Be My Hero

by Linda Kage

Fuck.

  "Oh my God." Lurching forward, Eva rushed toward us. "What're you doing?"

  When the nicer officer stepped into her path with his hands up to block her, she stumbled to a stop and met my gaze over his shoulder, her shock and confusion making my throat tighten with remorse. What kind of shitty life had I pulled her into by bringing her here to take care of my son?

  "They think I hit you," I explained.

  She snorted. "That's insane." Turning back to the good cop, she batted her long beautiful eyelashes. "Sir, you're making a huge mistake. Pick would never, ever hurt me, or any woman."

  The cop hooking me up snickered. "That why he already has a record for assault and battery?"

  Eva's mouth worked, but she didn't have a ready comeback. Her big blue eyes, registered confusion and veered my way before she turned back to the good cop. "If he was arrested due to a fight, then it was in defense of himself or someone else, but my guess would be someone else. I know this man." She jabbed her chin in my direction. "And he is the furthest thing from a woman beater as you'll ever meet."

  "So, you're saying he didn't do that to you?"

  When the cop pointed out her scratches and bruises, she faltered as if just remembering what had happened to her. A groan left her.

  The cop holding me in custody lifted my mangled knuckles and added, "Think before you perjure yourself, lady."

  She narrowed her eyes at him and then lifted her chin self-righteously. "Like I said, Pick only gets into fights to defend someone. So I hope you'll excuse him for hitting the man who forced his way into our apartment and was trying to . . . " She paused and had to swallow before shakily adding, "rape me. Pick was my hero, not my tormentor. He saved me."

  "Someone broke in, huh?" Pissy Cop asked, totally not buying it.

  She must not have liked his tone of voice because she snapped, "That's what I just said, isn't it?"

  "Tink," I warned. She'd get hooked up too if she wasn't careful. "Easy, babe."

  She spun toward me, her heated blue eyes flashing. "What? He's being a total dick. Why the hell are they arresting you when we're the victims here?"

  "If someone broke into your home, then why didn't you call us instead of leaving it to complaining neighbors?"

  "And why isn't there sign of forced entry?" Pissy Cop motioned toward the opened door of the apartment.

  Eva's gaze dropped to the perfectly intact doorjamb. Her eyes glazed with horror. My gut twisted, pissed these fuckers were making her relive what had happened.

  "We were busy trying to calm the babies after Pick threw him out. You showed up before we had a chance. Thanks for your quick response time, by the way."

  Neither cop cared for her dry appreciation. "And the doorjamb?" Pissy Cop prodded.

  Across the hall, the neighbor's door cracked open a few inches. "He wore a fancy suit," a timid voice from inside said.

  The good cop stepped toward the hallway. "What was that?"

  "The guy who showed up wore a real nice suit. He knocked on the door and she opened it for him."

  I ground my teeth, wishing to hell the snoopy neighbor would shut the fuck up.

  But the witness's account kept flooding across the hall. "She told him to leave and tried to shut the door in his face, but he stuck out his foot, stopping her, and finally got his way inside."

  I drew in a sharp breath. "That son of a bitch," I muttered, wanting to find Eva's father all over again. And kill him at least three or four times.

  "He was only in there a few minutes. Something banged against the wall once and there was shouting inside. Then this one came home." A finger appeared from the crack, pointing at me. "He had a couple with him. They all went inside. More shouting and banging followed. Then the fancy guy limped out, holding his side with one arm and his pants up with the other hand because they were unbuttoned. The other couple left a few minutes later. They looked upset."

  Suddenly believers, the cops turned to Eva. "Did you know who he was?"

  She hesitated before shaking her head. Then her gaze slid to me, her eyes begging me to back her up. "I'd never seen him before in my life."

  "He had an old scar slashed across his cheek," I said helpfully.

  Eva shifted the babies in her arms as if they were growing heavy, but her attention was focused on me.

  "Anything else?" The good cop asked, tugging a notepad from his front pocket.

  I shrugged, holding Eva's stare. "Like the neighbor said, he was in a fancy suit. I didn't notice much else, except he was white, mid-fifties, gray hair. Frankly, I wasn't paying much attention to detail because I was busy trying to rein in my temper enough to not kill him for touching her."

