Hero Boss: An Alpha Male Office Romance Read online

  “I never thought of it like that.” His finger traced the little bird over the inside of my right wrist. “This?”

  I sighed. “A hummingbird. They work incredibly hard just to survive, but all the while, they’re thriving. Fighting off predators and living life, all while constantly fighting just to stay alive. It’s admirable.”

  Scott’s look had softened as he looked at me and it was making me feel funny as our gazes connected in a long, sizzling-hot moment.

  “Here you are,” Buddy grunted at both of us, breaking the curtain of sexual tension swirling around us.

  I frowned. “We didn’t order wings and fries.” At least I didn’t.

  “I know, but you’re both guzzling back drinks like you’re fish. Eat this and give me your keys. Now.” Buddy looked like a no-nonsense kind of guy, so I pulled them out and dropped the keys in his hand.

  “Thanks, Buddy.”

  “Anytime, Stevie. This is the last drink for both of you.” His gaze bounced from me to Scott, waiting for our acceptance before he left us alone.

  “Holy crap, we just got in trouble.” I giggled, feeling giddy for some weird reason.

  Scott looked around and frowned. “No wonder. We practically shut the place down.”

  “I guess I’m better company than even I realized.”

  His green eyes met mine and though I couldn’t figure out his expression, I was trapped in his gaze. “Without a doubt.”

  I rolled my eyes and ignored the pleased feeling that rippled through me at his words. I would not be charmed by Scott. Or flattered. Or any of the other emotions that caused women to go all giggly and flirty. Nope. No way, no how—and definitely not with the boss. “You’re not totally boring either, Scott.”

  “Thanks. I think.” His laugh was so damn soothing, like whiskey and honey in a steaming hot mug of tea.

  “Out of questions?” We hadn’t even gotten to the good stuff yet and he’d barely blushed. Maybe four or five times throughout the night. Maybe.

  “For tonight, I think I am.” His gaze was thoughtful and long, as if he was looking right past me and into some other time in his life. It forced at least a dozen more questions to the surface, all of which I refused to ask because that would get me involved. Too involved than I was ready to be in Tulip just yet.

  But I could see that Scott had had too much to drink and everyone but Buddy had already gone home, which meant it was time for the Good Samaritan version of myself to kick in. “All right, Doc, let’s get you someplace you can zonk out for a few hours.”

  He frowned and glanced around the empty bar. “I’m going home.”

  “Maybe, sure. In a few hours. There’s no way either of us will make it out to your place before morning, unless you have an in with local law enforcement to exploit?”

  “I could call, but then we’d have a lot of explaining to do, not to mention the risk that Eddy might show up and we’d end up in a hotel room in Alabama together.” He shook his head. “No, thanks.”

  “Well, maybe you have friends you can crash with but I don’t, so thanks for the company and I’ll see you in the morning, Scott.” I stood from the booth, feeling a little wobblier than I had a few seconds ago. I gripped the table and paused a moment to get my bearings. “Okay. Good night.”

  The night air was chilly and a gentle breeze swayed, but I had enough booze and spicy wings inside of me to keep the chill at bay until I found a way back to Scott’s guest cottage.

  “Stevie, wait up?” I turned in the middle of the parking lot and found Scott’s big body jogging my way.

  “Afraid to walk the tough streets of Tulip alone?”

  He let out another of those snort laughs I was slowly growing addicted to. “Something like that. You gonna protect me?”

  I shook my head and fell into step beside Scott’s much bigger frame. “You’re big enough that I imagine few people ever try to be big shots.”

  “You’d be surprised. When I first left the NFL Combine, plenty of people wanted to take a shot at me. Maybe it’s my size or just giving up on what most people see as a dream come true, but plenty of drunk idiots wanted to have a go. They wanted to fight or race me, or even do a quick scrimmage, if you can believe it.”

  I barked out a laugh at the ridiculousness of man, but I hadn’t forgotten the bomb he’d just dropped. “It’s Texas, of course I believe people wanted to fight you for quitting the NFL. Why did you?”

