Her Real-Life Hero

by Vicki Ballante

  “Oh sorry. I didn’t think about your ear.”

  “Good morning.” He bent down and gave her a thorough kiss.

  “Morning breath.” She swatted him on the arm.

  “I’ve always dreamed of waking up to a kiss first thing in the morning.”

  “You’re hopeless.” She sat and stretched, surprisingly ready for the day, wearing her nighty which she must have put on in the middle of the cool night. As she stood, he yanked on the hem, making her topple over and flop onto the bed.

  “Where are you going?” He hummed in her ear, sending a delightful shiver through her.

  Nuh-uh, no time for nooky, Joanie. “I have to be at the office in forty minutes, and I can’t survive without a packed lunch.”

  “Five minutes?”

  “Nope. I’m awake now and desperate for a shower. See ya.” Springing to her feet, she gave him a choppy wave and a curt grin.

  One of my reasons I like my space. Although wonderful, the man is too romantic and needy for my liking. Yet, I suppose I was the one who climbed into bed with him last night. And despite the lack of sleep space, I loved it.

  She sang as she gathered her clothes then started the water in the shower. If anything, having Theo in her home had been a fun experience, an adventure. At least she could tell her friends she wasn’t a virgin anymore—had even lived with a guy for a while.

  Today, she would get him to sign the divorce papers. No more romantic movies, flowers, or takeout. They had to return to reality.

  While she showered, her cell phone chimed. She stepped out, dried herself then read the message.

  Maggie: I’m in town tomorrow. Can I stay a couple of nights?

  Joanie stared at the screen, unable to think of the right reply. She had to get rid of Theo—until Maggie, the elder of her younger sisters, left, at least. Her response would be worse than Leonora’s. Joanie had been so strict with her sisters growing up—only allowing them to date a guy if they were over eighteen and serious. Nothing casual allowed.

  Maybe she had been too strict. In retrospect, she hadn’t realized how fun casual could be. Experimentation had proved a great stress relief and a huge blast.

  But Maggie wouldn’t understand her having a guy in her house. She’d always told her sisters the only guy she would sleep with would be her husband. Theo was her husband by the letter, not of the heart. How could she explain to Maggie what had happened?

  Nope. Theo had to go. Awkward.

  He’d been so sweet. So romantic, so forgiving, and he dealt with her craziness. How could she do it without offending him?

  Wrapping her towel around her damp body, she crept down the hallway and knocked on his door.

  He came out, his work shirt halfway buttoned, and the gorgeous trail of hairs visible. She averted her eyes. Oh, he is so yummy in his work clothes.

  “I need to ask you a favor. I hope you don’t mind.”

  His gaze dropped to her towel-sheathed form. “Hot, babe.” He wiggled his eyebrows and pursed luscious lips. Argh!

  “Listen to me. I need you to disappear for a few days. My sister, Maggie, is coming, and I can’t explain the whole thing to her. She’ll never understand.”

  He frowned, pressing his mouth into a skew line as if thinking about her request. If I could kiss him…. Bad timing.

  “Please.” She bobbed on her feet then almost lost grip of the towel. That wouldn’t be good—distracting him from the urgent.

  “Okay, I’ll do it. Only if you promise me….”

  “What?” She rolled her eyes.

  “Afterward, I can come back until the divorce is finalized.”

  “What if the magic stops you from leaving? What will I do?”

  Theo shrugged. “That I have no control over.”

  He bent to kiss her, the scent of his cologne sending warmth through her body, tightening her pussy. Would she ever grow bored of him? Would she miss him when he left, crave him?

  “I don’t want to mess up your relationship with your sister like I did your friend. I’ll pack my belongings tonight.”

  “She’s coming later after work.”

  “Oh, hang. I’d better get a move on.”

  “Sorry. Don’t worry about your things in my bedroom closet. She won’t look in there. Any stuff in her room, the lounge, dining room, and kitchen should be taken or hidden away.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Winking, he flung the door closed behind him.

  She smiled, relieved he understood and seemed flexible about the whole thing.

