by E. L. Todd
“I really wish I did remember…I might have stayed the following morning if I had. I find it hard to believe I would ever walk away from you.”
I put my hands in my pockets and relived that night behind my eyes.
“Why did you wait so long to tell me?”
“I hoped you would remember me on your own. That was why I took you to the same convenient store and bought Oreos. That’s why I kissed you against the side of the building. I thought it would come back to you. But when it was clear you wouldn’t remember, I knew I had to tell you. You were the one that got away and then you came back into my life. That’s why I don’t care about your emotional issues. Because…I know you’re meant for me.”
There was a possibility that statement might offend her since she was already married. Chances are, she thought she was meant for him, not me. But I had to say it because it was how I really felt.
“I think you’re right,” she whispered.
I wasn’t expecting her to say that.
“I loved my husband with everything I had. We were passionate and desperately in love. But I never thought he and I were meant to be together. I chose to love him because he was the man I wanted. What we had was beautiful, and just the fact I could possibly love another man besides him…tells me something. I could only feel that way if there was something special about him, something divine.” She looked at me with those beautiful blue eyes I loved. They reflected the light from above, just like they did on that magical night.
The night deepened and all sound suddenly disappeared. It was just she and I, on the cliff face of a new beginning. It took me a long time to find her again, and I found her under the worst circumstances. But I did find her again. And it took even longer for her to find me.
But we made it.
“I wanted to tell you I loved you at the place where I actually knew I loved you. Hence, why we’re here.”
Her lips stretched into a smile. “That’s one of the most romantic things I’ve ever heard.”
I grabbed her hips and pulled her to me. My mind was in a different place, soaring over the clouds at the speed of light. A moment like this didn’t happen for most people. But it happened for me. I wasn’t looking for her when I found her. She stumbled into my life like a shooting star, making an appearance without knowing where she came from.
And now she was mine.
***
I took her back to my place for the first time—well, technically the second.
Katarina looked around as she entered. She took in the kitchen, living room, and dining room. There wasn’t any recognition on her face, any familiarity. I was hoping she would remember it and I was disappointed when she didn’t.
Reading my mind she turned to me. “You’ll help me remember.”
“I’m sure I will.” I didn’t bother turning on the lights because I knew what would happen between us. Neither one of us said it, but it was obvious in the way we behaved around one another.
Now that I knew she felt the way I did, I wasn’t scared. She’d given herself to me in a different way. Our souls were already joined, had been joined on that night two years ago. Who she loved before I came along was irrelevant. I had skeletons in my closet from my past, and that didn’t matter either.
I moved across the floor until I reached her, and I gripped her hips with my hands. With my forehead pressed to hers, I stripped her jacket off, wanting to see those gorgeous curves under the fabric.
I led her to my bedroom as we went, and my lips found hers in a heated embrace. Her hands dug into my hair, and she kissed me with more passion than she ever had before. Her walls were gone and she was letting me in for the first time, completely and utterly.
When we reached the foot of the bed, we continued to consume each other in desperation. Her hands moved to my shirt and yanked it off. Then she kissed my chest as she moved for my jeans.
My lips moved to her neck and I kissed her as she undressed me. Watching her tear my clothes off with desperation was exciting, and my cock was throbbing due to its hardness.
Katarina peeled my boxers away and let him hang out. Her lips found mine again and she gripped the shaft and started to massage him slowly. Fluid leaked from my tip, and she used it as lubricant to stroke me.
I wanted to come undone because of her obvious beauty and perfection. But she knew how to please a man right, and that was impossible to resist. I reached for her clothes and stripped her down to her panties. I played with the fabric for a while before I pulled them off, loving the feel of the lace on my fingertips. “You’re just as beautiful as I remember.” I picked her up then placed her on my bed.
She pulled me into her with enthusiasm and wrapped her long legs around my waist. Our bodies were pressed tightly together and our breathing was in sync. Her eyes burned in desire as she looked into my face. I couldn’t wait to connect our bodies together, to make love for the first time. Last time I just fucked her. I didn’t want that again. I opened my nightstand and grabbed a condom.
“No.” She grabbed my wrist and stilled it. “I want to feel you.”
And I definitely wanted to feel her. “I want kids someday but not now.”
“I’m on the pill.” Her eyes flashed with humor. “And I don’t want anything to separate us.”
The gesture wasn’t lost on me. She wouldn’t offer that unless she was in love with me. I tossed the condom aside then positioned myself to enter her. I’d never had sex without a condom, and all the guys said it was the most amazing thing in the world.
When I slid inside her, I knew what they meant. “Oh shit.” I completely sheathed myself because she was so wet and slick. Then I took a deep breath and acclimated to the goodness between her legs.
“Cato…you feel so good.” Her nails dug into me as she held on.
“There’s no comparison,” I said with a grunt. I didn’t move inside her. Instead I looked down into her face then kissed her. I concentrated on the feel of our mouths moving together, trying to get her as aroused as possible. I knew I wouldn’t last long, not when we were skin-to-skin like this.
