All Cried Out (All Falls Down Book 2)

by Ayden K. Morgen

  I'm so fucking proud of her in this moment, I want to pluck her up and kiss her senseless right here and now. Instead I lean forward and brush my lips gently across the corner of her mouth, trailing them along her cheek. Her scent surrounds me when I put my lips to her ear, making my cock twitch.

  "I can't wait to see that dress on our bedroom floor while I'm inside you, beautiful girl," I whisper, pitching my voice low so no one overhears. My words are for her alone.

  A little gasping moan breaks from her lips and her body shudders against mine when I pull her earlobe between my teeth and bite gently. I pull back with a smile, loving the way her pupils dilate and her flush deepens.

  "Jared," she mouths, licking her lips and staring at me with that look on her face again. The one that wrecks me every single time I see it from her. The one that tells me she's mine in every way and doesn't regret a moment of it.

  I groan quietly and drop my forehead to hers, trying to find the strength to get through this evening before I take her home and make love to her. It's only a few hours. I can do that. I think.

  "She's so happy today," Katrina says, leaning across our table to whisper to me. Her eyes are locked on Savannah, who's sitting beside me, talking animatedly with Demetri's parents on her other side.

  "I know."

  Little puffs of laughter come from Savannah every few seconds as Marcus tells her about my brother's comical first deep-sea fishing expedition with him and Demetri. My girl doesn't have a care in the world, and I can't take my eyes off of her.

  "We're going dress shopping tomorrow," Alicia informs me.

  I swallow hard, almost choking on my wine.

  Lexi laughs quietly from across the table. "Breathe, Jared," she teases me.

  I shoot her a dirty look when I see the amused smirk on her face.

  She merely grins at me, relaxed for the first time all evening. She's been tense, her frustrated gaze drifting to Evans at her side every few seconds. Evans is behaving himself, chatting easily with my parents, Grayson, and Maddi, seemingly sparing Lexi no attention. It's an act though. As soon as her eyes move away from him, his are on her, appreciation in his dark gaze.

  I have a feeling things are going to get interesting for both of them soon. I've looked at Savannah the same way since the moment she crashed into me at the airport the day she flew home from Italy. If she's in the room, my eyes are on her.

  I doubt Lex and Evans realizes what's going on between them yet, but they will soon enough. I think he could be good for her, if she lets him in.

  My gaze drifts back to Savannah when a loud laugh breaks from her lips. She holds her stomach, doubled over with Portia, both of their eyes watering as Chris breaks into Marcus's story to defend himself.

  "No one told me I was going to be wrestling a fucking shark in a tiny boat in the middle of the Pacific! The damn thing came out of the water like Jaws. I swear to God, even the music played," he says and then hums the Jaws theme at the top of his lungs.

  "Oh my god, stop!" Savannah pleads, wiping tears from her eyes, which prompts Demetri to silence Chris with a kiss.

  "I can't wait to see her in a wedding dress," I murmur. My mouth goes bone dry at the thought, and I'm hard all over again. Christ. How am I supposed to survive the next two months?

  "Two months," Kit says as if reading my mind.

  She, Alicia, and Lexi laugh when a big, dopey grin spreads across my face.

  "Make sure she gets whatever she wants tomorrow," I request of Kit, knowing damn well Savannah will choose what she thinks she can have instead of what she wants if left to her own devices. I want her in the dress of her dreams, one she'll remember for the rest of our lives. It'll be the only wedding dress she ever wears.

  "We've got it under control," Lexi promises.

  I blink, caught off guard. "You're going with them?"

  "Of course." Lexi shifts uncomfortably, her gaze darting to Savannah and then back to me. She offers me a tiny smile, and I know she heard me yesterday, that she's trying to let go and reclaim her friendship with my girl.

  "You are?" Savannah spins in her seat to face Lexi, her eyes wide and hopeful.

  Lexi stares at her for a moment and then smiles again. "I wouldn't miss it," she says.

