Tempted Hero by Ella Miles

Ri

Caius presseshis lips against mine before I can react. He just lost his father after already losing his sister. He’s in a fragile place, and he can’t contain showing his feelings toward me. But kissing him after Beckett is like kissing my brother. I’d rather be kissing the man that makes my heart sing.

I push Caius away hard, harder than I probably should for a man who has lost so much and is in mourning. But I have to make myself clear. Just because I like him and I’ve kissed him in the past doesn’t mean I will allow him to kiss me.

“I’m sorry, Caius, but I can’t. I care about you a lot, but—”

“But you love him,” he answers my sentence.

I narrow my eyes as I stand in front of him. I have only admitted it to myself, not out loud, and definitely not to Beckett. I won’t be admitting it to Caius first.

“No, I don’t,” I say, even though I’m a terrible liar.

Caius just gives me a slim smile, unconvinced. I don’t believe me either, but I won’t admit it out loud. It would be foolish to voice such things.

“Don’t mention it to anyone else, please,” I whisper.

“I won’t. Just a bit jealous, that’s all.”

I touch his forearm in a reassuring manner but don’t dare move in for a hug or anything more. I don’t want him to get the wrong impression again.

“You should really bow out of the game before you get hurt or killed,” I say.

“No.”

“But—”

“No, I want to help you. Even if I’m not the one you want, I’d do anything for you. And I can still hold out some hope that the bastard will fuck up with you, and I can swoop in and win your heart. You did call me Charming for a reason after all,” Caius winks at me.

I smile, but it’s forced. If I did hate Beckett, I wouldn’t be able to love Caius, at least not in the way he wants me to.

“You can sleep in my room. The living room couch is a pullout, so I’ll sleep there,” Caius says.

“Thank you,” I say. I’d love to sleep in Beckett’s bed, but considering how we just left things, I’m not sure how he feels at the moment.

“I’ll just go get a few of my things out of the bedroom and make sure the sheets are clean for you.” He brushes past me, and my heart aches for him.

If only, I think with a sigh.

But I have far more important things on my mind.

As soon as Caius leaves me, I rush to Beckett’s room. The others have all gone to bed, exhausted as it’s almost sunrise now.

I knock on the door and wait.

What was Beckett going to tell me before we were interrupted? What does he think I did?

I listen carefully but hear no movement behind the door. I look down at the crack under the door and see the room is in complete darkness.

I try knocking again, louder this time.

Beckett doesn’t come to the door. I’m determined to talk to him, though, so I reach for the handle to burst it open. I even push my shoulder against the door to pop it open.

It doesn’t budge. He’s locked me out.

I consider picking the lock. It’s a standard lock and would be easy enough, but then what? He won’t talk to me, that much is clear.

“Your bed awaits,” Caius says from behind me.

I turn, no longer able to fasten a fake smile on my lips as I head into Caius’s room and go to sleep.

Once my head hits the pillow, I sleep and sleep and sleep. I didn’t realize how exhausted I was until I closed my eyes.

I don’t know how many hours or days it has been when I do finally wake up. And when I stand to get out of bed, I know I’m only going to be awake long enough to do one thing—find Beckett and make him talk to me.

I walk out of Caius’s bedroom and knock on Beckett’s door.

No answer.

No light shines beneath the door.

Nothing.

I pad down the hallway to the kitchen to see if Beckett is anywhere else in the house. But all I find is Caius sitting at the table with a coffee in hand.

“Good morning, Princess.”

“How long did I sleep?”

“Over twenty-four hours.”

I nod, but my head throbs at the simple movement, so I quickly stop.

“Do you want a coffee? Food? Anything?”

I move to shake my head but then think better of it. “Just water.”

Caius walks to the kitchen and pours me a glass of water. “You should really eat something.” He hands me the glass.

“I’m too tired to eat.”

Caius frowns.

“Where is everyone else?” I ask, instead of just asking about Beckett. I don’t want to hurt Caius more than I have to.

“Out on Retribution Kings business.”

