Hellbent Hero by Naomi Porter

28

Tara

IT WAS THE Monday before Thanksgiving. In two days, school would be out for a long weekend. In Minnesota, we only got a four-day weekend for Thanksgiving and Easter to account for snow days. I envied other states that had the whole week off but had no inclination to ever move out of Minnesota.

The last couple of weeks were the best of my life. When Hero came back from the run, he’d wrapped himself around me in his bed at the clubhouse and whispered, “All is right in the world, mi vida.”

I hadn’t understood what he meant as I smiled with my eyes closed.

A few days later, we were at the club for supper because my man loved Tater-tot-hotdish Thursdays. But I felt it was more about feeding me a high calorie meal, although Hero never said as much. He knew I was self conscious about the weight I’d lost. We’d talked about when I was stressed or sad, I lost weight. Never intentionally, I just forgot to eat.

Storm had received a call in the middle of Boxer talking about the Black Friday event coming up. Our table went silent. Maddy’s mouth dropped open, like she could hear what the caller told Storm.

When Storm had ended the call, he tugged Maddy into his arms. “Deputy Miller’s body was found this morning in the woods near his cabin in Duluth. They say he’d died of hypothermia while searching for his Chihuahua.”

Hero took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. I felt like he was trying to tell me something. Like, don’t ask questions. I hadn’t, and neither had anyone else.

We went back to eating, Boxer talking about the underground fight. Not another word was spoken about Deputy Miller.

I eyed Brad as he lingered at his desk like he always did with his jacket and backpack on. He was the cutest, sweetest seven-year-old with the bluest eyes, similar to Maddy’s. I think he liked me. Maybe had a crush on me.

He ambled over toward my desk. “Here.” He passed me an envelope. “Don’t read it until you get home.”

I smiled, feeling warm and fuzzy. “What’s this?” A love letter, maybe? Precious.

The door opened, tugging my attention away from Brad. My man entered, locking his dark depths on me and totally stealing my breath away.

“Are you ready, beautiful?” He accentuated his sexy swagger for my benefit. I’d told him how I loved to watch him strut. My heart raced. I was so into this man, I could hardly stand it. At my side, he kissed the top of my head.

My face flamed when my student’s eyes turned as big as saucers, then he snickered, covering his mouth. See? Precious.

“Hero,” I whispered, jerking my chin toward the boy staring in awe at my man.

“Who’s this?” he asked.

I set the envelope down. “This is Brad, my student.”

“How ya doing, buddy?” Hero tousled his blond hair.

Oh, melt me. My ovaries just cheered, deliriously excited over the possibility of my sexy Latino knocking me up.

“Good. I gotta go, though. Bye, Ms. Walsh.” Brad waved, running out of the room.

“See you tomorrow, Brad.” I lifted out of my chair, eyes fixed on my man.

“You’ve got a hungry look in your eyes, baby.” His arms encircled me as he lowered his lips to mine.

Melting, melting, melting.

His tongue played with mine. Revving me up. Making me all hot and bothered.

He pulled away. “We should go.”

I gasped for air, fanning my face. “You shouldn’t do that if you don’t plan to finish what you started.”

“I intend to. You wanna fuck right here on your desk? I’ll lock the door.” He wiggled his eyebrows, licking his lips and squeezing my ass. He was hard against my pelvis. Feeling him made my pussy drip.

“I bet you would take me on my desk, but no. Not ever gonna happen in my classroom, big guy.” I grabbed my purse and cell phone.

He removed my coat from the back of my chair and helped me into it. “Then let’s go. I want to grab an early dinner before we go back to your place and fuck like rabbits.”

I giggled, letting him guide me out because I’d be a fool if I didn’t.

“Good, I’m starving… For your cock,” I whispered as we exited my room.

Casitas Mexican Restaurant was my favorite place to eat. It was a little out of the way, in Bastion instead of Winters, but when I told Hero that was where I wanted to eat, he drove us there.

We were seated in the club’s private corner booth. My heart fluttered holding Hero’s hand as we drank margaritas and ate chips and salsa.

For the first time in forever, I felt happy. I hadn’t had an ounce of anxiety since the day he returned. Pretty telling if you asked me.

“Two enchiladas special.” Our server set our plates in front of us. “Extra guacamole for la señorita. And no beans, extra rice for you, Hero.”

“Gracias,Maria,” He replied in his sexy Spanish. If he kept at it, I might force him to take me into the bathroom to get me off.

