Hero (Hero 1)

No.

It was a dangerous idea.

Yet … wasn’t it worth a try?

The worst could happen, of course. I could fall for him and he could still want to walk away from me at the end of it all.

But Effie said Caine needed a woman who was bullheaded and persistent. I had no hope of changing how he felt about me, about us, if I wasn’t there to do it. He said he was selfish, but I’d seen another side of him with Effie. Caine could be a sweet, good guy. He just didn’t realize it.

I felt guilty before I even opened my mouth because I knew I was about to agree to have an affair when the truth was I was angling for more.

“Okay.” I gave him a tremulous smile that strengthened under his answering grin.

And as he kissed me I tried to quiet my guilt. After all, my little white lie was told for the greater good. It would all work out in the end if Caine and I both found the happiness we were searching for.

Or so I hoped.

One minute we were kissing and then the next Caine was up and out of bed getting dressed.

I leaned up on my elbows, watching the muscles in his arms flex as he pulled on his pants. He looked over at me as he reached for his shirt. Obviously noting the confusion on my face, he explained, “We have a flight to catch. I need to shower.”

Right. “So do I.” I watched in disappointment as he buttoned up the shirt, hiding his gorgeous abs from me. “We could shower together, save us some time.”

He threw me a look. “Somehow I think we won’t save time doing that.”

I smiled at the thought. “Yeah, probably not.” Heaving a sigh, I swung my legs out of bed. “Fine. I’ll meet you in the lobby in an hour.”

Caine nodded, grabbed his jacket, and started toward the door.

I stared after him, more than a little nonplussed that he was leaving without giving me a kiss. Of course, I’d just agreed to a no-strings-attached affair with him, so I guessed I shouldn’t hold out for silly little important things like affection.

Not that Caine struck me as the type. And I’d bet all my money he wasn’t into PDA either.

Suddenly a thought crossed my mind. “Caine.”

His hand was on the door when he glanced back at me. “Yes?”

“Maybe we should keep what’s happening here between us a secret.”

He frowned. “Why?”

“Because you’re not exactly low profile and I don’t want anyone in Boston to find out who I am, because then the rest of the Hollands will find out who I am. I don’t want that.”

“Don’t you mean your grandfather doesn’t want that?”

I flinched at the mention of Grandpa. I knew, after Caine’s revelation about him, that I shouldn’t care, but it wasn’t so easy. I couldn’t just flip off my emotions. Only fifteen minutes ago I’d loved and trusted Edward Holland. I was gutted, shocked by the truth about him, but I was also confused as to how I was supposed to feel about him now. I lowered my gaze and shrugged. “Same thing.”

“Is it?”

I got off the bed and reached for the robe that was draped over the nearby chair. Caine watched me with great interest as I pulled it on to cover my nakedness. “Look,” I said, “I don’t know what to do about my grandfather now, but I do know I don’t want anything to do with the rest of the family. If that means keeping who I am a secret, then fine. Can you just do this for me?”

He contemplated the request for a moment and then gave me a sharp nod. “Fine. We’ll keep it a secret.”

“Thank you.” I smiled gratefully and I could have sworn Caine’s eyes warmed in response.

“I’ll probably end up telling Effie, however,” he said with an air of weary inevitability. “That woman is like a bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out secrets.”

I chuckled and nodded. “That’s okay.”

Caine gave me a small smile in return, just the tiniest of little lip quirks, and it warmed me.

And then he was gone.

My answering smile slipped from my lips and I stared after him, forlorn. I already wanted more from him and we were only five minutes into our casual fling.

Once we landed back in Boston, the driver took us to the office instead of home. Caine had a meeting with the board of directors and he couldn’t miss it.

I discovered quite quickly that everything between us was the same as before except that it wasn’t. Although our working relationship had the same efficient rhythm to it, things were definitely more pleasant between us. Caine was naturally quite abrupt in manner, but his grumpy impatience with me was gone.

Then there was the tension between us.

It had always been there.

But now it was actually intensified—the air between us thick with knowing and sparking with electric chemistry.

We did a good job of ignoring it in public. On the plane we ate lunch and discussed business, and when we got back into the office we each pretended we didn’t know what sex sounds the other made. I caught up on my work while Caine met with the board of directors. Every now and then I’d find myself drifting off, thinking of my grandfather and his betrayal. I’d push those ugly thoughts aside, replacing them with memories of the night before and the absolutely sensual adventure my boss took me on.

I smirked.

My boss.

That was kind of naughty.

I grinned even harder.

I’d never done anything naughty before.

I laughed quietly to myself.

“What’s funny?”