Egotistical Jerk: A Hero Club Novel

by A. K. MacBride

  No more Sebastian. Dr. Ryker was back in full force. His gaze flicked to the woman on the bed behind me before he spun around and marched out of her room.

  I pulled my hair over my shoulder, fingers toying with the elastic band that held my braid in place. Sucking in a breath, I straightened my spine and stalked after Dr. Stormy. I'd made it all but three steps into the hall when his harsh tone reached my ears.

  "What the hell is wrong with you?"

  "Excuse me?" We were going to have it out again, I could tell by the set of his jaw and the lightning flashing in his eyes. "Wanna repeat that?"

  "How long were you lounging in there?" The way he threw those words at me made me feel like I'd done something wrong.

  "Does it matter?"

  "When you're on my time, it does." Looking beyond furious, he took a step closer. I had to fight the urge to take one backward. "When you're neglecting other patients, it does." Not only did his voice have an edge to it, but it was also rising. "You don't get paid to sit around and stare at a TV all damn day. You're here to treat patients. Go do your job."

  By the end of it, he was all but yelling. Nostrils flaring, he was glaring at me as if I was something he despised. It hurt. And for the first time in a very long while, I was speechless. Dr. Ryker's dark eyes flitted between my right and left eye. For a second, I thought he was going to yell some more. Instead, he shook his head and stomped off.

  My heart was pounding inside my chest; drumming out a dejected, yet incensed melody. I blinked a few times and when my surroundings shifted into focus, I noticed that we had attracted an audience.

  In an instant, the blood in my veins turned to molten lava. How dare he? How dare he speak to me like that in front of my peers? My hands balled up into tight fists, outrage causing my legs to move.

  I didn't even bother knocking when I reached his office; simply threw the door open and then slammed it shut once I was inside. Dr. Ryker was hunched over his desk; head hanging, and palms planted on the smooth surface.

  He twisted his dark head my way and I swear the expression on his face looked pained. I didn't give two shits, though.

  "Now, I talk, and you listen."

  Chapter 14

  SEBASTIAN

  I'd gone too damn far.

  Sleep had been an elusive companion the previous night. I'd tossed and turned well into the morning; thoughts of Mia, and this undeniable thing between us at the forefront of my mind. She had told me I got under her skin too.

  That meant something, damn it.

  The only problem was the ball was now back in my court. The next move was up to me. And shit if I knew what the hell to do. I'd been wrestling with those thoughts when I found her in Cheryl's room. The sight of her damn near killed me because I knew, I freaking knew, she was setting her heart up for a world of hurt.

  Why wouldn't she just listen to me on this? I was trying to protect her. Yeah, going about it the way I had probably hadn't been the best approach. But as it always did when she was around, my words came out scrambled while my tone left a lot to be desired. If I could, I would have turned back time and handled it very differently.

  I was still in the middle of berating myself when Hurricane Mia blew into my office, looking ready to spit fire. Chest heaving, balled up fists parked on her hips; she was gearing for a fight.

  "Who the hell do you think you are?" she spat.

  With my hands still planted on my desk, I wet my lips with my tongue. "Mia."

  "You might be my superior," she went on as if she hadn't heard me. "But you don't get to talk to me like I'm a child. I've worked my ass off, and I deserve to be treated with respect."

  She kept throwing words at me, angry words, but I stopped listening. Not because I didn't care. She was just so damn beautiful. Even—especially—when she was pissed off. My gaze zeroed in on those gorgeous lips moving a mile a minute. I could make out a few words.

  Self-centered… Egotistical Jerk… Full of…

  There was something very, very wrong with me. She was insulting me, and the only thing I could think about was how desperately I wanted to kiss her. Would her kisses be fast and hard or slow and sensuous? Would she yield or want to be in control?

  "Now you have nothing to say?" she shrieked.

  "No."

  "Ugh!" Enraged, she threw her arms in the air. "Typical. So damn typical. You sure as shit had a ton to say out there," she stabbed her finger in the direction of the door. "Where are your words now, Dr. Ryker?"

