“I’m yours.”
Those words break the dam inside me and I rear up with a shout, riding him with every drop of love and hope I’ve stored up for four long years. I ride until I’m too exhausted to make another move, and I’m grateful when he flips us and starts thrusting home with a force that has me sliding up the bed before he hooks his hands beneath my shoulders to keep me in place.
“Trace.”
He’s gasping and groaning and shuddering above me, and I’m so lost that I feel tears of pure joy slide from my eyes and into my hair.
“Yours. I will always be yours,” I moan quietly as the gentle waves of my orgasm pulsate though me, setting off his own pleasure.
I love the feel of him deep inside me, and I kiss him back when he finally groans and kisses me, followed by silence.
I don’t need to say another word as he pulls free and takes me into his rams. We’ve said all there is to say, and I know that no matter what happens from here on, I am loved completely by this man and I will never be alone again.
Jace Lane and I may have started this contest of wills intending to hurt each other, but we’re together now.
Chapter Fifteen
Trace
It’s been two days since I married my man and I feel so joyous that it’s almost embarrassing to go down to breakfast or even really just get out of bed in the morning, because I know I have this goofy grin on my face that just won’t quit.
It’s dumb, I know it is, but I feel so loved that I can’t even remember a day when Jace wasn’t mine and I wasn’t his.
It’s just as I’m thinking about skipping breakfast to avoid Miah and Wyatt’s knowing glances and Jace’s grin when my cell phone rings and I answer with a chirpy hello.
“Trace?”
My heart stops beating and I’m lightheaded with relief when I hear her sweet voice over the line.
“Paulie? Is that you, sweetie? Where are you?”
I have so many questions right now, and since it’s been brought to my attention that she might be a two-timing bad girl, I should really consider feeling less giddy, but right now all I know is that I’ve been worried and I’m elated to be hearing from her.
“Trace, I-I’m in so much trouble right now,” she says and I hear the sob catch in her throat as the last word leaves her lips.
I can’t ignore this. I hear the muffled sounds of a her cries and feel her fear even from this distance.
“Paulie, honey, where are you?” I ask as she struggles to get herself under control to answer me.
This woman is my best friend and I love her like a sister. She’s in trouble and she needs me, and I swear to God, if anyone has harmed her in any way, I’ll murder them without a thought.
Even if it does turn out that she’s not who I thought she was.
“I need you to come get me, Trace. Please.”
“Uh, okay. Let me just get, Jace, and—”
“No! No, you can’t tell anyone, Tracy. Please, I’m begging you. They all think I’m one of them, and I can’t…please, just come and get me and I swear I’ll tell you everything.”
I already know I shouldn’t do it, but my friend needs me.
“They said that if you don’t come and get me, if you come with anyone else and they see you…they’ll kill me, Trace. I‘m so scared.” She sobs again and I feel my blood turn to ice in my veins at her words.
That’s the point when my training kicks in and I’m already running out of the room and for the stairs when she starts crying for real.
Jared. I need Jared right now before I lose this connection, I think, almost falling my way down half a flight of stairs when I trip over my shoelace.
“Paulie, just calm down, honey. Who are they? Are you in trouble or something, babe?”
I need to stall for time as I fall three steps to the bottom and come back to my feet, running full out for the dining room and the people sitting there.
The moment I get through the door, Jace is on me as if sensing my anxiety, and I collapse against him while wheezing and mouthing Paulie’s name.
That brings Jared out of his chair so fast, the arm shatters when it hits the ground.
“Paulie? Honey, are you still there?” I ask, struggling for breath as the Lane brothers start running for Jared’s rooms while Jace hoists me up and follows at a fast clip.
“I-I’m here, Trace. Please help me. They’re going to kill me if you don’t come and meet me. Ow! Ahh!”
“Paulie! Who are they? What the hell is going on?” I yell when she screams and starts crying uncontrollably.
“Trace, hello, Miss Mayfield,” an electronic voice says suddenly as Paulie cries out again, the cries muffled this time as I hear the sound of flesh meeting flesh.