Ruthless Renovator : A Hero Club Novel

by Paisleigh Aumack

  UNKNOWN: So you did know who it was. I wasn’t out of line and you know it. But I want to explain. Meet me.

  I took a minute to save his number to my phone under ZIT: Zane is Trouble. It was fitting for sure and for the first time since crawling under my desk this afternoon, I laughed out loud.

  ME: I think I got the message loud and clear when you forced your way into my office and backed me up against a wall. Literally.

  ZIT: Mmmm. It was the only way to feel that luscious body close to mine and get my point across.

  ME: Right.

  ZIT: I just want to talk. Meet me tomorrow night at 8.

  Then an idea hatched in my head. I usually spent my Fridays out prowling. The Proud Lantern was a hot spot for hookups and I knew at least one guaranteed yes. Well, if I was honest, two guarantees. No reason to not do the same tomorrow night. So I answered Zane.

  ME: Fine. ;-)

  ZIT: Did you just wink at me?

  ME: Sure did. But remember. Things aren’t always as they appear. ;-)

  ZIT: Shit. Don’t play with me. Especially when I never lose.

  ME: Whatevs. **rolls eyes** C-ya at The Lantern tomorrow.

  ZIT: Your sudden agreement has me on edge. I will see you tomorrow.

  I’d be lying if I said it didn’t give me a rush of excitement knowing what I was going to do tomorrow, the reactions that would follow, and who I’d see. But more than excitement, I was pissed and ready to get some revenge the only way I knew how.

  _______________

  As I put the final touches on my makeup, which was more than I normally wore, I heard my phone ringing from the kitchen. I ignored it and continued getting ready. It was earlier than the time Zane wanted to meet, but I had to get there early if I wanted my plan to work. After I put away all my makeup and hair crap, I wiped down the counter in my bathroom and made my way to the kitchen. On the table, my phone was lit up with texts from Arden and Zane.

  ARDEN: On my way, chickie! Uber driver was late. Sorry again about making you drive tonight!

  I answered her and went on to the texts from Zane.

  ZIT: Looking forward to seeing you tonight.

  ZIT: You’re still meeting me, right?

  ZIT: I’m taking your silence as a yes. Tonight. 8 o’clock.

  That message I left unanswered because I had a strong feeling he wouldn’t be so happy to see me once he walked in and saw my plan in action. I smiled huge and started giggling to myself. The consequences be damned. There wasn’t any part of me that didn’t know what the outcome would be. Secretly, I was hoping for it, but first I wanted Zane to feel a small part of what I felt the day he walked away from me. On that thought, I heard a car pull up and a door slam outside and made my way down to meet Arden. Once we were inside my Prius, our hellos were exchanged, Arden told me what a bad idea this was, and we headed for The Lantern. Arden was going to prowl too, but I might have kept the fact I also invited Wes from her. It wasn’t on purpose. It slipped out and I couldn’t take it back.

  We got to The Proud Lantern a little after six. Wilder looked hotter than usual tonight and when he escorted us to our usual booth in the center of the room, I caught him looking at me like he wanted to eat me. Perfect. That is exactly the reaction I had hoped for from Wilder. He was a little young but tonight, age was nothing but a number.

  “Seeing as I am hosting tonight, I won’t get to serve you. Ben quit so I had to step up. Sam, the new waitress, will be over to get your orders. I will make sure she takes good care of my girls,” Wilder announced then winked and left.

  “He has it so bad for you, Joss. I don’t think it’s a good idea to use him for your game with Zane.” Arden had a point and I started to rethink the whole thing. I wasn’t a cruel person and the more I thought about what I wanted to do, the worse I felt. Hurting someone for the sake of my own stupid revenge on Zane was not the person I was or ever wanted to be.

  “You’re right. I can’t drag him into this already whacked situation. I have a little under two hours before he shows up and now, I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to hear what he has to say,” I practically whined.

  “Why not? You always wanted answers about why he did what he did. Maybe now is your chance to get them. Besides, it’s karaoke night. Once Zane sees you up there, I’m positive he will give you whatever you want.”

