Hero (Hero 1)

He grabbed my hips, his fingers biting into my skin, and my eyes flew open at his touch. Our gazes held as I began to ride him.

My entire focus was on him, on us, on our pleasure. There was nothing else but his eyes staring into mine, the feel of his heated skin under my hands, his hands gripping my hips, guiding me up and down him, the sounds of my pants, his groans, the smell of sex in the air …

The tension coiled tighter and tighter inside me and there was nothing on my mind but chasing ecstasy. My rhythm changed and I slammed down harder.

“Lexie,” Caine gasped, his grip almost bruising now. “Fuck, Lexie.”

“Yes, yes, yes, ye—”

The breath rushed out of me as I found myself unceremoniously flipped onto my back. Caine pinned my hands at the sides of my head and pulled out of me.

“What are you doing?” I moaned in frustration, pressing my thighs against his hips in hopes of drawing him back to me.

He brushed his mouth over mine, flicking his tongue teasingly against my lips. He pressed sweet kisses along my jaw to my ear and whispered, “Just reminding you who’s boss.”

My frustration transformed to indignation and I tried to pull my hands loose. “Are you kidding me?”

His body shook against mine and when he raised his head I saw he was laughing.

I narrowed my eyes and unsuccessfully attempted to loosen his hold on my hands. “You really are a control freak.”

“It’s all part of my charm.” He kissed me, this time trying to push inside, but I clamped my lips closed, furious with him. Apparently I didn’t appreciate the burn of an unfulfilled climax. “Lexie,” he murmured, his tone coaxing, “open your mouth.”

I shook my head adamantly.

Caine smiled and pulled back. “You really are the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met.” He moved his hips, bringing his erection back against my wet center. I sucked in a gasp of pleasure. “It makes me want to tame you with no hope of success.”

That penetrated and I found myself smirking. “You like me stubborn, huh?”

He released one of my hands so he could cup me between my legs. I moaned as his thumb pressed down on my swollen clit. “I wouldn’t have you any other way, Alexa Holland.”

I gasped at his use of my surname, the blatant acknowledgment of who I was. The sound of my shock was swallowed in his deep, passionate kiss that told me he no longer cared who my family was. He wanted me.

Me.

I curled my fingers in his hair, kissing him back with everything I had, but as his thumb continued to circle my clit I could only focus on the pleasure building in my core. Caine took over the kiss while I sighed and panted and murmured his name into his mouth as my hips pushed up against his touch.

My fingers tightened in his hair. “Caine,” I gasped, and my thighs trembled.

One more press.

His thumb slicked over me and took me right over the edge.

As my whole body was taken over by the powerful orgasm, Caine took my free hand and pinned it again. I cried out as he slammed inside me, my inner muscles clamping around him while he thrust deep.

“Lexie,” he groaned, his eyes flashing with satisfaction.

I echoed that satisfaction, my body feeling fluid and languorous beneath his as he moved inside me. He pumped harder into me, his fingers lacing with mine and holding me down so I was completely at his mercy. To my amazement I began to feel pressure growing inside me again, a burn of pleasure-pain.

I moved my hips against his thrusts and set him ablaze.

He let go of my hands and got onto his knees, gripping my thighs, opening them wider. And then he pounded into me. I could feel his cock kissing my womb.

“Take me, Lexie,” he growled, his words guttural, broken.

I could do nothing but that.

And it was incredible to watch as his pumping hips stuttered, the muscles in his neck corded, and his teeth gritted. His climax tore through him.

“Christ.” His chest heaved and he let go of his bruising grip on my thighs to collapse over me. His body melted against mine as he tucked his face into the crook of my neck.

Our chests moved against each other’s as we tried to catch our breath, and Caine’s warm hand coasted down my left side and then curled around the back of my thigh. He gently pulled on it and I understood what he was asking for.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his back and held him to me for a long while.

CHAPTER 14

Perhaps it was the light streaming in from the curtains that hadn’t been closed all the way, or maybe it was just that somewhere in my subconscious I could feel the heat of his gaze on my face.

Whatever it was that woke me, I did so to discover Caine lying beside me on his side, his head resting on his hand and his eyes on me.

He’d been watching me sleep.

Memories of last night flooded me. After our first round we’d drifted to sleep for a little while, but I woke up in the dark of night to find him beside me and I’d instigated an energetic round two.

Sated, we’d fallen asleep right after it.

It was the best sleep ever, after the most wonderful sex ever, but now we were awake in the light of day. I didn’t know what it meant that Caine had stayed in bed with me until morning. I didn’t know what it meant that he’d watched me sleep.

My stomach flipped as I realized that I was about to find out for sure.

“Hey,” I greeted him, my voice soft, uncertain.

Caine reached out with his other hand and stroked his thumb along my cheekbone. “Hey.”