Last True Hero (13 page)

My voice trails away as his eyes widen and his mouth goes slack.

“Your dad…he's navy?” he asks quietly.

I nod.

“That's why you have an issue dating guys in the military?”

I nod again.

“Why didn't you tell me?”

I sigh, tugging at a stray curl. “I don't know…it never really seemed like a time to bring it up. My dad…you've seen him. He's not just navy, Dare, he's an admiral. He's used to controlling everything and everyone. I'm just something else he gets to control.”

Dare blows out a heavy breath, and then he reaches for me. I go very willingly into his arms, and his crushing embrace nearly drags a sob from my chest. He buries his face into my neck, inhaling deeply.

“Nobody can control you, baby.” He breathes into my ear. “You're too strong.”

I feel anything but strong as my knees wobble under me and a shiver runs along my back. I feel like with one more breath in my ear, one more sweet word, one touch of his lips, he could break me into a million, tiny little pieces.

“I'm sorry,” I whisper. “Grisham proposed to me because he thinks he wants to marry me. But I told him no.”

I feel his chuckle. It's mirthless, but it causes his body to vibrate. “That guy? Isn't taking no for an answer, Berkeley.”

I nod. “Yeah. Grisham's pretty used to getting whatever he wants. But he knows he's met his match when it comes to me.”

“Does he know…”

“That I've been seeing you? He does now.”

Dare's quiet for a minute, just holding me still in his arms. Then his muscles tense, and I pull back so I can see his face.

“You think he'll go to your dad?”

There's no fear or apprehension in his question. There's just a cool sense of his own brand of determination. I shrug.

“I'm not sure what Grisham will do in this situation. I've never been in it with him before. The Admiral is definitely going to lose his mind when he finds out I turned Grisham down and I'm not going to San Diego with him. But I don't know how much Grisham will want him to get involved.”

Dare's gaze is made of steel and ice when it meets mine. “Are there any other ‘complications' I need to know about, Berkeley? Because I think at this point, we should pretty much put it all out on the table.”

I can feel a flush creeping up my cheeks. “No more complications on my end. How about you?”

A shadow crosses his eyes, and the pregnant pause tells me that there are definitely things he hasn't told me. “Dare?”

He shakes his head and takes a step back. “I think we've dealt with enough tonight. Let's take a breather from it all, all right?”

My mouth falls open as I stare at him. “Are you serious right now?”

His stare is unwavering as he nods.

I cross my arms over my chest and take a deep, calming breath. I can't believe he's taking a step back after I just came clean about all of my drama. Now that he knows my father's position and that another man wants me, has he lost interest? It's a lot to handle, true. But I just thought we had something more important than all of that.

Could I have been so completely wrong about Dare Conners?

I
slam the heel of my hand into the dashboard, but the accompanying pain isn't nearly satisfying enough.

“Hey!” shouts Drake. “Do you know whose car you're in right now?”

I ignore him completely and slam an open hand into the dashboard one more time for good measure.

“Fuck,” I growl. “Fuck!”

“Yeah, man, we get it,” drawls Chase from the backseat. He reaches up and pats my shoulder. “How's this girl got you so twisted up? I mean, she's hot as shit and all—”

I turn around and grab the hand he used to touch my shoulder, squeezing it until I feel his bones crushing together.

“Dammit!” he screams.

I release him. “You're my brother, and I love you. But if you talk about her like that again I'll break a bone.”

Chase mutters to himself in the back, “Mental note: Don't mention the
B
word, or Dare goes bat-shit crazy.”

Drake cuts his eyes toward me. “Slap your hand on my car again, dude, and
I'mma
break some bones.”

That's fair enough, so I nod. Then my scowl returns.

I let her walk out of there with another guy. Sure, it's a guy she says she's not interested in. But he's definitely interested in
her
. And the look he tossed over his shoulder at me as he left the bar with my girl was a smug grin that I
need
to physically remove from his face. I need it like I need fucking air.

As soon as we get home I sink onto my bed and text her.

I wait, every muscle in my body flexed tight, for her to message me back.

