A Fallen Hero Read online

  “Joe.”

  He heard Katie call his name with a pleading note in her voice and stopped in his tracks, feeling his shoulders stiffen with sudden tension that tightened every muscle in his body.

  “Yeah?” he answered.

  He refused to turn and look at her and heard a small sob from behind him. He closed his eyes. He couldn’t do it anymore. He was done—wiped out—at the end. It certainly wasn’t Katie’s fault. He knew that. She had every right to be upset, even angry, but his conscience was needling and taunting him, urging him to deal with the escalating situation. The only solution to this, as far as he could see, however, was that he would almost surely deeply hurt and even lose the one person who could help him if he allowed her to.

  He waited, the seconds before she replied seeming to stretch into long minutes.

  “Nothing,” he heard her eventually say and again, felt the guilt and turmoil churn inside him at the tone of defeat evident in her voice.

  Joe nodded his head and silently hurried from the kitchen.

  Katie heard his footsteps as he crossed the hallway then climbed the stairs to the upper floor. She wiped away the single tear that had trickled down her cheek and sat down at the kitchen table.

  “Okay, sweetheart, it’s just me and thee,” she said, attempting to smile for the benefit of her daughter.

  Once Josie had finished her bottle and Katie had managed to get the obligatory burp from her daughter, she took her upstairs to bathe her before putting her to bed.

  As she walked along the upper landing, Maggie Anderson came out of her bedroom, saw Katie and Josie, and a smile spread across her face.

  “And how’s my beautiful little girl?” asked the older woman.

  “She’s fine,” Katie answered, seeing the look of adoration on Maggie’s face and feeling a great deal of affection for her mother-in-law. “I’m just going to bath her.”

  “Please, let Jack and I do that,” Maggie pleaded, gently stroking Josie’s cheek. “We would love to.”

  Katie hesitated. “Are you sure?” she asked. “She can be a bit of a handful.”

  She heard a note of sadness enter Maggie’s voice as she said, “Oh, get away with you, honey. She’ll be no more of a handful than Joe was at this age. You need to get ready anyway.”

  Raising a hand, she gently touched Katie’s cheek. “Come on. Give her to me.”

  Katie, guessing that Maggie knew of the problems between her and Joe, rubbed her cheek affectionately against the elderly woman’s hand then handed over her child. She watched as Maggie carried Josie back into her bedroom, hearing Jack’s voice faintly from inside until the door closed.

  Continuing to walk the length of the hallway to the bedroom she shared with Joe, she let herself inside and—as expected—found the room empty with no sign of her husband. She glanced about the bedroom, experiencing a sudden feeling of loneliness.

  Since he had returned home, it was rare that she and Joe were ever together in the same room besides their bedroom. He certainly never undressed in front of her anymore and always seemed to find some excuse to leave when she did the same.

  She had no idea where he was, and feeling a twinge of sadness, she made her way into the large en-suite bathroom adjoining the bedroom and shut and locked the door. If Joe wanted to avoid her then she had no choice but to accept the inevitable—that that was how it would have to be.

  Katie suddenly felt tired and unsure if she wanted to go out that night after all. Everything felt too much of an effort and her heart was not in it, however, she stripped off her clothes and let herself into the shower cubicle. She stood under the hot spray for long minutes—head bowed—trying to find some semblance of enthusiasm for the night ahead.

  Forty-five minutes later, she had finished dressing and stood in front of a floor-length mirror staring at her reflection. As she studied the image in front of her, she saw a tall, slim woman with very short, copper-colored hair and clear, green eyes.

  Since Josie’s birth, her body, while still retaining its slimness, had gained more curves and the tight, dark green, ankle-length lace dress clung to those curves. The silk underlay was strapless with a sweetheart neckline, the sleeves long with the back plunging into a V. She wore high-heeled, black, patent shoes and Maggie had loaned her a pair of emerald and gold earrings that sparkled and glittered at her ears. The only other jewelry she wore was her wedding ring.

