HERO (The Complete Series)

by Bella Love-Wins

With what seemed like no effort at all, his strong arms wrapped around me. He gently pulled my mouse-beast, my pounding arms and me into his safety. I crumpled into his chest and sobbed before I could contain myself. The tears and heaving were unending. He never moved. He just stood there silently, stroking my back, waiting for my unravelling session to pass. Eventually, it did.

  Matt picked me up and walked past my room, and down the hall to his. He lowered me gently to sit on the side of his immense bed. He left the room, returning shortly afterward with a glass of water.

  “Here, drink this.” He sat beside me and lifted the water to my lips, helping me drink while he let some more time pass.

  Chapter 9

  “I want to apologize for the past few days,” Matt admitted when he felt I had recovered enough from my episode. I think he knew I wasn’t ready to talk, so he continued. “I was being righteous and stubborn. When you made that call, I felt there was no point. Trust is one of those things for me. And when someone betrays my trust, I usually have no problem walking, and I never look back. Ever. Well, not until now. Call it a weakness, right up there with my stubbornness.”

  He paused briefly and let out a long sigh before he started again. “About three years before my mother passed away, I found out she had been cheating on my dad. I had just started taking on extra responsibilities with their businesses. That night, I had decided to go into the office after classes to finish a report she had assigned to me. I was so eager to make a good impression. I got up to the offices and thought I would be the only one there, so I went to my cubicle and got started on the report.”

  “She must have gone to dinner with the man she was seeing, because shortly after I got to the office, she stepped off the elevator with him. They were laughing and flirting with each other, and soon, the flirting turned into kissing and fondling, just yards away from my desk. I sat frozen, and for a few minutes, I felt guilty that I had witnessed their stolen time. How stupid was that? She’s cheating, and I’m feeling guilty.”

  “The man was the first to notice me in the corner. By then, she was bent over a table and he was about to…” he shuddered from the memory, and stopped speaking for a few moments. “When he saw me, he tapped on her shoulder and pointed to me, asking her if the bloke in the corner was her kid. He was some hot shot British guy they had hired to lead the international retail business development team. He was leading her all right.”

  “Well, long story short, trust is not something that I give easily, and it’s very rare that I bounce back from what I see as betrayal. I still feel you betrayed me, Kate. You could have trusted me. You could have trusted the police to work as their system is intended to function. And you didn’t.”

  Somehow, his apology didn’t sound like one anymore. “So why did you just apologize to me?” I asked weakly. My voice was almost inaudible. I had barely any energy left, and most of it was being used to sit and listen.

  “Because now I understand why you did it. And because you didn’t deserve the way I treated you this past week.” He got off the bed and kneeled on the floor in front of me. He stared up at me with the saddest eyes. “Can you forgive me, Kate?”

  I looked down at him, unable to answer just then.

  “The last week has been horrible,” he confessed. “I hated myself for being so stubborn. Every day, I wrestled with opening up to you, and my obstinate side would win. I haven’t slept since we left the Hamptons. When I did sleep I dreamed about you. There were so many nights I wanted to come to you and make up. And not speaking to you was the worst. No, nix that. Not being able to be close to you was the worst.”

  My whole chest ached hearing him share with such strong and painful feelings injected deeply into each word.

  “Please tell me it’s not too late for us, Kate,” he said. “After the last week, I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but I have to try. I love you so much, my heart aches all the time.”

  He tore me apart with his confession. I leaned forward and hugged him around his neck, still not able to verbalize an answer that fit what was bursting from my heart. He wrapped his solid arms around my waist and stood up with me. We stayed in that embrace for some time, both frayed and healing; overcome by emotion.

  * * *

  Matt was the first to come out of our embrace and speak. He let me back down so my feet touched the floor, and held my shoulders as though I would fall if he let me go. I probably would have.

  “So, do you need some time to let me know?” he asked.

  “No,” I answered.

  “Do you forgive me?”

