I Need a Hero (3 page)

“And?”

“I’m just thinking you must have gotten it from your mother,” Oliver said.

Bristling, she slapped her menu down. “You don’t know my dad. You know the general, your boss.”

Oliver’s dark eyebrows rose, and his eyes danced with amusement. “Well,
that’s
something you got from
him
.”

“My ability to call it like I see it?”

“Actually, I was going to say your protectiveness of your family, which is just like him,” Oliver said.

For a moment, his answer stunned her, and she could feel the warmth of embarrassment staining her cheeks.

“Thank you,” she said quietly.

“You’re welcome.”

Chapter Three

O
LIVER COULD TELL
he’d unsettled Eve, but the server’s return crushed whatever moment they’d been having. After asking if they were serving lunch yet, Eve ordered a burger and fries with a Coke. Oliver wondered what her story was. She wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, but that didn’t mean anything these days.

“And how about you?” the server asked.

“Hot roast beef sandwich with extra barbeque sauce and fries,” he said.

“All right, I’ll get these put in and have them out as soon as they’re ready.”

As she walked away, Oliver opened his mouth to ask Eve about herself, but she cut him off.

“Okay, I think we should just stick to planning the event and spend less time talking about our personalities.” Eve pulled out several color-coded folders with a rainbow of sticky notes poking out from the top and a planner so worn and thick it was held together by hot pink and black duct tape decorated with little white skulls.

Oliver fought another grin.
How in the hell did the general raise someone like you?

As she flipped the folder open, she started in, talking fast. “So, I think we should have a family-friendly environment. Have the dogs’ temperaments been tested?”

“Um, I’m not sure. Sergeant Best would be a better choice for that question, since this is only my first day,” Oliver said.

“You don’t know anything about the program?” she asked.

“Not much. Best and Sparks are friends of mine, so I know a little, but—”

“Why would they assign you to help out with PR if you know nothing about the program?”

“Well, actually, your father just assigned me this morning. He said it was an opportunity for me to learn discipline,” he said.

“What did you do to deserve that?” she asked.

“Got your brother arrested,” he said. It had come out blunter than he’d meant it to, but he wasn’t going to lie about it. True, this might blow any chance he had with her, but—

Whoa, chance? She is the general’s daughter, dude. You shouldn’t even been thinking about chances.

“Well, that would definitely do it. How did you get him arrested?”

“He was wasted and hitting on some women who weren’t interested. When I suggested he leave them alone, he took a swing at me and I put him down. Cops were called—”

“And as soon as you mentioned you were military, they let you off the hook,” she said.

Her tone was snide, and anger coursed through him. “Actually, the fact that I was sober and your brother was mouthing off made my side of things pretty cut and dry. And for the record, I’m not sure what kind of pull my military status would have with civilian cops.”

After a moment of silence, she said, “I’m sorry.”

Oliver’s temper cooled slightly at her apology, but knowing she was off limits made his reaction to her harder to take. Every time she blinked those thick black lashes or pursed her bee-stung lips, his cock twitched in frustration, and it was crazy. He shouldn’t care what she thought about him. This was temporary. This was just one side-step in his career, and soon he’d be back to doing what he did best. It didn’t matter how attracted he was to her. If landing the general’s son in jail had gotten him here, he couldn’t imagine what nailing the general’s daughter would get him. Maybe a few weeks in the brig?

Or he’ll just kill me and make sure my body is never found.

Regardless of the consequences, Oliver could not go there with her. He just needed to get over it. To think about something else.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said.

Awkward silence descended on them, but luckily their food arrived. Oliver picked up the top bun of his sandwich and dumped the extra barbeque sauce over the meat.

“So, what exactly do you need me to do for this thing?” he asked.

“Well, once I find out more about the dogs, I can start making a list of venues to contact.”

He looked up from what he was doing in time to watch her take a huge bite of her burger and chew it slowly with her eyes closed for half a second. After she swallowed, she released a little sigh and licked her lips.

“Man, I love a good burger, don’t you?” she asked.

Oliver nodded, even as his dick hardened. When had a woman eating become so fucking arousing? Or maybe it was just the look of pure bliss on her face that was turning him on?

