His Trouble in Tallulah: In the Line of Duty, Book 2

by Cathryn Fox

  Passion peaking, she cried out, “I need, oh God, I need…”

  Skilled in the art of lovemaking, and completely attuned with her needs, he angled his body for deeper thrusts, and her sex throbbed at the depth of penetration. Good Lord, the man certainly had a talent for knowing what she wanted, what her body craved. As he escalated the tension inside her, she concentrated on the points of pleasure. But soon the pressure in her body became too much to bear. She gulped air as fire zipped through her veins.

  “Garrett,” she cried with effort, then he slipped a hand between their damp bodies to stroke her, and a moment later a powerful explosion tore through her. Her pussy pulsed and spasmed, her sex muscles clenching him so hard, she practically locked him inside her.

  He groaned and she could feel his muscles bunch, his cock throbbing with the need to peak. He moved his hips, drawing out her orgasm and she could tell how hard it was for him to hang on as he prolonged her pleasure.

  When her body finally relaxed, she cupped his face, and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Come for me.”

  He pressed down on her, and his nostrils flared as she shuddered in surrender. He pulled his cock all the way out, and then drove back inside, once, twice, and on the third time, he threw his head back and groaned.

  As every muscle tensed, he dropped on top of her and she wrapped her legs around him tighter to hold him inside. She could feel his heart pounding as she squeezed her pussy muscles to help draw out his orgasm. By small degrees his body relaxed, sated and content from his own powerful orgasm.

  He stayed inside her for a long time, then blew out a breath as he went up on his elbows to see her. A warm smile, so tender and sweet curled up his lips when their glances met, and Tallulah felt a strange little rush inside her. God, he looked so boyish and adorable with his hair mussed and moisture on his skin that she couldn’t seem to tear her gaze away.

  Once his cock grew flaccid, he pulled out and discarded the condom. After he settled back in next to her, she snuggled in close, thinking about how nice it felt to be held by him. She lifted her chin until their eyes met and found him watching her.

  He brushed her hair from her face and in a voice that caressed her all over he said, “Jesus, that was…”

  “A good start?” she teased.

  “Yeah, a good start. You almost made me believe you liked it,” he teased in return as his eyes fixed on her mouth, like he was about to kiss her again.

  “Well I do what I can, you know, for the ruse.” She gave a lazy cat-like stretch and inhaled, noting that the room was thick with the scent of their lovemaking. “At least now when you touch me I won’t flinch.”

  His brow furrowed, real concern evident in his expression as he gave a slow shake of his head. “I’m not so certain about that.”

  Unease moved into her stomach and her pulse leapt as she went up on her elbows. “No? Why not?”

  He looked thoughtful, contemplative for a moment. Then he touched her shoulder. With a small shove he pushed her back onto the bed, his voice full of mischief when he said, “Because I don’t think I touched you everywhere.”

  “Oh.” Her heart began pounding, excitement building inside her as she considered what he was saying, what he was suggesting. Playing along, she nodded her head in agreement. “That could be a problem.”

  “A very big problem.”

  She glanced down to see his cock thickening and her pulse jack-hammered. “A big problem indeed.”

  He dropped a soft kiss onto her mouth, a kiss so tender and gentle it took her by surprise. When he pulled back, he grabbed her hips and flipped her over. He threw his legs over hers and once he had her pinned beneath him, he gave her ass a light whack. She cried out in response, and he ran a soft palm over her cheek to soothe the sting he left behind.

  “Do you think that covers it?” she somehow managed to ask, her muscles quaking and quivering in erotic delight.

  “Nope, afraid not,” he responded, running his fingers along her spine and splaying those big hands of his over her back.

  “What are we going to do?”

  “I suggest if we want to really pull this off, I’m going to have to make sure I’ve touched every inch of you. And I’m willing to spend the whole night doing just that and foregoing sleep if I have to.”

  “I wouldn’t expect anything less from a dedicated soldier like yourself. You certainly seem like a hardcore military man who will do whatever it takes to get the job done.”

  “When I start something I like to see it through to completion.”

