Heroes Duet

by Pinder, Victoria

  A secret room? Sophie wasn’t actually surprised. She stayed rooted in her chair, uncertain, but then squeezed his hand. Tonight, she’d make a choice she’d have to live with—but she couldn’t imagine not being with Michael. She nodded. “Lead the way.”

  He kissed her cheek and led her out. This might be a deal with the devil and make her a huge hypocrite or this might be fate. She didn’t know yet, but the spark inside of her grew as she held his hand. How could it be wrong?

  Chapter Seven

  Michael brought her to a white panel next to a bookshelf in a study next to the library and then pushed on the wall. It opened easily. Once inside the secret chamber Sophie’s eye was drawn to a huge mural of the dusky Italian countryside that covered the entire wall.

  Michael locked the door behind them. She turned and the white wall’s hidden door seemed solid again, without any lines.

  The white daybed was pushed against the wall and with a few books on the floor, she could tell this was used as a study room more than anything else.

  He then walked over and reached for the zipper of her dress.

  Her heart raced, but she nodded yes. The form-hugging fabric meant she hadn’t needed a bra, so she held still while he slowly revealed her.

  His eyes darkened when he saw her white, grannie underwear that she’d taken from the bag that were cleaner than the cute beige cotton ones she’d worn on the ship. However the heat in his gaze made her forget the heat in her face.

  “You’re beautiful, Sophie.” He dropped her dress to the ground and hugged her waist.

  She swallowed and reached for his blue t-shirt. Her heart thrummed and sent a warm thrill through her as she spied his muscles everywhere. On his shoulder was a cross tattoo.

  A shudder rushed through her as he unbuttoned his jeans and let them fall to the floor. He took her hands and led her to the bed near the mural. “Is this your secret lair?”

  “I think it was a bomb room, but I’ve used it as a place to rest during the day or night when I don’t feel like climbing the stairs or being bothered by Jack and Bernadette.”

  As she leaned lower, his lips caught hers and his kiss sparked something primal. Her hands ran through his hair and she held him tight.

  His fingers traced the bands of her underwear and her temperature soared from the brush of his touch. She swallowed and reached down to remove the last barrier of his cotton underwear.

  He did the same and she saw his huge erection. Ernie had been half Michael’s size. Her heart raced with anticipation. “Wow.”

  “I’m already hard for you, Sophie.” He kissed her again, claiming her mouth, her throat, her earlobe.

  He brushed against her breasts and the fire inside her grew even as she said, “You’re bigger than...” She couldn’t bring herself to say more.

  He winked at her as he shifted lower to play with her breasts. “I didn’t know you were a virgin.”

  “I’m not, but…” She stopped again. Her fever for him grew.

  He licked her breast. “Relax. This will be fun.” Then he suckled the nipple and a rush burst through her.

  She hummed her enjoyment while he stimulated her to small convulsions. She thrashed her head on the pillow and tugged her hands through his hair.

  His finger slipped inside her and a hazy dim surrounded her. “How’s this, sweetheart?”

  “Mmhmm.” She kept her eyes closed. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders while she rode a wave of pleasure.

  His fingers left her, while he quickly rolled on protection, and then he pushed inside her, each movement bringing more joy. “You’re tight,” he rumbled.

  “Mmm.” Her heart shattered and she surrendered to abandon.

  Michael set a steady pace as he reached for completion, leaning down to kiss her. “I won’t share you.”

  Lights surrounded her like she’d died and gone to heaven itself. Part of her completely shattered and all she could do was hold onto him. “Oh God.”

  * * *

  Slowly she came back to consciousness. Michael’s hands around her waist made her feel safe and protected. As he spooned her, his hard chest against her back, she imagined perfection.

  He must have felt her stirring because he whispered in her ear, “Sophie, are you comfortable?”

  The last thing she wanted was for their night of passion to end. She reached down and cupped his hands, holding them to her heart. “Don’t let me go Michael.”

