Saturday, April 28, 2012

TWENTY-SIX

“So far nothing new, huh?”

Cate glanced sideways to see Jon mimicking her, his pinky and thumb extended from his closed fist next to his ear.  His nose wrinkled and his lip curled as he mimed with silent sarcasm her end of the telephone conversation.

Holding her iPhone against her ear as she listened to Santo’s continued narrative, Cate turned her face toward her smartass husband.   She stuck out her tongue before giving him a little scowl.

Jon mirrored her action, shooting her a displeased pout of his own before his lips relaxed into a smirk.  He was positive from Cate’s reaction that he had successfully telegraphed his impatience.  He turned his face forward and closed his eyes, settling back against the plush cushion of his poolside chaise.  Jon let out an exaggerated sigh, reminding his wife she was supposed to be relaxing with him.

“Hmm.  He’s not staying at the usual place?  Well that’s interesting.  Something worth exploring.” 

Cate reached absent-mindedly for her drink, which she had earlier set on the low table that sat between her lounge chair and Jon’s.  Her fingers closed around the plastic tumbler, then lifted it to her lips.  She grimaced at the taste of the tepid, watered-down remains of her limeade.  Disregarding her thirst, Cate dropped the tumbler to the concrete beside her chair.

“Who’s the on-call agent?  Silvio?”  Cate nodded at her partner’s affirmative answer.  “Good.  He’s wired in better than anybody down there.  See what he can get from his contacts.  The second Cupid steps out the front door Silvio should be able to tell you where he’s headed.”

Jon chortled softly at Cate’s directive.  She sounded like a she was spouting off dialogue in some spy movie, though Jon knew better.  This was definitely real; his wife had checked in on her case at least twice a day since they arrived in Saint Barthelemy three days ago. 

Still, Cate’s use of the target’s code name made Jon smirk.  He knew his wife was being cautious with her words, not just for his sake but because she was on an easily-intercepted personal phone.  Operational and communications security were second nature for Cate, even with regard to her personal life.  It was a behavior that Jon both understood and appreciated, but it also drove him a little crazy.

“Depends.  The price of sugar cane has gone through the roof lately.  Supply and demand.”

With a little snort and another impatient sigh Jon heaved himself up from his recline and swung his legs over the side of the chaise.  He leaned forward to pick up Cate’s discarded beverage from the ground before standing and retrieving his own empty glass from the table.  Jon paused to let his gaze wander over Cate’s sunkissed body, delightfully displayed by her skimpy turquoise bikini.

Jon chuckled again as he turned to shuffle toward the wet bar at the back of the villa’s spacious lanai.  “Like living with a fucking Bond Girl,” he mumbled amusedly to himself.  

Reaching the bar, he set the plastic tumblers on the teak counter before rounding it to open the cooler.  His train of thought still rolling, Jon grinned as he continued to talk to himself.  “Pussy Galore.  No…. Holly Goodhead.”  Jon snickered dirtily as he pulled a pitcher from the refrigerator.  “Oh yeah…”

Lost in his silly reverie, Jon refilled Cate’s glass with fresh limeade before pouring himself a generous mojito.  He was still grinning when he returned to his and Cate’s poolside repose, just in time to hear her wrapping up her conversation.

“Good work, Gus.  Keep me posted.  And if Cupid does something crazy, goes off the grid or something, call me immediately.”  Cate paused for a moment, nodding as her young partner offered his reply.  “Sure.  If you can’t talk, just text me the code, then call when you can.”

She looked up at Jon as he paused beside her chair, leaning to set her fresh drink on the table.  Cate gave her husband a smile of thanks as she nodded in response to the voice in her ear. 

“Yep.  Uh huh… Yeah.  You got it covered.”  Cate nodded again at Jon’s lowered chin, wordlessly acknowledging his demand for her attention.  She held up a hand, one finger extended in a “just a second” gesture.  “Great.  Just keep doing what you’re doing.”  Cate’s smile broadened with satisfaction.  “Seriously, Gus.  You’re doing great work there.  Just remember your training, follow your gut.  Good job.”

Jon couldn’t stop the curve of his lips when he heard Cate praise her young partner.   He waved his hand impatiently at his wife, circling his wrist in the “wrap it up” signal.  She nodded again in response to his prod.

“Alright.  Talk to you soon.  Be safe.”  Cate lowered the phone from her ear and tapped the screen, then peered up at her husband.  “Sheesh, Mister Impatient.  Surprised you still have your pants on.”  Cate rolled her eyes with her sarcastic taunt.

“Brought you a refill.”  Jon ignored Cate’s snark and gestured toward the tumbler on the table.  He took a step back and lowered himself onto the edge of his chaise, at the same time taking a sip from his drink.

Cate smiled gratefully.  “Thank you, Baby.  I’m parched.”  She reached for the beverage, first dropping her phone onto the low table.  With a little sigh of relief she raised the tumbler and took a long drink.  “Mmmm…” she hummed as she savored the sweet-tart chill in her throat.

Jon grinned, seeing his chance.  With a swift lean he snatched Cate’s phone from the table and pulled it back to his chest.  “AHA!  No more calls for you today, SpyGirl.  You’re off the clock.”

Cate squeaked at his bold declaration, swallowing her limeade with an audible gulp before being able to protest.  “Hey! Gimme back my phone!”  She quickly set her limeade on the deck before holding out her hand to punctuate her demand. 

“Jon… Give it here.”

Jon grinned and swung his feet up onto his lounge chair.  “Nuh uh.  You’re on vacation.  No more work.”  He dropped Cate’s phone beside his thigh, making his body a barrier between his wife and her enabling device.

Jon…”  Cate’s tone was a warning.  “Give me back my phone.”

“Nope.”

JON…

Jon shook his head vigorously, his sandy shag flying with the movement.  “No fucking way.  You’re on vacation, Cate.  Let Santo handle whatever-the-fuck is going on.  You said it yourself, he’s doing fine.  If he gets in a jam he can call the Duty Agent.”

Cate swung her legs over the edge of her chair and sat up, facing Jon.  She gave him a serious look.  “He’s doing great, but it’s still my case.  My responsibility.  Vacation or no.”  She held out her hand again, palm up.  “Give it.”

“No.”  Jon smirked at her serious tone.  To underscore his disobedience he extended his arm, holding Cate’s phone further away from his body and from her.

“John Francis Bongiovi…”

Jon snorted a laugh at Cate’s stern invocation of his given name.  He waved her iPhone in his extended hand, taunting her.  “You want it?  Come and get it.”  He gave his wife a cheeky grin.

“Okay, now you’re asking for it,” Cate growled a warning as she stood, though she couldn’t stop a smirk from curving her lips.  She knew she was reacting exactly as Jon hoped, in response to his gleeful bait.  He wanted her full attention, and he was about to get it. 

"Oh yeah?  What're you gonna do about it?" Jon taunted.

"Don't make me brachial-stun your ass," Cate snarled playfully.  She stepped close to Jon's chair and braced a knee on its edge, next to his hip.  She leaned over his midsection, reaching toward his outstretched hand.

Jon grinned and dropped his hand lower, making Cate stretch further.  "You can't. I'm not in the right position."

"I know a hundred other ways to hurt you," she countered.  Cate planted a hand against Jon's bare chest and swung a leg across his hips.  She settled on her knees, pinning him to the chair with her straddle and her hand.

"So far, so good." Jon grinned lecherously and raised his arm above his head, making Cate lean forward with her stretch of pursuit.  He chortled as her minimally-covered breasts hovered near his face.

“Dammit, Jon!” Cate’s swear was softened by her throaty chortle as she felt his free hand curve over her behind and squeeze.  She purposely dropped her chest onto Jon’s face as she lunged forward toward his outstretched hand. 

Cate smiled at Jon’s muffled groan of content as her fingers closed around her phone, prying it from his grasp.  Immediately he pulled his arm back in close to his body, resting his hand beside its twin on Cate’s derriere. 

“I oughta smother you to death, you Pain in the Ass.” Cate rubbed her chest against Jon’s face with her threat.  A little charge tingled through her when she felt Jon’s soft lips suck at the side of her breast.  His stifled nod of agreement made her chuckle.

Mmmmfff… Wudda wah tuh guh…”  Jon’s reply was almost unintelligible, murmured against her flesh.  But his playful tone communicated that he was fine with Cate’s suggestion.  He sucked a little harder, then groaned disappointedly when Cate raised her chest from his face and levered herself upright. 

Cate smirked down at her husband from her perch astride his hips before smugly raising her phone.  She swiped and tapped at the screen, making a show out of checking her emails in defiance of his earlier order.

“Thought I told you you’re not working anymore.  You’re supposed to be relaxing, spending time with your wonderful husband.”

Cate arched a brow at Jon’s petulant tone.  “It was just a phone call, Jon.  And it was only like, ten minutes.”  She sighed half-apologetically.  “Gus is a smart guy, but he’s a Rookie.  He needs a little positive reinforcement, that he’s doing the right thing.”

“So ‘reinforce’ him, then tell him you’re busy.”

“But I wasn’t busy.  I was laying here by the pool, reading a book.”

Jon smirked.  “Yeah, so why did you tell him you were just sitting around the ‘hotel room’, waiting for me to come back from a run?”

Cate smiled sheepishly as Jon pointed out her fib.  “Because… I didn’t want him to know you could hear my end of the conversation, okay?  Technically, I shouldn’t be discussing any of this in front of you.”

“And you didn’t want to tell him you were sunning yourself poolside on a Caribbean island, looking out over the ocean and sipping fruity drinks and barely wearing this sexy little number?”  Jon grinned and tugged at the silver ring adorning the side of Cate’s skimpy bikini bottom.

NO,” she admitted with a chuckle.  “Not exactly an appropriate discussion for a Training Officer to have with her Probie, now is it?”  Cate poked at Jon’s belly with a gentle finger, making him squirm.  “Besides, I didn’t want to make the Kid feel bad, that he’s working while I’m lounging around in Paradise with a Rock Star.”