  “Oh my God! I totally forgot about karaoke! I may need to up my game tonight.”

  “What are you going to do?” Arden asked me, looking almost terrified.

  “You will have to wait and see. If Zane wants to play, we’ll play,” I answered with a mischievous smirk on my face.

  “For fuck’s sake, Joss. Zane is not the type of guy you want to play with. Especially when it comes to things he seems to want. And, babe, Zane definitely wants you. He wants you in a way that when he looks at you, it makes me squirm. If you gave him a chance, you may be surprised. It could turn out to be everything you wanted.”

  I was getting ready to respond when Sam came over with drinks we hadn’t ordered but were what we always drank. After I took a sip I replied to my best friend.

  “I’m also not the type of woman who just takes shit sitting down, Ardie. Zane may have not known I was in love with him back then, but he hurt me when he left with Bibi that day. Now he wants to be a part of my life in a way that is more than anything he ever hinted at before, right when I finally found some semblance of peace from that whole situation. Zane doesn’t mind bulldozing his way into my life, no matter if I am ready or not. I know it could turn out to be what I see for myself, but it could also destroy me again,” I told Arden honestly.

  “Trust me. I get it. I was there the first time. But, Joss, babe, for as much as you are fighting this, I have to assume that the reasoning behind that is you are still in love with him. You can move past situations but feelings are harder to get beyond. Take tonight to just hear him out.”

  “Why are you pushing this so much tonight?” I asked Arden on a raised eyebrow.

  “I’m not. I just know what it feels like to want that shot. If I had an opportunity with the guy I was in love with, I’d take it.” Arden’s expression fell, and I reached for her hand to squeeze it under the table. She squeezed back.

  “I will listen to him. Pinky promise,” I said, and held out my pinky to shake on it.

  Before we knew it, Arden and I had consumed a copious number of drinks and we were feeling great. Karaoke had started, which meant it was close to 7:30 p.m. and I got my ass up and signed up for my song. First part of my mission was accomplished. Back at our table, Arden was quiet but alert. That meant Wes was here and she had spotted him.

  On what was almost a whisper Arden asked, “Did you know he was going to be here tonight?”

  “I may have mentioned that I’d be here tonight. I also may have informed him that we were meeting for drinks.” Arden reached across the table and punched me in the arm.

  “What the hell, Josselyn? Why would you do that?” Arden asked me with so much hurt in her eyes.

  “It wasn’t on purpose, I swear. I was ranting about Zane and it just slipped out,” I pleaded my case to her.

  She looked around and saw Wes was standing at the bar ordering a drink. Just as the bartender handed over his drink, the karaoke announcer told the room I was up next with my rendition of “Uninvited” by Alanis Morissette, and Zane walked in the door. I got up and headed toward the announcer. After I was handed the microphone, I turned back to Arden at our table and saw Wes had taken my seat. He was talking, leaned into her space, but Arden was ignoring him. They needed to talk as much as Zane and I did. Wes looked at Arden with hunger evident in his eyes. I knew with that look, my friend would be well taken care of and Wes would be accompanying her out of the bar.

  Personally, I thought the song was perfect for the situation I was in with Zane.

  Once I got on the mini stage and started singing about how I was flattered by his fascination with me, I found out Zane didn’t think
it was perfect or funny.

  Like at all.

  Zane also made his feelings known to everyone when he rushed the stage, grabbed me by the waist, threw me over his shoulder, and stormed out of The Lantern doing his best to hide my lady bits from everyone’s view, since the skirt I had on was on the way short side.

  I did the only thing I could. Smacked his ass and laughed the entire way out of the bar.

  CHAPTER 10

  Talks and Sleepovers.

  Mac

  I PUSHED THROUGH the door to The Lantern but kept walking until I made it around the corner, down the alley, and out of sight from anyone walking by. Then, oh so very slowly, I slid Joss’s body down the front of mine until her breasts were flush against my chest and she got her footing. With a smile on her face and slightly red eyes, from what I could only assume were the drinks she had, she looked up at me, waiting.

