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"There you are sweetheart. Come and sit down."

Russell got up from his chair and offered it to her.

"Oh no... it's ok. I can sit..." she broke off and bit her bottom lip as she saw the look of admonishment he was wearing and nodded before walking over to sit down.

"Now, just so you know. Your father and I both agree that I'll be fixing your car at our garage. That..."

"But I have insurance and..."

"We talked about that and rather than you losing your no claim bonus I'll do the work for you. Your father said he'd pay for it"

"No. I'll pay for it myself." Her voice was absolute and Russell couldn't help but feel a little proud of her determination.

"Ok then. Well I'm not giving you the final bill until you start working"

"But"

"Corianna I really hate being interrupted when..."

"Sorry" she slapped a hand over her mouth and Jax started to laugh from where he stood in the doorway to the kitchen.

Russell finally gave in to the grin that wanted to emerge before laughing as well.

"As I was saying" he looked at her pointedly "you can pay it off once you start getting paid and no it won't happen any other way. Now. I have a question for you. Why didn't you call your father when you knew you were running late?"

She felt a sudden wave of nervousness and an immense feeling of guilt that she'd worried her father that way.

"I honestly forgot." What else could she answer? It was the truth. With hitting the kangaroo and trying to make it to the house before it got too late she really had forgotten.

"Forgot? Corianna we were all worried something had happened to you... which it did. If you had of called your father then we coukd have gone out to meet you."

"But the truck driver..."

"You were lucky with him Corianna. What if he'd been someone with shall we say... less morals? What then? What would you have done if he tried to take advantage of you?"

Corianna grinned. Yes she was a small build of a woman but she was also working on gaining her black belt in Shatokan Karate.

"Driven his face into the dirt."

Russell and Jax both looked at her with mouths wide open.

"I can take care of myself. I'm not stupid. I know there's people out there who... like you said... have less morals. I'm training in Shatokan karate and about to take my final exam for a black belt."

Russell was the one to first recover while quickly followed by Jax who let out a deep and soul clenching laugh that made her shift slightly as she felt the heat pool between her legs.

"Yes, well" Russell ran a hand across the back of his head "all that aside, you still should have called Corianna. For all our sakes you should have called. I made a promise to your father to watch out for you..."

"I'm not a child and please call me Cori. I feel like I'm a little kid in trouble with Daddy when you call me Corianna."

Russell felt all his blood run south. The images that played across his mind were mirrored in Jax's when he looked across at him and he smiled a smile that took her breath away.

"Ok... Cori... I know you're not a child but please, I put mine and Jax's numbers into your phone. If you have any problems, any at all, call one of us. Is that clear?"

Cori rolled her eyes and knew it would be an absolute emergency before she called him.

"Yes Daddy."

Jax coughed and pretended he needed a glass of water and walked into the kitchen. Holy crap! The evidence of her simple words had roared to life and he had to think of something quickly to dampen down the lust that he was feeling.

He searched in his mind for the worst memory he had and shuddered at the memory of a family vacation up to the Gold Coast when his grandparents had joined his mother and himself. Grandma in a bright yellow bikini and Grandpa wearing díck stickers chasing each other around the beach was enough to relieve him of his problem.

How the hell was Russell coping being in the same room as her?

He chuckled knowingly at Russells discomfort as he watched him squirm from the doorway and was awarded with a burning look that promised he wouldn't be sleeping for quite a while that night.

Settling her into her house, well at least taking things in, was a welcome relief to them both. Saying goodnight and walking away didn't feel right but good things come to those who wait.

They wouldn't be waiting long.