Mister Know It All: A Hero Club Novel

by Amélie S. Duncan

  Ford smiled broadly, and my heart flipped over. “I want that too, more than anything else.”

  “But how will it work when I want to see you every day?” I said, my voice cracking.

  His blue eyes shimmered, and he hugged me to him. “We’ll make it work, petal. I want you with me too. We’ll make time.”

  “I’m different in college than I am here. I’m a moody mess when it comes to crunch time.”

  “I’m not perfect either when I have deadlines.”

  “But you’re perfect for me, Ford.”

  Ford kissed and cuddled me. He pushed his way into my heart and made a home.

  After a while, he placed me on the bed and sat up. “I have something for you.”

  He went into the side table and pulled out a rectangular Tiffany box, and cleared his throat. “It’s a charm bracelet. Something you can look at when you’re away that I hope will make you think of me.”

  “I don’t think there is a minute of the day that you’re not in my thoughts, Ford.” My eyes filled with tears as he fastened the bracelet to my wrist and kissed my fast pulse. Three charms, evenly spaced. A small camera. Is that the Star Trek insignia? And . . . oh God, I was going to cry. It was an apple with a diamond heart inside it. “It’s beautiful.”

  “So are you. You charmed me,” he said and kissed my lips and dabbed my eyes.

  “Tears again,” I said, dipping my head.

  “Yes,” he said. “Tears for me. You can do anything with me.”

  It was like he could hear my deepest longings for someone who wants that emotional connection with me. Who wanted me to remember him and every minute we shared.

  “I need to be inside you now,” he groaned and placed me on my back. His hands had already mastered how to touch me right. He was the first man ever to care to find out.

  I ran my tongue over my mouth. A pleasurable ache had me opening for him, wanting and needing him just as much now.

  Ford’s lips were tender against mine. He squeezed and kissed my breasts, his hands sliding over my thighs and buttocks possessively, and I felt the caress seep down to my soul. He held my deepest, most intimate desires.

  My moans were soft and just for him. In his arms, he was all mine, and I was his.

  He kissed and licked down my stomach and moved between my thighs again. His hands squeezed my buttocks as his tongue thrust inside me, and his moans joined my own. He took pleasure in making me quiver, making me cry out his name over and over again.

  Oh yes, please, Ford. My body trembled on edge, and Ford teased me, changing his touch to light caresses, drawing my pleasure, circling my pussy with the tip of his tongue. My body tightened almost to pain. I lifted my hips and held his head as he closed on my clit. The orgasm burned through me in an intense wave of ecstasy. I cried out. I was still spasming when he slid his cock inside me.

  He had my legs on his strong shoulders, and his face was hardened in strength and beauty.

  Every inch sent shocks of ecstasy coursing through my body. He hovered above me, and our gazes locked as he thrust. He moved in and out, and we luxuriated in the friction. The sensation was exquisite.

  “I need to feel you every damn minute, Jasmine. I never get enough of you.”

  The rhythmic strokes of his cock brought me close. I felt my body stiffening and tightening once more. He swiveled his hips as he ground his cock in deeper than he ever had before, and I screamed.

  “Take all of me, fuck,” he groaned. “You feel so good.”

  His hips rolled and stirred.

  “Oh, Ford,” I called out as I came, shaking, moaning his name, my internal walls squeezing around him.

  “Oh fuck, Jasmine.” His hands gripped my legs as he shuddered, his cock pulsating as he came. I peered up at him through heavy lids.

  “You’re tired, petal.”

  He stretched over me, and I wrapped my legs around him, our hearts beating wild against each other, our bodies molded together as one.

  FORD

  We have plans

  Another business trip to Chicago. This one had taken as long as I thought it would—five days—and I couldn’t wait to return. I hated leaving Jasmine, but she always kept me up to date when I had to go.

  On Monday, Jasmine sent a selfie with a pencil between her teeth with the message, In the office working on another masterpiece article. I miss you. I wrote back: It sounds good, and I’d love to hear more. I also returned her sentiment:

  Ford: I miss you, Jasmine.

