Heroes Ever After Boxset: Books 1-3

by Alana Albertson

Her face contorted as if that was the weirdest question anyone had ever asked her. “I’d be exiled from my country. It would humiliate my father, in addition to my fiancé and his country. The trade agreements between my country and his would fall apart. The military support we have would be threatened. I’d be the laughingstock of the royal world. And these days, with the internet, I’d probably be made fun of worldwide.”

  Got it. But I didn’t want to stop challenging her on this. She needed to think about the outcome of this decision. “So, what you’re saying is that you could still walk away.”

  She huffed. “Ryan, you’re impossible. I’m getting married next month, no matter what. I’ve given my word to my fiancé and my father, and I will honor it.”

  I was impressed by her commitment to her country. The princess and the frogman had something in common after all. I was willing to die for my country. She was willing to sacrifice her happiness for hers.

  I brushed a lock of golden hair back from her face. “I respect that. I’m sure you’ll be happy. And don’t worry, Princess. Your husband will find you just as beautiful and sexy as I do.”

  “I’m not sure. He has never even kissed me. We went on a date, and he didn’t even try. At the time, I told myself it was because of my chaperone but now I see the truth.” She looked so sad.

  I shook my head. “Like I said, he’s a fool.”

  I pulled her in for a kiss. She didn’t resist; she reclined beside me, her lips welcoming mine. Her hot little tongue traced my mouth, and I couldn’t help but think what that tongue would feel like on my cock. I imagined her eyes looking up at me as I fucked her mouth.

  Dammit.

  Breathe, Ryan.

  Her hand touched my shoulder, making its way down to my chest.

  Normally, I didn’t spend too much time kissing, too eager to fuck and forget. But I wanted to move slowly with her, make her feel comfortable with me.

  Her mouth opened wider, and she kissed me deeper, her hands exploring my body. Her nails scratched my chest lightly, and a pleasurable shiver rippled through me.

  Then she grazed my crotch, and I was dying to feel her hand on my cock.

  I touched her breasts, but she pulled away from me.

  “We really shouldn’t be doing this. This is very reckless of me. I don’t want to lead you on. I plan to remain a virgin until my wedding night. Tomorrow, I’ll be out of your hair, and you’ll be free to find a woman who will be more than happy to have sex with you, no strings attached. I wish I were her, but sadly, I am not.”

  I kissed her neck; she tasted like a perfectly ripe peach. “You’re not leading me on. I’m enjoying every minute we have together. Let’s just enjoy tonight. When you tell me to stop, I will.”

  Giselle

  MY BODY WAS ON FIRE. I LET MY desire control my mind. “I don’t want you to stop yet.”

  God, I should stop. I have a fiancé . . .

  But he’s not exactly waiting for me back home.

  Two wrongs didn’t make a right—but this was beyond right. It was heaven.

  Ryan offered me an amused smile. “Good. Now, where were we?” He pressed his body to mine, and I felt every inch of him. I’d never been kissed like this, by a man who clearly knew what he was doing. Yet he didn’t seem to be in a rush, nor trying to go further. His kisses varied in intensity. Some were strong and passionate. Others were sweet and playful. But all of them flooded my body with desire.

  My nerves tingled, and I knew I was in big trouble.

  I explored his chest and caressed his biceps, so hard and huge. I was high on his scent, his sex, his strength. I couldn’t get enough of him.

  His hand clamped on my bottom, and he squeezed. Our kisses became deeper and wetter, and before I knew it, he’d rolled me under him, pressing his hard erection deep between my legs.

  “You okay?” He slipped off one strap of my nightgown, exposing my décolletage.

  I nodded. Better than okay. Best I’d ever felt in my entire life. Heat rose within me, and I experienced a raw pang in my core that I’d never felt before.

  His lips made their way down my neck, delicately kissing my chest until he pushed down my slip. He grabbed my right breast, and I moaned as he sucked on it.

  I threaded my fingers through his hair as his kisses turned more urgent— harder, rougher. His hand grasped my thigh, his finger tracing the hem of my panties, and I was afraid I was going to explode.