She started to rock into me from below.
Goddammit, she felt good. I knew I needed to stop being a pussy and man up. My woman needed to be pleased. I moved one hand to her lower back and lifted her slightly, deepening the angle. Then I gave her all of me in long, even strokes.
“Oh…” Her head rolled back as she felt me hit her in the right spot.
I watched her enjoy me, loving the feel of me as I moved in and out. My breathing increased and I started to sweat. I couldn’t stop thinking about how beautiful she was, how happy she made me. Our love didn’t start out the right way but it ended the right way. And that was all that really mattered.
“Cato…” She gripped my shoulders so she could use her lower body to sheath me harder. “I love you.”
Her words made my heart burst. “And I love you.”
Katarina bit her lip as her face and chest flushed. Then her nails dug into me and she tightened around me. I felt her constrict my dick as she prepared for the bout of pleasure about to rock her. Then I felt her come all over my dick. It was the sexiest sensation I’d ever felt. “Yes…” Her nails slowly pulled out of my skin and she caught her breath.
I’d do a better job next time we made love but I couldn’t hold on any longer. Watching her and feeling her hit her climax was enough to make me come undone. I pulled her further into me, getting prepared to come deep inside her. I’d never come directly inside a girl before. Now would be my first, and just the thought made me want to explode.
Katarina pulled her legs back, allowing me more room. She propped herself on her elbows while she looked at me. “Come inside me, Cato.”
There was no fucking way I would last now. I pumped into her hard and fast then felt the burn deep in my body. It spread to every fiber and nerve and then exploded between my legs. It dragged on forever, lasting longer than I thought possible. I stayed inside her as my body adjust
ed to the after shocks of pleasure. I remained inside her, loving the way it felt.
Not wanting to be separated, I rolled to my side and kept her close to me. Her leg hooked around my waist and I stayed deep inside her. I was starting to soften but when I was ready for another go we would be prepared.
She ran her fingers through my hair while she stared at me.
I kept my eyes open even though I was exhausted.
Then she sat up. “Well, I’m going to go…”
What?
She smiled at the panicked look on my face. “Kidding.”
I relaxed then nudged her playfully. “Brat.”
“You know I would never leave you, Cato. Not again.”
With those final words, I pulled her into me again and fell into a deep sleep.
***
Katarina stayed with me the entire week. After she got tired of going back and forth to her apartment for her clothes, make up, and hair supplies she brought a bag and left it at my house.
I was one happy man.
She slept with me every night, and when I woke up in the morning, she had breakfast ready with a fresh brewed coffee. The apartment was noticeably cleaner, and my towels were no longer on the floor of the bathroom. Fresh, clean ones were always hanging from the rack. And the apartment had a new scent to it.
Her scent.
I never had a girl stay with me before. I forgot about them as soon as I rolled the condom off my dick. Like she did to me, I kicked them out. I didn’t do sleepovers. But Katarina was a nice addition to my life.
She was organizing her briefcase while sipping her coffee one morning. She was dressed for work, wearing a tight pencil skirt and a pink blouse. Heels were on her feet, and her hair was pulled back. She looked like a sexy CEO.
Katarina noticed me staring at her. “What?” She kept sorting through her papers.
“I think you’re hot.”
A slight smile crept into her lips. “Yeah?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, thank you.”
“A quickie before work?”
She smiled again. “I don’t have time, Cato. And you know me. I always like seconds afterward.”
I took a drink of my coffee. “Never forget.”
She closed her briefcase then put it over one shoulder. “I’ll see you when I get off work.”
“Will you cook dinner for me?” That was another perk. A hot meal was on the table every night. All I had to do was help her clean up the dishes afterward. And I had leftovers throughout the day. It was a sweet deal.
“When have I ever let my man go hungry?”
“Never.” I put my hands behind my head and leaned back.
She walked to me then gave me a quick kiss on the lips. “I’ll see you later.”
When she was about to pull away, I snatched her and pulled her onto my lap. My arm tightened around her so she couldn’t get away. I kissed her hard, loosening her resolve to run away.
“I’m going to be late,” she said as she continued to kiss me.
“So? You run the damn thing.” I knocked my coffee cup and plate onto the floor. It crashed into several pieces when it hit the hard wood floor. I couldn’t care less about my dishes and threw Katarina on the table. Her skirt was up, and my pants were down. Then I slipped inside her and gave her the quickest quickie she’d ever had in her life.
***
Troy mentioned Harper had an issue with him working as an escort. I understood the complication because our job was unusual. Honestly, who wanted their man touching other women?
But it didn’t seem to be an issue with Katarina.
She never asked me about my work, and when I had to escort a client on a Friday or Saturday evening, she never got upset. She usually worked until I came home. Then we had our fun.
I assumed it was because she trusted me. I worked really hard to get Katarina into my life and to get her to trust me. It wouldn’t make any sense for me to fall for someone else.
Our relationship had changed since that evening in Times Square. It was stronger and more passionate. She treated me like I was water, food, and air. She couldn’t live without me, and if she had to, she didn’t last very long.
