Hidden Fates (Hidden Heroes #4)

Chapter 22

Reese had never felt so completely satisfied and satiated in her life. Garrett was the best lover she’d ever been with and having him claim her as his was the cherry on top. All this time, she’d been thinking of him as her man, and to find out that he felt the same way about her, made her so giddy, she could practically get up and do a little dance. She wouldn’t of course. She would much rather stay here on the hard picnic table, with the uneven boards pressed into her back, as long as all two hundred sweaty and sexy pounds of Garrett remained plastered over her.

Garrett slid out of her and hastily disposed of the condom, tying it and tossing it aside to be dealt with later. “Are you okay?” He asked.

“Better than okay,” she sighed with a smile. “That was so…”

“Yeah,” Garrett agreed.

“Is it usually like this for you?” Reese asked. Maybe he was just a sex God in his own right and this was the norm.

Garrett chuckled, his body shaking with his amusement. “Definitely not. You...you made it so much better. You make everything in my life so much better, Reese.” He placed a tender kiss on her forehead, then proceeded to pepper kisses down the bridge of her nose until his mouth met hers.

In seconds, she was turned on again, her body humming with need as his tongue slipped past her open lips, accepting the invitation of wanting to taste him, to feel him, all over again. She wrapped her legs around him and he angled his head to deepen the kiss. She moaned, hunger for this man coursing through her body all over again. He wasn’t just kissing her anymore, he was devouring her, tasting every corner of her mouth, and she knew she’d never get enough of him.

He pulled back, the shadows of his eyes hooded with lust, reflecting back everything she was feeling in that moment. “What do you say we move this somewhere a little more comfortable?”

She agreed, only a little sad to leave this incredible view of Garrett against a starlit sky with a crescent moon behind him. Without waiting, he scooped her up into his arms. She helped him by opening the back door. He carried her inside and promptly kicked it shut behind him, then took her to the bedroom and carefully lowered her onto his bed.

She’d seen his room once when he’d given her a tour of his house, but seeing it from the perspective of being flat on her back gave it a totally different vibe. Garrett had minimal decor. Just a king size bed, two nightstands on either side, and a long dresser on the opposite wall with a flat screen on it. He didn’t even bother pulling back the covers before climbing over her and resuming the delicious kiss he’d interrupted outside a few seconds ago.

She loved his passion and enthusiasm, but she was ready for something a little different. “I want to be on top this time,” she said, hoping he would be alright with that.

Without warning, he flipped them over so she was straddling his waist, and he was looking up at her with wonder and lust. “Better?” He asked, a crooked grin on his gorgeous face.

She could’ve stared at this man all night, but she was already so wet between her legs that the only thing she could think about was having him inside her again. “Maybe. I don’t suppose you have another condom handy?”

He rose up on his elbows, opened the top drawer of his bedside table and produced a box of one hundred. “I can do this all night,” he said, tore open one of the small square packages and started to sheath himself.

Reese snatched the condom from his hands. “Allow me.” He gave it to her, and she held it for a moment, as if contemplating changing her mind. Fat chance of that happening, but she did want to do something else first. She scooted down between his legs and without warning, sealed her lips around his shaft, taking him in until the tip hit the back of her throat. Then sucked as hard as she could.

Garrett gasped, his hips bucking into the air. “Reese!” He cried out.

She hummed at the pleasure she’d given him and wrapped her fingers around the lower half of his shaft. To say her man was well endowed was an understatement. No wonder he’d made her come like no other guy ever had. She swirled her tongue around his length as Garrett fisted the comforter. All the muscles in his abdomen and thighs tightened as he groaned his pleasure.

She doubled down on her efforts, bringing him right to the edge, tasting his musky sweet precum as it beaded on the tip, then carefully slowed her ministrations. She did that several more times until he was practically mindless with need. Then she sat up and smiled, taking her time to sheathe him, letting her fingers stroke and tickle their way down his shaft as his hips bucked up in search of her touch.

“Patience,” she teased, and he growled in response. She almost laughed at the sound, but instead she impaled herself on him, fast and hard. He threw his head back, arching his back, creating a deeper penetration as he let out a ragged breath and groaned. Yeah, she knew exactly how he felt because she was feeling it too. This was amazing. She pulled up until just his tip remained inside her opening then let gravity bring her down hard. He swore under his breath, and she did it again, and again.

“Fuck,” he ground out. “That feels too good.”

And it did. For her too. He placed both hands on her hips, supporting her up as she rode him, watching his face in the shadows as he basked in the pleasure. Heat rose in her belly, rising up from the depths of her core. Her nerve endings caught fire, momentarily stalling her thrusts, but Garrett took over, lifting and lowering her onto him with the same speed and veracity she’d been going, and her entire world exploded.

She cried out with pleasure and Garrett followed, his muscles tensing and pulsing around her through his grunts.

Completely spent and boneless, she collapsed onto the bed beside him. He removed the condom, tied it, and tossed it aside, then pulled her close, their legs tangling together, and his arms wrapped securely around her.

