by T. K. Leigh
A wide grin crossed his face. He loved that, in such a short period of time, she had begun to feel so comfortable with him that she had no problem telling him exactly what she wanted. He was only too happy to give her anything she desired because she deserved to be treated like the treasure she was.
Forcing his lips against hers, he nibbled her bottom lip before urging her mouth to part, caressing her tongue. It was unlike kissing anyone he could remember. There was something so innocent and pure about it, knowing that he was the only one to ever have the pleasure of doing that simple act. “I will never tire of kissing you, Jolene,” he whispered against her mouth. “You have the most amazing lips. So soft. So sweet.”
His words ignited flames in her body and she crushed her lips against his again, savagely invading his mouth once more. Pulling him closer, she ran her hands through his messy hair and wrapped her legs around his waist.
He growled, tearing away from her, his chest heaving. “What are you doing to me, Jolene?”
“The same thing you’re doing to me,” she responded, her breathing labored and uneven. “Please, Cam. I want to feel you inside me.”
He traced circles on her neck with his tongue. “But what if I want a little taste of my delicious peach first?”
She moaned, digging her nails into his back before pushing him down her body. “Then get on with it. I’m dying over here, you tease.” She winked.
“You’re rather demanding this morning, aren’t you?” he observed with a grin on his face. Raising his eyes to meet hers, he could see the desire she had for him. “I like this side of you.” He lowered himself between her legs, blowing gently on her most sensitive spot. “God, peaches. You are so juicy for me.”
Jolene screamed out in pleasure as he traced circles around her clit with his tongue. “Cam,” she exhaled. “Don’t you ever stop doing that.”
He smiled, laughing to himself as he inserted a finger, massaging her insides while he continued tasting her. “Never, Jolene. Never.”
She clutched on to the bed sheet, sparks running through her body. She tried to think of something other than Cam’s mouth between her legs, wanting to prolong it, but nothing worked. No matter what she tried, all she could think about was the incredible sensations she felt from his tongue on her clit.
“Do you like it when I lick your pussy, Jolene?” he asked, lifting his eyes to look at her, his mouth still torturing her.
“Mmmm…” She nodded. “Don’t stop. I’m close, Cam. Keep going.”
“I’ll never stop doing this. I’ll never stop giving you what you need.” He returned his mouth to her, slowly inserting another finger before glancing back up at her. “Peaches.”
Jolene shuddered around him, her orgasm causing her to scream out his name. Cam grinned as he watched her convulse on the bed, her chest heaving as she tried to come down from her orgasm.
“Fuck,” she exhaled, throwing her arm over her head, unable to comprehend how one person could give her so much pleasure in such a short period of time. “I never thought that was possible.”
“What’s that?” Cam asked, raising himself up her body.
She opened her eyes, pulling his head toward hers.
“That anyone would ever do that for me.”
“Oh, Jolene. I couldn’t imagine ever not doing that for you… Peaches.” He winked as he slid into her.
“Cam,” she said nervously. “You’re not wearing a condom.”
He stopped moving, gazing into her eyes. “Is there a reason I should wear one?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.
“I’m clean. It was a rule. Condoms were…”
Cam pressed his lips to hers, not wanting her to have to say the words. “Okay. I trust you.” He began moving inside of her once more. The previous night felt incredible, but that morning, feeling the soft flesh against his erection was so much more intense.
“Holy shit!” she exclaimed, becoming unhinged once more.
Cam stopped moving. “Are you okay?”
Jolene nodded her head quickly. “Yes.”
Leaning down, he tenderly nipped her neck. “Will you be okay if I go fast? I don’t want you to think…”
“Yes, Cam. I want to feel you. You’re not going to break me. I know you won’t hurt me or take advantage of me. I want you to be happy with me.”
“I am happy with you.” He traced circles on her skin, sucking on her earlobe. “I don’t need to go fast to be happy with you, Jolene. Please know that.”
