Heroes Ever After Boxset: Books 1-3

by Alana Albertson

  “No. Make love to me.”

  He placed a kiss on my forehead and rolled the condom onto his cock.

  Then his hands interlaced with mine as he slowly entered me.

  Pleasure spiked with pain shot through me, and I felt a sharp pang. But Ryan didn’t allow the pain to last long. He sucked my nipples until I moaned.

  I gasped as the pressure grew between my legs. I stretched around him and breathed deeply.

  “You okay?”

  I nodded but didn’t speak. He kissed my neck, my face, my chest as he entered me completely.

  “God, you feel so incredible,” he gasped.

  Our bodies glided together in a rhythm as joy replaced the discomfort. We kissed slowly as he pressed in and out of me.

  Then Ryan flipped us over, and I was on his lap as he slowly lowered me down on his cock. At first, the pressure was unbearable, but he kissed me and guided me until my body relaxed.

  “You’re so beautiful.”

  His hands clutched my bottom as he pulled me into him. I rubbed against him, and I felt incredible. His mouth took one of my nipples, and I threw my head back.

  “That’s it, baby. Let go. I got you.”

  I lost myself in the moment, in him, in us. I was so close. My breath hitched and Ryan took over, guiding my movement, pressing me closer and closer to him until I couldn’t hold back anymore. I descended into ecstasy and rode the wave of pleasure with him until we collapsed back down to Earth.

  He held me so close and kissed me on the forehead. I never wanted to be apart from him.

  He withdrew from me. I looked down beside us—bloodstained sheets. Ryan seemed to notice as well. A proud smile graced his face.

  He held me close and kissed me again.

  What have I done?

  I didn’t regret our lovemaking at all. I never would. It was all I wanted and more. But how could I leave now? Tears threatened to consume me.

  “Hey, look at me.”

  I slowly forced myself to make eye contact, blinking back the tears.

  “I love you too, Princess.”

  Ryan

  SHE LOVED ME? SHE LOVED ME?

  No one had ever told me that they loved me. Ever. Not my mom. Not my foster parents. No one.

  Did she mean it? I doubted it.

  Fuck, I loved her too.

  But she was promised to another guy. And I had been dumb enough to tell her how I felt too. Now it would be even more painful when she left me.

  I went to the bathroom and threw away the condom before quickly returning to her side.

  One look at the bloodstained sheets and pride swelled in my chest.

  She was mine. She had only ever been mine, no one else’s.

  No one had ever been mine, just mine, and I had never been anyone’s.

  Why was I being such a pussy? Giselle didn’t love Miguel. She loved me.

  If I let her fly back home without asking her to stay, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.

  And like she said, I didn’t live my life with regrets.

  She rolled out of the sheets, and I stared at her naked body as she headed into the bathroom. I wanted to wake up with her every day. She came back to bed a few minutes later.

  I hugged her. “Babe, can we talk?”

  “Of course.”

  An empty feeling coiled in the pit of my stomach. “I know I don’t have much, but I don’t want you to go home. Stay here. With me. I’ll take care of you.”

  She turned away from me. “Don’t, Ryan. Don’t ask me that. You know I can’t.”

  I turned her back to face me. “Why? Why can’t you? I can make you happy. You love me, for fuck’s sake. I love you. You just lost your virginity to me. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”

  “Yes, of course it does. It means everything to me. You mean everything to me. But I can’t move here. I have a duty to my country. To my subjects. What if I asked you to leave the navy? Walk away from the SEALs forever?”

  “That’s different. I can’t. I’m under a contract.”

  “No, it’s not different—it’s the same thing. The exact same thing. You have responsibilities to your country, and so do I.”

  I knew she was right, although I couldn’t help but think there was a way we could make this work.

  “Well, what if you just don’t marry Miguel? Things could change. I don’t always have to be a SEAL.” Once I said that I realized how far gone I was with this girl to even consider giving up my career for her . . .

