She kept taking him, deeper and deeper until he was all the way to the back of her throat. He’d never felt anything like her mouth on him, the way she took him deep, the way she sucked on him at the same time.
“Damn, sweetheart.” He groaned then cupped the back of her head and pushed down. She looked up at him as she took him deep before pulling back and then going down on him again. Her eyes were heavy-lidded, her look so sensual that he wondered if he’d come from just looking into her eyes and at her naked body as she knelt in front of him. Her breasts were perfect, her nipples hard.
A climax spiraled closer and closer as she moved her mouth up and down on him and he gritted his teeth. He came close to coming and gripped her hair, keeping her still for a moment.
“Hold on,” he said through gritted teeth. “I’m close to coming.” She waited until he let his breath out and he pushed her down.
When she started again, she held his cock in one hand and moved it up and down in time with her mouth. With her other hand she grasped his balls and gripped them tight as if tethering him to her.
He felt the climax coming on again and this time he didn’t think he was going to be able to hold himself back. He clenched his fist in her hair again, holding her still as he pulled his cock out of her mouth.
She looked up at him and licked her lips and he groaned again. He bent and grasped her by her upper arms and brought her to her feet. He kissed her hard, loving the way she kissed him in return with a kind of passion he’d never experienced before. He wanted her in so many ways, ways that he’d never imagined wanting anyone, ever.
Her body felt warm against his as he held her tightly to him. He gripped her ass in his hands, her flesh so soft to his touch. He caught her up in his arms, picked her up, and laid her on the bed quilt. He watched her as he moved onto the bed and pushed her thighs apart with his hands.
Carilyn looked down at Cody between her thighs, her heart beating fast as their eyes met. He kissed the insides of her thighs, his lips warm and feathery against her soft flesh.
Her heart pounded faster as she watched him lower his head, his mouth hovering over her sex. He blew on her clit, causing her to gasp and her eyes to widen. The sensation heightened her anticipation, her throat dry as she waited for him to go down on her. He seemed to know that he was causing her body to be strung as tight as a bow and he was doing everything he could to string her even tighter.
The moment she felt his mouth on her, she arched, throwing her head back and she nearly came up off the bed. He ran his tongue along her folds and then flicked it over her clit. She moaned as she looked down again to see his dark head between her thighs. The sight of him there, his big shoulders pressing her thighs farther apart, made the sensations all the more intense.
His eyes met hers as he raised his head. “You taste so good,” he said in a low rumble, his words sending thrill after thrill throughout her. “I can’t wait to eat you all up.”
She cried out as he slid two fingers inside her. He moved them in and out in slow motion as he lowered his head and licked her again. She moaned as she gripped the quilt in her fists, her knuckles aching from grasping it so tightly.
He thrust his fingers in and out as he licked and sucked her. Every breath she took came faster and harder as she felt an orgasm approaching fast.
“Stop—stop. I’m going to come.” She squirmed but he gripped her hips in his big hands and wouldn’t let her move away from him.
She tried to hold back but she couldn’t stop the climax rushing toward her. Faster and faster it thundered through her. His tongue was magic and seeing him watching her while he licked and sucked her made her orgasm come closer even faster.
A cry escaped her that she couldn’t hold back as she came off of the bed, coming hard. She felt her mind spinning and spinning as he continued to lick and suck her and her body bucked again from the aftershocks. Blood roared in her ears and she shivered from the impact of her orgasm.
And then he was moving up on the bed as she tried to pull her thoughts back together. They seemed scattered, as if she’d never gather them back again.
She watched as he rolled a condom down his cock and she felt a thrill low in her belly, knowing that he was going to be inside her in moments. She wanted that more than anything.
He placed the head of his cock against her center and she found herself holding her breath. He put his hands on hers to either side of her head, and linked their fingers together, gripping her tightly.
From what she saw in his expression, he seemed to be losing his control too, unable to hold himself back. He thrust hard, driving into her, burying himself deep inside. She cried out in surprise at the sudden entry and at the feel of him stretching her.
He began moving in and out of her, pulling out almost all of the way and then plunging in hard again. She arched her hips up to meet this every thrust as he drove in and out, fucking her out of her mind.
Sweat beaded on his forehead and she felt perspiration on her own body as they moved together as one. The intensity was so great that her mind was whirling, her thoughts flying. Her body was rushing toward another orgasm, even faster than before.
A cry ripped from her throat as she climaxed again. Hot tears rolled down the sides of her face as her body shook and trembled. It was all too intense, too much, and she could barely hold onto reality. Her body vibrated as he continued to take her, her core spasming around his cock. Every movement he made was almost too much for her to bear.
She felt like her mind was floating away from her body, everything was so incredible, so unbelievably powerful. Spots flickered in front of her eyes and she wondered for a moment if she was going to lose consciousness.
As she looked into his eyes, she worked to reel her thoughts back in. His expression was fierce, like some proud warrior. She would have thought he was angry if she didn’t know better. It was like he was as on fire as she was, burning even hotter and brighter.
