Command and Control: Holding Out for a Hero, Book 2 Read online

  Trevor let loose a laugh from low in his belly at the image. “Not a fucking chance, angel. I like being in charge.”

  “Mmm. I guess so. Well, I don’t mind giving up control every now and then.” She poked him in the ribs. “Well, in the bedroom at least.”

  Trevor grinned and grabbed her, rolling her under him before she could protest. She snuggled eagerly against him, kissing his shoulder and wiggling beneath him. The position was so normal, one he’d missed more than he’d realized over the past year. He couldn’t imagine not having Megan in his life again all the time. Everything inside him rebelled at letting her go. But at that thought, his mind wandered down darker paths and his chest tightened with guilt.

  “I shouldn’t be this happy,” Trevor finally muttered, nuzzling her neck. “I shouldn’t be thinking about being your husband, and your belly round with my baby.”

  “You’re thinking about that?” she whispered breathlessly. “Because I have been too. You’re entitled to happiness, Trevor. Everyone is.”

  “But you don’t understand. Nobody does.”

  “What don’t I understand?” she pleaded softly, pushing on his shoulders so she could look at his face again. “Help me understand, Trevor.”

  “What it’s like. What we go through. I mean, a soldier’s death might garner his name and age being flashed on the news for tens seconds,” he said harshly. “But people didn’t know the man himself–and I use that term loosely because he was only eighteen–like I did.”

  “Oh, Trevor,” she whispered, cupping his cheek. “Tell me who he was.”

  His heart thumped in his chest and he swallowed with difficulty. The urge to shut down was strangely missing. Instead, he wanted to talk. To explain.

  “Darrell Washington,” he finally said. “He was one of my soldiers. It was his first deployment to Afghanistan. Hell, his first deployment anywhere.” He shook his head. “He loved to play video games and talk shit with the other soldiers. He had a fiancée waiting for him, just like me. We used to talk about you gals. Our women back home.”

  Megan gave a small smile and cupped his shoulder, massaging lightly.

  “A couple of times I mentioned to him that maybe he was too young to be settling down. Christ, he’d only just graduated high school. But he was dedicated to his girl… I’d never seen a guy look so in love, so determined and steadfast about anything. He had the same passion for being in the army.”

  “What happened?” she asked, almost on a whisper.

  “He was the one I sent back into the Humvee to call for help. He was the one killed when an RPG slammed into it.”

  She was silent for a moment and when he glanced down at her tears shimmered in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

  Bile rose in his throat and his gut twisted. “I survived, Megan. How is it fair that I should get to go home, marry my woman, when Private Washington, the soldier I should’ve kept safe, is dead.”

  “You’re not invincible, Trevor. People die during war. It’s not fair, but would it have made it any more right if you had died?” she asked, her voice breaking. “You need to forgive yourself and stop feeling guilty that you didn’t die. Because you may not have been killed in Afghanistan, but I still lost you.”

  The air seemed to suck from the room, he couldn’t breathe as he stared at the anguish in her eyes and the tears she battled. Something inside of him shifted and the wall he’d kept erected for over a year came crashing down. Reality, crystal clear and unforgiving, blindsided him. He struggled to breathe. To speak. But he couldn’t even blink.

  Just how much had he lost by doing exactly what Megan had said—feeling guilty for surviving? How had he ever thought he could handle this on his own? Without seeking help?

  “Trevor?” Her fingers tightened around his shoulder, her eyes widening in concern.

  “I’m sorry,” he muttered dumbly, drawing her into his arms again and burying his face into her hair. “Oh my God, Megan, I’m so sorry. You’re right. About everything.”

  “Trevor, you’ve been in so much pain…” Her arms wound around him, her grip almost vise-like.

  “I love you. More than anything, and maybe I have been in pain, but I’ve also been so damn blind,” he said thickly. “How could I ever have let you go? When I return to Fort Lewis I’ll ask for the help I’ve been too stubborn to accept. I’ll talk to someone, Megan, I promise. But, I don’t want to lose you, angel. Never again.”

