Isaac nodded and curled the phone in his hand as if T-Rex would take it back at any second. "I shouldn't be long." He opened the truck door and looked back over his shoulder, his amber-gold eyes bright in the sunlight. "Thank you for helping me."

The man's gaze skated sideways before he slid out and hurried across the parking lot. All T-Rex could do was watch Isaac until the man disappeared inside the store. He was half-tempted to follow but remembered Isaac's truck.

T-Rex reached for his phone and then sighed. He'd have to drive home since he couldn't call. He pulled from the parking lot and drove to Big Bear Ranch. He hoped Shott was home. The guy was pretty good with motors, and T-Rex needed the man's help.

"That was fast," Sam said as he walked out of the kitchen. "Didn't the client show?"

T-Rex cursed, forgetting that he was supposed to meet a prospective client in Junction City. How had he forgotten his appointment? He'd met with Chase Willis twice before and wasn't even sure if the man was going to hire Executive Bodyguards. But T-Rex always showed up at meetings.

"You'll have to call Chase for me and reschedule," T-Rex said. "Have you seen Shott?"

After tossing the hand towel over his shoulder, Sam shook his head. "He headed out earlier and didn't say where he was going."

T-Rex used the landline to contact Shott. He didn't think the man would answer and was ready to hang up when Shott finally picked up his phone. "Is this important?"

T-Rex knew that voice. Shott was getting some ass. T-Rex grunted and said, "Never mind."

He hung up and then dialed the local garage. Jed answered on the second ring. "Bear County Service Station."

"Hey, Jed. It's T-Rex." He hoped Jed had time to fix Isaac's truck today.

"Hey, T-Rex. What can I do for you?"

"If I had a truck towed to your station, could you fix it today?"

"Depends on what's wrong with it."

T-Rex hadn't a clue. He just knew it was sitting on a back road. He hadn't bothered taking a look at it since he wouldn't know what he was looking at. "Don't know."

"Do you need me to tow it?" Jed asked.

"Can you?"

The man chuckled. "Just tell me where it is and I'll send someone to get it."

T-Rex was awash with relief. He gave Jed the directions where Isaac's truck had broken down. "Thanks, and send me the bill."

"I can do that."

Now all he had to do was go pick up Isaac and then take him to Jed's station. Maybe he should have done that before Isaac bought groceries. He frowned and then decided he'd store Isaac's items in the fridge here before taking the man to check up on his truck.

That plan would allow T-Rex to spend even more time with Isaac. He stood in the kitchen and shook his head. Never in his life had he gone this far out of his way to help someone. Not like this. In his line of work, sure, but that was what he was paid to do. But he was willing to not only accommodate Isaac, but pay the bill as well.

"Everything okay?" Sam asked as he ambled into the kitchen. "You look a bit tense, big guy."

He felt tense. "Everything's fine. Something just came up at the last second."

Sam gave him an I don't believe you look but then shrugged. "Let me know if you need any help."

"Thanks, but I'm good. I'll be gone for the rest of the morning, possibly this afternoon as well. Call me if you need-" T-Rex remembered that Isaac was supposed to call Shott. He cursed and headed out of the kitchen, going straight for his truck.

When he pulled up at the Piggly Wiggly, Isaac was standing out front, three paper bags on the ground at his feet. He looked relieved when T-Rex parked and got out.

"I don't think your phone works," Isaac said as he handed it back. "I called the number you told me to, but the guy who answered used a lot of profanity before he hung up."

T-Rex was going to have a long talk with Shott. But then again, Shott hadn't known it was Isaac calling. "Sorry about that. Shott was dropped on his head as a child."

He grabbed the bags and stored them in the back. "I have your truck being worked on. It might take a while, so we can store your bags in the fridge at my place."

Isaac hesitated, his eyes growing slightly round. That did sound a bit creepy, didn't it? Come to my lair. There was so much wrong with that statement he didn't even know where to begin. T-Rex shook his head. "Just so nothing spoils while we're at the service station," he added.

Isaac laughed, and it was a warm hum that felt so good T-Rex wanted to hang on to it forever. "I'm not in the habit of going home with strangers. I thank you for your help, but taking me home will do just fine." And then Isaac blushed. "That didn't come out right."

A dark lock fell over Isaac's forehead, and T-Rex imagined pushing it back without care over whether it messed it up more. He just wanted to touch the guy.

