A Hero To Trust In Me

by Marteeka Karland

  She was dressed conservatively enough in black jeans and a fluffy, pale yellow sweater. The contrast between her dark skin and the material of her sweater should have been shocking, but it only struck Rick as lovely. Almost erotic. Her hair hung in a riot of curls past her shoulders, beckoning his fingers to thread through the silky-looking mass.

  It took several moments for him to find his voice. “You look stunning,” he managed, not at all the smooth talker his brothers always accused him of being. Rick was all too afraid the lust that suddenly shot through him showed starkly in his eyes when he looked at her.

  Instead of slamming the door in his face, however, Laura smiled shyly. “Thank you.”

  Clearing his throat, Rick tried to get a grip on himself. “A movie then.” It sounded lame, but it was taking every ounce of willpower he possessed not to pull her to him and kiss her senseless. “Do you have a preference?”

  “I do.” She grinned. “But I warn you, I’m a ruthless killer at heart.”

  That proclamation made Rick laugh and put him at somewhat at ease. Sure, he’d go through the entirety of their date in a state of semi-arousal, but it would be worth it. Hell, just being next to this woman felt right. Even if she didn’t yet feel as comfortable around him as he did her. Rick knew he could win her, given enough time.

  They settled on a film packed with action and a small amount of romance, though Rick wasn’t certain he could have told anyone what the movie was about. He was too busy watching Laura to pay much attention. The light from the big screen glistened off her skin and hair, making it seem like she had a halo around her. Or at least, that’s how Rick saw her.

  When it was over and they walked out of the theater, Laura had a smile on her face so bright it seemed to light up the night. Rick knew that he would forever remember it as the moment he knew he was in love with Laura Meadows.

  ***

  If nothing good ever happened in her life after this date, Laura knew she’d always remember this time. Rick had been the perfect movie partner. He instinctively knew when to comment and when to keep quiet. Never had she been tempted to shush him if he said anything, but then he didn’t give her reason to. He’d ensured there was enough butter on her popcorn, and made sure there were enough napkins. He’d even put his arm around her shoulders lightly. Surprisingly, Laura found herself wanting to lean into him, to encourage his physical attentions, an urge she suppressed. Barely.

  Unfortunately, on the way to Rick’s car, the evening began to unravel. Three cars down in the same row, Carl leaned against his own vehicle as if he’d been waiting there for them.

  “Not having an affair of your own, eh? I guess you just hid it better than me.” Laura tried to ignore him, Carl headed for them. “Look at me!”

  She couldn’t help herself. Laura did look at him. What she saw was a man in the grip of some crazed state of mind. Surprisingly, Rick said nothing, merely waited, as if he wanted to see how she’d react.

  “I’m not talking to you like this. If you have anything to say to me, do it through Balori.”

  Carl was close enough to make a lunge for her, his hand shooting out to grab her arm. Rick smoothly inserted his body between hers and Carl.

  “I believe she made her wishes clear.” He didn’t raise his voice, but there was no mistaking the fact that he had no intention of letting Carl any closer to her. To her shame, Laura found herself willingly letting Rick shield her body from Carl. This was definitely a side of her ex she’d never seen. Didn’t ever want to see again.

  “She’s my wife! I can talk to her if I want to!”

  “As of the other day, I believe you’re divorced. If she doesn’t want to talk to you, she doesn’t have to.”

  “Like hell!” Carl made another lunge, this time trying to go around Rick. Rick simply threw out an arm to block him. He didn’t move his body, just that brawny arm and Carl was unable to pass.

  “Don’t do it again, Mr. Meadows. I’ll take another attempt to get around me as a direct threat to Laura and I’ll retaliate.”

  Laura stepped to the side then, still safely behind Rick. Carl met her eyes with an eerie gleam in his own. It made Laura shiver.

  “This isn’t over, Laura. You’re my wife, goddammit!”

  “No,” she said, quietly. “I’m not. Not anymore.”