  Quickly dismissing any negative thoughts that lingered, she turned away from her reflection, grabbed a black patent clutch bag and black lace shawl, and hurried to leave the room. As she reached the door, it suddenly swung open and Joe stood there, his gaze immediately alighting on her.

  There was a sharp, intense look in his eyes and her pulse raced faster as the expression in them became smoldering, recognizing the look that he was giving her.

  She stared back at him. It was the first time she had seen him in a formal uniform other than desert combats and the sight of him left her almost breathless.

  He was resplendent in Marine evening dress with royal blue, high-rise trousers with a red stripe down the outside of each leg, black evening dress uniform jacket, red cummerbund, crisp white shirt with black bow tie and white dress cap. Gold embroidery on red staff sergeant chevrons adorned the sleeves of the jacket and his dress shoes gleamed and reflected the light like mirrors.

  “You look—” Joe stopped, cleared his throat, then went on, “stunning.”

  Katie smiled, welcoming the obvious warm look that she could see in her husband’s eyes. She felt a surge of love and pride that this man was hers.

  “You don’t look so bad yourself,” she replied softly.

  As Joe continued to stare—his gaze roaming over her—she felt tiny electric shocks titillating the nerve endings throughout her body. A warmth began in the pit of her stomach, spreading outward and upward to her breasts then to her nipples, which immediately hardened into buds of arousal, the delicate lace of her bra caressing them and making them even more sensitive.

  “Shall we go?” Joe asked finally, jerking her back to reality.

  Katie nodded, and Joe, taking her hand, turned and led the way out into the hallway where Maggie and Jack were waiting for them with a camera, Jack holding a squirming, wide-awake Josie in his arms.

  “You both look wonderful,” Maggie stated, “and I need a photograph.”

  “Mom!” Joe exclaimed.

  Katie held her breath at the note of impatience in his voice and his hand clenching slightly as it held hers.

  “Oh, humor me and go stand by the banister rail,” Maggie ordered.

  Without making any further comment, Joe silently obeyed and Katie followed him. As she reached his side, he turned toward her, and to her surprise, placed a hand on each of her hips and pulled her toward him, close enough that their bodies touched. Katie glanced up at him, saw that he was looking down at her, and she smiled.

  There was a blinding flash as Maggie took a photograph.

  “Beautiful,” she exclaimed. “Now, go and have a good time, both of you. Don’t worry about Josie, Jack and I will look after her. Now go!”

  Smiling briefly at his mother, Joe again took Katie’s hand in his. They both kissed the soft cheek of their little girl before descending the curving staircase to go through the kitchen and out into the double garage. After raising the electronic door, they climbed into Joe’s car then were on their way.

  Chapter Two

  As they drove the short distance to the hotel, Joe couldn’t resist darting sidelong glances at his wife. He had always recognized that she was beautiful but tonight she was irresistible. He had no idea how he could have resisted Katie for as long as he had. Just being near her almost pushed his control to the limits and any resistance he had was quickly unraveling. His see-sawing emotions confused him, his wants and needs turbulent and at war with each other.

  He gripped the leather steering wheel until the knuckles of his hands turned white and he took a deep breath, trying to
slow the pounding of his heart. He had a sudden powerful urge to pull the car off the road into somewhere secluded and make love to Katie, lose himself in her beauty and the sensations that she always aroused in him. He gritted his teeth and forced his mind to concentrate on the road ahead before he killed them both.

  As they reached the hotel and he parked the car, Joe saw Katie looking at the brightly lit building with an expression of excitement on her face. He felt a slight stir of amusement when he realized that she reminded him of a child on her way to a party.

  After exiting the car and as they walked across the car park, Joe took Katie’s arm and they walked up the wide stone steps to the front entrance. A Marine in dress uniform greeted them politely at the hotel doors, taking the ornate, gold-script invitation from Joe then he inclined his head and pointed a white-gloved hand into the building.

  “Just follow the signs, Staff Sergeant, Mrs. Anderson,” he announced.