  She knocked again. “Listen, I know you’re incredibly busy. While you’re gone for the next few days, could you please get those papers filled in and signed? I’ll get them now.”

  He nodded, averting his eyes. “I’d better hurry.”

  “Leave the bed. I’ll put fresh linen on, so don’t bother to make it.”

  After the rush, she arrived at work a couple of minutes late. At least Maggie’s bedroom appeared untouched, and the house pretty much the same as it had a few years ago before her sister left.

  She typed a reply to her sister, saying she’d love to see her. Since they’d left home, she’d dropped the maternal role in their lives to a great degree. As adults, her sisters had become her good friends. They’d insisted they were fine and that she needed to concentrate on spending some years renewing her strength and finding herself. Although unable to communicate with them about her writing, she did message them often and chatted about everything else.

  So much for their idea of finding myself and enjoying time alone.

  Churning burned in her gut. What if Theo didn’t sign the papers? If so, it would become a contested divorce, and that could take months. Months of him parked in her home.

  Not that he sponged off her. He seemed to like to spoil her.

  Could just be the beginning. What if I begin to resent him, his closeness, his romance, and his gifts? Suffocation may become my daily portion.

  Leonora popped her head through her office doorway and smiled. “How’s it going?”

  “I’m good.” Her cheeks went hot. If Leonora knew how she’d treated the man she planned on divorcing….

  “Did you sign the papers?”

  “I did. I’m waiting on him.”

  Leonora sat in the chair opposite her. “He’s giving you a hard time about it?”

  “No, he was tired last night.” She cleared her throat. “Um…he’s going away for a couple of days.”

  “He doesn’t want the divorce as much as you do, does he?”

  “I’m not quite sure.” Joanie’s voice came out strained. “He said it’s for the best. I do wonder if he’s trying to delay. Who knows?”

  “Maybe he loves you. I shouldn’t have judged him so soon. I was shocked to see a man in your home and then discover you were married to him.”

  Joanie wanted to shout out, Me, too! but of course, couldn’t. She shuffled some papers around her desk. “I’d better get back to work. I have plenty of typing and admin to do because so much distracted me yesterday.”

  “I’m sure.” Her friend stood. “Let me know as soon as you get to the next step.”

  “Will do.” She nodded then dipped her head to try to focus on the papers on her desk.

  Of course, even when Leonora had left the room, everything was a blur. Somehow, her friend’s fervent need to see her divorced niggled her. Why, when before I wanted her support?

  The odd feeling stayed with her throughout the day. She tried to push it away with lots of caffeine and busyness, even chatting to Tina at tea break about a book she’d read, anything to numb the strange sensation in her gut that something wasn’t right in the land of her heart.

  Twenty minutes before closing time, Maggie sent her a message, saying she’d already settled in her room at home and couldn’t wait to see her.

  Joanie replied, “Me too.” But a funny lumpy feeling in her throat grew until time to leave. Driving home, she tried to imagine her sister in her bedroom but kept see
ing Theo. Images of the night before streamed through her mind—her body pressed against him, knocking him in her sleep which made him stir and move, the rise and fall of his chest in the moonlight, and the rhythmic sigh of his sleep breathing.

  I’m being unfair to Maggie!

  She stopped at the grocery store to buy ingredients for lasagna—Maggie’s favorite meal. Maybe if they watched a movie, Maggie would talk less and Joanie wouldn’t have to work so hard to hide things.

  As she entered her home, she called out to her. Maggie came running and enveloped her in a big hug. The woman went all out with affection.

  “Hi, Sis. How are you?” Maggie’s face projected strength, her crisp white blouse, black jeans, and classy wedges making her appear years older.

  “I’m good. Wow, you’re so grown up.” Joanie tucked her purse in the closet by the door and led her sister to the kitchen to unpack the groceries.

  Maggie laughed as she sat at the table, every movement colored with a solid, determined sense of poise. “It’s only been three months since my last visit. How much maturing could I do in that amount of time?”

  “You’re a full-on career woman now.”

