Chapter Seven

Paul couldn't wipe the smile off his face. Last night falling asleep on Rachel's sofa with her in his arms topped the best experiences of his life. Nothing compared to the feel of her soft body against his. He thought over his life, and no matter what he compared it to, everything else paled in comparison. The first time he had sex, the moment he bought this garage, to the realisation that he was in love with his best friend's little sister, all those moments and experiences did not match up to the perfection of waking up with his arms surrounding Rachel. Whistling a tune Paul stared at the engine before him but still couldn't get her out of his mind.

"I take it your woman troubles are over?" Darren asked.

"What woman troubles?" Paul threw a rag over to his worker and chuckled. Nothing was going to put him in a foul mood today. Rachel was everything he'd hoped. She was funny, smart, and sexy as hell all rolled into one.

Mitch still posed a problem. Paul knew it was only a matter of time before he came home. The last time Mitch had phoned he was in some field in a tent, camping. Paul would never understand his friend's need to become one with nature. His friend's reaction was something he was going to need to discuss with Rachel. She might have a solution to their problem when it came to Mitch.

"When do I get to meet her?" Darren asked.

"Soon. Real soon." Paul was determined not to keep their relationship a secret. He wasn't embarrassed by being with her. The only thing holding him back from screaming his love for her from the rooftops was his respect for Mitch.

He would talk to her at some point that night. She was coming over to his place, and there he intended to go the whole way with her. The teaching was off the table. He wasn't going to teach her like some fucking pupil. Rachel was his woman. He looked forward to dating her and had already picked a movie for them both to watch. Also, he was going to make them dinner. Paul would never be a chef, but a meatball pasta dish he could throw together and it would be edible.

"I look forward to meeting her. Whoever can put that damn grin on your face is a mighty fine woman in my book," Darren said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've had your fair share of women, and none of them have left you like that. You look … happy. Like real happy."

Laughing, Paul went back to work. He needed to get this car fixed before he could get home and start cooking. Everything needed to be perfect, the dinner, the movie and the mood.

Paul wasn't sure if he was ready to take her virginity yet. Her first time needed to be pretty special. The last thing he wanted was to cause her pain and make Rachel hate him for the rest of her life.

Stop panicking. Get the car fixed, and then I can deal with everything else.

He drowned out the rest of the noise Darren was making. Darren was known for singing out of tune while working on cars. Ignoring the sound, Paul allowed himself the time to simply work. Pushing Rachel out of his thoughts he started working.

Time passed. He wasn't known for wearing watches and didn't know how much time had passed when Darren whistled at him.

"Hey, boss. Tracy Hall is outside waiting for you." Darren knocked on the car gaining his attention. The garage was sectioned off from the main reception. They had the shop closed off today, and only on a few rare occasions did Paul open it up. He hated people watching him from across the street. It drove him insane.

"What?"

"Tracy Hall is here to see you. She's dressed to impress and won't leave until she sees you," Darren said, shrugging.

"What does she want?" he asked, feeling uneasy. He did not need Tracy at his door, not now. It had been a couple of months since he'd last been with her. She was a woman who was easy to get in the sack.

Shit, he hated his old habits.

"You fixed her car, and she's refusing to pay anyone but you. She's got it bad, Boss. I'd be careful if I was you. That girl has a mean streak." Darren walked back to the car he was working on.

Paul cursed. He'd forgotten about Tracy. This was not what he needed today. "I'll be right out."

Tracy had been badgering him for months now. Up until now he'd been able to deflect her attentions. Wiping his greasy hands on a cloth he made his way through to the main office. He didn't want to deal with Tracy, not after what Rachel told him the other night with regards to her gossiping. Rachel knew he had a past. She would have to wait for him to explain Tracy's appearance. For the past few months Tracy had been hounding him trying to get him to agree to a more permanent relationship. He refused. One, because Tracy couldn't keep her fucking legs shut. When he was with a woman, exclusively, he didn't cheat. Two, he never loved her, and three, she wasn't the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. Tracy would never be that kind of woman.

In that moment Paul wished he could wipe out his past. Unfortunately for him, he did not possess a magic wand. If he did there would be a whole lot of things he'd change.

Mussing up his hair he made his way to the main office where they dealt with the customers. There leaning on top of his counter was Tracy Hall. She wore a mini skirt and tight tank top that left nothing to the imagination. Her breasts were practically heaving out of the top. Tracy clearly bought clothes a size too small. He'd never let Rachel out looking like this. What shocked him the most was that before having Rachel like he did last night, Tracy had been the woman who turned him on. At any other time he'd have pulled her through to his private office, where he kept all the personal details, and have her spread across his desk fucking her by now. Judging from the way her clothes fit, she seemed to be in pain, they were that tight.

"Hey, sugar." She purred at him with her full lips pouting. Keeping the counter between them, Paul stood with hands on his hips waiting.

"I'm busy, Tracy. Why couldn't you pay Darren?" he asked.

"He and I don't have a thing. Besides, I can barely understand the man. Does he even talk English?" She gazed down at her nails while insulting his staff. He would bet Rachel would have found something to talk to Darren about.

"You're being a bitch."

"Well, that's the way you like me, baby. I can be a dirty bitch when needed." She handed over her card. Paul took her card, typed in the bill and waited for her to finish typing in her code and whatnot. "You're in a mood today. What's the matter?"