  He gently kissed her neck. “I can’t. Sophie…”

  His voice trailed off. Awareness grew and she turned in his arms to face him. His brown eyes were so expressive and beautiful. “What did you mean, that you won’t share me? There’s no one else even here.”

  His cheeks darkened in a blush. “It was a slip.”

  Slip. Her mind added fast. She placed her hand on his heart to feel how hard it beat. “Did your fiancée cheat on you?”

  His face then went white and at first she didn’t think he’d answer. Finally, he nodded but his arms tightened around her. “Yes. With my best friend.”

  Sophie instantly hurt for him. She traced his strong torso and cupped his hard face. “You had horrible luck in the past with a woman who clearly didn’t see you.”

  He pulled her tighter and kissed her playfully. “You’re sweet.”

  A laugh burst out of her, but she held his shoulder. “My sisters wouldn’t agree.”

  For a few minutes, neither one of them moved. His ember eyes fascinated her. He stared back at her so he must see something inside her too.

  Slowly she let out a small sigh. Had she ever been so happy?

  He jumped out of bed fast. His chiseled bare behind fascinated her. She sat up, holding the sheet to her breasts as she watched him go into the closet to open a safe. He closed everything once he found whatever he’d searched for and came back to bed. He then handed her a white gold sapphire and diamond ring that had to be at least five carats. “Sophie, please think about what happens after you leave my house because I want to see you again. And again, and again.”

  Her heart raced but she held the ring for dear life as she met his stare. She wished she understood the gleam in his gaze. Was this supposed to be a marriage proposal? “That’s months from now. How can you be sure?”

  He kissed her cheek. “I have something I must finish but if I get to come back to you then life has purpose again.”

  Come back to her. It sounded like he was a government agent on a secret mission, but that was impossible. She tilted her head and cupped his face. “That’s sweet, Michael.”

  His arm wrapped around her waist. “That I’m not. Possessive, yes.”

  His body sent her to places she’d never known, but her mind stayed sharp. She held the ring without putting it on and asked, “What is it that you have to do?”

  He lowered his head, pressing his forehead to hers. “It’s best if you don’t know.”

  Her ears buzzed. Something was off with his answers. She swallowed. “Is it legal?”

  “Justice will be served.” He sat straight to stare into her eyes.

  Cold rushed through her. Something was wrong. “Now that scares me. I don’t want you hurt.”

  He took her hand and cradled the ring in her palm, kissing her knuckles. “It’s not important.” He smiled and settled back against the headboard. “There is something else I want to talk about with you—don’t worry.”

  Suddenly she was in the tropics again, and it was just the two of them in the afterglow of passion. She nodded and tried to shrug off her questions. “Okay. Sounds good. I don’t like worrying.”

  He winked at her and without another word, he took the ring from her and knelt beside the bed. Her heart raced. He had meant marriage. Wow. She stared at him and asked, “What is this?”

  He held the sapphire and diamond toward her and met her gaze. “I told you. When I finish what I have to do, I want to come home to you. Marry me, Sophie.”

  She tugged his hand up and he followed her
directions, sitting on the bed again. “You hardly know me.”

  He heaved a dramatic sigh that did terrific things to his chest muscles. “Then I’ll ask you again tomorrow. I do know you, Sophie. You have integrity, you have compassion, and you are strong.”

  He turned, but she reached for his hand. He saw those things in her? “Wait. Michael, I promise to think about this. I won’t leave the island without giving you an answer.”

  Michael grinned and quickly slipped the white gold onto her finger. “Consider this a promise ring.”

  She nodded, and his lips met hers with a deep and passionate kiss.

  Her hand felt heavy as she ran her fingers through the thick hair at his nape. She pulled back and stared at the ring that had to have cost more than her condo and looked at Michael. He realized that he was rich, but her dress had been intended for someone else. She swallowed. “Why do you have this? It’s exquisite. Was this your fiancée’s?”

  He winked at her. “No. It belonged to a former Queen—she needed to hawk a few items and I bought the estate, including her jewels. They are yours once you say yes.”

