A Hero's Pride (2 page)

“Wait, you don’t know?” She was surprised.

“I’m pretty sure.” His voice firmed.

“Pretty sure isn’t 100% sure.” She smiled.

“I see what you’re trying to do, but really, it wouldn’t work.”

“How do you know? Maybe it would. Maybe they’ll reconsider?”

“Not the group I was with.” He did a slow roll of his
shoulders. “I can’t go back.”

“Okay, but I still don’t understand why not.” Kayla still
didn’t understand what his problem was. “Have they been discriminating against
you?” Fury filled her instantly.

He shook his head, eyes wide as if in shock. “No. But it
would be extremely difficult to go back to the team. I would have to do
something different if I wanted to stay in the force. Things are much, much
harder to do with a prosthetic.”

“But not impossible.” It took her a moment to comprehend
what was happening. He pitied himself, and that just wouldn’t do. “Do you
realize how many people go through injuries every day, not just in the military
but in the world in general?” Her accent thickened with each word. “I have been
to Africa and South America and have seen men, women and children with missing
limbs working hard in fields just to make a few cents to eat. Most of them
can’t afford a prosthetic. They have to make do at living life with what they
have left. And sometimes, they had very little to begin with” Sadness worked
its way into her voice.

He stared at her quietly. She wondered what was going
through his mind. “You don’t seem to understand,” he ground out. A vein in the
side of his cheek caught her attention when it quivered.

“Bullshit.”

Chapter Three

“What?” Incredulity and annoyance covered his face. Too bad.
Kayla had never been one to hold back.

She waited for the waiter who had materialized out of
nowhere to refill their glasses to leave. Once the server disappeared again,
she continued where she’d left off. “I said that’s bullshit. You pity
yourself.” Kayla saw that this big, sexy man was letting a physical condition
stop him from living the life he wanted, and it bothered her. She didn’t know
why she insisted, but his eyes spoke of pain and suffering. Her first
impression of him was that he was a nice guy. That was not the norm in the men
she dated. For crying out loud he’d been in the war fighting for their country.
So how could she allow him to continue living with so much insecurity?

He shook his head. “You don’t know what you’re talking
about.”

Wow. But she pushed some more. She became Kayla Santomas,
child psychologist. “Oh, I most certainly do.”

“What do you know about almost dying and losing a leg in the
war?” His voice turned cool and somewhat distant.

Kayla leaned forward, smiling softly at him like she did
with the troubled, insecure children she counseled. “About war? I know
nothing.” She admitted with a small shrug. Before he got a chance to say
anything smug, she held up a hand and stopped him. “But about survival, I know
everything. And you’re looking for excuses to withdraw from the rest of the
world.” She placed her hand over his fisted one on the table.

“I am not.” He gulped down half the glass of champagne,
clearly uncomfortable. Unsure if she should continue or not, she decided to
speak freely, damn the consequences. It looked to her like he needed to hear
what she was saying. “Something tells me you’ve gotten stuck on the loss of
your leg. So stuck that you probably haven’t even given thought to what other
jobs you can do if you aren’t able to return to your previous position.”

The flush of guilt on his face said it all. She felt a
little bad that she was making him see things he may not be ready to. There was
no backing down now. He was a strong man. He exuded power, strength, and
authority. She saw command in his frame, his look, and the way he carried
himself. Yes, he’d survived a physical hardship, but he needed to move on.

He scowled. Something more than sexual interest shone in his
eyes. “What do you do for a living, Kayla?”

She let the question hang while they ordered their meal from
the magic waiter who had reappeared again.

“I’m a psychologist.” She grinned.

Oh boy. Sparks lit his eyes, and he almost choked on his
drink. He was clearly putting two and two together and coming up with six.
Better clear up any misconceptions before her night of hot sex was messed up.
And now that she’d been kissed by Ryan, there was no denying it, she wanted
more than those breathtaking kisses from him. She wanted coma-inducing orgasms.
“A child psychologist,” she added. “I specialize in children with deformities
and terminal illnesses.”

