One Night with a Hero (15 page)

Knock, knock
.

Louder. The sound was louder. And he’d definitely heard it. He flew into a sitting position and stared at the wall.

Warm pressure filled the space around his rapidly beating heart. Was this finally happening? Was she was really knocking for him, after all this time?

He stretched his arm around the headboard of the bed and returned the greeting. He held his breath and listened. The sound came back to him again.

The next instant, Brady was off the bed and tugging on clothes. Jeans. T-shirt. Boots. Socks and boxers were luxuries he didn’t make the time for.

He pounded down the stairs, heart in his throat, and flew out the front door.

He stopped short. Joss was crossing the sidewalk to him.

She froze, tugging the lapels of her coat tighter to her throat against the crisp, early December night air.

His jaw dropped open at the sight of her. Long hair lifting and curling by the cold breeze. Eyes shining in the lamplight along the sidewalk. Jesus, he’d missed her so damn much.

“Hi,” she finally said.

She’d come to him. She’d talked to him. It was more than he could take. He couldn’t hold back what he felt anymore.

In two long strides he was right in front of her, wrapping her in his arms, pulling her in tight against his body. He kissed her temple. “Hi,” he managed.

Her body began to shake. She pressed her face into his chest.

“Hey. Hey, now. Don’t cry.” He stroked her hair over and over. Her tears gutted him, but he’d take every bit of it, for her.

“I’m sorry,” they said at the same time.

Brady pulled back and tilted her chin upward. “What on earth would you have to apologize for?”

“I was wrong to try to exclude you from the baby.” Her teeth chattered.

Her words sank into the depths of him, warming, healing, strengthening. He could stand out here all night and never feel the season’s bite. But she couldn’t. “You’re freezing. Will you come in?”

She nodded. “I’d like that.”

He tucked her against his body and led them into his house. Her shoulders relaxed within his grasp as the indoor heat surrounded them. “Can I take your coat?”

“Sure,” she said.

He slipped it off her shoulders and she unwound a pink scarf from her neck that matched the colorful strands of her hair. Then she turned around.

Brady did a double take. She wore the T-shirt he’d given her, the one that proclaimed his role in…her no-longer-flat abdomen. A small swell pushed out the bottom of the shirt. He tossed the coat to the chair and stepped toward her. He reached out, then quickly withdrew his hand and lifted his gaze to hers.

She pulled his hand back and placed it on her belly.

Awe. Sheer and total. It was the only word he had for the emotions that flooded through him as he touched her for the first time in months and his child for the first time ever.

The breath caught in his throat. He looked into Joss’s bright-green eyes and so many things competed to be said at once that he said nothing at all.

Hand still on her stomach, he came closer. Swallowing hard, he finally said, “I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you.”

“Me, too.”

“You had every right to keep me away.”

She shook her head. “No, I didn’t. But fear makes you do the stupidest things. I’m sorry.”

“That’s the damn truth. But, much as I appreciate your apology, don’t be sorry. If I hadn’t acted the way I did, maybe you wouldn’t have been so scared. You had every right to protect yourself. And this baby.”

Needing to touch her more, touch her everywhere, Brady reached to cup her face in his hand. He stopped just shy of making contact, not sure what she’d allow, what she wanted. She leaned her face the rest of the way into his palm.

It slayed him.

He closed his eyes, afraid of how much emotion he might release through his gaze, and lowered his forehead to hers. For long minutes, they stood there together, just holding each other.

It was possible he had never in his life been more at peace.

Her fist curled into his shirt, and he knew he was wrong. That simple expression of need felt like she’d reached into his chest and soothed the ache that had surrounded his heart.

She tilted her head back, bringing their faces so close together her soft breath caressed his lips. “What you said, do you still feel that? I’d understand if—”

“That I’ve fallen in love with you? Yes, Joss.”

She sucked in a breath and chewed at the corner of her lip.

He cupped both hands around her face, holding her to him. Heart thundering against his breastbone, he spoke words he never thought he’d hear himself say. “I love you.”

Her eyes went glassy and her lip trembled. “You do?”

