Grumpy Hero (Curvy Cafe Book Club 7) Read online

  “Fine.” I brush my hair over my shoulder and pray I don’t fall on my fucking face.

  “One…two…” He dashes out into the rain, then calls over his shoulder. “Three!” He’s already to the truck by the time I take off. The rain pelts my face, shoulders, and sweatshirt as I slowly stride toward the truck.

  At first, I’m peeved, not wanting him to see me run, but then I realize that taking off first gave him extra time to throw my door open for me before opening his own. Once we’re both inside the truck, slightly out of breath, I turn to him and realize there’s more to this man than the broody exterior he’s so happily showing off. I just have to dig beneath the surface to find out what it is.

  Chapter Four

  Vanessa

  I’m nearly fifteen minutes late to book club this month, which sucks because it’s my absolute favorite night. By the time I throw open the door, the ladies are just settling in to chat about this month’s selection. Luckily, there’s always plenty of sweet treats and bottles of wine to be had. The door chimes overhead, and everyone turns in my direction.

  “We thought you’d quit us!” Audrey thrusts her fists against her hips. “You don’t call. You don’t write—“

  “Char, she’s fifteen minutes late.” Willow strides over and wraps her arms around me. The two of those women make me wish I had a sister. I suppose being in this group is the closest thing I’ll ever have. The thought instantly warms me. “How’s it going at the country house?”

  “Good,” I say, wondering if I should divulge now or later that my roof caved in and I spent last night huddled up like a scared little squirrel in Brax Rowan’s luxe guest room.

  “The renovations kicked off okay?”

  “Yep,” I say, tight-lipped.

  Willow’s brow furrows when she meets my eyes. It’s always the quiet ones who can sum up your soul in a single glance. “Good to hear.”

  Luckily, she doesn’t press the issue. Instead, we make our way to the refreshment table, and after a few sips of wine and a round of catching up with all the ladies, I’m calm and ready to talk about this month’s book.

  “I don’t like scary books.” Lainey, the day manager of Curvy Cafe, crosses her arms over her chest. “The real world is scary enough.”

  “Yeah, but it’s such a fun escape!” Lizzie licks the frosting from her fingertip. These strawberry buttercream cupcakes are amazing. I reach across the table, helping myself to seconds. “What did you think, Vanessa?”

  “Me?” All eyes land on me.

  “Yeah, you’re out in the middle of the woods right now. Did you find it scary?”

  “At times.” My eyes land on Willow’s. How does she know I’m holding onto a secret?

  “Well, duh, the idea of a supernatural creature surrounding a cabin and speaking like your dead relatives to get you to come out is scary, Lizzie.” Charlotte sets her wine glass down and brushes her chestnut hair over her shoulder. She’s still wearing her business casual garb. “I can’t believe you made us read this.”

  “Broaden your horizons!” Lizzie throws her arms to the sides. “It’s fun to be scared, even though I didn’t think it was that creepy, to be honest.”

  “I’m choosing a rom-com next to cleanse our palates.” Ariel brushes the crumbs from her violet scrubs.

  “Your pick, your choice.” Lizzie rolls her eyes.

  “I want to know more about this little cabin you’re staying in.” Willow’s eyes sparkle as she leans closer toward me. The women all chime in, and I know I can no longer hide it. This group has a not-so-subtle way of making you lay all your cards on the table. It’s fun, when it isn’t my cards we’re reviewing.

  “It’s…uh, well.”

  “Oh my God, spill it.” Sidney clasps her hands together. “You’re holding out on us. What’s up?” Again, the women all chime in, and I shoot Willow an annoyed glance. She simply smiles at me in return.

  “Fine, fine!” I throw my hands up, interrupting the group. “The roof of my cabin caved in last night.” Everyone gasps.

  “Oh my God, are you okay?” Audrey asks.

  “Yeah, I wasn't in the way when it happened, but the cabin’s a mess.”

  “Are you staying at a hotel?” Sidney asks. My beat of silence gives me away. “Vanessa?”

