Dreaming of a Hero (Heroes Series Book 2)

by Lyssa Layne

  When the knock sounded on my door shortly before seven, I pulled the condo’s door open without looking. Jasmine was standing in the hallway with a smile on her face. Her petite figure and long black hair framing her pixie-like face revealed her Asian ancestry. As my eyes widened, to say I was stunned would be an understatement. “Hi Jasmine. What are you doing here?”

  “I heard you were on vacation and twisted some arms to find out where you were. I’ve missed you, Stacey. I want to be with you again,” she pleaded.

  The sound of a throat clearing caused her to jump. Mandy stood behind Jasmine hearing everything she’d said. “I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something?”

  Mandy looked upset. A crease crossed her forehead and a frown passed over her mouth.

  I grabbed her hand and pulled her into the condo, kissing her full on the lips. “Nope, you are just in time, sweetie. This is Jasmine. I told you about her. She decided to surprise me.”

  “As you can see, Jasmine, you’ve interrupted my dinner plans. I’m sorry, but I don’t have the same feelings for you that you have for me. I thought I made things clear when we broke up. This just isn’t going to work for us. Besides, as you can see, I have someone in my life who means the world to me.”

  Mandy gasped as my words sank in. Glancing at her, I saw a dazed look on her face. So I pulled her into my arms and kissed her cheek.

  Jasmine spoke with sorrow in her voice. “I’m glad for you, Stacey. You deserve the best. I guess I’ll head to a hotel for the night. I hope we can be friends.” To Mandy she said, “I hope you realize what a wonderful woman you have in Stacey.”

  “Thank you, Jasmine. I’m sorry things didn’t work out for us. I wish you the best. Being friends in the future would be wonderful.” I did really want to be friends with her, but my heart belonged to Mandy. Now to convince Mandy.

  Shutting the door, I pulled Mandy over to the couch. “We’ll be late for dinner but we need to talk. I was honest about what I said to Jasmine. I have strong feelings for you. I don’t know how you feel, but I’m in love with you. I know things happened between us quickly. I don’t want you to say anything now, and I don’t expect you to feel the same way. However, I needed to tell you. My vacation is almost over, but I can’t bear the thought of never seeing you again. Let’s go to dinner and enjoy our night. We can talk later.”

  “Wait,” Mandy said, “I want to talk now. I’ve been trying to find a way to tell you about my feelings as well. Seeing Jasmine in the hallway just now upset me. I was jealous and wanted to hurt her. But when you told her about your feelings for me, my heart soared. I know we’ve only just met, but like you, I’d like this to continue. I just don’t know how to make our relationship work with our jobs in different states,” she stated sadly.

  Pulling her close in my arms, I kissed her lips. “We will figure something out. Love makes anything possible. Let’s go enjoy dinner.”

  * * * *

  Dinner was a somber affair for two people who recently declared their love. I was thinking about how to make our relationship work across the miles and was sure she had to be thinking about the same thing. Ordering a piece of chocolate truffle cheesecake for dessert, we fed pieces of the chocolate concoction to each other. The sensuous act of placing the scrumptious treat in our mouths made me long for her body. I wanted to show her with my body how much I loved her.

  “I’m not ready for our night to end. Let’s go for a walk on the beach. The moon is beautiful.

  I want to be alone with you,” I whispered into her ear.

  When the bill arrived, I placed a one hundred dollar bill on the table and pulled Mandy out into the cool night air. We ran all the way to the beach, laughing like children with the urgency of our desires heightening our senses. Knowing we only had one more night together, I couldn’t wait to undress her and have her begging for my touch. We didn’t even make it to the beach before she pulled me into a lustful kiss. Her hands roamed over my back before beginning to grab at my clothes.

