Finding Olivia (Trace + Olivia #1) (33 page)

He stopped tickling my stomach
, and I took a moment to catch my breath, before he stole it once more with his lips.

He gazed down at me with a boyish smile. “If this was a private beach, I’d make love to you right here.”

My body tightened at his words and my hips involuntarily jerked against his.

“You’re not serious?” My eyes widened.

He tilted his head, studying me. “I’m
very
serious, Olivia,” he pressed into me and his erection was obvious.

I swallowed thickly, at a loss of words.

He smirked and rolled off of me.

Standing, he held out a hand, and helped me up.
“Like I said,
only
if it was private,” he winked, wetting his lips. “I don’t want anyone, but me, getting an eyeful of you.” Pressing me flush against his body, he brushed his lips against the curve of my ear, causing me to shiver.

“Let’s finish collecting these seashells you seem to love so much,” he chuckled
, letting our previous conversation drop.

When Trace and I had both run out of pocket space
, and I was chilled to the bone, I decided it was time for us to return to our room. We emptied our pockets onto the dining table. Sand spilled out along with the shells. Maid service was going to hate us.

As the last shell fell from my pocket, I shivered and sneezed.

Trace pressed his hand to my forehead. “You’re a little warm, baby. I knew we shouldn’t have stayed outside for so long.” Concern clouded his eyes.

I sneezed again in reply.

“Come on,” he dragged me into the spacious, nicely decorated bathroom, stripping my clothes. He turned the shower on and the room quickly filled with steam. “Shower,” he helped me inside. “I’m going to the lobby to see if they have any medicine and coffee. You need to warm up.”

“Avery might have medicine,” I joked as he slid the white shower curtain into place, “and for all we know
, she brought a mini Starbucks with her.”

Trace chuckled at my comment. “I won’t be gone long. I’ll bring some pajamas in here for you to change into. I don’t want you to get sick.”

“Okay,” I mumbled in reply. I knew there was no point in arguing with Trace. If he thought I was getting sick, he’d play doctor, and that was that.

The shower
did
make me warmer, but I was starting to feel lousy. I had experienced enough colds in my life to know I was getting one. Hopefully, I could sleep it off.

I pulled on the pajamas Trace had left out
, and climbed under the covers of the king sized bed, turning the TV on.

A few minutes later, as my eyes were growing heavy, Trace returned.

“Feeling better?” He asked hopefully.

I shook my head no.

“I’m sorry, baby,” he sat down beside me and the bed dipped down. “I got some Advil, coffee, and water,” he laid the coffee, and pill bottle, on the table beside the bed. Then pulled out a water bottle from under his arm. He twisted the cap off the Advil and shook two red pills into his palm. He handed them to me along with the bottle of water.

I took the pills and drank the whole bottle of water. I hoped the medicine would work its magic and I’d feel better in the morning.

Even though it wasn’t time to go to bed, sleep was calling my name.

“What can I do?” Trace asked. He looked so helpless that I felt bad for him, even though I was the sick one.

“I’m tired, I just want to sleep,” I answered softly.

“Okay,” he let out a breath and kissed my forehead. “I’ll let you sleep.”

“Thank you,” I mumbled as my lids closed.

★★★

I slept straight through the night, and awoke the next morning, feeling refreshed.

Trace had come to bed at some point,
last night, but I hadn’t noticed.

He was on his back with his left arm thrown above his head. I ran my greedy eyes over his bare chest. Trace, shirtless, was a sight I would never get used to. His chest rose and fell in deep sleep and I looked at the clock. It was early, just after six.

I slipped from the bed, and showered, washing my hair.

I brushed the wet strands and pulled it back into a bun on top of my head. I dressed casually in jeans and a loose t-shirt.

I wrote a quick note to Trace and left it beside him on the bed so he wouldn’t worry.

Feeling better. Gone to get breakfast.

-Olivia

I grabbed the spare room key off the counter in the small kitchen and made my way to the lobby.

There were a few people already milling about to get breakfast, but not many.

I was surprised by the selection of food and drinks. You could even make your own waffles.

I opted to toast a bagel with cream cheese and a glass of orange juice. It was one of my favorite things to have for breakfast.

I sat down at an empty table beside the windows and basked in the quiet atmosphere as I gazed out at the dark ocean. The sun wouldn’t rise for another forty minutes or so.

The seat across from me scraped across the tile floor and I looked away from the window to meet Trace’s green-eyed gaze.

“So, y
ou’re feeling better?” He asked, looking me over carefully.

“Much better,” I smiled.
I wasn’t surprised that he was awake, and down here, he was such a light sleeper.

“Good,” he seemed relieved. “I was worried you were getting really sick and it would be all my fault.”
He drummed his fingers against the tabletop.

“If I got sick
, it wouldn’t be your fault,” I shook my head at him and his silliness. “Go get something to eat,” I nodded to the spread of food set out on the bar.

Reluctantly, he pushed back from the table
, and made himself a waffle.

By the time he sat down across from me
, again, I had finished my breakfast.

He kept glancing at me skeptically, waiting for a cough or a sneeze.

“I’m fine, I promise,” I smiled at him. “I’m going to go get some coffee,” I explained, getting up.

Trace kept looking at me like he expected me to fall over dead or something.

I poured the coffee into one of the Styrofoam cups provided, and then added a heaping amount of sugar, and creamer. I honestly didn’t know why I drank the stuff since I had to doctor it up so much.

I returned to the table and Trace was almost finished with his waffle.

