Not Your Hero (9 page)

My phone vibrates on the counter, and Mona’s smiling face illuminates the screen.

“Hey,” I answer.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Her voice full of anger.

“About what?”

“Kevin.”

I had hoped to avoid this conversation with her. I don’t want her to feel bad that the ‘nice’ guy she set me up with turned out to be anything but nice.

“Mona. It’s not that big of a deal.” Kevin scared me, and if Sam hadn’t been there, I don’t know what would have happened. But I haven’t heard anything from Kevin.

“Yes, it is!” she screeches.

“How do you even know what happened?”

“Kevin told me at work today.”

“What did he say happened, exactly?” I grab my glass and curl my feet under me as I sit on the couch. My fingers twirl the turquoise ribbon on the throw pillow that covers the rip in the cushion.

“I asked him how the date went, and he got this look on his face. I don’t even know how to describe it.”

“Try.”

“Regret, anger. I don’t know. He said he got really upset when you broke up with him.”

“We weren’t even together for me to officially break up with him.”

“I know. He said he was rude and mean, and he feels horrible.” Her voice is soft, sad.

“He should. Sam came over and made him leave.”

Through the receiver, metal clinks, and I can picture Mona tossing her bottle opener back in her drawer. “What?”

“Kevin was yelling at me. Like, a switch flipped and he became this crazy person. He was so mad.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Don’t apologize for him. He’s a grown-ass man, and he’s responsible for his actions.”

“I’m not making excuses for him, but he gave me some sob story about how both his ex-wife and his ex-fiancée cheated on him, and he has all these self-esteem issues now.”

“Funny,” I laugh with no humor, “he forgot to mention that.”

“Crap, Court. I’m never setting you up again. I feel like shit for not realizing how much of an ass he is.”

I take a sip of wine. “Like I said, not your fault.”

“So. Tell me about Sam coming to your rescue.”

I lean back and replay the whole incident. Telling her how safe he made me feel, and what Ben said about him helping us. I include our new arrangement, and laugh when she tells me that I’m in love.

“No, not love. But definitely lust.”

“Who wouldn’t fall in love with their own personal hero.”

Her words hit me hard. And for a moment, I wonder if what she said holds any merit. He fixes my stuff when it breaks, and he stuck up for me in front of Kevin. He’s saved me from the shitty decision I made to drive to the bar that night, and he’s amazing with Ben. “Yeah, I guess Sam is my hero, huh?”

“Lucky bitch,” Mona jokes.

“Love you, too.”

“I’m really sorry that happened with Kevin.”

“It’s over now.” I stretch and yawn. “I’m beat. I’ll call you tomorrow?”

“Yeah. ‘Night.”

“’Night.”

When I toss my phone on the coffee table, it bounces off and I curse under my breath.

“Not your hero, babe.”

Sam’s deep voice startles me, and I jump a few feet. With a shaky hand to my heart, I stand to face him. God, he’s stunning. Black jeans that hang off his hips and a gray sweatshirt that zips. Still, he’s in my house, uninvited, at almost midnight.

“Sam. What the hell? You scared the shit out of me! How did you get in here?”

He walks closer and quirks an eyebrow. “Your back door was unlocked.”

Shit, I must have forgotten to lock it after I took my garbage out. “Still. Couldn’t you have knocked?” Again, I look like shit. I’ve changed out of my work clothes and am wearing old flannel pajama bottoms and a ratty blue tank top.

He stares at me for a moment, and the rapid beat of my heart slows. It’s then I recognize the look on his face. Jaw tight, brows pulled together. He’s mad.

“What’s wrong?”

He gives a slight shake of his head before running his hands down his face in frustration.

“I came here to see you. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you all day.”

That makes two of us. But for some reason, I don’t think I’m going to like what he says next. Making himself at home, he grabs a beer from the fridge and pauses at my kitchen counter. When I realize what he’s looking at, I run in and stuff the papers back in the folder, embarrassed that he saw my debt. His eyes assess me, and there’s something in the way he’s staring at me that’s making me nervous. I wonder if it would look trashy to chug the rest of the wine from the bottle.

“I saw your light was still on and thought I’d come over. Maybe we’d hang out or something.”

“Okay.” I sit at the kitchen table, using it as a shield.

