Heroes Ever After Boxset: Books 1-3

by Alana Albertson

  “You’re crazy. The only people I know who work out that long are SEALs.”

  And those training to be SEALs. “And Olympians,” I countered. Good save.

  He nodded. “Spend the night with me, and I’ll work out with you.”

  My body posture perked up. That would be great! He could fuck me all night, and then in the morning we could run, do an ocean swim, and maybe he’d let me try the “O” course.

  But that wouldn’t be fair to him. If I was going to hook up with this man, I had to tell him my plans. “I have to decline. But I’ve had a great time tonight. This has been the best date I’ve ever had. But I really do have to go.”

  I stood up and brushed the sand off my shorts, the ocean breeze flipping down the strap of my tank top, revealing my bra. Erik grinned as his gaze dropped to my breasts. I pulled up the strap and laughed, grateful that I wasn’t wearing a dress. I remembered the scene in the Marilyn Monroe movie, Seven Year Itch. She had filmed Some Like It Hot on this very beach. I loved being here, surrounded by history.

  Pulling me to him, he gently cradled my cheek in his palm. “Can I see you tomorrow night?”

  Dammit, Aria. This guy was great. Super hot, sexy, smart. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Wonder Woman is playing at the local theater. Let me take you.”

  Wonder Woman? I was dying to see that flick. She was an Amazonian warrior who could fight alongside men.

  And this would be a perfect way to gauge how receptive Erik would be about female Navy SEALs.

  “I’d love to.”

  “Okay. Give me your phone.”

  I reached into my purse and handed him my phone. He entered his number and then called his phone, thus getting my number. “I’ll text you and let you know what time it starts. Let me walk you home.”

  No. I wasn’t ready for that. I couldn’t resist him being that close to my bed. “I’m fine. It’s a beautiful night.”

  He took my hand. “Aria, I insist. You are beautiful. Some guy could grab you.”

  And I could protect myself. “I feel safe in this tourist town.”

  “Fine. But I have to walk you off base.”

  I agreed, and he walked me off base and back in front of the Del.

  He leaned down and gave me another kiss. This one was sweeter than the last one but still laced with urgency. Like a magnet, I fought to separate my body from his, our attraction pulling us together.

  “Good night, Erik.”

  “Good night, Aria.”

  As I walked through the picturesque Coronado Village, I marveled at my luck. So far, Erik had behaved like a perfect gentleman, and I didn’t suspect he had some ulterior motive as my mom believed. Maybe he could be the right guy for me after all. “Everything happens for a reason,” my hippy mother used to say when she was pretending that she was so spiritual and kind. Maybe Erik had been sent to me, to guide me through this path. Maybe he would accept my goals and help me reach them.

  Either way, I would know soon. I planned to tell him tomorrow. If he was the right guy for me, he would understand my dreams and support them.

  Erik

  I slept in, appreciating a rare Saturday off. As a SEAL, I worked most weekends. I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, got a quick workout in, and then hit the shower to get ready for my evening with Aria.

  I met Aria outside the Village theater at six o’clock. She was wearing khaki shorts and a violet tank top. Her long hair was loose and wavy. She looked like a goddess.

  I flashed my phone to show the two tickets, and we went inside the theater. We ordered popcorn and drinks and found our seats.

  I put my arm around Aria, and she rested her head on my chest.

  “Thanks for inviting me. I can’t wait to see this.”

  The movie started, and I was blown away by the scenery. But nothing impressed me more than Diana Prince’s complete badassery.

  But Aria seemed to love the movie even more than I had. Every time Diana defeated someone, Aria squeezed my hand. When the movie was over, and we walked out of the theater, Aria’s face beamed.

  “Oh my god. That movie was so incredible. Don’t you think? I loved it. Diana was so powerful and strong. She’d make a great SEAL.”

  Ha. “Yeah, she would. Too bad, she doesn’t exist.”

