Page 207 of Forbidden Heroes

“He’s lucky you and Mr. Malone came along.”

“We’re the lucky ones, sweetie.” She falls quiet a moment as though she is weighing her next words. “This one is close to his heart, sweetie. You know his mom died when he was little. Way too young for a boy to ever lose his momma.”

“Yes.” I can feel the heaviness in her words ring home in my heart.

“Before she passed there was a special dessert she made for him. A banana, coconut ice cream split. Extra cherries.”

“What’s so special about it?”

Mrs. Malone reaches for my hand, and I lean forward until I can smell the faint scent of her light perfume. “This is the heart clencher. His mom made it for him right before she overdosed.”

“Oh?” I never got the vibe he had such a terrible childhood.

“Not like that. No. She was a nurse. Got injured on the job and took pills to kill the pain so she could continue to work. As a single mom, she did what she thought best.”

I can see the sadness in Mrs. Malone’s eyes as she recounts the story, and my heart aches for Miles and his mother.

“It led to an addiction that eventually killed her.”

Those words weigh heavy on my heart for the boy Miles was and all he lost. So many things about the man he became made sense now.

Nine

Bela

Afew hours later I am standing in the middle of Miles’ kitchen in heels, a splash of cherry red lipstick he seems to love on me, and a ‘kiss the cook’ apron. Nothing else.

Mrs. Malone gave me information I can use to help give back to the man who opened his home to me. And I have a plan on how to use it. Giving something back seems like the right thing to do. Plus, I want to find out what sex in his kitchen will be like. Maybe we’ll even make it to a bed this time.

Evil planning at its finest, Poppy would say.

Headlights flash through the front window, and I run to light the candles and make sure all the dishes are spread out on the table.

My skin tingles when the door opens and a hungry man steps through. But one look from those dark eyes when they land on me says he is not here for the food. His dark hair is tousled by the wind and his eyes are hot as wildfire. I swallow the lump forming in my throat and send a message to my racing heart to chill out.

In my head, I see this evening going like this: he comes home, we eat, he loves his surprise and then we get down ’n dirty.

“Miles.”

And I can’t wait for the last part of that plan.

“Bela.”

My insides feel the brushes of a million butterfly wings. After all we’ve shared I don’t understand how I am nervous now, but I am. Maybe it’s the serious look on his face, the fact he’s come so deep inside me I’m probably carrying his baby already, or the hopes of how much I want that to be true for us. A compilation of all the above?

He is wearing a fresh Henley, the sleeves pushed up and the ends tucked into a nice fitting pair of jeans.

He’s across the kitchen, hands on my hips and lifting me to sit on the counter ignoring my glare. “I have plans before we get to this part of the evening, mister. Put me back on my feet so I can give you your surprise.”

Miles steps between my legs and I can’t deny him access. I spread wide and love the feel of his thick waist pushing me open. At this height we’re at the perfect level for him to devour my lips with a fierce kiss. I tremble in his arms and I think that is what he is going for because when he breaks our kiss, his smile is as arrogant as hell.

“If you don’t want me to go straight for dessert the second I hit the door, then you should not be wearing fuck-me-heels and this.” He runs his fingers under the edges of my apron, lightly brushing over my nipples. They pucker into tight points from the caress and his deeply pitched husk. Wow, can this man do sexy.

I lift my brows, downplaying how nervous I am, and let the mischief in his eyes keep me centered. “Did you notice what I don’t have on underneath?” I tease and before I get the words out, he’s lifting the edges of the apron and pressing me back with a hand to my shoulder. “Lie back. I want a taste of the sweet stuff. I’ve wanted to get you naked all damn day.”

I push at his shoulders but still fall back to my elbows, giving the beast what he wants.

He stops with his hands midthigh, ready to pull back the only barrier between his lips and my pussy. What can I say, I’m wicked like that, and why put on panties when the animal will just rip them?

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