  Baring his teeth, Carl retreated to his little red Porsche. Rick stood there, his body always between Carl and her until Carl pulled away and left the parking lot.

  Then he turned to her as if nothing had happened, a grin on his face. “Ready?” He unlocked the car door and held it while she got in, still unflappable. He trotted around the front of the car to climb in beside her. “How about a cup of coffee before I take you home?”

  “That confrontation truly didn’t bother you at all, did it?”

  There was a spark of fire in his eye. Just a flicker before he smiled at her. “It didn’t. Not in the sense you mean.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You’re frightened of Carl. He’s showing you a side of him you might have suspected, but didn’t really know existed. I’ve come across men like him all my life,” he explained. “They feel entitled to whatever they want, no matter what. The same characteristics that make him good in his business make him dangerous to anyone trying to take away what he wants. In this case, you and me.”

  “So, why aren’t you at least wary? I get the feeling you could't care less.” It irritated Laura that Rick seemed not to care. Even now, her stomach knotted. Pain nearly as bad as when she’d discovered Carl and Linda’s indiscretion hit her unexpectedly.

  “Why do you think I could't care less?” He looked truly puzzled, as if her observation were so off the mark, he thought he’d heard her wrong.

  “You just said the confrontation didn’t bother you.”

  “I said it didn’t bother me in the way you meant. I’m not afraid of Carl. That doesn’t mean I don’t think he’s a threat, or that I’m taking your safety lightly.” Again, that flash of temper showed in his eyes for a moment. The potential for violence shimmered just beneath the surface of his civility, and Laura knew she should have been afraid of him. “I’m a nice person, Laura, but I’d be lying to you if I told you I was a gentleman. I’m not. I’m a Marine through and through. When people I care about are threatened…well, let’s just say I’m not one to negotiate.”

  Why did heat coil tightly inside her with every single word he said? Right now, he was looking at her with more of a possessive light than Carl ever did. She should be running away from him as hard as she could. Instead, she found herself drawn to him. There was no doubt he was different from her ex-husband, no doubt he’d treated her differently even from the beginning. But she didn’t really know this man. Yet, here she was, her heart melting and her body heating after a mere few hours in his company.

  “So, what do we do now? I have the feeling we’ve reached the point where we need to make decisions.”

  He shrugged. “I suppose that’s up to you. You’re the one with cold feet, and understandably so. I made up my mind a couple of hours ago.”

  “I’m not going there,” she said, raising her hands even as laughter bubbled up in her throat. “Not going there at all. Just take me home.”

  His grin was heart stopping. “As you wish, my lady.”

  Chapter Five

  The first call came at one in the morning, which was bad enough considering no one had the number where she was staying. But another came at one-thirty. After that, several more followed and Laura began to get creeped out. She knew it had to be Carl, though the caller ID didn’t pick up the number. She unplugged the phone, but even her cell chirped at regular intervals, making sleep impossible. She started to simply turn off her cell, but decided against it. If she needed to call 911, she wanted to be able to at a moment’s notice, not fumble to turn the damned thing on.

  The phone calls didn’t bother her that much other than fuck with her sleep. But when the knocks at her doo
r started, Laura got truly worried. Someone was definitely outside her door. The door to the place no one other than Rick knew about. Yet, if he’d managed to find out where she was staying, how hard would it be for anyone else? After half an hour of knocking she realized whoever it was wasn’t going away.

  Instead of calling 911, however, she found herself dialing Rick’s number.

  “Laura?” His voice sounded husky, sleep roughened.

  Now she just felt ridiculous. “Hi, Rick. I…I’m sorry to wake you.”

  “No. Don’t be sorry.” He must be a quick one to wake up, because now he didn’t sound the least bit sleepy. “What’s up?”

  “Now that I have you on the phone, I feel a little silly. It’s probably nothing.”

  “If it happens at three in the morning, it’s not ‘nothing,’ sweetheart. Tell me.”

