Heroes (Hollywood Heartthrobs #1) (16 page)

          A sudden
crash of thunder woke her sleeping hero. Dean started, taking a second to
remember where he was. Then he turned to see Jane, naked and smiling next to
him. God she was beautiful.

          “Morning,
sunshine” he said, gathering her in toward him. “So it wasn’t just a good
dream?” he muttered gently in her ear.

          “I’ve sort of
wondered that since I first woke up to see you asleep in that hospital chair.”

          Dean kissed
her forehead. “No dream. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

          Jane raised
her eyebrows. “I think you’ll be missed. Don’t you have a family expecting you
home in time for dinner?”

          Dean smiled.
“Well, first, it’s barely lunchtime. Second, I have something to ask you.” Jane
held her breath, but couldn’t have said why. “Would you like to come and have
dinner with my family tonight? I’d like to introduce you to my brother, Sam,
and the boys.”

          That killer
smile broke across her face. “Dean, I would absolutely love that. It won’t be
too weird for the boys? Or for your brother? I’m kind of an odd case.”

          “Not at all.
I explained everything last night. Everything will be fine.” Jane smiled, but
Dean could sense her slight nervousness. “Maybe we can come up with a code word
or something, so if the conversation gets awkward I’ll know to swoop in and
save you.”

          “What makes
you think I need saving?”

          Dean laughed.
Jane couldn’t resist the way his eyes crinkled. “Fair enough. No code. You’re
on your own.”

          “Well, hang
on a minute, let’s think this through,” she said. “We might need a code for
something else.” She traced her fingertips along his abdomen. Dean started to
stir, the sensation was intoxicating.

          “And what’s
that?” he asked. Damn, she could have him ready in a second.

          Seeing how he
responded to her made her bold. A mischievous gleam came into her eyes. “We
might need a code for you to get us out of there so I can have my wicked way
with you.”

          It drove Dean
over the edge. He kissed her, hard and passionate. She reveled in her power to
turn him on. She reached down to touch him, felt him swiftly readying for her
again. This time she took the lead, pushing him down and straddling his strong
body. She kissed his neck and chest, caressing him teasingly with her hand.
“Jane, the nightstand, please,” Dean muttered, eyes closed in pleasure. She
found the box and slipped on a fresh condom, then lowered herself on to him. A
deep, throaty groan escaped his lips. Jane felt deliciously powerful. His hands
on her hips, hers on his shoulders they guided each other to climax again.
Their second coupling was no less passionate than their first.

          Afterward,
they lay next to each other, Jane giggling with joy at her own audacity. Dean
cocked an eyebrow at her in mock reproach. “That was cruel, Jane. Take a man
like that twice in one morning, you could kill me.”

          Jane laughed.
“Like you said, kind of a first for me. Maybe I’m making up for lost time.”

          Dean grinned
at her. “If that’s the plan I’m willing to make up for every day of my life
that I didn’t know you.”

          “That could
take a while.”

          “I’ve got
nowhere to be.”

          “You just
said it could kill you. I think I’d like to keep you around.” Jane tousled his
hair affectionately. “You know, people actually used to believe that.”

          “Believe
what?”

          “It was a
theory that a man was born with only so much life essence, and every time he
climaxed he lost some. So, every time he had sex, he got a little closer to
death. It’s where we get the phrase ‘she’s to die for.’ It literally meant that
sex with a woman was worth shortening your life over.”

          Dean looked
quizzically at her. “Huh. I always thought it just meant someone so important
you’d die to protect them.”

          “That’s a
much more modern, and probably more romantic interpretation of the phrase.
Suitable to you, I would think,” she added.

          “How do you
know all that?” Dean asked, intrigued.

          Jane
shrugged. “Don’t get too excited. I didn’t know I knew it until you said the
thing about how it could kill you.”

          “So, if it’s
okay to ask, how are you doing with your memory?”

          “Of course
Dean, you can ask me anything. I’m afraid I just don’t have a lot of answers. I
know a lot of facts, a lot of information, but it’s like I can’t call it up
until someone or something suggests it to me. Like yesterday, when I saw that
shirt. You told me you play a vampire on your show. I know vampires are
mythical monsters that drink blood and live forever. Depending on which story
you hear, sometimes they sleep in coffins or can’t emerge in sunlight, and can
be killed by either a stake through the heart, garlic, or beheading. But I
didn’t know that I knew all that until you said vampire and I saw the pictures
with the fangs.”

          There was a
heartbreaking softness in Dean’s eyes. “Is there anything I can do to help
you?”

          “You being
here helps.” Jane blushed at her own honesty. “But about my memories, not
really. It’ll come when it comes. Until then, you’ve already done so much for
me.”

          Dean was
silent for a moment. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her everything,
but holding her in his arms after having made love to her, he couldn’t. He
couldn’t spoil this moment. She could reject him anytime, they would only have
today once. Instead he kissed her tenderly and sat up, retrieving his boxers.
“Well, I don’t know about you, but all that great sex gave me an appetite.”

          “Appetite for
what?” Jane asked with her best come-hither expression.

Dean
groaned. “I’m getting out of here before you kill me.” He took his clothes and
finished dressing in the bathroom. Jane got up, grinning as she dressed
herself.

“Only
joking,” she called after him. 

          The
thunderstorm had abated, but it continued to drizzle outside all afternoon.
Jane made sandwiches and quizzed Dean about the plans for dinner with his
family.

          “There’s
nothing you need to do or worry about,” Dean said, reassuringly. “It’s just
Nate, Sam, the boys, and us. No big deal.” Jane loved the way he included her
and himself as an “us.”

          “I hate to
show up empty-handed, I feel like that’s rude. Maybe I could make something,
although the list of things I think I could make is ruefully short.”

