Everyone Loves a Hero Read online

  Olivia closed her eyes and tried to calm her racing heart. He’d had other women. Love ’Em and Leave ’Em Langston. Okay, many other women. But he said he wanted only her. For however long it lasted, she would try to enjoy it.

  ***

  Olivia’s mouth fell open when they pulled up to the Fairmont Hotel on Nob Hill. “We are not staying here.”

  “Well, this is where I’m staying, and I sort of hoped you’d stay with me.”

  She kept her hand over her heart, as if that would stop the furious staccato that was two parts excitement, one part nerves. “Cole.”

  “Are you coming?” he asked, reaching for her hand.

  Olivia linked her fingers through his.

  He helped her from the cab and paid the fare as a uniformed bellman retrieved their bags from the trunk.

  Inside, the opulent lobby and famous grand staircase were almost too much to absorb all at once. Soaring marble pillars, lush potted plants, soft lighting, and gilded accents. Even the ceiling was outfitted with elaborate moldings. Olivia had never seen anything more beautiful.

  “As you requested, Mr. Langston, we have you in a Signature Room in The Tower, which looks out over the city and San Francisco Bay,” the front-desk clerk was saying when Olivia tuned into the check-in proceedings.

  Cole handed the woman his American Express card. “With a king-sized bed, right?”

  “That’s correct, sir.”

  “Thank you very much.”

  They followed the bellman to a bank of elevators. Their room, like everything else she had seen so far, was elegant and huge. She went straight for the windows, gasping at the view of the city stretched out before her.

  The bellman wished them a good evening, and the door clicked shut behind him.

  Cole came up behind her and rested his hands on her shoulders. “What do you think?”

  “It’s overwhelming.” She turned to him. “I can’t believe you did this.”

  “I wanted it to be special for you.”

  “This is beautiful—in fact it’s so far beyond beautiful I don’t even have the words. I hope you know I would’ve been just as happy at the Holiday Inn.”

  He put his arms around her. “I do know that, which is why it was fun to raise the bar a little.”

  She snorted. “A little?”

  “Okay, a lot.”

  “I feel like Cinderella.” She went up on tiptoes to kiss him. “What’s going to happen when the clock strikes midnight?”

  “You might wake up and find yourself at the Holiday Inn.”

  Laughing, she kissed him again. “The trip, this amazing hotel… It’s the loveliest thing anyone has ever done for me, Cole. Thank you.”

  “It’s my pleasure.”

  “Speaking of your pleasure…” Slowly, she unbuttoned his shirt, nuzzling each new bit of skin as she uncovered it.

  “Liv.” He took her hands to stop her. “Aren’t you hungry?”

  “Nope.” She tugged on the button to his jeans. “You?”

  “I was.”

  “And now?”

  “I seem to have lost my appetite for food.”

  Taking a step back, she dodged his attempt to take over her seduction. “No touching.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because I’m in charge.” Pushing his shirt off his shoulders, she walked around him dropping soft kisses on his back. “Mmm, I do so love the way you’re put together.”

  He trembled. “Liv. Come on.”

  “Where do you want to go?”

  “You know where I want to go.”

  “We’ll get there, sooner or later.”

  “I vote for sooner.”

  Pushing his jeans down, she ran her hands over his muscular thighs. “My vote’s for later, and since I’m in charge, my vote wins.”

  Groaning, he let his head fall back.

  She walked him to the high bed and rested her palm on one of the mahogany posts as she eyed him.

  “Don’t even think about it.”

  “Oh, such a dirty, dirty mind. I like that.”

  “Remember—payback’s a bitch, and you won’t be in charge for long.”

  “Maybe not, but I’m in charge right now.”

  “So you’ve said. Now that you have me, whatever will you do with me?”

  As he watched her every move, she tugged her sweater over her head. “I wasn’t sure how I felt about a lavender bra.” She trailed a finger over the lace cups. “What do you think?”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his eyes burned holes through the bra. “Have I mentioned I love lavender?”

  “Excellent,” she said as her jeans joined the pile of clothes on the floor.

  “Especially when it comes in sets. Is that a, ah, thong?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Oh, my God,” he said, releasing a long, jagged breath.

  With her hands on his shoulders, she eased him back on the bed and kissed him. Sweeping her tongue into his mouth, she reveled in the strangled sound that came from his throat.

  “Let me touch you, Liv,” he said, his voice hoarse with desire.

  “Not yet.” She left damp, open-mouthed kisses along his jaw and neck. Moving down to his chest, she flicked her tongue over his nipple. His hands, she noticed, clutched the duvet, and his breathing was labored. Smiling, she continued on to his toned abdomen, making sure her breasts grazed his chest on the way.

  “Remember when I said you’d be richly rewarded?”

  “Yeah,” he choked out.

  “I’m trying to decide the best way.” She got rid of his boxers and tossed them over her shoulder. “There are so many options. Like this, for starters.” Wrapping her hand around his straining erection, she bent to skim her tongue over the head.

  His hips surged up off the bed. “Liv,” he hissed as he broke out in a sweat. “Please.”

  She took him into her mouth, keeping her hand and tongue moving in synch.

