Cato: #13 (Luna Lodge)

by Madison Stevens

  “What are you doing here?”

  His deep voice hit her right in the center and slowly she turned around.

  Wendy held up the six pack of beer she was carrying. “You seemed like you were having a bad day, so I thought I’d bring some beer over. A little booze always makes a hard day not seem so bad.”

  He stared at her from behind the half-opened door. All she could make out was his glowing amber eyes in the darkness. The sight was both eerie and beautiful.

  Stupid. She had been so stupid. Maybe the kiss was just some hybrid instinct thing and meant nothing to him. Maybe he was just trying to make some sort of point.

  “Come inside.”

  She stood stunned for a moment as she watched him step inside the house, leaving the door open for her.

  Still unsure, Wendy climbed the steps and crossed through the open door.

  The inside wasn’t much different from her own place. Maybe nicer furniture, but the layout was fairly similar. The only real difference between the two was that he had a fireplace near the couch.

  Not really certain what to do, she stepped farther into the room and closed the door. Whether this night would prove a bad idea or not, she’d made the move in response to his kiss.

  Cato sat on the couch, not saying anything. He stared ahead at the crackling flames in the fireplace. Wendy sat down on the farthest end of the couch and placed the beer on the table. It was then she noticed the bottle of whisky and empty glass.

  Apparently he’d already bought into the idea that a little booze could help the hard day go away.

  She wasn’t sure what to say. Whatever was troubling him weighed heavy on his mind. This didn’t just seem to be about an uncomfortable day of party planning.

  “Maybe I should go.”

  She started to stand when a strong hand came out and held her forearm.

  “Stay,” he said quietly.

  It wasn’t a request, but a plea. He needed her. Cato wasn’t the sort to say it, but she could just feel it. Not just feel, she knew.

  She nodded and sat back down on the couch.

  “Would you like some?” he asked, holding up the bottle.

  Wendy shrugged. She wasn’t afraid of a little hard alcohol. Maybe sharing a drink of the whisky would help open him up.

  Cato stepped into the kitchen and came out with a matching glass with a few pieces of ice. He poured some whisky into each glass and handed it to her.

  Wendy took a drink. The heat burned down her throat and warmed her stomach instantly.

  She watched as he took several large swallows before setting the glass down and looking her way.

  “Do you ever feel like you have no control over your life?”

  “Every day.” She gave a small smile. “I’m in the military. I don’t have control over my life.”

  He nodded, picked his glass up off the table, and leaned back against the couch with a sigh. Cato rested the glass against his leg with his hand and let his head flop back on the top of the cushion.

  “I just feel like every piece of my story is written, and I didn’t get to have a say in anything.” He flexed his fingers on his other hand into a fist and back several times. “From the day I was fucking born.”

  Cato lifted the glass and finished off the liquor there.

  Wendy took several swallows herself before placing her glass on the table. She could already feel the soft effect it was having on her head.

  “My childhood, my job, even who I’ll love,” he said, and sighed. “It’s all been decided, and I didn’t even get to offer an opinion.”

  She started to think that over in earnest when her mind snapped back to a single word: love.

  She leaned forward a little, unable to stop herself from being interested. She still understood so little about how the hybrids actually lived their lives.

  “Do you have arraigned marriages or something?” she said.

  Her heart hammered in her chest. More and more she found herself hoping that what she’d felt before wasn’t one-sided, and that coming there wasn’t some horrible mistake.

  Cato rolled his head to the side to look at her. His amber eyes flared up for a moment, and she had to fight to keep her breathing under control.

  “Yeah. Something like that,” he mumbled.

  The kiss started to make sense. He’d probably just found out his marriage was arranged. He didn’t have a lot of women around him, and so he kissed the only one he could find, a sort of rebellion against his marriage.

  The anger she’d seen earlier must have been from him meeting with Titus and being told he’d have to go forward with the marriage regardless of what he wanted.

  She fought a sigh that wanted to come out. That passion had been real. There had to be more than just rebellion to it.

  Wendy licked her lips and leaned in a little more. She was playing a dangerous game, but she had to know the truth.

  “And what would you choose to do?”

  “If I chose the same thing, would it really be me making the decision?” he whispered.

  Cato leaned her way slightly. Their bodies were close enough now that his heat wrapped around her. It made her remember the heat from earlier during their kiss. The passion that had flowed between them.

  She couldn’t think. Her eyes were so focused on his it was hard to think on much of anything.

  “If the outcome is the same, does it really matter?” she managed to whisper.

  Cato stilled.

  Shit. What had she just said? Was she telling him to go into his arranged marriage? That hadn’t been her intent. He asked a question, and she just answered without thinking.

  “Of course, I could be wrong,” she sputtered.

  A soft smile spread across his face, and she was stunned for a moment. He was handsome, no question, but seeing this side made her heart thump wildly in her chest.

  “You’re right,” he said as he placed his empty glass on the table. “It doesn’t matter.”

  Wendy expected to be told to leave. To be pushed away to make room for this new woman.

  What she didn’t expect was for him to swoop her into his arms. Her legs straddled his lap while his mouth covered her own in a toe-curling kiss.