  “Well, it’s great to get a permanent teaching position at last.”

  “And the kids, are they okay?” Joanie took out a pot to brown the ground beef.

  “They’re teenagers, what do you expect?”

  “You wanted to work with senior students.”

  “I love it, Joanie. There’s nothing like the feeling when they ask grueling questions about what I’m teaching them because it shows they’re getting it.”

  Joanie couldn’t help grinning. Her sister had worked hard to get to where she was. “You’re awesome. I’m so proud of you.” Joanie found an onion to chop. “I’m going to make your favorite, lasagna.”

  Maggie headed to the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of tea. “Aah, I so miss your pampering and fussing.”

  “Me, pampering and fussing?” She’d lost touch with that side of herself. In a way, she missed it.

  “I hate having to cook plus find time to mark papers or prepare lessons.”

  “All part of growing up.” She winked and her sister scowled. After pouring oil into the pan, Joanie opened the pack of ground beef and a can of tomatoes.

  Maggie handed her a glass of iced tea. “So, how’s work with you?”

  “All the same old, same old.”

  “When are you going to find a career?”

  Maggie didn’t mean any harm, but Joanie couldn’t let on about her writing. Not yet. Not until she’d made a success of it.

  “Hey, my career is saving money for my Cape Town holiday. I’m not about to change jobs and forego my four weeks of leave a year from long service. If I start a new job, I’ll have to wait a whole year before I get just two weeks.”

  Maggie sipped her drink while Joanie fried the onions and meat then sprinkled an array of Italian herbs and spices into the mixture.

  “You deserve it so much. I can’t wait until your dream holiday materializes.”

  “Well, it’s not going to happen in the middle of winter. Durban winters are lovely, but I’m not ready to face the windy, rainy winter in the Cape.”

  “Dundee is cold. I had to remove so many layers when I drove into Durban. You guys are spoiled.” Her sister lived in a small semi-rural town in the north of Kwazulu Natal where trees and birds abounded.

  “Not in summer.”

  “It gets hot there, too, yet it’s a different kind of heat. A dry heat. More bearable in a way. I’ll never get used to Durban’s cloying humidity.”

  Happiness infused Joanie as they chatted. At least Maggie hadn’t noticed any of her turmoil from earlier. Theo. What is he doing at this moment? I’m so glad the magic hasn’t transported him into my home again. Unless he’s hiding in one of the rooms….

  “Excuse me. I’ll be back in a minute.” She gestured toward the stove. “Won’t you stir the mince?”

  Nodding, her sister stood to oblige.

  Joanie strode through the house, checking behind every door and in both showers. Whew! Theo hasn’t appeared. He’d removed all evidence he had been in the house. She double-checked the bathroom he’d used to ensure he hadn’t left a trace—even some telltale beard hairs in the basin or a handkerchief or belt—anything.

  Like he never existed. Did I imagine the whole thing? She shuddered.

  She opened the closet in her room and spotted Theo’s belongings. He’d placed the model on a bare shelf, so she stared at it a second then ran her hands along one of his sweaters. Leaning in, she took a quick whiff to see if his familiar smell would get her feelings out of kilter as it usually did.

  Maggie spoke from the doorway. “Do I need to put the water in? The Bolognese is starting to catch on the bottom of the pan.”

  Joanie jerked away, flinging the closet closed with a bang. “Yes, please.”

  “You okay?”

  “Um…yeah, sure.”

  Maggie hurried off, and Joanie took a deep breath. Theo is real, oh so real, and I didn’t imagine him. Her heart rate eased. What a relief! Maybe I’m happy I did actually experience mind-blowing sex and didn’t conjure it up. She joined Maggie in the kitchen.

  Her sister glanced at her. “Please take over. I don’t want to mess up the lasagna. The last time I had one was here.”

  “Really?” Joanie took the spoon from her. “Don’t you go out to eat?”

  “Seldom. I’m not dating right now.”

  “Why not?”

  Maggie jerked her face toward Joanie. “Excuse me?”

