You think he’d at least have told her. Disappointment bubbled around her for two seconds, before reality smacked into her. Now was her chance. If she left immediately, she’d have plenty of time to put some distance between her and Reid, even if he were gone only a short while.
Finally, she could escape.
Excited, she raced around the room, and tried to decide exactly what to do. Her arms flung up and down as she jumped around, her mind anxious for a complete plan.
The handcuffs. She should take them in case he did catch up with her. Reid wouldn’t expect her to have them, so it would be easy to snap them around his wrists. That would prevent him from stopping her.
If he didn’t find her, at least she’d always have something to remember these past two days. A spicy reminder of something so sweet, so perfect, yet impossible.
She plunged into the bathroom and snatched them up from where she left them on the floor in her pile of dirty clothes.
Her only defense stuffed in her oversized pocket, Kirsten fled the room. In the kitchen, she searched the cabinets and refrigerator, swinging open doors like a madwoman in search of necessities to take along.
Nothing. How could Reid have no food? The only thing edible was a ton of microwave meals. They wouldn’t do her any good.
She grabbed a water bottle and filled it, then slipped on her shoes and dashed out the back door.
“Snowball! Snowball, come here boy!” The sound of her call sliced through the air but went unanswered. “Snowball!”
Nothing.
Just to be sure, she gave the yard another once over. Chickens pecked at the ground out front, bluebirds tweeted and flew through the air. Calm surrounded her, even in the air, in its serene smell. A hauntingly tranquil breeze tickled at her skin, and goose bumps rose on her flesh.
Never had she called Snowball and he not answered. Where could he be?
Oh, God. She whirled around, a rush of sudden panic flooding her body. Oh, God. Could Kurt be here already? What if he had Snowball?
“Snowball, this isn’t funny. Snowball, come.” Frantic, she raced to the barn, her heart pounding. Fear tightened her throat, and constricted it with sick bile. Kurt could be anywhere.
He could pounce on her any time. From behind any bush, any wall, any door. If she went into the fields to run, he could follow her.
No one would even find her body.
She was on her own. No one could protect her but herself, and she needed a better weapon. The handcuffs weren’t any kind of match against a large man. Not one like Kurt.
She required something sharp and deadly, something like a pitchfork. Then she would find Snowball, if he were even still alive. Oh, how she prayed for that.
“Snowball.” Continuing to call for him, she kept her eyes all over the yard as she made her way to the large red barn. “Snowball.”
With a fling, she swung open the door.
9
The creak cracked through the air as the door swung open, followed by dead silence. Kirsten crept inside, then immediately whirled around to check behind the opened entrance.
Frantic, she fought to keep her breath steady as her eyes chased across the wide span of the barn. They landed on several stacks of hay at the back of the barn, hidden under the shadows of the loft above. There, nestled in the crisp yellow straw, Snowball lay curled beside a fluffy Border collie.
Sissy.
The collie rested her head against Snowball’s chest, cuddled up so close to him it seemed as if Snowball’s fluffy white coat was one with her brown and tan fur.
Relieved, Kirsten forgot everything but her gratitude in finding him and cried out, “Snowball!”
She knelt, patted her thighs and beckoned to him to come. For a moment Snowball just eyed her with his cool gaze, their ice blue depths twinkling with certain warmth. The ornery pup inched forward on his paws just a bit before he snapped up and bounded into her arms full force. She squeezed him tight as he planted sloppy licks all over her face.
“You bad dog. Bad. Bad. Bad.” Her tone contrasted with her stern words, affection overriding her reprimand.
Snowball’s nose nuzzled under her chin and she rested her forehead against his. She gazed hard into his sapphire stare. One could almost swim in his eyes. Never had she known anything more perfectly blue. They were so incredibly beautiful.
To think she’d feared she might never look into them again.
“You scared me to death, Snowball.” She ruffled his thick coat in her hands. “What would I do without you, huh? Don’t you know you’re my best friend? Why didn’t you come?”
