Resisting the Hero

by Cindi Madsen

  He was quickly becoming inescapable.

  But with her hand in his, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to escape him anymore. His big, annoying presence always managed to calm her nerves as much as fluster them. And she couldn’t deny she wondered what it’d be like to kiss him. To do more… Her body heated and her heartbeats tripped over each other.

  This is exactly why I need to avoid him. My common sense flies right out the window, and I start thinking I don’t need it anyway. She tugged free of his hold, under the guise of getting her drink.

  Only Connor simply wrapped his large hand around her thigh and a flurry of butterflies swarmed her stomach. He glanced at Wes. “I’m trying to convince Faith to go on one of your tours with me.”

  “They sound lovely and all,” Faith said, “but I think I’m more of a sit in a boat or take a swim in Lake Norman girl. Not get into a helicopter to go cliff diving or take a hike that makes me wanna cry.”

  Wes put his arm around Dani. “I used to have a hard time getting her up in the air, but she’s gotten over it. Probably because I’m the best pilot this side of the Mississippi.”

  Dani dramatically rolled her eyes so Wes would catch it, and Faith immediately liked her. Wes pulled his fiancée close and whispered something in her ear that made her blush, then sat back with a smug grin on his face. What was it with guys here? Cockiness must run in the water. She supposed she wouldn’t want to get in the air with a pilot who wasn’t confident. Still, she wouldn’t want to go without Connor by her side, and the whole problem with that was she shouldn’t want Connor by her side.

  “You could come on one of the mild tours,” Dani said. “There’s a place with a waterfall that feeds into a lake, and there’s this amazing cave behind it where the water trickles down and the sunlight filters in.” She smiled, a dreamlike look on her face. “It’s beautiful.”

  “It’s a date,” Connor said.

  “Not so fast,” Faith started. But then everyone was looking at her. Maybe she should simply dive in. Would an adventure really be so bad?

  “I’ll be there every step of the way,” Connor said, squeezing her thigh and sending a spark of electricity through her core. Damn him and his low voice and strong fingers.

  Faith took a deep breath, trying to decide how hard she was going to fight spending time with Connor when all she wanted to do was give in. After all, finding new hobbies was a healthy coping mechanism. And if she could accomplish an adventure tour and face that mild fear in a controlled environment, she’d learn more skills to face her stronger fear of the gas station. It’d be research, really. Research with a very tempting guy.

  “Okay, one mild adventure.” Faith locked eyes with Connor. “But if anything happens to me, my ghost is totally going to come back to haunt you.”

  As usual, he took her threat as some kind of compliment, a giant grin on his face.

  After making a few more minutes of small talk, Connor leaned over, his lips near her ear, and a tingle of anticipation traveled down her spine. “You wanna get out of here?”

  She peered into his eyes, thinking yes, yes she did, and at the same time, how very bad an idea that was, considering his nearness caused her thoughts to go fuzzy. Somehow her brain didn’t get the message about that last part, though, and she found herself nodding.

  …

  Connor couldn’t believe his luck. Faith had ended up at the party, had agreed to an adventure tour, and was leaving with him. He barely resisted spiking the napkin onto the table and breaking into a celebratory touchdown-type dance.

  They said their last good-byes and made their way out of the restaurant. Connor kept hold of her hand—he was afraid otherwise, she might realize she willingly agreed to spend time with him and take off running.

  While he’d love nothing more than to take her back to his place, he knew he had to tread carefully. So he led her between the buildings and down to the shore of the lake, sticking to the longer grass. The water lapped the shore, the constant sound mixing in with the chirp of crickets.

  “So you used to go fishing with the McAdamses?”

  Faith nodded. “All the time. Paul Senior and my dad were friends.” She hesitated, and he thought of how she’d flinched at the restaurant, as if she were waiting for the conversation to go downhill. But then a small smile touched her lips. “We’d load up the tackle boxes and coolers and head to the middle of the lake. We’d fish and swim—our dads always muttered about our splashing scaring away the fish. I used to complain that it was all we did every weekend, but now, those are some of my best memories. I caught a couple of huge fish, too. Gave the boys a run for their money.”