It was exactly what I wanted. Having Katarina was like having a best friend you enjoyed having sex with. When I was finished and satisfied, I still wanted to be around her all the time. We could be lying on the TV watching a boring documentary but I didn’t care. As long as I was with her, I was happy.
When she told me she talked to her husband and had some divine intervention, I didn’t question it. And I didn’t think she was crazy. When you lose someone, are they ever really gone? The important thing was, she had permission to be happy with me.
And now we were.
She used to get these random looks of sadness when we were together. Now when I thought about it I retrospect, I realized she was thinking about him. In what context, I wasn’t sure. She either missed him or felt guilty for spending time with me. But she didn’t make those faces anymore.
If Ethan ever did come up, it was in a good way. If something related to the military came up, she told me how many tours he did or how he enlisted. But when she talked about him, it was with a smile on her face. She felt comfortable talking about him to me, keeping him alive in a way, but she also got to keep me.
It worked.
The only bad thing about our relationship, which really had nothing to do with either of us, was our work schedules. She worked mornings and I worked nights. Sometimes we didn’t see each other until I got off work. But I could tell she missed me by the way she enthusiastically greeted me.
My parents adored her. When I told them about her, my mom was about to have a heart attack. She thought I would never bring a girl around. There was even a point in time when she thought I was gay. I quickly corrected her and told her I was a hit it and quit it kind of guy.
She wasn’t impressed by that.
But now my mom was over the moon. Katarina was clearly a good girl who was independent, smart, and beautiful. Dad liked her too, and they were eager for me to settle down and take a wife.
A wife would be nice.
Jett came over during the day since he had nothing to do before work that evening. We usually played video games together because I just got a new console. As soon as we walked inside he grabbed a beer then plopped down on the couch. But then his face changed. “What the hell is that smell?”
“What smell?” I sniffed the air. “I don’t smell anything.”
“It smells like…” He took another deep breath. “Like a summer meadow.”
“Have you been to a summer meadow lately…?”
He glanced at the coffee table, which had two pink candles, and then turned to the other couch to see a pair of heels thrown on top. Katarina’s things were scattered around everywhere. I’d gotten used to it so I didn’t even notice. “Is she living here?”
“No…but pretty much.” I smiled because I couldn’t help it.
“So, are you guys serious now or is she still…you know?”
“We’re great,” I said. “I told her about New Year’s Eve and then we had sex. It’s been great ever since.”
“And her husband?”
“She made her peace with it. She’s ready to move on now.”
He nodded. “Congratulations, man.”
“Thanks.”
“Good sex?”
“She’s just as amazing as before.”
“Sweet.” He tapped his beer against mine. “What’s next?”
“What do you mean?”
“You going to move in with her or something? Propose? Rhett shacked up with Aspen immediately, and Troy followed in his footsteps. Are you going to do the same?”
I never seriously considered it. I would love to live with her. That wasn’t the issue. I just wasn’t sure if she wanted to. If I asked, what if it backfired? We were doing really well. Doing too much could damage it. “I wouldn’t mind living with her.”
“Are you going to ask then?”
“I don’t know…I’ll feel her out.”
He shook his head and mumbled. “Pussy.”
“You’re just jealous you’re alone.”
He laughed. “Believe me, I’m not. You should be jealous of me, man.”
“I’m definitely not.” I’d already had that lifestyle and it was pretty hollow and meaningless. When Jett found a girl he really liked he would see what I meant. Until then, he wouldn’t understand.
A knock on the door broke our conversation.
“Hooker?” Jett asked with a grin.
“Maybe for you.” I walked to the door then looked through the peephole. When I saw the person on the other side I wanted to break my door just so I could throw it at him. “Mother fucker.”
“Who is it?” Jett asked.
“Someone that’s about to die.” I opened the door and came face-to-face with the man I despised most.
Joey.
“You have a death wish?” I demanded. I was already rolling up my sleeves with every intention of breaking every bone in his face.
He wore a somber look. He didn’t rise to my challenge, throw a comment back, or even acted like he cared at all.
“You’re going to make it that easy on me?” I asked.
Jett came up behind me. “Two on one. I like those odds.”
Joey looked at him but didn’t show any fear.
“What the fuck do you want, weasel?” I asked.
“Mercy.” That was all he said.
“Mercy?” I asked incredulously. “As in, you can break my arm but don’t break my leg? That kind of mercy?”
“No.” He stared at me helplessly.
“Out with it, asshole.” Jett was growing impatient like I was.
“I made a mistake,” he said. “With Katarina. She won’t talk to me, she won’t look at me, and I’ve been completely cut out of her life.”
“And I’m supposed to care because…?” I raised an eyebrow.
“Because I love her. She’s been my friend since I made my first memory. I know my behavior toward her was wrong. I admit that—completely. I got carried away and a little crazed. I just wanted her so much and I was willing to do anything to make it happen. First, Ethan swooped her off her feet then you…” He shrugged. “Now I understand I need to let it go. She and I are never going to happen. But I really want her friendship back.”