Chapter 31 - Playing with Handcuffs


After breakfasting on fresh bagels, Jon and Cate made the short trek to the fitness center. As they walked they chatted about the morning’s news and sports scores. Jon casually asked Cate how her plans of last evening had gone, and she gave him a noncommittal “fine.” He smiled slightly to himself, now sure she had made up an excuse not to have dinner with him last night. But he didn’t push the issue.

Cate felt unusually chipper this morning. She was not normally a morning person – at least not until she had downed the better part of a pot of coffee. But today she just felt… different.

She had awakened to the first rays of dawn creeping through her windows, and to Jon’s scent on her skin. As she lay in bed, the fog of sleep lifting, a sense of tranquility had come over her. Danny’s words echoed in her mind…. Relax, breathe, live. Suddenly she couldn’t wait to get to work, to see Jon.

Her time with Jon was a precious commodity, one that was dwindling every day. She didn’t want to waste another moment. Regardless where her heart led her – and she still wasn’t sure where that would be -- she wanted to live in the moment and leave regrets for another time. She was reasonably sure she could do that, and still maintain her professionalism and do her job.

As they walked, Cate gave Jon a sideways glance. Her heart skipped at the sweet little smile on his perfect lips. That smile was just for her, and it was something no one else would ever share. No matter what happened, she would always have the memory of that smile, and of this experience with Jon. May as well make the most of it.

They arrived at the fitness center and Cate opened another mat room, identical to the one they had used on Wednesday. She and Jon dropped their gear on the floor and began to stretch in preparation for their DTs session.

After limbering her muscles, Cate pulled a roll of foam gauze and a roll of cloth tape from her bag. “What’s that for?” Jon queried, straightening from his hamstring stretch.

“Wrists.” Cate answered. “We’re gonna be doing quite a bit of cuffing, and after a few practices your wrists will start to get tender. Don’t want to get all bruised and sore, do ya?

“Not that way,” Jon grinned suggestively.

Cate rolled her eyes and shook her head. “What happened to you behaving yourself?” she chided. Jon shrugged and raised his eyebrows.

Cate tried not to smile, but couldn’t help it. “Seriously, Jon. I need you to promise me something.” She gave him a direct look. “You won’t wimp out on me today. I know you weren’t comfortable with the strikes and hits we did Wednesday, but I need you to trust me. I won’t let anything happen that will get either of us hurt.”

Jon’s expression sobered. He had an idea of what they were going to cover, but he wasn’t sure exactly how Cate was going to teach him apprehension technique. He didn’t like the idea of making a blind promise.

Then again, he didn’t want to find himself in another showdown with Cate. Things were going so well between them. But Jon knew she wouldn’t back down if he tested her will. And he knew he wouldn’t back down either, once she challenged him.

Cate waited silently, watching Jon consider her words. She felt a little flare of annoyance that he didn’t immediately agree to her request. Don’t overreact…. he’s trying, she silently told herself. This isn’t about you, it’s about him.

She knew that Jon was confident in her teaching and her capability. He was just afraid of hurting her. Cate felt an ironic smile creep to her lips. Gee, that’s what I’m afraid of too, but not that way…

“Jon.” she said quietly, shaking him from his contemplation. “Trust me?”

Jon hesitated a moment more, then nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll do my best.” He smiled. “You’re the boss.”

“Now you’re talkin’!” Cate answered brightly, relieved that he wasn’t going to challenge her today. At least not on purpose. “Okay, c’mere and I’ll tape your wrists.”

Jon walked over to her, undoing the buckle on his watch band. He dropped the watch into his bag then held out his hands toward Cate. He watched as she rapidly wrapped a thin layer of foam gauze, then a layer of cloth tape around each. “You’re fast.” he observed.

“I’ve done this a lot,” she smiled. “Used to work as an assistant to one of the football team trainers back in college.” Jon watched her, flexing his wrists to soften his tape, as she removed her watch and tossed it into her bag. Jon’s eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed something on the underside her left wrist.

As Cate started to pull loose the end of the foam wrap, Jon quickly reached forward and captured her left hand in his. He turned her palm upward and grinned, seeing the ink. Number two… he thought, remembering Danny’s disclosure of Cate’s multiple tattoos.

There, just below the heel of her hand, were three words inked in delicate blue script: Who Dares Wins. Tiny wings bracketed the phrase, making the tattoo span the width of her wrist.

Startled, Cate tried to pull her hand away, but Jon held it firmly. He looked at her surprised expression and chuckled. “You are a woman of many secrets,” he teased lightly. He gently ran his thumb over the tattoo, then released Cate’s hand. “Very nice,” he commented. “Richie would be flattered.”

