Ruthless Renovator : A Hero Club Novel

by Paisleigh Aumack

  “Wait. Where’s my car?” she asked in a panic, and looked around like her Prius was going to appear out of thin air. I went to her and grabbed her shoulders so she’d look me in the eyes.

  “It’s still at The Lantern. There was no fucking way you were driving yourself or that car home last night, baby. Relax. We’ll pick it up on the way home from the skate park.”

  “Fine,” she said on a deep sigh and finished, “Let’s go.” She seemed to relax a little bit and we hit the road.

  _______________

  As we drove, conversation was minimal so I just let the music settle over us. When the park came into view, I immediately thought about how it used to feel to be on a skateboard. When I skated pro, however brief it was, it always felt like a necessity, just not the good kind. In all honesty, back then, it was a need but not the same kind as Joss. The difference was blatantly obvious when you watched Joss skate.

  She needed to skate to live, to breathe.

  I needed the paycheck.

  The Chevelle was never parked next to other cars because people weren’t as careful as I was with my pride and joy, so I found a spot away from the entrance to the skate plaza. Joss was out of the car and had her board on the ground, ready to take off, before I could even make it over to her. The view from behind, watching her skate off ,wasn’t bad but I wanted her to stay close to me.

  Finally making it inside the plaza, I found Josselyn doing her thing in an empty concrete skate area. There weren’t any other skaters skating. The few that were there had perched themselves on their boards and were watching my beautiful girl do her thing. Every grind, flip, and ollie was perfectly executed. She wasn’t showing off by doing any of her more advanced tricks like in her final ride, but her basic moves were clean and landed.

  As if hearing my internal thoughts, one of the kids watching her, who obviously knew who she was, shouted, “Do the 720, Joss!” Joss skated over to the kid and chatted for a bit with him. He seemed to hang on every word she said. I knew that feeling well. Josselyn had that effect on people, especially those of the male persuasion. It was time to make sure they weren’t harassing her too much. Joss was still very visible and known in the skating world and sometimes fans, even skaters themselves, got a little too much to handle.

  “Hey,” I said, as I sat next to a handful of kids but aimed my ‘hey’ to Joss.

  “Hey back. Zane, these are some of my friends: Jared, Kaylin, Parker, Charlie, and Samantha.” She pointed to each as she introduced us. “Guys, this is—” They cut her off to say my name.

  “We know who this is, Joss. Mac, dude. You were the shit on a board,” the one introduced as Parker whispered in what seemed to be shock or awe. Parker was also the one who told Joss to do the 720.

  “Thanks, man. How’s it going?” I asked on a chin tip to Parker and the rest of the crew. It’s been a long time since I had been recognized for skating. It felt foreign and acid started to slide through my veins.

  “Are you here to skate with Joss?” Samantha asked me.

  I shook my head. “No. I haven’t been on a board in a long time. My body won’t let me,” I explained.

  “That sucks, Mac.” I believed it was Charlie who said that. It didn’t really suck. At least not for me. Not skating brought me two of the best gifts I could have asked for, Josselyn and renovating.

  Two things I was passionate about.

  “So, Zane, I was telling the crew here I was going to be skating a demo for the park you are finishing up renovating. Do you think we could give them tickets?” Joss asked me on the spot.

  She knew I’d never say no to her or these kids so I said, “Of course.”

  “Cool!” “Sweet!” “Gnarley!” was all I heard from the kids. When I looked at Joss, she was smiling at me. It was a new smile I wasn’t sure I could handle being aimed my way. It took my breath away and made her entire face light up. Any acid that was flowing through my veins immediately washed clean away and a new calm washed over me. That smile would be my undoing. I made myself a promise at that moment; I’d do whatever I could to keep her smiling at me like that.

  “All right. I can’t do the 720 here, Parker, because it’s a vert trick but why don’t we all go out and ride?”

  The kids seemed to be extremely happy with this and they all jumped on their boards and infiltrated the concrete plaza. Joss seemed to stay closest to the girl, Samantha. They mostly skated side by side and chatted. The girl seemed a bit timid but listened to everything Joss said and showed her. This young girl, Samantha, was the complete opposite of how Joss was when I first met her.

