Her Last Word
Page 69
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“Do they hurt?” she asked.
“No. Not anymore.”
She felt a pulse of emotion as she leaned forward and kissed the scars. For a moment he didn’t move. Then he ran his fingers through her hair, fisting a handful.
She wanted him. Never before had she wanted anyone like this.
He reached for the hem of her shirt. In a smooth, swift move he tugged it over her head, leaving her naked from the waist up. He looked down at the bandage on her side and skimmed his fingertips over it.
“I barely notice it anymore,” she said.
A smile tipped the edges of his lips as he reached for the snap on her jeans. With the flick of a finger, the snap came loose. He slid the zipper down slowly. “I’ve been wanting to do this since the first night I saw you.”
He slid the pants down over her slim hips until they fell to the floor. Cool air brushed her legs. She stood before him in white cotton panties. He smoothed his hand over her flat belly. Heat smoldered in his gaze. He took her by the hand and led her to the bed.
When she sat and stared up at him, he unzipped his own pants and pushed them to the floor. His erection pulsed, and the look in his gaze sent a tremor of excitement through her body. He turned and reached for his pants. He fished a condom from his wallet.
He tossed the condom on the bed, and she crawled backward until she was settled in the middle. He straddled her and pressed the tip of his erection against the cotton panties, rubbing against her. She grew wet. Slick. And she ached for him to be inside her. He pressed his hand to her center, smiling when he felt her moistness.
He reached for the condom, tore off the package, and slid it over his shaft. Then he reached for the waistband of her panties, and as she raised her hips, he slid them down her legs.
“So nice,” he whispered.
“You’re so hot,” she said.
His gaze darkened, and he spread her legs with his hands. He pushed his finger between the folds and inside her, moving in and out and making her so wet and horny she could barely think. Her blood raced, and her heart slammed against her ribs. She could feel the tempo building inside her, but ached to release.
He sensed her desire and pulled out his finger. “Not yet.”
She reached for his erection and slid her fingers around it. Slowly she moved her hands up and down the shaft as he pressed it into her hand. He leaned down for a kiss and cupped the back of her head, bringing her face up to his.
When he broke away, they were both breathless. She pulled her fingers down over his scarred back. He didn’t flinch this time.
She opened her legs, and he pressed the tip of his erection into her folds. He pushed in a fraction and pulled back. He pressed in again, pulled back. The exquisite torture made her dizzy with wanting. His hands slid down her belly to her engorged flesh and touched the sensitive spot that cried out for release.
He captured her hand in his, kissed the slick fingertips, and then roughly pushed inside her. She arched back, accepting all of him. A moan escaped her lips as he moved back and forth inside her and suckled her fingers. He released her hand and moved back and forth. She matched his rhythm, lifting her hips to all of his thrusts.
The tension built inside her, and she could feel he was coming. She cupped her breast and moaned. A muscle in his neck flexed like a tight cord, and his thrusts came faster with greater urgency.
When the wave washed toward her, she embraced it and gave herself over to the sensations that tore through her body. He groaned, and with one last thrust, his body tensed. For one blinding moment the two were bound by the most overwhelming sensation.
He collapsed on top of her and dropped his face in the crook of her neck. Her heart hammered, her muscles reduced to jelly. Finally she opened her eyes and focused on the ceiling.
“What was that?” she breathed.
He rolled off her, and they lay side by side, their naked bodies still touching. “I thought it was fairly obvious.”
That coaxed a smile. “My way of saying it was nice.”
“Nice?”
“Great.”
She couldn’t bring herself to believe it wasn’t anything more than great sex. She’d felt a connection. And it was that link that worried her. She didn’t want to have feelings for a guy, knowing whatever they shared was likely fleeting.
“I can hear your wheels turning,” he said, his eyes still closed.
“It’s what I do. I think.”
“You didn’t seem to be thinking a minute ago.”
“No, I certainly wasn’t.”
He rose up on his elbow and rested his head on his hand. He traced his other hand over her bandage and over her breast. This time he touched her with a familiarity that was as gentle as it was unnerving. “I might need a few minutes, but I’m always ready not to think again.”
“That sounds very appealing.”
His phone buzzed. He rose and fished it from his coat pocket. He glanced at the display and shoved out a sigh. “I need to take this.”