  Now, normally being the bastard I was, it would have been easy to do what I wanted to do and wipe that smile off her face by crashing my lips to hers. But even with a small amount of alcohol in her, that wasn’t going to happen. When we kissed for the first time, Josselyn would be stone-cold sober, with no regrets and all her senses in proper order. Besides, I wasn’t about to take advantage of her in this state. My cock and I loved it when she pushed back with her attitude flying free and that was unlikely in her current inebriated state.

  “So, Josselyn. Tell me exactly how we were supposed to talk about things between us if you are drunk?”

  “I’m not drunk. I’m just buzzed. And why didn’t you let me finish my karaoke song?” she asked, still staring up at me. I lowered my head and saw her eyes get bigger before she tried, and failed, to cover her surprise at me getting so close to her again. I touched her nose with mine, skimmed my lips across her cheek, and whispered in her ear, “Because there is no fucking way I am uninvited into your life.” Joss’s sharp intake of breath urged me to go on. Stepping back, I wanted to look into her beautiful eyes, even if they were red when I spoke again.

  “I told you I’d put the work in for you and I meant it. I was going to start tonight with our talk, but you decided to play games. That shit is done. Starting now, Josselyn.” My tone was harsher than I meant but it seemed to get her attention.

  “You can’t tell me wha-what to do. I’m a grown-ass wo-woman,” Joss slurred but went on. “This thing with us has to en-end, Zane. It destroyed me once. Not gonna let it ha-happen again.”

  “Right. Josselyn, we aren’t talking about this now. You’re drunk and don’t tell me you aren’t. You’re slurring your words. Let me take you home. We can try again tomorrow,” I asked, but really it didn’t matter what her answer was. I was taking her home either way.

  “You aren’t taking me h-home. I am going back inside to my frie-friend. You can do whatever it is that you do on a Friday night, Zane,” Joss stammered out. She was making it really difficult to be a stand-up guy. Even drunk, the attitude flew free, as always, hitting me directly in my dick. Good to know it comes out when she is wasted, too. With her still so close to me, I tightened my arms around her and repeated my actions from earlier. This time I got a shiver when I spoke into her ear, low and seductively.

  “What I usually do on a Friday night is find a willing woman to fill my bed for a few hours until I have taken all I want from her. However, it seems that lately, no woman besides you will do and with your current state of intoxication, that isn’t going to happen. I’m a bunch of things but I am not that much of a bastard. So, can you please do me a favor, even if I don’t deserve it, and let me take you home?”

  I heard her huff in annoyance but knew she was giving in. “Fine.” That was all I was going to get but it was agreement and to me, all I needed to get her out of the alley and into my car. More importantly, it was enough for me to not have to worry about all the dickhead men inside who were looking at my Joss like they wanted to devour her.

  “Come on, baby. Take my hand,” I commanded her, as I held out my hand for the taking.

  Josselyn slipped her hand in mine and I laced our fingers. She didn’t fight against it or say anything about me calling her baby. As I walked us to my car, parked a short distance out of the alley we were in, I thought to myself that things were starting to go my way. Like the idiot I was, I counted my chickens before they hatched.

  _______________

  Josselyn passed out on the drive to her apartment. It was a good thing I knew where she lived, thanks to the call I got from Davien last night. He gave me the rundown on what he was able to find out about Bruno Haynes. Nothing he told me was good and exactly what I had expected to hear. I had texted him last week and asked if he could do a check on Josselyn too when I thought she was seeing someone. Davien gave me a full history on her and told me her current address, phone number, and practically everything about her. D was good at what he did and I was grateful for that at the moment.

  When we got to her place, I carried her up the stairs and used her key that I had tagged from her pocket to unlock the door. I kicked it closed so I wouldn’t have to remove Josselyn from my arms. She had her nose nestled in my neck and her arms wrapped around me. She was still out cold but her body felt warm and soft against mine. I wasn’t sure of the layout to her apartment but it wasn’t huge so I quickly discovered where her bedroom was. Once I got the sheets pulled down one-handed, I placed Joss down gently so I could take her shoes off and change her out of that sinfully low shirt and barely-there skirt.

