Page 19 of Aperture

“Doing good, Barb,” I reply, scratching behind my new friend’s ears.

“That’s Milo,” she begins. “His owner recently died, and no family could take him, so they relinquished him to us.”

My heart drops. I hate these kinds of stories.

“He’s not doing great in the kennel. It’s stressful for him. He wouldn’t eat. He was pacing or laying on the floor, whale-eyed with his ears tucked, so he’s been hanging out in the office with us during the day. I’m trying to find a foster home until he can be permanently adopted.”

I know from spending time here that older dogs don’t often get adopted quickly, especially bigger dogs. We have some excellent foster adopters, so hopefully, he can get out of the shelter soon.

Once I’ve helped clean the kennels and the cat room and helped the dogs get some exercise, I head back to the office to say goodbye to Barb. As soon as I walk in, Milo runs right up and stands at my side. He’s such a sweet boy. I look at her expectantly, but she shakes her head.

“No one has been able to help so far,” she tells me.

I never foster the animals, but I cannot stand the thought of this sweet boy being so stressed out.

“I’ll take him tonight,” I say, before I can even think about the logistics of the decision.

“Really?” Barb exclaims. “That would be amazing, Millie. I will send you home with some food for him.”

Next thing I know, I’m sitting on my couch with a 65-pound dog in my lap. I stopped on the way home and grabbed a cheeseburger for dinner and we are currently sharing my dinner and watching Gordon Ramsay yell at people on TV. It’s a pretty perfect night with Milo’s head resting in my lap while I pet him. He’s fairly easygoing and even lets me play with his velvety, soft ears. For a somewhat intimidating-looking dog, he’s kind of a big softy.

Suddenly, with no warning, he moves his head off my lap, and those satin ears snap to attention. As he looks at the front door, a low growl starts deep in his chest. I grab the remote and hit the mute button to see if I can hear what has him on edge. I can’t hear anything for several seconds, so I try to pet Milo to calm him down. He is on full alert now, jumping off the couch, running to the front door, and growling at the vacant space between us and the door.

“Sshh, Milo, it’s OK, Boy. It’s nothing,” I say more calmly than I feel.

His minor freakout has me a bit scared. I look at the alarm by the door and see it's still armed. Suddenly I hear what sounds like sticks crackling underfoot just outside the door. Milo goes crazy, barking and growling as he tries to jump up on the door. His hackles are raised like the hair on the back of my neck. Then I hear a car door slam and the screech of tires nearby. Within moments, Milo relaxes, trots back to the couch, jumps up, and lays down like nothing ever happened. He seems to have decided that whatever danger was looming is no longer a threat. Was it just a squirrel or another small animal? What if someone was outside my house? The thought makes me shiver. I can’t decide if I’m overreacting or we both have a reason to be alarmed, but I slowly walk over and sit back down to snuggle with him, suddenly happy that I decided to bring a dog home today.

Chapter 12

I’m sweating as I barge through my front door. That fucking dog almost ruined everything. When did she get a dog? I have been watching her for over two weeks. I cannot believe I missed it. I had barely made it within a few feet of the window when I heard the dog go nuts. There is no way I could have explained myself to her if she had found me outside. I was not prepared for that. I’m smarter than this. I’m smarter than him. She’s been spending time with him and it’s making me crazy in a way I did not anticipate.

I pull my shirt over my head, drop to the ground, and start doing push-ups. I need to work some of this adrenaline out of my system. I get to 50, my muscles start fatiguing, and my breath is coming in faster and faster. I roll over onto my back and throw my arm over my eyes, concentrating on controlling my breathing.

I picture Millie, smiling and happy, standing in a meadow with the sun beaming down on her. She is wearing a yellow sundress, and she starts spinning in a big circle. She has her camera and is laughing while taking pictures of the wildflowers.

I walk up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist. Her head rolls to the side, giving me access to her neck, where I plant kisses up and down. She turns in my arms to face me, and I know this smile is just for me. “I love you,” she whispers, reaching up to kiss me.

I kiss her back softly at first, but then it turns deeper. I imagine my hands under her dress and lifting her, wrapping her thighs around my waist. Our lips are locked in a kiss as I slide my hands under her ass to hold her against me. She moans, rocking her hips into me, grinding on my hard dick. When I can’t take it anymore, I lay her down on the blanket and kiss her again.

Then I flip her over and lift her pretty skirt over her ass. Within a second, I have her panties to the side, and I’m taking out my cock. I line up with her entrance and slam into her hard with no warning. She moans loudly, accepting everything I’m giving her. She feels so good. A slap to her ass has her squealing and then moaning again loudly. “That’s right, baby. Be as loud as you want. No one can hear you out here,” I whisper in her ear.

Reaching around to her front, I begin rubbing her clit in a soft circular motion. Unable to hold back she starts moving her hips against me in the same motion and I know she is getting close. I use more pressure and right when she’s about to come I pinch her clit and it sets her off. I can feel the rush of warm, wet juices slide down my cock as she squeezes me like a vice. Looking over her shoulder, she gifts me with a satisfied smile.

“I love you. You are so perfect” she says breathlessly as I continue to pound it into her. Hearing those words sends me over the edge and I come inside her, giving her every last ounce I have.

When my breath returns to normal, I realize my hand is on my now softening cock and there’s cum all over my stomach. Jesus Christ. What is this woman doing to me? This situation is getting out of control. I grab my shirt from off the floor next to me and wipe off my stomach, then slowly get up to take a shower, trying to ignore the voice in my head warning me that something is going to go very wrong.

Chapter 13

“Any updates on the investigation, Wyatt?” Captain Altmeyer asks as he approaches my desk.

“No,” I tell him. “There is nothing new to report.”

“Well, we just had a young lady in here reporting her friend missing. The girl is 25 years old. She went missing a few nights ago, about 65 miles east of here.”

“What makes you think it is related to this case?” I ask.

“Didn’t say it was. But she’s the right age, and we have an active serial killer in the vicinity. Just something to think about,” Captain Altmeyer’s signature frown creases his face.