Rockin' Country: The Price Of Love Part 6

aI really need a hug.a She smiled, but it was shaky.

He closed his eyes against the image on his phone. aG.o.d, Hannah, youare f.u.c.king killing me. I canat stand to see that look on your face and know that thereas nothing that I can do about it.a Melancholy had taken over as soon as shead seen him, the want to be near him and the need to have him with her. aI donat know that I can handle five more weeks,a her voice broke against the words she said.

aTell me whatas wrong, and I swear to you, I will do whatever I can to fix it. Itas killing me to see you like this and know that Iam across the country.a She blew out a deep breath, letting the tears fall from her eyes. aIam tired, Iam PMS-ing, and Iam sad,a she bit out, her voice thin. aI need a chocolate bar and some Midol, stat. A good cry would help too.a This was so out of his element. Head never dealt with a hormonal wife before, and he wondered why that was. aYouare never this hormonal, are you sure this is all thatas wrong?a She propped herself up on the pillows and ran her hand through her hair. aIam so tired and I miss you. My brain will not shut the f.u.c.k up, and I want your arms around me in the worst way.a His eyebrows were to his hair line as he heard the f-word fly from her mouth. aIam shocked at the word that came out of your mouth right now.a aI know, I am too.a She blew out a frustrated breath. aI want to be normal. Iam sick of the separation and everything that goes with it. I feel like Iam a p.a.w.n in someoneas game. They want me to do an eight-week tour in order for me to get time off, and then they pack everything they possibly can into that those eight weeks. Itas so frustrating.a He glanced at the calendar. aAre you sure this isnat because you have that new song coming out tomorrow. The one you wanted me to duet on and the record companies both said no? Are you feeling p.i.s.sed about it?a aA little,a she admitted. aI mean, itas like they donat want us to be married. I get these stupid messages from the record companya"be careful how much of your husband you put on social media, we donat want to offend the fans. What the c.r.a.p? I am an almost twenty-five-year-old newlywed. I am sick to death of being told what I can and what I cannot do. Iam ready to go AWOL on this tour.a She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. aI am done with it, Garrett. I need a break.a aFive weeks is not that long in the grand scheme of things,a he played devilas advocate. The reality of it was, he heard the same things too. Probably not to the extent that she did, but every once in a while, there were grumblings about a rocker being married to a country star, and he had to defend his decisions. It was stupid because they were human beings like everyone else on the planet. No one batted an eye when normal people got married. aYour day off is tomorrow, right?a aYeah.a But she wasnat excited about it. It was just another day that she was away from him.

aMaybe you need to do something for yourself, go shopping or see a movie. Spend the day in bed watching chick flicks until youare non-hormonal,a he suggested.

Nothing sounded good to her except spending the day watching chick flicks wrapped up in his arms. No one seemed to understand. aMaybe,a her voice was non-committal, and she fought not to roll her eyes. He was supposed to understand.

aI canat change our circ.u.mstances, Han. I see the disappointment in your face.a aI know you canat.a She was beginning to get angry, and that was the last thing she wanted to do. aWhateveras meant to happen will happen, right?a Her tone was flippant and she smacked her hand against the mattress.

aDonat get p.i.s.sed at me, donat you think I miss you too?a Faced with that question and as moody as she was, she was feeling mean. aNo, I donat. I think you have a good time in the studio with your friends every night and then go home and play video games or work out. Plus you have Havock there to keep you company, what do you need me for?a That wasnat fair. That was how he wound down. How he dealt with the loneliness of the house without her being there. aYouare being a dumba.s.s right now.a His temper was starting to get hot.

aWhat?a she breathed.

Her brown eyes flashed with anger as he stared into the phone, but she wasnat the only one who could get angry. aI said youare being a dumba.s.s right now.a aI canat believe you would say those words to me.a aWell theyare d.a.m.n well true, and Iam f.u.c.king p.i.s.sed. Donat you dare sit there and tell me that I donat miss you, that I donat have the same sense of loneliness that you do. Iam willing to cut you a break acause youare on the rag, but kiss my a.s.s.a That was crude. aReally?a she questioned him. aYouare really gonna talk to me like that.a aBaby doll, you started it, so you d.a.m.n well better be able to take it.a She opened her mouth, ready to lay into him, when he cut her off.