  “Yes, and I’m sorry too,” I said. As a radio show host, being at a loss for words was not a common thing for me at all. Until I met Matt. I smiled up at him, thinking about how inarticulate I could be around him. I was off balance with him, and I doubted it would ever change. It was soul-love.

  “So will you watch what I wanted to show you now?” he finally asked after the happy beams of radioactive light streaming from his face came back into balance.

  “What is it?”

  “See for yourself,” he answered. He turned on the flat screen TV mounted on his bedroom wall and switched around a few channels. He must have had every cable and satellite channel on earth, because the surfing wouldn’t end. For a moment, he stopped on the same soap opera I had been watching, and my heart sank, thinking, Oh God, please don’t tell me he wants to confess he’s a closet soap opera addict.

  Thankfully, he kept surfing, and eventually stopped on a local news channel. “We may have to wait a few minutes before it cycles back, but I want you to see it first-hand.”

  We sat and waited.

  “And while we’re waiting, remind me to break the treadmill and get you four tubs of ice cream. You’ve lost so much weight. Too much.”

  “Oh, you noticed?”

  “God, yes,” he answered. “I would know. I’ve held you enough. You felt like paper when I just picked you up. You were already so skinny before, but now, sorry to say, you look weak and malnourished.”

  I smiled and leaned on his shoulder. “Don’t be sorry. I agree.”

  “Can I get you something to eat while we wait?” he stood up to head down to the kitchen, but turned toward the TV when a reporter came on. “Wait. This is it. Listen to this.”

  The New York City Police is being praised tonight for breaking up a longstanding organized crime ring that spanned the Tri-State area and as far as Chicago to West Virginia for over three decades. Lead Detective Robert Karm Bateman of the 18th Precinct partnered with the State Police and FBI in a seven month undercover investigation that has culminated in the arrest of seventeen high-ranking members of the Italian and Irish mobs.

  Reports of arrests are still coming in, however authorities have confirmed the case has also led to the capture of the suspects believed to be responsible for the devastating lower Manhattan row house fire late last month, as well as radio station bombing earlier in December. We are also happy to report the safe release of kidnapping victims George and Richard Wilkinson as a result of this investigation. New York residents may recall the couple as the station manager of the same radio station that was bombed, and the well-known New York billionaire. Authorities confirm they have been hospitalized at Grace General. We understand they did they suffered some injuries in the hands of their kidnappers, but are in relatively good health. Stay tuned as we learn of further updates on this story.

  In other local news…

  I couldn’t believe it. “Th-they found them? Richard and George are safe?”

  “Yes,” he answered gleefully. “Bateman found the SIM card in your jacket pocket. The rest, as they say, is history. You’re safe now, Kate.”

  “Thank God,” I cheered. “You mean I can walk the streets of New York, have a job and get my life back?”

  “Yes, Kate,” he replied. “It’s over.”

  “Wait,” I stopped him. “What did they mean when they said George and Richard suffered? Do you mean…the finger w
as…” I trailed off, not able to imagine what they had been through.

  “Unfortunately, yes. They were tortured. Richard lost a finger. These men were not vanilla version criminals, Kate. They were the real deal. And to put things in perspective, not to be cold, but Richard got off lucky. He’s alive and will be fine. That’s what matters.”

  “We have to go to the hospital and see them, Matt,” I got up and walked to my closet to get my jacket.

  “No need, Kate,” he said. “The news report is a little stale. They’ve already been released. I spoke to them an hour ago. They’re at one of my hotels now.”

  “Okay, then. Let’s go see them now,” I insisted, already zipping up my winter jacket and stepping into my shoes.

  “Already taken care of, Kate. I just sent Ross to pick them up. They’ll be over here in an hour. And Sara will be here later tonight. We’ll be able to ring in the New Year together.”

  “Really?” I was so relieved; I ran over and peppered Matt with countless kisses. I was buzzing. I had to see them right away. They had been such good friends to me, and over the last few months, were the closest thing to family that I had.

