This mysterious woman had him completely lost. After she took off from the trick or treat event, he skulked around Main Street and was immediately bored by the non-event. The Church zealots really did seem to be harmless after all. They were passing out cider, which must have been good, because just about everyone in town was carrying a cup of it. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

After a few minutes, Chief Brady came over and put a hand on his shoulder. “Son, you’ve been working off the clock all day. Time for you to go home. You’re going to get me in trouble with the union.”

Adam couldn’t argue with that. “Thanks, Chief.”

The chief replied, “Or you could go take care of other business.”

“Sir?”

“Son, see to it you don’t bring your girlfriends to the office anymore. I destroyed that video. This time. But I don’t want to have to explain shit like that to the citizens review board. Got it?”

Oh shit. He’d completely forgotten about the tape.

“Thanks, Chief.”

He couldn’t be sure, but he thought he saw the chief wink conspiratorially as he turned to leave.

As Adam headed back to his car, he saw Morgan driving away. Fine. Let her drive away. He needed to go home and sleep.

But then a moment later, his car was following hers. And then he found himself turning on his dashboard light bar and sounding the siren. What was he doing? The oldest trick in the book when a male cop is stalking a female— pretending to pull her over for speeding.

It took her long enough to finally pull over, with some encouragement from the bull-horn. Real subtle, Adam. He was still pondering his next move when he got out of the Cherokee and approached her car. She had been speeding fast enough to justify revoking her license right there. But that’s not what this was about.

The more officious he tried to act, the more she didn’t play fair. He asked for her license and registration, but she wasn’t buying it. Pretty soon, Morgan’s cape was hanging open and her skirt was hiked up even higher on her thighs.

“And, you think fishnets and a push-up bra was appropriate attire for babysitting children?” he asked when he had her pulled over along the dark, wood-lined highway.

She said, “My cape covered most of my skin, Puritan. Besides, it’s cold out there. I actually wore this for the benefit of somebody more grown up.”

“I don’t like it. There are weirdos hanging around. You shouldn’t be drawing attention to yourself.”

“I do what I like. What are you going to do about it?”

Adam thought about how to answer that.

“Step out of the vehicle please.”

“Adam, come on.”

“That’s an order.”

She muttered something and finally got out of the car, slamming the door shut behind her. Morgan looked pissed.

“Turn around.”

“You cannot be serious.”

“That’s another order. I need to inspect your outfit.”

“This is harassment, and I’m not doing it.”

“I can arrest you.”

“But you won’t.”

“Try me. Turn around.”

“No.”

“Fine. Hands on the vehicle and spread your legs.”

“Fuck off.”

Adam grinned down at her, aroused by the flush of anger in Morgan’s cheeks. He closed the distance and gave her his best mischievous look. He put his lips to her ear, and she didn’t back away. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

He could hear her suck in her breath. “Adam, I might not be much fun tonight. I’m pretty tired.”

He gently, slowly licked the outer edge of her ear. “But you forgot to give me my candy.”

Morgan met his gaze, her eyes still fiery and defiant. But then she parted her lips and turned around, placed her hands on the hood of her car, and spread her legs.

Adam’s mouth watered for her and he didn’t know where to start. That poofy short skirt was driving him crazy with desire. He dove his hand under the skirt and found the firm, round ass spread open for him. He caressed her there for a while with one hand, then primed her heat with his other hand. She was wearing a lace thong and a garter belt.

“Why the garter belt, beautiful? Were you hoping I would find it?” He firmly massaged her pussy with his knuckles and felt her growing wet for him.

She sucked in her breath but then teased him. “Well, since you were hanging around the woods all afternoon watching me from the trees, I thought there was a chance you were going to come get some, sooner or later.”

Shit. How did she know he had been watching her?

“And I’m going to keep watching you whether you like it or not. You need my protection.” He gently sank one finger in between her labia and found her clit, making her give a slight moan.

“Um…I…I don’t need you watching me.”

“What do you need, then?” He pressed against her clit.

“Oh, Adam….”

