Heroes Ever After Boxset: Books 1-3

by Alana Albertson

  After a minute, I managed to push myself off of her and roll to my back. “Actually, you should change into some jeans if you have any.”

  “Really? Where are we going?”

  “We’re taking a motorcycle ride.”

  “I have never been on a motorcycle. Do you know how to ride one?”

  I laughed. “Yes, babe. I own a Harley. You’ll be fine. Just relax, and let’s have fun today.”

  She climbed on top of me, and I grabbed her ass and kissed her like she was mine. Which she was. If only for today.

  Giselle

  A MOTORCYCLE RIDE? MY FIRST thought was to say no. He had told me to choose what to do, but I hadn’t. This was all my fault. I was sure he would be okay with me picking another activity, but the main reason that I took this vacation was to be open to new experiences. So, I decided to force myself to go with the flow.

  My hands shook as I followed him downstairs. Of course I’d never been on the back of a motorcycle. My father was way too cautious to allow me ever to endanger my life. He would absolutely flip out if he knew I was about to get on the back of a motorcycle with someone who was practically a stranger.

  Giselle, stop! Your first thought is always what your father, your subjects, or your fiancé would think.

  I closed my eyes; it was time to start living my life, doing what I wanted to do, and not stressing about what my father would say if he knew. After all, I was about to become a married woman. Surely I deserved some time to myself?

  Ryan grabbed my hand, and we walked over to the innkeeper, who let out a dreamy sigh as we approached.

  “Ah, the lovebirds. To be young and in love. Cherish this time.”

  Her words shook me. Would I have this much fun on my own honeymoon? What would I even do? I pictured awkward, painful, loveless sex, followed by me spending the day alone in the spa, sobbing while Miguel played poker in some casino.

  What was I doing?

  The innkeeper placed her hand on my shoulder, which brought me back to reality. And the truth was that today, I was still not married. And I was about to go somewhere with Ryan, my own personal bodyguard.

  The lady handed me a picnic basket and beckoned us to follow her just outside the entrance. “I have prepared lunch and even added a bottle of wine for you lovers.”

  “Merci beaucoup.”

  “De rien.”

  She turned to Ryan and began giving him directions.

  I shifted side to side on the gravel beneath my feet and pulled on my hair. Maybe this was a terrible idea. I really should just get to my own hotel. Going on this impromptu excursion was so reckless of me.

  Ryan put his arm around me. “Let’s go, babe.”

  Babe. No one except for Ryan had ever called me babe, not even my fiancé.

  The innkeeper led us to the motorcycle. Ryan handed me my helmet and then strapped the picnic basket into the saddlebag.

  Ryan adjusted my helmet for me and gave me a devilish grin. “Are you nervous?”

  “Yes, actually, I am. I’ve never been on a motorcycle.”

  “You’re going to love it—there’s nothing like the freedom of being out on the open road, the wind rushing through your hair, all your problems melting away.”

  That did sound lovely. I took a deep exhale and decided to give myself permission to take a risk. “I’ll try to keep an open mind.”

  “That’s my girl. Don’t worry, babe. I got you. Just hold on tight.”

  Ryan put on his own helmet and effortlessly climbed on the bike.

  Dear Lord, he looked so incredible in those jeans, which tightly hugged his sexy behind. I climbed on the back, wrapped my arms around his waist, and said a brief prayer as he revved the engine.

  When he drove off, my heart raced. I’d never done anything like this in my entire life. I forced my nerves to calm down. As we took our first turn, the cracked pavement below us made the bike seem a bit unsteady. For the first few minutes, I closed my eyes and clung to Ryan for dear life. But as the road smoothed out, the rumbling in my heart gave way to pure bliss.

  I was really doing it. I was living my life. Uninhibited. Wild.

  I opened my eyes and took in the beauty of the moment. For the first time in my life, I was truly free. Free on the open road; free to enjoy my day how I pleased, and free to be me. I wasn’t doing charity work or making a public appearance to promote tourism for my country. I was being selfish and indulgent.

