Hero of Mine Page 17

  Dani wrapped her arms around Tyler’s waist, and she felt him start.

  “Hey, I didn’t even hear you come out.”

  “You were having too much fun,” she teased.

  “Yeah, Noah’s a big hit. I’ve got six other cousins who are living out of state, but other than that, Zoe is the last baby we’ve had around here.” His arms went around her, and he whispered in her hair, “About what happened with the ice cream . . . ”

  “No, it’s okay. I love that you didn’t give a second thought about sharing with Noah. I just had a mommy meltdown moment.”

  “I’ve heard of those. Do they happen often?”

  “Probably, but I’ll try to keep them at a minimum,” she said, snuggling against his chest.

  “Hey, can I get a hug?” one of the twins called.

  Dani looked up in time to catch Tyler’s murderous glare. “No.”

  “Ah, come on, cuz,” the other chimed in.

  “You’re both asking to get your dicks knocked in the dirt.”

  “Whoa, little ears!” Zoe protested, covering Noah’s ears and removing her hands with a laugh. “Earmuffs, Noah!”

  Suddenly, Dani was picked up from behind and pulled away from Tyler. She squealed as Dereck spun her away and then dumped her over his shoulder. “Wanna play keep-away, big brother?”

  He took off at a run, and Dani’s full stomach protested as she bumped along on his shoulder. “I’m gonna puke on you!”

  Dereck set her down in a hurry, but before she could get her bearings, one of the twins swung her up, cradling her with an evil laugh as he ran. She glanced over his shoulder at Tyler, who was shaking his head with a scowl.

  “Toss her to me, Kyle!” Kent called from a few feet away.

  “Wait, don’t throw me—” She was laughing too hard to say more as Kyle tossed her up. Luckily, Kent caught her before she hit the ground, and, finally catching her breath, she shouted, “Okay, that is enough! I am not a toy!”

  Kent released her when Tyler came up behind him and grabbed him by the back of the neck.

  “Ow! Ow . . . ow . . . ow . . . ”

  “You heard her. Down, now.”

  Dani escaped over to where Zoe and Chris were trying not to laugh.

  “Now, Noah, don’t ever try to be like Kent, Kyle, and Dereck. They are naughty,” Zoe said.

  Dani held her arms out for her son, who flew into them. She turned around to watch as Tyler flipped Dereck over his shoulder and took down Kyle next.

  Kent, who she’d now figured out was wearing the green shirt while Kyle was in red, lay on his back, his chest rising and falling rapidly. As he climbed to his feet, he called, “It’s not fair. You have all that ninja training. Even with the gimpy knee, you’re still—”

  “Shut up, Kent!” Dereck snapped.

  Everyone in the yard stiffened, and Dani had no idea what had happened to change the mood of the play, but as Tyler climbed to his feet, she noticed a definite limp in his step.

  As he neared her, she stepped forward with Noah. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, we just probably should start heading back. It’s getting late.”

  “Tyler, I’m sorry,” Kent called.

  Tyler didn’t say anything, but as they opened the glass door, she heard Zoe hiss, “You are such a fucking asshole, Kent.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  TYLER WAS READY to get out of the car. He was stiff, and his knee was aching, despite the Tylenol his mother had given him.

  The only good thing about the long drive was getting to hold Dani’s hand the whole way home.

  “What did Kent mean?” she asked finally. Tyler was surprised it had taken her so long to bring it up.

  “You know how I told you I was shot?” He saw her nod out of the corner of his eye. “Well, it was actually a sniper bullet that went through my dog and my knee. Tore up the cartilage pretty good.”

  “Your dog? Oh God, Tyler.”

  He chuckled bitterly. “Yeah, I never knew something could hurt so bad, and Rex . . . Well, I couldn’t leave him. I lay there on the ground, holding my dead dog in my arms instead of trying to crawl. Trying to get myself to safety. Luckily, some of the guys from my squad heard my distress call and came for me. They put me on a chopper, and after several surgeries, they sent me here to recover. Physical therapy and group counseling. I guess I was too valuable as a military dog trainer for them to give me a medical discharge, but they’ll never send me back into the field again.”