  “I remember the day I almost caught a record-breaking fish,” Connor said.

  Faith glanced up at him, the moonlight dancing in her eyes. Damn, she was pretty. So pretty, he almost forgot he was in the middle of a story.

  “Every time I yanked, I felt it tugging against me, trying to drag the other way. My arms ached, but I didn’t want to let it go. I was about eight or nine, and I could already see headlines in the local paper, about the boy who caught the giant fish. Total hero stuff, you know.” He tightened his grip on her hand, loving how tiny hers felt in his. “I finally pull it in, see the water parting for the giant beast… And it was a bucket.”

  The dimple in Faith’s cheek came out full force. “A bucket?”

  “I was so disappointed. I fished the rest of the day, determined to make up for it. And of course all I caught were a couple tiny black crappies that I swore were laughing at me every time I pulled them out of the water.” That was back when he’d tried so hard to impress Dad because he wanted to be like him. Back before he knew what was going on or why Mama spent so much time alone in her room.

  He took a breath of fresh air and blew out the bad memories with his exhale. Right now he wanted to think about nothing but being with Faith. His place was close now, only a couple houses away, and he couldn’t decide if he should bring it up or not. He’d walked to the restaurant, and he was sure her car was back there.

  “There was a picture in my daddy’s study of me with the first fish I caught, and it was almost as big as I am. Seeing how proud he was…” Faith’s voice cracked and it shot him right through the heart. “That was when I declared I was going to grow up to be a fisherwoman. He told me if I figured out how to make a living at it that I should go for it. Of course a couple of months later, I decided I’d rather be a mermaid instead—cheaper living and all, since the lake would be my house.”

  Connor grinned at her. “You’d make a great mermaid.”

  She laughed. “A seashell bra, though? No way that’s comfortable.”

  Now his mind was diving into the gutter again. “Well, there are the topless kind of mermaids, too. Always a good option.”

  Faith shoved him—surprisingly hard, too, for as little as she was. He wrapped his arm around her waist, curling her to him. He could feel her curves against him, hear the sharp intake of breath.

  Normally, he wouldn’t think twice about kissing her. He’d simply do it. But with her insisting they be just friends, he felt like every move he made could push her away.

  Almost on cue, she tensed.

  So he took a step back and kicked off his shoes.

  Her eyebrows drew together. “What are you doing?”

  “Going for a swim.”

  She glanced at the still water, and then back at him. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “You’re going in, too, so I suggest removing any clothing you don’t want to get wet.”

  “I don’t want to get any of it wet.”

  “Naked, then. Score for me.” Connor shot her a smile, unbuttoned his shirt, and tossed it to the ground, the air warm and sticky against his skin. Faith pressed her lips together, trying to look unimpressed, but he caught the way her eyebrows twitched higher. “You’ve got about one minute, and then I’m throwing you over my shoulder, and we’re jumping off the pier. If I were you, I’d at least lose the sh
oes.”

  She took another step back and a predatory urge ran through him. Throwing her over his shoulder was going to be fun. “Then I’ll have to walk back to my car soaking wet.”

  “My house is right there.” He pointed to the home up the beach, where the back porch light was burning. “You can dry off there, and then I’ll drive you back to your car.”

  Connor unbuttoned his pants and dropped them, leaving on only his black boxer briefs. “Thirty seconds.”

  “I knew coming with you was a bad idea,” Faith said, then peeled off her shirt. She had on a purple and white polka dot bra, and even though he knew he shouldn’t just stare, he couldn’t help it. She shimmied out of her shorts, revealing matching panties.

  “Go on and take a good look, because this is the last time you’ll ever see me in my underwear. In fact, I’m never hanging out with you again.”

  “Worth it,” he said. Then he strode toward her, desire heating him even more when she let out a squeal. He scooped her into his arms, ran down the pier, and jumped into the lake.

