Midnight Butterflies

Chapter 11

ELEVEN

Reid

It’s been hell the past two days staying away from my little bird.

After the engagement party, I slipped out without a care in the world from Jill and planned to go straight to Dove’s house that night.

I would finally get her in my arms and take my time with my sweet girl. Then my plan was to test her before starting to share the truth about what’s been happening and why I’m even in Dossberry and Lamb Creek.

Only the police fucked it all up.

With the volume of activity, I knew something was awry and went to the motel instead of turning up at Dove’s home. I called Jonas immediately, and two days later, we’re still together, only now we’re in my Dossberry home.

Jonas made me give up my motel room near the mountain that very night. Thankfully, I didn’t keep much there, but now it means that I’m stuck passing time here.

As I try to drown out the sound of Jonas going through the changes to the plan one more time, I’m antsy to get going and finally see her. I told him I’d give him forty-eight hours to figure out what’s been happening. Any longer than that, we’d both be in trouble.

Jonas was tasked with finding out what the police found, what they know, and if there are any suspects.

Here I was, thinking I was so close to having all of this behind us, when in reality, it’s just finally coming to a head. If only my Dove wasn’t the perfect distraction, I would easily want to work on this side by side with Jonas. Instead, all I can do is hope that she’ll still see me.

“Reid,” Jonas says with a loud sigh.

“What is it?”

I turn and focus my attention back his way.

“I want to be out of here just as much as you do,” Jonas says.

I pull my hands back behind my head and nod in agreement. As I do, he throws his hands up in the air and paces in a circle.

“And?” he continues.

“I think it’s solid.”

“Solid? That’s it?”

“Very solid?”

“Okay, fucker, just remember, I’m here for you and for…” he starts.

I sit upright immediately.

“Don’t you dare say that name,” I shout, making Jonas flinch.

He hangs his head low and regroups.

“I forgot.”

“A mistake we need to prevent as we move forward.”

“I know.”

I get up from my seat and walk into my kitchen to get a glass of water, and Jonas follows behind me.

I grip the edge of the counter and turn around to face him.

“Thank you,” I say.

“You know you’re like a brother to me.”

“And you to me.”

In our stare-off, I finally relent.

“We leave in two weeks, no matter what,” he says.

“It’ll be better that way,” I admit.

“It will. We stayed long enough. They found his body, and soon they’ll start looking into the shitty motel, the newcomers… You know how this works.”

“Two weeks, and no matter what, we’ll be gone.”

“Okay,” he answers.

It’s as if Jonas thinks I want to stay around and be caught. That I want to be arrested for the murder of that fucker out in Lamb Creek.

I don’t.

I have a whole life to get back to that has been severely disrupted because of this predicament. The only problem is that I wasn’t expecting to find my sweet girl in the middle of it all.

“The plan always was to infiltrate yourself, get an alibi, and leave town for good.”

“I know that.”

Fuck, if I do.

“You have that. Jill is almost handled. My contact is almost done with the last phase in Mr. Fuckface’s life being destroyed. Yes, we never wanted the police to find his body, but it’s fine. We’re ready to move on and out of here.”

I get the water and head back into my living room.

As I drink it, I realize this means that I have limited time to convince Dove to leave her life behind and come with me to California.

Normally, I’d just take her as mine, but I can’t do that. She needs to know what kind of life she’s getting into if she comes with me. What I did to the asshole lying in the ground on the mountain, all of it.

I slam the water down and head for the front door to put on my coat. As I do, I hear Jonas coming up from behind.

“You’re going there already?”

“You’ve set the deadline, and now I have to keep it in motion.”

“It’s too soon to tell her about this.”

As I put my jacket on, I know he’s right. I have to figure out how to get up there without being detected.

“I don’t have much time.”

“Do you really think she’ll want to move? To live with someone capable of what you did?”

I know he isn’t trying to be an asshole. Jonas isn’t afraid to ask the difficult questions. A long pause echoes through the room.

“Call if you need my help.”

“I will.”