  Her hands covered his and she squeezed. “Do you want to go back?”

  “Hell no. Sparks did, until he met Violet, and I get he had his own reasons, but I was done. I still remember the sound and smell and Rex’s blood on my hands . . . ” Dani gave a soft whimper, and he cursed. “I’m sorry, you don’t need to hear this shit.”

  “No, I’m just picturing the whole thing, and it makes me ache for you.” She brought his hand up to her cheek, turning to press her lips to his palm.

  Needing to lighten the mood a bit, he joked, “If you really want to make me feel better, you should use my hand to cup something else.”

  She smacked him in the chest.

  “Ow, don’t abuse the driver.”

  “Then stop being a pervert.”

  Tyler got off the freeway and headed straight for Dani’s place. It was a little after ten, and he was exhausted. He still needed to pick up Duke, and he had switched with Bryce tomorrow so he needed to be at the program at nine in the morning.

  He parked the car in her driveway and got to the back door first. “I’ll get him. You get the door.”

  She nodded and went to go unlock it. Tyler ducked into the backseat and unbuckled Noah, who snored on softly. He lifted the toddler out and held him with his head against his shoulder. They’d changed him into pajamas before they’d made the drive back, and considering how out the little guy was, Tyler was glad Dani wouldn’t have to wrestle pajamas onto him.

  Dani pushed the door open and went first, shooing and shushing her two dogs as they barked excitedly. Shasta stood up on her hind legs and tried to sniff Noah, and Tyler patted her head.

  Tyler laid Noah down in his crib and ran a hand over his curls gently.

  “Night, buddy.”

  He pulled the fleece blanket over him and left the room, closing the door with a soft click. Dani was standing in the kitchen, holding her phone to her ear with a frown.

  “What’s up?” he whispered.

  She held the phone out to him. “Press play.”

  Tyler did as she said and listened.

  “Hello, Danielle, this is Camila Ramirez, Angel’s mother. I would like to talk to you regarding my grandchild. Please call me at 916-555-0923. Thank you.”

  Tyler’s body pulsed with anger. God, Angel was a fucking pussy. “Nothing like sending his mommy to do his dirty work. Are you going to call her?”

  “I think I should talk to a lawyer first. See what my options are. I just . . . I only met his mother a few times, but I know she hated me.” With a heavy sigh, she took her phone back and set it on the counter. “I just don’t get why he’s even interested in Noah, you know? He was the one who said he wanted nothing to do with either of us. Now I’ve got not just him, but his mother contacting me.”

  “How did they get your number?” he asked.

  “I’ve had the same number for years. I’ve never changed it.”

  “Might want to think about doing that,” Tyler said.

  “Yeah, I might, depending on what the lawyer says, but they already know where I live. Unless I want to move, too, not sure how helpful that will be.”

  Suddenly, Tyler wasn’t so sure about going back to his place tonight. Maybe he should get Duke and his uniform and come back. Tyler cupped her face in his hands and peered down at her. “I don’t like you being here alone. What if he’s watching the house?”

  “Okay, now you’re just being paranoid. We’re fine, and even if he was watching the house, I can’t imagine he’d t
ry anything. Plus, there is no way he is getting past a locked door and two ferocious guard dogs.”

  Tyler glanced down at pudgy, snorting Bella and Shasta, whose tail thumped against the carpet.

  “Not sure about the ferociousness.”

  “You didn’t see Shasta when he came to the house. She almost launched herself at him. I would have been scared of her if she hadn’t been my dog.”

  “Speaking of dogs . . . ” He kissed her, rubbing his thumb across her cheek. “I gotta go get Duke.”

  “So go,” she whispered back.

  “I will. But we had a long day that included our first real fight, and we didn’t properly make up.”

  “I told you, it’s fine. What do we need to make up for?”

  Tyler kissed her again, deeper this time, his hips pressing her back into the counter. He pulled his mouth away long enough to say, “Fun?”