I nod. “I’m going back to sleep.”

Sleep becomes my routine for the next three days. When I do wake up, I search for Beckett, but he’s never here. Occasionally, I drink water or eat a small bite of food, but mostly I sleep.

Beckett is always gone. Gage is also suspiciously absent.

Caius has been making funeral arrangements.

Only Hayes and Lennox have been in the house the last couple of times I’ve woken up.

“Where is he?” I asked them.

Lennox and Hayes traded looks and gave me some version of the same story. “Sulking. Hiding. Whatever happened between you two is annoying as hell. We can’t all be in the same room as him without getting our heads bitten off,” Hayes said.

Each time I sighed and went back to bed. It’s not like I can do much else. I can’t chase after Beckett. I have to stay in the house, so Leighton and Vincent don’t know I’m staying here. I don’t want to get any of these guys into any more trouble.

After three full days of basically sleeping, I find myself wide awake on the fourth day. Now I can make a plan. I don’t know when Beckett returns or leaves, but his bedroom is right next to this one. I can stay up all night and wait for him.

I have to wait until almost five in the morning before I hear his bedroom door open.

I jump up and rush to the door, opening it just in time to see Beckett leaving his bedroom.

We lock eyes, not speaking. Now that we are face to face, I’m not sure what to say. I’m just thankful to see him again. I want answers, but I also just miss him. I miss his musky scent, his longing looks, and his teasing banter. I miss his kisses, his touch, his everything.

The dark stare I get in return tells me he didn’t miss me at all. He’s looking at me like scum, a blob of gum on the bottom of his shoe that he can’t get rid of.

“We need to talk,” I say. My words probably don’t help the situation. No one likes those words, but they are true. We do need to talk.

“I have nothing to say to you. You’re with Caius now. I get it. Play your games with him and hope that he’s strong enough to protect you.” He glares at me with eyes that I’ve only seen him give to his enemies.

I catch my breath, confused. How he could think I’m with Caius?

“Is that what Caius has been saying? Because it’s not—”

“I don’t need Caius to tell me what I can see with my own eyes.” He grits his teeth. “You’re sleeping in his bed, and I saw you kissing him meer seconds after they returned, not more than an hour after I fucked you!”

I narrow my eyes, my jaw clenching. “And did you see that Caius has been sleeping on the couch? Did you see that the second Caius kissed me, I pushed him away? Did the other guys tell you that every time I woke up, I asked where you were?”

He doesn’t flinch as the words fly out of my mouth. “Can’t you see that you’re the only man I want? If it were up to me, I’d choose you and end the games,” I say, barely a whisper.

It’s the most I’ve ever shared my feelings with him. Beckett drives me crazy, but in the moments when we are alone, I can see the real him. The him that is loyal to a fault. The him that would protect me with his life. The him that cares about his friends as if they are family. The man who is dominating and caring. The man who sees the real me and lets me be myself.

There’s a beat, then another, before Beckett finally answers. “Go back to sleep, Princess. You owe me, and I’m calling in my prize. Go back to sleep.”

I frown as he reaches behind me and opens the door to Caius’s bedroom.

“You’re insufferable. I have no idea why I like you,” I say, storming back into the bedroom mainly to get a gun or knife. I’m determined to force him to talk to me when I freeze dead in my tracks.

My heart seizes, and my breath catches. My lips mumble, trying to get a sound out, but I can barely mutter a syllable, let alone a word. All the hairs on the back of my arms stand up, and a biting coldness spreads through my body.

“B—Beckett,” I croak out. It’s not loud enough. He’s probably stormed out of the apartment by now.

To my shock, the door swings open, and Beckett is immediately at my side, staring at the note on the bed. Someone snuck into this room and left it in the less than five minutes I was outside. He could still be here.

I shiver involuntarily. I already have so many enemies, so many problems, but it’s clear I have yet another. And I’m all alone in facing him.

I feel a brush against my fingertips and look down just as Beckett hooks his fingers with mine. Maybe I’m not so alone after all.