A Hero Inside Read online

  “Always hopeful,” she said to herself.

  She took out her sweet potatoes and turned off the oven. She was due at Becca’s in thirty minutes. Yesterday, she’d been so excited about spending Thanksgiving with Becca’s big, welcoming family. But after a night with little sleep and vague dreams of a dark-haired, blue-eyed stranger, Tori just didn’t know if she was up for a crowd.

  Maybe she’d just make an appearance. Drop off her sweet potatoes and come home to…

  “Come home to what, Tori?” she mumbled.

  Maybe being around a lot of people was the way to go. Maybe then she’d forget that for a moment a man had walked into her life and made her actually feel like she wasn’t dead inside.

  And then he’d walked back out again.

  ****

  Rebecca Price’s mother lived in a large Victorian house in an old neighborhood of Oakville. The Prices were what people called “old money”, and Tori had often wondered why they didn’t live somewhere big and bustling, a city with people and parties and activities and shopping—all the things money was supposed to buy.

  But Becca’s mom Sally had just said, “This is home.” And it had been home. Sally and her husband Bernie had both been born and raised in Oakville, and this was where they’d raised their family. Sally Price had stayed right where she was, even after the death of her husband five years ago.

  After parking her beat-up Chevy Cavalier at the curb, Tori walked up to the door of the beautiful house that was already lined with Christmas lights. When she’d first come here, she’d felt so out of place, but you couldn’t feel that way for very long with the Price family.

  Tori and Becca had become good friends when they bonded over their hatred of algebra in college. Becca had gone on to receive her degree in business and open up a boutique in downtown Oakville.

  And then there was Tori. Twenty-five years old and still trying to make her way through school to become a nurse. She was beginning to wonder if that dream would ever happen.

  The door swung open, and Tori was assaulted by a squealing ball of dark curly hair as Becca wrapped her in a bear hug. “You’re here! And you brought the sweet potatoes. Yum-o!”

  Tori couldn’t help but let out a laugh at Becca’s never-ending enthusiasm.

  “Come in the kitchen! Everyone’s in there already munching even though Mom keeps slapping their hands.”

  Tori took a deep breath and stepped into the fray.

  Chapter Four

  When Becca ran out of the kitchen at the sound of the doorbell, Ethan snagged a piece of turkey skin that his mother had cast aside while carving. He winced at her glare. “Ethan, I don’t see why you always go for the skin. That’s where all the fat is, you know.”

  He smiled down at his mother. “I know, Mom, and that’s exactly why it’s so good.” He leaned down to kiss her on the cheek as she smiled and rolled her eyes at him.

  “Your Aunt Betty likes the skin, too,” his mother said. “It’s such a shame she came down with strep at the last minute and couldn’t make it.”

  “Yeah, a shame.” Dylan pulled up a stool next to the kitchen island and popped a carrot in his mouth. “Ethan was really anxious to see her vacation pictures.”

  Ethan shot his brother a glare as his mom chuckled. “Oh stop, it’s not that bad. At least this time, they’re pictures of palm trees.”

  Dylan laughed and turned his attention toward his brother. “So tell us more about last night. You said it was nothing, but Q told me you took down a gunman. What the hell, Ethan?”

  At his mother’s gasp, he threw a dishtowel at his younger brother. “Idiot.”

  “A gunman?” she exclaimed. “Ethan, you said there was a little trouble. You didn’t say anything about a gun.”

  “It was nothing, Mom. A guy came in and pulled a gun on me and the bartender, but it wasn’t loaded. I knocked it out of his hand, and the whole event was over in about two seconds.” He tried his best to downplay the incident. There was no need to upset his mother, and Dylan should know better.

  “Bartender?” his brother Foster said, walking into the kitchen. “Do you mean Tori?”

  Ethan perked up at the sound of her name. He’d tried to forget her since last night, but he’d thought of little else. “You know her?”

  “Of course,” his mother answered. “Tori’s practically part of the family.”

  His eyes widened. “Wait, what? What do you mean part of the family?” Oh lord, please don’t tell me she’s dating one of my brothers.