  And I had to admit, I loved it.

  About twenty minutes later, we finally arrived at a meadow. Ryan helped me off the bike, and I removed my helmet.

  “What did you think?”

  “I loved it. I’ve never felt so free!”

  His eyes twinkled. “Glad you liked it. I remember the first time I went on a motorcycle.”

  “Oh, really? When was that?” He sounded almost nostalgic. Maybe I could get him to open up a bit.

  He looked away from me. “It was a long time ago, but I loved riding. I vowed to one day own my own bike. You should see mine back home—she’s a beauty.”

  I pursed my lips. I had only known Ryan for less than twenty-four hours, but I was starting to notice a disturbing trend.

  He hadn’t told me anything noteworthy about himself.

  Sure, he’d told me that he was a Navy SEAL, that he lived in San Diego, and that he never wanted to get married. But he had mentioned nothing about his family. I was dying to find out what his story was, but I had no right to ask. Especially since after today, we would never see each other again.

  He leaned me against the motorcycle and kissed me, pressing his body into mine. This kiss differed from the previous ones we had shared. It was simple; it was sweet. It was the type of kiss I imagined a normal couple would share before going on a date. A couple who were dating because they both liked each other, not because they were being forced together.

  “The innkeeper told me that there’s a waterfall about a half mile from here. Are you game for some hiking?”

  “Of course. A hike sounds fun. It’s so beautiful out here.” Fields of wildflowers surrounded us, and their bright pops of color plus the scent of the fresh air filled my heart with joy.

  But after we began down the path, my jubilation was slowly replaced by concern. We were in the middle of nowhere. There was nobody else around for miles. No one knew where I was. I didn’t even know where I was.

  Yes, this was super romantic. A motorcycle ride out to a secluded location, complete with a picnic lunch and a waterfall. But I reminded myself again that I did not know Ryan, and he did not know me. For all I knew, he could be a psychopath. He could have lured me out here to rape me and leave me for dead.

  Actually, the one thing I knew about him was that he had killed people. Nobody would ever know what had happened to me.

  Oh my God! What was wrong with me? I was so paranoid—a complete mess. My chest heaved as my emotions and hormones took hold.

  It was so difficult growing up the way I had. My entire life, I had been protected, sheltered, and controlled. Once my mom died, my father had become more protective than before. Now that I had this brief window with the freedom to do things on my own, I had zero confidence in my ability to take care of myself or to ascertain if people were telling me the truth.

  My steps became slower, and I tried to focus on the beautiful deer grazing in the brush ahead . . . but anxiety took hold of me again, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

  Ryan’s head immediately snapped up, and he looked back at me. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m just overwhelmed. That’s all. Can we just take a minute?”

  Ryan studied my face. I didn’t want him to look at me to see what was inside, a weak mess.

  He took my hand and motioned for me to sit down on a nearby fallen log, then sat beside me. “Babe, it’s okay. I’m here. What’s wrong? You can tell me.”

  I tried to gain control of my emotions, but I failed and began to cry.

  Ryan just held me close to his ches
t as I sobbed. When I finally caught my breath, I looked up at him. He gently wiped away my tears.

  What had I done to deserve this man? One of the few times I’d met Miguel, he was so annoyed by me when I’d been upset over how awkward we were toward each other. And Ryan, who owed me nothing, was just sitting here, being patient and kind to me for no reason at all.

  “Sorry. It’s just I never do things like this, ever. I’m never alone. I don’t even know what it’s like to be alone. My father or my chaperone is always around me. I just panicked because I don’t even know you, and we are in the middle of nowhere. I shouldn’t have come here; it was irresponsible. But I’m having a great time with you. Clearly, I can’t even trust my judgment.”

  He rubbed my back. “I get it. You aren’t being irrational, and I understand you’re scared. I’m sorry I put you in this situation. We should’ve stayed in town around people, but I thought you’d like to do something different. I apologize. We can go back. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable, Giselle.”

