Safe From the Dark (24 page)

He
complied slowly, taking his time with each button, watching as her arousal
built with each inch of skin he bared. When there were no more buttons, he
shrugged the fabric off his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor, and
enjoyed the way her breath hitched as she devoured him with hungry eyes.

“My
turn. Kneel up, baby. Show me those pretty tits.”

She
only hesitated for a second, and then water sloshed as she rose, water and
bubbles streaming off her luscious breasts. The crests were tight and swollen
already, almost reaching for his mouth.

“They
ache,” she murmured, cupping them for him.

“I
know,” he agreed, “I’m going to make them all better. But first, your turn.”

He
expected her to ask for his fingers on her nipples, or maybe his tongue, but
clearly Evie wasn’t fooling around.

“I
want you in my mouth.”

EVIE
WATCHED IN DELIGHT as Colin’s body jerked hard at her erotic demand. To his
credit, he reined it in, taking his time as he opened his jeans, tugging them and
the soft boxer briefs just far enough to lift his engorged cock and the heavy
sac free, framed by the dark denim.

Two
steps had him within reach and Evie didn’t hesitate, but leaned forward to
nuzzle his sac, enjoying the low groan as her tongue darted out for a leisurely
taste. With delicate licks, she worked her way up his dick, humming her
approval at his taste, raising warm, wet hands to wrap around the heavy shaft
as she fed the wide crown into her mouth. She probed the tiny slit with her
tongue, delighted when the move prompted a slight buckle of those powerful
legs. Drunk on power despite his insistence that they were taking turns, Evie
sucked him deeper.

“Easy,
baby.”

Colin
stroked her cheeks, speared his fingers through her hair, murmured his pleasure
as she sucked and savored, a slow, erotic tease. Her pussy seemed to pulse in
time as he fucked her mouth with shallow strokes.

“So
good. Do you like it? Is sucking me off making you wet?”

She
nodded and let him go to pump the shaft through her fingers, lapping up the
bead of fluid that gathered at the head. Colin shuddered.

“Come
for me,” Evie murmured, rubbing the crown against her lips before parting them again
to take him deep.

Colin
was helpless to do anything but obey, and exploded in a hot rush, hotter as she
held his gaze while she swallowed, and then lapped his spasming cock with
tender strokes, cooing.

“Your
move,” she teased, placing a delicate kiss on the head as he shuddered.

He
just rolled his eyes as he shed the rest of his clothing, and then climbed in
the tub with her.

“What
do you want me to do?” she asked.

“Nothing,”
he replied, “You just get to lie there and let me play.”

“But
– ”

“Shhh.
It’s my turn, and this is what I want.”

He
eased her back against the tub and kneeled between her thighs. Her eyes
darkened as Colin spread her legs high and wide, propping her calves on either
side of the tub so that she was fully open to him. In the bright light, she was
rosy and glistening, her most private places laid bare.

Evie
clutched the sides of the tub, uneasy with his scrutiny, but he teasingly
rubbed her clit with the head of his cock, and she arched at the bolt of
sensation.

“What
are you going to do?” she gasped.

“That
should be obvious, baby. I’m going to give you a bath.”

Colin
grinned and reached for the soap, lathering his hands up before reaching for
her foot. With slow, firm strokes he soaped and massaged, pressing into the
arch of her foot and she nearly came from the exquisite pressure. Then his
hands moved higher, stroking every inch of her until she had melted into a
soapy puddle of lust. He paid special attention to her breasts, of course, and
the undersides of her knees, the curve of her waist. Finally, when she was
squirming beneath him,
dying
for him, he lowered slick fingers to her
pussy, rubbing and stroking and squeezing until she came, crying out.

Colin
rinsed her pussy carefully, and then grabbed a condom from his wallet, sliding
it on. He came over her.

“Watch
me fill you,” he said, and she did, gasping as his thick crown slowly parted
her folds, her clit peeking out above, tight and slick with water and her own
juices.

“I
love watching your pussy work to take all of me,” he bit out, grinding the
thick base against her, buried to the hilt.

He
lowered himself to her, and she started to look away, but he caught her chin.

“No,
baby. Look at me.”

And
he started moving, her soapy skin making each stroke a sensuous, slippery
glide. Through it, he held her gaze, and she was fascinated by the roiling
emotion in his hazel eyes as he filled her body with his own, pushing them
higher and higher. When she climaxed again, it was in a rolling, endless wave
of delight as he followed and cried out her name.

Spent,
Colin reached behind to turn the water back on, and then settled back over Evie,
wrapping her legs around him in a snug embrace.

She
didn’t realize she was frowning until he stroked the little crease between her
eyebrows and tenderly kissed her lips.

“Your
turn. What is it you want, Evie?”

That
was a loaded question. She wasn’t ready to answer, but he seemed to realize
that, and seemed satisfied with her mouth on his.

For
the moment.

NO
NO NO NO!
He
went to her anyway. Reviled and scorned by the town
at last
and Colin,
the stubborn, stupid man, had chosen to ignore all the warnings, all the
lessons, all the punishment, and immerse himself in filth.

It
had finally happened, just as she worried it would. Colin had succumbed, and
drastic action had to be taken to bring him back to the light.

How
could he not see what was right in front of his face?
That Evie Asher was poison. That
she was worthless.

Not
half the woman that I am.

Hank
Daniels had never seen it either, and had spent decades adoring that simpering
wife of his while she lurked in the background, never making waves, keeping the
town running.

It
was her turn to have happiness, to have one of the Daniels men acknowledge her
true worth. No matter what she had to do.

