6. Trace
6
TRACE
I stay outside for hours, watching the fire die down to nothing but smoldering ash. My head is racing with thoughts, my lips still tingling where Chloe’s mouth met mine. As the sky darkens to black and the stars twinkle overhead, I force myself off the ground and stretch my aching legs before taking a seat by the front door instead, keeping watch. Anything to keep the girl in my cabin safe. The girl who has turned my whole damn world upside down.
Goddammit.
Our kiss was incredible. Chloe’s lips were so fucking soft and sweet, like ripe cherries. She set off fireworks in my gut when she moaned against me, gripping me tightly like she couldn’t get enough. It was perfect. I keep running it over in my mind, replaying each moment again and again. The way Chloe looked at me, eyes molten, lips parted. The way she kissed me back, tentative at first, then deeper, hungrier. Fuck. My cock aches at the memory of her curves pressing against me before that damn cell phone ruined everything.
I’m not an idiot. I can guess why Chloe pulled away from me. She knows I’m her dad’s oldest friend, and she did the mature thing—breaking our kiss instead of breaking his trust. I’m twice her age, dammit. It should be me doing the mature thing. I should be the one to know better; do better. But I want her so fucking badly that nothing else matters to me. I care about Roman. He and Nolan were my brothers in arms back in the military, and that will always be important to me. But not even my respect for Roman can stop me from craving his daughter.
When the sun rises a few hours later, my head hurts from thinking so damn much. I rub my dry eyes and feed Rocky his breakfast, but I don’t have much of an appetite. Instead, I grab my axe and chop up the tree I felled yesterday, trying to pour all my frustration into every thwack of metal against wood. My stomach knots when I hear movement from inside the cabin, and I abandon my work, heading inside to see Chloe. I don’t know what I’m going to say, but it doesn’t matter. I need to see her.
She’s sitting at the table when I walk in, petting Rocky. I watch her tense when she hears me enter, and the air around us crackles, thick and heavy, like the sky before a thunderstorm.
“Good morning,” she mumbles.
“Morning, Chloe.”
I stare at her hungrily, taking her in. It’s only been one night, but it feels like I haven’t seen her in days. I should feel awkward as hell after she pulled away from me yesterday, but I don’t; I’m too far gone to feel embarrassed, too fucking captivated by this girl.
“Sorry about last night,” she says eventually, looking up at me with guilty eyes. “Running off like that…it wasn’t the best way to handle things.”
“I get it.” I take the seat opposite her, leaning across the table to look into her eyes. “You don’t want to hurt your dad.”
Chloe bites her lip, shaking her head. “No. I don’t. I feel bad knowing he’s back in the city trying to protect me while I’m out here…kissing his friend…”
The word “kissing” sets my pulse thrumming, memories of last night swirling behind my eyes.
“Your dad is doing his job,” I say simply. “He wants you here with me. Safe.”
“I know.” Chloe looks at me pointedly. “But he didn’t say anything about making out with you while I’m here.”
I swallow hard, losing myself in her gaze. We haven’t broken eye contact for a while, and it makes my heart pound as I ask, “Is that the only thing holding you back? Your dad?”
Chloe frowns slightly. “I…no. It’s not just that.” She finally looks away. “I don’t want to get attached, not when we’re going to end up never seeing each other again.”
Her voice sounds thick, like she’s trying to hold back her emotions, and something sinks in my gut.
“Who says we’re never going to see each other again?” I demand, standing up with a frown.
Chloe blinks up at me. “We live so far apart. Once I go back to Phoenix, you’ll be gone from my life.”
“What makes you think that?”
She shrugs sadly. “That’s just what happens, isn’t it? People drift apart. They leave…”
“Not me, Chloe.” I circle the table and hook my thumb under her chin, forcing her to look at me. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“But—”
“There are no buts,” I say. “I promised to protect you, and that’s what I’ll do. Not just now, but always. Whatever it takes.” I lean down, our faces almost touching as I say it again. “Whatever it takes, Chloe.”
“But you’ll be in Colorado?—”
My hands cup her cheeks, my thumb brushing her bottom lip. “I’ll be wherever you are, princess.”
Then I kiss her. And this time, I won’t let anything distract us. A fucking avalanche could rip through the mountains right now—I’m still not letting Chloe go. This girl is mine, and it’s time for me to prove it.
I lift her into my arms and push her back against the wall, her curves melting against me as we kiss desperately. It feels like a dam has burst. All the frustration that has been eating away at me for days is spurring me on, flowing through me.
Chloe’s tongue slides against mine, sweet as cherry pie, her legs straddling my hips. My cock is hard as rock, throbbing in my boxers, and I push my bulge against her, savoring the way she gasps.