And, damn, but he liked how secure she was in her own skin. Some girls would order a salad or cut their burger in half and chew tiny little bites behind their hands, but not Eve. She dived in and ate with gusto.

“Do I have mustard on my face?” She picked up her napkin and dabbed at her mouth. “Sorry, but I have been living on protein bars for days and it is awesome to sit down and eat.”

“I thought you weren’t hungry,” he said, grinning.

She looked sheepish. “That was when I was trying to be professional.”

“Since when is sharing a meal unprofessional?” he asked.

Oliver noticed the red stain of her cheeks and wondered what she was thinking.

“It can be too casual and often leads to personal questions, as we’ve already seen,” she said.

“Ah, and getting to know each other is a bad idea, right?” he asked.

“Exactly.”

“S
O
, I’
M THINKING
we’ll advertise in the
Sacramento Bee
and on Facebook. You probably don’t know if the program is already set up on social media, huh?”

Once she’d finished eating, Eve had spread out her planner on her side of the table, excited to share her ideas.

“We can even do an event page and people can RSVP online. We can post pictures and videos of the dogs and their handlers—Oh!”

“Watch out, ladies and gentlemen, she has an idea,” Oliver said.

“Ha-ha, but yes I do! Alpha’s dogs come from the local shelter, right?”

“I believe so,” he said.

“So, we could use the bachelor auction as a chance for adoptable animals to be seen by the public. The shelter can sign up their dogs, and the trainers from the program can lead the dogs out. I’ll look into a vendor who sells homemade dog treats, and we can stuff picnic baskets with both dog and people food. People can bid on a ‘picnic with a pooch’ and the pooch’s handler. They’ll get to know the dog and have one free training lesson. You could have the trainers teach the winners some basic skills. I think it could work!”

“You’re not talking about the kids, right?” he asked.

“No, the adult trainers. The kids can walk the Alpha dogs around the event, handing out information and doing mini demonstrations.”

“So, you’re essentially pimping out the trainers, right? It’s not really the dogs people are bidding on,” he said.

Eve paused for half a second before answering. It was true that the auction’s main focus was the dogs, but if they got enough attractive male and female trainers? Well, if the rest of them looked anything like Oliver Martinez, women would pay extra to spend an afternoon with the trainers.

“I mean, if you want us to strut our stuff for charity, you could at least be up-front about it,” he said.

“It’s about the dogs, but if someone happens to notice how good-looking one of the trainers is and wants to pay a little more, then I say yay.”

“I feel objectified,” he said.

Eve burst out laughing. “Does it make you uncomfortable to have people ogling your hot body?”

“You think my body is hot, huh?” he teased.

Well, hadn’t she just veered away from professional and dived into outrageous? Yet despite the dangerous turn of the conversation, she couldn’t seem to stop talking. “Please, you know you’re nice to look at.”

“Why, I think that is the nicest thing you’ve said to me since we met,” he said.

“What?” Eve twisted her face in an expression of mock horror. “You mean in the hour that I’ve known you, I’ve only paid you
one
compliment? How dare I?”

Oliver’s deep chuckle made her smile along with him. If she was being honest with herself, she’d actually been having fun sparring with him. He was confident, funny, and didn’t back down just because of who her dad was.

Which made it dangerously easy to like him.

Liking him was fine, even being friendly with him. But she’d also caught herself gazing too long into his eyes and admiring the little crinkles in the corners when he smiled. His mouth was perfect, neither too full nor too thin, and when his tongue slipped across his lips to catch the sprinkles of salt from his french fries, she’d caught herself doing the same, imagining that tongue on hers. His big, tan hands looked rough, and she could almost feel them trailing across her skin, leaving lightning strikes of desire in their wake.

Stop it, now! He is not the first military man you’ve thought was hot, and he won’t be the last.

Their server came back to the table with their check, and Eve reached into her purse for her wallet, but Oliver laid some cash down.

“What are you doing? I can pay for my meal,” she said.

“It’s okay, I’ve got it.”

“But this isn’t a date,” she said, ignoring the definite squeak in her voice.

“I know that, but it doesn’t mean I can’t buy your lunch.”

Eve pulled out a ten-dollar bill. “I’ll leave the tip, then.”

“It’s just easier if I add it to the bill,” he said firmly. He stood up to go pay at the front and added, “If you’re nice to me, I might let you pay next time.”

