Arrogant Savior: A Hero Club Novel

by Terri E. Laine

  The mystery virus was spreading like flaming embers in the city.

  “That’s a risk I have to take.”

  “What’s your plan?” I asked again.

  He shrugged as he let go of the truck, taking two frustrating steps back. “I don’t know. Connor has a club in the city. If I can’t get to the old man, I’ll reach out to him.”

  Connor was a cousin I’d never met. I doubted the man knew that I existed. My uncle had written Dad and me out of the family history.

  The door to my cabin opened and Jolene framed the doorway in the thermals I’d given her to wear. I glanced from her to Liam and gritted my teeth when I spotted his slack jaw as he stared at her.

  Shifting my attention back to Jolene, I was annoyed to find my clothes weren’t as shapeless on her as I’d like in this moment. They were big, but so were her tits, and it was undeniably clear she caught a chill from the brisk morning air.

  “Jo, honey. Why don’t you put on a coat?”

  I pointedly let my eyes drop to her chest and hers followed suit. Immediately, her arms crossed over her chest as she backed up and closed the door.

  Liam chuckled, but when he saw my face, he stopped and spread his arms. “Sorry, cuz. Uncle Ted told me you weren’t alone, but he didn’t say you were hiding a smokestack.” He whistled. “I can see why you’d quarantine with her.”

  “It isn’t like that,” I said, though it would be if I had my choice in the matter. He didn’t need to know that. “Mind your manners.”

  With more than six years separating us, I’d always taken the role of older brother, even though he was my closest friend. Despite my zap of jealousy, ultimately I could trust Liam with Jolene now that he understood she was off-limits.

  “Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. I’m just saying—”

  I gave him a look that cut off what he might have said. He raised his hands in surrender in time for Jolene to come out in jeans with her coat zipped up tight and boots covering her feet. She stopped far enough away we formed a social distancing triangle.

  “Jolene, this is my cousin, Liam. Liam, this is Jolene.”

  He held out a hand before remembering himself. “This is going to take some getting used to,” he said, dropping his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Jolene. Take care of my cousin here.”

  “I’ll do my best, and nice to meet you too.”

  “Well, I best be getting on,” Liam said.

  “Where are you heading?” Jolene asked.

  “New York,” Liam said wistfully.

  “Best of luck,” I said. “Make sure you keep me updated with what’s going on. You know your mother is going to be on my ass about where you are.”

  He didn’t have to tell me she didn’t know what he was up to. We both knew she would talk him out of it.

  “I will. You two stay safe.” He gave me a knowing look and I narrowed my eyes at him in warning. “Though I have to say, not much to do up here.” His eyes bounced between us. “But I’m sure you guys can figure out some way to pass the time.”

  “Bye, Liam,” I said as he laughed and hauled himself back into his truck.

  I stepped away so he could back up and turn around to head out.

  “Ignore him,” I said, hoping what my cousin said hadn’t made my uphill battle even steeper.

  “I like him,” Jolene said with a huge grin on her face. I scowled in response. “Don’t worry. I don’t like him that much.”

  “You better not.” I took her hand because I liked touching her. “I have something to show you.”

  We walked back to the spot I’d taken her the day before. But now there was something there.

  “A swing?” she cried, letting go of my hand and running over to it.

  I’d spent the morning cutting a log and sanding it down with a power tool to save time. Then I cut holes on either side of the plank for the rope I’d used to hang the swing on a tree branch not close to the edge, but close enough to enjoy the view.

  “Sit,” I said.

  Eagerly, she did as I asked.

  “I remember something about you not going to the playground much as a kid,” I said.

  “You made me a swing?”

  Her astonishment and utter happiness were enough to make me feel like Superman.

  “I promised you a chair. Does this work?”

  “Does this work? I can’t believe you did this,” she said, staring at me with wonder.

  I wanted to tell her there was so much more I could do if she’d let me, but now wasn’t the time.

  “Just sit your sweet little ass there and let me help give you a push.”

  I winked at her, ignoring the chill in the air. Her excitement was the balm that I needed to warm the day. So I pushed and savored her squeals of delight. Later, I would think about how this simple act made me happier than I’d been with any woman.

  “Stop,” she finally said, giggling. “We should get back.”

  “Why?” I held the rope and stopped her forward progress.

  She hopped off and reached a hand back to me. She had no idea the victory I felt in that gesture.

  “I have something for you.”

  I let her lead me back to the cabin, as I could only guess her surprise for me.

  Inside the cabin, my stomach growled when I smelled food. Then another smell invaded the air. A scent that even the fire couldn’t hide.

  “Oh my God,” Jolene cried, running for the stove, grabbing things with a mitt and moving them off with haste. When she spun to face me, panic filled her face as she tried to block my view of what I already knew. “I wanted to keep it warm for you.”

  I tried and failed to contain a grin as I moved in front of her. I placed my hands on her hips and shifted her to attempt to salvage the meal she’d made for me.

  “It’s ruined,” she cried.

  From the looks of things, the bacon was beyond crispy, the eggs were runny on top and hard as a rock on the bottom. The pieces of toast from the toaster were just shy of black. I reached out as tears brimmed in her eyes.

