Garrett

  And, damn...he was right.

  So I promised...I wouldn't hide anything from him again. I promised that after he made it clear that I couldn't waste my energy on worrying about him, and that I needed to give him the benefit of the doubt, that he could handle this and still be a competitive hockey player.

  So, why do I still want to slap some sense into his stubborn head? Because he's acting like I'm still lying up in the hospital. He's refusing to see that I'm fine...all better. Back having energy, feeling great, and so ready to have him fuck me the way he has before.

  Instead, I suffered excuse after excuse of him putting me off.

  The day he got back...okay, I understood that. I had just been released from the hospital, so I was fine to just let him hold me that night.

  The next night, I got that too. He said he didn't want to overexert me and that maybe we needed to wait another day. Just to make sure that all my strength was back and I wasn't overtaxed.

  The third, fourth, and fifth days were impossible to have sex with him because he went on a short three-day road trip and I had to make do with my memories. Which was incredibly frustrating.

  But I reached my breaking point last night when Garrett flew in late and showed up at my apartment. I was primed and ready to have some raunchy, headboard-banging sex. Instead, he gave me some bullshit that he was "too tired" from the road trip and just wanted to get a good night's sleep. He gave me a sweet kiss on my forehead and melded my body to his, but did nothing more than hold me gently all night.

  Gah...so fucking frustrating.

  But I'm done with that. As soon as he shows up tonight, I'm attacking him, and if he tries to put me off, there's going to be holy hell to pay.

  --

  Garrett knocks on the door, but I don't get up from the bed. Instead, I smile to myself and hold firm onto my patience. He only knocks once more before I hear the door open and him call out, "Olivia?"

  "I'm back here...in the bedroom," I call back.

  I'm not prepared for the sound of Garrett crashing down the hallway. He hurls himself through my door, eyes wild. "Are you okay?"

  He takes one look at me and his jaw drops. The fear on his face melts away and his eyes go hot with lust.

  That's because I'm lying naked on the bed with one hand on my breast and the other between my legs. I even have my hair in the braids that he so adores. Giving him a sultry smile, I say, "I'm fine. More than fine, I'd say."

  "What are you doing?" he croaks uncertainly, even as his eyes roam all over me. I feel a flash of feminine power when his tongue comes out to swipe at his lower lip.

  "You know what I'm doing," I purr at him. "Getting myself ready for you."

  For a split second, I think he might attack. It's what I want...what I need. His hands open and close, fisting hard, and he actually takes one tiny step toward me. But then his jaw tightens and he stops. "Um...I thought we'd go out to dinner. I'm starved. So, why don't you get dressed and we'll go get something to eat. And maybe later...if you're not too tired--"

  "Oh, for fuck's sake," I snarl at Garrett as I partially sit up on the bed, supporting myself on my elbows. "I'm not tired, I'm not sick, and I don't need you to be careful with me. I'm horny as hell and I need you to get over here and do something about it."

  Garrett blinks at me...eyes as wide and round as an owl's. Indecision masks his face, so I decide to help move him along.

  "Do you not find me attractive?" I murmur.

  His eyes soften and he tilts his head. "You know I do. The most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

  "Don't you want me the way I want you?" I ask, lying back down and sliding my hand down my stomach.

  He doesn't respond, but his eyes latch on to my movement, watching my hand's descent intently. I reach the promised land and start moving my fingers in a gentle circle. Damn, that feels good, but I'd rather have Garrett's hand there. He swallows hard and watches me play with myself.

  My breath puffs out and I reach up to pinch a nipple with my free hand. "Mmmm," I moan softly.

  "Christ," Garrett mutters as he takes a step toward me, never taking his eyes off my body.

  "I'm only going to say this once, Garrett, so please listen carefully."

  His eyes snap up to mine and my breath hitches from the unbridled lust I see in his gaze. He looks dangerous...which is exactly what I wanted to achieve.

  "We are done with you treating me so carefully. I am fine...healthy...and I'm horny." I pull my hand from between my legs and reach under my pillow to pull out the condom I had tucked under there a bit ago. I fling it at him and it hits him square in the chest. He bobbles it, but then manages to keep hold of it. "Now...I demand you put that thing to use, and I demand you do it hard...rough...completely out of control. I need it that way, and you're just the man to give it to me."