  At least this hadn’t been meant for another. Her heart stirred. She held him close. “Michael, this is too much. Thank you.”

  Once again, his lips met hers and she felt like chocolate that melted on a summer day.

  He tugged on the sheet that she’d bunched between them. “Now, that was good Sophie. You’re making me hard.”

  They’d agreed to see where a future between them might go—she understood better than most that there were no guarantees. She tugged his arm for him to follow. “Then come back to bed.”

  “With pleasure.” He threw the sheet on the floor.

  A throaty laugh escaped her as his five o’clock shadow tickled her skin. She traced his strong, muscular body with her fingers. For tonight and possibly forever, Michael was hers.

  Chapter Eight

  Sophie wondered if she should ask Bernadette or Jack about Michael’s dark plan of revenge, or if she should just look around. Whatever Michael intended to do when they left here left a cold spot in her heart that she couldn’t explain.

  For now, Sophie ran into her room and hoped her sisters didn’t catch her in Michael’s blue t-shirt or a pair of his underwear again. She tip toed past Emily’s room, ensuring she made no noise.

  However as she opened the door, she saw Emily sitting in the library nook of Sophie’s room, with her feet propped on the bookshelf as she read. Her sister put her book down and stood though her gaze went straight to her hand. “Sophie, what’s on your finger?”

  Right. She held up her hand with the huge sapphire and diamond stones. “Michael asked me to marry him.”

  “So we could live here forever?” Emily walked over and picked up Sophie’s hand to stare at the ring. “I’ve never seen one like this before.”

  Former royalty hadn’t lived in their neighborhood, so far as she knew. Sophie took her hand back. “I haven’t said yes—this is a promise to consider it.”

  Emily shook her head. “And he still gave you that ring, which is gorgeous.”

  So far Emily hadn’t mentioned using her body at all or the fact that Sophie had been gone all night. She relaxed her guard a little. “It is, and I promised to give him an answer before we leave. April is months away, so that we can both be sure.”

  “You work on a whole other level than Mom, sis. I give you credit.” Emily stepped away.

  Sophie’s smile cracked. Somehow she needed to convince her sister that love mattered, even if Michael initially just asked to buy her affections. He didn’t love her, but something stirred inside her that their connection was deeper and in his heart. If she figured out how to reach the shattered remains of his heart, then they both had a chance to be in love.

  She lowered her head and her voice. “I’m not working anything, Emily.”

  Emily shrugged, and picked up her book from the table. “One dinner and a promise ring. Why are you waiting?”

  Attraction was one thing. She felt that deeply and had acted on it in a responsible way, but there were secrets surrounding Michael and his past. And she needed to know if he loved her. She twisted the white gold band. “I don’t know. Something about Michael makes me wonder.”

  “Wonder what?” Emily stopped to listen.

  “Nothing.” If she imagined a future for them or if it was real and he could fall in love and she with him. Emily tucked her book to her chest. Sophie asked, “Can you watch Isi and Abby in the yard so they can play in the snow?”

  Emily hugged the book to her chest, her eyes wide with wonder. “Snow—and you don’t want to join us?”

  Snow was a novelty only seen in movies for the Mira family from Miami. Snowball fights, snow angels, and catching a cold melting flake on her tongue all seemed magical to her too. Michael’s ring felt tight around her finger, pulling her to find out more about him before she could say yes. Sophie shook her head. “I will later. Right now, I need to do something.”

  Emily shrugged and walked to the door. “Okay, sis. See you soon.”

  Sophie showered and changed into jeans and a navy blue flowered button-down shirt with rounded collars. She caught her reflection in the mirror and had to laugh—she was dressed like an older woman without fashion sense, but at least the outfit didn’t hug or reveal every part of her.

  She glanced at the ring that seemed to have a halo around it as it made her dream of possibilities, but then she blinked and stared out the window where snow was still falling. She’d go outside with her siblings to play, but the buzz inside her veins begged her to check out the house a little.

