Dire Wolf Mates - Chapter 86: Chapter 86

Tracey hummed as she stripped off her swimsuit and stepped inside the shower. Two days had passed since she first swam into Phoenix’s hot and naked body in the cool Atlantic waters. Two days of adventures and dates, steamy kisses, and endless conversations.
She’d had more fun in his company than she ever had with anyone else before. He took her swimming, bicycling, and hiking. They’d gone out for every meal, sometimes picnicking it on the beach. The man loved to eat, and he was always encouraging her to try things and steal bites from his plate. Last night, they’d gone to the pier and rode the amusement rides and played boardwalk games.
She felt like a teenager with her first crush. But it was more than that. Phoenix was quickly consuming her every waking thought. For the first time, her body stirred at the mere thought of a man.
She’d never been overly sexual. In fact, one of the few times she’d tried sex, her partner had called her cold and unfeeling. That remark had hurt Tracey for years. But maybe the fault wasn’t with her because sure as the sun was shining right now, Tracey felt anything but cold with Phoenix.
No, they hadn’t had sex yet, but she wanted to. Last night they were so close. They’d stayed up till dawn, making out like horny teenagers and talking like old friends.
Phoenix had walked her to the hotel room door last night and kissed her again, and again, and again, leaving her wanting before rushing off to his room right next door.
They hardly ever stayed just at the hotel, but this morning they’d shared breakfast, creamed chipped beef on enormous buttermilk waffles and fruit salad, on one of the poolside picnic tables on the lower level. After that, they swam and hung out, enjoying the amenities at the Oasis.
They spent the day swimming and playing in the pool like kids. Then they’d gone across the street to the beach. Tracey had never felt so uninhibited and free.
Her skin was soft bronze from her time in the sun, but he was even darker. For a blond, the man had tanned nicely, and his skin had a natural bronze glow, people paid good money to replicate, without that burned orange look so many sported. Tracey had never been so sun-kissed before.
They’d had lunch by the water and talked for what seemed like hours, but he didn’t act bored with her. There was more to Phoenix Tala than met the eye.
“You work with computers?” she’d asked.
“Sometimes, yes. I have many interests, but I am also the partial owner of a roadhouse in Blue Valley.”
“Really? What’s it called?”
“Serious Moonlight.”
“I heard of that! That is so cool. Who are your partners?”
“My Pa—my friends,” he’d replied, strangely. “How about you?”
“Well, so far, I’ve done very little. I went to college, had a couple of jobs I didn’t like.”
“Doesn’t sound little to me. What is it you want to do with your life, beautiful?”
No one had ever asked her that before, but the answer seemed to matter. So, she told him the truth.
“Truth is, I’ve always wanted to open my own store. I want to design bags. My parents would hate it, of course, but I’ve been making them for a few friends and myself over the years. I made this one,” she’d confessed.
Tracey had picked up the large tote bag she’d designed and decorated with a mosaic of fabric tiles into the shape of a wolf howling at the moon. It was one of several pieces she’d made for herself, and a favorite of hers. She loved wolves. There was just something so wild and free about the beautiful creatures.
“That is beautiful. I didn’t know you were an artist.”
His eyes had zeroed in on the gold-outlined wolf she’d created out of different fabrics, and she’d felt her cheeks go warm at his praise.
Surprising, dangerous, sexy man.
Her time spent with Phoenix had been wonderful. Only one thing marred it—the secrets he kept from her. She’d felt it, that distance he worked so hard to keep hidden. It hurt her knowing she shared bits of her soul with him, but he wasn’t willing to do the same.
Coupled with the way the sexy hottie kept halting their physical relationship, to her unending frustration, Tracey was losing her mind. Of course, in the light of day, she understood she should appreciate his restraint.
Sex wasn’t easy for Tracey. She’d only been with two men, and both had been longtime boyfriends before she’d slept with them. But appreciation was the farthest thing from her mind.
Her entire body was screaming for her to jump the big, sexy man. She was so done with the light petting and deep kisses. Tonight, she was determined to shake him up. With a little luck and some seduction, she was hoping to make this vacation fling into something more. But wanting to be with him, was not the same thing as being able to handle a one night stand with the man.
If only I was a casual sex kinda girl.
