Into the Night(25)

He could have lost her.

His tongue thrust into her mouth. He loved her taste. Sweet and wild at the same time. Her little tongue flicked against his, and he lifted her up against him, carrying her to the bed. The first time wasn’t going to be soft and gentle, wasn’t going to be long.

Something was different that night. He was different. His control was barely in check.

She could have died. Fucking died right beside me.

He lowered her onto the bed, and her legs dangled over the side. Bowen grabbed the top of her shorts and he yanked them down.

No underwear.

“You’re trying to make me insane.”

His hands went to her thighs and he shoved them apart. Then he was touching her, stroking her clit and sliding two fingers into the hot heaven of her sex. Her hips arched against him, and she moaned. He worked her with his fingers, making sure she was ready, needing her to be wet and open for him. His fingers drove in and out, in—

“I want you inside when I come.”

He grabbed a condom and rolled it on. She still had her T-shirt on and her long legs still sprawled over the edge of the bed. It was a high bed, putting her at just the perfect location.

He yanked her hips a bit closer to the edge of the mattress. Her legs wrapped around his hips, and he plunged deep, standing up as he took her that way. His hands slammed down, locked with hers, and he pinned her hands to the mattress. In and out he drove, thrusting deep because he could fill her so completely from that angle. Her moans broke into the air, her hips shoved up against him, and her sex closed greedily around him.

Tight.

Hot.

Fuck.

She came—a fast, hard release that had her nearly screaming his name. He kissed her, taking her mouth even as he took her body. Her climax had her inner muscles contracting around him, and he let go. He drove into her and held nothing back. Wild and deep. Again and again.

His climax ripped through him, a release heavy and hard, and he didn’t think it would ever fucking end.

When it did, when the pleasure ebbed and he could suck in a deep breath, Bowen stared down at Macey. He was still holding her hands in his. Still buried balls deep in her.

“Again,” she whispered.

Fuck, yes.

*

SHE SLIPPED FROM his bed before dawn. Bowen let her go, keeping his eyes closed even though he’d woken the instant she’d pulled away from him.

Bowen could hear the softest rustles as she dressed. Then the creak of the stairs as she slipped back to the loft. When he was sure she was gone, his eyes opened.

The day was coming. That meant...

Hands off.

His jaw locked.

For now.





CHAPTER SIX

“I NEED TO see Patrick’s remains,” Macey said as she stood in front of Henry Harwell’s desk the next morning. A line of dark shadow coated the young captain’s jaw and the shadows under his eyes testified to the long night he’d had.

“Wish I could help you with that, ma’am,” Harwell replied as he rubbed his hand across his jaw, making a faint scraping sound as his fingers hit the stubble. “But the body isn’t ready. Hell, what’s left of the body. The medical examiner just got it about an hour ago. The firefighters and arson investigators wouldn’t let anyone close to the scene before that. We just... I’m sorry, but I’ll get you access as soon as I can, all right? It’s just going to take some time.”

Time was something they didn’t have, and that issue was why Macey was already at the police station, even though it was barely seven a.m. Time was not a luxury they could afford to waste. Not with this perp. He’d already shown he didn’t have any sort of cooling-off period between his crimes, and Macey knew he would be taking another victim.

“We’ll be creating a task force,” Bowen said, his voice smooth and deep. “The FBI will be taking point. Based on the evidence at the scene last night, we strongly believe the death of Patrick Remus is linked to the recent murder of Daniel Haddox.”

“Linked...” Harwell squeezed his eyes shut. “I know who you and Macey are, all right? I know what team you work for at the Bureau. You’re thinking a serial is hunting, aren’t you? Here. Shit, shit. Here, in my town.”

“We have two bodies so far,” Macey said. The nails were what linked them. And, after she’d left Bowen, she hadn’t been able to sleep. So she’d been doing research online and she’d come up with some chilling possibilities. “We want to make sure there aren’t more bodies out there.” Or that there wouldn’t be more.

“We’ll be working with your department,” Bowen continued as his dark eyes narrowed. “With the fire investigation team, with the ME... We’ll need all hands on deck on this one. Cooperation is key.” He nodded toward Harwell. “Let me be clear. This isn’t a pissing match. We want to work together so that we can find the perp that we are after.”

“And who is this guy? I mean, do you have any clue?” Captain Harwell rose and began to pace around his office.

“We’re developing the profile.” Bowen’s reply was measured. “The more we know about the victims, the more we learn about the man committing the crimes.”

“And that’s why I need access to the body as soon as possible.” Access to the body and she’d want to talk with Lydia again, too. Lydia would be key for Macey.