by Abby Knox
She bit her lip, and Ryan had to fight the urge to kiss her and let her talk. “It’s just that I’ve already broken so many of my own rules with you. I wasn’t supposed to put down roots. I wasn’t supposed to date anybody. And then, I wasn’t supposed to date you until after the festival. And now, all my boundaries are out the window and the last thing I want to do is bring a baby into this situation. Not because I don’t trust you, but because it’s too dangerous. I don’t even have a suspect.”
Ryan leaned in and let their lips find each other. When he pulled back from the kiss, he said, “Then we won’t do anything else, for now, that could make a baby. Not until you’re ready.”
Misty smiled wickedly and reached for his belt. “I’ve had just enough wine for this,” she said.
But he intercepted her hands and said, “Remember what I said earlier, in the bedroom? It’s still your turn, baby girl.”
Her eyes flashed. “What are you thinking about, Ryan?”
“I’m thinking I really hope you didn’t put your panties back on after our little session in the bedroom.”
“Only one way to find out,” she said, teasing him with one raised eyebrow.
“Up on your knees,” he ordered.
Misty sat up on her knees, her legs slightly spread. Ryan reached between her thighs, and his fingers were instantly soaked by her welcome warmth. “Damn, I need this.”
“It’s all yours,” she whispered.
Without another word, Ryan was under her. He lay on the swing bed with his face under her skirt, while Misty held tight to the chain that anchored the swing. The bed swayed gently from side to side with every movement.
He felt as if he’d died and gone straight to heaven. Her scent and taste was beyond was he had imagined. It was beyond sweetness; it was a drug and he was instantly hooked. He could stay like this forever, breathing in her deepest scent, satisfying every need with her sweet syrup, every pulse and twitch of her body giving him life.
He heard her moaning grow in intensity. She was going to come soon, but he wanted to make it last. He gently lifted her hips away from him. “Lie down,” he said.
She did, and he got a look at her face. She was wild, her brow furrowed with anticipation and hunger. She was close. He kissed her, sharing her taste, and she began to writhe underneath him and pull at his belt buckle.
He rose up on his knees and unbuckled, unzipped, letting her pull out his shaft. He bit out, “Careful baby. I need to finish you first.”
She grinned wickedly and teased his cock with her fingers. “Then what are you waiting for?”
Ryan growled and turned his back to her, dove down, burying his face in her once again. Now, she had free rein with his cock while he finished her.
The sensation of her hands and mouth on him while he suckled, teased and devoured her sex was beyond his comprehension. The fact that they were outside at night, exposed to all creatures, heightened his excitement, and seemed to heighten hers as well. The gentle swaying of the swing as they enjoyed each other added an extra thrill.
Soon, she was falling loudly off the cliff, crying out his name. It echoed off the hills and the trees. The sound and the feel of her letting go made his heart sing. He could not have been any happier.
When she was finished, he smoothed down her skirt and lay his head down on her, feeling like the luckiest man in the world.
But then, she topped off his happiness by taking him all the way into her sweet mouth again. She held tight to him, so he had no choice but to release into her mouth, her moans of pleasure shattering him into a million tiny, happy pieces.
19
Misty
The fall festival planning was completed with the efforts of the ever-expanding committee. With the event one week away, Misty could concentrate fully on her investigation.
Ryan had his list of projects to complete around the house, which she was grateful for. Even though she had a mission to complete on her own, she did feel safer having him around the house so much.
The following week after the meeting at Ryan’s, she continued to make phone calls in an attempt to set up meetings with anyone and everyone who had been around at the time of Eliza Moon’s cold case.
“Well, it’s not really a cold case, as the M.E. ruled it a suicide,” said retired sheriff Roy Winthrop, who she finally tracked down volunteering at the local nursing home. She could not get him to return her calls, so she followed him one day in her car.
She spoke to him as he was planting mums around the grounds and sweating to beat the band.
“That’s just the thing,” she said. “I don’t think it was.”
“You’re telling me a duly elected medical examiner, a licensed physician, was wrong?”
Misty hesitated, and then she got down on her knees next to the man to help him with his task. She pulled one plant out of its plastic pot and handed it over to him. “I’m saying, I think he was doing someone a favor,” she said matter-of-factly.
If Winthrop was shocked at this allegation, he didn’t act like it. “And who would he have been doing a favor for?”
“For the father of Eliza’s baby.”
The former sheriff then turned to face her and looked thoughtful. “She was pregnant?”
“My mom seemed to think she was. That’s what she told me.”
“Seemed? Past tense?”
“Lucille died last summer. Her dying wish was for me to clear Aunt Eliza’s name. She never believed it was a suicide and she wanted me to find the killer.”
“And why didn’t your mother investigate it herself?”
“She moved us out of state after Eliza’s death. She wanted to put everything behind us and start over. But then I started asking questions and as I got older I researched our family history. I guess I brought up a lot of old feelings for her, but she was too sick to do anything about it herself. She had ovarian cancer and passed away.”
