Her Real-Life Hero

by Vicki Ballante

  “See.” She shook her hands at the screen. “I’m supposed to take the divorce papers to him this evening after work. I have a date set. I’m sure that’s what he wants.”

  Her friends stared at the screen then at her.

  “What?”

  “You’re crazy, woman. Can’t you read between the lines?” Tina’s voice boomed while she gestured at the e-mail. “The guy wants you, but he’s scared to push it.”

  Joanie frowned. “What?”

  Leonora laughed. “You’re supposed to be a woman. You’re supposed to read the unspoken messages behind the words.”

  She read through the e-mail again, allowing her mind to open to the possibilities Theo might not be pushing her away because he didn’t want her.

  “And you’re a writer,” Tina quipped.

  Joanie gaped at her friend. Leonora showed no surprise. How did they discover her secret passion of writing romances? Hell, she liked it that she didn’t have keep it to herself anymore. They knew her secrets, and they still cared. How freeing. “How did you figure it out?”

  They both gave her a knowing smile.

  She raised her hand in a stop signal. “Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  Tina laughed. “We read your article in the paper. It said at the bottom you were an emerging romance writer.”

  She hadn’t even bothered buying the paper, so upset by Theo’s good-bye e-mail. So, he’d let the world know who she was. He didn’t know her obsession with keeping things private.

  “I found your article mind-blowing,” Leonora admitted. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about it, but I’ve been so busy. Then today, I realized I hadn’t seen you for so long and figured something must be wrong.”

  “Well, now my whole life is laid bare before my friends. I think I hid behind a wall of being sensible and responsible for too long.”

  Tina gave a lopsided grin. “Nothing like true love to clear away all the masks and clutter.”

  “I don’t like feeling so weak and defenseless.”

  Leonora frowned. “I would hardly call you weak and defenseless. You’re a rock. Maybe you’ve had a wobble, but you still need to believe in yourself. If Theo doesn’t want you, there will be another man out there some day. But I think you should go get the man before he does quit on you. It’s very cruel to make him wait five years.”

  Joanie laughed. “I don’t think I could wait another hour, never mind five years.” Happy tears flooded her eyes this time, and she blinked them away. “Ladies, I’d better get busy before the boss comes and makes me work overtime.”

  They both agreed and left the room for their own stations.

  Work was so much easier to accomplish with new hope. Theo may want her after all. The nerves kicked in half an hour later. What do I say to him? What if Leonora and Tina are wrong and he doesn’t want me, is just using the five-year thing to break up with me gently?

  Chapter Twenty

  Theo finished unpacking everything from the chest of drawers and squashed them into his wardrobe. It wasn’t like he needed the extra space. He could always use the spare room closet for his non-seasonal clothes.

  The antique furniture had to go. Not only did he keep on seeing Joanie’s face when he took things out of the drawers, but he’d had repetitive nightmares with her inside them. Joanie hurt, pulling away from him. The beautiful woman doubling over with grief after discovering her parents were dead. He hadn’t even been there when it happened, so why did he feel an odd empathy for her? He’d also had sexy dreams of making love to her on the beach. It almost seemed like the desert island in her book. They had sex in an elevator, on the roof of a high-rise building, in a forest—exotic, crazy places that were totally impractical. He’d awakened covered in sweat and with a hard-on. He’d bring himself to climax, trying to conjure the feeling of the dream but with little success.

  Residual magic remained in the antique, and he couldn’t bear the pressure anymore. Why couldn’t the ghost leave him alone to work out the relationship in his own way?

  He shuffled to the kitchen to heat a frozen dinner for supper. How would he handle another night of dreams? Maybe he should stay awake all night, working or watching movies. Of course, that wouldn’t be possible. He’d fallen asleep at work earlier, had dropped off staring at his computer screen and jerked awake as his head dropped to the side.

  A shuffling sound came from outside the front door. Who’s that now? The doorbell rang, and he walked to the door, peering through the tiny peephole.

  Joanie!

