Smug Bastard: A Hero Club Novel

by Stacey Marie Brown

  “Okay,” I replied, my head bobbing. I needed a little fun and deserved to meet cute boys. Just because Mr. SB crashed my holiday, I wasn’t going to let him curb my fun. Like he was constantly telling me, I needed to live and let loose. “That would be fun.” I grinned at my new friend.

  “Great,” the guy replied happily. “We’re over there.” He pointed to a big fire down by the river, a dozen figures moved around, laughing and chatting by the fire, music streaming up to us.

  “Okay, let me change and I’ll head over.”

  “Cool.” He nodded, the huge smile not leaving his face. “Sorry, I’m already failing at being a gentleman. What was your name?”

  “Kinsley.”

  “Pretty name for a gorgeous woman.”

  A derisive snort came from the side, causing my eyes to dart to Smith. He shook his head, patting Goat, muttering something under his breath.

  “Thank you.” I glared at Smith, then turned back to the new guy. “And yours?”

  “Marcus.” He treaded backward. “Hope to see you over there, Kinsley.” He watched me, then turned and jogged back to his group.

  Not wanting to hear a peep from Smith, I strode past him, opening the back door of the van.

  “You’re seriously going over there?” Smith was next to me, his shoulders puffed out, his arms folded.

  “Yeah, why not?” I grabbed a pair of jeans from my bag. “Sounds fun.”

  “Because…” He huffed, his feet shuffling like he was searching for words. “That guy only wants to get into your pants.”

  “So?” I dug deeper, looking for my hairbrush.

  “What do you mean, so?” His arms dropped, his head tilting. “You don’t care he will spend the evening trying to get you drunk so you will sleep with him?”

  “Nope.” I grabbed my face wash and mascara. I wasn’t big on makeup but thought a spritz of vanilla spray and mascara would aid the “sweaty-camping” look. “He’s cute.”

  “Kinsley,” Smith growled.

  “What?” I shrugged, turning to the campground bathroom. “Aren’t you the one telling me to live in the moment? Be spontaneous and have fun?”

  “Jesus, that backfired on me,” he muttered so low I thought I imagined it.

  “And…” I paused at the women’s restroom, the handle in my hand. “How do you know I won’t be doing the same to him?” I grinned at Smith before stepping through the door, feeling pleased at my exit, protected by the symbol on the door keeping him out.

  Screw him and his cancerous mood.

  Should have known Smith would have no line of decorum.

  The door swung back, hitting the wall as he stomped in.

  “What are you doing?” I stared at him in the mirror.

  He blinked at me as if he had no answer, wondering the same thing. “Are you preening for this guy? He’s barely out of diapers. This douche doesn’t care about anything more than you having tits.”

  “Well, it’s a good thing I have a pair, huh?” I whipped around, glaring at him. “And he’s around my age. But since you think I’m a baby too, I don’t see the problem. Oh, did I not ask for Daddy’s permission to go play with my friends?”

  “Don’t ever call me that.” He gritted through his teeth, his hand rolling up.

  “Then stop acting like one. Even my own brother doesn’t give me this much degree.”

  Smith stepped into my space, his body looming over mine, fury flaming his eyes. “Maybe he should.”

  “Fuck off.” I tipped my head back, not backing down. “You are not my dad or my big brother; you don’t control me,” I seethed. “Stay home, Grandpa. I’m fine going on my own.”

  “You are not going to hang out with a group of guys you don’t know. By. Your. Self.” His chest pushed into mine, the heat of his skin absorbing into me. He glowered down at me, his jaw twitching. I held his gaze, snarling back at him, but in a blink the moment flipped. The fusion of rage and lust slid down my breasts, past my stomach, planting itself between my thighs.

  Our faces only inches apart, sweat tickled the back of my neck, my body acting without my permission, curving slightly into his. He sucked in. My nails dug into the counter when I felt him through his shorts.

  Holy shit. Hard and freakin’ huge, his cock pressed into my hip. I froze, not wanting to show any reaction, but my chest moved in and out, my skin flushing with desire.

