Hellbent Hero by Naomi Porter

18

Tara

“WE SHARE AN unbreakable bond forged in the fires of hell. I know you feel it too.” He stroked his thumb softly across my cheek, knocking down huge parts of the wall I hid behind.

Who was this man? Was my imagination playing tricks on me?

No.

I heard it in his silky voice and saw it in his intense brown eyes. Hero wasn’t fucking with me. Could I really trust him? I wanted to more than anything.

“I’m not letting you go, Roja,” he repeated as his hand on my face relaxed.

“Promise?” I whispered, hardly able to speak with my throat constricting. Anxiety exploded in my chest, squeezing the air out of my lungs.

Are you really gonna do this?

“Yes.” His conviction, the absolute certainty in that one word made my stomach churn.

I lowered my gaze to his black biker books. “I want to believe you.”

“Eyes up here.” His thumb and finger softly pinched my chin, raising it. “I need to see your gorgeous eyes.”

My chest rattled as I blew out a sigh, overwhelmed by his tenderness. I steeled myself, collecting every bit of strength I could muster.

“I want to trust you. But you’ve lied before. You abandoned me.” Frick, I hated sounding weak and pathetic.

The warmth from his hand on my cheek soothed me. I smelled his cologne mixed with his natural scent and wanted to melt into him.

“I was a selfish bastard, baby. Too caught up in my own pain that I didn’t consider how my actions would affect you.”

Anger bubbled in my chest. How his actions affected me…

I gripped the hem of my sweatshirt. “I’ll show you how your actions affected me.” I removed the two layers of clothing, leaving me in only a bra. Goose bumps exploded across my body as the cool air in my bedroom hit me.

He reached for my hip as his eyes dropped to the scab above my belly button. “What happened?”

The words lodged in my throat, so I pushed his hand off me to unzip my tall black boots, removed them, and wiggled out of my leggings. It was better if he saw for himself. Doing this was a test to see if I could trust Hero. If he genuinely meant everything he said, he wouldn’t judge or look at me with mortification in his eyes.

I turned my leg to reveal my inner thigh. Closing my eyes, I held my breath as my heart thundered in my chest. I didn’t want Hero’s reaction seared into my memory. The way my brain worked, I would never forget it. I’d dream about him looking at me with disgust or like I was crazy.

What if my eyes trick me when we’re together? Fooling me into thinking it wasn’t love or desire I saw in his brown depths.

Yeah, I was that messed up.

Not true.

I shouldn’t lie to myself.

I was so used to thinking badly about myself. Dr. Kelly told me I was my own worst enemy. To heal, I needed to love myself. All of myself. Be proud of the woman I’d become after the hell I’d been through as a kid.

I gasped, feeling his lips kiss around the burn on my stomach. “I’m sorry, baby. I don’t understand.” He guided me to sit on the bed.

I opened my eyes to find him on his knees.

He moved between my legs and placed feather-light kisses around the H. “Mi vida, help me to understand the meaning of this. Did you do this to yourself, baby?” One large tear rolled down his cheek.

My heart seized, and my arms and legs shook. Once again, he breached the walls of my heart and stormed the gates of my soul. He didn’t hide his emotion. Didn’t blink away the tears in his remorseful depths.

I couldn’t speak.

“Tara, did I do this? Was it because of me that you hurt yourself?” He sniffled, letting his sadness streak down his handsome face.

I covered my face with my hands and cried, unable to observe this rough and tough biker break in front of me. This wasn’t the reaction I expected. It hurt to see him this way.

“Mi vida, talk to me.” His hand glided over my outer thigh in a comforting motion. “Tell me what I can do to make it up to you. Please, Roja. Don’t leave me in the dark.”

“I can’t do this now,” I told him honestly through my whimpers. “I’m just so tired.”

He caressed my legs, saying nothing for an agonizing moment. “In the morning, then.”

I peeked through my fingers when I heard him unzip his pants. He stripped off his clothes, only leaving his boxers on. I watched in awe as he pulled back the blankets on the bed.

Hero picked me up and laid me down. “In the morning, we’ll talk.” He kissed my forehead, tucking me in. “Be right back.”

I nodded, holding the sob in my chest. I fisted my hands, fighting to stay in control. But I was so undone. No man had ever treated me with tenderness this way—like at any second, I’d shatter.

When Hero returned, Luna was with him. He set a bottle of water on the nightstand. “Does she sleep with you?” He rubbed his thumb under her chin as he held her against his broad, tattooed chest. I’d never seen a more adorable, sexy sight in my life. God, I’d missed the hell out of him.

“Sometimes.”

His crestfallen expression put me at ease. He let his feelings show, and boy did they overpower the air between us. As raw and exposed as I felt, I wanted him desperately. Not sex. Just him and sleep. I needed his body wrapped around mine—nothing else.

“Do you want her tonight?”

“I just want you.”