Page 91 of Chasing Shelter

I chose the wild. I let go.

The orgasm hit me like a tsunami, so powerful it hurt to shatter. But the pain was so damn beautiful, and it only pushed the pleasure higher. Everything was more.

I squeezed my eyes closed as Trace rode out every wave with his fingers and tongue. Sparks of rainbow light danced in the darkness, little pieces of freedom.

My whole body shook, and when my leg nearly gave out, Trace simply held me there against the door, never letting me fall. Wave after wave, he didn’t let go. Until I finally had no more to give.

Trace leaned back on his heels, slowly pulling his fingers from me, and placed my foot back on the floor. But his other hand didn’t leave my hip as he made sure I was okay. Those dark green eyes found mine, and he didn’t look away as he licked his fingers clean.

My jaw went slack as I stared down at him. “Trace.”

“Heaven,” he whispered. And then he moved again, slowly putting my leggings back on, gentle hands moving across oversensitive flesh. But he didn’t stop there. He put on one shoe and then the other before gripping me by my hips.

“You deserve the world, Blaze. Don’t settle for anything less.”

27

ELLIE

I sat in my car,staring at the side of Haven, wondering what the hell had just happened. I was pretty sure I was having some sort of orgasm-induced break with reality, but as I looked down at my sneaker, seeing the bow that Trace had re-tied, I knew it was all real.

The heat of his lips still hummed on mine—the feel of the words he’d spoken against them.“Text me when you’re home so I know you got there safe.”

Why did something as simple as that feel like such a balm? Because it was so much more.

I stared at the wall in front of me and took in the wayHavenhad been splashed in another beautiful mural. Kye had painted all sorts of flowers and creatures found in the area around the word. Sparrows, hummingbirds, and butterflies floated atop the gym name.

For the first time in forever, I felt lighter. Freer. Like all those creatures there. The corners of my mouth tipped up as I admired Kye’s artistry, how he’d created something that fit in with its surroundings but was his style.

Maybe that was it. Maybe it was me finding the wildness with Trace. When I started my SUV, I didn’t head for home. I drove toward the hardware store on the outskirts of town as an idea began coming together in my mind. One that might be over-the-top for most, but I didn’t care. Because it was me.

Parking in a spot at the end of the row with plenty of space, I headed inside. The shop wasn’t crowded since it was the end of the day. A pretty blonde a little older than me waved from where she was restocking a shelf. “Welcome. Just holler if you need help or to check out. I’m just trying to get tomorrow’s work done today.”

I grinned. “Good luck with that. And thanks.”

“Name’s Mara if you need me.”

“Thanks, Mara. I’ll be hitting you up for some paint in a bit.”

“I’ve got you covered,” she called as I headed down one of the aisles.

I stopped in front of a display of paint swatches. There were what seemed like endless options. Given how small Sparrow Falls was, the variety had me pleasantly surprised.

Closing my eyes for a moment, I saw the image I wanted to create in my mind. Plucking out specific colors in my head, I opened my eyes again, then grabbed swatches covering just about every color in the rainbow—and a few more for good measure. I compared tones and pigments and finally decided on my choices.

That was when I felt it. The telltale sensation of eyes on me. I couldn’t help the stiffening in my muscles as memories of Kye’s recent instructions filled my mind. Glancing up, cold hazel eyes met mine—ones narrowed in my direction.

The man was big and broad, wearing jeans that had seen better days and a flannel with a sprinkling of sawdust on it. He had at least fifteen years and a hundred pounds on me and didn’t seem especially friendly.

“You’re that rich bitch whose daddy killed all those people and stole their money, ain’t you?”

My muscles turned to granite. That wasn’t exactly what hadhappened, but the details didn’t matter in a situation like this. Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him.

No more running.

“That’s me,” I said, not looking away.

The man sneered at me. “And you think you can just live off all his blood money and get off scot-free? You should be hung right along with the bastard. Maybe you need a little local justice.”

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