Marissa giggled, then tried to escape him. Trace caught her up in his arms and easily flipped her over his shoulder before carrying her toward their bedroom. It had been nearly two weeks since he’d promised to give her a baby for Christmas, and he was dedicating as much time as possible to ensure that happened. There were a couple of days he’d missed, but that was only due to life getting in the way. Truthfully, the advent calendar was making for some interesting evenings.
Of course, he’d managed to sneak in as many quickies as possible, but as far as Trace was concerned, he hadn’t been inside this woman nearly enough lately. If he had his way, he would be inside her at least three times a day. Maybe four.
He hadn’t told his wife this yet, but the time for them was now.
“Trace Kogan, you better put me down,” Marissa insisted, pounding his back with her fist.
He laughed, ignoring her protest as he walked through their bedroom and straight to the bathroom. He flipped on the shower before putting her down beneath the spray.
Thank God for instant hot water.
“What are you doing?” she squealed, brushing her hair back from her face.
Damn, she looked good wet.
“Kissing you,” he said, right before he did just that.
Not surprisingly, Marissa gave up the fight, allowing the water to run over both of their fully dressed forms. He backed her against the tile, licking his way into her mouth, the familiar taste of her going to his head like his favorite scotch.
This right here… This was what he lived for. Coming home to her every single day.
MARISSA SHOULD’VE EXPECTED Trace’s barbaric advances. It certainly wasn’t the first time he’d tossed her over his shoulder like a bag of flour. Nor was it the first time she’d seen that gleam in his eye.
Then again, she’d had to hold out on him for several days there at the beginning, since after stopping her birth control pills, she’d gotten her period and had to deal with that. Of course, Trace had more than made up for that already. If she was lucky, that was the only time they’d have to worry about it for the next nine months or so. God, she hoped that was the case and not because of the inconvenient timing of her monthly cycle but because she was hoping to get pregnant.
It would’ve been so easy to insist that she was busy, argue with him until he stopped pursuing her, but … well, truth was, she didn’t want to. Seriously. What sane woman would choose cleaning the refrigerator over taking a shower with the sexiest man on the planet? She was no dummy.
And not only because they were trying to have a baby but also because she knew that this was one of those rare, special moments between the two of them.
After all she’d endured in the last few years, Marissa certainly knew that every single minute was a blessing. Having lived her life on the run for so many years, hiding from a madman who had set his sights on her, Marissa had come to cherish the simple things.
Yes, she’d gotten a little sappy since she’d said I do. And yes, Marissa spent the majority of her days smiling at all the memories they’d made together in the past couple of years. All in all, she knew she was blessed.
Of course, the instant she saw Trace without his shirt on, she knew just how blessed she really was. The man was utter perfection. All lean muscle covered by smooth skin. She could’ve easily stood there and ogled him for hours. In fact, she did that sometimes. When he offered to cook dinner, or the times he would work out in the home gym he’d set up on the first floor. Even when he was sleeping, she would unabashedly watch him.
“So, I assume shower sex was on today’s agenda?” she teased.
“It is now.”
Taking a moment to admire him, Marissa watched as he toed off his boots, kicking them to the side. She hoped they would survive the water, but at the moment, she really didn’t care. Boots could be replaced, and truthfully, this was freaking hot.
Damn, he was beautiful.
“Come here, woman,” Trace said, his voice gruff. He reached for her wrist and pulled her closer. “You keep looking at me like that and I’m gonna spontaneously combust.”
“Looking at you like what?” She knew he enjoyed her innocent routine.
“Like I’m tiramisu.”
She laughed. That was her favorite.
“I want your mouth on me,” he mumbled against her lips, his hands sliding beneath her shirt, dipping into the waistband of her leggings. “I want to feel it wrap around my dick…”
A shiver of awareness coursed through her, making her nipples tighten and her insides clench hotly. She loved when Trace used his verbal seduction skills. Between the gruff tenor of his voice and the way he practically commanded her obedience … Marissa was hard-pressed to resist him.
Oh, who was she kidding? She rarely resisted him. Ever.
Pretending she was the smoking-hot vixen Trace deserved, Marissa grazed her lips over his shoulder, his chest, then lower. As he worked the button on his jeans free, she went to her knees, then trailed his fingers with her mouth as he lowered the denim over his hips.
“Have I told you how fucking perfect your mouth is?” he rasped when she took him in her mouth.
Yep, he’d told her. A million times. However, she would never get tired of hearing it.
Trace groaned, a deep, dark rumble that started in his chest and echoed through the bathroom. It spurred Marissa on, made her insides tremble with an ever-growing need for him.
His fingers tangled in her wet hair as he pushed into her mouth, retreating slowly. The slight sting that ignited on her scalp made her breathe deeply, her body coming to life instantly. She liked when he was rough with her. It was rare. And honestly, he wasn’t really rough, but a little more forceful than usual. For the most part, he seemed to want to wrap her in silk and protect her, even from himself, so these moments when he wasn’t completely aware of his dwindling self-control were the times she enjoyed most.
“Damn, baby…” he said softly. “Keep that up and I’m gonna lose it.”