I left her so I could give myself some space to think of how, and when, I was going to fill her in on my situation with Chase. Even though I've been keeping it from her for her own good, it's no longer fair for me to keep my secrets when she's shared all of hers. I want to tell her everything. I just also want to keep her safe. Thinking about bringing her into Chase's unstable world makes me want to break things. A lot of glass things.

Once again I'm struck by how utterly crazy being around a girl like Berkeley is making me. I try and pinpoint again, just like the night I met her, what exactly it is about her that strikes such a deep chord within me. It's not specifically her looks, although when she enters a room the most sensitive muscle in my body stiffens in response to her. It's not merely her sense of humor, even though when I'm with her it feels like someone has turned on the sun and my cheeks end up sore from all the stupid-ass grins she pulls from me. The strength and self-possession she exudes are addictive, and her easy affability leaves me wanting more and more time with her. It's a combination of all of those things, her very particular brand of
Berkeley-ness
that is putting me in danger of falling for her.

My phone vibrates, and I snatch it up.

Shit.
Okay. I decide it's time to lighten the mood a bit. We've had a heavy, emotional night. I could tell earlier that she'd been through a lot, and I didn't help matters by melting down when I saw her with
Grisham
.

I find her name in my phone contacts list and press
SEND.

She answers on the first ring, which brings a slight smile to my lips.

“You still don't know that guys don't call girls anymore.” Her voice is all cute and grumbly. I gulp down the intense desire that washes over me like the downpour that ignited our first kiss.

“You must know by now that I don't follow social cues,” I say into the phone. “Two-word answers over text aren't going to work for me tonight.”

She sighs, and a pause stretches between us on the phone. My fingers itch; they bend and flex as I picture her soft skin beneath them.

“It's been a rough night, Dare.”

“Are you alone?” The question tumbles out of me; I hadn't even planned to ask it. But I need to know she's not still with Grisham. Once I know that, I'll be able to think clearly again.

“You don't even need to ask me that, Dare.” Her sigh is weary. “Answer something.”

“Anything.”

“You didn't let me in on whatever you were holding back tonight. I get it. It took me this long to share everything with you. But now that I have…are there many more secrets you're not giving away?”

I hear my own question for her being thrown back at me, and I run a hand through my hair while I grin like a fucking idiot.

“Most people don't stick around long enough to learn other peoples' secrets,” I say. God, I want to touch her so bad right now.

I mouth her next words right along with her as she speaks them. “That sounds suspiciously like a dare, Dare.”

I shoot up off the bed like someone has lit a rocket under my ass. I stride for my bedroom door, throwing it open.

“Be outside in ten minutes, Berkeley. When I pull up, I want you in my truck.”

Her voice is breathless as she answers, and she doesn't even think to argue with me. I like that. No, I fucking love that.

As she speaks, I can tell she's moving around. “Where are we going?”

“I'm bringing you back here. I need you next to me tonight, Berkeley.” I realize my voice is rough as my truck's engine roars to life, and I try to soften it. “I know I need to open up to you, but I don't know when I'm going to be able to do that. I will do it though, Berkeley. You are so worth opening up to. I just…tonight I just want to feel you beside me.”

“Ten minutes?” Her voice is barely a whisper.

“No. Eight.”

I clasp her hand firmly in mine and lead her out of the entryway and down the hall.

“Aw, hell.” Chase's voice, coming from the living room, doesn't faze me as I tow Berkeley behind me into my room. We haven't really spoken since I picked her up, but this thing between us doesn't always need words to fill the space. It's big enough to fill it all on its own.

I pull her inside my room, shutting the door behind us, and I just take her in, standing in my most personal space for the second time. It hasn't been too long since she was last here, but all I've done in the meantime is picture her here again. It's maddening, this attraction that eats me up from the inside. And
damn
, does it turn me into a little bitch.

She stands there, that stray chunk of hair falling into her eye again, and I reach out for her wrist and pull her toward me. When she's flush against my chest, and looking up at me with those big, sienna eyes, I bend and kiss her. I kiss her like I need her, like she's all I need.

When I pull back, her lips are puffy and her eyes are blazing at me.

She's wearing form-fitting black pants that cut off just below her knees, and a tight tank top that hugs her generous curves to a point that's literally painful for me. She kicks off her flip-flops by the door, and turns away from me to climb up on my bed. Wordlessly, I turn off the light and crawl in after her.

