British Bachelor: A Hero Club Novel

by K. K. Allen

  The classroom would never teach me what life could—what a real job would. Experience was what I needed to feed my creativity. I’d already trusted that bold voice in my head that would never shut up. Now, I just had to be bold enough to publish.

  Sighing, I climbed the ladder of Simon’s library bookshelf to reach a succulent that sat in the windowsill above, a cactus that I was only required to water once that week. It was a bulb-shaped thing with spines blossoming every which way. I checked the soil and confirmed it was dry before soaking it thoroughly, just as instructed.

  “Hello, love.”

  The deep voice bulleted through the air so unexpectedly that I jumped and turned toward it. My movements were too fast. I lost my grip on the ladder and reached back for it but missed, cupping the cactus instead.

  “Ah!” I screamed as the damn spines pierced my skin.

  I fell backward, imagining my deathly tumble to the hardwood ten feet below. Luckily, strong arms caught me instead, and he made the catch feel effortless.

  I opened my eyes, my heart pounding a million miles a second, and sucked in a breath when I found Liam staring down at me. His green eyes sparkled, reminding me of the first time I saw moss on a tree. My parents had taken me to George Washington State Campground for a weekend getaway when I was a little girl. We set up a tent, fished in the lake, and hiked for miles. There was nothing like the feeling of nature surrounding me, and I was completely in awe. Everything felt bigger than life, just like the man standing in front of me now.

  “I frightened you again, didn’t I?” His smile faded, but he made no move to set me down.

  The burning sensation in my hand intensified, drawing my attention to where the cactus had pierced my skin. Holy shit. The pain. I held my hand up, almost afraid to see the damage. Three of the needles were still wedged in my palm. Just the sight of them made it hurt more.

  “What the—” Liam’s eyes widened as he took in my injury, then he sprang into action. Everything happened so fast. He jogged, carrying me to the couch, and set me down. He grabbed my injured hand and examined it, flipping it over, bringing it closer to him, all with a gentle touch. One by one, he carefully plucked the long spines from my fingers.

  Even after my hands were free and clear of cactus needles, the burning continued to intensify, spreading from my wounds to every inch of my body, including my neck and face. Within seconds, I could see bumps rising on my skin. “Are those hives?” I squealed.

  Liam scanned my arms then my face and confirmed it with a nod. “Afraid so, sweetheart. Stay here. I’ll fetch some medicine.” He started to jog away then halted before spinning around to face me. “Do you happen to know where I can find some?”

  “In the hall bathroom upstairs next to the girls’ room.”

  He took off. I didn’t know for how long. All I knew was that my body felt on fire and that it itched just as badly as it burned. The bumps were everywhere that I could see, and I felt lightheaded.

  When Liam finally returned, it was with a bottle of medicine. “Take this,” he said as he uncapped the bottle and poured a dose of it into a plastic measuring cup. “You might feel drowsy after, but it will make the hives go away.”

  I didn’t hesitate. I drank down the nasty syrup in one gulp and handed him the cup before rising to my feet. “I should get back to my place.”

  Liam stood, towering over me and bunching his brows together. Until that moment, I couldn’t have imagined an angry Liam. Cocky, definitely. Annoyingly witty, for sure. But angry, no.

  “You’re not going anywhere, not until those hives go away.” He pointed to the couch. “Lie down.”

  I let out a laugh. He was being ridiculous. “I’ll be fine, Liam. I’d rather rest at my place.”

  “Then I’m coming with you until you feel better.”

  “What? No.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “I’m not a doctor, and I just administered medicine to you. I’d like to make sure you don’t go into some sort of anaphylactic shock.”

  Squeezing my lids together, I slapped my hands to my sides and shrugged. “Fine. Whatever. But I need to finish watering the plants.”

  “Rest first. The plants can wait.”

  I found something deeply sexy about his commanding tone, especially since it was with the intention of helping me heal. For that reason alone, I gave in, turned away, and walked back to the pool house with Liam right behind me.