He shouted her name as he moved in and out of her several more times. She felt his cock throbbing inside her as his climax took him to even greater heights. She could see unmistakable pleasure in his eyes, pleasure that bordered on the verge of pain. She knew how he felt because it had been the same for her.
His body shuddered and then he collapsed against her. He barely held all of his weight off of her. His thick, muscular body was hot and slick against hers. She wriggled beneath him, loving the feel of his cock still inside her and the heat of his body.
He brought his mouth to hers and kissed her hard before moving off of her. He brought her into his arms, holding her close. “I’m never letting you go,” he murmured.
Despite the promise in his words and her own misgivings, she snuggled against him, feeling as if in that moment they had become one. He stroked her hair away from her face and rested his chin on top of her head. She gave a happy little sigh and drifted off to sleep in his arms.
***
Chapter 16
Nathan scowled as he stared at his computer, not really seeing the screen as his thoughts raced. At the bar Carilyn Thompson had rejected him, just like every one of the other three women. Who did Carilyn think she was, anyway? God’s gift to men?
That Cody McBride was a real problem. Not only was he in the way with Carilyn, but he was working to catch the arsonist…and what if he was close?
Nathan needed to take care of McBride before he got too close. Nathan had made sure the first arson investigator had been injured severely enough that he’d been forced off the job. Nathan would have to more than hurt McBride to get him out of the way.
He could arrange for McBride to die. That would fix everything.
Nathan’s stomach felt queasy as he thought about Janice’s body. His first kill.
Killing Janice had been easier than he’d thought. Would McBride be just as easy? All Nathan had to do was make sure McBride was in the right place at the right time—meaning right for Nathan, wrong for McBride.
He thought about se
nding another email to Carilyn. He could send something that would really unnerve her. But should he hold back, lulling her into a false sense of security? As much as he wanted to torch them all, biding his time might be the best thing he could do for now.
With an angry brush of his hand, he pushed his hair out of his eyes and stood so fast that he knocked his chair over. It hit the floor with a hard thump. He held still for a moment, hoping that old hag, Mrs. Richter, hadn’t heard. He couldn’t afford drawing attention to himself and she took every opportunity to stick her long nose into his business.
Maybe he should kill the witch. He gave a smirk at the thought of lighting that bag of bones on fire. If it weren’t for the fact that it would mean losing his own home, he’d burn up her place too. Of course he also couldn’t afford to kill her because the police would likely be banging on his door while searching for the hag if she turned up missing.
It surprised him how easily he was thinking about killing now. It was a line he hadn’t known he could ever cross… But now that he had, it would be easier to do it again.
Nathan’s cell phone rang, jolting him out of his thoughts. He pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the screen. Of course it was his mother. No one else called him.
“Hi, Ma.” He tried to inject a little enthusiasm in his voice, but it wasn’t easy. With her health failing, it tore at him every time he talked with her. Even after all she’d done, he still loved her. “How are you doing?”
“Not so good.” Aggie sounded sour. “Why haven’t you come to see me?”
“I will, Ma,” he said. “Soon, I promise.”
Her tone was sharp. “You haven’t bothered to come here for a while. You don’t give a damn about me.”
“I love you, Ma,” he hurried to say. “It’s only been two weeks.”
“Only two weeks?” The shrillness of her response made him wince.
“I’m sorry.” He knew better than to make excuses and he knew better than to stay away so long. He just hated to see her looking so sickly and he hated visiting the rest home with all the sick old people in it. “I’ll be there this weekend. I promise.”
“What did I do to deserve a boy who doesn’t care about his own mother?” She grew even shriller.
A sick feeling settled in his belly. “I love you, Ma,” he said again. “I’ll see you Saturday.”
“I don’t feel so well.” Now she sounded pathetic, as if the energy she’d expended yelling at him had weakened her. “I need to lie down.”
“I’ll see you in a few days,” he said before she hung up.
Heart heavy, Nathan headed to the table where his scrapbook was open with his latest find front and center, and he pushed away thoughts of his mother.
It had been a risk, but he’d gone back to Leigh’s house to get the picture of Carilyn with Leigh and some other slut. He’d grabbed it on his first trip there but had set it down and forgot to take it with him until he was already home, but he hadn’t dared to go back right away. He ran his finger along the edge of the picture as he wondered if Carilyn had noticed the photo was missing when she went back.
He glanced at a TV monitor next to his computer. He had mounted a camera across the street from Leigh’s house, on a neighbor’s home, aimed at Leigh’s front door. Carilyn had finally shown up again today…unfortunately it had been with McBride.
He’d thought of booby-trapping the house to go up in flames if anyone came back, but that wasn’t personal enough. No, he planned on having some one-on-one time with Carilyn.
Perverse pleasure had him flipping through the pages of his scrapbook again. He found the page with the picture of Janice just moments before he had fried her. He liked seeing her tied up, fear in her eyes while he set the Barbie beside her. At that moment he hadn’t intended on killing her, but it had happened and he couldn’t say he was sorry.
It was almost a shame no one would ever see the scrapbook. It was filled with so much detail that he felt a lump of pride in his throat every time he looked at it. Each step he’d taken was well-documented. He loved looking over the details of his triumphs and reliving every precious moment.