Jon snorted.  “Ain’t he in Miami, following your Goombah?”

“I can’t tell you that.”  Cate shook her head slowly as she smirked, silently confirming his query.  She knew Jon couldn’t quash his curiosity about her case.  He had obviously listened closely enough to her several conversations with Santo to put the pieces together.

“So he’s probably sitting by a pool right now, himself. Probably wearing some dorky flowery shirt and maybe one of those straw Panama hats, hiding behind his shades while he scopes out the tits and ass instead of keeping an eye on your fuckwad of a target.”  Jon grinned at the idea.  “Rough duty.”

“He was on a break, in his room.  And work is work, Baby.  Doesn’t matter how warm and sunny it is or how exotic the scenery.”  Cate smiled and gave Jon another little tickle, dragging her fingertips along the ridges of his abdomen.  Again he flinched at her gentle touch.

“Yeah, well.  You’re not working any more today.”  Jon reached again to commandeer Cate’s iPhone from her grasp.  She relinquished the device without resistance and watched passively as he set it on the table next to his drink.

Cate’s gaze dropped to the thick sheaf of papers resting on the deck beside the table.  Her lips curved into a defiant smirk as she watched the bent top pages stir in the light tropical breeze. 

“I’m not the only one who spent part of this afternoon working, you know.” She tipped her head toward the manuscript as she returned her glittering blue-eyed gaze to Jon’s face.

“That’s not technically work.  I was reading.”  Jon rested his hand on Cate’s hip, tracing a fingertip idly around the silver ring on her bikini bottom.

“You were reading your script.”

“Yeah, so?  Reading is reading.  Not working.”

“Not when you’re getting paid to read it.  And don’t tell me you weren’t working on memorizing your lines.” 

“I wasn’t running lines.”  Jon smugly avoided her question, parsing the phrase to change its meaning.

Cate noticed.  “But you were memorizing them.”

Jon chortled at Cate’s persistent argument.  “Baby, we haven’t even had a table read yet.  What good would it do me to memorize a script that’s gonna change?”

Cate’s smile gentled as she decided to let her playful challenge drop.  She lowered her gaze to her hand, watching her fingertips trace along the fuzzy stripe below Jon’s navel.  “When do you start shooting?”

“We have read-through and production meetings second week of January.  That’s when we get the shooting schedule.”

“And you have a lot of scenes?”

“Yeah, quite a few.  My character is gonna have a pretty big story arc.  So I guess l’m gonna have quite a few days on set.”

“What about the studio?”

Jon shrugged.  “We’ll just have to hold off on demos and tracks until I have a few days to kill.  And I’ll write in my trailer, like I usually do.  Richie’s busy, anyway.  It ain’t gonna be easy to get in the same room with him for the next few months.”  He smiled and gave Cate’s hip a gentle squeeze.  “But at least I’ll be around home a lot, get to spend more time with my Girl.”

“Well, hopefully.”  Cate sighed wistfully.  “I may not be home much myself.  I’m not real sure what office I’m gonna be working out of, the way this case is going…”

 “You won’t be in Manhattan?”

“Probably not.”

“Okay, so Newark, maybe Trenton?  Trenton would kinda suck, but it ain’t that bad a drive.”  Jon paused, reading his wife’s expression.  “Cate, you’re not gonna have to go…?”  He frowned when he saw her flinch in response to his half-verbalized thought.  “Aw, shit.  Seriously?”

“He’s unpredictable.  Hell, we didn’t know he was heading to…” Cate caught herself before revealing her target’s current location. “… To where he is now, until he booked the ticket the night before.”

“You said this case wouldn’t have a lot of ops.”  Jon’s voice was calm, but held a hint of accusation.

“It’s become something more than we thought it was.  Way bigger.  More crimes in more places.”  Cate’s tone gentled.  “This is what I do, Jon.  You know that.  Besides, trips won’t all be for operations.  There are going to be meetings, attorney briefings in other prosecutive jurisdictions.  Hell, before we’re done we’ll probably have a Task Force.”

“You know I don’t like it, Cate.  You being out there.”  Jon’s lips pressed into a sober line as his hand slid across her belly. “But I guess it won’t be for much longer.”

“Why not?”

“Because.  Pretty soon you’ll be busy, getting ready to be a Mama.”

Cate’s smile faded.  “What does that have to do with my case?  I can still work while I’m pregnant.  Women do it all the time.  It’s not a disability, Jon.”

“Cate, you can’t seriously…”  Jon paused and took a breath, knowing he had better choose his words carefully.  “Baby… with all we’re going through to get pregnant, do you really think you should take any more… risks… than necessary?”

Cate sighed softly as she brushed away a stab of annoyance.  They were back to the same old song, different verse.   She knew her husband understood and respected her dedication to her career, but he also hated the realities of her investigative duties.  Jon’s worry for her safety was simultaneously comforting and frustrating.

Since the day they married he had subtly hinted that she should resign.  When she had been attacked during a field operation while he was on tour, he had vehemently insisted she quit.  Cate had stood resolute against Jon’s pleas and his demands, not willing or able to give up her life’s work.  She knew he understood why, for they were two of a kind in that respect.

But he wasn’t one to give up easily.

“Jon, you know I wouldn’t intentionally put myself in harm’s way.  No good agent ever does, without careful planning and thoughtful precaution.  That won’t change when I’m pregnant.”   Cate covered his hand with hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.   “Besides, Baby… This is a financial crimes case.  It’s not like I’ll be out playing Jack Bauer, chasing down terrorists with dirty bombs and killer germs.” 

She paused until she saw his little smile of amusement at her analogy.  “Baby, you know I’m careful.  Frankly, there’s a better chance of me falling off a curb or some stupid clumsy thing like that than there is of me getting hurt on duty.”

Jon shrugged, his gaze falling to her hand over his.  He watched the diamond on her ring finger sparkle in the soft late-afternoon light.  “I know.  I just… Well, maybe you’ll feel differently in a few months.”

Cate’s heart melted at her husband’s doleful sentiment.  “You mean when I’m waddling around, all fat and sweaty?” she teased gently.

Jon raised his eyes to hers and smiled.  “When you’re beautiful and glowing,” he corrected her.  “And when you feel our little one growing inside you.  Moving around, kicking…”  He tilted his head and gave Cate a long look.  “Just think about it, okay?”

“Jon, I can’t wait to feel like that.  But I have no intention of quitting my job to have a baby.”  Cate smiled half-apologetically.  “I’ll take a lot of maternity leave, but I’ll go back to work.”

Seeing the resolve in Cate’s sapphire gaze, Jon swallowed his argument.  He knew there was no point in trying to convince her now.  He would wait until he had biology on his side, until maternal hormones and instinct were his strong ally.  Eventually he would convince her, once their dream was almost a reality.

He shrugged and gave Cate a resigned smile.  “Okay.  No more work-talk today.   Deal?”

Cate nodded and leaned forward to slide her lips across his in a grateful kiss.  “Agreed.”  She gave her husband an affectionate grin before settling back onto his lap.

“So, I’m thinking tonight we go to The Strand for dinner.  Then maybe hit Nikki Beach for a few drinks, a little dancing?” 

Cate giggled softly at Jon’s suggestion.  “Dancing, huh?  It’s been a long time since we’ve done the club scene.”

“Yeah, well… what the fuck?  It’s not like we gotta get up early tomorrow, right?”  Jon grinned.  “I feel like gettin’ my groove on.” 

“Sounds good to me.”  Cate pushed an errant strand of copper hair back behind her ear.  “Aren’t we supposed to have dinner with Ron and Anna tomorrow night?”

Jon nodded.  “They invited us to stay on the yacht for their New Year’s Eve party, too, if you want to.”

Cate shrugged.  “I guess so.  You’d know more about their yacht parties than I.”  Jon and Dorothea had been frequent guests at the annual festivities during their marriage, but Cate had yet to attend one of the legendarily lavish parties.

“Actually, I was thinking maybe we’d have our own celebration,” Jon replied gently.  “We have something on our calendar already, remember?”

Cate’s smile gentled.  “You mean the pregnancy test.  Baby, that will only take a few minutes.  Hardly an ‘event’.”

“But our celebration afterwards will be an event.”  Jon grinned as he rubbed his palm gently over Cate’s abdomen, her hand riding lightly on his.  “Actually, I wanted to ask you… have you decided?  Do you want to stay here through New Year’s?”  They had purposely left their vacation plans open-ended.

“I haven’t really thought about it,” Cate replied with a little shrug.  “I guess so, if you want to.  There are a lot of people down here right now.”

Jon chuckled, understanding the subtext of her comment.  “Yeah, this is the celebrity haven this time of year.  But that works in our favor.  Distracts the paparazzi from us, the boring old Bongiovis.  There are plenty of young studs and starlets here, partying it up and strutting around the beach, to keep ‘em busy.”

“But they know we’re here.”  Cate sighed.  She and Jon had already encountered more than a few photographers in their excursions around the island.  As always, Jon had been aloof but non-confrontational, allowing the paparazzi to get their snaps of him jogging, shopping, and sightseeing.  In return, the paps had maintained a respectful distance and not interfered with their activities. 

Cate was also certain at least a few photos of their afternoon on the beach had hit the celebrity tabloids and websites.  It was practically a tradition for pictures of Jon’s bared torso to hit the internet during the winter holiday.  Mindful of that fact, Cate had been careful to remain modestly covered during their beach outing.  She had little doubt there was a telephoto lens trained on them from some angle.

“I don’t think they’ll bother us.”  Jon turned his hand under Cate’s and twined his fingers between hers.  He gave her a little grin as he pulled her hand to his lips for a light kiss.  “But it’s up to you.  If you wanna stay, we stay.  If you wanna go back home for New Year’s, we can do that too.”

