All the Pretty Girls Read online

  Sometime between when he’d started talking and when he’d asked my hand found its way between my legs, I ran my hand over the outside of my panties, unbelieving at the wetness I could feel.

  “Yes.”

  “Where?”

  “Outside of my panties,” I told him, completely unashamed.

  “Slide your hand inside your panties. Touch yourself.” I did as he asked, pushing the scrap of material to the side and touching my fingers to my wet flesh. “What do you feel?”

  “Wetness,” I told him. His answering groan spurred me on. “I’m drenched and hot. I wish you were here to touch me.”

  “Me too, Red. Soon. I can’t wait to taste you and fuck you with my fingers as I lick you from slit to clit. Push one finger inside, baby.”

  “Oh, God!” I did as he asked, and my inner muscles contracted. “Shit that feels good.”

  “I’m gonna touch myself Meadow. This is going to be quick. My dick has been hard and aching for you all night. I want you with me. Are you ready?”

  “Yeah, I’m ready.”

  I was so ready!

  “Fuck Meadow. My dick is so goddamn hard thinking about you touching yourself. Pull your finger out and rub your clit for me.”

  “Nick.”

  “That’s it, Red. Rub yourself. I want to hear you.”

  He was silent for a moment, and I concentrated on the feeling between my legs. I could hear him breathing, and the faint sound of movement.

  “What… what are you doing?”

  “Trying my hardest not to come as I stroke myself, imagining how sexy you’re gonna look when I lie you on my bed, spread your legs wide and eat you. My tongue. My fingers. I’m gonna lap up every bit of you. After you come…” He trailed off for a moment and groaned, causing the first spark of spasms deep inside me. “After you come, Meadow, I’m gonna settle myself between your legs and sink my dick so deep you’re gonna scream for me. You ready for that baby? For me to fuck you so hard and so long you scream.”

  “Yes,” I hissed and rubbed harder and moaned at the building sensation.

  “Meadow. I’m so close. Fuck, Red, I wish you were here to see how hard you make me.”

  “I’m really, really, almost there. Almost.” I wasn’t sure if my words were making sense or if I was even speaking English. The stir I’d felt had now turned into a roar, and I was barreling toward a cliff. “Almost.”

  “I’m gonna come, baby,” Nick warned. Holy shit that was hot. This big, strong, sexy man was touching himself while thinking about doing a whole bunch of naughty things to me and he was going to come just imagining doing them. Damn if that wasn’t enough to push me off the edge, him moaning my name as he came certainly did the trick.

  I was silent for a moment while the aftershocks of my orgasm faded, and embarrassment started to creep in. I couldn’t believe I’d masturbated with Nick – while on the phone. Shit. What now? Was I supposed to say thank you? Ask him if it was as good for him as it was for me?

  “I can hear your mind working, Red. Relax.”

  “How do you do that?”

  “I know you. You’re wondering what you’re supposed to do now. The answer is nothing. Lie there a minute and relax. Clear your mind of anything that comes close to embarrassment. You are so fucking sexy, baby, you got me off in five minutes. You know how many times that’s happened in my life?”

  I didn’t think I wanted to know the answer to that.

  “No.”

  “Once,” he told me.

  Damn, that stung. Sure, I knew he was no virgin. Anyone with a pair of eyes could take one look at Nick and know he was sex on a stick. And there was no doubt he knew his way around a woman’s body. But I didn’t want to hear about it.

  “Oh.”

  “When I was a teenager and first discovered the Victoria’s Secret catalog my Aunt Reagan had laying around the house,” he told me.

  “Ew.”

  “Nothing gross about learning about your body, baby. And I plan on knowing yours as well as I know my own. You okay?”

  His voice held so much concern; I couldn’t help the warm and fuzzy feeling that had taken root in my belly.

  “Yeah. I’m okay. Thank you.” Nick’s laughter made me smile before I quickly added. “For talking me out of being embarrassed. Not the orgasm, you jerk. Though I guess I should thank you for that, too. It was really good. Am I allowed to ask if it was good for you too? Or does that make me weird?”

