Hero of Mine Read online

  He might care about Dani, but he was still a man. A man who hadn’t had sex in nearly six weeks, and with her staring up at him with those beautiful eyes shining, her lips swollen from his kisses, he wanted to mold her body to his.

  “What are you thinking?” Her question broke into his thoughts, and this time, he was the one scared to answer, afraid she’d kick his ass out.

  “How much I want you,” he said honestly.

  “Want me like . . . ”

  “I don’t know if you can handle it.”

  The soft teasing did the trick. Her eyebrow rose, and her chin kicked up a notch.

  “Why? Because you think I’m just a mom? That I don’t think about my needs?”

  He trailed a finger across her cleavage, and he heard her breath catch. “Tell me about what you want, what you need, and we’ll see if we’re on the same page.”

  “Why don’t you go first?”

  “Dani . . . ” His voice came out as more of a growl.

  “Okay.” She held onto his shoulders, sliding her palms down his arms until the muscles were tight with tension. “I want these arms to stay around me, to never leave my body while you kiss me.” He complied, his heart hammering against the wall of his chest as she stretched her body up against his. “I want to feel every part of you touching me, to know by the way you move that you want me.”

  “God, Dani, I—”

  Her finger came up and rested against his lips. “I’m not quite finished yet.”

  Opening his mouth, he licked the tip. “I’m sorry; please continue.”

  “Thank you,” she said huskily. “As I was saying, I don’t want to talk or think . . . I just want to lose myself in you.”

  This time, the kiss they shared wasn’t sweet in the least. It was explosive. Their lips and tongues played and danced, retreating and returning with a fervor. His hands slid down until they cupped her ass, bringing her up against his erection, rubbing her against him until it was almost painful.

  She released a soft cry between kisses, and he wanted to rip her jeans off. To unbuckle his belt and drop everything to the floor. To nail her against the wall and plunge into her hot, wet passion until they were both spent.

  Something vibrated between them, and Dani pulled her mouth away, her hands pushing against his chest. “My phone.”

  Taking a deep breath, he stepped away, flexing his fingers as he tried to pull himself under control.

  Dani fumbled with her phone, her cheeks flushed pink as she pressed it to her ear. He had put that glow there, and he’d have been lying if he didn’t admit how good it felt.

  “Hello. What? No, I can’t. I’m on vacation for another week. Is she okay?” Dani paused, her brow furrowed as she listened to the person on the other end. “That’s awful. Can you call in Paula or Naomi?” More waiting. “You know I would do anything to help you guys out, but I don’t even have a sitter.”

  Without thinking of what he was doing, he tapped her shoulder. “What’s going on?”

  “Hang on a second.” Hitting mute on the call, she said, “My coworker was in a horrible accident on Eighty and is on her way to the hospital. They tried to call in one of the other techs, but they can’t get ahold of anyone else.”

  Don’t do it, man. What do you know about little kids?

  “How long will you be?” he asked.

  “If they can get ahold of someone else, a couple of hours, but if not, I won’t get home until three or four in the morning,” she said.

  “Noah will sleep, right?” She nodded. “I can sit with him if you need to go.”

  She bit her lip, and he could read the uncertainty in her eyes. “I don’t know . . . ”

  “I promise to keep him in one piece until you get home.”

  He could tell she was considering it. “It is double time because I’m on paid vacation. But what about us?”

  He gave her a hard, fast kiss. “Oh, I intend to pick up right where we left off when you come home.”

  Laughing, she got back on the phone. “Okay, I’ll be right in, but if you get ahold of one of the other techs, call me, please.”

  She ended the call and gave him a searching look. “Are you sure you’re okay to sit with him? He probably won’t wake up, but if he does, he might freak if I’m not here.”

  With more confidence than he actually felt, he assured her, “Trust me, I’ve got this covered. I can handle a sleeping kid for a couple of hours.” His arms snaked around her waist, and he nibbled her neck. “Plus, I’m expecting an awesome reward for my selfless act.”