  "Pick saved my life tonight." Eva shivered and kissed the top of Julian's head before she snuggled her cheek against Skylar's. "And maybe the lives of my babies, too. That guy just . . . he had a crazy look in his eyes."

  From there on, we were deemed innocent. The cops asked a few more questions. I let Eva answer. And she rushed to me as soon as they took the handcuffs off. I lifted Fighter from one of her arms, and hugged the four of us together.

  Pissy Cop left first. The other lingered a second longer, his gaze on Eva before he glanced at me. "Traded up, huh?"

  My lips twitched as I looked at Eva. "Hell yeah, I did. And the other one left her kid with me, so I got the best of both worlds."

  The cop chuckled and started from the apartment. "Don't forget to call if that guy shows up again."

  "Will do." After I shut the door behind him, I rested my back against it, blew out a breath, and met Eva's gaze.

  "Well, shit," she said, rocking Skylar in her arms. "That was definitely a first for me."

  I have no idea why I thought that was funny, but I threw my head back and laughed.

  Chapter 25

  EVA

  We didn't get the kids to bed until almost an hour after their usual bedtime. I caught Pick watching me a lot, as if he were waiting for that moment when I'd finally let the stress from the entire evening get to me and I'd fall apart. But I managed to hold it together.

  When we finally slid under the covers, facing each other in the glow of the nightlight, I tucked my hands under my face and studied him across the bed as he did the same, examining me right back.

  I'd been so sure the next time he had a night off, we'd finally get in some physical yumminess . . . but alas, my father had completely smothered that idea. Pick looked too scared to even touch me, which made me wonder how I'd ever gotten a kiss out of him in the bathroom earlier.

  A soft smile lit his face. "What're you thinking?"

  I smiled back. "I was thinking how sweet it was of you to get a babysitter for us tonight so we could go out."

  He sighed. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry that fell through. I guess that's what I get for making plans."

  I reached out to stoke his cheek. Then I straightened the ring in his eyebrow. "It was the thought that impressed me."

  He continued to watch me as I groomed him, combing out unruly strands of his hair next.

  "We were actually going to celebrate," he said. "I received a letter in the mail today. My annulment was finalized."

  I drew in a surprised gasp. "Really? So you're a single man again?"

  He nodded but an odd look flooded his features. I could almost swear it was guilt. "I know it was pretty presumptuous of me to take you out on the very day I was no longer married. I'm sorry. It didn't—"

  Suddenly, I realized what he felt so bad about. "Patrick Jason Ryan," I murmured in a teasing scold as I sat up. "Were you planning on getting laid tonight?"

  Before he could stop me, I flung open the nightstand to find a new box of condoms inside.

  Pick jerked upright, looking even guiltier than before. "Eva—"

  I pulled the box free and studied it. "Aww, and you even got ribbed for her pleasure. How considerate."

  That didn't seem to soothe his remorse, though. "I didn't mean to—"

  I leaned in to kiss him, shutting hi
m up. He tasted of surprise and the apple he'd eaten before coming to bed. I opened my mouth to taste more. The very tip of his tongue touched the very tip of mine and he groaned, starting to lean in before he yanked himself back.

  "We probably shouldn't," he said, though his breathing was already thin and fast. "Not after what happened tonight."

  But I caught his hand. "Do you know what he said to me once? He said it didn't matter how many other boys I had, I'd never be able to wipe away his touch. He'd stained me forever."

  Pick's face turned purple with fury. "Mother fucker," he gritted out right before he pulled me close and pressed his forehead to mine. "He was lying, baby. You are not stained. Not at all."

  I hooked my hand around the back of his neck, my gaze pleading. "But he made me believe him. I never . . . enjoyed an intimacy with any guy. Not until you. I just zoned out and pretty much erased every encounter from my head. When I'm with you, though, you make me feel everything. I'm beautiful, loved, and clean. I need you to make me feel that way right now. I need you to prove that bastard wrong."

  When I pressed the condom box into his hand, he closed his eyes and groaned. "I love you so much." His fingers trembled as he touched my cheek.

