by Louise Hall
It was torturous lying in their cold, empty bed knowing that Kian was probably naked just on the other side of the wall. She shifted restlessly trying to get comfortable. As she flopped face-down on the bed, her tingling nipples rubbed deliciously against her cotton t-shirt. Cate felt a tightening in her belly. She checked the cover was pulled up to her chin and then slowly slid the tips of her fingers inside her pyjama bottoms. After her freak-out the previous night, she needed to know if she could still get turned-on. She was surprised to find that she was slick between her legs and gently parted her flesh. She jumped a little, the headboard banging against the wall, as her thumb brushed over her tender, swollen clit.
Kian lay in the cold, empty bed in the guest room, trying really hard not to think about his wife’s gentle curves on the other side of the wall. He heard a knock behind his head but told himself he was hearing things. Still, his hand trailed down his stomach to his heavy cock.
Cate buried her face in the pillow, muffling her cries, as she slid two fingers inside her pussy. Even though she didn’t want to have sex with him, she couldn’t stop herself from imagining that it was his fingers stroking so intimately between her legs.
Kian heard what he thought was a muffled cry and quickly shook his head. He was so fucking horny he was obviously imagining things. He tugged at his cock, thinking about Cate sucking him off. In his fantasy, she took him so deep that her soft, pink lips closed around the base. He tilted her head back, her inky-black hair fanning out across the crisp white sheets. Cate looked up at him through those long, black eyelashes. She looked at him and then swallowed, the back of her throat rippling against the head of his swollen cock.
Kian heard another cry and flung back the covers, the cool air hitting his painfully hard erection. He opened the door to the guest bedroom and tiptoed along the corridor. He was almost there when he bumped into something soft and warm. Kian looked into his wife’s sparkling black eyes; there was no mistaking the heat of her desire.
She reached down and wrapped her gentle hand around his cock. “I’m sorry.”
Kian lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder, carrying her back to their bedroom.
“I can’t…” Cate said quietly. “I don’t think I can make love but we can do other things…?”
Kian dropped her on the mattress and quickly stripped off her clothes. He lay down next to her but with his head next to her sex. He planted soft, gentle kisses at the juncture of her thighs and then rolled on to his back, bringing Cate with him. “Kian?” she gasped as he parted her legs over his face, his hand pushing down on her bottom.
In the darkness, she could see the tip of his cock was already leaking. As his tongue dragged over the slick, intimate flesh between her legs, Cate took the swell of his cock into her mouth and sucked, licking him clean. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” Cate said, letting his cock slip out of her mouth so she could kiss his tight balls.
Kian chuckled; the gentle vibrations making her writhe even more desperately against his face. “You want me to stop, angel?”
“No,” Cate cried.
“Good,” Kian spanked her bottom lightly.
After they’d both orgasmed, they lay in bed sweaty and exhausted. “Are you going to tell me why you freaked out yesterday?”
Cate was glad that it was dark so he couldn’t see her blush, “sex scares me.”
“What?”
Cate tried to sit up, “I knew you wouldn’t understand.”
Kian wrapped his arms around her back, holding her still, “talk to me, angel.”
“After the miscarriage and the sex tape, I don’t feel… I guess I don’t feel safe anymore.”
“I’ve had the final sperm count test and it was zero. I won’t get you pregnant again, angel.”
“It’s not just that.”
“It wasn’t us on that tape, Cate.”
“I know but it could have been. There could easily have been hidden cameras at the Cabaret.”
“We’ll be more careful in future. No more sex in semi-public places.” Cate swatted his chest. “It’s not funny.”
She folded her arms across his chest, “if we can’t have sex anymore, what’s going to happen to us?”
“You won’t always feel like this,” Kian tried to reassure her. “It’s been a shitty couple of weeks but it’s over now.”
“What if I do?” Cate felt her throat constrict with panic. “What if I flinch every time you try and touch me? Would you leave me? You said that sex is really important to you.”
Kian frowned, “I said that sex with you is really important to me. I’m not going anywhere.”