  I was anxious to show her my love and couldn’t wait to consummate it. As our clothes fell to the sand, I kneeled in front of Mandy’s body. Running my tongue up her legs caused her to shiver and open her legs for me. I sucked gently on the inside of her thighs leaving little red marks, showing my possession of her body. When I finally ran my tongue along her slit, her pussy was dripping wet. Using my teeth, I teased her swollen clit and heard her moan passionately.

  Mandy pulled my face up to hers. She kissed me with a furor that made me ache. Our tongues danced in each other’s mouths. She nibbled her way down to my breasts lavishing attention on first one, then the other, drawing a groan from my lips.

  “Oh Mandy, you’re making me so hot. I can’t wait to put my fingers inside you.” Taking her hand, I pulled her down on the sand and lay on top of her body. I kissed her face, neck, then collarbone before moving to her breasts to tease her nipple with my lips, tongue and teeth. Mandy’s breath came quicker as she ground her pussy into my own. Her hands dug into the sand as she closed her eyes before calling out my name. Bending my head to her pussy, I licked the length of her slit, then nibbled on her clit.

  Mandy groaned again.

  I continued to lick her engorged nub while gently inserting two fingers into her pussy. Her cunt was so tight. I felt it grip me tighter as she found pleasure in my touch. Slowly pumping my fingers into her wetness, I could tell she was lost in her desires. With another flick of my tongue on her clit, she came, squeezing my fingers as her muscles contracted with her passion.

  Climbing up her body, I kissed her mouth so she could taste her juices on my lips. “You are delicious. I could eat you all day long,” I uttered breathlessly.

  “I want to taste you now,” she declared as she laid me down on the sand.

  Opening wide for her, my anticipation of her touch left me lightheaded. “Please touch me,” I called out softly. “I want you.”

  First one, then two fingers were inserted into my soaking wet pussy, filling me. But Mandy didn’t make a move to pleasure me. She just held still as I began to wiggle, begging her to end her torture. Smiling, she pulled her fingers from my body, then licked them while keeping her gaze locked on mine.

  “You are so yummy, Stacey. Your pussy is so tight. Taste your juices,” she demanded as she stuck her fingers in my mouth.

  Licking her fingers made me even hotter as I tasted my own passion.

  Mandy lifted my butt off the sand pulling my pussy to her lips. Sticking her tongue into my cleft, she pushed it in and out like a small penis. I thrust my hips up to reach her mouth. “No Stacey, I don’t want you to come yet,” she said laying my bottom down back on the sand before turning her attention to my breasts. She lavished them with kisses, then took the nipple into her mouth and sucked gently on them, causing a whimper to escape my mouth.

  “Please Mandy,” I begged. “I need you so badly. I want to come all over your lips. Fuck me with your mouth.” I groaned.

  Mandy took my plea to heart, attacking my pussy like an expert, driving my delight higher and higher with passion until I exploded in an earth shattering orgasm. Pulling me close to her body, we lay intertwined on the sand as our heartbeats returned to normal.

  “Let’s go back to my place to continue this,” Mandy uttered. “I want to explore your body in a million more different ways.”

  Grabbing our clothes, we kissed feverishly as we dressed. We still couldn’t keep our hands off each other walking hand in hand back to her place.

  “Let’s grab a shower. I want to wash your body,” I told Mandy with a smirk. “I’m sure there’s sand everywhere.”

  The shower led to another round of lovemaking. Finally we headed to her bed for a third round. We were insatiable, unable to keep our hands or mouths off each other. “I love you, Mandy Kenzie. We will make this work. I can’t see myself without you,” I whispered in her ear. Spent from our passion we curled up under the covers before falling asleep, blissful in each other’s arms.
r />   CHAPTER FIVE

  We spent every last moment of our time together, sharing loving touches and sexy interludes. I knew it had to be obvious to anyone who saw us that we were in love. I felt like crying because my vacation was over and it was time to go. When time came for me to catch my flight that late afternoon, I was sure of Mandy’s love for me and determined to make our relationship work. With the promise to call as soon as I got back to Baltimore, leaving her was the hardest thing I’d ever done.