  Something snapped. The line I had so carefully avoided crossing had been erased. My sanity that I had desperately held on to for as long as I could, finally slipped. Keeping my gaze on her moving lips, I pushed off my desk and stalked toward her.

  She didn't back away nor did she shrink into herself. Squaring her shoulders, she pushed out her chest and tilted her chin. And that right there was one of the things I found so damn sexy about this woman. Mia Phillips would never be intimidated by anyone.

  I closed the distance between us as fast as my legs would allow, then took her face in my hands and smacked my mouth to hers. I kissed her hard; all but crushing the soft lips under mine. As desperately as I craved to plunge my tongue inside and taste her thoroughly, I knew once I started I'd never be able to stop.

  With a strength I had no idea I possessed, I pulled away slightly, my gaze instantly locking onto hers. Big, green eyes filled with confusion stared back at me.

  "Are you done?" I rasped.

  "No."

  "Good. 'Cause neither am I."

  This time my descent was slow; giving her time to pull back or shove me away. Instead of doing either of those, Mia pushed onto her toes and met me halfway.

  The moment our lips touched again the rest of the world dissolved into nothingness. It was just Mia and I and that kiss. And what a kiss it was. She let out a little sigh and opened her mouth against mine. My tongue immediately slipped inside, lapping and coiling around hers. Tasting her, savoring her.

  There was too much space between us. Banding my arms around her waist, I yanked her body flush against mine. The sexiest little whimper sounded from the back of her throat before her hands smoothed up and over my shoulders and slipped around my neck, her fingers toying with the hair at my nape.

  Her smell, her taste, the feel of her in my arms… every single thing about this moment was intoxicating. It was too much and yet not enough. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew we needed to come up for air at some point, but I simply couldn't bring myself to tear my mouth away from hers.

  With her still firmly pressed up against me, I started walking toward my desk; lifting her onto the smooth surface the second I could. Dropping my hands to her hips, I tugged her to the edge and stepped between her parted thighs at the same time.

  A deep groan rumbled through my chest when Mia pulled my bottom lip between her teeth and rocked her hips against mine. It felt amazing and it would feel even better as soon as we got rid of the pesky layers of clothing between us.

  I slipped my hand under her top, loving the feel of her silky skin against my palm.

  "I want you," I gruffly confessed against her parted lips. "Right here, right now."

  "Yes."

  Her breaths came hard and fast, mirroring my own need.

  Gripping the hem of her shirt between my fingers, I started pushing the material up when two sharp knocks sounded. Mia gasped while a string of curses fell from my lips.

  "Give me a minute," I growled at whoever was behind the door. Giving her an apologetic look, I curled my hands around her waist and set her on her feet in front of me.

  She got to work on righting her shirt while I thought of fluffy bunnies and cold showers. Anything to will the insistent pressure against the front of my slacks to go down. Not easy to do with her still within reaching distance looking good enough to eat. As if reading my thoughts, those big eyes flicked to mine, teeth digging into her bottom lip.

  I wanted to kiss her again. So freaking badly. If I g
ave in to that need, though, I knew I wouldn't be able to stop. So, instead, I pressed my palm to her cheek, brushing over the delicate bone with my thumb.

  "Mia—"

  Everything happened at once.

  My door flew open. Mia jumped and took a massive step away from me. I cursed loudly and repeatedly with my hand still awkwardly suspended in the air.

  "Seb—" Simon's gaze flitted between me and Mia. "Oh."

  His eyes widened, lips twitching. You didn't have to be a genius to know exactly what had been going on in here.

  "I'll… uh… come back later." Throwing a thumb over his shoulder, he took a step backward.

  "No!" This came from Mia. "You stay, I'll go."

  "Mia?" Our gazes locked, and I knew she saw the question in mine. She nibbled on the corner of her mouth, her shoulder pulling up in a small shrug. I hated it, but her leaving right then was the right decision considering what we almost did.

  "Am I staying or going?"

  "Staying." Mia and I said at the same time.