  He shrugged. “The idea of putting my body through that for the next twenty years, if I’m lucky, was less and less appealing as the days wore on. Then I got my acceptance to a DVM program, and everything became clear.”

  “DVM?” I was starting to suspect there was more to Scott than a pretty face and a strait-laced attitude.

  “Doctor of Veterinary Medicine.”

  “Impressive,” I sang playfully, but the truth was that it was impressive. He’d given up on a ton of money to do something he loved. Something that mattered to more than just him, to more than the spreadsheets.

  “You think so?”

  “I do. Careful, Scott, or I just might start liking you.” I smiled up at him, knowing the truth was that I already liked Scott plenty. He was a good boss, a caring doctor, and a nice man. Plus, he was a delicious piece of man candy—what’s there not to like?

  “You like me.” I saw the intent in his eyes the moment the low timber of his voice hit me right in the chest. He took a step forward. “You might not want to, but you do.”

  He was right, but I was no longer an impulsive little girl. “Maybe I do, but this is a bad idea,” I told him, motioning between our bodies that were now much too close for any kind of logical thinking to take place. “A very bad idea.”

  “Probably.” He stepped in closer and his big hand cupped one side of my face, warm and slightly calloused. “But right now, it seems like the best idea I ever had.” Then, before I could think better of it or protest in any way, Scott’s lips were on mine. They were strong and firm, surprisingly soft for a man his size. And holy hell, the man knew exactly how to use them.

  The top one was a little plumper than the bottom, giving me plenty to savor when our lips met, following by tongues and teeth, and then bodies. Right there on the side of the road, I made out with Dr. Scott Henderson like a horny teenager who was already late for curfew. Instead of pulling back, I leaned in breathlessly and deepened the kiss, intensified it like I was a starving woman and he was a tall drink of water, well, because… he was.

  A car siren sounded in the distance, pulling us back like two guilty people who’d been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. “What was that?” He looked as bewildered as I felt and I couldn’t help but grin.

  “I believe that, dear Scotty, was a kiss. A hell of a kiss, at that.” That kiss had stolen my breath and rocked me to my core, but I managed what I hoped was a flirty smile.

  “No shit,” he grunted and pulled me against his side as a truck slowed beside us on the road.

  So, the good doctor wasn’t as much of a straight arrow as he appeared.

  Very interesting.

  Scott

  Three days had passed since the kiss that had rocked my world, and I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it. Or Stevie, damn her. After putting up with more crap than I wanted to deal with from the sheriff, Ty—who did his big brother diligence and gave me plenty of shit for getting caught making out with a girl on the side of the road—gave us a lift home. The ride had been short and tense, and I would have given anything to know what was on her mind.

  Not that she said, then or since. In fact, when I woke up the next morning after arranging a ride for us to get our cars, she was already gone. Had picked up her car without a word, and when I got back home, she was parked behind the guest cottage. It was Wednesday morning and I’d given her plenty of time to come say something, anything, about The Kiss, because that was how I’d been thinking about it. Pretty much nonstop. So far, Stevie had defied the odds and kept whatever she was
feeling to herself.

  It was a curse and a relief.

  A sharp, efficient knock sounded on the door and I sat up, alert. “Come in.”

  The door opened and Stevie stood there, her mass of black hair tied back into a high ponytail that never stopped moving and her plump pink lips drawing my gaze against the backdrop of her milky skin. She had black stuff on her eyelashes that made them look a mile long, but otherwise, Stevie looked like… Stevie. She wore a lavender t-shirt that hugged her tits and barely brushed the top of her fitted jeans. Really fitted jeans that pulled my eye to the curve of her hip, the dip between her thighs. “There’s some kind of emergency in Peak’s Ridge. Neglected, possibly abused animals. At least two.”

  So much for those thoughts. I was on my feet, fast. People in this part of the world treated their animals kindly and often relied on them for their livelihood, but some people fell on hard times, and others—well, others were just assholes and mistreated animals because they could. “All right. Grab a couple emergency rescue kits and meet me at the truck.”

