Chapter 8
EIGHT
Reid
Even from afar, I can tell that Dove is getting angrier with each passing day. She’s been stomping around this mountain instead of her usual calm demeanor; even when she’s gone into town, she’s had looks that could kill.
I didn’t have the self-control to stop visiting her at night or watching her during the day when I could. Now that I’ve heard her sweet whimpers in person, I know there’s really no other possible ending than the two of us being together.
When she first sent me that half-naked photo, I went ballistic. I knew that my little bird was taunting me, and it worked. That’s why I couldn’t resist giving in just one time.
One time for me to feel her before I had planned to.
“Reid.”
I turn around to face my old friend, Jonas, walking down the desolate alleyway. Wearing his camel trench coat and matching brimmed hat, he’s leaning a little too far into this mystery figure role.
“Jonas.”
He steps in front of me and grins as he takes a puff of his cigarette.
“Those will kill you.”
“I’ve heard.”
I shake my head and step forward.
“Come here,” I say, giving him a hug. He reciprocates by patting me on the back.
“I was wondering when you were going to schedule this meeting.”
“What’s with the outfit?”
“First time I’ve stepped foot in Washington since this all happened, thought I would look the part.”
“Or draw attention to us.”
“No one here cares.”
“It’s good to have you here.”
“Happy to finally join in on the fun you’ve been having,” he taunts.
I shake my head as I lead the way to our destination.
We both walk in the opposite direction he came from. In the town of Lamb Creek, there’s a dive bar that I’ve grown accustomed to. A place where one might describe it as seedy, but I feel at home.
The neon red light flashes in our eyes as we walk through the dimly lit bar. “Welcome”—not the sentiment anyone would be feeling if they were to accidentally come into this place.
Jonas and I pull out two empty barstools, and the bartender immediately comes over to take our drink order. It’s early in the afternoon, which surprises me that this place isn’t filled with the local drunks.
Despite currently living in Dossberry, no one recognizes me here. Even if someone thought it was me, there’s no way they would assume the prestigious Mr. Reid Samuels would come in here willingly.
The bartender slides two whiskeys in front of us.
I take a meaningful sip of mine.
“Why now?” Jonas asks.
“Why now what?”
“Don’t mess with me. Why are you changing up the timeline?”
Jonas takes a sip of his whiskey.
“Things have changed.”
I weigh telling my lifelong best friend that the reason is because of a woman, and not just any woman, my future wife. One that he doesn’t actually know exists.
“You need to give me more than that if you’re looking to change our plans.”
“You’re acting as if accidents like this don’t happen all the time. People just get away with it.”
“As true as that might be, you and I decided on a plan when it happened. You were meant to stay until the first snowfall.”
“It’s almost here, anyway.”
Jonas takes off his hat and sets it on the bar next to his drink.
“But it’s not yet. It’s what? Weeks away, at least.”
“It’s Washington, so you never know.”
Jonas runs a hand through his hair and downs the rest of his drink. He flags the bartender for another.
He sighs loudly as he takes a sip of his new drink.
“You asked for my help.”
“I know.” I sigh.
He cocks an eyebrow and shakes his drink in the air, almost victoriously.
It’s true. This plan has nothing to do with Jonas and everything to do with me. He’s a good friend who would do anything for me, as I would do for him as well.
“Tell me the truth.”
The truth.
The idea of sharing the truth keeps coming up these days more than I like. After this is all said and done, I’ll be happy to never have to make such impactful declarations for the rest of my life.
I take a sip of my whiskey and set my glass down to buy time.
“It’s been months. No one has found his body. We can speed things up a bit. I’m sick of living in Washington.”
“You’re so close to the snowfall. Why can’t you let it be?”
My jaw twitches, and I run my hand over my beard. I’m not sure what to say.
“It’s not… look, we may get lucky with an early snow, but even I can’t pull strings with the weather to make that happen,” Jonas continues.
“No one suspects a thing. I barely see anything suspicious out there.”
Jonas’s eyes shoot upward.
“Is that so? How would you know that if you’ve been running off with what’s her name in dear old Dossberry?”
He swirls his whiskey around and waits for me to admit the truth. I could always lie, but Jonas and I have always promised to be there for one another no matter what.
“A complication.”
Jonas chuckles and shakes his head.
“You mean a woman? It’s always about a woman.” He laughs and downs the remainder of his second drink.
“It’s more than that.”
“It always is, my friend; it always is,” he teases.
I finish my drink.
“I found her.”
Jonas stills with his hand in the air to flag the bartender again.
“What?” he asks.
“I found the woman. The one from that night.”
“And you haven’t stayed away.”
He doesn’t even have to ask.
“I can’t.”
“Even if that means you’re caught?”
“I won’t be.”
Jonas bobs his head before swinging his legs to the side to face me. With his arms slung on the back of the chair, I see him debating how to address this.
“If this woman knows what you did, she could turn you in.”
