by Chiah Wilder
“Thanks for helping out,” she said.
“Anytime.” Animal’s gaze dropped down to her mouth.
“Bye!” Lucy cried as she twirled around in circles with her arms outstretched.
“I’ll call Hank in the morning and let you know what he says.” Animal took a step closer to her, and their fingers brushed. Hot shimmers ran up her arm and she locked her gaze with his. “I’m feeling it too, baby,” he said in a hushed tone.
“I miss you.”
“Yeah … fuck.”
“Aren’t we going, Dad?” Lucy gripped the iron railing with one hand, the other one clutched her belly.
“Did you get too dizzy?” Olivia chuckled.
“Yeah.” Lucy gulped in big breaths then held them before sputtering them out.
Animal puckered his lips lightly, winked, then moved over to Lucy. “Let’s go, kiddo.”
He glanced back a few times as father and daughter walked toward their house. When they reached their porch, Animal opened the door and Lucy rushed inside. He turned to Olivia and said, “Go inside and lock up.”
“Yes, sir.” She giggled and brought her hand up in a mock salute before blowing him a kiss and closing the door.
Sighing loudly, Olivia padded into her bedroom and changed into her comfy nightshirt, then went into the kitchen and poured herself a large glass of white wine. Settling down on the couch, she took a big gulp. Her body pulsed with desire for Animal. Saturday is only two days away. Her phone pinged and she dug it out of her pocket.
Animal: I’m sitting here with a fucking hard-on.
Olivia: I’m horny as all hell.
Animal: Can u meet for lunch? I can pick u up.
Olivia: Yes! I’m at the dental clinic tomorrow. I have an hr. Noon works.
Animal: Fuckin’ awesome. Do u need a ride to work in the a.m.?
Olivia: Ivy will pick me up. If not, then I’ll let u know.
Animal: Ok. Damn ur so sexy and beautiful. I fuckin’ need u.
Olivia: I need u too. Looking forward to tomorrow!!!
Animal: Fuck yeah!
Olivia: I need to work on my paper.
Animal: Yeah. Lucy wants me to play a video game with her.
Olivia: That’s great!
Animal: She’s gonna beat my ass, for sure.
Olivia: Hehe. Have fun. Nite.
Animal: Nite, darlin’.
Olivia hugged the phone to her chest and let the rush of his words flow through her brain again and again. Her car needed repairing, her paper was due in less than two weeks, final exams were looming, she was juggling two jobs, extra tutoring, and full-time school, and Olivia had never been happier in her life.
She pushed up from the couch and went into the kitchen to warm up a frozen burrito and refill her glass of wine. With plate and glass in her hands, Olivia plopped back down on the sofa and munched away. After a bit of television, she’d call Hunter on the burner phone. He’d asked her to call him at nine thirty that night. She glanced at the clock: 8:35 p.m. Olivia switched on the television, settled back against the cushion, and cut into her burrito.
Chapter Twenty-One
THE ONLY LIGHT in the den was from the small lamp covered with a red shade beside the wingback leather chair. There were two books stacked on the lamp table and he reached for one, changed his mind, then curled his fingers around the wineglass. The room was quiet except for the soft ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner of the room; the hands on the face read 9:16 p.m. In fourteen minutes Rose would call, and he’d try and lure her in some more so she’d agree to meet him.
Hunter knew Rose was the one he needed to make his world feel back in balance. From their conversations, he had grown to care very deeply for her, and his hunger for her had grown exponentially with each conversation. She had begun to consume his thoughts, and he desperately needed her to feed the hunger which had become harder to contain.
He picked up the burner phone and engaged the voice changing app in anticipation of the call. Since Rose lived in Pinewood Springs, he had to be especially careful in case she wasn’t who she said she was and may recognize his voice. A bit paranoid? Perhaps, but the articles that had appeared in the Pinewood Springs Tribune had contributed to his suspicions. After Rose, he’d start hunting again outside of the county.
