Fueled by Lust: Cato (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  He leaned in and she could feel the caress of his breath across her cheek. His words released on a low rumble.

  “There’s nothing silly about this. Do you know what I am, Luna?”

  Luna was helpless to stop the chills that shivered across her skin or the trembling words that left her mouth. “No. What are you, Cato?”

  Tingles shot up her spine when two large hands gripped her waist and easily lifted her from the floor. She felt her butt land softly on the marble before his hips slid between her open legs. His lips were at her ear before she realized her own arms were circling his neck.

  “I’m not nice.”

  Warm fingers gripped her jaw and turned her head into the path of the most wonderful lips she’d ever touched. She instinctively opened her mouth and slipped her tongue inside his mouth and tasted the strong, virile man gripping her waist and pulling her closer to his body. She couldn’t believe how easy it was to relax and let him take possession of her. He felt familiar and that baffled her. She became lost in his masculine smell, the feel of his soft hair, and the thickness of his muscles running along the top of his shoulders. She couldn’t bring herself to pull away and cry foul. She wanted to wrap her legs around his body and absorb herself into him.

  His kiss was decadent and demanding and the best she’d ever experienced. She could only moan into his mouth when he grabbed her hands, pulled them above her head and locked them together within one of his large palms. Heat flared between her legs and she pressed against his hard belly as her ankles caught the back of his massive thighs. Her hips rolled on their own accord. Arching her back, she released another moan when her nipples brushed against his hard chest.

  Luna felt a soft tug of her braid and her head tilted further back. His hand left her face and traveled slowly down her throat and flattened above her heart. She wanted to cry out when his mouth pulled away and his teeth gently caught her bottom lip and released. The strong scent of leather and vanilla wafted to her nose and she let her head drop back against the cabinet as she enjoyed the wonderful smell.

  “Look at me, Luna.”

  Reluctantly, she pulled herself from the dreamy state she’d fallen into and lifted her lids. She sucked in a breath as her eyes locked with his. He owned her in that moment. She felt connected by an invisible web of energy that wrapped around her senses and drew her further to him. His hand felt like a hot brand against her chest. Her skin pebbled at his husky words.

  “You feel me, too. Your heart beats as quickly as mine.”

  His hands moved away from her wrists and heart and landed gently on the top of her thighs. They slid slowly down her shivering skin as he backed away and gently closed her legs. Her arms dropped to the top of his shoulders as he gripped her waist again and lifted her from the countertop. Setting her down, he backed up and held his hand out to her, palm up.

  “Trust me when I say that I want you here in my home and that I need to protect you. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you again. There’s plenty of time to plan your next move. Come with me. Please.”

  Luna stared at his hand and couldn’t believe how easy it was for her to reach out and place hers on the warm skin. His long fingers entwined with hers and she felt herself being pulled forward. He took her back to the den and released her by the couch. He reached down and grabbed the remote.

  “You want to watch a movie?”

  She stood there, nonplussed at the switch from seductive god to pleasant homeowner. If he’d been trying to prove that she was attracted to him, he’d effortlessly confirmed it. Point to Cato. Luna sat on the couch, pulled her legs up, and covered herself with the blanket. Donk jumped up, made two turns, and settled by her side.

  “Sure, but can I ask you a question first?”

  Cato nodded and moved several steps away from her. He sat down and propped his boots on the marbled table. “Sure.”

  Rubbing her hand down Donk’s soft fur in order to calm her nerves, Luna looked him directly in the eye.

  “Why do I feel like I know you?” She watched him shrug before he looked away.

  “I don’t know. I did talk to you quite a bit. Perhaps you were right. Maybe you heard my voice or caught a glimpse of me at one point, although I’m really not sure how that was possible.”

  Taking a deep breath, Luna nodded. “Yeah. That’s probably it. Uh. Cato?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why did you kiss me?”

  She was surprised by the smile that lit up his face. He was absolutely gorgeous, yet add the smile and he was breathtaking.

  “I promised myself that I was going to do that as soon as you opened your eyes. That kinda got put on hold when I had to decide between a kiss or talk you out of stabbing me.”