  Garrett's lips curve upward slightly and he stalks to the edge of the bed. I glance down his body and see his cock is pushing hard against his jeans, so I know my words and actions have affected him nicely. I know without a doubt he most definitely still wants me.

  "You want it hard?" he asks in a low rumble that causes my pulse to skyrocket.

  "Yes," I whisper. "I want it all."

  Rubbing his thumb over the silver foil of the condom thoughtfully, he asks, "But are you ready?"

  "See for yourself," I challenge him.

  His eyes flash nuclear, then darken, and his smile turns sinful. His hand shoots out straight between my legs and he cups me gently. I hold my breath, feeling the pounding of my heartbeat like a bass drum. Garrett drags his fingers up my center, then slides two fingers inside me.

  I release my breath in a massive gust and push my hips up...urging him on further.

  "You are most definitely ready," he murmurs in affirmation as he watches his own fingers moving within me. "So wet for me."

  "Because I've missed you," I tell him, and his gaze swivels toward mine.

  "I've missed you too," he says gruffly. "Missed being buried deep inside of you."

  "Let's rectify that," I whisper.

  Garrett leans over the bed, resting each of his hands at the side of my head. He lowers down and presses his mouth to mine, giving me a soft kiss that is intensely moving. I sigh with happiness.

  Inching his hands inward, Garrett wraps his fingers around each braid...right at the base close to my head. He pulls away from my lips, lifting straight up and pulling on my braids at the same time. My upper body has no choice but to follow, and I relish the slight sting to my scalp. He pulls me right to the edge of the bed until I'm in a kneeling position before him.

  Releasing his hold on me, he places the condom against my chest and I automatically reach to grab it from him.

  "Put it on me," Garrett says thickly as he undoes his jeans and pulls his cock out. "Then I'll fuck you hard."

  A tremor of need races through my body and I feel a little light-headed. My hands shake as I open the condom packet and try not to drool over the impressive shaft hovering just in front of my lips. I try to ignore it...just ignore it.

  Oh, damn. No ignoring that. I bring one hand up and grasp Garrett at the base of his cock, giving a little tug to pull him forward while I lean in to him.

  "Oh, hell, no," Garrett says as he pulls away from me, snatching the condom out of my hand. "My girl said she wants a hard fucking, and I'm on a mission."

  I start to giggle, but the feral look in Garrett's eyes stops me. He swoops the condom on so quickly, I'm not even sure how he managed to do it, then lays a big hand in the middle of my chest. With a slight push he says, "Get on your back and open up those pretty legs for me."

  "Oh, jeez," I mutter as I fall backward on the bed, spreading my legs just as he asked me to. "That's so hot."

  Garrett gives me a quick smirk and then falls on top of me...still fully clothed while I'm completely naked. Raising my legs up, he stares at me just a moment before plunging deep into me. I cry out over the invasion because it's the best thing that I've ever felt
and then cry out again when he pulls out and slams back in.

  "This might bruise a bit," Garrett rumbles just before he slams his mouth down on mine. His hips piston wildly against me, slamming in and out in the hardest fucking he's ever given me. His tongue lashes against mine, and he bites at my lips.

  God, I so needed this. Exactly like this.

  Because he makes me feel alive. He makes me feel everything.

  Garrett drives into me harder, drives me higher and higher. His breath pants into my mouth, his fingers dig into my legs as he holds them up. He overwhelms me and I don't ever want him to stop.

  "Baby...I'm going to come," he gasps against my lips. "Tell me you're close."

  "So close," I moan.

  Pulling his face away from mine but never missing a beat with his thrusts, he stares down at me. I can feel him tunneling in and out of my body, but it's his eyes that have me so turned on right now. Warm, tender...filled with something that I've never seen on another man's face. He may be taking me hard and fast, but his eyes tell me something else. They tell me that he cherishes me and would never hurt me for the world.

  My orgasm slams into me violently...completely unexpected, because there was no delicious buildup. No, the minute I accepted what Garrett was showing me in his eyes, I blew apart into a million warm and fuzzy pieces of contentment.

  Arching my back, I let out a long moan of satisfaction. That's all it takes, and Garrett is following me, pushing back in deep one last time, and then his entire body shudders in ecstasy. He never takes his eyes off mine. Just stares at me as we both quake and rumble against each other.