  “Last night, I stayed at the owner’s place. He has a guest room and kindly let me crash there for the night while I seek out other accommodations.”

  “Who’s the owner?” Lizzie speaks with her mouth full. “Anyone we know?”

  “Some guy named Brax.”

  Audrey’s eyes nearly bug out of her head. “Brax Rowan?”

  Oh shit. “Yeah, do you know him?” Willow’s mouth nearly hits the ground. She averts her eyes when I glance in her direction.

  “Yeah, girl,” Audrey says this like it’s common knowledge. “He’s…” Oh, God. He’s what? Dangerous? A total player? Hoarding bodies in his basement? “…He’s fucking hot. At least he was in high school.”

  “Yeah, he was. Then he like…disappeared.” Willow fans herself. “I didn’t know he was your landlord.”

  “Not for long,” I say. “I’m looking for a hotel or something else. Unfortunately, it’s prime vacation season here, and nearly everything’s booked up except the expensive stuff.”

  “Wait, let me get this straight.” Lizzie leans forward. “You’re staying in Brax Rowan’s house? With him?” A sly smile spreads across her face. “Sounds awfully convenient.”

  “No,” I say a little too quickly. “It’s not like that.” But is it? Even though I’ve kept myself hidden in my room for nearly the last twenty-four hours, he undeniably does things to my body I can’t explain. Even knowing he’s in the next room makes it nearly impossible to sleep. God, I’m pathetic.

  “You can stay on my sofa while you find a place,” Lainey says, shooting me a warm smile.

  “No, she cannot!” Audrey wags her finger in Lainey’s face.

  “Really, Aud, it’s no big deal.”

  Audrey rolls her light brown eyes. “That’s not the point, Lainey.” Audrey stands and walks around the back of the couch, resting her hands on my shoulders. “What we have here is a very unique opportunity. Come on, ladies! We’ve read enough romance novels in this group to know that this could prove to be very interesting.”

  My whole body tenses. “What do you mean?”

  “Let’s not pretend you don’t have the hots for him, and I know he’s all about you.”

  I flick my eyes in Audrey’s direction. “How do you know?”

  “Look at you. You’re a babe. How could he not? Plus, he wants you to stay there until you figure things out, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “And that’s exactly what you’re going to do.” Audrey stands up straight, looking around at the women in the group who, judging by the looks on their faces, agree with our unspoken leader wholeheartedly. I don’t know whether to thank them or wring their necks.

  Chapter Five

  Brax

  Am I crazy? Should I have just let Vanessa stay at a hotel? I wrap my towel around my waist and brush my wet hair away from my eyes. A woman who’s taking up every second of my thoughts is now staying in my guest room, and I can’t stop thinking of all the dirty things I want to do to her.

  Last night she didn’t even come out of her room. I know because I couldn’t fall asleep knowing she was lying mere feet from me. Two closed doors separated us, but it felt like she was right beside me.

  Jesus, you sound like a fucking stalker.

  I let out a sigh and head out of the bathroom. After a longer than normal day of work, I’m ready for a cold beer. I head to the kitchen, Manning hot on my heels, and open the fridge. It isn’t until I’ve cracked the top off that I realize I’m not alone. Vanessa stands in the front entry, her mouth formed into a perfect o-shape.

  “Oh shit. Sorry,” she says and covers her eyes quickly.

  “I thought you were out.” I’m practically naked, but
all I can think of is that I wish she was the one standing here in only a towel. I’m about to tell her that I’ll put some clothes on when I notice her eyes drinking me in. It takes all of my might not to swell up on the spot, thinking about how nice it would be to drop the towel, slowly undress Vanessa, and press myself up against her, feeling every curve of her soft, delicate body.

  “I was out.” She spins in a circle, not knowing where to go. “I’m…oh geez, this is awkward.”

  Manning rushes to her side, patiently waiting for her to pet him. Some guard dog he is! For the first time in God knows how long, I feel the corners of my mouth turn up. “Vanessa.”

  “Yeah.” She turns away from me, one hand on her hip, desperately trying not to look.

  “I’ll go get dressed. Are you hungry?”

