Reality Hero
Page 22
She did it a bit differently, pushing Mateo into the water before stomping away from the cameras and the other women, crying. Mateo sputtered water and Amber hurried over to try to help her man. Dina felt physically and emotionally exhausted, but satisfied. She’d managed to salvage the production. She’d find out after editing whatever was left of the footage if she’d saved her job. Ervin would be surprised with the battle footage. It might really increase the ratings.
* * * *
Ella wanted to cry. Caspian was gone. She reached out to him with her mind. Nothing. He was shutting her out. She could feel it like a door slamming in her face. He’d come through for her. Yes, he’d owed her, but she’d hoped he’d wanted more than a clear conscience. She’d felt a connection to him.
She tried to reach him again. “I know you’re out there. Don’t be an asshole. Well, thanks for saving us. You’re a coward. We can help you. You aren’t a freak, not really. If you want to accept yourself, you know where to find me.”
Nothing. She didn’t know why his rejection hurt, but it did.
“I’m not a hero,” he thought into her head.
She felt her heart beat faster. “I’m not asking you to be one. Why did you leave?”
“I don’t want to join your merry band of crime fighters.”
“No one asked you to.” There was a pause. “You still there, Cas?”
“I just need you to know that you aren’t safe. I won’t help them, but they still want you. Those men won’t stop until they have you again. None of you are safe.”
She held her breath. He was still working with the government. Caspian was the enemy. She shouldn’t have hoped for anything else, but she had.
“Why are you still working with them? You’ll be the one they cut up next.”
“They need me.”
“You’re in as much danger as I am. They won’t cure you. I can’t believe you still trust them.”
“I trust no one. If I could get rid of my mutation, I would. I’m not giving up on a cure.”
“You aren’t diseased. There’s nothing to be cured.”
He didn’t reply.
Ella bit her lip. She wanted to reach him, but she could feel his stubbornness. “I’m not giving up on you. When you’re ready you know where to find me.”
“Goodbye, Ella.”
He sounded so final. She should be glad he wasn’t sticking around, but she wasn’t. She felt something for him.
“I hope you find happiness. Thank you for stopping Ian.” She felt the connection end. He hadn’t told her anything she didn’t know. The bastards that created Rain wouldn’t stop until they’d killed Ella—and everyone she loved.
* * * *
Dina sighed. It had been a long afternoon. Her phone was fried, but Vinny let her borrow his, and she’d been on it for hours. She’d arranged for the studio to send a bus to pick them up and a crew to clean up the mess and assess the damage. They owed the campground some serious money. She doubted the owners had evil villain insurance.
When the bus arrived, she gave the destruction a final glance. Her crew had protected the footage that she hadn’t sent to the studio. As bad as it had all been, it could’ve been worse. Good had triumphed over evil, and she’d probably keep her job. Ian wouldn’t be terrorizing anyone ever again, and she’d found her way back to the people she loved. Yep, things could’ve been a lot worse.
Chapter 22
Dina’s little apartment had never looked so good to her. She’d left her purse and phone at her sister’s house, along with her luggage, but she was too tired to drive across town to pick them up. Anything important could wait until tomorrow as far as she was concerned. Picking out her favorite warm, fuzzy pajamas and a few of her fluffy towels that smelled comfortingly of her fabric softener, she went into the bathroom and stripped off her filthy clothing.
It felt wonderful to just let the cool air touch her naked and battered body. Turning on the shower, she let it get hot before stepping under the spray. It was heaven. Dina washed away all the filth of the past few days. If only it’d be so easy to rid herself of the trauma and drama. Her forehead pressed against the cool wall. She let the water pelt her shoulders. Her eyes were closed and she breathed in the steamy air. Her body ached, and so did her heart. She was worried about Bridget and her sister. She’d seen how hurt Ella was after the man who’d held her captive fled. The bastards who’d hurt her were still out there, lurking and waiting to strike again.
Someone touched her back. She flinched, screaming like a B movie starlet about to be murdered. Zane steadied her. He was very naked and conveniently poofed himself into her shower. She slapped out at him with a little more force than she normally would have used. Her retaliation wasn’t completely playful.
“Geez, you scared me half to death. One of these days, you’re going to get your destination wrong and end up embarrassing yourself. What would you have done if there’d been someone else in my shower?”
“I’d have beaten him to a bloody pulp for touching you.”
Dina chuckled.
Zane kissed her neck. She couldn’t help her involuntary gasp as the stubble on his jaw tickled her sensitive skin. After how close they’d come to losing each other, Dina felt desperate to have him inside of her. Her passion built to an immediate demand, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, hoisting herself up to wrap her legs around his waist.
He supported her by holding onto her thighs. Her mouth found his, and she devoured him. She kissed him as deeply as she could. He tasted of spice and something uniquely Zane. Dina couldn’t get enough of him. She felt his erection pressing against her stomach and knew he was as needy as she was. Zane lifted her up and pressed her against the wall. He kissed her, and his passion left her breathless. Dina angled herself just a little bit and found she was able to slide down his hard tight abs and lower herself onto his very ready cock.
* * * *
Zane groaned as her pussy clenched around his dick. He managed to keep them upright. She wiggled, and her hips ground against him. He felt her tight heat gripping him. She was panting, and he knew that look. She was close, and he couldn’t wait to see her come for him. He loved how expressive her face was and how he knew every moment of her pleasure by watching her beautiful eyes.