  Wow. He was so great. Still, a voice in my head whispered that he would drop me off at my hotel later today, and I would never see him again. Why would he want to hang out with me? I was a mess.

  “Thanks for taking care of me. I feel so stupid. Everything you said about me yesterday was right. I can’t believe I traveled here without protection. And please don’t take any offense to this, but spending last night with you in a hotel was dumb as well. Coming here with you today to a secluded area where nobody knows where I am was also not the best idea. I don’t even have any identification on me. I mean, you could literally be a serial killer, and I could die out here, and no one would ever find me.”

  Ryan put his arm around me, and I didn’t push it away. “I’m sorry you feel that way, babe. I thought this would be fun. I guess I wasn’t thinking about how you might get scared because I know that you’re safer with me than you would be with anyone else. You’re right. You shouldn’t have come here alone with me when you had some doubts but you did, and I swear to you, I’m not going to hurt you. I don’t expect you to believe me based solely on my word, though. If you want, we can get back on the motorcycle right now, and I’ll take you wherever you want to go. Back to town and to your hotel, or anywhere else. Just name it.”

  I leaned into his chest as he stroked my hair. He was so kind and sweet, and everything he said reassured me that he was a good guy, but I wanted to find out more about him. Most men I’d met loved talking about themselves but Ryan didn’t seem to share that trait.

  “Can you tell me a little bit more about yourself?”

  His shoulders tensed up. “What do you want to know?”

  “Just more about you. About your family. Where are you from?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know why it matters to you. You either trust me, or you don’t. Me telling you about my fucked-up childhood doesn’t change anything.”

  Yikes. Regret filled me. “You’re right. I’m sorry I asked.”

  “It’s okay. I just don’t like to talk about it.”

  I nodded.

  What had happened to him?

  I wished he would open up to me, but our time together was coming to an end.

  I appreciated that he didn’t just lie to me and make up a story to answer my questions. Instead, Ryan had been careful about what he’d said.

  I squeezed his hand. “Thanks for listening to me. I feel better. Let’s go see that waterfall.”

  His hand cupped my face, and he kissed me. A sweet, gentle, soul-soothing kiss. The kind of kiss I had only dreamed about until now.

  I still didn’t know much about Ryan.

  All I knew was that when I was around him, I felt safe and happy. And seen. Ryan looked at me the way no other man had ever looked at me. Somehow, I trusted that he saw the real me, the woman behind the princess.

  Ryan

  I BEGAN TO QUESTION OUR PLAN as we hiked up to the waterfall. It hadn’t even crossed my mind how taking this trip might possibly scare Giselle, probably because she had already spent the night with me. She didn’t know a thing about me—and I wanted to keep it that way.

  The view ahead was breathtaking: clear blue sky, endless lush green meadows, bright blooms, and wildlife frolicking in the distance. Sometimes when I was deployed to active combat zones, I forgot that places this spectacular existed. A peaceful area with no visual reminders of the hardships of war. I was so grateful to be here.

  But the most beautiful view of all was her.

  It sounded cliché, but it was true. Giselle was perfection. I hadn’t lusted after a girl this much in years. Her sensual curves made my mouth water. I had to have her.

  But honestly, what the fuck was wrong with me? Why was I delusional enough to think that a real-life princess would actually be interested in me? Of course she wouldn’t be. She had even called me a vulgar SEAL, which was completely an accurate assessment. She was literally royalty. I was no prince—I was a jackass.

  The only reason she’d spent the night with me was because she had nowhere else to go. Sure, she made out with me, but she was probably just looking for a little bit of fun before she committed herself to a loveless marriage.

  Even so, I would stick around as long as she would have me.

  Man, this full situation was so fucked up—just like the story of my life.

  Her sweet voice jolted me out of my head. “I think this is it!”

  She ran ahead to a clearing under a small waterfall. The blue gush of water splashed into a small watering hole surrounded by rocks. This was no Yosemite, my personal favorite place for waterfalls, but it was pretty and peaceful. And the company couldn’t be beaten.