  “Not weird. You can ask me anything, anytime. As for mine, there is a mess on my stomach that’s damn impressive, and if you made me come any harder, I might’ve lost consciousness.”

  “Thank you for dinner. I had a great time today.”

  “Me too. We’ll do it again before Gabe comes to gets Sally.”

  Over dinner, Nick told me Gabe was ready for Sally. It was so hard not to be sad that Sally was leaving. Gabe needed her, and she was such a great dog. I knew she’d work her magic and help the vet adjust to his new life without his hearing. Nick explained that he would start the process of getting another dog to foster in a month. He asked me to go with him to meet Alexandra and pick up the new foster pup she gave him. I loved that he was thinking about the future and including me in his plans.

  “I’d like that. Will we be able to see Sally again?” I asked.

  “Not for six months. She’ll need time to bond with Gabe and us being around her will lead to confusion. You’re gonna miss her, huh?”

  “Yeah. I don’t know how you can do it. Don’t get me wrong, I think what you do is amazing, but I’d never be able to let her go.”

  “It’s hard. Especially with Sally. I’ve had her longer than the rest because of Gabe’s surgeries and the extra training she needed. But there’s something else with her too, she’s… I don’t know how to explain it. She just feels different than the rest. It will be hard to see her go.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m being selfish thinking about how much I’ll miss her, and I’ve only known her a few weeks. You’ve had her a long time.”

  “You’re not selfish Red. Listen, you get some rest. I have to jump in the shower to clean up.”

  I couldn’t stop the laugh that exploded. I don’t know what struck me as funny, but suddenly thinking about Nick lying in his bed with a mess on his hard six-pack stomach while talking about something as normal as his dog had me in stitches.

  “Yeah. I guess you’d better. I’m going to sleep.”

  “Goodnight, Meadow. Thank you for trusting me.”

  “I do. I trust you completely.”

  “’night baby.”

  “’night Nick.”

  He clicked off, and I dropped my hand to the bed, still gripping my phone. Holy shit that just happened. My first ever phone sex. My first sexual experience with Nick. I was back to laughing when my phone vibrated in my hand.

  Damn, I was falling for him and fast. I pulled the text up, excited to see what Nick had to say and frowned when I saw it was from Veronica Venus.

  VV21: You alive?!

  Crap. I’d forgotten I told her I’d text her when I got home from my date.

  Me: Yeah. Sorry. Late night.

  VV21: So? How did it go? Spill.

  Me: I’m happy. Really, really, happy.

  VV21: I’m glad. I hope it lasts and you’re being careful.

  Hope it lasts? Geeze.

  Me: I’m careful. He’s an FBI Agent. I think I can trust him.

  VV21: If you’re happy, I’m happy for you.

  That was the Veronica Venus I was used to. Supportive and kind. The last few times we’d talked about Nick I was getting annoyed that her messages seemed to warn me off getting close to him. I knew she was over cautious and was trying to be protective, but her comments were borderline rude and had me thinking she was jealous I’d found a way to finally move past what had happened to me.

  Me: I am happy. Thank you for always being such a good friend. I’m beat! The alarm will be going off too soon. I’m off to bed.
Night.

  VV21: Sleep tight.

  Chapter 19

  A lot like love

  “It’s the nineteenth Mike.” I paced in the conference room.

  Still no closer to catching the Butcher. My skin was crawling with a dread I couldn’t understand. Something was off; my gut was screaming at me that something had changed. Something big and I was missing it.

  “There are cops swarming the city, undercovers in bars; the news has been broadcasting the murders for the last three months on almost constant replay. Citizens know to be careful. The police have been in contact bar and restaurant owners to inform their employees to be hyper-vigilant. We’re doing everything we can,” he reminded me.

  “Fuck. I know. I can’t help thinking she’ll change up her MO if she feels the heat. She’ll have to change something – I just can’t figure out what it is.”

  “Are you sure you’re not overthinking it now because of Meadow?”