Kian reached for her hand and pressed it against the tattoo on his pectoral. “When we first got together on that Christmas Eve, what do you think the odds were that we’d still be together after all these years? We’ve got three beautiful children. Our relationship has already weathered infidelity and prenatal depression, five fucking months living on separate continents. We can get through the miscarriage and sex tape.”
“Besides, if we can’t have full-blown sex for a while then it will just give me the opportunity to be more creative in how I give you your orgasms, angel.”
Cate giggled, “I’m sorry for being such a freak.”
“What?” Kian pretended that he hadn’t heard her. “I wasn’t listening.” He exaggerated licking his lips, “I was too busy thinking about your pussy.”
“Kian!” Cate swatted him again. She wiggled her hips trying to get rid of the sparking heat between her legs.
CHAPTER 19
“Are you sure about this?” Cate asked Ruby. She was in one of the stalls of the ladies’ toilets at the gym; it was the only place she could think of where the all-male camera crew wouldn’t follow her. It was after ten pm but because she’d missed training on Monday, she was going to be at the studio until at least the early hours of the morning to catch up.
Declan had given her a fifteen-minute break while he worked through a tricky piece of choreography so she’d taken the opportunity to phone Ruby and make sure she was a hundred percent OK with what they’d decided. Tomorrow morning, their lawyers were going to put out a statement confirming that the couple in the sex tape definitely wasn’t Cate and Kian. It should have been obvious to whoever was trying to sell the tape; Kian had tattoos on his side and pectoral muscle whereas the man on the tape (Nico) didn’t. As a professional footballer, he’d been photographed countless times with his top off.
“I’m certain,” Ruby said firmly. “Hopefully, once whoever’s got the tape realises that it isn’t you and Kian, it will go away.”
“Hopefully,” Cate crossed her fingers. “Have you found out anything more about how they even got the footage of you and Nico?”
“The lawyers think that my computer might have been hacked,” Ruby said. “They put me in touch with one of their online security guys here in London. I’ve given Zach my laptop and his team of techies are going to see what they can find.”
“I just hope they catch the…” Cate stopped herself from swearing.
“I just want to know why?” Ruby said wearily. “Nico and I, we’re nobodies.”
When Cate went back into the studio, Declan asked if everything was OK. “Mm,” Cate said. Ruby was trying so hard to be strong but Cate could tell that her sister was hurting. It made her so angry. “It’s just family stuff.”
After another run through of the routine, Declan said, “it’s looking good. Let’s call it a night.”
“Are you sure?” Cate was already fantasising about her warm, comfy bed.
It was late and the area around the gym was deserted. “I’ll walk you to your car,” Declan offered.
As they walked across the concrete parking lot, she noticed that Declan was quieter than usual. “Is everything OK?”
“It’s just a tough time of year,” Declan shrugged. “It’s the anniversary of Jason’s death on Sunday.”
“I’m so sorry,” Cate put her hand on his
shoulder. “How’s Hadley?”
Declan shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at the ground, “not good.”
“It must be hard being so far from home.”
“It’s my job, Cate.”
“Still…” Cate wished that there was something she could do.
Cate was still thinking about Declan and Hadley when she got home. Kian had waited up for her and was dozing on the sofa. “Let’s go to bed,” Cate said softly, switching off the lamp.
“How was training?” Kian yawned, stretching his arms above his head.
“Declan thinks it’s looking good,” Cate shrugged. She thought about Kian’s aunt who lived in the same seaport town as Hadley. She told Kian about how worried Declan was about his wife. “Hadley can’t get a visa to come to America and Declan can’t go home because he’s contracted to Stepping Out. I was just trying to think if there’s anything we can do to help. Do you think Sadie would mind looking in on Hadley? I know she’s probably got her family around her but they’ll have their own grief to contend with.”
Kian remembered how lonely he’d felt when his dad had died. At least he’d had Cate.