  By the time we walked into my place, I was dizzy with exhaustion. If he weren’t with me, I would have gone straight to my bedroom, shut all my curtains, and crawled under the covers. But I couldn’t bring Liam to my room. I didn’t even know the guy. I did feel some peace knowing he was a close friend of the Hogues’, but still. He was a stranger. The fact that I’d seen him with his shirt off and that he’d just saved my life didn’t matter.

  He closed the door behind us, and I turned around to give him one more chance to escape.

  “You really don’t have to stay. I’ll be fine.” I was less insistent this time, already resigned to the fact that he wouldn’t listen to me. He seemed like a stubborn man.

  “I’m staying, Chelsea.”

  A wave of exhaustion rolled over me. I was done arguing. “Fine.”

  I lay down on my couch and dragged my chunky gray knit throw blanket over me. The next thing I knew, my lids were growing heavy. Soon, I would be fast asleep. With a British stranger taking a seat on the chair across from me.

  5

  Liam

  The moment Chelsea’s breathing deepened, I picked her up and brought her to her bed, where I knew she would be more comfortable. It was a small room with just enough space for a queen bed and a small closet, nothing more. Tiptoeing out of the room, I left the door ajar and walked out into the main room complete with a living room and kitchenette.

  At first, I paced around her place, contemplating what to do with my time. I understood how creepy that could seem to the average person, but I also didn’t know what I would do if her reaction worsened in my absence. With me keeping an eye on her, I could drive her to the hospital if it came to that. I didn’t think it would, but I also wasn’t a doctor, and I didn’t know why her body had reacted so harshly to a cactus.

  Call Simon, my inner voice urged me a second later. I contemplated it only because I didn’t want to worry him and Bridget while they were on vacation. It would be early morning back in London, so I sent him a text message instead.

  Liam: Not an emergency. The nanny stuck herself with a cactus and broke out in hives. She took some Benadryl and passed out. What do you think, doc?

  A second later, my phone rang, and Simon’s name popped up on the caller ID. “Hiya, Simon.”

  “What in the bloody hell, Liam? What happened?”

  I was careful to keep my voice low so as not to wake Chelsea. “She was watering your succulents.” I skipped the part about spooking her a little when I came into the study and making her fall from the ladder. “And she managed to get stuck by a cactus. She broke out in hives, and I didn’t know what to do, so I gave her Benadryl.”

  “Bollocks,” Simon muttered under his breath. “When did you administer the antihistamine?”

  I thought about it for a second. “About thirty minutes ago.”

  “The hives should have faded mostly by now. Have they?”

  “I can check.” I walked back into Chelsea’s bedroom and slid to the side she was facing. Her face was completely flawless, like a porcelain doll I dared not touch. Her chest rose with her steady breathing, slow and deep, just a light whistle of noise with her exhale. She looked completely perfect, like nothing had happened at all.

  “All clear, doc,” I whispered before slipping back out of her room.

  “Glad to hear it. You did well, but next time, maybe you should call me before you decide to play doctor with the nanny.”

  The mental image that came to mind when Simon uttered the words “play doctor with the nanny” probably wasn’t what he was referring to, b
ut I didn’t hate the visual it conjured up. “Right,” I said, clearing my throat. “Will do.”

  “How are you getting on at the house? Finding everything you need?”

  And just like that, my thoughts whiplashed from Chelsea in a short white button-up dress to the gratitude I felt toward Simon and his wife for taking me in so abruptly, no explanations necessary. “All good. You have a beautiful home, Simon. Thank you again for letting me stay. I’ll be out of your hair as soon as I figure out how to deal with this whole mess.”

  “No rush. We have plenty of room, and it will be nice to catch up once we’re home.”

  We ended the chat, and I stuck my phone in my back pocket while perusing her small stack of books on a narrow shelf. I plucked one at random to take a closer look. The cover was a black-and-white photo of half of a man’s face staring back at me. Music notes and faded lyrics added to the background. The title, in bold yellow script, read Dangerous Hearts. Curious, I thumbed about halfway through the book and started reading.