  The flight back was uneventful, but sad because of missing Mandy. When the plane landed, I called her from the airport to let her know I’d arrived safely. When she didn’t pick up I left a message. “Hi, sweetie. I’m back in Baltimore. The weather is a lot colder than South Carolina. I miss you.”

  As I was filling up at a gas station, my cell beeped. Mandy had left me a message.

  “I miss you too. I was walking on the beach after you left, remembering the night we spent making love on the sand. I’ll call you tomorrow when I get back to Raleigh. I love you.”

  Back at home, every room felt empty and lonely. Glancing at Syndie’s invitation on my kitchen counter, I felt compelled to call her to update her on how things went. She always supported me. Syn would understand how I felt as well as what I was going through. That was the best thing about big sisters, they were great sounding boards.

  “Hey, Syn. I just got back from vacation and could use my big sister. How are things with you?”

  “Things are good. I’ve gotten my dress all picked out and have decided on dresses for you all. Don’t worry though. They aren’t some pink confectionary nightmare. I went with black yet elegant. I’m glad you called. I’ve been thinking about you since we last talked. How are things with Mandy?”

  “Things were wonderful. We really connected and both want something more permanent.

  But she lives in Raleigh and long distance relationships are tough.”

  “Congrats. I’m so happy for you. I know the distance will be hard. Hopefully you can work something out. You have to bring her home before the wedding. We’d love to meet her.”

  “I don’t know,” I said hesitantly. “Amherst is such a small town. Do you think they are ready for a couple of women in love?”

  “Stacey, what others think doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is what you guys feel for each other. We love you no matter what. Besides, I think you’d be surprised by how much Amherst has changed. I couldn’t believe it when I came back. The world is very different than when we were in high school.”

  “We’ll talk and set up a visit. Thanks, Syn. You’re the best big sister!” I said with laughter in my voice.

  “While it’s nice of you to say, but I’m not your only big sister. Maybe just the smartest, or the most beautiful or…well you get the idea, but I’m sure the rest of our sisters would agree with me. Talk to you soon!”

  With one single phone call to Syn, the weight of my worries lightened. I knew my family would support my relationship. They were happy for me and wanted Mandy to be a part of our lives. Now to work on the distance part.

  * * * *

  Mandy and I spoke every night for a month before she decided she would fly up to meet my family. After arranging to meet Mandy at Cleveland Metro Airport, I drove to Ohio to pick her up. Excited and nervous about seeing her again, my stomach felt like it held a million butterflies. Would our visit live up to our time in South Carolina? Would her feelings still be the same?

  When I saw her at the baggage area, my heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t believe such a beautiful woman loved me. Smiling, I ran to her and hugged her tightly. She smiled at me while she grabbed her bags. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I told her. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  “I’ve missed you too. I have some news to tell you, which I couldn’t do over the phone.

  Let’s get out of here so we can talk.”

  Nervous about her news, I worried all the way back to my dad’s home. We talked small talk in the car but my mind wasn’t on our conversation. She could’ve been speaking in French for all I knew. Caught up in what her news might be, my stomach did cartwheels as I drove.

  The traffic on the Ohio Turnpike was congested. The drive felt like a lifetime passed before we got to my dad’s home in Amherst. Nervous about Mandy meeting my family and her big news, my heart raced but my nerves tingled.

  “My family is going to love you. My sister Syndie lives here with my dad because of his Alzheimer’s. I’ve told her all about you. She’s excited to meet you.”

  “Honestly, I’m a little nervous. I’m so happy to spend time with you but since your family is important to you, they are important to me.”

  Pulling into the driveway, I turned the engine off and sat with Mandy in the now quiet car. “Thanks. I’m sorry but I can’t get your news out of my mind. I’m worried that it’s bad. Can you just tell me now?” I uttered with fear making my voice quiver.

