by Desiree Holt
As she lay panting against him, astounded at this unfolding of sexual desire and response, he licked the line of her jaw with the tip of his tongue.
“So. Think you want to take this a little further?”
Oh, yes. She wanted to find out if he could give her all of it. The ultimate satisfaction. “Yes. I do.”
Cole reached into his nightstand drawer and pulled out a condom, nearly dropping it in his haste. He rolled it on with hands not quite steady then shifted them until she was flat on her back. He spread her legs wide and knelt between them. She thought he’d try to enter her and her body tensed, but instead, she felt his open mouth on her clit, his tongue licking, swirling, then probing inside her until she couldn’t even think any more. Until all she wanted was to reach that peak he was driving her toward.
Just before she was ready to beg for it, he bent her knees back, positioned himself at her opening and entered her with a long, slow steady stroke. He eased his cock past her tight inner muscles, little by little until at last she’d taken him completely. The tiny pinch of fear that stabbed at her at the first sense of penetration was washed away by the heated feeling of pleasure that swamped her as her inner walls clamped around the swollen length of his cock.
OhGodohGodohGod!!!!
It had never felt like this, not with anyone. She was stretched, full, his cock caressing every single tiny nerve ending in her hot channel. Holy hell!
“Okay?” Strain edged his voice.
Dana nodded, unable to form words.
“Here we go then. Just feel, darlin’. Just feel.”
Long slow strokes, in and out, pulling at her nerves, strumming them, heating her from the inside out. In, out, in, out.
“Jesus, you feel so damn good.” His voice was tight. “You’re soaking wet. Your like a hot, wet fist around me. Oh, shit, I’m trying to make this last, darlin’, but I don’t know how long I can.”
As the pace of his strokes increased, so did the intensity of her pleasure, the sensation like a wild rollercoaster ride. She rode it with him, hanging on for dear life, not wanting it to end. For the first time during sex, feelings of lust uncoiled inside her and pushed her higher and higher. She moved her hips, matching his rhythm as he took her up, up, up.
They crashed together, her entire body shaking with the force of her climax. He groaned as he found his own release, his cock pulsing inside her. Dana’s heart thundered, every muscle in her body clenching with a powerful contraction. This was the most delicious, consuming sensation she’d ever had, one she’d never ever thought to feel.
When the fireworks stopped, she lay limp and spent beneath him. He pressed his mouth to hers, a kiss fierce and gentle at the same time. His tongue searching for hers, dancing with it. A strange emotion threaded through her, one she finally identified as happiness.
Omigod!
He eased carefully from her body, padded to her bathroom, and returned with a warm washcloth that he used to clean her with, his touch tender and gentle. When he finished, he bent and placed a soft kiss on each nipple and then on the top of her mound. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes at his consideration.
She reached out a hand, touching the stubble on his square jaw, a day’s growth of beard that made him even more masculine, if that was possible. She brushed her hand against his still damp hair, almost black from the moisture, and stared into his eyes, the color of day-old coffee. They held a mixture of concern and…something else. Something she wanted so desperately to believe in.
“Time to go back to sleep.” He brushed another kiss over her lips.
Finally, he crawled back into bed with her and spooned her against him, his arms holding her gently but firmly.
“Thank you,” she said when they were settled together.
“I should be the one thanking you.” He kissed her shoulder. “There’s a lot more where that came from.”
Thank God!
Dana felt as if she’d experienced a minor miracle. No, a major one. She let out a soft sigh, closed her eyes, and fell into dreamless sleep.
Chapter Twenty-Four
What the hell was the sheriff thinking, involving Dana in the search for Shannon? When he’d heard about her participation, he nearly lost it. All he needed was for her to be sticking her pretty little nose into everything. With her curious nature, how long would it be before she began to connect the dots? He wanted her to have her answers, but not until he reached the end of the game. Not until he was ready to make her his final victim.
On top of that, the by-the-book former Marine had called in the FBI and they were sending someone down this morning. That would change the dynamics, which meant he’d have to move up his timetable. Not a terrible glitch, but not good either. He wanted to take his time, plan accordingly, make sure there were no mistakes. But with this new twist, he couldn’t afford to stretch things out any longer.
One more girl, and then he’d go after Dana. Carrie, his little flower, the one he’d plucked so many years ago. Would she still be as sweet as she’d been back then? How many others had tasted the sweet nectar of her honey pot? Had any other man squeezed his stiff penis into her little well? His eyes narrowed and his fists clenched at the thought of someone soiling his little innocent bloom.
Once she was gone, he could go back to his nice little hobby and fade into anonymity. His last little bud would be just one more in another long list of unsolved cases.
Pondering possibilities for his third victim, fate stepped in and dropped one in his lap. Late yesterday, after Shannon’s body was found, he had stopped at Harry’s for coffee. And nearly smiled when he overheard a conversation from the booth behind him. Gabriella Marquez, twenty-six and shy, confessed to her friend that she was worried about what was happening.
“I wish they’d catch this maniac,” she said and he silently chuckled. “They won’t release any details about the killings. Can you imagine how horrifying they must be to keep them under wraps?” She shuddered.