  Cool water enveloped them. Although it was warmer than when he swam in the early morning, it was still enough to shock all his senses awake. He kicked up to the surface. Faith came up seconds later, taking a deep breath and blinking water from her eyelashes.

  She swiped her hand across the top of the water, sending a stream into his face. “I hate you,” she said, but there wasn’t any malice behind it.

  He wiped the water from his face and laughed. Then he tried to splash her back, but she dodged and sent another splash of water at him, catching him right in the eyes. He blindly lunged for her, planning on dunking her, but she was faster than he expected.

  She swam farther from the shore, creating ripples across the surface of the lake, and he followed her. After a couple of strokes, he could’ve overtaken her, but he hung back, enjoying the nice view. The glow of the moon lit up her profile as she stopped and peered at the sky. His gaze locked on her lips and he couldn’t stop thinking about kissing her. She turned to face him, her arms gliding back and forth in the water, and he thought of her story earlier.

  “For the record, you’d make a good mermaid,” he said.

  Her lips curved into a heart-stopping smile. “The pay’s crap, though, and you have to worry about ending up in a tuna can. It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.”

  And there’s where she blew other women out of the water. She was a sexy that went beyond looks. Always ready with a retort. He wanted to be real with her, in a way he hadn’t attempted to be with anyone. It scared the hell out of him, honestly, but there was an edge of relief to it, too, as though he didn’t have to work so hard to be what people expected anymore.

  He caught her around the waist and drew her to him, his blood heating at the feel of her skin against his. He didn’t try to kiss her. Didn’t slide his hand down to her perfect ass like he wanted to.

  He simply took in the moment, wishing it never had to end.

  Chapter Eight

  What are you doing here, Faith? This wasn’t part of the plan. She hugged her arms around herself as Connor unlocked the back door to his place. The night had felt warm before their swim, but now her wet underwear was soaking through her clothes and water was dripping from her hair, onto her shoulders.

  As cold as she was, she was second-guessing her decision to not walk back to the restaurant for her car and head straight home. That talk about fishing with Dad had her feeling all warm and sentimental. Even the swim had reminded her of summer days in the lake. For the first time in a long time, she’d managed to focus on good memories without the pain. So she hadn’t pushed away when Connor wrapped his arms around her. The sight of him shirtless, with his built chest and holy-mother-of-six-pack-abs was enough to make her forget her name, but he’d also been warm and solid and looking at her so tenderly, she hadn’t wanted the night to end.

  But she wasn’t sure she was ready for where it was going, either.

  As soon as they stepped inside, Penny came bounding toward the door and nuzzled Connor’s knee. He reached down and patted her, greeting her with such affection, that Faith again thought she should turn around and run while she still could. Apparently guys who were nice to kids and dogs were one of her weaknesses. Well, that and the muscles, good looks, and ability to drive her insane while semi turning her on at the same time.

  “Go on into the living room and make yourself comfortable,” Connor said. “I’ll grab us drinks.”

  Faith’s heart was beating so loudly she worried he could hear it. She needed to keep her head—or recover it. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”

  He cupped her cheek. “Only the really, really pretty ones.” He trailed his fingers down her neck, making her skin break out in goose bumps, and then gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. He turned toward the kitchen, Penny trailing behind him.

  Faith knew he was joking about the pretty ones comment, but still, she couldn’t help wondering how many girls had been in her place before. Of course, they probably ripped their clothes off the second they got in the door, and she wasn’t going to. Okay, so technically, he’d already gotten her out of her clothes once tonight, but it wasn’t happening again. Being with Connor like that was a bad idea. Even if she could see the strong line of his back under his shirt and remembered what it had looked like without all that pesky fabric.

  She swallowed past her suddenly dry throat. You’re supposed to be going for nerdy guys now, remember? No more guys who aren’t worth the heartache that comes after.

