Taming Kat

by Aubrey Cara

  “Gigi? As in Caleb's pot smoking mama, Gigi?”

  Kat looked around again to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “Yes,” Kat hissed. “You're the bestest friend ever.”

  “I know. And you owe me. You'll have to come back to Virginia just to babysit once this baby is born.”

  Delia was six months pregnant and probably looking like she swallowed a volleyball about now. Kat missed Del like crazy in that instant. She didn't want to live in Virginia but she wished Del and Jake lived in Texas so she got to see Del on a regular basis.

  “Deal,” Kat said, wiping away a silly tear that had escaped.

  She hung up the phone as Sheriff Rogan came back in the room. He asked, “Is someone coming to get you?”

  “Yes. He should be here in a little while. Umm, the truck I was driving...you didn't impound it did you?”

  “It's still on the side of the road. You'll have to pick it up tomorrow. I don't want to see you driving again tonight. And you better have your license the next time you drive.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “That vehicle is registered Caleb McCrae, the young man I caught you with the other day. Gigi's boy. I'm assuming Caleb is your boyfriend.”

  “Inevitably or so it seems,” Kat said, feeling dejected.

  “Well, now...in my experience a man doesn't let just anyone drive his—”

  “I know. I drove his truck. So obviously we're going to have to get married and have babies.” Then as an afterthought she said, “If we have a girl, we're naming her Mary.”

  “After Gigi? That's sweet.”

  It was sweet. Kat wondered what her and Caleb's babies would look like. Then she realized that their child's DNA would be a mash up of Bob, her mother, herself, Caleb, Gigi, and his fraudulent father. She shuddered. It would definitely be a while before she was ready to contemplate having a little Mary.

  Sheriff Rogan didn't say anything else. He just sat at his desk and started working on a crossword. Kat walked over to a row of plastic seats and stretched out. She was officially too tired to care she was stranded at the police station. She just needed to shut her eyes for a minute.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Caleb walked into the Murdoch County Police Station and found Kat curled up on a row of plastic chairs. She was making the weird, little chipmunk sounds indicating she was sleeping. When he spotted the drool pooling under her cheek he almost chuckled. His beautiful, hot, little mess. He felt a rush of relief wash over him. Delia had said she'd only been detained but he'd still been worried. Kat was going to be in so much trouble when they got home.

  Shaking her shoulder he said, “Kat wake up, honey.”

  She swatted at him before she sat bolt upright, more startled than awake. She cursed, then rubbed her eyes. She was still getting her wits about her when she noticed the drool, first on her face and then on the seat next to her. Her face scrunched in a pained expression. “Uh, God that's embarrassing.”

  “Come here,” he said, pulling her out of the seat and into his arms. He tucked her head into his chest and his nose scrunched up at the smell of her hair.

  “You smell kind of skunky.”

  Kat looked up at him and shrugged, “It's not what you think.”

  “Really? What is it you think I'm thinking? Wanna tell me why you got taken into police custody?”

  Just then an officer said, “She was reckless driving and ridin' dirty.”

  Caleb looked over and recognized the officer as the same from the other day. The plaque on his desk read Sheriff Butch Rogan. Yep, that was him. Same bushy mustache and eyebrows. It was a ten second delay before his mind registered what Sheriff Rogan had said. “Riding dirty...as in driving with drugs on you?” he asked, incredulously.

  Kat pulled out of his embrace to point wag a finger at the sheriff. “No, that is not the correct use of that term.” Looking up at Caleb she said, “I was not ‘riding dirty.’ And I was not stoned. I was tired but I was not reckless. I had to make a U-y 'cause I missed my road. I may have swerved—a little—barely at all—”

  “She didn't have her license either,” the sheriff interjected.

  Kat looked chagrined. “I may have forgotten my purse.”

  “I'm assuming your phone is in your purse.”

  Kat nodded, nibbling on her lower lip and wringing her hands together.

  “And my truck?”