  Twenty-Seven

  Jolene

  To hold back a sob, I covered my mouth, as I’d made a mess of things. I watched in horror as Grant snagged a piece of toast and a butter knife. Then he proceeded to scrape the dark parts off into the sink with not one piece but two.

  After placing the salvaged toast on a plate, he scooped up some of the congealed eggs and piled them on the bread. He then took burnt bacon that looked as hard as a rock and placed them on the eggs. I tried not to gag as he topped the sandwich and bit into it and murmured sounds of satisfaction.

  I couldn’t let him eat the mess on his own and made myself a smaller version of the sandwich with only one slice of toast. It wasn’t exactly horrible, and I forced it down.

  “Thanks, babe,” he said, after swallowing the final bite.

  With a mouth full of food, I bobbed my head, wondering when he would do something that would make me not that attracted to him. Not to mention he’d once again called me babe. I had no idea why it gave me a thrill whenever he said it, but I had to squash this.

  In two weeks’ time, the fantasy bubble he was creating would pop. I would leave the swing he’d made for me by hand from the looks of it. I would leave everything I was coming to love about the mountains and living in a cabin off the grid.

  Though it was winter, I’d heard a few birds chirping. I’d seen a deer. Grant had been the one to point out the slices of life. Earlier, he’d shushed me before I could speak while on the walk from the woods. We paused and watched before it became aware of us and took off. In this short time, I’d realized that I wasn’t a city girl. I wasn’t even a beach girl. I was a snow bunny. Who would have thought?

  Changing the subject, I said, “Your cousin seemed nice. Are the two of you close?”

  Grant was over by the fire as I’d opted to clean up.

  “We grew up like brothers,” he said.

  “Are you related on your mother’s or father’s s
ide?”

  “Father’s.”

  “Your uncle in New York?” I asked.

  “That’s the story.”

  “You don’t believe it?” I said, putting the last plate away.

  He walked around and sat on the back of the sofa. “It’s kind of a long story.”

  “I have time,” I teased, slinging the drying towel over my shoulder.

  When he smiled, it lit up the world. Oh boy, I was in serious trouble.

  “I mentioned before how I’d only seen my uncle once in my life.” I nodded. “He’d come with a choice for my father. Either go back to New York to work for their father or sign away his rights to the company.”

  “He signed away his rights,” I said, already knowing this part of the story.

  “Dad had a passion for planes. He’d already pissed off his father when he ended up with an aerospace engineering degree and not a business degree of some sort. Dad had used money from his trust fund, and had been taking flying lessons under the radar. Here actually.”

  “The airpark?”

  “Yes.”

  “He came all the way to Maryland for lessons?” I asked.

  “Yes. Partly because he didn’t want to be found out. But also because he met someone.”

  I grinned, loving the direction the story was going until I remembered his parents weren’t together.

  “Unfortunately for him, Natalie was with someone at the time.”

  “Oh, her name was Natalie,” I teased.

  “It is. But the story gets better.”

  I went and sat next to him.

  “Tell me more,” I said.

  “The thing is, these two were never in sync. When she was single, he wasn’t and vice versa. Dad only gave up when he found out Natalie was engaged.”

  “Don’t stop there,” I said, nudging him.

  “That’s when he met Mom.”

  My jaw dropped. I hadn’t been expecting that. “What happened with Natalie?” I asked.

  “She and Mom became best friends. In fact, she was here when my uncle showed up.”

  The pieces fell into place. “She’s Liam’s mom.”

  “She is.”

  “But you don’t think your uncle is Liam’s dad?”

  “I think it’s one possibility,” he said.

  “And the other?”

  “Mom left shortly after Dad signed away the family fortune. He was left with a son and Natalie was there to help.”

  “Oh no,” I said.

  “Oh yes. I may have another brother.”

  “Does your dad think so?”

  “He’s never said. But Dad stepped in for his ‘brother’. I don’t know. It’s just a guess, but neither Natalie nor my dad has ever mentioned the possibility.”

  “Does Liam know?”

  “I don’t think so. He was too young to notice how Natalie and Dad were always together after Mom left, and even more so when he was born. Dad will tell you they were two single parents helping each other.”

  “You think they comforted each other in other ways,” I guessed.

  “Dad isn’t the kind of guy to shirk his responsibilities. It’s likely he assumes since Natalie never told him it could be him, it isn’t. Point of fact, Liam was born premature.”

  “I feel like I need popcorn for this story.”

  “Not very different from yours. Love and money don’t mix.”

  “I say it can’t be love if you choose money,” I said. “Speaking of, have you ever been in love?”

  I had no idea why I asked that. Did I really want to know the answer and have it in my head for the next thirteen days?

  “Once,” he said.

  “And?” I said, egging him on.

  He folded his arms. “One summer, that’s all we had. Then she was gone to college. You?”

  Because I’d brought it up, I had to answer, even though I didn’t want to.

  “Twice,” I said. He’d given me some details, so I did the same. “Once in college and once after.”

