Scarred (Unlikely Heroes Book 5) Read online

  He released her hand.

  “The food is stored in that back room to your left.”

  He handed her the skunk’s food dish.

  “Thanks.” Emily headed into the food storage room, her heart pounding. Her hand tingled.

  Her new boss was Sebastian Wolfe. The Sebastian Wolfe. And he was more gorgeous in person than he was on film, even with those cuts and bruises on his face.

  She’d had no idea he was a vet. She’d been following him on Twitter for several months now and he’d never mentioned that in any of his tweets. None of the articles or interviews she’d read about him had ever hinted that he had a veterinary degree.

  Get a grip, Emily. You can ask him about it once you feed the animals.

  As if.

  She couldn’t let on that she knew who he was. She didn’t want to act like a star-struck idiot. But she felt duped somehow. Betrayed. As if she’d been played. Why hadn’t she known he was the owner of Scar Animal Rescue? Hadn’t he wanted her to know who he was?

  Had he really been in a car accident? Or were the facial injuries from something else?

  She filled the cat’s dish with a scoop of cat food from the open bag on the shelf and glanced around for skunk food. What did skunks eat?

  Sebastian came in the door behind her and scooped dog food into bowls.

  Emily turned to face him. “What do I feed the skunk?”

  “Chicken necks. There’s some in the fridge over there.” He pointed to a large white refrigerator against the wall in the corner.

  Emily went to the fridge and hesitated. “How many necks do I use?”

  “One for breakfast, one for dinner. He’s just a baby, so he doesn’t eat much.”

  His words flowed over her like satin sheets on bare skin, smooth, soft, silky. Heat crept into her cheeks. She lowered her gaze. The man’s voice was so sexy with that lilting southern drawl. Please don’t let me embarrass myself.

  They finished feeding the animals in silence. Emily somehow managed not to embarrass herself.

  Yet.

  He went back out into the office area. Emily hesitantly followed.

  “That other intern here yet?” he asked Julia.

  “Not yet.” The older woman was typing something on her computer keyboard. “But your first appointment is in ten minutes.”

  The phone rang. Julia answered it while he turned back to Emily.

  The office door swung open. A young man about Emily’s age shuffled into the building. Brownish-blond hair. Large round glasses that made his hazel eyes look huge. He was an inch or two shorter than Emily’s five-foot-eight-inch frame. As nerds went, he was probably the cutest one Emily had ever seen. Was he her competition? The other intern?

  “Um, hello.” The young man eyed Sebastian with wide, star-struck eyes. “I’m Peter, the new intern.”

  “I’m Dr. Wolfe.” Sebastian extended his hand.

  Peter shook his hand vigorously. “Nice to meet you at last. I’ve seen all your movies. You’re so awesome. None of my friends believed me when I told them I was working for you. They think I’m a liar.”

  Why was Emily the only one who hadn’t known who Sebastian was? Was it a big secret only she hadn’t been told?

  Sebastian’s gaze darted to hers. Something flashed in his eyes—guilt? Shame?—before he turned back to Peter.

  “Tell your friends you lied. I’m not Sebastian Wolfe the actor. I’m just a vet. Got it?”

  Peter’s cheeks reddened. “Uh, okay. Sorry. But I still love all your movies.”

  Sebastian glanced back at Emily. Why hadn’t he wanted her to know who he was? He couldn’t deny it, not now. She wasn’t a complete idiot.

  Lifting her chin, she met his gaze. “I liked you better when you played the good guy.”

  Peter coughed, his eyes going wide, his gaze darting to Sebastian then back to Emily. Julia returned the phone to its cradle and glanced at Sebastian, then down at her keyboard.

  Sebastian’s lips quirked up into a half-smile. Was he such an arrogant ass that her barb had amused him?

  Something flashed in his eyes. Something not even close to amusement. It looked suspiciously like…pain.

  Emily’s breath caught. Guilt slithered into her chest. Had she hurt him?