  I knew it was for the best but, hell, I didn't want her to leave. As if she'd read the thoughts running rampant in my mind, Mia smiled sweetly while steadily walking backward. My eyes stayed glued to her. It was only after she spun around and disappeared from view that the spell was broken.

  With a sharp shake of my head, I rounded my desk and collapsed into my chair. Dragging my hands through my hair, I dropped my head into my hands and blew out a long breath.

  What the hell did I just do?

  I'd kissed a co-worker and almost screwed her on my desk, that's what. Never, not once, had I done anything as reckless at work. Hell, I didn't even go out with anyone that worked in the same hospital as me. The fact that I'd been two seconds away from ripping Mia's clothes off and burying myself deep inside her freaked me the hell out.

  But not enough to not want to do it again.

  "That looked… interesting." My gaze snapped up to find Simon sitting across from me. How the hell had I forgotten he was there? He didn't even bother with hiding the grin on his face. "You feel better now?"

  Shaking my head, I answered, "I can't decide if you have the shittiest or the best timing."

  "From where I was standing, I'd say the best. I don't think my eyeballs could've handled seeing you mid-thrust."

  Groaning, I scraped my palm over my face. If he only knew how close he came to seeing exactly that. "I screwed up, Simon."

  "Why?"

  I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my desk. Sucking in a long breath, I finally voiced what I'd been too afraid to admit to myself.

  "I want more, and I'm not talking about sex either. There's something about her, I can't explain it."

  "She makes you feel."

  Such a simple statement but so true. "Yes."

  "I don't see what the problem is."

  Squeezing my eyes shut, I pinched the bridge of my nose. When I opened them again, Simon was watching me. "We work together."

  "So do Bridget and I," he deadpanned with a raised eyebrow. "You know, as well as I do, that there is no rule set against dating a co-worker. Hell, with the hours we pull there really aren't any other options." Resting his forearms on his thighs, he leaned forward. "Stop making excuses, Sebastian. If you want her, don't wait until it's too late to do anything about it."

  Chapter 15

  MIA

  Holy hell.

  I bent over the sink and caught water from the running tap with my hands before splashing it onto my face. What I actually needed was a very, very cold shower because holy moly I was hot all over from kissing Sebastian Ryker.

  I was having trouble wrapping my head around that particular fact. When I'd stormed into his office earlier, my sole intention had been to give him a piece of my damn mind. Then he'd gone and kissed me stupid.

  So stupid that I would've happily let him have me right there on his desk.

  "Ughhhh!"

  Groaning, I dropped my chin to my chest. As if things weren't weird enough already. As much as I wanted to stay inside the bathroom to try to make sense of what had happened, I couldn't. There were patients to see and tests to run.

  Closing my eyes, I smoothed my hands over my braided hair; making sure every wayward curl was in place. I pulled back my shoulders and parted my lids. If there was one thing I knew how to be, it was professional.

  And despite the odd glances I received from a few nurses and Mary, that was exactly how I handled my morning. Because as much as that kiss had thrown me off my axis, I would never let it affect my work.

  By the time my lunch break rolled around, I had decided Sebastian and I needed to talk about what had happened. I made my way to his office, but it was empty. I wasn't remotely prepared for the wave of disappointment that rushed over me.

  Standing in his doorway, I contemplated what to do next. I could spend my lunch hour looking for him, or I could simply grab a coffee from the cafeteria and sit somewhere while I tried to sort through the mess in my head.

  As soon as I made my decision, I took the elevator down to the ground floor. I'd barely set foot in the cafeteria when Bridget came barreling toward me. Afraid that she was going to plow right over me, I dug my heels in and braced for impact.

  A second later, her hands clamped down on my upper arms and she started shaking me.

  "When were you going to tell me?"

  Confused, I cried, "Tell you what?"

  A strangled noise spilled from her lips. Burrowing her fingers deeper into my skin, she brought her face closer to mine. "You and Sebastian got all hot and heavy in his office."

  What?! I was mortified.

  "Will you keep your voice down?" I didn't want everyone to know, especially not when Sebastian and I hadn't even talked about it yet. "Who told you?"

