Sexy Savior: A Hero Club Novel

by Kayt Miller

  On the street, I do a few stretches and then begin to jog. The park is a block or so away, so by the time I get there, I’m winded. No matter, I’m gonna keep going. If I jog for an hour, I’ll get back to my place in time to shower, drink a pot of coffee, and be at the animal hospital right at seven. The only problem with my plan? After twenty minutes of jogging, I’m breathing pretty hard and am starting to feel the burn in my thighs.

  Like I said, I’m in good shape. I lift weights regularly, but I’ve neglected the cardio part of my workout. I knew this. In the last year, my cardio has consisted of walking Sky. That’s it. The night I ran after the bus, I was winded. Then the stairs at work put an exclamation point on my need for more cardio. No. This is good. I need this. Fifteen minutes more and I’m in the zone, as they say. I’ve got a rhythm to my steps, so now I don’t have to think about my breathing or my fatigue.

  The park near my house isn’t enormous like Central Park in Manhattan, but it’s big enough to get a good workout doing only one or two laps around it. Plus it’s well lit, so it’s safe.

  As I’m about to start my third lap, I see someone step onto the sidewalk. It’s no surprise there are others out jogging and walking at this time of night. New York is the city that never sleeps, after all. But this person is an exception. I quickly pick up my pace and get to her in a few seconds. Reaching out, I tap her on the shoulder and nearly trip over myself when she screams. I’m not talking a little squeak either. Nope, this is a horror movie quality scream.

  When she turns, her face says it all. I scared the shit out of her. She’s panting. Her right hand is raised, and I can’t help noticing she’s holding something. Mace.

  Smart girl. Safety first.

  Holding both hands up, I do my best to calm her down. “Alison. It’s me, Ben.”

  “You fucking asshole,” she pants. “What is wrong with you?”

  “Uh….”

  “That’s the third time you’ve scared the crap out of me on the street. Don’t you know it’s dangerous out here for us? You can’t just go around grabbing women.”

  “I didn’t grab you; I touched your shoulder.”

  “At almost four in the fucking morning.” She’s glaring at me. “In the park.”

  She’s sure cussing a lot.

  And crying. The light is shining down on her, and I can see her eyes are glossy and wetness is running down her cheeks. “Alison.” I take one step closer. “Don’t cry.”

  “You scared me.” She sniffles. “You can’t keep doing that, Ben.” Her voice is shaky but soft now.

  I don’t know if it’s the right thing to do, but I take one step closer to her and open my arms. “Come ’ere,” I say so she knows what I’m doing.

  Shockingly, she steps into my arms and places her head on my chest. I wrap her up in my arms and sigh because it feels good. Natural. Like she’s meant to be there. She fits perfectly against me.

  “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” I coo softly. I’m not sure why I call her “sweetheart,” but for some reason, it feels right. “I’ve never meant to scare you. I just don’t think sometimes.”

  “No shit, Ben.” She sniffles, then laughs against my chest.

  “You just draw me in like a moth to a flame.”

  Leaning back, she looks up at me. “A moth to a flame?”

  I nod and smile down at her. “You’re hot.”

  She snorts and rests her head on my chest, but only for a second more. I release her as she takes two steps back. “What’re you doing out here at this time of night?” she asks. “Can’t sleep?”

  I shake my head. “No. You?”

  “Same. Got a lot on my mind.”

  I can’t help wondering what it is she’s worried about.

  “Care to walk with me?” I ask, gesturing toward the sidewalk.

  She gives me a sweet smile and nods. “Sure.”

  “Or would you rather jog?” I ask, hoping she chooses the leisurely walk. I’d like to get to know her better.

  A short laugh escapes her, and then she says something I don’t like. Not one bit. “Do I look like I jog?”

  I stop moving and look down at her. “Did you just cut yourself down?”

  “Uh….”

  “Because that’s not okay. I happen to think you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.”

  Oh shit, maybe I shouldn’t have said that.

