The Swan and The Sergeant (Heroes Ever After Book 4)

by Alana Albertson

  I sighed. A vision of future dinners made with tofu and tempeh flashed before me. I loved to barbeque chicken, ribs, hot dogs, and burgers with my buddies. But I could be convinced to throw some zucchini on the grill to make her happy.

  A waitress stopped by the table and took our orders. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Selena, but if she recognized her, she didn’t let on.

  We made plans for the weekend. I wanted to take a long bike ride the next morning. Selena wanted to book a couple’s massage in the afternoon, which I agreed to as long as I had a female masseuse. I didn’t want some dude rubbing his hands all over me.

  The waitress delivered the calamari and Selena’s salad, with dressing on the side.

  I pierced a crunchy calamari ring with my fork and watched as Selena dipped her fork first into the dressing and then scooped up a piece of lettuce.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Oh, it’s a diet trick Vika taught me. Instead of pouring the dressing on your salad, you just dip your fork before every bite.”

  I shook my head. “You realize how weird you are, right? You weigh barely a buck, and you don’t have an ounce of fat on your body. How is a little dressing going to hurt you?”

  Selena dipped her fork again. “It’s not that simple. Everything shows in the costumes. I just want to be careful. And I ate a bit too much last night with Dima. I was nervous.”

  “Well, I think you’re too skinny. Live a little. Pour that dressing all over your salad.”

  She looked up at me and smiled. She picked up the little dressing dish and saturated her salad with blue cheese. Her fork scooped up the now soppy greens, and she stuffed them in her mouth. “You’re right, it tastes so much better this way.”

  I laughed.

  Selena’s eyes scanned the room. Her voice lowered, “Bret, I have to tell you one more thing. About why I broke up with you.”

  I exhaled. Though I had asked about this the other day, I had come to realize that we were both so young that it didn’t matter. I didn’t want her to tell me something that would anger me and make me doubt her now. “It’s the past, Selena. I know we were really young. Let’s just try to move on.”

  Selena bit her lip. “But I just really need to tell you what happened.”

  The waitress delivered their meals.

  “We were too young. I get it.”

  Selena’s shoulders dropped. “No. You don’t. Please. Just listen.”

  “Sel, it won’t change a thing. I know I asked you about it the other day, but I’ve since decided that it doesn’t matter. I’m not going to lie and downplay how much you hurt me, but I just really don’t want to discuss it.”

  “Okay. But we do need to talk about it one day.”

  “Fine.” One day when I was more certain about our relationship, we would have this talk. But I wanted to have a great day, and night, with Selena. Dredging up the past would put me in a bad mood.

  We enjoyed the rest of our dinner, and Selena even indulged with me in a hazelnut truffle tart.

  After lunch, we went to the couple’s massage. I was more relaxed than I had been in years.

  And now, I was alone with Selena.

  I was a grown man now, not a teen, and definitely not a virgin. But being alone with Sel, after all these years, caused me to feel vulnerable.

  My eyes traced her body. I pulled her to me. Her mouth was moist and hot, her lips sweet and soft. She kissed my neck and ran her fingers through my hair. The scent of coconut drove me wild. How could she still smell the same after all these years?

  “Bret, you don’t know how many times I’ve dreamt of this moment.”

  I lifted her up, and she wrapped her legs around me. I carried her to the bed. Her tan skin glistened in the light as I unbuttoned her shirt. A beautiful black lace bra covered her small breasts. I was so glad she had never succumbed to Hollywood pressure and ruined her body with implants.

  Selena took off my shirt, her hands running over every inch of my chest, and explored my muscles and tattoos. She found a scar on my back from an explosion that had killed another one of my buddies. I had escaped relatively unscathed, except for some lacerations. Selena didn’t ask any details, just kissed my skin.

  The last time we had made love, I was just a kid, and though I’d loved her more than anything, I hadn’t had a clue what I was doing back then.

  Not this time.

  I took charge. Kissing her face, her neck, her ears. I was in no rush; all I wanted to do was please her. Exploring every inch of her soft stomach, licking her diamond belly ring. My hands cupped her breasts, and I unhooked her bra, flinging it across the room.