  “Um, no.” My heart drops.

  “Cool, well, I’m just going to—”

  “I mean, yes.” She licks her full lips, and I realize I’m more hungry for her than any food known to man. “I only had cupcakes for dinner.”

  “Jealous.” I start down the hallway, giving her some space to get comfortable. “I’ll make us some sandwiches.”

  “Sounds good,” she calls as I close my door behind me and rush to get dressed.

  I have a few beers, but Vanessa insists she’s had enough wine at book club. Manning sits under Vanessa’s chair instead of mine, but she doesn’t seem to mind. The two of them get along great.

  Conversation isn’t easy for me, but she has the gift of gab, softening a slew of awkward pauses. She tells me all about herself. How she’s been painting on commission for the last few years, a self-made woman.

  “I’m impressed by your hustle.” I take the last sip of my beer and set it down on the table. Try as I may, I know I’m still making her a little uncomfortable. I’m just not an extrovert; I’m not a social man.

  “I’m impressed by your humility.” She tents her fingers, resting her chin on her hands. “You’re so talented. I can’t believe you aren’t selling this stuff.”

  “I’m not sure people would want to buy from me.”

  “What?” She furrows her brow and playfully narrows her eyes. “Why? You’re not a bad person, are you?” I know it’s a joke, but when I don’t answer, she asks again. “Are you?”

  “I think there’s a lot of gray areas when it comes to good and bad.” It’s the best I can do. Unfortunately, the question constricts my throat, and the last place I feel like being is at the table. Even if it is with the most wonderful woman I’ve ever met.

  “Care to explain?” Her wide eyes and open expression do something to me like she holds the key to a long rusted lock. I let out a long breath.

  “I used to be a bad kid.”

  She lets out a little laugh. “That was a long time ago, Brax. Unless you’re much younger than you look.” God, I love the sound of my name in her mouth.

  “Unfortunately, it spilled over into early adulthood.” I can’t believe I’m willingly telling her this, but I can’t hold it in. “I used to be heavy into drugs.” She tilts her head, giving me her full attention. “Not marijuana.”

  “I sort of figured.” She playfully scrunches up her nose at me.

  “It led me to make some really bad decisions. I hurt my friends, my family, isolating everyone I was close to until I had no one left.” Once I start explaining things to her, I can’t stop. It’s strange, considering I haven’t talked about this…maybe ever.

  “I went to prison for three years for robbery. My brain was clouded, and at the moment, it felt like the only option.”

  “Drugs make you do strange things.” Vanessa shoots me a sad smile. “My brother was an addict.”

  “Was?”

  “Yeah, he never got clean. Overdosed when I was a teenager.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Thank you,” she says. “So, I understand, Brax. Drugs change you. You’re clean now, though, right?”

  “Light beer’s my only vice.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  “It’s also good to say.” I lower my head, suddenly finding it difficult to make eye contact.

  “Is this why you live out here all alone? Are you afraid you’ll relapse?”

  “No. I’m done with drugs forever. I’m more afraid of building relationships then ruining them because I find a way to hurt them.” I find the courage to look up, meeting Vanessa’s intense gaze. “The last thing I want to do is hurt anyone else.”

  “Brax.” She reaches across the table and takes my hand. “You’re not that person anymore.”

  “How do you know that?” I ask, a swell of emotions rising inside of me. Her eyes flicker up and down my face. She licks her full lips, making me want to rip the table out from between us so I can take her in my arms.

  “I just know.”

  Chapter Six

  Vanessa

  I slip into my jammies and brush my teeth, still reeling from the conversation with Brax. God, he’s a wonderful man. He may come across as a little harsh, but he’s been through a lot. When I open the bathroom door, Brax is standing in the hallway.

  “I just wanted to let you know that the roof repair company finally got back to me.”

  “Oh,” I say, unable to hide the disappointment in my voice.

  “They’ll be out here tomorrow to fix it. I may need another day to clean the place up for you, though. That is…” He takes a step toward me, and my heart nearly explodes in my chest. His thin t-shirt shows every groove in his sinewy chest. “If you want to stay. If not, I totally understand.”