  A giant smile spreads across Savannah's face. She flings her arms around my neck and presses her lips to my cheek. That vanilla and sex scent hits me like a fist, and I can't take it anymore. The events of the last two days crash through me at once. The control I've barely been clinging to all evening snaps.

  I need her. Now.

  Shoving my chair back, I stand abruptly and hold a hand out to her. She blinks at me, surprised, as conversation around the table stalls, and then she places her hand in mine. I pull her up, nod at our family, and tell them we'll be right back.

  Chris snickers as I practically drag Savannah away from the table, breathing hard.

  "Jared?" she asks as I stride through the crowd, paying no attention to the curious stares tossed our way. "Where are we going?"

  I turn toward the secondary exit to the tent, the one leading away from the house, and hurriedly slip through, her hand wrapped in mine. I slow on the cobblestones outside so she doesn't trip in her heels, and quickly drag her around the side of the tent toward the pool house. As soon as we're out of sight of the tent, I back her up against the wall. My mouth crashes down on hers. I'm so hard, it hurts.

  "Need you," I mumble against her mouth before pulling her bottom lip between my teeth and biting gently. My hands are all over her, trying to touch every part of her at once. My heart races, blood rushing through my veins in a dull roar.

  "Oh," Savannah moans when I press into her, letting her feel how hard I am for her.

  I quickly free my cock from my pants, hissing in relief when the zipper no longer digs into me through my boxers. "Lift," I mumble, my mouth on her neck, as I grasp her ass in my hands and squeeze, shoving her dress up.

  She wraps her legs around my waist, and even through her panties, I feel how wet she is.

  A groan tumbles from my lips. "I can't wait," I tell her, pushing her panties to the side and running a finger through her folds. I need to be inside her now or I'm going to lose my mind. "Please."

  "Yes," she says instantly, the one word I need to hear.

  "Hold on to me."

  Her arms tighten around my neck as I line myself up with her.

  "Jared!" she cries out when I bury myself inside of her in one deep thrust. Her head falls back against the wall with a thump, her nails digging into my shoulders through my tuxedo jacket.

  I take her hard and fast, pounding into her while she moans and cries out my name. I want her out of that dress and riding me so badly, I can't stand it. Burying my face in her throat, I nip and bite at her skin while I take her against the wall. My hands dig into the firm globes of her ass, guiding her up and down on my cock.

  "Fuck," I grunt when she tugs at my hair. I'm so close. "You look so perfect in that dress, Savannah. It was driving me out of my mind." I rake my teeth across her earlobe, biting into the skin of her throat. "Come for me, love. I have to feel it."

  "Jared," she pants, "more."

  "More?"

  "Yes. Please."

  I growl loudly at her breathy plea, so lost in her, I can barely breathe. I don't question it, don't question her. I give her what she asked for, trusting her to tell me if it's too much. My grip on her tightens as I slam myself into her over and over, pressing her body into the wall with each forceful thrust.

  She writhes against me, begging for more, more, more.

  I give her everything I have, fucking her hard, harder than I ever have before. And it's good, so good I damn near lose it entirely when her teeth sink into my shoulder to muffle her screams, her body gripping mine tightly as she comes hard around me.

  "Savannah!" I come on a roar, grinding her down onto me as everything inside me tightens and then explodes in a rush.

  Christ, what is this girl doing to me?r />
  My head drops forward, resting between her breasts as I try to come down, panting. She's wrapped around me, little moans still whispering from her lips as her orgasm slowly recedes.

  When I can breathe again, I press a gentle kiss to her heart and ease back.

  She meets my gaze, her face little more than a shadow, but her eyes shine with affection, and the sated smile on her face is priceless. I don't even question if I pushed her too far. The look she's giving me tells me clearly that she enjoyed every minute of what we just did together.

  "I love you," I murmur, slowly easing out of her before setting her back on her feet.

  She steadies herself against me, wrapping her arms around my waist and burying her face in my shoulder. "You make me so happy," she says quietly.

  My heart swells.

  "What happened today?" she asks a few moments later.

