Page 17 of Tattered Souls (Whispering Falls #2)

Garrick

Later in the night, I woke up wanting her again.

And I meant what I said. If she turned into a harpy because I woke her up for sex, I wouldn’t get mad at her.

I was warned.

So, I did it.

I started it by kissing down her body, moving the covers as I did.

She slept on.

I grinned, and then, I got my mouth where I wanted it.

Right into the fucking promised land.

My tongue had just swiped over her clit when she moaned, and it was my motherfucking name. “Garrick.”

My chest swelled with pride as I flicked her clit again, and again.

My fingers spread her pussy open, and then I went to work.

Her hand moved down and grasped my hair, pushing my head down, but she didn’t have to do that. I wasn’t stopping until I had my fill, and she had an orgasm.

“Garrick,” she moaned.

I grinned against her pussy and kept flicking at her clit.

Sucking it into my mouth and swirling my tongue over it.

And when I pushed a finger into her pussy followed by a second finger, it clamped down.

I watched as she writhed on the bed riding out her orgasm.

And then once it was over, I lifted my head, and then moved up her body, and slowly entered her.

Long and slow.

She moaned, and grasped my biceps with her little fingers, her nails digging in.

Her eyes were closed, and that was alright.

This time.

I pulled out and pushed in again, circling my hips, hitting that spot inside of her.

And then it happened, her pussy clamped down around my cock and she came.

I came not even seconds after that, and then she smiled softly as she blinked her eyes open and whispered, “Best dream ever.”

I chuckled as I slowly pulled out of her and then pressed a kiss on her forehead.

After I used the bathroom and cleaned her up, I walked back to the bed.

I chuckled as she started snoring softly.

I fucked my woman into a coma.

Yeah, that was my thought, and that was that.

I just climbed back into bed, curled my body around hers, to which she snuggled into me, and I whispered, “I love you, Tatum.”

She didn’t hear me, but that was okay.

I’d tell her again in the morning.

***

It was a few days later, and Tatum had seen something on Pinterest that she wanted to make for her boss. It was her birthday later in the week.

Yeah, I had tried to give her my card, but she wouldn’t hear of it.

My brothers had just shown up to my place for football Sunday.

When Tatum tagged her bag and walked over to me, I asked, “You going to Michaels?”

“Michael? What the hell?” Alec asked.

Carter lifted a brow.

Ethan looked at me. “Brother, something you want to tell us?”

“You remember that?” she asked.

She was asking about the fact that she loved that store and loved to make handmade presents for people.

I winked at her, “Remember everything.”

She smiled.

Just that smile alone did something to me.

Then she nodded, “Yeah. Be back in an hour or so.”

I shook my head. “See you in three hours. Be careful. Love you.”

That was something I’ve been saying for days now. At least once a day, I told her that I loved her. She didn’t have to say it back.

I knew. I was patient.

And I was being patient because I had said it the morning after our first time when she was awake, and the way her body tensed... It told me all I needed to know.

Those three words were a weapon her father and Lance had used on her.

And I wouldn’t be like that. Not ever. Not to her.

She winked, then she bent her neck and pressed a kiss on the underside of my jaw.

That wasn’t going to work, which was why I tagged the bottom of her dress and caused her to stutter-step.

When she looked back at me, I lifted a brow. “Really?”

She giggled, bent, and then pressed a kiss on my lips. I wrapped my hand around the back of her neck and held her there as I ravished her mouth.

When I let go, she was breathing heavily. I winked.

Yes, I watched as her hips sashayed out of the house.

I looked at my brothers, along with Dominik and Bronson, and said, “Michaels. The fucking craft store, you idiots.”

Looks of worry and caution morphed into shock, and then I saw it... they felt stupid.

I wanted to laugh, but I didn’t.

It was a few minutes later when Carter asked, “How’s she doing?”

I nodded, “Good. Few things to still work on, but she’s coming out of her shell more.”

“Good, brother,” Carter said.

Dom grinned.

***

Yes, I had been right.

Tatum walked back into the house three hours later with bags in her hands.

I growled, “Seriously?”

She jerked to a stop, and fear slowly ebbed its way into her sable eyes.

I softened my tone. “Next time. Call me. You ain’t carrying bags.”

The fear slowly fled from her eyes, and then a smile slowly formed on her face.

Then she nodded.

The girls walked over to her, and then they all congregated at the kitchen table.

We were watching the game, calling out the bullshit calls the refs were making, as a bottle was placed in front of me.

I glanced at it, saw it, popped the top, and then looked back at the game.

Then she pressed a kiss on the top of my head and headed back to the kitchen table.

***

It was the next day, and I was replacing the mufflers on an old Cadillac when my phone pinged.

I tagged it, making sure it wasn’t Tatum.

Curmudgeon Text Thread

Alec – I’m cursed.

Me – No. You just think with your dick and not your brain.

I clicked the button and silenced notifications.

I’d read up to see what I missed later on tonight.

Then I got back to work.

My phone had pinged with a text from Tatum.

Tink – I’m headed home. What do you want for dinner?

