Choosing Hearts - The Fighter's Passion (Gritty, Explicit Romance Novel) (A Lusty Stand Alone Story) (11 page)

CHAPTER SIX

“He took a bullet
for me?” Julia sat bolt upright in the hospital bed, her stunned expression
almost making her visitor laugh. “How is he? Where is he?”

“Relax, precious.”
Foster said with a sigh. “He’s fine. In fact he’s been discharged already.
Minor flesh wound, is all.”

“I want to see
him. Is he here?” She was on the borderline of going hysterical. “Why would he
do that for me… why?”

“My guess is he
really likes you, Julia.” Her captain gave her a shrug and a smile. “And yes,
he is here - just doing up the paperwork.”

“What happened to
the bank robbers?” She suddenly remembered about the bank robbery. “Did we get
them all?”

“We mopped up
whatever was left of them.” The heavy set senior policeman almost laughed. “I’m
sure this guy is some kind of highly trained merc, or maybe even British Black
Ops. His tactics are amazing.”

“Whatever he is,
he risked his life for me… I’m speechless.” The young woman shook her head and
buried her face in her palms.

“Yeah, I guess he
is a regular superhero then.” Foster grinned, “And with those dashing looks and
that towering build, all he’s missing are some tights and a cape.”

“Good Morn to you,
Captain Foster.” Rogan peered in from the corridor. “How fares Julia?”

“Speak of the
Devil, and he shall appear. Come on in, Rog.” Foster waved at him. “And see for
yourself.”

“Rogan!” Julia
almost shrieked. “What were you thinking taking a bullet for me?”

“So much for being
speechless.” Foster rolled his eyes.

“I apologize for
my brash actions, Julia.” Rogan walked in and sat beside the bed. “I did not
wish to harm you. I pray you are well.”

“Am I well?” She
looked at him in disbelief. “I’m alive all thanks to you. You could have died.
Are you crazy? You must be.”

“I rely on my
instincts and reflexes more than thought at times.” Rogan said with a shrug. “I
would surmise that makes me a good fighter.”

“A great fighter,
mate.” Foster patted the man’s broad back. “You’re an exemplary asset to the
Force and you’re going to be honored with a medal for your bravery.”

“Surely Julia
deserves as much praise.” Rogan gazed at the bewildered young woman lying in
the bed before him.

“Show me where the
bullet hit you.” Julia cut him off. “Does it hurt? How are you walking about?”

“It did hurt when
I was hit, but not as much as the arrow last winter.” The warrior replied,
displaying the bandage just above his left triceps muscle. “And I have the
ability to recover quickly from minor bruises and cuts.”

“Minor?” Julia
gasped. “A bullet is not…”

“Enough of that
Julia.” Foster barked. “The man is alive and well. You better get some rest and
be back in shape for duty.”

Julia glared at
the two men in silence. She felt more embarrassed than grateful at the moment.
Rogan’s actions had made it even worse for her. From the moment she had seen
him her heart was set upon him. Never had she met a man so handsome, charming
and desirable. But she was afraid to show any of her feelings for him, not
knowing what his reaction would be. But each day she had spent with him, her
longing and need for him grew stronger and she began to sense that he too
seemed to be getting attracted to her in his incomprehensible way.  And now,
after he had almost died to save her, it became even more difficult for her to
keep fighting her emotions.

“Come on, Rog.”
Foster called out to the taller man. “Let’s get you to Big Hoss’ steak house
and see how many porterhouses you can eat in one go.”

“Fare well,
Julia.” Rogan bowed low. “I shall return soon to be by your side.”

She didn’t reply
and fought hard to hold back her tears. But once the man of her dreams walked
out of the little private room, she let the water flow freely down her flushed
cheeks. She was in love, she knew that now. She couldn’t stop thinking of him.
At first she thought it was some girlish crush that she would soon get over,
but now, after spending all these days with him and getting to know him, she
knew she had no choice, her heart had made it clear and her head could not
convince her otherwise.