  He glanced over and she couldn’t help but to smile back at the grin that transformed him into a fallen angel. She had to look away. That, or throw herself at him and make a total fool out of herself. She decided a change of subject was in order.

  “What makes you think Bryan had me hurt?” When she looked back up, the angel was gone. His eyes had narrowed and darkened. She could see the muscles in his jaw working as if he was grinding his teeth. Eventually, he appeared to calm and she saw the quick rise and fall of his chest.

  “When the doctor left him alone with you, he said some things that sounded like he was surprised at the severity of the attack, not the attack itself.”

  Luna frowned. “You heard him? You were in my room when he talked to me?” She watched his eyes widen and then relax. He chuckled and scrubbed at the top of his head.

  “You would definitely make a good detective. Yes. I was there, in the bathroom to be exact. He barged in with half the staff on his tail, so I hid there. I didn’t want anyone to know who I was. There would’ve been too many questions as to why I was involved and couldn’t even give them your name. I chose to stay in the shadows, you might say. It worked out since Bryan has no idea who I am, just that you had a benefactor. He won’t find you here.”

  Luna nodded and shook her head. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I’ll never be able to prove he had anything to do with it. I can’t identify the guy that attacked me. Can you picture me at a lineup and feeling up guys with hairy arms and smelling for dirty socks? Hell, that’s half of Austin.”

  Cato burst out laughing. “Ah, gods! And you’re funny, too. You’re killing me, Luna.”

  Smiling, she tilted her head. “You like comedies? I think we could use some humor tonight. How about it?”

  Nodding in agreement, Cato lifted the remote. “I have all the cable channels and Netflix. If we can’t find anything there, I have a good-sized collection of DVDs. Anything particular in mind?”

  “Jim Carrey. Can’t go wrong with that guy.”

  Cato lifted up and pulled his feet from the coffee table. “Oh, girl. You said the magic word. That dude cracks me up. Tell you what, let’s go upstairs. I have a theater room and we can watch him on the big screen.”

  Luna glanced in the direction of his pointing finger and her eyes landed on wooden stairs leading to a second level. “Geez, I must have been really tired. I didn’t realize those were there.” Her eyes widened. “You got popcorn?”

  Cato nodded like a teenager and grinned. “Soda machine, too. You should see it around here at football season. Fully stocked refrigerator, popcorn machine, and if we hadn’t eaten already, I’d fire up the grill on the balcony. My brothers practically live up there.”

  Luna gaped at him. “You have brothers? There’s more of you?”

  Laughing, Cato stood and nodded. “There are a ton of us, but they’re not really my brothers. I have a lot of friends. We’re very close. Once I built the theater room, I didn’t stand a chance. Come on, I’ll show you.”

  Luna let him pull her up the stairs and laughed when he opened a double set of doors, touched something on the wall, then bent at the waist, and swept his arm out toward the interior.

  “Welcome to the Telarius Theater. Movie starts in fifteen. R
efreshments to the left and bathroom to the right.”

  Mouth hanging open, Luna felt her feet sink into the thickest carpet she’d ever walked on as she entered the dimly lit room. She gaped at the rows of plush, black recliners lining the room and facing a large, flat screen covering an entire wall. There had to be at least thirty individual seats, not counting others situated around small tables in the refreshment area. The room was eerily quiet and she realized the gray carpet extended up the walls, effectively soundproofing the room.

  “Wow, Cato! It’s awesome! I haven’t been to a movie in a very long time. This is going to be fun.”

  As promised, fifteen minutes later she sat reclined in what she called the “head honcho” chairs since they were situated directly in front of the screen and had the best view. The tantalizing smell of fresh buttered popcorn wafted in the air and she happily shoved it into her mouth as she watched Jim Carrey’s mug morph into impossible contortions.

  She glanced over to Cato and smiled at the look of happiness on his face as he laughed at the comedian’s antics. She was glad that he was relaxed. In fact, she’d noticed rather quickly that his demeanor mirrored her own. If she was tense, so was he. If she became frightened, he appeared to become protective. When she relaxed, his shoulders dropped and he was quicker to smile. She wasn’t used to that. She’d been playing to Bryan’s moods for so long, she’d forgotten how to be herself and just let go.

