Hard To Love (21 page)

“I love you Eleanor Reid,” he grinned, knowing how much she hated her given name.

“Okay, that’s it. I changed my mind.” Ella turned to walk away when Carter’s large constricting arms wrapped around her, pulling her back against his hard chest. She squealed with laughter.

“Too late, kitten. You’re all mine.” Growling in her ear, he bit the sensitive part of her neck before pulling her back into his room. That night, he claimed her over and over again, knowing this was just the beginning of the rest of his life.

Epilogue

The day of the benefit finally arrived. Many more guests showed up than anticipated. Once again, Ella found herself watching Carter on the stage of the pavilion at the Paradise Beach Hotel. The autumn sun was setting, hues of orange, yellow and red reflected off the water as the tide ate up the shoreline.

Although Carter didn’t get the record deal, he was still a star in Paradise City. Ella’s heart swelled with pride, listening to the man she loved sing his newest song on the stage in front of all their friends. He may be the devil in disguise, but he had the voice and heart of an angel.

Carter sat in the middle of the stage on a barstool, just him and his guitar. One bright light hanging center of the stage shined down on him as he began to strum his guitar. Ella’s breathing picked up, as the rhythm took over her heart. The love she felt for him often overwhelmed her, especially moments like these as he sang a love ballad he had written just for her.

Sometimes when you’re sleeping,

Lost somewhere in deep dreams.

I lie and look at your sweet face,

In the glowing moonlight beams.

I wonder if the night time,

Should decide, it’s my time to go.

Will you understand my love,

How much I loved you so?

Have I always shown you,

Just what you mean to me?

And have I always been right there,

To show my love carefree?

Have I been the person,

That you’d want me to be?

And will you always think of me,

When you need some company?

I’d like to think that you love,

Will always love me too.

Even if I’m gone tomorrow,

I will always be with you.

Even if I’m gone tomorrow,

I will always be with you.

“Our boy looked good up there, huh?”

In the past, that statement would have irked Ella, but today as she looked at the sparkling ring on her finger, it didn’t bother her so much. She knew who Carter belonged to.

“Yes he does. Of course, I’m a little biased,” Ella smiled fondly at her new husband walking off the stage after singing his newest song.

“I bet you are, Mrs. Dawson.” Laura teased, bringing a smile to Ella’s face. Even if it had only been a few weeks, being called Mrs. Carter Dawson had a very nice ring to it. She never got tired of hearing it.

Laura Harmon had shown up for the benefit, making a huge donation in the name of the record studio.

Despite her reservations, Ella reached to shake her hand. “Ms. Harmon, thank you so much for coming, and for such a generous donation.”

“Oh darlin’, it’s my pleasure. It’s for a wonderful cause, and,” she lowered her voice to a whisper. “It’s a great tax write off.” Both women laughed as Carter approached them.

“I still can’t thank you enough for all your help with the record company,” Ella acknowledged.

“I’m just glad he didn’t waste all his talent. We would’ve loved to have had his voice recorded, but he’s a master at writing lyrics too. It all worked out. Carter’s happy, you’re happy and my partners are happy.”

“I’ve never been happier,” Carter admitted, wrapping his arms around his wife’s shoulders, and pulling her close to him to kiss the top of her head, as he smiled down at his forever. “This is all I’ve ever needed or wanted, right here.”

“I’m just so glad you were able to get your partners to amend the contract.” Ella thanked her one more time before seeing Liv approaching. “Have you met the lady of the hour, my younger sister, Liv?”

“No, actually, I haven’t.” Laura replied.

Liv and Drew stepped up to join the conversation. “Liv, Drew, this is Laura Harmon from Nashville Platinum Records.”

Stunned by the way Laura Harmon was dressed, Liv could not stop staring at the woman’s attire. She was dressed in a cobalt blue leather corset jacket and short skirt, with platinum blonde hair, straight from a bottle. Liv thought the woman looked completely ridiculous.

Drew watched Liv’s facial expressions while she looked the woman over from top to bottom. Knowing Liv had absolutely no filter, Drew swooped in to save the day, diverting everyone’s attention to the stage, where Platinum’s newest rising star was taking the stage for his second set of the night.

“Wesley did a great job up there tonight. I think he’s going to go very far in the country music world.”

“We hope so. He’s got that old school sound to him. We think it’s coming back in style.”

While Drew continued his conversation with Ella and Ms. Harmon, he noticed Gabe Thomas strutting toward them, two drinks in his hands. That guy really grated on Drew’s nerves. Probably because he spent way too much time hanging out with Liv. Well, that and the fact that he was a manwhore didn’t help, not one little bit. So much for Liv’s “rules” for screwing around. She had broken every one of them with the manwhore.

They were ridiculous rules anyway, and sounded more like a guy came up with them. Always leave before the sun comes up. Never have breakfast. Don’t make friends with roommates. Avoid pictures. The list went on and on, and she always made more rules up as she went along.

Drew watched as Gabe swept Liv away, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. More like dirty promises knowing Gabe. Why couldn’t he just tell her how he felt? Because Olivia Breland did not do relationships, and if he couldn’t see her, hear her,
smell
her, every day, he’d quite honestly lose it. Friendship was better than nothing in his book. Hell, he’d been in the friend zone since junior high, and didn’t see a way out of it any time soon.

Drew excused himself from the conversation, and caught up with Liv and Gabe.

“Hey Liv. I’m fixing to head out. I have to stop and pick up Izzy tonight. Are you going to be okay? You’ve already had a few drinks.” Drew nodded toward the drink in her hand.

“I got her, bro. No worries. I’ll make sure she’s taken care of, trust me,” Gabe waggled his brows at Liv, who erupted in laughter.

“Great, have fun. I’ll see ya around Liv.”