But Snowball didn’t have to answer that question, Sissy did. Guarded, she approached Kirsten, rubbed against her side once, and then sat dutifully by Snowball’s side.
“You’re kidding!” A laugh escaped Kirsten, despite the worry still pulsing in her heart. “You’ve found yourself a lover haven’t you, baby?” Amused, she pulled them both into a light embrace. “Well, I do hope you’re using protection.”
Snowball yapped, and she cracked up. For a few minutes all three of them rolled through the hay together and played. Both dogs covered her with kisses as she ruffled their fur and wrestled with them.
Then reality sank back in. What was she doing? If she didn’t get out of here soon, Reid would get back and it’d be too late. “Come on, Snowball. We’ve got to go.”
Head in his paws, Snowball whined. The other pup followed his lead.
“No. We have to go. Come.” She stood and began to walk from the barn, but Snowball didn’t budge. “Snowball.”
Still he didn’t move.
“Snowball?” Impatience slashed out from her cry. When he still didn’t come, she nearly lost it. “Snowball, Kurt is coming for us. We have to go. We have to. Now come on. Right now.”
A cold feeling sank into her. Snowball didn’t want to come, and she couldn’t blame him. He had a beautiful ranch with endless room to run and play here, instead of a top floor condo overlooking unrelenting concrete sidewalks filled with noisy bustle. Grass to roll around in, not hard cement. Fresh air. Not thick smog smelling of chemicals and too many people.
Moreover, he had a true friend. A lover. A real home.
Deep down, she wanted to stay as much as Snowball. Yeah, she could go home to Alabama and still have the yard and clean atmosphere. But there were things here she could never find anywhere else.
Reid.
But she couldn’t stay. Her life depended upon it.
Tears brimming in her eyes, she raced from the barn, not even bothering to grab her water bottle back up. As fast as she could, Kirsten took to the fields, and ran through the grasses, past the cattle, over the manure. On and on she raced, until a pain in her side ceased her rapid pace. Only then did she slow to a brisk walk, her attention focused entirely on the opposite direction to the little town of Paradise.
Not once did she let herself look back. But she thought about it at least a million times.
As soon as Reid swung open the door to his Blazer it hit him. A sixth sense struck him, freezing his heart and tightening his chest. He gulped back pangs of worry fluttering up from his stomach and prayed he was mistaken.
Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
He left the groceries in the back seat and raced into the house. But all along, the answer rang clear in his mind. Kirsten wouldn’t be there. She’d taken off.
Still, he checked the bedroom, and then all the other rooms in the house. Each and every one echoed with their emptiness.
Suspicion confirmed, he dashed to the barn as anxiety bubbled over in him. Damn it. What had he been thinking? He should have never left her alone. Kirsten couldn’t be trusted.
Kirsten had made a foolish decision running off in the fields. A city slicker like her didn’t belong out there. There were snakes, holes to step in. No food, no fresh water. Damn it, she could get hurt out there.
Exactly why he’d warned her against it. Figures she wouldn’t listen.
His feet pounded the ground like hurled rocks, his walk that of a soldier on a mission. Anger raged into his blood as he thought of her possibly hurt. Damn it. Why couldn’t she have heeded his warnings just once? The hellcat needed nothing but a good lesson taught to her—a swift, sound spanking to knock a little common sense into her stubborn butt.
Sissy and Snowball greeted him at the barn door, the howls and yaps frantic. Snowball bounced back and forth under his feet and grabbed at his jeans legs as if desperate for his attention.
“Stop it.” Eyes narrowed, annoyance pulsing through him, Reid fought the urge to kick them away. Violence was never the answer. But damn it, he needed a break from all this nonsense. The darned mutts just wouldn’t let up their constant pestering. “Would you—Snowball!”
One dog took a nip from his leg, and he winced in pain. “Owww.”
Damn, what could be up with them? Never had Sissy acted like this, and Snowball had seemed like a real nice pup.
Whatever their problem, he certainly didn’t time have to fool with them. He had to find Kirsten.
Or…
Could it be? Were they trying to tell him something? No way. Real dogs didn’t do that, did they?
