Heroes Ever After Boxset: Books 1-3

by Alana Albertson

  I sat next to him, my heart pounding in my chest, and nearly wept with relief when he put his arm around me.

  “I’m sorry. I—”

  He pressed a finger to my lips. “Don’t. It’s fine, baby.”

  “No. I owe you an explanation.”

  “Aria, you don’t owe anyone anything. Just do whatever you got to do in your life. I’ll be here when you’re done.”

  I blinked back tears. What had I done to deserve his blind loyalty? I knew the answer to that. Nothing. Why did he even like me? I could never be good enough for an incredible guy like him. “You mean that?”

  “I do. I’ll be around until you leave, and then I deploy. It’s not like I’ll be dating when I’m in Iraq. You know, since women still aren’t on the Teams.”

  I punched his arm. “Smart ass.”

  “No seriously. Go and do whatever it is that is next in your life. We can stay in touch while I’m gone. And we can see where we’re at when I return.”

  My body flushed with warmth. I straddled him and looked into his eyes.

  Say it, dammit. Tell him the truth.

  But no words came out of my mouth. He reached behind my neck and undid my bustier as easy as if he was picking a lock. My breasts bounced free, and the cool air hardened my nipples.

  He pulled my wig off, and I shook my hair free as it cascaded over my breasts.

  “Aria,” he rasped as he planted kisses on my neck. “You’re so sexy.”

  I squeezed the muscles in his arms, slowly tracing the intricate ink from his tattoos. What were the stories behind his body art? Tribal patterns were interwoven with some script. There was so much about this man that I had yet to discover. But all I knew was I needed to get lost in him, feel his strong arms encircling my body. For so long I had been so independent, relying on no one but myself. But for as long as I was with him, I would depend on him.

  I flipped back my hair as he buried his face into my chest. The warmth of his tongue excited me, and I gasped when he sucked on my left nipple as his hand worked on my right one. My own hands became addicted to his body, kneading his muscles, stroking his back, never wanting to let go.

  I let out a moan when his mouth switched to my other nipple. My enthusiastic response invigorated him. He grasped my hair in his fist, kissed me aggressively, his tongue probing my mouth.

  He pulled my panties down over my legs, leaving my boots on. I hiked up my skirt and wrapped my legs around his waist, desperate to feel his hard cock.

  “That’s it, baby. Rub your pussy all over me. I’m going to get you off before I fuck you. I want to watch you come.”

  He grasped my hips, situating me closer, and began to rock me back and forth.

  His mouth went back to work on my nipple, and his other hand massaged my breast.

  “Oh my god, baby. That feels so incredible.”

  I swiveled my hips around as I grasped his thighs. I was so close to coming, but I wanted to hold on to this edge of ecstasy.

  He spread my legs wide and pulled me into him and rubbed me over his hard cock. “Come for me now, champ.”

  “Oh! Yes! Yes!” My breath hitched, and I crashed into paradise, riding him and savoring every last second of my orgasm.

  He cradled me in his arms as I relaxed in his embrace. Enjoying the perfect beauty of the moment.

  He leaped up and stripped off his leather pants. As he stood stark naked in front of me, I marveled at how ridiculously hot this man was. He had a better physique than any Olympian I’d ever met, and the hair on his chest made him look so masculine, so virile. I’d found other men sexy, but I had never felt an insatiable hunger for anyone else as I had for Erik.

  With one arm, he flipped me around, and his hand slid down my belly and landed in between my thighs. His finger parted my lips as he pressed it inside me and then slowly removed it. He angled my ass up, gripped my waist, as the tip of his cock pushed into me. He was so hard, and I was so wet, the perfect combination of pressure and ecstasy sent me soaring again.

  He filled me up as he went deeper and deeper, fucking me so hard I was panting as if I had just run four miles.

  “You have the perfect ass, baby.” He spanked me, and I moaned.

  “Ooh.”

  “You like that? You like it rough? Are you my dirty girl?”

  “Yes!”