Ryan’s rising anger deflated faster than a popped balloon.
For a moment he’d thought the entire night had been a sham, until she mentioned
the full extent of her job. She’d given him the raw truth, and he hadn’t liked
it. His interest spiked.

“Children with deformities? Where do you practice?” Fascinated,
he watched her sip the champagne and swipe her tongue over her lips. Every
single hormone in his body had headed south. The single act of her licking her
lips brought  his mind back down to the gutter. All his thoughts centered on
what he could get her to do with those full lips and that pink tongue. His cock
jerked painfully, reminding him it had been too damn long since he had sex. He
was sure he would end up with a hole in the crotch of his pants soon, sure he
wanted to worship every part of her body like a gift from the gods. But he
needed to relax so he could get to know her better. And he wanted to get to
know her.

“New York Holms.”

One of the top line children’s clinics. Everyone had heard
of that place. Beauty and brains. The combination only made her hotter in his
eyes. They ate, and he continued to ask her about her job. He learned that she
loved working with children and that her biggest passion was making sure her
patients felt good about themselves no matter how they looked.

“Why are you really here, Ryan?”

Their gazes met. Several emotions rushed through him, until he
finally settled into sincerity. “I was sent home severely injured. The loss of
my leg, along with all the operations, did a number on me.” He shrugged and
turned his face away from her. The fork clinked on the plate. She brought her
hand back, curled it over his fist, and squeezed. A knot formed in his throat.
“After months of therapy and getting the prosthetic, I noticed everyone looked
at me differently. Like…like I wasn’t whole anymore.”

It was weird to say the words, but liberating at the same
time. He continued, feeling more confident when she kept a tight grip on his
hand. “I’m still the same guy.” Heat rushed to his face. “There’s something
else…”

She raised her brows. “What else is there?” Her soft, sweet
voice calmed his nerves, and her smile warmed him through the chill of opening
up to someone else.

“I had lost all interest in women.” She gave him a wide-eyed
stare. “Not in the I-don’t-want-women-anymore sense, but more like I wasn’t
interested in any of the ones I met.” Why was he telling her this? Because
something about her made him want to be honest with her. Something told him she
was special…trustworthy. “I thought something was damaged after the injuries
that kept me from feeling…aroused.”

Hell. Her eyes sparkled full of heat under those long, dark
lashes. “Well, we both know that you weren’t.” She nibbled on her full bottom
lip and glanced down at the table. “Damaged down there, that is,” she said,
referring to his erection when he’d kissed her earlier.

Arousal heated his blood. He didn’t want to wait anymore.
Once she placed the spoon she’d been licking the sweet dessert off onto the
plate, he stood and held out a hand to her.

She dropped the napkin on the table, her eyes locked on his.
For a tiny thing she had a tight grip. Desire lit her eyes. “Let’s go to my
room.” The husky whisper increased the throbbing in his cock.

A sense of urgency filled him. He needed to get her to the
room right away. They rushed back toward the hotel. Quiet surrounded them, and
pockets of darkness covered several thick trees. Unwilling to wait for a taste
of her, he stopped some yards from the entrance and pushed her up against a
tall oak.

“Ryan, what are you—”

He pressed his body into her much softer one, dipped his
head, and kissed her. She moaned. A savage groan sounded in the back of his
throat. He savored her taste, sweet and fresh. Like whipped cream over apple
pie. Delicious.

Her small hands gripped his shirt at the shoulders. She
pulled him closer, rubbing her body sensuously over his. He trailed his hands
down her back and squeezed her ass cheeks. She turned her head, but he just
used the move to kiss her throat and collarbone.

“
Yessss.
”

He loved hearing the desperation in her voice. Her soft
whimpers increased in volume and pushed him further out of control. He ground
his cock into the juncture of her thighs. Fuck, she felt so good.

“More, please.”