  So, this was what I’d been missing all these years. Maybe he was right—sex was the most important part of a relationship.

  I wanted more.

  I wanted this; I wanted him.

  But I couldn’t possibly have sex with him. Not tonight. Not ever. It had been my choice to remain a virgin until my wedding night. I couldn’t imagine sleeping with more than one man. Sexual freedom didn’t extend to female members of the royal family. Honor was everything.

  His mouth took my other nipple—and I went wild. My breathing quickened, and I writhed against him.

  When his free hand slipped into my panties, I knew I had to stop him before I was unable to resist.

  I forced myself to pull away from his lips, my body on fire from his touch. “I think that’s enough kissing for tonight.”

  Tonight. There was only tonight.

  Would I regret stopping this moment tomorrow? In a month? Forever?

  His jaw clenched, and he finally exhaled. “Fine, Princess. Come here.”

  I could tell he was frustrated, but I appreciated that he didn’t pressure me to go farther. He pulled me into his arms, and I rested my head on his chest. His fingers stroked my hair.

  Would my fiancé ever kiss me the way Ryan had?

  I didn’t have to wonder, for my soul knew the answer.

  No.

  Ryan

  THE NEXT MORNING, I WOKE WITH my arms wrapped around Giselle. My balls were in a world of hurt, but even so, spending the night with her had been worth it. Man, she was beautiful. Her long blonde hair fanned out over the pillow, making her look even more angelic.

  I hopped out of bed and hit the head, hoping not to wake her. I resisted the urge to jump in the shower and jerk off. I’d never had a girlfriend and had rarely spent the night with a woman. I didn’t even know what to do “the morning after” but bounce.

  I wasn’t willing to let her go today, despite telling her I would take her to her hotel. But it wasn’t just because I wanted to fuck her. She intrigued me. When would I ever get another chance to escort a princess around France? What was the harm? It was only for a week, then she would run off and get married, and I would be nothing more than a distant memory of the time she went slumming with an American.

  I emerged from the bathroom, and she was still asleep. I checked my email on my phone but found nothing important. I also scanned the news to make sure I wasn’t a wanted man for kidnapping a princess, but luckily, I didn’t find any articles about her, so I threw on my clothes and left the room.

  The innkeeper waved at me, motioned me to wait, disappeared into the kitchen, and returned carrying a tray of food and coffee in a French press.

  “Breakfast in bed for the newlyweds,” she said with a wink.

  I took the tray from her. “Thank you.”

  I went back to the room. Giselle had woken up and was standing at the window. I heard birds chirping outside and smelled flowers instead of my usual alarm of gunfire and smoke. I couldn’t help but think how different this moment was from my day-to-day life. How nice it was. How normal.

  She flashed a wide smile. “Good morning. How did you sleep?”

  “Best sleep I’ve had in almost a year.” I placed the tray on the bed, and she climbed back in with me. I pressed the coffee and poured her a cup, then served us both croissants. Mine tasted delicious, flaky and buttery. I ate a few berries, tried some yogurt, which tasted way better than the kinds I’d had back in the States, and finally dug into my cheese-filled ham omelet.

  Giselle daintily nibbled on some berries. �
�So, what do you plan to do today?”

  You.

  “Hadn’t thought about it. Just going to walk through town, check out the shops, maybe mingle with the locals.”

  “That sounds fun. Bayeux is a splendid town. It’s less touristy here than in my country. I always imagined that it would be nice to have a summer cottage here.”

  Wow. It must be nice to just be able to buy property wherever you want. I considered a smart-ass, sarcastic response, but held back.

  “Summer cottage? My goal is to afford one home someday, not two, and on my salary, that will be a long shot, especially if I stay in San Diego. It’s very expensive there.”

  A flush crept across her cheeks. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I hope you don’t think I’m bragging. Forgive me. Do you like San Diego?”

  “Love it. Miles of beaches, military city, laid-back vibe. I would never consider living anywhere else.”