  Garrett releases my legs and brings his elbows down to the mattress so he can support his weight. He remains lodged deep inside me, and I flex my muscles to give an extra squeeze.

  Smiling, he dips his head and brushes his lips against mine. "Was that what you wanted?"

  Looping my arms around his neck, I pull him all the way down on me. "Yeah...that's what I wanted."

  "Guess I've been acting a little foolish, huh?" he asks with a sheepish grin.

  "I'm not going to break," I tell him with an understanding smile. "I'm strong. You know that, right?"

  "Strongest woman I know," he affirms. "Doesn't mean I won't treat you with care."

  "You treated me with care just now. Rough care, but care all the same. Because you cared what I wanted. What I needed."

  He doesn't say anything for a moment but rather nuzzles his face into my neck. The stubble on his face abrades my skin, sending cascading prickles all over me. When he pulls back up, he says, "I can't help that I worry. But if I overstep...you need to tell me. If I understep...you need to tell me too. Okay?"

  "Okay," I agree, and then lift my head up to kiss him. "It's a deal."

  Chapter 23

  Garrett

  For a moment, I think I'm dreaming as I hear the faint notes of Buckcherry's "Crazy Bitch" playing through my mind. But I start to come awake and realize with a start it's my ringtone for Alex.

  I blindly grab at my phone on the nightstand, having to dislodge Olivia's body off mine a bit to reach it. I open a bleary eye and see it's almost four A.M.

  "Hello," I croak into the phone and give a short cough to clear the sleep from my throat.

  "Garrett...it's Alex," he says. I scrub my hand over my face and lay my head back down on my pillow. I'm so tired, because Olivia and I ended up christening a few places in my house last night, so we didn't get to sleep until just a few hours ago. After an afternoon game against the New York Vipers, we spent the evening back at my house just hanging and...well, fucking. I think we're both feeling the pressure of her next treatment looming close.

  "Yeah, I know who it is. Why the fuck are you calling me so early?"

  "Garrett," Alex says, and his voice breaks. I've never heard Alex sound this way, and I immediately sit straight up in bed, which wakes Olivia up. I hear her grunt and then she's sitting up beside me.

  "What's wrong?" I ask as I lean over to turn on the bedside light, now fully awake with adrenaline coursing through my body. Olivia lays a hand on my leg and I glance down at her to see worry in her eyes. She can tell by the tone of my voice that whatever Alex is getting ready to lay on my doorstep, it's not going to be good.

  "Andre just called. Zack's been a car accident," he says quietly.

  "Fuck." I groan and swing my legs over to the edge of the bed. "How bad is it?"

  I hear Olivia scrambling out of the bed on the other side, and when I turn to face her, I see her quickly pulling on her clothes.

  "He's in surgery now. He has a broken wrist."

  My heart rate immediately calms down, because while a broken wrist is bad, he's still alive, and more important, that's not necessarily a career-ending injury.

  Letting out a breath of relief, I say, "Well...it could have been worse. What the hell happened?"

  "It is worse," Alex murmurs, and I'm once again filled with dread. "Gina was with him...she didn't make it."

  "What?" I yell into the phone, and Olivia crawls back onto the bed, coming up behind me and wrapping her arms around my shoulders. She squeezes me, laying her chin on my shoulder because she can tell from my side of the conversation that something bad has happened. "Christ...she's dead?"

  "Yeah...apparently, she was dead at the scene. I don't know all the details, but I'm heading to the hospital now. I told Andre I'd call you, and the team is all going to meet there. He's at Raleigh Memorial."

  "I'm on my way," I say just before disconnecting the call.

  I sit there for a moment with my head bowed, my mind spinning over this. I've never been on a team before where someone has lost a loved one. Alex and I are pretty close to Zack and Gina, and they're almost like an extended family. My stomach churns and my chest hurts for Zack.

  And oh, God. Poor Benjamin.

  "What happened?" Olivia asks quietly.

  I raise one hand and place it over her arm, giving it a short squeeze before I stand up. She releases her hold on me, and I turn to face her as she kneels on the bed, fully dressed. "Zack and Gina were in a car accident. Zack's in surgery...broken wrist, but Gina didn't make it."

