Be My Hero(61)

I shrugged, holding Eva's stare. "Like the neighbor said, he was in a  fancy suit. I didn't notice much else, except he was white, mid-fifties,  gray hair. Frankly, I wasn't paying much attention to detail because I  was busy trying to rein in my temper enough to not kill him for touching  her."

"Pick saved my life tonight." Eva shivered and kissed the top of  Julian's head before she snuggled her cheek against Skylar's. "And maybe  the lives of my babies, too. That guy just . . . he had a crazy look in  his eyes."

From there on, we were deemed innocent. The cops asked a few more  questions. I let Eva answer. And she rushed to me as soon as they took  the handcuffs off. I lifted Fighter from one of her arms, and hugged the  four of us together.

Pissy Cop left first. The other lingered a second longer, his gaze on Eva before he glanced at me. "Traded up, huh?"

My lips twitched as I looked at Eva. "Hell yeah, I did. And the other  one left her kid with me, so I got the best of both worlds."

The cop chuckled and started from the apartment. "Don't forget to call if that guy shows up again."

"Will do." After I shut the door behind him, I rested my back against it, blew out a breath, and met Eva's gaze.

"Well, shit," she said, rocking Skylar in her arms. "That was definitely a first for me."         

     



 

I have no idea why I thought that was funny, but I threw my head back and laughed.





Chapter 25


EVA


We didn't get the kids to bed until almost an hour after their usual  bedtime. I caught Pick watching me a lot, as if he were waiting for that  moment when I'd finally let the stress from the entire evening get to  me and I'd fall apart. But I managed to hold it together.

When we finally slid under the covers, facing each other in the glow of  the nightlight, I tucked my hands under my face and studied him across  the bed as he did the same, examining me right back.

I'd been so sure the next time he had a night off, we'd finally get in  some physical yumminess . . . but alas, my father had completely  smothered that idea. Pick looked too scared to even touch me, which made  me wonder how I'd ever gotten a kiss out of him in the bathroom  earlier.

A soft smile lit his face. "What're you thinking?"

I smiled back. "I was thinking how sweet it was of you to get a babysitter for us tonight so we could go out."

He sighed. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry that fell through. I guess that's what I get for making plans."

I reached out to stoke his cheek. Then I straightened the ring in his eyebrow. "It was the thought that impressed me."

He continued to watch me as I groomed him, combing out unruly strands of his hair next.

"We were actually going to celebrate," he said. "I received a letter in the mail today. My annulment was finalized."

I drew in a surprised gasp. "Really? So you're a single man again?"

He nodded but an odd look flooded his features. I could almost swear it  was guilt. "I know it was pretty presumptuous of me to take you out on  the very day I was no longer married. I'm sorry. It didn't-"

Suddenly, I realized what he felt so bad about. "Patrick Jason Ryan," I  murmured in a teasing scold as I sat up. "Were you planning on getting  laid tonight?"

Before he could stop me, I flung open the nightstand to find a new box of condoms inside.

Pick jerked upright, looking even guiltier than before. "Eva-"

I pulled the box free and studied it. "Aww, and you even got ribbed for her pleasure. How considerate."

That didn't seem to soothe his remorse, though. "I didn't mean to-"

I leaned in to kiss him, shutting him up. He tasted of surprise and the  apple he'd eaten before coming to bed. I opened my mouth to taste more.  The very tip of his tongue touched the very tip of mine and he groaned,  starting to lean in before he yanked himself back.

"We probably shouldn't," he said, though his breathing was already thin and fast. "Not after what happened tonight."

But I caught his hand. "Do you know what he said to me once? He said it  didn't matter how many other boys I had, I'd never be able to wipe away  his touch. He'd stained me forever."

Pick's face turned purple with fury. "Mother fucker," he gritted out  right before he pulled me close and pressed his forehead to mine. "He  was lying, baby. You are not stained. Not at all."