  “It sounds lovely. I’ve always wanted to visit. I’ve been to New York but never made it out to the West Coast. Maybe you could show me around San Diego one day.”

  I glared at her. “With your new husband?”

  She shook her head. “No. I will still travel alone on occasion.”

  Probably without security too. She just didn’t get it. This—she and I—had a looming expiration date. I would never mess around with someone else’s wife. Especially a royal. Best to just be straight with her.

  “Well, based on what happened between us last night, I don’t think that would be a good idea. You’re like crack cocaine to me; I’ll always want you. I’m in the military, honey. I don’t want to be charged with adultery, especially with a princess. It would create an international incident. I can see the headlines now. ‘The Princess and the SEAL: How a Summer Love Affair Turned into a Royal Scandal.’ My CO would be on my ass, and it would ruin my career. And your reputation.”

  Her lower lip trembled. I decided to throw in a glimmer of hope.

  “Of course, if you don’t marry him, I’d love to show you a good time.”

  She answered weakly, “Oh, I’m getting married. Definitely. I’m so silly. Of course you wouldn’t want to see me again. Sorry, I wasn’t thinking. It just doesn’t seem real to me yet. I’m sure I’ll adapt.”

  The fact that she was describing getting married as “adapting” was heartbreaking. Well, it was her life. But she deserved more than a loveless marriage.

  “I didn’t say I wouldn’t want to see you again. I said I couldn’t see you again. There is a difference.”

  “Right. I get it. Well, instead, maybe I could show you around town today? And then I could check into my hotel later. There’s really no rush. Once my father finds out what happened, I’m sure he’ll make me return home.”

  Smart man. “Can’t say that I blame him. I’d order you back home too. Hell, I’ll go with you. Let me talk to him. I’ll advise him on how to set up his own military.”

  “He’d probably love that. He really respects warriors. One of the reasons he wanted me to marry Miguel was to get some of the Quintana troops to create a base in Santa Cariña.”

  I laughed out loud. “That’s ridiculous and absolutely not a reason to marry Miguel. Your father would be better off hiring a bunch of my retired SEAL buddies as contractors.”

  “That’s an interesting idea. I’ll suggest that to him. But I’m still marrying Miguel.”

  “Right, you keep saying that. Suit yourself, Princess.” She was setting herself up for a life of misery. At least I was a straight shooter.

  She looked out the window. “So, would you like to spend the day with me before I have to say goodbye?”

  Goodbye? Fuck that, she wasn’t going anywhere. But I wasn’t going to tell her that yet.

  “Yup. What do you want to do today?”

  She blushed and crinkled her nose. “Me? I’m happy to do whatever you want.”

  I found her so incredibly adorable. She hadn’t agreed to spend my entire vacation with me—yet. I wanted to make sure she had a good time with me, so that she would accept my offer later tonight.

  I shook my head. “No, Princess. Tell me what you want to do with me. You seem to spend your life doing what people tell you to. I have the rest of my vacation to do whatever I want to do alone. You only have one day to spend with me. So how would you like to spend it?” I was using a trick I had learned in SEAL training, creating a sense of urgency to get better results.

  “Are you sure? We could go to Omaha Beach.”

  “I’ll do that later. Alone.” Paying my respects to men who had died in battle was not my idea of a romantic day.

  I wrapped my arms around her. I racked my brain trying to think of the perfect date. What did princesses like to do for fun? I honestly didn’t know too much about her. Sure, I had studied her wiki. I knew about her charity work with children and her love for crocheting, but what really made her tick? “What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to do that you’ve never done before?”

  “I don’t know. Let me think.” Then she arched a brow. “Why are you trying to be so sweet to me, Ryan? You had this whole vacation planned, and I have already taken so much of your time. Why are you knocking yourself out to impress me?”

  Good question. But I didn’t have a good answer. “Stop asking so many questions, Princess. Your problem is that you think about everyone but yourself. You’re constantly talking about your country, your father, your fiancé. I can guaran-fucking-tee that he isn’t thinking about you while he’s off sleeping with half of Europe.”

