"I—I'm Officer Cathleen Tremain Sullivan. I'm assigned to the Mayor's task force on gang activity. How did you know I was a cop? You did know, didn't you? It wasn't just a good guess."
He nodded and pointed to her right hand. “You spend a lot of time on a gun range and have the scars to prove how many jammed bullets you've cleared from ejection ports, and how many clips you've loaded. And when you put those handcuffs on me, I knew from the technique that you'd done it before. Most people could never slap on a pair of cuffs the way you did unless they've had military or law enforcement experience. I figured you were in the latter group because the commands you were giving me were pure street cop. You must have done it for a long time before being moved up to the Mayor's entourage. I also figured that's why you didn't want me to know who you were."
"Is that the same reason you kept your mouth shut even after you figured all this out?” she angrily demanded.
"Yeah. I don't want the guys in homicide to know I was here anymore than you want your co-workers hearing about it. Cops gossip too damned much as it is."
"This was just a day trip a friend of mine planed for me. She said I needed a break and maybe I did. But I never expected to do all the things ... I mean, this is going to stay between us, right?"
He took her hand. “Cat, Cathy or Cathleen ... I'm not going to tell anyone. And I've got a funny feeling you've got some of the same friends I have."
"Call me Cathy, and what the hell are you talking about?"
Ian took a deep breath and sighed heavily. “About a year ago my fiancée walked out on me. It was just two days before our wedding. My parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and hundreds of other people who were supposed to attend the wedding had to be called and told. You can't imagine how embarrassing and painful the whole thing was.
Since then, I haven't wanted to look at another woman.” He paused and ran a hand through his hair. “A friend name Lisa Portelli was one of the people I had to eventually call and to whom I had to return one of a hundred wedding gifts. Some time ago, she got after me to start dating again. But I didn't feel like it. Finally, after weeks and weeks of trying, she drummed the idea of visiting this place into my head. I agreed with her that I had to get over the funk I was in and get on with my life. I was tired of crying in my beer over something that was better off not happening. It was pure luck that I didn't get married to somebody who obviously didn't give a damn about me. And the trip to this bordello was just supposed to kick me back into life. But I walked into the room today, met you and ... Things are different now. You're not what and who I expected, and Lisa damned well knew it. She paid for this whole thing and set us both up. At least that's what I'm betting happened. You do know her, don't you?"
"Yeah, I know her all right.” Cathy felt her jaw clench in response. “When I get my hands on her..."
"She was trying to do us a favour,” he interrupted. “I know this may be hard for you to believe, but I'm not sorry."
"What do you mean?"
Ian took her arm and led her over to the bed. “Sit down and hear me out, okay?"
She did as he asked.
"I don't know what happened in this room today. But I don't want to stop seeing you, Cat. Sorry, I meant to say Cathy,” he corrected.
She waved a hand in dismissal. “Cat is fine. I sort of liked the way it sounded when you said it. But I don't understand what you mean by not wanting to stop seeing me."
He knelt down in front of her. “My guess is that Lisa saw two people who were lonely, overworked and needed a break. I don't feel like I've got a problem in the world anymore. Not after today. Not after meeting you."
Cathy gazed deeply into his blue eyes. “I didn't want to walk out of here thinking I'd never see or hear from you again. If I'd known you were a cop, I don't know if I'd have stayed. Maybe that's why Lisa did this. She's tried to set me up with guys before and I've turned her down. I guess I didn't want to get involved."
"And now?"
She stared at him for a moment. “Well, I guess we're a whole lot involved. Sexually, I mean."
"Maybe it could be more, Cathy. Would you want it to go further?"
"Yeah, Ian. I really would. At least, I'd like the opportunity to try,” she softly replied.
He pulled her against him and kissed her hard. When he broke the embrace, Ian gazed into her eyes and smiled. “I've got tomorrow off, and a neighbour of mine would be willing to baby-sit my puppy. Is there any way we could make this bordello visit an overnight thing?"
She shot him what she hoped was her most sultry smile. “Tomorrow is one of my normal days off anyhow. Lisa will look after my goldfish. I could call down to Monique and see if we could extend the visit. I'll bet Lisa knew all this and even planned the day we'd be here to coincide with our days off."
"Let's stay overnight,” Ian happily suggested. “But don't tell Lisa what's up. Let her stew for a while."
"Oh, I couldn't agree more. That little trouble maker is going to get a piece of my mind the next time I see her."
He pushed back her hair and kissed her forehead. “Don't be too angry. She thought she was trying to help. And I'm damned glad she butted in."