  “You do?”

  My God, her voice sounds weak—and dare I say sad?

  “I do. I was just thinking about you.”

  With that same little voice, she asks, “You were?”

  “I was.”

  “I can’t believe I’m asking this, but what were you thinking?”

  “Well….” I chuckle. “Besides the fact that you’re gorgeous, I was thinking how nice it was to have you there with me at the vet’s office.”

  “Oh….” She reaches out and pats my shoulder. “I’m glad I could be there.”

  I decide to tell her the rest. “I don’t have many friends here.” I used to think Sam was a friend, but I’m not so sure about that anymore. “And it was great. You know, not going through that alone.”

  “I’ve got one good friend nearby, but she’s married and lives in Hoboken.”

  “Jersey.” I nod. Lots of my coworkers live in Jersey and commute into the city. Mostly, like she said, the married ones. The ones who want houses and yards, unlike us city dwellers who just love living in tiny apartments. I scoff at the thought.

  “What?”

  “Just thinking about those people who live in Jersey with their fancy houses and yards.” Then I laugh. “Then there’s us with our cramped apartments.”

  “True. But the city is perfect for me right now. If I had kids, I’d probably think about it.”

  “Me too.”

  “You want kids?” she asks, sounding a bit surprised.

  “I do. You?”

  “I did.” She shrugs. “I’m not sure it’s in the cards for me.”

  I’ll give her some kids.

  Oh shit, why did my mind go there?

  “Why not?”

  She looks up at me quickly. “No reason.” She points ahead of her. “Come on, let’s pick up the pace. If I’m going to be out here at the ass crack of dawn, I might as well get my heart rate up.”

  I’d like to be the one to get her heart rate up but by doing something completely different. “Sure, let’s go. Then I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”

  “Great. Two laps, yes?” She arches her brow as she peers up at me.

  “Two laps. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Alison

  Why the hell did I tell him we needed to “pick up the pace”? That was stupid. I haven’t exercised in weeks. Sure, I walk all over the place in this city, but never at this pace. I’m about to tell him I can’t do it when he starts to slow. Panting, I point to the park bench to my right. “I—” Pant. “Need—” Pant. “To sit.”

  “Me too.” He’s breathing hard, but not like me. “I’ve got to get my shit together. I nearly died walking up twenty-two flights of steps.”

  That makes me laugh, and laughing isn’t easy when you can’t breathe. “You didn’t need to take the stairs,” I say, taking a seat on the bench.

  Sitting next to me, he chuckles. “Our talk didn’t go well, and I didn’t feel like standing uncomfortably in the elevator with you.”

  “I’m sorry about that.”

  Waving me off, he smiles, “No worries. Water under the bridge.”

  “You know, when I stopped into your office later that day, you did seem a little… well, sweaty.”

  He must find that funny because he throws his head back and laughs, and it’s a wonderful sound. Deep and rich. “I was a fucking mess. I ditched my to-go lunch somewhere around the tenth or eleventh floor.”

  “What?” I giggle. “Why?”

  “Too weak to carry it another step.”

  And that gets us both going. We laugh for so l
ong and so hard, I forgot all about the fact that he’s the guy who grabs me on the street. Reaching out, I lean forward, still laughing, and place my hand on his. When he flips his over, our fingers intertwine and the laughing stops.

  We stare at one another, but no words are spoken. Not for a long time. Not until Ben does the honors. “Coffee?”

  “Sure.”

  When he stands, he keeps hold of my hand and pulls me up. And in a shocking twist, he doesn’t let me go. So we walk hand in hand all the way to my favorite coffee shop on the corner. The one that sells The Vat.

  “How have we never seen each other before now?” I ask, sipping my delicious coffee. I found out that this is his favorite coffee shop too, and the people behind the counter know both of us by name.

  “No idea.” He smiles. “But believe me, if I’d seen you before the leg incident, I would have tried to talk to you.”

  The leg incident. That seems so long ago.