  It landed perfectly on Banjo’s face, and we both let out a laugh.

  “Guess we have an audience.” I shooed Banjo away.

  My attention turned back to Selena; her rosy nipples waited for my lips. I took one into my mouth, and she moaned. She arched her back, and I kissed, suckled, and nibbled on her. Pleasure swept across her face.

  “My turn,” Selena said, tugging at my pants.

  “Not yet,” I grinned. I wasn’t done with her.

  I took off her skirt and pulled down her matching black lace panties. I couldn’t wait to taste her. Kissing her thighs, I first teased her with my fingers. She raised her knees. Her warmth excited me, and I took her sweetness into my mouth, savoring every lick. Selena’s breaths grew short and rapid. Writhing on the bed, she placed her hand on the back of his head.

  “Bret, oh my God. Please—don’t stop.”

  I had no intention of stopping. Her groans and whimpers were the sexiest sounds. Her hips gyrated, and she climaxed.

  After a moment of rest, Selena pushed me to my back and straddled me. “That was amazing,” she purred.

  She kissed my chest, fondling my shoulders and rubbing her breasts on my stomach. Undoing my belt, she took off my pants and boxers. I relaxed on the bed, and Selena hummed while she teased me with her mouth. She wrapped her lips around me, and I wanted to explode, but I held back. Her sweet mouth was so warm.

  After what seemed like an eternity, she released me and curled up by my side.

  “Do you have a condom?”

  “I thought you wanted kids?” I joked.

  Selena laughed. “I do, just not tonight.”

  “I was kidding.” I reached over to my nightstand and grabbed one from my wallet. Selena took it from my hand, ripped it open, and rolled it on me.

  I flipped her over onto her back. I paused to take in the beauty of Selena, completely naked, lying beneath me.

  Every time I saw her in a magazine or on TV, I had imagined seeing her nude again, for my eyes only.

  I kissed her neck and slowly entered her, savoring the moment.

  Selena gasped. Her heat clenched around me. She felt so tight, so perfect, so meant for me and me alone.

  She grabbed my ass and pulled me toward her until I was so deep that our bodies melted together. I took her harder and faster as she screamed my name over and over.

  She wrapped her legs tightly around me, still breathless, and I twisted her around so she could have more control. Selena climbed on top of me, pushing me back on the bed. I propped myself up with a pillow to enjoy the view. Relishing the sight of her riding me, I held her hips, rocking her.

  “You’re so beautiful, Sel.”

  I sucked on her nipples, and we came together in perfect sync.

  After she pulled away, I held her in my arms. “Selena,” I gazed into her eyes, mascara smeared all over her face, “don’t leave me again.”

  She placed her finger over my lips. “I won’t.”

  I closed my eyes for a brief second, never wanting this moment to end.

  Selena

  I awoke the next morning, happier than I’d been in years. Sleeping next to Bret all night, wrapped in his strong arms, I wished we could stay in the bay area forever and never have to return to Hollyweird.

  I slipped out of Bret’s embrace and peeked at him; he slept peacef
ully. Last night had been better than even my wildest fantasies. Bret was so strong, so generous, so emotional, so masculine. But one night didn’t quell my hunger for him—I now wanted him more than ever, every day for the rest of my life.

  Ugh, but it was too soon to even think about that. My only goal was to get through this season.

  Rolling out of bed, I snuck past Banjo and threw on my clothes.

  But a cloud loomed over my happiness as my anxiety took hold.

  Poor Bret had no idea what was in store for him once the tabloids found out that we were now together. Even if I told the truth, I feared the magazines would twist the story into some salacious love triangle, and Bret would be hated as the “other man.” There was no way Bret would tolerate being on the cover of every magazine, his honorable reputation tarnished. He’d leave me for sure.

  And I hadn’t been totally honest with him when we broke up many years ago. I had been withholding a secret from him—a secret that would destroy him.

  I had to figure out how to handle this, and fast before I lost Bret forever.

