Chapter 58 - The Morning After

SUNDAY

Jon felt rather than saw the light. It was piercing, almost painful. He groaned and turned his head to the side, trying to escape the glare.

“What the fuck…” he mumbled. He tried to raise his arm to cover his eyes, to block it out, but something was preventing his arm’s movement. He groaned again and slid his eyelids open a crack. “Ohhh…Goooodddd…” he moaned softly as the brightness crept into his head, searing his brain. He squeezed his eyes back shut. Where the hell am I? he thought thickly.

Then he became aware that he was not alone. A warm, soft body was curled against his. Jon moaned again and dropped his chin down to his chest, trying to avoid the intense glow that seemed to surround him. He again tried to open his eyes. This time he succeeded.

He focused on soft reddish-brown hair. It took a moment for his brain to process what he was seeing, then he smiled weakly. She’s here. With me.

At some point after they had drifted off, Cate had turned in his arms. She was now lying snuggled against him, her arms around his waist, her cheek pressed to his chest. He could feel her gentle breath against his skin, stirring his chest hair.

Cate felt Jon move under her, and she stirred groggily. “Mmmm… Jon?” she mumbled. She raised her head slightly and winced as she opened her eyes a crack. “You okay?”

“No,” Jon moaned hoarsely. “It’s too fucking bright.”

“Uh huh…” Cate answered, her eyelids dropping closed again as she lowered her cheek back to his chest. “What time is it?” she croaked. She tried to lick her dry lips, but her tongue was like sandpaper.

“I dunno,” Jon answered, his own voice gravelly. “But the sun’s up. And it’s pissing me off.”

Cate took a deep breath, bracing herself for the pain she knew was coming. She slowly pushed herself up off Jon’s chest, until she was sitting. She eased her eyes open, looking away from the source of the light. Jon’s pained expression swam into focus. She gave him a sympathetic little smile, feeling the dull ache at her temples. Oh, this ain’t gonna be good, she thought miserably.

“Let’s go inside,” Jon said softly, his voice almost a whisper. “It’s dark and quiet in there.”

“Okay.” Cate readily agreed. She took another deep breath, then turned and slid to the end of the chaise. She stood unsteadily, closing her eyes as the landscape swayed from side to side. Evil, evil wine… she thought.

She slowly opened her eyes and watched as Jon climbed stiffly off the chaise. He stumbled a bit, reaching out for Cate. She stepped toward him and he grabbed her shoulders, steadying himself.

“Sorry, Baby.” He grimaced. “C’mon. There’s a big, soft bed inside with our names on it.”

Cate and Jon moved slowly to the door and stepped inside the darkness of the living room. Jon groaned with relief. He stopped and gathered Cate gently to him, kissing the top of her head. “I think maybe we had a bit too much wine…” he chuckled softly.

“Ya think?” Cate mumbled. She lay her cheek against his warm chest and took a deep breath, then yawned. “And not enough sleep.” She stood there in Jon’s arms for another long minute, then reluctantly raised her head. “Where are your Tylenol?” she asked.

“Kitchen.” Jon grunted. He released Cate from his embrace and led her slowly across the living room. When they reached the kitchen, he opened a cabinet and pulled out a large bottle of Tylenol, making a sour face as the pills rattled loudly in their plastic container.

Cate glanced at the digital clock on the microwave’s display, and saw that it read 6:57 a.m. She opened the refrigerator, squinting at the light, and extracted two bottles of water. She set them on the counter and closed the fridge door, then held out her hand.

Jon shook four of the little red-and-white tablets into her palm, and Cate tossed them into her mouth. She twisted the cap off one of the water bottles and washed the pills down her sawdust-dry throat with a hard swallow.

She sipped a little more water from the bottle as she watched Jon down his own dose of Tylenol. He then took her hand. “Bedtime,” he mumbled. He shuffled across the cool tile floor toward the bedroom, pulling Cate in his wake.

This time, when Cate saw the huge bed, she wasn’t apprehensive — she was grateful. It looked like Heaven, soft and comfortable. Jon led her directly to it, not bothering to slide the bedroom doors closed behind them.

He dropped Cate’s hand and shrugged his shirt from his shoulders, letting it fall to the floor behind him. Despite her discomfort, Cate breathed out a little “oh!” at the sight of Jon’s bare torso. Jon noticed and gave a husky little chuckle. “Sorry, Baby,” he said gently. “I’m in no shape to seduce you right now.”

Cate laughed softly in reply. “It’s okay. I’m happy just to look. At least as long as I can keep my eyes open.”