She stared at the saline
dripping into the pipes that were injecting the fluid into her veins. How did
she end up this injured, she wondered. She didn’t see any visible injuries nor
did she feel any pain. Sheer exhaustion, she concluded, remembering the moment
when she saw Rogan attacking the second gunman and lying exposed to the third
one. Adrenaline had taken over her, making her pressure rise and take sudden
action when she drew her gun and shot the gunman before he could fire on Rogan.
All that excitement and tension had drained her completely - physically and
emotionally as well.

“Oh, Rogan.” She
whispered. “Who are you and where did you come from to torment me like this?”

~ ~ ~

“I come from
Ireland.” Rogan grinned. “And I must return there soon.”

“Yeah, that’s as
much true as me being the Sheik of Arabia.” Foster laughed. “And Julia wasn’t
kidding about your appetite. That’s the third porterhouse steak you’ve had and
more than a quart of beer.”

“Aye, I am a man
of my word and I eat hearty and fight for justice.” Rogan raised his drink to
the captain.

“That I do
believe. Julia was right; there is a light of goodness in you.” Foster smiled
wryly. “I can almost see it now.”

“Some of my lost
memory does return to me at times.” Rogan lied. “I do seem to remember serving
as a law bringer back in the old country.”

“There’s a good
possibility in that.” Foster sipped his coffee. “Probably explains why you’d
jump in front of a bullet like that to save someone you barely know.”

“Julia has been
the kindest person to me here.” Rogan took a deep breath. “I feel she would
have done the same for me.”

“Yes, I suppose.”
Foster nodded. “And I can see the signs; I’m not an idiot. There’s more than
just your wellbeing she cares about. She’s in love with you, Irishman.”

Rogan kept silent,
his handsome face darkening a little as he prodded at a baked potato with his
fork.

“And no matter
what you do, don’t ever break her heart.” Foster’s voice grew hard. “She’s like
a daughter to me and I won’t be taking it too kindly on some mook who plays her
for a fool.”

“I give you my
solemn word, Captain Foster, I shall cause no grief to fair Julia. She has made
life so much more acceptable for me here.” Rogan placed his hand on his chest,
covering the amulet with his huge palm. “Everyday was likening to Hell for me
here, until I met her that day.”

“Yeah, I suppose
it all happens for the greater good.” Foster laughed, lightening the somber
mood. “Now come on, let’s get you a fourth steak and another pitcher of beer.”

“As you people say
here in New York, ‘bring it on’,” Rogan joined in the laughter relieved to have
the subject changed.

Rogan ate the rest
of his meal in silence, as Foster paid the bill and had to leave. He was still
on duty and allowed the huge warrior the rest of the day off. Rogan drained the
last of his beer and gnawed every shred of meat off the large T-Bone, before
leaving the eating house. As he made his way back to the police station, his
mind drifted to Julia. He tried to fight it, forcing his thoughts to focus on
Alicia and yet, Julia’s face seemed to merge with his lost love’s.  His head
told him that the possibility of returning to his own time seemed more
implausible with each passing day and that he should accept it and live a full
life here in this existence. But his heart, it fought all reason. Alicia was
his eternal love and each time he held the amulet on his neck, he longed for
her more than ever. With a heavy heart and throbbing head, Rogan closed the
door to his little room and let all the beer he had drunk take him to the realm
of blissful sleep.

“Rogan! Wake up.”
Her voice was sharp and edgy. “Wake up, Irishman.”

He opened his eyes
and looked around him blearily. He was in his little room and it was dark
outside. Julia sat by the bed, her eyes red from crying. She appeared to be
better now.

“Julia?” He
blurted in bewilderment. “You are well?”

“Yes, I’m much
better than I was this morning. I got discharged an hour ago.” The hazel eyed
beauty said impatiently. “Rogan, we have to talk.”

“Ah, yes, certainly.”
The large man sat up. “What troubles you?”

“You do, Rogan.”
She whispered exasperatedly.