  "Nothing much," I say carefully. "Richardson is keeping me on the Talbot case for the time being, just to keep an eye on things until we're sure everything is settled." It's not exactly a lie, though it comes damn close.

  "Oh. Are they going to fire you?"

  "Not yet."

  She sighs softly.

  "Hey." I tip her chin up with a fingertip. "No matter what happens, I'm happy, love. I have you, and that's all I need. Don't forget that."

  She scrutinizes my expression for a moment, looking like she wants to argue, but then she nods once and smiles bravely. "Okay."

  "Have fun?" Chris teases when Savannah and I slip back into the tent hand in hand several long moments later. Dinner is over and guests mingle in groups. The string quartet has cleared out, making way for a small band, which plays more current music. A few couples have made their way to the dance floor. They sway back and forth as the band's female lead croons into her microphone.

  "Yes, we did," Savannah says primly. She meets my brother's gaze head-on even though a blush rises in her cheeks.

  Chris blinks as if he didn't expect her to answer and then throws his head back and laughs loudly, reaching out to hug her. "Jared's lucky I'm gay and in love," he whispers loud enough for me to hear. "I'd totally have stolen you from him if I wasn't."

  I grumble and pull her away from him. He thinks he's funny.

  "You look lovely, Savannah," Demetri says, humor in his dark eyes when Chris winks at my girl and waggles his brows.

  "Thank you." She smiles at him. "You look pretty good yourself. Are you ready for your honeymoon?"

  "Hell yeah!" Chris answers. "Seven full days of him naked on the beach in the Caribbean."

  Demetri shakes his head at my brother and grins. "What he said."

  We chat for several moments before I tug Savannah toward the dance floor. She bites her lip and eyes me uncertainly.

  "I've got you," I promise, pulling her into my arms. She relaxes as soon as the words leave my lips and allows me to twirl her around, her head on my shoulder as I hum in her ear.

  "You're going dress shopping tomorrow," I say quietly, just for her.

  She nods against me.

  "Two months until you're all mine, beautiful girl."

  "I can't wait," she whispers, lifting her head. The look she gives me then takes my breath away all over again.

  I kiss her hard. Melinda, Toby McKee, the media, and all the bullshit threatening to rip our world apart disappears for a moment as we twirl around the dance floor, whispering and laughing. I lose myself completely in her, and it's perfect. Everything about her is just… perfect.

  The rest of the evening passes in a blur of laughter and enchanting smiles from my girl. When we finally make it home, I do exactly what I told her I intended to do: leave that dress on our bedroom floor while I make love to her again and again.

  My name still echoes in the corners of the room when we fall asleep.

  Chapter Seven

  Airplanes

  "Cameron Lewis, please," I say to the officer standing at the desk right inside San Francisco's Northern Precinct office, holding my shield up for him to see. It's just after ten in the morning, and I'm irritable as hell. Savannah is out with the girls, shopping for her dress, and it's driving me crazy that I can't be there to keep an eye on her. I try to take comfort in the fact that Evans went with them, but damn if that helps any.

  The officer on desk duty glances up from the newspaper spread out before him, a bored look on his face. Recognition flares in his eyes as he takes me in, his gaze lingering on my shield before he jerks his head toward the back of the precinct. "He's in his office. Down the hall, take a left, then the first door on the left."

  I grunt my appreciation and head that way. A strong coffee odor burns at my nose as I make my way around the desk, take a left and rap sharply on Lewis's door.

  "It's open!" he yells.

  I push my way inside to find him leaning over his desk, paperwork spread everywhere. He looks harried with his dark hair all over the place and his sleeves rolled up his arms, showing off the tribal tattoos across his biceps. When he glances up and sees me, wariness flickers through his gray eyes before he schools his expression.

  "Corbit," he says.

  "Lewis." I stroll inside, maneuvering around the stack of books piled in the floor, and take the only other seat in his small office. Reaching into my pocket, I pull out the security photograph of Toby McKee and slide it across the desk.

  Lewis glances at it momentarily before looking at me again.

  "Toby McKee is in California," I say succinctly. "He's wanted for the attempted murder of Madeline Talbot and the assault of my fiancée. This was taken two days ago at the border. They let him cross."