Roy Winthrop removed his gardening gloves and looked at the ground, deep in thought. Misty could not read what he was thinking.
Suddenly an old woman’s voice broke their silence.
“Good afternoon, Roy.”
Misty and the retired sheriff looked over toward the source of the voice, which was an elderly woman in a wheelchair, wearing a heavy knitted poncho despite the pleasant 70 degree fall day.
“Hello, Mrs. Phillips.”
“You better stop flirting with your girlfriend and get back to work, Roy, or you’ll never achieve Eagle Scout rank,” the old woman said.
Misty looked from the old woman back to Roy. He was indulging the woman, who very obviously was suffering from some kind of dementia.
“Yes, ma’am. You caught me,” he said.
Misty smiled up at her. “Mrs. Phillips. I think I might know someone you know. Carla?”
Mrs. Phillips’ benign expression suddenly changed to something menacing. “You tell that manicured trollop I want my money,” she hissed.
Misty reared back. “Um, I’m sorry, I must have said something wrong.” She stood up as the old woman continued her ranting. She was definitely upset about some money, real or imagined.
Misty didn’t know what else to do except apologize and leave. She thanked the former sheriff for speaking with her and then headed to her car. She heard Roy speaking to the old woman calmly. “Now Edna…”
That was when the name hit her. “Edna Phillips,” she said. “The old art teacher.”
The annual Middleburg High School Booster Fall Festival was in full swing, and it turned out having it at the Clays’ Morning Glory Farm had been the best idea anyone in the history of the boosters had ever had.
The petting zoo was a huge hit, and the tip jar for the baby goat pen alone was overflowing with cash donations.
When there was a lull at the pumpkin-painting station, she walked around to take it all in. There were hayrides, face-painting, pony rides, a pumpkin patch, a corn-husk doll-making station where grown women could relive their Laura Ingalls Wi
lder days, a coffee station, carnival games and even live music. The whole place was decked out in straw bales, decorative pumpkins and gourds, mums and sunflowers. As the sun began to go down, the entire place was lit up with a thousand party lights and Maggie’s signature mason jar lantern decorations.
Jackson at the last minute had added a sign that read #babygoatselfie for $1, and it looked like every woman under the age of 70 was lined up for it.
Misty watched it all in wide-eyed wonder for a few moments before she felt a pair of hands slip around her waist from behind.
She startled a bit before she recognized the scent.
“Ryan, don’t sneak up on me like that, you scared the shit out of me.”
He kissed her shoulder and asked her what she was watching.
“Just absorbing all of this. I can’t believe how good it turned out.”
Ryan nibbled on her earlobe. “That’s because you’re such a good leader. Watch out, the boosters are going to elect you to be their next president.”
She laughed and spun around. “Don’t even joke about that.”
“Why not, Madam President?”
“Ha ha. The truth is, I barely did anything,” she said.
Ryan slipped his hands inside her corduroy jacket and pulled her in close. “You accepted people’s ideas and then got out of the way. That’s more than I can say for the Phillipses of the world.”
She winced at the sound of that name.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing. I just keep running into that name, or people related to people with that name, as I track down clues.”
Ryan leaned down low and softly kissed her neck. “Let’s pretend none of those people even exist, just for tonight. Enjoy all our hard work.” His hands were warming up her ribcage and it gave her a shiver of pleasure.
“It’s hard to get my head out of that space,” she said.
“Hmm,” he murmured. With his hands hidden under her jacket, one of his thumbs brushed against the fabric of her tee-shirt on the underside of her breast. With his other arm he pulled her in closer so no one could see what he was doing.
Misty felt the flutter of heat begin to spread from her breasts down deep into her panties. She looked up at him and licked her lips.
He responded by creeping up his hands so both of his thumbs were now stroking across the full width of her tits. The sensation made her close her eyes as she felt the heat boiling up inside her.
“You’ve got some badass moves, boy,” she sighed.
“Shocking,” Ryan said, “considering you’re my first sex partner since my divorce.”
Misty opened her eyes. “You hadn’t had any sex for ten years?”
“No.”
“Well, you’re pretty damn good at it,” she breathed, closing her eyes again, and his fingers inched upward a bit more, the tip of one thumb just narrowly missing her nipple, keeping all the action discreetly hidden under her jacket.
“It’s all you,” he said. “It’s your wit, your face, your body, your mind. Your ass. Your determination. Your fucking bravery. Nobody has ever turned me on like you.”
Misty felt like her pussy was about to light up from the inside. Her blood was rushing to all the wrong places. “I should get back to work at the…um…the pumpkin-painting station.”
But now, with Ryan’s lips covering hers with the tenderest of kisses, she found herself not caring one bit about what was going on around her.
“Ryan, what are you doing?” she asked, weakly.
“Turning you on, I hope.”
“We have work to do,” she said.
“Look around you. It’s out of our hands now. Everyone’s having a blast. We could sneak off, you know.”
She sighed again. “Bad boy.”
He kissed his way down her jawline and whispered in her ear, “I know a place.”