  Being a SEAL was all I’d ever had, all I’d ever wanted to be. If I gave that up, I had nothing.

  “Ryan, I will marry Miguel. The date is set. We have sent the invitations. The palace has spent so much money on the wedding. I have to marry him.”

  My helplessness turned to rage. “Then why did you tell me you love me? And sleep with me?”

  She placed her arms around me, and I rested my head on her chest. “Because I do love you. And I am happy that you are the first man I have ever slept with. It was everything I imagined and more. You will always be in my heart, Ryan. It doesn’t matter how much I want to be with you . . . I can’t.”

  She was right. We were star-crossed lovers. But no matter how much my head understood, I couldn’t explain it to my heart.

  Giselle

  WE SPENT OUR FINAL DAY together making love and taking long walks on the beach. I never wanted to leave.

  Today was the day I would say goodbye to Ryan. Forever. I felt that we had lived a lifetime in the past two weeks.

  But it was time for my fairy tale to end. I had to go home.

  Ryan drove me to the airport. We hadn’t talked much about our future since the night I’d lost my virginity. We had both silently accepted the inevitable.

  Ryan parked his truck and walked me over to the check-in counter.

  He brushed his hair out of his face. “So, this is goodbye.”

  “Yes. This is goodbye.” I didn’t know what else to say. Didn’t want to make this harder than it already was. “Ryan, I want you to know something. You’re a great man. You have become successful against all odds. You are kind, honorable, and sweet. You took your time with me and were always a gentleman. You taught me so much. I’ll never forget you.”

  He cupped my face one last time. One last kiss. Our lips met, and I savored every second of his touch.

  He finally pulled away, a somber look on his face. “You were right.”

  “About what?”

  “I’ll never be a prince. Goodbye, Giselle.”

  And with that, he turned around and walked out of the terminal.

  Leaving me alone with my broken heart.

  And I knew I would regret saying goodbye to him forever.

  Ryan

  I GOT INTO MY CAR, BLASTED THE stereo, and headed straight to the beach.

  How could I have let her go?

  I was a fucking Navy SEAL. I could’ve fought harder for her. I was a better man than Miguel. Why did he get to marry her instead of me?

  Wait—did I want to marry her?

  The idea of marrying some woman I hadn’t even known for a month seemed insane, though some of my buddies married their wives very fast. As SEALs, we never had time to make strong relationships, which was also why our divorce rate was so high. It was hard to build a lasting relationship when we were constantly deployed.

  I had told Giselle over and over that I never wanted to get married. Ever. And that I didn’t want to have any kids.

  But was that still true? I loved playing with my buddies’ kids. Maybe it was because I never knew my father. How could I be a good father or husband when I had never had an example of one?

  And who had arranged her marriage? Her father? King Rémy? Did he really want his daughter to live a life of misery? Did he know what kind of sleazebag Miguel was?

  I doubted it.

  I picked up my phone. Erik answered on the first ring.

  “What’s up, bro? Did she leave?”

  �
�Yup.”

  “You okay?”

  “Nope.”

  “I’m sorry, dude. I remember when Aria left me. I was a mess.”

  Understatement of the year. I had to drag Erik out of bed to get him to work on time. And he was my commanding officer.

  “I remember. But she showed up during basic in your class.”

  “Yup. Fate has a way of working things out.”

  “Yeah, well, I doubt Giselle is going to leave her life of luxury to become a Navy SEAL. Or to become a Navy SEAL’s wife.”

  “But you love her, man; I’ve never seen you pressed like this. Did you try to get her to stay?”

  “Yeah, that ship has sailed. I begged her to and she said no. She’s a princess. It’s not that easy.”

  “Nothing worth doing ever is.”

  I paused. No. Love definitely wasn’t easy.

  But nothing worth having ever was. I had worked so hard to become a SEAL. BUD/S was legit hell. There were so many nights that I had wanted to quit, but I pushed through, knowing the end result would be worth all the pain and misery to get there.