  Lewis doesn't react to the news, his eyes trained on the photo in front of him.

  "Melinda Martin is also in town," I continue, tapping my bottom lip with my index finger. "She claims she's only here to see Savannah, but I'd like to know where the hell she's been for the last eight years, and why she's suddenly interested in reuniting with Savannah now."

  Lewis is silent for a long moment before he curses loudly, frustration stamped across his face. And I feel sorry for him, really I do. The last thing anyone wants to deal with is a pushy fiancé on a case turning out to be anything but a simple attempted burglary. But this is Savannah we're talking about, and I'm not willing to let San Francisco P.D. dick around with her safety.

  "You needed suspects for the attempted break-in," I say quietly, "and now you have them."

  "Yeah," Lewis grunts, tossing McKee's photo to the side to fish through the paperwork piled around him. He snatches a thick folder out, gives it a cursory glance, and then holds it out to me.

  I take it and immediately flip it open. The first page is a single, handwritten column of familiar names. Melinda Martin and Toby McKee are at the top, followed by everyone I've helped arrest in the last five years. The other pages are print-outs from the National Crime Information Center and the California Crime Information Center, detailed criminal history reports on everyone listed on the previous page.

  "Nathan Richardson was in here yesterday," Lewis says with a heavy sigh, running a hand through his unruly hair. "He didn't know about the mother, but he gave us the information on McKee. We've already sent it to our patrol guys, and put an area-wide BOLO out for McKee."

  Relief courses through me with the confirmation that Lewis is taking this seriously.

  "How can I help?" I ask, leaning forward. "And don't tell me to go home and twiddle my fucking thumbs. Until McKee is no longer an issue, you've got me whether you want me or not."

  Lewis stares at me for a long, silent moment as if he's trying to decide whether to tell me to stick it up my ass or accept my help, and then he laughs abruptly. "I warned Jacoby you'd be in here as soon as you found out McKee was in the country."

  "Don't tell me you wouldn't be if you were in my shoes," I mutter.

  Lewis just shakes his head and leans back in his chair. "What do you know about him?"

  "He and Savannah started dating when she was a teenager,
and he was a douche. He convinced her to run off to Italy with him after high school, forced her to quit college almost as soon as she got there, and then spent two years making her life a living hell." Just talking about what he did to my girl makes me murderous. "When she caught him in bed with her only friend, she was involved in an accident and nearly died as a result. He dropped her off at the hospital and disappeared."

  "Why'd he come back before she was kidnapped?"

  "Why do they usually come back?" I ask Lewis who just nods as if to say point taken. "When he found out about us being together, he nearly killed Madeline. He showed up at the Talbot Estate the night Savannah was kidnapped and assaulted her." I pause for a moment, swallowing at the memory of walking up on that bastard with his hand raised to her. I wanted to kill him that night. Had I not needed to take care of Savannah, I might have done just that. And then Stewart Paulson disappeared with her, and all hell broke loose. McKee left the country before I could focus on him again. "I broke his jaw and gave him the option of going to jail or getting the hell out of the country. He chose the latter."

  "Too damned bad he didn't stay there."

  "Abusers rarely do," I mutter, raking a hand through my hair. How could I have been so stupid as to assume he'd do the smart thing and stay away? A protection order hadn't stopped him from coming for her. Why would felony charges? My biological father certainly wouldn't have let either prevent him from tormenting my mother had she been able to get away. "He's spiteful. Violent. He hates that Savannah's moved on with me."

  "Well, you did inform the University there that he's wanted for attempted murder in the United States, and had him labeled an absconder so his assets were frozen," Lewis says dryly. "I don't imagine he appreciated having his entire life systematically ruined."

  "Are you married?" I ask, glancing at the strand of ivy tattooed around his ring finger.

  "Yeah."

  "If the man who tormented your girl for two years showed up on her doorstep and tried to make her leave the country with him again, wouldn't you do whatever you had to do to keep her safe?" I ask quietly.