He walked away, and Eve started to gather up her papers, surprised and confused. Most of the time, guys expected her to split the bill with them on dates, and yet Oliver had snatched it up for a business meeting.

Before she joined him in the front of the restaurant, she caught the server and slipped her the ten. “Thank you.”

“Thank
you
,” the server said.

They walked out the door, and Eve saw Oliver shaking his head.

“What?”

“Nothing, just that between the two of us, she made a twenty-dollar tip on a twenty-three-dollar meal,” he said.

Back at the car, Eve unlocked the door with a laugh. “Well, at least we made her day better.”

“You would have made a lousy soldier,” Oliver said teasingly.

Despite his lighthearted tone, Eve bristled. “Why do you say that?”

“Because every time I’ve tried to take the lead on something, you go your own way,” he said.

Though he wasn’t wrong, his assumption grated on her and reminded her of her dad, telling her when she was fifteen that she needed to stop worrying about guns and shooting ranges and concentrate on more important things, like grades and getting ready for college. The one time she’d mentioned the military, he’d laughed and told her she was too bullheaded, that she couldn’t even follow her soccer coach’s instructions.

To be fair, that coach had been an idiot.

“Ironically, that’s something my dad and you have in common,” she said.

“Thinking you’re too independent for the military? Is that a bad thing?” Strapping himself into his seat, he added, “I bet you were the rebel girl who wore ‘Question Authority’ T-shirts and turned down every dumb jock who asked you out.”

“There you go making an ass out of yourself by assuming you know me,” she said. Eve started the car and backed up before continuing. “Actually, I played soccer and never got so much as detention. And I dated at least two football players, but they weren’t stupid.”

“Huh, well look at that. You were straightlaced, and I was the guy your daddy warned you about.”

Eve merged into traffic and asked, “What kind of guy was that?”

“Let’s just say my mom had to have more than one talk with the principal, and my dad, who was a cop, didn’t appreciate having to bury pending charges when I got arrested.”

“What did you get arrested for?” she asked.

“Joyriding with my friends,” he said. “I grew up in small-town Texas, and I rode shotgun while my best friend boosted a car with three other guys. We’d been drinking a bit, and when we came around a turn, there was a cow in the road. Kenny swerved, and boom, we hit a pole head-on and had to call my dad. We were idiots. We could have all been killed, but as it was, we escaped with minor injuries and community service, but Kenny . . . Well, Kenny was driving, so he went to jail and I went into the military.”

The small voice in her head warned her to hold her tongue, but she hadn’t listened so far today. Why start now?

“You were lucky. I mean, it’s terrible about your friend, but drinking and driving is idiotic on its own
without
stealing a car.”

“I know that. The only reason we got off as light as we did is because my dad was friends with the car’s owner and he spoke up for us,” he said. “If I had driven, it could have easily been me in Kenny’s place.”

“Have you talked to Kenny since?” she asked.

“Not in years,” Oliver said.

Silence stretched in the car until Oliver admitted, “I have no idea why I told you that.”

“Because we were talking about who we were in high school.” They were complete opposites; that was for sure. She had always played it safe, hadn’t even had her first drink until she was twenty-one. Not that she hadn’t had the chance, but she calculated risks, always had. Her mom used to call her the “cautious one,” while her brother was the wild one. Even her few rebellions had been small.

“Yeah, well, I would have been one of those idiots you wouldn’t have dated,” Oliver said.

Eve thought about that. There had been guys who’d gotten into trouble at her school, and she remembered rolling her eyes at them, thinking they were morons. No, sixteen-year-old her would definitely have steered clear of Oliver.

“Just for the record, I don’t drink and drive,” he said.

“That’s good to know.”

When they reached the program facility, Eve parked and turned off the car. “So, I have a photographer friend who can come out this week and take pictures of the dogs and handlers. Do you think two on Saturday afternoon will work?”

“I’ll have to talk to Sparks and the rest of the guys, but there shouldn’t be a problem,” he said.

“Good. I’d also like to get pictures of the facility. I know this place just opened a month ago, but shots of the kids working with the dogs would be great. I want to have the social-media pages and website up by next Monday, if they aren’t up already. I can show you how to tweak them if you need help.”