  So she did. Ending with the person outside knocking on her door, but staying just outside the range of the peephole.

  “Just keep the doors locked. In fact, don’t go near them. I’m on my way.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Rick. I’m sure it’s just my nerves getting the better of me. After running into Carl and everything, I’m just a bit on edge.”

  “You have a right to be. Sit tight. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

  She hated to admit it, but knowing Rick was on the way over made her feel better than she wanted to think about. Assuming it was just some kids playing a prank, he’d make sure they never did it to anyone again.

  And the knocking continued.

  Finally, she settled at the kitchen table with a baseball bat in hand and waited. Every time there was a knock at the door, she jumped. Every single one of those fifteen minutes it took Rick to get there was going to be an eternity.

  ***

  Rick punched in his brother Mike’s phone number as he jumped into his car., Mike was on his way almost before Rick was, as he’d known his brother would be. His eldest sibling took his role as big brother very seriously. Rick knew he’d get Steve involved as well as Chase, and the four of them could take care of whatever was going on at Laura’s home.

  They met about a half-mile away from the driveway in the scattered subdivision just outside Lexington. Not too many places like that existed close to the city, but the remoteness, as well as the fact the houses weren’t all nearly on top of each other would make for easier navigation. With any luck, they’d catch whoever was terrorizing Laura easily enough, call the cops, and have the perp away from her house before Laura realized they were there.

  “Steve and Chase are on the way,” Mike said, scanning the area as they approached Laura’s house, “but I suspect we’ll be fine without them. Look.” He pointed to the faint shadows just to one side of the side door, just out of range of the floodlights. Crouching there was a small figure. Probably a thin teenager.

  Mike signaled Rick, and the pair of them moved in different directions, Mike circling around behind the youth, Rick taking a more direct route. The youngster spotted Mike and, as they knew he would, ducked back behind the house. Straight into Mike.

  “It’s three-thirty in the goddamned morning, boy,” Mike said, gripping the pimply-faced teen’s collar. The boy had on a ball cap covering greasy hair that hung in long hanks from his head. “Just what the fuck are you doing harassing the nice lady who lives here?”

  The boy looked terrified. Rick should have felt sorry for the kid, but the truth was, it was a good thing Mike was the one who had him and not Rick. Rick might have done more than scare the little punk to death.

  “I wasn’t gonna hurt her! He just said to scare her a little! Honest!”

  “Who said to scare her a little?”

  “I don’t know! Just some guy. He gave me a hundred bucks if I’d make prank calls and knock on her doors and windows and shit. Please, mister! I swear I wasn’t gonna hurt her!”

  Rick wanted to pound the information out of the kid, but one look from Mike and he backed off. He was right. Beating up a kid would only make things worse. Instead, he called the cops. Rick wasn’t really interested in pressing charges against the little punk so much as he was interested in him giving a statement about the mysterious man who’d paid him to harass Laura.

  “Go calm your woman,” Mike said, nodding toward the house. “I’m sure she’s been frightened enough.”

  His woman…

  Fuck. That sounded good.

  Still, Laura might not appreciate that others saw her that way. “She’s not my woman, Mike.”

  Mike merely snorted, giving him a wry look. “Yeah. Whatever.”

  Laura met him at the door, a worried expression on her face. Instead of calling 911, she had called him. Was he reading too much into this? Seeing only what he wanted to see? She didn’t look around him for anyone else, didn’t look to see if he’d gotten whoever it was who had terrorized her. She simply looked at him as if he would make everything all right.

  Well, shit.

  He stepped inside, moving her farther into the interior, shutting the door behind him. Rick expected her to step back, to give him space. Instead, she met him halfway, stepping into his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

  “God, Laura,” he whispered. “You can’t come to me like this and expect me to keep my distance.”

  “Well, you seem like a handy guy to have around. Maybe I don’t want you to keep your distance.”