  He pulled my hair as if it was in a ponytail and spanked me again.

  The sting from his hand on my ass contrasted with the pure pleasure of his cock inside my body. My clit was throbbing, and I was desperate to come again, come with him. I could feel his pace quicken, his breath coming in hot spurts on my neck.

  “Erik!” I screamed. My hands clutched the sofa as he pounded into my pussy again and again until there was no him and no me, just us as one, coming together.

  He held me tight as I quivered and I wanted to stay in this moment forever.

  But I knew that we could never return to this perfect time. Once I told him my truth, he would never feel the same about me as he did right now.

  Erik

  I had a brutal week of training out at San Clemente Island. My Team was flown out of Coronado up the coast to spend some time blowing up buildings and practicing raids. We even trained on a full-scale replica of Osama Bin Laden’s compound. Honestly, I had a blast and couldn’t believe that I was lucky enough that this was actually my job. Most days, I felt like I was living in a video game. But even so, I missed Aria.

  Reception sucked, and Wi Fi was nonexistent. I’d explained this to her before I’d left and she was cool with it. I was so grateful to meet a girl who understood my job—my last girlfriend would always get upset when I couldn’t call, text, or email. Not that I had a choice—I was married to the Teams.

  I flew back into Coronado on Sunday and called Aria. She invited me over to her place, but first, I had some shopping to do.

  I walked down Orange Ave and went to Holland’s Bicycles. I spent around twenty minutes browsing different bikes before I chose an Electra Cruiser in Sea foam.

  I paid for the bike and a helmet. The shop girl eyed me. “Wow. Nice bike. Must be a lucky lady.”

  I smiled. “She’s not the lucky one; I am.”

  I left the store and walked the bike to Aria’s place when my phone rang. It was that potential client.

  “Hello, Mr. Johnson. How are you?”

  “Fine, Erik. Just fine. The CFO will be in town next weekend. I want him to meet you. I was wondering if we could have dinner together next Friday.”

  I had to ask Aria to accompany me. “Of course, sir.”

  “Wonderful. I’ll make reservations at Addison for 6:00.”

  I tried not to laugh. Addison was the same place my mom suggested I take Aria out for a first date. “Wonderful, sir. I’ll be there. Do you mind if a bring a date?”

  “No, Erik. Not at all. We will be bringing our wives. I’ll see you next week.”

  “Thank you, sir. I’m looking forward to it.”

  I hung up the phone, excitement racing through my chest. Mr. Johnson was a huge potential client who ran a biotechnology firm. I’d met him at a fundraiser for the Naval SEAL Foundation. Snagging him could take TritonFix to the next level.

  I’d ask Aria tonight.

  I turned down her street and opened the gate to her yard. Flounder greeted me with a sloppy kiss, and I rubbed his ears. Aria emerged from the house, and her eyes immediately focused on the bike.

  “Erik, you didn’t.”

  I leaned the bike against the fence and went in for a kiss. She tasted even sweeter than I remembered. “I did.”

  “Did you buy it or rent it?”

  “I bought it, champ. It’s all yours.” I attempted to read her face. She bit her lip, and her brow contorted. What was she so afraid of?

  I gave her another kiss. “Come on. You don’t trust me?”

  “No. That’s not it. I do.” She exhaled. “Okay . . . I’ll give it a try.”

  “Good girl.” I kissed the ti
p of her nose and took her hand in mine. Yet something felt…off. Once again, I experienced the gut feeling that she was holding something back from me. Some grand plan that she didn’t want me to know. That was fine on our first date, but now that we’d slept together, I needed more. I wanted to be with someone who was open and honest with me.

  “Let’s walk over to my place and get my bike. We can start the trail from there.”

  We strolled by the beach as the tourists whizzed by us on their bikes. I often wondered how many of them were aware that Navy SEALs trained less than a mile away from their vacation.

  She touched my arm—her delicate fingers sending spikes of heat through me. “So, what did you do this week?”

  “A bunch of training evolutions. There’s like a full city built out there. It’s like a special forces Disneyland.”

