by Dee Garcia
“Every last piece,” I confessed, arching into his caress as his tongue flashed out against my nipple.
Because it was the truth. Any doubt I’d had stayed on that cargo ship. I left it there without looking back or questioning it further, and when we made it back to L.A, Knox promptly changed his number. As a result, Brie hadn’t been an issue anymore, and regardless of the late hours Knox still worked sometimes, I trusted him. I knew there was nothing between them, there never had been. He’d always been mine.
“How wet are you right now, baby?” he questioned.
“Why don’t you find out for yourself,” I challenged.
“Because I want you to tell me.”
“But I need you to touch me…”
“I will, after you tell me.”
“Well, let’s see...you’ve had me throbbing all night, so what do you think?”
“Tell me…” he hedged, catching my nipple between his teeth in urgency, and I whimpered, needing more than the little he offered.
“I'm dripping for you.”
“Mmm, yes you are. So warm,” he purred, swiping his fingers through my sex to drench them in my essence. Then he licked them clean. “So sweet too.”
“Knox, please…” I couldn’t wait after that. I needed him and ‘need’ didn’t really quite cover it. I was burning for him.
“Please what?”
“Take these off,” I urged him, reaching for the waistband of his slacks.
“Oh no, not yet. I wanna savor you, baby. Eat you alive. I'm taking my time tonight.”
No...
“You can't do this to me.”
“All mine, remember? I can and I am,” he growled, keeping his eyes on mine as he licked and sucked his way down my body, all the way down until his tongue lapped at me, the ball of his piercing dragging from my entrance all the way up to my clit. My legs trembled and he curled his arms under them, burying his face further as he unleashed a fiendish onslaught of exquisite torture with his tongue, unraveling me faster than a spool of thread. A few more flicks and I was going to explode, we both knew it; the way my body bowed off the bed a clear sign my climax was seconds away from slapping me in the face. This pleased him, a loud hum vibrating against my core as he doubled his efforts to set me off, the sounds of him groaning, and sucking, and slurping rolling me right to the edge. I was about to fall, those warm tingles just bubbling at the surface, when he pulled his mouth off me, drawing a whine from deep within.
But that whine turned into a fulfilled moan when he thrust himself inside with one precise stroke. My eyes rolled back as he dug himself deeper, hitching one leg over his arm.
“Fuck, you feel amazing,” he groaned.
Me? I wished he could feel himself, the way he fit me, how he filled me and stretched me in the most delicious fashion. So warm too, throbbing within me when I squeezed him like a vice. It was heaven. Winding my leg around him, he blanketed me once more, peppering kisses up my neck, his teeth sinking into my lip as he kissed me.
“I wasn’t gonna do this right now, but I legitimately cannot stop myself…” he divulged abruptly, catching me by surprise.
“What?”
“Wanna know a secret?”
I nodded, riding the wave of impending pleasure that was building anew.
“I’m crazy in love with you.” Kiss.
“Addicted.” Another kiss.
“Obsessed.” And another.
“A man consumed.” He rolled into me leisurely and I moaned. “Wanna know another secret?”
I nodded again, too tangled in the moment to answer with words.
“I’m so consumed, I can’t stop thinking about what you’d look like in white. You know why?”
This time, I shook my head.
“Because every time I look at you all I can see is my wife. The love of my life. My fucking everything,” he professed with conviction and I gasped because he couldn’t possibly be...
“Are you…”
“Asking you to marry me? Yes. I need you, Hazel, more than life itself. Build this future with me, have my babies, grow old with me, love me forever.”
I gasped once more because, holy shit, he’d just proposed to me, unexpectedly so. Staring into his eyes, I could see this future he painted, the very one I’d imagined myself and wondered if he saw too. And he did; he saw it clear as day. There was no doubt in my mind this man was my forever.
“Yes,” I finally said, taking his face in my hands. “To all of the above.”