“This is what you do to me, Chloe,” I mutter, trailing kisses down the soft skin of her neck. “Fuck, you don’t know how much I want you.”
She looks at me, her eyes glazed with lust, lips puffy from our kiss. It’s as much as I can take. With a deep groan, I carry her through the living room and into my bedroom, kicking the door shut behind us. I lay Chloe on the bed, taking her in for a moment. She looks so fucking beautiful, cheeks blushing, her pretty face darkened with need. Her curves look sexy as hell in her shorts and t-shirt, but they’ll look even sexier when she’s naked for me.
With urgent hands, I start to undress her, smothering her pretty mouth with kisses as I toss each piece of clothing aside.
“God, you’re beautiful, Chloe,” I groan once she’s in nothing but a white bra and panties.
My cock twitches with need as I stare down at her thick thighs and soft belly. Her body is fucking divine, and I hungrily reach for her bra, unclipping it. She sucks in a breath, biting her lip as her breasts are revealed—plump and rounded. Her dusky nipples are hard, and I rub my thumbs over them, enjoying the way Chloe shivers.
“So pretty,” I grunt, kissing down her soft neck and sucking one of her pebbled nipples into my mouth. Her breathing quickens, and I suck harder, my hands reaching down to grab at her panties. I swipe my fingers over the seam, my heart thumping when I feel how sodden the fabric is. Chloe’s wetness has soaked through, and I’m dying to taste her.
I pull away from her nipple and yank down her panties, revealing her soft mound. But before I can get a better look, Chloe clamps her thighs shut.
“Nobody’s ever seen me like this before,” she says breathlessly, her gaze tinged with fear. “I…I’ve never done any of this before.”
My heart leaps as I lean down to kiss her, my hand cupping her cheek.
“Me neither,” I tell her, pulling back to look into her eyes. “I’ve never been with anybody before. Never wanted to either until I met you.”
Chloe swallows, still looking nervous. “Really?”
“Cross my heart.” I press a kiss on her forehead. “You’re the only girl I want, Chloe. The only girl I’ve ever wanted. Fuck, you have no idea how sexy you are. I want you more than anything.”
She reaches up to run her fingers through my hair. “I want you too, Trace.”
Slowly, her thighs fall open. I move down her body, peppering her soft skin with kisses until I reach her pussy. Her pink folds glisten with juices, making my mouth water. I want to make my girl come for me. I want to watch her lose control until she’s screaming my name.
“You’re so fucking pretty, Chloe. I need to taste you.”
Her eyes go wide. I get one last look at the surprise on her face before I sink my head between her thighs, sliding my tongue up her slit. Her cream is warm and sweet, and I can’t get enough. She makes a sexy, guttural noise deep in her throat, hips bucking as I suck her clit into my mouth, teasing it mercilessly.
“OH!” Chloe cries, her whole body writhing as I devour her dripping core. My cock is aching, and I squeeze it through my jeans, trying to relieve some of the tension as I worship my girl’s sweet pussy. But as Chloe’s moans get louder, the ache only intensifies, spurring me on.
“Trace! Oh, God, yes!”
I rest my forearm against her hips, pinning them down to the bed, forcing Chloe to take every second of pleasure. My other hand slides between her legs, and I push two fingers inside her tight hole, feeling her walls flutter. With a groan of need, I pump them in and out in a punishing rhythm, fucking her with my fingers as I lick her sensitive bud. Her body starts to coil like a spring, drawing inward, muscles retracting. She pulls at my hair, her nails sharp against my scalp, but I barely notice the pain. All I can focus on is her pleasure, her cries, her blooming orgasm…
“TRACE!”
Her core throbs around my fingers, squeezing them tight as her body spasms wildly. She grinds her clit against my mouth, riding out her orgasm with a deep moan until I finally slide my fingers out of her and lap up her cream, licking up every last cherry-sweet drop.
“Fuck, Chloe, that was perfect,” I say hoarsely as I come up for air. “You taste so damn sweet.”
She looks up at me dazedly, breathing hard. “Y-your beard is all wet.”
I chuckle, reaching down to stroke her hair. “You bet it is. Ready for more, princess?”
She nods eagerly, propping herself up on her elbows. “I’m pretty sure it’s your turn to get undressed.”
Her eyes sparkle with anticipation as I get off the bed, reaching for the buttons of my shirt. I’ve never wanted anything more than I want Chloe right now. My whole body is thrumming with a deep, primal need to claim my girl, to fill her with my cock and make her mine once and for all. I’m done trying to resist. Done trying to be the good guy.
“You’re all mine, beautiful,” I say, my eyes fixed on Chloe as I strip off my clothes, “and I’m going to show you exactly what you do to me.”