Hunter rested his head back against the chair and his latest victim flashed through his mind, bringing a smile to his face. Pretty, sexy Samantha. He tapped his index finger against his lips. Her fear was exquisite. Normally, he didn’t go in for women who had children—he liked his victims pure, but he’d made an exception with Samantha.
It was true that he hid his real self like a snake covered in leaves, and some people might have said he was evil, like that ridiculous journalist who’d penned the article about Hunter’s lovely Samantha and Katie, but Hunter would say that he was just wired differently. To him, the most important thing was that he knew who he was, which was something that most people couldn’t say about themselves.
A small sigh passed his lips, and he rested his chin on a hand, his elbow propped up on the arm rest. When he’d reached adolescence, he’d realized he was different from the other boys. Where they craved carnal pleasure, he craved sensual connections. They’d sit around talking about women as if they were nothing but body parts, but Hunter had seen the female sex—and still did—as beautiful creatures with hearts and souls. Of course, the hormones inside him craved their luscious bodies, but he saw so much more than breasts, hips, and butts.
As he grew older, all the men around him just wanted to fuck as many women as they could—it was like some sort of contest, but he sought that one perfection—the blending of body, soul, and mind with him. The only way Hunter could achieve the ultimate balance was through fear, pain, and the mixing of primal sex with sheer terror. It was dark, perhaps a bit disturbed, but very necessary. He had known the darkness dwelled inside him from the time he’d come of age.
Had he wanted that?
Yes. Very much so.
The sound of the burner phone snapped him out of his thoughts, and Hunter looked at the time: 9:30 p.m. A slow smile spread over his face as he picked up the phone.
“Thank you for being so punctual, my sweet. This is your ardent lover.” He chuckled. “How are you?” He picked up his glass of wine and took a sip as adrenaline pumped through him.
“Good. How’re you?”
“Perfect, now that I can finally hear your voice, which I knew I’d love.”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d pick up. The last few times I was online, I saw that you were too, but you didn’t message me—I had to do it first. Are you talking to other women?”
My sweet Rose is jealous. That’s perfect—it means she cares.
“No worries, my sweet. I’m very busy with my job. Sometimes I’m online for work and don’t have time to chat with you, but that doesn’t mean that you aren’t on my mind. You’re always in my thoughts, you know.” Hunter loved the cat-and-mouse game they were playing; he loved to be in control and the one who set the pace.
“I wasn’t really jealous. I just want to make sure you’re not a player since that’s not what I’m looking for, you know?”
It sounded as though she were trying to disguise her voice. Disappointment ran through him. “I’m not a player, and I’m very hurt that you’d think that of me.” He took another sip of wine and waited.
After a few seconds, a small audible sigh. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, it’s just that so many men are looking to just hookup on this site.”
Hunter didn’t respond. He wanted Rose to sweat for a bit.
“Are you still there? Are you mad at me?”
After another pause he spoke, “Not mad … just terribly disappointed. I thought we trusted each other. If you don’t trust me, then we have nothing. Don’t you think believing in each other is paramount?”
“I do. I guess I’ve been burned too many times.” A soft giggle.
His h
eartbeat suddenly raced. I know that laugh. A pause.
“I understand,” he said in a low voice. “Please don’t accuse me of something like that again. Now tell me what you did today.” Hunter had to get her to talk longer—he had to place the voice.
As Rose spoke, Hunter listened carefully without interruption, and the longer she did, the clearer her voice became until realization jabbed him right between the eyes. Olivia! Rose is Olivia. He felt small beads of perspiration form near his hairline as a jolt of excitement rushed through him. At the sound of her voice, desire flooded through him—the beast within fighting for control.
How many times had he wanted to bury his fingers into her lush dark hair? And her eyes … so beautiful … were anything but ordinary: the kind of green that revived dull grass from the harshness of winter.