  After about an hour or so, Josselyn skated over to me and told me the kids wanted to see something special and she was going to appease them. I grabbed Joss at the nape of her neck and brought her face to mine. I stared into her beautiful eyes for what felt like an eternity. Then I whispered, “Let it rip, kid,” so only she could hear, kissed her pouty lips, and let her go. Joss glared at me in return but then winked at me and skated away.

  Josselyn skated for those kids like her life depended on it. All of a sudden it clicked as to what was going on. Joss came here every Saturday and taught these kids. Maybe not taught in a professional way, but she talked to them, kept them out of trouble, and showed them how to ride. There were things about Joss I knew. There were also things I didn’t know. Like this. I had no idea she gave this much of herself back to these kids. It made me so proud of her. All these feelings started swirling around inside my chest, tightening it.

  After Joss gave this crew and all the newcomers a spectacular show, she was ready to go. She wanted to keep it about the kids and if too many people gathered, it would become something else entirely.

  I grabbed her hand as we started walking to the car and linked our fingers. I couldn’t help myself. I needed to touch her some way.

  “You know, baby. What you do for these kids is pretty incredible.”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about.” Joss was never one to be the center of attention but this was different. She was making a difference in those kids’ lives. I tugged on her hand just as we approached the car and looked at her.

  “Baby, you know exactly what I am talking about. Josselyn, what you are doing is something those kids will never forget. The amount of goodness inside you never ceases to amaze me. Watching you with them tells me so much about you.”

  “Zane, stop. It isn’t a big deal. I met them one day when I was skating out some feelings. They asked if they could hang around while I skated and I agreed. Then after a few weeks, they asked to show them this trick or that and it just became what I did on Saturday mornings. Let’s not make this into a big thing.” Joss looked into my eyes pleading with me to drop it. So naturally, I did. For now.

  “All right, Josselyn. I’ll let it go. What do you want to do now? Are you hungry?” I asked, not wanting our time together to end yet. I moved to the door of the Chevelle and opened it for her.

  “I could eat,” was all she replied as she sat her gorgeous ass in my car.

  “Right. Let’s get you fed then. How about we head to The Lantern? We can eat and get your car,” I suggested, as I got in and started up the car. I looked over at Joss and saw for the first time that she looked happy. Her face was relaxed and her body didn’t seem as wound up as it had been that morning. She smiled that smile at me again and the thing in my chest tightened again. I grabbed her hand and rested our linked fingers against my thigh. Joss didn’t try pulling away or put up a fight. Hell, her face never even flinched, just remained peaceful.

  “Sounds like a plan to me. Thanks for coming to the park with me. And seriously, Zane, thanks for the tickets to the demo for them. These kids are special and they deserve some good in their lives.”

  And there it was. The real reason my Joss took those teenagers under her wing. They needed good and in my opinion, there was no better goodness than having Josselyn Easton take notice of you. It made you feel special, like you mattered.

&nbs
p; Did I matter to her yet?

  That was a topic for another day.

  Time and patience. That was what I needed.

  Slow and steady won the race but I needed her more than I ever had, especially after seeing her with those children.

  CHAPTER 13

  Pleasure of the Here and Now.

  Joss

  IT HAD BEEN a fantastic weekend with Zane. After the skate park, he took me for lunch at The Lantern and I got my car. We’d stayed for what seemed like forever. We talked about everything that seemed to be missing from my memories of him. Our favorite colors, songs, books, times of day, and every other thing I never thought was consequential in the getting to know someone phase. I didn’t necessarily expect things to get to where they were so fast, but I had to admit to myself, having Zane in my life was proving to be something I needed in a way that surprised me more than it did him. He kept things casual and easy, only kissing my cheek when he walked me to my car after lunch, even if I wanted to make out with him in the parking lot.