  “Wow. That’s so cool. I’d love to visit the island one day. I’ve read so much about it.”

  I eyed her. “Well, you can’t. The island is restricted to the military. Unless you are a biologist. We occasionally have environmentalists come out to examine our impact on the native ecosystem. There are a couple of endangered species there—the San Clemente loggerhead shrike and the island fox.” Leaning down, I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “The entire island is really breathtaking. I’ll show you pictures.”

  We made small talk as we headed to the parking garage under my condo to grab my bike. Then we walked to the trail in front of the Del.

  “Hop on, champ. You have perfect balance. I’ve seen you pop out of the water on one foot.”

  She bit her finger nails. “It’s different in the water.”

  “Get on the bike. I got you, babe. You’re fine.”

  She strapped on the helmet, climbed on the bike, clutched the handle bars, and put both feet on the ground instead of the pedals. Waddling like a duck, within a few minutes, she maintained an awkward glide.

  “That’s it.”

  She stopped and just glared at me. “This is ridiculous. Everyone is staring at me.”

  I looked around, and a few tourists were gawking, but maybe they recognized her. “Forget about them. Get back on the bike.”

  She exhaled and then gave me a dirty look when a boy of around six lapped by her. But she mounted the bike again and placed her feet on the pedals. Though a bit wobbly at first, she slowly began to ride.

  I hopped on my own bike. “See, you’re a natural. It’s easy.” I yelled, but by now she was in front of me.

  We biked through the neighborhoods and cut into Star Park where we passed L. Frank Baum’s former residence, a two-story yellow house. I stopped on the sidewalk and showed her the Wicked Witch peering out from the side of the home and the Wizard of Oz sign hanging above the front door.

  Her face beamed at the sight. “I loved the Oz books when I was a little girl.”

  “Yeah. He wrote Wizard of Oz here and based the Emerald City off the Del.”

  “I didn’t know that. That’s so cool. Thanks for showing me this.”

  We got back on the bikes and continued down the path. Aria had no problems keeping up with me at all. We headed to the North Island Naval Base, and we stopped in Bayview Park for a break.

  She dismounted her bike and took a swig from her water bottle. We sat on a bench in the shade. I put my arm around her, drawing her close, and we gazed at the beautiful San Diego skyline.

  “I can’t thank you enough for forcing me to overcome my fear. It’s been this secret of mine for years. I feel free. That was so much fun.”

  I grinned down at her. “It’s hard for me to believe you are afraid of anything.”

  “My entire identity is wrapped up in being an Olympian, Erik. At being the best. I often feel like people only like me for my accomplishments.”

  I leaned over and gave her a kiss under a towering tree. “I don’t like you because you are a champion. That drew me to you at first, but you are so much more than your title. You are a beautiful woman. And you are adventurous and sexy.” I tilted my head, and she leaned in to meet my lips. This wasn’t our first kiss, but this time everything felt different. More intimate. The kiss was slower, yet laced with longing. When her hand reached behind my neck, a tingle shot through my body. With that jolt came a realization.

  She was beginning to trust me.

  Her hand gripped my upper thigh, and my cock ached for her.

  I wanted to fuck her right there on the bench. But a chill took over me. I had to ask her if she would accompany me to dinner with my client next week. When I’d met her, getting her to help me with my business had been a goal. But now, I was falling for her.

  I hoped I wouldn’t erase all the progress we had made together by asking her for a favor.

  Aria

  My feet sliced through the air, my hair blew in the wind.

  Free. I felt free.

  He had been right. Riding a bicycle, exploring this amazing island that I hoped to call home filled my heart with joy. I was delighted. I almost never took any time for myself. Sure, I’d indulge in a nice dinner after I’d won a competition or occasionally take in a movie with my teammates, but I never would just take a full day off and relax.

  It was so much more than learning to ride a bicycle—it was a new way of life. I imagined living here. Maybe one day I’d settle down, possibly with Erik. Having our kids ride their bikes on the trails and spend their days at the beach.