Well, they certainly couldn’t have that. However, she didn’t stop sucking him deep into her mouth, caressing the long, thick length of him with her tongue. Marissa knew he enjoyed this, more so than anything else.
“Oh, God, baby … yes. Do that thing with your tongue… Oh, fuck. That. Yes.”
Marissa teased and tormented, knowing exactly what he liked because he always told her.
“Aww, damn… Can’t take much more.” Trace pumped his hips, fucking her mouth with gentle, deep strokes, his hands tangling in her hair.
Marissa moaned, watching him as he watched her. It was so erotic to watch him.
“Enough,” he choked out, tugging at her hair, then reaching down to help her up.
Once she was back on her feet, Trace stripped the rest of their clothes from their bodies. But then it was her turn to be blinded by pleasure when he dropped to his knees, his tongue thrusting into her core. He lapped at her, fucked her with this tongue, and successfully drove her right out of her mind with mind-numbing pleasure. She never wanted him to stop.
So as he focused solely on driving her completely crazy with lust, the only thing Marissa could seem to do was hold on for dear life.
Chapter Nine
TRACE WOULD BE the first to admit that making love to this woman was the absolute best way to pass the time. Didn’t matter how or where, he got that same incredible high every damn time he was with her. The fact that she was so responsive only made him work harder to please her, loving the way her fingernails raked over his skin, her soft, sweet moans echoed in his ears.
“Trace… Need you inside me… Please.”
He wanted to make her come with his mouth, at least once. Only then could he fuck her hard and fast. Even as she tried to push his head away, her fingers laced in his hair, Trace persisted, flicking his tongue over her clit while he pushed one finger inside her.
Her body trembled, and he held on to her with one arm, not wanting her to fall. He worked her, eating her pussy
, loving every second of this until she was crying out his name. Instantly, he was up on his feet, his arms wrapped around her, his tongue thrusting into her mouth as he held her upright.
He wanted to make this last forever, but being inside her, feeling the smooth walls of her pussy contract around him, was the one thing he couldn’t stop thinking about. It was the first thing he thought about when he woke up and the same thing he thought about throughout the day.
The way she moaned and sighed … yeah, that was pretty fucking awesome, too.
But the best part… The way Marissa kissed him. It was the same way every time. As though she couldn’t get enough of him. It made his body hum, his blood heat, his heart race. He loved the way her tongue stroked his, exploring. The woman completed him in ways he’d never thought possible.
And the idea of her pregnant with his child…
It was almost too much. He could already picture her holding their son or daughter, singing softly, smiling so damn sweetly. He wanted that picture of perfection to come to life for them.
Gripping his aching dick, Trace guided himself to her entrance and slowly pushed inside. He had to grit his teeth as the sheer ecstasy consumed him, making his legs weak as her heat enveloped him.
He allowed her body to acclimate, giving her a chance to adjust to the intrusion before he began rocking into her, pulling back. Within seconds, he was slamming into her, holding her leg up so he could penetrate deeper.
“Trace…”
That one simple word said on a breathy whisper took him right to the brink and held him there, suspended on the razor-sharp edge of ecstasy as he continued to rock his hips, driving deep inside her, making her cry out his name over and over until…
“Yes!”
Trace groaned as he came in a furious rush while Marissa’s arms squeezed his neck. They were still in the shower, the water cooling at this point, but it didn’t matter, because holy hell, that was amazing.
“Is that how you’re going to greet me every day when you come home?” she asked, leaning into him, her head resting on his shoulder. “Because I could totally live with that.”
“I was thinking I wouldn’t leave the house,” he teased. “I’d simply stay lodged deep inside you from now until eternity.”
“That could be interesting,” she whispered, her muscles flexing around his cock, which was still buried inside her.
“Keep doing that and it’s definitely going to get interesting.” His dick pulsed with anticipation.
“Maybe a nap is in order.”
“A nap?” Traced grinned, kissing her forehead as he pulled back. “I like the sound of that. And then, on to round two?”
“You’re insatiable, you know that?”
“True. I’m not gonna deny it,” he told her, regrettably pulling from her body.
“Of course you aren’t.”
THE NAP DIDN’T happen, but Marissa had only been teasing. Sort of.
Instead, they had curled up on the couch and watched television for a couple of hours, something they rarely had the chance to do. And when Trace finally got up, Marissa had remained where she was, watching as he went to the kitchen to cook dinner. She had offered, but he’d insisted, and who in her right mind would refuse a man when he wanted to cook for her?
“Did you know Dani is officially back?” Trace asked when they were seated at the table a short while later.
“Courtney told me she showed up at Thanksgiving,” Marissa admitted. “She said Dani was talking to Hunter.”
Since Marissa hadn’t seen the conversation take place, she had to assume it had been when she and Trace had slipped out to the garage.
Trace nodded.
Marissa sensed that it hadn’t gone as well as she would’ve hoped. “Please tell me he’s not gonna run off again?” She knew it wasn’t easy on their family when Hunter had disappeared the first time.
“He can’t outrun his feelings for her,” Trace stated.
“No, he can’t. But he can face them.” Marissa watched her husband. “Has he tried to talk to her? Really talk?”