  She held papers in her hand.

  The divorce papers. She wanted to finalize it, didn’t want to hold out for him. She craved her freedom. Didn’t want a man waiting for her. Of course, it probably sounded pathetic to her—his willingness to wait five years.

  Forcing a stern expression to hide the hurt in his gut, he opened the door. “Hi.”

  She scowled, her face dark, her mouth pinched into a tight line. He shuffled from one foot to the other. Despite her thundercloud expression, he pictured her ordering him around, telling him to undress and make love to her “right now.” His pants tightened, and he hoped she didn’t see how much lust he still had for her. Not when she seeped such anger.

  “May I come in?”

  “Yes. Enter.” He let her past and caught a whiff of her perfume. It reminded him of kisses on her neck, of licking the soft skin on her stomach, of progressing farther down…. Can’t I control myself? Why are the memories of our few sexual encounters branded on my brain?

  “This is the first time I’m seeing your house, do you know that?” She sounded angry about the fact.

  “You never seemed interested.”

  She shrugged. “I suppose it didn’t happen. Many things didn’t happen.”

  Many good things did happen. He couldn’t forget them. “You brought the divorce papers?” He may as well get to the point. Get it over with. Deal with the pain later.

  She opened her mouth then lifted the papers in her hand. Her mouth quivered, and she grappled for a chair to sit down. “Is this what you want?”

  Huh? What the hell? Distract her maybe. Delay things. What is she getting at? “Want some lasagna?”

  She shook her head.

  “A drink?”

  “Your home is beautiful. From the driveway, it doesn’t appear so large. I never realized….” She looked around again. “I didn’t know you could get mansions in Morningside.”

  “It’s far from a mansion. Just large and designed by an architect.”

  “It’s old, though, isn’t it? I mean all the houses in this area are old, from the first Durban developments.”

  Get to the point, will you? His feet burned while he tried to remain rooted to the spot, focused on her. “Most of them. The house was rebuilt, but I didn’t commission it. I bought it a year ago. Why do you ask?”

  She gave him a grim smile as though she dreaded what she wanted to say next. Her legs seemed to give way as she collapsed onto the couch.

  His pulse pounded in his ears. No, get this over with. It’s time to face up to the inevitable. I can’t prolong the agony anymore.

  “Maybe we should just get the divorce over with. I don’t want to stand in your way.” Better to go along with her plans, not fight it. He averted his gaze, unable to look in her eyes, yet the dreams of the last few nights still played in his mind. “Seems like the magic doesn’t want me to, though.”

  When she didn’t reply, he glanced at her. She held a grim stance, her hands in fists. Her gaze dipped to the papers on her lap, remaining fixed there for a long, awkward moment. He waited for the words of finality, while he drank in the beauty of the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

  Her shoulders shook. Is she crying? What’s wrong? Hurt radiated from her. His heart squeezed.

  He rushed to her side on the leather sofa. “Joanie, what’s wrong?”

  Red, wet eyes gazed at him, and her face crumpled.

  He wrapped her
in a tight hug. Is it her sister? Did something happen at work? Burying his head in her soft, golden locks, he breathed in her scent and shuffled the discomfort in his pants away. Not the right time to get aroused. Not when he comforted a distraught woman.

  “I-I….” Her words wouldn’t come out.

  He nodded, took her hand and stroked the top with his thumb.

  She sucked in a breath and spoke. “Do you want the divorce?”

  Huh? Pulling away, he peered into her eyes. “No, I don’t. I never did. Even in the beginning, when the magic forced me to live in your home. What’s wrong?”

  “That’s what’s wrong. I thought you wanted to divorce me.”

  What? Is this how women communicate? He’d often heard how hard men found it to understand them. He suppressed a smile.

  “I love you, Joanie.” He cupped her wet face between his palms. “I’ve been an absolute wreck. I don’t know why I said I could wait for five years. I thought letting you go would help you find your time alone. The space you needed. It was the hardest e-mail I’ve ever written, and I’ve been doubting it ever since. The nightmares about your parents…I have them every night. I can’t sleep.”