  “I do like a man of action, one who is dedicated to getting the job done.”

  He gave her ass another whack, then purposely put his mouth near her ear. In a soft, yet firm command, he said, “Good. Now get up on your knees.”

  Chapter Five

  “Oh. My. God.”

  “Shhh,” Tallulah warned as Kat stood there wide eyed staring at her.

  “Don’t you dare shush me. I want all the details and I want them now,” Kat said, planting her hands on her hips.

  Grinning at her friend, Tallulah inched closer to the corner, moving out of ear shot as guests arrived at the hotel restaurant for the engagement party dinner.

  “I already told you.” Tallulah lifted her chin in defiance. “I don’t kiss and tell.”

  “And I already told you that it’s not the kissing I want to hear about,” Kat retaliated, doing some weird head bobbing thing. “Now spill. Otherwise how do you expect me to live vicariously through you?”

  “Okay, okay.” Tallulah pulled Kat in closer as she laughed at her friend’s antics. “Just quiet down before everyone hears you.” She glanced around the wide expanse of room, looking at her family and friends who were all milling about and getting caught up in everyone’s lives as they searched for their placement cards at the long, rectangular table. Her stomach fluttered when she found Garrett in the crowd, not that he was hard to find amongst her family, not with his height and powerful stature.

  With his arms folded across his chest, the hardcore soldier looked like he just stepped off the cover of GQ. Dressed in a midnight suit that tapered to fit his muscular body to perfection, the man was every woman’s fantasy. But underneath that suit she knew he was rugged and raw, a guy who oozed masculinity like none other. It was that masculinity that had her hormones playing a game of leapfrog and urging her to go for what she wanted, again and again.

  Everything inside her reached out to him, and while she thought there might be awkwardness between them after indulging in a one-night stand, there was no discomfort to be found. For some reason it felt different with him. She’d been with men in her life, having been in a few committed relationships over the years, and even when she was devoted, afterward things were always uncomfortable. But with Garrett, there was warmth and familiarity, and everything in the way he looked at her, talked to her and touched her made the morning both comfortable and easy.

  Beside him, her cousin, Andrew, who was a few years older than Tallulah, talked incessantly to Garrett as he cradled his three-month-old baby daughter, Sabrina, in his arms. Andrew’s son, Jacob, ran around the room with his older sister, Cassie, and Tallulah felt a hitch in her heart, thinking what fun—not to mention how crazy—it would be to have three kids all under the age of five. Her hand went to her stomach and she wondered if someday she’d have a family of her own, or if she’d end up having surgery that would prevent her from having the children she longed for.

  As though he felt her eyes on him, Garrett angled his head, and her knees nearly gave out at the intensity in his piercing blue eyes when they met hers. His eyes flared hot, and a slow lazy grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. As her body burned all over, her heart nearly stopped, forcing her to suck in a sharp breath to get it pumping up again.

  “Holy shit,” Kat said as her glance tennis balled between the two of them. “It must have been amazing.”

  Tallulah forced herself to tear her gaze away from Garrett and focus on h
er friend. “Amazing doesn’t even begin to describe it,” she whispered, unable to wipe the grin from her face, one that had been there since waking up a few hours ago. Not that she really slept. No, after round two, they’d showered together, which led to hot sex under the hot spray.

  “He was that good, huh?”

  “Yeah, he was.”

  “Please tell me you’re going to do it again.”

  Tallulah gave her a mischievous smile, stole another glance at Garrett in time to see him scrub his hand over little Jacob’s head, mussing up his hair, then arched a brow. “You mean the three times we did it isn’t enough for you?” she asked, not that Tallulah thought it would be enough for her either. Heck, she was sure when it came to Garrett, nothing could sate her appetite.

  “Three?” Kat pressed her palm to her forehead and sagged against the wall. “Oh, my God, I’ve created a nymphomaniac.”

  “Yes, I really should blame my naughty behavior all on you.”

  “Okay, it’s official, I’m as jealous as hell.” Kat shook her head. “And I’m definitely moving to Austin sooner rather than later. But seriously, Tallulah, you are going to do it again, right?”