He swallowed a smile. He knew how old Gabriella was, but she still had the fresh-faced look of a teenager. Even Carrie/Dana, in her thirties, looked much younger than she was. At least to him.
“I’m scared living all by myself,” Gaby went on to her friend. “This whole thing creeps me out. I’m thinking of leaving town until he’s caught.”
She looked around as if she could sense someone watching her, and his smile grew brighter as he sipped his coffee.
“But Gaby,” her friend said. “What if he’s never caught? Are you going to leave your home forever?”
“If it means saving my life,” she retorted.
“Why don’t you come stay with Jered and me? We have an extra room.”
“For how long? You don’t want a permanent house guest.”
“I don’t want to frighten you any more than you already are,” her friend went on, “but living alone is only part of the problem. What scares me most is he could take his next victim right off the street. Just like he did with Leanne and Shannon. It’s obviously someone we all know, otherwise he’d never have been able to get close to them.”
Gaby looked around, her face pinched with fear. “My God. Doesn’t it make you just want to lock yourself inside your house and never leave?”
“No.” Her friend shook her head. Anyway, I think you’re overreacting. Those girls were a lot younger than you.”
“So that makes me an unappealing target?” Gaby’s voice rose on a note of irritation. “Is that what you’re saying?”
Her friend frowned. “Make up your mind. Either you want to be appealing to him or you don’t.”
“How can you even ask that?” Gaby hissed. “Aren’t you afraid?”
“Of course. We all are. But all I can do is be as careful as possible.” The woman’s voice softened. “Drink your tea, Gaby, and come home with me for a while. At least spend the night. You’ll feel better tomorrow.”
His cell phone vibrated at that moment, and he left the restaurant to take the
call, irritated that he’d miss the rest of the conversation. But when he saw Tony’s number, he had to answer it alone. This was not a conversation he wanted anyone to overhear.
“Can you meet me tonight, old man?” Tony asked, foregoing any greeting. “I happened to pick up a shipment unexpectedly. Choice meat. We could score some big dollars on this. My boss wants to move it.”
“Nothing like last minute,” he complained.
“Do you want it or not? Otherwise I’ll call my next customer.”
“Hold on, hold on. Let me call my buyer and see if we can hook up. Oh, and Tony?”
“Yeah, old man?”
“Any that are really, really choice? I need some entertainment tonight. Something to take the edge off.”
Tony’s laugh was anything but humorous. “I got just the one for you. But you gotta be careful.”
“Aren’t I always?”
“I hear the sheriff’s got the FBI coming.”
Shit. How the hell had Tony found that out?
“That won’t interfere with our business at all. You can tell your boss he has my word on that. I’m smarter than these idiots. Anyway, they aren’t aware of our business at all, so we’re clear.”
“If you say so. Okay, call me back in five, man, or I’m on to the next name.”
He climbed into his truck and called his regular buyer who was delighted at the unexpected bounty. He had his own demands to meet. Yes, he’d be happy to meet at their usual place and bring cash with him, as always.
A call back to Tony and the meeting was set. God, he hoped nothing happened to fuck things up.
At home, acting as if everything were normal was extremely difficult. He ate his dinner without tasting any of it, finally making the excuse that he had to run an errand and bolted from the house.
At the usual delivery spot, he paced impatiently waiting for Tony and the buyer to show. The buyer drove up first, smiling and jovial, excited at the cargo he was about to receive. He opened his briefcase to show the money neatly stacked inside. The two men leaned against the truck until they saw the van approach.
Tony climbed out and beamed at them. “I’ve got ten of the choicest pieces of merchandise you could ever hope to set your eyes on.”
“That’s what you always say.” The buyer laughed good-naturedly.
“Yeah, well, don’t take my word for it,” Tony said. “Take a look for yourself. These are the freshest yet.” He clapped his hands together and rubbed them as he wiggled his eyebrows. “They will give much pleasure.”
The exchange was made, money changed hands, and the buyer drove off excited and happy.
“Here’s what I got for you, old man,” Tony said, sliding open the door of the van again. “Ten years old. You’ll love her.”
The girl was tiny, almost like his little flowers had been. She had delicate features and long black hair. Her hands were tied behind her back, her ankles were bound, and tape sealed her mouth. Above the tape, her huge dark eyes were wild with fear.
He couldn’t help salivating. This would more than satisfy his need tonight. And it would prepare him nicely for tomorrow’s adventure. He paid Tony his bonus, lifted the girl into his arms, and carried her to his truck, crooning to her all the while.
“We’re going to have fun, little girl. You and me. A lot of fun. I promise.”
Pulling away from where he was parked, he began singing his little song.
“There was a little girl, who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good, she was very, very good, And when she was bad she was a tasty treat.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Cole had retrieved his watch from his bedroom and set the alarm on it before falling asleep last night. He was sure Dana would still be sleeping when it went off, but he was alone in the bed. Big surprise. But if she thought she was going to pretend nothing had happened, she was fooling herself. Then he heard the shower running and relaxed fractionally.