“Say it.”

“Adam, are you going to work me up and leave me high and dry again?”

“I think it’s too late to leave you dry.” His fingers were soaked in her sweetness. “What do you need?”

“I want you inside me.”

“Do you need it?”

“Yes.”

“Say it.” Adam stroked her pussy and leaned over her back, speaking low and slow into her ear. “I want to hear you say exactly what you need from me.”

“I need your cock.”

“Wrong answer.” With that, he turned her around and slapped his handcuffs on her.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“Tell me to let you out of these and I will.”

She didn’t reply. Her breath was ragged and she licked her lips. They held each other’s gaze for several seconds, neither of them wanting to say what was really on their minds.

“Last night in the dream you said you liked it a little rough. Is that true?”

“Yes, it’s true, I did say that.”

“Funny. You might get in trouble for being a smartass with a cop, you know.”

Adam felt Morgan very slightly thrust her breasts toward him. “How much trouble?”

“Deep.” He lifted her handcuffed wrists up and lowered her arms around his neck. “Have you ever fucked while handcuffed before?”

“No, but I think we should definitely try it.”

Then, without breaking eye contact with her, he trailed his hands from her wrists all the way down the tender underside of her arms. He grazed the sides of her breasts. The bodice was tight. He wanted to get it off her but hadn’t the slightest idea how or how much time that would take. Dammit, he wanted to touch and kiss those tits.

Adam’s animal instincts took over and he removed her bound wrists from around his neck. He grabbed her under the arm and escorted her to the Jeep Cherokee. In seconds they were both in the backseat, doors locked, Adam towering over Morgan and hovering his lips close to hers but not quite ready to let her kiss him. Instead, he unlocked one of her handcuffs and threaded the links through the passenger side door handle, then cuffed the loose wrist again. This way, her hands were above her head and she couldn’t have her way.

He had to have all of this woman, and he intended to let her know how much he meant it.

He nuzzled the soft mounds that bulged out the top of her bodice, then worked his way down. He found her thong and with an angry growl, he gripped the thin fabric between his teeth and pulled it out of the way, smoothing it down her legs with his hands. He let Morgan watch him hold the thong in the air as if to say, “See this? You’re mine now.” He brought the crotch section of the thong to his face and inhaled deeply.

“This is the scent that’s been on me since last night. How did you do that?”

She purred at him. “I don’t know, Officer. Why don’t you tell me how you left me a hickey last night if you weren’t in my shed with me.”

He pocketed her thong. “Answering a question with a question will also get you into deep trouble.” His hand covered one of her buttocks and gently squeezed.

“How deep?” she asked again.

With both hands he spread her wide, let out a hungry growl and plunged his face into the source of her sweet scent.

She cried out in surprise and pleasure. Hearing her gasp egged him on.

Adam licked, sucked, nibbled and teased her all the way to near- completion. His face was drenched in her icing, but he didn’t want to stop.

“Bite me, Adam.”

“How do you ask an officer to bite you?”

“Please.”

“Excuse me?”

“Adam, you’re torturing me.”

Instead of using his teeth like she wanted, he feathered his lips across her inner thighs. She writhed with need. “Please use your teeth on me, sir.”

He smiled and hovered over her as she helplessly, lustfully, stared up at him. He bent down and shared her sweetness with a gentle kiss. She whimpered but relaxed under him. That was better.

“Do you like that?”

“Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You get a gold star.” Adam didn’t know what kind of domineering spirit had taken over, but she responded to it. And when he returned to her lower half and bit into her muscular thighs, she sighed and tumbled even closer to climax.

He decided to stop torturing the poor woman and nip and nibble his way up her inner thigh to her pussy, where he hesitantly used his teeth at her insistence. He nibbled on her labia. It was a new thing, but her reactions to his touch made his skin crackle once again. He used his teeth all over her core, delicately, finally coming to rest on her clitoris, which was engorged and begging to be nibbled. Ever so carefully, he stroked the hard little button with his tongue and teeth.