  “She’s Rebecca’s best friend,” his mother said. “They’ve known each other since college. In fact, that’s probably her at the door now.”

  Stunned, Ethan stood with his mouth open. The girl he hadn’t been able to get out of his head for the last eighteen hours was coming here?

  As if on cue, his sister walked back in the kitchen. “She’s here,” Becca said in a sing-song voice. “And she brought sweet potatoes with extra marshmallows!”

  When Becca stepped aside, he saw that she was followed by the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Tori wore her hair loose today, the strawberry blonde waves curling around her shoulders. Her ivory complexion was accentuated by the dark green sweater she wore, and faded jeans hugged the curve of her hips perfectly. She wore a little makeup, but it couldn’t hide the fact that there were circles under those big green eyes. Ethan wondered for a moment if she’d lain awake thinking of him as he had her.

  Tori smiled as Dylan leaned in to offer her a hug. Then she looked in Ethan’s direction, and her jaw fell open. “You!”

  He was damn glad he had at least a thirty-second heads-up on her, or his expression would have mirrored her own. Instead, he grinned. “Me. Hello, Tori. It’s good to see you again.”

  “But—but—” she stammered. “What are you doing here?”

  Becca laughed, running over to put an arm around Ethan’s waist. “Tori, this is my brother Ethan. He’s the only one you haven’t met. Remember, I told you he was coming. He lives in New York.”

  Ethan hugged his sister to his side as he studied Tori’s reaction. At first, she looked at Becca as if she’d just grown two heads, like she couldn’t quite comprehend what Becca was saying. Then she looked from his sister up to his eyes. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice the resemblance before. The eyes.”

  Yep, all the Price kids had the sapphire blue eyes and jet black hair of Sally Price. All except Luke, whose dark brown eyes gave them all plenty of ammunition to joke about him being the mailman’s kid.

  “So wait a second, how do you two know each other?” Becca asked, looking confused. “Ethan’s only been in town twenty-four hours.”

  Tori swiped her tongue over her lips, and Ethan felt his cock stir. Damn, he couldn’t help but think how that tongue would feel on him. This was going to be a very long day.

  “Ethan’s my hero,” Tori said in a breathy voice. At Becca’s quizzical expression, Dylan was the one who piped up.

  “A guy came into Q’s last night and pulled a gun. Ethan was there having a beer. Took the guy down, from my understanding.”

  Alarm flashed in Becca’s eyes. “Ohmigod. Is Q okay?” When all the eyes in the room turned to look at her, she stammered, “I mean, you guys are okay, obviously. I just was … I was being polite.” She looked down, no doubt to hide her red cheeks.

  Ethan’s interest was piqued. Becca had feelings for the rugged bar owner?

  “Q is fine,” Tori said. “He wasn’t there. It was just me.” Turning her attention to Ethan, she added, “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been there. Thank you. I didn’t get a chance to say thank you last night before you left.”

  Ethan felt like a heel. He should have stayed. He should have made sure she was okay. Made sure she had a way home.

  “I’m sorry. I thought I heard the cop say that your boyfriend was coming to get you.”

  “Boyfriend?” Foster exclaimed. “Are you cheating on me, babe?”

  Hi
s brother walked over and put his arms around Tori from behind giving her a loud exaggerated kiss on the cheek. Tori laughed, but Ethan had to stop himself from giving Foster a bloody nose.

  “No, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

  “You don’t?” Ethan asked. And when everyone turned to him, he realized he sounded way too hopeful.

  The corner of his mother’s mouth tilted in a little smile as she sliced a piece of turkey off the bone and put it on a serving plate. Becca crossed her arms and cocked her head as she studied him. Uh-oh. He’d raised the suspicions of the women in his family. He was in trouble now.

  Foster, however, was oblivious. “I’ve been trying to get Tori to marry me for years, but she keeps turning me down. Watch.” He dropped to one knee in front of Tori and held her left hand in both of his. “Victoria Jane, will you marry me?”