The Lamb Creek police force is treating finding this lone body of an outsider as if they found thirty of them. They’re still lingering around, trying to come up with clues. Areas of the forest are still blocked off with tape, and the mountain remains off-limits to the public.

It’s been two days. This small town is being rocked over someone who they don’t even know deserves to be dead.

I can’t help but wonder how the body was found. I buried it deep enough and in such an obscure part of the mountain that it practically meant someone would have had to be searching for it.

It was buried on the opposite side of where there are any signs of life—no locals living nearby or popular tourist trails to hike. There was a lone barn that was falling apart close by. I watched that barn for days and didn’t see anyone actually using it.

It’s not as if cadaver dogs or the like would just be up here on a casual hike. Someone went searching and knew that this part of the mountain wasn’t popular. You still had to access it by the main entrance that someone would take to visit Dove’s neighborhood.

I know Jonas must suspect something is up with the sudden discovery of it, but he hasn’t mentioned it.

After the engagement party, Jill disappeared for the rest of the night as I had. It was all going to plan, except for the discovery of the body.

The air around me is thin, and if it wasn’t for this black sweater, I would say that the temperatures have somehow dropped far more in two days than I realized. Two whole days without being able to visit Dove.

The leaves have started to fall, and soon enough, winter will be here. I was so close to this problem being naturally taken care of by the snow. Maybe luck is on my side, and the first snow will happen sooner than we realize.

The sound of faint whispering stops me in my tracks.

“Fuck it’s cold,” a man says.

“What else do you think we’re going to find?”

A deep inhale and exhale come from the first man, followed by shuffling.

Carefully, I take a few purposeful steps closer to the set of trees where their voices are coming from. It’s risky, but I need to make sure I hear it all as clearly as possible.

“Fuck if I know,” the first man responds.

“Well, it’s been days. Hell, we’ve searched everywhere. There are no new clues to be had.”

“You know the chief; this is the first time in ages we’ve had a real crime to solve. Outside of kids coming up here to drink wine coolers or fuck all.”

Another deep inhale and exhale follows. I’m assuming one of these men is smoking a cigarette to buy some time from the active search.

“A few more weeks and this mountain will be covered with snow. He needs to figure out a better way for us to spend our time after that.”

“I just can’t wait to fucking be let off this overtime. Molly has been trying to meet up with me at the bar every night now.”

“Lucky as hell.”

“Trying to get lucky.”

Something flicks to the ground and causes the leaves to crinkle together.

“Come on, let’s get back there.”

I wait for some time to ensure the officers are far away and back in whatever area they were meant to be in before.

The snow from the low temperatures is meant to come earlier than expected this year. It’s something Jonas said was on our side. I was careful not to lose anything, but I suppose I really don’t know what the police could be finding.

I continue the walk to Dove’s home, less than a mile away.

The back door of my little bird’s home is unlocked, giving me the chance to slip inside.

As I shut the door behind me as quietly as possible, I know she must have an idea that I’m involved. I just hope if she does think I have anything to do with the activity that she still wants my truth, my answers. Part of me expected the house to be bolted up tonight, a clear sign for me not to come in.

The only real shred of hope I had was earlier today when Jill told me that Dove refuses to leave the mountain to stay with a friend. She didn’t exactly offer up her house in the conversation. When I heard that she wanted to stay, I hoped it was because of me.

Days feel like years since I’ve been inside of Dove’s space. Nothing has changed since I was last here.

The living room is still orderly and not a dish is left in the sink in the nearby kitchen. It’s as if the fact a dead body was just found in her neighborhood isn’t phasing Dove.

As I walk through her living room, I pause. The door to the darkroom is ajar. My little bird has been hard at work the past couple of days it seems.

I push it open and step inside before closing it behind me and then turn on the darkroom light.

That’s when I’m stunned to see Dove’s best work all around me. My girl picked her photos to exhibit. As I look around to each one, it’s as if I’m transported back to each season this past year.

It’s almost a symbolic reminder of the year I’ve been experiencing. From last winter when I first met the prick to burying his dead body in the ground to meeting Dove and being here.