"It came out perfectly," T-Rex replied.

Isaac stared at T-Rex as though he'd grown two heads. The man's brows drew together, and his gaze became even more piercing, like he was peeling T-Rex from the inside out. T-Rex wasn't going to regret what he'd said, but he also knew in that one moment, when he looked at Isaac, that he didn't want the guy to walk away.

Isaac was so close that T-Rex could smell him, could feel the man's heat wrapping around him, and it felt so damn good that he wanted to do something really stupid and lean into Isaac. Just so he could feel it brush over his skin. But he could tell that Isaac was nervous, so T-Rex kept his distance.

But it was Isaac who had moved closer, as if some invisible force was reeling him close to T-Rex. His fingers slid underneath Isaac's chin, lifting so that their gazes met. Then his fingers glided over Isaac's cheek and up to the man's temple, where T-Rex toyed with loose tendrils that had fallen free. "I promise that nothing will happen to you. Nothing that you don't want to happen. You have my word."

"I just-" Isaac licked his lips, and then his eyes settled on T-Rex's, as if begging for a kiss. T-Rex slid his hand around Isaac's nape, his thumb brushing over the soft skin right at the hairline.

"Let's go see about your truck."

Isaac looked at T-Rex, his gaze seeking. He stared at T-Rex a long moment, his arms crossed over his chest defensively.

T-Rex held the passenger door open. "My word."

Isaac seemed to relax marginally as he climbed into the truck. He settled before T-Rex closed the door and took a fortifying breath. Never had he worked so hard at making someone feel at ease around him. T-Rex knew he was an intimidating sight. He was six foot five, and the top of Isaac's head reached only T-Rex's chest.

He would have to go slow and be patient with Isaac. The last thing he wanted was the man to be afraid of him. T-Rex inwardly smirked. His intimidating aura was something he prided himself on when dealing with hostile situations. He'd used his height and whatever else he could to subdue men who looked to start trouble.

Yet, he was trying his hardest to seem nonthreatening to Isaac. The only other people he'd ever tried his hardest to seem kind to were the kids at home. Abriel used T-Rex as a jungle gym, climbing and slobbering all over him. But he'd fallen in love with the little tyke the moment he laid eyes on the child.

The same held true for Sofia, Moirai, and Chris, but none of them feared him. Which was a good thing in T-Rex's eyes. Now he had to use that same tactic with Isaac.

He slipped behind the wheel and drove home. He made sure to keep his distance from Isaac, to keep his word that he wouldn't try anything. It was hard considering how badly he wanted the man.

Instead of taking Isaac through the front door where he knew there would be the most chaos, he pulled his truck around back and took the paper bags through the back door, storing them in the fridge.

"Since when do you grocery shop?" Sam asked. The man was standing at the sink, cutting up some vegetables.

"I don't. Those are Isaac's groceries, and could you please make sure no one touches them?"

Sam smirked. "Gonna hit that-"

"Don't even go there. His truck broke down, and we're heading to the service station. I don't want his groceries to spoil."

Sam nodded. "I'll make sure no one touches them."

"Thanks," T-Rex said before he stepped back outside. Isaac was sitting in the truck, his eyes glued to the corral. T-Rex glanced at where Isaac was staring to see Mason working with a horse. It was a new addition, and the horse wasn't cooperating. T-Rex studied Mason for a moment and noticed the man favoring his right side.

He was going to have a talk with the doctor. Mason couldn't keep on like this. The man was as stubborn as the day was long but damned proud when it came to health.

T-Rex slid back into the driver's side. "Ready to go check on your truck?"

T-Rex was such a beautiful man. Anyone would be a fool not to sense his strength. It was plain for all to see. The man wore authority as though he'd been born to it. Isaac wasn't sure why he'd accepted T-Rex's offer to store his groceries, but he hadn't been able to turn the man down. "Yes."

If Isaac's father found out that he was with T-Rex and knew of the turmoil brewing inside his son, the man would flip. Isaac should insist on having his groceries and then go home and explain to his father what had happened to the truck. This was insane!

But he couldn't form the words that would have T-Rex doing just that. Isaac found himself wanting to be around the man, spending time with T-Rex. He knew that yearning was wrong, but he couldn't stop it. He didn't want to stop it.

"How do you like Bear County?" T-Rex asked. "I heard you moved here not too long ago."