  “Maybe you’re right. All day all I’ve thought about is Meadow in a dirty alley, her face cut to ribbons.”

  “That’s not going to happen. Meadow is safe. You need to keep your head straight, so we can catch her,” Mike told me.

  “I know.”

  My frustration was mounting. How the fuck had this woman evaded the police? Fourteen kills, one victim alive. I hated thinking about Meadow as victim number one, but that’s what she was. The one that got away. If she tried to come back… No! Meadow was safe.

  Of all nights, the nineteenth fell on a Thursday. The busiest night for a bar in the area, busier than Friday and Saturday. The weekday rush was thanks to the Thursday night special. Most bars ran two-for-one specials or had the very popular ladies’ night where women didn’t pay a cover charge.

  “Did you finish the list Kristy gave you?” Mike asked.

  “Yes. Nothing. The bars did use online services for storage, but each bar used a different host. And two bars didn’t use a cloud-based service. They stored their files on a hard drive in the manager’s office.”

  “Dead end,” he muttered. “Joel and Ben are still trying to get a warrant so the doctors will release their patient list. I get HIPAA and protecting privacy, but there is a serial killer out there, and her name must be on one of those lists. The red tape is damn frustrating.”

  “Sure as fuck is,” I answered.

  I pulled my phone out of my pocket, unable to stop myself any longer. I needed to know Meadow was safe.

  Me: How’s your day?

  Meadow: Is it illegal to tie up one’s co-worker and duct tape her to a chair? A gag might be involved too. Asking for a friend….

  I snorted a laugh; having no doubt that if I gave Meadow the go-ahead, she’d tape Beth to a chair. According to Meadow, Beth was on a tirade at work, and Beth didn’t much like that Meadow was no longer taking her shit. The more Meadow had stood up to Beth, the bitchier she became. Which was true for most bullies. Beth no longer had the upper hand, and it was driving her nuts.

  Me: Tape is not a good choice. Too easy to leave behind fingerprints. Even though, you’d look super sexy in orange, it would be a shame if I had to visit you behind glass. It would really put a damper on all the things I want to do to you.

  Meadow: No tape - check. Rope? And do tell SA Clark, what types of things would you like to do to me.

  Me: Filthy, naughty things. Things that would make your pretty cheeks pink.

  Meadow: *squirming in my seat* details?

  Me: Better idea. Dinner at my house tonight and I’ll show you.

  Meadow: Show or tell?

  Me: Show. Pack a bag. You’ll be in no shape to drive when I’m done. Not that I’d let you leave.

  There were several minutes of silence, and I hoped I made the right call. Since the first night we’d both gotten off over the phone, it’d happened two more times. The last call, she’d initiated the sex. It was off-the-charts hot. I was getting hard thinking about how bold Meadow had grown. She’d been vocal telling me exactly where and how she wanted me to touch her. She moaned into the phone, explaining in great detail how badly she wanted to touch me.

  I thought that was a good indication she was ready to move forward, but now after five minutes with no reply, I was questioning myself.

  Me: Meadow?

  Another ten minutes passed and nothing. I called, and I went straight to voicemail. Her phone was either off, or she’d done it on purpose. Fuck.

  It was the nineteenth. Meadow. Fuck. My gut twisted some more, and I dialed her office number.

  “Meadow Holiday,” she greeted out of breath.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah why?” she asked, trying to catch her breath.

  “You didn’t reply to my last two texts. I wanted to make sure you weren’t upset with me.”

  She was safe. If she was pissed, so be it. I could handle that.

  “Oh. Sorry. My phone died. I had to run to my car to get my charger. That’s why I’m out of breath. Before I could go, queen bitch face needed a file. Right now. Immediately. Urgent. Couldn’t wait.” I smiled at the way Meadow had said the last few words, sarcasm dripping in her tone. I could picture her rolling her eyes as she spoke. “Anyway. Dinner at your house sounds great and… the fun stuff too.”

  “Great. Meet me there at six?”

  “Yes. If you’re not visiting me behind bars tonight. She’s crazy!”

