“Holy shit!” Jon heard one of the students exclaim. The statement was followed by astonished gasps and impressed murmurs. Cate give Jon another hard stare, then pulled the fake gun back to her hip and stepped back. She turned her back to him and holstered the rubber piece, then faced the students, not bothering to help Jon up.
He sat up as she launched into a point-by-point explanation of the tactics she had used in combination to subdue Jon. Jon looked from face to face and saw awe in the expressions of Cate’s students. Silently, he admitted to himself that she was good. REALLY good. And after that little display, she just might want to kill him rather than kiss him.
George stepped forward and offered his hand, pulling Jon to his feet. Seeing the students’ eyes on him, Jon smiled and moved back to his place at the edge of the crowd, not wanting to distract them from what Cate was saying. She shot him a stern look but didn’t pause.
After demonstrating one more tactical combination move together, George and Cate paired the students up to practice on each other. Much to the chagrin of every female trainee in the room, George assigned Jon to practice with another male student who was a former state police officer.
Jon tried to focus on working with Alex, but he kept stealing glances at Cate, who was ignoring him as she moved among the students, commenting on and correcting their moves. Luckily, Alex assumed Jon had no clue what he was doing, so he was patient and coached Jon through the tactics.
At 1630 the training session ended and the students were dismissed. Most of them lingered to talk to Jon, who smiled and chatted his way through the group, signing a few autographs and posing for cell phone photos.
Cate watched Jon’s interaction with the trainees as she helped George move the mats back to their place and clean up the room. Her heart warmed at his graciousness to them, but she was still pissed that he had shown her up in front of the class. And she was really angry at herself for allowing him to affect her like he had.
Finally, after about 20 minutes of Rock Star worship, George shooed the remaining students out of the room. After the BATs left, Jon took off his belt and stowed his gear in his bag. He looked expectantly at Cate, waiting for her direction.
Glimpsing the small smile playing over Jon’s lips, Cate felt her heart beat faster. Her lust began to rise again and her mind involuntarily went back to earlier, the sublime feel of his arms and legs wrapped around her as she lay beside him on the floor.
Damnit, STOP IT! Cate angrily shook her head. She had to get away from Jon for awhile. They had firearms training tonight and there was no way she would be able to focus if she didn’t get herself together. And the range was no place to be scatterbrained.
“Hey George?” Cate turned to her colleague. “I’m gonna stay over here and work out for an hour or so. Would you mind taking Jon back to the office with you?”
Jon raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had assumed they would eat dinner together, and he had hoped to talk to Cate about what happened earlier. Is she really that pissed at me?
“No problem. What time are you on the range tonight?” George answered as he packed his own gear into his bag.
“1900.” Cate answered. “Danny’s going to Master – are you planning to come over too?”
“Yeah, Floyd asked me to take some photos of Jon on the range for our annual report.” George looked at Jon. “That okay with you? They won’t be published outside the Center without your permission, of course.”
“Sure man, that’s fine.” Jon nodded. He looked curiously at Cate. “So... should I meet you at the range, at your office, or what?”
“You know where the range is now, so why don’t you just meet me there about ten minutes early?” Cate answered evenly. She returned his gaze, willing herself to hide the turmoil inside her.
Jon gave a small, disappointed sigh. “Okay. See you there.” He turned to George. “Ready when you are, Man.”
“See ya later, Cate.” George said, grabbing his bag and heading for the door. Jon followed, giving Cate one last longing glance.
“Later.” Cate responded. She waited until she was sure the men had gone, then sat down hard against the wall, resting her elbows on her knees. She sighed deeply and cradled her forehead on her arms. This little “project” of hers was turning out to be one of the hardest things she had done in a long time.
There was no doubt in her mind that Jon wanted to have…what? A flirtation? A fling? A one-night romp in the sack? And God knows, she had dreamed a million times about touching him, kissing him, holding him, tangling her fingers in that gorgeous hair, feeling his weight on her body and his length inside her as that sweet whiskey-toned voice purred in her ear….
But now that he was here with her, a flesh-and-bone man, Cate had no idea what she wanted. Technically, there was no reason she couldn’t have a personal relationship with Jon. After all, he wasn’t a student – just a visitor. And neither of them were married.
Part of her just wanted to go with it, let him have his way with her, and savor the fantasy. But most of her, the important part, knew that she would never recover when he left her and didn’t look back. And inevitably that’s what would happen. He would go back to his fabulous life of fame and fortune and movies and music and traveling the world, and she would stay here in this little coastal Georgia town, in the day-to-day grind of Government service.
Cate loved her job and she was proud of her capability, of her reputation as one of the best instructors on the Center. That was part of the problem. If she allowed herself to get involved with Jon she was afraid it would affect her professionally.
She knew all too well what could happen to female instructors when the rumors started to fly. In the eyes of the men, and even some of the other women, they became less capable, unable to control their emotions, their personal lives, whatever… they were considered weak. And this was not a culture that tolerated weakness.
It would be practically impossible to keep it quiet if she and Jon had anything other than a purely professional relationship. Hell, as it was the guys she worked with knew her too well. Cate wasn’t worried about Danny; they both had many secrets they’d take to the grave. But the other guys wouldn’t be able to keep their mouths shut, even if they meant no harm.
Cate realized that the anger that had built in her all day today wasn’t because of Jon’s defiance. It was because of her own fear… fear that if she couldn’t meet her own ridiculously high standards, even with this “side project,” she would be seen as a failure. And she had worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to lose what she had achieved. Her job was all she had left.
God, am I a pathetic mess or what?