  I retrieved my phone from my purse; it blinked with seven missed calls and five texts.

  All from Dima.

  I stepped onto the patio and called him back.

  I whispered so I wouldn’t wake Bret. “Hi, Dima.”

  “Selenichka, where are you? I’ve been calling to you.” His voice was very agitated.

  What was I going to tell him? “Uhm, I—”

  His voice sounded louder. “Are you there, Selena? I called your room last night, and you were not there.”

  “It doesn’t matter where I am Dima.”

  “I love you, Selenichka. I know that I said it once to you that I did not want the kids. Please, for you, I will have the children.”

  “That’s sweet, Dima. But we just aren’t right for each other.”

  Dima’s voice turned from concerned to irritated. “Are you with Bret? Are you back together with him?”

  I didn’t want to lie to Dima. And I knew Bret hated lying also. Bret would think if I didn’t tell Dima about us, that I was being shady. But if I told Dima the truth, I knew the story would hit the tabloids before the weekend was over.

  No. I need to tell the truth.

  “Yes, I am.” A sinking feeling gripped my chest. What was going to happen now?

  A sharp noise came over the phone. Dima must’ve slammed his fist into something. “Fine, Selena. If this is how you want it. Don’t ever think you can come back to me. I made you, and this is how you repay to me?”

  “Back to you? What are you talking about? We’re only partners, Dima, remember. And I’m still your partner. We can still dance together.”

  Dima let out a cocky laugh. “Selenichka, Zaika. You are confused if you think I would still dance together with you. I can get any partner in the world. You want this to be over? You think you are too good for me? You knew I would always come back to you. We both needed just a break. Now you don’t want me? Okay. It is over. Dancing, too.”

  My chest constricted. “Over? Are you insane? Blackpool is coming up?”

  “We will dance in Blackpool, and then I will find a new partner to dance together with. I will start looking now. Goodbye.” The dial tone beeped in her ear.

  It was over. Ten years of sacrifice and, in just an instant, my dance career had imploded.

  He would find another partner in a minute, and I could never get a partner like Dima again. I was a fantastic dancer and very confident about my abilities. But in ballroom, there were a hundred girls for every guy. And very few guys were the caliber of dancer that Dima was. All of the professional men in the Blackpool Latin final already had partners. If any of them did become available, they would pick a younger girl, not start over with a twenty-eight-year-old woman.

  The tears started falling down my face. My career was over.

  Bret emerged from the bedroom and walked onto the balcony. “Hey babe, what’s wrong?” He put his arms around my waist.

  “Just hold me.”

  Bret hugged me. “You can tell me anything.”

  I looked into his big blue eyes. When we were kids, we were each other’s best friends. We’d known each other’s every secret until the end. I longed for that closeness again but was afraid to let him in.

  “Uhm, that was Dima. He thought we would get back together romantically, like we’ve done before. I told him it was over that I was with you. He said that our partnership was over. We are done after Blackpool.”

  Bret released me and looked away. “What did you expect, Sel? Dima’s probably the best male dancer in the world. Once you shut that door for good, of course, he’d bounce. You may have thought you were broken up, but it was always on his terms. As long as you would jump back into his arms whenever he decided the time was right. You know how he works. He’s always been involved with his partners. When Carrie cheated on him, that’s when he went after you. Carrie still wanted to dance with him.”

  I knew all too well. Carrie had an affair with Giorgio, a gorgeous Italian dancer. When Dima found out, he dumped her even though she begged him to still compete with her.

  Even worse, I knew exactly what Dima had done to get me to leave Bret. Luckily, Bret still didn’t know the depth of Dima’s manipulation.

  Yet. I had to tell him.

  My lip quivered. It still hadn’t crossed my mind that he was going to end our partnership. “I know. But if we win Blackpool in two months, we would have the dance world at our feet. Why would he want to start over?”

  “Dancing is his life. Why wouldn’t he want to start over? If you guys had stuck together, at some point, you would’ve quit competitive dancing—either because of your age or to start a family. He can dance with a girl in her early twenties and compete for the next ten years. He can win Blackpool in a few months with you, and he’ll win Blackpool again with someone else.”