COLIN
AND EVIE, DRY and clothed, had just stepped out on the porch to consult Zeke
about pizza toppings when Evie’s cell phone rang. She stared at it for a second
in disbelief – coverage out here was spotty at best, and she’d gotten used to
endless missed calls and messages.

“Hello?”

“Deputy
Asher? This is Zoe with the Shoreline Pharmacy? You called a few days ago to
ask about a prescription that was transferred to us by mistake?”

“Yes,
I thought we confirmed that.”

“We
did, but I was just going through the week’s records and noticed that there was
a second page. I’m so sorry, I should have caught it the first time.”

“What
are you saying?”

“The
prescription order did get sent to us by mistake, but the doctor called to
correct the error almost immediately, and the prescription was sent to Bright’s
Ferry as usual. So the customer would have received a notice about the initial
order, and a second one about the correction.”

“We
didn’t question Jocelyn about Candace’s prescription,” Evie murmured to
herself, as a horrific realization dawned.

“Excuse
me?” The voice on the phone was polite, but puzzled.

“Thank
you, you’ve been incredibly helpful.”

Evie
hung up the phone and turned to Colin and Zeke.

“It’s
Candace. She’s the killer”

Colin
frowned.

“That’s
not possible. We’ve been over this.”

“She
said she couldn’t have killed Deirdre because she had to cross the bay to pick
up a prescription. But the pharmacy says that Jocelyn transferred the
prescription back here, which leaves Candace without an alibi.” Evie paced,
working it out.

Colin
was shaking his head, “But she was with Dreyer when Alan was killed.”

“She
was with him last night, but that doesn’t mean anything. How long does it take
to slit a man’s throat when he doesn’t see you coming? She could have left
Dreyer’s, hidden her car, snuck in to kill Alan, and then arrived just in time
to play the grieving widow.”

Zeke’s
eyes were wide, and he gulped.

“This
morning, she was walking stiffly. Colin, you said you struck the woman you ran
into in the dark, right?” Evie questioned Colin, insistent.

Colin
was starting to waiver, and doubt crept into his eyes.

“I
can’t believe it. Candace?”

“You
should compare the handwriting,” Zeke piped up, and Evie and Colin turned to
stare at him, “I mean, she’s always writing notes for you and stuff, Mr.
Daniels. Right? Even if she tried to hide it, those notes are going to show
some similar things.”

Evie
stepped up to the young man and kissed his cheek. He flushed beet red.

“You’re
a genius, Zeke. Call Tony and tell him to bring Candace in for questioning. Colin,
we need a sample of her handwriting.”

Colin
was grim, but he nodded.

“Back
at the house.”

Three
minutes later, they were on the road, and Colin looked uneasy as Evie checked
the clip of her weapon.

“You
don’t really think you’re going to need that, do you?”

“I’m
not taking any chances.”

THEY
PULLED UP IN front of the house and jumped out.

“Where
are all your guards?” asked Evie, pissed.

“I
told them I was spending the night with you.”

“Great.
That’s going to help my reputation,” Evie muttered.

Colin
just grinned.

“If
you want, I can spread the word that sex with a fallen woman is
so
much better.”

“You’re
not helping,” she grumbled.

Suddenly,
the front door wrenched open, and Millicent Grayson was shoved unceremoniously
forward onto the porch.

“Colin!”
she screamed, and started forward, but a hard yank pulled her back, and Candace
stepped out onto the porch, prodding her with the barrel of a gun.

“Candace,”
Colin breathed, shocked.

“I
warned you,” she insisted, her voice low and venomous, “I warned you again and
again, but you didn’t listen. And I sat here, waiting for you to come back from
your tryst with that slut cop, and who should show up? Another lust-crazed
harlot, dying to pull you even further into the dirt.”

“You
need help, Candace.”

“
Don’t
tell me what you think I need,” she spat, jabbing Millicent harder. The young
woman was crying now, babbling incoherently.

“Let
Millicent go,” Evie said, “Let’s sit down and work this out.”

“It’s
too late for that. And why should I listen to you? Your mother was a whore,
too, and I blessed the day your poor Gram put her in the ground.”

Colin
saw Evie edging for her weapon and was suddenly swamped with a terrifying
vision of her, lying in a pool of her own blood in his driveway.

“Take
me,” he said hastily.

“Colin,
no!” Millicent and Evie were in horrified synch.

“Come
on, Candace. You and me can go somewhere and talk this out. That’s what you
really want, right?”

Candace
seemed to consider her options. She jerked her head at Evie.

“Throw
your gun over there.”

“You
don’t want to do this.”

“Now!”

Candace
pulled the trigger, putting a new hole in the side of Colin’s truck.

Her
jaw clenched, she tossed her gun away.

“Now
handcuff him and put him in the truck.”

Evie
did as she was told, but Colin could see every muscle in her body screaming to
act. As she cuffed him, hands in front, he whispered, “I’m going to buy you
some time.”

“I’ll
find you,” she promised, helping him into the passenger’s seat.

“I
know you will.”

Colin
could only watch as Evie stepped back, keeping a cautious eye on Candace as she
closed the door and stepped back. Holding Millicent as a shield, Candace edged
around to the driver’s side before flinging her away. Millicent landed in the
gravel, hard, crying out as the sharp edges tore her hands and knees. Candace
ignored her, her gun trained on Evie.

“You
ruined him,” she said.

Colin
could see the intent in Candace’s face.

“No!”
he screamed, and kicked the driver’s side door open just as she pulled the
trigger.