It took some loud laughter from behind him to jolt him back
to reality. What the hell was wrong with him? He was ready to tear at her
panties and slide into her in clear view of anyone passing by.

“What happened? Why’d you stop?”

Her pulse fluttered wildly under his thumb. She breathed
raggedly and ran her tongue over her swollen lips. Her eyes widened when she
heard a couple pass them by.

He cupped her cheek with a shaky hand. He’d never been as
turned-on by a woman before. Everything about her drew him in and made him want
her more. Her smile, her taste, her brazenness. “I want you.” Just saying the
words made his cock twitch.

“I want you too.” She whispered, leaned her face into his
hand, and kissed his palm.

They hurried the rest of the way into hotel. In the elevator
he kissed her again, unwilling to wait the ride up to touch her. The ping of
the doors opening separated them. A couple entered. Ryan and Kayla scurried to Kayla’s
suite.

Kayla rushed into the bedroom only to be hauled back and
pressed against the hardwood of the door. Ryan’s big, unyielding body covered
her. Her nipples pebbled tight, and her sex slickened in readiness. God, she
wanted him so bad.

He dropped his head, his lips fluttering over her mouth and tongue
tracing her lips. A soft whimper escaped her. She lifted her hands to his blond
hair and twined her fingers into the shaggy locks. Then she pulled his face so
their lips could mesh in a hot, tongue-dangling kiss that left her breathless.
He released her lips, and she moved on to his scruffy, super-sexy chin.

“Kayla, we need to slow down.” He groaned when she sucked on
his jaw.

“Slow later. Fast now,” she whispered between nibbles.

“Works for me.”

Gravity shifted, and she was lifted into his arms. He
probably shouldn’t be hauling her anywhere considering she was no tiny thing.
The last thing she wanted was to hurt him. But knowing about his insecurity
after the loss of his leg, she curled her legs around his waist and held on. Seconds
later he shifted toward the bed.

Kayla dropped her legs as soon as he stopped walking. The
back of her calves brushed the soft material of the bedding. He lowered the
straps on her dress and bra, kissed her chest, and made his way down to her
breasts. Waves of heat flowed through her veins like molten lava with each
swipe of his tongue on her nipple. The dress skimmed her body on its descent to
her feet and landed with a swoosh. The bra, which he’d unsnapped at her back
without taking his lips off her chest, came off as well.

He licked and laved the tight points. First he sucked one
into his mouth, twirled his tongue on the sensitive tip, and grazed it with his
teeth. Liquid fire dripped from her slit. Her pussy throbbed and grasped at the
air. She needed him inside soon, or she would start begging. His big hands
molded her flesh in his grip. Pinpricks of lust shot through her body and
zeroed in on her crotch.

Kayla traced the contours of his beefy body, down his
muscular chest and to his trousers. She tugged on the material and opened his
pants, his hot cock springing free. The pants slid down his legs. Curling a
hand around his thick length, she gripped him tight.

“Jesus.” He groaned and thrust into her hand.

Their gazes met and held. All pretense of waiting was gone.
“Condom. Get one.” She panted.

He pulled one out of his pocket, and she tore it from his
grasp.

“Let me.” Her hands shook when she rolled the thin latex
down his cock. He hissed out a breath grabbed her by the shoulders, pushing her
gently onto her back on the bed. She lay there in her flesh-toned bikini
panties and nothing else. He shrugged off his shirt and bent to remove his
shoes. Moments later he joined her on the massive bed. A flicker of anxiety
flashed in his eyes, and she knew she needed to do something to keep the
momentum going.

Chapter Four

“Please, Ryan. I need you.” It was no lie. Her body burned
with urgency. She fingered her pussy over the wet material of her lacy panties.

His nostrils flared. His gaze zoomed in on her hand while
she rubbed her clit. The heat of his body caressed the inside of her thighs as
he moved between her legs. Breathing heavily, she watched him yank down her
underwear. Cool air kissed her heated core, and she shuddered.