She was mad with desire for him. He’d never seen a woman react this way to him, and he’d never felt so appreciated or desired. Pleasing her pleased him so much. He knew there had to be a connection there. She had to be feeling it, too. It wasn’t just sex. He was branding her. He was trying to ruin her for any other male. She had to know. When she finally shattered into a full-body earthquake, she uttered something. He couldn’t quite hear it.

“What was that you said?”

She sighed and caught her breath. Shook her head and smiled. “Nothing.”

“You said something. What was it?”

“Don’t worry about it. I just got caught up in the moment.”

“Come on.”

“Look, don’t ruin it, OK? That was incredible. If the force gave out medals for oral, you’d get, like, ten of them.”

He laughed into her shoulder. He planted kisses all over her unbelievable cleavage.

Morgan then purred at him. “Let me out of these handcuffs so I can return the favor.”

He smiled. This woman was amazing. As pleased as he was that she was willing to suck him dry, he decided to delay that particular gratification.

He undid the cuffs from her wrists, rubbing and kissing where the metal had indented her skin. “I’m letting you go, but let’s put a pin in that. Maybe tomorrow night during the party we can sneak off to your place and you can show me your tricks.”

It wasn’t easy letting her get back into her car and going their separate ways. But it was the right thing to do. She made him feel like a horny teenager; he could picture doing all of the dirty deeds with her seventeen times a day. But he was also a man and a gentleman. He was trying to romance her, get as deeply into her head as she’d gotten into his.

As he returned home, he seriously hoped this strategy was working.

But instead of putting on his pajamas, he put on some jeans and a Yankees tee shirt, got back in his car and headed back downtown. He was going to stake out Church of the Messenger. Most of the people except the bar patrons were tidying up and going home. The whole area would likely be deadsville in another 20 minutes, but he couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t continue to keep an eye on these people.

He watched the Church members sweeping the sidewalks, picking trash out of the landscaping. Nothing looked odd to him on the surface. Maybe he was wasting his time. Suddenly there was a knock on the window. Startled, he rolled down the window and saw it was Alice from the coffee shop. She was smiling and holding a large, steaming to-go cup.

“Hi there, what’s this?”

“This is to thank you for helping with trick-or-treating, and also…to say thanks for what you did this morning, helping get rid of that Hank guy. This is Morgan’s favorite: all-natural pumpkin spice latte with extra…protection.” She winked at him.

“Huh?” He took the cup.

“Just a little herbal juju. No big deal.”

“Why would you give me Morgan’s favorite drink?”

Alice looked at him conspiratorially. “No reason. Other than I saw you two working together and you’re cute. I guess I didn’t act fast enough to snag you myself. But as far as I’m concerned you don’t have to pay for coffee in this town ever again.”

He nodded. “Thanks. Hey, did you try any of that free cider?”

She glanced across the street. “What, you mean from those jerks? After this morning? Hell no. Word got around so the Sisters iced them out. We are done making nice with those folks.”

“I completely understand.”

“Well. Have a good night. And, I don’t know…maybe let me know if you have a brother.” She winked and then disappeared back into the shop.

Adam sipped at the concoction. It was good. A little spicy, a tinge grassy, nothing like his usual preferred black coffee, but it was hot and he guessed it would do the job to keep him awake.

Except it did not.

He finished the coffee and closed his eyes, just for a second. As soon as he did, he was down for the count.

As he drifted out, the world around him changed. He was no longer in his Jeep Cherokee. He was in the woods. It was daytime. Birds were singing. The air was warm. The sun was shining. There was a babbling stream. Looking at the water made him thirsty, so he knelt down and took a drink. The water made him feel refreshed and rejuvenated. He drank some more. He kept drinking. He stopped suddenly when he heard a creaking sound, like wood against metal. Someone was here.