It sure seemed that way.
What the hell, why not give it a shot? It could take him a long time to find Kirsten with so much room for her to run and hide. Maybe they were smart enough to lead him to her. At any rate, it couldn’t hurt to try.
With determined strides, he broke free of their pestering, and went into the barn. Still they followed him with barks and yowls.
Fast as he could, he threw a saddle over his black stallion, Raven, and mounted. Using the mane as a bridle, he guided his horse from the corral. “Okay, guys. Show me the way.”
Both dogs took off into the fields, and he followed at a light gallop. The canter increased as the dogs ran as fast as their little legs could take them, erasing any doubt that they knew exactly where Kirsten was.
The distance they covered amazed Reid. He would have never guessed she’d have gotten that far, but then he remembered the way her long legs had darted from his grasp the day before. No doubt, Kirsten was accustomed to running regularly. No wonder her body was in such great shape.
Finally he spotted her on the horizon. Her figure glowed under the bright sun rays. He kicked the horse into a sprint and left the dogs behind.
In no time, he caught up with her, but he didn’t stop. Instead he swept down upon her, leaning low over Raven’s side.
With his grip locked under her arms, he snatched her up as he rode, and tossed her over, belly down, in front of him. Not a single word emitted from her, and he could only guess she was too stunned. Bent over the horse, her tight little rear strained against the cotton of his jogging pants.
So round. Perfect.
Tempted, he reached out and ran his hand across the sweet cheeks. With a squeeze, he slowly slid his finger down along the groove in the fabric, and the silent Kirsten came to life. With a screech she fought against him, hurling herself every which way.
“Stop, you bastard, let me go.” Sharp teeth gnashed into his thigh, and cut into him, even through his jeans.
Blinded by pain, he raised his hand and delivered a sharp, well-deserved swat to her bottom. Then two. Then three. He didn’t hit her so hard that he’d actually hurt her, but only enough to give her plenty of warning. Still, she continued to bite him. Well, he’d been chewed on enough for one afternoon.
Thigh burning, he reined Raven to a halt. Desperate to be free of her infliction, he tugged to dislodge her teeth off him. With a tight squeeze, he gripped her head and yanked it back, finally pulling her teeth free.
Mouth now empty, she began to screech again. “Let me go!”
Release her? Never. Her body remained tight, unyielding in his grasp. He pulled her up farther in his knees, and held her down tight with one arm.
His little hellcat was about to learn a lesson.
Kirsten gritted her teeth as her body clenched. Not in fear, not in pain, but in want. Already her intimate places had begun to ready themselves, her aching nether lips starting to drip as her nipples hardened.
She struggled against him, determined not to let him have his way with her. From the way he’d pulled her closer, up over his knees and held her down so tight, there wasn’t any doubt he intended to continue his spanking. Her bottom already stung from his attentions, but even worse, her pride smarted. Dear God, she actually wanted more.
The strangest of feelings bubbled in the pit of her stomach, a strange concoction of discomfort, fear, and anticipation. Another slap bit into her bum, and she gritted her teeth. A maddening wash of heat overcame her and lit her body with desire.
No one had ever spanked her before. And she liked it so much she couldn’t stand it. But her words contradicted her urges. “Stop it, right now. Let me go, you insufferable pig.”
Useless against his strength, she twisted and fought anyway. The more she thrashed about, the harder her captor held her down. His punishment refused to cease, and her body refused to deny him. Slowly, her protests ceased as his deliberate strikes patted and teased her body. His palms kneaded and gripped the muscles of her rear in between slaps. Sometimes his fingers enticingly began to explore before he would yank back to bite into her with more chastisement.
She could not resist the white-hot desire boiling in her. Her body overtook her mind, and insisted on raging her with dirty needs. Wicked thoughts.
The position she lay in, folded over his knees, so deliciously close to his cock that she could feel it rubbing against her belly, nearly drove her mad. How she wanted to reach for his thick, hard rod and swallow him. To push forward the lovemaking she was all but nearly dying for. To feel him inside of her, right now. To have him take her from behind like an animal and continue his lesson.