  “Okay, easy there, you’re not volunteering to take my place in the Hunger Games.” Kissing him quickly, she pulled away with an all-business expression. “Emergency numbers are on the fridge, including my cell, which you have. Fire extinguisher is over there”—she pointed to the wall next to the oven—“cookies are in the squirrel jar, and diapers are under the changing table. Sometimes, if he does wake up, warm milk in a sippy cup will help him go back to sleep, but not too—”

  “Dani!” His loud whisper made her stop long enough for him to say, “He’s a kid, not a bomb I need to defuse. We’ll survive while you’re gone, but if you don’t get out of here, I’m going to have to find another way to quiet you down.”

  The way she pursed her mouth at him was just asking for him to do just that. “Fine, I’m going to change.” She got halfway up the stairs and turned toward him with her mouth open—

  “One more word, and I’m coming after you. And if I do, there is no way you’re leaving tonight.”

  Her chin did that defiant little jut that drove him crazy. “I was just going to say that when I get home . . . it’s your turn to tell me your needs.”

  His dick flexed painfully as he realized what she was saying.

  Fuck, he was going to be counting down the hours.

  TYLER YAWNED AND checked the time on his cell phone again. Dani had been gone several hours, having rushed out the door with a piece of pizza in one hand and a swift kiss for him. He’d actually thought for a second she was going to tease him into following through on keeping her home, but she’d left, giving him one more speech about what she’d do to him if anything happened to her baby.

  Tyler had assured her again, and as soon as he’d made sure she was safely in her car, he’d closed and locked the door behind her. Since then, he’d watched several episodes of Prison Break as he munched on three slices and two cookies. He’d checked on Noah a few minutes ago, and he was still sound asleep.

  Tyler had been tempted to lie down and get some sleep himself but was afraid he wouldn’t hear Noah if he cried, so he’d been fighting it. Thinking about work and wondering how his guys were doing. Kline had them for the weekend, and Tyler had warned him to watch out for any bullying. So far, no calls, but then again, it was only Friday.

  Then there were his friends. They’d been bugging him to go out this weekend, but he’d said he was busy. Although they’d seemed to accept that he was actually into Dani and this wasn’t just a play, he wasn’t ready to talk to them about her yet. And going for beers at Mick’s would lead to just that.

  Dani. He smiled just imagining Dani walking through the door and kissing him. How he’d pull her down over him on the couch and run his hands over her back lightly, learning the curves of her body . . .

  He hadn’t even realized he’d dozed before he sat straight up. Tyler heard a tiny voice crying, “Mama.”

  Tyler jumped up from the couch and went into Noah’s room. Flipping on the light, he saw the tear tracks on Noah’s flushed face.

  “Hey, Noah, you okay?”

  “Ma . . . Mama?” The kid was sucking in air as he spoke, and Tyler held his arms out to him.

  “Mama had to run out for a minute, but I’m here. Did you have a nightmare?”

  The toddler let him pick him up, and he felt something wet on his hand. Noah’s sleeper was soaked through with pee.

  “I think I know what the issue is. Your diaper exploded.” Noa
h was still sniffling, and Tyler bounced him as he walked over to the blue dresser on the opposite wall. Opening the top drawer, he found a set of pajamas with bears on them. “How about these ones?”

  Noah shook his head, stuffing his thumb into his mouth.

  “No, huh?” Duke stood under them, pressing his nose into Noah’s butt, and Tyler snapped, “Duke, get your nose out of there.”

  Tyler could have sworn he heard a giggle and saw the corners of Noah’s mouth were lifted into a smile around the thumb.

  “You think that’s funny, huh? Well, how about a little less giggling and more pajama picking.” Catching sight of blue feety pajamas with Mickey on them, he grabbed them. “How about these?”

  Noah nodded enthusiastically.

  “We have a winner.” Carrying Noah over to what he hoped was the changing table, he laid him on his back on the boat-shaped mattress covered in soft blue terry cloth. Unsnapping his soiled pajamas, he gingerly removed them, and the diaper went with them.