Cate smiled, her eyes gliding over her husband’s sunkissed torso and tousled blonde-tipped shag.  “Well, it is a hell of a lot warmer here than it is in Jersey…”

“And we can pick up a pregnancy test at the pharmacy…” Jon added in a soft, persuasive croon.  “So, whaddya say, Baby?  We kick off the New Year in paradise?”

“Sounds good to me.”

*****

Cate sighed contentedly and dropped her cheek against Jon’s shoulder as they swayed slowly to the music.  She felt his hand rub gently against her lower back, subtly acknowledging her affectionate gesture.

She smiled as she watched through half-meshed lashes the couples surrounding them on the dance floor.  Though Nikki Beach was known for its celebrity clientele, Jon’s appearance there always caused a buzz.  Over the past hour Cate had noticed a number of smart phones pointed discretely in their direction.  Jon had even posed for a few overt photos with clubgoers who were brave enough to approach him.

Cate’s gaze drifted beyond the dance floor to the bar as she and Jon continued their slow shuffle.  She spied a heavily-tanned blonde staring hungrily at Jon from her perch on a barstool.   It was apparent from the woman's expression that she wished Jon was alone.

Cate’s smile curled into a smug smirk as she raised her head from Jon’s shoulder and brushed her lips across his.  He immediately responded, his mouth covering hers more fully in a tender, simmering kiss.

Yep, Sweetheart… and he’s all MINE, Cate thought evilly, sure the blonde was still staring.  She chortled softly as Jon’s lips stroked over hers.

“What’re you giggling about?” Jon’s murmur was low and sexy, his amusement evident.

“Mmmm…. nothing.  Just thinking how lucky I am.”

Jon chuckled throatily, dropping his forehead against Cate’s and giving her a knowing smirk.  “Showing off a little, are you?” 

“Just doing what every woman in this place wishes she could,” Cate answered coyly.  Her hand slipped down from its resting place on his back, to tuck into his back jeans pocket.

“You’re a baaaad Kitty,” Jon growled approvingly.  “Taunting all these poor girls.”

“Sometimes I just can’t help myself.  I can’t ignore their dirty looks all the time, you know.”

“Even though you know the truth?  That I’m no prize?  Just a gray-haired old pain in the ass?”

Cate giggled softly.  “Yeah.   But you’re still a pretty sexy pain in the ass.”

“Well, as long as you love me in spite of it.”  Jon rubbed his nose against Cate’s and gave her a grin.  “Wanna show off some more?”

“Maybe later.  I don’t want to cause a scene.”  Cate shrugged lightly.  “I’d rather not land us in the tabloids.  Besides…”  She shot a sideways glance toward the bar and saw that the blonde was still openly staring, her botoxed lips pursed into a displeased pout.  “Blondie over there got the point.”

Jon laughed, pulling his face back from Cate’s and shaking his head amusedly.  “Baby, she has no idea what she’s up against, fucking with you.”

Cate giggled and shrugged again.  “Nah.  Not like I’m worried.  Even if she tried something, I’d just stand back and let you deal with her.”

“Gee, thanks.”  Jon chortled his answer, then raised a brow as a new, more upbeat song faded in over the last notes of the slow ballad.  Automatically Cate stopped dancing and pulled back from his embrace, sure Jon would want to return to their table.

“Where you goin’, Baby?”  Jon grinned and tugged on her hand.  “I’m not done dancin' yet.”  He gave his hips a little shimmy, accentuating his protest.

Cate laughed at his playfulness.  “I just figured you’d only wanna stick to the slow stuff.  Since you’re an Old Guy, and all…”

“Oh no… I got moves.”  Jon gave his hips another wiggle in time with the beat.  “Not good ones, but who gives a fuck?  And besides… I like this song.  Yeah yeah yeah…”  He grinned through his singalong with the familiar tune.  “C’mon, now.”  Stepping back, he raised their joined hands, guiding Cate into a slow spin.

With another laugh Cate followed his guide, allowing Jon to lead her in a slow swing dance.  As she twirled and swayed her filmy skirt flowed around her legs and her thick auburn mane swung over her halter-bared back.  The sensual brush of the fabric and hair over her skin, the sexy croon and sultry beat of the song, and the affection in Jon’s sparkling blue eyes made her sigh happily.  It had been a long time since she felt so purely feminine.

As if reading her thoughts, Jon pulled Cate in close and circled his free arm around her waist.  He rubbed his soft cheek against hers as he crooned in her ear.

I don’t know what this is
But you got me good
Just like you knew you would
I don’t know what you do
But you do it well
I’m under your spell…

You got me beggin’ you for mercy
Why won’t you release me
You got me beggin’ you for mercy
Why won’t you release me…

“Mmmm… no fuckin’ way,” Cate purred playfully in response to Jon’s musical plea.

“Good,” Jon growled before stepping away from his wife.  He slipped his arm from her waist and twirled her again before giving his own little hip-shimmy.

Cate giggled playfully as Jon let go of her other hand and started to groove in a scaled-down version of his stage moves.  She followed along, swaying her own hips in time to the funky beat.  When Jon’s lips puckered into a Jaggeresque pout she burst into laughter, tossing her hair as she stepped aside to give him room to strut.

Ignoring the excited reaction of the other clubgoers to his moves, Jon turned back to Cate and gave her a saucy grin.  Again he captured her hand and pulled her in close, giving her a little kiss before stepping away to finish their swing-dance.

By the time the last chorus faded both Jon and Cate were grinning and laughing, fully enjoying the moment.  Jon wrapped Cate in an affectionate embrace and planted a playful kiss on her mouth before grimacing at the opening shout of the DJ’s next selection.

Shot through the heart
And you’re to blame
Darlin’, you give love
A Bad Name…

“Ohhhhh NO,” Jon grinned, shaking his head vigorously as the club erupted with the bombastic guitar blast of his first hit song.  “No WAY.”

Cate laughed, giving his waist a little squeeze.  “You mean you’re not gonna dance to your own song?”

“No fucking way.  Besides, I need a drink.”  Jon gave Cate a wink and a grin.  “C’mon.  Let’s go out to the beach.  Get one of those chairs on the sand.”  He tipped his head to the club’s lanai that opened to the white sand beach. 

“Okay.”  Cate nodded and followed Jon as he pushed through the now-crowded dance floor.  When they reached a clear space away from the crowd, Cate paused and tugged on Jon’s hand.  He leaned in close to hear her voice over the music and crowd noise.

“I need to stop at the ladies’ room.  You go ahead, get us a chair.  I’ll meet you out there.” 

Jon pulled back and gave Cate a reluctant look.  “I can wait for you.”

She shook her head.  “No, go on.  You hang around here and you’re gonna get mobbed, now that everybody knows you’re here.”  She gestured toward the beach, where a VIP section was clearly separated from the remaining club area.  “I’ll be there in a minute.”

“But Baby…”

“Jon, go.  I’m right behind you.”  Cate smiled and reached up to stroke his cheek, a gesture she knew always melted him.  “Want me to get you a drink on my way out?”

Jon shook his head.  “Naw, I’ll have the waitress bring something.  Don’t be long, okay?”  He leaned in to brush a kiss across her cheek.

“ ‘Kay.  Now go.”  Cate smiled as Jon gave her another reluctant gaze, then turned and wandered toward the beach.  Watching until he stepped on the sand, Cate turned and strode down the short hall to the women’s restroom.

After completing her business in the small, chicly-decorated lounge, Cate returned to the club.  She slipped through the crowd to the bar and stood for a moment at its end, until a bartender noticed her.  She placed her order, then glanced at the other patrons lining the long counter.  The blonde she had noticed earlier was still there, now craning her neck to see past the crowd on the dance floor. 

Cate rolled her eyes but said nothing; obviously the woman was looking for Jon on the beach.  With a little self-satisfied smirk Cate accepted her glass of seltzer with a lime twist from the bartender, tipped him, and turned away.  She moved slowly through the crowd, pausing to sip from her glass. 

In a minute she had stepped onto the sand and was strolling toward the VIP beach lounge, where a cluster of wide, white-cushioned chaises faced the ocean.  Beyond the sand the aquamarine water shimmered in the moonlight and reflected the winking stars in the cloudless sky.  The flames of dozens of tiki torches flickered like fireflies in the night, unnecessary for illumination under the huge full moon.

It was a vista made even more beautiful by the scenery upon which Cate’s gaze automatically settled.  She hesitated, wanting a solitary moment to appreciate what she was so lucky to call her own. 

As promised, Jon had secured a wide lounge chair for them to share.  While she was busy with her needs, he had made himself more comfortable.  Jon’s orange shirt lay draped across the foot of the chaise, and his suede moccasins lay askew on the sand next to the chair’s leg.

He was reclining on the thick cushion, his bare feet crossed at the ankles, exposed by the calf-high cuff he had rolled into his jeans.  Jon’s hand rested a footed glass on his abdomen as he gazed out at the water.   His blonde hair stirred lightly in the warm ocean breeze.

The silvery-brown down that blanketed Jon’s bronzed chest shone in the moonlight, almost making him look like he sparkled.  Cate giggled softly at that thought, recalling the literary description of the vampire characters in the Twilight books her stepdaughter had insisted she read.  “Vampires aren’t the only ones who sparkle,” she murmured amusedly.

Standing another moment to take in the scene, Cate finally resumed her trek across the sand.  The raucous music and laughter of the club faded behind her, softened by the rush of the waves.

“Hey.”  Cate announced her arrival with a soft greeting.  It was unnecessary; Jon had sensed her approach.  He turned his head to look at her, an affectionate smile curving his lips at the lovely vision. 

Cate’s long mahogany hair rippled in the moonlight, flowing off her bare shoulders with the night breeze.  Ribbons of softly-draped dark teal fabric stretched up over her full breasts, cradling them from the wide band that wrapped her middle several inches above her navel.  A silver stud shone in the little dimple, reflecting the soft glow of the silver tag pendant nestled between her breasts.

