Egotistical Jerk: A Hero Club Novel

by A. K. MacBride

  She nodded carefully. I could tell her take on the matter differed from mine. That was okay. Some people were brought up to follow the leader, while others led.

  I wasn't a follower.

  "Thanks for the coffee."

  I held my to-go cup in the air before making my way to Gillian's desk to recheck my reports. If Dr. Ryker was going to lay into me, I wanted to be sure he couldn't say a damn thing about my work.

  Twenty-five minutes later, I was seated across from him in his office. His dark brown hair looked a little tousled, almost as if someone had run their fingers through it. Annoying as it might have been, I envied the woman who got to touch him.

  Unaware of my thoughts, he regarded me as he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms in front of his broad chest.

  "I heard you came to see Mrs. DuBois yesterday."

  Mirroring his movement, I carefully answered, "I did."

  "It was your day off."

  "It was."

  He sighed heavily. "You can't allow yourself to get personally involved. It's not healthy."

  "Really?" In an instant, my voice climbed a few octaves higher. "It's unhealthy to show kindness to another human being? Is that why you're always scowling at me, Dr. Ryker? Because it's not good for you to be friendly?"

  "Phillips."

  "I haven't done a single thing to deserve this kind of treatment. You are constantly looking down your nose at me, like you're just waiting for me to slip up so you can send me packing." Fuming, I sat up straighter and pulled my shoulders back. "I have news for you, Dr. Ryker. I am going to be the best damn diagnostician this hospital has ever seen."

  My heart was racing, my breaths coming in quick bursts.

  His gaze flicked to my chest for a fraction of a second before he pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. His loud intake of breath was accompanied by flaring nostrils and an expanding chest. Slowly, meticulously, his lids parted; dark, intense eyes peered at me through thick lashes.

  "You're dangerously close to being insubordinate, Phillips." There was a measured calmness to his tone that sent an ice-cold shiver down my spine.

  For a hot, intense second I entertained the idea of pushing him over the edge he was carefully balancing on. It wouldn't have taken much either. I could see it on his face. One more word from me and the calm he'd forced on himself would dissipate to set the brewing storm free.

  What would it look like when he finally let go?

  I wanted to find out, boy did I ever. But I wanted to keep my job more. With a steadying breath, I pushed to my feet and balanced my fingers on the edge of his desk.

  "If that's all? Mr. Fisher's lab results are ready, and I would very much like to deliver the good news to him and his wife."

  Dr. Ryker's mouth opened and closed before he pressed his lips together. I got the impression that the words he spoke a second later were different from what he'd initially wanted to say.

  "We're done."

  For reasons beyond me, I wanted to stand there and yell at him to speak his damn mind, but my dad had always advised me to choose my battles wisely. I gave him a brusque nod before spinning on my heel and marching out of his office.

  I was extremely proud of myself when I didn't even slam the door behind me. My brain, however, chose that moment to hit replay on the conversation I'd just had, and fire spread through my veins. How dare he tell me what to do on my day off? He wasn't my damn boss outside of this building.

  "Uggghhh! Infuriating piece of—"

  "Whoa! What's crawled up your butt?"

  My gaze snapped to the side to find Ginny grinning at me like someone who'd just won the lottery. "Your stupid Dr. Stormy needs to be struck by lightning. Repeatedly."

  "Uh-oh." Her eyes widened. "Sounds like you need to blow off some steam."

  I nodded furiously. "I really do."

  "Meet me at the front entrance after your shift, 'kay?" She didn't give me time to respond before she rushed off.

  ***

  "What's this one called again?" I knocked back the milky green shot, enjoying the slight burn as it slid down my throat.

  "Big O." Ginny grinned.

  "Mhm, I could use one of those." Clearly, the alcohol was loosening my tongue.

  "Me too," Bridget chimed in. Just like Ginny, she was one of the nurses at Memorial. I'd met her when I'd been called in to help with an emergency in the ER. And as with Ginny, we hit it off immediately. It was only while we had lunch together a few days later that I learned she was married to Dr. Hogue.