Wasn’t his fault she was falling for him, or was it? He was intelligent and funny, and genuinely interested in her as far as she could tell. He seemed so tender and attentive to her needs. Being with him felt right. It felt huge. He was important. And call her crazy, but Tracey believed he felt the same way.
Was she wrong about his feelings? Only one way to find out. Finding the courage to ask was going to take everything she had, but Tracey had to know if the man she was falling for wanted her too.
Tonight, Phoenix was going to take her for a ride on his Harley. Tracey was nervous and excited. She’d always fantasized about riding behind a big sexy ass man on a motorcycle and now was her chance. She was more than ready. She’d had enough of stuffy and stodgy in her life.
No, thank you.
Tracey wanted wild and free and fun. Phoenix was all that, and so much more. The man with the aquamarine eyes was surprisingly deep. She was curious about him, what made him tick, what he liked, what he saw in her.
She loved the way he watched her. Like she was something worth seeing. Oh, and the way he was always touching her made the butterflies in her stomach turn into turbo jets.
She’d made one phone call to Rosa in all that time. The woman seemed so happy to hear from her, but when she’d asked about her parents, it was more of the same. The Donners were angry she didn’t make their party, and her mother expressed said anger by leaving their Fairfield mansion and charting a yacht for the remainder of the season.
Guess you really miss me, Mother.
She tried not to let the sting hurt her. Her parents had chosen their lives, and now it was time for their daughter to do the same. And Tracey Donner was determined to have a life of her choosing.
It was fast, for sure, only a few days since she’d first bumped into him, but Tracey was positive Phoenix was going to be part of her life. She felt things she’d never imagined with the man. The phone rang, and she landed belly first on the bed to grab it.
“Hello?” she said breathlessly.
“Hey, beautiful. Look, I am heading out to gas up the bike, but I’ll be back in a few minutes. You almost ready?” Phoenix asked, and she could almost see his panty-melting grin through the line.
It gave her chills. Her heart seemed to want to beat out of its cavity whenever he came near her.
“Perfect. Yeah, I’ll probably need about fifteen or twenty minutes,” she guessed.
“You got ‘em, beautiful. I’ll come to your door to get you when I’m finished.”
“Alright. See you soon,” she replied, hanging up and gasping.
God, he was so romantic. Always walking her to and from her door. Those first worries she had about him being out of her league seemed to lessen every day. He made her feel cared for, protected, and desired.
That afternoon, a tall, skinny, bikini-clad woman had tossed a frisbee in the direction of the blanket she was sharing with Phoenix, and Tracey’s stomach had clenched. The woman was clearly flirting, but he didn’t even blink. He just caught the bit of plastic before it could collide with Tracey’s face and tossed it back straightaway.
Sexy, hot man.
Tracey could never compete with the model skinny woman, but with him, there did not seem to be a competition. Sure, she was all curves and chub, while the other woman was lithe and lean, but Phoenix seemed to prefer her.
The way he looked at Tracey made her blood boil. Another reason she was being extra careful with her appearance tonight. She wanted to give him her very best efforts. He was more than worth it, and so was she.
Tracey left her hair down, the way he liked it, and she slipped on another sundress she’d bought at one of the boardwalk stores. It had purple flowers on it and hugged her curves just right. She applied dark mascara with smokey eyeliner to her jade eyes, bringing out the creamy green color, and she added a tinted cherry red lip gloss to her lips.
Tracey worried her lower lips as she slipped a pair of slinky boy shorts beneath her dress. The undergarment was barely there, but it held her in and would hide her butt while she rode on the back of his bike.
She finished the look with a pair of comfortable flats. She felt good about herself in this outfit. Young and pretty. Flirty, too.
Outfit complete, she waited impatiently for seven to roll around. She had a few minutes left until he got back and decided to wait by the rooftop pool.
It was so pretty up there, and the view of the ocean was incomparable. Tracey exited her room, grabbing her bag and key. She wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking when she tripped over something hard and furry.
“Ooof,” she grunted as her knees collided with the slip-proof floor tiles.
Before the familiar feeling of humiliation at her own clumsiness could rise, Tracey blinked at the object that had tripped her.
“Tracey! Are you okay?” she heard someone call her name, but it was too late.
“Excuse me, I—” Tracey faltered, eyes glued to the enormous striped beast in front of her, she scrambled back, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Oh my God! It’s a tttiiiigggerrr!”
She screamed, right before she passed out.