Out Of Control (28 page)

“Feel
good?” he whispered. “Anytime you want me to stop you just tell me.”

She
nodded, hardly able to speak for the riot of sensations racing through her. And
prayed he’d keep doing what he was doing.

“I
could make you feel really good.” He nipped the lobe of her ear. “You can trust
me, Dana.”

“Yes.”
The word was barely audible.

“I
don’t know what ghosts you’re fighting, but maybe we can chase them away
together. Close your eyes, darlin’. Block everything out but my hand.”

“O-okay.”
She squeezed her eyes shut.

“Don’t
tense. It’s all good, I promise. Feel my hand on your breast? You have
wonderful breasts, Dana. And nipples I can’t wait to get my mouth around.” He
pinched one lightly, and again she felt a dull throb pounding clear to that
spot between her legs.

“Relax,”
he murmured. “Just feel.”

He
spent a long time on her breasts, telling her what he was doing. Playing with
her nipples. Palming and rubbing the mounds of flesh. When he slid his hand to
her stomach, she tensed again, but Cole continued to speak softly in her ear,
soothing her, telling her in explicit erotic detail what he was doing to her.

His
hand was warm against her flesh, rubbing light circles, moving further down in
small increments until she felt him between her thighs. Again she tensed and
again he whispered and soothed. One finger slipped between the folds of her pussy,
finding the hot button of her clit and brushing a fingertip over it. Back and
forth. Back and forth. Each caress was like the whisk of a lightning bolt. His
mouth worked its magic against her ear, her neck, her jaw line, while his
finger continued to torment her.

He
seemed to have endless patience, as though prepared to do this all night if
necessary. The more he worked her clit, the more her anxiety faded, replaced by
a tension of a different kind. She moved restlessly, unconsciously opening her
legs to give him better access.

The
lean finger moved between her labia to stroke up and down her wet slit, again
slow. Slow and steady. She knew she was wet, as effortlessly as his finger
moved, and to her, it was a real miracle. He lifted one of her legs, rested it
on top of his, and resumed that deliberate stroke. And all the while, between
nips and kisses, he kept up his erotic murmur in her ear.

“So
soft.” His voice was husky. “And so wet. See how easily my finger moves against
your hot flesh? Pretty soon, I’m going to slide it inside you. Feel those tight
muscles clench around it. And when you’re ready, I’ll slide my cock inside
there. God, I can’t wait. I could come just thinking about that.”

When
at last he pushed that finger inside her, a small orgasm racked her body. Her muscles
clenched, her pussy tightening on that finger. Cole’s soft chuckle of
satisfaction vibrated against her.

“That’s
it, darlin’. See how good this is?”

A
second finger joined the first and she rode his hand, so enthralled by the exquisite
feeling she didn’t want it to end. When it did, he moved back to her clit
again, the bundle of nerves so swollen and sensitive that in seconds she felt a
new hunger building within her. Again, he worked his magic, first teasing her
clit until she was sure she couldn’t stand it and then sliding his fingers deep
inside her. And again, a climax rocketed through her, knocking everything from
her mind except the exquisite pleasure he was giving her.

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.”