“I?” He looked
confused. He hoped that this was another one of his dreams. He tried to focus
on Alicia, but his mind seemed clouded.

“Yes, you.” She pressed.
“Ever since I saw you, I felt something I couldn’t explain and now, after all
this time we’ve been together and all we’ve been through, especially this
morning, with your mad heroics… Rogan, I can’t help myself... I’m in love with
you and I want you.”

Rogan remained
silent for a while, taking time to process her frantic outburst. He looked at
her sorrowful face; it made his heart ache. He wanted to tell her that he felt
the same as she did. He was drawn to her from the moment he had seen her too, but
his heart was already with Alicia. And now, after all these hateful days and
his hopes of ever returning diminishing each day, Rogan was not too sure of
what he should do. He fought his inner demons; accepting what seemed real was
more difficult than the comfort of what he believed in.

“Why are you
keeping quiet?” She almost pleaded. “You’ve turned my world upside down, Rogan…
tell me that you feel the same. I can see it in your eyes.”

“I… I am… my
life…” Rogan stammered, instinctively clawing at the pendant on his neck.

“Is it the
amnesia… the memory loss of your past life that’s making you unsure?” She urged
him. “Did you love someone then? Were you married?”

“I don’t… I can’t
recall…” He looked at her sadly, knowing that the truth that he was from a time
four hundred years ago would make her feel insulted. She would think that he
was insane or a malicious jester of some kind.

“What’s holding
you back, Rogan?” Julia shook her head. “We’ve done all kinds of searches on
you, online and through conventional means. Even your picture doesn’t show up
on any recorded form anywhere. Whoever you were before this has been erased
from recorded history. This might be a second chance you’ve been given.”

“You could be
speaking the truth.” He accepted, reaching out to hold her hand. “Aye, this is
a second chance, albeit a cruel one.”

“Trust me, Rogan…
we tried everything. We can’t come up with any information on you.”

“I am well and
truly a lost soul then.” He nodded ruefully. “Maybe it is time to forget the
past and embrace the future.”

He laughed
inwardly at the irony of his words. The future indeed, it meant so much in so
many levels and yet, it was all nothing. His past life was lost to him. There
was nothing, as a mere mortal, he could do. It seemed that the will of
evildoers held sway everywhere and it was the innocents like Alicia and Julia
who suffered in sorrow. The words of mad Mymisa drifted back into his mind,
filling him with dread. He looked at Julia again and forced his heart to agree
with his head. More than a month and half now he had languished in this future
prison - time enough to accept reality as it was and let dreams be where they
were suited best - in the realms of sleep and death.

“You’re a
wonderful man, Rogan.” Julia moved in closer, placing her hands on his face.
“You may have had a troubled past, but now you’re here - free of it… here to be
with me.”

He gazed into her
large eyes in silence and saw the purity of her love for him there. So much
like Alicia, it sent a shiver down his spine. Julia leaned forward and kissed
him on the lips, gently. Rogan stiffened at the sensation of her soft warm lips
on his. And again he thought of Alicia. Part of him screamed to push Julia away
and yet, another part urged him to give in to his need for this young woman
nestled in his arms.

He was a man of
pure ideals and principles, but his body was made of flesh and blood like any
other. It had its wants and needs and he had fought his natural desires for too
long in this hellish future. Giving in finally to the awful truth that he may
never find his way back home, he let his body take over from his mind at last.
He returned her kiss tenderly, feeling her lips and her tongue, savoring every
moment of her passion for him.

Julia moaned
softly. Her delicate hands caressed his broad shoulders and moved over his deep
chest. He felt her pull his blue shirt apart and run her slender fingers over
the curly hairs of his dense muscular chest. It felt strange and also
wonderful. Alicia loved to do that too, but he pushed that thought away,
replacing Julia’s smiling face in his mind. Though it hurt him, it was about
time to move on with his life - to live and love again. He slid his large hands
down her supple back, touching her with passionate intent for the first time
since he had met her more than two weeks ago. She welcomed his nervous touch,
her moans and sighs encouraging him.

