A Hero To Trust In Me (7 page)

The game was an emotional roller coaster with Kentucky pulling it out at the very end to advance to the finals. Abigail had jumped and hollered louder than anyone in their section all the way through the game, heckling the other team mercilessly. Too bad they were too far away to have done any good. Laura couldn’t help but laugh at her enthusiasm. When it was over, Steve immediately left to procure tickets for the finals stating that, if Rick could treat them to a game, so could he.

It hadn’t escaped Laura that Abigail had called her “Aunt Laura.” Steve had hidden his smile behind his hand, but Rick had seemed to stand even taller as if proud of the little girl’s slip. Laura wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about it, but decided it didn’t feel like a bad thing. She just hoped she wasn’t reading too much into it. She and Rick had only known each other a few weeks. Where their relationship was going was anyone’s guess at this point.

“Why did Abigail call me Aunt Laura?”

“What? Oh. That.” He cleared his throat, trying to look nonchalant. “I might have mentioned you were thinking about marrying me and then you’d be her aunt.”

“Rick Carver!” Vivian burst out, slapping his head. Rick winced, ducking a little at the chastisement. “That is no way to ask a lady to marry you. You will do it right, with a ring, and with the utmost respect. Do you hear me, young man?”

“Not cool, bro. Not cool,” Mike said, shaking his head.

“Look, I wasn’t taking any chances,” Rick said defensively. He fished into his jeans pocket, pulling out a little white box before dropping to one knee, offering the tiny cube to Laura. “I’ll do anything I have to. Lie. Steal. Cheat. Or get a little girl to call her ‘Aunt Laura’ if it will get her to be mine forever.” He waited until she opened the box with trembling fingers before continuing. “Will you marry me, Laura?”

In her hand, a sparkling sapphire and diamond ring glittered under the lights of the stadium. The ring was beautiful. So was the man.

Tears pooling in her eyes, Laura didn’t trust herself to speak. Instead, she nodded, throwing herself at Rick. He’d barely gotten to his feet in time to catch her, but those impossibly strong arms encircled her so tightly, so possessively, she knew she’d forever crave to be inside them.

Around them, a smattering of applause sounded as those around them bore witness to the emotional proposal. Abigail let out a whoop and announced loudly, “That’s my Aunt Laura!” Vivian dabbed at her eyes, while Leland circled her shoulder with a loving arm. Steve and Mike both slapped Rick on the back while Chase gave him a thumbs up from where he stood, his arm draped around Melanie’s waist.

“I’m holding you to this,” Rick said. “And I’m marrying you soon.”

“A summer wedding then,” Laura said, raising an eyebrow.

Rick laughed, pulling her close once again. “Don’t think I can wait ’til summer.”

“We should probably wait a few months,” Laura said, growing serious. “People are liable to think it’s a shotgun wedding. They’ll think there must be a reason for it.”

Again, that wicked grin of his split Rick’s face. He bent close to her, careful to make his next words for her ears only. “Who’s to say there won’t be?”

* * *

As they made it back to their hotel after the late game, Laura thought back on the events of the day. The flair of jealousy she’d felt when Angela had flung herself into Rick’s arms, kissing him like she owned him, had startled her. Mainly because she realized she’d never felt that particular emotion when she’d discovered Carl’s betrayal. In fact, she’d been more hurt by her friend, Linda’s, involvement. It had hurt worse that her best friend in the world, the one person who’d been with her through thick and thin for more years than she’d even known Carl had crossed that particular line. Sure, it had hurt to realize her husband had cheated on her, but there hadn’t been the same bite of pain. With Rick, the emotions had been sharp, nearly unbearable for a few moments until the rational part of her brain had kicked in and analyzed the situation.

Now, walking hand in hand with him down the hallway of their hotel, she was struck by how right it felt. Her man by her side. Him looking at her as if she were the only woman in the world. Laura knew he was certainly the only man in the world for her.

“I wondered when you two would get here,” Carl’s voice greeted them just before he stepped out from a small alcove. Rick merely grinned, though he did let go of Laura’s hand, stepping slightly in front of her protectively.

“Was a long game. We got here as soon as we could. Have a little bit of celebrating of our own to do tonight.”

Carl looked from Rick to Laura. “It’s time for this to end, Laura. I’ve come to take you home.”

“She
is
home,” Rick said, anger tingeing his voice for the first time .

“She’s in a damned hotel in Arlington, Texas! How is that in any way home?”

“My home is wherever Rick is,” Laura said softly. “If that means this hotel, then I’m happy.”

“It was one little indiscretion! How can you throw away five years of marriage over that?”

“The very fact that you see a betrayal of our marriage vows in that light is reason enough. Besides, after tonight’s little display, I realized that your betrayal was bad, but it wasn’t devastating. If you’d been the love of my life, shouldn’t I have been devastated? I was angry, sure. Hurt? Absolutely. But it only felt like a weight being lifted from me once I got past the hurt.” She shook her head. “We should never have been together. I’m just glad something like this happened now before I had twenty years of my life vested in our relationship.”

“How can you say that, Laura? I love you!”

“Love doesn’t have phone sex with your wife’s best friend,” Laura countered. “Love doesn’t text that same woman on your honeymoon, or for the next five straight years, telling her how much you want to fuck her every single day of those five years. That’s not my idea of love, Carl.”