  I don’t know why, but I blush at his words. “Yeah?”

  “Oh yeah.” He nods. “Like I said, you’re gorgeous. I’d have made a play.”

  I blush harder, but for some reason, I find some courage deep down. “Are you making a play now?”

  “Wow.” He laughs, leaning back in his chair. Pulling off his cap, he runs his fingers through his thick dark hair. He’s got great hair. It’s wavy and probably a tad too long, but that’s okay. I like it. “If you can’t tell, I’m really losing my touch.”

  I smile at him and feel something I haven’t felt in a long, long time: excitement. I’m excited about coffee. I’m ecstatic it’s Friday. Well, I’ve always been a fan of Fridays. I’m delighted to be up at five in the morning—something that would have never delighted me before. And I’m beyond stoked to be sitting across from sexy Ben Schilling. So much so that I feel a little courageous, so I do something out of character, something spontaneous. Leaning forward, I reach out and take hold of the collar of Ben’s tee. I can see the shock on his face, but that quickly goes away. He moves closer to me until our faces are an inch apart. “What are you doing, Alison?”

  “Making my own play.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  I don’t answer. Instead, I throw caution to the wind. Screw my job at GFH. Screw my insecurities. I’ll probably regret it later, but I lean in until our lips touch. His are warm and soft.

  The kiss is short and very sweet. When I sit back in my chair, I do everything not to look at him. Regret hits me. Reaching out, I pick up my Vat and sip, staring down at the table.

  “Alison?”

  I look up at him and see a furrowed brow.

  “What?”

  His expression quickly changes, and a smile emerges. “Come on. Let me walk you home. I need to get my shower so I can get to Sky.”

  “Oh, right.”

  We gather our coffees and head for the exit. Outside the shop, I turn to him. “You don’t need to walk with me.”

  “I want to.”

  “Oh.” Turning right, I look back at him and point down the street. “I’m this way.”

  “For future reference”—he points the opposite direction—“I’m that way.”

  We walk in silence the two and a half blocks to my apartment building. When he sees where I live, he says, “I’ve walked by this building about a thousand times.”

  Blinking up at him, I smile. “How have we never met?”

  He shakes his head, “No idea.” He reaches out and pushes a loose strand of hair away from my face. “May I kiss you?” His voice is soft, gentle.

  I can’t speak, so I just nod. While he looks into my eyes, I feel his hand slide to the side of my neck and into my hair.

  I love that.

  His thumb is resting on my jaw, and it’s slowly moving back and forth.

  It feels good.

  As he leans down, just a second before our lips touch, he gives me a small smile then says, “I’ve wanted to kiss you since the second I saw you.”

  And bam. I’m a goner.

  When he leans in closer, I know what to expect this time—or so I thought. This isn’t like the kiss at the coffee shop. This one starts soft like that one, but in a matter of seconds, our mouths are open and his tongue is seeking mine. It’s literally the hottest kiss of my life. I lean in and push up to my toes to get closer. There’s not one speck of space between us.

  With one of his hands still in my hair, he wraps the other one across my back. I feel us move backward until I’m up against something hard. The door to my building, I’m guessing. I half expect him to grab my ass, but he doesn’t. Instead, the hand on my back moves up and down while his thumb is gently touching my chin and neck. All the while, I’ve got my arms wrapped so tight around his neck that I’m probably choking him.

  When I hear knocking from somewhere, I pull my mouth from Ben’s. We’re staring at each other, both of us breathing hard.

  “Someone’s trying to get out,” Ben says with a chuckle.

  Turning my head, I see one of my neighbors. She’s glaring.

  “Oops.” I giggle as Ben backs up, taking me with him.

  When the door opens, Mrs. Campbell walks out, the look of irritation still prominent on her face. “Sorry,” I say, not really meaning it.

  “A bit early to be doing that, don’t you think?” she says with a sniff.

  Nope.

  When she finally walks away, I look over at Ben, who is looking at me like he wants to eat me for breakfast. I like the look. It’s not something men usually do around me.