  Luna watched as his hand tossed a kernel of popcorn into his mouth and his strong jaw worked as he chewed and smiled. She glanced down and saw that his boots were crossed at the ankle and he was flipping his foot back and forth in a gentle rhythm. Her eyes widened when she realized hers was doing the same. They were in sync. She suppressed a smile and relaxed back into the buttery softness of the leather recliner.

  All too soon, the movie credits rolled on the screen and she glanced over to Cato when the sound muted. He was smiling at her.

  “I needed that.”

  She nodded. “Me, too.”

  He stood and started gathering up their empty soda cans and popcorn containers. When the place was tidied, she followed him out of the room and down the stairs. She glanced over and saw that Donk was in his kitty bed sprawled flat on his back. A round ball with a bell attached rested on his belly. She stifled a laugh and looked back at Cato.

  “I think he has the right idea. I’m going to grab a shower and go to bed. I need to wash my hair and that takes a bit.” She didn’t know why she suddenly felt shy and lowered her lashes. She squished her toes into the deep pile carpet and mumbled, “So, I’ll see you in the morning?”

  “Look at me, Luna.”

  She flipped her gaze up and stared into his brilliant, sky-blue eyes.

  “Thanks for watching the movie with me. I really enjoyed that. And thanks for staying. We can talk more tomorrow. Come. I’ll walk you to your room.”

  She took his offered hand and they walked silently side by side through the hallway and past the kitchen. When they got to her bedroom door, he released her hand, smiled, and turned toward his door. “Goodnight, Luna. Sleep well.”

  Luna reached out and touched his arm. She felt his muscles tighten and she dropped her hand. He kept his face turned away from her. It made it easier for her to say what she intended.

  “Uh. Thank you, Cato. For everything. You’re the nicest man I’ve ever met, even though you don’t think you are. No one else would’ve done what you did. You’re right, you know. I need to be careful where Bryan’s concerned. There’s something seriously wrong with him. Just before I was attacked, he’d handcuffed me to a rail in the bathroom. I escaped and that was why I was at the phone booth so late. I was leaving him. I guess it just wasn’t my night. Always in the wrong place at the wrong time.” She watched his shoulders rise and his hands clenched into tight fists.

  “He should have never treated you that way. I can’t comprehend it. You’re safe here, Luna. Never forget that. You’re in the right place now.” He shot a quick glance over his shoulder, then moved away. “Goodnight, Luna.”

  Luna watched him slip through his doorway and heard the soft click as he closed the door. She walked into her room and closed the door behind her. Leaning against it, she tilted her head back and let out her held breath.

  Why, oh why, has that man not been snapped up by a lucky woman yet? There’s got to be something wrong with him, yet I’ll be damned if I can figure out what it is.

  Chapter 21

  Pushing away from the door, Luna headed to the bathroom and hesitated. She looked down her body and shook her head. “Damn. I forgot to put my clothes in the dryer.” She slipped down the hallway and entered the laundry room. When she saw that the washer was empty, she peeked in the dryer and smiled. He’d moved them for her. How sweet. She sighed in contentment and turned the dryer on again to rid the clothes of any wrinkles. Leaning against the appliance, she thought about Cato’s last words. You’re in the right place, now.

  Was she? Or was it just a comfortable situation? After a year with Bryan, this place was nirvana. She’d had more fun in the last several hours than she’d had the entire time with him. Was she comfortable with Cato because he was the complete opposite of Bryan? And what was so bad about that? He was obviously attracted to her and the feeling was definitely mutual. Was this her regular pattern starting to pop up again, or was she feeling something unique just to Cato?

  Luna shook her head and voiced her thoughts. “No, this is definitely something unique. I know he won’t physically stop me if I tried to leave. I’m the one stopping me from leaving. I’ve had plenty of opportunities. How can I pass up the chance to know someone like him? I’d be stupid to leave without giving it a shot.” Decision made, she smiled and started pulling warm clothes from the dryer.

