Trace's Temptation (RARE Series, #3) (17 page)

“Yes,” Jade said, unable to contain the grin of delight on her face.  “Let’s go.  I have something to talk to you about.” 

Walking over, Trace slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her softly on the lips.  “You ready?” he asked Sophia and Starr.  They stood by the window, arms wrapped around each other.

Taking a deep breath, Sophia nodded.  “Let’s go see our new home.” 

Together, they left and met Slade in front of the hospital.  Following him to the apartments, Jade could tell he was lost in thought and not ready for any kind of interaction with others.  When Trace would have tried to pull Slade into a conversation, Jade grabbed his arm and shook her head. 

After Slade showed Sophia and Starr to their two bedroom apartment, he took Trace and Jade through their one bedroom.  Taking pity on him, Jade said, “Thank you, Slade.  We really appreciate everything.”  Opening the door, she smiled, “I will be by to see Gypsy in a couple of days.  Maybe I will see you there?”

Meeting her gaze for the first time since they left the hospital, Slade nodded, “Yeah...yeah, I might be there.”  With a goodbye to Trace, Slade left in a daze.  Jade sighed as she shut the door behind him.

“What’s wrong with him?” Trace asked as he walked up behind Jade, sliding his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder.  Leaning her head back, Jade locked her arm around the back of his head, pulling it into her neck, moaning softly as he licked at her mate bite.  “He found his mate,” she responded, tightening her fingers in his head and holding him to her.  “He will need to have patience with her.”

Lifting his head, Trace’s eyes narrowed, “Gypsy?”

“Yes,” Jade growled, pulling his head back down to her shoulder.  “He is going through some issues and needs some time to think.  Your mom and sister need time to rest.  I need to feel my mate deep inside me.  How about we give everyone what they need?” 

Groaning, Trace grabbed her hips, pulling her back against him, before gently nipping around her mate bite.  Her breath quickened as she felt him lick up her neck and gently bite down on her ear.  He was driving her insane.  “Please,” she moaned, pushing back against his hard length.  “Please.”

Picking her up, Trace made his way quickly to the bedroom.  After laying her gently on the bed, he stepped back and slowly started to remove his clothing.  Jade gulped as he slid his shirt up and off, exposing his gorgeous body to her greedy gaze.  She wanted to trail her fingers down his chest and over his muscular abs.  She was going to lick every inch of him.  Dropping his shirt to the floor, Trace slid his hands to his jeans.  Jade panted softly as he slowly unbuttoned them. 
Mine,
she thought,
Mine.

Laughing quietly, Trace pushed them down, his cock springing free.  Jade growled, she wanted a taste now.  “Not yet,” Trace said as he removed his jeans and then his socks.  “Lay back,” he ordered roughly.

When she would have removed her clothes quickly, he shook his head.  “No, that’s for me to do.”  Her eyes widening, Jade lay back against the pillows and waited.  She didn’t have long to wait.  Trace lowered himself to the bed beside her, and reached out to softly rub a finger over her lips.  Leaning forward, he captured them with his mouth, tracing them with his tongue.  She felt his hand move under the front of her shirt, sliding up to cup her breast through her bra.  Tweaking the nipple, he laughed when she squeaked.  “Oh God,” she moaned when he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, tangling it with hers. 

Jade gasped as she felt his hand move from her breast down her stomach.  She waited impatiently as Trace undid the button of her jeans and would have pushed them off, but he grabbed her hands.  Holding them above her head, he growled, “Don’t move.”

Jade watched through hooded eyes as Trace slid down her body.  After removing her jeans, he kissed his way back up to the top of her panties.  Slowly pulling them down, he leaned forward and licked her clit.  Jade jumped and a small cry escaped.  “Trace,” she begged.  “Please, Trace, I need you.  I can’t wait any longer.”  Licking again, he ignored her.  Moaning, Jade reached down and grabbed his head, moving her hips and rubbing against his mouth.  As Trace played her with his tongue, Jade panted loudly.  Feeling her orgasm building, Jade pressed him tighter against her and cried out as she came. 

Moving quickly, Trace prowled back up her body.  Slipping her shirt over her head and removing her bra, he leaned back, his whole body shaking.  “I need you, Jade.  I don’t know if I can be gentle.”