Cate sat there for a good long while, trying to sort through her emotions and settle on the answer. Finally she sighed and pushed herself up off the floor. Maybe a workout would clear her head. She needed to prepare herself for another exquisitely excruciating two hours with Jon. She just hoped she could keep it together. And it was only Day Three…
He sat up as she launched into a point-by-point explanation of the tactics she had used in combination to subdue Jon. Jon looked from face to face and saw awe in the expressions of Cate’s students. Silently, he admitted to himself that she was good. REALLY good. And after that little display, she just might want to kill him rather than kiss him.
George stepped forward and offered his hand, pulling Jon to his feet. Seeing the students’ eyes on him, Jon smiled and moved back to his place at the edge of the crowd, not wanting to distract them from what Cate was saying. She shot him a stern look but didn’t pause.
After demonstrating one more tactical combination move together, George and Cate paired the students up to practice on each other. Much to the chagrin of every female trainee in the room, George assigned Jon to practice with another male student who was a former state police officer.
Jon tried to focus on working with Alex, but he kept stealing glances at Cate, who was ignoring him as she moved among the students, commenting on and correcting their moves. Luckily, Alex assumed Jon had no clue what he was doing, so he was patient and coached Jon through the tactics.
At 1630 the training session ended and the students were dismissed. Most of them lingered to talk to Jon, who smiled and chatted his way through the group, signing a few autographs and posing for cell phone photos.
Cate watched Jon’s interaction with the trainees as she helped George move the mats back to their place and clean up the room. Her heart warmed at his graciousness to them, but she was still pissed that he had shown her up in front of the class. And she was really angry at herself for allowing him to affect her like he had.
Finally, after about 20 minutes of Rock Star worship, George shooed the remaining students out of the room. After the BATs left, Jon took off his belt and stowed his gear in his bag. He looked expectantly at Cate, waiting for her direction.
Glimpsing the small smile playing over Jon’s lips, Cate felt her heart beat faster. Her lust began to rise again and her mind involuntarily went back to earlier, the sublime feel of his arms and legs wrapped around her as she lay beside him on the floor.
Damnit, STOP IT! Cate angrily shook her head. She had to get away from Jon for awhile. They had firearms training tonight and there was no way she would be able to focus if she didn’t get herself together. And the range was no place to be scatterbrained.
“Hey George?” Cate turned to her colleague. “I’m gonna stay over here and work out for an hour or so. Would you mind taking Jon back to the office with you?”
Jon raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had assumed they would eat dinner together, and he had hoped to talk to Cate about what happened earlier. Is she really that pissed at me?
“No problem. What time are you on the range tonight?” George answered as he packed his own gear into his bag.
“1900.” Cate answered. “Danny’s going to Master – are you planning to come over too?”
“Yeah, Floyd asked me to take some photos of Jon on the range for our annual report.” George looked at Jon. “That okay with you? They won’t be published outside the Center without your permission, of course.”
“Sure man, that’s fine.” Jon nodded. He looked curiously at Cate. “So... should I meet you at the range, at your office, or what?”
“You know where the range is now, so why don’t you just meet me there about ten minutes early?” Cate answered evenly. She returned his gaze, willing herself to hide the turmoil inside her.
Jon gave a small, disappointed sigh. “Okay. See you there.” He turned to George. “Ready when you are, Man.”
“See ya later, Cate.” George said, grabbing his bag and heading for the door. Jon followed, giving Cate one last longing glance.
“Later.” Cate responded. She waited until she was sure the men had gone, then sat down hard against the wall, resting her elbows on her knees. She sighed deeply and cradled her forehead on her arms. This little “project” of hers was turning out to be one of the hardest things she had done in a long time.
There was no doubt in her mind that Jon wanted to have…what? A flirtation? A fling? A one-night romp in the sack? And God knows, she had dreamed a million times about touching him, kissing him, holding him, tangling her fingers in that gorgeous hair, feeling his weight on her body and his length inside her as that sweet whiskey-toned voice purred in her ear….
But now that he was here with her, a flesh-and-bone man, Cate had no idea what she wanted. Technically, there was no reason she couldn’t have a personal relationship with Jon. After all, he wasn’t a student – just a visitor. And neither of them were married.
Part of her just wanted to go with it, let him have his way with her, and savor the fantasy. But most of her, the important part, knew that she would never recover when he left her and didn’t look back. And inevitably that’s what would happen. He would go back to his fabulous life of fame and fortune and movies and music and traveling the world, and she would stay here in this little coastal Georgia town, in the day-to-day grind of Government service.
Cate loved her job and she was proud of her capability, of her reputation as one of the best instructors on the Center. That was part of the problem. If she allowed herself to get involved with Jon she was afraid it would affect her professionally.
She knew all too well what could happen to female instructors when the rumors started to fly. In the eyes of the men, and even some of the other women, they became less capable, unable to control their emotions, their personal lives, whatever… they were considered weak. And this was not a culture that tolerated weakness.
It would be practically impossible to keep it quiet if she and Jon had anything other than a purely professional relationship. Hell, as it was the guys she worked with knew her too well. Cate wasn’t worried about Danny; they both had many secrets they’d take to the grave. But the other guys wouldn’t be able to keep their mouths shut, even if they meant no harm.
Cate realized that the anger that had built in her all day today wasn’t because of Jon’s defiance. It was because of her own fear… fear that if she couldn’t meet her own ridiculously high standards, even with this “side project,” she would be seen as a failure. And she had worked too hard, sacrificed too much, to lose what she had achieved. Her job was all she had left.
God, am I a pathetic mess or what?
Cate sat there for a good long while, trying to sort through her emotions and settle on the answer. Finally she sighed and pushed herself up off the floor. Maybe a workout would clear her head. She needed to prepare herself for another exquisitely excruciating two hours with Jon. She just hoped she could keep it together. And it was only Day Three…
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