Cathy shot him a brilliant smile. “Let me call downstairs and see what I can arrange. What if they won't let us have this room? Will another be okay?"
Ian looked around. “I think I really want to stay here. This is where we met, after all."
Warmed by the sentiment, Cathy made the call.
The Fantasy Continues—Midnight
Cathy lay back against Ian's chest. His legs were spread so that she was surrounded by muscular thighs and long, athletic legs.
"More chocolate?” he asked.
"That's like asking someone in the desert if they want some water.” She held out her hand for another of the small confections, but Ian fed it to her then gave her a sip of champagne from his long-stemmed glass.
He sighed, perfectly content to be where he was. “I'll hate leaving this place."
"Me, too,” she admitted, then glanced back over her shoulder at him. “How do you think Lisa got the manager to put us together?"
He held out another chocolate for her and smiled when she not only took the piece from his fingers, but sucked each one to get the sticky, melted stuff off them. “I've known Lisa since we were playing on schoolyard swings together. Her family is from very old money. Combine that clout with her position on the vice-squad and she could probably get the management here to do whatever she wanted. How long have you known her?"
"We went through academy together. And I'll bet you're one of the guys she's been trying to get me to date for months now."
"Well ... I'm glad we met.” He laughed. “I certainly don't think I'll ever march in another parade with a kilt on and think of one in exactly the same way."
She half-turned in his arms. “I've got plans for that kilt, you know."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes.” She paused and sent him what she hoped was a very seductive grin. “I sort of liked that role playing game."
"Just give me your work schedule. On our days off, you can play any kind of game with me you want,” he sincerely told her. “Even with the handcuffs."
"I didn't realise I was giving myself away when I went into cop mode and put those cuffs on you."
"Oh, I'm not complaining. While your technique with them certainly told me you were a cop, having them on and letting you do what you did was one of the most mind-opening things that ever happened to me."
"So, you didn't mind the crazy leather thing?"
He thought for a moment. “I've always thought that using leather devices would never be an option for me. You taught me otherwise. But I trusted you and that made a big difference."
She took a sip from his champagne glass before asking him the next question. “And your former fiancée is just a memory?"
He placed both hands over her breasts and gently squeezed. “Trust me, Cathy. When I tell you that having her walk out on
me is the best thing that could have ever happened, I sincerely mean it. This day has been wild. Unbelievable. And for a lady who looked like she didn't want to be here when I first walked into the room, you showed me some things I definitely want to repeat. You know I don't want this to end. And I gotta add ... if you'd been the type of woman who wanted to jump my bones without even talking to me first, I'd have probably walked out. I've never done anything as brainless as waltz into a bordello and offer myself to a woman for a one-night-stand. It's a man thing I can't explain, but I was just kind of lonely. I guess, after the beating my pride took when my fiancée walked out on me, I just wanted to prove something to myself. But I took one look at you and just wanted to know you. Sounds corny, but it's the way it was."
"I feel the same. I knew you were different. Maybe I was hoping you would be. I could've walked out and didn't. I stayed because you acted like I wasn't a piece of meat. Like I mattered.” She leaned back against his chest again and kissed one biceps. “Maybe Lisa knew that about both of us and that's how this ended up working."
He hugged her and placed a soft kiss against her neck.
Later, when his erection told Cathy he'd slept enough earlier to make love into the night, she was more than willing to join in on whatever he could suggest. And she thought about all the sex toys on the bathroom vanity that hadn't even been touched.
"Good to meet you, Cathleen Tremain Sullivan. I mean that from the bottom of my heart,” he announced.
She moaned and leaned her head back against his shoulder. “Good to meet you, too, James Ian Murphy."
About the Author
C.S. Chatterly aka Candace Sams was a police officer for eleven years, worked on an ambulance for eight years as a crew chief, and is now an author. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Agriculture, worked as a police officer with the State of Texas, was with the San Diego Police Department, taught for the San Diego County Sheriff's Department and with a law enforcement agency in Alabama. She is the senior woman on the U.S. Kung Fu Team, awarded the Medal of Putien from China and the Statue of Tao for martial arts, holder of several international martial arts titles, and is an award winning author of fantasy fiction. She also writes erotica under the pen name, C.S. Chatterly. Her hobbies include weight lifting, gardening, and looking after a family of pets who've adopted her. She and her husband, Lee, have been married for over two decades.
Email: [email protected]
C.S. Chatterly loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at www.totalebound.com.
Also by C.S. Chatterly
Sons of Olympus: Delos Descending
Sons of Olympus: Lydon's Exile
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