“Why'd you pick me up, Dare?” she whispers in the darkness.

We're facing each other, inches apart, and I reach an arm out to wrap around her waist. Her body is so soft and supple against my hand, and I reach the other up to stroke her face.

“Because if you weren't here, I would have driven myself crazy all night trying to picture where you were.”

She nods slowly; I can only see her outline in the inky blackness of my room. My eyes aren't yet adjusted to the dark.

“I hurt you tonight, even though I didn't mean to.” It isn't a question, her voice is sad.

“I should have trusted you before I allowed myself to hurt.”

She shook her head. “Maybe I haven't earned that kind of trust yet. Evil siren vixen magic can only go so far.”

My smile is invisible to her, so I pull her hand to my mouth and kiss the flat of her palm. “You'd be surprised at how far that magic can take you, Berkeley.”

She sighs.

“You know this isn't a booty call, right?” I'm suddenly worried that she'll think I asked her here just to get laid. I want her more than I want my next meal, but she's no booty call.

“Shit! It isn't?” She huffs, starting to sit up in bed.

I pull her back down, and her lips crash into mine. Her mouth, total sweetness, opens to me, and I dive inside. My tongue takes its time stroking hers, exploring where I've been too determined and frantic to take the time before tonight. I know that I have her all night, and that no matter what happens tomorrow, she's mine while she's here with me.

She's all round curves and I slide my hand along the outer edge of her from shoulder to thigh and back again. A soft moan slips from her mouth and into mine, and my body responds by tightening, hardening, stiffening.

She rolls onto her back and I stalk her, covering her body with mine while I hold myself above her. Our lips part and she stares up at me, her eyes glinting in the darkness. I bend to kiss her again, harder this time, my tongue lashing against hers as she pushes her chest against mine. I groan as I feel her nipples driving through her thin tank, and she grinds her hips into my erection.

Jesus.
I want to find my way around her body like I'm making a map, but she's making it impossible to slow down the frenzy working in my body.

I leave her mouth to trail my lips along her jaw, pausing to inhale her rosy scent. I want her surrounding me, her smell, her feel, her taste, all of it. And I want to make her feel incredible, better than she's ever felt. When she leaves me in the morning, I want her to be completely and utterly satisfied.

And completely and utterly mine.

My hand skates across her stomach and down her thigh, bunching in her pants before making its way up again. I reach the hem of her tank, and look down at it. When I look back up at her, her eyes are blazing, and I pull the tank up and over her head. She lies there, her breasts exposed to me in a black lacy bra, and my breath hitches at the sight of how ample she is, how fucking
beautiful
she is. She's made like a goddess, and an errant thought that maybe she
is
a siren enters my head.

Chuckling slightly, I dip my head down to kiss the swell of her breast, and she gasps.

“You think this is
funny
, soldier?”

I keep my lips on her chest as I shake my head from side to side, creating friction with my mouth on her fiery skin.

“I find nothing about this funny,” I murmur. “I was just thinking that if you actually use magic against me, I hope you never stop.”

She smiles playfully, that corner of her lip finding its way into her mouth, and I pull it into my own mouth instead. Her answering moan is the fuel I need, and my hand travels south until it's resting on her hip bone and playing with the drawstring on the top of her pants.

“Dare,” she gasps, and I still.

“Too much?” I try not to pant, but I meet her gaze. If she's asking me to stop, I need to see her eyes when she says it.

Her dimples appear as she presses her lips together, but I don't tear my gaze from her eyes.

“If you want me to stop, Berkeley, just say it. We have…time.”

She reaches up and her fingers tangle in my hair. It's an amazing feeling, her fingers grazing my scalp as she plunders. “There are secrets between us. So I can't…I can't give myself to you. Not yet.”

I want to curse, but I don't. I nod, because that reason is so valid and reasonable that I can't argue it. I wouldn't want to.

“Okay,” I whisper. “One day soon, there won't be anything between us. I promise.”

I don't make promises often. But I swear, I'll keep this one so close to my heart that breaking it will also break me.

I crawl up beside her and take her lips again, kissing her long and hard, until we're both so exhausted we fall asleep.