Page 46 of Heart of a Hero

I nodded, leading her to a quiet corner of the room. She looked up at me, her brown eyes brimming with unshed tears.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice trembling. “I never meant for any of this to happen, to put you in danger. But it seems to be what I’m best at. Our journey started with you saving me from a fire, and now you’ve had to rescue me from my ex.”

“Hey,” I said softly, cupping her face in my hands. “You have nothing to apologize for. None of this is your fault.”

She leaned into my touch, a single tear sliding down her cheek. “But what about your job? What about the consequences? Will you get in trouble for any of this? I saw Justin hand Rex off to an officer, but there hadn’t been any lights or sirens. You didn’t handle this by the book, did you?”

I brushed the tear away with my thumb, my heart clenching at the fear in her eyes. “I’ll handle it. Whatever happens, I’ll deal with it. All that matters is keeping you and Taylor safe.”

She nodded, burying her face in my chest as I wrapped my arms around her. I held her close, breathing in the scent of her hair, the warmth of her body against mine.

I pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, my heart swelling with love for this brave, beautiful woman. We rejoined the others, and my mom slid a plate of food in front of Nora, then another in front of me. She gave my shoulder a pat before taking a seat.

“You did good,” she said. “You found a balance between both worlds.”

I nodded, hoping she was right. Only time would tell.

Chapter Fourteen

Dawson

“I’ll take Taylor back to my place,” Mom offered, giving me a knowing look. “You two take your time getting home.”

I nodded gratefully as Mom took Taylor’s hand and led her out of the clubhouse. Once they disappeared, I turned to Nora, my heart already racing with anticipation.

“Ride with me?” I asked softly.

Nora bit her lower lip, eyes darkening with desire as they met mine. “I’d love to.”

Her look combined with her husky words made my cock twitch. Yeah, I was hoping I could convince her to ride something other than my bike tonight. But if she wasn’t up for it, I’d be patient and wait. Even if it killed me.

I climbed on first, relishing the feel of Nora’s warm body pressed against my back as she straddled the seat behind me. Her arms encircled my waist, hands splaying across my abs possessively. I groaned at her touch, blood singing in my veins.

The vibration of the engine between our legs only heightened the electricity crackling between us as we sped through the night. Nora’s fingers traced teasing patterns over my stomach and chest, stoking the flames inside me to a raging inferno. My body thrummed with need for her.

God, the things this woman does to me. I gritted my teeth against the urge to pull over and take her right there on the side of the road. I wanted to rip off her clothes and worship every inch of her sweet curves until she cried out my name.

But I wanted our first time to be special, not some quickie in the dirt. So I focused on the feel of the wind whipping past us and the winding road ahead, hands tightening on the handlebars until my knuckles turned white.

What felt like an eternity later, we pulled up in front of my apartment. I cut the engine and kicked out the stand, already aching to have Nora back in my arms. She dismounted gracefully, dark hair tumbling around her shoulders, a seductive gleam in her eyes as she gazed up at me.

I swallowed hard, desire a living thing inside me. My voice came out low and rough. “Let’s get you inside, darlin’.”

I led Nora into the bathroom, my heart pounding against my ribs as I reached into the shower and turned the faucet. Hot water rushed out, steam billowing to fill the small space. The sound of the spray seemed amplified, echoing off the tile walls.

I turned to find Nora watching me, her brown eyes dark and inviting in the low light. Slowly, almost shyly, she reached for the hem of her shirt.

“Wait,” I rasped, my mouth gone dry. I couldn’t tear my gaze away as I moved closer, replacing her hands with my own. “Let me.”

Nora shivered at my touch, goose bumps rising on her pale skin. I took my time undressing her, savoring each new inch of smooth flesh revealed. When she stood bare before me, I had to take a moment just to drink in the sight of her. Lush curves, taut nipples, even the faint stretch marks from her previous pregnancy were sexy as hell.

“So beautiful,” I murmured reverently. “You take my breath away, Nora.”

Color bloomed on her cheeks and she ducked her head, thick lashes fanning over her flushed skin. “I want you, Dawson. I want to feel you against me. Inside me.”

I groaned, my cock surging in response to her boldness. “I need that too, baby. So fucking much. But I also don’t want to hurt you.”

Nora glanced at the running shower, then back at me through the curtain of steam. “You won’t. Will you join me?”

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