She could tell he was conflicted with balancing her past and wanting to feel free when they were having sex. “Cam,” she said, looking deep into his eyes, “I need you to go fast. I want to feel your cock pounding into me. I don’t want it gentle right now. Because I’m pretty sure if you fuck me, I’ll come again. And, Cam, I really want to come again.”
His eyes went wide and he crushed his lips back to hers, his tongue pushing her mouth open. He kissed her with more passion than he could recall doing anything before in his life. Pulling back, he looked down at her, his chest heaving. “You know what attracts me to you the most?”
She shook her head.
“Your strength, Jolene,” he said, running his tongue along her collarbone. “Now,” he murmured against her skin, “get on your hands and knees. You said you want to be fucked. And I will most certainly give you what you want.”
She felt even more moisture pool between her legs as she watched Cam climb off her. He grabbed her waist and helped flip her onto her stomach, propping her up. Leaning over her, she felt his chest brush against her back. He teased her with his erection as he traced circles against her shoulder with his tongue.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this, Jolene?” he asked.
“Goddammit, Cam!” she screamed, ready to fall apart from the anticipation alone. “Will you just fuck me already, for crying out loud?!”
He slammed into her, biting her neck. “I’m pretty sure all of Duval Street now knows that you want me to fuck you.”
She closed her eyes, reveling in the sensation of Cam thrusting into her. It felt good, but she could tell he was still holding back. She didn’t want him to hold anything back. She wanted him to feel completely free with her because that’s how she felt with him…free.
“Harder, Cam. Please.”
Growling, he grabbed onto her hips and his motions grew intense and carnal. “God, peaches. I love this view. It’s quite spectacular,” he said, his breathing labored. “I’m not going to be able to last much longer. You have no idea how amazing you feel.”
She moaned in response. “Rub my clit.”
He smiled, obeying her command. Within seconds, he felt her spasm around him once more, surprised when she didn’t scream out as she usually did during her orgasm.
“Did you like that?” he asked, slowing down his pace, wanting to make sure that she was still okay.
“Yes,” she whimpered.
“What was that?”
“Yes!” she screamed. “Goddammit, Cam. I just came so fucking hard that I couldn’t even make a sound.”
His heart raced as he pulled back, grabbing onto her hips once more and driving into her, releasing inside her in a few quick thrusts, his body convulsing.
“Damn,” he exhaled, withdrawing from her and pulling her flush with him, covering them with the silky sheet. “I love fucking you, Jolene…if it’s not too rude of me to say.”
“I quite enjoy it myself.” She smiled, lying in Cam’s arms as the sun shined into their beautiful suite. She never wanted to leave that bed. She never wanted that moment to end. For a brief second, she was free, and she wanted to stay that way.
“What do you want to do today?” Cam asked, gently brushing her hair behind her ear, kissing her neck.
She snuggled against him. “This. I want to stay in bed with you all day. Clothes optional.” She flipped him onto his back, kissing him full on the mouth. “Then I want to go watch the sunset with you while you hold me in your arms. I want
to go out to dinner and hold your hand across the table. And then…I want to go drinking. I want to get over-served at a bar in Key West. Then I want you to haul my drunk ass home, slam me against the wall, and fuck me.”
His eyes went wide. “Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to think that I’m…”
“I’m telling you what I want when I’m sober. Don’t worry. You won’t be taking advantage of me. So, does that sound like a plan to you?” she asked, her eyebrows raised as she straddled him. She felt his erection twitch against her.
He nodded, completely void of words.
“Good.” She raised herself over him and took him inside her once more.
~~~~~~~~~~
GREGORY MATSEN SAT AT his desk in the local precinct, going over various arrest reports and logging evidence, when his phone rang.
“Matsen here,” he barked into the line.
“Greg,” a soothing voice said.
“Hey, Laney.” His tone audibly relaxed.
“Rough day?”
“Slow, which makes my mind wander a bit.”