Her sheer tropical print sarong-style skirt sat low across Cate’s hips and hugged her thighs, the mid-centered part fluttering in the breeze to reveal a long expanse of smooth, sunkissed flesh.  Just above her skirt a thin silver chain circled her waist.  She was shoeless as well, having traversed the sand barefoot, her sandals dangling from her hand.

“Hello, Gorgeous,” Jon responded softly.  He turned fully toward her, swinging his legs over the side of the chaise and dropping his feet to the sand.  “C’mere.”

Cate smiled and obediently stepped closer, dropping her flip-flops onto the sand near Jon’s moccasins.  “Miss me?”

“Always.”  Jon hooked the stem of his wine glass into the holder dug into the sand next to the chaise, then sat up straight.  He bracketed Cate’s hips with his hands before lowering his lips to her belly.  “Baby, you look so gorgeous in the moonlight.”  His croon against her flesh sent a tingle of pleasure up Cate’s spine.

Cate chuckled softly and tunneled her fingers into Jon’s sandy hair as he sucked lightly at her navel.  “You look pretty handsome yourself, you know.”

“Mmmm….” Jon paused before raising his face to smile up at her.  “Our baby is gonna be beautiful.”  His blue eyes shone brightly in the moonlight.

“All your children are beautiful, Jon.”  Cate’s reply was gentle. 

“Yeah, but our baby…”  He dropped his lips again to Cate’s belly.  “She’s gonna look like her Mama.  Thick red hair, big blue eyes, probably some cute little freckles….”

Cate smiled at the vision he painted in her mind.  “And hopefully her Daddy’s talent.  And cheekbones.”  She chuckled huskily.

Jon grinned.  “Yeah, well… I did get some good genes from my Old Man.”

“Some?  How about all of them?”  Cate snorted softly.

“Well, I didn’t get the ‘tall’ gene.”

“No, you didn’t,”  Cate agreed with a little laugh.  “But that’s okay.”

“Well, thank God,” Jon mumbled playfully as again he pressed a kiss to Cate’s abdomen.  “Glad you’re okay with the package you got.”

“Oh, I’m more than okay with it,” Cate chortled.  She gave Jon’s head a little pat before taking a sip from her seltzer.  “So, you gonna let me sit down there with you?”

“Nah.  Let’s dance some more.”  Jon grinned, then pushed himself up from the chaise.

Cate took a step back, surprised.  “Dance?  Out here?”

Jon reached for Cate’s glass, taking it from her hand and setting it carefully on the chair.  “Sure.  I got my dancin’ shoes on tonight.”

“No you don’t,” Cate pointed out, gesturing to the untidy pile of footwear on the sand.  She giggled at Jon’s eye-roll in reply, then let him turn her with a gentle hand on her hip.

Cate smiled as Jon stepped up close behind her and slid his arms around her waist, slowly rocking his hips from side to side with the beat of the dance music drifting over the sand from the club.   She acquiesced to his lead, leaning back against his chest and swaying her hips in time with his.  Jon dropped his chin onto her shoulder, and Cate raised her arms to circle behind his head.

“Mmmm, I like that,” Jon growled, looking down Cate’s body to spy the sides of her breasts, revealed by her skimpy halter top.  “Very sexy.”

“Well, you bring it out in me,” Cate chuckled huskily, pausing to grind her ass lightly against Jon’s pelvis.  His appreciative groan made her smirk.

Jon chuckled wickedly and turned his lips to Cate’s ear, deploying the honey-whiskey rasp he knew she couldn’t resist as he sang along with the dance track.

Don’tcha wish your boyfriend was hot like me
Don’tcha wish your boyfriend was a freak like me
Don’tcha
Don’tcha

Cate tossed back her head with laughter at Jon’s musical query.  This was the last song on earth she could ever imagine him singing.  But here he was, crooning it sexily in her ear.

Don’tcha wish your boyfriend was raw like me
Don’tcha wish your boyfriend was fun like me
Don’tcha
Don’tcha

Jon grinned at his wife’s response to his silly tease.  His heart squeezed at the beauty of her laugh, the musical tone full of happiness and enjoyment.

Dropping a playful nibble against her bare shoulder, he looked again down her body, past her enticing bosom to where his hands moved to cover her womb.  Jon sighed happily as he envisioned a day when his hands would span her swollen belly, full with their child.

Reading his thoughts, Cate dropped her arms from their circle behind Jon’s neck and slid her hands over top his.  She turned her head to brush her lips against Jon’s cheek.

“Our baby will be beautiful,” she replied gently.  “Because it will be ours.”

“Yeah,” Jon agreed in a whisper.

They stood together in a silent embrace for a moment, then Cate smiled.  “So, you gonna dance with me some more, or what?”

Jon chuckled and tightened his arms again around Cate’s waist, giving her a firm squeeze before beginning to roll his hips to the beat, guiding her with him.  “You got it, Baby.  But we keep this up you’re gonna owe me more than a dance when we get home, if you know what I’m sayin’.”

Cate rolled her eyes, then giggled.  “I always know what you’re sayin’, Baby.  You’re not exactly subtle.”

“Good.”  Jon grinned and tightened his squeeze around Cate’s waist, picking her up and spinning her around.  She squealed with surprise, then laughed merrily.  When Jon dropped her back onto her feet Cate turned in his arms and kissed him soundly, then took his hand and spun away.

In the warm tropical night they danced and drank and laughed on the beach, not caring who was watching.  For the first time in months husband and wife forgot about their struggles and trials and simply enjoyed being together, with no distractions or worries, no pressure or pretense. 

From the distance they were unable to hear the quiet click of the camera’s high-speed shutter.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

TWENTY-FIVE


Without argument Jon leaned forward and grasped the ladder’s sides.  He dipped his head to place a kiss against Cate’s navel, then nimbly jumped to his feet.  Once again eye-to-eye with his wife, he smiled.

“You don’t have to keep your arms up, you know.”

Cate returned his smile with a little nod, then released her grasp on the ladder rung.  Her hands dropped to Jon’s chest, resting lightly on his pecs.  Jon pulled in a deep breath as her fingertips ruffled through his chest fur, then circled his nipples.  He grunted as the stimulation made his cock throb painfully.

Noticing his discomfort, Cate quickly dragged her hand down her husband's torso and to his fly.  She gave him a sympathetic smile as her hand curved over Jon’s shaft, his pre-cum soaked briefs moistening her palm.  “You didn’t wait too long, did you?”

Fuck, no.  Feel how hard I am?”  Jon’s answer was half-growl, half-groan.  He winced as Cate tugged at the waist of his briefs, then circled his rigid shaft with her hand.

Cate chuckled softly.  “You didn’t have to do that, you know.  The most important thing is getting your boys in there to meet my girls.”

Jon grimaced again as another surge shot through his genitals with her gentle squeeze.  “Female orgasm can help conception.  It helps you relax, opens the cervix.”  He chuckled at Cate’s amused smile in response to his comment.  “Hey, I read too, ya know.”

“And I love you even more for it.”  Cate gave Jon’s shaft a slow stroke as she leaned forward to brush a light kiss over his mouth.  She smirked a little as she tasted herself on his lips, recognizing a tang not unlike that of Jon’s favorite wine.  Pussy Grigio.  Cate snickered quietly at the naughty pun.

“So…”  Cate gently released Jon from her grasp and pushed at the slack waist of his jeans.  “You got a job to do, right?”

Jon nodded as he grinned sexily.  “Yeah, I do.  And I fuckin’ love my job.”  He hooked his thumbs into the waist of his briefs and jeans and shoved downward.  The elastic slid over his taut glutes and settled at the tops of his thighs, the dark denim bunching over it.

“And you’re very, very good at it,” Cate purred seductively.  She shifted her position on the ladder, again finding her seat on one of the rungs.

Jon let out an approving growl in reply, raising his hands to grasp Cate’s hips. He stepped in close, his erect cock rubbing against her steamy slit cloaked in wet lace.  Jon gasped softly and moved an eager hand to push the scrap aside.

“I want you, Cate.”

“Fuck me, Jonny.”

Cate’s quiet demand was all Jon needed to hear.  His hands clamped around Cate’s hips, pulling her off the ladder rung. He hesitated for a moment, his swollen head pressing against the moist, flexing entrance to her pussy, then with a long groan of relief buried himself in her.

A soft yelp from Cate made him pause.  “You okay?”  Jon anxiously scanned Cate’s expression, afraid to see pain there.

She nodded breathlessly.  “Uh huh.  You’re… big.

“I know.”  Jon took a breath as he felt his release already threatening.  “Baby, I need…”

Cate smirked and dropped her hands to the sides of the ladder, gripping the wooden rails tightly.  “Go.”

Jon rasped out a wicked chuckle at her response, then reached down to hook a hand behind her bent knee.   Cate obliged by pulling her stilettoed foot from the ladder rung and curving her leg over Jon’s hip.  Bracing herself against the ladder, she raised her other foot from the floor and wrapped it around Jon’s waist.

“Fuck, Cate…” Jon growled, feeling her thighs tighten around him.  He gulped in a deep breath, then slowly pulled his hips back.  The feel of her walls flexing around his swollen head nearly made his knees buckle.  He held the pose for a moment, then plunged back inside her.  Jon couldn’t stop a groan of wonderment at their perfect fit.

“Jon…” Cate’s breathy gasp was the signal.  Jon looked up at her and saw her sapphire gaze swirling with want.   With a sultry roll of his hips to seat him as deeply inside her as possible, Jon paused. 

Then he began to fuck her, fast and hard.

The ladder’s wooden creak and scrape against the limestone floor mingled with grunts and moans of rising ecstasy.   Recognizing the signs in Cate’s increasingly frenetic vocalizations, Jon tried hard to control his release.  He wanted to climax with her, to share in her pleasure.  It was always so much better for him when they came together.

“Oh… Oh… OH!.. JON!... JON!.... JONNY!”  With each thrust Cate squealed, unable to contain herself any longer.