aYou sit here, in this house every night, every motherf.u.c.king night, and tell me that Iam not lonely. I re-live everything we did here. When I go to bed, your pillow still smells like you. I barely get any sleep because all I do is think about what we did there. I canat look out at my balcony without imagining you spread over that table; gets me hard every time. You arenat here, so I do what I gotta do. Downstairs? Canat sit on the couch, we laid there watching movies for days, those motherf.u.c.king pillows smell like you too. Kitchen? We cooked breakfast there, and I canat sit at the f.u.c.king table without thinking of you sitting across from me. Beach? We walked there for hours playing with Havock. Bathroom? We had the biggest heart-to-heart of all there. Not to mention Havock. My f.u.c.king dog looks for you everywhere and sleeps on a s.h.i.+rt you left. I tried to pick it up off the floor to wash it for you, he nipped at me. Tried to bite me. There is absolutely no f.u.c.king way you can sit here and tell me that I donat understand what youare going through. I am surrounded by memories that you and I made, and I canat get away from them.a The tears that Hannah had tried to hold at bay spilled over her eyes and down her cheeks. She wanted to say so many things, but he had gotten on a roll and she couldnat interrupt.

aYou are a crazy f.u.c.king woman if you donat think Iam not affected by you not being here, and to be perfectly honest with you, that p.i.s.ses me off, hurts my feelings, and p.i.s.ses me off.a aYou already said that p.i.s.ses you off,a she whispered, taken back by the way his green eyes flashed at her.

aDonat you dare be a smarta.s.s with me. Iam mad now, furious, that you discounted my feelings, and you think you have the monopoly on being sad, lonely, and depressed. I may not have the lady parts to have PMS, but I guarantee you my mood now matches yours. Congratulations, love of my life.a She couldnat get a word in edgewise.

He growled in frustration. aThis is not the type of s.h.i.+t I need from you. What I need is for you to be the understanding wife who canat wait to see me. Not give me a f.u.c.king guilt trip because we canat be in the same time zone.a aI canat wait to see you,a she whispered.

Reaper was on, and Garrett had taken a backseat. aYouare a spoiled little brat if you want to act like youare the only one hurting here, and I donat want to hear about it anymore. Have a good f.u.c.king day, sweetheart.a He disconnected the call.

She was left holding the phone, her mouth hanging open in shock. There was a knock at the door and Sh.e.l.l opened it without hesitation.

aWas that Garrett I heard yelling in here?a For a moment Hannah didnat say anything, still looking at the phone, thinking she would see him try to reconnect their FaceTime. When it became apparent that he wasnat going to do that, she lowered the phone to her lap and looked at her friend. aYeah,a she nodded before bursting into tears.

aDid you two have a fight?a Sh.e.l.l asked, climbing onto the bed next to her and hugging her close.

aIam not sure what that was.a She shook her head. Once she had her emotions somewhat under control, she explained to Sh.e.l.l what had happened.

aI canat believe Iam defending him, but youare both very stressed, and sometimes we snap at the people we love the most. You know heas got a hair trigger sometimes. Did you deserve it? Probably not, but we both knew it was coming.a aNo.a Hannah shook her head. aI didnat know it was coming.a aWell, I did. Jared told me that Garrettas been an a.s.s to be around the past few days. He misses you, and heas having a hard time dealing with it.a aThis is stupid.a Hannah ran her hand through her hair. aWhy canat we be normal? Why do we have to go through this separation, and then why in the world do we have to get annoyed with and yell at each other?a aYouare newlyweds, Han. Most newlyweds fight just to make up. I have a feeling thatas what you two are doing. The only bad thing for you? Heas too far away for makeup s.e.x,a she giggled.

Hannah groaned. aFive more weeks. I can handle five more weeks, right?a In her own head, Sh.e.l.l wondered if she could handle five more weeks with her friend. Hannah and Garrett were going to drive her insane before this was all over. Instead of voicing that, she nodded her head. aYou got this.a aI got this,a Hannah repeated, but knew she didnat have it at all.

