She must pay the ultimate price. What God has given, let no man take away. I laugh at this simple, misguided adage. For God didn’t give to me. No, he took away. He took everything, and now as my recompense, he has sent me to take her confession. To gather her sacrifice, her atonement for her sins.
I pull away from her and caress the mound beneath me. There is no movement, only hardness, and as I cut away the last of her gift, the anger subsides. I wait for the voice, but it doesn’t come. I am alone in this part. I pull the life from within her and wrap it carefully in a small blanket. One less life lived in sin. I’m saving you, can’t you see that?
He is too small to understand, though, and the corners of my mouth curve up slightly. It is done. I brush my hand over her eyes and close them mercifully. I wipe the knife on a cloth and pull my gloves off. I put them in an open dumpster and slip the small bundle under my coat. I leave the alley, altered in some fashion that I can’t quite put my finger on yet.
A small grain of doubt has started to take seed somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind. I cannot put my finger on it exactly. It is enough to make me wonder when I will be called upon for my atonement. This time when I shiver, it has nothing to do with the cold and everything to do with the inevitability of my demise.
Chapter 17
Jordan rubbed her eyes and squinted against the morning sun peeking through her blinds. She felt a slight tingling in her arm and realized it was pinned against the bed. She smiled at the woman sleeping beside her. Amazing what a change two months brought on.
An arm was thrown haphazardly over her stomach, and a leg was draped over her thigh. The soft warmth felt wonderful against her body, and she tried not to move for fear of rousing her. She didn’t need to worry, though, as the hand splayed over her stomach crept up slowly and teased her nipple.
“Good morning, Sunshine.”
“Morning, babe.” Jordan smiled at the emerald-green eyes peeking out from behind masses of wild red hair.
Rebecca snuggled closer and rested her head in the crook of Jordan’s arm. “Have you been up long?”
Jordan shook her head. “Just a minute or so.”
Rebecca’s hand worked lazy circles around Jordan’s breast and within seconds, her nipple hardened to a painful peak. “You should have gotten me up earlier.”
“Why?” Jordan choked out, her body quickly becoming aroused. Rebecca could do that to her anytime she touched her. In the two months since they had gotten together, Jordan couldn’t count the number of times a look or brief touch would send them scrambling to find a secret place where they could show each other just how much they meant to one another.
It happened rather by accident the first time. Jordan had asked Rebecca to dinner to celebrate their capture of Richard Hudson. The news was hailing the CDD as heroes for catching a cold-blooded killer, and Rebecca herself had been spotlighted as the lead investigator.
Rebecca resisted at first, a last attempt to keep her relationship with Jordan on a professional level. But then Jordan had done the one thing that broke down her defenses. She kissed her. One kiss and all the desire that Rebecca had tried to keep buried came rushing to the surface. In one moment, she went from cold and reserved to hot and bothered. Jordan took care of rest. And the rest, as Jordan liked to say, was history.
“I was hoping we would have time to shower together this morning.” The sexy lilt of Rebecca’s voice coupled with the hand that was moving down Jordan’s stomach, and through the tight curls between her legs erased all possibility of rational thought.
Jordan stilled Rebecca’s hand. “You sure? Jury selec…”
Rebecca slid her finger into Jordan’s warm center, effectively shutting her up. “Believe me, I remember exactly what today is. But I would really like to forget about it for a minute before I have to face it.”
Jordan arched her hips and met Rebecca’s hand. “How could I say no to that face?” She caught Rebecca’s chin between her thumb and forefinger and brought her face to hers. Jordan captured Rebecca’s lips against hers and kissed her softly. “And since you ask so sweetly, I think we have time for both.”
Rebecca grinned lasciviously. She moved her hand and slid her body onto Jordan’s, settling her hips between Jordan’s legs. Her stomach moved against Jordan’s distended clit and Rebecca felt Jordan jump beneath her body. “A bit wound up are we? I think I need to take care of my baby.”
Rebecca pulled Jordan’s bottom lip into her mouth and sucked it softly, eliciting a small groan of approval. Her tongue delved inside, seeking Jordan’s and when she felt it against hers, she moaned. Kissing Jordan always made her hot. Her own arousal was quickly becoming hard to ignore. She pulled away and licked Jordan’s neck just below her jaw. She licked the small indention at the base of her neck, and Jordan jumped slightly.
Jordan was so sensitive there that Rebecca couldn’t help but tease her until a slight chuckle escaped from her lips. “Babe, you’re killing me.”
“Sorry.” Rebecca’s eyes twinkled, and Jordan could tell she was anything but sorry. Rebecca winked and moved lower, capturing Jordan’s nipple in her mouth. She teased it with her tongue and when it was taut, she caught it between her teeth.
Jordan arched off the bed. Rebecca knew her body, as well as she did her own now. Her nipples were very sensitive and so connected to her clit that she had gotten off just from Rebecca’s playful teasing. “You’re killing me.”
Rebecca didn’t respond with words, but the next place her mouth touched made Jordan jump off the bed. Her tongue brushed over Jordan’s aching clit and sent her body soaring. As worked up as she was, Rebecca knew it wouldn’t take long to bring Jordan to climax. She circled the tightened bud and then slid lower, delving into Jordan’s slick folds, relishing the sweet flavor of her arousal.
Jordan’s hips moved against Rebecca’s face and within moments, she felt the muscles around Rebecca’s tongue start to contract. She arched higher. “Oh fuck, yes. It feels so good.”
Rebecca smiled and pulled Jordan’s pulsating clit into her mouth. She felt it dance against her tongue, and she deftly stroked her until Jordan’s body started to convulse, the orgasm overtaking her.
Jordan gripped the sheets, her hips arching off the bed. She writhed underneath Rebecca’s mouth as wave after wave of her orgasm ebbed through her body. When the rolling pleasure finally returned her body to her, Jordan sank back into the bed, sated. She felt Rebecca’s tongue sliding through her slick folds, and her heart clenched at the thought of this woman drinking up every bit of her.
She grabbed Rebecca’s arm softly and pulled her up over her body. She smiled tenderly and kissed Rebecca, tasting herself on her lips. “As soon as I can move, how about that shower, you promised me?”
Rebecca returned her smile. “I’ll start the water.”
Somehow Jordan managed to rouse herself and joined Rebecca in the bathroom several moments later. She could see through the glass that Rebecca was starting without her. One hand was pulling at her nipple, and the other was working lazy circles around her clit. Jordan pulled the door open and pretended to frown. “Hey, that’s my job.”
Rebecca pulled Jordan into the shower and kissed her longingly. She backed up until she was against the wall and wrapped a leg around Jordan’s hip. She grabbed Jordan’s hand and slid it over her body and pushed her fingers into her throbbing core. “It’s time to go to work, darling.”
Jordan grinned mischievously and pulled her fingers out only to slide them in again. “What’s the matter, babe? You all worked up this morning? Need me to take care of you?”
Rebecca nodded. She could feel Jordan’s fingers poised against her warm center. She wrapped her arms around Jordan and pulled their bodies together. She bit her collarbone gently and whispered against her ear. “Please fuck me.”