  Wow, Bret understood Dima better than I did. Maybe it was just because he was a guy.

  Bret stared at me. “You aren’t regretting leaving him, are you? I don’t want you to resent me. This was your choice.”

  I placed my hand on Bret’s face. “No, Bret. I don’t. I want this to work with you. I just need to find my way again. All I’ve ever done is dance and compete.”

  “Well, I promise I’ll do everything to make you happy. Hopefully, you will win Blackpool. At least you can go out on a high note.”

  As I looked out into the lavender gardens, my mind raced. But Bret helped me relax. He massaged my shoulders and told me what a beautiful dancer I was. How he would support me finding a new partner.

  And I knew it would be okay.

  Bret scooped me up and started kissing me. He carried me to bed, and we made love.

  An hour later, Bret hit the shower. I texted Jenny.

  Selena: Call me

  Bret emerged from the bathroom dressed. He wrapped his arms around me, and the smell of cedar made me giddy.

  Bret gazed into my eyes. “I can’t tell you how many times I thought of you while I was deployed. You were always on my mind. Of course, it didn’t help me that you were on the cover of every magazine.”

  Over the years, I had received fan mail from many men in the military. I was gracious and would send them an autographed picture and a note back. But I always wondered if any of them served with Bret, and somehow, we’d be able to connect again. “Well, I hoped you would see my pictures from time to time and think of me. I did a few USO shows and always scanned the audience for your face. And when I dressed up in that Marine Corps pinup costume, I was thinking of you. Did you see it?”

  A lustful smile broke across Bret’s face. “Yeah, I saw it. Every one of my men had it plastered on their rack.”

  It had never occurred to me how hard it must’ve been for Bret to see me dressed like that. He’d always been so protective of me. I changed the subject. “What do you want to do today?”

  “Let’s go on a hike.”

  “Sounds fun. Can y
ou go get some coffee while I get ready?”

  “Sure. I’ll go to the one down the street. Banjo needs a walk anyway.” He kissed me, leashed up Banjo, and left the room.

  I figured the cafe would be packed with the weekend breakfast crowd, so I’d have time to take a relaxing bath. And unlike when I was shooting, I was on a small getaway. No need to rush.

  I took a wine bottle and a glass, went into the bathroom and drew myself a bubble bath. Just as I was about to jump in, the phone rang.

  “Pardon me, bubbles,” I said giddily, “I’m being summoned.” Having a day off was rough—normally, I’d already be by Dima’s side, teaching students for the competition.

  I grabbed my phone on the third ring. “Hola?”

  “Hey, Sel.”

  I jerked the phone away from my ear. Jenny talked loud even on the phone. “Hey girl. I’m so glad you called. You won’t believe what happened. Dima wanted to get back together and get married. But I told him it was over forever. And now he won’t dance with me. We are done after Blackpool.”

  “Shut up! You did not.”

  “Yes, I did. I should’ve done this years ago. He’s been hooking up with every celebrity partner on the show for the past few years. How could he expect me to wait around?” I leaned into the bathroom to see if my bubbles were going down. Nope. The queen’s bath was still royal.

  “Are you serious?” Jenny’s voice changed from her girlfriend-friendly into her professional nagging tone. “What about the studios? Your endorsements? Selena—are you thinking at all?”

  “Yes, I’m thinking.” I stopped ogling the bubbles.

  “I can’t believe this! Are you sure this has nothing to do with Bret? Don’t lie to me, Selena.”

  “Well, maybe.” I poured myself a glass of Chardonnay. “Fine—we did hook up last night.”

  “Hooked up? Selena! Did you sleep with him?”

  I nearly dropped the Chardonnay bottle. “Yes. It was amazing! He’s incredible.”

  “Oh my God—I need details! What are you going to do now?

  “I don’t know. You can’t tell a soul until I figure this out. No one can know. I don’t want the tabloids to find out and ruin Bret’s life.” But I knew that it didn’t matter. Dima would tell the world.