High Octane Heroes Read online

  Max pushed through to the bedroom. The smoke hit him like a wall and he dropped to a crouch, his eyes stinging, his throat tightening. He fought to keep from coughing and alerting the aggressors to his presence. “Kate,” he said loud enough so she could hear if she was still in the room.

  Pounding footsteps sounded in the hallway followed by shouts in Arabic warning the marauders to get out before they were consumed in flames. Max shut off his flashlight.

  As the footsteps retreated, Max hit the on switch and swept the beam around the room. The bed they’d shared earlier was empty, the sheets still disturbed. He checked beneath the bed. Nothing. “Kate.”

  The bedroom door burst open and a man wearing a T-shirt around his head brandished an AK47 rifle and a flashlight.

  Too late to turn off his own light and hide, Max rolled to the side and brought his pistol up as the terrorist aimed his AK47.

  Max pulled the trigger.

  His attacker’s shot flew wide, and he slammed back against the wall of the bedroom, sliding down, eyes wide and vacant.

  With the smoke thickening and no indication from the other marines that they’d found Kate, Max retreated to the closet, sure the shots fired would alert other rioters. He closed the closet doors behind him and whispered, “Kate, I hope the hell you got out.”

  “Max?” A soft voice sounded from deep in the shadows.

  Max turned his flashlight toward what looked like a pile of clothing on the floor.

  The clothing moved and Kate’s dark head surfaced. “Oh, Max. I knew you’d come.”

  “Why the hell didn’t you get out with the others?” He bent and scooped her into his arms.

  “The power went out and I couldn’t see.”

  He didn’t waste his breath on more words. Instead, he picked her up and shoved her through the small doorway into the hidden hallway. Once on the other side, he closed the panel to limit the amount of smoke filtering into their escape route. The other marines emerged from their doorways.

  “Got her.” Max kept his voice low to avoid detection. “Can you walk?”

  She held a scarf to her mouth and coughed into it before answering. “Yes.”

  He grabbed her hand and led her down the stairs and through the maze to escape into the utility building.

  Kate ran to her father and flung her arms around him. “Oh, Daddy, you made it.”

  “Why did you go back? You scared years off my life.” He patted her back, the lines in his face more pronounced.

  “I had to,” she said. “I’d left it on the counter.”

  “Nothing is as important as your life,” her father said.

  She smiled at him and held out her left hand. “I left my engagement ring on the bathroom counter. I had to go back and get it.”

  Max shook his head. “Damned female thinking. I’d have gotten you another.”

  “But I love this one.” She stood, her face smudged in soot, her hair in wild disarray and tears slipping down her cheeks.

  “Is there something you two haven’t told me?” Ambassador Seward pushed to his feet. A marine steadied him.

  “Sir,” Max stood at attention. “I’d intended to perform the formalities this evening at dinner.”

  “But things have changed.” The ambassador waved his hand. “Get on with it.”

  All the staff and the uniformed soldiers and marines focused on Max.

  He swallowed hard. “I would like your permission to marry your daughter.”

  The ambassador’s eyes narrowed, and he seemed to consider it for a moment. Then he turned to his daughter. “And what do you have to say about this?”

  “Daddy,” Kate rested a hand on her father’s arm. “I love him.”

  Max’s heart sang at Kate’s words. She’d never said them aloud, and to hear her declaration in a room full of trapped and desperate people who might or might not make it out alive, made it all the more meaningful.

  Her father covered her hand with his, and then glanced at Max. “Captain O’Brien, given your loyalty and bravery, I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather have as a son-in-law. You have my permission.”

  A quiet cheer went up from the surrounding audience.

  Kate stepped into Max’s arms. “See? That wasn’t so hard.”

  “Now we just have to live to the wedding day.” He brushed the hair back from her face.

  She smiled up at him. “We will.”

  Shouts outside the building drew their attention. The main exterior door opened and footsteps pounded down the stairs.