  Dani reached around and gripped his ass through his jeans in response, and he groaned. Dropping his hands from her face, he picked her up by her rear end and lifted her onto the counter. “Lie back.”

  She did as he asked, her chest rising and falling rapidly as he shoved her dress up, revealing the black leggings keeping him from what he wanted most.

  He buried his head between her legs and pressed his mouth against her through the soft cotton. After turning his cap backward so the bill wasn’t in the way, he hooked his fingers into the sides of her leggings and pulled them, along with her underwear, down to her knees.

  With the kitchen light shining over them, he saw that she’d shaved, and his excitement grew until his cock was practically pulsating with hunger. Lifting her legs and ducking his head between them, he let them fall so her boot heels hit him in the middle of his back.

  He spread her lips with his thumbs and swept his tongue over the hard nub of her clit, listening to the hiss of her breath with pure male pride. Foreplay was something he’d done on occasion, but with Dani, it wasn’t a chore to get to the final act; in fact, Tyler realized he liked it. The anticipation, her sounds of ecstasy as he licked, sucked, and fingered her until she was smothering cries of joy, her muscles squeezing his fingers as she came. It was almost better than sex.

  Giving her slit one last long lick that left her shuddering, he lifted her legs over his head and redressed her lovingly.

  Taking her hands, he pulled her up into a sitting position, his hand stroking her cheek. “I better go.”

  “Wait, now?”

  “I still need to get my dog, and when we do it, I’m going to want to spend the whole night with you after.”

  Her hands trailed over his chest and abdomen until they were cupping his dick through his jeans. “But that doesn’t mean you need to leave without being satisfied.”

  “It’s not necessary . . . ” he began, sucking in his breath when she pushed him back.

  “I think it is.” She hopped down from the counter and stalked toward him.

  DANI SLIPPED TYLER’S belt from the buckle, her tongue sliding inside his mouth. He tasted of mint and her, and she was rabid with wanting him. The need to make him feel as good as she did, to give him more pleasure than he could handle so he wouldn’t . . .

  Wouldn’t go to someone else?

  God, why did that thought keep creeping though her mind? He’d brought her home to meet his parents, had shown her in every way that he cherished her and Noah.

  Pushing all the negative thoughts from her mind, she proceeded to get swept up in what she was doing now. It had been a long time since she’d given head, until last night with Tyler. She’d been afraid that it would be awful, that she’d be so bad he’d walk out with a thanks anyway.

  Instead, she’d looked up at him, at the look of pure bliss on his handsome face, and instinct had taken over.

  And she wanted that feeling again. To be responsible for Tyler losing control, to hear her name on his lips as he came.

  Leading him to the couch, she unbuttoned his pants on the way, sliding the zipper down to expose his boxer briefs.

  “It’s your turn to lie back. On the couch.”

  Tyler kicked off his shoes and pushed his jeans and underwear all the way off. When he was naked from the waist down, she licked her lips.

  He reached up to pull off his hat, and she stopped him. “No. The shirt can go, but the hat stays on.”

  He raised a brow but didn’t argue. Stripping so the only thing he wore was a hat and a smile, he lay back on the couch.

  “I’m all yours.”

  Yes, you are.

  Her possessive thought escaped before she could catch it. She kicked off her boots and leaned over the couch until she was settled on her knees between his legs.

  “Scoot up a bit.”

  He did as she asked, and, twisting her hair into a knot on top of her head, she leaned over him, her hands cupping his balls before circling the base of his cock. Her tongue swirled around the tip and then dipped into the tiny hole there, catching the first drop of excitement that had gathered.

  As she slid her mouth over him, pressing down until her lips met her hands, she started to pump and suck, swirling her tongue, massaging his balls, her breasts tightening as he started talking.

  “Fuck, God, yes. Holy shit, just like that. Dani . . . ”

  She fought a smile as she stepped up the speed, his groans becoming a beat to music only she could hear. She was sweating, and her jaw was starting to ache, but she pushed through it, keeping up the pressure until she felt his cock jerk in her mouth.