Cate felt her cheeks flush slightly. Damnit, why do I keep blushing? I’m not a freakin’ schoolgirl… “Thanks. It’s kinda been my mantra over the years. You know, be brave, hang tough, don’t be afraid to try…” She smiled wistfully. “Guess I need it right in front of me sometimes, to remind me.” She gave Jon a long look, then started to wrap the foam gauze around her wrist, covering the tattoo.

Jon nodded. He understood. He watched as Cate swiftly wrapped her wrists then tossed the rolls into her bag. They both tucked their t-shirts into their track pants, then strapped on their gear.

“So, today you get to learn about handcuffs,” Cate began the lesson. She noted Jon’s slightly lecherous grin. “Apparently, just what you’ve been waiting for.”

Jon laughed. “Well ya know, you put any guy in a room with a pair of handcuffs and a hot Babe, and what do you expect?”

“I know, I know…you men all have one-track minds.” Cate sighed, a slight smile still on her lips. “Now, let’s get started. You have to be over at Bobby’s classroom by ten.”

“Yes ma’am.” Jon responded. He took a breath and focused on Cate as she began the lesson.

First she had Jon take out his heavy steel hinge cuffs, showing him how to hold them properly. Using her own cuffs to demonstrate, Cate taught Jon how to quickly apply the handcuffs using a “push-pull” motion.

He watched as she held her cuffs firmly by the center hinge with her right hand, then pushed the single bar of one of the handcuffs’ loops against her left wrist. The curved bar of the cuffs flipped over her wrist and snapped home into the slot. The clicking rasp of the metal teeth sliding as the cuffs caught sounded menacing. She pushed the bars together until they snugly encircled her wrist then held up her arm for Jon to see, the empty cuff dangling.

At Cate’s direction, Jon applied his cuff to his own left wrist, wincing slightly when the curved metal bar pinched his flesh as it clicked shut. Cate pulled a small key from her pocket and unlocked first Jon’s cuff then her own, freeing their wrists.

She had Jon practice snapping the cuff onto his own wrist several more times, so he could get used to the feel of the shackles as they gave and caught. By the eighth time she unlocked his cuffs, Jon was grateful she had taped his wrists for him. They hadn’t even really started and already the bones on both sides of his wrist were getting sore.

“Okay, now let me show you how to apply these things to someone else,” Cate said. “You’ll have to watch in the mirror, since there are only two of us. Normally I demonstrate on one student while the rest of the group watches.” She evaluated Jon’s expression, expecting a smart-aleck comment. She was glad to see that he was serious, apparently concentrating on the task at hand.

Jon nodded. “What do you want me to do?” he asked, no tease in his voice this time.

Cate had Jon stand with his right side to the mirror, so he could watch over his shoulder as she went step-by-step through the speedcuffing procedure. At Cate’s direction, Jon bent slightly forward at his waist and placed his hands at the small of his back, knuckles together, palms facing out to the sides, thumbs pointing upward.

He watched in the mirror as Cate stepped up to him from behind, grasping his right hand with her left, wrapping her grip firmly around his extended thumb. In exaggerated slow movements, Cate used her right hand to push one circle of the cuffs against Jon’s right wrist. The bar flipped around and snapped shut. Then she smoothly grasped his left hand and swung the cuffs underneath his hands so that the other circle snapped shut around his left wrist.

She pushed the bars of both cuffs inward until they were snug and Jon couldn’t wiggle his wrists. Finally, she gently pulled back on Jon’s shoulder, guiding him to stand upright. He was surprised at how helpless he felt, being unable to use his arms.

Cate watched Jon in the mirror and smiled at the wondering expression on his face. “Feel strange?” she asked. “Haven’t you ever been handcuffed before?” She teased him lightly, sure the answer was "no."

“Actually, I have,” Jon answered. He saw Cate’s eyes widen just a bit, then gave her a little grin. “Not with fur-lined cuffs or anything. By the cops, when I was a teenager.” He shrugged. “My buddies and I got a little wild one night and broke out some windows on an old building. We weren’t smart enough to run when the cops rolled up.”

Jon chuckled at the memory from his youth, then shook his head. “Shit, was my old man pissed when I came home in the back of a Jersey State Police car.”

Cate grinned at Jon’s confession. “Guess that taught you, eh?” she asked. “After that you stuck to playing music with your pals?”

“You got it,” Jon answered. “It was safer to be hanging out in the clubs, underage.” He wiggled his fingers, which were starting to numb. “So, how long are you gonna keep these things on me?”