  "And I love you, Patrick. Now make me your Tinker Bell."

  He opened his eyes, and the confusion on his face told me he wasn't sure how to respond since I'd ordered him to never call me that again.

  "You called me Tink tonight when the cops were here," I said. "And before that in the bathroom."

  "I . . . " He gulped and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I just . . . it slipped out." He closed his eyes briefly before flashing me a regretful cringe. "It won't happen again. I swear."

  I shook my head. "No, it was fine. It was wonderful, actually. I've missed it." Scooting closer to him, I ran my fingers over his face, across his lip rings and down the tattoo of tree roots on his neck—roots because he'd always wanted a family and a place to belong.

  Knowing I was his roots and his place to belong, I felt complete.

  "I didn't realize the night that I learned about Tinker Bell how much of an honor it is to be her. Because I didn't understand it wouldn't just be a dream come true for you; it's a dream come true for me too. You have given me things I never even knew I needed or wanted, but they've ended up being the most precious things I've ever had. My job, this family . . . " I gestured toward the crib. "A love that completes me. All of this is because of you. Honestly, I can only think of one more thing I need from you, and my life will be perfect."

  When my hand trailed down his naked chest, paused over his heart tattoo, and then continued lower, he caught my wrist gently.

  "If we actually do this tonight, I'm going to stop paying you for being the nanny. Because that would just be weird. You'd be more like a . . . "

  When he couldn't seem to come up with an appropriate term, I grinned. "More like a stay-at-home wife?"

  His eyes flared. "Would that freak you out?"

  It would probably freak Reese out if she knew about it. She'd say I was crazy, we were moving too fast, I needed to slow down and think about this. But I already knew it was the perfect solution for us.

  "I am absolutely not freaked out at all. Now . . . " I caught the top of his pajama pants and began to peel them down. "Can we move on toward the main entertainment of the evening, or are you going to hold out on me forever?"

  He blew out a breath and shuddered when I pulled his hard, swollen flesh into my palm. His eyes fell shut as he growled his appreciation.

  "Are you absolutely positive you want to do this?" he asked, his voice tense, his restraint nearly shattered.

  I flickered with sudden uncertainly, but only because his continued resistance bothered me. "Only if you're okay with having a girl who grew up being molested by her dad."

  He sucked in a sharp breath and rolled toward me, dislodging my grip from him. "That has nothing to do with this. You are not dirty, Tink. Not at all. He's the filthy one. I'm just afraid you're trying to rush this to prove something you totally do not have to prove."

  I smiled at his adamant proclamation, even more certain than ever about what I wanted from him. Curling my hands around his shoulders, I leaned in to kiss my favorite tattoo. "You just called me Tink." Lifting my face to whisper in his ear, I said, "Do it again." Then I licked his nipple ring before catching it between my teeth.

  "Damn it," he growled, rolling me onto my back and hovering over me. Then he rasped, "Tinker Bell," in an achy soft voice as he cupped my cheek and gazed into my eyes. "My Tinker Bell. My soul mate."

  He kissed me, closed-mouthed, his lips gentle and perfect. Then he rocked his erection against my thigh, and things got even better.

  He peeled my shirt up; I peeled his pants down. He cupped my weighted breasts through my maternity bra, and I shuddered under his intense attention.

  "Fuck me, I want to suck on them so bad." He swirled an index finger around my nipple, and though I could barely feel it through all the padding, they still hardened. "When the kids are done with them, they're going to be mine. You got that? I'm going to spend an entire day with my mouth on nothing but these beauties."

  I whimpered and arched my back, wanting his mouth on them now. "Stop teasing and put your mouth on something before I combust

  "Mmm. Bossy. I like it." He leaned in to nibble at my ribcage, just under my bra line.

  I grabbed his thick hair. "You're still teasing."

  "And you're still bossing." Glancing up at me, he winked. "Relax, Tink. I got this." After flashing me a mischievous grin, he peeled off my panties and buried his face between my legs, but he inhaled a deep breath, smelling me, before he actually started to lick.