  She pulled back after a moment to stare down at him in shock. “What about what your leader wants?”

  Cato shrugged. “I’ve made my choice.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Cato kissed her hard. The spicy whisky mingled between their mouths, and he tightened the hold he had around her waist. Wendy relaxed into him, her soft body flush against his own.

  His. His Vestal. His other half.

  She was his. It didn’t matter what some stupid paper said, or what anyone thought. She was his because the idea of her not being with him alone made his heart ache. Made him fear a darkness of eternal loneliness.

  He’d show her that she was his. Show her that they couldn’t exist apart.

  He pulled away from her mouth and placed soft kisses along her neck. His hands slipped under her t-shirt. He groaned when he reached the soft skin there.

  Cato made his way back to her mouth now. Their tongues mingled as he ran his hands over her skin. He was already hard, but there were so many things they could do first. He continued to wrestle her tongue.

  Wendy surprised him. The kiss they had shared earlier was explosive, and he had wondered if it was a fluke, but if anything, the new kiss was even more so. One of her hands moved behind his head, urging him as she moved her mouth over his. Her other gripped his shirt as if it were the only thing keeping her there.

  Not that he was going anywhere. He needed her. It didn’t matter that they were taking things fast. He needed to feel her. To taste her. To be inside her. A low rumble escaped his chest.

  He pulled his mouth away from her and stared into her beautiful green eyes. No matter how much he wanted her, she needed to understand before he went too far.

  “I can’t wait,” he said softly. “Tell me now if we should
stop.”

  Wendy shook her head, and he groaned as he pulled her braid out of its confines and watched her soft hair as it framed her face. He kissed her again now with an urgency he hadn’t felt before. She was his, and he needed to show her.

  Cato stood, and she wrapped her legs around his center. Wendy looked up to him in surprise.

  Without a word, he carried her back to his room.

  Wendy’s head spun as he dropped her onto the bed. It was all going so fast, but there wasn’t a part of her that wanted things to stop.

  She wanted Cato. No. She needed him. Needed to feel him inside her.

  She could already feel the burn between her legs and was desperate to have him alleviate the ache there.

  It was dark in his room. Wendy couldn’t see his body like she’d hoped, but it didn’t stop her hands from moving freely over his body as he discarded their clothes. It seemed like only a few seconds passed before they were rolling naked in the bed. Their bodies pressed against one another as they kissed.

  He was a hell of a kisser. Each kiss left her hungry and desperate for more.

  When he slid his mouth from hers to trail hot kisses down her neck again, Wendy couldn’t stop the loud moan that escaped.

  Cato traveled lower and lower, gently sucking on her hard nipples as he did. And still even lower. Down her soft belly until his hot breath was at her opening. The warm air summoning even greater heat.

  “I’m not really—” she said.

  “I need to taste you.” His voice was rough with need.

  His tongue slipped between her folds and along her hot clit. She jumped at the feeling of him there. A zing of excitement zipped through her. Another moan escaped.

  He lapped at her opening with just enough pressure to her clit to keep her wanting more but never enough to send her over the edge. Her toes curled as the pressure continued to build.

  Cato reached up to pinch her nipples. A slow twinge of pain radiated from her nipples as he continued to torture her lower half.

  Without warning, he slid his tongue deep inside her. Wendy balled her fists into the mattress as she tried to fight for control. Still, she wanted more. She wanted him, all of him.

  He pushed into her again, each time going farther than the last. Wendy ran her hands through his soft wavy hair and gave a little pull.

  “Please,” she whispered. “I need you.”

  A low growl came from him. She could feel it as the sound vibrated off her wet center. It only heightened her need for him.

  She felt the bed shift around her as he placed his body over hers. Wendy spread her legs wide and sighed when he settled between them.

  Cato shifted slightly, and she could feel his length pressed against her.

  “Holy shit.”

  He went perfectly still, and in the darkness she could see his now-glowing amber eyes as they stared down at her.

  “Should I…”

  His voice trailed off and melted her heart.

  Wendy reached up and wound her hand around his neck, pulling Cato in for a soft kiss. She could taste herself on him, and it only turned her on more.

  When she pulled back, she smiled at him.

  “I was surprised,” she said. “That’s all.”

  Cato continued to stare at her. His body was pulled slightly away as if he was still worried about continuing.

  Not wanting to wait, Wendy reached between the two of them until her hand wrapped around his hard cock.

  She stroked him and let off a string of exclamations inside her head. Large was not the word for something like this. She’d seen large, and this wasn’t it.

  Massive. Cato was massive when it came to tools.

  The more she stroked him the more she really wondered if he would fit. It wasn’t like she didn’t have any experience, but nothing like this.

  Although she figured with as turned on as she was, it wouldn’t be as much trouble as she worried. She was slick as a river at this point.

  His fingers found her clit and did a few circles. That was all it took for her to be right there at the brink of her orgasm again. She sucked in a deep breath.

  Unable to stand much more, Wendy guided his head to her opening.

  “Maybe we should—” he said.