  Aria’s mouth stretched into a wide grin. I hadn’t seen her look this happy since I’d met her, even when she was in the water.

  I was about to suggest a stroll on the beach, but Aria turned to me. “Let’s go for a swim.”

  “Where?”

  “In the ocean.”

  I paused. “I didn’t bring my trunks.”

  She gave me a playful glance. “In that case, we will have to go au naturel.”

  Fuck yeah. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll take you on base, and we can swim off our private beach. That way we won’t get arrested.”

  We walked back to base, and I flashed my ID. It crossed my mind that I had swim shorts in my locker, but I decided to keep that to myself.

  We then headed out past the obstacle course to a secluded part of the beach, covered by some rocks.

  I stripped off my clothes, and she pulled off her top and shorts, revealing a matching white lace bra and panty set. Maintaining eye contact with me, she unhooked her bra, revealing her small but pert breasts. Then she slipped off her panties, and I confirmed that she was a natural redhead. I was shocked that she had seemed so shy yesterday, but now she dripped with confidence. My eyes danced around her body. It was pure perfection. Her stomach had definition I’d only seen in fitness magazines, and her ass was round and tight. I stared at her beautiful pussy, waxed in a sexy triangle. My cock rose to attention. I had to fuck her.

  “The water’s cold,” I warned.

  “Fine by me.” She ran in front of me on the beach into the water, and I chased after her. Once the waves hit her waist, she began to swim.

  We swam out to the first buoy, and I was impressed at her pace. Her strokes were even, and she didn’t seem to choke on the salt water.

  It was almost as if she had trained in the ocean. Who knew? Maybe open water swims were part of her regimen for the Olympics.

  She was a few strides ahead of me, but I quickly caught up, barreling toward her, until I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into me.

  I pressed my body into hers and brushed a lock of hair out of her face. “You’re a pretty amazing swimmer.”

  She blinked the salt water out of her eyes. “You’re not bad yourself.”

  I felt her tremble in my arms, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the chill of the water or the closeness of our naked bodies. I wanted to take her right then and there, fuck her in the ocean.

  A wave rippled by and we bobbed in the water, but my arms remained around this beautiful woman who felt so tiny in my grasp.

  I cupped her naked ass, and she wrapped her legs around my waist.

  My cock was pressed hard against her thigh. It had always been a fantasy of mine to fuck in the water.

  We kissed as we were treading water. Her pussy was so fucking close to my cock. I lifted her up to take one of her beautiful breasts in my mouth, sucking her nipple until she moaned.

  My lips made their way up to her earlobe. “Babe, I’m clean. The Navy tests me thoroughly after every deployment, and I haven’t been with anyone since my last test.”

  “Well, I’m on the pill, and I haven’t been with anyone since I was last tested.”

  Fuck yeah. She didn’t need to say anything else. I kept my legs in a steady eggbeater motion to stay afloat. I glided her onto my cock as I kissed her mouth. She was even tighter than I imagined. With one arm free to keep balance, my other arm guided her motion as her body rocked with the waves.

  “This is so fucking hot, baby.”

  We were close enough to a place where I could stand on the ocean floor, so I lifted her off of me and swam with her until I could stand. Once my feet were firmly planted in the sand, I went to work on her nipples,
kissing, teasing and sucking them. I wrapped her legs around me again and pounded her onto my cock.

  I was mesmerized by her body. Even when I was fucking her, she moved so gracefully, as if she was performing just for me.

  The heat from her core kept me warm despite the frigid water.

  “I could fuck you all night out here. I’m not going to come until you do.”

  She smiled as my hand gripped her ass, and she rubbed her clit against my crotch. Her breath came in gasps as I slammed her onto me, pushing her closer to ecstasy. She finally screamed out as I took her mouth with a kiss and I could feel her come undone. I let go inside her and came so hard.

  Fuck, that was so incredible.

  She climbed off of me with a cautious smile on her face.

  “Want to go back to my place and spend the night?” I pointed to the high rise.