Me – Whatever you want.

Me – Thank you for lunch.

Tatum had started ordering lunch for me and having it sent to the shop.

When she found out I didn’t have time to leave for lunch, she started doing it.

Tink – You're welcome.

I had just closed the door to the house when Tatum tagged the remote and changed it.

I lifted a brow as I tugged off my tee. “Why’d you turn it?”

“I doubt you’d like it.” She said shyly.

She was slowly coming out of that protective shield she kept around her, and I loved seeing it.

Couldn’t wait for her to really embrace who she was always meant to be.

But I was a patient man.

And if being patient was the price I had to pay to see this woman fully fucking shine... I’d pay it a million times over.

Cause I know that when she gets to that point, she’s not just going to shine bright for me, she’s going to shine bright for the whole world.

Except... maybe it wouldn’t be such a good thing for that to happen.

I really will be beating the brakes off people left and right.

But as I stood there watching her fiddle with her glass of pop and the chip bag, yeah, bring all that shit on.

I moved into the living room, tagging my phone in my pocket and flicking it on silent.

I walked to the back of the couch and said, “How about an impromptu date night? I’m going to hop in the shower. Mind having me a beer sitting on the table and the show you were watching queued up?”

Her head tilted to the side, strands of her soft black hair falling in front of her face.

At her nod, I winked. Then I saw the timer on the oven.

“Dinner?” I asked.

She nodded, “Yeah, it’s that pasta cheesy chicken bake with broccoli.”

I moaned, damn, but I couldn’t wait. She even crushed Ritz crackers and crumbled them on top.

After my shower, I took the beer she offered, and the plate she handed me, and then I followed her to the couch.

I lifted my chin, “Turn it back on, baby.”

She bit her lip but did as I asked.

And I sat there as I ate three servings and watched a show called Charmed .

By the fourth episode, I was getting into it. It was pretty cool. The three sisters kicked ass, and the warlocks were cool as shit.

She giggled at my commentary and laughed when I shook my head at some scenes.

All in all, it had been a quiet night at home.

***

We were on our way to my parents’ house for our bi-weekly family dinner.

“I need to get it cut,” she murmured as the wind blew all around her into the open window.

I glanced at her, looked at her hair, and shrugged, “If that’s what you want to do.”

Hesitantly, she asked, “You don’t care?”

I shook my head. “Your hair, Tink. You want to cut it, go for it. Just ask that you not change the color too much. Love your hair, baby.”

She nodded, “I’ll leave it then.”

I shook my head, then pulled over to the side of the road, ignoring a few horns that blared at me. “Tink, baby, I love you. I love everything about you. I’ll love whatever you do to your hair. I just like the softness of it, and the way it feels when it glides over my chest.”

She stared into my eyes like she always did when she wanted to ascertain whether I was being honest with her or not.

She didn’t realize that I was always honest with her.

And I always would be.

She must have seen whatever she wanted to, because she smiled, then nodded, and yeah, that smile... it went straight to my dick.

I groaned, “Can’t smile at me like that, Gorgeous.”

She lifted a brow, yeah, there’s that shield falling a little bit more.

I groaned as I adjusted my cock and then checked the road and pulled back on it.

Which caused her to giggle, and because my hand was resting on her thigh, I pinched her.

She jumped and then started laughing.

***

I watched as mom looked behind Alec, and then she lifted a brow. “No woman?”

He looked at Tatum, then back at her. “No, Mom. Done with women for a while. I ever bring another one. I’ll be serious about her.”

Mom’s eyes went to Tatum, and the apology was clear in her gaze.

She was glad that Alec was doing that, and yet, she hated that it took Tatum getting hurt for that to happen.

Just then, I moved in and wrapped my arm around her side, my hand landing on her hip, letting her know I was there.

After that, dinner flowed like it always did.

Ethan and Melanie were sitting together.

Bronson, Madalyn, and Cole were sitting beside Lila and Madalyn had her head bent, giggling at something Lila had said.

Dom was there, eying Talia for some reason.

I’d ask him about it later.

Mom and Dad had decided to keep Madalyn, Cole, Melanie, and Granger for the night and shooed us all off.

We all looked at one another, and it was Bronson who said, “Virgin Mary’s?”

And that was how we all ended up at the bar.

And I was about to slam some motherfuckers face into the bar top if he watched my woman’s ass one more time as she passed by.

Tatum caught my look and growled at me.

I narrowed my eyes at her and glared.

She threw her hands up in the air.

There it was, that little shield slipping further down.

Bring it on, Tink.

Cause I want it all.

“What do you want me to do about it?” she asked.

“You can tell that motherfucker that if he looks at you like you’re his one more goddamned time, I’m going to reach into his chest and rip out his fucking heart.”

She sighed, “Seriously?”

I shrugged, then took a pull from my beer, “Heart doesn’t beat, ain’t gotta worry ‘bout him.”

That was when Tatum shook her head and then started giggling.

***

It had taken me a few weeks to find somewhere that sold it all earlier in the year, but I had.

And I couldn’t wait to see my woman’s face.