“Of course.”
He grabbed her arm and kissed her. “We’re going to do this again.”
She kissed him on the lips. She didn’t make promises.
INTERVIEW FILE #27
THE OTHER LOST GIRL
Her name was Maria Thomas, the oldest daughter of an immigrant family who lived fifty miles north of Charlottesville. There’d been no money in Maria’s family for college, so she took a job near the university working at an all-night convenience store, hoping one day she would attend the school.
Her parents reported her missing immediately, but police were hesitant to get involved because Maria liked to stay out late with her friends and often missed her curfew. By the next evening when cops started asking questions, Maria was already seventy miles east, dead and buried in a shallow grave near Richmond. It would take DNA to identify her remains.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Saturday, March 24, 2018; 4:00 p.m.
Kaitlin didn’t want Adler to leave, but as she stood with him at her front door, she understood he had to see this investigation through. He pulled her toward him and kissed her.
“Be careful,” he said.
“Always.”
He shook his head. “I mean it, Kaitlin. Whoever stabbed you is still out there, and he’s made it clear he’s coming back for you.”
“I won’t take any unnecessary risks.”
“Take absolutely no risks until I can catch this guy.”
She shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”
“If you see anyone who looks suspicious, call me.”
“I will.”
“See you later for our date with Marcus.”
“Yes.” She rode the elevator down with him and walked him to the front door. He glanced back, a smile flickered, but the investigation’s weight was already pulling him away. She tossed him a final wave and disappeared back into the building. Up the elevator, she pushed through the front door of her apartment. While a strong cup of coffee brewed, she checked the time for Jennifer’s memorial service.
The viewing was from three to five. If she hurried, she could make the tail end of it. Ashley would be there and wouldn’t be happy to see Kaitlin, but she had to pay her respects.
She slid her phone on the charger as she showered and then changed the bandage on her side. She found a slim black dress in her closet and slid it on. She’d lost weight since the stabbing, and the dress hung loosely around her midsection. She dug in the bottom of her closet for her lone pair of heeled ankle boots. She slid on her leather jacket and quickly dabbed on rouge, mascara, and lipstick.
“No. Not anymore.”
She felt a pulse of emotion as she leaned forward and kissed the scars. For a moment he didn’t move. Then he ran his fingers through her hair, fisting a handful.
She wanted him. Never before had she wanted anyone like this.
He reached for the hem of her shirt. In a smooth, swift move he tugged it over her head, leaving her naked from the waist up. He looked down at the bandage on her side and skimmed his fingertips over it.
“I barely notice it anymore,” she said.
A smile tipped the edges of his lips as he reached for the snap on her jeans. With the flick of a finger, the snap came loose. He slid the zipper down slowly. “I’ve been wanting to do this since the first night I saw you.”
He slid the pants down over her slim hips until they fell to the floor. Cool air brushed her legs. She stood before him in white cotton panties. He smoothed his hand over her flat belly. Heat smoldered in his gaze. He took her by the hand and led her to the bed.
When she sat and stared up at him, he unzipped his own pants and pushed them to the floor. His erection pulsed, and the look in his gaze sent a tremor of excitement through her body. He turned and reached for his pants. He fished a condom from his wallet.
He tossed the condom on the bed, and she crawled backward until she was settled in the middle. He straddled her and pressed the tip of his erection against the cotton panties, rubbing against her. She grew wet. Slick. And she ached for him to be inside her. He pressed his hand to her center, smiling when he felt her moistness.
He reached for the condom, tore off the package, and slid it over his shaft. Then he reached for the waistband of her panties, and as she raised her hips, he slid them down her legs.
“So nice,” he whispered.
“You’re so hot,” she said.
His gaze darkened, and he spread her legs with his hands. He pushed his finger between the folds and inside her, moving in and out and making her so wet and horny she could barely think. Her blood raced, and her heart slammed against her ribs. She could feel the tempo building inside her, but ached to release.
He sensed her desire and pulled out his finger. “Not yet.”
She reached for his erection and slid her fingers around it. Slowly she moved her hands up and down the shaft as he pressed it into her hand. He leaned down for a kiss and cupped the back of her head, bringing her face up to his.
