Page 60 of Tracking Wolfe

Somehow, through all that, he’d gained an easy confidence that drew me to him like catnip. I wasn’t sure the man had ever experienced a moment of indecision. When he came to a fork in the road, he picked a direction and strode ahead.

Meanwhile, I felt like I plopped myself down at the fork and made camp until I’d thoroughly overthought the decision.

That’s why I was grateful Trace didn’t allow me time to get weird when we stepped into the van. He simply shucked off his sweatpants, peeled off his T-shirt, and climbed into my bed in his boxer briefs.

I stared at his body shifting in the ambient glow from the tiny night-light that illuminated the floor by the sliding door.

“If you changed your mind, let me know. I don’t have to stay,” he said.

I blinked at him, suddenly aware of how long I’d been staring. “I didn’t. Change my mind.”

“Baby.” The look on Trace’s face was understanding, amused, and incredibly sexy. “We don’t have to do anything if it feels weird. Just get in here and let me warm you up.”

Maybe it should have been weird.

Should have been awkward, at the very least, to see my father’s best friend settling himself in my bed.

Should have been odd hearing the word baby spoken with such easy affection by the man I’d fantasized about for half my life.

I was more stunned by how normal it felt. How right.

I yanked off Trace’s fleece, taking one last greedy inhale before tossing it behind me into the driver’s seat. Maybe he’d conveniently forget to take it back if it was out of view.

When I slipped beneath the covers, I decided to be brave and moved close enough to snuggle into his side. Blood thrummed in my veins, a mix of nerves and sexual attraction.

I wasn’t clear on why he’d agreed to come with me so readily. Was it to get his dick sucked? If so, I was fine with that. But if it was more than that, I wanted to know.

Trace’s fingers moved into my hair as soon as I settled my head against his shoulder. After a moment, he spoke softly. “Do you want to tell me why you were so upset tonight?”

The question surprised me. I shifted up onto an elbow to peer down at him. “Upset? At you?”

He studied me for a beat. “Well, no… I didn’t think so. Were you upset at me?”

I shook my head quickly. “No.”

He smiled and reached out to smooth his thumb along my cheek. “You kept looking around. Rubbing your fingers together. You seemed… nervous.”

I shifted up until I was sitting sideways, leaning against a partial wall that kept my pillows from sliding off the bed at night.

I hadn’t wanted to tell him about my journal earlier because I’d worried he’d think I was overreacting. But Trace was a tracker. If anyone had ideas on how to find a lost item, it would be him. And now that I’d already tried everything to find it, I was desperate.

“I lost something.” I hesitated, suddenly unwilling to admit how much the journal meant to me. “Uh, my… notebook. I’ve looked everywhere, and I’m beginning to think… maybe someone took it.”

“Hey,” he said gently, reaching over to cover my hands where they’d been clasped too tightly together in my lap. “We’ll find it, okay?”

I pulled my hands away and snapped. “You don’t need to talk to me like I’m five.”

Which was probably a great way to behave if I wanted to be treated like I was five.

“Wolfe, I wanted to comfort you because I know you’re upset. I don’t think of you like you’re five. I would hope that was clear when I had sex with you earlier today.”

I blew out a breath and glanced up at the roof of the van to keep from looking at his eyes. I didn’t want to see concern or frustration. Or worse, patient kindness.

“I just… it’s important. The… notebook. I was writing… song lyrics in it, and I don’t have a digital backup or anything.”

It was hard to admit my suspicions. I didn’t want to think any of my friends would do such a thing. I didn’t want to overreact.

But to my surprise, Trace took my concern seriously. Very seriously.