Hero for Hire

"Oh, what kind of real man are you, then?" she questioned, her other hand holding his shoulder. He was obviously so much larger than the she was. Not that she hadn't seen a man of this build before. Even some of the soldiers in the Red Room were this big.

She couldn't help but appreciate how affectionate he was being. A lot of the time, men like he was describing would just skip the foreplay, get right to it and barely last long enough for her to even finish. It made her feel even worse. She hated being a spy. Maybe going into hiding would help her have some normalcy for a while.

Licking his lips, he lowered himself onto her, giving her a long sweet kiss on her mouth. Slightly sucking on her bottom lip as he pulled back, he proceeded to her chin ever so lightly kissing it. Taking his time, he moved down to her neck, then to her shoulder; raising his hand to her other shoulder to mimic his kisses with his fingers, down her arm and to the wrist, moving along her palm to her fingers to briefly suck on their tips before moving back up in the same exact way." You soooooo sweet," he whispered.

She took one of his hands, placing it directly on one of her large breasts to make him get the point even more. Natasha tilted her head, "Please?" she begged, "I'll let you do whatever you want to do to me."

Luke stood unguarded, his body bare but unashamed—built like something carved rather than trained. Broad shoulders flowed into a powerful chest, muscle layered on muscle with the quiet density of a man forged by work and conflict. His arms were thick and steady, veins faint beneath dark skin, strength resting there without effort.

"Well, well... Sweet Christmas ain't you fine as fuck. All soaking wet for me." Luke didn’t hesitate. When he kissed her, it wasn’t careful or slow—it was force meeting fire. His hand came up to her jaw, firm enough to hold her still, thumb pressing beneath her chin as his mouth claimed hers. The kiss was hard, demanding, all heat and intention, like he was testing her resolve and answering it at the same time.

“Hey…” he murmured, voice low, warm, real. He tipped her face up gently, making sure she could see him. “I'll always be here to protect you."

His thumb brushed under her eye, slow and deliberate. “You’ll be an incredible mother,” he said quietly. “Not because it’s something you want — but because of who you are. Your strength. Your patience. Your heart.”

When she said she loved him, he didn’t hesitate.

“I love you too,” Luke replied, firm and certain. “And I’m not going anywhere. We’ll take this one step at a time — together. No running. No fear. Just us.”

He kissed her again, slower this time, like a promise instead of a question.

“I hear you. And I want the same things.” A pause, honest and unflinching. “A family. A life that isn’t just surviving, but choosing each other every day.”

“Dez… you don’t ever have to hide how you feel from me. I want all of it — the jealousy, the fire, the softness… everything. That’s you. That’s what I came back for.”

He cupped her cheek with his hand, thumb stroking the side of her face slowly, deliberately.

“You think I don’t know why I chose you?” He shook his head, a small, almost disbelieving smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I chose you because you’re mine. Because nobody sees me the way you do. Because coming back to you felt like breathing again.”

He kissed her — slower this time, deeper, like sealing something.

“And yeah,” he murmured as he pulled back just enough to look into her eyes, “I’m not going anywhere. You want me? Good. Because I’ve already decided… you’re my woman. My home. Where I walk, you walk.”

His hand slid down her back, holding her close.

“You say you’re not letting me go?”

His voice dropped into a quiet rumble.

“Good. I don’t want to be let go. As a matter of fact...I want us to have a family."

“Dez… you don’t gotta convince me,” he murmured, voice low and heavy. “I already chose you.”

He brushed a thumb along her cheek, lifting her chin so she had to meet his eyes." But listen to me real clear,” he continued, tone dropping into something deeper, protective. “You quittin’ that life? That ain’t about money. That ain’t about what you think I wanna hear. That’s you takin’ your power back. You hear me? You choosin’ yourself. And I’m damn proud of you for that.”

He let his gaze soften just a little—just for her.

“You want commitment?” he asked quietly. “You got it. You say ‘only us’… then that’s what it is. I’m here. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

His hand slid down to her waist, pulling her closer.

“You don’t have to carry any of this by yourself anymore. If you’re takin’ steps to change your life… then I’m walkin’ with you. Whatever comes next, we face it together.”

A small smirk touched the corner of his mouth—warm, but still that unmistakable Luke confidence.

“Dez… look at me.”He waited for her eyes—steady, patient, not pushing, just there.

“You don’t owe me a damn thing,” he said quietly, voice low, that rumble he only used when something mattered. “If you quit, you quit because you want better for yourself… not because you think you gotta clean yourself up for me.”

His thumb brushed her hip, not possessive—reassuring. “What you did to survive? I ain’t judging that. World’s ugly. People do what they gotta do. But I’m tellin’ you this—if you movin’ in with me, you ain’t riskin’ your safety no more. You hear me? Not while I’m around.”

He leaned his head slightly, studying her face.