  Her face became redder as she yanked on his arm. “Oh my God, Foster, get up. No, I won’t marry you.”

  “See?” Foster rose, a look of mock hurt on his face. “She breaks my heart every time.”

  Tori gave Foster a light smack on the arm, and Ethan envied their easy rapport. She’d been in their lives for years? And he’d been too busy running away to come home. How much had he missed out on?

  Chapter Five

  Deep breath. Deep breath. Try to pretend those piercing blue eyes aren’t watching every move you make. Tori helped carry in the plates to the kitchen, stacking them in the sink. Dinner had been delicious, but she’d felt Ethan’s eyes on her the whole time. He’d sat directly across from her, and had done his best to make small talk. When she told him she was saving money so she could finish her nursing degree, Ethan had been impressed and asked tons of questions.

  She didn’t remember the last time she’d met someone who was so easy to talk to, and someone who seemed to care about what she had to say. But then, all the Prices were like that. They all treated her like family. The men referred to her as their adopted little sister. Sure, Foster liked to flirt, but she knew it was all in fun. They felt like brothers to her, and they’d been good to her.

  And then Ethan had walked into her life. Nothing about him felt brotherly. Nope, when he looked at her, her insides went a little melty, and her pussy clenched.

  Oh good lord, did I just think the word “pussy”? She hadn’t had a sexual thought in almost a year. Sex just always seemed like the part of the relationship she had to endure to get to the cuddling and the holding part. That was what she liked. Someone holding her and making her feel wanted. Except her last boyfriend hadn’t even liked to do that. After she’d dumped him, she’d decided to take a break from men for a while. And after almost a year, she didn’t even miss it. Or she hadn’t until she’d met Ethan Price.

  Becca followed her into the kitchen and opened the dishwasher. As the two of them began to put in the dishes, Becca looked behind her to make sure no one else was coming in. “So what the crap is going on between you and Ethan?”

  Tori blinked. Oh hell, have I been that obvious?

  “What? Nothing’s going on. I was lucky he was there last night. That’s all.” She tried to focus on the task of loading the dishwasher and ignore Becca’s glare.

  “Oh, puh-leeze! I’m not a moron. I saw the way you two were looking at each other through dinner.”

  Looking at each other? No, she didn’t even want to get her hopes up that Ethan might be interested in her.

  “You’re dreaming, Becca. Ethan is not interested in me.” She really hoped her face wasn’t flaming.

  “I think I know him pretty well, Tori.” Becca sighed, standing to lean against the kitchen island. “I haven’t seen him interested in anyone in a long time. When I went to visit him in New York a couple months ago, he was just like normal. Consumed with the restaurant business. And now, he seems way more interested in you than anything else.”

  “I’m sure he’s interested in plenty of women in New York. Maybe he just doesn’t want to talk about them with his little sister.”

  “No, that’s not it. Ethan’s always opened up to me.” A look of sadness flickered in Becca’s eyes. “Well, he used to.”

  “What?” Tori closed the dishwasher, and walked over to stand by her friend.

  Becca chewed on her lip. “I’m just worried about him. He was the closest to my dad out of all of us. When my dad died so suddenly in the car accident, we were all devastated, but Ethan … Ethan took it the hardest. He decided to leave a few months later. Now, he hardly ever comes back. I miss him. That’s why I go to New York all the time. If I didn’t, I’m afraid I’d never see him.”

  “Have you talked to him about why he doesn’t come home? You’re the one who’s always telling me to be honest and not hide how I feel.”

  Becca laughed, her eyes wet. “Yeah, I’ve asked, but he doesn’t want to talk about it. I think it’s harder for guys to talk about their feelings. Maybe one of these days, he’ll open up.” She shook her head, as though trying to shove the thoughts away. “But right now, he seems focused on you, and just now at dinner is the most I’ve seen him smile in five years.”

  Tori’s heart thudded in her chest. “That’s wishful thinking, Becca. I seriously doubt Ethan is at all interested in me.”

  “Well, why don’t you ask me?”