“Do it,” Jade growled.  Digging her nails into his shoulder, she reared up and slammed her mouth to his.  He groaned and took over the kiss, rough and demanding.  Suddenly, Trace pulled back and flipped Jade onto her stomach.  Pulling her hips up, he pushed her shoulders down into the bed before slowly burying himself deeply inside her.  “Oh God,” she cried as she felt him stretching her.  He tried to stop when he was all of the way in, but Jade didn’t want him to.  Pushing back against him, she demanded, “Move, dammit!”

Still holding her shoulders down with one hand, Trace grabbed her hip with his other one and held her still while he pulled out and slammed back into her.  “Yes,” she moaned.  “More, Trace, more!”  She needed to feel him moving inside of her.  Needed to bond with him again. 

Reaching down between them, Jade cupped his balls and gently tugged on them.  “Fuck,” he groaned as he moved faster.  Trace moved the hand from her back and slipped it around to her mound.  The feel of his fingers on her clit was too much and Jade screamed as she came again.  Snarling, Trace leaned forward and bit her shoulder, claiming her again as he came. 

Licking the bite, Trace slowly pulled back and lay down on his side, tugging Jade up against him.  Kissing her softly on the neck he said, “I love you, Jade.”

Closing her eyes tiredly, Jade whispered, “I love you too.

F
eeling the warm male body wrapped around hers, Jade smiled as she opened her eyes.  She wasn’t sure what time it was, but by the sunlight filtering through the room, she figured it was close to noon the following day.  Turning around in Trace’s arms, Jade slowly traced his features with her fingers.  He was so sexy.  She loved how caring and protective he was.  Kissing him tenderly, she grinned as he growled, “There better be more than that coming, woman.”

Opening his eyes, he laughed.  “What has you in such a good mood today?” he asked as he rubbed a hand up and down her back nudging her closer.

Feeling his erection pressed hard against her stomach, Jade moaned softly.  “I’m happy, Trace.  I’m so damn happy.  I have you, I’m free and I have a job!”

“A job,” he asked in bewilderment.  “You mean with RARE?”

“No,” Jade said excitedly.  Cupping his cheek in her palm she said, “Jinx told me I am free to be who I want to be, Trace.  I don’t have to pretend to be anyone I’m not.  I don’t have to be who Jinx made me, I don’t have to be the person I have been pretending to be for as long as I can remember.  I can be me!  And I finally figured out who that is.”

“I know exactly who you are,” Trace said as he dropped a soft kiss on her forehead.  “You are one of the sweetest, gentlest, kindest females I know.  Yes, you can kick ass if and when you need to, but that’s not you, love.”

“No,” Jade agreed, “it’s not.”  Sitting up, she looked down at Trace.  Her eyes shining with happiness, she said, “I’m a healer, Trace.  I want to help people.  I want to be the one they talk to when they have problems.  I want to be there to help them fight their pain, whether it is physical or emotional.  Doc Josie offered me a job at the hospital, Trace.  I will get to be who I really want to be and do something I love.”

Jade giggled as Trace lifted her on top of him, sitting her over the top of his thick, hard cock.  “That’s wonderful, baby,” he growled as he slid her down over him, pushing as far inside her as he could go.  Taking over, Jade rose up and then slowly slid back down onto him.  “Oh, yeah, baby,” he rasped.  “Just like that.”  Keeping a steady pace, Trace let her be in charge for just a short time.  Suddenly losing control, he grabbed her hips tightly and took over.  God she loved how good he felt inside her.  In no time, she was screaming his name as she sank her fangs into his shoulder.  Feeling him burst inside of her, she let herself go. 

Snuggling into Trace afterwards, Jade said softly, “Everything would be perfect if Angel didn’t hate me and Jinx was here.”

Gently stroking a hand down her long hair, Trace kissed her softly.  “Angel doesn’t hate you, Jade. She’s upset and hurt, but she doesn’t hate you. She’s your mother, she loves you. She just needs to wrap her mind around everything.  I promise you, she will come around.”

“I hope so,” Jade said. “I wish I had done things differently, Trace.  I really do.  But I thought I was doing the right thing at the time.  Jinx told me about my father in confidence.  I never want to give my brother a reason not to trust me.  Instead, I gave my mother one.”

Nuzzling her cheek, Trace replied, “You did what you had to do.  You protected your brother and your father.  Angel will come to realize that.  She just needs time.  As for Jinx, something tells me he can take care of himself.  We will be here to help if he needs us, though.  He’s family, Jade.”

Holding him close, Jade whispered, “I love you so damn much, Trace.”

