A Bad Boy Billionaire: Forbidden Alpha Male Romance by Heidi Hunter Page A

thoughts of being with Steven were wrong.
    By the time I made it out of Maine, headed toward Pennsylvania, my mind was made up. The money I’d saved up wouldn’t last forever, but it would set me up with a nice starter apartment somewhere in California. As the miles added up, I became more excited about my adventure. I’m twenty-one years old, single, and ready to fucking mingle…

Three

Nikki and the Mechanic
    I made it to Pennsylvania around five in the evening, about ten hours after I left Maine. I planned to stop in Scranton to find a room and get some sleep. My phone was off, so I didn’t have to deal with Maryanne, Steven or anyone else. I’d made up my mind and was going to make it across the country to California no matter what it took. Then disaster struck.
    Well, it was disastrous for me. Smoke and steam poured out of the front of my car. Shit, I thought as I pulled over to the side of the road just outside Scranton. The sun wouldn’t set for three or four hours at least, but I didn’t like being stuck on the side of the road. I wondered whether I should call Steven or Maryanne. No, fuck that. I can do this.
    I popped the hood by pulling the release. After checking the mirror for oncoming cars, I got out and headed to the front of my car. I managed to open the hood and use the rod to hold it up. All I had to do was wait and hope someone would stop and help me. Or I could call information and ask for a tow truck or something. I really should’ve signed up for Triple A before going cross country.
    Two cars passed quickly, not slowing down at all. The third actually sped up as they passed me. Fuck. Is this really going to be my night? Twenty-four hours ago, I was in a mansion at an orgy with billionaires. And now this? As I berated myself in my mind, I saw an ancient white truck pull up behind my car. It stopped, and a man with graying hair got out and meandered toward me.
    A smile spread over my face. I was pretty sure I could trust the old man to not try to hurt me. He nodded as he stopped in front of me. Under his blue coveralls, he had on a plain, white t-shirt. The smell of stale cigarettes and beer was heavy in the air around him. I wondered briefly what it was like to be as old as him. His eyes stared into mine.
    “Thanks for stopping. I think it overheated,” I said.
    “Smells that way.”
    “That syrup smell?”
    “Yeah, you busted a line somewhere most likely. Or your radiator blew a leak.”
    I nodded as if I understood, but I was completely lost. “Can you help me?”
    “Me?” He cackled with laughter. “No, sorry dear. I’m too old to be rummaging around under your hood, but I know someone in town who can help you.”
    “Is he open this late?”
    He looked at a watch on his wrist. “He might still be around. Do you want me to give you a ride to see him?”
    “Sure,” I said, not having many options.
    “Your car should be okay here, but I’d take the keys and leave your blinkers on.”
    “Okay.”
    “You’ll need to turn them on, miss.”
    “Oh, yeah, sure. My name’s Nikki.”
    “I’m Bart.”
    I opened the driver’s side door and turned on the hazard lights. As they flashed, we walked back to his truck. The cab smelled about ten times worse than him. Several empty beer cans littered the floor, rattling as I sat down and buckled in. I hoped they weren’t recent, but I couldn’t tell for sure. He started up the truck and carefully put it into gear.
    “What do you do for a living?” I asked as we drove away from my car on the side of the road.
    “Beet farmer.”
    Laughter burst out of me. “I’m sorry. It’s just that we’re headed to Scranton, and you’re a beet farmer, and…”
    “I don’t get it,” he said seriously.
    “You’ve never seen the Office television show?”
    “No, but I heard about it. They just made fun of us, I think.”
    “Nah, not at all. It was pretty funny, but the British version was better.”
    He nodded his head, but I could tell he