Page 56 of Guarding Grace (Hawk Security #2)

IF YOU LOVE SOMEONE, SET THEM FREE. IF THEY COME BACK, THEY’RE YOURS; IF THEY DON’T, THEY NEVER WERE. – RICHARD BACH

Grace (Ten days later)

Groggily, I blinked an eye open. Terry had converted me to sleeping in the nude, and nothing could be better than waking up in this bed with his arm over my waist, and his morning wood up against me.

Then that stupid bird started chirping again. Okay, there was a way it could be better—if Terry didn’t insist on leaving the window cracked open at night. That damned bird was way too cheerful, way too early in the morning. At least when winter came, he wouldn’t be waking me so early.

Terry shifted. “Morning, Kitten.”

“You’re awake?” Normally, I could tell when he woke by the change in his breathing.

“Yeah.” His hand slid up to cup my breast. “I wish that damn bird would shut up.”

Yes, waking up next to Terry was a hell of a lot better than sleeping alone. “I agree. If we shut the window, at least it would be quieter in here.”

“Fresh air is good for the soul.” It was the same line he’d used the last three times I’d suggested we close the window.

“If you know anybody who’s a Marine Corps scout sniper, maybe we can fix the problem another way.” I’d asked everybody what to do about the bird, without any usable suggestions.

His thumb circled my nipple. “I only shoot dirtbags who deserve it.”

Yes, my Marine was a good man .

I twisted to face him. “How about a milder solution like a slingshot?”

The move elicited a groan because he really liked to reach around me to handle my boobs. “Adopt a cat and put it in the tree.”

I moved on to the big problem. “Do we have to do the party tonight? My birthday’s not for another week.” I’d been fighting the idea of having my birthday party this weekend since Terry had sprung it on me two days ago.

“Baby, you know I have an out-of-town assignment, and I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. So, yes, it has to be this afternoon. I’m not missing your birthday party, and we’re not doing it late either.”

I reached down and wrapped my fingers around his cock. “Are you sure I can’t persuade you?”

“No, but I’d love for you to try.” He smiled as I pushed him over on his back and straddled him.

It might not change his mind, but I intended to personally thank my man, my protector, my lover anyway. Sliding my wet folds along his length, I raked my nails over his chest. “How about we see if we can make it an even better morning?”

“I like how you think,” he said as he twisted to reach the nightstand.

I pulled on his arm.

He gaze swung to me. “What?”

I couldn’t believe that after less than a month with this man I was about to take a step I never had before, but with Terry it felt right. “Can we skip… I mean, if you want?”

He pulled his arm back. “You want to take me bare?”

“I’m healthy, and I have a contraceptive shot. I’ve never… I mean, I want to…with you.”

“You’ve never done this before?”

I shook my head.

The emotion in his eyes shone through. “Me either. I’m clean, if you’re sure you want to.”

I nodded. Looking into the eyes of the man who’d sworn to always keep me safe, I’d never been more sure of anything in my life. If I couldn’t trust him, who could I trust?

His grin grew as he cupped my breasts. “Bring it on, baby.”

Rising, I positioned him at my entrance and got to work making it an even better morning for us both. I relished the times I got to be in charge, and I started slow, but quickly ramped up my pace. My moans matched his.

He lavished my breasts with his hands and mouth, occasionally tweaking my nipples as I rode him. Each downstroke filled the room with the slap of flesh on flesh. “Take what you want, baby. I love how slick you are. That’s it, baby. You’re so fucking beautiful.”

My pleasure amped up and up, tingles radiating throughout my body. I ground down on him again and again, watching the cords of his neck strain as he fought to hold back. I loved how he filled me, but I’d be damned if I didn’t make him lose control first.

He seemed to give in and began thrusting up into me with guttural grunts.

Close to the edge, I slowed down to hold back the white-hot release building within me—a climax that would destroy me. All I needed was a little longer to win by losing the race.

“That’s it, baby,” he grunted. “I can tell you’re close.” He wasn’t wrong. “Come for me.” He brought his thumb to my clit and strummed.

Without warning, I was in free fall over that edge and into the shudders of my release. My pussy fluttered around his cock as the waves flowed over me.

A second later, he pulled me down hard on him. He was a magnificent sight as muscles strained, a roar escaped, and he pulsed inside me. I dug my nails into his ass, urging him deeper.

I settled forward onto him, chest to chest with Rocket still inside me. “I love you, Marine.”

He ran his hand over my back. “Love you back, Kitten. Are you looking forward to your party?”