All around me are the seasons I went through to get to this side. I get the symbolism that Dove is going for in this curated selection. It’s not just about the animals or nature, it’s to showcase the way life changes course regardless of what we want.

Right as I’m about to leave, one particular photo captures my attention.

I look back around the room and count how many for each season are there. This one is special. It’s meant for me.

There I am in the distance, watching Dove as she’s in her element. It’s almost as if I’m the prey from this viewpoint.

I smirk as I take in the irony.

This girl is something else entirely. It’s time to go get my fix.

I leave the darkroom and head into the bedroom I’ve been dreaming about coming into. The one that has the only person who calms my very existence.

There she is.

My little bird is lying restlessly in her sleep, waiting for me. The furrow between her eyebrows is back, and her jaw is clenched as if she is tormented by my lack of presence as well.

Like I have one too many times before, I sit on the edge of her bed and begin to softly caress one of her legs through the blanket.

Seconds turn into minutes, and soon enough, the concern is wiped from her face altogether. In the beginning, this would have been enough, but Dove and I are well past my stolen touches.

I get up and kick off my shoes first and then remove my jeans and sweater, leaving me in a pair of plain black boxer briefs. Stepping around her bed to the opposite side, I slide into the empty spot.

Instinctually, I pull her sleeping body into mine, and she automatically curls herself into my chest. The way her heart beats for me in her sleep is addicting. I could stay like this forever if it meant that I got to keep Dove.

Only time will tell if I do.

I caress the outside of her shoulders and down the length of her long, wavy hair. It smells like honey and flowers. I inhale deeply to soak in the scent. It reminds me of the way her arousal smells, and I can’t wait for my tongue to be dripping soon with the sweet taste of honey.

My hand travels from the small of her back to the front of her tank top. This tempting woman in nothing but innocent white panties to complete the look is the most angelic sin I’ll ever take as mine.

I push through her shirt and travel the length of her stomach up to her plush tits. I grab them both in my hand, letting them spill over as I start to massage them together. Their warmth makes me want to come instantly because of how long it’s been since I’ve touched them. I will never get tired of having them in my hands.

My thumb starts to tease the hard, pointed tip of one of her nipples. She pushes them further into my hold. One of her legs is thrown over my hip. I catch it immediately and pull her pussy to grind into my already-hardened cock.

I scoop her ass into my other hand and rock her body into mine. Harder and harder, Dove starts to let out breathy moans.

My cock starts to leak pre-cum into my boxers, and I don’t fucking care. I thrust her roughly into me repeatedly as I continue to play with her pink nipples.

“Oh yes, Reid,” she murmurs.

“Is my little bird awake?” I whisper into her ear, my breath teasing the shell of it.

She moans loudly and curves her body into my hold.

“Tell me, have you been pretending to be asleep?”

“Reid,” she pants out.

I grip her ass with both hands and roll onto my back with her moving on top of me. She sits up with the cutest pout.

“Tell me, sweet girl. Tell me you’ve been craving our games again just as much as I have.”

I pull her ass against the length of my cock, wishing that these damn boxers were gone.

Dove hangs her head back and places her hands on my lower stomach as I continue to rock her. In tandem, she thrusts back.

“I’m waiting,” I taunt.

“Yes, I missed you. So much.”

Not the games. Not the way I touch her. Dove missed me.

She reaches for the hem of her shirt and tosses her tank top onto the ground, giving me the perfect view of the luscious tits I want to treat like my playground.

I watch as she gets lost in the sensation and is close to coming on top of me.

“Fuck it,” I rasp.

I stop her rocking and pop her off for a moment. She hovers over me in a daze as I pull down my boxers and then grip her hips, lifting her ass up slightly. Digging my fingers into her sides, I want to mark her as mine now and forever.

I pull her panties to one side and then slam her onto my cock.

“Fuck, yes, Reid. Fuck,” she screams in pleasure.

Without letting her compose herself, I pull at her sides and rock her sweet pussy on my cock. She finds the rhythm once again, and this time, her tits start bouncing wildly as she does.