She could barely recognize herself, but she replied, “Let’s go.”
20
Ryan
“Baby, I’m so happy we’ve stopped hiding our relationship,” Ryan said, guiding her up to the hayloft in Jackson and Maggie’s barn.
“I don't think we were fooling anybody at the meetings, anyway,” she agreed, following him up the ladder.
Ryan pulled her down into a soft, fresh bed of hay where the moonlight and the party lights shone in through the vents. The barn was completely free of animals, which were out entertaining the festival crowd.
“I can’t hide it when I love somebody anyway,” he said, pulling her jacket off her shoulders and tugging up the hem of her shirt, hands desperately searching for her bare skin.
Misty put her hands over his to stop him right there.
“You love me?” Her eyes searched his, and she looked radiant in the moonlight.
He studied her eyes.
“This could go one of three ways. I tell you that I love you and you run for the hills. But I don’t think that’s going to happen because you still have your cold case to solve. Another scenario is, I tell you I love you and you freak out and tell me you need space or to think about it. Or I tell you I love you and you say it back, and then we can take the next step.”
“What’s the next step?”
“You moving in with me,” he said, in all seriousness.
“You love me?” she repeated.
“I love you, Misty Moon.”
“Since when?”
“Since the moment you stood up to me at the first booster meeting.”
“You’re just trying to get into my panties.”
“Girl, you can’t just keep me hanging like this.”
“What do you mean?” She asked. “Oh, that!”
Her fingers stroked his face.
He held his breath.
“Ryan, I love you too,” she said.
“Since when?”
“Since you fed me bagel bites and wine.”
He laughed. “I was worried you would think I was a huge asshole for owning a decked-out chef’s kitchen and only using the microwave.”
“Microwave? Oh my gawd,” she drawled. “You do know those frozen appetizers taste much better if you just turn on the oven.”
“Oh! So do I have to simply turn on the oven for that to work, or would I have to actually put the bagel bites into the oven as well?” he joked.
“Bless your heart,” she said with a laugh.
Ryan guffawed. “What you’re talking about involves oven mitts and cookie sheets and timers. And maybe even some spray Pam. This is too much for me.”
“Well, I’ll have to show you how to cook,” she said.
“Better yet. Why don’t you just move into my house and you cook for me?”
She smiled, but Ryan felt her tense up.
He was now crossing a line, but he wasn’t sure how.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t assume you’d want to cook for me because you’re a woman.”
Misty shook her head. “It’s not that,” she said. “I do like to cook and I’d love to cook for you. I just can’t move out of my house. Not yet.”
“Then I’ll move in.”
“Ryan, I can’t let you do that. Let me find Eliza’s killer and then I’ll sell the house and I’m all yours.”
“I don’t understand why you need to be in the house,” he growled.
“I told you. I want to draw him out. I want everyone in town to know exactly what I’m doing. Because I want there to be a backlash. I want them or whoever it was to come find me. I want him, or them, to just bring it the fuck on.”
Ryan shuddered. “Misty, this is a suicide mission.”
She bit her lip. “I can protect myself.”
“No. No. This is bullshit. I’m staying with you tonight,” he declared.
“No. I don’t want you involved. He won’t show up if you’re around. He’s a coward. I just know it.”
“Too late. I love you and I’m involved.”
“Ryan.”
“Don’t
Ryan me. I’m staying with you tonight.”
“He won’t come if he thinks I’ve got a fucking bodyguard.”
“You don’t know that,” he said.
“Ryan. I’m serious. Trust my instincts.”
He gritted his teeth.
She exhaled. “Are you angry now?”
“No.”
She playfully punched his shoulder. “Yes you are.”
He finally agreed. “Yes, I am.”
Misty rose to her feet and dropped her jacket to the floor. Then, she pulled her tee-shirt off, her bra, then her jeans. She stood looking down at him in nothing but a thin triangle of lace.
“How angry?” she asked.
Yes, he was angry. And now she was inviting him to funnel his anger into her. This was fucked up, but it was unbelievably hot. He was into it. His cock was way into it as well, knocking on the door to come out.
A second later, Ryan was all over her, channeling his anger into her body. He knelt in front of her and tumbled her into the hay. Hovering over her, he ripped off her panties. He buried his face in her folds with force.
“Yes, Ryan,” she moaned.
“This is mine,” he growled. “All of it.”
“It is yours,” she said.
And these are mine,” he said gruffly, plunging his face between her breasts, claiming them with his mouth.
“All for you,” she said.
“I will destroy anybody who tries to hurt you. I will fucking incinerate them.”
“Do it, Ryan.”
He lifted her ass into the air with one hand and sank his cock into her glistening, warm pussy.
She gasped. “Don’t hold back. Do whatever you want. Fuck my boundaries.”
He did not hold back.
With Misty’s encouragement, he thrust so hard with her that in moments, they were clear across the other side of the loft from where they had started. She urged him on. “Keep going. I want your cum inside me.”
Breathless, he replied, “You want my angry cum in you?”
“Make an angry little baby in me, Ryan!”