“I know. I understand your frustration with how everything went down in Houston, but you can’t give up. In the darkest of nights, a glimmer of hope will appear.”
He listened to her, wondering how she always knew exactly what to say. “Is there any hope?”
“Well, possibly…” She paused for a moment.
“Has something else turned up?” Greg whispered, not wanting anyone to overhear him.
“Well, not about Holly. I talked to your friend in Houston and, as you know, they were forced to close the case. But I’ve done some digging on my own, as best I could without anyone catching on. A few of my colleagues at the medical examiner’s office thought it was odd that she was killed in the same manner as a handful of cold cases up here that dated all the way back to the early nineties. So we’ve been waiting for something else to turn up that was a bit suspicious. Just this morning, something did.”
Greg’s heart raced in anticipation. “What is it?”
“Three bodies were found hidden in the wall of a large warehouse in the outskirts of Chicago. Two Caucasian and one black. According to the medical examiner, they’ve been dead for approximately three months. And here’s the kicker. The warehouse was abandoned and the owner didn’t want to sell. He died, leaving the place to his widow, who decided to turn it into a suburban shopping area. So when the contractors began going through and assessing the building, guess what they found? Three bodies. They were all wrapped in some sort of chemical. The black man was drained of blood and then his throat was slit. The two Caucasians were shot with a nine millimeter.”
“Nine millimeter?! Do you think…?” he asked, raising his voice above a whisper. He looked around the busy precinct, hoping no one had overheard him.
“I’m trying to get access to Holly’s body to see about the nine millimeter fragments Dr. Woodall found…unofficially, of course,” she interrupted. “If we could match those fragments to the bodies here, we’ll be able to say that these cases are connected and there won’t be a choice but to reopen the investigation into Holly’s death.”
Greg stood up from his desk, his mind racing.
“What about the chief here? Do you think if you present your findings and the similar pattern with Holly’s body that they’ll see the connection?”
“I wouldn’t hold your breath. We have cold cases that are decades old where the victim was killed in a similar manner to Holly. We’ve presented that to the chief and he’s not budging on his position. He says the connection is tenuous at best, although the rest of us see it clear as day.”
“What can I do to help? We have to find out.”
Laney sensed the urgency in his voice. “Greg, calm down. You know I’m technically not supposed to be telling you any of this. So, please, just be patient. I want to reopen this case just as much as you do. But until I can convince Houston to allow your friend to officially check Holly’s body for the bullet fragment and then release their findings to me, I have nothing…unless Dr. Woodall agrees to run the bullet through himself, which he could lose his job over.”
Greg sighed. “You can’t do that.”
“But you know he would if you thought it would bring you closer to finding Jolene.”
“Listen, I should get back to work. Come over tonight and we’ll talk more about this.”
“Of course. I’ll see you then. Good-bye, Greg.”
“Good-bye. Oh, and Laney?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
~~~~~~~~~~
RALPH HAD BEEN ON the road for weeks, hoping to find someone who had seen Jolene and could give him a hint as to her whereabouts. The bus drivers were no help. Other than confirming that they had seen the girl get on the bus, they had no idea at what stop she had gotten off. He was resigned to question people at every truck stop between Chicago and Miami. After the first day, he got bored with his assignment, but he shuddered at what would happen if he returned to Chicago empty-handed.
Going through the motions, he pulled into a truck stop in Jacksonville, Florida, on a humid September day, not any closer to finding where Jolene was. She could have been anywhere by now.
Grabbing a few snacks and a large bottle of soda, he brought his purchases up to the clerk, eyeing the young man. “Hey,” Ralph said. “How you doing?”
“Can’t complain. I have a job and the sun’s shining. Some people have it worse than I do.”
Ralph didn’t respond, taking a few bills out of his wallet, as well as a crinkled photo. “Have you seen this girl?” he asked the clerk after paying for his items.