  On Sunday, we texted back and forth throughout most of the day. It was silly, really, but every time my cell dinged with an incoming message and I saw ZIT come across my screen, I smiled. It was fun to be flirty with him but in order for me to trust him, I needed to hear him. So, during one of the back and forth text conversations, I told him I would rather talk on the phone because sometimes tone through text was hard to decipher. And with Zane, I needed to be sure of everything said between us. He agreed and we ended up talking again for hours. By the time we hung up with each other, it was three in the morning and we would both only get two or three hours of sleep.

  Monday proved to be challenging with the lack of sleep, which meant I was in no shape to skate in, so I drove to work. This meant my normal routine was off track. The peace and comfort I usually got before I started my day was nonexistent. Throw on top of that an extremely angry Wes, an absent Arden, and what should have been an easy prep day I couldn’t concentrate on because Bruno was slithering around all morning, it turned into a nightmare.

  When I felt the coast was clear, I ventured out of my office where I’d been hiding most of the morning doing my portion of prep work for Thursday’s show. The halls were quiet and I noticed Arden never made it in. She was never one to miss work entirely, so I made a mental note to text her when I got back to my office to check on her.

  I arrived at Wes’s door and knocked twice, loudly. He hated when I did that so of course I always did. He barked out, “Come in.” When I opened the door, I saw Bruno sitting across from Wes and something flashed across Wes’s face. Not sure if it was a warning that now wasn’t a good time, or a different type of warning.

  “Hey. I just wanted to see if you wanted anything from the coffee shop. I am in need of a serious energy boost,” I said, just sticking my head in and not wanting to get any closer to Bruno than I had to.

  “Yea, I’ll take a coffee, black with two sugars. And, Joss, find out if Arden will be in tomorrow. We need to have a staff meeting.”

  “Okay. Bruno, anything for you?” I had to ask. It would have been antagonizing him if I hadn’t.

  Besides, he is still my boss. “No thanks, Josselyn. I’m all tapped up,” he answered, holding up his travel mug. Just the way he said the word tapped gave me the creeps. Quickly, I shut the door and made it to the elevators, car keys in hand.

  Once I got to the coffee shop, I ordered Wes’s and my drinks and pulled out my phone and decided to text Arden while I waited for them, instead of waiting until I was back in my office.

  ME: Hey, girlie. Everything all right with you?

  ARDEN: Hey, Joss. Yea, I’m fine. Just not feeling well. I think I caught that stomach bug that’s been going around.

  ME: Oh no. Well take it easy and rest up.

  ARDEN: I am feeling better already so I should be in tomorrow. Have I missed anything exciting? How was your weekend?

  ME: Good to hear you’re on the mend! Nothing exciting but Bruno has been around all damn day. The snake was in with Wes when I poked my head in to see if Wes wanted coffee. He seriously creeps me out. And girl…my weekend was something else. We need to chat. Tomorrow after the staff meeting.

  ARDEN: Ugh. I hate staff meetings. You better not leave out any details.

  ME: I won’t. Promise. Now go rest and we’ll see ya tomorrow!

  ARDEN: Okay. See ya tomorrow. Xoxox

  ME: xoxox

  My drinks were ready by the time I put my phone away. I had made it to my car when the Bluetooth notified me Zane was calling. I smiled and answered his call, suddenly feeling energetic without even a sip of the latte I just ordered.

  “Hey,” was my greeting. His was better.

  “Hey yourself, beautiful. How’s your day going so far?”

  “It’s the Mondayest Monday ever. How about you?” I replied back and he chuckled. Zane’s laugh did things to me and I had heard it plenty this weekend.

  “Same.” His response was just that one word. He seemed off. Maybe he was just tired.

  “Everything okay, Zane?” I questioned.

  “It’s all good, baby. Just tired. This gorgeous skater girl I know kept me up all night talking.”

  “Hmm. She must be something else.” I giggled at myself. Sometimes I cracked myself up.

  “She is more than she even realizes.”

  “Zane,” I breathed.

  “Mac. Do we have to constantly go over this? I am Mac to you. Especially when you are all breathy like that,” he told me. Mac was always on the tip of my tongue. I should just call him it, but I think a part of me likes annoying him.

  “So what did you call for?” I asked him, completely ignoring his previous statement.