  Her eyes went large. “What nightmares?”

  “I keep seeing you weeping after your parents’ death.”

  Fresh tears flooded her eyes, and she cupped her hand over her mouth. “I never wept after their death. I couldn’t. The shock numbed me. I had to care for my sisters all alone. I was petrified.”

  “Oh, Joanie. You had to carry so much.” He hugged her.

  She wept, and he stroked her. Tears filled his eyes, coursing down his cheeks.

  When her sobs eased, she pulled away and found a tissue in her handbag. “I don’t know what happened. You have this way….” Her lips quivered. “You make me feel so safe.”

  “I wish I could have been there for you when your parents died. I would have helped you, stood by you.”

  “You were. In a way, I feel the pain from that day isn’t so strong anymore. I can’t explain it…weeping in your arms did something.” She smiled through the tears. “Thank you.”

  Joy pierced his soul. “I want to be there for you now and for as long as I can. That’s my dream. I don’t care about the magic, whether it stays or goes, because the love in my heart is stronger than any other force.”

  With shaky hands, she gripped his arms. “I have to tell you something.”

  Her words sounded ominous, yet the light and love in her eyes told him she wanted him, too.

  “I fell in love with you. I can’t live without you another second.” She reached for the papers. “These aren’t divorce papers. They’re the cancellation of the divorce papers.” She laughed and gave a shaky grin.

  “Petition for reconciliation papers?” He wanted to jump up and down like a fool but kept as composed as he could to make sure he hadn’t been hearing things. He took the sheaf from her and glanced through them. “Yes, they are.” He grinned. “Where’s a pen?”

  She produced one—as if by magic. Within seconds, he’d signed.

  “May I kiss the bride?” He leaned toward her, longing to seal their promise.

  “Wait. I didn’t get to give my speech.”

  He nodded and held her hands, tingles shooting through him from the simple contact. He couldn’t be happier knowing he could hold her hands and touch her as much as he liked from then on. He stroked the soft skin on top of her hands, his desire rising again. With her, the arousal came in seconds. “Oh, before you give your speech—I want to live at your house.”

  She glanced around and laughed. “Why?”

  “Because the few days I spent with you were the best of my life.”

  “We can create new memories here.” She swept her hand, indicating the vast room.

  “Quite frankly, I don’t care where I live as long as it’s with you.”

  “Well, that settles it. My house it is. My sisters still like to come home to their rooms.”

  “May I kiss you yet?”

  She placed her palm on his mouth, and he poked it with his tongue.

  She squealed, pulling away, but he clasped her wrist and proceeded to suck on her finger. She closed her eyes, and a satisfied smile graced her beautiful lips.

  “Kiss me,” she commanded.

  Oh, yeah! The tiger has returned. “Oh, I missed my tiger so much.”

  Her eyes popped open. “I worried you resented the tiger side of me. Thought maybe I used you. And that was why you withdrew.”

  He nibbled her pinky finger then ran his tongue around her palm and onto her wrist, relishing the salty-sweet taste of her skin. “I wasn’t sure the tiger wanted me.” He winked. “Hush. Let me make you purr.”

  “But, my speech.”

  “The speech can wait.”

  “Okay.”

  The tiger still acted shy. He would have her roaring soon enough.

  He caressed her cheek then dipped his mouth to hers. Tongues met in a glorious union. She climbed on his lap, her round, firm buttocks pressing into his cock. He groaned as he continued to play with the inside of her mouth while running his fingers down her arms, under her shirt then skimming over the taut nipples against her bra.

  She arched her back at the contact. “More.” She spoke into his face, her breath sweet and warm.

  “Take off your top, then.”

  She shucked her long-sleeved white blouse to the floor. Underneath, she wore a simple white nylon bra in a satiny finish that molded the shape of her mounds of glory to perfection. He zoned in on the nipples and twiddled them, sending spasms of pleasure through her.