"Two years," Isaac said. But in those two years, he'd barely left the land his father had purchased. It was rare that Isaac went into town. His parents didn't want him to get caught up in the modern world. But Isaac loved the modern world. He wanted to see more of it. Although he loved his mother and father with all his heart, he had always been different, always wanted what he was told was bad for him-a bite of the forbidden fruit.

And T-Rex was the epitome of bad. The man was more like badass, and Isaac would do well to stay away from the guy.

"The town is nice, from what I've seen," he admitted. He usually went to the feed store or the grocery store. That was about it. He'd met Simon at the grocery store, and they'd hit it off instantly. Although his parents indulged him with his friend, it wasn't too often he got to hang out with Simon. Again with the whole modern, evil-world thing.

T-Rex frowned. "From what you've seen?"

"I don't get out much," he said.

T-Rex nodded but didn't push the subject, and Isaac was grateful. He didn't want to have to explain his way of living. Most didn't understand his family's life choices. Sometimes Isaac didn't understand them either, but he'd grown up in that environment and was used to things at home.

"We'll have to remedy that," T-Rex said as he turned down the road that lead to Bear County Service Station. Isaac might not have gotten out often, but he remembered the place when they'd passed it two years ago on their way to their new home.

"Remedy what?" he asked.

T-Rex frowned. "Getting to know the town you live in."

"I'm good," Isaac stated quickly, stopping T-Rex in his tracks. He wasn't going to spend any more time with the man, no matter how good he smelled or how handsome he was. Isaac had to think about the consequences if his father ever found out.

"We'll see about that." T-Rex pulled into the station. It wasn't a large building but reminded Isaac of the old filling station in the town he'd grown up in. There were two islands for the pumps and two large bay doors, both presently open. There was also a large fence toward the back, and it was currently closed.

"Do you want me to go inside with you?" Isaac wasn't sure what to do. He'd never been in this type of situation before. He wasn't even sure how he was going to pay for the repairs.

"Of course." T-Rex opened his door. "It's your truck."

"My father's," Isaac corrected.

"The same thing," T-Rex replied as he got out and closed his door. He waited for Isaac to join him before they stepped into the shop. It was cooler inside, and Isaac's vision had to adjust to the dimmer lighting.

A man with blondish-brown hair and steel grey eyes straightened from under the hood of Isaac's truck. "Who's been working on this thing?"

"My dad," Isaac answered.

The stranger's eyes shot to T-Rex, and something passed between the two men.

"Why, what's wrong with it?" Isaac asked.

"Isaac, this is Jed," T-Rex said for introductions. "He's the town mechanic."

Isaac moved closer. "How bad is it?"

Jed scratched at his jaw, as if holding something back. The guy glanced at T-Rex once more before he said, "There are a lot of patch jobs on the engine when there should be new parts. I even found a coat hanger holding some hoses together."

Since Isaac knew nothing about motors, he could only stare at Jed.

"Backyard mechanic type stuff."

"Can you fix it?" T-Rex asked.

"The current problem or the years of patchwork?" Jed asked.

"All of it," T-Rex said.

"Whoa." Isaac held up his hand. "I can't afford that. Besides, I just need it to run, nothing fancy." His dad would kill him if Isaac allowed Jed to fix every single thing that was wrong with the truck. The bill would be astronomical.

"I can fix the current problem," Jed said. "But sooner or later, it's going to break down again. There are some major problems going on here."

"Then fix it enough that I can drive it home," Isaac said and then added, "Please and thank you."

If his father saw all the repairs, he'd flip.

T-Rex's lips thinned as he nodded to Jed. "As the man says."

"What?" Isaac asked T-Rex.

"It's a death trap. I don't like you driving anything this unsafe."

The concern touched Isaac on a deep level. He appreciated T-Rex's worry, but it was the only transportation his family had. Isaac had no choice but to drive the beat-up truck.

He didn't say anything as Jed told them it would be ready in about three hours. Isaac knew his mother was waiting for him and wasn't sure what to do. She always started dinner early, making everything from scratch. She was more than likely pacing the kitchen, watching out the window for his return.

"I have to get home," he muttered under his breath.

"Not until the truck is ready." T-Rex led him outside. "We can go grab something to eat while we wait."

"That's awful nice, but I don't have-"

"It's on me," T-Rex said, cutting Isaac off.