“Then I hear you on the phone saying I’m your hero.” I’m taken aback by the tone of his voice. It’s cold. “I don’t want that, Courtney. I said I wouldn’t sleep with anyone else. That’s it.”

I choose my words cautiously because I can tell he’s fighting something inside by the tension in his body. “I know that.”

“Then why the fuck are you making it more than it is?” he asks desperately.

“I’m not.” I walk closer to him and grab his hand. “Look at me.”

His jaw is set harder now, and I see the confusion twirling in his face. He’s angry with himself because he actually likes the idea of being someone’s hero. When he continues to stare into the empty living room, I tug on his hand. “Look at me, Sam. Talk to me.”

He sets his beer on the counter and grabs my other hand, pulling me flush with his body. Every inch of him is hard against me, and the pulsating between my legs that happens just by looking at him starts to throb with need.

“I don’t want to talk.” He walks me backward to the couch, and with a kind of gentleness that doesn’t match his mood, he lays me down.

He grips my shirt at the bottom and bunches it up then unclasps my bra so my breasts fall out. His cool fingers massage my ribs and stomach. I watch him, fascinated, as his eyes follow his hands. When they reach my nipples, he circles them gently, alternating between the two, before leaning down and running his tongue over every millimeter.

“Sam,” I moan, wanting more, but loving this tamer side of him.

“You’re so pretty, Courtney. Every inch of you.” I wish he’d look in my eyes, but instead, he burns a trail over my body with his intense gaze. His hands grip my pants, and in one movement, I’m bared to him. I said I wouldn’t sleep with him again until we talked and went out on a date, but I don’t have much willpower right now.

He runs a finger up my inner thigh and around to the other side. Then he does it again, each time getting closer to the place I need him to touch most. My thighs shake, and my palms are sweaty as I force myself to stay still so he can do whatever it is he needs to do. I want this to work between us, and what’s happening right now is huge. I don’t know why, but it is.

His thumb presses on my clit, and in almost slow motion, he circles it. I let out an animalistic groan, and he chuckles. “You like that?”

I can’t answer, but he must understand what I need because he removes his thumb. He spreads me open with both hands then uses his tongue to continue the tortuous circles.

“God, Sam.” Beads of sweat form all over my body and he laughs a little before he inserts two fingers and sucks on my clit. That’s all it takes for me to explode. Never have I had this powerful of a reaction to someone. I grip his hair, holding his mouth where I need it to stay, and lift my hips, riding out the rest of my orgasm.

I release the death grip I have on his hair, and his soft, wet lips trail kisses up my body. When he reaches my mouth, I willingly open for him, and he uses that same slow rhythm to fuck me there with his tongue. I sit up a little and try to stand. My intention is to get him naked and inside me, but his strong arms push me back down.

“No,” he mumbles against my lips.

I pull back and force him to look at me. “No, what?”

“No more. I can’t.” He pushes off the couch and scrubs his face.

“Can’t what?”

“I can’t do this.” He looks up the staircase and steps closer to me, lowering his voice. “I don’t know how to be this guy, the one you think I can be.”

My heart breaks for the man standing before me. He really is trying, and I love that about him. I remove the rest of my clothes and slowly walk the remaining steps to him. My hands move to his sweatshirt and unzip it. I run my nails along every divot on his muscular chest, loving the hair sprinkled throughout.

I drop to my knees and grip his erection over his jeans. He hisses through his teeth when I pull him out and rub my finger in the drop of pre-cum. I enjoy teasing him, pumping slowly, licking every inch, and massaging his heavy sac. He doesn’t say a word, just brushes my hair to one side, and holds it with one hand while he uses the fingers of the other to trace along the side of my face and over my lips when they’re not in use.

I surprise him by sucking on his thick head, and his knees buckle. “Fuck that feels good,” he whispers harshly before sitting on the couch. I turn my body to get a better angle and take him as far as I can go. My hand grips where my mouth can’t fit, and I increase my pace with every pump, sucking like my life depends on it. I want this to be as amazing for him as it was for me.

He groans and thrusts his hips up. Knowing that I’m pleasuring him and making him feel like this makes me even hotter. I squeeze my legs together, trying to alleviate some of the pressure, but it’s no use.

