Trace + Olivia Series Boxed Set (20 page)

Trace chuckled. “It is kind of…large.”

I removed my jacket and hung it on the hook attached to the door. “Make yourself at home,” I motioned to the small space. “No need to just stand there.”

“Does this mean I can make myself comfortable on your bed?” He raised a dark brow and his stare caused a fire to roar through my body.

“Anywhere you want,” I swallowed and took a step back.

“Anywhere?” he stepped forward so that the distance I had created was affectively cut off.

I nodded as he removed his jacket.

I kept backing up and he kept following until I bumped into the desk next to my bed.

His arms caged around me, locking me in.

I gulped, staring up at him with wide eyes, feeling like a cornered animal.

He leaned down, his lips brushing the sensitive skin below my ear, as he said, “I can see your pulse racing,” his hand cupped my neck and my heart skipped a beat in response. “I like that you’re affected by me.” His hand trailed lazily up and down my neck. I shivered, eyes closing. “I really missed you while you were gone,” he whispered huskily, his lips brushing over my cheekbone.

“Y-you d-did?” I stammered.

“Very much,” he murmured, cupping my chin and tracing my bottom lip with his thumb. “You’re special to me, Olivia.”

“I-I am?” My voice faltered.

“Mhmm,” He hummed, skimming his nose along my jawline. “I’m going to kiss you now,” he whispered.

“O-okay,” I stuttered and then gasped as his lips descended on mine.

My hands fisted in his shirt as I plastered my body against his. I couldn’t get close enough to him.

His hands had somehow moved from my face, to rest below my breasts, and they were moving lower. His fingers skimmed over the flare of my hips, and gripped me, lifting me effortlessly so I could wrap my legs around his waist.

He deepened the kiss, his tongue begging for entrance, as his hands glided under the edge of my shirt. The feel of his hands on the bare skin of my stomach made my heart race faster.

He turned, backing me into the bed, and laying me down on top. He maneuvered me, without breaking the kiss, so that my head was cradled on my pillow.

He held himself above me, one hand on each side of my head.

Ten minutes ago, I had been freaking out about him mistaking my intentions for inviting him into my dorm room, and now I was clawing at his shirt, desperate to remove it. If he didn’t take it off himself, I’d find a way to rip it off. That was the power my raging hormones had over me.

He rose up, yanking his plaid shirt off and the t-shirt below it, tossing them to the floor.

My hands roamed over his bare chest as my lips sought his once more.

The warmth of his body heated me further. I was sure I was sweating, but I was so absorbed in everything that I was feeling, I didn’t even worry about it.

My hands slid up his stomach, exploring his abs, before settling on his chest. His heart beat steadily underneath my right palm, and when I circled one of his nipples with a finger, it skipped a beat.

He hummed in satisfaction, his tongue stroking mine.

I cupped his neck, with one hand, and the other ventured south once more. Back over the ridges of his abdominal muscles and lower, to the V and the trail of hair that I knew disappeared beneath the waistband of his jeans.

My fingers seemed to have a mind of their own as they yanked at his belt buckle.

Abruptly, he withdrew his lips, and he clasped his hand over mine. He didn’t move it right away, just held it.

“No, Olivia,” he said sternly, his green eyes nearly black as he looked down at me.

“But-” I could feel his erection pressed against me and I felt like I was ready. I had had sex before, what was the big deal?

He swallowed, looking pained. “In the parking lot you were scared that I’d read into you inviting me up here. You may think you’re ready, but you’re not, Olivia. When I make love to you, you’ll be ready, you’ll be begging, and-” he bent to whisper huskily in my ear, “you’ll be wet for me.” I wanted to tell him that I was sure my panties were soaked now. Raising back up, he murmured, “And I’m
definitely
not having sex with you in your dorm room where everybody can you hear you scream my name.” An impish grin lifted his lips, “On second thought, that could prove interesting.”

I smacked his shoulder.

“I was kidding,” he chuckled. “Unless you’re into that sort of thing.” He nuzzled my neck, whispering, “When I finally make love to you, you’re going to be in my bed, and I’m never letting you leave.”

His fingers tangled in my hair and I gasped in pain as he touched the tender part of my scalp where my dad had pulled my hair.

He pulled away, slowly, untangling his fingers from my hair. He tilted his head questioningly, “I know I didn’t pull your hair.”

“You didn’t,” I confirmed.

“Then?” He questioned.

“It’s sore,” I mumbled, turning my head away from him.

“Sore from what?” He hissed.

“My dad yanked me by my hair,” I whispered, biting down on my bottom lip.

Trace gripped my chin, forcing me to look at him. “He hurt you,” he stated.

I nodded, swallowing thickly.

“Olivia,” he pleaded. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It’s my burden to bear,” I whispered.

“No, it’s not,” he growled, sitting up and pulling me on his lap. He gently probed the back of my skull and I winced again. “No one should ever have to endure something like this.”

“He’s never hurt me physically before-”

Trace put a hand over my mouth, his eyes steely. “
Do not
make excuses for that bastard. He hurt you. I remember what you said about your dad, and I’m sure he hurt you more than just physically, while you were home.”

I nodded.

Trace closed his eyes and swallowed. “I can’t stand the thought of anyone hurting you in any way. I don’t even know the man but I want to hunt him down and rip him apart. I want him to hurt worse than he’s hurt you.”

I burrowed against his warm, still naked chest.

His hands rubbed up and down my back comfortingly. “Does he hurt your mom?”

I pulled back. “Verbally? All the time. Physically? I-I think so. I saw bruises on her arm this time,” I bit my lip to hold back tears. “She didn’t mean for me to see them but when I was leaving to come back to school, she reached out to hug me and her sleeve slid up. They-they were in the shape of fingerprints,” I swallowed.