  "Oh, hush you." Ginny nudged Bridget's shoulder. "You probably have one every night thanks to that British hunk of a husband of yours."

  Bridget's eyes sparkled with mirth. "More than one, actually."

  "You're such a showoff." Ginny rolled her eyes dramatically. "I need more booze if you're going to start bragging about your sex life."

  In one swift motion, she slipped out of the booth and disappeared into the crowd.

  "So," Bridget drawled a few seconds later. "Simon tells me you're keeping Sebastian on his toes."

  Shaking my head, I let out a very unladylike snort. "I am? Pressing his buttons sounds more like it, if you ask me."

  "Really?" She seemed genuinely shocked. "Why do you think that?"

  "He's not very friendly toward me at all. He never smiles when I'm around and the only time he speaks actual words to me is when he's chewing me out."

  And now I sounded like a whiny teenager. Another sign that I had enough to drink for the night.

  She let out a little laugh and placed her folded arms on the table; her fingers drumming in time with the tune sounding from the wall-mounted speakers. "Sebastian is…" eyes narrowed, she tilted her head to the side, "Intense."

  "You think?" I muttered.

  "Once you get to know him, you'll see he's a nice guy. He just takes his job very seriously."

  I rested my folded arms on the table and leaned forward. "But that's the thing, there's nothing about my work that he can fault. Other than literally bumping into him on my first day, I haven't set a foot wrong. And yet he treats me as if I have the plague." I shoved a few strands of my hair behind my ear, cursing myself for opening my big mouth in the first place. Waving my hand through the air, I said, "Don't mind me, it's been a long day. Hell, it's been a long week."

  Bridget stared at me, long and hard, as if I was some puzzle that needed to be solved. I was about to tell her that she was making me uncomfortable when the question popped out of her mouth, "Have you asked him about it?"

  I shoved my index finger into my hair and wound a few strands around it. "I confronted him about it today, but he didn't say anything."

  She opened her mouth to speak but before any words came out, an overly excited Ginny slid back into her seat after plonking a tray of drinks in the middle of the table.

  "You guys are not going to believe who I ran into just now?"

  "Is it Trevor from radiology?" I asked. "Has he finally asked you out?"

  Ginny rolled her eyes. "I wish." A heavy sigh blowing over her lips as she leaned forward like she was about to tell us a juicy secret. "Look toward the far left of the bar and tell me who you see."

  Turning my gaze to the bar, my eyes scanned over the patrons until I spotted who Ginny had seen. Even from across a crowded room, his dark eyes had the ability to cause havoc to my insides. The music bouncing off the walls was quickly replaced with my heart's loud thumping.

  "Oh that's odd," I vaguely heard Bridget's remark. "He doesn't usually come here without Simon. Not that I know of, anyway."

  "You know what's even weirder?" Ginny chimed in. "I saw him before he saw me and he was watching this table the entire time."

  "Ooooh, that's interesting." This came from Bridget, who sounded incredibly pleased with this bit of information.

  Tearing my gaze away from his dark one, I focused on Bridget. "It is?"

  "Maybe we should invite him to sit with us?"

  "No!" I al
l but yelled before Ginny finished her question.

  "Uhm…" Both of them were staring at me. Ginny with a confused look and Bridget with an all-knowing one.

  Shifting in my seat, I quickly said, "Didn't you bring me here so I could forget all about work? Inviting him to sit with us kind of defeats the purpose, don't you think?"

  "Yeah, I suppose." Ginny nodded, immediately reaching for a drink.

  Bridget, however, kept staring, and I just knew that she knew some of what I was feeling. For whatever reason, though, she didn't push. Instead, she steered the conversation in a different direction altogether.

  I'd never been more grateful.

  "What are you doing on Sunday?" she asked.

  "Uhm, nothing yet. Why?"

  "Good." She clapped her hands together. "You should come over for lunch then you can meet Brendon and the twins."

  "Sure, I'd love to."

  I didn't know why, but the moment the words left my mouth, a sense of foreboding washed over me. Hopefully, by the time Sunday rolled around, excitement would take its place.