  “Yes,” he answered as he unzipped my jacket and threw it on the floor. “Now look at me.”

  I looked up and into his eyes. God, I loved him so much. Our eyes locked and never broke contact as he leaned in and connected his lips to mine. I relished his touch and parted his lips with my tongue, yearning to reconnect with him completely. My dreams, showers and long baths could never stack up to how Matt made me feel just standing near him.

  I was the luckiest woman in the world. He was not just my vision of the ideal man from a physical standpoint. He was also the kindest man I knew. And even his alpha-male dominance, stubbornness and other admitted failings appealed to me. His generosity, compassion and consideration were unimaginable. Oh yes, and the firefighter thing. Good God, could I ever stop picturing him standing over me in his uniform? I didn’t want to, ever. His wealth meant little to me, but it was a relief that he used it to do good for others.

  My emotional high was a stark contrast to how I felt just hours earlier. How did I get through this? I had to give all the credit to meeting Matt after the fire. He was a real man and my hero. Everything was looking up; including his manhood.

  Chapter 10

  I pressed into him and grabbed him around the waist to felt his hardness on me. I had an urgent need to feel his manly heat and be skin-to-skin with him. We quickly slipped off our clothes and I knew I was aroused enough to climb him and make love to him standing up. Instead, he pulled away and took a step back. I was confused, and wondered if he took that step back to give me a running start.

  “I want to look at you, Kate” he said, his hungry eyes wandering wildly up and down my body. “I just want to watch your gorgeous body before I ravish you whole.”

  After what was an eternity to my intensifying arousal, he wound down his voyeur session and moved in. He cupped my face, reaching in for a deeply passionate kiss. My channel clenched all the way up to my stomach. I couldn’t wait any longer. Desperate need had overtaken any restraint I had left. I pulled away from his kiss and tugged on his arm as I got on the bed. His eyes widened and he followed me into bed. I scooted up to hold the headboard, got up on my knees, and turned my head to look back at him.

  “I want you inside me now, Matt,” I said, unable to hide the pressing need. I kept holding on to the headboard, but stretched my arms out and spread my legs apart to make room for him to kneel behind me. He went wild, and groaned as he got in position. He grasped my hips to steady himself and for leverage before driving his hardness past my opening and deep inside me.

  I let out a loud, untamed moan as he entered me, insane and brimming over with hunger. I gripped the headboard tightly for leverage and pushed back on him so I could take in every inch. He kept one strong hand on my hip and reached the other around to my scorching hot mound, viciously flicking fingers against my inflamed clit that was so impatient for attention. I cupped one hand over his prowling fingers, pressing them down and rocking against his marauding hand and hardness at the same time.

  “I want you so bad, Kate,” he said, shifting his hand from my hip to my shoulder so he could repeatedly deliver a deeper, more erotic assault on my channel. His words reverberated around my mind until it sent a violent climax though my womb. I let out a yelp that echoed back to me in his large room. The sound met his orgasm head on, sending him full-steam-ahead to one final lunge to release his heat into me. “Oh fuck, Kate,” he shouted, and rocked himself slowly to decompress from his ecstasy. He lowered his head and nuzzled my neck for a moment. Before long, we both stretched out and flopped down to the bed for much needed rest and recovery.

  “I love you, woman,” he said when the words would come.

  I laughed weakly. “I love you too, Matt.”

  He rolled over and kissed me on the cheek before he dug deep to pull himself out of bed. “I could take you all over again, but your friends will be here any minute. Let’s get ready.”

  I looked up at his beautiful body and was turned on all over again. Sweet Jesus. “Have you heard of killing two birds with one…?” I teased, looking at his cock as I got out of the bed too.

  “Mark my words,” he started and took my hand. “You will never have to ask this firefighter twice. Come on let’s hurry.”

  Hero libido.