  Rick wasn’t sure who made the first move--didn’t really care--but the next instant, their lips clung together. Threading his fingers through her hair, Rick cradled her head as he kissed her. Hunger was uppermost in his mind, the need to claim her so strong Rick’s knees nearly buckled. She tasted so sweet he almost forgot why this wasn’t a good idea right now.

  Timing was everything. While Rick had no qualms about doing anything and everything he had to in order to get what he wanted, he knew she’d only pull away from him if he took this farther tonight. Laura needed wooing, romancing. Needed to know he wouldn’t use her fear and adrenaline against her in something this important.

  Her small fists bunched in the material of his shirt, clinging, pulling him to her so sweetly Rick nearly said to hell with it and took her to bed anyway. Soft moans and whimpers filled his ears as Laura lost herself in his kiss. Was there anything better?

  No. At least, not yet. When he’d won her heart, that would be better.

  With more control than Rick realized he possessed, he ended the kiss, holding Laura close, his arms squeezing harder than he intended. He knew he needed to loosen his grip, but he couldn’t. He needed her like he needed to breathe. Unable to have her yet, he just held her as close as he could.

  “I need you,” she whispered.

  “I know, sweetheart. I need you too.”

  “Then why did you stop?”

  Rick groaned. Why indeed? “Believe me, I’ve never wanted anything more in my life, but I’m not taking advantage of you.

  “How is it taking advantage if I’m asking you to?”

  “It just is. You’d regret it in the morning, and I’d be worse off than I was to begin with.” He dipped his head to find her lips again when she would have made another protest he’d have a hard time resting.

  “Go to bed,” he said, his voice huskier than he liked, but honestly, Rick didn’t care if she knew how badly he wanted her. “Go while I still have some self respect. I’ll stay here and make sure nothing else disturbs you.”

  She hesitated, obviously not wanting to leave him. “You promise you’ll be here in the morning?”

  “I promise.”

  “If you leave before I get up, Rick, I’ll never forgive you.”

  He grinned, scrubbing his hands through his hair. “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away.”

  Chapter Six

  Sleep was impossible. The way Laura’s body hummed with unreleased lust, she doubted she’d ever be able to sleep again. Rick had stoked that fire effortlessly, then left them both wanting. His need pressed so int
imately against her belly was evidence he had been just as affected as she’d been.

  Now, she lay in her bed, the covers unusually abrasive over her skin. Even the soft Egyptian cotton irritated her like never before. Hyper aware of the only man who could ease the ever-increasing ache, Laura whimpered involuntarily. She could do this herself, but could she keep quiet while she did it? Rick was just down the hall in the next room. If he heard, there was no way she’d ever be able to look at him again. Hell, she’d probably have problems as it was.

  Knowing she was fighting a losing battle, Laura gave a resigned sigh before dipping her hand into her panties. The flesh she found there was slick and hot, needing Rick. Fingers deft in their movements feathered over her clit, stoking the fire quickly to fever pitch.

  Breathing ragged, heart pounding, Laura closed her eyes, gasping at the exquisite sensations. Never in her life could she remember being this aroused. Maybe it was her earlier fright, or maybe it was just Rick. He was like no other man she’d ever met, all raw power and masculinity. The protective way he watched over her made her feel safe like no other time in her life. Maybe that was why he aroused her so much.

  A little whimper escaped her lips and she bit them to keep from making another sound. Nimbly, her fingers manipulated her clit, stroking, strumming, seeking the ultimate satisfaction.

  Again, a sound escaped her as she imagined Rick touching her. Would his touch be rough like the persona he adopted as a Marine? Or would he be gentle, coaxing her into submission until his calloused hands brought her release?

  “You need relief?”

  Rick stood in the doorway to her bedroom. She hadn’t even heard him opening the door, the only barrier between the two of them other than their clothes.

  “You startled me,” she managed, pulling her hand away guiltily. Mortification filled her that she’d made enough noise for Rick to hear her, even through the closed door. He made no move to enter the room further, just stood there, leaning one hip lazily against the doorframe.