  Tori gasped at the sound of Ethan’s voice, and both women turned to see him standing in the doorway.

  Chapter Six

  “Ethan!” His sister looked at him, startled. “Damn, we need to put a bell on you.”

  Tori’s eyes had grown wide, but she said nothing.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you.” He slowly walked into the kitchen. “Mom told me to get cinnamon to sprinkle on the pumpkin pie.”

  Rebecca looked from him to Tori. “Okay, well I’ll go help Mom cut the pies. Maybe Tori can help you look for the cinnamon.”

  His sister scurried away, leaving Tori staring after her. Ethan watched as she took a deep breath and then looked at him. He wished she didn’t look at him like he was a hungry wolf waiting to devour her. But then, that was a fairly accurate comparison, wasn’t it? He did want to devour her. Every inch of her. Oh, he’d bet she tasted sweeter than any pie.

  “So, cinnamon,” she said in a rush. “I know where Sally keeps her spices in the pantry.”

  “Tori.” He tasted her name on his lips, but she ignored him, rushing by him and opening the door to the huge walk-in pantry. She flipped the light on and walked to the back of the room. Well, if this was the only chance he had to talk to her alone…

  “What are you doing?” She whirled around as he shut the door behind him and leaned against it.

  “I want to talk to you.” He wanted more than that, but right now, he would settle for talking.

  “About what?” She crossed her arms over her chest. Dammit, she was putting up her shield again, and he wouldn’t let her. He’d seen the way she looked at him through dinner. He knew he wasn’t making it up in his head. It took him only a split second to make a decision.

  “About this.” In two steps, he crossed to her and wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her to him so their lower halves were pressed together. As hard as he was when he was near her, there was no doubt in his mind that she could feel the rigid line of his erection pressed against her.

  He knew he was right when her wide green eyes darkened. “Ethan.” Her hands came up to his chest and shoved at him. “What are you doing? Your mother is in the next room.”

  Oh, he’d be damned if she was going to shove him away. Clasping her wrists in his strong hands, he backed her up against the wall and pinned her arms above her head.

  “I want you, Tori,” he breathed. “If you don’t want me, then tell me now.”

  Her breath had quickened, and Ethan could feel the pounding of her heart. “I…” She swiped that tongue over her lips and he had to bite back a groan. “I … uh…” She was staring at his mouth. “What was the question?”

  Tightening his grip on her wrists, he knew
he couldn’t resist her for one more second. Leaning in, he crushed his mouth to hers, and reveled in the moan that escaped her into his mouth. As her lips parted in an unspoken invitation, his tongue surged, sliding against hers. That torturous tongue of hers danced and played with his.

  His natural dominance took over as she softened under him. God, he wanted her. He’d never wanted a woman as much as he wanted her in this instant. He angled his head this way and that, taking her mouth over and over again. When he released her wrists, she wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair, lightly tugging. The soft moans she made in the back of her throat flowed into him in an offering.

  “What is taking you two so—Oh!” At his mother’s startled voice, Ethan and Tori sprang apart. He hadn’t even heard the pantry door open.

  Chapter Seven

  Shame filled Tori when she saw Sally’s surprised look. What was she doing? This woman had invited Tori into her home and treated her like family, and Tori had jumped her son in the pantry?

  The memory she’d tried to push away came rushing back. Thanksgiving at Foster Mom number three’s house. Tori had been sixteen years old. She’d felt like she had a home for the first time in her life. And then Mrs. Stevens’s son had come home from college for Thanksgiving. He’d gotten Tori alone in the backyard and kissed her. Mrs. Stevens had caught them. The woman who had been so nice to her, so caring, had called Tori a slut and a gold-digger. She’d been gone the next day. Back to the group home.

  And now, it was happening all over again. Sally Price had treated her like a daughter, and look how she’d acted. She couldn’t bear to lose the Prices. Her family. She shook her head to clear the tears that had come to her eyes.

  “Tori? Tori, are you okay?” Ethan reached out to put an arm around her, but she stepped away. “Mom, we were just, um…”