Tempted Hero by Ella Miles

Ri

Every time Beckett fucks me,it feels like he’s telling me goodbye. Every. Damn. Time.

And every time I fuck him, I fall more in love with him. I can’t explain it. It’s like I know him, more than what he shows, more than what he pretends to be. Like I’ve known him my entire life. Like we are two lost souls who find solace in each other when we’re together.

When we are fucking, it’s the only time Beckett lets himself be himself. It’s the only time he lets himself feel for me.

Now that it’s over, he’ll go back to hating me and pretending I mean nothing to him.

Sure enough, that’s exactly what he does as he stomps back to the car without looking back.

I can’t wipe the grin off my face, though, not after that orgasm. Not after it got rid of any thoughts of the violation I felt just a few minutes earlier.

I jog to catch up to Beckett as he turns toward the street the car is parked on. He stops suddenly, and my gaze turns to where he’s looking.

The stalker’s car is gone. That must have been how he escaped while we were fucking.

Neither of us speaks about it. There is nothing to say. We climb into the car in silence, and Beckett starts driving. Soon, we’re parked again at Caius’s place.

This time when we get there, we climb up the stairs on our own. Beckett doesn’t carry me, and I don’t make a game out of it.

“Did you identify him?” Beckett asks the others as soon as we enter Caius’s apartment.

I follow behind and find the guys all sitting on their laptops at the kitchen table.

“No, we haven’t figured out who he is,” Lennox says.

Beckett ignores him and looks right at Gage like they are trying to communicate without words.

“Sit down, Princess. You must be starving. I’ll make you something,” Hayes says, breaking the tension.

He pulls out his chair for me, and I take a seat. Caius reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “Don’t worry; we’ll find him and make sure he doesn’t threaten you again.”

I squeeze his hand back and then release it. “I know, thank you.”

Beckett doesn’t sit. He just paces while Hayes cooks some food in the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Hayes has a gourmet sandwich sitting in front of me and a cup of coffee. He offers one to Beckett, but he declines.

“Do you have any idea who it was, Princess? One of your father’s men? He would have to be very skilled to be able to sneak in and out without anyone noticing,” Gage asks me.

I can feel Beckett’s stare on me like he thinks I know who it is, and I’m purposefully sending his team on a wild goose chase. I don’t look in his direction. I keep my eyes on Gage, who seems equally accusing, while the others seem completely oblivious.

“Vincent has plenty of men capable of doing what the stalker did. I’m sure Leighton does, as does every other man competing in Vincent’s game,” I say.

“Can you think of anyone specifically?” Gage asks, not giving up.

“I can make you a list of all of Vincent’s men who I think would be capable, but I honestly have no idea why he would send a man to stalk and threaten me. If Vincent wanted me to do something, all he’d have to do is summon me, and I’d do it.” I don’t have a choice if I want to keep Beckett alive.

For some reason, my comment makes Beckett’s stare darken. I can’t resist looking at him this time. He glares at me like he wants to murder me when less than an hour ago he was fucking me with love.

I sigh and take a bite of my sandwich. I don’t care what Beckett thinks anymore. I have bigger things to worry about at the moment, like the fact that I have a new enemy capable of avoiding my guys.

“What about tomorrow? What are we going to do about getting Princess to the games without Corsi finding out we’ve had her this whole time?” Lennox asks.

“Let him know that we’ve had her. I’m not afraid of Corsi,” Caius says.

“No, I’m not going to risk your lives. I’ll show up alone and tell Vincent that after Leighton tried to hurt me, I fought my way out and have been hiding out until the game,” I say.

“I don’t think you need to worry about protecting us, Princess. Every man here has had his dick in you. If Corsi finds that out, we’re all dead. Hiding you for a few days doesn’t seem like it will matter in comparison,” Hayes teases, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I swat his hand away but don’t blush. I don’t care if I’ve fucked all of them.

“Well, I don’t want any of you taking any further risks on my behalf.”

