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round of sex.
They were silent as each wiped off as best they could, tugging jeans and underwear
back up. Trace grabbed their shirts off the floor and gave Riley a sheepish smile as he
handed him his.
Their eyes met as Riley pulled the shirt on and suddenly the silence wasn t so
comfortable. There was so much tenderness and emotion in Trace s eyes that it was
impossible for Riley to ignore.
Riley exhaled, his hands trembling with the emotions that swept through him, his
heart pounding so fast and so hard it hurt. I don t& I don t know what to say, what to
do& He knew he ought to ask Trace to take him home right now, before he could get
any more stirred up, but he wasn t anywhere near clearheaded. Plus, the secret part of
him that Trace had unlocked and set free was demanding more and Riley didn t have
any control over that.
You re serious, aren t you? About this love thing? Trace nodded slowly and Riley
exhaled again. Okay. Okay. I& I still don t know what to say. I should but I don t.
Love. Real love, the kind that held nothing back, that didn t keep secrets or tell lies or
45
Fae Sutherland & Chelsea James
want him to be anything but exactly what he was. How strange that Riley had wished
for exactly that, and now that he had it, had no idea what to do with it.
It wasn t enough though, and he knew that. He didn t really know Trace and his
instincts had been wrong before. Riley wouldn t follow them blindly again, he would
take his time and make sure he knew Trace inside and out before he let that last lock
open.
Trace wrapped his arms around Riley, pressing his lips to the top of his head and
smiling. It s all right, darlin . You ll get used to it. He tipped Riley s face up and
brushed another soft, brief kiss across his lips. Why don t I take you home? It s been a
heck of a day for you, I think.
Riley nodded, tamping down on the part of him that wanted to do anything but go
home, that wanted to let Trace wrap him up in those strong arms and never let him go.
I think that s a good idea.
He slid off the couch and straightened, his stomach flipping madly. He d never felt
like this before, had never been so floored by emotion his own or someone else s to
be this rattled. Even when he d been certain he was in love Riley cut that off sharply.
He wasn t going there. Not now. This was neither the time nor the place to examine that
too closely.
Yeah, I m sure Jenna s wondering where I am and everything. It s my night to
cook dinner for us. It was a lame excuse and they both knew it. Jenna would have
called him long before now if she d been at all worried about him. Well, she might not
be worried but Riley was.
Trace smiled, nodding as he rose and pulled the cover gently over the keys, then
turned to Riley. Trace reached for his hand and Riley gave it, sighing as the cowboy
pulled him close again, strong arms slipping around him, dipping his head to nuzzle
his hair. Don t be afraid. It s gonna be all right, I promise. He gave Riley a light
squeeze before pulling back and nodding toward the front entryway. C mon, let s get
you home.
46
His Every Breath
Chapter Four
Hairbrush? Where the hell was his hairbrush? There it was, right on top of his gym
bag, where he d left it. Riley snatched the brush up, pacing back and forth in front of his
vanity table as he ran the brush through his hair, oblivious to the din of the dressing
room, too occupied with his own internal chaos. His eyes kept darting back to the table,
to his phone, sitting like a cheerful red beacon right in the center. Riley glanced up at
the clock on the wall nine o clock. Not too late to make a call. Not unless Trace was
one of those people who went to bed at sunset. Riley chewed on his lower lip, tapping
his fingers on his thigh as he settled into his chair.
His own reflection stared back at him from the mirror, nearly ready for his first cue
of the night, his hair loose in a tousled mass of curls, his skin dusted with shimmery
powder and his lips glossed. Riley had taken extra care with his appearance tonight,
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