Trace shrugged. “He won’t talk about her.”
“Still?”
“Still.”
Wanting to change the subject, Marissa opted to talk about work. “Did you talk to RT about staying in town until Christmas?”
“He’s good with it. Hunter agreed to take any out-of-town assignments for now.”
“Of course he did.” Still running, Marissa knew. Eventually, it would all catch up with him, but that was the way it worked.
However, the good thing was that Trace would be home, or close anyway. Not that Marissa had a lot on her to-do list. Her Christmas shopping was complete. That was one of the perks of being so organized. She had started planning back in July, and as she found things for each of the members of their families, Marissa had purchased and even wrapped the gifts, storing them in the closet in the guest bedroom.
Now, it was a matter of enjoying each and every minute leading up to the big day. Of course, with nothing else to keep her busy these days, she was inundated with thoughts of a baby. She had forced herself not to get ahead of herself this time, though. She didn’t want to jinx anything. Marissa knew that pregnancies didn’t always happen instantly, no matter how badly a couple wanted to conceive. She had friends who had spent years trying both naturally and with fertility treatments. It sometimes took time. So, she opted to keep a positive outlook, knowing that things would happen if they were meant to happen.
That didn’t mean that she wasn’t saying an extra prayer every single day in hopes that it would happen sooner rather than later.
Chapter Ten
Monday, December 19th
TRACE WASN’T PARTICULARLY fond of the office Christmas party, yet he attended it every year. It was always the same. Lunch catered in, desserts brought by employees, and someone always suggesting they do the white-elephant gifts. This year they went a little crazy, bringing in Italian food. Granted, it was a hell of a lot better than turkey and dressing as far as Trace was concerned. There were piles of cookies, rows of pies, and several multilayer things that he didn’t dare go near. And yes, the white-elephant exchange had taken place. Once again, everyone had attempted to buy the most inappropriate gift that would embarrass the recipient.
As usual, that had worked and had been immensely entertaining. Last year, RT had been the one who had blushed to the roots of his hair. This year, Kye Sterling seemed to be the focus. Trace wasn’t sure if that was because he was the relatively new guy or because the women seemed to ooh and ahh over the blond-haired, blue-eyed giant of a man every time he came into the office. Not that he was there often. Hunter seemed to have that man on a leash, directing his every move.
It wasn’t that Trace’s brother had technically partnered with Kye, but they were working together. Hunter seemed to be the one who had taken Kye under his wing. Or maybe there was something else at work there that Trace didn’t quite understand. He’d noticed the way Kye looked at Hunter from time to time. If he wasn’t mistaken, there was some sort of deep admiration that lit up Kye’s face every time he caught sight of Hunter. How that worked, Trace had no idea, but it wasn’t his place to figure it out, either.
Shaking his head at the thought, Trace focused on the conversation taking place in front of him. Jayden Brooks, their beloved receptionist, was currently in an all-out argument with Conner over the best hotels in Las Vegas. How they’d managed to get on the topic was beyond him.
“Caesar’s Palace is by far the nicest place on the strip,” Jayden insisted.
“I disagree,” Conner countered. “The Aria is much nicer.”
“What do you know?” Jayden retorted, laughing. “When’s the last time you even took a vacation?”
Trace expected Conner to get quiet, the way he usually did. The man hadn’t been the same since his wife had been brutally murdered years ago. The only thing he seemed to do was work and spend a relatively small amount of time with his
daughter.
“I’ll prove it to you,” Conner declared. “I’ll take you to Vegas and show you.”
Okay, even Trace noticed the way everyone’s jaw practically hit the floor with that proposal.
“You’re on, tough guy,” Jayden stated firmly. “I’ll prove I know more than you.”
When Conner laughed, Trace quickly looked away. He wanted to hear his brother laugh like that more. He didn’t care who was putting that smile on his face, as long as someone was. As he turned, he made eye contact with RT and they both shrugged.
Whatever was at play there…
Who knew what it was, but Trace damn sure wasn’t going to interfere.
MARISSA DIDN’T USUALLY attend the Sniper 1 Security Christmas parties. Not because she wasn’t invited, because, for whatever reason, she was every single year. It didn’t seem to matter that she didn’t work for the company—despite her family pestering her about it for years and years—they always extended her an invitation.
But since she and Trace had gotten married, she’d attended because he had asked her to. Honestly, these gatherings weren’t much different than most of her family get-togethers. So much love in one place among those who were related by blood and those who were family by association. If she really thought about it, Marissa had to admit that she loved every minute of it.
“You havin’ a good time, kiddo?” her father asked when he came to stand beside her, his arm coming around her shoulder.
Bryce Trexler, at sixty-one, was an imposing figure. At six four, he was still in tremendous shape, and it was obvious by looking at him.
“Of course. You?”
Bryce smiled brightly, his blue eyes twinkling. “Always.”
She peered up at him. “So, you think you might really retire next year? Or is it one of those things you’ll keep saying until one day it possibly comes true?”
He’d been saying it for so long no one believed he would follow through.
Her father chuckled. “Hey, I’m working my way out little by little. Your brother’s got things under control.”
Naughty Holidays 2016 Page 11