He pressed her against the shower wall. He wrapped his arms around her and thrust deeply inside her. He took his time. He found a rhythm. Her legs wrapped around his hips. With each thrust she cried out. He watched her face and relished the way he felt. Nothing mattered but the woman in his arms. Her throaty cries filled him with incredible joy. Dina belonged to him, and he was never letting her go again.
She arched her back delicately. Her body began to spasm around his. He used one arm and the wall to keep her where she was while he grasped a fistful of her hair with his free hand. He wrapped the mass around his palm and pulled her head to the side. Zane kissed her neck as he sucked the tender flesh hard. She gasped and her cries of pleasure told him she was coming. He gave into his need for her. His release hit him intensely as it tingled through his entire body. She still had her arms wrapped around his neck. He stepped out of the shower, still inside of her. She kissed him slowly, lovingly. They stood on her bathmat naked, dripping wet, and kissed. Their bodies remained wrapped together until the evening chill hit them. Zane realized her soft skin was covered with goose bumps. He grabbed a towel and lowered her to her feet. He wrapped the huge towel around her and took another from the pile. She smiled.
“So where are your clothes?” Dina asked, and there was humor in her tone.
“I didn’t think I needed any. I’m not done staking my claim on you yet, woman. I want to make sure you don’t change your mind about being with me, especially after today.”
“Never,” she assured him, and he smiled.
He leaned over and kissed her very firmly and decisively. When he pulled back, she stepped out of his arms and grabbed her pajamas.
His eyebrow rose. “I’m going t
o buy you some different pajamas. I expected you to have some sophisticated, revealing lingerie not something like those.”
“After the last couple of days, I’m totally wearing these. Close your eyes if you don’t like it.” Sassily, she wiggled into her comfortable sleepwear.
Zane laughed and followed her to her couch. He was only wearing a towel. She sat down. Zane pulled her legs over his lap and began to rub her feet.
“I’ll never let you be hurt again.” He kissed the arch of her foot tenderly.
He picked up her other foot and began giving it some TLC also. Groaning, she managed to moan a sentence. “If you keep that up, I’ll never get to apologize to you.”
“All good things are worth waiting for. I’d waited for you forever. I’m just glad it didn’t take you that long to come to your senses. Marry me. You’re my heart. I don’t want to live without it anymore. Please make my dreams come true and tell me I can keep you. Always, infinity times ten, Dina, I promise.”
She didn’t say anything. His heartbeat sped up. He hoped that after everything she hadn’t gone back into defense mode.
“You can respond anytime time now, Dina. When I said forever, I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that.”
“I guess I win.”
He didn’t understand what she meant and looked at her suspiciously. “What?” he asked with concern.
“I guess I win. Not only do I get to date a superhero, I get to marry one.”
Laughing, Zane pulled her onto his lap. He held her face between his hands, looking into her eyes. She was more than he deserved. She was everything he needed.
Then she frowned. “This isn’t over yet. Those men who took Ella won’t give up.”
“I know. They’ll never touch us again, any of us.”
“I hope not, especially for Bridget’s sake.”
His eyes narrowed. “Why?”
“She’s pregnant. She’s having Aaron’s baby. She’s all alone and scared.”
“How do you know? Are you sure?”
“Yes. I was at the hospital when the doctor told her.”
That explains her comment about protecting her family. Dina was right. If those mad scientists discovered Bridget had conceived a child with another of their “subjects”, she and the child were in serious danger.
“I won’t let them hurt her, or her baby. We’ll keep them safe,” Zane said in a deadly serious, soft tone. He gazed intensely at Dina. She was frowning.
Dina bit her lip. She looked away. “What about us?”
“I can protect you all.”
Dina glanced back up at him, scowling. “That’s not what I was asking. What if I have your child?”
He’d never thought about it, not really. “I don’t know. If our child has powers, we’ll make sure he or she knows how to hide them and when to use them. I promise you, I won’t let them get their hands on you or our children. I love you. If we have a baby, it will be a blessing, not a curse. There’s a very good chance it won’t have powers. Bridget’s child might not have powers. We were tortured and drugged. There’s no guarantee these abilities will be hereditary.”
Dina nodded, but the shadows didn’t leave her eyes. He hated seeing her worry.
“Don’t borrow trouble, Di. We have enough of it without looking for more.”
She nodded. He picked her up and took her to bed. The towel dropped from his hips and landed on the carpet. He lay down next to her. She turned to her side, propping her head up to look at him.
“So if you wear your costume to bed, is it cheating if I sleep with you?”
He pulled the soft hair back off her cheek. “You’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like myself.”
“As long as you’re mine, you’ll always just be you. No matter what you do or what you face, you take my heart as a shield. I just want you to remember you’re my hero.”
His thumb rubbed her jaw tenderly. He couldn’t get enough of looking at her. “You’ve got it all wrong. You’re my hero. Your love has been my salvation. I will protect you and cherish you. Let those bastards come for us. We’ll be ready.”
She leaned forward and he kissed her hard. She was his, and he’d kill anyone who threatened her. Her arms wrapped around him. He was finally home.
About Ashlynn Monroe
Ashlynn Monroe has been dreaming up stories all her life. She started to put them on paper at thirteen, but it wasn’t until she was thirty that she decided to share them with others. She’s a busy mom with a full-time job, fantastic friends, and a unique sense of humor. She’s just a regular girl who’s in love with the idea of happily-ever-after. She’s honored to be multi-published by some of the best electronic publishers in the industry. Ashlynn survives each day by dreaming up her next tale of romance.
Ashlynn’s Website:
www.ashlynnmonroe.com
Reader eMail:
authorashlynnmonroe@gmail.com
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22