  “You can handle her. See you soon, baby.”

  I heard Beth barking orders in the background before Meadow sighed. “Tonight. Bye.”

  ***

  “Nick!” Meadow moaned and thrashed her head on the pillow.

  “Yeah, Red?” I chuckled, knowing what she was going to say; the same thing she’d been begging me to do the last twenty minutes.

  “I need you.”

  “I’m not done yet,” I repeated what I’d already told her. She was trying to move me along. Her hands were in my hair, and she was trying to push my head where she wanted. “Baby, the more you stop me, the longer it will take. I’ve waited forever to taste your pretty nipples and now that I have them in my mouth, I’m not done.”

  “You’re killing me,” she whined, taking one hand from my head and trying to push it between us.

  “No. No. Meadow. No touching yourself. When you come this time, it is all mine.”

  I bit her nipple, and she shook, calling out my name again. After a few more licks I moved my way down her stomach, not wasting any time as I trailed my tongue across her flat stomach, lower until I stopped just shy of where she needed me.

  “Is this where you want me?” I asked, spreading her with my fingers, exposing her soft, wet, pink flesh. Her legs fell further apart, giving me room to lower my mouth and give her one long lick, gathering her wetness, savoring the taste of her. “Fuck, Red, you taste so damn delicious.”

  “Uh-huh. Please.”

  “Hold on to my head. I’m gonna make you come.”

  Both her hands went to my head, my mouth latched on to her clit, and my fingers found her wet pussy. She was so primed and ready to orgasm it took mere minutes to make her detonate. She screamed her pleasure, and my chest swelled knowing it wasn’t my words but my actions that had brought her off.

  Before the tightening of her muscles stopped, I pulled my fingers free and pushed up, settling myself between her legs.

  “You sure you’re still okay with this?” I asked and held my dick at her opening.

  I’d had a physical and Meadow couldn’t have children, and it had been a long time since she’d had a partner. When I’d received a clean bill of health, we agreed there was no need to use condoms.

  “Yes,” she said, and lifted her hips, the tip of my dick sliding in a fraction of an inch.

  I had to close my eyes at the contact and count backward from ten. When I opened my eyes, Meadow was smiling at me, face still flushed from her orgasm. I settled in deeper and gave her my weight; resting my elbows by her head, I kissed her soft and slow as I gently gave her more of me
.

  “Relax,” I whispered against her lips when she tightened around my dick.

  “Is that it?” she grimaced.

  “No, baby. We’ll go nice and slow until you get used to me.”

  I pulled back and pushed forward only giving her the first few inches, slowly working her back up. When her body relaxed, and her hips started to move, I gave her more.

  “Now?” she panted.

  “No, Red. You’ll know. Trust me.”

  “Just do it.”

  I continued my careful thrusts, not giving her more than she was ready for.

  “We have all night.” Well, we didn’t have that long. She felt so fucking good my balls were tightening and I wasn’t even fully inside of her. She was hot and slick, and without the latex barrier, I could feel every rib and groove of her pussy. I’d never experienced sex without a condom; I was thankful Meadow was my first. “You feel so damn good, baby. Fuck you’re beautiful.”

  I lowered my face, unable to stop from kissing her. She allowed me to control the pace of both the kiss and our love making, letting me take the lead. Damn, but I liked that too. Her hands roamed my back pulling me closer to her, holding on to me like a lifeline. Once again, the swelling in my chest grew, only this time it wasn’t from pride, it felt a lot like love. My heart thundered in my chest as the realization dawned; I was crazy in love with Meadow Holiday. There was no more falling, the edge came and went, and I’d toppled over. The words were on my lips, but I held them back. The first time I told her, I wanted her to know I meant them, and they weren’t said in some hormonal frenzy.

  “I need more,” she begged.

  Thank God! She said the words I needed to hear, and on the next downward thrust, I pushed deep and fully seated myself.

  “Holy shit, Meadow.” It was my turn to pant when her pussy throbbed and pulsated around my dick, and I swore again.

  “Please.” She tilted her hips and wiggled.