“She won’t.”
Jonas sighs and then lets the newly arrived bartender know he wants another and to bring me my second one. Three drinks in less than thirty minutes. I’m giving my dear friend a drinking problem because of this mess I involved him in.
When I told Jonas that the only person to see me that night on the mountain was a woman who wouldn’t be a problem, he pried. After some time, I had to admit that she was the most breathtaking and intriguing woman I had ever met.
He asked if we needed to find this woman to make sure she wouldn’t be a problem. I reassured him that she wouldn’t be. Jonas didn’t understand why I was sure of it, but I could tell immediately by how much Dove trusted me that night.
Dove may want answers to what’s happening between us, but I believe even if I were to disappear, she wouldn’t say anything about that night. The trust she placed in me when I told her to run was unmatched.
As I faced my friend, I knew I could place the same level of unknown trust with Dove. Even under his line of questioning, I still feel that way. If anything, I’m more firm in my decision.
“What’s her name?”
“Dove. Dove Barlowe.”
“Cute,” Jonas says with a brief smirk.
“I have changes to our plan.”
Jonas laughs freely and cocks an eyebrow.
“I bet you do, my friend.”
I grin as I know he’s giving in.
The bartender slides two more drinks in front of us.
“Okay, out with it.”
I lean in and begin to share the changes I think we should make to the plan.
After our drinks, I told Jonas that I was also temporarily taking up residence at a local motel on the outskirts of the mountain. I had to admit it was more convenient to be near Dove, but it was also good for not being watched in Dossberry.
For that, he told me I was a fucking fool for getting this close. When I reassured him that I paid with cash, he relaxed slightly but still insisted I head back home to Dossberry.
My friend had been doing so much for me, I had to agree. It won’t be an issue much longer anyway. Soon enough, I’ll be staying with my little bird high on the mountaintop, near where my secret lies.
It’s relieving to know that Jonas is actually on my side. He’s planning on staying for awhile to put it all in motion—to once and for all put this nightmare behind us and move on with our lives.
Now, as I creep around in the dark outside of Dove’s home, I’m more anxious than ever to have her in my hold. Something is calming about knowing where she is and how she feels. To touch her and know that she’s alive and real.
The way her light-blonde hair bounces, her curves sway, and her breathtaking smile makes me anxious to head inside. It’s not just her beauty but the twinkle in her eye that appears when she knows she’s winning against me that only makes my cock harder than it already is.
Everything about Dove Barlowe has me hooked. I need to know what it’s like to truly win the heart and soul of this person.
I’m making her addicted to my presence too. Soon she’ll have no choice but to accept this new reality.
I know she’s aware that something is afoot, but the magnitude of it would be too much for the ordinary woman. That’s why I’m hoping I’m right about Dove, not just for my sake but for everyone else who is involved in my little predicament too.
The back door is left unlocked, which should be odd, but I know my girl is getting antsy for my return.
It’s a little before midnight, and I know she’s fast asleep. Early on, there were some nights when I was unsure if she was faking it or not, but I’ve learned how to tell whether or not she’s trying to hold on and stay up.
If her hours weren’t so complicated, then I’m sure Dove could manage to stay up this late. It’s the hiking for hours on end that tires her out daily.
I’m not sure when her next exhibition is going to be, but I know that’s what she’s preparing for. Once I finally get Dove on my own, I can ask her these questions without the examining eye of her mother on us.
A mother who is jealous of every turn that her daughter makes. If I wasn’t so interested in said daughter, I’d be questioning her reasoning. Dove is a beauty who could bring any man to his knees, but Jill can hold her own.
I walk the short distance between the back door to Dove’s bedroom and settle onto the bed.
Moments go by as I sit still and let my eyes adjust to the change of light.
As soon as they do, I see Dove sleeping peacefully in bed. Her mouth is parted, and her eyebrows aren’t furrowed together. I place one hand softly on her lower leg.
Like the other nights I’ve done this, her body squirms slightly at the sudden touch. It wants more, but I told myself I wouldn’t take her as mine until it was the right time. Last week was me giving into temptation, and I shouldn’t have done that.
Before I headed here tonight, Jonas reminded me repeatedly of what’s at stake. I can’t make my move. Instead, I’ll torture myself by just watching Dove sleep.
I gently stroke her knee and calf, like I always do, to calm her nerves.
Something is off. This doesn’t feel right.
Dove doesn’t sleep well until I come in and start to rub her legs.
Every night, it’s the same.
When she’s not struggling to stay awake for me, she’s fast asleep, and it’s always so painful to witness the stress she’s under as she tries to rest.
It makes me wonder what kind of trauma she has been through that her mind can’t rest easily. I know she’s set her life up to mostly be the way she wants it, outside of staying in touch with Jill.
I look over her face and see there is still no furrow between her eyebrows or stress on her expression, and her overall demeanor appears calm instead of tense.