“You just made me the happiest man on earth. I can barely contain it,” he murmured, claiming my mouth in another breathtaking kiss as his thrusts became harder, faster, possessive…
Every one wound the coil within me tighter and tighter, a fierce amount of pleasure zipping through my veins, through my entire body.
“Let me hear you say it one more time for me, baby,” he purred, rolling into me until I felt like I couldn’t breathe.
Gasping for air, my back arched off the bed, my nails deep in his back; I couldn’t breathe and he couldn’t own me more if he tried.
“Yes,” I moaned freely as he dug into me a few more times, until finally I snapped.
That magnificent burst of ecstasy consumed me, or really it consumed us both, as our climaxes erupted one after the other. It was so intense my entire body rippled against him, goose bumps flourishing over my skin. I’d never come so hard, all but melting into the mattress once the wave washed away.
Knox collapsed on top of me, completely spent, his ragged breathing and my exhausted pants all that could be heard in our room. Sifting my fingers through his sweaty hair, I laid there, reeling, almost unbelievably. This man was going to be my husband.
Picking his head up, he flashed me this lopsided grin and pressed another kiss to my lips as he crawled off me.
“Don’t move,” he instructed.
So I didn’t; I laid still, struggling to see what he was doing in the dark. I heard the zipper to his bag, a small snap, and then he was back in bed, taking his place between my legs once more. Holding my left hand, he slipped something on my finger, and when I lifted it into the moonlight, my breath hitched.
“There we go,” he said, satiated. “Now, it’s official.”
It was stunning. Not too big, not too small. The perfect ring given to me by the perfect man. A symbol of his love and affection, one I’d wear proudly and cherish until I took my last breath.
“Baby, it’s perfect.” I smiled, dragging a finger under his chin for another kiss.
“Like you… my wife.”
The way he growled that one word lured a squeal of excitement from the deepest, happiest part of me. I threw my arms around him, my legs too, and that’s how we spent the rest of our night; lost between the sheets, up till the sun began to rise.
Epilogue
Two years later - present day
I'm fast asleep beside Hazel, exhausted from long days that never seem to end, and still I hear him. Whining. Growing more fussy by the second. I slide out from under the duvet as quietly as possible, so as not to wake my wife, and pad down the hallway to his room. When I peek over the rim of his dark crib, Remington’s big blue eyes are already on me. He's sucking on his hand, his little body squirming from side to side. I smile softly, already knowing the drill. We’ve been doing this every night for three months since he was born. It's our quiet time together while the rest of the world sleeps.
Scooping him up in my arms, I kiss the top of his head and walk us into the dimly lit kitchen to put his bottle together. While the warmer does its thing, I stroll around the living room with his teeny hand wrapped around my finger. During the day, Hazel nurses him, but at night, I get up with him and give him a bottle. The formula seems to help him sleep for longer stretches. Thankfully, he takes it without issue ’cause I know some babies refuse to go back and forth between the two, like Karley’s Irish twins, Dean and Della.
I'm staring out at the starry sky blanketing L.A, swaying with Remy f
rom side to side, when the warmer clicks. He coos loudly as though he knows what that particular sound means, kicking his little feet impatiently as I walk around the island and grab the bottle before heading back to his room.
“One more minute, baby boy,” I tell him, pulling out a clean blanket from his dresser.
Draping it over my shoulder, I press play on the iPod dock and swiftly drop down into the glider as “Claire De Lune” softly fills the air. The second the nipple touches his lips, Remy starts sucking away. I can't help but laugh every time. You'd think we didn't feed the kid or something.
As I rock us back and forth and he eats contentedly, I do what I do every night. I just look at him, at his wispy blond hair and his little button nose. At how his cheeks are filling in and his hands get pudgier by the day. At how he curls into me and passes out with his mouth ajar, just like his mom. He's only three months old, but he already looks so different than when we brought him home. It never ceases to amaze me how the whole world was right...they grow too fast. That's why I get up at night without complaint. Time goes by too quickly not to savor these moments.