  A tiny voice whispered that maybe a night with Connor would be worth it, but Faith quickly told that voice to shut up. Needing a distraction, she walked around Connor’s living room. She studied the one framed picture on the side table by the couch—actually, framed was being generous. It was a plastic stand, propped on the table beside a remote. Connor was in the middle, his arm around a beautiful older woman with his same olive skin tone and dark hair—it had to be his mom. The other guy in the picture was younger but looked a lot like Connor, and then there were two girls, one with the same dark hair and one with light brown hair and paler skin with freckles across the bridge of her nose. Still, they looked enough like Connor she was sure they were the siblings he’d mentioned at the ice cream shop.

  Other than the picture, his decorations were minimal. Just the basics. Super clean, too, like an inspector might come in and make him drop and give him twenty if things weren’t in pristine order.

  Then she caught sight of the Star Wars collection on top of the entertainment center. She moved closer and tipped onto her toes for a better look. Luke, Leia, Chewie, Han Solo, R2-D2, and C-3PO were arranged on the top shelf. A storm trooper, Darth Vader, and the Death Star were on the other side, though Vader and Luke were right by each other. Close enough to fight. Or hug, depending on if Vader had turned back to the Force or not. A light saber—not really a laser, most likely, though it certainly wasn’t the cheap plastic kind—sat behind them.

  He’s got a nerdy side. A flutter rose up, traveling from her stomach to the place over her heart. I’m in so much trouble.

  “I started collecting them when I was five,” Connor said from behind her and she spun around. “Even got the bed set for my eighth birthday, with sheets and the comforter.” One side of his mouth kicked up in a crooked, drool-inducing smile. “You’ll have to wait to see if I’m still using them.”

  Dead-sexy. That was the perfect word for him. Sexy in the way that might actually kill her.

  He stepped closer and she could feel her resistance thinning, like a rubber band that was being stretched too far. “I used to have comic book figurines, too—still do, but they’re all in a box.” He pointed his chin toward the Star Wars figures. “I couldn’t quite stand packing those ones away, though, since they were the start of my decision to keep the world safe.”

  She stared at him—the playfulness in his eyes, that strong jaw that begged her fingers to brush along it. The contradiction of the
way he looked and him talking about a collection he started as a boy was a total turn-on. But how many times had he given this exact same spiel to other women? How many times had he gotten laid because of it?

  “I…” she started, not even sure how to finish.

  “I noticed you were drinking beer at the Anchor, so I hope I picked right.”

  She took one of the bottles out of his hand and took a generous swig. Already, her muscles were tightening, readying to spring into action. She shouldn’t have come home with him. She should go now.

  “Why don’t we go ahead and start with Episode Four?” he asked, pulling a DVD from his entertainment center.

  Without making the conscious decision to sit, her legs buckled, and then her butt was on the couch. It seemed like her body and brain were at war whether or not to stay. But now that she was sitting, it was comfortable.

  Nerves were bouncing around her stomach, higher and harder, as Connor settled next to her. She was hyper-aware of him, so close, yet not quite touching. Every breath made his chest rise and fall—holy hellfire he had a nice chest, and now she was remembering him shirtless again.

  Her body gave an involuntary shudder, from him or from being cold, she wasn’t quite sure.

  “You cold?” he asked.

  “A little.” She knew it was a mistake—he’d offer to keep her warm. But to her surprise, he got up, pulled a sweatshirt out of the closet, and handed it to her.

  “I must be losing my touch,” he said in a teasing tone. “This is usually the less-clothing part of the evening.”

  “Very funny.” Faith tugged on the soft sweatshirt that was several sizes too big and smelled like Connor. “You’re never getting this off.”

  “Speaking of getting off…” A wicked glint entered his eye and she smacked his arm. “What? I was saying that you’re sitting on the remote.” He lifted the remote from the cushions and turned on the TV, false innocence all over his face.

  Penny hopped onto the couch and rested her muzzle in Faith’s lap. She patted the dog’s head and scratched behind her ears, happy for the distraction.