  Her bottom lip quivered again.

  Fuck. I shouldn’t have said that. I’d never had a filter. The truth hurt, and it was raw. I was sure she was surrounded by yes-people who told her what she wanted to hear.

  But I came from a different world. A cold, dark reality where I took things as they came. Except in battle. When it came to war, I was always prepared and always one step ahead of the enemy to ensure my success and the success of my Team. But I doubted this strategic preparedness helped in areas of the heart.

  “You’re right. I know you are. It’s just hard. I never really have free time. My calendar is always scheduled months in advance. I always go where I’m told, do what I’m supposed to do.”

  I may have been many things—insensitive, cocky, and pretty much an asshole—but indecisive was not one of them.

  “Got it. Well then, I’m planning the day. Get dressed. I’ll be right back.”

  She pursed her plump lips and nodded. “Okay. What should I wear? Are we going somewhere fancy? Or casual? Would shorts or a dress be more appropriate?”

  Did she have someone lay out her clothes in the morning for her?

  I would show restraint and not be a smart-ass. “Wear a sundress.” I gave her a quick kiss and ran downstairs.

  The innkeeper greeted me with a smile. “Monsieur Shelton. Did you like your breakfast?”

  “Yes, we did. It was delicious. Thank you.” I browsed some brochures near the front desk. Museums, history tours, train rides, the usual stuff. One caught my eye—skydiving. But I decided against it because I’d jumped off so many planes in my life, I didn’t need the adrenaline rush right now, and I was sure Giselle would be terrified, which definitely wasn’t my goal.

  “Can I help you with anything?”

  I never asked for help, but I didn’t know the area, so what the hell.

  “Actually, yes. I want to surprise my wife. We plan to do all the traditional tourist activities later in the week. Do you know of somewhere special to go to? Romantic? A hidden spot?”

  She grinned at me and nodded. “Of course. I know just the place. There is a beautiful waterfall at the end of a short hike. I’ll even pack you a picnic lunch.”

  Perfect. “Great. Thank you. Where is it? How do I get there?”

  “It’s about twenty minutes up north. Do you know how to ride a motorcycle?”

  “Of course I do. I have a Harley back home.”

  “Well, then you can borrow my husband
’s. He would be thrilled to lend it to you newlyweds. He used to take me there when we were younger. May I ask how you met your beautiful wife? She looks very familiar to me.”

  That’s because she’s a princess.

  I needed to figure out something after today. If she agreed to spend the next week with me, the paparazzi would definitely find us. The last thing I needed was my face plastered all over the international newswires so ISIS could put a bounty on my head.

  “Classic damsel-in-distress story. She was being mugged, and I swept in and saved her. We fell in love. The rest is history.”

  She clasped her hand to her chest. “What a lovely story. Let me prepare your picnic basket. And I’ll get the bike and helmets ready.”

  “Thank you. I appreciate it.”

  “Don’t mention it. We are happy to help you celebrate your love.”

  I nodded. She was so nice. I wasn’t used to such kindness. I wanted to take it at face value, but my past didn’t allow me to do so. She was probably only being nice to me because I had booked this place.

  I closed my eyes and shook off my anxiety.

  No, Ryan. No.

  Maybe she was just a wonderful woman who truly enjoyed making others happy. It was possible.

  Man, I was fucked up. I hoped Giselle didn’t know what a complete mess I was.

  I raced back up to the room, opened the door—and my breath hitched at what I saw.

  Fuck, she was fine.

  Giselle was sitting there in a white sundress that ended right at her creamy thighs.

  I wanted to climb on the bed, rip off her panties, and devour her pussy until she came all over my face.

  My cock immediately stood at attention. How was I supposed to control myself around her?

  Maybe I really should let her go after today.

  I’d think about that later.

  “So, where are we going? Is this dress okay?”

  “It’s perfection. You’re perfection.”

  She giggled and pulled me onto the bed. I covered her luscious body with mine and pressed my cock between her thighs, with only the denim of my jeans and the soft lace fabric of her panties between us.