Trace + Olivia Series Boxed Set (75 page)

“M-m-maybe y-y-you s-s-should k-k-kiss me and w-w-warm my l-l-lips,” he tried to smile.

“Nice try, Trace. Now seriously, shush.”

I took my tank top off and his eyes widened. “Don’t even think about it,” I warned as I balled the shirt up and used it as a makeshift towel to dry his body.

I dried his chest and arms first, then scooted down his body to dry his legs. I gasped in surprise when I felt the prominent bulge. “Trace,” I gasped his name in shock.

A crooked smile graced his lips for a moment. “I c-c-can’t help it. It has a m-m-mind of it’s own.”

I rolled my eyes but I was pleased that his teeth weren’t chattering as much. The car was quickly building in heat, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the heaters blowing full blast or us.

After I dried his legs, I somehow ended up straddling his chest. He grabbed my legs, just below my butt, his fingers grazing against the edge of my shorts. “I think I’m warm now,” lust filled green eyes gazed into my own.

A shaky breath rolled through my body as he sat up and I slid down until my center was pressed right up against him.

“You know,” he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear that had escaped the confines of the braid I’d put it in earlier, “I’ve never had sex in a car before.”

“Really?” My voice shook. Funny, how only minutes ago
he’d
been the one shaking. Now, with a few words he had me shaking like a leaf.

“Really,” his lips brushed lightly against mine, causing a soft moan to escape me.

“Are you sure we should do this?” I questioned, my eyes fluttering closed as he nipped at my neck.

“Do what?”

“Have sex in your car,” I gasped as he pressed kisses to the tops of my breasts.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had a better idea,” he pulled down the cups of my bra. “I think this is the perfect way to warm me up.” His mouth closed over one of my nipples and I was lost. My fingers tangled in his damp hair. He unclasped my bra and tossed it to the floor of the car. With deft fingers, he unsnapped the button of my shorts and eased the zipper down. They too joined the rapidly growing pile of clothes on the floor.

He reached down for his jeans, grabbing his wallet, and pulling out a condom.

“Always prepared,” I joked.

“You never know,” he grinned wickedly, then reach for my panties, ripping them from my body.

“Trace!”

“They were in my way,” he smirked, sliding his boxers down.

I took the condom packet from him and tore it open. I slowly rolled it on him, smiling in satisfaction when he twitched against my hand.

“I need to be inside you,” he pushed my hands out of the way and finished putting it on himself.

I squealed when he grabbed me by the waist and slowly lowered me down his length.

“Oh God,” we both moaned simultaneously.

His mouth descended on mine, and his tongue pressed against my lips, seeking entrance.

He rocked me slowly against him, setting the rhythm.

Everything except us ceased to exist in that moment.

I was consumed by the feelings he was creating in me.

His hand skated up my back, making me shiver. He pulled the ponytail holder from my hair and let it fall forward to conceal us. He cupped my face in his hands, kissing me deeply and making my stomach flutter in the process. Before Trace, I never thought anyone would ever make me feel the way he does … make me want to expose myself in such an intimate way. I might not have been a virgin when I met him, but my first time didn’t really count. A drunken encounter at a party wasn’t comparable to the bond I shared with Trace. What we had … was special. I knew enough to see that.

I clasped the ends of his hair in my hands. Laying my head on his shoulder I rocked my hips slowly against him.

Our gasping breaths filled the car. All thoughts of someone seeing us had long disappeared.

“I love you,” I murmured, pressing my lips against his throat.

Until I met Trace, I hadn’t understood how powerful those three words were. Some people tossed them around like they were nothing, when they meant everything. When you love someone as completely as I love Trace, you can make it through everything as long as you’re together.

“Not as much as I love you,” he gasped, cupping my cheek and forcing my eyes to meet his.

I closed the distance between us, kissing him deeply.

There was no talking after that.

Nothing else needed to be said, we only needed to feel our love for each other.

Something was brushing against my skin and it was super annoying. I swatted at it and laughter met my ears. With a groan, I opened my eyes slowly.

I was sprawled on top of a grinning Trace and he was tickling the bare skin of my shoulder with a piece of my hair.

“I was sleeping.”

“And my body is numb. Did you know you’re kind of heavy when you’re sleeping?” He tapped my nose with the chunk of my hair he was still playing with.

“Did you know that you’re annoyingly peppy in the mornings?” I rolled my eyes, reaching for my shorts and scooting off of his body. I’d put my bra, tank top, and ripped panties on before we fell asleep. After I got my shorts on I crawled over the seats and into the front of the car.

“Face it, you love my cheerful personality.”

I looked back to see Trace sit up and stretch. The ways his muscles flexed and rippled when he did that left my mouth watering. I never thought I’d be one of those girls constantly checking out guys—or in my case,
guy
—but I had a hard time taking my eyes off of Trace.

He pulled his jeans and shirt on and climbed over the seats like I had. He sat in the driver’s seat, staring out the windshield. I looked to, wondering what had captured his attention. A dancing cow, maybe? But there was nothing there.

“Tr—”

“Marry me?” He cut me off.

“Uh,” I raised a brow. “Did I dream that, or didn’t you already propose? I’m kind of confused right now.” I frowned, looking at him like he’d grown three heads.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “That’s not what I meant. What I mean is, marry me … today.” There was no playfulness in his gaze or smile. He was dead serious and I was … shocked.