  Max shoved Kate behind him and, along with every armed marine and Trejikistani security guard there, leveled his weapon at the stairwell.

  The first man down the staircase was covered in desert camouflage from head to toe and sported an automatic rifle. When he saw the weapons pointed at him, he didn’t back down, didn’t raise his hands, but shouted. “Navy SEAL, Corporal Bryan Larson, reporting. Who’s in charge?”

  Max chuckled and lowered his weapon. “Kate, sweetheart, the cavalry has arrived.”

  “Navy SEALs, sir,” the young corporal retorted. “Cavalry would be the Army.”

  PUMPING IRON

  Christine d’Abo

  Lila adjusted her sports bra, unfolding the doubled-over band, and hoped she wasn’t about to make a huge mistake. Her recovery had been a long hard road, one she’d had to fight through inch by inch to be able to reclaim her body. But she’d made it and now stood on the other side, not simply back to her old self, but even better than before.

  She only had one challenge left to conquer—Kyle.

  Images of him kicking the asses of other UFC fighters were still fresh in her mind. She’d been intimidated as hell when she’d discovered he was going to be her trainer, having watched him beat and bloody men in the cage both on closed-circuit TV and at the gym. Kyle was vicious when he stepped in front of his opponent; any compassion he might have evaporated as the door locked.

  Even in retirement he wasn’t soft or compassionate when it came to training. He didn’t give a shit about how much she hurt and kept pushing her to do things right. Harder, faster, more, goddammit! After a few sessions, she stopped being intimidated and really started hating him for making her work so fucking hard. It was a damn good thing her rehab was over and her body was in such good shape, otherwise she would have reamed him out for being an asshole.

  Lila still might do that, right after she fucked his brains out.

  Tightening the laces on her running shoes, she stepped out into the weight room and quickly found the object of her lust. Stretched out on the weight bench, Kyle was cranking out a series of bench presses with ease. From this angle Lila could see the sheen of sweat covering his biceps, his calves and thighs, the tremble in his body as he pushed himself past the limits of what most people would consider attempting. Typical Kyle. Never letting anyone, not even his body, tell him what he could do.

  The clang of metal on metal filled the room as he dropped the weight bar back onto the rack and sat up. He lifted his tank top, wiping the sweat from his eyes with the material, exposing his hard abs to her. His face bore the scars of years in the cage. His nose was crooked from having been repeatedly broken. The long scar down his cheek wasn’t clearly visible from this distance, but she still knew it was there.

  Shit, he was beautiful. Not that she’d ever say that to him. No frigging way.

  She caught his attention as he stood. Lila swallowed down her nervousness and gave him a little wave. “Hi there.”

  “What are you doing here?” No preamble, no pleasantries. “We finished your sessions last week.”

  “Yeah, I know. Mike out front said it was okay. I know you’re probably getting ready to go home for the night.”

  “I was doing my workout.” His black hair was cropped short against his head, a conservative look that didn’t quite mesh with his too-direct personality. “Mike closing up?”

  His direct stare pierced her, making her squirm and her nipples harden. “I
think so. The place is empty.” It was the main reason she’d come on a Monday night. She’d learned the ebb and flow of the client base over the past year, and this was the only time she figured would work. Neutral ground, but no distractions.

  Bracing his hands on his hips, Kyle lowered his chin and narrowed his gaze. “Are you okay?”

  The little confession she’d spent a week preparing evaporated from her memory. “Um, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

  Kyle crossed the room, swallowing the distance in four wide strides. He was barefoot, but that didn’t make him any less intimidating. She’d seen the damage he could do with a roundhouse kick to someone’s face.

  Lila knew she should be talking, explaining that no matter how hard she’d tried, she couldn’t get Kyle out of her dreams. No, dreams were too pedestrian a description. Those were hard-core erotic fantasies, starring her and a very dominant personal trainer.

  Lila showering, surprised when Kyle would come in and fuck her. Lila finishing a workout, only to have Kyle demand she drop to her knees and suck his cock. Being at home, surprised when it was Kyle at her door, demanding to be let in.