I’m going to keep her impaled on my cock day and night for the next two weeks. If Dove is drunk on orgasms that only I can deliver, then she’ll stay mine.

“Come for me, baby. Let me see my sweet girl come apart at the seams.”

“I’m…” She pants as she bounces on my cock.

“That’s it,” I rasp.

“I’m coming,” she screams.

I hold off for as long as I can before flipping her onto her back and pulling out. I come all over her tits.

Moments later, I collapse next to her, and we both pant as if it were our dying breaths. Looking over at Dove, I see pieces of her hair sticking to her body and face.

Realization dawns on me. I need to quit fucking her like this. She deserves to get the full experience from me teasing her to fucking her the way she wants it and not because I’m in a needy frenzy.

Dove’s hands start to tease the length of her stomach, and instantly, I’m getting hard again.

“Play with it,” I demand.

She understands right away, and those fingers dancing along her stomach travel up to my cum on her tits. Gently, she begins rubbing my cum into her skin as if it’s her own personal lubricant.

“You are something else,” I murmur.

“I like that,” she whispers back.

I watch in admiration as she continues to put on a show.

I reach out and stop her hand, getting my own cum on mine.

“I want to take care of you, but how can I when you’re being a wanton little thing playing with my cum?”

She roughly grabs both of her tits and starts massaging the sticky substance into them as if it’s all she’s ever wanted.

“You like my cum seeping into your pores?”

“Yes.” She moans as she continues to tease her tits.

“My needy little cum slut.”

“Yes.” She moans louder.

“Suck my cock if you want my cum so badly.”

Dove scrambles to her knees and waits on the bed.

“What a good fucking girl you are. Do you deserve this cock in your mouth?”

“Yes, please.”

“You know I can’t resist you when you beg.”

Dove spreads my knees apart, and my cock is already hard, waiting to be drained.

She pulls her hair to the side with one hand and grabs onto my shaft with the other. Lowering her mouth to my cock, she lets out hot air before taking it in.

“That’s it, sweet girl. Suck on my cock.”

She clamps down and takes it in deeply, alternating gripping and swallowing it. Back and forth, I begin to thrust hard each time. Mascara starts to stream down her cheeks, and I take one final thrust to hit the back of her throat.

“Good, baby. You’re taking my cock so well.”

She hums at the praise and continues to work faster. I’m so close, and ordinarily, I would stop.

“Play with your clit, I’m about to come.”

She lowers her hand between her thighs and starts grinding her pussy into her hand.

“That’s it, fuck your hand. Make me jealous.”

Tears start to well as she keeps taking me deeply. I’m not about to tell her to stop as she whimpers.

“Come. Scream around my cock.”

She nods frantically and then starts to moan around it. Teeth start to tease it, but it’s the perfect amount of pain.

“I’m about to come, and I plan to come all over this goddamn beautiful face and neck.”

“Yes,” she murmurs while coming down from her orgasm.

The buildup is too much, and I pull out slightly and start to come on her perfect bee-stung lips. It squirts onto her face before I move it lower towards her neck, and I can’t believe I get to mark her like this.

Every time I think there’s no other way I can claim her as mine, another surprise happens.

Dove leans back on her hands while remaining on her knees. Her tits bounce as she rocks slowly.

“Perfect girl. You did so well for me.”

“Thank you,” she says with a faint flush to her face.

“Come on, sweet girl, let’s get you cleaned up.”

“You’re going to clean me up?”

I grin at her confused expression.

“That’s the plan.”

A new pink flush rises in her cheeks.

“Oh… okay. Yeah.”

“I’m not going to play with you like that and then not take care of you.”

“You aren’t?”

“No. I want you as mine, the games and the care. I was planning on showering with you unless you’d rather I not.”

“No, no! That’s not it at all,” she says.

I grin at her confusion.

“I’d like that,” she whispers without making eye contact.

“Good. Now, show me the way.”

Her eyes meet mine, and there is a newfound gleam to them. One that I hope I won’t come to regret with how much I like seeing it.