Page 78 of Forbidden Heroes

For the first time in my life I think I just came in my panties by proxy alone.

As hard as it is, I drag my eyes up to find him staring down at me.

“Oh, let me help.” I jump up, causing my shirt to rise up my thigh and my uncorralled tits to sway under my shirt, and his eagle-sharp eye catches it all.

My face reddens as I reach out for our plates and return to the table adding a little sashay to my hips.

His bright eyes blaze hotter the sun as he levels them on me when he takes a seat next to me. “I hope you like chicken alfredo.”

Not what I expect to come from his lips with a look like that on his face. Like it’s me he’d rather devour for dinner than the food he prepared.

“Anything is heaven, thank you.” And I mean that. I hold his gaze several beats to make sure he feels the sincerity in my words.

He frowns but doesn’t respond other than a curt nod.

“Humor me and tell me again how you ended up with that bruise on your face.”

Nice try. I never told him how, just that I would be fine and not to worry.

I shrug nonchalantly. “It’s no big deal, nothing I can’t handle.” I try to play it off, but his sharp scowl says he’s not buying it and something tells me he won’t take a simple answer.

“You deserve a better answer than that, I guess.” And it’s true. He took me in when he could have sent me to a shelter.

I hold his blue eyes, and for a second I realize they are not truly blue. Not through and through. Gold specs are buried in the depths. Stunning.

He points to my plate and I savor the first bit, swirling the fresh sauce and buttery noodle over my tongue.

I moan and let my eyes slide close for a moment in sheer bliss. When I open them again, he’s watching me intently. The heat hiding under the surface buried by worry and doubt rises.

I sigh and wash down my food with a glass of ice water he set in front of me.

One by one, I went through each event that led up to me sitting at his table in his T-shirt and with the nice shiner on my face. How I managed to leave SoCal behind to why I’m currently stripping to pay my way through school.

He nods while staying silent for a moment longer than my nerves can take. He’s looking at the dark bruise on my face and down at his plate like he’s talking himself out of a bad idea that involves someone else getting hurt.

“Why didn't you ask the committee for a meeting and get an extension earlier? You know the rules.”

“I do and yes, you’re right. It's my fault, I know. Time got away, and I didn’t realize I actually would need an extension. I thought I would be able to pay today. I’ve been doing okay till now.”

Finished, he takes our plates and sets them in the sink. Turning to another cupboard, he pulls out a first-aid kit and returns to the table.

“What changed?” he asks, pulling my chair closer until my knees are between his spread thighs.

“I didn't receive my paycheck on time and because you don't know you're going to have a problem until it's on top of you 99% of the time, I didn’t know to ask for an extension. There was no warning management would withhold payment until the new owner took over.”

“That’s illegal, you know.”

“I don’t think they are worried about a handful of strippers with no bankroll for lawyers or a wannabe lawyer in training,” I say, meaning me.

The gleam in his eyes tells me there’s more going on in his head than the few short questions he’s tossing my way.

“Why didn’t you get help from your other family? There has to be someone?”

I scoff. “Who? My druggie father who just asked me for bail money? Brothers, aunts, grandparents? I’m an only child and thank God for the small miracle. All the others haven't cared about me since… frankly, I have no idea. One of them could walk through your front door right now and I wouldn't recognize them, that's how well I know my extended family.” I sounded like some droning on whiny child, and that pisses me off. I don’t let the bad get to me. I’m a silver lining kind of girl and I need to remember that.

“But to ease those worry lines that keep appearing on your forehead, I tried as you know. Only I was a day off, apparently. Kind of stupid of me, really. But come Monday I’ll be speaking with my boss and try with the school again. I’ll go from there.”

“I have a better idea.”

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