  Giselle skipped ahead. She was definitely the opposite of me. How her fiancé wasn’t with her on this trip was beyond me—if she were mine, I would want to be with her all the time.

  I placed a blanket down and opened the basket. The innkeeper had knocked herself out with the spread. There was an assortment of cheeses, bread, pâté, fruit, sandwiches, olives, and wine.

  My thoughts turned to the innkeeper. What would it have been like to grow up with a woman like her as a mom? She probably packed lunches for her children. My mom had never done shit for me.

  Giselle sat beside me. “Wow, this is so lovely! I feel like we are on a real honeymoon.”

  Ha. Except I still hadn’t slept with the bride. I’d keep that comment to myself. “Well, I’d better enjoy it. This will be the closest thing I get to a real one.”

  Her beautiful smile faded. “Why do you say that? I know you say you don’t want to get married now, but you’re young. Many men marry later in life. Maybe you will change your mind when you meet the right woman. When you get out of the military.”

  “The only way I’m getting out of the military is in a body bag.” I looked her in the eyes. “And maybe I’ve met the right girl, and she’s engaged to another man.”

  Her bottom lip trembled. “Funny. You don’t even know me. I’m sure you’d tire of me soon, anyway. Plus, we don’t have much in common. Lust is not a good basis for a marriage.”

  “Ha. It’s a better reason than giving your country a shitty military.”

  She grabbed a piece of bread and took a bite. “It’s not just that. It’s complicated. Our families go back for centuries.”

  “Got it, cupcake. So, it’s about keeping your royal offspring pure and untainted with commoner blood.”

  She scowled at me. “Please do not put words in my mouth. It is not like that. Don’t you get that I have nothing to do with this choice? Everything has been arranged. I don’t get to say no.”

  “Then why do you say it’s a choice? It’s not a choice. You’re being forced to do this. You are a grown-ass woman—I don’t care if you’re a princess or not. You can call me an ignorant American if you want, but I would lay down my life for freedom—freedom of choice, of life, of religion, and yes, of whom to love. This isn’t even about me; I’m not the marrying kind. Once we sa
y goodbye, you’ll never see me again. But you shouldn’t ruin your life because you can’t stand up for yourself. Mark my words, Princess, you will regret this ‘choice’ every day for the rest of your life.”

  Her jaw dropped open. Then she stood up and walked away from me, which was fine. I wasn’t going to go after her, comfort her, and tell her everything was going to be all right because the truth was that it wasn’t. I never sugarcoated shit.

  I took a bite of my sandwich and chased it with a sip of wine. Guilt flooded me as I realized I had now ruined this perfect picnic.

  Why had I even bothered?

  Fuck. I shouldn’t ever try to talk to anyone. This was why my way was the best. Love them and leave them. I was completely incapable of communicating with women. All I ever did was make them cry. I was such a bad boy that even my mom had left me. And none of my foster moms had wanted to adopt me, either.

  A few more minutes passed, and I debated looking for her. This was definitely not how I had envisioned my vacation going. I should have already been balls deep in some chick, wasted on liquor, and having the time of my life. Instead, I’d somehow become entangled with a beautiful virgin princess, and now my cock was in a world of hurt.

  Even worse, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

  I took another swig of wine. Nope. I always saw a mission through. I would try to convince Giselle to spend more time with me.

  Giselle finally returned. I expected her to chew me out but instead she looked apologetic.

  “Look, I’m sorry I stormed off like a petulant child. Meeting you has rattled me. Before yesterday, I had accepted my destiny. I can’t have you putting any doubts in my head. I think it’s best if you just take me back to town, and we can say goodbye.”

  I laughed. Not so fast, cupcake. I’m a SEAL—I never back down from a challenge.

  I pulled her down to the blanket and kissed her. Her greedy little mouth met mine kiss for kiss. She may be a virgin, but I knew there was a wildcat underneath her royal exterior. I couldn’t wait to make her come, hear her scream my name, and beg me for more.