I nodded. “Muchas gracias.”

Maria darted off. The second her back was to us, Hero practically broke his neck, turning toward me.

“Roja, holy hell, mi vida. Hearing you roll your Rs just gave me a boner.” He growled, attacking my neck and slipping his hand between my thighs.

“Oh my God,” I gasped.

“Let’s hurry the fuck up and eat so we can leave.” He sucked on my neck and rubbed his fingers against my pussy with enough friction to make me almost come. Nobody could see what he was doing to me in this corner booth unless they wandered back here.

Regretfully, despite my enjoyment, I stopped his hand. “Please. You’ll make me moan,” I told him in a soft tone. I’d be mortified if I came inside a restaurant. I darted my eyes around the room. There were at least four people I recognized—small-town living at its finest.

His teeth nipped the sensitive skin on my neck. “As you wish, baby.” He dug into his food.

I exhaled a relieved breath. “So, do you and the guys eat here a lot?” I changed the subject more for me than him. I wanted him the second he entered my classroom. We should’ve gone straight to my place.

“Every week for lunch. Storm loves this place. We all do.”

I dipped a chip into my guacamole. “I guess that’s why you have your own booth.” I munched my food.

“Mhm.” He shoveled a huge bite into his mouth. “For privacy.”

I loved watching him. It didn’t matter what he was doing: sleeping, eating, fucking me hard. He was gorgeous and captivating. His dark hair and beard were kept short. His nose was perfect, lips addictive. He had a scar on the corner of his eye. This morning in the shower, he told me that it was from a fight with another drug dealer when he was twenty.

In fact, he had a lot of scars on his body. Some were from bullets. Others from knives. Some people might’ve found it strange that they didn’t bother me, but I had plenty of scarring on my body too.

“Are you excited to see Ryder tomorrow?” We hadn’t talked a lot about what happened in the slammer, only about Ryder, Hero’s cellmate. I wished I could meet him, but Hero didn’t want me going near the building again. It was too hard to remember what happened between us there.

I scooped some rice and beans onto my fork and shoved it into my mouth.

“Can’t make it tomorrow.” He slurped his margarita.

My eyes locked on his Adam’s apple. “Why not?” That didn’t make sense. He lived for Tuesdays when he could visit Ryder and make sure he was doing all right. I couldn’t think of a day when he hadn’t gone there for visitation.

He turned serious. “We’ll talk about it at your place.”

My heart stopped. Not this again. The last time he said we’d talk at my place he was leaving for the night on a run and had learned my dad had been in prison. I’d been on edge at the clubhouse while he was gone. Doing my best to appear okay while hanging out with the girls. But the whole time Hero occupied my every thought. Stupid, ridiculous thoughts of what if had tried to knock me back into the darkness, but I didn’t let them then and I wouldn’t let them control me now.

I steeled myself, straightening my spine for the next boom I felt coming. You can do this.

“Seriously, big guy? Just tell me.”

Hero lowered his gaze at his plate, then at mine. He forked a bite of enchilada and put it to my lips. “Open.”

“I can feed myself.” I brushed my spoon through the rice. “Stop deflecting.”

“But you’re not eating. Open.”

I obeyed, letting him feed me.

He hadn’t given me crap about the weight I’d lost while he was gone. But I could tell it bothered him. “Do you not like me the way I am?”

He squeezed my thigh. “I like all of you, mi vida. But you need nourishment.” He forked another bite and fed it to me. “We already discussed this. You’re perfect, baby.”

I sipped my drink, taking his hand. “When I’m sad, I don’t eat. But I’m happy now. I’ve gained back three pounds already.” I still looked too skinny, though. And my jeans hung on my hips, so I only wore leggings.

“I’ll make sure you’re never sad.” He kissed me softly.

“So why aren’t you seeing Ryder?”

The little shit. He had steered me off course.

“Not here, Tara.”

I raised my eyebrows. Hero rarely called me Tara. He scooped up rice and beans, filling my mouth to the brim so I couldn’t question him without making a mess all over myself.

“Fine,” I mumbled as I chewed and swallowed. “I just know how much these visits mean to you. With Thanksgiving in three days…” My voice trailed. “Well, you said he doesn’t have any family. You’re his only friend.”

“It’s club business. It is what it is. I’ll deal. Now finish up so we can leave.”

Crap, he sounded irritated. I didn’t want him in a bad mood, so I shut my mouth and finished my supper. Whatever he needed to tell me, I could handle it.