  Joe nodded and led Katie into the foyer of the hotel. The first thing he became aware of was noise issuing from wide-open ornate glass doors and they walked toward them, they both paused on the threshold of a ballroom. Katie glanced inside, and Joe watched her, enjoying the expression of awe on her face as she gazed at the throng of men in uniform with their women in glittering ball gowns and sparkling jewelry.

  As he went to escort her inside, he felt her pull back on his hand. He turned to her and asked, “What’s the matter?”

  “I’m just a corporal, Joe,” Katie said. “I don’t belong here.”

  Detecting a note of nervousness in her voice, Joe moved close to her, a smile edging onto his face.

  “You’re also my wife, Katie,” he announced gently. “The women here can’t hold a candle to you. Believe me.”

  With that final comment, he took her hand to lead her into the ballroom.

  * * * *

  After Joe had introduced Katie to his commanding officer and friends and the formal dinner was over, the dancing began and he found them a small table by the dance floor. He held out a chair, and Katie sat down, finally able to take a sip of the red wine she had been carrying around since her arrival.

  Sitting down himself, Joe glanced around the ballroom, suddenly feeling uneasy and irritated, the noise of conversation and music deafening, the crowd surrounding him blurring into one mass of kaleidoscopic shifting color. He felt cold sweat bead his forehead and a sense of panic begin to take hold.

  He wanted out of this place—needed to be on his own in peace and quiet. As the fear—of what he had no idea—threatened to escalate out of control he felt a hand laid on his arm. He turned to look at Katie and saw a look of concern on her face.

  “Joe, are you all right?” she asked, raising her voice slightly above the noise of the music and laughter.

  Joe stared at her for a moment, hesitated then answered, “Everything’s fine,” and turned his attention back to the dance floor.

  At that moment, the tempo of the music changed—becoming slower—and couples immediately rose from their tables and moved into each other’s arms.

  Joe turned back to Katie. “Do you want to dance?” he asked his blue eyes focusing on her face. He managed to smile at her.

  Katie nodded silently and Joe—taking her hand—escorted her onto the dance floor. As she moved into his arms, Joe pulled her close, his gaze taking in her sparkling, clear green eyes, her smooth, glowing skin, and moist full lips that smiled at him lovingly with a hint of sensual awareness.

  Her perfume was delicate and her eyes glistening. With a wrench that caught at his heart, he committed the way she looked to a small secret part of his mind, a part in which he had stored all his wonderful memories of their time together and that he kept safe from his increasingly destructive thoughts.

  He kissed the top of her head, felt her warm body move closer against his, then she softly kissed his neck. He shivered at the gentle but sensual touch of her lips against his skin before pulling her against him even harder. As she rubbed against him, he knew that she had become aware of his erection and received confirmation of this as she raised her face to look at him. Katie licked her lips.

  He lowered his head, his mouth inches from her own, the urge to kiss her becoming almost overwhelming, but he controlled himself and grimaced.

  “Sorry,” he said softly.

  “No need to be sorry,” Katie murmured. “Do you want to go fool around?”

  “Oh, yeah, do I?” Joe answered, feeling himself shudder with anticipation. “Now?”

  “What do you think?” Katie responded, her voice sounding husky to his ears. “There’s no time like the present.”

  Joe grimaced again, feeling a little embarrassed. “I think…you’ll need to walk in front of me,” he said. “I don’t want to shock anyone with my…condition.”

  He allowed Katie—who was laughing softly—to take his hand and he followed behind her as she kept slightly in front of him, shielding him from the view of the other guests. They left the dance floor and as they passed their table, she grabbed for her bag and shawl and they left with unseemly haste, heading for the grounds of the hotel.

  Once outside in the warm night air, Joe promptly took Katie off to the right, around the side of the building and into the darkness of the large landscaped gardens. Silently, they hurried toward a black grove of trees.