  She nodded and left my office as quickly and quietly as she’d entered. I grabbed my bag along with a few extra supplies and took a deep breath before I made my way to the front office. “Of course, Mrs. Slattery, I have you booked first thing tomorrow and if this run doesn’t take too long, I’ll give you a call. Promise.” Stevie flashed a professional smile and ended the call before turning and offering me a blander version of the same smile. “The kits are already in your truck and I’ve rescheduled nearly all of today’s appointments.”

  “Perfect. That means you can come with me.” I don’t know what possessed me to say that, but Stevie nodded and stood as she finished typing.

  “I need five minutes to finish these calls and I’ll meet you in the truck.” She didn’t sound bothered or like she might try to wiggle out of going so I nodded and made my way outside, preparing myself for spending time with her in my truck, which usually seemed huge. Today, as I climbed inside and flipped on the air conditioning, it felt like a box. A tiny, suffocating box.

  A few minutes later, she came out carrying a box almost as big as she was. She set it on the ground, giving me a glimpse of her round ass that, as her boss, I shouldn’t even notice, while she locked the door. Finally, what felt like hours later, she hopped in the passenger seat and flashed a smile at me. “Okay, boss man, let’s hop to it.”

  The car was on the move and we drove towards the interstate in silence. In absolute silence, but it wasn’t a tense silence, thank goodness. “Don’t do anything crazy when we get there and let me do the talking.”

  Stevie snorted and shook her head. “Really?”

  “Yes. These situations can turn bad quickly, Stevie, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”

  She folded her arms and notched her chin up in a sign I recognized as defiance. “I don’t want you to get hurt, either. And last I checked, you were a doctor, not a cop.” Confrontation swam in her violet eyes and, as amused as I was, I needed to make myself clear.

  “No, but I am a man. A big one, at that.” I held up my hands to stop whatever smart ass remark she was about to let out. “That alone usually encourages people, mostly men, against starting trouble.”

  She sank back against the passenger seat and sighed. “Fine. I’ll let the big man do the talking, but if I can help, I will.”

  She wouldn’t, but there would be no point telling her that now. “Are you all settled in at the cottage?”

  Stevie nodded, her gaze fixed on a point in the road. “Yep. The place is nice and cozy. Far from town, though.” I wondered if she would use this as a way to bring up the kiss, but a minute passed and she said nothing else.

  “You’ll appreciate it once you get more acquainted with the meddlers.” Being difficult to get to made it easy to stay out of their crosshairs. Mostly.

  Stevie turned to me, a sly smile on her face as we crossed the sign that led to what used to be Carmichael Ranch. “I don’t know, Scott, those ladies seem pretty spritely to me. When they want to, I have a feeling they’ll find their way to you just fine.”

  I glared at her and shifted the car into park before killing the engine. “Bite your tongue.”

  With a comical smack of her lips, Stevie snapped her mouth shut and looked around at Carmichael Ranch. “What the hell is this dump, and how do they have any animals here?”

  She wasn’t wrong. The main house of the ranch was a filthy white that likely hadn’t been washed in years. The screen door was half-fixed to the hinges and the top wooden stair was missing, making it a hazard. “Probably why we got the call.” I jumped from the truck and looked around at the property. The land was in worse condition than the house, somehow, with barely a hint of grass anywhere and hard, brittle dirt as far as the eye could see.

  “Scott, look!” Stevie was already headed toward the small cage and the whining creature inside. “You’re a pretty boy, aren’t you,” she cooed and held her hand up to the cage so the chocolate lab puppy could smell her. He whined and Stevie opened the cage.

  “Wait!” I put a hand on her wrist and glared at her. “Slowly. This dog might have been abused.”

  “Clearly.” She rolled her eyes and shook off my hold, opening the cage and giving the puppy time to come to her. “You’re all right, aren’t you, boy? Come on out, I’ve got some water for you.” She produced a bottle and waved it in front of the pup. “You know you want it,” she teased before producing a bowl and pouring the water inside, then scooting back.