“I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.” If anybody understood grief, it was Sadie. Her fiancé had been killed many years ago in the troubles in Ireland and she’d never truly gotten over him.
Kian dropped his phone on the bedside table and climbed into bed. Cate was about to do the same and then stopped. The whole mess with the sex tape had likely been caused by some pervert hacking in to Ruby’s computer and secretly filming her. She picked Kian’s phone up from the bedside table. “What are you doing?”
Cate opened up the top drawer of their dresser and dropped both phones on top of Kian’s boxer shorts. She made sure the drawer was fully closed and then she could relax.
“I’m not taking any chances,” Cate said, fully aware that she sounded paranoid.
She explained to Kian that the lawyers thought that Ruby’s computer had been hacked.
“OK,” Kian tugged her backwards so her back was pressed against his chest.
“You’re not going to tell me I’m paranoid?” Cate chuckled, kissing the warm bicep she was using as a pillow.
Kian linked their fingers, “I’m too tired to argue with you, angel. If it makes you feel better, it’s fine with me.”
The next morning, when she was driving to the gym, she called Sadie on the hands-free. “Cate? It’s lovely to hear from you, sweetheart. Is everything OK?”
“Everything’s good,” Cate quickly reassured Sadie. “Sierra absolutely loves that fluffy dolphin you gave her.”
“I’m glad about that.”
Cate suddenly felt awkward. Was it really her place to interfere? “Kian said that you know Declan, my um, dance partner and his wife, Hadley?”
“I do. I’ve been watching the two of you online,” Sadie said. “I’m so proud of you both.”
Cate explained that Declan was worried about Hadley. “It’s the anniversary of…”
“I know,” Sadie said quietly. “When they were little, Hadley absolutely idolised her brother. He used to call her his “little shadow” because wherever he went, she wouldn’t be that far behind.”
Cate couldn’t even begin to imagine how she’d feel if anything were to happen to her sisters or brother.
“I was wondering…” Cate said, “if you could look in on her? Declan feels so guilty that he can’t be there in person.”
“Of course I will,” Sadie said kindly. “I’ll make up an excuse that I need to talk to her about this week’s Sunday school. She’s so good with the little ones, so very patient. The sooner that boy comes home and gives her some babies of her own to fuss over, the better.”
“Thank you so much, Sadie.”
“It’s no problem, no problem at all,” Sadie replied. “You just keep dancing your little socks off; I do enjoy watching you and Declan on a Saturday night.”
When Cate walked into the studio, she was still smiling. Talking to Sadie was like the purest form of Prozac. She would always remember that first Christmas as Kian’s wife, when she was pregnant with Lola, and Sadie had welcomed her so warmly into the family. The quilt she’d made for them both, stitching together squares which were more than just pieces of fabric, they were precious memories – it had a piece of Kian’s dad, Eamon’s pink shirt and the red and white chequered clothes Cate’s sister, Remy had dressed her up in as a little baby.
“You look happy,” Declan remarked.
“I’ve just been talking to Sadie, she always makes me smile.”
“How is Miss Sadie?” Declan grinned.
“As soon as the show’s over, she wants you to get on the first plane home and give your wife some babies to fuss over.”
Declan looked wistful, “I think she might be right.”
Cate got into position, ready to go through the routine again. “You and Hadley would make such beautiful babies.”
“Hey,” Declan said. “Don’t get all broody on me. We’ve got a jive to get through first.”
Cate shook her head, “I’m not broody. I’m not allowed to be. I’ve had my babies, remember?”
“Less talking, more jiving.”
Cate couldn’t help singing along, “I never miss a beat. I’m lightning on my feet.”
Declan looked up at the ceiling, “we can only hope.”
“Hey,” Cate swatted him.
CHAPTER 20
“They know who did it!” Ruby was so angry, her voice was shaking. Cate got up from the chair where Velma had just finished doing her make-up and walked through the maze of corridors backstage until she found one that was empty.
“It was Emily. She was the one who hacked into my computer.”
“What?” Cate gasped. “Why would she even do something like that? I don’t understand.”