  At the first touch of his tongue, I arched my back, gasping from the shock of pleasure. I couldn't tell what he was doing different, but it felt better than ever. I grabbed onto a handful of sheets under me. He spread my legs apart, making room for himself. Then he licked a little lower. My eyes flared with surprise as my core tightened with naughty, greedy pleasure. But then he moved up again, before I could come. His tongue flickered over my clit, and something unexpected and hard nudged it as he pushed a finger deep inside me. I began to quiver and moan, already that close.

  He covered my mouth with his hand right before those clit-teasing fingers abandoned my aching channel. "Shh," he warned. "We never did move the crib. If you wake them up again tonight, we'll never make it to the best part."

  I didn't like that. I wanted to verbalize how good this felt, loudly. Unable to control myself, I bit his finger.

  With a curse, he yanked his bitten digit away from my teeth and deserted my pussy to climb his way up my body. "Damn it, woman. If you're going to be a biter, I guess I'll have to mute you some other way. Wrap your teeth around this." He kissed me long and hard, his tongue muffling whatever noises I made next as it spiked deep.

  When I felt a clink of metal, I yanked back. "Wha . . . ?"

  He wiggled his eyebrows and stuck out his tongue to show me his newest piercing. "Surprise. Got it the day after you said something."

  Oh, mother of God. I grabbed two handfuls of his face and yanked him back to me, playing with his tongue ring until he had to pull back and cool off, panting hard and eyeing me as if he couldn't believe I was really there.

  Spotting the condom box beside us, he ripped it open. I felt obligated to help him put it on, and suddenly he was the one making all the noise with a deep groan as I rolled latex over his long, quivering, steel length.

  "Okay, so I guess we both need to be muffled," he said before kissing me and fitting his hips between my thighs. I felt the head of his cock greet my opening. I was so wet and aching, I arched into it.

  He caught my hip, steadying me. "This'll change everything," he broke away from my mouth to say. "Once I'm inside you, you're mine, I'm yours, and we are together. There will be no friendship and mild dating. It's going to be all or nothing."

  I gazed up into his eyes. "Then make me your all
."

  His eyes heated. "You always were." Then he pushed inside me.

  Neither of us had our mouths muffled. Slight mistake. We gasped in unison, sharing our shock as we gaped into each other's eyes, stunned by the force of our pleasure.

  "Oh, damn," he breathed, looking thunderstruck. "There it is. This is that feeling I've been searching for."

  From the crib, one of the babies stirred. Pick cursed under his breath and froze inside me. "No, no, no," he whispered, as he leaned his face in to bury it by my neck. "Please, no."

  Someone must've heard his prayer because both babies stayed asleep. We sighed in relief.

  "We're seriously moving that crib," he growled. "Tomorrow."

  I chuckled, to which he kissed me quiet. Then he pulled his hips back, only to thrust inside me again. I had to bite his lip to keep from crying out. His shook with silent laughter. I swatted his ass in reprimand for laughing at me, only to curse when the slap of my palm against flesh made way too loud of a crack in the quiet room. The shuddering of Pick's chest only increased.

  "It's like we're trying not to get caught by our parents," he whispered in my ear. "Except in reverse."

  This was definitely a first for me. Laughing and having fun in the middle of mind-blowing sex. But the rush of happy endorphins only seemed to make everything feel better when he moved deeper. I wound my legs around his hips to hold him there longer.

  "You make me so happy," I murmured in awe.

  "That's the plan, Tink." He kissed my neck and slid his hand up my thigh, before cupping my ass.

  God, that felt . . . wow. Oh, yeah. Right there. I started to moan again, which got us both to laughing and groaning together, which made us kiss to hush ourselves. I loved every second. I loved the feel of his warm skin sliding against mine, and his hard flesh buried inside me; his mouth against mine as our tongues dueled for more, and his brown eyes sparkling when he met my gaze and grinned.

  The craving inside me kept rising until I couldn't even remember giggling with him only seconds before because now I was clutching him and trying to keep from coming too soon. I wanted it to last, just a little longer, except my body started to tighten and quake. He kissed me harder and thrust faster. We held hands and squeezed our fingers tightly together as we both crested euphoria.