“Yes. Even before the night…” He swallowed the lump of regret in his throat. “That night, I’d just learned my father died. To say we had a difficult relationship would be a mild way of putting it. I’d been planning to confront him. I was
so
angry at him. And I thought I needed him to take that turmoil away. So when he died, I thought, ‘That’s it, there goes my chance.’ I couldn’t be with you with all this rage inside me. When you came that night, as much as anything else, I was mourning the loss of any chance with you.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

He shook his head. “None of this excuses what I did. I just want you to know I’m working like hell to square myself away and become a better man. For myself. For you.” He glanced down between them. “For the three of us. God, I love you.”

Joss nodded. “I…I…”

He wanted the words as much as he needed his next draw of air. But only when she was ready. Only when she meant them the way he did. So he kissed her, just a light brush of lips. “You don’t have to say anything. Just the fact that you’re here is enough.”

She gave him a small, shaky smile. “What now?”

“Would you stay the night with me? I don’t think I could stand to let you go right now. I just want to fall asleep with you in my arms and wake up next to you.”

Joss’s whole face lit up, and he felt her happiness down deep. What he wouldn’t do to put that look on her face every day of her life. “I’d like that.”

Brady shut out the downstairs lights and returned to her. He laced his fingers into hers and guided her up the stairs and into his bedroom.

He pulled back the covers and kicked off his boots, then he turned to find her expression full of emotions. His gaze followed the line of hers to the ultrasound picture he kept in a frame on his nightstand.

“I came to see you that night. To thank you.”

Her lips dropped into an oval. “You did?”

Brady nodded. “I turned back at the last minute. You’d asked me not to come over. I didn’t want to mess up, especially after you’d spoken to me that night. Well, had the cop speak to me. He wanted to know why you were calling me bread, by the way.”

Joss’s grin turned into a chuckle. “You totally were a PITA. But it was fun. Classic sailor boy.” She winked.

Brady shook his head and laughed, actually glad for her to be giving him shit. “I liked what happened later that night even more.”

Her cheeks went pink, but she chuckled. “Yeah, that part was pretty nice, too.”

He grinned, climbed into bed, and patted the space beside him.

She settled in next to him on her back. When she licked her lips, the silver of her piercing flashed at him.

The humor melted away in favor of fierce need to taste her. To run his hands over her soft bare skin. To bury himself deep within her tight heat. God, it had been so long.

But he didn’t want to scare her. He didn’t want to rush her. And he sure as hell didn’t want her to think the only thing he wanted was sex.

Brady shoved his arousal back a few good steps and stroked the hair off her face. He caressed her arm and traced over her fingers. His gaze landed on her belly. He slid his hand where his eyes were looking. So hard to believe his child grew inside her.

Meeting her gaze, his fingers traveled to the hem of her shirt. “Can I lift this, just a little?”

Joss tucked one arm behind her head and nodded.

Brady tugged her shirt up until the soft skin of her stomach was free. Joss hooked her thumb in the stretchy pants she wore and pushed the waistband down an inch or two, baring her whole abdomen to his gaze.

Gently, he dropped his palm to her skin. Lying on her back, the bump wasn’t as pronounced, but he
knew
what was there. He pushed himself down the bed until his face was level with her stomach.

Hey little dude. I’m your dad. I’m going to try really hard not to be an asshole. And to stop cussing. I’ll probably suck at both. But your mom is totally awesome so it’ll all be okay
.

Joss’s breath caught. Brady glanced up. “You won’t suck at being a father, Brady.”

He’d said that out loud?
Shit
. His cheeks went hot. “I really hope not. I’m going to try so hard, Joss.” He pushed up on an elbow, met her gaze, and dropped a kiss to her belly.

Her eyes went glassy and she smiled.

Brady kissed every part of her bump, needing his hands and lips on her, needing her peach scent in his lungs, her softness easing his hardness.

Joss shifted her legs. “Brady.”

He turned to her, the tone of her voice beckoning. Her mouth hung open. Her chest rose and fell quickly. The green of her eyes scorched him.

Instantly, his body was right there with her. He shook his head. “I wasn’t trying to—”

“I know. But I’ve really missed you.”

“Jesus, Joss. Are you sure? I don’t want you to think I only—”

“Don’t you want to? Anymore?”