I listened to the beat of his heart, the heart I’d somehow won. “You know the answer to that, but for you, I’ll grin and bear it.”

“I think it’ll be much better than you think.”

I lifted up on my elbows. “Wait. You’re up to something.” I saw the very slight lift of the lips that gave him away. “What is it?”

He tweaked my nipple. “Just a good time.”

I knew badgering him wouldn’t get me the answer, so I’d have to resort to other means. Duke probably knew, which meant Serena knew.

He pulled me down for a nice hug. “I think you’ll have a good time. Dinner with people supporting you, what could be better?”

“Not having a party for the sole purpose of reminding me I’m getting older would be better.”

“You’re only getting better, and think of it as a celebration of having survived shootings and kidnappings.”

What was I supposed to say to a line like that?

When dinnertime arrived, I zipped up the leather motorcycle jacket Terry had bought me. “You know, I think this jacket is a good enough birthday present.”

Terry grunted as he slid into his. “I think you deserve more special things.” He was taking this birthday thing way more seriously than I wanted.

I cringed, realizing that things was the first solid clue I’d managed to get out of him. “Are you going to tell me now where it is?”

“You’ll see when we get there,” he answered in my helmet.

Serena had told me to expect Terry’s Hawk friends, but even she had clammed up when I asked her for more details.

Terry lifted his leg over the big bike and flipped up the kickstand.

I grabbed his arm as he helped me up and onto the tiny sliver of cushion behind him. Without a backrest, I would be dumped off the bike in an instant if I didn’t wrap myself tightly around him.

Terry started the beast and raised the garage door. We left the building sedately for once. Maybe that was one of my birthday presents.

Three blocks later, we stopped when the light ahead turned red. We were in the center of three lanes when a big, bearded, heavily tatted biker pulled alongside us on a louder-than-shit Harley. The woman behind him on the bike sneered at me.

Big Beard revved his engine several times, looking over at Terry.

“The idiot wants to race,” Terry said inside my helmet. “Should we embarrass him in front of his old lady?”

The other woman stuck her tongue out at me.

That was that. “Shit yeah.”

“Hold on tight.”

Big Beard revved his motor several more times.

When the light flashed green, we launched forward. A few seconds later, Terry let off the throttle.

When I looked back, we were way ahead of the Harley, and I waved.

I lost track of the route, but I recognized the restaurant we parked near. It was Cardinelli’s, the place where I’d been attacked that first night—the place where everything between us had changed. We were coming full circle.

Constance and Winston greeted us out front, and we were escorted to one of the private rooms off the side.

“There’s the birthday girl.” Duke’s voice boomed in the space as Serena rushed to hug me followed by her bear of a man and Terry’s sister, Deb.

“I tried to keep it from being all Hawk people, so I invited Marci, Peyton, and Paul from your work,” Serena said. “But Paul and Marci both had family things going on.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I tried.”

“No problem.” I hadn’t considered inviting anyone from work, thinking it seemed odd for a party with gifts.

Lucas, Jordy, and Hawk’s mechanic, Joe, arrived in a group, each granting me hugs and happy birthday wishes.

Jordy offered a jelly bean.

Nervous as all hell, I took it and started to chew. The hell with tooth decay.

Peyton arrived at about the same time as Zane. And I was surprised when Terry introduced me a little later to Lt. Marcus Wellbourne of the LAPD.

“Sorry to hear about your cousin,” the cop said.

“Thank you,” I answered. “He finally found trouble he couldn’t outrun.” It was an answer I could deliver without giving anything away.

Terry’s face was deadpan. At least he didn’t make a sick joke about him.

“Does she know?” Jordy asked Constance.

Winston punched him in the shoulder.

Jordy rubbed it.

I moved closer to Constance “Know what?”

Constance’s eyes darted to Winston. “What you’re having for dinner, I think?”

Something was definitely going on. I pivoted to Serena. “Know what?”

“How good the fettuccini is here,” she said like a practiced liar.

After trying Winston and getting an equally stupid answer, I gave up.

Dinner was fantastic, with great food and good company. Although, the table with the presents on it haunted me during the meal. I’d never been a good gift receiver.

We were almost done when the lieutenant leaned over to Lucas. “I thought you should know, the organized crime unit has news.”

Lucas looked up from his fish. “Okay?”

“Tony Russo died two days ago,” the cop said.

Conversation around us stopped.

Lucas was now laser-focused on Wellbourne. “How?”

“We don’t have an autopsy yet, but the doctor at the hospital said it looked like a poisoning.”