Glancing at her nightstand, I don’t see any sleeping aids or medications that would have helped her fall asleep and rest comfortably.
That’s when I see it; her hand is balled up underneath her pillow.
It’s not unusual for her to sleep like this, but from here, I can tell that her hand is gripping something. Adjusting my eye level, a gleam of something metal briefly shines through.
Well, I’ll be damned.
My little bird has some fight in her still.
Good, I don’t want her to cower in my presence.
Dove is willing to threaten me with a knife to give her what she needs. I bet if I were to get up, that knife would be at my throat within seconds.
Knowing that she has some fight in her already makes my cock harden. It’s impossible not to be hard around her as it is, but now that I know she’s going after what she wants, it makes me want to say fuck it to all of these rules I’ve put in place.
Dove shifts in bed.
This woman is playing it just right.
I laugh darkly.
“Come out to play, little bird, or would you prefer to kill me right away?”
Dove’s eyes fly open, and they are as intense as I imagined them to be.
Within seconds, she’s bolting upright, strategically bringing out the knife. If I didn’t know it was there, it would have marked my skin.
I catch her by the wrist and hold it in place with the blade only inches from my face.
The conviction I see in Dove’s eyes almost rivals the fire burning in mine. She pants heavily as she tries to catch her breath.
My mouth lifts in a lopsided grin.
“Kill it is.”
“Fuck you,” she spits out.
Dove’s eyes continue to swirl with anger, but I witness it turning to lust. They travel from my eyes down to my mouth before darting down to the visible outline of my cock straining against my pants.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I taunt.
Her eyes shoot back up to mine, and the same conviction I saw earlier has returned.
“Let go of me,” she says while straining in my hold.
“Are you going to try to kill me again?”
Indecision weighs on her, and I laugh even louder.
“Please don’t kill me, sweet girl.”
Dove lets out an annoyed sigh and drops the knife. It rattles against the ground as it lands.
“Better?” she asks.
All fire. I’ve missed this.
“Much.”
I drop her wrist, and she immediately crawls back against the headboard. Instead of waiting around, I get up and prepare to leave.
“Wait!” she screams.
I pause right in her doorway.
If I stay, I’m going to want to do all the things that Jonas will tell me are bad ideas. All I want to do is make her mine in every way imaginable.
“I have to go, little bird, but I loved seeing you,” I say with my back still turned.
“Please,” she begs.
That does it.
I twist around on my heels and face her with a cocky grin.
“You know I do love it when you beg.”
Dove gasps as I stalk toward her before finally sitting right next to where she stays still. I gently cup her face with my hands and watch as she starts to squirm in my hold.
“Tell me, sweet girl. Tell me why you want me here.”
Her eyes widen, and her mouth parts. She’s going to have to give me something I need to make me stay.
“Can you keep a secret?” she whispers.
“Yes. Secrets can be kept in the dark.”
She leans forward, and my hands automatically go behind her head and grip the luscious locks I’ve become obsessed with.
Dove’s arms wrap around my neck tightly.
She waits just a beat before pressing her smooth, plump lips to mine. Soft and gentle, as though she’s deciding if they feel like what she’s been imagining. Then her tongue demands entry between the seam of mine, and I gladly let her in.
Dove begins frantically kissing me, and I pull her head further into me to deepen the kiss. As I do, she gets up on her knees and pulls me up too.
My hands travel from the back of her head to her pert ass, gripping her cheeks roughly in my hold. Her legs easily wrap around my waist until she’s sitting in my lap. With her in the perfect position, I pull her into my lower stomach.
I can feel her wetness against the lower part of my shirt. The dampness from her drenched panties is seeping through.
“Fuck. Reid, please.”
I push her back down on the bed, but she keeps her legs wrapped around my waist. The way her tank top creeps up shows more of her flat stomach and makes me feel like an animal wanting more access to the skin I love.
Dove’s billowing hair surrounds her face as she grips onto the pillow. She bucks her hips up, urging me to continue.
Looking down, I notice she’s wearing see-through panties, granting me access to her bare pussy.
“Fucking perfect, baby,” I growl.
I gather the panties in my hand and rip them off her tight frame.
She yelps as her eyes widen in disbelief.
“Reid,” she yells.
“Such a sweet girl calling out for me.”
I cup her pussy in my hand and start to massage her sensitive clit. After the first night together, I memorized every move I made that had Dove coming all over my hand.
She starts to buck her hips harder against my palm.
“I need more,” she whimpers.
“You need exactly as much as I give you.”
I strum against her clit, and she starts to moan loudly.
“Scream for your monster, little bird. Scream for the man who makes you see stars in the middle of the night.”
“Fuck,” she whispers.
Dove thrusts against my hand, and soon she stills, my sign to keep going harder.
“Soak my hand; drench me in this sweet cum.”
“Reid!” Dove screams.
The sweetest sound I’ll ever hear.