Beckett chuckles. “Too late for that, Princess.”

I glare at him for calling me Princess.

I take another bite of my sandwich and then pick up my coffee as I stand. “I’m going to go take a shower. Let me know if you find anything on my stalker.”

Then I head to the bathroom without another word. I close the bathroom door and sink to the floor as dark memories flood my head. Of course, I know who it was—Kek, my dark nightmare. Neither I nor Vincent has ever been able to protect me from him. These guys don’t stand a chance. I need to find a way to meet him before people start turning up dead.

I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my waist before I feel Beckett’s angry presence. My breath catches as I slowly turn around to face him. His eyes are laser-focused on mine, ignoring my bare chest and legs. Like if he looks down further, he’ll be tempted by my body and not say what he came here to say. Like I’ll somehow manipulate him.

I lick my lips to test my theory. His eyes drop just the slightest, and his lips tighten into a thin slit. The muscles in his jaw grow taunt.

“I know what you’re hiding,” he says.

I raise an eyebrow. “Do you? Because it seems like you’re the one hiding secrets.”

His eyes finally drop, unable to help himself. His finger traces down my arm, over the still healing wound on my bicep. He stops and turns, about to walk away.

I reach out my hand and touch his bare arm, down to the scar on the end before my hand finds nothing but air in a similar way that he touched me.

“We both have secrets. We both have our reasons for keeping them secret. It shouldn’t stop us from enjoying each other every second we get. It shouldn’t stop us from fighting for a future together.”

He turns and frowns at me. “There is no future together.”

I shrug. “Probably not, but we should still fight for one. I’m not going to pretend that I’d be happy with any man but you. And you’ll never find another woman you’re more fascinated with than me.”

Beckett strokes the ends of my wet hair. “I’m not sure I can pretend when there are too many lies between us.”

“The lies don’t involve one another. We don’t lie to each other or keep secrets because we don’t trust each other. We keep secrets because they are our burdens to bear. Sharing our secrets would ruin everything.”

He leans in close, too close. “Why? Because your secret would prove that you aren’t an innocent princess?”

I frown. “You already know I’m not an innocent princess, just as I know you aren’t a chivalrous hero. It doesn’t change anything. Our secrets aren’t who we really are. This life isn’t who we really are. We’re both trapped, doing whatever it takes to survive in our unending prison.”

His thumb strokes my jaw. “I want to know your secrets. I want to know everything. You want to talk about a future, about feelings. I’ve been burned too many times, Princess, to open myself up to feel until I know every secret you’re hiding.”

I swallow hard. I should tell him the truth, everything I know, but I don’t want to put Beckett in any more danger. If Kek knows I’m here, he’ll already see Beckett as a threat. I can’t tell Beckett anything. I need to protect him, keep him safe. If I can’t have Beckett, the least I can do is keep him alive.

I need to give him up and get him to quit the game—him and Caius both. They need to bow out gracefully. That’s the only way to ensure they survive, but how do I convince them?

Beckett reads the emotions all over my face. He sees the moment I realize I can’t tell him anything—the disappointment on his own face is devastating. I want nothing but to wipe that disappointment off his face. I want nothing more than to tell him everything, for us to fall madly in love, fight all the odds together and win, then live our happily ever after together.

It doesn’t matter what I want, though—I can’t have it. All I can do is save the people that I love.

“Our deal ends today,” I say.

Beckett cocks his head like he doesn’t understand me.

“I don’t want you to save me anymore. From now on, we’re each on our own.” I don’t know how I’m going to convince him to give up the game when he thinks my father killed Odette. He thinks the only way to get retribution is to win the game and then take me far away from my father.

I’ll find a different way. First, I need him to stop putting his life in danger for me.

His eyes flick back and forth over mine as he tries to figure out what I’m not telling him. My heart is breaking, giving him up. He’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted for myself.

“Why?” he asks, his voice deep.

“I never wanted or needed a hero. It felt good to have one for a bit, and I’m thankful to you. But I’m ready to face whatever comes by myself.”