He scrunched his eyebrows, scanning the photograph. It had been a few months, but he’d never forget the frightened blonde that walked into the truck stop one hot summer day and changed her appearance. Noticing the gun hiding beneath the overweight man’s too-small jacket, he got a strong feeling about why she wanted to change her appearance.
“Nope. Sorry. Can’t say that I have. Why? Did she do something?”
“None of your fucking business. You’re sure you haven’t seen her? She may have dyed and cut her hair.”
The clerk remained calm. This wasn’t his first rodeo. Every other week, someone came in with a photo asking if he had seen whatever poor soul was missing, or worse.
“I’d certainly remember those eyes if I had seen her. They’re not eyes any man would easily forget, are they?”
Ralph nodded his head. “You’re right about that.” He reached into his pocket and handed him a piece of card stock with the number of a burner phone scratched on it. “If you do see her, please give me a call. She’s not all there mentally, and her father is very concerned about her. He’s heartbroken that she’s disappeared.”
The clerk shoved the card in his pocket, intending to throw it out later. It was readily apparent that the fat man was full of shit, and there was no way he was going to mention seeing the girl. “If she comes through here, I’ll be sure to give you a call.”
Ralph grabbed his purchases and left the truck stop, wishing that he could finally catch a break.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
HALLELUJAH
“WHERE TO, BEAUTIFUL?” CAM asked, beaming at Jolene, her hand clutched in his as they made their way through Mallory Square. The sun had already disappeared beyond the horizon and the sounds of carefree tourists filtered the streets at mile marker zero.
“Well, I think it’s time for the last thing on my list.” She smiled at Cam, the jovial spirit of the pirate town infecting her soul. “Well, technically, the second-to-last thing.”
“Okay then. Let’s get drunk.”
Jolene giggled, trailing slightly behind him. She was tall, but she still had difficulty keeping up with his long strides.
“I’ll tell you this much, peaches.” He slowed down, glancing back at her, licking his lips as he took in her silky blue sundress. The color made her eyes pop, al
most as if they were painted on her face. “Getting over-served at a bar in Key West is pretty much a rite of passage…something everyone should experience at least once in their lives. I’m thrilled I can give this to you.”
“Me, too. Now, enough of the sweet talk, Casanova. It’s unnecessary. You got the girl. Now get the girl drunk.”
Cam stopped abruptly, bringing her body into his. “Oh, Jolene. You really are frustrating sometimes,” he whispered into her ear. “And don’t think for a second that a day will go by that I won’t let you know how amazing you are. Or how lucky I feel to be able to spend time with you. You are a fucking treasure. A gift. And I’m not going to stop until you finally realize that.”
She stared deep into his eyes. “How can one guy be so amazing in bed and so incredibly sweet at the same time?”
Cam shrugged. “Simple. I’m all about your needs…” He released her, pulling her back along Duval Street before glancing at her and winking. “Peaches.”
“So, is that my new nickname? No more ‘baby steps’?”
“What can I say? I was a goner the second I smelled you. I’ve been wanting to call you peaches for months now.”
“Then what have you been waiting for?”
He smirked at her. “Just wanted to make sure that you taste as good as you smell.”
“And what’s the verdict?”
“I’d have to mark that down as ‘exceeded expectations’.”
She smacked him playfully and he grabbed her, lifting her up at the waist. He pressed her against the brick wall of a noisy bar, his eyes intense yet, at the same time, tender.
She wrapped her legs around his midsection, gasping at the feel of his erection. Running her hands up and down his back, she felt his strong muscles through the linen of his shirt.
“Jolene,” he said breathlessly. “Do you feel what you do to me? You drive me crazy. I’ll never get enough of you. You’re like a drug. One hit and I’m addicted.” He traced his tongue down her neck.
She threw her head back in complete ecstasy, her entire body trembling. For once, she didn’t quiver with fear. She shook from the combination of Cam’s words and his body pressed against hers. She never wanted to stop feeling him. She was just as addicted to his touch as he was to hers.