“I feel like the biggest fool right now. When my computer kept freezing, I asked Emily if she could fix it. She said she needed my passwords to work out what the problem was and I didn’t even think about it, I just gave them to her. I should probably go out right now and get a tattoo stamped on my forehead which says “IDIOT” in huge, capital letters.”
“You’re not an idiot,” Cate said. “You thought she was your friend.”
“That’s even more of a reason to get that tattoo on my forehead. She only wanted to be my “friend” again after Stepping Out started and she realised that you’re my sister; that should have been a red flag the size of flipping Texas! She kept saying how awesome it was that we look so much alike; you and me, Kian and Nico.”
“Except for Kian’s tattoos,” Cate said, thinking about the definitive proof that it wasn’t her and Kian on that tape.
“If he didn’t have those tattoos…” Ruby said. “The conniving little bitch might have got away with it. How much were they asking for not to release that tape?”
“Kian wouldn’t tell me but I know it was at least six figures.”
Declan appeared at Cate’s side, “there you are, chara. It’s nearly time to go on.”
“Are you going to be OK?” Cate asked Ruby. She didn’t want her sister to be on her own.
“Go, I’ll be fine,” Ruby insisted. “I’m not on my own. I’m at a hotel with Nico. I didn’t bring the laptop this time.” Neither of them laughed but Cate appreciated that Ruby was at least trying to see the funny side of such a horrible situation.
“I’ll call you after the show,” Cate followed Declan back towards the main studio. “I’m flying back to Seattle tonight. I promised Mateo I’d take him to the beach clean-up tomorrow.”
“I miss you,” Ruby sounded tired. “My nephew and nieces are growing up too quickly. You and Liv need to stop feeding them so much.”
“I need to go,” Cate said quickly, “but why don’t you come for a visit? We’d love to have you.”
They had to walk past Vladimir and Poppy to get to their position on the stairs backstage. Vladimir was wearing another unbuttoned s
hirt, showing off his mouth-watering physique but Cate’s attention was drawn to the ugly curl of his lip. He opened his mouth to say something but Cate cut him off. “Don’t start with me,” she warned, keeping her voice low, “not tonight.”
“First to dance tonight is Cate Warner and her partner, Declan Yates.”
The lights went down in the studio while their VT was played. Cate and Declan got into position, facing each other. “This is your dance, Cate.”
Cate’s lips twitched, “well, I never miss a beat; I’m lightning on my feet, you know?”
Declan laughed, “absolutely. I guess if you go wrong, you can always make the moves up as you go.”
The nerves that had plagued her in previous weeks just weren’t there tonight.
The beat started, Declan gave her a cheeky wink and they were off. For ninety seconds, Cate did what she’d always wanted to; she absolutely “funned the shite” out of that dance. So much so that when the music stopped, she wasn’t ready for it to end.
As she’d flicked her fingers to “shake it off,” it had felt like she was letting go of all the rubbish things that had happened recently – the miscarriage and the sex tape, the paparazzi hounding them at Lola’s school. She was covered in sweat and her heart felt like it was beating furiously out of her chest.
“Yes!” Declan swept her off her feet, spinning her around until the audience blurred into one and she was hopelessly dizzy.
“I’m so proud of you,” Declan whispered into her ear as they walked across to the judges.
Charlene was first. She pushed her chair back and stood up, “tonight, you were a dancer. The audience were right there with you for every one of those ninety seconds. Well done.”
Cate felt her eyes begin to sting and quickly blinked; she absolutely was not going to cry on national TV.
The judges, even curmudgeonly Bruce, gave them straight nines.
“Declan,” the host asked, “I believe that’s your highest score ever on Stepping Out.”
“I think so,” Declan said a little out of breath. “It’s this girl right here, she’s amazing.”
Cate waved her hands, “it’s all because of you.” She looked him straight in the eyes. “Thank you so much.” Those ninety seconds when she could just “shake off” all her problems and jive was one of the best gifts she’d ever been given.