  “You do that much longer, and I’ll be over the edge before you’ve even started,” she said with a growl.

  “Hah, I’ve been half-there every night with the dreams I’ve had of you.”

  “Oh.” She flushed pink and licked his lips, her husky voice right in his face. “I want to hear all about them.”

  He engulfed her mouth to stop the talking. They could chat later.

  She yanked on his shirt and bunched some of his trousers in her hand. “What’s all this?” She clenched her teeth. “Get rid of it. Now!”

  Lifting her, he placed her next to him on the sofa then took off his clothes, all the while watching the admiration in her eyes as she studied his naked form.

  “Oh, how I’ve missed that sight.”

  He posed for her, and she giggled.

  “Enough. Come here.” She curled her hand in a calling wave, her eyes wicked.

  He lay down by her, hoping she would get the message and climb on top of him. She teased him by massaging his feet. Memories of their nights together while researching Mr. Schroeder surfaced. Those nights had taken every ounce of restraint to not make love to her. He’d only resisted because he didn’t want to confuse her more.

  She dragged her fingers along his legs and onto his inner thighs, her nails leaving tingles in their wake. Grasping his shaft, she stroked him, sending ripples of ecstasy through him.

  He closed his eyes, and soon, he felt the sensation of her warm tongue licking his cock. She engulfed him in her mouth, and his pleasure rose higher than ever. He’d never experienced such amazing sensations before. Maybe the pleasure came from knowing she would always be his. Plus, she knew just the right movement. The shy tiger had instincts for lovemaking.

  Slick movement sent shivers through his body. Her naughty expression caused his erection to throb.

  “Lie on top of me. Before I come,” he begged.

  Joanie obeyed, removing her bra and the rest of her clothing. He took in the vision of her naked form—something he would never grow tired of, even if she became old and droopy.

  “Wait.” He pressed his palms against her hands and held her there. “I need to drink you in.”

  She laughed. “Sounds like wine.”

  “Your body is more intoxicating than any wine. I’m admiring what I have access to for the rest of my life.”

  She grinned,
seeming pleased at his statement, which confirmed the intense love and joy was mutual.

  “I can’t wait any longer.” She whimpered. “I need you to touch my breasts.”

  “Come, tiger.”

  She gave a fake roar and placed herself on top of him. The softness of her pussy on his erection caused him to press hard against her, but he didn’t want to come inside her yet.

  Her breasts hung like beautiful fruit, round yet tapered to ripe points. He cupped them, fondling gently. She licked her lips, deep pleasure evident on her flushed face. Sticking his finger on her tongue to wet it, he then played with the nipples, becoming more deliberate with every movement. She bucked and squirmed on top of him, her curvy body rubbing against him, driving him crazy.

  Annoyed to stop the sequence of lovemaking, he fumbled for a condom out of his jeans pocket. She watched with lust in her gaze.

  “You put it on.”

  A sly smile curved her mouth. “I’m on the pill. We don’t need it.”

  He felt like the cat that’d been given the whole carton of cream. Cream he wanted to lick dry. “Take me, you sexy minx. I want to you to ride me all night.”

  She eased onto him, her moist channel pure delight to his cock. He took her tit in his mouth and sucked deeply. She cried out. He went for the other one, desperate for the taste of her sweet flesh, and all the time she rode him, his cock glided along her channel, in and out. Time to back off a bit to tease, to draw her out.

  He pushed her off against the corner of the sofa, and she groaned. “What?”

  “Trust me, tiger.” He buried his head between her thighs.

  She opened for him. He licked the cream dripping from her pussy. She squeaked as he licked her pink swollen lips and stroked her clit with his tongue. Sweet groans came from her, and she clung to his hand resting against her side. The fragrance of her juices entered his nostrils, and he rubbed his cock against the couch in ecstasy.

  “Oh, Theo. You’re all I need.”

  Before she climaxed, he withdrew and moved on top of her. “Look at me.”

  She opened drunken eyes to gaze at him.