Chapter Seventeen.

af.u.c.king crazy-a.s.s females.a Garrett slammed his phone against his thigh.

aWhatas wrong?a Jared asked. They were still in the studio, trying to finish up the song they were working on. Everyone else had left for the night. Out of the entire group, he and Jared were the most dedicated and they all knew it.

aDid you catch the end of that?a aKind of, I tried to give you your privacy, but I couldnat help but hear. You did have her on FaceTime.a aWas I harsh?a he asked, needing to feel justification for his feelings, and if anyone could give it to him straight, it was Jared.

aYouare always harsh when you care. Thatas the thing, you have no filter, and sometimes thatas hard for people to take. Especially when people arenat used to that side of you. Even though sheas your wife, sheas not used to that side of you. With her, you still have to watch yourself.a There were some things he couldnat let go, and he knew that about himself. Her seriously questioning whether he missed her or not was one of those things. It wasnat like they were in a contest over who missed each other the most, but his feelings still mattered. aIam sick of her acting like I donat give a s.h.i.+t.a aDo you wonder if thatas a mechanism? Ever?a Jared asked quietly.

aNo, and I really donat give a f.u.c.k. If she canat figure out that I give a s.h.i.+t after everything weave been through, then what am I fighting so hard for?a aI want you to hear me out.a Garrett wasnat sure that he wanted to do that. Jared was the king at making excuses, and Garrett was more than sure he could do it for Hannah too. What he wanted to do more than anything in this moment was to shut down and not give a f.u.c.k. It didnat hurt when he didnat give a f.u.c.k.

aIam going to take you not saying anything as it being okay for me to speak. As someone who has a lot of the same personality traits as she does, I can tell you that acting like someone doesnat care is an easy way of making it not hurt so much. If you believe that someone doesnat care, then it doesnat mean anything. Remember all those times I told you that I didnat have your perfect life, so there was no way youad understand what I was going through? It made it easier to pretend you didnat understand.a aBut Iam so d.a.m.n sick of proving I do understand, that I do miss her.a aAnd Iam sure sheas sick of hearing you lose your cool. These are two things that the two of you are going to have to work on. Youare newlyweds who got married months after meeting each other. These are personality quirks. Quirks that you will learn to work around. Iam not saying you should be the one to apologize, but Iam saying that the two of you need to come to some sort of understanding,a Jared offered, taking a drink from the bottle of water he now carried with him everywhere.

aItas hard to do that when we have no time to spend together.a aAnd there lies the problem.a Jared looked at him pointedly. aSheas killing herself to give you two this time.a aItas not my fault,a Garrett cut him off.

aNo, itas not, but at the same time, you need to think of how tired, stressed, and sick of running around she is. They are demanding a lot from her, and so are you.a Garrett ran his hands through his hair, pulling on the ends of it. aI donat know what to do, Iam not the one whoas going to apologize all the f.u.c.king time, Iam not.a aItas not about the apology, itas about the understanding.a Jared got up and walked out of the studio. He had done what he thought was right, and that was all he could do.

It was going on forty-eight hours since she and Garrett had spoken to one another. As much as she hated to admit it, she had spent her day off in her bed, watching chick flicks and drinking Starbucks. That p.i.s.sed her off more than she cared to tell anyone, but he had been right, it was exactly what she needed. Now she wasnat sure how to approach him, to tell him that she was sorry and she shouldnat have flown off the handle when they talked. She should have been as supportive to him as he was to her, and her emotions and hormones had gotten the better of her. It wasnat very often in her world that she had to make amends. She glanced at her cell phone; she had two hours before she had to start getting ready for her show. Grabbing her laptop, she pulled it over to where she sat.

aWhatas going on?a Sh.e.l.l asked as she walked into the room and had a seat in the chair that sat next to Hannah.

aLooking for something to give to Garrett. An aIam sorrya gift.a aWhat do you get for the guy who has everything?a Sh.e.l.l asked, as she scrolled through texts on her phone.

aI know, right? He has anything he could ever want, and Iam not sure what I could get him that he doesnat have, but Iave got to find something.a She started searching random things and blew her hair out of her face as she came up with absolutely nothing.

aWhat do you love about him?a Sh.e.l.l asked.

aEverything,a Hannah answered without hesitation.

aNo, like, make a list. That way we can see what we can buy.a Hannah started marking off things. aI love his tattoos, his good heart, the fact that he has to wear prescription gla.s.ses and itas all a part of his him. I love all of that.a Sh.e.l.l snapped her fingers, an idea popping into her head. aWhat about earrings? Heas worn the same pair since we met him.a aThatas an awesome idea.a Hannah sat up straighter in her chair. aThe only problem is his ears arenat normal. Theyare gauged or something like that.a aLet me text Jared,a she said, as she grabbed her phone and began typing a message to her boyfriend.

aTell him not to say anything,a Hannah warned.

aTrust me; our secret is safe with Jared.a An hour later, she had picked out a pair, and thanks to some quick talking from Sh.e.l.l, who was much more a.s.sertive, the earrings were being delivered that afternoon to the studio, where Jared a.s.sured her they would be.