  “It's on the side of the road off Highway H where I picked her up,” Sheriff Rogan supplied. Kat winced.

  “I'm really sorry, Caleb.”

  “Save it, Kat. Time to go home.” Turning to the sheriff he asked, “Do I need to sign anything?”

  “You're free to go. Try not to get into any trouble between now and tomorrow.”

  “Yes sir,” Caleb said. He led Kat out to the Chevy work truck he'd been driving while she had his. He boosted her onto the front bench seat then started buckling her into the middle.

  “Caleb I can—”

  He cut her off with a scowl. Now that he knew she was all right, he was back to being pissed off. He climbed behind the wheel and started the truck. Kat sat pressed to his side in the middle seat of the musty old work truck. He missed his truck and hoped nothing happened to it by the time he could pick it up tomorrow. He glanced down at Kat. Her hands on her lap, her posture was stiff and upright. Damned if she didn't smell like weed.

  They'd been on the road ten minutes when Kat asked, “Are you mad at me?”

  He shrugged. “I'm not happy with you.” When Kat didn't say anything more he asked, “You wanna tell me why you smell like pot?”

  “Not really.”

  “Kat, don't try me.”

  She mumbled something under her breath Caleb couldn't hear over the sound of the engine. “What was that?”

  “Your mom smoked a joint while I was there. She wanted to do a spiritual reading.”

  “My mom smokes pot?”

  “Apparently.”

  Caleb groaned. He didn't know why he was surprised. Each time his mother did something new that threw him for a loop he swore she couldn't shock him any more than he already was.

  “She got the stuff from Sheriff Rogan's wife, Dotty,” Kat confided.

  “That's great.” Caleb shook his head. Nothing like being home again. His mom bought pot from the sheriff's wife. Lord only knew where this Dotty was getting it. “At least she's not growing it herself.”

  Kat giggled. “She communicated with my dead dad tonight over a crystal ball.”

  Caleb looked down at Kat, confused. “I thought your dad was still living.”

  “He is,” Kat said, and he could hear the smile in her voice.

  Leave it to his mom he thought.

  When she relaxed and leaned into him, he felt the familiar warmth spread through his chest. He was glad she'd called him. He was going to use this night to his advantage. He needed to remind her why she should be with him and hope it didn't backfire.

  By the time they pulled into his driveway, Kat had been dozing for twenty minutes. He thought his house looked pretty good illuminated by floodlights. The left side of the yard was completely black. He'd have to install lights on that side of the house by the side door. He planned on building a detached garage over there since that door led to the mud room. Not putting lights over that door was an oversight on his part.

  Kat shifted in her seat when he parked and cut the engine. She lifted her head and looked around. “This is your house.”

  “That it is,” he said. He figured she would protest and was braced for it. When she didn't say anything, he took it as a good sign. He unbuckled both their seat belts when she didn't move to unclasp hers and got out of the truck. He held out his hand and surprisingly she took it, letting him help her out of the vehicle.

  “When did you move in?” she asked.

  “I'd already moved most of my stuff in last week. I decided to finish up and stay here Sunday night.” He pointedly looked at her. “I was upset and needed a distraction.”

&nbs
p; “Right,” she said, looking down as they walked up the front steps and through the front door. “Oh wow, Caleb.”

  He tried to see it as she did, as if for the first time. The living room was open to the dining area and kitchen. The far wall that housed the fireplace was paneled with old wood from one of Circle F's old barns. That same wall opened to a hallway that led to the mud room, a bathroom and a spare room. The floors were dark wood throughout. “I need to get more furniture, but I haven't had time.” The living room housed his old leather couch and a TV. He still needed to get stools for the breakfast bar and a table and chairs for the dining area.

  “Come on,” he said, leading her to the hallway off the right where the bedrooms were. “I'll give you the tour tomorrow.”

  “It's a great house. I can't believe you built this yourself.”

  “I didn't exactly build it myself. I had contractors. They made a lot of good suggestions. I was just the guy that said yes or no. A few things I did myself, but not much.”