  She had it bad and she didn’t have a clue what to do about it.

  Looking up into his brown gaze, Lila knew she only had one chance to do this right. Direct and to the point. It was the only thing he’d appreciate. Taking a deep breath, she straightened up, widened her stance slightly and steeled her nerve.

  “I’m attracted to you.” There. That wasn’t so hard. “And I can’t seem to get you out of my mind.”

  Kyle cocked an eyebrow. “Oh?”

  “Yeah. I’m sure that happens a lot to you. Clients developing a bit of a crush and all that. And I know you probably had groupies from the circuit. I kept telling myself that it’s normal to have a thing for the man who helped me recover my body. I mean, you deal with attractive people every day, and I know there are professional considerations too. You can’t sleep with a client and everything. But we finished our sessions, and I’ve actually switched gyms too. And even if nothing can happen between us, I wanted to let you know. That I’m attracted to you. So…yeah.”

  At some point during her ramblings, Lila had dropped her gaze and was now staring at his chest. Sweat had soaked through the thin cotton, and she could see the contour of his pecs. His nipples were hard and his deep breathing pressed them against the fabric. She wanted to touch them, lick the salt off his skin. Beg him to touch her.

  “Look at me.”

  Lila complied without thinking, her gaze snapping back to his. Her lips parted and she fought a moan when she saw the raw hunger coming from him. He hadn’t shaved. The thick stubble accentuated his square jaw and cheeks, making the spidery scars on his face stand out.

  Kyle stepped forward, and instinctively she retreated an equal distance. “Yes?”

  Kyle stepped closer again, causing her to retreat once more. Another two steps and Lila found her back pressed against the wall. The concrete blocks were cold against her bare back, but it did little to stem the rush of hot desire rolling through her. Kyle placed a hand on either side of her head, pinning her in place. The cords of muscles rippled as he flexed. Everything about him was rock hard—his body, demeanor, even the vibe he threw off. It didn’t matter; Lila wanted him.

  “Say it again.” His voice was low, commanding in the same way he’d yell at her to do another five push-ups, urge her on to do three more reps with the weights, push her to run another half mile. “Lila.”

  “I’m attracted to you.” She wanted to swallow past the sudden dryness in her mouth, but she couldn’t make her body comply.

  “Why did you choose me as your trainer?”

  It was an odd question, but she saw that the answer was important to him. “You were recommended by my physiotherapist. He said that he couldn’t do anything else for me, and that I needed to build my muscle strength.”

  The car accident had taken a lot out of her, both mentally and physically. She’d given up on herself for a very long time, gained weight, lived with the pain until Kyle came along and gave her the push she needed to reclaim her life.

  “I’d wanted to give up on myself so much over the past year, but you kept me going.” She dropped his gaze once more, unable to handle the intensity any longer. “I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

  Kyle took her chin in his hand and lifted it. “Not possible.”

  Shit, there was no way she’d be able to be with someone like Kyle. He was the most attractive man she’d ever met. She’d seen the way the women at the gym would preen whenever he walked into the room, the way conversation brightened when he drew close. Hell, even the other men would work a little harder when he came close. Not that Kyle responded to any of it. Which was…odd. “Am I making a fool of myself? Of course I am. I should go.”

  “You came here tonight to tell me you were attracted to me.” Kyle leaned in until his mouth hovered above her ear. “Did you think I was going to fuck you?”

  Lila’s chest tightened as she sucked in a breath. The scent of sweat and Kyle’s soap filled her senses. It was familiar, equal parts comforting and arousing. Her pussy tingled and grew wet when he nipped at the top of her ear.

  “Fuck?” She couldn’t manage more than a whisper. “I…”

  “Did you want to see if you could get me out of your system? Scratch the itch?” He lowered his mouth so his lips brushed the side of her neck. “You want to touch my body the way you’ve wanted to for months? See if my muscles are as hard as they look?”