“Today?” I whispered, my voice fleeing me.

He nodded. “Today.”

“Why?” I gasped. When he frowned, I hastened to add, “Not that I don’t want to marry you today, but our families aren’t even here. Why now?”

“Why not now?” He questioned, taking my hands in his. “It’s not that I don’t want them here, but this is about the two of us and our commitment to each other. We can have a wedding with a dress and cake and all that other crap, when we get back. I’m sure they’ll insist. But I don’t want to go another day without you as my wife,” his hand glided up my arm, causing me to shiver, and then rested against my cheek.

My eyes closed and a shaky breath gusted between my lips.

I had always thought I’d get married with my family surrounding me while wearing a white dress, but what Trace said was making me think differently. Marriage was between the two of us everything else was just pomp and circumstance.

“Your mom is going to kill us,” I eyed him.

He kissed me quickly and pulled away grinning. “I don’t care.”

“You know,” I glanced down at my shorts and plain white tank, “I never really imagined getting married dressed like this.”

“Here,” he shrugged out of his red plaid shirt, “put this on.”

I laughed as I put it on. “I didn’t picture getting married in your plaid shirt either.”

“Who wouldn’t want to get married in plaid?” He scoffed, throwing a wink my way.

I shook my head, fighting a smile. “Are we really doing this?”

“We are,” he entwined our fingers together and brought our joined hands up to his lips, kissing my knuckles.

“I really hope your mom doesn’t kill us,” I mumbled.

He chuckled. “I think we should be more worried about your mom. Pregnant ladies can get pretty crazy.”

I snorted, gazing out the window as he pulled away. “You’re probably right.”

“Now,” he smiled, slipping his sunglasses on, “we need to find the nearest courthouse.”

I let Trace lead me into the courthouse and through security. My heart was racing and my hands shook. I was nervous, but not because I was unsure of Trace. I was excited too. And scared. Yeah, definitely scared. Marriage was a big commitment, and while I was ready to be married to him, it still frightened me. So many marriages these days ended in divorce, and I didn’t want to be another statistic. But I knew in my heart and soul that what Trace and I had was special. We were the exception to the rule and I was incredibly lucky to have found him. All it took was one flat tire to completely change the course of my life. It’s quite amazing how life works like that.

Trace was speaking with the security guard, asking for directions, but I was completely zoned out.

In a matter of minutes, Olivia Owens would cease to exist and Olivia Wentworth would take her place.

“Thank you,” Trace said to the guard as he headed for a set of stairs.

I hurried behind him—actually, he kind of dragged me since he held my hand and both of us were smiling goofily. This was it.

He turned right, heading a short ways down a hallway. He stopped in front of a set of double wooden doors, blowing out a breath between his lips. He put his hand on the knob but didn’t turn it.

“Ready?” He looked down at me with happy green eyes.

“Do you even need to ask?” I responded.

With a grin, he pushed the door open and we stepped inside.

There were wooden benches set up and I was surprised to see several couples scattered around. Some had friends and family with them, but most were like us and had no one.

Trace sat on one of the benches and pulled me down beside him. The Justice of Peace finished performing the ceremony for one couple and they quickly left the room with huge smiles in their faces.

He called another couple up and my heart raced even faster. I counted three more couples ahead of us.

“Your hand is sweating,” Trace whispered in my ear.

“Sorry,” I blushed, trying to pull my hand from his but he wouldn’t release it.

“It’s cute. Are you nervous?” He asked.

I nodded. “Aren’t you?”

“Baby, I never get nervous,” he smirked.

“Of course not,” I rolled my eyes, my lips twitching as they threatened to turn up in a smile.

“I don’t want you to be nervous either,” he grazed his thumb over my cheek.

“It’s a good kind of nervous,” I assured him. “I promise.”

He smiled at that and then jumped as if frightened. I looked around thinking something in the room had caused his reaction. It would be my luck that his ex, Aubrey, would show up. Or something as equally ridiculous. But that wasn’t the case. He pulled his vibrating phone out and frowned at the screen. I could see that it was his mom calling. He pressed a button, directing her call straight to voicemail, and turned the phone completely off.

“I’ll call her later,” he whispered.

“Are you going to tell her?”

He nodded, releasing my hand and rubbing his on his jeans, a nervous habit of his. “Yeah. No point in waiting. She’s going to get pissed either way.”

“We can wait,” I placed my hand on his forearm. The muscle was tight from tension.

“No,” he shook his head. “I want to marry you today. I’m sick of putting everyone else’s happiness before mine. This is for
us
and no one else.”

“Trace—”

“I’m fine,” he assured me.

“Are you?” I questioned worriedly. “I don’t want you to do this,” I motioned to the courtroom, “just because you feel it’s the only way to establish control. I love you, Trace. I don’t care when or where we get married. If you want to walk out those doors right now, that’s—”

He silenced me with a kiss. Damn him.

“You’ve really got to stop doing that,” I groaned when he released me.

“Well, you talk too much,” he smirked. Sobering, he added, “It hurts me that you’d think that. All I want is to be married to you, I swear. No hidden agenda here. When we get back home, I’m going to make sure you get a traditional wedding with a white dress, cake, and flowers. Whatever the hell you want, it’s yours.”