He had to admit that her eyes were never more beautiful than when she cried. He’d caught her once, and even though she’d tried to pretend that she had an allergy, he’d known better. Hunter had loved seeing the tears in them and the anguish they held, and he’d wanted to hold her close and feel those tears on his shoulder. He couldn’t wait to see her cry again.
Very soon, my sweet.
Hunter focused back on the present; Olivia wasn’t talking anymore.
“My sweet?” he said, hoping she hadn’t hung up.
“Did I lose you? You weren’t responding.”
“I was so taken with your words, your voice, and my feelings for you, that I couldn’t speak. I have to confess that I’ve fallen in love with you.” Dammit! Too bold. Too soon. Olivia isn’t like the others. She’s not so naïve or desperate. “Or at least what I think is love,” he quickly corrected. “All I know is that I have strong feelings for you and would like to meet you.” Hunter drew in a breath and held it.
For a long while Olivia didn’t respond, and he cursed himself for his lack of patience. He’d wanted Olivia for such a long time that he let his desire speak instead of his intellect.
“I think meeting would be the next logical step, right?” Another cute giggle.
He let out his breath slowly. “Only if you’re ready,” he said cautiously.
“I am.”
A bolt of desire ran straight to his groin.
“When do you want to meet?”
The doorknob jiggled, and Hunter looked over.
“Daddy?” Aaron’s muffled voice came from the other side of the door.
“I’ll let you know the details soon, my sweet. I have some business I need to attend to right now. I hate saying goodnight, but I have to.” His gaze stayed fixed on the door.
“Okay. Goodnight.”
The phone went dead and a grin broke out over his face. I have her.
Pushing up from the chair, he said, “Daddy’s coming” then switched off the lamp and unlocked the door.
Chapter Twenty-Two
THE MOTORCYCLE WOUND around the twisting road that led to the summit of Mount Estes.
The sun shone bright and warm in a brilliant blue sky dotted with wisps of white clouds while red-tailed hawks performed magnificent aerial displays.
The wind whipped Olivia’s dark hair around her face, and she inhaled deeply, loving the sweet scent of pine and wildflowers infusing the air. With her arms wrapped around Animal’s waist, and her body pressed tight against his back, Olivia took in the view: glacier-carved valleys, meandering creeks, and forests of bristlecone pines. All of it was like a slice of heaven on earth.
“You good?” Animal yelled, shifting gears as the bike climbed up farther.
The vibrations of the engine rippled through her and she leaned closer and kissed his neck. “Great,” she replied.
Sitting on the back of a Harley again thrilled her, but being so close to Animal sent her senses into overdrive. It seemed like a luxury to have the whole day to spend with him instead of the lunchtime quickie from the day before. Recalling their rabid coupling in the back of his SUV made her stomach flutter.
Olivia leaned with the bike as Animal took several sharp turns, finally turning on a dirt road. She secured her hands tighter around him as the motorcycle bumped and bounced for the next couple of miles then came to a stop in front of a crystalline lake. She waited until his feet were firmly on the ground, then got off the bike and stretched out her legs.
“You know how to ride,” Animal said as he swung his leg over the seat of the Harley. “You sit still and know how to lean with me when I make turns.” He snapped open one of the saddle bags.
“Have you taken a lot of women on your bike?” She finger-combed her tangled hair.
“No, but the few I’ve taken squirmed and moved around the whole fuckin’ time.” Animal pulled out a blue plaid blanket and a paper bag from the saddlebag. “Come on.”
Olivia grasped his hand and he led her to a grassy area where he laid down the blanket. The reflection of snow-capped mountains was painted onto the diamond-clear lake. The only sounds were the soft lapping of the ripples upon the shore, an occasional splash of the speckled-fish in the water, and the low buzzing of flies hovering over the deeper parts of the lake.
“It’s so peaceful here,” she murmured.
Animal came up behind her and hooked his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. “I wanted to share this with you, baby.”
“I love it,” she said, leaning back into him. A delicious tingle traveled through her: she loved feeling his hard body around her.