  “Oh. I don’t know if I’m ready to spend the night with you,” she teased.

  “Aria, we just fucked in the ocean. And I plan to fuck you all night.”

  “Okay, let’s race. You beat me, and I’ll spend the night at your place.”

  I loved how competitive she was. “You’re on.”

  I gave her another kiss, and we swam back toward the shore.

  I kept my gaze focused on her gorgeous ass as she swam in front of me. But when we were close to shore, I sped up and overtook her, though I had the feeling she let me win. Once we reached the beach, we ran out of the water, used my shirt as a towel, and then dressed.

  I took her hand, and we walked along the shore, exited the base, and then entered my high rise. I loved my condo—it had views of the Del and the Naval Special Warfare base. I could roll out of bed and walk to work.

  I pressed the button for the elevator, and once inside, I pinned her to the wall for another kiss. She tasted salty and hot.

  When the elevator door opened again, an older couple greeted us. My breath hitched—the man resembled my father. But I knew that I would never see him again. Not in this lifetime.

  I opened the door to my place, and Aria took in the view. Her clothes were still damp. “You want to change? I can give you some clothes.”

  “No, I’m good. I’m used to being wet.”

  Fuck yeah. I pulled her into me. “Come here, baby, and let me taste you.”

  I caressed her face and kissed her again. Inhaling her unique, feminine scent, slowly exploring her mouth with my tongue, urging her closer to me. My cock shot to attention. I was dying to part her firm thighs, spread her legs, and eat her pussy. Her hand traced the outline of my biceps, before resting on my chest. My arms closed around her lower back as I blew kisses on her earlobes, tasted her sweet skin, and buried my head in her cleavage.

  She kissed me back and began to relax her body as my cock pressed against her.

  I couldn’t wait any longer to taste her.

  I stripped off her clothes, picked her up and propped her ass on the back of my sofa.

  “Spread your legs, baby.”

  She tossed her hair back and spread her legs so wide I couldn’t believe it. I knelt in front of her with my knees on the couch and inhaled her scent, salty and sweet. Kissing her delicate folds, teasing her with my mouth, I took one long lick down her center, and she gasped.

  “Just what I thought. You taste better than Mermaid’s Red.”

  She laughed.

  But one lick wasn’t enough to satisfy me.

  I wrapped her legs around my neck and licked her gold medal pussy, drunk on her sweetness. She moaned when I gripped her thighs and pulled her tighter against my mouth. I couldn’t get enough of her.

  “Come for me, champ. Come all over my face.”

  I sucked on her clit and slid my finger inside her. I could feel her tense and release, and I knew she was so fucking close. She reached down and grasped my hair, urging me into her as I devoured her. She let out a scream as she came so hard her body contracted.

  “That’s my girl.”

  I pulled her to my side, wrapped my arm around her and cuddled with her on the sofa. We gazed out at the ocean, and she leaned into me.

  I felt a twinge of guilt that I had initially pursued her partially because I wanted her to help me with my business. But now, it was more than that. My insides twisted when I was around her, and I sometimes felt nervous in her presence—which had never happened to me before.

  She sighed, gazing at the ocean. “This is the most incredible view. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my entire life.”

  I looked right at her. “Neither have I.”

  Aria

  I woke the next morning, and it took me a few minutes to remember where I was. But the Coronado sunrise quickly reminded me that I was in Erik’s bed. But unfortunately, he wasn’t in it.

  My chest constricted as I recalled my previous drunken hookups, waking up alone, filled with regret. I completely owned my choices for having casual sex, but no matter how much I had tried to convince myself that I actually had enjoyed sex with my previous lovers, honestly it had never been that satisfying, physically or emotionally.

  But last night with Erik had been different. The sex had been mind blowing. I’d never come with a lover before. But more than the physical chemistry, I’d felt that we had connected on a deeper level.

  My entire life, I had always figured that people pretended to like me because of my accomplishments. But Erik seemed to actually be interested in who I was as a person.