aThanks for helping me,a Hannah told her as she sat down in her makeup chair and started applying products. A lot of singers had professionals that helped, but she preferred to do her own makeup, always had.

aYouare welcome. I know youave been stressed and tired and you miss him. If I can make anything easier for you, then I want to. Sometimes itas hard for me to know what to do to make things easier for you. I try, but it can be difficult.a aItas because I donat want people to think I canat do things on my own. When I met Garrett and he started pointing out how much you do for me, it made me realize how much I had come to count on you doing everything for me. That wasnat fair for you. It wasnat even fair to me, because then it was like I couldnat be an adult. Now Iam struggling with asking for help. Am I going to become that dependent person again? Iam overwhelmed, but I canat tell if itas because I have a ton going on or if itas because Iam a brat like Garrett said,a she laughed. The first time shead laughed in days.

aHe wasnat wrong about anything he said; I can be honest enough with you to tell you that. At the same time, all of us can be the same way. All of us have periods of time when weare just flat-out b.i.t.c.hes, and he caught you at a bad time; apparently you caught him at a bad time too. At some point, one of you is going to have to call the other one,a Sh.e.l.l told her. aI canat believe itas been two days.a aI think itas the principle that neither one of us wants to give in.a aSomeone is going to have to.a Hannah made a non-committal sound as she finished her makeup and called for hair.

Thirty minutes before show time was always a nervous time for Hannah. She would sit backstage and go through the set list, make sure her voice was good to go, and drink a coffee or energy drink to make sure she was ready. On this night, she couldnat think of any of that, all she could think of was the fact that she and Garrett still hadnat spoken to each other. It wasnat that she hadnat wanted to call him, she didnat mind being the one to make the move, but she was afraid that he wouldnat pick up the phone, and she wasnat sure that her confidence could take that yet.

The phone that sat in her hand buzzed, and she unlocked the screen so she could see why. There was a notification from Instagram. It was from Garrett. It was a picture of him wearing the earrings that she and Sh.e.l.l had picked out.

aMy amazingly gorgeous and generous wife sent these to me today. Love them @HarmonyStewart a" love you and see you soon.a The smile she wore was bright, it wasnat a phone call from him, but he had mentioned her, and he had obviously loved the gift, judging by the smile on his face. It was a step in the right direction, and she had to wonder what the asee you soona meant. A knock on the door caused her to look up.

aYou have a delivery from California,a Sh.e.l.l told her, carrying a bag and a basket into the room.

Her heart sank slightly. There was a part of her that had hoped it would be Garrett standing there. aThanks.a She got up and walked over to where Sh.e.l.l stood. Opening it, she glanced inside and burst out laughing.

aWhat is it?a She pulled out the objects: a package of chocolate bars, a big box of Midol, and a bundle of chick flick DVDs. Along with everything was a note. aThis is what I should have done instead of flying off the handle. I will see you soon, I love you, and Iam not sorry for what I said because I meant it, but Iam sorry for the tone, and Iam sorry for taking my bad day out on you.a His message pretty much mirrored the one that she had sent him with the earrings. She could breathe again, she realized as she took a deep breath. Pulling her phone out, she glanced at her calendar. The argument had pushed them to the four-week mark. Four more weeks and then she would be done. Knowing that they could overcome their arguments, even if it did take them a few days, gave her the courage to know that they could handle this. Twenty-eight days, less than a month. They had this. They absolutely had this.

aHarmony, we need you in a few minutes,a one of the stage hands told her.

aBe right there.a She rushed back to her dressing area and took off the s.h.i.+rt she originally was going to wear. She shuffled through the clothes that hung there. Once she found the aReaperas Girla s.h.i.+rt that head given her the first day theyad hung out with one another, she put it on, along with a tank top. Quickly she took a selfie and posted it, along with the caption. aAlways have been and always will be.a They were going to be fine. She had to keep reminding herself of that.

Chapter Eighteen.

As she came off-stage, her phone was ringing. Garrettas face stared back at her, and she quickly yanked the in-ear monitors out, answering it.

aHey, give me a sec, Iam still coming off-stage and I canat hear.a She quickly made her way down the hallway and slammed the door on her dressing room, locking it to give her some privacy.

aOkay, sorry, everybody was trying to stop me, and I flew right past them.a She breathed heavily as she collapsed in the chair.

aI figured, but I wanted to be sure and get you before you got somewhere you might not have cell service. To be perfectly honest with you, I couldnat wait any longer to hear your voice.a His voice was rough as he told her the last part.

aIave missed you too.a aThank you for the earrings.a She could hear the smile in his voice.

aThank you for the PMS kit,a she laughed.