  “Because of the shared space?”

  “No.” His dark brow furrows. “Because of what I told you at dinner.”

  A tiny laugh escapes my mouth. “Brax, I told you, I don’t think you’re the same person you were. You’ve shown me a lot of kindness by letting me stay here.” My feet inadvertently move toward him. I’m so close that I can feel the heat radiating off his body. “I want to stay.”

  “I want you to stay.” His voice comes out as a whisper. My entire body ignites in flames. Brax steps toward me, closing the gap between us. “I’ve wanted you since the moment you pulled up.” I swallow back the fear I’ve been holding in my gut. “That’s why I tried to keep you at a distance. But I couldn’t. You’re so fucking sexy, Vanessa. I’ve been dreaming about being with you since the moment our eyes met.”

  A wave of hot wetness drenches my panties. “Me too,” I say, tilting my head up as Brax wraps his strong hand around the back of my neck.

  I let out a small gasp as his full lips come crashing down on mine. My entire body melts into his touch as he parts my lips with his tongue, claiming my mouth.

  He slides his palms up my pajama top, caressing my sides until he reaches my breasts. “I’ve been waiting to touch you.” He pinches my nipple between his thumb and finger, causing me to cry out. I want him to take out all of his pent-up aggression and fears on me, to use me as a method of catharsis. I want to be his and only his. “Come to my room.”

  “You don’t have to ask me twice.” The words are barely out before he lifts me off of my feet. At first, I’m worried because I don’t want him to hurt himself, but it becomes clear that I weigh nothing to a man as strong as Brax Rowan. His lips remain attached to mine as he walks me into his bedroom and gently sets me down on his bed.

  “I want to see all of you.” He pulls his shirt off, and I nearly gasp at the size of him. He looks even bigger, the grooves in his chest, his six-pack abs, and his gigantic, muscular arms. My whole body reacts to him, as I knew it would. I’m soaking wet and aching for him to fill every inch of me.

  He pulls off my top and lays me down, climbing on top of me. I run my fingers up and down his stocky arms as he takes one of my rock-hard peaks into his hot, hungry mouth, flicking me with the tip of his tongue. I grind my hips into his stiffness as he kisses his way down between my breasts, past my tummy, slowly taking my pajama bottoms and panties down as he presses his lips against m
y mound.

  My back arches with delight as he slowly parts my lips with his tongue in a side-to-side motion, teasing me. “That tickles,” I say, peering down to see his massive back pop and flex as he settles into position.

  “You’re so wet, Vanessa.” He runs his finger along my slit, then brings it to his lips and presses it against his tongue. “I love how eager you are for me.”

  All I can do is nod. I’ve only ever had the wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am sort of sexual experience. Part of me is nervous, and the other is so excited I’m at a loss for words.

  Brax smiles as he presses one finger inside me and draws my tiny bundle of nerves between his lips. My head flies back against the pillow, and I let out a tiny moan as he twists his hand and pleases me with his mouth. His expert tongue draws circles around my most sensitive spot, and as much as I pray I could make this last forever, my body is dying for release.

  The deep, quaking sensation starts in the depths of my core and builds slowly but steadily. I’m no longer in control. “I’m coming, Brax.”

  He doesn’t slow; instead, he taps me faster and sucks me harder. My entire body seizes as I release every ounce of my juices all over Brax’s gorgeous fucking face. I’ve never come this hard, not even when I masturbate. Brax is relentless, and I have to beg him to stop.

  “Sorry, baby.” He spreads my legs, kissing my inner thighs. “I just love the way you taste.” Looking down and seeing this giant mountain man between my legs with hooded eyes and mussed hair who can’t get enough of me—me!—is enough to make me come all over again.

  I can’t help but let out a little laugh. I gently grip the top of his hair and make him meet my eyes. “Brax, stop.”

  “Make me.” He teases, and I’m wet all over again.

  I shuffle from beneath him and roll over onto all fours, arching my back. I toss my hair over my shoulder, presenting myself to him. “Does this work?”