  His harsh breathing told her she was doing something right. Suddenly, he gripped her shoulders. “Baby, wait.”

  “Why?”

  “Come here.” He brought her up to him.

  “I wasn’t finished with your reward,” she pouted.

  “Don’t you think the lavender thong was enough?” Placing his hands gently on her face, he kissed her. “Are you done being in charge?”

  “For now.”

  He flipped her onto her back so fast she had no time to prepare before he ravished her. The lavender bra flew across the room. Cupping her breasts, he sucked hard on one nipple and then the other.

  “Cole!”

  “Hmm?” His tongue made circles on her breast.

  Like useless noodles, her arms dropped to the bed. “I forgot what I was going to say.”

  “You have the world’s most perfect breasts. Have I ever told you that?”

  “Ah, no, I don’t think so.”

  “And the way they fit my hands like they were made for me. Have you noticed that?”

  She reached for him. “Make love to me, Cole.”

  “Back in charge?”

  “My powers only work when you obey me.”

  “Happy to.” He rolled over and got up, returning with a condom. “Extra strength, you’ll be glad to know.”

  Olivia laughed and held out her arms to him. “Who knew they came in extra strength?”

  “Not me, that’s for sure.” He slid her thong off and held it up for a closer look. “I might need you to model this for me again later.”

  “I have a few of them.”

  Those vivid blue eyes she loved so much went dark with desire. “With you?”

  “Well, they wouldn’t do me much good in a drawer at home. Now, are you going to talk all night or are we gonna get on with it?”

  “Oh, we’re gonna get on with it. And then we’re gonna get it on.”

  “Thank God.”

  Chapter 20

  Olivia came three times. Before Cole had proven otherwise, she wouldn’t have
thought that was possible. But he’d set out almost relentlessly to make her into a trembling, quivering wreck, and they hadn’t even gotten to the best part yet. Olivia was so sated and loose she would have drifted off to sleep if he hadn’t chosen that moment to finally enter her.

  As she hooked her legs around his hips to take him in, she watched him. Something was different, and if she hadn’t been so busy having mind-altering orgasms, she might have noticed it sooner.

  He was holding back.

  Even as he made passionate love to her, he kept a firm grip on his control. There was no sign of the reckless, abandoned lover who had taken her against a wall in Washington.

  Saddened by the realization that he felt the need to protect himself from her, Olivia caressed his face and brought him down for a deep, searching kiss. “Turn over,” she whispered.

  He shook his head.

  “Yes,” she insisted, pushing at his shoulders until he gave in and did as she asked.

  He kept his arms tight around her and turned them so she was on top.

  Olivia pulled out all the stops to break him. She went slow, dragging her nails over his chest as she arched her back and took him deep, her eyes fixed on his while she waited and hoped. When slow didn’t work, she gave fast a whirl.

  His breathing changed and his fingers dug into her hips, but there was still an aura of control about him that frustrated her. Even when he finally climaxed, it wasn’t the all-consuming event it had been the last time but rather a civilized ending to a rather civilized round of sex.

  Olivia wanted to scream. She didn’t want him civilized. She wanted him the way he’d been before when he’d loved her with everything he had, before she’d given him reason to hold something back so he wouldn’t be left with nothing if she walked away.

  Why shouldn’t he be afraid? She’d certainly given him ample reason to be concerned. I’m skittish and hesitant, so why shouldn’t he be, too? I can’t have it both ways. I can’t commit only halfway and expect him to be in it all the way. He’d have to be stupid to take a risk like that, and he’s anything but stupid.

  He caressed her back as she rested on top of him, drinking in the scent of his cologne mixed with a hint of perspiration that actually smelled good coming from him.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Mmm. You?”

  “Never better.”

  “You must be hungry.”

  “A little. We can order something.”

  She slid off him and pulled the covers up over them. “Whatever you want.”

  “What’s wrong, Liv?”

  Startled, she glanced over at him. “Nothing.”

  Lying on his back, he ran a hand through his hair and stared up at the ceiling. “Are we going to play games now?”

  “No, we’re not.”

  He sat up. “Okay, well you know where I am if you want to tell me what’s bugging you.” He stalked into the bathroom and closed the door with a loud thwack.

  Olivia hugged a big fluffy pillow and battled the huge lump in her throat. How was this going so terribly wrong?

  ***

  She awoke to the sound of “Ode to Joy” the next morning. Since Cole had slept on the far side of the big bed, she didn’t disturb him when she got up. In the large, dark hotel room, she fumbled to find her purse before the phone woke him. Once she had the phone in hand, she didn’t take the time to check the caller ID before she flipped it open.

  “Hello?” she whispered. On the way into the bathroom, she glanced at the clock and found it was five forty-five. She closed the door softly.

  “Hi, honey. Did I wake you?”

  “Oh, hey, Dad.” She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and stifled a yawn as she put a thick Fairmont robe on over the silk nightgown she had slept in. “That’s okay. What’s up?”

  “Where did you end up on your mystery trip?”

  “San Francisco.”

  “Oh, you must be thrilled, Livvie! You’ve always wanted to go there. How is it?”

  “What I’ve seen so far is beautiful.”

