, thank you.

Pulling off to the side of the road, I hear the engine make a knocking sound. Well, shit. That can’t be good.

Not even one week into my stint with independence and I’m already running into problems.

I step out onto the highway’s shoulder and make my way around to the hood, sure to avoid any traffic. Popping the hood open, I see smoke coming out in big plumes.

Damn. What now?

I can’t call my mom. She’d just tell me she was right, that I’m not ready to be on my own.

‘Alyssa Marie Rogers, you get on the next flight home. You’re much too young and inexperienced to be living by yourself.’

I roll my eyes and groan. If I’m inexperienced, it’s because of her suffocating me with nannies and rules, never letting me do anything on my own.

No. I’m going to get out of this by myself, even if it means getting dirty. Surely this can’t be too hard to figure out.

I take off my baggy white t-shirt, leaving me in just my red sports bra and denim shorts.

Using the shirt, I begin to slowly unscrew the cap to the radiator. The thing hissing like some demon-possessed snake.

Welp, it looks like I’ll be needing some fluids.

Leaving the hood open, I round the car and get behind the driver’s seat, turning the ignition to see if I can figure out what the hell was making the knocking sound.

Sure enough, that god-awful noise starts back up again.

Yeah, I’m definitely going to need help.

Taking out my cell phone, I debate calling my stepbrother. I’m only twenty minutes outside of Dallas and I know it’s probably the responsible thing to do, but I just can’t seem to make myself do it.

I’m already feeling like a major burden, knowing my staying with him was definitely not his idea.

I’ve heard the things my stepdad says about him. He’s a manwhore, never settling down with one woman and always moving on to the next.

Images of Hudson driving himself into a woman has my stomach rolling and my thighs clenching all at once, the mixture of jealousy and lust running rampant through my body.

So many nights, I touched myself to thoughts of him—his hands on me, as our bodies moved as one—always wanting and needing more.

God, what I would give for just one night. Sure, I’ve never had sex before so I wouldn’t be as experienced as the girls he’s used to, but a girl could dream.

My friends back home had horrible experiences their first time, and I bet that a man like Hudson would make it pleasurable, not painful.

Memories of him coming out of our pool, his wet swim trunks clinging to him like a second skin and outlining his thick as fuck dick flash before me.

Maybe it’d be a little painful, but no significant achievement comes without a little pain.

I snicker to myself before shaking my head.

Agh. Stop it, Alyssa. It’s not okay to think about your brother like that. He sure as hell doesn’t see you that way.

Mentally chastising myself, I hit up Duck Duck Go instead. There’s gotta be a tow service nearby. I check my wallet and I’m thankful for the credit card my stepfather gave me as I left the house yesterday.

I’m not one for handouts, but I knew it would be smart to have in case of emergencies, and this is definitely an emergency.

Getting out of the car, I dial the first towing company I see before bending under the hood once more.

Thankfully, someone answers quickly and I’m able to give them my location before they confirm someone will be out shortly.

Shoving my phone in my back pocket, I continue to stare at the different boxes and tubing as if I’m going to somehow miraculously become an expert mechanic and figure out what’s wrong.

I roll my eyes at myself. I need to just close the damn hood and wait for the tow truck. With my luck, I’ll manage to break something else in the process of looking.

“Need help?” A deep voice speaks behind me and I jump so fast my head smacks against the metal hood of the car.

“Ouch!” I grab at my head and turn to glare at whoever just snuck up on me. “Didn’t your mom teach—” My jaw hangs open and the words die on my mouth.

Hudson Maxwell stands before me, his grey eyes dancing with humor as he stares me up and down.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you, miss. I just saw this beautiful K5 Blazer on the side of the road and wanted to see if you needed any help.”

Miss? Does he not know who I am? Sure, it’s been three years since we last saw each other in person, but hasn’t he seen any photos of me recently?

I know I’ve stalked him on social media like any hot-blooded girl would on their crush.

Wanting to test the waters, I play along. “Um. Yeah, actually. It’s making a knocking sound and I’m not sure what to do.”

“May I?” His broad hand gestures toward the engine as he gives me a small smile.

“Of course, please do.” I step aside, the scent of his bergamot cologne hitting me like a delicious dream I never want to wake from. Hudson tinkers under the hood, his current position giving me the perfect opportunity to gawk at him openly.

I mean, who wouldn’t. His broad shoulders taper down into a V, where his delicious ass is hugged by a pair of charcoal grey slacks.

Gawd. There’s something about him rolling up his white button down, getting all dirty for me, that sends my lady bits throbbing.

Relax, Alyssa. If he knew who you really were, he’d want nothing to do with you.

But wait… He doesn’t know who I am. At least he hasn’t let on that he does.

Maybe, just maybe, I can milk this situation a little longer.

Hudson turns to face me, grease staining his muscular forearms and making me ache for him that much more. “I’m sorry, Miss. It looks like it’s the head gasket which can be pricey to fix. Not sure how attached you are to this baby, but I can give you five-thousand for her and drop you off wherever you need to go.”

The smug bastard takes a handkerchief out of his back pocket and wipes his hands as if he’s got himself the deal of a lifetime.

Oh, hell no. I may not know much about what goes on underneath the hood of many cars, but I sure do know about the value of this one.

She may be old, and she may have a ton of miles, but her value extends far and above that of money. She was the only thing my dad left me before he died, and for that reason alone, I will never part with her. Not for all the money in the world.

Hudson clearly doesn’t know it’s me he’s dealing with. If he did, he wouldn’t have insulted me with this low-ball offer and a panty dropping smirk.

Well, jokes on him. Any reservation I had about playing strangers has gone and flown out the window.

If he’s going to be a dick, I might as well ride his.

There’s no way in hell he’s getting his hands on Big Red, but it’ll be fun making him think he can… all in exchange for ten-thousand and a kiss. If that kiss leads to more, then so be it. I couldn’t picture a more delicious first.

And hey, could you really blame me? Not everyone gets to have their dream crush as the one who pops their cherry.

Besides, in less than five hours I’ll be standing at his door and any chance of playing out my childhood fantasies will be as dead as whatever a head gasket is.

No way I’m passing this up. I’d be a damn fool, and Daddy didn’t raise no fool.