Within a heartbeat his lips were on her, kissing and licking
around her pussy. She moaned and gripped his hair in her hands, holding him
close to her. Need and arousal blindsided her. Needy whimpers rushed past her
lips as tension escalated and gathered into a tight knot inside her.

“Oh god.” She moaned and rocked her hips closer to his lips.

A slow fire raged inside her, growing with each lick. Every swipe
on her flesh a new spark point ready to trigger her orgasm. His grip on her
thighs tightened to keep her from squeezing his head.

“Ryan…”

Twirls, licks, and sucks drove her so far past the edge she
knew she’d fall at any moment. Her hips bucked, rocking harder and faster on
him. She choked on each breath, her climax so close she reached for it. That’s
when Ryan sucked on her clit. Hard. The tension inside her unraveled, and her
world exploded into colorful shards of bliss. A tide of pleasure rushed her.
She screamed and let herself go.

Still panting and quivering from her release, she stared at
Ryan as he crawled up her body. He gripped his cock and rubbed it over her
pussy entrance.

“Oh my,” she moaned.

“You like that?” He grinned wickedly.

“
Yessss.
”

He chuckled. “Want more?”

She frowned, noticing he wasn’t moving to enter her. “Yes!”

He lowered until he held himself, skin to skin, over her.
When he rocked his hips, his cock slipped and slid between her pussy lips, over
her entrance, but no further. “Then say something to me in Spanish.”

What
? She groaned. Fierce need blazed through her. “Ryan,
I don’t think this is the time for a Spanish lesson.”

“Tell me something in Spanish, and I will fuck you until you
come so hard you won’t know what hit you.” His words made her entire body
shudder and throb.

What the heck could she say? What did it matter? It’s not
like he’d understand. The truth? No man had ever made her feel half of what he
had in the hours they’d been together. “Por favor, besame. Te necesito.” She dragged
his head down and kissed him.

“What did you say?”

“Kiss me, please. I need you,” she translated. He slid into
her then. His cock stretched her with a delicious friction that hurtled her to
the pleasure’s edge all over again.

Each thrust brought her closer to the peak. Over and over he
slammed into her.

“Oh, Dios!”

“Tell me, princess, do you like that?”

“Si! me encanta.” It took her a moment to realize she was
urging him on in Spanish. She’d lost all train of thought. His movements
increased in pace and demand. With each hard thrust his cock lit scorching
embers inside her, pushing her to climax.

“
Dios mio!
” She whimpered and dug her nails into his
slick shoulders. Her orgasm tore through her with the velocity of a freight
train. He groaned into her neck and shuddered as he found his own release.

Ryan returned from the bathroom to find Kayla standing by
the open balcony door. She wore a royal blue silk robe. She’d made him feel
so…normal. When he’d removed his pants, he’d felt incredibly vulnerable,
expecting…what? Some kind of derisive or pitying comment from her. Instead
she’d looked at him and told him she wanted him. He wanted—no, he needed to
know more about what made such a beautiful, intelligent, and warm woman want a
blind date. How was it possible she wasn’t beating men off with a stick? Why
did she agree to do it?

Slipping into his boxers, he joined her out on the balcony.
For a moment he just stood behind her, his hands automatically wrapped around
her waist. When she leaned into his touch, warmth he’d never experienced spread
through him.

“Why are you here tonight, Kayla?”

She sighed, held his hands at her waist, and continued to
stare out at the ocean. It was a long moment later when she finally answered. Cool,
salty ocean breeze surrounded them. He felt a sudden urge to stay in the hotel
with her for a few more days, get better acquainted, and see what developed.

“I needed a clean slate.” Her soft voice burrowed into him.

“What do you mean?”