  The only problem was that I didn’t exactly know who Aria the woman was. Aria the champion always had dominated her.

  I hurried out of bed, pulled on my clothes, and went into the kitchen where Erik was making breakfast.

  I gasped at the sight of him, wearing nothing but long pajama bottoms which hung low on his waist, giving me a view of his happy trail. His chest was ripped, and his shoulders were broad.

  He brushed his dark hair out of his face. “Morning, beautiful.”

  “Morning.” I couldn’t believe he thought I was beautiful. My mom’s words filled my head with doubts. I imagined that Erik would date a beach babe with sun-kissed hair and pouty lips.

  “You hungry?”

  “Sure.” Another first. I’d spent the night with a man, and now he was cooking for me. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.

  He handed me a plate filled with sunny side up eggs, thick cut bacon, and toast. He sat next to me with his own plate and poured us both some coffee.

  His eyes brightened as he checked me out. “What are your plans today?”

  I didn’t dare tell him. My plans had included preparing for BUD/S: an ocean swim, a beach run, and pushups until I collapsed. You know, a typical Sunday.

  “Oh, just a long workout. You?”

  “Do you ever take a day off?”

  I shook my head. “Not even the day after I took gold.”

  “You’re more hardcore than I am. But I play hard, too.” He reached across the table and held my hand. “Spend the day with me, babe. We can relax, go biking, or drive up the coast. I can show you some of the cool hidden beach towns.”

  Biking, ha. He would laugh at me when he found out I’d never ridden a bicycle. “That sounds fun.” My gut twisted. I liked Erik and didn’t want to deceive him. I had vowed to tell him the truth after we had seen Wonder Woman, but we had been caught up in the moment. But now, there was no excuse. I had to confess my plans and see what he had to say about females being in the Teams. Maybe he would be completely supportive and help me train.

  I took a deep breath and eased in. “I read that SEALs are going to let in the first woman soon. What do you think about that?”

  He dropped my hand, took a sip of his coffee, and gave me a keen look. “I think it’s the dumbest fucking idea ever.”

  Well so much for him being supportive. I knew I should’ve dropped the topic. I had wanted to know his position on the issue, and it was evident he was against it.

  Move on, Aria. He’s a great guy with a typical SEAL
mindset. Just shut your mouth and— “Really? Why?”

  Dammit. The feminist in me couldn’t be quiet.

  “Because no woman could pass BUD/S, first of all. The Navy will end up lowering its standards, and good men will die because of it. I’m sick of all this politically correct bullshit. Ideas implemented by legislators who have frankly never served a day in their fucking lives in any branch of the military, let alone special operations.”

  Alrighty then. Tell me how you really feel.

  “Okay. But I mean, what if a woman could pass BUD/S, without lowering the standards. Someone like Wonder Woman. I’ve met some athletes who could. I knew this one woman Kendall, a wrestler, who could totally do it. She was so strong and fierce.”

  “Wonder Woman is fictional.” He shook his head. “It’s impossible. It’s not just about strength, though that’s a huge part of it. It’s about endurance. No woman can perform the same physical tasks as a man without the standards being lowered. It has never happened and it never will.”

  Watch me.

  “It has never happened because no woman has ever been able to try. And what if a woman could pass? Then you still think she shouldn’t be let in?”

  “No. She shouldn’t. It would ruin unit cohesion.”

  The hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up. “So are you saying that a woman couldn’t pass BUD/S, or are you saying that a woman could pass BUD/S but then still shouldn’t be a SEAL?”

  He gave me a hard glare. “I’m saying that we are the most elite special operations force in the world. I’m not talking about women serving in the military. I’m talking about women serving in combat units. In theory, it’s great, and I support women’s rights to do any job. But academics and politicians can’t understand the special operations battlefield. If a woman were captured by the enemy, she would be raped and tortured. If you have a small SEAL unit and the men are competing for the attraction of a female, it will take the focus off the mission.”