  “Crap, it’s really early there, though!”

  “Don’t worry about it. My body is still on East Coast time. What’s going on?”

  “Well, honey, I hate to do this to you while you’re away, but I wanted to let you know that Mom’s committed herself to a treatment place. It’s a nice facility in southern Virginia that we’ve heard good things about.”

  Astounded, Olivia sat down hard on the closed lid of the toilet. “When did this happen?”

  “Yesterday afternoon.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” she cried. “I would’ve been there with you!”

  “Her doctor called on Thursday to say they had a spot opening up, so it happened fast. I knew how much you were looking forward to your trip.”

  “Dad! You should’ve told me!”

  “Believe me, Liv, you were better off not knowing.”

  “Why?” she asked, hesitantly. “What happened?”

  “Let’s just say she didn’t go easily.”

  “Oh, God,” she sighed.

  “She signed the paperwork willingly, but then she lost it as we were helping her out of the house. They ended up having to sedate her.” His voice caught. “It was a horror show.”

  Olivia’s eyes filled. “Daddy…”

  “I’m okay, honey. We should’ve done this years ago.”

  “How long is she going to be there?”

  “Thirty days to start with. They’re going to re-evaluate her after that.”

  “Can you go see her?”

  “I doubt she’ll want to see me. She thinks I’m the root of all evil right about now since I didn’t give her much choice. I told her it was this or a divorce.”

  “You’re just trying to do what’s best for her.”

  “She doesn’t see it that way. I’m so sorry to dump this on you right now, but I didn’t want you to hear about it from your brothers or Jenny.”

  “Do you want me to come home? I can be there this afternoon if you need me.”

  “No, honey. That’s not necessary, but thank you. I’m fine. In fact, I have a second interview next Monday at a Cadillac dealer in Springfield. I have a feeling it’s just a formality, and the job’s mine.”

  “They’d be lucky to have you. That’s your line.”

  “It is indeed. I’m also meeting with a Realtor today about the house, and I found someone who’ll clean out the place for cheap. She’ll get what she can for all the junk, so at least it won’t be a total loss.”

  “I hate that you’re dealing with this by yourself. I can help with the house when I get home.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Livvie. Andy’s coming home this weekend to help me move the furniture I’m going to keep in storage until I get a new place. The rest is crap. We’ll either trash it or sell it.”

  “Jenny and I looked at an apartment the other day that’ll work for me until I figure out what I’m going to do. They said I can move in at the end of the week.” She glanced at the door, thought of Cole sleeping in the next room, and remembered him asking her to live with him. She wondered if the offer was still on the table. “I’ll get my stuff out of the house as soon as I get home.”

  “There’s no rush. I’m sure it’ll take a month or two to sell.”

  “So what happens with you and Mom when she gets out?”

  “I guess that’ll depend on whether or not the treatment works.”

  “No matter what happens, you know you have me, right? And Andy and Alex, too. We’re always here for you.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart. They said the same thing. I’m blessed to have three great kids who somehow turned out beautifully despite how they grew up.”

  “Will you let me know if you need anything?”

  “I sure will. Please don’t worry about any of this. It’s all going to work out. I promise.”

  “I love you,” she said.

  “And I love you. Have a great time with your pilot,
you hear me? Tell him your old man wants to meet him the next time he’s in D.C.”

  “I will. Bye, Daddy.” Olivia closed the phone and curled her hand tight around it as she absorbed the news from home. She had no idea how long she sat there before she realized she wasn’t alone.

  “What’s wrong?” Cole asked from the doorway.

  Olivia cleared her throat. “That was my dad. My mother is in a ‘very nice facility’ as of yesterday. I know it’s for the best, but he sounded awful.”

  Cole took her hand and led her from the bathroom to a big easy chair by the window. He brought her down onto his lap and put his arms around her. “Do you want to go home? I’d totally understand if you wanted to.”

  “He’d flip if I went home on his account.”

  “What can I do for you?”

  Resting her head on his shoulder, she said, “This is pretty good.”

  “I woke up, and you weren’t there,” he whispered as his lips brushed her forehead. “I was worried until I heard you talking in the bathroom.”

  “Did you think I’d run away?” she asked in a teasing tone.

  “I wasn’t sure.”

  “I’m not going to run away, Cole. I hate that you’re worried I might.”

  “We still have three-and-a-half days until serious talk is allowed,” he reminded her.

  “That’s true.” She ran her fingers through his hair and lifted her head off his shoulder to kiss him.

  “Do you want to go back to bed for a while?”

  “To sleep?” she asked, trying to coax a smile from him.

  “Whatever you want.”

  “I’m seriously torn between you and a spot right in front of this hotel.”

  His eyebrows knitted with confusion. “What spot?”

  “The only place in the whole city where all the cable car lines come together.”

  He laughed. “Well, since I wouldn’t dare try to compete with the cable cars, what do you say we get an early start?”

  ***

  They returned to the hotel twelve hours later, laden with bags and souvenirs.

  “You’re going to need another suitcase to get all this stuff home,” Cole said as he dumped his portion of the haul on the sofa.

  “I went totally nuts, didn’t I?”