  We rushed into his sprawling shower and he turned the water on. It was instantly the perfect warmth, lapping over us both with rejuvenating delight. With little time to waste, I grabbed the soap and bath sponge, and alternated between scrubbing his body and mine. It felt like déjà vu. He smiled his contagious smile, like his mind was filled with naughty thoughts. I let the water wash all the soap off our bodies, admiring every inch of his delicious frame in anticipation.

  I didn’t wait for him to pick me up. Instead, I reached my arms around his neck. I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his hips, grateful for his immense strength and the friction that our clean, soap-stripped bodies created. Matt didn’t miss a beat. In no time, he was against the wall and inside me, possessing me with each movement.

  I rocked my hips and rode him hard as he lowered his lips to my neck. His sensuous touch on my tender neck undid me, and must have unleashed his climax too. We came in synchrony, and uttered loud, carnal grunts that distorted and bounced back off the marble tiles and re-entered us louder than they first came out.

  Eventually, he let me down to my feet so I could stand on my own. Our eyes locked in a stare that gripped me completely. I was vulnerable, in admiration, and utterly love-struck. It was a beautiful thing.

  * * *

  As we went back into Matt’s room, his phone pinged, and he saw that George had sent him a text that they would be late. I was glad for the extra time. I left his room and walked into what I started calling my Holt’s closet, to search for a simple dress to wear. With the unwanted weight loss, everything I had tried on in the room hung off me so unattractively, I was tempted to throw on another sweater and jeans ensemble.

  It was a special night, and I wanted to look my best for everyone, so I kept looking. In between two well-tailored business suits, I found a red, long-sleeved, knee-length, wrap dress. It was a lush, velvety texture, and fortunately for me, had an adjustable, soft, belted waistband. I tried it on and it was perfect. I kept it on and found the matching pair of suede, ankle-cuff pumps that I had been dying to wear from the second I had laid eyes on them.

  I took my robe with me to my room to finish getting dressed. I looked in my bathroom mirror and saw that although I was happy and glowing, my face was drawn in. I needed a little makeup, and probably put on more than I needed, trying to hide my gaunt, hollow cheeks. My hair was a wreck too. I hadn’t had a haircut in over a month, so I pulled it all back into a high ponytail. From where I was standing, I felt it made my face look better.

  Matt was dressed and downstairs long before I had picked out my dress
. I had heard him as he passed the Holts closet. I still managed to get downstairs before anyone arrived. He walked toward me from the balcony when I made it to the bottom of the stairs. As always, he looked exquisite. He was in a crisp white shirt, black slacks and a pair of sleek, vintage, saddle dress shoes.

  “You look so gorgeous in that dress. I could rip it right off you and take you over and over again,” he whispered as his lips gently nibbled my ear.

  “With a dress like this one, you could probably get away with it, too,” I muttered.

  “I admit it. My cock is hard again and I want you more,” he confessed. He took my hand and placed it on his growing erection.

  “Oh God,” I groaned, feeling a warm arousal growing in my belly.

  “You’re so lucky they’re on their way up,” he said and grinned. “Ross just called. He’s parking the car.”

  “Great,” I answered, dropping my hand from his member to my side. I was half-relieved, but also a little disappointed there wasn’t enough time. “What are we going to feed them? Think we have time to make some quick hors d’oeuvres in the oven?”

  “Ross has it all taken care of,” he answered. “He picked up a lot of catered food, alcohol and desserts from Melman’s. Didn’t you see him follow me off the elevator when I came in earlier?”

  “No,” I said softly, remembering the sorry ass state I was when he had come home.

  “It’s already laid out in the kitchen, so you won’t need to do anything.”

  “What about entertainment?” I asked.

  “I think we all have had enough action in the last little while,” he answered. “A nice, quiet night will do us all a world of good.”

  “You’ve got a point,” I replied. “And there’s so much to watch on TV if anyone’s bored.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Wait, before I forget, do you want to tell me anything about a daytime soap opera addiction?”