  As they hastened across the grass, Katie felt a warm frisson of sensual desire start to travel down her spine and into her stomach, her legs trembling with anticipation. She was desperate to have Joe make love to her—wanted him so very badly.

  Eventually, reaching the trees and ducking beneath low branches, she allowed Joe to guide her among them into the blackness. When they couldn’t go any farther, he leaned against the large trunk of a tree and she felt herself pulled—almost roughly—toward him. His mouth unerringly found hers even though it was so dark that their features were merely pale blurs.

  Katie welcomed the hot firmness of his mouth and returned the passionate kiss eagerly. She slowly slid her hands up the slope of his powerful shoulders, lingering against the warm skin of his neck before clenching them in his short hair. As his arms tightened around her, the feel of his powerful muscles made her hot with pure lust.

  As he sensuously entwined his tongue with her own, Katie wondered—in a small part of her mind that hadn’t become almost overwhelmed with sexual desire—how she could have let the distance between herself and Joe become so significant. She ground her hips against his—feeling his hardness—wanting him and desperate for him to forget the usual foreplay and make love to her—hard.

  Her thoughts disintegrated into sparkling shards of want as Joe began to kiss her neck, lingering at the place where a small pulse beat fast and delicately beneath her skin. He licked a swirling trail along and around it, eliciting a moan from her and sending a series of volcanic shivers rippling through her body.

  God, I want him so much.

  The words played dimly in Katie’s mind as she tossed her head back with reckless abandon, allowing Joe easier access to the suddenly hypersensitive skin of her neck.

  Lowering her hands from behind his head, Katie thrust them beneath his open jacket and pulled his shirt loose from his trousers. She felt his warm, smooth muscular back and dragged her nails across his skin, not hard enough to hurt him but with enough pressure to cause him to shiver with delight.

  Joe murmured her name then suddenly began to tug at her dress, attempting to lift it.

  Katie withdrew her hands from behind his neck when he struggled and she quickly lifted it by its hem, raising the dress to her panty line, feeling the light, ethereal touch of the night breeze on her bare legs, emphasizing the breathless anticipatory rush of waiting to be fucked by her husband.

  “Please. Fuck me, Joe,” Katie murmured.

  Hearing her plea, Joe placed a warm hand on her thigh, caressing the silky, soft smoothness of her skin, gently running his fingertips up to her hip, downward and around to the inside of her leg, th
en moving his fingers upward in light circular motions until he reached her panties. As his fingers touched her through the thin silk, he discovered that she was already hot and moist and when he felt her hips move to press downward against his fingers—welcoming them—he almost tore the delicate material from her in order to be able to thrust inside her.

  Joe found Katie’s lips again, and he kissed her hard, a small part of his mind wondering if he was hurting her but his control—which he was quickly losing—prevented him from holding back. He rubbed her delicately, the increasing friction causing Katie to moan against his mouth and her hips to thrust gently against his roaming fingers.

  Katie moved her hand down to the front of his trousers where his rigid erection strained against the material, the small palm moving up and down, the movements alternating between a sensual rubbing and delicate squeezing of his cock.

  His body stiffened in response, his hips involuntarily jerking at her touch so that the friction of her hand increased. He buried his face against Katie’s neck, his whole focus under the control of that small hand slowly and delicately manipulating his penis.

  Moments later, the fastenings of his trousers were undone and Katie grasped his throbbing, aching dick. The feel of her fingers encircling him caused his hips to jerk toward her, his cock slipping deliciously through her grip. He groaned again, his breathing harsh and rapid.

  “Do you want me, Joe?” Katie asked.

  Hearing her tone so soft and sensuous and feeling one fingertip delicately circling the crown of his penis, Joe gasped.

  “Fuck, yes.” His voice sounded husky to his own ears and he tilted his head back, fighting to control himself. “No pun intended.”

  “Say it to me,” Katie ordered, the words said in the same sensuous whisper.

  Her grip tightened on him—squeezing—releasing—and squeezing again. Still stroking gently between her legs, her juices coated her inner thighs.

  He moaned loudly in response.