Read Online Beautifully Damaged by L.A. Fiore - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: L.A. Fiore
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his, licking the roof of his mouth as I lost myself in him. I pulled my mouth from his and he tightened his arms around me in response. I had the sense that he didn't want to let me go and I ran my lips under his jaw, trailing them down his neck before I forced myself to take a step away from him.
I held his gaze before I whispered, "You're delicious."
His eyes flashed before he pulled me to him and kissed me hard on the mouth. He released me but it took a minute for my eyes to open because -- oh my -- the man knew how to kiss. When I did finally look at him he was watching me with a tender look on his face. He reached for my hand and linked our fingers.
"Shall we?"
I smiled in reply and for the next hour we rode practically every ride. The rides were broken down when the fair moved from location to location and I must say that I felt scared for our safety. Being with Trace though, feeling his solid strength next to me, helped to alleviate some of my fears. After the rides we tried our hands at some of the games. Trace was remarkably good at the shooting games and when he handed me the large stuffed bear I felt tears prickling the back of my eyes.
We were making our way through the crowds when we saw a little girl. Her face was scrunched up as tears streamed down her face. It only took a second to realize what happened. Her doll was swimming in a puddle of mud. Her parents were trying to console her but she was heart-broken, and remembering that age, I understood her pain. Trace looked down at me and though he didn't say anything, I knew what he wanted, and I felt my heart trip in my chest at his compassion. I handed my doll to him as a smile touched his lips. He ran his finger down my cheek as his eyes held mine and then he turned and started for the little girl. I saw the silent question that he directed at her parents and when they smiled and nodded he knelt down next to her. I couldn't hear him but I saw the smile that spread over the little girl's face as she wrapped her arms around the bear. He stood then and turned back to me. I met him halfway and wrapped my arms around his waist. His arms came around me as he pressed a kiss to my head. His lips brushed over my ear when he asked, "Are you hungry?"
I looked up at him and smiled.
"Yes."
He took my hand and led me towards the concession stands but my thoughts were on him. His reaction to that little girl had been a gut-instinct and that gesture of kindness was completely in contradiction to his reputation. His behavior both that day and the day before only confirmed for me what I had already suspected. The image he allowed everyone to see was just that, an image. The real Trace Montgomery was far more complicated and I feared that underneath his seemingly put together and beautiful outer package existed a damaged soul.
We reached one of the food trucks and he stopped and looked at me with the most charming expression on his face.
"Tell me, Ember, what's it gonna be: chili dogs or funnel cakes for dinner?"
I couldn't help the smile as I replied, "Can't we have both?"
He pulled me closer before he said, "I was hoping you would say that."
The following night Lena extended the olive branch and invited me to go out with her and Todd. I was touched by her invitation until we reached the little hole-in-the-wall club and realized we were only there because of a back-room poker-game. As soon as we arrived, Todd disappeared and stayed gone for quite a while. Could Lena not see that her boyfriend was a loser? Was this how all of her dates went? Did she not see that the love of her life didn't seem all that eager to spend time with her? Or, to be fair, he liked gambling more than he liked her. Since I didn't know the answers to those questions, I asked.
"Does he usually leave you alone?"
"Just stop, Ember. At least I'm dating."
"I'm not judging you, Lena, but it seems to me that you sitting here alone hardly qualifies as a date."
Her eyes narrowed at me as she leaned
I held his gaze before I whispered, "You're delicious."
His eyes flashed before he pulled me to him and kissed me hard on the mouth. He released me but it took a minute for my eyes to open because -- oh my -- the man knew how to kiss. When I did finally look at him he was watching me with a tender look on his face. He reached for my hand and linked our fingers.
"Shall we?"
I smiled in reply and for the next hour we rode practically every ride. The rides were broken down when the fair moved from location to location and I must say that I felt scared for our safety. Being with Trace though, feeling his solid strength next to me, helped to alleviate some of my fears. After the rides we tried our hands at some of the games. Trace was remarkably good at the shooting games and when he handed me the large stuffed bear I felt tears prickling the back of my eyes.
We were making our way through the crowds when we saw a little girl. Her face was scrunched up as tears streamed down her face. It only took a second to realize what happened. Her doll was swimming in a puddle of mud. Her parents were trying to console her but she was heart-broken, and remembering that age, I understood her pain. Trace looked down at me and though he didn't say anything, I knew what he wanted, and I felt my heart trip in my chest at his compassion. I handed my doll to him as a smile touched his lips. He ran his finger down my cheek as his eyes held mine and then he turned and started for the little girl. I saw the silent question that he directed at her parents and when they smiled and nodded he knelt down next to her. I couldn't hear him but I saw the smile that spread over the little girl's face as she wrapped her arms around the bear. He stood then and turned back to me. I met him halfway and wrapped my arms around his waist. His arms came around me as he pressed a kiss to my head. His lips brushed over my ear when he asked, "Are you hungry?"
I looked up at him and smiled.
"Yes."
He took my hand and led me towards the concession stands but my thoughts were on him. His reaction to that little girl had been a gut-instinct and that gesture of kindness was completely in contradiction to his reputation. His behavior both that day and the day before only confirmed for me what I had already suspected. The image he allowed everyone to see was just that, an image. The real Trace Montgomery was far more complicated and I feared that underneath his seemingly put together and beautiful outer package existed a damaged soul.
We reached one of the food trucks and he stopped and looked at me with the most charming expression on his face.
"Tell me, Ember, what's it gonna be: chili dogs or funnel cakes for dinner?"
I couldn't help the smile as I replied, "Can't we have both?"
He pulled me closer before he said, "I was hoping you would say that."
The following night Lena extended the olive branch and invited me to go out with her and Todd. I was touched by her invitation until we reached the little hole-in-the-wall club and realized we were only there because of a back-room poker-game. As soon as we arrived, Todd disappeared and stayed gone for quite a while. Could Lena not see that her boyfriend was a loser? Was this how all of her dates went? Did she not see that the love of her life didn't seem all that eager to spend time with her? Or, to be fair, he liked gambling more than he liked her. Since I didn't know the answers to those questions, I asked.
"Does he usually leave you alone?"
"Just stop, Ember. At least I'm dating."
"I'm not judging you, Lena, but it seems to me that you sitting here alone hardly qualifies as a date."
Her eyes narrowed at me as she leaned
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