  “Well, you said yes to the right stuff.”

  He loved this house but it was satisfying in a completely different way to know she liked his home.

  He led her into his bedroom and turned on the light. Although her face looked calm and relaxed, Kat was wringing her hands, showing how nervous she truly was. Good, he thought, she should be. He was going to paint her ass red within the next hour. He fought arousal at the thought of her spread out on his bed taking the punishment he had planned for her. She may safeword and never talk to him again. His jaw clenched at the thought.

  He flicked on the light to the master bathroom. He took out a towel, a wash cloth and a spare toothbrush and set it all on the counter. Then he turned on the shower.

  “Go ahead and wash up. We can talk when you're done,” he said.

  Kat looked like she was going to say something but nodded in acquiescence. He wondered how long this docile attitude of hers would last. She went into the bathroom and shut the door. He let her have her privacy while he set up the bedroom.

  He took out wrists cuffs and set them at the foot of his bed. He went to his chest of drawers and pulled out a gag, butt plug and lube, also setting them on the foot of the bed. He pocketed a little vibrator he'd use if she was good and took her punishment. Last but not least, he undid his belt, and set it lengthwise on the bed lined up with everything else. He ran his hand over the teeth marks she'd left only a few nights ago, feeling his cock twitch.

  He sat down in the leather chair he had in the corner and slowly unbuttoned and methodically rolled back his left shirt sleeve then his right, anticipating the night to come. Sitting there he felt much like he had heading out on a mission. Anticipation, determination, a bit of an adrenaline rush of anxiety that let him know he was alive. Just like a mission, he had his plan of attack but he knew anything could go wrong. For the first time since he'd been back home he heard the ticking of the clock counting down his fate. He blew out a breath. This time he had no ammo, no defense. Failure was not an option.

  *** ***

  Kat stood under the shower spray a little longer than necessary. She couldn't get a read on Caleb and had no idea how she should proceed. After she got out of the shower and brushed her teeth, she contemplated putting on her stinky clothes but decided against it. She could feel her pulse pick up. She wasn't sure if she should be anticipating or dreading whatever awaited her on the other side of the door. Wrapping the towel around herself, she stepped into the bedroom.

  Caleb's bed had a slat framed headboard and no baseboard. A warm light brown, masculine comforter covered the bed. The objects meticulously spread out at the bottom of the bed made her gasp and take a step back. Her core heated a little more with each item she scanned. Cuffs, plug, lubricant, ball gag. The belt he'd tied her up with last weekend, her teeth indents perfectly marring the center. Turning her head, her eyes locked on Caleb sitting in the corner looking like lord of the manor under a reading light. The sleeves on his chambray shirt were rolled up showing off powerful forearms stretched out on the armrest. His knees spread wide. His black hair shone in the light. It was getting long and roguishly fell over his forehead. His eyes were nearly black and the look on his face was intense and watchful. He reminded her of a panther. He looked careless, relaxed yet ready to pounce.

  She rubbed her thighs together and knew he caught her movement when his gaze dropped to between her legs. She clutched the towel tighter as he stood in one fluid movement, that shouldn't have been possible for a man his size. A few short steps and he was in her space. She had to tilt her head back to retain eye contact.

  He divested her of her towel, stripping it from her clutching fingers. He walked her over and stood her in front of the bed. Wordlessly he picked up the wide leather cuffs and buckled them on her wrists one by one. He clasped them together behind her back. Her heart rate was picking up every movement he made.

  “Caleb, we should talk. Let's talk about this—”

  “Are you safewording?”

  He had the gag in hand and paused in his movements. She looked at the gag, then at him. “I—well no—but—”

  He cut her off by shoving the gag in her mouth and snapping it on behind her head. She was protesting behind her gag as he swept her feet from under her and shoved her down on the bed. She bounced a little, the air getting knocked out of her. When she turned her face, her gaze landed right on the belt. She began to panic. She did not want to get spanked with a belt. She yelled just that at Caleb through the damn gag in her mouth.