“Are you sure you’re-”

I held up a hand to stop him. “Yes, I’m sure. You have nothing to worry about
except for my nerves that you’re wearing out.”

“Sorry,” he grinned sheepishly, adding more syrup to his last bite of waffle.

“I understand that you’re concerned, but you don’t need to be so overprotective,” I said, taking a hesitant sip of coffee so I didn’t burn my tongue.

His eyes narrowed. “When it comes to you, I’ll be as overprotective as I want.”

I shook my head, smiling. “I’m not a kid, Trace.”

“I know,” he chuckled with a small smile. “But I-” He stopped, swallowing thickly. “Never mind,” he wet his lips. “I’ll stop nagging you.”

We ventured back up to the room, and I took my coffee with us, sitting down on the couch. As much as I wanted to go out on the beach, I was afraid to tempt fate, so for the time being, I looked out the window at the ocean.

“Are you sure yo
u’re feeling okay?” Trace asked and the worry was clear on his face. I thought it was sweet that he was so concerned, but I didn’t like that he was worrying unnecessarily. Plus, it was getting
really
annoying.

“I’m sure,” I
answered, taking a sip of coffee. I didn’t bother to say anything about his promise to stop nagging me. “I don’t plan on going down to the beach today, but I don’t feel sick. Please, don’t worry about me,” I begged.

He ran his fingers through his dark hair, rumpling it further. “I’m not normally a worrier,” he admitted, “but something about you…
” He paused, glancing at me. “I don’t want
anything
to happen to you, on my watch.” His voice was soft and his eyes were serious.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Trace,” I took his hand and pulled him down beside me on the couch. “I’m going to get sick and I’m going to get hurt. It’s a part of life. You can’t freak out because I have the sniffles.”

“You’re right,” he groaned, dropping his face into his hands. “You’ll be the end of me,” he chuckled humorlessly.

I grinned mischievously, trying to distract him. “If we’re not going out, there are plenty of things we can
do inside.”

He turned to me, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. “And what would that be?”

I smiled slyly, and climbed onto his lap.  “How about I show you?”

★★★

“Ugh,” Avery grumbled as we sunk into the sand. “It figures, the day we’re supposed to go home, the sun decides to come out, and it’s actually warm.”

“I don’t consider sixty degrees that warm,” I laughed, kicking off my shoes
, sinking my toes into the cold sand.

“Maybe not,” she agreed, pushing her gigantic sunglasses further up her nose, “but it’s better than it’s been the last few days.”

“That’s true,” I shrugged, watching the guys toss a football back and forth.

There were a few other people scattered along the beach, but not many. The temperature might have been in the lower sixties but the cool ocean breeze
made it feel more like fifty-five. Trace was being overprotective and didn’t want me outside, but since it was our last day here, he’d given in, and agreed to stop treating me like a small child.

I brought the pink hoodie of my sweatshirt up over my head and watched the guys through my dark sunglasses. I
heard the sounds of their laughter carrying along on the wind. Since I had met Trace, I hadn’t spent much time around Luca or seen how they interacted as friends, but it was clear to me now, that like Avery and me, they were inseparable. Best friends, the ones you keep for life, are hard to find, so when you do, you hold on with everything you have, and never let go.

I leaned back on my elbows and stretched my legs out, letting the sun warm me as much possible.

I let my eyes close and basked in the warmth fanning across my face.

“You’re not falling asleep on me are you?” Avery groaned, poking my shoulder.

“No,” I giggled turning to look at her.

“Good,” she slid closer to me. The evil smile gracing her face told me that she was about to tell me something I wasn’t going to like to hear. “We’ve both been so busy that I haven’t had the proper time to
talk to you about Luca.”

“Oh no,” I groaned, wishing I could teleport myself away. “Please, no.”

Talking about a guy, when it came from Avery, meant I was about to hear all about Luca’s prowess in bed. Whenever she did this, I was never able to look the guy she was dating, in the eye,
ever again
. Since it appeared that Luca was sticking around for the long haul, this could prove difficult.

I was surprised that I had managed to avoid this conversation with her for so long. Obviously, my luck had run out.

She continued, like I had said nothing. “Ohmigawd, Olivia, I have never been with someone that’s as good as he is. Let me tell you, he knows
exactly
what he’s doing.” She emphasized her words with a thrust of her hips.

“Avery, I’m begging you-”

“He’s so bossy and controlling when we have sex. Normally, I’m not okay with that, but strangely, it turns me on when he turns all macho and bosses me around…I mean, I’m not okay with him bossing me around
outside
the bedroom,” she rattled, waving her hands through the air dramatically. “He gets rough too,” she sighed dreamily. I didn’t understand what was so appealing about rough sex, but since I had never experienced it, I decided to keep my mouth shut. “And he has an apadravya,” she grinned wickedly.

“Am I supposed to know what that is?” I raised a brow.

She looked at me like I was a complete idiot.

“What? I don’t know what it is!” I cried.

With a dramatic sigh, she explained, “It’s a piercing, through the head of his penis-”

“Shut up!” I slapped my hands over my ears. “I don’t want to hear this!” I shook my head back and forth. “Too much information!”

I saw Avery roll her eyes, even through her sunglasses. “Stop freaking out, Olivia. It’s not necessary.”

I reluctantly let my hands fall from my ears so that her voice was no longer muffled.

“I hate you so much right now!” I exclaimed. “Now, every time I see him,” I pointed to Luca out on the beach, “all I’m going to be able to think of is that, that, that,
thing
,” I stuttered.

“It’s
wonderful
,” she sing-songed. “It hits my g-spot
every single time
.”