  “You can’t lose me. Not this time. I love you so much, Trevor. I shouldn’t have given up on you in the first place.” Her voice broke through the tears. “And I blame myself just as much.”

  Trevor groaned and lowered his head, crushing her lips beneath his and stopping her from pinning the blame on herself. Her arms looped around his neck and her body nearly melded into his.

  This was his woman. She’d always believed in him, always loved him. Had always known that he just needed a little extra help to get through the darkness. It was just a damn shame it’d taken him this long to figure it out himself.

  He lifted his head and brushed a tender kiss across her forehead. “You will make an excellent soldier’s wife, angel. That is, if you still want the position.”

  Megan’s eyes glowed with tears and happiness. “Are you kidding? I’d take out any other bitch that applied. That spot is mine, soldier boy.”

  An optimism and brightness that he hadn’t felt in years rushed through him and Trevor knew this was a new beginning. With Megan’s faith and love, the future looked damn bright.

  He lowered his head again, claiming her mouth once more in a kiss that sealed their future and their love.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Kate clutched her glass of champagne and resisted the urge to tug down her dress. What had she been thinking, wearing this flowery tight little thing? She didn’t have the same kind of body most of the girls here did, her curves were a little more…well, curvy.

  Watching Tyson and Ellie dancing on the lawn of Tyson’s parents’ house, Kate bit back a wistful sigh. What a beautiful reception, and the wedding had been wonderfully sweet and romantic too.

  They looked so happy. So in love. What must that be like? And apparently Tyson wasn’t the only one finding love, because Trevor and Megan had just announced they were getting back together. Everyone, of course, had been ecstatic to hear the news that the couple would be marrying within the month in a small ceremony on the beach, before Megan moved up to Fort Lewis to be with Trevor.

  Lifting her glass of champagne, Kate took a sip and swung her gaze away from the newlyweds. Unfortunately her attention landed straight on the youngest Wyatt brother.

  Todd had brought a date to his brother’s wedding. Some skinny, tall, fake-tanned brunette who had an annoying laugh and clung to him like a wet noodle.

  She bit her bottom lip, ignoring the hollow ache in her stomach. Her mind flittered back to that moment at Ellie’s bachelorette party, when Todd had shown up and thrown out the stripper. Or more so, what had happened after that.

  Her pulse quickened and her body heated. She closed her eyes and shook her head, downing the rest of her champagne.

  When she opened her eyes, she found Todd watching her. Her mouth dried out when he winked and then her heart did a little jump kick in her chest.

  She was a fool to have a crush on a man who went through women like she went through flour in her bakery. And she needed to remember that Todd Wyatt was nothing but trouble. She could find plenty of other ways to get her heart broken, thank you very much.

  There were plenty of other fish in the sea. Like Walt Chapman. The owner of the hardware shop next to hers. He’d taken her out for lunch after her shop had been vandalized, had insisted on paying and had been nothing but supportive and charming.

  But he wasn’t Todd.

  Which is a good thing, she reminded herself. Turning away from his teasing grin, she sought out anyone besides Todd to talk to. Because with the recent vandalism at her shop, she already had her fair shar
e of trouble without adding Todd Wyatt to the mix…

  About the Author

  Shelli’s the author your mother warned you about! She read her first romance novel when she snuck it off her mother’s bookshelf when she was eleven. One taste and she was forever hooked on romance novels. It wasn’t until many years later that she decided to pursue writing stories of her own. By then she acknowledged the voices in her head didn’t make her crazy, they made her a writer. Shelli writes various genres of romance and currently lives in the Pacific Northwest with her young daughter.

