Griffin nodded and held her tight. His strong arms around her made her feel even safer. When he held her, she didn’t worry about Gabriel. No matter what tricks he threw at her, as long as Griffin was there, Gabriel he wouldn’t be able to touch her. Nothing would ever be able to hurt her.
Her hands moved on their own, sliding up and down Griffin’s muscular chest. They hadn’t gotten a chance to finish their date the other night . . .
“Are you sure?” Griffin whispered as her hands worked their way lower and lower down his body. She wanted to touch every last inch of him. The night they’d spent in bed together seemed like it had been so long ago. She wanted a refresher course.
Nodding, Rachel brought her lips to Griffin’s. She moved to straddle his waist, rubbing her naked body against his. Griffin didn’t ask twice. He kissed right back, his hands trailing all over her body, sparking a fire inside her. His fingers were strong and nimble. She moaned into his mouth, loving the way he made her feel with just simple touches.
She needed more than just touching and kissing, though. Doc had taken her off bed rest, and she wanted Griffin to finally make love to her. She wanted to feel his entire length buried inside her. They’d already become so close over the last couple days. Now it was time to bring themselves as close together as two people could get.
Griffin must’ve read her mind. His hands went to her hips, gripping them firmly. The next thing she knew, he’d lifted up off the bed and flipped her until he was the one on top, her flat on her back, legs still spread around him. She moaned into his mouth again. That little display of manly strength sent a surge of pleasure through her body. More than ever, she wanted him to fuck her.
She didn’t want foreplay this time, didn’t want to spend hours going over each other’s bodies with their mouths and hands. They’d done that already. Now, she wanted the one thing he’d denied her that night. She wanted to give herself fully to him.
When Griffin reached between the two of them, Rachel held her breath. He positioned his cock right at her entrance. That was one thing she loved about Griffin. He always knew just what she needed without her ever having to tell him. No one else in her life had ever understood her like he did. Griffin was in a league all to his own, and she wasn’t going to let him go for anything.
The world slowed to a stop as Griffin pushed himself into her. Rachel squeezed her eyes shut, fighting against the fire raging in her stomach. She was intimately familiar with the size of his cock, but as he slid it into her, it seemed so much bigger, longer, thicker. Griffin’s cock stretched her to her limits, filling her completely. But it wasn’t painful, not in the slightest. It was more like they were made for each other, like they were perfect matches.
By the time he had the entire length inside her, Rachel’s entire body burned. He’d taken it easy so far, going slow. But slow wasn’t what Rachel wanted. It wasn’t what Rachel needed. There would be time for that another night. She was confident they’d spend plenty of nights entangled each other’s arms. Tonight, she wanted it hard and fast. She’d been waiting days for this moment.
She wrapped her legs and arms around Griffin, shivering as she got used to having him inside her. She had to break the kiss just to suck in deep lungfuls of air, then she whispered into his ear. “Fuck me,” her voice was hoarse and gravelly. It was an almost alien sound, once she’d never heard from herself before. But of course it would be. No one had ever made her feel like this.
Griffin didn’t even hesitate to give her what she wanted. His cock became like a jackhammer between her legs. Each time he thrust into her, he knocked the wind from her lungs. Still, she clung to him, moaning. The fire in her body spread until it enveloped her completely. Louder and louder she moaned. The sensations going through her body were heavenly, almost indescribable.
She hadn’t realized just how much she’d needed this. She’d wanted him ever since she’d first laid eyes on him. She’d ignored those instincts at the time, knowing it wasn’t appropriate. Now, all those thoughts came flooding back. Her eyes still squeezed shut, she pictured all the things she wanted to do with Griffin, all the ways they could physically love each other.
He’d already won her heart. That much she was positive of. Now, he was winning her body. She only hoped it was as pleasurable for him as it was for her.