Cate stepped forward and freed Jon from her handcuffs. He turned to face her, shaking his hands slightly, feeling their circulation return. “So, my turn?” he asked. He couldn’t keep a slightly impish twinkle from his eye.

“Your turn,” Cate answered. “I’ll walk you through it, one step at a time.” She slid her cuffs back into their case, then turned her back to Jon. Cate placed her hands at the small of her back and bent forward at the waist. She turned her head to look at their reflection in the mirror.

When Cate bent forward, her buttocks tipped slightly upward toward Jon, a fact that he certainly didn’t miss. He stared at Cate’s firm, round ass for a long moment, frozen. In his mind he saw himself stepping forward, grabbing her hips and pulling her roughly back against his cock…. Oh yeah…. A naughty smile formed on Jon’s lips at the thought.

“AHEM!” Watching Jon in the mirror, Cate knew exactly where his mind had gone. In fact, when she saw his secretive little smile hers had gone there too…but she wasn’t going to let him know that. “Earth to Jon?” she called.

Jon looked sideways at the mirror, at Cate’s reflection. “Huh? Oh, yeah…what now?” He could tell she knew what he had been thinking. He also would bet a million bucks that she liked the idea.

Jon tried to focus on Cate’s words as she explained to him, one step at a time, how to apply the handcuffs. He managed to follow her instruction, and other than having to adjust his grasp of her hands he was successful. Once the cuffs were tightened, Cate stood upright and turned to face Jon.

“Good job,” she praised him. “Now we need to work on speed.” Jon grinned, pleased he had done something right.

Cate turned her back to Jon again. “Unlock me.” she directed him, raising her cuffed hands slightly. “Key is in my right pocket.”

In the mirror, she saw Jon’s grin turn devilish. Uh oh. Tactical error, she thought. Jon stepped up close behind her, gently grasping the cuffs that shackled her hands, pulling them back slightly so that her hands brushed against his crotch.

Watching her face in the mirror, Jon slowly slid his right hand across Cate’s hip and into the pocket of her track pants. Cate inhaled as he unhurriedly pushed his hand down into the pocket, his fingertips stroking her thigh through the thin lining, all the way down to where the key rested at the bottom.

After grasping the key, Jon slowly drew his hand back out, again trailing his fingertips and the key along Cate’s thigh. Jon watched as Cate’s eyes involuntarily closed for a moment, as she held her breath. Then she let it out with an almost imperceptible little groan, her lids fluttering open. Jon felt his groin tighten at her response and took his own deep breath. Then he stepped back slightly and freed Cate’s wrists from his cuffs.

Cate looked at her hands for a moment while she flexed her wrists, regaining her composure. Stay calm. You were flirting earlier, too. She turned to face Jon and gave him a pointed look. “Okay….try again. But this time, you hang on to the key.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Jon replied. He could tell Cate wasn’t angry, but she was trying to keep herself in check. Okay, no more playing. Jon thought. He didn’t want to push Cate to the point where she had to push back.

Jon dropped the key into the pocket of his track pants and gripped his cuffs. Cate turned her back to him, assumed the position, and again coached Jon through speedcuffing procedure. They practiced handcuffing for another 15 minutes, until Jon was able to perform the task swiftly, smoothly, and without direction. By that time Cate’s wrists were starting to feel tender, so she called for a break.

Jon and Cate wandered out into the hall for a drink of water from the fountain, then returned to the mat room. Cate knew what was coming next would probably test Jon’s earlier promise. She decided to be direct.

“Jon, you’re gonna spend the next 20 minutes or so throwing me on the floor,” she said bluntly. She watched as Jon’s eyes narrowed at the thought. “Trust me. It will be fine,” Cate said firmly.

Jon’s jaw tensed, and she could see his reluctance. Cate could tell he was regretting the pledge he had made earlier. Maybe it’s time for a little bribery….

“Hey, if you do this full-on, you don’t hold back… I’ll let you feel me up when we’re done.” She arched an eyebrow at him, giving him a sly little smile.

6 comments:

  1. “Hey, if you do this full-on, you don’t hold back… I’ll let you feel me up when we’re done.”

    Jon, thats an offer you can't refuse! ;)

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  2. so caught up and when I saw handcuffing I was like whoa momma Jonny boy this is your one shinning moment don't blow it.

    Will he or won't he take the challenge? Hummmmm concerned minds want to know!

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  3. NEED MORE. no fair stopping there. can't wait for the next chapter.

    Jenny

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  4. Now there's incentive for you Johnny boy!

    I think I'd rather cuff him and feel HIM up! lol!

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  5. Mama!!! That was just plain hot!

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  6. ahhh haha. love that last line.

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Let me know what you think!