  His hand tangled in her hair, freeing the strands from the makeshift knot, and as the curtain of her blonde hair shrouded her, she swallowed his pleasure. He shouted her name this time as he came, and when she was sure he was done, she licked up his shaft one more time, similar to what he’d done to her.

  Flipping her hair off her face, she smiled up at him. “So . . . are you satisfied?”

  “Fuck, yeah.”

  She kissed over his abdomen, his six-pack muscles jumping under her mouth as she climbed up his body, tucking her knees along both sides of his hips as she straddled him.

  “Good.” She started to lift herself off him, but he reached up and grabbed her hips. “You don’t have to move.”

  Stretching out on top of him, she laid her cheek on his bare chest. “Okay, but I thought you had to go get Duke.”

  “I do, but shit, Dani, I don’t want to leave you.”

  His chest rumbled with every heavenly word coming out of his mouth, and she lifted her head, folding her hands on his chest.

  “So, how about next weekend I come over to your place? Noah will be at my parents’, and I could make you dinner.”

  His thumb brushed across her lower lip.

  “Will you be cooking naked?”

  “If you want me to,” she said.

  “You are such a tease. Now I’m gonna think about you standing in my kitchen naked with a wooden spoon . . . Fuck, I’m going to have blue balls all week!”

  “Hey, you were the one who brought it up. I was just being accommodating.”

  “I think you like knowing you drive me wild.”

  Her fingers played across his pecs. “I like knowing that you want me.”

  Tyler’s hand tangled in her hair, cupping the back of her head. “Oh, I want you, all right. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”

  His words sent her stomach somersaulting, and she leaned up to kiss him, softly and sweetly.

  “What was that for?” he asked.

  Because I might just love you.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  TYLER TOOK HIS squad out to the off-site team-building course Alpha Dog had been working on during the summer months. Dr. Stabler had suggested that if the boys did some team-building exercises together, it might help Meyers and Jeremiah come to a resolution.

  Only the mud from the rain that had been pouring down all week made the course harder than usual.

  “All right, here’s the deal. We’ll break up into two
teams for the day, of my choosing. The losing team will do the winning team’s chores for a week, and as long as your schoolwork is done, the winning team will get a movie night every night for a week. Sound good?”

  The boys hollered and whooped.

  “Then here we go. Meyers, Walton, Harlow, Platt, Locke, and Benton Team One! The rest of you are Team Two.”

  Meyers and Walton eyed each other warily.

  “Team One, you’re with me. Team Two, you’re with Sergeant Kline.”

  Once Kline had led the kids over to the London Bridge, Tyler waved Team One over to him. “First up is the spider web.” Tyler indicated the ropes in the shape of a giant web. “You need to get every member through those holes without waking the spider. If you vibrate her ropes too many times and she drops, you have to start over. So, come up with a strategy, and let’s go.”

  Tyler had to admit, the six teenagers acted as though there had never been a conflict as they came up with a strategy. Three on each side, they would put one guy through right to left and the next, left to right. Platt was the only one putting up a stink about the other guys not being able to lift him, but to Tyler’s surprise, Jeremiah Walton was the one to shut him up.

  “Dude, stop it! I know what you’re doing, but we need you to suck it up and trust us. We can get you through the hole and win this.”

  “What is it I’m doing?” Platt asked.

  “You’re calling yourself fat before someone else does it. I do the same thing.”

  “How is that? You’re not fat.”

  “No, but with my long hair and being a twig, people call me shit all the time. I figured for a long time it was just better to make fun of myself before they did or ignore them. But that’s not good for either one of us. We’re your teammates, and it’s our job to build you up and make sure you get to the other side.”

  “Better listen to him, Platt. He makes sense.”

  Tyler wanted to throw his fist in the air as Meyers backed up Walton. This was what he’d been looking for, and he would have to remember to send Dr. Stabler a fruit basket for working with Meyers.

  By the time they finished the course, Team One beat out Team Two by fifteen seconds. There was a chorus of good-natured groans and razzing, but otherwise, they all shook hands and climbed into the van without issue.