  Wendy leaned forward until her mouth was at his ear. “Shut up and fuck me,” she whispered.

  She felt him grow in her hand as he slowly entered her wet center.

  Never in his life had he been so turned on. Her tight pussy gripped him as he pressed in farther.

  Cato stared down at Wendy. Her mouth open slightly, cheeks pink, and mouth red from his kisses. She thrashed her head back and forth, moaning the deeper he pushed.

  “More,” she moaned.

  Fuck. Every time she did something like that, he had to fight to keep from burying himself to the hilt.

  Her hands gripped his hips, and she pulled hard on him unexpectedly.

  Cato lost his balance and sank hard into her pussy.

  “Yes,” she hissed against his ear.

  His heart throbbed to his brain. Or maybe that was his dick throbbing. Whatever it was, he was trying not to shoot his load before they had even started.

  Her hands held him firmly inside her. Cato could feel her nails biting into his ass, and it only excited him more with how much she wanted him.

  “Go slow,” she whispered.

  He grunted. Speaking was something that he didn’t seem to be able to do at the moment. It was taking everything he had to just keep focus on what he was doing.

  Slowly he pulled out of her until just the tip of his cock was inside. Then he pressed back into her.

  With each movement, her pussy gripped him. It was like sweet torture being inside her.

  “More,” she moaned.

  Cato struggled. He wanted to go faster, but she was so damn tight. Last thing he wanted was to hurt her.

  Wendy groaned loudly, and he stopped his movement.

  “Lay down,” she said.

  Cato felt his heart sink. He’d ruined the moment with his lack of experience.

  He lay on the bed next to her and tried to think of ways he could make it up. Maybe with time he would get better.

  A leg swung over his body, and he nearly roared when Wendy sank down hard over his throbbing erection. She brought her face close to his.

  “I won’t break,” she said as if she had been reading his thoughts.

  With that she lifted her body and slammed back down on him hard. His head thrust even deeper inside her.

  Cato brought his hands to her hips, desperate to keep the movement up.

  With ease he helped her move over him, sliding her wet pussy over his aching cock over and over.

  Her tits bounced with each thrust, and it mesmerized him.

  “Faster,” she groaned. “I’m so close.”

  He felt himself grow even more and knew she wasn’t the only one.

  Cato slipped her over onto her back. This time he had no reservations as he hammered into her.

  Wendy moaned and thrashed as his cock slammed into her, their hips slapping with the force of his effort.

  On the edge of his orgasm, Cato reached between her legs and rubbed hard against the bundle of nerves there.

  She clenched hard around him as her insides became even slicker.

  With two hard thrusts, he came inside her. Her wet pussy still pulled on him as he did.

  Cato leaned over her, making sure not to rest his full weight on the woman beneath him.

  “Amazing,” she whispered.

  It was just a word, but the way she said it touched the dark parts of him and chased them away.

  Cato rolled over and pulled her tightly against him, as if to protect the special thing he’d found.

  Chapter Thirteen

  No matter how much Wendy tried, she just couldn’t stop smiling. All morning long she had been smiling while she worked on the decorations, so much so that even Vincent commented on it.

  �
�You certainly seem chipper,” he said.

  “Uh, just got a good night’s rest.”

  A knowing smirk appeared on his face. “Somehow I doubt that.”

  In truth, she was so happy at that moment, she couldn’t work up any embarrassment. Vincent seemed content to not press her on it either.

  It didn’t help that Cato was always around her, whether it was hanging up something for Vincent or piecing together the dance floor they had ordered. Many times he’d stretched in a way that would show off his delicious muscles, the same ones she’d explored with her hands, legs, and mouth.

  He didn’t smile like she’d seen the night before, but every so often she would find his eyes on her, and a flush would trickle down her body. It took all her Army discipline not to suggest they sneak out for a mid-afternoon quickie or to run over and lick him.

  She really wanted him, and she knew he really wanted her.

  Wendy had never felt like this in her life. It wasn’t exactly easy to make a woman in the Army feel like a delicate thing to be cherished, but that’s exactly how she felt.

  “No, no, no, not there,” Vincent shouted.

  Cato grunted. “Just point.”

  She bit back a laugh.

  * * *

  When Wendy headed out to lunch, she’d regained some small ability to not grin like an idiot, but it still slipped through. After grabbing her food from the line, she spotted Leah and Jamie. The pair waved to her, and she headed toward them.

  She exhaled and tried to not smile so much. They were like emotional sharks. They’d smell last night on her if she gave them any reason to suspect something had happened, but she wasn’t going to avoid her friends just because she’d gotten laid.

  “Hello,” Wendy said, and took a seat.

  “Heya,” Jamie said.

  Leah nodded and swallowed a spoonful of her soup.

  Wendy decided to taste a bit of her sandwich, as the pair continued on a conversation she’d apparently interrupted with her arrival. Besides, she wanted to spend a little more time thinking about her evening fun.

  She took a bite of her sandwich, ignoring the idle chit-chat between Jamie and Leah for the moment. She didn’t really want to get into anything lengthy anyway, as she wanted to get back to the party preparations sooner than later.