I brush past him to where my clothes lay on the sink counter. “And if you’re smart, you’ll pull out of the game.”

He raises a brow. “I thought you liked me? I thought you wanted me to win? I thought I was your best chance at getting what you wanted?”

I make my face blank, void of emotion where Beckett is concerned. “I did like you, but I like myself more. I’m going to win. If I have to take you down with the rest of them, then so be it. You’ve been a good friend and a great fuck, but I won’t let any man have power over me, not anymore. Take Caius and get out before you both end up dead.”

Beckett walks to me. He doesn’t touch me, but he seems to want to. He leans in until his hot lips are against my ear. “I don’t know what game you’re playing at, Princess, but I’m not going anywhere. I’ll try to convince Caius to quit. He should have a long time ago, but you won’t get rid of me so easily. I know what you’re up to, and I can play the game better than you. You’re a good opponent, but I never lose. And don’t worry, I’m done playing hero.”

And then Beckett leaves me alone in the bathroom.

The rest of the day, I don’t see him. The guys mill about discussing options for who my stalker could be and what he could want. They discuss what the game could be tomorrow. They never let me out of their sight, and Beckett is nowhere to be found.

By ten o’clock, I’m exhausted and decide to head to bed. After changing and brushing my teeth, I walk back into Caius’s bedroom that I have commandeered as my own to find Gage sitting on the chair in the corner on his laptop. Hayes and Lennox are making makeshift cots on the floor. Caius is leaning against the doorway, drinking whiskey.

None of them really surprise me. They all fucked me to protect me, knowing it could be the last thing they did. But what surprises me is the man adjusting the covers on the bed.

“Get in the bed, Princess,” Beckett says in his deep, commanding voice.

I fold my arms over my chest. “I think this is a little unnecessary. No one is going to break in while I sleep.”

“Can’t be too careful,” Hayes says with a smile.

“Lennox, I don’t really think you need to sleep here too.”

“Just following orders,” Lennox says, lying down on the bed of comforters and pillows he’s arranged for himself on the floor on my side of the bed. He winks at me, and I know that it’s not just about orders. He cares; deep down, he cares.

I frown as I look around at the room of men who could be dead tomorrow. And if they survive tomorrow, they might be gone the next day or the day after. Caring for me is a death sentence. I have to make them all stop caring.

“Don’t,” Beckett says, staring at me with disdain.

“What?”

“I know what you’re thinking. Don’t. It will make everything worse.”

I frown.

“Get your smart ass to bed and stop acting you like you know what’s best,” Beckett says.

“I do know what’s best,” I reply.

He shakes his head as I climb into bed. As I do, he whispers, “If you did, you’d trust me with your secrets.”

Shivers rattle through me as he covers me with the comforter.

Caius walks toward the bed out of the corner of my eye when Beckett says, “You’re on first shift, Caius. Wake Hayes, and he’ll take the second shift. Then Lennox will take third.”

“What about Gage?” Caius asks.

“I’m looking for the damn stalker, so we don’t have to do this every night. I’ll work as much as I can and then sleep and do it all over again,” Gage grumbles.

Caius sighs and storms out.

“He doesn’t like giving up control. It’s harder than he thought it would be,” Hayes says.

“No shit,” Beckett says before getting under the covers next to me.

My eyes widen in shock, and my mouth falls open.

Beckett smirks at my reaction. “What? Can’t handle sleeping next to me, Princess?”

“Nothing wrong with it; just know that I’m a kicker.”

“A kicker?”

I knee him in the groin.

He moans dramatically, rolling away from me.

I grin.

Lennox and Hayes snicker. Even Gage grins from behind his computer.

I try to play the ice princess—aloof and unaffected by Beckett being in my bed. I try to pretend I hate him, that I don’t want him. But I’m going to have to up my acting skills if I want to save his life. Everyone’s life in this room hangs in the balance, and I’m the only one who can keep us all alive.