  “I thought you were gonna let me lead.”

  She laughed. “I will. When it comes to big scary humans who want to fight.” Stevie stood and wiped the dirt and grass from her butt, a wide grin on her face. “Oh, look, he’s drinking it.”

  I looked on as the puppy lapped up the water greedily until it was empty, and he turned big brown eyes up at Stevie with a whine. “Now you’ve done it.”

  She wasn’t paying attention to me, though. Her attention was fully on the dog as she crouched down and poured more water with one hand and gave him a rub with the other as a reason to check the tag. “Hershey. Cute.”

  It was cute but, dammit, Hershey had been severely neglected and he couldn’t be more than six to eight months old. He was malnourished, underweight, and scared of his own shadow. “Let’s go see what’s in the barn,” I barked and started to walk. I could hear Stevie talking to the dog.

  “Stay here,” she told him and caught up with me at the entrance of the barn. “Holy hell, it smells worse than a barn in here.”

  My nostrils flared and I steeled myself for what I knew might find. “Stay behind me. Please.”

  “Fine,” she groaned and I felt her breath on my back.

  “Dammit.” The yearling was a golden-colored filly with a matted blond mane, ribs poking out and legs weak and wobbly. “Son of a bitch,” I bit out and slowly approached. “Hey, girl.” The horse let out a startled neigh and looked to me with wide, scared eyes. “It’s okay. I’m here.” I set my bag down and went to the door, coaxing her to me.

  “Here.” Stevie shoved something soft and moist in my hand. “Use these.”

  I looked down at the apple slices and frowned. “Where in the hell did you get this?”

  She turned and showed the bag flung over one arm. “I have oats, too, but I think the apple will work just fine.”

  She was right, of course. The filly ate the slices and begged for more, suddenly no longer afraid of me. It took two full apples, but eventually we got her out of the barn and towards the trailer hitched to my truck. “Let’s just get this over with.” I couldn’t stand to see another living creature suffering, especially so unnecessarily, and the longer we stayed here, the angrier I would become.

  “I’ll go get Hershey and meet you at the car.”

  “Wait. Look.” The pup was back in the small cage and the bowl was overturned. “Go to the car, Stevie. Now.”

  “But—” Any words of defiance she’d been about to issue died
at the sound of a gun cocking.

  “Now, Stevie.”

  “Fine,” she grunted and jogged towards the car. “Come on, girl.” She patted her hip and, surprisingly, the horse wobbled after her. Slowly.

  “Yeah, Stevie, go now or you’ll find buckshot in your pretty little backside. You’d better get yourself gone, too, or I won’t hesitate to shoot.” The man stepped into the light from the shadows, the shotgun in his hand aimed right at me.

  “You don’t want to do this, Mr. Carmichael. We just want the animals, but if I have to get the sheriff involved, it will include charges of neglect and abuse of an animal. That’s a serious crime in this part of the state.”

  The man grunted and kept his gun trained on me. “These are my animals and you can’t just take’em from me, damn you.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. It’s my duty as a veterinarian to rescue these animals and get them back to good health.” It would take time and resources I didn’t have, but I always found a way.

  He snorted. “Then you turn around and sell ’em, I’m sure.”

  “You expect me to give them back to you after you how treated them?” This guy was lower than dirt as far, as I was concerned. “You chose to have these animals and decided not to take care of them. You. Not me or any future owners they might have. You.”

  I knew immediately it was the wrong thing to say when his thick finger slid to the trigger. “Like you would even understand, a fancy vet like you, coming out here to steal my animals and profit off them.” He shook his head, growing madder by the moment. “You can’t just take’em.”

  Another gun cocked and I froze, unsure if I should look for the new potential shooter or focus on the one in front of me. “Oh, that’s where you’re wrong, mister. We have every right to take these animals. The question is, are you gonna make us do this the hard way?”

  Stevie? I turned and glared at her, but her gaze was fixed on Mr. Carmichael. “What the hell?”

  She nodded toward the dog. “Get Hershey. Goldie is already in the trailer.”