  His gaze dropped, locking on my mouth. The need to kiss him consumed me; my gaze drifted to his mouth, my tongue automatically sliding over my bottom lip.

  It was as if I punched him in the face. He jolted back, inhaling sharply, his expression turning murderous, his frame expanding with rage.

  “Do whatever the fuck you want,” he growled and stomped out of the bathroom, leaving me pinned to the counter in utter bewilderment.

  It didn’t take long before his words sank in, filling me with fire, determination, and fury.

  “Fuck you, asshole… I will.”

  Music from someone’s RV filled the night, the crackling of the fire and voices wrapped around me like a blanket. The little gathering grew as more people joined the festivities.

  I was on a mission now. When Smith left the restroom, I added a little lip gloss and mascara. I pulled my hair out of the ponytail it was in, fluffing it before I strolled over in my tight jeans, formfitting tank, with my lightweight jacket.

  Smith didn’t speak as I passed him, but true to his word, he followed me, beer in his hand, Goat at his side.

  “Hey!” Marcus shot around the bonfire the moment he spotted me. “Glad you made it. You want a drink?” His gaze roamed down me, taking in the subtle changes from earlier. “A beer? Think we have tequila too… and vodka…”

  “Beer’s fine.” I smiled up at his open face. It was nice to see someone so happy. The thought had me glancing over my shoulder at Smith. As I figured, he scowled, his massive chest spread like he was showing every male in proximity he was the head lion.

  Rolling my eyes, I followed Marcus to a cooler, his hands already digging through the ice, twisting labels my way to choose. “You’ll probably like this one. It’s light.”

  “Actually, I want that one.” I pointed at a dark stout.

  “Really?” Marcus palmed it, his eyebrows lifting as he handed it over to me.

  “Really.” I twisted off the cap, ignoring the tiny prickle of irritation at his assumption girls liked the lighter beers, which probably the mass majority did. Dark coffee and beer had always been my preference.

  “I like it.” He smiled down at me, clanking his bottle into mine. “So, Kinsley, tell me what has brought you to this corner of Colorado?”

  “On a road trip, heading to Rhode Island for my brother’s wedding.”

  “And you’re from?”

  “San Diego.”

  “That’s where I’m heading,” he exclaimed, his eyes widening. “What are the odds? Like two ships passing in the night. I think this was fate, Kinsley.”

  A choking snort came from my right, my gaze sliding to the figure standing nearby. Smith held his beer to his mouth, looking out at the river, but I could see the smug, condescending smile twitching his mouth.

  “Hey, man.” Marcus greeted him. “You came too… goodie,” he muttered quickly, making me laugh. Marcus’s face lit up at my response, liking that I might also feel the same. “Oh, who’s this little guy? Aren’t you cute?” Marcus went straight for Goat, bending over to pet him. My mouth opened to warn him, but another part of me wondered if Goat was better with men since he instantly liked the huge dick next to him. Maybe it had just been Nathan and Ethan.

  I was wrong.

  The second Marcus reached out, I saw the shift in Goat. It happened so fast. A deep growl rolled up Goat’s chest, his mouth opening to give a warning nip at the air, jolting Marcus’s hand back. “Oh shit.”

  Smith moved in a blink, stepping before Goat, his hand going into Goat’s fur. Goat ducked behind Smith, cowering away from the new guy.

/>   “What the fuck, man? You don’t shove your hand into a dog’s face you don’t know,” Smith snapped.

  “Oh god, sorry.” I moved in front of Marcus, trying to defuse the situation. “Goat’s scared of men. We think he was abused before we took him in. But he’s really sweet. He wouldn’t actually bite you.”

  Marcus brows lowered in confusion, glancing at the dog who supposedly hated men hiding behind the biggest and most alpha one here.

  “Except him it seems.” I flipped my hand over my shoulder. “Have no idea why.”

  “They are a good judge of character,” Smith muttered just loud enough for me to hear as he rubbed Goat’s head, comforting him with words I didn’t catch and giving him a little treat.

  “Yeah, cool. Okay.” Marcus stepped back, forcing a smile on his face, placing his attention on me. “Let me introduce you to my friends.” He took my hand pulling me toward his group on the other side. I hesitated, looking back at Goat, but he had perked back up, panting and hopping around Smith for another treat.