  “You’re not the only one who feels that way, Emily.” His voice was soft, filled with sadness.

  Sebastian turned away.

  “Come on, interns. It’s time for you to learn how to be vets.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  She’d followed him on Twitter. That was how he’d found her.

  Normally Sebastian didn’t pay any attention to his Twitter followers. Why would he? He had over three million followers. Big deal. They were all in love with an image, not the real him. To most of them, he was nothing but an object, something to idolize. No one knew the real him.

  But when he’d opened his Twitter profile a few months ago and glanced at the notifications, her picture had been the first one that had appeared in the “Followed you” section. He’d accidentally scrolled his mouse over the photo and it had popped up.

  Emily Montgomery.

  She was pretty. Big dark eyes. Long, wavy brown hair.

  So what.

  Lots of girls were pretty.

  He’d had more than his share of beautiful women.

  But her profile said she loved animals and was studying to be a vet.

  That got his attention.

  He’d clicked on her profile and read some of her tweets.

  And she’d snagged him, reeled him in.

  He’d resisted the urge to follow her back. Famous people didn’t waste their time following others they didn’t know. There were too many crazies out there. She might get the wrong idea.

  But he’d written her name down so he wouldn’t forget her.

  And every once in a while, he would type in her name and see what she was tweeting about.

  Emily poked her head into Sebastian’s office. “There’s a patient ready for you in the first exam room.”

  Heat crept up his neck and into his face. Thank God she couldn’t read his mind or she would figure out he was up to no good. “Ok. Thanks. I’ll be right there.” Shoving back his chair, Sebastian rose from his desk and followed her to the first exam room.

  A loud, obviously distressed “meow” greeted Sebastian as he entered the exam room. Jules, an extremely temperamental cat, was here for his annual vaccinations. Poor Jules hated coming to the vet and always made Sebastian and his employees earn their money.

  While Emily held the growling, hissing beast, Sebastian examined him, then administered his shots. Jules’s very apologetic owner then put him back in his carrier. Thanking them, she departed with her temperamental feline.

  Peter came from the kennels that he’d just finished cleaning. “All done back here. What do you need me to do now?”

  Sebastian glanced at the clock on the wall. “Our next patient isn’t until 10. Why don’t you and Emily take a little break?”

  Sebastian went back into his office and closed the door. He sank into his chair.

  Twitter. That was how it had all started.

  Sebastian stared at the computer screen, but it was nothing but a blur. He couldn’t concentrate. All he could think about was his hot new intern.

  Emily had recently graduated from the University of California-Davis, the top veterinary school in the nation. She’d tweeted that she was looking for a job.

  Sebastian had graduated from Colorado State’s veterinary school six and a half years ago. Colorado State was the third ranking veterinary college in the nation. Not as impressive as her UC Davis degree. His acting money had paid for his college degree. He didn’t act because he liked it. He acted because he was good at it. He’d been acting, pretending, ever since he was a little kid, so he’d perfected the skill at a young age.

  Who had paid for Emily’s veterinary degree? A scholarship? A rich parent? Certainly not student loans.

  She
was obviously smarter than him to be able to get into the top veterinary school in the nation. She wasn’t tainted like him. She wasn’t damaged or broken, like him.

  She was pure.

  Perfect.

  Sweet and innocent.

  Without any darkness surrounding her.

  He’d never been fascinated with someone he’d never met before. It wasn’t her Twitter profile or even her picture that had caught his attention, but her heartfelt tweets that wrenched at his soul, reminding him he still had one.

  He was fascinated with Emily. With her innocence. With her love of animals and her desire to do good. With her sweet, honest tweets. If he got to know her, maybe even managed to get close to her, would her goodness rub off on him?

  When she’d tweeted about looking for a job, an idea had struck. He’d followed her with Scar Animal Rescue so she wouldn’t be suspicious.

  He’d lured her in.

  And now she was here.

  A knock came at his door.

  “Come in!”

