Chapter 208

Ella

“Ella?” Logan asked, still clutching the tool I had handed him as he stared incredulously up at me. “What are you doing here?”

I felt a little awkward now after I had clearly taken Logan by complete and utter surprise, but at the same time, I couldn’t help but feel a little accomplished.

“Did I scare you?” I teased.

Logan chuckled as he stood, dropping the tool into his nearby toolbox and dusting off his jeans. “Not at all,” he said. “You did surprise me, though. I didn’t expect you to be here.”

I shrugged as I glanced around. “The driver told me you were here, so I decided to pay you a visit,” I said, my gaze finally coming to rest on him. “If you don’t mind, of course.”

For a moment, Logan and I just looked at each other. The air seemed to crackle with electric tension between us, and I could feel my wolf pushing me to step closer, to confess my feelings. But once again, I couldn’t. Not yet, at least. I didn’t know why, exactly, but this just doesn’t feel like the right time quite yet.

“I don’t mind,” Logan finally said with a chuckle. “It was getting a little lonely in here, I guess.”

I managed a smile, although the sound of the loud heavy metal music was grating on my ears—not necessarily because of the music itself, but the sheer volume. I had to strain just to hear Logan.

But Logan, noticing my discomfort, walked over to the speakers and turned it down. When he turned back to face me, he leaned on the large stereo, leveling me with a somewhat amused gaze.

“So, uh… Were you planning on staying, or…?”

I shrugged again. “I kind of sort of told the driver to leave me here,” I said with a tense chuckle, pausing and running a hand through my hair as I looked over at Logan’s car. “Can I help with anything?”

Logan scoffed. “In your nice work clothes?” he said. “I don’t think so, Miss Morgan.”

My cheeks flushed red. I turned, looking around the room, until my gaze landed on a rack of jumpsuits. “What about those?” I asked, pointing. “I’m sure I could borrow one.”

For a moment, Logan paused, clearly amused and taken aback by my sudden interest in his work. It was clear that he didn’t expect me to ever offer to work on cars with him, let alone wear one of the jumpsuits that his pit crew sported.

But, finally, he nodded and walked over to the rack. I watched for a moment as he rifled through the rack, before he produced a rather small jumpsuit and held it out to me.

“Here. This should fit.”

Still blushing, I took the jumpsuit from his hand. Our fingers brushed as I did, but I ignored it, and again retreated to a spot behind a tall divider to change. As I did, I could hear a commotion of tools in the main area.

The jumpsuit went on easily, and felt surprisingly comfortable against my skin. There was a dingy mirror hanging on the wall, and a quick glance made me even more surprised; I actually looked…

Good.

“Damn, Ella,” Ema teased. “Look at your waist in that thing! And your ass! Who would have thought that these jumpsuits could be so flattering?”

My cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red at my wolf’s words, although she wasn’t wrong. The jumpsuit fit almost perfectly all around, hugging my curves in just the right ways. There were little adjustable bands on either side of the waist that allowed me to fit it to my body, which helped a lot.

When I finally stepped out from behind the divider, Logan’s eyes widened as he took in my appearance in the jumpsuit. It was a practical outfit, but seeing me in it seemed to catch him off guard. He quickly averted his gaze, focusing on the tools scattered around the garage.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction. “What’s the matter, Logan? Cat got your tongue?” I teased, although I felt a rush of warmth into my own cheeks.

He cleared his throat, his tone nonchalant as he replied, “No, it’s just that you look really hot in that suit.”

I rolled my eyes, feeling a mix of embarrassment and amusement. “You’re such a pig,” I said with a smirk, even though I couldn’t deny the fact that the compliment made me feel good.

Logan let out a deep chuckle, his shoulders relaxing. “Alright, alright,” he conceded. “Let’s get to work, shall we?”

We spent the next couple of hours working on his car together. Logan was a patient teacher, explaining each step with precision and making sure I understood. I asked questions and soaked up his knowledge like a sponge. It was fascinating to see the inner workings of a car up close and to learn from someone who clearly had a deep passion for it.

At one point, he handed me a wrench and instructed me on how to tighten a bolt. I followed his guidance, and when the bolt was secure, he nodded in approval.

“You’re a natural at this,” he commented, a hint of surprise in his voice.

I couldn’t help but grin at the praise. “I guess I’ve got a good teacher,” I replied.

As we continued to work side by side, a comfortable silence settled between us. The garage was filled with the scent of grease and gasoline, and the music from the speakers provided a rhythmic backdrop to our efforts. Our elbows and knees rubbed up against each other as we worked, and each touch sent an involuntary shiver down my spine.

On more than one occasion, though, I found myself looking for far too long at Logan, getting lost in his blue eyes. God, I really was a lovesick pup, wasn’t I?

“What is it?” he asked with a laugh, pulling me out of my reverie. “Have I got something on my face?”

I blushed a deep scarlet red and looked away, refocusing my attention on my work. “Sorry,” I said. “I just… zoned out.”

Finally, we stood back, admiring our handiwork. The car looked as good as new, and I felt a sense of accomplishment that I hadn’t expected.

Logan wiped his hands on a rag and turned to me with a satisfied grin. “Not bad, Ella. You’re quite the helper.”

I smiled as I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Thanks,” I said. “And thanks for teaching me.”

Logan turned to me then, his gaze lingering on me for a moment that felt like a lifetime. “You know,” he began, his voice thoughtful, “you’ve got the skills. But there’s one more thing you should experience if you want to fully appreciate a vehicle.”

I raised an eyebrow, curious about what he had in mind. “And what’s that?”

He stepped closer, his eyes locking onto mine. It was in that moment that I could smell the scent of oil and rubber emanating off of him, an intoxicating combination in conjunction with his natural scent.

“Driving it,” he replied, his voice low.

My eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

Logan smirked, and there was that mischievous glint that never failed to make my knees weak. “Do you want to drive the car yourself or not, Ella?”