“I’m trusting you with my best friend, with the woman I call my sister. Don’t let me down.”
He wouldn’t ever let any of them down, and he knew exactly what he had to do.
* * *
Sleep came easily for Hannah at this stage of her pregnancy. Lots of things made her tired, and if she were honest with herself, she was grateful that she hadn’t had to go to the concert tonight. Sometimes it was a struggle to stay awake until they were done. Then she had to wait for them to shower, sometimes they ate, and then there were always fans waiting outside the venues. On the really long nights, it was close to three hours after the concert was finished when they’d finally make their way back to the bus or the hotel. While that was fine when she wasn’t completely exhausted, it had been wearing on her the past few weeks. Hannah hadn’t wanted to say anything, though, because she loved being on stage with her husband, she loved watching as he whipped the crowd into a frenzy, it was one of her favorite things to do. The possibility she might have to give that up soon was very real. She wanted to continue to do it for as long as possible, but she knew above all she had to listen to her body. That stay in the hospital had scared them all, and lying to their parents hadn’t been fun. The last thing any of them wanted to do was to tell people and have something go horrifically wrong. The record company still didn’t know, and that was another point of contention.
The thinking was doing nothing but making her more tired, and Hannah knew it was time to give up and let sleep overtake her. With a sigh, she curled into the pillow on Garrett’s side, dropped her eyes, and fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.
Chapter Nineteen
* * *
Garrett let himself into the hotel room and quietly shut the door behind him. There was enough light coming in from the curtains that he could see Hannah was not in bed. The covers were rumpled, and the bathroom door was shut. He hoped she wasn’t sick. He listened for a few moments; he was very familiar with the sounds of her being sick, and he did not hear those sounds this time. Quickly, an idea began to take shape. Grabbing his bag, he rifled through it, moving faster as he heard the toilet flushing and then the sink come on. When Hannah opened the door, he was in place.
Standing behind the bathroom door, he waited until she’d cleared the room and then came up behind her, placing his hand over her mouth. He felt her tense, but moved his mouth to her ear. “Shhhh….”
Hannah panicked for a moment but realized quickly that the person standing behind her was her husband. “Garrett?” She turned her head, taking notice that he wore the bandana over his face that he had worn the day they went walking in the snow.
He didn’t say anything, preferring to keep her guessing as he grabbed her and turned her towards the wall. Placing his hands on hers, he pulled them up so that they rested palms flat against the hard surface. “Those stay there.”
She nodded, her breathing already coming in short gasps. They had never done anything like actual role playing before, but she’d noticed in the last few days her libido was stronger than it had been in a long time. She wasn’t as sick, wasn’t as lethargic all day, and it had been a few weeks since they’d had any kind of quality alone time together. She moaned when he kicked her feet further apart and settled himself more fully against her back. With her hands on the wall, her t-shirt tightened against her now very full breasts. Her nipples pushed against the fabric, causing her to moan loudly. They were sensitive, and with her legs spread so far apart, she felt very exposed.
“Do you have anything valuable hidden on you anywhere?” Garrett asked.
It didn’t escape her that he purposely kept his voice low, which in turn made it deeper. She shook her head to answer his question. “No.”
“Maybe I don’t believe you.”
His hands ran from her shoulders, down the front of shirt, stopping at the twin points to rub his thumbs against her sensitive skin there. She gasped, spreading her legs further apart, leaning her head against the coolness of the wall. When his big palms encased her breasts and squeezed gently, she moaned, rolling her forehead. “Garrett.” She curled her hands against the feelings traveling through her body, grasping for purchase that she wouldn’t find.
“So responsive,” he breathed heavily against her ear.
“Uh huh.” She swallowed roughly, letting the wall hold her weight. Her eyes closed against the barrage of feelings, and she felt moisture on her thighs. She had read that at some point in her pregnancy she would start to feel the effects of the hormones in her body like a horny teenager, and she wondered if she was perhaps at that point.
Those hands that had enclosed her sensitive breasts were now moving down her ribcage, stopping at her stomach to palm the slight bump there. No matter what they were doing, Hannah knew he was always cognizant of their child. Goosebumps covered her body and she tried to tighten her thighs to get some pressure on her core where she needed it. Garrett’s thigh, however, prevented that, and she moaned in frustration. “Please,” she begged, her voice tight.
* * *
Garrett pulled his hands from her body, taking the bandana off his face. With quick movements, he took off both his shirt and her shirt, layering his front to her back. “What do you need, babe?” All pretense was gone as he’d never expected his wife to react like this. It was hot as hell to see her fight her body for control.
“Anything.”
He could hear her breathe heavily against the wall as she pushed her ass against his erection. It had been weeks since they had been together like this. She had been tired and he’d not wanted to push. It was important she get her rest, and he understand their dynamic would have to change.
One hand went to her neck, tilting her head back from the wall so he could expose her collarbone to his lips. He attacked, kissing, biting, sucking, doing anything he could to hear her verbally speak her approval. His other hand traveled down her stomach before sneaking into the elastic waistband of the underwear she wore. He could feel her heat, and he had to fight back his own reaction.