  Sometimes she’d give me a play-by-play of everything she did and every place she went. In the past, I’d have thought so much contact as clingy. But I didn’t feel that way with Jasmine. Every moment with her I wanted to remember.

  I imprinted everything she’d done to memory and often replayed them over in my head. Like the time she sassed me at the airport arrivals. When she smiled at me for the first time in the car. When she tried to dance sexy in the living room that first night. How she blushed at seeing me nude. How I thought my heart would break when she cried in my arms. I loved many moments, but at the moment, she couldn’t kick me out of her apartment, and she let me touch and hold her. That was when my heart came back to life again. That was the moment I fell in love with her.

  Blair and Martin had seen my attraction, but they didn’t know my heart. Love wasn’t something I was looking for. I thought I knew love and that I had loved Cecile. After all the pain and heartache it caused me, I didn’t want to have it again. But love came anyway. And now I couldn’t imagine a life when I didn’t have Jasmine in it.

  My phone went off, and I felt warmth in my chest. Jasmine. She sent a text and photo. I opened it, and a sinking feeling filled my chest.

  A photo of Jasmine holding up her two acceptance letters. She’d gotten into both Harvard’s and Boston College’s Ph.D. Sociology Degree programs.

  Jasmine: I got in! Dr. Yeats not only came through with her recommendation, but she also contacted the chairs of both departments and academic deans on my behalf. I can’t thank her enough.

  I knew I should be happy for her, and a part of me was. But the other part worried when I’d see her. Boston wasn’t far, and I’d planned to make it work. I realized that she must have seen the text was read on her end. I quickly typed a response.

  Ford: You’re the only one surprised. Let’s celebrate tonight.

  I wasn’t surprised Jasmine got into all of the Ph.D. programs she applied to. She was not only brilliant, but she was also hardworking and dedicated. She didn’t complain about any task given to her. She just jumped in and did it. She gave one hundred percent to everything she did. I was proud of her achievement. I waited a few minutes to see if she’d send a message back. Chime. I’d made it to the parking lot at my building when her next reply came in.

  Jasmine: I want to defer, but Harvard told me they only defer on a case-by-case basis. They only agree twenty percent of the time.

  My heart pumped faster. Jasmine couldn’t pass that up. Going to Harvard was a prestigious opportunity. Boston wasn’t far. We’d work it out. For five years? A Ph.D. program required years of work. She’d be in Boston for years, and with my schedule, we wouldn’t get to see each other. She could still change her mind and stay here. But would she regret it? I chewed on my lip. I didn’t know what to tell her. All I wanted was for her not to leave my life.

  Ford: I’m behind whatever you decide one hundred percent.

  Jasmine: I miss you.

  I sighed. I love you, Jasmine.

  Ford: You won’t have to miss me. I’m back.

  Jasmine: LOL *Happy dance* Do I get to know where I’m going today?

  Ford: I want you to come here before we go.

  I stared at the screen for a few minutes as a pang went through my chest. She wasn’t gone yet. Things may change, but she was worth it. For my heart, there was no other option.

  My phone rang in my hand. Martin. “Hello, Martin.” He’d been calling nonstop since I agreed to the private show.
He’d arranged a few of his most selective group of collectors and critics to go, but that wasn’t why he was calling. “I promised the photo is up to Jasmine.”

  “She’s stubborn. She’d change her mind if you begged her.”

  “I’m not going to pressure her to do something she’s not comfortable doing. We still have good stuff.”

  “We do. But that photo has the potential to be a big seller. Hell, I want to buy it. I’m not above begging at the moment.”

  “Good luck, Martin.”

  I wasn’t going to fuck things up with her over a photo. My heart ached at the thought of her leaving. What did we have, three weeks tops? After graduation, she could stay with me, but then would she go to Harvard in the fall, and we’d commute on weekends? Will I even have a weekend off with our department so understaffed?