Air hissed through his teeth. “Why doesn’t she leave?”

“Fear,” I replied instantly. “My dad’s highly respected in our small town. He’d paint her in a bad light if she left and everyone would believe him. But to be honest with you,” I swallowed thickly, “I’m afraid that if she did try to leave him, he’d get angry enough to kill her. His temper is…volatile.”

“I’m so sorry you’ve had to grow up in a household like that, if I could change it for you, I would,” he pressed his forehead against mine, our noses brushing together.

“If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t be here with you,” I whispered, cupping his cheeks, stubble rubbing against my palms. I forced a smile, and added, “Even if I was here, we probably still wouldn’t have met. Things happen for a reason, Trace, and it’s usually so we can find greater things in life. There can’t be good without bad and vice versa. I wouldn’t wish away my life, because then I wouldn’t be here, and I think
here
is a pretty good place.”

His soft chuckle shook my body lightly.

“How about I reword that?” He asked rhetorically. “I wish you didn’t have to grow up with a dad like that, but I don’t regret meeting you. I don’t regret anything with you,” he lifted one of my hands from his cheek and kissed my palm. “I wish I could take your pain away, but I would never wish
you
away.

“That makes me happy,” I murmured.

“All I ever want to do is make you happy,” his hands rubbed up and down my back. “I never want to see you frown or cry because of me.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “I didn’t know you could be serious.”

He chuckled. “It’s rare, but it happens.”

I sobered. “I’m sorry for pestering you about Aubrey, I just…I needed to know.”

“I understand,” he sighed.

I didn’t want us to dwell on his ex, so I grinned, “You played baseball?” I asked, remembering him mentioning that he had quit after his dad died.

He groaned, banging his head lightly against the wall. “Yeah.”

“I bet you looked cute in that uniform,” I ran a finger over his collarbone.

He pretended to be angry. “Cute? Baby, I was
hot
in that uniform.”

“Hmm,” I hummed. “Is that something I might see?”

He smirked. “I might be able to make that happen.”

“Rise and shine!” Avery chirped, tapping my foot.

Why was I on top of the covers? And why was I laying on something hard and warm?

I rose up, cracking my eyes open, and discovered that Trace was asleep in my bed.

Oh, crap.

Since it was only large enough for one person, I had ended up cradled against his chest. I really hoped I hadn’t drooled, that’d be beyond embarrassing.

“Next time,” Avery winked, “hang something on the door to warn me.”

“Avery!” I shrieked, startling Trace. “We didn’t do anything!”

“I know,” she cackled, “I just wanted to watch your ears turn red.”

Trace sat up, rubbing his eyes, and stretched his arms above his head. The muscles in his chest flexed with the movement.

“Sorry,” he yawned, “I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Where’s my shirt?” He looked around.

“The floor,” Avery answered, grinning from ear to ear.

“Right,” he drew out the word, smirking. “Someone wanted me to take it off.”

My face flamed.

Avery held out a Starbucks coffee cup for each of us. “I don’t blame her,” she laughed as Trace took the offered cup, “it’s a nice chest.”

I spat out the coffee I had taken a sip of.

I was going to have to stop drinking liquids around Avery. It was proving dangerous.

She laughed at my reaction. “Just because I’m with Luca doesn’t mean I can’t look.”

“It should,” I grumbled, glaring at the droplets of coffee now staining my bed.

“Thanks for the coffee,” Trace saluted Avery as he hopped out of my bed and bent to pick up his shirts. He placed the cup on my desk as he pulled them on. He was adorably bedraggled and if Avery wasn’t here, I might have begged him to stay. “I’ll call you later,” he whispered in my ear and then pecked me on the lips. He grabbed the coffee cup and opened the door. “Later, Avery,” he called over his shoulder, as he eased the door shut, “and thanks for the coffee.”

“Not a problem,” she hollered after him. Looking back at me, with a smirk, she shook her head, “Look at you, Livie. Letting a boy sleep in your bed. I would have went crazy ginger on your ass, but since it was obvious no hanky panky went down, I decided to let it slide.” She pulled her desk chair out and sat down.

“I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to fall asleep,” I mumbled, running my fingers through my tangled hair.

“Really, it’s okay,” she chirped, spinning in her chair. I didn’t know how she managed not to spill her coffee. “I was kind of surprised when I opened the door and found you both curled up like that. It was cute.”

“What time did you get in?” I questioned, sipping at my caramel latte.

“Late,” she grinned.

“I should’ve known,” I laughed lightly.

“We can’t all be a goody two-shoes like you,” she mumbled.

I rolled my eyes. “I’m far from that.”

“Olivia, if there was a picture next to the word perfection in the dictionary, it would be you,” she finished her coffee and tossed it at the trash can, missing.

I gritted my teeth. There was that word again. Perfection. The single thing I had strived to be my whole life and now, I felt angry that Avery was telling me I was perfect.

“There’s no such thing as perfect,” I muttered quietly, picking at a loose thread on my comforter.

She did another spin in her chair. “I know that. I was only picking on you. Sometimes, you don’t know how to take a joke.” She wrapped a piece of hair around her finger.

I finished my coffee and stood. “I’m going to take a shower and then I have a lot of work to do, what with finals being this week.”

My stomach clenched at my own words. Campus would be closed for a whole month.

A whole month trapped in New Hampshire with my dad. Four days had been too long. Four weeks would kill me. But I had no choice. There was nowhere else for me to go.

Avery pretended to gag. “Ugh, finals.”

I opened the bathroom door and Avery said, “Hey, before finals are over, and you head home, we should have a girl’s day.”

“Sounds great,” I smiled.