Read Online Slow Burn by Cheyenne McCray - Free Book Online Page B

belt, attaching his phone holster to the belt.
    As he built up the fire again, his mind went back to sleeping with Christie last night.
    Coffee. He needed coffee. He grabbed a bag out of a cabinet and then went straight to the propane coffee maker. In no time he had the thing going, and the aroma filled the cabin.
    He had sausage links and half a dozen eggs in the ice chest. He turned on the Coleman stove, heating the griddle. Soon the smells of eggs and sausages, as well as two pieces of buttered bread toasting on the griddle, joined the coffee aroma.
    “That smells like heaven.” Christie’s sleepy voice came from behind him. He looked over his shoulder and she smiled. “Need any help?”
    “Good morning, sunshine.” He returned her smile and glanced at the bandages. “How’s your arm?”
    “Better.” She tentatively extended the bandaged arm. “I don’t think I’ll need to wear the bandage past today.”
    He nodded, grateful that the bullet had only nicked the artery and it had been not more than a flesh wound beyond that. “We’ll change your bandages again around lunch.”
    She stretched, her T-shirt tightening over her full breasts. Her nipples pressed against the fabric and he felt like his morning wood had just become something that someone could set on fire with just a match.
    His throat worked as he faced the griddle, trying to gain control over his body. Barney & Friend’s theme song rang in his head and that did it. The purple dinosaur’s song was the best remedy he knew to get rid of an unwanted erection. Most of the night he’d had that stupid music in his head just to keep his cock restrained. Thank God for Barney.
    He turned over the sausage links before he finished scrambling the eggs and putting the toasted bread onto a plate.
    While he finished up breakfast, Christie took one of the giant 800mg ibuprofen tablets out of the container in her purse. She swallowed it down with water from a bottle she’d grabbed from the ice chest.
    Breakfast was easy and natural. They didn’t refer to anything they’d talked about in bed. Instead they began to discuss Belle and Dylan’s growing family again. Christie’s face lit up when she talked about the baby, and Trace felt warmth in his gut just watching her. She’d make such a good mother.
    They started gathering the empty plates and his phone vibrated twice in its holster, telling him that a message had come in. Considering how far up the mountain they were, cell service was touch and go. He pulled his phone out and saw that it was from Dylan, who had sent another short video.
    Trace grinned and motioned for Christie to sit beside him. A delighted expression came over her face as they watched the video together.
    In it, Belle held Shane and chatted as Dylan followed them through the ranch house with the camera phone. She showed the baby’s room that had a changing table, a bureau, a line of stuffed animals sitting along a long shelf, and a mobile of the solar system hanging over the crib.
    When the video was over, Christie gave Trace a wide smile. “Isn’t the baby adorable? And Belle looks amazing. Tired, but amazing.” Christie laughed. Trace loved the way she looked and sounded when she laughed. “The stuffed horse I brought for the baby will fit in with his animal collection.”
    He couldn’t take his eyes off Christie. He was mesmerized by her beauty, her radiance as she talked about Dylan’s family. Trace wanted to reach out and touch her, take some of the light she glowed with. He wanted to fill himself with her and her light.
    She cocked her head as he just stared at her. “Is something wrong?”
    “Absolutely not.” He smiled. “Just thinking of what a wonderful mother you would be.”
    The moment he said it, her eyes looked haunted. “I can’t have children. I’m sterile.”
    It was like a punch to his gut to see this beautiful woman appear so desperately sad. He brought her into his arms because she looked like she needed