  Email Shelli: [email protected]

  Sign up for her newsletter at: www.shellistevens.com/contact

  Look for these titles by Shelli Stevens

  Now Available:

  Trust and Dare

  Theirs to Capture

  Four Play

  Seattle Steam

  Dangerous Grounds

  Tempting Adam

  Chances Are

  Anybody but Justin

  Luck be Delanie

  Protecting Phoebe

  Holding out for a Hero

  Going Down

  Coming Soon:

  Holding out for a Hero

  Flash Point

  One man wants her heart. The other wants her dead…

  Going Down

  © 2010 Shelli Stevens

  Holding Out for a Hero, Book 1

  Eleanor Owen needs to get out of Chicago and quick. It’s not that she doesn’t want to obey the subpoena to testify against her drug-trafficking ex-boyfriend. It’s making it to the witness stand alive, should a dirty cop make good on his threats.

  Tiny, remote Wyattville, Oregon, looks like the perfect place to disappear, but it’s hard to blend into the woodwork when one of the town’s infamous namesakes sends her heart racing. Worse, Mr. Tall, Hot and Packing is the town sheriff, which means she should stay as far away from him as possible.

  Tyson Wyatt is positive the sexy new girl in town is hiding something. Question is, what? He vows to feel out her secrets—including what she feels like beneath him. Preferably naked. Until then, he’s not buying the story she’s selling.

  Their chemistry is sheet-melting hot, and Ellie realizes much too late that the man with the badge is as dangerous to her heart as her ex is to her life…

  Warning: A city girl on the run, and a small-town sheriff set to seduce. Explicit sex. Dirty talk. A hint of danger. Oral sex with a cupcake.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Going Down:

  “Okay, you need to stop cornering me like this,” she said breathlessly.

  He slid his gaze over her, took in the hardened points of her breasts beneath the tank top, and her uneven breathing.

  “I think you like it when I do, Ellie.”

  Instead of replying, her tongue darted out to trace over the mouth that was tempting the hell out of him.

  His blood pounded harder and he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop himself.

  “You do like it. Don’t you?” his voice dropped an octave as he curled his fingers around the swell of her hips.

  “Tyson.” His name on her lips was a breathy combination of plea and protest.

  But when he lowered his head, there was no protest in her wide eyes. And before his lips could touch hers, her lashes fluttered down in submission as she leaned into him.

  A wave of need washed through him, primal and potent. With a low groan, he closed that last distance, taking her mouth.

  Her lips, pillowy soft and pliant, moved against his. The warmth of her breath teased him, ripped at his self-control.

  He nipped her bottom lip with his teeth, using her gasp of surprise to thrust his tongue inside the hot cavern of her mouth.

  He moved his hands around her hips and grabbed the firm roundness of her ass, squeezing, and then lifting her onto the counter.

  Jesus. He was going to lose it. So much for being professional. But screw it, just like he’d told her earlier, he was off duty. And right now, his only duty was to see how far she’d let him take this.

  And if he played his cards right, maybe all the way to the bedroom.

  You need to stop him.

  Ellie ruthlessly silenced the voice of reason in her head and moaned as Tyson pushed her legs wide to step between them. The only thing that mattered now was pleasure, and following the thread of temptation that Tyson had so carefully laid out for her.

  The edge of the counter bit into her bottom, the angle and pressure adding to the intensity and spontaneity of the moment.

  His tongue danced with hers, rubbing and sucking. Their mouths separated for just a second, giving them both enough time to gasp in air, before once again he claimed her lips.

  His hands, confident and knowing, moved to her waist, gathering the tank top she wore and pushing it upward.

  Cool air brushed her belly and her pulse quickened. If you’re going to stop him, now would be the time.

  Then it was too late, and she really didn’t give a damn as the fabric lifted over her breasts and her nipples tightened.

  His head lifted from hers again, and she refused to open her eyes, because she knew he was looking at her body.

  “Oh, yeah, sweetheart,” he muttered thickly. “You like it.”

  Wet friction rasped over her bare nipple and she groaned, pleasure rocking through her as she finally let her lashes flutter up.

  The vision of Tyson’s head bent over her breast sent heat exploding in her belly and a rush of moisture between her legs.