In a moment, the shower turned off and the bathroom door opened. She stood in a cloud of steam, wrapped in one of his big towels, and his cock immediately stood up and demanded attention.
“Oh!” The combination of surprise and embarrassment was appealing.
“Good mornin’,” he drawled. “You’re up early. And here I worried the alarm would wake you.”
“I’m…an early riser.”
He studied her face and the line of her body. “Sleep good?”
“Yes. I did.” She stood in the doorway, as if waiting for some signal from him. He pushed the covers back and crooked his finger at her. “Come here and let me give you a morning hug.”
Could her steps have been any more tentative? But she came to him, just the same, and he felt as if he’d won the jackpot. She lay down next to him, still wrapped in the towel, and he pulled her into him. His hand wondered over her, idly loosening the towel until he touched smooth flesh.
“Dana.” He cupped her breasts before letting his hand wander to her tummy. “Whatever’s in your past, I think we opened a door between us last night. It was wonderful. Beyond wonderful. And it was more than just medicinal sex so get that thought out of your head.”
“But—”
“But nothing.” He kissed her shoulder. “It was incredible. If I had time now, we’d do it again.”
He was painfully aware of the fact that his raging hard-on was poking her in the ass.
And that she’d tensed.
He soothed her with a trail of kisses down her arm and felt her relax. Nice. He’d better get this killer caught soon so they could get on with this because he wanted to spend a lot of years with her. If he could just gentle her. She reminded him of a skittish colt.
“Whatever you’re about to say, save it for another time. We have something here, Dana. Right now life’s getting in the way, but nobody’s ever hit me the way you have. And it isn’t just the physical stuff. Far from it.”
“But—”
“Shh shh. Sometimes in extreme situations, feelings start out as one thing then turn real fast into something else. Because all your senses are in high gear. So put this in your Day Planner. I’m catching this killer then moving into your life. Whatever problems are giving you nightmares, we’ll deal with them together.”
As if she’d been holding herself together through sheer willpower, she crumbled. Her body curled into his, and he held her tightly, vowing to protect her from harm. And to help her banish her demons.
At last, she turned around so he could see her face. Her smile was weak, but it was there. “Can I fix you some breakfast?”
“Thanks, but no. Coffee’s good, but then I’ll just go through the McDonald’s drive-through. I really need to get going. I want to make sure your car’s in the driveway in case you need it, but Dana?”
“Mmm?”
“Don’t go anywhere for a while today, okay? Let me get my patrols out on the road so there are people around if you need them.”
She tensed. “You think someone will attack me?”
“After what happened to your house, I just don’t want to take any chances.” He sat up, taking her with him. “I know I’ve got frozen waffles and some other stuff.”
“Cole, I can’t hide out here. I have things to do.”
“Just until I call you.” He stood up, taking her with him. “I’ll get someone out to your house today to take care of the damage, but you may need to call the insurance company first.”
She groaned. “That means calling Janie Milburn.”
He kissed her forehead. “You can handle it. Come with me. I want to show you something.”
“What?”
“Just come on.”
He walked her to his bedroom, ignoring the fact he was completely naked and her towel was in disarray. With a flick of his fingers, he opened the blinds on the full-length window and was rewarded with a small gasp.
“Cole! It’s beautiful.”
Yes, it was. It still took his breath away. Behind the house
, the barn and corral sat in the rising sun, the pastures rolling away and glistening with morning dew. In the distance, the tall hills ringing the property were silhouetted against the sky. A battered pickup stood beside the barn, and the horses were getting their morning play in the corral.
“Is-is someone here?”
“Just the kid I pay to take care of the horses in the morning when I need him. Usually I ride before heading into the office, but right now that’s on the back burner. I called him last night. He’ll be gone in a little bit. He’s got school.” He kissed the top of her head. “Much as I’d rather stand here with you, I need to shower and get to the office. You take your time and don’t leave here until you talk to me first. Where’s your cell?”
“In my—the bedroom.” She hurried to get it.
Cole punched some numbers in and handed it back to her. “Now you’ve got my cell number in there. You can bypass the switchboard.”
“Thank you. And Cole? Take care of yourself today. Use everything the FBI will give you. They have extensive resources. I’ve worked with them before, and sometimes it was actually a pleasant experience. This town is on the verge of imploding, and I don’t want you to be at the epicenter.”
“I’ll be fine.” He cupped her chin. “I hope you brought enough for a few nights because I’m not letting you go back to your house.”
“I can’t stay here forever.”
Oh, yeah. You really can.
“Let’s catch this killer, and we’ll go from there. Meanwhile, I can work better if I’m not worrying about you at night.”
“Yes. Okay. Sure.” She gave him a shaky grin. “I’ll hit the store today and have something for you to eat.”
“I don’t know what time it will be.”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Remember, don’t leave until you hear from me.” He brushed a kiss over her mouth. “And you’re not sleeping in the guest room.”
She was dressed by the time he was ready to leave and stood in the doorway, waving to him as he jogged to his truck, whistling. He wouldn’t have been in such a good mood if he’d known exactly how tied up he’d be for the rest of the day and why.