  Letting out a ragged breath, I slip my finger beneath the fabric of her shorts until it meets her pussy. So perfect. So wet. Already.

  Fuck. My eyes immediately bulged at the erotic words. Shaking my head, I focused on the passage again and continued reading.

  I glide my finger up and down at a tortuously slow pace, giving her every chance in the world to refuse me. Her legs slide open, her clit swelling beneath my touch. I still make no move to take the plunge, not yet, although I know it’s what she wants.

  I let her shift a bit more. She’s practically begging for it, and it’s hot as hell, but if this is really happening, I’m going to make it last as long as possible. Lyric deserves the VIP treatment, multiple orgasms initiated by intense and mind-blowing foreplay. She’ll be screaming when she comes in my mouth, but only when I’m ready to let her.

  My finger slips back down her leg, drawing a wet line on her skin. Reaching for the band of her shorts, I swiftly remove them, revealing the finest ass I’ve ever seen. It’s round and firm, sitting perfectly below her tiny waist.

  Just staring at Lyric’s curves is enough to get me off. Seeing her bare is more arousing than I was ready for. I pull my erection from my shorts and tug at it a few times, hoping to relieve some of the pressure. To my surprise, Lyric takes that moment to look at me over her shoulder, her eyes darkening by the second. I squeeze her ass and watch as her teeth sink into her plush bottom lip. I fucking lose it.

  I shift her so her legs are on either side of mine and my feet are angled to lock her body in place. She’s still lying flat on her stomach, and I’m sitting with my back resting against the headboard, but now her clit is directly below my cock, right where I want it. With her eyes still on me, I stick a finger in my mouth and suck, giving her an idea of what I’m about to do. I grin and sink it straight into her wet opening until her eyes roll back in her head.

  Hell yes. So warm and soft but tight. So tight. My dick throbs knowing those narrow walls will be wrapped around me soon. I don’t know if I can resist much longer, not after feeling what’s waiting for me.

  My free hand palms one of her ass cheeks, gripping it for leverage as I sink and twist and jerk my finger in her depths. My hands are big, and one finger is enough for someone as tight as Lyric, but if I’m going to prepare her for taking all of me, she needs to understand what she’s in for. So I dip a second finger into her tightness and then a third. She screams a little. It’s a quiet scream but a scream none the less. I smile in victory while continuing to pump until her walls begin to strangle me. She’s so close.

  Call me a savage beast, but I won’t let her come yet. That was just a primer. I withdraw my fingers, and she mewls in disappointment.

  Holy shit. I set the book on the couch’s armrest and adjusted my trousers a touch to keep myself together. I was as hard as a fucking rock, and my heart was hammering from what I’d just read. I didn’t know much about Chelsea, but I sure liked what I knew—her smut emporium of reading material shooting straight to the top of that list.

  I cleared my throat, forcing my thoughts on something less erotic in an effort to calm the beast in my trousers. I would have to take care of myself later. Against my better judgment, I plucked the Dangerous Heart book from the armrest, stuck it inside my waistband, and pulled my shirt over it. I would just borrow it for a short while, then I would return it when she wasn’t looking. Harmless. At least that was the intention.

  It was an hour later when I heard Chelsea’s breathing change, and I stood up to check on her for the billionth time. She was sitting up in bed, her hair tossed about and her tank twisted enough that I caught some side boob before she righted it and squinted back at me.

  “You’re still here.”

  I couldn’t tell if it was surprise or relief that filled her tone, but I was happy it wasn’t disappointment. “How do you feel?”

  She stretched, revealing her midriff as her shirt lifted with her arms. “A little foggy but better, I think.”

  “You look better.” I caught my words and realized how she could interpret them the wrong way. “I mean, the hives are gone. You’re on the mend.”

  She blew out a breath of relief. “Thank you for the rescue back there. If it weren’t for your heroic catch, I would have ended up with broken bones too.”