If fate had been kind to her, they’d have spent all night fucking like rabbits. But fate was never kind to her. The fire inside had started to retreat to her gut, compressing tight. She fought against it, but no matter what she did, the pressure grew stronger and stronger. She had no idea how long they’d been going at it, but it hadn’t been nearly long enough. She wanted more, so much more.
It was impossible. Griffin’s moans were just as loud as hers, his thrusts becoming more and more erratic. She knew how to read between the lines enough. He was just as close to the edge as she was. That thought spurred her on, and she held on tight to him, her nails digging into the tender flesh of his back. No doubt he’d have marks tomorrow. She didn’t care.
She needed to hold on just a bit longer. She steeled herself, fighting against every one of her body’s instincts. It took every ounce of control she had in her, but she managed to keep a grip on herself just long enough. Then, Griffin let out a growl loud enough to shake the world. His hips slammed against hers one last time as his cock throbbed inside her.
That was all Rachel could handle. Her moans joined his as they filled the room. Then, everything around her span until it all faded away. She was vaguely aware of her body shaking, of Griffin grunting, but everything seemed to blur together. The pleasure that coursed through every fiber of her being was almost unbearable. It was only the vaguest sensation of Griffin still being wrapped in her arms that kept her somewhat sane.
In those moments, nothing mattered. All of her problems were gone.
Then, she came crashing back down to earth. She whimpered as she struggled to breathe, wishing she could’ve stayed in that little slice of heaven just a bit longer. Her entire body ached, and she was covered in sweat. But she still had Griffin in her arms, and that was all that mattered.
As long as she had Griffin by her side, nothing else was important. She loved him fully, mentally, physically, and emotionally. He was everything.
25
Griffin
Exhausted was the only word that made its way sluggishly through Griffin’s mind. He collapsed back onto the bed, pulling Rachel until she was snuggled up against him again. He’d been sleeping very little the last couple days and had already been tired. Sex with Rachel, while absolutely fucking amazing, had completely zapped his energy. His entire body ached. His muscles were sore from being tense for so long. He barely even had the energy to lift his head.
And yet, he couldn’t stop smiling up into the darkness. He was exhausted, but he was also happier than he’d ever been.
When he shifted, his hand resting on Rachel’s stomach, something flared up inside him. There was a life in there, a baby just waiting to be born. It didn’t matter that it wasn’t biologically his. He wanted Rachel’s daughter to be his daughter, wanted to be there to help raise her. He wanted to teach her how to swim, how to ride a bike, wanted to stand there glaring menacingly at any boys who dared approach her. Those feelings were surprising. He’d never once pictured himself with a kid, but now that was all he wanted.
“I love you,” he whispered to Rachel. He’d never meant three words more than he meant those. In such a short time, Rachel had become the center of his world. Nothing would ever change that. He didn’t need time to know it was true.
Rachel’s only response was a soft snore, and Griffin grinned. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who’d been tired out by their tryst. He kissed Rachel on the top of the head, careful not to disturb her.
With his voice as low as possible, he started talking. This time, he wasn’t talking to Rachel. It was the baby he spoke to, telling her all the things he wanted to do with her after she was born. He didn’t kn
ow the first thing about actually raising a kid, but that didn’t bother him. He’d figure out the details later. In those moments, he just couldn’t stop thinking about the future, all the things the three of them would be able to do together.
He talked until he fell asleep, still smiling up at the darkness.
For the first time in a while, Griffin woke up completely rested. Doc and Ava were at the clubhouse again, and the four of them had breakfast together. Then, he left Rachel in Ava’s care and headed over to the hospital with Doc. Makenna had woken up from her coma and was lucid. Ava hadn’t had to work yesterday, but she’d asked some of her friends there to keep her updated. Since Makenna was awake, they figured it was worth the risk to visit her, find out what they could about her attack. Knowing Gabriel’s connection to the Jokers, everyone was pretty sure they’d been behind the attack. But they still wanted to find out the details from Makenna. She might have something they could use.