“Please, Laura. I want you back.” The beseeching look on his face would have moved her once. Now, Laura saw it for what it was. Yet another tool to manipulate her with. This time, however, it didn’t work.

“We’re divorced, Carl. I have the paperwork safely tucked away in my safe deposit box where I’ll always have proof our marriage ended.”

“And that’s enough,” Rick interrupted. “We’re going to our room.”

“Wait!” Carl lunged for Laura. “I just need to talk with you alone—” Carl’s protest was cut off when Rick’s fist connected solidly with his jaw. Carl dropped like a stone.

Pulling out his phone, Rick dialed 911, telling the dispatcher what had happened and that Carl might need medical assistance.

“You know, he’ll just press charges. Try to make it out to be your fault.”

“This is Texas, honey. Unless he happens to have a room in this hotel on the same floor, it’s not going to look like anything other than what it was. An unwanted guest followed us here and tried to attack you. And no way I’m letting another man put his hands on you unless you want them there.”

Just as Rick said, there was no problems after they gave their statements to the police. Carl went to the hospital without a word of protest. He might make trouble for them later, but Laura suspected he’d finally gotten it through his thick skull she had no interest in renewing their relationship.

It was nearly four in the morning by the time they were finally in their room. Exhausted, all Laura wanted to do was curl up in Rick’s arms and sleep for a good twelve hours or better.

Rick helped her undress, which was ridiculous, but he seemed to enjoy uncovering every inch of her skin so Laura said nothing. He kissed his way down her thigh as he peeled her jeans from her legs. Laura giggled when he nipped the inside of her knee lightly. He only grinned up at her before continuing.

Once he had her in only her underwear, he took his time running his hands over her skin, coaxing throaty moans from her throat and turning her bones to the consistency of a puddle.

Slipping the front clasp of her bra free, Rick found the swell of her breast with his lips, licking and kissing his way around the generous globe until his lips finally closed over the peak. Laura cried out, threading her fingers through his hair, holding him to her as he suckled. Pleasure surged through her, despite her fatigue, stirring a need in her only Rick could quell.

“Feel good, baby?”

“Definitely,” she sighed.

Urging her back onto the bed, Rick slid her panties from her hips then over her legs. He tossed them to the floor before gently urging her knees apart. The look he gave her as he gazed at her damp sex made her shiver. That one look was full of more possession and desire than she’d ever seen from any man in her life. And it was directed at her. Rick Carver wanted her. The man could have had any woman he wanted, even perfect Angela. And he’d chosen…her.

The anticipation was too much. Laura arched her back, thrusting her hips at him. She needed him inside her, to be joined with him so deeply they could never part. When he bent his head, swiping his tongue through her damp folds, Laura closed her eyes and cried his name. He could do that to her so easily. Make her want him so much she was mindless with the need. And, by God, it was a great feeling.

He tongued her clit for several minutes, taking her to the very edge of orgasm only to let her fall back down before cresting the wave. Pleasure flooded her from head to toe, filling her with excitement and longing for those moments when her body spasmed out of control, gripping him, milking him for everything he had to give her.

“I need you, Rick,” she panted. “Please!”

With one last swipe of her clit, Rick crawled over her, laying that magnificent body over hers, his cock nudging her entrance hotly. When he reached for a condom on the nightstand, Laura stayed his hand, shaking her head.

“You, Rick,” she breathed. “Only you.”

With a groan, he slid inside her unfettered. The hotness of his bare skin, the way he pulsed inside her as she enveloped him triggered Laura’s orgasm almost instantly.

“Rick! Oh, God!”

“That’s it, love. Give it to me. Come just for me.”

He held still until the waves died down, easing his way as her muscles allowed him ease of entry. The tendons in his neck strained as he struggled to hang on, the muscles in his jaws working as he gritted his teeth. Still, he moved slowly when he obviously wanted to set a more frenzied pace.

The burn was delicious. Rick filled her as no man ever had. His cock was thick and long, fitting inside her with the perfect amount of stretching so that she knew she’d always crave him inside her just like this. Laura gripped his ass as he slid into her, holding him to her, urging him to move faster when he would have given her more time to adjust.

“I’m fine, Rick. Please! I need you!”

He groaned as he quickened his pace, settling himself over her. Once again, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, as if he couldn’t get close enough to her. Laura loved that about him. She loved those muscled arms holding her tightly while he made love to her. It made her feel safe. Protected… Loved.

With a movement quicker than she’d have thought possible, Rick flipped them over so that she straddled his hips. His arms never released her. His hips never stopped moving against her. His cock still plunged deep. Bracing his feet on the bed, he thrust up into her over and over, gripping her ass with one hand while the other was clamped tightly over her back.

Laura spread her legs wider, letting him take what he needed. Everything he did gave her so much pleasure, she would have let him try anything he wanted. This new position was only the beginning. She knew she would forever let him do what he wanted with her, and the thought thrilled her beyond reason.

“So hot,” he rasped. “So fucking tight!”

Rick seemed mindless in his pleasure. His eyes were glazed as he looked at her so intently. Occasionally, he pulled her down for a kiss, licking her tongue, coaxing her to do the same. The force of his sexuality was simply beyond her ability to resist and she didn’t want to. Instead, she embraced it, following where he led, and gladly.