  Chapter 8

  SEBASTIAN

  My ass had just hit the soft cushioning of my couch when a knock on the door sounded. I glanced at the clock, a deep frown pulling my brows together. Who the hell could be outside at ten o'clock at night?

  With a grunt, I pushed to my feet and made my way to the front door. Gripping the smooth metallic handle, I pulled the heavy wood toward me. My jaw hit the floor about a second later.

  "M… m… Phillips! What are you doing here?"

  She looked even more gorgeous than she had when I'd seen her at the bar earlier. Her mass of hair tumbled over her shoulders like a red-orange flame. My fingers itched to know the feel of those tresses against my skin.

  Hell, that thought had been plaguing my mind all damn night. I'd walked into the bar with the sole intention of having one drink. Then I'd spotted Mia.

  As the night dragged on, I told myself that I was keeping an eye on Bridget for Simon.

  What a load of bullshit.

  I'd stayed because of her. Watching Mia laugh and be carefree had been as mesmerizing as it was intoxicating. She'd swallowed down four shots—yeah, I counted—before switching to water. Half an hour after making the switch, the three women had giggled their way out of the bar before they climbed into their respective taxis and, I presumed, made their way home.

  The sound of Mia clearing her throat pulled me back to the here and now. Eyes sparkling, she tugged her lip between her teeth and rolled it around before releasing it with a soft pop. "Can I come in?"

  "Uh, sure." I stepped to the side, allowing her entry.

  The subtle scent of her floral perfume was like an onslaught to my senses. It was all I could do to not close my eyes and drag it straight to my lungs.

  "How did you know where I live?" I asked as soon as I closed the door.

  Wrapping and unwrapping a few strands of hair around her finger, she smiled wide.

  "I'm resourceful… but you already know that." She winked and something strange happened to my body.

  "You still haven't told me why you're here." The irritation I felt toward myself came across in my tone. Mia, however, seemed rather undeterred by my mood.

  Pointing her index finger at me, she exclaimed, "There it is." Those eyes of hers slowly swept along the length of my body before she narrowed them and moved across the room, standing in front of me before I had time to blink.

  Regarding me.

  Assessing me.

  "That tone."

  She was so close, I could clearly see the freckles on her nose.

  I wonder if her body is covered in them.

  Her chin lifted slightly, accusation burning bright in the green of her eyes. "Why don't you like me, Dr. Ryker?" A sliver of pink caught my eye as she slicked her tongue over her bottom lip. "What did I ever do to you?"

  How could I tell her that I was insanely attracted to her? That every time I saw her, my mind conjured up ten million different ways to steal her away so I could find out what she looked like under those scrubs.

  What good would it do if I told her that each sassy remark she threw my way had the head down south thinking it was a form of foreplay?

  Yeah, I bet that conversation would go over well.

  Speaking of heads and foreplay…

  Shifting from one foot to the other, I cleared my throat. "Nothing." If I heard the strain in my voice, she sure as shit did too.

  Those dark, dark lashes lowered and fanned her cheeks. The thick material of my jeans couldn't hide what I knew she was looking at. Tilting her head back, she aimed those mossy irises my way.

  "Doesn't look like nothing."

  And then it happened.

  I was done thinking. Done fighting whatever the hell this was.

  I was just done.

  My hand shot out and curled around the back of her neck. One sharp tug and my mouth closed over hers. There was no coaxing, no teasing. I shoved my tongue past her lips and finally, finally knew the taste of her.

  And what a taste it was. There was a faint hint of alcohol, something minty, and something so very sweet.

  A little whimper sounded from the back of her throat that had me straining against my jeans even more. My free arm banded around her waist, and I spun us around so I could pin her against the nearest wall.

  I wedged my foot between her feet and nudged her legs apart; stepping into her space the moment I was able to do so. Bending my knees, I aligned our hips and pushed forward again and again.

  There was ringing somewhere, I tried to ignore it, but it only became louder until the screeching sound of it was almost deafening.