Thankfully, most of the staff at the hospital knew Doc and let them through. Ava was well respected around the hospital, and her coworkers had taken a liking to her husband. Doc probably could’ve gotten a job there himself if he’d wanted to, but he kept insisting he liked working with the club, liked being able to make his own rules.
Makenna was awake and finishing breakfast when they got there. She smiled at them, but when she spoke, her words were slow, a little slurred. Still, she was doing far better than either of them had expected. “Good morning,” she said, sounding almost cheerful. After everything she’d been through, Griffin hadn’t expected her to be cheerful, but he guessed she was just thankful to be alive.
The three of them bantered small talk back and forth for a bit, neither Griffin nor Doc wanting to jump right on Makenna to talk about the attack. No doubt she was still coping with everything that had happened, and neither of them wanted to push her too hard, too quickly.
“I don’t remember much,” she admitted when he finally broached the topic. Though she spoke slowly, her normal intelligence was still there. Her eyes were bright, lucid. If the slowed speech and a bit of memory loss were the only complications from the swelling, then she was damn lucky. “I remember heading home and some guys stopping me to ask for directions. Then, someone hit me from behind.”
Griffin let out a soft sigh, settling in to listen to Makenna’s story. He took in every detail, hoping something might be important. She couldn’t remember anything descriptive about the men, nothing that would tie them to the Jokers much less anyone in particular. She remembered them asking her questions but couldn’t remember what they’d asked her.
“I guess they wanted to know about Rachel,” Makenna said, brushing tears from her eyes. Rehashing everything had taken a lot of out of her, and Griffin could tell she was reaching her limit. “But I can’t remember if I told them anything. I’m . . . I’m sorry.”
He reached out and took Makenna’s hand. He hated how broken up she was. If she did tell them anything, she hadn’t done it willingly. He couldn’t be mad at her for that. “Don’t stress over it, okay? Rachel’s safe with us.”
Makenna nodded, but the tears still fell. Griffin figured it would take a good while for her to come to terms with everything that had happened to her. An attack like that wasn’t something you just got over. She’d be in therapy for a while before she’d be able to move on from it. She was strong, though, and wouldn’t give up easily.
“Here, Rachel wanted me to give you this.” He passed her the little paper with the banking information written on it. After sending everything off to the Treasury this morning, he’d double-checked everything to make sure no one would ever be able to trace the money back to where it came from.
Makenna’s eyes went wide as she stared at the paper in her hands. She started to shake, the tears coming stronger, as she shook her head. “I couldn’t possibly take this. I don’t deserve it.”
“Yes, you do.” Doc was the one who spoke up this time. His voice was strong and forceful, making Makenna look up at him. “You risked everything to get Rachel the help she needed. This will help make things a bit easier for you. You deserve every penny of that.”
Makenna nodded and brushed tears from her eyes. Despite the crying, she was smiling. Before Doc and Griffin left, she insisted on hugging both of them, thanking them profusely. She didn’t have to thank them for anything. Griffin would have gladly given her double or triple that amount, taking it out of his own personal money, for what she’d done for Rachel.
He owed her much more.
Rachel was waiting for them when they got back. It was time for another ultrasound, and it was obvious she was excited for it this time. Last time, the ultrasound had been needed to make sure the baby was okay. She’d been so stressed that he doubted even getting her first look at her daughter hadn’t really registered fully. This time, she didn’t have that stress over her head.
She took Griffin’s hand and dragged him along with her, which made him smile. He was secretly thrilled she’d been including him in the exams. The more time he spent with her, the more he’d been looking forward to each glimpse at the baby.
Griffin sat next to Rachel, holding her hand and filling her in on the details of their meeting with Makenna. Rachel’s eyes drooped as she listened. She’d been so excited before the exam, but that excitement had faded quickly. “I wish there was something else I could do for it. It’s my fault she’s in this mess.”