She shifted in his arms, turned her back toward the balcony,
and faced him. “I have horrible luck in love,” she admitted with a sad smile.
“I’m thirty years old as of…” She glimpsed into the suite at the antique wall
clock by the bed. “…exactly twenty-four hrs ago. I was in a dead-end marriage
that lasted all of two months. That’s how long it took my husband to realize I
wouldn’t be changing to fit his needs. After that it’s been one bad
relationship after another. And I won’t even go into the endless bad dates. So
I decided to start my new age with a clean slate. Tonight I was going to have the
first of what’s supposed to be many good things. The best first date I’ve had
in…well, ever.” She peered up at him, her eyes locked on his mouth. “I wanted a
good experience to start my life fresh. No more frogs.”

His gut churned at the sadness that took over her face.
“What time do you have to go?”
Don’t go
was what he really wanted to
say.

“I have a helicopter ride in a few hours to my parents’ home.
Technically, I’m on vacation.”

Intense need made him pull her into his arms and hold her. Did
she really have to go? He thought of asking her to stay, but didn’t want to
ruin the mood. He really wanted to see where they could go with this. They both
lived in the same city, and it wouldn’t be hard to find the time to see her
again. Hell, right now he was home all day or at physical therapy. There was
definitely time. He’d give her a little while before he brought up seeing each
other again. He didn’t want to sound too desperate.  

Severe pain radiated from where his muscle met the
prosthetic and up his leg. Furious over the intense ache that tried to rob him
of his time with her, he clenched his jaw and tried to ignore the discomfort. He
hated how much he depended on the stupid contraption below his knee.

“Are you okay?” She frowned, stepped back, and caressed his
arm.

He’d swear the small touch helped the pain diminish.

“Yeah,” he lied and tried to put his weight on his left leg.
The shift only made him wince.

“Sit down,” she said. It was an order. Her brows were lifted
as though she was waiting for him to argue. “Better yet, tell me what helps
with the pain.”

Gritting his teeth until he thought they’d snap kept him
from cursing at the agony.

“A warm soak has been the only thing so far. Aside from
painkillers, which I can’t take since I had champagne.” He sat on the
comfortable, cushioned chair and took the weight off his leg.

Before he got a chance to say any more, she disappeared into
the room. After a few minutes she returned.

“Okay, let’s go.”

“Where are we going?” He really didn’t want to get up, but
he wasn’t a fucking sissy either. Stars swam in front of him with each
agonizing step. If he passed out he’d never be able to look at her again.

“To the Jacuzzi,” she grinned and helped him walk. “What’s
the point of being in such a luxurious hotel without using all the amenities? Come
on.”

He laughed at her excitement. “So that’s what we’re supposed
do in these posh hotels, huh?”

“Heck yes. I love Jacuzzis. I love eating more, but hot tubs
rank a high second. At least letting the giant Jacuzzi massage you until you
turn into jelly should make it worth it since we already had the awesome food.”

He cursed the pain and the injustice of it making its
presence known when he was having such a great time.

“I feel I should warn you,” she added as she helped him walk
slowly. “If at any point my attitude seems a bit childish, it’s because I work
with twelve-year old girls.”

He laughed again. “You want to blame your actions on twelve-year-old
girls?”

She nodded. “Yes. At least this one time. I’ll think of
other excuses in the future.”

Her mention of the future loosened some of the tension
inside him. He definitely wanted to spend more time with her. As they reached
the bathroom he wondered if he could convince her to join him in the water. Not
even the pain in his leg stopped him from getting rock hard at the thought of having
her in the Jacuzzi.

Gurgles and pops sounded from the tub, along with the usual
humming that went along with the massaging jets. She was right. It did look
like a pool. The damn thing was huge. Soft steam floated over the bubbles.
Pain, raw and piercing, shot up his leg. He shifted and caught Kayla watching
him with a frown.

“Take it off and get in the water already.”

Fuck. He didn’t want to feel like a damn wuss, but he did. Her
attention was stuck on his leg. When he didn’t move fast enough she glanced up
at him with raised brows.

“Do you need help?” The blue robe opened, revealing the
tanned skin, curvy body, and full breasts he wanted to suck again. She dropped
the robe on a nearby chair.

“No…” His voice trailed off, and he watched her sexy ass
wiggle as she made her way into the steaming water.