“Please,” she begged again, her hips bucking up towards his hand as he rested it just above the place where they both wanted it to be.
“Are you sure?” he asked, grasping her earlobe with his teeth, yanking down with a hard tug. He felt her intake of breath and smiled when her tongue wet her dry lips. She was sure; he had his good little wife right where he wanted her.
“Yes!”
He withdrew his hand before touching her where she wanted him and turned her around so she faced him.
“You’re mean,” she accused before she threw herself at him, fusing their mouths together. She tore at the bandana at his neck, flinging it off somewhere—in the dark, she wasn’t sure where. Then her hands went to the buckle at his waist.
Garrett didn’t stop her. He loved the feel of her hands on his body. She fumbled with his belt buckle and the snap on his jeans before she finally got them both unbuttoned and then pushed them down around his knees. Grasping her around the waist, he picked her up easily and walked them over to the bed. He wanted to throw her, show her who was boss, but he worried about the baby. Pulling back the Reaper part of his personality was hard, but he did it for the two most important people in his life.
He knew where he wanted to be, and he knew he had to be there soon. He made quick work of the rest of his clothing and then grasped Hannah by the hips. “Lift up, so I can get these off of you.”
She did as he asked, not questioning.
When he had her completely naked, he took a moment to look at her. She’d never looked more beautiful or healthier to him. The look in her eyes as she raked them over his body would be his undoing. His wife wanted him, and it gave him a heady feeling. He’d missed her in the last few weeks. Not able to resist, he grasped himself with his hand, giving himself a few jerks.
“I’m dying here,” she whined, her legs scissoring against the sheets on the bed. Her breasts heaved, her stomach tight as it could be against the arousal he
evoked in her.
Spreading her legs apart, he made room with his hips before covering her with his body. Propping himself up with his elbows, he dug his hands into her hair, holding her still while his mouth devoured hers.
* * *
Hannah was on fire. She’d never been this turned on in her life—and that was saying something considering how active their sex life was. She needed Garrett inside her; she knew that was the only thing that would fulfill the ache she felt between her legs. Ripping her mouth away from his, she heaved in deep breaths.
“You want this, Han?” he asked as he untangled one hand from her hair and moved it down their bodies, using it to tease her opening with the head of his cock.
“Yes.” She moaned, running her hands up and down her body. She felt out of control and wanton. With a mind of their own, her fingers circled her own nipples, and she pushed her hips against his. “Please,” she begged again, growing tired of the one thing she wanted being withheld from her.
“How bad do you want it, baby?” he teased again, wanting her to push past the barrier she always held in front of her.
“Really bad.” She gasped as he inched partially inside of her.
“You want me to fuck you?”
His arm shook next to her head, and she could tell this was affecting him too, no matter how he tried to pretend it didn’t. “Yes.” She pushed against him, trying to drive him home.
“Tell me,” he gritted out between teeth that were clamped tight.
Jesus she needed this—needed to feel his hard length pressed inside her, to feel his teeth scraping her sensitive nipple, needed to feel his lips at her neck. She needed it all, and he held it just out of her reach. “Shut up and fuck me, Garrett. Oh my God, please…just fuck me.”
Those were the words he’d wanted to hear. He wanted to break down the barrier, and damn if he hadn’t done it. With a swift thrust, he was seated deep inside of her. Pressing their bodies together, he hitched her hip up tighter, bringing a leg around his waist so he could grasp her ass and pull her harder against him.
Hannah’s nails bit into his back as he pushed in and withdrew, scooting her up the bed as he did so. He loved the feel of her letting go, loved the sounds she made as he took her, loved that he knew he was the only one who’d ever seen her as abandoned as she was now.
He groaned when she moved one hand to his head and pushed it down towards her breast. Garrett took the peak in his mouth and worried it against his teeth. He knew she liked it when he felt a fresh flood of heat against his hard length. “What do you need?” he whispered as he pulled back only far enough so she could understand what he asked.
“Harder,” she bit out in a strangled voice. “I need it harder, faster.” She threw her head back against the covers. “I need you to be rougher. Bite down like you mean it.”
He wasn’t sure where this woman had come from and what she had done with his wife, but he liked her. He’d be damned if she left here not completely fucking satisfied. Pushing with his knees, he gave her what she wanted…harder, faster, and he tugged at the flesh in his mouth, praying to God he wouldn’t go over the edge before she did. When a woman like Hannah finally came into her own, you didn’t ruin it for her, you manned up and gave it to her the way she needed it.
“Feels so good,” she breathed out, grasping the locks of his hair against her fingers, entwining them as she bucked against his hips.
When he felt her hand in-between their bodies, he worked harder, pounded rougher, and gritted his teeth. “C’mon, baby,” he encouraged her. She was strung tight, and he knew it wouldn’t take much. She had to stop fighting against it. “I got you, baby. Just let go.”
And let go she did. Hannah screamed, bucking against him, grasping the sheets in her hands and twisting her body every which way to deal with the orgasm flowing through her body. Garrett stayed with her; every time she twisted he was there, and as her core squeezed him tight one last time, he let go, groaning loudly against her throat, pushing his hips against hers.