  The distance between us seemed manageable in my head, but my life wasn’t any less complicated and would be more so soon. Graham must have met with the board of directors on Margot’s replacement, so he’d have an answer soon. The answer I’d hoped to receive for years. I’d lead my department, and with it came financial freedom, what I’d wanted for my family since we lost it when our dad left us.

  I double-checked the surprise I planned for Jasmine on my phone. We would spend the day on the water, and then I'd take her somewhere special later this evening. I locked the car and headed to the lobby. Standing at the desk was my brother, Aldric. He was still in his hospital scrubs, his eyes bloodshot and a couple of days growth of beard on his face. He rarely came into the city even though he lived in Jersey, especially in the middle of a workday. “What’s wrong?”

  I motioned for him to follow me upstairs, and when we got inside, I led him over to the kitchen and poured him a glass of water. “Talk to me.”

  “Wendy’s pregnant,” he said.

  “Congratulations,” I said. I’d already known from Blair, but since I skipped our father’s birthday, I’d missed their official announcement.

  He jerked his hand through his hair. “Yeah. I’m happy, but I’m still a resident. I can’t . . . I can’t afford another baby and the cost of the new house. She’s having complications already and will have to leave her job again. We are stretched to the limit with Jacob’s private school.”

  I nodded. Jacob had been diagnosed late with autism. His private school and therapist were costly, but they were beneficial to his well-being.

  “I hate to have to ask.” Aldric looked down. “Mom’s off the wagon. I asked Dad, but he said it’s not a good time.”

  Of course, he did. It was never a good time. He was fine having kids, as long as he never had to pay for them.

  “I know you have your job and this place,” he said. “You’ve been helping, and I will pay you back—”

  “You don’t have to pay me back, Aldric. You also don’t need to stress yourself out. If you ever need me, I’m here. I’ll do whatever I can to help you out. You know that.”

  I didn’t tell Aldric, but taking on his financial needs again for another baby would set me back. I’d have to sell more work to cover the expenses and help our sister, Emma, with her college expenses.

  “I’m really sorry to drop in unannounced, and well, for such a short visit. I need to head home. Sleep. But, well . . . Wendy’s pregnant,” he said.

  “I understand, Aldric.”

  He hugged me. “I love you, thank you. And I’m sorry that I’m asking for help again. I know things will get better in a few years . . .” He drifted off and looked away. I knew this was hard for him. He was a proud man, but thankfully, he knew where my priorities were. Family. Always family.

  I hugged him back. “I’m always here for you,” I said. “Give my congratulations to Wendy too, yeah?”

  “I will. Thanks, brother. See you soon.” Aldric took the elevator, and then when I opened the door, I discovered Graham on the video monitor.

  He appeared dressed for work in a suit with a briefcase in hand, but he must have known I’d taken the day off.

  I pressed the front desk button to send him upstairs and left the door unlocked for him. Graham came inside. He gave me a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I know Jasmine’s on her way, and you have somewhere you’re planning to go today.”

  My heart pumped faster. “That’s right.”

  “This won’t take long,” he said, and I gestured for him to follow me into the dining room. I cleared the table and took the seat across from him. After asking him about Soraya and Lorenzo, he got down to business.

  “You have Margot’s job. First of all.”

  I took a deep breath. “That’s good news.”

  Graham handed me a copy of the contract. The salary increase was substantial, and the perks were better than I expected—stocks, travel, pension, additional homes, abroad allowance, a car. My family would never need to worry about money again. Hell, I could retire at forty if I wanted to. But Graham wasn’t smiling.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  “There is more to the job. As you know, we’re expanding markets. We now have a partnership with Hato Enterprises for new software development in Tokyo, Morocco, and Amsterdam.”

  My brows lifted. “I’ve been pushing for more markets forever.”

  He smiled. “I know. Margot didn’t travel. She made her assistant do it all. However, the board wants your vision for the future direction. We want to strengthen our markets in Germany, France, and Poland with you as our global lead. I don’t anticipate you having to work abroad forever.”