  The door cracked open. Julia peered in. “We have an emergency. A dog that was hit by a car. Peter and Emily brought the dog to the second exam room and are waiting for you there.”

  Sebastian jumped up from his chair. “I’ll be right there.”

  With Emily and Peter’s assistance, Sebastian examined and X-rayed the injured dog, assessed his injuries. The dog suffered a broken pelvis that needed to be repaired, but was otherwise okay. Sebastian administered a painkiller that would help the animal until he was able to schedule him for surgery early that afternoon.

  He dealt with the 10:00 appointment fifteen minutes late, then went back into his office. He enjoyed the fast pace. Days like today kept his mind off of things he didn’t want to think about.

  Emily again entered his thoughts. Since she’d walked in the door, he couldn’t seem to push her out.

  When Emily first discovered the truth about who he was, Sebastian hadn’t been sure what to expect. He hadn’t wanted her to know because he’d wanted her to get to know him, the person, first. He hadn’t wanted her to know because he’d feared she, like most people, would have some preconceived perception of him that wasn’t true. That she would think he was a character he’d once portrayed or she would view him as an object rather than a human being.

  Keeping his true identity from her had been wrong. Of course she’d figured out who he was. It hadn’t taken her long at all. They had been standing in the kennels earlier that morning. He’d been so struck by her beauty that he’d become flustered and shoved the cat dish at her. When she’d gazed up at him for the first time, her sharp indrawn breath and the color creeping into her cheeks had given her away. To her credit, she hadn’t said anything, and for a moment, he hadn’t been sure if she knew who he was.

  Later, out in the front office with Peter, it was obvious she was hurt—and pissed—that she hadn’t known beforehand who she would be working for. He admitted he deserved the barb she’d tossed at him about liking him better when he’d played the good guy. Would she quit before the day was done? He should probably apologize to her.

  She was much prettier in person than he’d expected. Gorgeous olive-colored skin, dark, chocolate-colored eyes with thick black eyelashes, rosy pink lips, smooth, soft-looking cheeks. Long, wavy dark hair that fell halfway down her slender back. She was taller than average, but not too tall, with a lithe, feminine body. “Pretty” was an understatement. She was stunning. So much so that poor Peter couldn’t seem to stop staring at her all day. Sebastian didn’t blame the poor kid. Peter had probably never seen such a beautiful girl before.

  Emily was so easy on the eyes that Sebastian found his own gaze repeatedly swinging to her. Peter wasn’t the only one who couldn’t stop staring. Sebastian knew how it felt to have people constantly gawking at him. It had always made him uncomfortable. It was the price he paid for being famous and something he had learned to deal with.

  But it wasn’t polite to stare. Sebastian would have to have a talk with Peter later about being more respectful to Emily. He couldn’t have the boy drooling over her every day.

  He’d lied about his facial injuries, letting her think he’d been in a car accident. The truth would shock her. Probably disgust her. If all went well, she would never discover the truth.

  Julia stuck her head in Sebastian’s office. “I’m taking an early lunch. We don’t have any more appointments until one.”

  “Great. Thanks.”

  Sebastian sent Emily and Peter to lunch, locked up, and went home. He returned an hour later and everyone was already back, ready to get to work.

  They had a busy afternoon filled with patients. Both interns did well and Sebastian was pleased with their performances. At the end of the day, after their final patient left, Sebastian thanked them both and told them they could go home.

  Peter glanced at Emily. “Can I walk you to your car?”

  She shook her head. “Thanks, but I’m fine. You go ahead.”

  Disappointment flickered across Peter’s face before he headed for the door. He paused and turned back to Sebastian. “Same time tomorrow?”

  Sebastian nodded. “Eight o’clock.”

  Peter went out, his dejection painfully obvious. Sebastian almost felt sorry for the kid.

  Emily hovered beside Sebastian, her gaze darting up to his. “Um, don’t you need help feeding the animals? Julia said you no longer have a vet tech and it would be part of my job to feed the animals.”