  Laughing, she chided herself for the gooey feeling she got inside from handling his clothes. She liked seeing his things jumbled up with hers. She held up his jeans and shook her head. “Damn, you’re a big bastard.” That just made her grin and whisper, “All the more to toss Luna around like she’s light as a feather.” She sighed as she remembered how easily he’d planted her on the counter and proceeded to make her brain a pile of mush. “Damn, that man can kiss,” she mumbled as she walked back with the loaded basket.

  Luna placed all of her clothes in a dresser and took the basket back to the hallway. She raised her hand to knock on his door, yet hesitated. He was probably in the shower or already asleep. She placed the basket next to the door and went back to her room. Spotting the suitcase, she grabbed it up, and set it in the corner. She’d leave it out in the sun tomorrow and burn away any last remnants of smell.

  She turned the shower on and waited for it to heat. This time, she released her braid and washed all of it. She dried it and redid the braid. She snorted when she remembered the arguments she’d had with Bryan over her hair. He’d wanted her to cut it, but she’d promised her brother that she never would. She liked it and that was that. She’d taken to sleeping on her back with the braid hidden just in case he tried to do some trimming on his own.

  Slipping on a clean nightgown, she pulled the soft covers down and crawled into the huge bed. Reaching over, she flipped the light off and rolled to her back. Immediately, her mind went back to the kiss and she verbally chastised herself.

  Christ, Luna! You’re going to drive yourself crazy. Go to sleep. She tossed and turned and finally pulled the nightgown over her head and tossed it to the floor. She was used to sleeping nude, but had taken to going to bed with a nightgown on just to keep from giving Bryan any ideas. She definitely didn’t have to do that anymore.

  “Damn, that was a mistake,” she huffed. The sheets obviously had a high thread count because they caressed her body like a dream. That just ratcheted up her libido. She tried to remember the last time she’d had an orgasm and cringed at the thought. Months? Even then, it was by her own hand, as usual. Even with Bryan furiously working on top of her, she’d had to slip her hand between them to f
inish herself off before he came. Her eyes widened. Oh! I forgot about my little escape gift to myself.

  Grinning, she jumped from the bed and made her way to the suitcase. She undid the ties to the false bottom and pulled her art materials out. Frantically, she searched the suitcase. It wasn’t there. Sitting back on her haunches, she tried to reason why her vibrator was missing. Granted, the suitcase had been busted open, but wouldn’t her art supplies have scattered out, too? Maybe she’d forgotten to pack it in her haste?

  Well, shit. Maybe Bryan will find it and it’ll send a message that he wasn’t skilled enough to do it for me. That thought gave her a little satisfaction as she crawled back into the bed. Probably for the best anyway. The walls appeared thick, but she’d die of embarrassment if he heard a distinct humming and figured out what she was up to.

  It didn’t take long for her to get back in the same mindset. One brief thought of Cato’s big hands gripping her wrists and growling into her ear got her juices flowing. She ran her hands across her breasts and felt her nipples instantly bead to hard peaks. She tweaked them and was unable to suppress the moan that poured from her lips. His intense blue eyes and exquisite features flashed into her mind and she groaned as fingers of electricity traveled across her skin.

  Impatient, she braced her feet on the mattress and spread her legs wide. She teased the sensitive flesh of her mound until chills skittered across her flesh and then pushed a finger between the slippery folds. She was slick and groaned when her finger grazed against her clit. It was already hard and distended and she knew it wasn’t going to take long this time.

  Luna set a gentle, consistent, up-and-down motion on the hard flesh and thought of Cato breathing against her skin and his hands gripping her ass as he held her in place. She imagined his tongue extending from his beautifully sculpted lips and running across her clit. The thought of his hot breath against her skin caused her core to spasm in anticipation. The images were so real, she felt like she could feel his light beard scraping across the trembling muscles of her thighs. Her breath sped up and she began to pant. Faster he twirled the warm flesh until he flattened it and set an excruciating rhythm that made her want to pull back from the exquisite torture, but was loath to leave. Higher and higher he pushed her until her hips lifted from the bed and she began to crest. “Oh yes. Almost there, almost there,” she cried.