  “But in the beginning, I’d have to travel most of the time,” I said.

  Graham nodded in agreement. “You’d have to live abroad at least for the first year or two. We can review or restructure after that,” Graham added in a calm voice.

  If I had to travel most of the year, I’d never see Jasmine. The few days with exchanging messages were bearable because it came to an end. But with her studies here and my work abroad, we’d never make it long-term.

  My chest burned, and my throat shut. I opened my mouth and closed it, then lowered my head, my hands unable to settle on my knees that trembled.

  “Ford, I’m sorry. I know you like Jasmine.”

  I love her. I swallowed hard and tried to clear my throat. “Does . . . does Jasmine know?”

  “No. I wanted to give you time or the option to tell her. You know she got into Harvard, Emirs, and Boston College. I offered her a full-time job at Morgan Financial, but Soraya says she may go ahead with her Ph.D.”

  The money was life-changing. In the end, it came down to more than what was best for me. My brother needed money for his family, and my sister wouldn’t have immense debt from college. My mom would have financial stability and more treatment. I didn’t know how I could turn it all down. Yet even with all the right answers, I couldn’t leave out Jasmine. She fit me better than anyone I’d ever known.

  “If I don’t take the job?” I asked.

  “You still have your job, of course. However, the new director could make you travel anyway. You wouldn’t have a say in the department’s direction.”

  Ding. The front bell chimed.

  “That’s my cue to go,” Graham said.

  I pinched the corners of my eyes.

  “Ford, I know this is a hard decision for you, but I want you to know this job was always yours. You were leagues above the other candidates. I’m not just saying this as your cousin. Morgan Financial needs you.”

  “Thank you, Graham,” I muttered.

  Jasmine’s beautiful face appeared on the front door screen. She waved at the camera, and pain pierced my chest and spread. I took a jagged breath as the air left my lungs. My head dropped, and I crossed my arms to still my body that started trembling.

  “Ford,” Graham said and exhaled long. “Shit. You want me to take her home?”

  I clenched my jaw, and a tear fell down my cheek. I can’t let her go. I swallowed. There had to be a way. I just needed time.

  “I’ll tell her s
omething came up.”

  I closed my eyes and nodded.

  Graham was helping me out. I couldn’t let Jasmine see me this upset. Things were already fragile between us with her finding out about my job and college, so this could end us right now. I couldn’t bear Jasmine leaving. I didn’t want to imagine life without her.

  I took Graham’s arm at the door. “Don’t tell her about the job. I haven’t decided. Tell her I’ll pick her up tomorrow evening.”

  JASMINE

  Love is all around

  Ford never canceled with me without talking to me first. Graham told me that he had some work thing. However, Ford gave me access to his schedule, and I knew he’d cleared it. Did something happen?

  Had Cecile interrupted his afternoon? He hadn’t mentioned her since he went to see her. All his text said was he couldn’t wait to see me. So why? We only had three weeks left before I returned to college, and I didn’t want to waste a day while I wasn’t tied up with college responsibilities.

  I took a deep breath. College. I’d gotten into all three of my Ph.D. Sociology Programs, even without Randall’s recommendations. It was the path I’d planned since grade school. Every class was to advance my academic success. And here I was, happy and scared.

  “I’m so proud of you,” Soraya said, picking up the letters. We’d been having her leftover homemade hummus, falafel, and tabbouleh with fresh-baked pita. I refilled my plate.

  “Your mom called. Do you want me to tell her the news?”

  I shook my head. “I’ll tell her, but I don’t know what I want to tell her. I don’t know if I’m ready.”

  “This is not because of Tokyo?” she asked.

  My brows lifted. “Tokyo?”

  “Nothing.” She averted her eyes.

  Buzz.

  I groaned at Martin’s number appearing on my screen. He was like a dog with a bone. He wouldn’t stop. He’d already sent information on a financial commission and accolades that could help pay my loans and cushion my savings. I’d already given him the green light on everything else. Why was this photo so important to him?