They lay there a long minute later, Garrett still lightly pushing against her as she ran her fingers down his back. “Who are you, and what have you done with my wife?” he asked softly, chuckling against her neck.
She breathed deeply. “I have no idea, but it felt really, really good.” She giggled. “I don’t mean right this minute because I am very tired, but in the future I’d love to do that again.”
He propped himself up on his elbows and pulled back. “Whenever you want to do that again, all you gotta do is tell me. I gotta admit it’s really hot to hear the f-word come out of your mouth.”
Hannah blushed a deep red, burying her face in his chest. “I can’t believe I said that.”
He laughed at her embarrassment, but in a good way. “Oh I can, and it’s going to be my duty from now on to get that word out of your mouth as much as possible when we’re together like this. It’ll be my privilege.”
She burrowed deeper against him, yawning as he pulled the covers up around them. “I don’t know if I can take that all the time, it’s pretty tiring.”
He saw the dark circles under her eyes, and his heart softened. “Go to sleep, babe. Rest those pretty brown eyes.”
“Will you sing to me?” she asked, out of the blue. “I missed it tonight.”
Garrett had never felt more protective of anyone else in his life. With his arms wrapped tightly around her and her head tucked into his shoulder, he sang their song, keeping it going long after she fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty
* * *
July
“I’m so sick to my stomach.” Hannah moaned as she breathed in deeply through her nose and exhaled out of her mouth.
It had been a few days since she’d gotten sick. Hitting the end of the first trimester had been a god-send, and it was as if a switch had flipped in her body relieving her of the worst of the morning sickness, but today she was shaky. As a precaution, she was still eating bland food.
“It’ll be fine telling our parents.” Garrett laughed as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back to his front, dropping a kiss against her neck.
They were grilling out for the announcement, having invited everyone important to them to their house in Nashville. The California relatives had gotten into town the night before and had decided to stay at a hotel—even though they were more than welcome to stay at the house. Right now, everyone was on their way over for a cookout.
“I know, and I know our mothers are going to be positively vibrating with happiness, but it’s been nice, ya know?”
“Having a secret?” He smiled over at her as he set a plate of steaks down.
She grinned back at him. “Yeah. You know, the guys know, and Shell knows, but they’ve been very good at keeping the secret. I don’t think Stacey knows.”
“She doesn’t. Brad promised, and even though he and I don’t see eye to eye on everything, I know he kept that secret.”
She watched as Garrett turned back towards the deck, going to get the chicken he’d grilled for her. There was no seasoning on it—it was plain as could be. Her stomach growled loudly, even though she was shaky, and she put a hand over it. “Soon, baby, soon.”
“If you need to eat something, I’ll grab you some crackers,” he offered. “They should all be here any minute, but you know as soon as we tell them, there’s going to be lots of screaming.”
He walked over to the cabinet, reaching up with his full height to grab out a package of her favorite crackers. They were regular crackers on one side, pretzels on the other. She reached out for them, but he held them out of her reach, winking as he walked a few steps over to their fridge and grabbing out a can of Sprite. Once he had both of those, he put them down in front of her, and one side of his mouth kicked up in a smart ass smile.
Grabbing the box and the can, she stuck her tongue out at him before opening the box and popping the tab on the can. She gratefully ate one and took a long drink before speaking aga
in. “Do you think they’ll be able to tell before we tell them?” she asked as she smoothed her dress over her stomach. Although she’d gained a little weight, her bump still wasn’t completely visible when clothed.
“I don’t know. Both of our moms kinda have an uncanny ability to guess things before we tell them. Whatever, I’m glad I don’t have to watch my mouth anymore.”
She laughed. “I know. They’ve both been hinting at it for at least a month. They almost got me to tell them by confusing me on a couple of occasions.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but the sound of a bunch of people coming through their front door stopped him. “It’s time.”
* * *
Hannah watched as the people they all loved most came through the front door of their house. All the guys from the band were there, along with Garrett’s parents and sister, Hannah’s parents, Shell, and Rick. She took a moment to look at everyone greeting each other and had to blink back tears. Emotional was not a strong enough word to describe how she’d been feeling the past few days. All of the internet research she’d done said that it was normal for her to feel that way, but sometimes she still felt like she was crazy.
Kevin greeted his son with a hug. “Good to finally see you. Are you ready to head overseas?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be. You know those people are insane.”
Marie made a bee-line for Hannah and hugged her tightly. “I’m so glad to see you. Talking on the phone and through FaceTime just isn’t the same.”
“I know.” Hannah nodded, hugging her mother-in-law as her mom came up and sandwiched her from behind.
“Missed you, honey,” her mom said in her ear.
“Missed you too!”
For several minutes there was loud talking over each other and attempts at catch up. Eventually, everyone moved into the kitchen, filling up their plates with food and glasses with drinks.
“Don’t you want steak, Han?” her mom asked, as she glimpsed the small amount on her plate, taking note of the very plain piece of chicken.
Full Circle (Rockin' Country Book 3) Page 10