With each page he flipped through, his smile broadened. The beauty of the fires he had set was enough to bring tears to his eyes. In each photo, he could almost see the lovely orange and blue flames dancing, hear the crackle and hiss as the fire burned, feel the caressing heat, and smell the acrid odor of the smoke. Beautiful.
He reached Carilyn’s section. In the photos, her hair looked like flame against her pale skin. In one image she was watching her car as it burned. The look of shock on her face made her somehow even more beautiful to him.
In contrast, the photo with her, Leigh, and the other woman showed a happy Carilyn with laughter in her eyes. What had she been thinking when that picture had been taken? About some dick boyfriend?
He scowled. He couldn’t wait to teach her a lesson when he had her all to himself.
When he got to watch her burn.
***
Chapter 17
“I had no idea that Arizona has a wine country,” Carilyn said to Cody as he helped her into the wine tour company’s black Excursion SUV limousine in front of the Hummingbird. She had never been in an SUV limo before, and she was amazed at how large an interior it had and how luxurious the butter-soft leather seating was.
“There are vineyards and wineries across the state.” Cody settled into the seat next to her as the limo driver closed the door behind him. “I thought you might enjoy a tour of our wine country.”
“I’m sure I will.” She smiled as she opened the brochure the driver had given her. “This says, ‘according to the Wall Street Journal, the Verde Valley is an emerging hotspot vying for Napa-like status.’”
“It’s been some time since I’ve been on one of these tours.” Cody glanced out of the window as the limo started to move. “The last time I went was a few years ago with a good-sized group.”
“This is my first time on any wine tour,” Carilyn said. “Do we have this huge limo all to ourselves?”
“I know the owner.” He shifted in his seat and grinned. “Let’s just say she gave me a great deal.”
It was the day after Cody had worked another forty-eight hour shift. They had just eaten an early brunch at the Hummingbird in anticipation of a day touring the wine country.
Cody put his arm around her shoulders and she snuggled next to him before tipping her face up to look at him. He kissed her, soft and sweet and when he drew back he smiled.
Ever since the night they’d spent together in each other’s arms, their relationship had changed. At first Carilyn had been concerned about starting a relationship with Cody, after all, she lived so far away. Now, she still was concerned, but she’d decided to enjoy their time together and not worry about a little something like distance.
A part of her felt that wasn’t fair to either one of them, but she couldn’t get herself to put a halt to it. She was attracted to him far too much.
While she relaxed against Cody, she watched as the scenery sped by. It wasn’t long before they reached Old Town Cottonwood and the first winery. It was a quaint town and the winery was exclusive with a tasting room that was furnished in rich woods and soft leather.
Carilyn was glad she’d worn something tasteful yet casual, and she felt comfortable around other guests at the winery. As much as she’d traveled, she’d never become a fine wine connoisseur.
Cody taught her to swirl her wine in the glass to aerate the wine’s myriad aromas and to inhale deeply before taking a sip. She then swirled the wine in her mouth to pick up different flavor and texture combinations.
She learned to select the lighter wines first, before heavier and bolder wines, saving sweet wines for last. She admitted to Cody that her favorite wines were the sweeter ones. Wine tasting etiquette allowed for either swallowing the wine after tasting or spitting it into a spittoon. If she drank too much while tasting the wines, she would end up without a clear hea
d, so she tended to swallow only her favorites of those she tasted.
In between each wine she sampled different kinds of cheeses and crackers, two of her favorite kinds of food.
After visiting the first two wineries, it was time for lunch. They were provided a picnic lunch to enjoy on a deck overlooking Oak Creek. The artisan sandwiches were delicious and she enjoyed the cool air and the smell of the trees, along with Cody’s great company.
When they were finished with lunch, the limo driver took them to Page Springs where they stopped at two more wineries. While they traveled between wineries, they talked about their day-to-day lives before they had met. Because she worked out of her home, her days could be lonely, so she did what she could to get out of the house. Still, she didn’t really get out enough. Cody’s quiet time tended to be when he was on the ranch, away from town and the fire department.
That evening, the limo rolled into Prescott, taking them back to the Hummingbird. It had been an amazing day and Carilyn hadn’t felt that happy in a long time. She’d enjoyed every moment she’d spent with Cody during the day, and looked forward to being with him alone at his home when they returned.
After they stepped out of the limo, Cody turned to tip the driver. Carilyn stood on the sidewalk, a breeze stirring the loose tendrils of her hair around her face. She absently brushed strands out of her eyes but went still when a prickle traveled down her spine.
Someone was watching her.
She whirled and looked behind her. No one anywhere in sight. Feeling unnerved, she searched her surroundings with her gaze but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Two women walked out of an antique shop, chatting animatedly while someone turned the “Open” sign to “Closed” behind them.
In the distance she noticed a man striding down the street, his back to her. She hadn’t seen him until this moment, but something about him seemed familiar, like she’d seen him someplace before. She knew very few people in Prescott, including some of Cody’s relatives and the firefighters she’d met when her car burned up and at the fire station.
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