  My body jerked and my eyes shot open.

  "Mia."

  Her name blew over my lips in a whisper. Squinting, I took in my surroundings; my gaze almost immediately colliding with a pair of eyes. They weren't Mia's though. They belonged to my cat, Teddy, who was sitting on my chest. His tail impatiently swishing back and forth.

  "Shit."

  I'd been dreaming and I swear, I'd never been more disappointed to wake up.

  I stroked my palm over Teddy's head and down his spine. "You probably want food, eh?" He gave me a clipped meow in answer, and I chuckled. "All right, then."

  As if he understood, he hopped off and trotted toward the kitchen.

  Next to my head on the couch, the insistent ringing started up again. With a groan, I picked up my phone and saw my mom's number flashing on the screen. She wanted to video chat. Now.

  If it were anyone else, I would have simply ignored the call and gone back to sleep. As it stood, though, I hadn't spoken to either of my parents in a few weeks. Their travels had taken them to somewhere in Africa and getting a decent signal hadn't been on the top of their priority list.

  By the way I was grunting when I moved into a seated position, you'd think I was closer to fifty rather than my thirty-seven years. Lifting the flashing screen toward my face, I smiled and swiped the little green button.

  My mom's older-but-still-youthful face filled the screen. Stretching her lips wide, she beamed at me. "Sebastian!" With her eyes slightly narrowed, she leaned closer to the camera. "Did I wake you?"

  "It's nothing." Using the back of my hand, I rubbed my eye. "I haven't been asleep long, anyway."

  "Your father and I wanted to check in a while ago, but you know how it goes."

  Nodding my head, I hummed in agreement.

  "How are things at work?" That question was so loaded, she might as well have asked, "Have you found a cure for cancer yet?"

  I loved my parents and as much as they didn't mean to, they expected the world, especially from me. Or at least that's what it felt like. It was also entirely possible the pressure I felt from them actually stemmed from me wanting to make them proud.

  "It's good," I finally answered her.

  Mom's brows pulled together. The lines on her forehead deepening while she tilted her head first this way, then that
way. "Are you all right? You look stressed."

  With a sharp shake of my head, I waved a dismissive hand through the air. "I'm fine, Mom." Then I abruptly changed the subject by asking, "How's your trip?"

  In an instant, the worry-lines disappeared, radiant happiness in its place.

  "It's so wonderful. We're currently staying in the Kruger National Park and you won't believe what we saw yesterday! Before I tell you, you have to see this first." Her image shook as she got up from where she'd been sitting to move some place else. The sound of hinges moaning filled my ears right before my mom's awestruck, "Look."

  She flipped the camera. In the place where my mom's face had been a second ago, now stood a sight so beautiful, it stole my breath. Mountains and lush greenery stretching as far as the camera would allow me to see.

  Bright orange and yellow mixed with a touch of pink streaked across a cloudless sky as the sun started its slow climb. I tried to wrap my head around the fact that we were thousands of miles apart, in very different time zones, yet we could still experience this moment together.

  "It's beautiful."

  "Isn't it?" I got to appreciate the view a few seconds longer before my mom's face filled the screen again. "Your father and I were talking about it and we're thinking of staying. We'd like to open a clinic here."

  Something inside me twisted and stabbed. I'd always assumed my parents would come back to Providence. That stupid feeling of being alone smashed into me with the weight of a ten-pound hammer. But still, when I opened my mouth and said the words, I knew I meant it.

  "You have to do what makes you happy, Mom."

  She regarded me for a long, long moment. Her voice was soft when she said, "And so do you, Sebastian. Don't ever forget that."

  A strange, unwanted lump made its way up my throat, I had to swallow several times before it went back down again.

  "So, what did you see yesterday?"

  Her smile was back. Her eyes were big and wide while she told me how they'd come across a baboon and a lion cub the previous morning. According to her, the game ranger who'd been with them assumed a lioness had hidden her cub before she went out for a hunt the night before. As luck, or misfortune, would have it, a troop of baboons happened upon the little thing while they were out foraging for food the next morning.