Olivia craned her neck and his mouth covered hers, the touch of his lips sending her senses into a frenzy. Animal’s tongue thrust deep into her mouth, and she slid hers against his and moaned.
“Baby,” he muttered.
Olivia broke away and rested her head against his chest, and he buried his face in her neck as he cupped her breasts and squeezed them in his hands. Arousal flashed hot through her system.
“Oh, shit,” she moaned as his nimble fingers teased her nipples, making them grow rock-hard. The pulsing buds pushed against the knit fabric of her top, craving for him to take them into his mouth.
“Olivia,” he whispered.
His hard dick ground against her and she moved in rhythm with him as he bit the nape of her neck. She shivered as one of his hands moved down past her belly, then unbuttoned her jeans and pulled down the zipper. He pushed her pants down and she wiggled a bit until they pooled at her ankles.
His fingers skimmed along the edge of her silk panties.
“Animal,” she rasped.
He rubbed harder against her and slid his fingers under the elastic lace. “So fucking wet,” he growled, burying a finger between her folds.
Olivia took a step to the side, and Animal plunged one of his digits deep inside her. “Yes,” she muttered, her eyes closing.
“You like that,” he said against the skin on the back of her neck, biting then licking it.
“Oh, yeah …”
His finger pulled out then plunged back in even deeper, and his thumb was doing wickedly delicious things to her sensitive spot. Olivia writhed against him, pushing back on his erection, loving the way he grunted each time she did it.
Between the in-and-out action with his finger and that skilled thumb, some serious sensations were burning through her. Damn, the man knew how to push her buttons in the best and most seductive way.
“I fuckin’ love your pussy, baby. I can’t wait to taste you.” His free hand cupped her chin and tilted her head back. “Olivia,” he whispered before pressing his lips to hers. He kissed her deeply as his tongue thrust into her mouth, matching the movement of his fingers.
Olivia gasped into his mouth, the pulse of desire throbbing deep and low in her body, every nerve tightening in awareness caused by the most delectably wonderful things he was doing to her.
Pulling away for a split second, Animal locked his heated gaze on her. “Come for me, baby.” Then his tongue plunged back into her mouth.
She began to unceremoniously fuck his finger, bucking and jerking hard, and then a mind-numbi
ng, shattering climax rocked her body. Animal held her close, murmuring softly in her ears, but Olivia was still riding the wave of euphoria, and his voice sounded distant and muffled. She collapsed against him, almost sliding down to the ground, but he held her up; then threw her over his shoulder as she squealed, and walked over to the blanket, his strong hand rubbing her ass.
Animal gently put her down then fixed his heated gaze on her as he fluidly stripped off his clothes, socks, and boots. His dick stood straight and hard, and Olivia sat up and reached out to grab it, but he shook his head while throwing her a devilish grin.
“I’m gonna make you wait,” he said, stroking his cock. Slow and even movements that went down his shaft and pinched the tip until he hung his head back and groaned. “Although, your mouth would be fucking perfect right now.”
“Yes,” she agreed breathlessly.
“Take your top off and don’t look away from me,” he said.
Gazing at Animal with a seductive smile, Olivia put a finger in her mouth and sucked it slowly. She looked at him and saw pure desire in his intense gaze, and it nearly took her breath away. Olivia withdrew her finger and trailed it down her throat to her cleavage, her body flashing with instant heat at the way Animal stared at her.
“Fuck,” he muttered as he fell to his knees.
Olivia grasped the hem of her top and lifted it up and over her head. Animal’s jaw clenched as his gaze fixed on the swell of her breasts, and she reached behind and unhooked her bra. The straps slid over her shoulders and down her arms before she discarded the black lacy fabric on the blanket.
A low growl rumbled from his chest, and then Animal was right there—next to her, kissing her deeply while cupping the weight of one of her breasts in his palm and grazing the swollen nipple with his thumb until it beaded. Pure white heat crackled through Olivia, and she curled her arms around his neck and arched into him, driving their kiss deeper.