  Sebastian glanced at Julia, who was rising from her desk with her purse. She shrugged. “You should tell her why we no longer have a vet tech, don’t you think? See you guys tomorrow. Shall I lock the door on my way out?”

  Sebastian nodded. “Yeah, go ahead. We’ll go out the back.”

  Julia went out the front door and locked it behind her.

  Emily pierced him with that dark gaze. “What happened to your vet tech?”

  Ignoring her question, Sebastian turned toward the kennels. “You can go home, Emily. I can feed the animals by myself.”

  “You’re good at avoidance, you know that?”

  He halted and turned back around.

  “It would have been nice to know who you were before I started working here.” Her eyes sparkled with annoyance. “I feel like I’ve been deceived. How did Peter know, but I didn’t?”

  Sebastian cleared his throat. “Peter is a distant relative of Julia’s. He was supposed to keep his mouth shut. I happen to value my privacy. I couldn’t have you blabbing to all your friends like Peter did.”

  He cringed at his bluntness. That had come out a little harsher than he’d intended.

  Her face filled with color. She plopped her hands on her hips. Cocking her head, she glared up at him. “Blabbing to my friends? Seriously?”

  Shit. Could he have insulted her more? Where the hell was his tact?

  “Would you honestly have agreed to work here if you’d known?”

  That tripped her up. She lowered her gaze. “I…don’t know.”

  “That’s another reason why I didn’t tell you who I was. I knew you would prejudge me, that you would have this misconception of who I really was. I’m not the person people write about in the tabloids. I’m not one of the characters I’ve portrayed in a movie. Whoever you think I am, I’m not. You don’t know me at all.” His words sounded defensive, and maybe they were, but now that he’d said them, he couldn’t take them back.

  She pulled her gaze back to his, narrowed her eyes. “And I probably never will, right? I mean, you’re an actor. You’re good at pretending, good at being someone else. How will I ever know if you’re being you or if you’re just pretending? How will I know if you’re being real?”

  Ouch.

  The kitten had sharp claws. And she’d just slashed him open.

  But he deserved that. He should have been honest with her. He shouldn’t have been so defensive.

  He lowered his gaze, studied the gray and black vinyl flooring. A small crac
k trickled between two squares, darkened with dirt and age.

  Cracked. Breaking apart. Dirty. Like me.

  He jerked his gaze back to hers. “I only act when I’m on set. The rest of the time, I’m me.” Mostly. Right now he was so lost, he had no idea who he was anymore.

  She stared searchingly into his eyes for a long moment, then nodded, apparently happy with his response. “I want to work here. I enjoyed today. The fact that you’re a famous actor doesn’t change anything. You obviously know what you’re doing with the animals. Thank you for the opportunity. I plan to learn as much from you as I can.”

  Relief swept through Sebastian. He’d been afraid she would quit. And he wouldn’t blame her if she did.

  She was nothing like he’d expected. She was stronger than he’d imagined. Smarter. Bolder.

  And so much prettier.

  It was time he was honest with her about the clinic and the possible danger of working here. “You should know working here may put your life in danger. Those guys you saw out front this morning? They weren’t the first. And they won’t be the last. Our vet tech quit because he was attacked by some punks out back one evening as he was cleaning out the kennels. They roughed him up pretty bad. He was in the hospital for several days.”

  She gasped. “It would have been nice to know that before I started too.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry I didn’t provide full disclosure at the start.” He paused. “Do you have any self-defense training?”

  She shook her head and whispered, “No.”

  He turned and headed for the kennels. “I can teach you if you want.” Would she follow him into the kennels? Stay and help him feed the animals? After a day in her presence, he was reluctant to let her leave. He was captivated by her.

  She went right to the kennels and removed several food bowls, carrying them into the food storage area to fill them.

  She came out of the room with several bowls filled with food and paused as he was about to enter. Her gaze darted up to his. “I admit that was a…um, pretty impressive display you put on out front with those thugs this morning. You think you could teach me how to do that?”