“Cate!  The… the party!…” Jon gasped, desperate to control himself as he attempted to quiet her.  “Shut up!”

Gasping as she nodded, Cate released her grip on the side of the ladder and grabbed for Jon.  He responded by lurching forward, fully covering her body with his.  Her arms wrapped around his torso, clutching him tight as he pounded her.

Jon snarled at the pleasure that built with every rapid stroke.  He felt Cate’s nails bite into his back as her walls clenched around him again, bringing him to the brink. 

“Baby…” Jon gasped.

Cate’s shriek in reply was muffled as she buried her face against Jon’s shoulder.  A rush of liquid heat engulfed him, sending him over the edge.  Jon pounded her in a final frenzy, gasping her name until his voice deserted him. 

His release was glorious.  It erupted inside her as she clung tightly to his torso, her own spasms rendering her helpless.  Jon clutched Cate tightly and slumped against her, pinning her to the ladder.  Together they gasped for oxygen, seeking to calm their racing pulses as they silently prayed for success in their labor of love.

Minutes or an eternity later, it was Cate who spoke first.

“Baby?  You okay?”

Jon pulled in a deep breath before raising his head.  He gave Cate a relieved smile and pressed a kiss to her forehead.  “Never better,” he sighed.  “You?”

Cate blinked at him for a moment.  “That was… well…”  She dropped her gaze to his chest as she smiled sheepishly.  “It hasn’t been like that in awhile, huh?”

“No,” Jon admitted softly.  He waited for her to look up at him, then gave Cate a tender smile.  “But we still got it, Baby.”

“Yeah.”  She nodded slowly and took a deep breath of her own.  “How… how long have we been in here?”

With a little groan Jon levered his torso away from Cate’s, raising his wrist to his view.  “Uh…  about a half-hour.”

“What?”  Cate’s eyes widened.  “Jon, the party!”  She pulled her hands from around Jon’s waist and pushed at his chest.  “Shit!  Everybody’s gonna be looking for us!  Get off me!”

“Okay, okay… calm down.”  Jon chortled at her alarm. “It’ll be fine.  We’ll give ‘em some bullshit excuse.”  He dropped his hand to stroke her cheek.  “But this was totally worth being called a lame party host, don’cha think?”

Cate looked into Jon’s gleaming blue eyes and melted.  She smiled gently, then nodded.  “Yeah.  It was.  But still… we have to get out of here and get back to our guests.”

Jon nodded.  “Okay.  But first… one more kiss.”

Cate giggled softly, then sighed as his mouth stroked over hers. 

“Merry Christmas, Baby,” Jon murmured against the kiss.

"Merry Christmas."

Jon pulled his face back from their tender nuzzle and gave Cate a little smirk.  “You gonna be able to climb off that ladder?”

“I think so.  My ass isn’t quite that big, to get stuck between the rungs.”  Cate’s sarcastic retort was playful.  “But you can be a gentleman and help me up.”

“You’re assuming I can move my own old ass.”

Cate chuckled and dropped her hand lower to give Jon’s bare cheek a light smack.  “I’ve seen you move that thing, Baby.  You can do it.”

“Oh, all right…”  Jon sighed dramatically and dropped one more gentle kiss against Cate’s mouth before bracing his hands on the ladder rails.  With a little grunt he separated his hips from hers, then stood upright.  He gave his wife a sweet smile and offered his hand.  “Your turn.”

“Gimme a second.”  Cate grimaced with discomfort as she felt the expected rush of warm, sticky fluid roll down her inner thighs to soak the tops of her stockings.  “Uh, Baby…”

“Oh, right.” Jon chortled at his wife’s comical expression.  “Sit tight, let me get you something.  There should be some towels somewhere in here…”

Tugging his jeans up over his ass and pushing his moist dick back into his briefs, Jon turned to stride over to the tasting bar.  He leaned down to rummage in a drawer under the small porcelain basin.

“Want me to wet it?” Jon asked as he waved a small woven dishcloth at Cate.

Cate shook her head as she tried to ignore the stickiness coating her thighs and creeping toward her knees.  “No.  Just give it here.”  She held out a demanding hand, signaling Jon to hurry.

He heeded her gesture, moving back to her and placing the cloth in her hand.  “I can help with that…”  The words were only half out of his mouth before Cate had swiped the cloth over her thighs and across her crotch.

“I got it,” she replied, a little more gently.  Her nose wrinkled again as she attempted to clean herself with the small square of fabric.  “This is all there is?”

Jon shrugged.  “Sorry.  Only thing that was in there.”  He took a step back and settled his behind against the edge of the farmhouse table.  Not bothering to button his shirt or fly, he crossed his arms over his perspiration-slicked chest.  Jon couldn’t help but smile amusedly as he watched Cate’s efforts to manage the aftermath of their encounter. 

With a little growl of frustration Cate dropped the soiled cloth to the stone floor.  “Shit.  How the Hell am I gonna make myself presentable enough to walk out of here?”  She raised a hand to push back a thick lock of loose auburn hair.  “I’m a fucking mess.”

Jon laughed softly.  “You are not.  Once you put your clothes back on you’ll look fine.”

Cate tugged at her hair, realizing her sleek updo was now in shambles.  “Jon, I must look like Hell!”

Jon's smile gentled as he regarded his wife.  She looked even sexier she had at the night's beginning.  Even ignoring her current state of semi-undress, it was clear that Cate had been doing something much more stimulating than playing hostess.

Her cheeks were flushed a delicate pink, her deep blue eyes sparkled, and her thick chestnut tresses hung in a wild tangle of waves down her satin-covered shoulders.  In the soft light of the cozy room she seemed to glow with contentment.

“You look beautiful.  Relaxed.  Satisfied.”  Jon allowed a note of smugness to slip into his tone. 

Cate’s heart squeezed at his reassurance, then she snorted softly at his subtle self-congratulation.  But she couldn’t stop a little grin from curving her lips. 

“Well thank you, Baby… But you’re full of shit.”  Cate carefully picked at the black fabric bunched around her waist, feeling for the hem.  “I’m going to have to figure out some way to get upstairs and get myself back in order.”  Succeeding in her search, she tugged her badly-wrinkled skirt downward over her legs, being careful to press her wet thighs together in an attempt to avoid staining the ebony crepe.

“So we’ll sneak you back through the kitchen.”  Jon tipped his head toward the room not far outside the pantry door.  As he glanced in that direction his earlier-abandoned wine glass caught his eye, reminding him of the catalyst for his successful ploy.

Pushing himself away from his perch against the table, Jon sauntered over to the refrigerator-sized cooler built into the wine pantry’s corner.  “You want some wine?  I’m gonna open a bottle while you get yourself together.”

“No thanks.”  Cate snorted.  “What about you?  You just gonna go back out and greet your friends and neighbors with your pants hanging open?”  She rearranged her breasts back inside her bra before tugging the halves of her blouse together.

Jon grinned cheerfully as he turned to face Cate, making a show of buttoning and zipping his black denim jeans.  “See there?  All ready to go.”

Cate rolled her eyes but chuckled at his gleeful taunt.  “What about your shirt?”  She pushed the last blouse button through its hole and smoothed her hands over her satin-covered abdomen.

“The ladies like it when I leave it open.”  Jon winked and turned to tug open the cooler door.  He grinned at his wife's mumbled “Oh Puh-lease!” while he selected a white-labeled bottle of pale wine and stepped over to the wine bar.  Within seconds he had skillfully extracted the cork and poured himself a fresh glass. 

With a smug grin Jon turned to face Cate, leaning back against the wine bar as he took a sip.  He rolled the liquid across his tongue as he watched Cate attempt to tame her unruly locks.  She was still sitting on the rung of the ladder where she had reclined during their escapade, both hands raised this time to tidy her appearance rather than in submission to his command.

"Mmmm... P.G."  Jon chortled, knowing Cate would catch the double meaning of the initials denoting the type of wine.  "My very favorite."

"I'm sure..."  Cate's reply was cut short by the loud click of the wine pantry door's latch.

“…It’s one we stock at the restaurant.  Hang on, I’ll grab it.  I know he’s got a few bottles…”

Cate and Jon both froze at the familiar voice.  They exchanged a wide-eyed look, then Cate hissed out a swear as she jumped up from her ladder-rung seat, letting her hair tumble from her grasp down her shoulders.  She frantically smoothed her hands over her skirt, trying in vain to rub away the wrinkles.

“Shit!”  Matt gasped, visibly jumping before halting in his tracks just inside the pantry door.  His eyes widened as they swung from Cate to Jon.  “What the fuck?”  He blew out a breath and shook his head.  “Man, you guys about gave me a heart attack!”

“That’s what you get for raiding my wine cellar, Little Brother.”  Jon grinned smugly and took a drink from his glass.

“Yeah, yeah.  It’s wine I gave you, and I’ll get you more.  Nicky wants to try it.”  Recovered from his startle, Matt stepped further into the pantry.  He leaned down to pull a bottle from a bin, then straightened.

Matt turned to give his brother a suspicious look.  “What the fuck are you doing in here, anyway?  People are asking me where you went.”

“I needed a refill.” Jon answered smoothly.  He shot a smirk in Cate’s direction, betraying his lie.

Matt followed Jon’s glance, for the first time noticing his sister-in-law’s disheveled state.  He looked back to Jon, realizing his brother was bare-chested, his black dress shirt hanging immodestly open.   He smirked.

“Ahh,” Matt observed knowingly.  “I see.

Jon shrugged and grinned at his youngest sibling.  “It’s a Christmas party.  Mistletoe.”

Matt looked up, scanning the wooden beams that crossed the wine pantry’s ceiling.  “I don’t see any mistletoe.”  He gave Cate a cheerful wink.

“I… um…”  Cate took a deep breath, willing her blush to subside.  She smoothed her hands again over her skirt.  “I need to run upstairs and fix my hair.  I’ll be back down in a few minutes.”