  When he takes one big step closer, a look of determination on his face, I laugh, holding up my hand. “You need to get home. Go see Sky.”

  “I’ve got a minute,” he growls.

  I can’t stop him. I won’t stop him.

  He wraps himself around me again just like before, and I cling to him harder. God, the man can kiss. With my back up against the door again, I feel his mouth move across my cheek to the side of my neck.

  “Oh,” I say with a sigh. That’s the spot.

  “I want you,” he whispers in my ear.

  “Yeah?”

  I can tell. His entire body is rigid against mine.

  “Fuck, yes.”

  I want him too, but for some reason, speech has abandoned me.

  When he gives my earlobe a little nibble, I can’t help it the moan that escapes.

  With one more soft kiss, he steps back and adjusts himself. If he doesn’t get himself under control, everyone is going to see his erection. It’s that noticeable.

  When he removes his cap and runs his fingers through his hair again, he smiles. And it’s a radiant smile. One that shows off his straight teeth and full lips.

  “I’ll see you at work.”

  Work.

  Shit.

  Shit.

  Shit.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Ben

  I’ve got a goddamn skip in my step. And a hard-on. Hell, maybe that’s the reason I’ve got a happy little jaunt. Okay, I’ll admit that’s only part of it. My fucking smile takes up my whole damn face, and I haven’t felt this way in such a long-ass time. Like there’s something bigger out there. Something better. And by that, I mean Alison Kirby.

  By the time I’ve showered and dressed and made my way to the vet’s office, I’m still grinning like a damn fool. The second I open the door to the animal hospital, though, the smile fades. Shit just got real. Stepping up to the front desk at exactly 7:01 a.m., I wait to be acknowledged by the receptionist. When she finally looks up, she says, “May I help you?”

  “I came to see my dog.” I’m not sure what else to say, so I go ahead with “Sky.”

  “Sky Schilling?” she says in a perky voice. “She’s adorbs.”

  “Yeah.” I smile again. “She is.”

  “Hang on. Let me check with the doc.”

  “Great. Thanks.”

  I only have to wait a couple of minutes when another woman steps out followed by the front desk girl. This one is in a wh
ite jacket. “I’m Dr. Val Shulte. You can call me Dr. Val.”

  I raise my hand to meet hers. “Ben Schilling. I’m here to see how Sky’s doing.”

  “She did great last night. She tried to get up and move about, so we placed her in a very small kennel to keep movement to a minimum.”

  “All right.”

  Dr. Val quickly adds, “We do that to make sure they don’t harm themselves. But she’s eaten a little bit, and she’s had some water as well, which we want to see. We also took her out to see if she’d urinate without any manipulation on our part while wearing a sling, and I’m happy to say that she did.”

  “Really?” I smile, thinking about how proud I am of my sweet Sky. Then I have to ask, “What’s a sling?”

  “It’s a kind of harness that runs beneath her belly that you can hold on to support her as she walks. We’ll want you to use this whenever she’s up on her feet for at least a week or so.”

  “And she did it? She walked? Went to the bathroom on her own?”

  “She did.” Dr. Val is all smiles.

  Thank God. “Can I see her?”

  “Sure.” Dr. Val turns. “Follow me.”

  In the back, I’m led over to a row of stainless steel cages. The doctor points to the one in the center. Leaning down, I see the kennel is pretty tiny; it’s barely large enough for Sky, who weighs only about eight pounds. Peeking inside, I see her lying on her side facing away from me on what looks like soft paper with a plastic bottom, like a puppy pad.

  “Sky?” I say softly.

  When her head jerks back, our eyes meet. Sky makes a whimpering sound that breaks my goddamn heart. I feel my eyes water and let the tears fall.

  “Baby girl,” I say with a husky voice. Reaching my fingers through the gate, I try to touch her.

  “Here. Let’s open this up so you can pet her.” She pauses. “Gently. Avoid the sutures.”