Wild. Uninhibited. Naughty. But not the least bit nice.
Caught up in her thoughts, she hardly realized that his spanking had ceased. For a moment everything ceased, even her breath, as she waited for his hand to come down once again.
But instead of a biting slap, his hand slipped under her jogging pants and roamed the curve of her buttocks, once again slipping between her cheeks. He prodded, explored, and then grasped her throbbing bum into a tight grasp.
“Have you learned your lesson yet, hellcat?” The growl to his words wasn’t a threat, but a naughty promise.
“Never,” Kirsten hissed. Although she had no doubt her refusal would bring more punishment, she would not let him win like that.
Deep down, a large piece of her wanted his stiff penalty, hard and deep inside of her. Now.
“Fine, have it your way.” Fast as lightning, Reid dropped down off the horse and grabbed her all in one movement. As he held her tight, he smacked the horse’s rear and sent the black stallion trotting off.
Reid crushed her mouth with his, his bruising kiss not the least bit sweet or endearing. His lips set her on fire, as his tongue fought against hers. With stealthy movements Reid disposed of her shirt, then her bra. His mouth came down upon her breasts, suckled at their hardened nipples, and then bit at them lightly with his teeth. The nips didn’t hurt, but shocked though her with heightened intensity. A deep, throaty moan escaped her. She started to push down her jogging pants, but was stopped by his large hands.
“Reid…” she panted.
“No.” Unrelenting in his control over her, Reid’s hands yanked away hers, and swatted her rear once again. His tongue roamed over her stomach, and dove into her belly button. He suckled on it, flicking his tongue in and out. “Today I want to explore every inch of you. Don’t you dare move.”
Did he really expect her to obey him? No way. Kirsten wanted what she wanted. She started to struggle out of her pants again, and he caught her. “Now you’ve done it.”
With a tight grasp, he swept her off her feet and laid her down on her in front of him. He pinned her arms up above her head with one hand and continued to suckle on
her breasts, his grip on her wrists unrelenting.
Hips arched forward, Kirsten tried to steel herself against the waves of burning heat. Finally he released her and tore down her jogging pants. Impatient, Kirsten waited for him to take her, her pelvis vaulted toward him.
In a light caress his callused hands brushed over her fanny, and tingles coursed her spine. One of his thick fingers slipped into her slit, while the other pierced her anus. Shocked, Kirsten cried out at his invading touch. The slight pinch of pain only served to heighten the shocks electrifying her body, tensing it with want so badly that she hurt for him.
“Stop,” she moaned, but she didn’t really mean it.
“What’s the matter, Kirsten? Are you enjoying it? Is that the problem?”
“You bastard.” She squirmed as he massaged inside of her, overwrought with the intense shock of his raid on her body.
“I think you’re a bad girl, Kirsten. And I think you like being bad. But don’t you know, naughty gals must be disciplined.” His fingers flicked deeper inside both holes, and she pushed against him.
With his other hand, he spread her lips wide apart and took a long deep lick. His hard suction found her clit, and Kirsten shook as if an earthquake had hit her.
“No, Reid…”
“And I think this bad girl enjoys getting taught a lesson, don’t you?” Withdrawing his fingers, he delivered another whack to her bottom. “I want you on your knees.”
With a gulp, Kirsten choked on the idea of it. What would he do to her if she listened? If she didn’t?
This had gone quite far enough. Reid didn’t have the right…her body didn’t have the right…
But how could she escape him? If she jumped up, he’d catch her.
The handcuffs!
Another one of his threatening slaps hit her bottom, but his hands freed her body so that she could obey him. Instead she jumped from him, pulled up her pants and ran, barely escaping his grasp. Her hands dove into her pockets for the cuffs.
Within three seconds Reid had caught her, and when he did, she whirled in his arms and snapped a cuff around one hand. The other she had to struggle and fight against him for, but somehow, by a miracle above all miracles, she seized his wrist and snapped it shut.
The Cop Page 12