He turned and there was Morgan, sitting on a swing made of rough-cut wood, tied with rope to a branch of an enormous oak tree. She was barefoot, her tanned toes—several of them ringed in tiny gold bands—tickling the grass as she slowly swung back and forth, watching him. He could see gold reflecting the sunshine at her ankles, which were adorned with bangles. She smiled. There were strange black tattoos up the inside of her calf, spiraling up her leg until they disappeared under her clothes. “Clothes” was maybe a generous word for it. There was light all around her and she was draped in see-through white gauze like a Greek goddess. Her golden hair was up in a soft bun. There was more gold jewelry accenting her hands, neck and face.

Adam stood and approached. “Morgan? You look so different. I didn’t know you had a nose ring. And tattoos.”

“Didn’t you? Think about it.”

Adam didn’t know what this meant. But the dream state he was in allowed his mind to be open to all possibilities. He reached out and touched her hand and he was flooded with memories. He was having a dream within his dream.

He then suddenly understood the déjà vu he had experienced moments before when Morgan in real life had shown herself off in that bodice. He saw of vision of her, or someone who looked exactly like her, in an eighteenth-century ball gown of red and white, laced up the back. In this vision inside his dream, he roughly tore at the laces. He saw Morgan holding on to a corner of a four-poster bed, urging him to hurry up. He saw his hands, he felt himself losing patience with her ridiculous dress. Finally, he watched himself throw this woman on the bed, pulling off her bloomers and conquering her with his mouth as she cried out in pleasure.

As suddenly as this vision-inside-a-vision had appeared, it vaporized and he was back in this garden with Morgan, dressed like a goddess. Or what he had imagined a goddess might look like. If goddesses were real. Which they weren’t.

Morgan looked up at him and cocked her head. Without moving her lips, she spoke into his head. “They are real.”

“Who are you? What are we doing here?”

“I brought you here to thank you.”

“No need. I think I made that clear earlier.”

“Not for today. But for finding me, in general. I thought I wanted a toy, but you came to me. It took me about a day to realize it, but it’s you. We’ve been lovers since the beginning. I didn’t think I wanted a mate, but you and I have already been mated for literally thousands of years.”

Adam couldn’t believe it. He denied it. But then he’d been in denial of a lot of weird shit his entire life.

“I don’t know how that’s possible.”

She tugged at his hand and gestured for him to sit down next to her on the swing.

“Maybe I can convince you.”

And with that, she got off the swing and knelt on the ground in front of Adam. He knew what was coming next. He looked down and watched her reach up to undo her bun. Her golden locks tumbled down to her waist. Her eyes told him what she was going to do next. She placed her hands on his thighs and suddenly he was naked. Because why not? He held his breath and watched her take his throbbing, erect manhood into her mouth. No woman had ever done this to him in broad daylight, outside, maintaining eye contact. This was definitely hotter than any rushed, drunken oral encounter he had had before. Nothing compared. Everything that came before was a distant shadow. Morgan ran her tongue down the vein toward the base of his cock, then up again, then down, until he was entirely slick. Then she began using her mouth and hands simultaneously to slowly, gradually bring him over the edge. When she spotted the pre-cum, she swiped it gently with the tip of her finger and popped it into her mouth, watching his face while doing it.

“I love you, Morgan.”

She spoke into his head. “You always loved me so well, Adam, and I love you, too.”

She said nothing more as she finished him. As soon as he came, he closed his eyes in ecstasy, and he was awake.

He was still in his Jeep. It was pitch black outside. Nobody was around. He looked down. He was still fully dressed. He checked inside his pants. Once again, he was spent, and Morgan’s scent was all over him.

He should have had a cramp in his neck from falling asleep in his car, but he felt fine. Totally refreshed, as if he had slept a whole night in his bed.

How the fuck was she doing this?

He cranked on the engine and got ready to drive home, when some movement inside the Church of the Messenger caught his attention. There was a faint light in there. Adam grabbed his binoculars. Through the lenses, he could see what it was. It was Hank Snow, lighting a candle. He was alone, kneeling in front of some kind of statue. It wasn’t a statue of Mary or any of the saints he recognized from the churchyard of St. Martin’s. It was red, had a hideous, otherworldly face carved into it. If he believed in such things, Adam would think it was demonic.