“No, it’s not,” Griffin said immediately. He was not going to let Rachel place the blame on herself. Nothing that had happened was her fault, not in the slightest. “Makenna helped you because she knew it was the right thing to do. And even you couldn’t have known what Gabriel was going to do. So, don’t try blaming yourself. None of it is your fault. None.”
Rachel looked like she wanted to argue, but she kept her mouth closed and nodded. It would take some work, helping her understand she was blameless, but Griffin wasn’t going let her beat herself up over something Gabriel did. He was the one to blame for all of it, even if she didn’t realize it yet.
“And here’s your baby girl,” Doc said, grinning as he interrupted them. Griff returned the smile, glad for the distraction. This was supposed to be a happy time. They could discuss everything else later.
The look on Rachel’s face completely changed the moment she laid eyes on the little monitor. All the self-doubt was gone, replaced by unbridled joy and love. That was the look Griffin always wanted to see on her. Hopefully, once everything with Gabriel was behind them, that would come true.
“Oh,” Rachel gushed, looking at the sonogram. She reached out and squeezed Griffin’s hand. “It looks like she’s waving!”
Griff chuckled as he looked at the picture. It really did look like she was waving. Rachel’s enthusiasm seemed to be infectious.
“I think she’s waving at you,” Rachel continued, still holding Griffin’s hand. He never wanted her to let go. “I think she’s saying ‘Hi, Daddy!”
Immediately, Rachel went quiet. She let go of Griffin’s hand and stared at him, mouth agape. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes as she struggled to breathe. The enthusiasm was gone, fear having taken its place.
26
Rachel
“Sorry, uh . . . that didn’t come out right . . .” Rachel stammered. She tried to come up with some excuse for what she’d just said, but nothing came to mind. She was panicking, unable to believe she’d just said that to Griffin. She wanted him to be the father of her baby, to help raise the little one. But they hadn’t discussed that at all. It was way too early in the relationship to ask him to make a choice like that.
“It’s okay,” Griffin said, reaching out for her. But she pulled her hand away, making him frown. “I understood what you meant.”
Rachel shook her head. There was no way he could understand. She’d just met the man, and she was already head over heels for him. How could he possibly understand that? He’d come up with some excuse for her feelings. He’d tell her she
was latching on to him as a rebound after Gabriel. That wasn’t true, though. She was certain about the way she felt about him.
She’d been living in the moment. For the last week, nothing had existed beyond the clubhouse. Her future had been in constant flux. It hadn’t been worth the effort to try to plan for anything. But the moment she’d seen the baby waving like that, all she could think about was Griffin holding the little girl. She wanted Griffin to be there by her side, wanted him to help her raise her baby.
Doc busied himself finishing up the exam, but Rachel didn’t hear a word he’d said to her. Then, he was gone, and it was just the two of them, awkwardly staring at each other. Rachel wished a hole would open up in the ground and swallow her. She could only imagine what Griffin was thinking, and the things she imagined weren’t pleasant at all.
She opened her mouth to speak again, but Griffin beat her to it. “I want to be the baby’s father,” he said, stunning her into silence. He kept going, each and every word clear as day. “I want to be there for the both of you. I want to keep you safe, want to take care of you. It’s all strange to me, but I know it’s what I want more than anything in the world.”
“But I’m going to be leaving soon.” The plans had been vague at best, but that was the ultimate goal. They wanted to get her out of the country, far away from Gabriel’s clutches. She didn’t know where they’d send her or when she’d leave, but eventually, she’d have to say goodbye to Griffin and everyone else.
But Griffin just shrugged. He reached out for her hand, and this time, she didn’t pull away. “Then I’ll go with you,” he said, his eyes locked onto hers. He squeezed her hand, and her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to believe him, but she just couldn’t. How could she? He barely knew her. His entire life was here, everyone he knew. Why would he give all of that up for her?
Hunted (Steel Kings MC Book 4) Page 9