  Giselle was mine. I wasn’t going to let her go. Not without a fight.

  But I had made a mistake by asking her without offering a solution to her problems.

  I needed to talk to her father. The king.

  Until she walked down the aisle, I still had a chance.

  “Hey, can I get some more leave?”

  “No, you just got back from Europe.”

  Fuck. “Please? I’ll take your duty for a month.”

  “When?”

  “Now. I have to go stop her wedding.”

  “Then definitely not. I don’t want you to get arrested on foreign soil. I can see the headline now. ‘Navy SEAL Gets Arrested Breaking up the Royal Wedding.’ No. Didn’t you learn anything from me? Remember when I was in the paper with Aria? I was wearing that fucking mermaid tail.”

  I chuckled. “Yeah, dude. That was fucking hilarious.”

  “No, it wasn’t.”

  “Then come with me.”

  “You serious?”

  “Deadly.”

  “Dammit, Ryan.” He paused. I never asked Erik for favors. I was the best fucking SEAL in the platoon. I needed him to come through.

  “Please, man? This is my only chance. I love her.”

  He sighed. “Fine. I’ll take care of the leave. And you’re taking my duty for two months, not one. Also, let’s bring Dax along. You know, since he knows the country.”

  I had the best friends in the universe. They were my family.

  It wasn’t over between Giselle and me. I was going to get my princess.

  Giselle

  I GLANCED AT MYSELF IN THE mirror. My tiara was adorned with jewels, and my dress was hand beaded with a stunning train. My hair had been curled and coifed, and the makeup artist had spent hours giving me the perfect glow.

  I looked more beautiful than ever.

  But I felt hopeless.

  It was my wedding day—it was supposed to be the happiest day of my life, but the girl staring back at me looked miserable.

  Breathe. Tears pricked my eyes. Don’t cry. Please don’t cry.

  The world would see me as a princess bride, but I saw myself as a fraud. A spineless coward who was about to enter a life of misery and heartache all because I didn’t have the guts to stand up to my father, the king, and tell him that I was in love with another man. Not just another man, but a hero, a warrior.

  A few hundred years ago, it would’ve been much simpler. All Ryan would have to do is win a battle and then ask for my hand in marriage. Many countries were founded by warriors. Ryan may think his lineage isn’t good enough for a princess, but he was dead wrong.

  And Ryan must’ve forgotten me. I had called him almost daily since I left California. I had planned to beg him to take me back. See if we could find a solution. Even delay the wedding. But once I couldn’t get ahold of him, I realized he must have moved on.

  It was my fault; I’d told him repeatedly we had no future together. I’d been too scared. Too prideful to make it work.

  I would never forgive myself for breaking his heart. And mine.

  My aunt and my cousin Lucia walked into the room.

  I choked back my tears.

  My aunt’s eyes brightened. “Giselle, you look beautiful.”

  A beautiful disaster. I was about to betray my heart—make a vow to a man I didn’t love. I couldn’t even begin to think about the horror of my wedding night. There was no way I could have sex with Miguel after I had lost my virginity to Ryan. The thought of another man touching me made my skin crawl. My heart still held out for Ryan.

  I was so pathetic.

  No. I couldn’t do this. I was better than just some woman who’d marry for duty. I’d tried and tried, but one last look at my face in the mirror was enough. I couldn’t be a bride to anyone but the man I loved.

  “Aunt Sophie, I can’t go through with this. There’s something I need to tell you—”

  She placed her finger over my lips. “It’s just nerves.”

  “No. You don’t understand. I can’t do this. I just can’t!”

  She shook her head. “Now is not the time to get cold feet. It’s your wedding day.”

  Don’t remind me. “I know, but I’m not ready.”

  A smile graced her lips. “No one is ever really ready. You will be happy. I promise.”

  How could she promise my happiness?

  This was it. My last chance to end this charade.

  Lucia straightened my veil. “You look gorgeous. Everything will work out.”