“You’re not ‘fair’ or ‘unfair’ to me. You’re yours. And if you’re choosin’ me? Then I’m right here. I’ll handle whatever comes with that.”

He paused, a faint smile tugging the corner of his mouth.

“But don’t quit ‘cause you think I need perfect. I need honest. I need you safe. I need you here."

"Do you... Do you just want to turn in for tonight? It is getting late." She looked towards the window that was adjacent to the hotel room's queen size bed, noticing that it had gotten dark out before she knew it.

“Natasha,” he said, voice deep and rough like velvet over gravel. “If you think I came all the way up here just to tuck you in like some bedtime story… you really don’t know me yet.” Hs teased. “We don’t gotta sleep,” he repeated, slower this time. “Hell… sleep is the last thing on my mind right now.” His thumb traced the line of her hip, slow and deliberate, the way a man touches something he wants to take his time with. He leaned in, his nose brushing her hair without kissing her, letting the tension build.

He wrapped an arm around her back, slid the other under her legs, and lifted her smoothly off the ground. He didn’t say anything at first — he just held her steady against his chest and started walking.

In his head, one thought kept circling:

I ain’t lettin’ her go through another night alone.

As the faded lights of the Gem Theater came into view, Luke shifted her slightly in his arms to make sure she was comfortable. The building looked the same as ever — old, worn, stubbornly standing — just like him.

“Dez… I ain’t askin’ you to move in so you can make me feel better,” he murmured, voice low and steady. “I’m askin’ because I want you where I can look after you. Because I’m tired of wakin’ up wondering if you’re alright. Tired of us livin’ like we’re on borrowed time.”

His hand brushed her cheek, thumb wiping the last trail of tears she didn’t notice.

“I should’ve called. I should’ve written. That’s on me. But I’m here now. And I ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

He leaned down, letting her pull him into the kiss, but stopping just short — forcing her eyes to meet his first.

“If you move in… you need to know I mean it. All the way. No halfway, no temporary. You and me — every day. You sure you’re ready for that, Dez?”

Only then did he let his lips meet hers, the kiss slow but claiming, not rushed — like a man who finally got something back he didn’t even know he’d been starving for before he met her.

"I ain’t built like that. If I step away, it’s never ‘cause I don’t care. It’s ‘cause I’m tryin’ to keep things from blowin’ up around you.” He let out a quiet breath, eyes staying locked on her.

"You were scared? I get that. But don’t ever think I walked away from you. Not for a second.”

Natasha stepped out of the hotel room shower, the black dye applied to her red hair, having gotten by with a black wig that was in the same style as her hair. It was a temporary fix, as the wig would eventually need maintenance over time. She plugged in her hair dryer, using the heat to help set the dye as it dried. She sighed as she looked at her reflection, standing there in just a towel.

"This is just great, isn't it?" Natasha called out to Luke from the bathroom as she brushed her hair at the sink. "All this work to go into hiding!" she knew that it was her fault in the first place, and this wasn't even the first time.

It dragged him under like a waiting grave, swallowing the gunshots with a deep, indifferent roar. Yet, he swam his way to the other side, knowing his second chance and chance for vengeance against Stryker awaited him.

Stryker still hasn't faced him, but his day is reckoning is coming. In the meantime, he would spend time making bread, kicking ass and hanging with this deadly Russian lady.

Respect had to be earned - and gaining his respect wasn't easy. He respected Natasha.

Luke pushed the bathroom door open just enough to slip inside, the soft click echoing off the tile. He came up behind her without rushing, his reflection lining up behind hers in the mirror. He lifted his hands and set them gently at her waist, his fingers spreading across the fabric. He stepped in closer, his chest brushing her back, the heat of his body filling the small room. His arms wrapped around her in a steady, grounded hold — no pressure, no force, just presence.

"Who's hiding? I'm right here." He teased." Let them come if they wanna get some."

Margo smiles against his lips as he started kissing her, then down to her chin and neck. Her eyes closed and sighs in pleasure. " oh I would definitely say so." Her eyes opened again while continuing to caress her hands over his muscular chest. She knew how incredibly hot he was but seeing him like this made her heart race.

" I am liking what I feel, see and touch."

Since becoming the King of Harlem and running Harlem's Paradise, Cage tried to keep his romances close to his chest. He had even more enemies now than he did as the bulletproof hero with a hoodie, all plotting to take the throne.

As they lay back in his brand new bed in his office at Harlem's Paradise, Luke grins as her hands caress the sheer muscle and mass of his masculine chest. He lifted the blanket and looked at his crotch pushed against her thigh." I like what I feel, too." He smirked.

Luke grins." Okay...fair enough, but let's just say your preference is black, huh?" He teased pressing kisses to her lips, chin and neck.

The Harlem Hero flexed his pecs as her hands rubbed his muscular chest." Liking what you feel?"