  Olivia's eyes fill with tears, and I realize this is the first time I've seen her cry. Despite all the shit that has been thrown at her, I've never seen her cry before and it kills me. I reach out and pull her into my arms, cupping the back of her head and pressing it to my chest.

  "I'm so sorry," she says as her tears wet my skin. "Just so fucking sorry."

  Brushing my lips across her temple, I hold her for a few minutes more before releasing her. "I have to get to the hospital."

  "I'm coming too," she says hastily, crawling off the bed.

  Pulling on my jeans, I give her a half-smile. "You don't have to. Why don't you crawl back in bed and get some more sleep? I'll call you later when I know something."

  Giving me a stern look, Olivia sits on the edge of the bed to pull her shoes on. "Remember our talk a few weeks ago...when you hated the fact that you can't be here with me for my treatments. It's the same for me. I want to be there for you when you need support."

  I don't even think to argue with her. Hell, I don't want to argue with her, because honestly...I'm scared fucking shitless right now and I don't know how to process what's happened. Gina was a good friend, Zack an even better one. I don't know how to look at Zack now and see the pain in his eyes. I actually need Olivia by my side.

  --

  The whole team and their significant others take up the entire surgical waiting room, even spilling out into the hallway. Coach Pretore and Andre Brassard, our team's captain, are with the surgeon now...talking quietly in the corner as he explains what happened during the surgery to repair Zack's wrist.

  Zack's parents have been notified and are flying in from Nova Scotia. Gina's parents...fuck, what a mess. They were still here visiting and, in fact, had been at home with Benjamin last night while Zack and Gina had gone out for some alone time. They were on thei
r way home around midnight when the accident happened. We still don't know the details of what happened, but one thing is clear. Zack had his seat belt on and Gina didn't. When the car rolled, she was thrown out. Coach Pretore told us that she was dead at the scene, most likely from injuries to her head.

  I felt bile rise up in my throat when I heard that, and Olivia shuddered in my arms.

  Mely Brassard and a few of the other wives are over at Zack and Gina's house right now to take care of Benjamin, because, fuck...you know Gina's parents are destroyed right now. Everything seems so wildly out of control, and it makes me feel restless and edgy.

  The only soothing balm is the fact that Olivia sits next to me in the waiting room, her hand grasping mine tightly and her head on my shoulder. She's been quiet for the most part, but then again...most everyone in here is.

  As I think about Zack...I can't imagine the pain he's going to be in when he finds out Gina's dead. He was unconscious at the scene and taken immediately into surgery. He's in recovery now, but I expect Coach Pretore will be the one to go in and tell him.

  I think about Olivia...and what were to happen to me if she died, and just the mere thought of it causes a sharp stab of pain to lance through my chest. I immediately banish it from my mind, because there's no way she's dying. I've known Olivia only a few months, and I know it would be agony if I were to lose her. I can't imagine how tortured Zack will be...they've been together for years and have a son. It's just inconceivable.

  I watch as the surgeon leaves and Coach Pretore and Andre talk a little bit more by themselves. Finally, Coach turns away and walks into the middle of the room. Andre steps out into the hallway and calls the rest of the team in. We all file in, filling the room up with our brawn. Most of us have our arms around our wives or girlfriends, everyone needing to hang on to someone for support. Olivia's hand tightens in mine, and I glance over at Alex as he stands behind Sutton, his body almost wrapped all the way around her.

  "Zack is out of surgery and did fine. He's got some plates in his wrist, and he's probably going to be out for the first part of the season. The coaching staff and I will figure out how to replace him on his line."

  Coach Pretore rubs a hand over his tired face, and he's choked up when he says, "Needless to say...that's not the real tragedy. We lost a member of our family and all of you knew Gina...she was a devoted mother and a kind, selfless woman. Zack's going to have a hard road ahead of him. I know he'll be stronger because he has this team's support. I have no clue what's going to happen this upcoming week with our game schedule. We have the home game on Tuesday but are supposed to fly out Thursday for a game in Pittsburgh. I'm expecting we may need to cancel with a makeup game, depending on when Gina's funeral is going to be. I'll have to talk to Zack and her parents. Until then...Zack's not going to be able to see anyone tonight, so I suggest you all go home and get some rest."