Then she couldn’t think anymore as pleasure took over and the room spun. His movements grew rough, wild. He wrapped one hand over her hip and pulled her leg to his waist as he slammed into her over and over, jerky and uncontrolled. His grunts became deeper, yet he didn’t slow down.
He stiffened above her, and she knew he was close.
He threw his head back, his neck muscles corded. In that moment, she could see the demon in him, and he was beautiful. She wrapped her hand around his neck, drawing him closer for another hard kiss as he finally came.
When they both stilled, he bit her neck. Then he licked the sting away and kissed the spot.
“What was that?” she rasped.
He shook his head. “Nothing, angel. I’m just marking you. Remember? It’s what demons do.”
He pulled out of her and took off the condom, leaving the bed to dispose of it in the bathroom.
When he returned, his eyes were heavy behind the demon mask. He pulled it off, and she glanced away. She didn’t want to see his face and ruin the magic of what had just happened. It was better if they stayed strangers. He slid into bed behind her and pulled her back against his chest.
Oh, God. What had she done?
She started to get up, but his arms tightened around her. His breath tickled the back of her neck. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I should go find my friends before they leave. They’re my ride home.”
“Oh, angel,” he said, his voice dripping with mock sadness. “You’ll stay here tonight. I’m not done with you.”
He was already stirring again, lengthening against the back of her thigh, and her body hummed with anticipation, ready for round two.
She had no idea how she’d gotten herself into this mess. She was always so cautious, always planning ahead, and yet here she was in a stranger’s bed, wanting more than she should. She wanted to stay with him, wanted to explore the depths of his eyes and the texture of the hair on his chest. She wanted to wrap her hand around his hardening cock again and taste him when he came.
But what if Anna was looking for her? Or worse, Ash? He definitely wouldn’t want her after finding her in bed with someone else.
On one hand, she felt guilty for betraying her own convictions. But on the other, she couldn’t help but be pulled in by his presence, captivated by the thrill of their embrace and the pleasure it brought her. She wanted more—more of the thrill, more of the pleasure, more of the passion.
“I should go home.” But even as she said the words, she knew she wouldn’t. She didn’t want to leave her demon’s embrace yet.
“Mmm. Stay.” The seductive timbre of his voice sent chills of desire rippling through her body.
She hesitated. Would it be so bad if she stayed? This need for him didn’t make sense. She never even asked his name.
“What’s your name?” Her breath hitched as his rough hand trailed lightly down her hip.
He nuzzled her ear and dipped his fingers between her legs. “Do you often have hot sex with men you don’t know?” She couldn’t tell if it was amusement or annoyance in his voice.
“No.” She gasped and arched into him, pushing against his touch, desperate for more. “This is the first time.”
His deep rumble of laughter resonated through her body as he began to trace circles around her aching clit. “But that’s not true, is it? Because you do know me.”
No, she didn’t. She couldn’t. She never would’ve done this with someone she knew because how could she face him every day with such intimate, carnal knowledge of his body?
He was a stranger.
He had to be.
She closed her eyes and grabbed his wrist with the intention of removing his hand, but didn’t follow through. Instead, she let him continue to tantalize her with his skilled fingers. “No, I don’t.”
“Yes, you do. Say my name, Sasha.” He continued to circle her clit as he waited for an answer, but instead of giving him one, all she could do was moan. His voice dropped low in anticipation. “C’mon, who’s your demon? Say my name, and I’ll let you come.”
The pleasure was deep and relentless, but he held back just enough pressure to keep her from release until his name left her in a pleading gasp. “Donovan.”
A triumphant growl rumbled from his chest. He sped up the movement of his hand, replacing his thumb with two fingers. “Say it again.”
Desperate now, she cried out. “Donovan, please!”
He pinched her clit between his fingers, and the orgasm ripped through her like wildfire. She was still pulsing as he wrapped his arms around her and tucked her tight against him.
“That’s right, angel,” he murmured into her hair. “That’s right. And you’re mine now.”
Oh, no. No, no, no. She couldn’t be his. He wasn’t part of the plan. Tonight was only meant to be a short, wild detour.
But even as the halfhearted denial crossed her mind, her body softened and molded against his. Her eyes drifted closed, and she gave in to the pull of a blissful, sated sleep.
episode 2: the search
Hey there, Truth Seekers! Welcome back to Cold Truth, the true-crime podcast that dives deep into the most challenging cold cases. I’m Alexis Summers, your host, and today we’re continuing our investigation into the disappearance of Darcy Cantrell, the teenage girl who vanished without a trace. In our last episode, we explored Darcy’s life. Now, we’ll be examining the efforts made to find her and bring her home. So, grab your detective hats, and let’s get into it!
Sheriff Jerald T. Tennison Sr., or Sheriff Jerry as he was known around Steam Valley, was a twenty-year veteran of the Lost County Sheriff’s Department and in 2007, he’d recently won a hard-fought election to the sheriff’s seat. On Halloween day, he was waiting in line at the local coffee house for his morning caffeine hit when he received a call about a missing teenage girl.
It had been five days since the party at Hidden Beach.
Nobody noticed Darcy was missing until she didn’t show up for her waitressing shift at The Grove. The diner’s owner, Gwenda Prescott, was instantly worried. It wasn’t a secret that Darcy wanted to leave town, but she’d already made plans with Gwenda to stay and work full-time through the summer tourist season after graduation because she needed money. She showed up for every shift and often picked up extra hours before and after school. In the three years she’d worked for Gwenda, she’d called off only a handful of times and never no-called-no-showed. So when calls to her cell phone went unanswered, Gwenda decided to contact the police.
Law enforcement was very familiar with the Cantrell family. Sheriff Jerry had responded to many domestic disturbance calls at their trailer over the years and had been first on scene when Sissy overdosed. It was a rough environment for a child to grow up in, but nothing could be done since Sissy always refused to press charges against her husband, and Darcy never complained of abuse after her mother died, even though she often showed up to school with unexplained bruises.
So, of course, Sheriff Jerry’s first thought was that Darcy had run away. Nobody would’ve been surprised if she’d decided to leave. At eighteen, she was legally an adult and could disappear if she wanted. The sheriff’s office simply had to confirm that she’d left willingly, then they could close the case.