  The shoes were easy. I located some sleep shorts and a cami for Joss in the bottom drawer of her dresser. It was a discovery made after I saw her collection of socks, tanks, and sexy as fuck bra and panty sets. We’d be discussing those eventually too, but for now I needed to get her changed. Taking care of her felt natural to me. Like it was something I was made for. And that is exactly what I did. It was a bit of a struggle, but I managed to get her changed and back in bed on her side, just in case she got sick. Josselyn was out like the dead and didn’t even flinch when I removed her clothes.

  Again, I knew I was an asshole and pushing the limits here, but I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to curl around Joss for a night. And by curl around, I just wanted to sleep with her gorgeous body pressed to mine. No funny business, even though my dick didn’t agree. So, without any other choice, I got rid of all of my clothes except my boxer briefs and slid in back of Josselyn in her bed. I draped my arm over her waist and hauled her body back against mine as close as possible, so I could make sure she was okay and didn’t get sick. I lay there a while just feeling her breathe and inhaling the coconut and peach scent of her hair. After what felt like hours, I fell asleep.

  _______________

  “What the fuck, Zane?” I heard being yelled at me, but I was barely awake. I slowly opened my eyes to find a beautifully sleepy Joss standing next to her bed, with her hands on her hips, looking ready to kill me.

  “Jesus. Do you always wake people up by screaming at them? What the fuck what?” I asked back, as I shifted to my back and scrubbed my hands down my face trying to wake myself up.

  “What the fuck are you doing in my bed, asshole?”

  “Watch yourself, Josselyn. If anything, I was the furthest thing from an asshole last night,” I started, as I sat up against the headboard. I saw her looking at my chest and her gaze moved down until the sheet I had covering me stopped her perusal.

  “Please explain that statement. You changed my clothes and slept in my bed with me. How is that not an asshole move? I agreed to you taking me home, nothing else,” Joss snapped.

  “Well, Josselyn. I guess you’re right. I’m such an asshole that I took you home, carried you inside, changed your clothes so you were comfortable, placed you on your side in case you got sick in your bed, and slept next to you to make sure you were all right.” I threw the sheet off me and got up. I grabbed my jeans and put them on.

  “Zane, I—” she started but I cut her off.

  “Don’t, Josselyn. If I wanted to tak
e advantage of you, I had an open opportunity. But I didn’t, did I? No. Guess it’s because I am such an asshole. After knowing me all this time, you think that is the type of man I am?” I was a bit hurt by her assumption of me. How could she possibly think that of me? Because she doesn’t know who you are anymore. Last night I threw my shirt on the floor and it was impossible to find at that moment. There wasn’t much on the floor but where the fuck was my shirt?

  “Here.” Joss’s hand came into my vision holding my shirt. “Look, Zane, I’m sorry I freaked on you. This is all so…overwhelming for me.” Joss wrapped her arms around her middle. I knew she was being sincere and I needed her to know it was going to be okay. That I knew she was overwhelmed but we’d talk it through. I closed my eyes, inhaled deep, and let out my breath to tamp down my instinct to go after her.

  “Come here, Josselyn.” It was a demand. One I hoped she complied to because I needed her in my arms.

  “I’m right here, Zane.”

  “Baby, I said come here.” Okay, so I purposely used baby, looking to get a rise out of her. It didn’t work.

  “And Zane, I said I’m right here.”

  “Fine. I’ll come get you,” I told her, and in three strides I was on her side of the bed, standing right in front of her. I wrapped my arms around her. Her arms were still protectively wrapped around her middle when I approached, but she maneuvered her hands so they were now resting on my chest and like last night, she was looking up at me with clear, yet standoffish eyes.

  “Zane.”

  “Josselyn.”

  “Do you have to always be in my personal space? You could have said whatever it is you needed to say from over there,” Joss stated with that attitude that made me hard. Although, there was never a time when I was in her vicinity that I wasn’t hard.