“Damn, he looks like he just lost his best friend,” Gabe pulled Liv against him, nibbling on her ear.

Liv shook her head. “Nah, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.” And she wasn’t. She and Drew had been friends forever. He was the nicest guy she knew. Always there for her, no matter what she needed. Sometimes she wished he was more of an asshole. Maybe then she’d be able to fuck him and get him out of her system. She wasn’t stupid. She knew he’d had feelings for her for years now. But she was selfish, and wasn’t ready to let him walk out of her life. So, she had kept him in the friend zone.

“Wrong,” Gabe whispered against her lips, pulling her from her own thoughts and evoking a curious look from Liv. “I can’t wait to get inside that perfect pussy of yours.” After a quick peck to the lips, Gabe drug her through the crowd, around the corner and into the restroom, locking the door behind them.

Gabe growled, grabbing Liv by the hair, pulling her head back to make eye contact. “You’ve been torturing me all night in this tight little number you’re wearing.” Her thighs and cleavage played peek-a-boo where the sheer material ended and the solid black met. Trailing his hand down the bodice of Liv’s black dress, over her round plump ass, he squeezed her ass. With a quick jerk of his hand, Gabe pulled the bottom of her dress up, exposing her lace thong. “Is that what you wanted?” he asked, biting her bottom lip, hard, while dragging his finger over the small patch of lace covering her. “To torture me?”

“No,” Liv panted.

“No? I think you did.” Grabbing her leg, he wrapped it around his thigh and unzipped his pants, his large cock springing out. With a loud snapping sound, he broke the thin elastic band of her undies and plunged into her. Tightening his grip in her hair, he pulled her head back further, cursing out loud. He began thrusting in and out of her, she gasp at the intensity of their raw carnal need. “Goddamn, that pussy of yours is greedy,” he panted, as he drug the large ridge of his cock in and out. When he felt her muscles clench around him, he pinched her nipples through the thin dress material. He looked at her with a glint in his eye as she cried out.

“Gabe, we can’t in here,”

Cutting off her words before she finished them, Gabe slammed into her, sinking himself fully inside her sweet, wet, slickness. Liv moaned. “Shut your mouth. I don’t want to hear you right now.”

“Cover your fucking mouth. I don’t want to hear a sound from you. Not one fucking sound.” Forcefully taking her mouth, he swallowed her cries, leaving only the sucking sounds of her wet pussy echoing through the room. Liv’s body pulses in response to his rough, unapologetic treatment.

Liv’s heart pounded a mile a minute, pumping in her throat, while Gabe penetrated her, over and over. His mouth became ravenous as his rhythm picked up, grabbing her hips and moving her the way he wanted the tempo to go, hard and fast, just the way she liked it.

Nothing else mattered in this moment, just them, her breathing, his grunts and groans, while she wrapped around him, doing her best to cling to his rocking body. Pulling free from her, he stares into her face before rasping out “Come.” Liv felt his cock jerk inside her, his breath hissed out, and his muscles tightened against her as he continued to pump inside her until ripples of pleasure shot through both their bodies and they shook together.

After their breathing slowed, Gabe pulled from her and righted her dress. Leaning down, he picked up her torn panties, inhaled her scent and put them in his pocket.

“I can’t believe you tore my panties off!” she scolded. “Now what am I going to do?”

“Absolutely nothing,” he grinned with the devil’s gleam in his eyes. “I like knowing I can bend you over any surface and take what I want.”

“Good lord. Do you ever get enough?” she rolled her eyes, looking in the mirror, doing her very best to get the just-fucked-look from her flushed checks.

“Does it look like it?” he asked, holding his pants over the imprint of his already semi-hard shaft.

“You need more than one woman to keep you satisfied,” Liv joked.

“That’s not a bad idea, darlin’”

“Excuse me?” Liv asked defiantly, her brow cocked and her hand on her hip.

Gabe pulled her back against his chest, biting her on the neck softly. “Oh, calm down now, my little cherry bomb.”

“Darlin’,” she mocked sarcastically. “This
is
me calm. Besides, we don’t owe each other any explanations, right? This is just for fun. Freaky sex, a handshake and split if we want to.”

Damn! If that statement didn’t hit a homerun. What he wouldn’t do to be sandwiched between Liv and another hot little body. They weren’t finished talking about and she was going to take full advantage of that. Maybe if she drank enough, she’d chase all her demons away. No, not by a long shot. Not sure how he was supposed to answer that question, Gabe released his hold on her and tried his best to ignore the irritation in her voice.

Liv on the other hand, was slightly heated. Not that she wanted a committed relationship with him. She liked the guy, and had a lot of fun with him, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to end it quite yet either. That was new for her in itself. Right now, however, was not the time to talk or think about it. Right now, there was an open bar calling her name, and she was going to take full advantage of that. Maybe if she drank enough, she’d chase all her demons away. Or at least drown out the one face of the one man that invaded her dreams every night, and held her heart in his hands.

About The Author

Tina Rose is a freelance writer, poet and most recently an e-book author. An Eastern Kentucky native, she currently resides in Florida with her husband, two children and beloved dog. She has been writing short stories and poetry since a young age, and has been published in several home town periodicals over time.

An avid reader and writer of romance, she is currently pursuing her love of writing in the contemporary erotic romance genre. When she can’t be found typing away on the keyboard, she’ll be found hiding in a corner reading one of her favorite authors.

You can contact Tina Rose at
[email protected]
or follow her on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/authortinarose

Or join her street team, Tina’s Enchanted Roses, at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/enchantedrosees
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Hopefully you enjoyed reading Hard To Love, and you’ll consider leaving a positive review for others to read. Watch for Book Three, of The Paradise Beach Series coming in Fall of 2015.