  His tongue moved against the tip, teasing and exploring her, making her nipple lengthen and tighten for his touch.

  With a soft laugh, he parted his lips and drew her into his mouth, suckling lightly.

  So good. It felt so damn good. How could she possibly stop him when this moment was so exquisite? She was only going to be in Wyattville for a couple months…why not indulge in a little harmless sex?

  Ellie squirmed on the counter, her breath quickening as she tunneled her fingers into his short, blond hair, holding him against her. Wanting him to suck harder, to use his teeth.

  His free hand came up to cover the other breast, squeezing and massaging the flesh. Then he caught the nipple between two fingers and pinched lightly.

  She jerked against him, crying out. More, she wanted so much more. Wanted his fingers buried deep inside her, and then his tongue, before finally, his cock.

  The image of it skittered through her head, robbing her ability to breathe, making her wetter.

  Tyson switched his mouth to the other nipple, sucking fiercely as he eased his hand down her belly. His teeth grazed over the tip over her breast, before he lifted his head.

  “I want to touch you here,” he muttered thickly, just before he cupped between her thighs. “Feel how hot your pussy is right now.”

  “Tyson,” she moaned, her sex clenching at his erotic words. Jesus, it was like he’d known her thoughts.

  “I bet you’re nice and slick, sweetheart.” He licked her nipple, moving his hand back up to her stomach. “Aren’t you?”

  Yes. Her heart pounded and her body wept for release. This man, almost a stranger, had aroused her more than any man she’d ever dated before. And more than anything, she wanted him to follow up and touch her like he’d just said.

  She issued a husky, “Why don’t you check for yourself?”

  He lifted his head, possessiveness and desire flaring in his eyes. “No games. I like that.”

  Without breaking eye contact, he maneuvered his hand beneath the waist of her pants and thong. The brush of his strong fingers at the top of her mound had her biting her lip to hold back a groan.

  “No games,” she repeated and caught his wrist, pushing his hand lower. “No teasing either.”

  “Ah, but teasing is so much fun, Ellie,” he muttered, before his palm cupped her sex completely. A second later, he curled one finger deep inside her sheath and Ellie’s world went spinning.

  When all eyes are on you, there’s nowhere to ru
n…except the truth.

  Behind Blue Eyes

  © 2010 T.L. Schaefer

  Crime-scene photographer Sara Covington hides behind her camera from the otherworldly ability that’s caused her nothing but grief her whole life. Yet denial doesn’t protect her when she runs across a serial killer with an aural signature she’s never encountered.

  Suddenly she’s without a job and with nowhere to turn…except to an enigmatic, sexy-as-hell detective with a disquieting talent for seeing right through her defenses.

  Brian Roney’s fascination with Sara compels him to bring her in on the case that ultimately gets her fired. Even though he senses her mutual attraction, something holds her back from stepping into his arms. He’s as determined to find out why she’s pushing him away as he is to keep her safe.

  When the killer strikes again, Sara realizes the only way to stop the madman is come clean about her painful past—and embrace the gift she has so long denied. Before the grisly trail of bodies leads right to her doorstep.

  Warning: A sexy alpha cop, a heroine with a past (and super spidey sense) and a maniac on the loose…what’s not to love?

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Behind Blue Eyes:

  With a weary sigh, Brian finally stood. “The uniform will stay right where he’s at until we know Burke has moved on to another city. It’s probably a waste of manpower, but we’ve got to be sure.”

  I walked him to the door, admitting to myself he wasn’t going to make it over the threshold. My quotient for being scared was up, and I wanted Brian Roney…bad. Did I feel guilty about using him for my own satisfaction? Yeah, a bit, but I could guarantee he’d leave here smiling. So I took the step I’d been anticipating—and denying—since the day I met him.

  He leaned in for a brief kiss, and I latched on with everything inside me. He let out a surprised grunt, then returned my passion, his tongue teasing mine as his hands grasped my hips and pulled me close.