  “It was nothing.” I took a step back, suddenly feeling like an intruder. I had no reason to linger, and I definitely shouldn’t have borrowed her book without permission. “I’ll be on my way. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”

  I’d already made it halfway to the front door when Chelsea called to me. “Wait, um.”

  I turned to see her rush out from her room, eyes wide as they fixed on me.

  “Let me repay you with lunch. You’ve got to be hungry.”

  I hadn’t even thought about lunch until she mentioned it. My stomach answered her with a rumble I knew she couldn’t hear. Lunch with the nanny—while it sounded appealing, it also sounded like a terrible idea. When I didn’t answer right away, she continued.

  “We could go somewhere, or I could make something here.” She looked toward her kitchen. “I think I have some bread and cold cuts in the fridge.”

  I made a face I knew could be taken as rude, but I couldn’t help myself. “Sarnies are much better here in America, I suppose, but—” I was going to give her some lie about needing to run an errand instead of joining her for lunch when I caught the anxious look in her eyes. The look told me I would crush her feelings if I didn’t allow her to return whatever favor it was she thought she owed me. “We can go somewhere, if that’s all right with you. Perhaps I should get to know the area a little while we’re out.”

  Chelsea let out a smile, and she almost looked relieved. “Okay, let me just get dressed.”

  “Of course.”

  She rushed back into her room then shut the door behind her.

  While she was changing, I made a mad dash to her small shelf and pulled her book I’d borrowed from my trousers. Sweat would surely ruin her precious book if I didn’t put it back, and guilt still gnawed at me for taking it to begin with.

  I’d just slipped the book back into its rightful position on the shelf when I heard a sound I should have detected sooner. I hadn’t noticed the door behind me open until it was too late.

  “What are you doing?”

  Shit. Chelsea’s voice was dangerously low and suspicious. I whipped my head around to face her, almost afraid to find what was staring back at me. How much had she seen? Maybe she hadn’t seen me pull the book of word porn from my trousers.

  “Why were you pulling my book from your underwear?”

  Double shit. I held up my hands in defense, like that could protect me from whatever wrath came with sticking my nose where it didn’t belong. “I’m fascinated by your—” I waved at the shelf behind me, not knowing what to call it. “Taste in books. Nice library.”

  She stepped closer, getting a look at the book I’d just had in
my hands. Her eyes lit up with amusement. “Did you read any of it, or did you just like the cover?”

  I twisted my mouth and bent my brows together at her question. “You were asleep for quite some time, and these were on display.” I waved my hand toward her shelves. “Trust me, I had no idea I’d be entertaining myself with such titillating content.” Turning the tables had never felt so good.

  Now it was Chelsea’s turn to look shocked. “I don’t know what’s worse, that you stole my book or that you actually wanted to read it.”

  I chuckled, pleased to see this lighthearted side of her. It was good to know she wasn’t always so uptight. “I was curious, mostly.”

  “Curious?” She studied my face like she could find more to my admission there. “About the book or me?”

  “Both, I suppose.”

  She stepped forward until she was right in front of me, and a spark of hope ignited in my chest, a spark that I knew better than to let burn. I imagined Chelsea leaning in and giving me a taste of those full pink lips. I imagined her chest brushing mine and the soft caress of her fingers running over my biceps. It was only a flash, but it was vivid enough I inhaled sharply.

  I hadn’t seen her reach past me, but when she pulled back and smacked something against my chest, I didn’t have to look down to know what it was. “Books are meant to be shared. Just make sure to return it when you’re done.”

  With a wink, she turned away, and that was the moment I knew Chelsea would test my limits, limits I couldn’t afford to exceed.

  6

  Chelsea

  It was only a ten-minute ride from the Hogues’ manor to downtown Providence, and in that short time, I learned three interesting facts about Liam. The man didn’t appear to be addicted to electronics like the rest of mankind. Not once did he reach for his phone—he’d said he called Simon earlier, so I knew he had one on him. For an instant, I wondered if that was a British thing, then I had a flashback to my interview with the Hogues and how many times Simon had to ask me to repeat a response to a question because he was constantly staring down at his device.