The room was light enough to just make out his features, but dark enough that she could barely see where she ended and he began. It was a heady feeling, and she liked it. Maybe even a little too much.

“That was…”

“Yeah,” Garrett said, his voice hoarse and soft. He kissed her temple. “Mine.” The quiet reminder sent warm tingles down her spine and she nuzzled in closer to him.

“Yours.”

They lay in each other’s arms, boneless and content for several long minutes until Garrett went to dispose of the condom and brought back a moist towel for her to clean up with. Then he crawled back into bed with her, surrounding her with his warmth and strength.

They must’ve fallen asleep in each other’s arms because the next thing she knew it was morning. The sun was shining brightly into the room making her squint from the light in her eyes. “Good morning,” Garrett said, his arms still wrapped around her. “How did you sleep?”

She smiled, loving the feeling of waking up with Garrett. “Better than I have in years. I like being in your arms. Being with you.” Her gaze naturally fell to his mouth, but it was getting harder and harder to avert her eyes from his. She wanted to see them, to know their true color, to feel connected with him in a way that could only happen when two people looked into each other’s eyes.

“Me too,” he said, pressing a kiss to her temple.

She traced the lines of the tribal tattoo on his shoulder, then moved up his neck to his cheek. He leaned into her touch and she pressed a kiss to his shoulder, right over the center of the tattoo. “I think I’m ready to look into your eyes.”

Garrett stiffened. “Are you sure?”

Reese nodded. “Yes. I probably should’ve already done it, but I’ve just been taking it slow, and protecting myself. The truth is that looking into strangers’ eyes is much easier than looking into the eyes of someone I care about and seeing something awful. It honestly terrifies me. But I can’t be with you and continue to hide away from the things that scare me.”

“What if you see something bad?” Garrett asked.

Reese’s stomach tightened into knots at the thought of anything happening to Garrett. “I’ve seen bad things before. It’s not that I can’t handle it.”

He brushed a hand across her face and kissed her temple. “I know. I just don’t want you to do anything that’s going to make you uncomfortable or cause you more distress.”

Reese sighed, wishing there was another way. “Garrett, I can’t be with someone and never look into their eyes. It might be hard the first time, especially if I see that you die of some illness or something equally awful, but hopefully you die of old age, surrounded by children and grandchildren. Then every time I look into your eyes, I’ll smile, knowing you live a good and happy life.”

Garrett tightened his hold on her. “You never stop amazing me, Reese.”

She had the feeling he wanted to say more, but she didn’t push him when he didn’t. There was a lot more she could’ve said too, like how she hoped those children and grandchildren would be theirs, but it was probably too soon for that. So instead, she just snuggled into him, content to spend the early morning hours wrapped in his arms.

A cell phone buzzed and Garrett groaned. “Doesn’t anyone sleep in anymore?”

Reese giggled as he reached for his bedside table and snatched the phone. He stared at the screen for a moment then smiled and put it down at his side. “Caden is inviting everyone over to his place tomorrow for a barbeque.”

Reese nodded but didn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure if everyone included her, and if it did, if she even wanted to go. Hanging out with the women in the dark, or even in a dimly lit bar was one thing, but being with them in broad daylight would be completely different. They would absolutely notice how she averted her eyes and it would undoubtedly make them uncomfortable. She’d have to brave looking into their eyes eventually, she just wasn’t quite ready to do it yet.

“And before you get any ideas, you’re coming,” Garrett said, as if reading her mind. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her. “I could practically hear your thoughts rumbling around in that beautiful head of yours.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, hanging out in your dark backyard or at a bar with soft lighting is one thing, but being out in broad daylight with everyone - they’re bound to notice how awkward I am when I’m always averting my gaze.”

Garrett sighed. “If you think they’re going to judge you or think less of you, then you don’t really know them. Besides, aren’t you and the women in like constant text message contact these days?”

She smiled. “Yes, but that’s different.”

“Stop,” Garrett chided gently. “If you can face a room full of teenagers five days a week, dealing with a few women who think the world of you and the guys who adore them should be a drop in the bucket.”

“It’s not the same. The kids - I’m their teacher. I don’t care what they think of me as long as they do their work. And they’re teenagers, so they’re too wrapped up in themselves to give me a second thought. But these people, your friends -”

“ Our friends, but go ahead,” Garrett interrupted her.

“I want them to like me -”

“Which they do,” Garrett said, once again interrupting her with a grin on his face. “But go on.” He waved a hand, gesturing for her to continue.

“And -” She stopped and sighed.

“And?” He nudged her. “Go on. Get it all out.”

She laughed. “I ran out of things to say. That was it. I just want them to like me.”

Garrett flipped them over until she was astride him. “If they liked you any more, I think I’d be jealous. It’s not like I haven’t noticed how often you talk to the women, and maybe I haven’t told you, but the guys ask about you all the time.”

That last part surprised her. “They do?”

Garrett nodded. “You made quite an impression on them, and I think they also sense how much I care about you. So, yeah. They ask how you’re doing, and if you’ve heard from Russell.” He paused for a second. “You’d tell me if you had, right?”