  “Okay, what do I use to wipe you down?” Spotting a pack of wipes on the edge of the table, he pulled out several and cleaned up Noah as best he could.

  Now the diaper.

  “Little man, you are going to have to bear with me, as this is my first diaper change. You’ve been through probably a million of these, right?”

  Awkwardly, Tyler got it on, and when he had Noah set up in the Mickey pajamas, he went to lay him back down, but it occurred to him that the kid’s bed might be wet. His bed felt surprisingly dry, though, so he attempted to put him back in the crib.

  But Noah started screaming and hanging on to him.

  “Shit, I mean, shoot. Don’t ever say that, okay? What is it? Huh?” Lifting him back up, he felt the little boy’s chubby arms circle his neck trustingly, and Tyler melted like a stick of butter in the sun.

  “Wanna drink some milk and watch Mickey?” He felt Noah nod against his neck, and he shut off the light to his room as he exited. “Sounds good, man. Think your mom will be mad if we make it a party?”

  “No,” Noah said softly.

  Tyler chuckled and decided the kid was gonna be trouble when he got older.

  Chapter Nineteen

  DANI WAS SEEING double on her drive home from the veterinary hospital, she was so tired. They’d finally let her go a little after two, when it had slowed down. So far tonight, she’d assisted in three emergency surgeries and nearly had her arm taken off by an injured St. Bernard who hadn’t liked having his temperature taken. All in all, it wasn’t bad for the money, but she wanted to get home to her boys.

  Her boys? It had a nice ring to it.

  Tyler hadn’t answered the text she’d sent him, but she figured he’d probably fallen asleep. She wouldn’t blame him, as he’d already worked a full day.

  When she finally reached the front door and unlocked it, she treaded quietly despite the excited barks of Bella. Shushing her, she put up with three dog noses sniffing her all over as she took in the sweetest sight in the whole word.

  Tyler was lying on the couch on his back, snoring softly, and tucked against his side was Noah, his head on Tyler’s chest. As she tiptoed closer, she saw Noah’s tiny rosebud mouth was open, and there was a dark spot on Tyler’s T-shirt, no doubt where her son’s drool had puddled. The quilt from the back of the couch was draped over them, and the TV sported the bright red bubble asking if they wanted to continue watching the show.

  She was loath to disturb them, especially since they seemed so content, but she didn’t want Noah to wake up and wander around without her. He could climb out of his crib and often did when he heard her puttering around in the morning, but she could usually hear him on the baby monitor before that happened. She’d been meaning to convert his crib into a toddler bed but had wanted to wait until his second birthday in December.

  Reaching under him to lift him off Tyler’s chest, she felt the big man come awake with a start, his eyes flying open to catch hers.

  “It’s just me,” she whispered.

  A smile spread across his lips that had her heart kick up into overdrive. “We were waiting up for you.”

  “I can see that.” Snuggling her son into her arms, she carried him back to his room. He didn’t even stir as she laid him down in his crib and covered him with his fleece blanket.

  She walked out to find Tyler examining the wet spot on his shirt.

  “I think I need to change my shirt.”

  “Here.” She held out her hand to him. “Take it off, and I’ll throw it in with a load of laundry.”

  He did as she asked, but the grin he shot her gave her a better understanding of the word devilish. And with him standing there, bare chested with his muscles highlighted by the light from the TV, she wanted to be bad.

  Very, very bad.

  “I think you’re just trying to get me out of my clothes,” he said.

  “Somehow, I don’t think I’d have to try too hard.”

  She walked away, his chuckle following her down the hallway to the laundry room. Once she threw in his shirt, she stripped down to her bra and panties, wanting to get out of the blood-splattered scrubs. She would love to take a shower, especially considering that blood was the least disgusting thing on her scrubs, but her stomach was already fluttering just having Tyler half naked in her kitchen. If he made a naughty suggestion about a dirty shower?

  There would be no resisting him.

  I’m sorry, weren’t you the one who’d suggested picking up where you two left off?