“Oh, Rogan.” She
whispered huskily. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long.”

He said nothing,
gently caressing her soft curves instead and letting her peel off his shirt and
trousers. She shook off her blouse and guided his hands to her exposed breasts,
inviting him to caress their yielding softness. Her nipples were hard like
sugared dates, yearning for his hungry mouth.

“Come on, Rogan…
I’m all yours… do me, baby.” She moaned, pulling his head over her naked
breasts.

The huge warrior
obeyed her like a little lamb, taking a tender breast in each of his hands and
alternatively kissing the throbbing buds. She stiffened and arched her back,
gasping and moaning softly. Her hands trailed down the broad expanse of his
back, feeling every densely muscled ridge and bump.

“Talk to me,
baby.” She purred. “Tell me how much you love me, how much you like my body…”

“I adore you,
sweet Julia.” Rogan whispered. “You are more comely than I had ever
envisioned.”

“Make love to me,
Rogan.” Julia pleaded. “Do with me whatever you wish.”

Rogan smiled at
her, quashing the inner demons that plagued his mind for the time being. He
stripped her completely naked and dropped the briefs he had taken up to wearing
in this strange world. His arousal jutted out toward her, eliciting a gasp of
admiration from the policewoman. A flash of fear crossed her wide eyes at the
prospect of being impaled by his monstrous organ, but she quelled it. She
wanted him more than anything she had ever in her young life. She had dated a
few men before, but nothing made her feel the way being with Rogan did. She
spread her legs wide inviting him in.

Rogan explored her
moist arousal with interest, tasting her sweet wetness on his fingers and
smiling at her as she blushed. He knew that the two of them were more than
ready to go all the way and there would be time for other games of love later
on. He positioned his foot long organ, letting her guide it over the right
spot. She screamed as he entered her, filling her up like she had never been
before. Momentary pain gave way to eternal pleasure and Julia clung on to him
like one possessed.

“Rogan, oh,
Rogan.” She wailed. “You’re more than I could ever dream of… the perfect man. I
can’t believe I could ever be so lucky.”

“I would say the
same, my love.” He acknowledged her, thinking of himself to be even more
fortunate to have found perfect love for the second time in his life.

Julia gasped as he
ground his thickness into her tight pussy, making her body feel sensations it
never had before. She shook violently as her orgasm hit her, forcing her to cry
out and claw at his back and buttocks. Rogan came alive , taking joy in the
sensation of being in love again, his mind and body as one. He groaned out
aloud as he released days of stress and anguish, letting his body levitate into
a state of ethereal bliss.

“Rogan… oh, baby…”
Julia babbled incoherently. “Oh, this is so good.”

Rogan held her
tight, feeling her love juices gush all over him as he filled her with his
seed. The union was almost as perfect as it always was with Alicia. Perhaps
only marred by the little pang of guilt that ate away at him even as he strived
to push his past life away and move on.

“Oh, was it good
for you too, baby.” Julia kissed him all over his grinning face as they lay in
each other’s arms on his little bed.

“I cannot remember
a time I have had such a glorious union.” The warrior smiled down lovingly at
her.

“Well, that’s
good… I think.” She smiled back. “And even if you had better, I’m glad you have
no memory of it now.”

“We are one, fair
Julia.” He caressed her hair, gazing into her eyes. “I have accepted my fate
and moved ahead in my new life… with you.”

“Oh, I’m so glad.”
She gushed. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened in my life, Rogan… and
I think I won’t recover if I ever lose you.”

“I swear, with my
life.” Rogan said firmly, his fingers grasping the amulet in them. “I shall
never leave your side.”

Julia closed her
eyes and held him tightly, feeling safe and warm in the huge man’s powerful
embrace. She didn’t see the misty far away look in his green eyes or that he
brought the glowing pendant to his lips and kissed it tenderly. She didn’t see
his lips move, saying the name of his lost love.

~ ~ ~