  And in my fantasy, I was happy.

  Then why did I feel like the other shoe was about to drop?

  Shaking off my worries, I just focused on having fun. Everything would work out the way it was meant to. We bought ice cream cones near the ferry, and I smiled at the children playing in the sand.

  Emboldened by my new-found joy, I decided to ask Erik whatever I wanted, without being afraid that I would sound too forward.

  “Do you want to have kids?”

  “Of course I do. No time soon though. I deploy so much that I want to be around so I can spend time with my family. My dad was so involved.”

  I placed my hand on his bicep. “Your sister told me about your father. I’m so sorry. That must’ve been rough.”

  He looked up at me, blinking rapidly. “Yeah, it was brutal. He was a great man. My role model. I just miss him.” He turned to me. “What about you? I know nothing about your family.”

  I winced. This was my fault; I had walked into this line of questioning. I was still too afraid to tell him I’d joined the Navy, but I vowed to be truthful with the rest of my life.

  “Not much to tell. My mom had me when she was really young. She never told my father that she was pregnant. I never met him.”

  Erik’s head flinched back slightly. “Does he know you exist?”

  “No. He died.”

  “I’m sorry. How?”

  “I’ve actually never told anyone this. I just usually say he died.” I took a deep breath. Here it went. “But I want to tell you. He joined the military. Actually, he was a SEAL.”

  And there it was. My secret. My truth. A fact so painful that I forced myself not to think about it. My father had been a SEAL. He had been killed in a helicopter crash.

  And I wanted to be a SEAL. To be closer to him. To make him proud. We shared the same DNA. If he could make it, then why couldn’t I?

  Erik’s eyes bugged. “No way. For real? What was his name?”

  “Matthew Presley.” Saying his name out loud for the first time in forever made him seem real.

  “Wow. I didn’t know you were a Frog Princess. You clearly share his drive. No man can graduate from BUD/S without being dedicated.”

  I sighed. “I’d like to think he was. I feel closer to him than ever since I’ve been in Coronado. Like he must’ve been at this shore, maybe shared an ice cream cone here. Meeting you has been such a blessing. I want to believe he was like you.”

  He reached out and grasped my fingers. “Baby, if you want, I can look him up. I’m sure I can find someone who served with him. Be
ing a SEAL is like being in the most exclusive fraternity in the world.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that.” I swallowed a lump in my throat. “Maybe someday but I’m not ready yet. My mom never talks about him. All I know is that they were high school sweethearts, he enlisted in the Navy, and then she found out she was pregnant. I guess he wrote her, but she never responded. By the time I started asking about him, he was dead. I’ve wanted to reach out to his family, but they don’t even know I exist.”

  He pulled me into his arms and rested his forehead against mine. “You should. They’d be so proud of you. I’d be happy to go with you to meet them.”

  I felt as if my chest was expanding, taking in his warmth and love. I cupped his face with my hands. “You’re such a great guy, Erik. No matter what happens with us, I want you to know how much you’ve touched me.”

  “I want to touch you now. Let’s go, champ. I’ve missed you all week.”

  Maybe, he could truly be my happily ever after fairy tale prince.

  As we kissed in the sand like two teenagers in love a thought filled my head. I tried to push it away, but it was a gut feeling that permeated my soul.

  I was going to marry this guy.

  The more I fixated on it, the more I started to believe it. I saw a path for us. He would understand my drive. He would accept me. We could be happy together.

  Hell, I deserved to be happy.

  And tonight, I was the happiest girl on this island.

  Erik

  After making out in the sand, Aria and I went back to her place. She cooked a Thai eggplant basil stir fry for dinner. It was spicy and sweet, just like her.

  “Come here, babe.”

  The need built up in me, consuming my mind. To kiss her, to taste her, to fuck her.

  My mouth claimed hers, but this wasn’t a sweet, romantic kiss like we had shared on the shore. This kiss was filled with lust and longing. If I had missed her so much after only being away from her for a week, how could I possibly deploy away from her for months?