  Slipping into the library, she sat at the desk where she had talked to Michael yesterday. She opened the top drawer and found pens and pencils with scraps of blank papers.

  Her heart raced. This looked completely normal and she shouldn’t snoop.

  A shadow moved near the door and she glanced up to see Jack.

  Drat. Would he tell on her?

  She held her breath.

  Then he bowed and said, “I thought you’d be out with your sisters?”

  She grabbed a pen and paper and prayed Jack couldn’t see in her heart. She placed them on the desk and said, “I will later, but I needed to make a list of things we will need.”

  “I’ll leave you to it.” Jack left.

  She waited a few minutes and hoped no one else came to the door. She could feel her heart pound, but she tried to ignore the sense of urgency. She opened the top side drawer and found nothing but papers that she had no intention of reading. She closed the drawer and checked the bottom drawer. Inside this, she flipped more tossed papers but also found a picture. She picked it up and stared at a dark-haired woman, with dark eyes and curves that would make Sophie feel small and straight next to. She mumbled to herself, “This must be his ex.” Then she flipped it over and read the back, Mercedes Diaz. Pretty name. Sophie studied the woman one more time. Whatever she’d done, Michael still felt it in his soul.

  She put the picture where she’d found it and dug some more through the mess of papers, discovering a second photo. This one had a young, clean-cut smiling Michael, probably age eighteen. He was on the beach standing next to a shorter, more brooding man. “This must be his best friend.” On the back, in the same handwriting, she read the name, Edmond Pearce.

  So the brooding shorter man must have slept with Mercedes, but none of that should haunt a man years later. She returned the photo, remembering that his sister had been murdered. If her mother had been killed, she’d want vengeance.

  Justice will be served. His words haunted her. Not the ex, then, but revenge. Michael would go after criminals who had hurt his family. Now that made more sense.

  She put the picture away, relieved she’d seen them, and shook her head. Clearly jealousy had messed up her logical thinking.

  Whatever Michael intended had to do with his sister. She looked at the ring on her finger and smiled.

  As long as
he didn’t do anything criminal, maybe she could just say yes to Michael and relax.

  Outside she heard her sisters’ blood curling screams. “Ahh!”

  Adrenaline raced through her instantly as she jumped out of the chair and ran out of the library.

  Bernadette caught her in the hall and stopped her from running outside. “Sophie! You must stay here.”

  Isi and Abby were too small to care for themselves and now she heard all three of her sisters’ cries. They were scared! “What’s going on?” She stepped closer to the door.

  “Jack and the master are already outside getting them back. Just wait with me.”

  Back? What happened? Who had taken them? Her mind couldn’t even process harm coming to her sisters. She tried to sound calm, but took Bernadette’s hand and squeezed. “Please explain.”

  “Some men are on the island—they tried to kidnap your sisters.”

  Her entire body stilled. They were her sisters. She was all they had. She swallowed and ran to the front door. “Where are they?”

  The doorknob turned and Sophie stepped to the side, ready to attack whoever came inside, but then she saw it was Jack holding the little ones.

  Tears burst from her eyes as she reached out, picked up Abby and hugged her while she went to her knees to hug Isi too.

  Bernadette said the obvious. “Here are Abby and Isi now.”

  Her sister’s hugged her back and felt fine and alive. She’d have to check them all in more detail, but her mind sharpened. She met her sister’s Isi’s knowing gaze. Something else was off.

  “Where’s Emily?”

  Bernadette talked to Jack who then turned and went back out the front door. Bernadette locked the door.

  Isi quickly told her, “They have Emily, but Michael and Jack saved us.”

  They? The word had never sounded more scary. Bernadette offered her hand to Isi but met Sophie’s gaze as she told both girls, “Here, let me make you all hot chocolate. I’m sure Mr. Haniel will be back in a few minutes with your other sister.”

  Abby’s color returned to her face. “He’s getting Emily?”