          “Jane,
really, you’re worrying over nothing. They know the fix you’re in, all
etiquette bets are off. Plus, Samantha’s turned one-pot meals into a science.
There won’t be much that needs doing.”

          “I just want
to make a good impression.” She bit her lip to keep from saying she hoped to be
around in Dean’s life long enough to see much more of them.

          “Jane,
they’re going to love you,” Dean said with a smile. He bit his tongue to keep
from saying he already did, and that was what mattered.

          They both
finished their sandwiches quietly. Dean saw the copy of
Jane Eyre
on the
side table by the couch. When he picked it up, he noticed the absence of a
bookmark. “Found another copy, did you?”

          Jane smiled.
“I picked it back up again yesterday after you left. I absolutely loved it.”

          “You finished
it?” Dean asked in surprise.

          “Couldn’t put
it down. Finished somewhere around midnight I think.”

          “Took you
that long, did it?”

          “Well I
stopped to get some dinner. You were wrong, you know.”

          “Was I?”

          “The other
day you told me Jane is the hero and Rochester is the one in need of rescue. I
don’t totally agree. Sure, Jane saves Rochester, but he saves her, too. Really,
they rescue each other.” There was that smile.

          “A woman like
Jane doesn’t really need rescuing. She can take care of herself.”

          “True, but
just because she can survive on her own doesn’t mean he doesn’t save her. She
knows how to survive on her own, he teaches her that she doesn’t need to be
alone. That’s a different kind of salvation.”

          Dean put his
arm around her affectionately. “I already know better than to argue literature
with you, Jane,” he whispered. He kissed her gently on the cheek.

          They passed
the afternoon in lazy, companionable comfort, mostly watching bad daytime TV
and making jokes about it. Jane made a short check-in call to Dr. Frobisher,
who continued to follow her case with concerned interest. By 4 o’clock they
were climbing into Dean’s rental and setting out for the suburbs.

          When they
pulled up to Nathan and Samantha’s, Dean could immediately spy two small, round
faces in the window. They disappeared in the excited kerfuffle that often
heralds new visitors to a house with small children. Before Jane and Dean had
even gotten to the front door, it was opened with a flourish. Tucker and Alec
stood in the doorway. Samantha had obviously given both boys the once-over in
preparation for guests. Hair had been neatly combed, faces scrubbed of any
maybe-dirt-maybe-chocolate residue, and Tucker even wore a crisp burgundy
button-down shirt. The boys shined like new pennies, the effect exacerbated by
Alec turning bright pink when Jane met his eye.

          “Howdy boys,”
Dean said by way of introduction. “Jane, this is Tucker and Alec. Boys, this is
Jane.”

          Alec waved
shyly up at the new adult. Tucker, clearly determined to set an example as man
of the house until his dad returned, took a confident step forward to Jane.
“Welcome to the Everett residence. May I take your coat?” He held out his arms
proudly. Obviously, this performance had been rehearsed.

          Jane tried to
suppress a smile. “Thank you, Tucker, that’s very gentlemanly of you, but I’m
afraid I didn’t bring a coat.” Dressed simply in jeans and a t-shirt, she had
nothing to offer. Tucker eyed her bare arms with consternation, as if she had
forgotten her lines in the imagined scene he had invented.

Dean
disguised his chuckle with a cough. “Alright, Tuck, I’ll take it from here.” He
patted Tucker’s head, then led Jane into the house, boys trailing along behind.
Jane squeezed his hand when she was sure the boys couldn’t see and mouthed
“adorable.” Dean winked in response.

Samantha
was in the kitchen standing over a large pot of delicious-smelling chili. “Hi,
I’m Samantha, you must be Jane,” she said welcomingly. “Come on in, it’s great
to meet you.”

“Thanks,”
Jane replied. “I really appreciate being invited. Dean has told me so much
about you, Nathan, and the boys.”

“And
you came anyway? Brave, I like that.”

“Well,
I don’t scare easily.”

“Good.
You’ll need it to keep that one in line.” Samantha grinned as she gestured to
Dean. Jane laughed.

Dean
let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He could already sense
the friendly rapport springing up between Samantha and Jane. He hadn’t expected
anything less, knowing both of them to be kind, friendly, and inclined to get
along for his sake, but it was still good to see them meet on such warm terms.
Seeing them together, they already seemed like kindred spirits.

“The
food smells amazing. Is there anything I can help with?” Jane asked.

“Only
if you want to,” Samantha replied.

“I’d
love to be useful,” Jane said earnestly.

“In
that case, great. I was just about to mix up the cornbread and put it in the
oven, do you mind stirring the chili? It’s set to simmer, but if you could stir
about every two minutes it would be a great help.”

Jane
took Samantha’s place at the stove while Samantha pulled cornbread ingredients
out of the pantry. Samantha had run a business long enough to know that helpful
people hate to watch others working while they stand around. She could have
easily stopped to stir the chili herself, but she could already tell Jane was
the type who would be most at ease if she could contribute.

Samantha
sent the boys off with orders to clear the toys out of the living room and set
the dining room table. Jane was cheerfully stirring chili with Dean for
company. Sure the boys were both safely out of earshot, she couldn’t resist
complimenting Samantha on them. “That was really sweet, that Tucker offered to
take my coat. I felt terrible disappointing him like that.”

Samantha
beamed with pride. “Yeah, they’re usually willing to be extra good for
company.”

“They
seem really great.” 

Dean
piped up, “And handsome. Must take after their uncle on that one.” Jane
giggled; Samantha snorted.

The
house livened up further with Nate’s arrival home. He greeted Jane like an old
friend of the family.