They were quiet for a minute and then she forged ahead. aIam sorry that ended up the way it did. I know the two of us are going to have to learn how to be married, and I know weare going to have some growing pains. I know weare going to argue, but I donat want to ever go days without talking to you again.a aMe neither. Iam sorry as h.e.l.l about that,a he told her. aI had to cool off and get some perspective.a aIam not saying that just about you, Garrett. Iam sorry about me too. I could have easily picked up the phone and called you too. I just wasnat sure if you wanted to hear from me.a aAlways,a he answered quickly. aI always want to f.u.c.king hear from you.a aAre you sure? You did hang up on me,a she teased.

aNot one of my finer moments, but I guarantee, if you had called me right back, I would have answered.a aI was a little too raw for that,a she admitted. It was easier to admit things when he couldnat see her face. Then he couldnat see the shame burning on it. They had to get better at dealing with arguments. Hanging up on each other would never be the answer.

aI was too, but I hate being angry with you.a She smiled, debating on whether she should tell him this part or not. aSh.e.l.l said that we fight just to make up.a He laughed loudly over the line. aSh.e.l.l might be d.a.m.n right,a he agreed. aThe only problem is we never seem to be in the same place to make up.a aSuch is our life,a she sighed. aBut not for too much longer.a A plan was already being formed in her mind, and she wondered if she was going to be able to pull it off or not. Another one of her five days off was coming at the end of the next week. She wondered if she could surprise her husband with the help of Jared. It would be worth it.

aFour more weeks,a he answered for her. aI have a countdown on my phone. It tells me every morning when I wake up.a aThatas right, itall be over before we know it,a she whispered.

aHannah,a Sh.e.l.l yelled from outside the door. aWe gotta go in fifteen.a aAlright, Iall be ready.a aI heard her,a Garrett said before she could tell him that she had to go.

aIall talk to you soon, and hopefully Iall sleep better tonight since I know weare okay.a aYeah,a he agreed. aIave slept for s.h.i.+t the past couple of days too. I kept wondering if you were going to send me divorce papers, and I got a little worried when those earrings were delivered.a That hit her like a shot to the chest. aNo way, Garrett. I donat believe in marriage being easy, which means divorce is the absolute last option in my mind. Iam not giving up on us over a stupid fight.a aGood, because I donat know what I would do without you, and thatas not me blowing smoke up your a.s.s, babe. Youave quickly become the most important person in my life, and if I lost you, I might as well just give it up, because I wouldnat make it.a aYou donat have to worry about that, I promise. We were being dumb. Weall try not to do that from now on.a aLove you,a he told her. aI know you gotta go. Know that I think about you all the time.a aSame here.a She smiled, even though she knew he couldnat see her. aLove you.a As soon as she hung up and walked out of the room, she was already talking to Sh.e.l.l and making plans for her upcoming day off.

aAre you sure everything is ready?a Hannah asked Sh.e.l.l for what seemed like the hundredth time.

aYes, Hannah, f.u.c.k.a aWas that necessary?a aYes, youare driving me up a d.a.m.n wall. Jared is going to get Garrett on that plane without ruining the surprise, I promise you.a This was the first time shead ever planned a true surprise trip, and she was understandably nervous. aSorry Iam annoying.a aItas okay, I get that youare nervous, but youave gotta trust us. We promised to help you and itas going to work out.a Hannah nodded, taking a deep breath. They were exactly five hours from Huntington Beach on this stop of the tour. By plane, it was much less, and she wanted to see her husband in a bad way. Day off number three of the tour was tomorrow. The plan she had come up with would begin in a few hours, so long as Jared lived up to his part of the deal. aI have to go on,a Hannah trailed off.

aI know, go rock this concert, and then Hannah-and-Garrett getaway day is in effect. Iall have everything ready for you, I promise.a There wasnat much that Hannah didnat trust Sh.e.l.l with, so she knew without a doubt that Sh.e.l.l would come through for her, it wasnat a question of that. She just hoped what had gone on a few weeks ago would not discourage Garrett from doing what she wanted him to. It would ruin the whole plan.

aAre you sure we should go to this bar?a Garrett asked Jared. aLast time I went to a bar, all h.e.l.l broke loose.a aThis is a f.u.c.king hotel bar, we should be fine.a aI hate that weare here on business and weare this close to Hannah,a Garrett grumbled. It wasnat unusual for the record company to send them to help with negotiations for acts that they wanted to sign, but Garrett was p.i.s.sed that they were this close and he wouldnat be able to see his wife.

aDid you tell her?a Jared asked as he ordered a c.o.ke.