The uncertainty in her voice hauled him up to her. He kissed her mouth, his cock punching against his jeans. “I ache I want you so much. I will always want you. Don’t you ever question it.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

“I just want you to be sure. I don’t want you to…regret anything.” The memory of the last time he’d used that word with her stuck in his throat like a shard of glass.

She traced her fingertip over his brow, down his temple, across his cheek, like maybe she was memorizing the contours of his face. “Brady, you’re going to make mistakes. And I’m going to make mistakes. You know? We don’t have to be perfect at this. So, I’m sure. I want you.”

The breath rushed from his chest. “I want you, too. So much.”

Their clothes came off in a rush, Joss’s surprised laughter at his lack of boxers filling his chest with a healing warmth.

“You know what I just realized?” Joss asked.

“What’s that, sweetness?” He pressed a lingering kiss over her heart.

“We finally made it to a bed.” She grinned.

“Yeah. We did. And that means I finally get to take my time with you.” Brady’s brain filled with plans and desires. He scooted her into the center of the bed and sat on his knees between her legs.

He massaged her feet, her calves, her thighs. And then he started over again at her toes with kisses. He treated her belly to another round of worship before working his way up to her breasts. He kissed and licked and sucked her nipples into his mouth, reveling in every single one of Joss’s moans and squirms.

He cupped a breast in his hand and feathered his thumb over her nipple. “These are bigger,” he said, kissing her again and waggling his eyebrows like a cartoon villain.

Joss rolled her eyes but laughed. “See, there’s a silver lining after all.”

He dragged his body over hers, aligning their gazes. “You’re the silver lining, Joss. That I actually get to have a chance with someone like you. And that you’re giving me the family I never thought I’d have. That’s the silver lining.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck. “Make love to me.”

The words settled into every cell in Brady’s body, remaking him, or making him better, for her. “God, yes.”

He lowered his weight to her body, but held himself up on his elbows. His cock nestled against the soft hair and enticing heat between her legs. He rocked himself against her, grinding the steel of his length into the nerves at the top of her sex. She gasped and moved her hips in time with his movements, her knees drawing up, her thighs falling open.

“Brady,” she rasped. “You’re going to make me come.”

He smiled down at her. “Good.”

“I want to come with you in me.”

Her words washed every bit of his willpower right down the drain. He drew his hips back, aligning himself. Then he sank into her, inch by slow, deep inch.

“Fuuuck.” He groaned, overwhelmed by how good she felt. How good he felt with her. “Wrap your legs around me.”

Her arms and legs came around him, holding, comforting. He grasped her shoulders for leverage as he worked himself in and out of her tight, slick heat. He rolled his hips, grinding against her clit and then sinking deep before pulling almost all the way out again. It was torturous and so damn good. The way she clung to him. The way she breathed his name. The way she made him believe again.

“I love you,” he whispered against her temple.

She gasped and then she was holding her breath, her body tightening around his.

“God, yes, sweetness. Give it to me.” His strokes moved harder, faster.

Her head reared back into the mattress, her mouth dropped open, and she moaned, long and low, her body squeezing him like a fist over and over again.

Brady snapped. He hooked an arm under one of her knees, opening her farther, and chased down the end of the storm roiling through his body.

“Oh, oh, fuck.
Joss
,” he groaned, his orgasm nailing him in the back and forcing him into her in an unrelenting series of quick, deep strokes. Even after he’d spilled his release, he continued to move, softly, reverently. Despite the force of his orgasm, he was mostly hard within her.

She gave him a warm, affectionate smile and ran her hands over him.

Jesus. Is this what it’s like? Is this how it feels for everyone?
He dropped a kiss to her forehead, the corner of her eye. “I never want it to end, Joss.”

“It doesn’t have to.”

He captured her mouth with his, sealing the promise between them. She had given him so much—a chance at peace and happiness, a family, herself. Well, everything but the words. Maybe he shouldn’t want them as badly as he did. But he felt the weight of passing time acutely. Every day they remained apart was one day closer to the end of his stateside tour. And now that he had her in his arms again, he wanted it
all
, with her. Still, he’d have to be patient. He
could
be patient. For her.