“Alright, Baby.  I’ll cover for ya.”  Jon pushed himself away from the wine bar ledge and strolled over to where Cate stood.  He raised a hand to tuck an auburn lock behind her ear.  “But you should leave it down.  I like it like that.”  He dipped his head to brush a kiss across her swollen lips.

Cate smiled, relieved that Jon wasn’t going to tease her in front of his youngest brother.  She knew she had no reason to be embarrassed; she and Jon were married and in their own home.  What they chose to do was their own business.  It wasn’t like Matt had caught them in the act.  Besides, he was family.

But still, she couldn’t wait to escape.

“I’ll be down soon.”  Cate promised.  She turned and gave Matt a sheepish smile as she hurried past him and bolted down the short hall toward the kitchen and the staircase beyond.

Matt chuckled and shook his head as he watched his sister-in-law depart.  With a sly grin he turned back to his big brother.  “Mistletoe?  That’s the best you got?”

Jon shrugged and took another gulp from his glass.  “It’s Christmas,” he repeated.

Jon gave his little brother a cheeky grin before stepping forward and draping an arm around his shoulders, turning him toward the wine pantry door.  “I’ll be back out in a couple minutes.  Gotta take a leak first.”

“You might wanna get dressed, too,” Matt pointed out, waving a hand at Jon’s torso.

“Yeah, yeah.  Cover for me, okay?”

“What’s your story?”

“I dunno.   Tell ‘em I was upstairs on an urgent call from the Foundation or the White House or some shit.”

“What about Cate?  She have an urgent National Security call too?”  Matt’s gleeful sarcasm made Jon snort.

“She had to go upstairs and change.   Fuck, I don’t know… She got a snag in her stocking or something.”  Jon tipped the glass to his lips again.

“Sure that’s not a shag she got in her stockings?” the younger Bongiovi brother wisecracked.  He laughed as Jon choked on his mouthful of wine, sputtering breathlessly for a moment before managing to swallow.

Matt slapped Jon between his shoulder blades.  “Breathe, Idiot.  Mom will kill me if I let you choke to death.”

“Ha ha.” Jon gasped.  He coughed and cleared his throat, then grinned.  “Jesus.  With a brother like you, who needs enemies?”

“That’s why I’m your Chief of Security.”

“Great.”  Jon rolled his eyes, then gave Matt an affectionate slap on the back.  “Alright, Chief.  Go do your job.  Come up with some cock-and-bull story to cover for your rock star boss, who was backstage shagging a hot redhead when he shoulda been out front performing.”  He guided Matt to the door.

“About damned time I got to do something rock-and-roll like that.  I missed all the real fun, back in the Eighties.”  Matt grinned and gave Jon a light punch in the gut.  “Now go clean up.  You’re wearing your wife's lipstick.”

*****

Cate took a deep breath and stepped in front of the full-length mirror.  It had taken her almost fifteen minutes, but she had managed to pull herself back together well enough that she looked almost like she did at the beginning of the evening.

The only exception was her hairdo.  Unable to resist Jon’s suggestion, she had left her hair down, flowing in soft chestnut waves over her shoulders.  At least she had managed to brush and somewhat tame it with her curling iron.

She had stripped completely down the second she hit the bedroom door, tossing her sex-soiled stockings directly into the trash and her panties and bra into the hamper.  Having no time for a shower, Cate had done the best she could with a wet washcloth, towel, and body spray.  Now, with her hastily-ironed skirt and blouse covering clean underwear and nylons, and her touched-up makeup, she felt refreshed.

Only the contented gleam in her blue eyes betrayed her naughty secret.

With a little smile at her reflection, Cate turned for the door.  She would slink down the back stairs and hopefully slip into the crowd without calling attention to herself.   When she stepped out into the hall, though, what she heard made her hesitate.

The music floated up through the open two-story foyer, the piano and voices accentuated by laughter and good-natured cheers.  Cate smiled as she heard Jon’s unmistakable Elvis croon, followed by Johnny’s bluesy rasp.  Jon had warned her that this party would eventually turn into a singalong, though she hadn’t expected it so early.

Cate stood and listened for a long moment, until finally she was drawn to the music.  Rather than turning away from it and heading down the long hall that led to the back of the house, she stepped toward the top of the grand staircase.  With a smile Cate slowly started down the long, curving descent to the front foyer.

She reached the bottom step just as the song ended, followed by a raucous cheers and applause.  Cate crossed the foyer to the wide arched doorway of the front parlor, where Jon’s grand piano sat in the center of the ornate room.  He was there, seated on the bench in front of the keys, surrounded by a clutch of smiling guests and flanked by his friend and mentor.  More partygoers mingled in clusters around the room, engaged in conversation and holding drinks and plates.

Cate paused in the doorway, watching him.  Immediately his eyes found her, as easily as if her arrival had been announced.  They shared a smile, then Jon gave her a wink before turning to scan the crowd.

“Stevie! ”  Jon craned his neck to look around the room.  “Where’d Steve go?”

“Probably to the can,” Johnny announced boozily.  “What the Hell you need him for?”

“Nothin’.”  Jon shook his head and grinned.  “Just wanted to warn him what I’m gonna do.”

“Whatchoo about to do?” Johnny parroted.

“I’m gonna play a song he might know.”  Jon grinned and looked back at Cate.  His fingers moved over the keys, making the piano sing out a combination of bluesy chords.  “And Lord knows there were never truer words than these.”

"Awwww Brothah. You got that right."  Johnny agreed sagely, recognizing the tune underlying Jon's keywork.  He nodded vigorously before taking a long slurp from the whiskey glass in his hand.  "You sing it, Kid.  For that fine woman o' yours."

“C’mere, Baby.”  Jon tossed his head, beckoning Cate to join the group at the piano.  He gave her a sexy grin as he started to play the introduction to Bruce's rollicking ode.

At Jon’s bidding Cate moved closer, the crowd willingly parting to allow her to sidle up to the baby grand near Jon.  He puckered his lips in a playful simulated kiss before turning back to inform the spectators of his dedication.

“This one’s for my Girl.”

Well.... Brunettes are fine, man
Blondes are fun
But when it comes to getting a dirty job done
I'll take a red-headed woman
A red-headed woman.
It takes a red-headed woman to get a dirty job done.

Jon gave Cate a gleeful wink and a beaming grin before continuing his rendition in a sultry Elvis croon.

Well, listen up Stud
Your life's been wasted
'Til you've got down on your knees and tasted
A red-headed woman
A red-headed woman
It takes a red-headed woman to get a dirty job done.

Cate felt her cheeks heat at the naughty  lyric, one that was especially apropos given their activities of the past hour.  Her womb gave a little twinge as the vision of Jon on his knees before her flashed through her mind.  She couldn't stop a satisfied smile from curving her lips as her eyes locked with her husband's.  He smirked back, reading her mind.

Tight skirt, strawberry hair
Tell me what you've got baby, waiting under there.
Big blue eyes that look like, Son
They can see every cheap thing that you ever done.

With another wink and a roguish grin Jon gave his head a little toss before turning to address the crowd with his last lyric.  Cate laughed softly and rolled her eyes, enjoying her husband's playful showmanship.

Well, I don't know how many girls you dated, man
But you ain't lived 'til you've had your tires rotated
By a red-headed woman
A red-headed woman
It takes a red-headed woman to get a dirty job done.

It takes a red-headed woman to get a dirty job done
.

He ended the song with a flourish and final wink for Cate.  As the partygoers cheered his performance, Jon’s gaze again met his wife's.  His heart swelled as he saw in the deep sapphire pools what had been absent for so long.

Happiness. 

Cate’s hand slipped to flatten against her stomach, silently communicating their shared hope as she exchanged a tender smile with Jon.  Through the noisy chatter of the celebration he mouthed the message that made her heart smile.

“I Love You, Baby.  Merry Christmas.”

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

TWENTY-FOUR

A purr of approval rumbled deep in Cate’s throat.  Knowing he had her, Jon grinned and nuzzled against her ear.  His warm breath on her skin made Cate quiver again.

“But this door doesn’t lock,” she pointed out.

“So?  Nobody’s gonna come in here.  There’s plenty of booze out at the party.”   Jon’s fingers adeptly slipped the button on Cate’s blouse through its hole, then moved downward to the next one.  He pulled her earlobe lightly between his teeth, making her gasp.

“And… there’s a kitchen full of people… about a… hundred feet away.”  Cate’s weak protest was a breathy murmur.  “They could hear us.”

“So don’t scream so loud.”  Jon nipped a little harder at her ear as the corners of his mouth curved with his wicked reply.  He undid a second button and slipped his hand inside her blouse.  Cate whimpered as Jon’s fingers tunneled into the curved cup of her bra, the calluses on their tips gently abrading her warm flesh.

“But…”

Jon released Cate’s ear from his teeth with a gentle pull, then raised his head.  His eyes locked with hers in a smoldering glare of want.  Jon smirked devilishly, seeing her answer in the swirling midnight pools.  His reply came in the soft, honey-whiskey croon she couldn’t deny. 

“You’re right, Baby.  It is dangerous.  We could get caught.” 

Jon’s fingertips closed around Cate’s nipple, making her squeak.  He ground his hips against hers, letting loose his own husky gasp of arousal at the welcome pressure on his full-on erection.   Jon felt Cate’s knees slip a little further apart, straining the seams of her form-fitting skirt.

“Uhhh…. Uh huh…”  Cate gasped out her agreement just before her mouth closed over Jon’s.  He chuckled throatily as her tongue pushed past his teeth and wound around his. 

Curving his body away from hers, Jon withdrew his hand from Cate’s breast and returned it to meet the other at her middle.  He fumbled to unfasten the last two buttons of her blouse as they shared the heated kiss.  When her blouse slipped open Jon slid his palms around Cate’s waist, bracketing her sides.  His knuckles, shielded by the deep blue satin, rubbed against the sides of the ladder.

