Page 112 of Chasing Shelter

I picked it up and shut the door behind me, relocking each latch. I crossed to the stairs and sat, laying my phone next to me as I untied the bow. I paused before I lifted the lid, a buzz of excitement lightingthrough my veins. The moment I finally opened the box, I stilled. Then my jaw went slack.

A mixture of amusement and heat slid through me as I stared down at what was inside. Not in a million years would I have guessed thatthiswas a gift Mr. Law and Order would’ve left on my doorstep.

“Full of surprises, aren’t you, Chief?” I mumbled as I grabbed my phone.

I tapped the call button on our text thread. It only rang once before he answered. “You open it?”

“Did you get me a sex toy?”

A low, husky chuckle sounded across the line, and it felt like echoes of Trace’s callused fingertips skating over my skin. “Pretty sure it qualifies,” he said.

“Chief…”

“Not going to make promises I can’t keep. Might not be able to get my hands on you in real time, but I can control that with an app on my phone.”

A grin tugged at my lips. “I admire the ingenuity.”

“What do you think, Blaze? You want to play?”

The deep rasp of Trace’s voice and the intent behind his words had my skin heating in an instant flush. “Yeah, Chief. I wanna play.”

“Where are you?”

His voice was deeper now, the bite of command slipping in. My nipples pebbled in response, pressing against the thin lace of my bralette. “Sitting on the stairs.”

“Doors locked?”

“Sir, yes, sir,” I mocked.

“Ellie,” he growled.

Hell.My nipples tightened again at the tenor of his voice. “They’re locked.”

“Upstairs to your room,” Trace ordered.

Everything in my life lately had been about the quest for freedom, my own choices, my own decisions. But it was exhausting at times. Something about having Trace command me now was like arelease. Or maybe it was that it was my choice at every turn, the physical distance between us only giving me more control.

I took the stairs quickly, but each step stirred something. The promise of what was to come paired with the swish of my legs. Thighs brushing against each other. Skin heating like I could feel every nerve ending in my body.

I swore I was out of breath by the time I reached the small bedroom at the end of the hall. It was still chaos inside. Piles of clothes on a chair or peeking out of the dresser. My bed was still unmade from that morning.

“You there?” Trace asked. And I could hear the battle against impatience in his voice. That little tell felt like a surge of power.

“I’m here,” I whispered.

“Tell me what you want. Lights on or off?”

My gaze swept around the room. “Off. I want to feel like you could be here. Right next to me.”

A rustling sounded from the other end of the line. “My girl misses me.”

“I do.”

“Lights off. On the bed.”

Everything in me wound tighter, but I did as he said. Flicking off the light, I let the moon’s glow guide me to my mattress. Each step I took ratcheted my heartbeat faster.

“Phone on speaker, Blaze.”

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