  Except now she’d had a chance to think clearly, and they’d been about to hook up in the entryway before she got the phone call. Where Noah could have come out and found them. What the hell had she been thinking?

  That you haven’t had sex in over three years and you’re horny as hell?

  Grabbing her robe from the hook on the back of the laundry room door, she wrapped herself up in it. It was a simple red flannel her mom had gotten her for Christmas last year. Not the sexiest thing she owned, but maybe that was a good thing.

  He was standing in the same spot, drinking a glass of water when she came out. The way his gaze traveled over her made her feel like she was wearing the world’s sheerest negligee instead of just her house robe.

  “I needed to wash my scrubs, too.”

  He set the glass of water down on the counter, his arm muscles flexing as he held onto the edge.

  “So, what do we do while we wait?”

  Dani had several ideas flash through her mind, but none of them were good with Noah in the house.

  Still . . .

  “We could go upstairs and try to get some sleep,” she suggested.

  Surprisingly, he didn’t try to talk her out of it or even ask her if she was sure. He crossed the room in a few strides and took her hand. “I’m suddenly exhausted.”

  Laughing as he led her up the stairs quietly, she left the door open just in case. Turning the baby monitor on, she stood back and watched as Tyler lay down on top of her bed in just his socks and a pair of blue jeans. He took up quite a bit of the queen-size bed; she was definitely going to need to snuggle close.

  “I should take a shower. You don’t want to know what was on my scrubs.”

  “And yet, you picked up your son and got goo all over his clean pajamas?” he teased.

  “It was dried. I just feel . . . icky.”

  With a sigh, he leaned back with his arms folded behind his head. “Fine, go shower. I’ll just lie here imagining you naked under the running stream, your hands trailing soap over your skin, leaving bubbles along the way—”

  Dani hit him in the face with a pillow, and he grabbed at it, spluttering, but she brought it down again.

  “You are such a perv.”

  Laughing, she let him wrestle her down onto the bed, their chests pressing against each other rapidly as they caught their breath. Tyler had her hands in his, and she was pinned to the mattress as he hovered over her. She felt the chilly air on the skin of her chest and knew her robe ha
d fallen open by the way Tyler’s gaze dropped down.

  His grip on her wrists loosened as his eyes came back up to meet hers. Lowering his body over hers with his weight on his forearms, he nuzzled his nose against the sensitive skin below her ear. A shiver shot along her skin, traveling down to the apex of her legs. Clenching them together, she sighed as his lips kissed her skin with feathery brushes.

  “What did you call me?” he whispered, his breath rushing along the column of her throat.

  “Hmm, I don’t remember.”

  He nipped her skin with a growl. “I think you called me a perv. Impugned my honor. I must have satisfaction.”

  “What satisfaction canst thou have tonight?” she said with a giggle.

  Tyler lifted his face from the crook of her neck with a puzzled expression. “What’s that from?”

  “Oh, come on! Romeo and Juliet? You can’t tell me you never read the play in school.”

  “I probably did, but I can’t quote it!”

  “What can I say? I was the queen of drama class in high school.”

  “Well, to answer your question, my queen, I will not be satisfied until I kiss you.”

  She closed her eyes and pursed her lips playfully, startled when he didn’t take her mouth. Instead, his lips pressed against the swell of her breast over her bra.

  “Oh!”

  “Hmm, not quite satisfied yet. Let’s try the other one, shall we?” He sat up, using those rock hard abs to lift himself, and his hands got involved, pushing aside the cup of her bra so this time, his mouth covered her nipple. His tongue flicked across it, and she bucked off the bed.

  God, had it always felt this good, or had it just been so long since she’d been touched that she’d forgotten?

  Her hands slid up his arms until they hit his shoulders, kneading the muscles there as he tongued her. She felt his hand seeking between her legs, and his warm palm covered her, his finger teasing her through the cotton of her panties. She whimpered, her hips lifting off the bed as she silently begged for more. For him to strip her bare and put his mouth and hands all over her.

  As if sensing what she wanted, he slipped his hand inside, and she moaned as he manipulated her slit, seeking something . . .