  “You can hold out two fingers if you need to safeword.”

  She got her knees under her and he pushed her down. She kicked out at him and his hand slapped down on her ass. She only kicked out at him harder. He just spanked her harder. The more she fought, the more turned on she was. She was so depraved. She could feel her thighs slick with her wetness even as her ass stung from the rough spanking he delivered.

  “Are you going to safeword now?”

  Kat shook her head. Why did he keep asking her that?

  Abruptly he spread her thighs wide and shoved two fingers in her core, making her cry out. He pumped twice before pulling out. She protested their loss raising her ass. He circled her pucker before pushing in the two broad wet fingers he'd just taken out of her core. She squealed at the invasion, tears coming to her eyes even as she wanted to push back against him and take more.

  He pulled her up against his chest by her hair. “You're not going to safeword now?”

  Kat shook her head, and his fingers left her bottom hole before his hand cracked down on her ass. “No? Is this my body to do with as I please?”

  He reached around and pinched her clit hard. She screamed behind her gag, nodding even as her head swam with shocking sensations.

  “Really?” He sounded so angry and cold that she shivered. She frantically nodded her head.

  “But not the rest of you, right?” He painfully pinched her nipple and then pulled back her head at an angle and growled, “I can fuck you rough and dirty, but when I want you to talk to me, when I want you to see me, know me, you fucking safeword?”

  Caleb's words hit her like shards of ice tearing at her skin. He abruptly released her and walked away from the bed. She turned around on her knees to face him. He looked absolutely tortured as he paced in front of his chair, pulling at his hair. She felt the tears sliding down her cheeks before she even realized she was crying.

  She did this to him. She was so insecure thinking he couldn't possibly want to be with her that she didn't stop to think about him. He'd tried to make her understand how much he already cared about her on Sunday night and she'd only pushed him away. Even though every day her thoughts automatically drifted to him. Even though every night she'd wished he'd been there with her. Even though he'd done nothing but prove how much he wanted to be with her. All of her.

  “I'm sorry,” she said. Her words sounded pathetic and muffled through her gag.

  He stalked over and released the straps
of the ball gag, letting it fall to the bed in front of her.

  “I'm sorry,” she said again, this time clearly. He stared at her for a minute and then he left to go get a washcloth. He tenderly wiped off her tears and saliva from her face. She thought he'd kiss her, but he turned and walked back to the chair and sat down. Kat's heart broke a little.

  She finagled until she got herself off the bed, which wasn't easy with her hands bound behind her back. She kneeled at his feet and looked up at him. He reached out and ran a finger down her cheek tracing a tear. She felt another drop down her cheek at the caress.

  “I'm a twat hat,” she said. “I was so busy worrying about myself, I couldn't see you. But I see you now.”

  “I don't want us to just be about sex, Kat. I care about you more than any woman I've ever been with.”

  “I know.”

  “Do you?”

  Kat searched for what she could possibly say to make him believe she now understood how much he cared. That's when she realized, “You let me drive your truck.”

  “Exactly,” he said relieved and exasperated. “I love that truck, kitten. I wouldn't let just anyone drive it.”

  She moved in and leaned her head on his knee to hide her smile. She felt much of her anxiety slip away when he used his pet name for her. As he began to stroke her hair she wanted to purr. “So am I forgiven?” she asked.

  “Partially. You're still getting punished, kitten.”

  She pulled back, “For what?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, let's see. One,” he held up a finger. “You got taken into police custody. You were driving without your ID and you were out in the middle of nowhere without your phone. Which you probably forgot because—two,” he held up a second finger. “You were tired and likely riding a contact high while driving my truck. Three,” he held up another finger. “You threw a beer bottle at me. That could have hit anybody. Hell, it could have blinded me. And last but not least four,” he angrily spread his four fingers. “You safeworded to get out of talking to me. I'm sorry kitten, but if something doesn't feel right, if you're scared or if something hurts—even emotionally—you safeword, but then we talk about it. Is that clear?”