I hooked my hand around the back of his neck, my gaze pleading. "But he  made me believe him. I never . . . enjoyed an intimacy with any guy. Not  until you. I just zoned out and pretty much erased every encounter from  my head. When I'm with you, though, you make me feel everything. I'm  beautiful, loved, and clean. I need you to make me feel that way right  now. I need you to prove that bastard wrong."

When I pressed the condom box into his hand, he closed his eyes and  groaned. "I love you so much." His fingers trembled as he touched my  cheek.

"And I love you, Patrick. Now make me your Tinker Bell."

He opened his eyes, and the confusion on his face told me he wasn't sure  how to respond since I'd ordered him to never call me that again.

"You called me Tink tonight when the cops were here," I said. "And before that in the bathroom."

"I . . . " He gulped and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I just . . . it  slipped out." He closed his eyes briefly before flashing me a regretful  cringe. "It won't happen again. I swear."

I shook my head. "No, it was fine. It was wonderful, actually. I've  missed it." Scooting closer to him, I ran my fingers over his face,  across his lip rings and down the tattoo of tree roots on his neck-roots  because he'd always wanted a family and a place to belong.

Knowing I was his roots and his place to belong, I felt complete.

"I didn't realize the night that I learned about Tinker Bell how much of  an honor it is to be her. Because I didn't understand it wouldn't just  be a dream come true for you; it's a dream come true for me too. You  have given me things I never even knew I needed or wanted, but they've  ended up being the most precious things I've ever had. My job, this  family . . . " I gestured toward the crib. "A love that completes me.  All of this is because of you. Honestly, I can only think of one more  thing I need from you, and my life will be perfect."         

     



 

When my hand trailed down his naked chest, paused over his heart tattoo, and then continued lower, he caught my wrist gently.

"If we actually do this tonight, I'm going to stop paying you for being  the nanny. Because that would just be weird. You'd be more like a . . . "

When he couldn't seem to come up with an appropriate term, I grinned. "More like a stay-at-home wife?"

His eyes flared. "Would that freak you out?"

It would probably freak Reese out if she knew about it. She'd say I was  crazy, we were moving too fast, I needed to slow down and think about  this. But I already knew it was the perfect solution for us.

"I am absolutely not freaked out at all. Now . . . " I caught the top of  his pajama pants and began to peel them down. "Can we move on toward  the main entertainment of the evening, or are you going to hold out on  me forever?"

He blew out a breath and shuddered when I pulled his hard, swollen flesh  into my palm. His eyes fell shut as he growled his appreciation.

"Are you absolutely positive you want to do this?" he asked, his voice tense, his restraint nearly shattered.

I flickered with sudden uncertainly, but only because his continued  resistance bothered me. "Only if you're okay with having a girl who grew  up being molested by her dad."

He sucked in a sharp breath and rolled toward me, dislodging my grip  from him. "That has nothing to do with this. You are not dirty, Tink.  Not at all. He's the filthy one. I'm just afraid you're trying to rush  this to prove something you totally do not have to prove."

I smiled at his adamant proclamation, even more certain than ever about  what I wanted from him. Curling my hands around his shoulders, I leaned  in to kiss my favorite tattoo. "You just called me Tink." Lifting my  face to whisper in his ear, I said, "Do it again." Then I licked his  nipple ring before catching it between my teeth.

"Damn it," he growled, rolling me onto my back and hovering over me.  Then he rasped, "Tinker Bell," in an achy soft voice as he cupped my  cheek and gazed into my eyes. "My Tinker Bell. My soul mate."

He kissed me, closed-mouthed, his lips gentle and perfect. Then he  rocked his erection against my thigh, and things got even better.

He peeled my shirt up; I peeled his pants down. He cupped my weighted  breasts through my maternity bra, and I shuddered under his intense  attention.

"Fuck me, I want to suck on them so bad." He swirled an index finger  around my nipple, and though I could barely feel it through all the  padding, they still hardened. "When the kids are done with them, they're  going to be mine. You got that? I'm going to spend an entire day with  my mouth on nothing but these beauties."