The nipple falls from his lips and as I pull the bottle away, the bottom one quivers, just like it always does. He sucks in a deep, shaky breath and makes this little squeaky sound as he breathes out that melts my heart on cue every damn time.
“Come on, little man,” I whisper, leaning back into the glider as I set Remy on my shoulder, gently patting and rubbing his back for at least one burp. He's not too happy I moved him from his comfortable spot on my arm but he settles relatively easy, melting into me once more. He's not the only one who's content right now. When the melody for “You Are My Sunshine” starts up and I find myself humming along as I do every night, my eyes fall closed and I sigh, tightening my hold on him. I love this.
A few peaceful minutes roll by before Remy finally burps, a good one at that. He's out for the count too, and while I could doze off right here with him on my chest, I know I need to lay him down. So, I relish one last moment with him and then slowly, I rise to my feet, set the bottle onto the dresser, and walk the short distance to his crib, kissing his little cheek as I lay him flat on his back. He doesn't even flinch.
By the time I clean up and make it back into bed, it's four in the morning. Hazel gravitates toward me immediately, her now inked arm curling around my middle.
“How was he, Daddy?” she asks quietly, burying her face in my chest.
“Snuggly, like you. Go back to sleep,” I say, sifting my fingers through her curly locks.
“I love you, Knox.”
“I love you more, kitten.”
Fiercely.
Madly.
Forever.
And always.
The End
Acknowledgments
Almost a year flew by since I Am Lioness was released, but Hear Me Roar is finally here! I can’t tell you all how happy I am this story is out for the world to read, mostly because I didn’t think it was possible. When I first sat down to write it, I had no clue what I wanted to do other than incorporate Maya, and of course Hazel going Pro. Other than that, my mind was a blank hole. I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to get it together and that even if I did, I’d fail my readers with a story that lacked the ferocity they remembered and wanted more of. But Knox and Hazel proved to be the fierce characters I’d loved since I first stepped into their world. Once I got to writing, it took off like lightning. I actually got it written in two and a half months. That’s a huge milestone for me! I’m usually such a slow writer, but the story just took on a mind of it’s own, And I powered through it. I hope it’s everything you all wanted out of their finale and maybe even a little more. I’m sad to see them go, but I’m also excited for what’s to come.
With that being said, every publishing journey has its moments of both trials and triumphs, and I want to take a moment to thank the people who saw me through this one.
To Mia, my ride or die- Thank you for always being there. Thank you for inspiring me, for pushing me, and for believing in me. You’re the bestest friend any girl could ever ask for. I love you to moon, across the pond, and back a million times.
To my Devils- all of you...thank you. Our little group has become my safe haven. Getting to know you and building great friendships has made this journey incredible. Your love and support means the world to me.
To my Diamonds- though most of you are new, I am so very thankful to have you all on my team. Thank you for taking a risk and jumping along for this crazy ride with me.
To my editor, Jenn- you, lady, are amazing. You have the patience of a saint and a heart of pure gold. I’m very lucky and so very thankful to have you in my life. Thank you for all that you do! I love you!
To my cover designer, Mary- there aren’t enough words to say thank you for creating these beautiful covers. You took your time, were extra patient when I asked for a change, and you never ever complained. I’m proud to say my books are a Passion Creation!
And lastly but certainly not least, to my readers- YOU are my rockstars. Thank you for reading, thank you for loving my characters, my worlds, my stories. They’re all possible because of YOU.
XOXO,
<3 Dee
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About the Author
Dee Garcia is a voracious fan of romance novels and a long-time lover of the written word. Her mission is to craft unique, compelling stories that will give her readers a place to briefly escape the trials and tribulations of everyday reality. With headstrong heroines who don't need a man to stand on their own two feet, Dee hopes to leave her mark in the Indie world, one plot twist at a time.