"Nothing. I'm busy."

I want you out of my life. I'm in love with my best friend's little sister, and you could fuck that up for me.

Paul didn't say anything. He handed her back the card. She tried to caress his finger-tips, but he pulled away. "What do you want?" he asked when she made no move to leave. Paul could not stop his annoyance, and he sounded abrupt. Never in all the times they were together did he give Tracy the idea they could be more than what they were. It was never going to happen, no matter how much she wanted it. Paul wasn't interested in her like that. He wasn't worried about her reaction as she didn't even bat an eyelash at him and didn't seem to even notice his annoyance or lack of interest in her.

"I was wondering if you were busy tonight? I feel really lonely, and I could use some of your cock." She pushed her tight breasts out to him. Her crude language didn't shock him either. Paul wished it did. Tracy simply didn't care unless she got what she wanted.

"No thanks, I have plans, but thanks for the offer." He picked up the notes taken for her car and made to leave.

"Maybe another night. Come on, Paul. I know you and your appetite. I'm sure you're begging to fuck something soon?" She was not put off at all.

"I'm good, thanks, and don't bother asking. I'm going to be busy for the rest of my life. I think it's time we moved on." Paul told her the truth. He didn't see the point in lying to her.

"Surely one woman won't keep you that busy. I know you, Paul. Your passions could never handle just one woman. I promise to help you with more than one woman." She gave him a wink, and he shot her down again.

"It's not going to happen, Tracy. I've moved on. I'm a one woman man."

"One woman cannot keep you satisfied. You're a fucking animal in bed." He saw the instant Tracy started to get angry, and it was the moment she realised he wasn't going to give in to her demands.

"Yep. There is only one woman out there for me," he said, moving away from the counter. She was the last customer to collect her car for the day. All he had left to do was finish with the mechanics of the car he'd been working on and then he could get home. He wanted to get started on the meatballs for Rachel.

"But you said I was a really great fuck," she said. He watched the outrage cross her face. Actually, she'd asked him if she was a great fuck, and he'd nodded in agreement.

He was really starting to hate his past. The women he'd screwed at the time knew the score. Paul had never been about manipulating women. He told them what to expect, and he never promised to give them anything more than a few orgasms. Tracy was the only woman hanging around. The other women backed off and knew how to play the game. Tracy knew how to play the game. He'd seen her with more than enough men. From what he heard she was with someone different last night. Tracy could really bite him in the ass if she wanted to make waves for him and Rachel, especially after he told Mitch and they went public.

Shaking his head, he turned back to her. "It was just a fuck. You wanted it, and I wanted it. There was nothing else for us. We didn't give each other promises. You were the one who stated you wouldn't be tied down to a man. You wanted sex, Tracy. I gave you sex. Damn good sex, but sex all the same." Not the kind of sex he intended to share with Rachel. With Tracy their time together had been empty and meaningless. In the short time he'd been with Rachel, Paul already saw a difference.

"Are you calling me a whore?"

"No, I'm not calling you a whore. Stop putting words in my fucking mouth. We fucked. Get over it. I have."

Paul was losing his patience. Glancing at the clock on the far wall he saw he only had a short time to get home. If he didn't hurry his plans would be ruined. The only woman he wanted in his life was Rachel.

Why didn't he fight Mitch for her when he had the chance?

"Well I wonder if the tramp you're screwing knows about your past. I'm sure she would not want you if she knew the truth. You're an animal, Paul Ellis, and you treat women like shit." Her anger made her voice high pitched and squeaky. He winced from the sound.

"She knows everything about me. More than anyone else will ever know. I don't lie to her. I've never been able to lie." Paul forced himself to stop speaking. The more information he gave her the more the likelihood of her finding out the person rose. "Nothing was ever going to happen between you and me. In reality, nothing ever did." He watched as she stormed out of his mechanic shop cursing his name and slamming doors. Darren clapped his hands.

"Bravo, mate. That's the best dumping I've ever seen. Just out of curiosity, does Mitch know you're in love with his sister?" Darren asked.

Paul stared at him, shocked. "What?"

"I'm not blind or deaf, Boss. The only girl sweet enough to tame you is Rachel. She's a nice girl. I doubt Mitch will have anything nice to say about it, though."

"Don't say anything to him. I hope Tracy doesn't figure it out and start spouting her mouth off." Shaking his head, Paul wondered where he'd lost control. "I want to break it to Mitch slowly."

"I wouldn't do that. Mitch is the type of guy to shoot the messenger and ask questions later. I like my life, Boss. I'm not about to do something crazy like tell Rachel's big brother that you're in love with her. No, no way. You're on your own with that one."

Paul laughed. "Mitch is not that bad."

"You've always been in his good books with you being his friend and all. Take care, and break it to him quietly."

Darren left him alone to lock up.

Man, he really did some stupid shit over the years. One of the stupidest things he'd ever done was not tell Mitch his true feelings. When Mitch warned him away he hadn't fought for Rachel. Then had been his opportunity to make her his. He wouldn't let another moment pass. Picking up his keys, Paul headed out and pushed the thoughts and regrets to the back of his mind.

Tonight was all about him and Rachel.