  Why was Goat okay with him and no other guy? Nathan was a nice guy, though I couldn’t say the same for Ethan, but Goat would even growl when my dad came to visit.

  Seeing that he was fine, I followed Marcus, downing half of my beer, wanting to drown all the strange moments today. Especially the ones with Smith.

  Marcus’s friends were all doing shots, a few girls already hazy-eyed and giggling.

  “Shot?” Marcus handed me one.

  “Sure. Why not.” I lifted one shoulder, downing it with the rest of the group, ignoring the feel of eyes burning into me from across the bonfire.

  For once I wanted to be a carefree twenty-two-year old. No responsibilities, on vacation, with a cute guy showing interest.

  Chapter 10

  Smith

  “Can I just say?” The girl next to me purred, her blue eyes glossy with alcohol. “You are sooooo fucking hot. I mean…” She motioned around. “You put these little boys to shame.”

  “Thanks,” I muttered, downing the rest of my fourth beer, my gaze not able to stay on the blonde next to me, but drifting across the bonfire to the tiny brunette devouring my attention. The more I drank, the more her presence seemed to grow and consume me instead of hazing out.

  Every move that Marcus kid made on her, my gaze locked on it, my eyes trying to burn his fingers off her body like they were laser beams.

  Kyle would want me to watch her. Protect her like an older brother from those shifty tossers. The ones who acted nice but were looking for ways to get you so plastered you couldn’t say no.

  She wasn’t drunk, but I could see her cheeks getting redder; a flirty smile and fuck-me eyes came out the more she drank. Their bodies were getting closer, their touches lingering and getting more obvious.

  Marcus’s hand slid down her back, sweeping across her ass as the whole group laughed over something. There were five guys in his little ensemble, recent graduates from Virginia Tech crossing the country in a party RV, landing in LA and San Diego. Basically, a sex caravan, seeing how many girls they could fuck cross country. Probably had some bet going on among them. A point for every state they picked up.

  Fuck if Kinsley would be one of those.

  He leaned over, whispering in her ear, his mouth brushing her neck, staying there longer than necessary. A growl crawled up my throat, twitching Goat’s ears, his head scanning around, trying to find the threat, looking for our girl.

  Not our girl, I shouted at myself.

  Goat made a little growl, seeing that guy grab her, pulling her into his side. Crap, I loved this dog. When he nipped at the douchebag, it took everything I had not to kiss his fuzzy head, cheering him on. When Goat hid behind me, trusting me to protect him, pack alpha, I almost hugged the little dude… and then gloat like a fucking bastard.

  The dog likes me, not you. And the part I was trying to drink away was why it was so important to me. Like the dog liking me meant something…

  My gaze darted over to her again.

  “Hey?” A voice buzzed in my ear. A hand touched my bicep, jerking my head back to the girl next to me. Shit. I had totally forgotten she was there.

  I blinked at her, her blue eyes looking up at me like she was waiting for me to answer.

  “Sorry, what did you say?”

  She laughed, leaning into me, her palm flattening on my chest. “I asked your name.”

  “Smith.”

  A salacious smile curled up her mouth. “Well, Smith, I was wondering if you wanted to go back to my cabin? My friend won’t be coming back tonight.” Her chin flicked over at another girl standing in the same group, talking to one of Marcus’s friends.

  I blinked, staring down at her. She was cute. Naturally wavy blonde hair, a curvy figure, and heart-shaped face. Not someone I might pursue, but also wouldn’t turn down for a one-night stand. It was exactly what I had been wanting. A much-needed release to stop the thoughts I had of the girl across the way. I was just horny and needed sex. Then everything would go back to how it was supposed to be. Kinsley, the younger sister of my ex and old best friend.

  “So?” The girl went on her toes, her lips brushing my earlobe. “What do you say?”

  Damn. I couldn’t deny my dick was interested, even my mind was telling me to do it. Anything to get my head on straight. But I didn’t move. The idea of going back with this girl had me feeling exhausted and bored.