  She pulled me into her arms, kissing me passionately. “My feelings for you haven’t changed. My news is…I’ve arranged for a transfer to the Washington D.C. area, so we can be together,” she said with excitement in her voice. “I love you and want to be with you forever.”

  With tears in my eyes, I kissed her again. “I love you too. I’m so glad you could arrange it.

  When can you move in?”

  “In about a month. Then I’m all yours, forever and ever.”

  “Great, I wouldn’t have it any other way,” I avowed with desire in my voice.

  A knock sounded on the window and I jumped out of embarrassment. Here I was, caught making out in my dad’s driveway. My face was flushed and burning. After opening the door, I hugged Syn while watching Mandy come over to us.

  “Hi. You must be Mandy. I’m Syn. How wonderful to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you. I feel like you are a part of the family already,” my sister shared as she pulled Mandy into a hug.

  “Hello, Syn. It’s nice to meet you too. Stacey has told me a lot about you too. I’m looking forward to meeting everyone. Thank you for having me over to visit.”

  Grabbing Mandy’s and my hands, Syn dragged us into the house.

  Seeing my dad looking frail, I ran to hug him. It had been almost a year since I last visited him. In that time, he’d aged quite a bit. Turning back to Mandy, I grabbed her hand, then pulled her over to introduce her to my father.

  “Dad, this is Mandy Kenzie. Mandy, this is my dad, Jack Winters.” “It’s nice to meet you, sir. I’ve heard a lot of good things about you.”

  “I hope Stacey hasn’t been telling you fibs,” Dad said as he pulled Mandy into a hug. “Welcome to the family. I’m glad to see my baby girl so happy. Thank you for making that possible.”

  “Thanks for embarrassing me, Dad. Why don’t you just get out the baby pictures and tell her about all my misadventures growing up?”

  “We’ll save those tales for after dinner!” Dad retorted with a chuckle.

  Smiling back at my dad, I realized I’d always been accepted by him for who I was. I couldn’t wait a moment longer to share my good news. “Dad, Syn. Mandy just told me she was transferred to the Washington D.C. area. She’s going to move in with me. We’ve found a way to make our summer fling last a lifetime.”

  Hugs and smiles abounded as my family welcomed Mandy into their hearts. It was at that moment I realized I had always been accepted by them for who I was, no matter who I loved. All in all, I was fortunate to have the approval and love of my family.

  EPILOGUE

  Syndie and Thom’s wedding turned out to be a beautiful event. The small church was filled to the rafters with family and friends. Standing in the front next to Syn, I looked back at the church pews and caught my sweetheart Mandy’s eye. Coming back wasn’t as nerve wracking as I thought the whole thing would be because I had her by my side. I was confident in my desires and myself. The small town had changed for the better. Everyone, especially my family, accepted our love, which pleased me because we w
ere planning our own commitment ceremony to take place in this very church before the year ended.

  *The End*

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  As a writer, Melissa likes to keep current on topics of interest in the world of writing. She’s a member of the Romance Writers of America and EPIC. Melissa is always interested in improving her writing through classes and seminars. She also believes in helping other authors and features authors and their books on her blog.

  Melissa doesn’t believe in down time. She’s always keeping busy. Melissa is a wife and mother, an elementary school teacher, a book reviewer, co-owner for a publishing company as well as an author. Her home blends two families and is a lot like the Brady Bunch, without Alice—a large grocery bill, tons of dirty dishes and a mound of laundry. She loves to write stories that feature “happy endings” and is often found plotting her next story.

  Melissa loves hearing from readers!

  www.melissakeir.com

  http://www.facebook.com/melissaakeir

  http://www.facebook.com/authormelissakeir(fan page)

  www.twitter/melissa_keir

  CHECK OUT THE FIRST IN THE HEROES SERIES

  When things go wrong…hold on tight and don't let go.

  AMAZON

  IF YOU LOVED THIS BOOK, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW…