Chapter Five

Vince sat in his room at the inn that evening and looked over the mountains of paperwork around him. Of course the government buildings were out of his reach for now but if he bought up the business and residential properties, the government buildings would eventually shut down, go up for bid and be his for the taking as well.

Vince had a list of homes behind in their property taxes and all it would take was a simple visit to the courthouse, a couple of checks and those properties would fall into his hands. Of course he would also give fair property value prices to the homeowners because while he was a good businessman, he wasn't an evil one.

Because of hard times in the area lately, most of the businesses were behind on payments as well and Vince had a meeting with the bank on Monday to discuss taking over payments and ownerships.

To Vince this was all business. He saw numbers, figures, bottom lines and profit margins. He was going to take a drive tomorrow to check out the surrounding land and wilderness. Bad Hollow Falls, Black Bear Park, Cyprus Mountain hiking trails and Blue Fork lake which offered boating, swimming and fishing opportunities. Those were just a few of the natural beauties Vince planned on taking advantage of.

The future of Clifton was already forming in his head. Once he owned the businesses he would bring in bigger stores, higher end boutiques and restaurants that wealthy vacationers would appreciate having access to. He would hire a crew to bulldoze and dynamite the surrounding areas so he could build five star resorts with pools and spas. Clifton would be unrecognizable. It currently wasn't the rich vacation spot that Vince envisioned but very soon it would be.

Leaning back with a sigh, Vince realized he was happy he had chosen to come take care of this himself. He was more relaxed than he'd been in a long time and he supposed he should thank Patricia for urging him to take the trip. He had needed time away from the office, away from the city and away from his parents and their constant parade of marriageable women.

Vince didn't understand their disapproving intolerance of his single life. Sure they wanted him to settle down and have heirs, (which made him sound as if he were some sort of eighteenth century prince), but at least he wasn't out screwing any woman who would spread her legs. As a matter of fact, Vince hadn't had sex in six years--or was it seven? He shrugged as he slipped his messy files back into his briefcase.

It didn't matter to him how long it had been. Work had filled any voice that lack of women created and he never felt as if he were missing out. It wasn't as if the opportunity hadn't presented itself because women were always showing interest thanks to his money. Vince just hadn't had any urge to seize any of those opportunities. Speaking of opportunities.. His mind drifted back to that auburn haired beauty he'd seen at the diner today.

Vince had never seen a female mechanic before and that blue jumpsuit had hugged her cute little ass perfectly as her ponytail had swung and shone in the sunshine. He wished he could have gotten a better look at her face but she had pushed past him and walked on as if barely noticing he was there at all.

It was probably just as well. Vince could only imagine the response his mother and father would have to realize he was interested in poor southern mechanic. His mother's perfectly groomed head would probably explode.

Vince picked up the remote and began flipping through television channels, searching for something to combat boredom. Clifton Kentucky was a town that closed down pretty early. By six o'clock all the businesses were closed and it was nine o'clock now so town was officially dead.

Finally, Vince, settled on a show featuring two mechanic's fixing up a truck in a well-stocked garage. He chuckled when he realized his mind was fixated on mechanics. Though he could guarantee that his mystery woman would look better bent over the hood of that truck than those men did--possibly even without that blue jump suit on and nothing other than grease smudges on her pale skin....

Vince shook his head. It wasn't like him to have those kinds of thoughts!

His phone interrupted him before he could take those thoughts any further and he sighed as he checked the caller I.D. and answered. "Hello Patricia."

"From that surly tone of yours, I'm guessing that you haven't gotten laid like I told you do," his secretary replied dryly.

Vince rolled his eyes. "There are more important things in life," he stated. "I'll be emailing some pictures and documents in the morning and I'll expect you to get the documents to legal."

"Yes sir," Patricia clipped sarcastically.

"How are things at the office?" Vince asked, choosing to spare her the scolding for her tone.

"Just fine. You truly aren't needed here to make things run smooth, you only think you are."

"Good. Then why don't I just put you in charge and retire early?" Vince questioned with a sigh.

"Works for me," she replied happily. "Can I have that big cushy office of yours?"

"Knowing you, you are already sitting at my desk with your skirt hiked up and your high-heeled feet propped up on my files."

"Ha! Shows what you know, sir. I'm actually wearing slacks today."

"You had better not mess up my filing system," Vince warned.

Patricia laughed loudly. "You have no system. You are the most unorganized successful businessman I have ever met."

"Get out of my office and leave my things alone," Vince grumbled.

"Okay, okay. Don't get your panties in a twist, boss," Patricia agreed with amusement. "I wanted to let you know that I took care of your father's present for tomorrow."

"What did you get him?" Vince asked with dread.

"A very beautiful set of cuff links. They are wrapped up and will be delivered with a card sometime tomorrow afternoon."

"Thanks for the help, Patricia. I'm going to get some sleep now. I have a lot planned for tomorrow."

"Sleep good, sir. Dream of big, country women."

Vince groaned and hung up the phone. He'd dream of country women all right. Tiny little auburn haired women in greasy jumpsuits. Hell he didn't even know the woman's name nor had he gotten a good look at her face and yet he couldn't get her off his mind.

He could always take his car to the garage in town for an oil change tomorrow...Vince Griffin had never been a man to chase after a woman but then again he'd never been the type of man to take a vacation either and he was doing that. He might as well do what he could to finally make Patricia proud of him and work on getting laid.

Deciding that that's exactly what he would do, Vince clicked off the television and got into bed, knowing he'd be lucky to get any sleep at all.

***

Vince walked into 'The Grease Rag' garage at ten o'clock the next morning. He had first made a trip to the second hand store in town to get himself some clothes that would help him to fit in a bit better. After all, he hated suits and loafers so why should he wear them on vacation? His mother would shit a brick if she saw him in jeans, boots and a t-shirt looking like a commoner and for some reason that made the immature child he hadn't known lived inside his mature thirty-two year old self, very happy.

Vince glanced around the three car garage. The light was dim and everything was clearly well used. This wasn't a spick and span and polished garage like those you saw on television. Country music was playing from a small stereo on a back shelf and a Chevrolet truck was against the far wall.

Vince didn't see anyone in the garage and he hoped the mystery woman didn't have today off. Vince had never been the type to fantasize over women but dreams of that woman had had him sweating all night. He had never been impulsive a single time in his entire life and he blamed this current mood he was in on Patricia's bad influence over the last twelve years. She had finally broken him.

He knocked on the wall beside him and a muffled feminine voice came from beneath the Chevrolet truck. "I'll be right with you." Vince felt nerves jump in his stomach at the sound of her sweet, accented voice.

With a whoosh of wheels on concrete, the mystery woman slid out from under the truck. She got to her feet and wiped her hands off on a red rag that she pulled from her pocket. She tossed a lock of auburn hair from her face as she turned around and her gaze fell upon him.

Vince felt as if he'd been kicked in the chest and his heart skipped several long beats in his chest as he stared into her big gray eyes. She wasn't the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and yet something inside Vince felt as if it was being pulled toward her. Lust was a damn strong emotion apparently. He had never allowed himself to feel it much until now.

He gazed at her face. Her skin was soft, smooth and natural. She was much more pale than women he was used to seeing, though there was a healthy glow to her cheeks. She had a tiny nose littered with freckles, heart shaped lips and her gray eyes were large and sparkling beneath her sprinkling of bangs. The jumpsuit she was wearing hid much of her figure but he could tell that she had a tiny chest, slim waist and curved hips.

"Can I help you?" she asked as she slid the rag back into her pocket.

"I'm Vince," he replied, feeling suddenly awkward. That awkwardness was a new feeling for him seeing as how he ran his own business and had been trained since birth to meet new people. However, he never had introduced himself to someone with the sole intent of having sex with them.

"Grace," she replied as she raised her brow and held out her hand. Vince took her hand and felt something inside himself respond to the contact of her warm skin. "Sorry, I probably got you greasy," she apologized as she pulled her hand away quickly.

Vince shrugged as he wiped his hand on his pants. "I'm not worried about that."

Grace studied him carefully a moment before crossing her arms over her chest and leaning against the truck behind her. "We met yesterday, didn't we? Well kind of.. You held the door open for me when I left the diner."

"Yes that's right," Vince replied.

"So what can I do for you?" Grace inquired.

"I was hoping you could take a look at my car. Check the oil and things," Vince offered lamely and then he shook his head. "Actually that's not true."

"It's not?" Grace questioned, the corners of her lips twitching.

Vince took a deep breath, put on his big boy pants and stepped forward. He saw her stiffen, but her gray eyes didn't look frightened. Instead they looked very much aware as her pupils dilated and her nostrils flared.

"I want to get to know you better," he admitted as he breathed in the scent of Gardenia's and grease clinging to her skin. She looked up at him from beneath her lashes and Vince felt his heart thundering against his ribs as his blood heated. Damn, but he had never had this kind of reaction toward any woman! It was all heat and lust and what he really wanted to do was push her up against the truck, pull down that jumpsuit and.....

Vince shook his head to clear those thoughts. Maybe spending the last twelve years focusing on nothing but work had been a mistake--but it was one he planned on correcting.

"Sir, I think..."

"Have dinner with me," Vince interrupted, moving close enough to her that he could see the flecks of blue in her gray eyes. The air seemed to spark and crackle between them.

"Dinner?" she whispered breathlessly.

"Yes. Dinner. Tonight at the diner."

She turned away from him and Vince let his gaze wander to the curve of her ass. He wondered what she was thinking. He hoped he hadn't pushed her too far but at least he had asked her to dinner instead of simply asking her to his room at the inn.

Finally she turned back around with determination in her gray eyes. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you want to have dinner with me?"

"Should I be honest or romanticize things?" Vince inquired, deciding to treat this as he would any business deal since that is when he felt most comfortable.

Her eyes narrowed a fraction of an inch and the ghost of a smile curved her lips. "I've always preferred honestly."

"I'm on vacation from New York. It's my first vacation in over twelve years and I've been told I need to learn how to relax and have fun. I find you to be very attractive and I'd like to have a bit of fun together before I go home."

Grace moved closer to him. Her head barely reached the middle of his chest and she tilted it up so that her warm breath teased the sensitive skin of Vince's neck. He felt his pants get tighter as his body responded.

"In that case, why don't you just come to my house tonight for dinner?" Grace purred.

Vince would have smiled if his lips remembered how. This had been easier than he'd thought it would be. He ignored that voice in the back of his head that told him this was wrong and was disappointed that Grace was the kind of woman who would agree to have fun with a complete stranger.

"How do I get there?" he asked, swallowing hard as his shirt seemed to tighten around his neck.

"Follow the main road east out of town, turn down Green road and I'm the last house all the way at the end," she whispered. "Be there about six?"

"Yes, ma'am," Vince replied around his dry tongue and then just as quickly as Grace had moved toward him, she moved away and was back under the truck.

Vince stood there in confusion for several long moments before walking out of the garage. That had been so easy and he was working hard to ignore the voice in his head that said it was too easy.

***

"Did you just send him where I think you did?" LeRoy Jones, owner of 'The Grease Rag' asked with a chuckle as he stepped out of the office.

"Yes, I did," Grace replied from beneath the truck.

"Why would you do that to that poor man?"

"Old Man Foster will show him what he gets for being such a cocky asshole," Grace snapped as she turned the socket, loosening the bolts on the oil pan.

"Grace, maybe the man really is interested in getting to know you," LeRoy offered.

"Yeah right!" Grace laughed. "And maybe Old Man Foster finally gave up drinking."

LeRoy shook his head. "You may very well get that man shot."

"Well that would serve him right for coming in here thinking he could just pick a woman and have a little fun. He obviously thinks that just because he's tall, dark and handsome, women will fall at his feet. He thinks he can come in here smelling like Stetson cologne in a good fitting pair of jeans and get what he wants. Well I have news for that city slicker bastard, things just don't work that way around here....." Grace stopped suddenly when she realized she'd been well into a rant.

Why were her hands shaking so bad? And why was she suddenly so hot? Damn that man!

"You know it wouldn't hurt a thing for you to get yourself a man, Grace. A person needs a partner in life to help them out."

"Not me, LeRoy. I'm plenty capable of handling things without the help of some man who would only end up changing his mind anyhow. Besides, I don't have time for a relationship. I have way too much on my plate already."

Grace heard LeRoy sigh and go back into his office. Grace let her tools fall and took a deep breath beneath the truck.

A man. A relationship. A partner. Someone to confide in and help her carry her load. Sure it sounded nice on paper but what kind of man would saddle himself down with a woman who had a sick grandmother that needed to be taken care of and a daughter who would need parental supervision all her life?

The answer to that question was simple. There wasn't one.

Grace smiled when she thought of what that poor city man would be walking into tonight and then her smile turned into a laugh. It really did serve him right.