  “We never talked about it.”

  “Yeah.” Kat nodded knowingly. “If I had him in my bed I wouldn’t be talking either.”

  Tallulah narrowed her eyes. “Didn’t you hook up with the best man? I saw the way you were eyeing him.”

  “No. I think I lost my touch.”

  Tallulah crinkled her nose. “Maybe he has a girl back home.”

  “Maybe.” Then she winked and said, “But since Garrett is such an easy catch, more than willing to bed someone he barely knows, maybe I can have him for a round when you’re finished.”

  Even though she knew her friend was teasing, an odd sensation gathered in her chest, a tightness that warned how easy it would be for her to get in over her head where Garrett was concerned.

  “I…uh…” she began, but then Kat nudged her.

  “I mean it’s not like you’re going to marry him.”

  “No, of course not.”

  Kat gestured with a nod. “I mean just look at him standing there sporting a sexy, bad-boy grin. He certainly doesn’t look like the kind of guy who’s in a hurry to settle down. If ever.”

  Tallulah caught his gaze again and she considered the way her pretend fiancé commanded a room, the way women gravitated toward him. Once again that strange feeling settled like a lump of oatmeal in her gut, and it took all her effort to push it down and remind herself this was simply a charade.

  “No, you’re right. He’s not in a hurry to settle down,” she agreed, hating that it bothered her so much. She had no claims on Garrett, nor did she want any. They were different people who wanted different things and were just doing each other a favor. Tallulah placed her hand on her stomach. “And he doesn’t want kids.”

  Kat frowned and placed her hand over Tallulah’s to give it a comforting squeeze. “How are you feeling? Any more pain?”

  “I’m a little sore this morning.”

  “Yeah, but that’s probably from all the great sex.”

  “Yeah,” she agreed, but couldn’t hide the worry on her face.

  “Do you want me to take you to the doctor? We can stop at the clinic this afternoon before we go shopping for tonight’s bridal party gifts.”

  “I’ll be okay.”

  “Let’s just play it by ear, then.” She grabbed Tallulah’s hand and gave a little tug. “Now come on, we need to get seated and it looks like your lover boy over there needs a break from Andrew. Jesus, that man never shuts up. I swear if I hear one more thing about gum disease or gingivitis I might have to kill myself.”

  “He sure has a captive audience in Garrett, doesn’t he?”

  Kat waved a dismissive hand. “Garrett should just blow him off.”

  Tallulah smiled, thinking it was sweet of Garrett to stand there and feign interest when her cousin was likely boring the hell out of him. She knew her soldier wasn’t afraid of confrontation, but he was respectful when the situation called for it. Damned if she didn’t like that about him.

  Tallulah followed Kat across the room, and when she reached Garrett, he slipped his arm around her waist like touching her in such an intimate manner was the most natural thing in the world. And then, for what she could only assume was for show, he dropped a soft kiss onto her mouth, and lowered his voice before saying, “Save me.”

  Tallulah laughed, and glanced at her cousin. “Andrew,” she began, and pointed to his young son on the other side of the room. “Jacob’s putting his fingers in the chocolate fountain and then licking them. Isn’t chocolate bad for the teeth?” Andrew gasped and called out to his wife, Cindy, before rushing across the room.

  As she stood there admiring Garrett he blew a relieved breath. Then angled his head, and gave her an odd look. “Everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine.”

  “And Kat? She seemed pretty excited about something. Is she okay?”

  “Just Kat being Kat,” she said, not bothering to explain that she’d been telling her best friend how much he rocked her world last night—although she suspected he already knew she’d been kissing and telling.

  Garrett straightened and looked past her shoulders. “There is someone you need to meet.” Tallulah spotted a middle-aged woman coming their way, her sapphire-blue eyes mirroring Garrett’s. She nodded, knowing exactly who she was. He put his mouth close to her ear. “You okay with this?”