  “Christ,” she muttered. “I don’t know.”

  “I do.” He came closer, pressing his thighs to hers. There was no mistaking the erection hard against her belly. “I don’t fuck clients. Never. I don’t normally fuck former clients either.”

  Lila squeezed her fingers against the wall. She wanted to touch him, run her fingers through his black hair, scratch her nails down his back as he ground her pussy against his cock. If she moved, there would be nothing holding back the wave of desire she’d dammed up for months now.

  Kyle moved one hand from the wall to the side of her neck. He didn’t touch her skin, letting it hover an inch above. “You’re not a typical client. I want you.”

  Her head spun as the meaning of his words sunk in. “You… do?”

  “I’m not used to holding back with women. I watched you fight to reclaim your life, your body. You transformed before my eyes. You weren’t doing it for me, but for yourself. Every time you kept going and fought through the pain, I respected you a bit more. Not everyone has that inner strength.” He finally lowered his mouth to her neck and licked the skin. “It turns me on.”

  Her eyes slipped shut, and she knew she was about to lose all semblance of control. But she had one last question before she’d finally allow herself to give into the temptation. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

  His chuckle tickled her throat. “You were paying me. I’m not a whore. But now that we’re done and I know you’re interested…”

  The pressure of his teeth on her neck pulled a moan from her. Lila forced her hands from the wall and finally did what she’d dreamed of for months. His strands of hair were soft against her fingers as she pulled him hard against her. It was the only push he needed. Growling, he wrapped his arms around her and sucked her skin.

  Yes.

  Kyle pulled her from the wall, lifting her up so Lila could wrap her legs around his waist. Sweat from his tank top dampened her chest as he held her fast against him. “I’m going to fuck you here. In this room.”

  This was better than any fantasy she’d ever had. His hands cupped her ass as he carried her over to the weight bench. Lila sucked in a breath as he deposited her on the still-damp padding. He looked like a dangerous giant, looming over her. Without a word he stripped his tank top from his body, tossing it to the floor. His body bore the marks of a life in the ring. Marred skin from wounds he’d sustained, bruises from training that never seemed to fade. A painting o
f beauty and pain on living flesh.

  “There are things I’ve wanted to do to you.” His gaze slipped from her mouth to her chest. “Things I’m going to do tonight.”

  Lila squeezed her legs together, increasing the pressure against her clit. She was an educated, successful woman. She shouldn’t want this, the need to let this powerful man possess her, consume her body and mind. But she did. For once in her life she didn’t question the reasons and just went with it. “Please.”

  Her voice was soft, trembling with anticipation. “Yes.”

  “Take that off.” Pointing at her bra, Kyle never took his gaze from hers. “Now.”

  Lila didn’t hesitate. Mike might still be there, the cleaners could show up, but she really didn’t give a shit. Kyle wanted her, and she wasn’t about to say no. She had no shame regarding her body. He’d seen her in far worse shape than she was currently, and not once had he made her feel embarrassed. She was used to having his appraising gaze on her.

  “Stand up. Yoga pants off too.”

  She’d forgone wearing any underwear. Her fingers wrapped around the waistband, and she pulled the tight fabric down slowly. Making sure to bend at the waist, Lila stuck her ass out as she pulled her sneakers and pants off. Standing once more, she found she couldn’t meet his gaze.

  Kyle grabbed her chin once again. “You’re stronger than that. Look me in the eyes.”

  The urge to answer with a Sir, yes sir was overwhelming. Instead, she nodded. “Okay.”

  Instead of kissing her, touching her, pretty much doing any of the things she wanted, Lila watched as Kyle walked over to his gym bag and pulled out a towel. He laid it out on one of the exercise mats before turning to face her.

  “Get over here and give me twenty push-ups.”

  What the hell? “Pardon?”

  Kyle crossed his arms. “You’re not going to wuss out on me, are you?”

  Oh, screw him. Naked, Lila scooted across the room and dropped to her knees on the towel. “How many?”