  She grinned. “You’re twenty-one. Why aren’t you dating?”

  “This comes from the older sister who wouldn’t let me go on a group date with good-boy Ethan in tenth grade.”

  “You’re an adult.”

  “I know I’ve been on my own two feet for the last few years, but I still feel like I have to check with you about things. How crazy is that?”

  Joanie stirred the frying mince. “Pass me the kettle.”

  “Why?”

  “I want water for the sauce.”

  Maggie brought it to her and giggled. “You have gotten eccentric. Maybe being on your own isn’t good for you.”

  Joanie coughed and took the kettle from her, avoiding her gaze. She poured in the rest of the water—just the right amount to leave the sauce to bubble while she made a salad. She went to the fridge and grabbed a head of lettuce.

  “Smells gorgeous. I miss your cooking.”

  “I miss having someone to cook for even though I hate cooking.” She took out the makings for a salad. “I don’t fuss much anymore.”

  “What a pity. I should come live at home again.”

  Joanie gasped and lost her grip on the lettuce, the crisp greens tumbling to the countertop. She glanced at her sister. Phew, at least she didn’t notice my response to her statement. For some strange reason, Theo seemed part of her home. How could she not feel it with the memories he’d given her?

  She chatted to her sister about the classroom where she worked and some of the latest books she’d read. They had a wonderful supper and sat down to view the thriller in the lounge.

  Joanie kept on remembering Theo next to her. What a relief the movie wasn’t a romance. She hated to admit her real problem was being a hopeless romantic, and Theo had brought that out of her. He’d stirred the sappy side of her and played havoc with her mind.

  Yawning like crazy, she battled to stay awake through the movie even though the woman’s life was at risk being followed by a dangerous killer.

  Maggie patted her awake a couple of times. “Getting old, Sis?”

  She stuck out her tongue at her. Would Maggie work out she’d had two nights of thrilling yet exhausting sex with minimal sleep?

  Eventually, the FBI agent saved the woman, and the killer got incarcerated. The end music chimed through the room, and Joanie yawned. “I’m going to bed. Had a long day. See you in the morning, Mags. Eve
rything okay in your room?”

  “Still the same room. Feels like ages since I stayed there. Get some sleep. I’d swear you were forty-six, not twenty-six, the way you go on. Or have you been partying to the early hours of the morning?” Maggie giggled.

  Joanie’s eyes shot open, jerking all sleepiness away. As her sibling gathered her slippers to go to the room, she studied her face. Typical Maggie, teasing me. She meant nothing. She probably meant it would snow in Durban if I went partying. Of course, it never snows in Durban, and I never go partying.

  But she’d discovered a shocking side of herself. A sexy tiger, yet dreamy romantic. Okay, she’d known romanticism ran through her veins more than oxygen, but she’d put that part of herself on hold until she was ready. Seemed it wasn’t something she could switch on and off by command.

  Her bed brought no comfort because Theo didn’t fill the other half. Maybe I should text him. Wonder if he’d sneak in and spend the night with me. She grimaced. No. Better to let it be. Gotta wean myself from him since we’ll be divorced soon and he’ll be gone.

  The lamp still on, she took out her laptop to write. Maggie wouldn’t burst into her room, so maybe if she wrote until past midnight, her eyes would shut despite her thoughts going haywire. Her body would force her troubled mind to sleep.

  The first half an hour, the words flowed. Her characters realized their attraction for one another and considered acting on it. The island had become an adventure world to them as they discovered places to find food and they had built a decent shelter. Life had improved for them in some ways, but it had to get a whole lot worse before the end. The hardest part as an author—making them suffer.

  She sat for several minutes, trying to work out how to plot a scene. The plans of where her characters were and what they would say to each other weren’t working.

  She relaxed onto the wad of pillows resting against her headboard and tried to come up with something.

  Closing her eyes, blackness didn’t take over. Instead, images of her sexual encounters the last few days flashed before her, stronger than ever, stirring arousal in her pussy and heating her throughout—more powerful than ever before. She groaned. Not while my sister is here.