Sensing my frustration, he pulls me off him and lays on the couch. With a wicked gleam in his eyes, he says, “Climb on.” I waste no time and straddle his hard dick, ready to sink onto him. He swiftly turns me around so I’m straddling his face and slams a finger inside me.

“Oh, hell.” I lean down and pump him with the same pace he’s finger fucking me, adding my mouth so I don’t scream.

He uses the other hand and presses in hard, fast circles on my clit. Just when I’m about to explode again, his fingers vanish, and he pulls me down to his mouth. My entire body convulses and the rumble of his groans vibrating against my already swollen clit make my thighs jerk. His salty cum coats my throat, and I lick the last drop from my lips when he pulls himself out of my mouth.

Our bodies become limp, and I have enough sense to slide down and turn around. We both groan when my wet pussy rubs against his still hard dick and we move our hips, getting every last ounce of pleasure before it fades away.

Eventually, our breathing evens out, and the feel of his hands running down my back, over my butt, and back up again, lulls me to sleep.

10

Sam

I WAS ONLY ABLE to drift off for a little bit tonight, which is highly unusual for me. Holding Courtney while she sleeps gives me a kind of fulfillment I’ve been missing. I should have had sex with her again, taken advantage of the opportunity, but something in her eyes made me want to respect her ‘no sex until after the first date’ rule. Sixty-nine action was fucking amazing, though. We’ll definitely have to do that again.

I’m still on my back, but she’s rolled to her side, somehow wedging herself between me and the back of the couch. She kicked off the blanket I covered her with, one leg over both of mine, and her arms holding me tight. Both of mine are around her, and as much as I think I should, I can’t let her go.

My eyes are becoming heavy again when I hear the toilet flush. It takes me a second to realize Ben is awake.

I jump off the couch and get dressed in under ten seconds. With her clothes in one hand, I throw them in her direction and accidentally hit her in the face with her pants. She stirs a little bit, and I chuckle before grabbing her shoulders and giving them a shake.

“Courtney. Courtney, wake up!” Using as quiet a voice as I can while not yelling, I continue frantically shaking her as I try to get my socks back on while jumping up and down on one foot. “Wake up, babe!”

She opens her eyes and smiles at me. “Morning.”

“Ben!”

Her eyes widen and she sits up, knocking me over, and I land on my ass.

“Shit. Sorry!” Her pants are inside out, and I can’t help but laugh as she keeps turning the fabric incorrectly.

“Mommy!” Ben yells, his voice echoes from the stairwell. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah, I’m downstairs,” she calls, breathless.

“I’m getting my slippers then can I have a big waffle?”

“Yup. Waffles it is!”

“Give me those.” I grab the pants and fix them while she slips her shirt on and stuffs her bra and underwear behind the couch cushions.

As soon as she has her pants zipped, Ben appears around the corner. “Morning, Mommy.” He runs to her, and she picks him up while he rests his head on her shoulder. Her eyes catch mine, and while I’m still trying not to laugh, she’s not nearly as amused.

“Morning, honey.” She kisses the top of his head, and he cuddles with her for a minute. He gets down and reaches for the remote, but stops when he notices me.

“Hi, Sam.”

“Hey, buddy.”

“Did you sleep over?”

“No!” Courtney cuts me off before I have a chance to reply. “He just came by to uh, fix something. Right?” She raises her eyebrows at me, eyes pleading.

“Yup,” I answer, trying desperately not to lose it in front of Ben, but the way she’s freaking out is hilarious.

“Oh.” He changes the channel then turns back to me. “Were you fixing her pipes again?”

Unable to hold in my laughter, I grab my gut and bend forward while Courtney stands shocked still, mortified.

Finally, I get some composure and answer, “Yes, I was. But they’re good now, so I’m gonna go home.”

Courtney finally gains her voice. “Stay for waffles.”

I give her a speculative glance, and her lips curve up in a shy smile.

“All right.”

“Yeah?” she asks, hopeful.

“Yeah. Waffles sound great.”

She bites her bottom lip and tucks her hair behind her ears. “I just need a few minutes to change then I’ll get them started.”

“All right.”

I watch her hips sway all the way up the stairs.
What the fuck am I doing?

“You wanna watch cartoons with me?” Ben asks.