  Tallulah plastered on a wide smile as his mom stepped up to him. Garrett dropped a kiss onto his mother’s cheek, then introduced the two. “Mom, this is Tallulah. Tallulah, this is my mother, Diane Andersen.”

  “Look at you,” Diane said, pulling Tallulah into an embrace. “So pretty. And I’ve heard so much about you from Jenny and Ving that I feel like I know you already.”

  Tallulah blushed, instantly liking the woman who exuded such motherly warmth. Diane turned to Garrett and made a tsking sound. “You’ve got some explaining to do, young man. How dare you keep such a huge secret from us?”

  “I wanted this time to be about Jenny.” He gave his mom a sheepish look, but Tallulah couldn’t help but feel a twinge of guilt. His mother was a sweetheart, and from the sparkle in her eyes when she looked at her son, it was clear how much she loved him. Honestly, when she agreed to this charade, she never really thought anyone would get hurt, but as she looked at his mother, she suddenly wasn’t so sure anymore.

  “I’m assuming when we return home you’re going to bring her by the house so we can get to know each other better.”

  “Of course,” he said.

  Diane clapped her hands, a smile parting her rose-painted lips as she looked at Tallulah. “You’ll be the first girl he’s ever brought home. But since you’re engaged, I’m guessing you’ll also be the last.”

  Tallulah stole a sideways glance at Garrett, and speculated on why it pleased her immensely to learn that he’d never brought a girl home to meet his mother before.

  “Now, let’s have a look at that ring,” Diane said, and Tallulah felt Garrett stiffen beside her. His mother took Tallulah’s left hand in hers. She saw the silver band, and her sapphire eyes widened. Then an expression Tallulah couldn’t identify crossed the pretty woman’s face. She exhaled slowly and looked Tallulah straight in the eyes. “Very special. You’re a very special woman indeed.”

  “Thank you.” A little confused by her reactions, Tallulah twisted the ring on her finger, and made a mental note to examine it in more detail later.

  “I’d better take my seat.” Diane gave a little finger wave to a man across the room. “It looks like the luncheon is about to start.”

  “We’ll catch up with you later, Mom. Tell Donovan I said hello,” Garrett said, then turned his attention to Tallulah.

  “I really like her.” Tallulah glanced at the man his mother walked toward. She thought back to their plane conversation and remembered Garrett telling h
er that his father had passed away a few years ago, and she wondered about this new man in his mother’s life. “Who’s Donovan?”

  “Bruce Donovan. He was my father’s partner on the beat for years.”

  “And your mother’s new one?”

  “Something like that.”

  “I’m sorry, Garrett. Did I hit a sore spot?”

  “No,” he said. “I’m glad she’s found someone. She deserves to be happy and Donovan’s a good guy.”

  Dropping the subject because it was clear that something about it bothered him, she said, “Your mom is going to be a wonderful mother-in-law.”

  “You mean for Ving, right?” he asked, arching a brow.

  “Of course,” she responded, understanding his insinuation. Then, to cover the strange sting she had no right to feel, she added, “Like I said, Garrett, you’re not my type.”

  With that they moved toward the long table set for a family of forty. She reached for her chair, but taking her by surprise, Garrett pulled it out for her. She shot him a glance, enjoying this gentlemanly side of him. “Thanks,” she said.

  “My mother’s watching and she would kick my ass if I didn’t do right by you.”

  “She raised a gentleman.”

  He gave her a bad-boy grin. “She tried to.”

  He slipped in beside her and Andrew took the seat to his left as she shimmied close, craving the feel of him next to her. After last night there was a new intimacy between them, and when she caught her father looking at her, she suspected he sensed it too. For a moment she felt another twinge of guilt. She’d never lied to her folks before. Then again, she’d never stood up to them before, either.

  Garrett put his hand on her thigh and she shivered under his touch. Her mind took that moment to revisit all the delicious things he’d done to her body last night, things she’d love for him to do again.

  After everyone took their seats, Matt, Ving’s best man, stood up, tapped his water glass, and proceeded to give a speech. All eyes turned to him while he told embarrassing stories about Ving, who looked like he was ready to crawl under the table.