  “Carter?”

  I found a spot on the floor and kept my eyes there. I’d hoped he wouldn’t ask.

  “Yes,” I admitted.

  “Things were pretty serious between you two?”

  “Not from his point of view.”

  “He broke your heart then?”

  I sighed. “Not really. He never promised me anything. I just read the situation wrong.”

  “Do you think you’re reading the situation wrong between us, or are you just gun-shy?”

  I shifted to face him. “I’m a realist. We live in different states.”

  “We work for the same company,” he countered.

  “Just another reason we shouldn’t.”

  “It didn’t stop you and Carter.”

  I had to bite my tongue for a second. “How about another reason?” I waited a beat. “You hooked up with my sister.”

  Just when I thought I’d checkmated him, he said, “I never slept with her.”

  “But,” I sputtered. “She thought you were together.”

  “She’s delusional.”

  “She’s a lot of things but not crazy.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t sleep with clients.”

  “You slept with me.”

  “You weren’t a client in Dubai.”

  I held there a second thinking through our time together. “Is that why you didn’t try anything before?”

  Then again, he’d been a gentleman last night, even though I’d crawled into his bed.

  “There were many reasons why I didn’t. Least of which was your lack of interest.”

  I managed not to show surprise. How could he not tell I’d been drooling over him? I stood up, fearing I was too close.

  “Maybe you weren’t that interested in me.”

  His hand went to his cock, drawing my eyes. “Why don’t you come over here and judge for yourself my level of interest?”

  I tore my eyes from his crotch and met his eyes. “Just sex?”

  “You’ve made yourself pretty clear we can’t be anything else. But we’re both adults. We could have some fun.”

  I shook my head, not needing to debate this. “You’re dangerous.”

  “How?” he asked.

  “You just are.”

  An inferno grew between our stalemate until he finally said, “Your choice.”

  “How about we talk about something else?” I suggested.

  “Lunch?”

  And just like that, everything changed. I had a moment to regret why I couldn’t trust myself around this man. He wasn’t Carter. The problem was, he was himself, arrogant, undeniably sexy, and captivating. I didn’t think my resolve would last the full fourteen days.

  Twenty-Eight

  Grant

  “How can I help?” Jolene offered.

  As hard as I was, having her near wouldn’t help.

  “I’m making burgers. I can show you how.”

  She moved closer with her intoxicating scent. We got to work assembling the ingredients before mixing them all together.

  I asked, “What was your nightmare about?”

  “Huh?” she asked, her hands deep in the beef mixture.

  “Your dream. Last night you said you had a bad dream.”

  “Oh.” She blinked. “I dreamt my gran had died. Sorry about that.”

  “About what?”

  “Crawling into bed with you.”

  “It’s fine.” I pointed to the mixture. “You can make those into balls.”

  It was a second before we both started laughing and the tension formed a few minutes ago drained away. We found a rhythm making balls and then into patties we placed on the indoor grill. Once she felt comfortable with that, I moved to cut up some potatoes to make fries.

  “Are you sure someone didn’t teach you to cook?” she asked.

  “YouTube. Someone had to learn to cook. Dad was happy eating out every night.”

  Our lunch conversation topic ended up being ab
out our favorite things to eat. Hers was anything Italian. Mine was steak. And just like that, I found myself liking her more and more as we talked.

  Giving her space while she figured out what she wanted was going to be a challenge.

  Later that night, I wasn’t exactly surprised she ended up in my bed. There was nothing more than the comfort that comes from being close to someone when you don’t want to be alone. I didn’t try for more and neither did she. We just enjoyed being close.

  The next morning, wound up as I was, I went for a run. At first, it was a jog and then it was a sprint weaving through trees, my personal obstacle course. When I made it back, not all of my pent-up energy was used up. I jumped up and caught a branch, and did several reps of pull-ups until my arms couldn’t support my weight any longer.

  When I entered the house, a sleepy-eyed Jolene was exiting my room.

  “I made coffee.” I’d set a pot going before I took off for my run. “I’m going to grab a shower.”

  If she’d been mine, I would have kissed her as we passed. But she wasn’t. So I took a cold shower for more than one reason.

  When I got out, dressed for the day, I found Jolene in the kitchen staring at items she’d taken from the refrigerator.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  In normal circumstances, after seeing her somber expression, I would have put my arms around her and murmured anything to bring a smile back on her pretty face. But there we were, in a situation I wasn’t a hundred percent sure how to handle.

  “I feel useless,” she whined. “This is your house and you cook for me. I feel bad.”

  “We’ve cooked together,” I said. She glared at me. “Okay,” I said, unable to hold back a grin. “Tell me what you want to cook.”

  Large puppy dog like eyes held mine. “An omelet,” she said, her lip poking out some.

  This woman would be a test of my resolve as I looked over the ingredients she’d already taken out.

  “You have everything you need. Let’s get a bowl and crack some eggs.”

  One thing Jolene wasn’t was a quitter. She botched the first eggs, more shells than egg ending up in the bowl. She persisted, though, and in the end, we had omelets.

  That night we watched a movie before we went to bed.