“Me too, baby, me too,” Trace murmured. 

They lay like that for a few minutes before Jade reluctantly pulled back.  “We need to get dressed and eat.  We should go see your family today, Trace.  They will want to spend some time with you.”

Nodding, Trace groaned as he slid out of bed and stood.  “Stay there,” he ordered.  Jade smiled to herself as he went and turned on the shower.  She really enjoyed how much Trace wanted to take care of her.  It made her feel loved.  Finally, everything in her life seemed to be working out.  Well, almost everything.

Jade squealed when Trace came back into the room and scooped her up off the bed.  After depositing her into the shower, he climbed in after her and proceeded to clean her from head to toe.

O
ver an hour later, finally showered, clothed and fed, Trace and Jade knocked on the door across the hall.  A smiling Sophia greeted them both with a hug, and opening the door wide, she invited them in.

“I am so glad you came to see us today,” Sophia said as she motioned them to take a seat on the couch.  “Trace, there is something I wanted to give you.  It is very special to me.  I managed to keep it hidden from Philip for years. I’ve been saving it for you, but couldn’t give it to you until I knew for sure we were free.”

Rushing from the room, Sophia came back just a few minutes later and stood in front of Trace.  “I managed to grab it as we left the last house before coming here.  It was in the living room, in a drawer.”  Opening her hand, she showed Trace the dog tags.  Rubbing her finger over the words engraved on them, she whispered, “These were your great grandfather’s. His side of the family is where you get your ability to shift.  For some reason, I have never been able to, but a handful of the people in our family always could.”  Placing the dog tags in his hand, she smiled tremulously.  “All of our family is gone now, son, except you.  You will carry on his legacy.  You and Jade.”

Trace lightly ran his fingers over the name, Anthony Cordell.  His great grandfather.  “How did you keep this from Perez?” he asked.

“I was wearing it when he captured me.  Somehow he missed it.  When he took me to his home, he left me alone in his room for hours before he came to me.  I hid it, and I changed the hiding place daily.  It was the only thing I had left of my family.  I refused to let him take it from me too.  When we escaped, I wore it once again.” Tears filling Sophia’s eyes she said, “I can’t believe he is finally gone.  I don’t have to watch for him around every corner.”

Clasping the dog tags tightly in his hand, Trace stood.  Gathering his mother in his arms, he told her, “I will wear them proudly, Mother.  And I will pass them on to my own son or daughter someday.”

“Good,” Sophia said happily, “that is very good.”  Taking the chain from him, Sophia slipped it up over his head.  Patting his chest where the tags rested, she smiled.  “This is where they belong.”  Backing up, she included Jade, “Now, come and have a snack.  When Starr gets out of the shower, we will all go for a walk.  We need to get to know our new home.”

“We just ate,” Trace laughed as his mother pulled him into the kitchen.

“You need to eat a lot more.  You are too skinny,” Sophia insisted.  “You need to be strong so you can keep your pretty mate safe.”

Shaking his head, Trace sat down at the table.  Reaching over, he snagged Jade’s wrist and pulled her to him, settling her onto his lap.  Jade slipped an arm around his shoulders and laughed as his mother filled the table with food.  Both of their apartments had come stocked.  Most of his mother’s supply looked like it was now in front of him.

For the rest of the day, Trace and Jade spent time with Trace’s family, shopping for clothes they were all in desperate need of.  They also stopped by the hospital to check on Gypsy, Sari and Rikki, but found they were all sleeping. 

That night was filled with laughter and joy as Trace and Jade settled into their new place.  After dinner and some television, they decided to call it a night, falling asleep in each other’s arms.

T
race woke to the insistent knock on his door.  Glancing around the room, he groaned at the dark hour.  Rising, he pulled the covers back around Jade, before grabbing some sweats and yanking them on.  After a quick look through the peep hole, Trace growled as he opened the door to a smiling Phoenix.  “Rise and shine, cupcake,” Phoenix laughed.  “Angel called a meeting.  If you had a phone, you would know that.  Don’t worry, though, Angel has one for ya.”

“What the fuck time is it?” Trace snarled.  This was not how he planned on waking up today.  He wanted to spend the morning buried in his beautiful mate, not with his team.

“It’s 5 in the morning, the meeting is at 6.  That gives us just enough time to run through the golden arches on our way to Angel’s,” Phoenix smirked.  “Come on, get dressed.  Let’s do this.”