  What the fuck was wrong with me? I should have been leaping at the opportunity, stripping off my clothes, and bending her over before we even got back to her cabin.

  Go. You need this. Badly.

  “Excuse me,” a voice slurred, sounding annoyed, drawing my attention to the figure suddenly standing in front of me, her arms folded, her arms pushing up her breasts, her lips pursed.

  Like Kinsley zapped me with electricity, my semi-hard dick sprang up along with Goat, panting and begging for a pet. The reaction was so fast and brutal, I froze, locking down my expression.

  “I need to talk to him for a moment.” Kinsley’s voice was tight as she addressed the girl next to me, but her gaze slid back, glaring at me.

  What the fuck?

  “Uh.” The girl whose name I didn’t even know looked back and forth between us.

  “What do you want?” I held Kinsley’s gaze, matching her stance. “Thought you were being carefree and spontaneous with Ponyboy over there.”

  “Yeah, that’s so easy with a brotherlike bodyguard watching my every move.”

  “I’m not your brother.” Strange, I kept trying to convince myself I was, but hearing her say it irritated the hell out of me.

  “Then stop acting like it.”

  “I’ve been standing here all night minding my own business,” I snapped back.

  “Right.” She laughed dryly, her body swaying, showing she was drunker than I thought. “I just wanted to know if you will watch Goat tonight.” Her words tumbled over each other.

  “What?” Like a switch, anger flared up my nerves, my shoulders rising, my chest puffing. “Why do I need to watch him?”

  “Because.” She tipped her head back. Marcus watched us from his spot, his lids narrowed on me, like he could see right through me, perceiving I was no different from him. He lifted his beer to me, a cockiness twisted his mouth like, “Yeah, mate, I’m gonna fuck her… not you.”

  Oh. Hell. No.

  My mind shut down, impulse overriding everything else. I had always been an alpha type: dominant, ruthless, and confident. Living in my house growing up, it was the only way to survive, but those traits had been enforced in me the last couple years, governing my every action. Act first, think later.

  Without hesitating, the demand streaming through my veins like blood, my arm swept behind her legs, picking her up and tossing her over my shoulder.

  “What the fuck? Smith!” She screamed at me, but I only twisted away from the party, calling to Goat, and striding back to our campsite.

  The girl talking to me stood with
her mouth open, her eyes wide and filled with longing as she watched me carry off Kinsley, looking like she wished it was her instead.

  I did too. Not because I wanted her… but because I wished I did. Instead, my dick jerked as the girl over my shoulder kicked and hissed like a feral kitten.

  “Put me down!” She pounded on my back, but it felt like nothing more than a tapotement massage I used to get after football practice. “Goddammit, Smith!”

  Goat yipped in excitement around us, wanting to be part of the game.

  When I reached the van, I slid her body down mine, placing her on her feet, my gaze latched on to her.

  “How dare you,” she seethed.

  “You’re drunk.”

  “No, I’m not.” She yanked away from me, stumbling. My hand darted out, grabbing her, keeping her upright. Fury colored her face, her chest puffing as if it was filled with flames, knowing she was proving my point.

  “You want to try that again, Baby K?” If I was looking to piss her off more, I succeeded. And if the rage filling her like a hot-air balloon wasn’t a little frightening, I would have laughed. I was waiting for steam to actually come out of her ears.

  “You smug bastard,” she bellowed, shoving at my chest. “You really do fit that moniker, you know that?”

  “Yep.” My frame didn’t budge a millimeter as she hit and pushed at my chest, causing Goat to bark and leap up.

  “This is my life. My vacation. My choices. You have no right to have a say in any of them.” She struggled to keep each word clear. I found it so amusing when drunk people tried to act sober, which made their drunkenness more obvious. “I have every right to screw him sober, drunk, or the entire party. You’re the one not supposed to be here.”

  Shit, did I understand that. But not for the reasons she was thinking.

  “You really wanted to fuck that guy?” I motioned behind me. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t have woken up gnawing your arm off, hating yourself for it.”

  “That’s my choice, not yours.”

  “If you’re gonna fuck someone, pick one who would at least know what he’s doing.” My voice rose, stepping into her space.