  “Have dinner with me tonight? My place. I want to cook for you. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  “Are you asking or telling me what I’m doing?” Zane needs to understand I won’t be ‘told’ anything. “Maybe you’d like to rephrase.”

  “Josselyn, you and that smart mouth. But to show I am willing, I’ll play along. Will you please have dinner at my place tonight? I’d like to cook for you and can pick you up at seven, if that works,” Zane amended.

  “Better. And sure, sounds great. I’m excited to see where you live.”

  “All right, mouthy girl. I will be at your place at seven. Talk to you later. Oh and, Josselyn?” he called out before I hung up.

  “Yes?” I said back.

  “Pack an overnight bag.”

  “Zane, I don’t think—” But he cut me off.

  “It’s not what you think. Trust me?” It was more of a question if I trusted myself with him or not. After this weekend and all the time we spent talking, I did trust him.

  “Okay, Zane. I trust you and I’ll pack a bag. I gotta go, I just pulled back into work from getting coffees. Talk to you later.”

  “Bye, baby. Definitely later.” When Zane said definitely later, it was full of promises and it got me excited. Goosebumps broke out all over my skin knowing what was to come would completely rock my existence.

  _______________

  I’d arrived home around five o’clock that night. I poured some wine, turned on my playlist to get ready to, and headed for a soak in my tub. It wouldn’t be a leisurely soak, but it’d give me enough time to smooth, shine, and shave myself. There were boundaries I wasn’t ready to cross yet with Zane, but that didn’t mean a woman couldn’t be prepared.

  After doing what I needed to do, I got out, put on a pair of black jeans that I knew made my ass look good, added a tight black tank that hugged my boobs in such a way, some might say left little to the imagination, and threw on my pink Chucks to give my ensemble a pop of color. A quick glance at my phone on the nightstand said I had about fifteen minutes to dry my hair and pack my overnight bag.

  Just as I was zipping up my bag, I heard a knock on my door so I headed out to answer it.

  Zane stood leaned up against the doorframe when I pulled open the door, looking like sex o
n legs. He had on dark gray dress pants, a white button-down—with his sleeves rolled up in that sexy as sin way—and a matching gray tie, sans the suit jacket. His hair was messy, like he’d been running his hands through it all day, and his eyes were exceptionally green. Zane’s gaze took me in from top to toe and back again. Then he moved, pushing off the doorframe and coming toward me inside my kitchen.

  “Sure, Zane. Come on in,” I laughed, as he kept charging me. His stride was intentional and I wound up at my counter trapped, with Zane caging me in. He leaned into me, drew in a breath then said, “Fuck, baby. You smell fucking amazing.”

  “I took a bath since I had some time to kill. I used my new strawberry and coconut bath bombs,” I explained, almost on a whisper, because he was so close and his cologne permeated all my senses. Suddenly, any boundaries I had set in my mind, came crashing down and I wrapped my arms around his neck. He started to kiss up my neck to my ear.

  “The visual of you soaking in a scented bath has me harder than watching you skate. And, Josselyn, normally, there isn’t anything sexier than watching you skate.” I had my head tilted, allowing Zane access to my neck. He placed kisses up and down, nibbling here and there as he went. His lips inched closer to mine and I couldn’t help myself.

  I turned his head so I could take my taste of him. He’d worked me up to the point of combustion and if I didn’t get his mouth on mine, I thought I would explode.

  This kiss was more urgent, less getting to know each other’s mouths, more desire and determination. It was rough, wet, and demanded that I participate. His lips opened for me and I slid my tongue inside, then out again and again. Zane’s hands had made their way to my ass and lifted me up to sit on the countertop. He stood between them, and tugged me against him, never breaking the kiss but aligning our most sensitive parts perfectly. My lips sucked and nipped at his plump bottom one and he repaid the favor. We made out in my kitchen like teenagers and it was exactly what I needed at that moment from Zane. He broke away first and stared into my eyes, breathing heavy. He must have liked what he saw because he grabbed my hand and dragged me out of my apartment stating, “We need to go before this becomes something more than what you are ready for.”