Page 94 of Incipient

He stepped up behind me, moving with me as I continued to roll and wind my hips, pushing back against him as he tightened his grip on me.

“You’re driving me crazy,” he said, his hot breath in my ear as he moved his body with mine.

That’s kind of the point, I answered without speaking, knowing he could hear me perfectly. Twisting around in his arms, I flattened my palms against his chest and continued dancing, smiling to myself as heat broiled in his eyes.

He managed to make it another fifteen seconds before he yanked me forward and then threw me over his shoulder like I was the Jane to his Tarzan. Laughing, I immediately threw my hand back to keep my shirt from riding up and flashing everyone at the party as Trace lugged us out of the living room and down the corridor to the downstairs washroom.

He flicked the lights on and set me down, his eyes never veering from mine as he reached back and locked the door.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, knowing full well what he was doing. It was written all over his face, from the wayward look in his eyes to the impish curve of his lips.

He stalked forward and cupped my cheeks, pulling my mouth to his as though he had been starving for it. Heat skirted over my skin as he parted my lips and deepened the kiss, my stomach clenching deliciously as he brushed and swirled his wet tongue against mine.

My hands slid down from his chest and then circled his waist, my nails digging into his back as I pulled him closer to me. The music and prater from outside the door had long since faded into the background, leaving only the sound of his beating heart competing for supremacy against mine.

A low rumble sounded in his chest as he winched me into his arms—slowly dragging me up his body, his mouth never leaving mine. Moaning against his lips, I wrapped my legs around his waist and locked them at my ankles. He spun left, then right, not quite sure where to take our party as he continued searing me with his mouth, and then finally walked me backward until my back hit the wall.

My head tilted back as he worked his hand under my shirt, his mouth dropping to my neck, blazing a trail of kisses and then sucking on the delicate skin above my collarbone. Every inch of my body prickled with heat.

Somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought I heard someone knock on the door, but I was too far removed from reality for it to fully register. His mouth and hands were doing things to me that made me want to scream and laugh and cry all at the same time.

Two seconds later, a harder thump against the door sounded. This time, Trace heard it too.

“Go away,” growled Trace as he kneaded my breast and continued to bless my neck with his kisses.

“Dude, it’s me,” shouted Ben, his voice muffled from the other side of the door. “Open up.”

“No. Go the fuck away,” said Trace, his focus never drifting away from his mission.

“It’s Nikki, man. You’re going to want to see this.” He paused. “Jemma too.”

My eyes widened as Trace slowly drew his head back and then met my gaze.

“Nikki’s here?” I asked, my eyes on Trace as I shouted to Ben through the door.

“No,” he answered, his voice sounding stranger than ever. “But she sent out a video message. And it’s bad.”

39. RIVER OF DECEIT

I had no idea what to expect or what Ben meant by avideo message, but I immediately unlocked my legs from Trace’s waist and slid down his body before rushing to the door. Trace hung back andadjustedhimself as I opened the door and took in Ben’s pale expression. My stomach dropped to the ground like a pile of bricks

“What is it? What happened?” I asked, trying to keep the panic from hitching up my voice. I hadn’t seen Ben looking this shaken up since the night we lost Taylor.

“Nikki just sent Trace a message through her social media,” he answered nervously, his gaze skirting away from mine as though he were having trouble meeting my eyes. “Everyone in school got a copy forwarded to them.”

“What?” I could hardly comprehend what he was telling me. Why would Nikki put a private message she sent to Trace on blast like that?

Trace moved up behind me and held out his hand. “Let me see it.”

Ben dropped his phone into Trace’s hand as I took a step back so that I could get a clear look at the screen. The video was paused on Nikki’s face. She was sitting, as though giving an interview, though the whole thing looked staged based on the white screen behind her head and the ample amount of soft light beaming down on her face. She was so vain like that.

Trace hit the play button as we both craned our heads to listen in.

“This is not the way I wanted to do this, Trace,” said Nikki, her voice fluttering out from the phone speaker. “But you won’t listen to reason and you’ve left me no other choice. I love you so much and I won’t sit by and watch you throw away everything we had for a slut like Jemma Blackburn.”

Having heard enough, Trace tried to shut the video off and hand the phone back to Ben, but I quickly snatched it back and hit the play icon again, refusing to look away from the train wreck that was coming at me full speed ahead.

“I want you to know thatthisis what you’re abandoning me and ourchildfor.Thisis what you’re in love with.”

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