  Another one of those strangled noises filled the air. "You're not even denying it!"

  "Bridge, how do you know?" I asked again. What if someone saw us and that was the reason behind the strange looks? I suddenly felt sick to my stomach.

  Releasing me, Bridget crossed her arms in front of her. "Simon said he walked in on you two."

  "Great." I scratched a spot above my left eyebrow. "Don't take this the wrong way, but your husband has a big mouth."

  Laughing softly, Bridget pulled me in for a hug. "He won't tell anyone." She drew back and leveled me with a stare. "But you have to tell me everything."

  I scrunched up my nose. "I will. I just need to talk to him about it first."

  Her gaze drifted to something past my shoulder. "Mmm-hmm, yeah, you do that."

  An uneasy feeling took hold of me as I watched her lips stretch into a smile. When she turned her attention back to me, the expression on her face was that of a cat with a vat of cream.

  "Good luuuck," she sing-songed before scampering away without so much as a goodbye.

  I frowned at her retreating back wondering what had gotten into her. This day was getting to be too long and too weird. If I was going to get through the rest of it, I needed coffee.

  Lots and lots of coffee.

  "Mia."

  That voice. That rich, silky voice had the ability to scatter goosebumps all over my skin with a single word. Inside my chest, my heart bounced around excitedly. Afraid that they were going to be upstaged, the butterflies in my belly took flight too.

  I turned around as slowly as I could, only to have the breath knocked right out of me.

  Sebastian was standing there, looking impossibly sexy. With a lopsided grin, he held up two to-go cups and asked, "Can we sit for a minute?"

  Somehow my heart managed to lodge itself inside my throat. "Yeah."

  His smile grew into something absolutely breath-taking before he aimed one of the to-go cups in the direction of the tables and murmured, "Lead the way."

  Spinning on my heels, I made my way to the table furthest away from the lunchtime crowd, acutely aware of his presence behind me. Once we were seated across from each other, he slid one of the cups my way.

>   "Two sugars, no milk." He winked and the butterflies in my stomach flipped out.

  I reached out with both hands and pulled the cup toward me. Lifting the lid, I held the cup to my cheek. Sebastian was watching me so carefully, I knew the heat touching my skin had nothing to do with the temperature of my coffee.

  "How did you know?" I asked after taking a small sip. It was perfect.

  "I asked Bebe, she's pretty good with remembering what the regulars order." Cocking his head slightly, he jerked his chin in my direction. "Why do you hold the cup against your cheek before you drink?"

  Dropping my eyes to the coffee cradled between my palms, I rolled my lip between my teeth. "I learned it from my dad. He always said if the steam coming from the cup doesn't hurt your skin then the liquid inside won't burn your tongue."

  Strangely, the admission left me feeling vulnerable. I'd never told anyone that before. I'd always assumed people would think it was stupid or weird. When I dared to look up at the man sitting across from me, understanding burned bright in his eyes. "Sounds like your dad was a smart man."

  "He was." Nodding, I touched the cup to my lips again. Sebastian's gaze was still trained on me; the intensity behind it had me fighting the urge to squirm in my seat. I'd been on the receiving end of that stare plenty of times before, but it'd never been this intense.

  "I'm sorry."

  What? Was he apologizing for the kiss? Here I was hoping it would happen again sometime soon, and he was apologizing. How embarrassing. Schooling my features, I met his gaze. "It's okay… I get it. It was a heat of the moment kind of thing."

  Thin lines formed on his forehead. "Mia." His voice was low and raspy. "I'm not apologizing for kissing you." Those dark eyes of his bore into mine. "I'm not sorry. Are you?"

  I swallowed hard. "No."

  "I was apologizing for my behavior before that. In the hall. It was uncalled for."

  I turned my attention to my finger lazily tracing the rim of the cup. "Why do you do it though?" Lifting my eyes, I met his gaze again. "This morning wasn't the first time."

  A pained expression crossed his face. "I know, and I wish I had an answer for you that made sense."