When he broke away, they were both breathless. She pulled her fingers down over his scarred back. He didn’t flinch this time.
She opened her legs, and he pressed the tip of his erection into her folds. He pushed in a fraction and pulled back. He pressed in again, pulled back. The exquisite torture made her dizzy with wanting. His hands slid down her belly to her engorged flesh and touched the sensitive spot that cried out for release.
He captured her hand in his, kissed the slick fingertips, and then roughly pushed inside her. She arched back, accepting all of him. A moan escaped her lips as he moved back and forth inside her and suckled her fingers. He released her hand and moved back and forth. She matched his rhythm, lifting her hips to all of his thrusts.
The tension built inside her, and she could feel he was coming. She cupped her breast and moaned. A muscle in his neck flexed like a tight cord, and his thrusts came faster with greater urgency.
When the wave washed toward her, she embraced it and gave herself over to the sensations that tore through her body. He groaned, and with one last thrust, his body tensed. For one blinding moment the two were bound by the most overwhelming sensation.
He collapsed on top of her and dropped his face in the crook of her neck. Her heart hammered, her muscles reduced to jelly. Finally she opened her eyes and focused on the ceiling.
“What was that?” she breathed.
He rolled off her, and they lay side by side, their naked bodies still touching. “I thought it was fairly obvious.”
That coaxed a smile. “My way of saying it was nice.”
“Nice?”
“Great.”
She couldn’t bring herself to believe it wasn’t anything more than great sex. She’d felt a connection. And it was that link that worried her. She didn’t want to have feelings for a guy, knowing whatever they shared was likely fleeting.
“I can hear your wheels turning,” he said, his eyes still closed.
“It’s what I do. I think.”
“You didn’t seem to be thinking a minute ago.”
“No, I certainly wasn’t.”
He rose up on his elbow and rested his head on his hand. He traced his other hand over her bandage and over her breast. This time he touched her with a familiarity that was as gentle as it was unnerving. “I might need a few minutes, but I’m always ready not to think again.”
“That sounds very appealing.”
His phone buzzed. He rose and fished it from his coat pocket. He glanced at the display and shoved out a sigh. “I need to take this.”
“Of course.”
He grabbed her arm and kissed her. “We’re going to do this again.”
She kissed him on the lips. She didn’t make promises.
INTERVIEW FILE #27
THE OTHER LOST GIRL
Her name was Maria Thomas, the oldest daughter of an immigrant family who lived fifty miles north of Charlottesville. There’d been no money in Maria’s family for college, so she took a job near the university working at an all-night convenience store, hoping one day she would attend the school.
Her parents reported her missing immediately, but police were hesitant to get involved because Maria liked to stay out late with her friends and often missed her curfew. By the next evening when cops started asking questions, Maria was already seventy miles east, dead and buried in a shallow grave near Richmond. It would take DNA to identify her remains.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Saturday, March 24, 2018; 4:00 p.m.
Kaitlin didn’t want Adler to leave, but as she stood with him at her front door, she understood he had to see this investigation through. He pulled her toward him and kissed her.
“Be careful,” he said.
“Always.”
He shook his head. “I mean it, Kaitlin. Whoever stabbed you is still out there, and he’s made it clear he’s coming back for you.”
“I won’t take any unnecessary risks.”
“Take absolutely no risks until I can catch this guy.”
She shrugged. “I’ll be fine.”
“If you see anyone who looks suspicious, call me.”
“I will.”
“See you later for our date with Marcus.”
“Yes.” She rode the elevator down with him and walked him to the front door. He glanced back, a smile flickered, but the investigation’s weight was already pulling him away. She tossed him a final wave and disappeared back into the building. Up the elevator, she pushed through the front door of her apartment. While a strong cup of coffee brewed, she checked the time for Jennifer’s memorial service.
The viewing was from three to five. If she hurried, she could make the tail end of it. Ashley would be there and wouldn’t be happy to see Kaitlin, but she had to pay her respects.
She slid her phone on the charger as she showered and then changed the bandage on her side. She found a slim black dress in her closet and slid it on. She’d lost weight since the stabbing, and the dress hung loosely around her midsection. She dug in the bottom of her closet for her lone pair of heeled ankle boots. She slid on her leather jacket and quickly dabbed on rouge, mascara, and lipstick.