Garrett ordered a beer and a shot of whiskey. aYeah, and she was as sad as me. I hate hearing that tone in her voice, man. It sucks.a aI bet. Youare doing better with it than you were though. I have to give that to you. You arenat a mean-a.s.s f.u.c.k anymore,a Jared joked.

aI canat change it. I might as well make the best of it, because itas not going to be any better if I keep pus.h.i.+ng. Itas only going to succeed in p.i.s.sing us both off and maybe pus.h.i.+ng her away. Thatas not what I want. I want a successful marriage. I have to learn how to pick my battles.a ad.a.m.n,a Jared laughed. aLook at you being all mature and s.h.i.+t.a aI still like to drink.a He threw the shot back, grinning.

The two of them sat there for a little while, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Jaredas phone buzzed, and he glanced down at it. as.h.i.+t, I gotta go take this. Itas Sh.e.l.l.a It was loud in the bar, so Garrett didnat think anything of him holding up a finger and walking out, the phone held tightly to his ear.

aDo you want another shot?a the bartender asked, seeing the empty shot gla.s.s.

aSure,a Garrett figured he might as well have a good time since they had been forced to come on this excursion.

aDo you want to start a tab?a Garrett felt a hand on his thigh, immediately tensing. aYou can put it on mine, and when you bring him one, can you bring me one too?a He glanced over to the side, and a slow smile spread across his face. His wife took a seat next to him, setting her own gla.s.s on the bar next to his. aYou heard the lady,a Garrett told the bartender.

Hannah still wore her stage makeup, and her hair had been redone. She pushed it back behind her ear. aYou come here often? I donat think Iave ever seen you before.a He couldnat help the thrill that shot through him, knowing that she was here and it looked like he was going to get to spend time with her. aIam here on business,a he explained. aHow about you?a Her brown eyes scanned the room before she slipped the hand on his thigh up higher, lighting cupping him through his jeans. aPleasure.a She smiled, running her tongue over her bottom lip. aLots and lots of pleasure.a The bartender came back, placing their shots in front of them. aShould we toast to your pleasure?a he asked, squirming in his seat.

She leaned so close that her lips touch his ear. aI think we should toast to ours.a aWhere is my wife and what have you done with her?a he groaned as she squeezed the hand that cupped him. He fought not to close his eyes against the pleasure, he didnat want everyone in the place to know what was going on beneath the cover of the bar top, and he was almost positive that anyone who could see his face would know.

aYour wife?a she questioned, a saucy smile on her face. She leaned back towards him. aI was thinking I could be a groupie again.a That was it, all it took for him to stop thinking clearly. aThrow the shot back with me, and then we are getting out of here,a he told her through clenched teeth.

The look in his eyes was all she needed to know, it was what she had longed to see for weeks. She needed this closeness to him, to physically feel that he was there with her. She literally could not wait. Picking up the shot gla.s.s, she saluted him, and then poured it down her throat, relis.h.i.+ng the burn, knowing that it would help her loosen up. It would help her be the woman she wanted to be with him. To be perfectly honest, she still wasnat comfortable in that role, but she was learning, and thatas all that mattered.

He did the same to her, slamming the gla.s.s down on the lacquered surface of the bar, and then fished out his wallet, throwing some money there. They couldnat even pretend anymore that they were going to need a tab. Like always, their chemistry was combustible, and he knew he had to get her away from watchful eyes. He had to have her. Garrett got up from the barstool and held his hand out to her. aPlease tell me you have a room.a She held up the card in her hand. aI do.a Without another word, he dragged her out of the bar and towards the bank of elevators. He didnat touch her as they waited, and it drove her insane, but as soon as the doors opened and he pushed her inside, the no-touching rule was no longer in effect.

Chapter Nineteen.

Garrett waited until the elevator doors closed, making sure that no one got on with them, before he turned on Hannah.

Hannah saw the look in his eyes and immediately started walking backwards. When her back hit the coolness of the paneling of the elevator, she knew she was in trouble. aWe shouldnat do this,a she whispered.