  They both embraced me and then left the room.

  I walked out of my dressing chamber, feeling like I was going to throw up. As I headed to the back of the church, I glanced at all the limousines and photographers outside. There was even a horse-drawn carriage waiting to whisk Miguel and me away to our honeymoon suite.

  Maybe Miguel would agree to an annulment? There was no way he would want to leave me; he would do what the men in his country were notorious for—long marriages and multiple mistresses.

  My father greeted me, his blue eyes blinking back tears. “My princess. You look beautiful. Just like your mother did on our wedding day.”

  I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer. “Papa, I’m so sorry. But I can’t go through with this! You don’t understand. You see, I—”

  He embraced me tight before I could finish my words. “Giselle, I love you. Your groom is an honorable man. All I want is your happiness.”

  This was it. My last chance. “No, please! I don’t want to marry him. I can’t. I don’t love him! Please don’t make me do this.”

  He shook his head. “It’s too late; the world has its eyes on you. You must trust me.”

  My throat burned. He was right. The world was watching—I could’ve put an end to this at any point up until today. Now it was too late.

  I hated myself.

  I kissed my father on the cheek and took his arm. We stood behind the massive carved church doors. The notes of the wedding march began, and I knew my fate was sealed. Tears filled my eyes again and I was thankful for my veil.

  My father and I began walking down the aisle. Audible gasps filled the church as the crowd stood to greet me. I kept my gaze glued to the carpet, refusing to look at my groom. Maybe when the priest asked if anyone had an objection to this marriage, Ryan would pop up from the back of the pews and whisk me away.

  I finally lifted my head and looked around at the standing guests. I scanned the room, but Ryan was nowhere to be found.

  Maybe he hadn’t really loved me.

  No, that wasn’t it. That wasn’t it at all. I had pushed him away. I had broken his heart. Sleeping with him and then leaving, though he’d begged me to stay. Why on earth would he come to rescue me? I was a monster. Selfish. A pampered princess. I didn’t deserve a man like Ryan.

  Each step forward was like a dagger in my heart. Instead of appreciating
the beautiful music from the string quartet, I was lost within the cacophony in my mind.

  I could just reject Miguel at the altar . . .

  Yes, that was it! I would say I don’t instead of I do.

  I had one last chance to fix this. I was going to take my shot, no matter what it cost me.

  We approached the altar, and my resolve grew stronger. I would address the guests and Miguel. Apologize to my country and my family. And then run out the door.

  But when I finally looked up—

  My mouth flew open, and a flush of adrenaline tingled through my body.

  Ryan stood in front of me, a cocky grin on his face, dressed in his black dress uniform with his gold trident pin shining. He had even shaved! I almost didn’t recognize him.

  Oh my God! What was going on?

  My gaze turned to my father, who didn’t even look shocked. Did he know about this? Why hadn’t he told me?

  I then looked back to Ryan, who was standing next to Erik and Dax. They had flown here too?

  Where was Miguel?

  Was I dreaming?

  This was all too overwhelming. My heart raced. Dizziness took hold of my body, but my father held me up.

  “Papa, what’s going on?”

  He spoke in a low whisper, holding my hands in his. “Giselle, Ryan came to me yesterday. Actually . . . he broke into the castle with his friends and slipped by our security.”

  Ryan had no shame. He could’ve just called me, but he had to show off. He was full of surprises. I didn’t know whether to be pissed off or impressed.

  “I was angry—at first. But he told me that he loved you and would do anything for you. He also told me about what Miguel said to you in Paris. I confronted Miguel, and he admitted that he has many girlfriends.”

  Wow. I was surprised that Miguel had been honest. Maybe he had been dreading this marriage as much as me.

  “Ryan’s an honorable young man, a warrior. A Navy SEAL. He asked for your hand in marriage, and I gave him my blessing, but only if you will have him. I only want for you to be happy. If you don’t want to get married, we can call the wedding off now.”