She rose to her toes and stole a lingering kiss. Without pulling away, she whispered, “It’s like when you’ve spent all morning baking, and the cookies are finally out of the oven, and you know you should wait for them to cool, but they smell so good and you’ve waited so long already, that you risk the crumble and burns and you don’t even care that you’ve made a mess because you’re way too satisfied to care.”
He laughed against her mouth, nuzzling and nipping sweet kisses. “I don’t disagree. If it wasn’t completely illegal, I’d do you right here in the middle of town.”
Her chest rumbled with a delicious laugh, her core stirring hotter and she gripped him tighter against her.
Cole held her close and shifted his hand over her rear and tugged her closer. Kissing her harder, sweeter, he gave her a glimpse of how tonight was going to go. A gust of wind rushed over them, rain dappling as it was carried from far away, the sky overhead staying mercifully dry. Again, deeper, angling, he kissed her. “I want you so bad, Trace. I am warning you right now, that our first time is going to be short and hopefully sweet, but, well, picturing you naked with my cock involved, there’s likely to be a bit of a Pavlovian response.”
Tightening her tummy from the force of her laugh, she tipped her head back and couldn’t hold back.
“Seriously. It was bad before, but then all that talk of black lace panties and blowjobs and against the door.” He groaned as he spoke and kissed a trail up her neck, searching for her mouth as her giggle turned into lust and she needed to drink him up.
“Maybe I’ll pick up something really daring from the shops.”
Tipping back, he bit his bottom lip and groaned and grinned and she absolutely couldn’t resist.
“Trace,” Haley shouted from across the street. “Plenty of time for that later.”
“Shit,” she muttered, cupping his cheek and rubbing her thumb over his bottom lip before pulling away.
He fluttered his eyes close for a brief moment, opening when she released.
Before she could say something to get him laughing again as she left, she realized his focus was sharp, and he was looking past her.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he answered vaguely. Shoulders back, keen eyes observing everything, he looked like the mercenary he wasn’t supposed to have to be anymore. He blinked and looked back at her, feigning a smile. “Fine. Just, I don’t know, I guess I haven’t been out of the house enough. Paranoid. That’s all.”
“Be safe, okay?” she said, brushing her lips over his again before crossing the street.
He nodded, already distracted.
She stole another glance back toward him from across the street and watched him stuff his hands into his pockets and walk in the general direction that some of the others had gone.
Haunted. That was it. It was like the boy she’d known had only honed those instincts sharper, funneling them into something lucrative and effective, instead of the troubled kid. If he couldn’t even relax for one weekend away, how was he going to settle for the long haul in Foothills?
Nope. Not thinking. Not dwelling.
She wandered into the store, and Freya and Haley already had several items tossed over their arms. Both smiled and waved with their free hands as she strolled in.
“You would look amazing in this,” Haley said, passing across a pale pink sweater with a very low back, so she’d have to go braless or wear a pretty bralette or something. How would it even stay on?
“I will try it on,” she said, wincing as she imagined where she would wear it, then kicked herself, remembering she was expanding her horizons. Just because most of the residents of Foothills lived in fleece and hiking boots didn’t mean that she couldn’t have a little fun. Haley and Freya always looked a step up, without looking out of place, so she could, too.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She hooked the sweater over her arm and checked the text.
From her mom, Ellen passing along a wedding cake emoji and a smiley face.Enjoying your trip? Is Cole relaxing at all?
Reality churned in her gut as she realized her parents were going to figure out that she was sleeping with Cole. Or, well, would be by the time she got home. She hoped. Shitty shit shit.
“Trace? What’s that look about?” Haley wandered over and glanced at her phone, the screen long since dark, but she held it up anyway.
“My mother. She texted a friendly check in.”
“What’s wrong with checking in with Ell—ooohhhh.” Haley bit her lips together and backed up a step. “Good luck with that.”
“Thanks. You’re not helping.”
She hadn’t even realized Freya had been listening. Sifting through a basket of scarves on the next display over, Freya said, “Bite the bullet and tell her you’re having a thing, or hide it until you’re more settled into the relationship? Tough choice, as they’re both the wrong answer. I don’t envy you right now.”