“Mmmm… Jonny….” Cate cooed as she slid her hands from his back.  Mirroring his motions, she quickly worked the buttons of her lover’s dress shirt, opening the halves to expose his hard, warm chest.  Without missing a beat Cate’s fingers moved to Jon’s waist, popping the button through the hole and tugging down his zipper.

Jon sucked in a sharp breath as Cate’s hand tunneled into his fly, her palm curving over his rigid shaft.  “Fuck, Baby…” he swore delightedly, then growled a chuckle.  “Throwing caution to the wind, huh?” 

Cate shrugged and gave him a conspiratorial smirk.  “Sometimes a little danger’s a turn-on.”  She gave Jon’s cock a firm squeeze before pulling her hand away and trailing a burgundy-tipped nail up his midline to his chest.  Cate’s eyes dropped to her fingers as they toyed with the silver charms nested in the soft fur between his pecs.

“Yeah, I know,”  Jon chortled evilly.  “Didn’t take me long to uncover that dirty little secret of yours.”  His hands glided down the curve of Cate’s waist to her hips, over the sleek high waist of her skirt.  “Speaking of uncovering secrets…”

It was Cate’s turn to inhale sharply as she felt Jon’s fingers curl against her hips, scrunching the side seams of her skirt between them.  His fingertips drummed against the tops of her thighs as Jon gathered the wool crepe into his hands, inching her skirt higher and higher. 

When the hem cleared the top of her stockings, exposing bare flesh, Jon groaned.   He couldn’t resist dropping his gaze to take in the sexy sight.  There was that sensual contrast, of smoky sheer against creamy, firm flesh.  Jon’s cock surged, recognizing what it sought lay just inches above the titillating strip of flesh and lace.   

Jon raised his gleaming indigo eyes back to Cate’s as a sexy smirk stretched his lips.  “What’s she wearing tonight?” he wondered in a throaty croon.  “Satin? Lace? Or….”  The fingertips of Jon’s right hand slowly trailed along the top of Cate’s stocking, barely brushing her flesh. “…Nothing at all?”

“Mmmm…  Why don’t you find out?”  Cate’s invitation was a coy purr.  She smirked back at Jon as he held her gaze while his fingertips inched up her thigh, under the bunched swath of her skirt.

Oooooh….” Jon growled his delight at the amount of bare flesh his touch traversed, crossing Cate’s hip.  “Whatever it is… it ain’t much.”

Cate let out a husky giggle at his observation, then sighed softly when she felt his fingers slip under the thin strap of lacy elastic stretched above the point of her hip.  Her sigh turned to a soft groan as his touch traveled along the line and under the tiny triangle covering her crotch.  Her legs parted further, welcoming his exploration.  This time her evening wear wasn’t an impediment.

He turned his hand over to curve his palm over Cate’s smooth mound, a middle finger slipping easily into her warm, desire-slickened slit.  “Fuck, Baby… you’re already so wet…” Jon crooned, his darkening eyes still locked with hers.  His cock jumped eagerly at his tactile and verbal observation.

Cate let out a soft moan as the pressure of Jon’s finger against her clit made her womb throb with want.  “All your fault…” she murmured breathily.

“I’ll gladly take that blame…” Jon rubbed his hand over Cate’s mound and leaned into to swallow her squeak of delight with his kiss.  “Shhhh….” He murmured against her lips.  “Remember… there are a whole buncha people just down the hall….” His smirk was audible in his scold.

“Dammit…” Cate swore breathily.  She reached again for Jon’s crotch, eager to reciprocate.

“Uh uh, Baby…. Shhh.”  Jon turned his hips partially away from her hand, thwarting her attempt.  He pulled his face back from Cate’s and gave her a sexy-stern look.  “Not yet.”

“But Jonny…”  Cate protested as she tried again, this time looping her fingers inside the slack waist of his jeans.

He swiftly released his clutch on her skirt and captured Cate’s wrist in a firm grasp.  Jon grinned mischievously as he saw her sapphire eyes spark with indignation at his controlling move.  For good measure, with his other hand he gave her mound another rub.  Again Cate squeaked at the sensation of his finger dragging over the sensitive nub of flesh between her slick folds. 

“Shhh.”  Jon commanded again.  He tugged her hand upward, over her head, and pressed it against the side of the sleek wooden ladder.  “Not yet, Baby.  Relax.”  He smirked devilishly as he felt Cate’s hand curl around the ladder’s rung above her head, bolstering her position.  “There.” 

The flash of raw lust in Jon’s gaze made Cate acquiesce.  As much as she was his strong-willed match in life, she couldn’t resist him when he took charge of their passionate encounters. 

She also knew how to further encourage him.  Cate’s full lips curved into a sultry pout as she slowly raised her other arm over her head.  Her fingers curled around the rung beside their mates, securing her grasp and silently signaling her submission.

Oh yeah.  Keep your hands there.”  Jon groaned his approval.  “Don’t move.”

His gaze raked down Cate’s satin-sheathed arms, to the softly-glinting strand of black pearls that circled her slender throat.  Immediately his eyes dipped to the swell of her creamy breasts, showcased by her black satin-and-lace push-up bra and revealed by the parted halves of her blouse.  Jon growled again as he spied the dusky top of Cate’s areola, her nipple only half-contained by its satiny cup as Cate’s chest rose and fell with her labored breaths of arousal.

Don’t move,” Jon repeated huskily.  He leaned in, his lips immediately finding the sensitive spot on the side of her neck.  He felt Cate’s arms tense even as she tipped her head to accommodate his mouth.  She whimpered softly but didn’t protest.

Jon growled happily against Cate’s flesh as he nibbled and sucked his way to the curve of her shoulder.  He nudged aside the collar of her blouse with his nose before pausing to pull in a deep breath.  The floral spice of her favorite perfume mingled with the pheromones of impending sex flooded his senses.  He responded primally, a surge of arousal making his cock strain against its thin binding.

God, Baby… you smell so good…”

Mmm… so do you…”  Cate turned her head just enough to feel Jon’s soft shag against her face.  She smiled contentedly as she breathed in the aroma of his hair and cologne and masculinity.  Her eyes drifted closed as she let the stimulating scent wash over her.

Jon replied with a soft chuckle as his lips moved again, traveling along the vee of Cate’s collarbone toward the notch at the base of her throat.  He paused again when his progress was impeded by the strand of pearls resting against her skin.  With another husky chortle Jon closed his teeth over the necklace and gently tugged.

Cate gasped softly, then chuckled at his playfulness.  “Baby… Be careful.  Don’t scratch my pearls with your teeth.  They were my wedding present, remember?”  Her scold was gentle.

“I remember.”  Jon smiled as he released the precious strand from his mouth, letting it fall back against her flesh.  He raised his head, taking in the sight of the dark gems against her passion-tinged skin.  “They look even more beautiful on you now.” 

Cate chortled softly in reply, her eyes remaining closed.  Above her head, her fingers relaxed and re-tightened around the ladder rung in anticipation of Jon’s next move. 

She whimpered softly when she felt his hand slip from its welcome spot inside her panties.  The hem of her now-released skirt drifted a bit downward, though the bulk of the soft fabric remained bunched around Cate’s hips.

“Don’t worry…” Jon soothed her in a sultry coo.  “Just for a minute.”  He smiled as he saw one long-lashed sapphire eye crack open in response, then close again.  He couldn’t resist adding a little tease.  “Unless somebody walks in on us, anyway.”

“Fuck ‘em,” Cate murmured hoarsely.  “C’mon, Baby.”  Again her grip on the ladder rung tightened and slackened as another wave of desire rolled through her.  She shifted impatiently on her ladder-rung seat, her heels clicking quietly against the stone floor as she fidgeted.

She was more than willing to do this Jon’s way, but he could dispense with the foreplay.  He had her right where he wanted her; she wasn’t going to back out now.  Cate wanted this illicit rendezvous as much as he did.  Maybe even more.

Jon chuckled again at his wife’s response to his tease.  It was apparent she was past the point of demure caution.  He was glad to see the return of her naughty, more adventurous side.  With all they had dealt with over the past few weeks, their sex life hadn’t exactly been spicy.

That was clearly not the case tonight.

“What’s the hurry?” Jon queried smoothly as he raised both hands to cover Cate’s breasts, his palms matching the curve of the satin cups barely containing them.  His fingers contracted in a gentle squeeze, then splayed open.  As his hands turned his thumbs slipped inside Cate’s bra, sliding under her breasts and popping them free of their constraints.  He hummed appreciatively at the revelation of her dusky, puckered nipples.

Cate growled softly with frustration, both sexual and conversational.  “We do have to get back out there, you know.  Sooner or later somebody’s gonna come looking for us.”  She paused at his quiet, self-satisfied chortle, then slowly opened her eyes.  Cate gave Jon a searing gaze of lust, one that made her message crystal-clear.  “And I want you, Baby.  Now.”

The ferocity in her low snarl and the intensity in her sapphire stare almost made Jon crumble.  Almost.

He smirked wickedly at her demand, knowing she didn’t expect him to give in so easily.  “In the words of The Stones, Baby… You can’t… always… get… what you wa-hant.”  He crooned the lyric in a low, sexy half-growl.  “But Baby… I’m gonna give you what you need.”

With that he dropped his hands to the ladder’s side rails, on either side of Cate’s waist.  Leaning in to capture her mouth for a brief but savage kiss, Jon slid his feet backward, balancing himself and supporting his weight with his arms.  The soles of his boots made a soft scrape along the limestone floor as he dragged his mouth away from Cate’s and down her neck. 

He bypassed her necklace but stopped for a rough suckle at one peaked nipple, making Cate yelp with surprise.  With another wicked chortle Jon moved his mouth back to her middle.  As Jon slowly lowered himself to kneel between Cate’s feet, his lips slid downward over her flat abdomen, stopping at the bunched waist of her skirt. 

Once he was settled, his hands curved over Cate’s thighs and moved upward, this time pushing her hem up to fully expose her skimpy panties.  Jon raised his face to give Cate a smug little smirk as his fingers wrapped around the tops of her thighs and gently squeezed.  “Up,” he commanded.

Cate’s lips parted at his order, but she didn’t protest.  Gazing wide-eyed down at her defiant husband, she carefully raised her behind off the ladder’s rung, allowing him to push the skirt high enough to bare her cheeks.  She gasped softly when she felt the smooth wooden rung against her bare skin.  Cate’s grip on the plank above her head tightened again, both to steady her movement and in opposition to her instinct to drag Jon back up from his knees.

Jon pulled in a deep breath as he took a pause to appreciate the vision of erotic beauty before him.  His eyes raised to Cate’s hands, clenched around the wooden rung above her head, her burgundy nails shining like garnets in the dim light.  Just below them Cate’s glorious mahogany hair glowed softly, its twist still loosely intact, keeping the majority of her thick locks off her shoulders.  A few strands had escaped the updo and hung in soft copper tendrils beside Cate’s cheeks.  They looked like tongues of flame against the backdrop of Cate’s midnight blue satin sleeves, her upraised arms bracketing her passion-lit face. 

The blue satin also flowed down Cate’s sides, curtaining her exposed chest and belly.  Bisecting her torso, the crumpled band of black satin and lace pushed her breasts upward, placing her dusky nipples on prominent display.  Just above the ebony swath of fabric wrapping her waist, a small diamond stud glittered at the top of Cate’s navel, reflecting the soft light of their sexy surroundings.

And below that…

Jon unconsciously licked his lips as his gaze dropped lower.  Beneath the swath of black fabric was a vision straight out of schoolboy fantasies.

Through the sheer black lace of Cate’s tiny bikini thong Jon could see the dark line of her slit, bracketed by a narrow strip of dark mahogany fur.  The part of her thighs revealed the spot where the lace disappeared against the shadow of her womanhood, the tiny vertical strap of her thong invisible between her cheeks.    

The insides of Cate’s creamy thighs quivered softly under Jon’s examination, her muscles clenched as they held her brace against the ladder and steadied her balance on her high heels.  Just a hand’s width from her hip her stockings’ lace bands topped the smoky nylons that sheathed her long legs, all the way down to her black patent stilettos. 

Jon’s mouth curved into a wry smile as he silently lamented the absence of sexy lace garters.  “But this’ll do…” he murmured to himself before raising his gaze back up to meet Cate’s.  He gave her a sultry smile, then leaned in.

OH!” Cate yelped at the feel of Jon’s mouth on her, over top of the lace.  She was immediately admonished with a long “SHHHHH….”  from her husband.  Jon’s hot exhalation against her mound made her bite back another shrill squeak.    

“Oh… Jonny!  What… what are you doing?”  Cate panted as she squirmed on the ladder.    

Jon chortled evilly, then dragged his tongue hard against Cate’s lace-cloaked slit before answering.  “Do I really have to explain?”

“No… but…”  Cate shifted against her ladder-rung seat, instinctively tipping her pelvis toward Jon’s mouth.  “But… this isn’t how… how to make a… baby…”

“Don’t worry.”  Jon pressed a kiss against Cate’s mound.  “We’ll get there.  Soon.”  He nuzzled at the private flesh between Cate’s thighs, then sucked the elastic band between his teeth. With a playful growl he pulled it away from her flesh and released it.  He chuckled wickedly as she jumped at the light snap against her skin.

“But… but Baby…”  Cate was unable to finish her protest as a wave of lustful dizziness assaulted her.  She let her weight sink against the ladder, her head tipping back as her eyes closed. 

“That’s it, Baby… Relax.  You deserve to enjoy this, too.”  Jon’s encouraging croon filled her ears, making her mouth curve slightly in agreement.  “Don’t worry, I’ll get to the baby-making part in a few minutes.  I wanna do this for you first.” 

Jon’s hands slipped around the sides of Cate’s thighs, his thumbs looping up and under the elastic of her panties.  “Besides… you taste delicious.  Even better than that dessert.”

Jon’s wicked chuckle sent a bolt of want straight to Cate’s core.  She felt her thighs shudder again as the soles of her feet started to tingle.  Christ, he had barely even started and already she was about to go off.

“I.. I dunno…” Cate gasped, trying desperately to stay lucid.  “Raspberries and chocolate…”

“Trust me, Baby.  You’re sweeter.  Tangier.  Like my wine.”  He chortled to himself as the pun flashed in his mind.  “My favorite vintage.  Pussy Grigio.”

Cate let out a strangled little laugh at Jon’s dirty joke, then gasped loudly as again she felt his tongue swipe over her panties.  “Oh Christ, Jonny…”

Jon tugged at Cate’s panties, pulling the straps past the point of her hips.  He frowned as he realized that, with Cate’s position against the ladder, they were going to be an awkward challenge to remove.  He could easily snap the elastic and drag them from her body, but he didn’t really want to ruin the sexy little garment.

So he’d just work around them.

Jon shrugged to himself and glanced up at Cate’s face.  He saw that her head was turned to the side, her flushed cheek nestled against her satin-clad arm, her eyes closed, and her lips parted.  The movement had loosened her updo, and a thick strand of chestnut hair snaked down along her neck.  Cate's chest heaved with shallow pants of anticipation, her tightly-dimpled breasts rising and falling rapidly. 

A powerful surge in his groin reminded Jon of his own needs.  With a soft grunt he turned his attention back to Cate.  The swipe of a thumb pushed aside the lacy front of her panties, removing the barrier between his mouth and her mound.

He dipped his head toward her, sliding his tongue slowly though her sweet, syrupy slit.  Jon chuckled to himself as he realized she really did taste like his wine… sweet and tangy and intoxicating.

Jon’s humming chuckle against her made Cate squeak.  Automatically she arched against him, demanding more.  Jon moaned softly in response, savoring the taste and feel of her slick folds of flesh.  His hands moved from Cate's hips to her thighs, closing over her lacy stocking-bands.  His fingers tightened against her flesh as she opened her thighs more to encourage him.

Ohhhhhh…… Oh Baaaaaaby….” Cate moaned.  Her climax was building, the buzzing intensifying in her extremities and in her head.  She ached for release, but she so wanted to savor the exquisite sensations Jon’s skillful ministrations were evoking.

Relax, Baby…” Jon crooned against her.  “Just let it happen…”  His tongue delved inside her, then slipped upward to circle the tight, swollen bud of her clitoris.

OH!  My GOD!” Cate shrieked.  She immediately sucked her lower lip between her teeth and bit down, trying to prevent herself from crying out again as shockwaves of pleasure rocketed through her body. 

“Easy, Cate…” Jon warned gently, grinning at her sudden, loud outburst.  “You don’t want us to get caught, remember?” 

“Baby… please…”  As she gasped out the request, Cate raised her left foot to hook her high heel over the lowest rung of the ladder.  The bend in her knee allowed her to further open herself to him, a silent plea for continuation.

Her subtle demand had its intended effect.  “Oh, Christ, Cate…” Jon growled as another powerful surge of urgent want almost doubled him over.  He felt his cock straining against his briefs, and his balls stretched with their fullness.  Even though he had the benefit of a few glasses of liquid relaxation in his system, he wasn’t sure how much longer he would last. 

Again he lowered his mouth to her, this time not seeking to tease.  He groaned as he buried his tongue inside her, her syrupy sweetness coating his lips and teeth.   With another strangled shriek Cate started to writhe against him, bucking her hips forward to meet his mouth.

Jon’s tongue rasped over Cate’s tender flesh, burning her with each stroke.  He smiled as he heard a familiar but long-absent tone, a soft keening from deep in Cate’s throat.  It was a purr like that of a contented tigress, a unique note of arousal that he had heard their first night together.  It had been far too long since he had been able to evoke that throaty tone from her.

Jon glanced up at Cate and saw that her hands were still clenched around the ladder-rung above her, but she had raised her head.  Her eyes were wide with desire, swirling sapphire and midnight as she watched him devour her.  

The affection and desire in Jon’s indigo gaze made Cate let go.  Her keening purr gained full throat as the wonderful, chaotic sensations rushed over her. Her head fell back against the ladder as again her back arched.  “Jon… Oh, Jonny… I’m… I need you…” she pleaded hoarsely.

Jon’s reply was a grunt as he thrusted his tongue deep inside her, then dragged it broadly upward.  He heard a low wail of need tear from Cate’s throat as his tongue flickered around her clit, sending fiery fingers of sensation vibrating around the tight bundle of nerves.  His hands tightened around her thighs, grasping her roughly and forcing her back.  He pinned her hard against the ladder, making her hold still so he could complete his task.

“Jonny!  Oh!… JON!”  Cate’s throaty wail dissolved into a long moan as the flames of pleasure raced to her womb, detonating in a blinding explosion of release.  Cate’s head thrashed from side to side as her upper body arched fully off the ladder and her lower body strained against Jon’s mouth.

Mmmmmfff… Oh… Baby….” Jon’s senses exploded with the heat that surrounded him, with the juices that flowed from her.  He lapped eagerly at her sweetness, fully tasting the passion he had milked from her.  His heart clenched with pride that he had been able to give her this small gift, this simple base pleasure, after all she had done for him. 

Feeling her body slump against the wooden ladder, Jon raised his face to look up at Cate.  A smile of relief turned the corners of her pretty mouth, and her cheeks were flush with exertion.   Long strands of copper and mahogany hair tumbled down over her shoulders and bare chest, having escaped her now-messy half-updo.  Her breasts heaved enticingly as she reclined against the ladder, panting.  Still in obeyance of his earlier command, Cate’s hands curled loosely around the rung above her head.

The sexy vision sent a jolt to Jon’s cock, reminding him of his own body’s demands.   With a soft groan Jon sat back on his heels and swiped a hand over his sex-slicked mouth.  Cate’s husky rasp verbalized his thoughts.

“Jonny… Now.”