Jon smiled tiredly. He turned to pull the covers down, and found himself confronted with the mountain of pillows. “Fuck,” he growled, grabbing an armful of them and flinging them to the floor. “Goddamned pillows,” he grumbled. Cate chuckled at his annoyance, watching him sweep the remaining decorations off the bed.

“I’ll be back in a minute,” she said quietly, moving around the bed, headed for the bathroom. She slid the door halfway open and slipped inside.

As she crossed the cool tile floor on the way to the lav she caught her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a wild mess and her eye makeup was slightly smudged, but otherwise she didn’t look too bad. For a drunk woman.

She smiled weakly and continued to the little room that housed the toilet. After relieving her bladder, Cate returned to the vanity. She washed her hands, then fished around in her toiletry bag until she found her face cleanser. She quickly removed her eye makeup and washed her face, then took off her jewelry and secured it in the side pocket of the little bag. Cate made a face as she tugged a brush through her unruly mop of hair.

“Cate, you okay in there?” She heard Jon’s gravelly voice on the other side of the door.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Cate answered. “Just taking care of a few things. You can come in if you want.” She squeezed some toothpaste onto her toothbrush.

Jon poked his head around the door. “I thought maybe you were sick,” he said softly.

Cate chuckled. “What, think I can’t hold my booze?” she teased gently. Though I would probably feel better if I yakked… She stuck the toothbrush into her mouth and started to scrub, pulling her hair back at the nape of her neck with her other hand. She winced as the vigorous movement caused her head to pound.

“Nope, I know better.” Jon watched as Cate brushed her teeth. “That’s probably not a bad idea,” he observed. He slid the door fully open and stepped into the bathroom. He moved to the second sink, pulling open the medicine cabinet and taking out his toothbrush.

Cate glanced at the mirror and let out a little squeak when she saw Jon’s reflection. He had shed his jeans and was now clad only in snug black boxer briefs that left nothing to the imagination. Oblivious to her stare, Jon leaned forward over the sink as he brushed his teeth, bracing one hand against the vanity, causing his arm to flex deliciously.

Cate spit out her toothpaste into her sink, then rinsed her toothbrush and wiped her mouth with a towel. She tossed her toothbrush back into her toiletry bag, then stepped back from the vanity. She boldly stared at Jon’s perfect ass as he finished brushing his teeth.

Jon scooped some water up to his lips with his hand, then glanced up at the mirror. He grinned as he saw Cate leering at him. He replaced his toothbrush in the cabinet, then turned to face her. He swayed a little with the movement, and bumped back against the vanity. Cate sucked in a breath as the waistband of Jon’s briefs slid a little lower, just under the points of his hipbones.

“Enjoying the view?” he teased.

“Yes,” Cate breathed, her eyes following the soft brown trail of hair from his navel down to where it disappeared under the black elastic waistband.

Jon stepped forward, closing the distance between the two of them. He raised a gentle hand to her cheek and tilted her face up to his. He kissed her sweetly, his breath minty from the toothpaste. “Well, you can look all you want later,” he murmured. “We gotta get some sleep.”

Cate nodded, again feeling her brain throb in protest to the movement. She was tired. Really tired. And she needed to sleep off the effects of the wine. She looked up at Jon’s face and saw that he looked exhausted, too.

Cate was just ready to turn for the door when she felt Jon’s hands at her waist. Her eyes widened as he gently unbuttoned her jeans, then drew down the zipper.

“These may be your favorites, but they can’t be too comfortable to sleep in,” Jon said softly as he pushed the waistband over Cate’s hips and slid the soft denim down her thighs. He crouched beside her and drew the jeans down over Cate’s calves until they puddled on the floor around her feet.

Cate steadied herself with a hand on Jon’s shoulder and stepped out of her jeans, drawing in a deep breath as she looked down at his nearly-nude form, genuflecting at her feet.

Jon gathered the garment in his hands, then stood. Cate watched as he carefully folded the jeans, then laid them on the vanity. She felt a little light-headed, not from the hangover but from the realization that she was now almost as naked as Jon, clad only in her tight Jersey Girl tank top and her skimpy lace panties.

Jon’s eyes roved over Cate’s body, and he gave her a weary but sexy little smile. If he weren’t so dead-tired he would have been incredibly aroused by the sheer black lace over her soft, tanned skin. “C’mon Baby, you’re living the Rock Star life now,” he teased gently. “Up all night, sleep ‘til noon.”

Cate gasped in surprise as Jon suddenly swept her up into his strong arms. She instinctively circled her arms around his neck and hugged him tight as he carried her back into the bedroom. He crossed the spacious room in a few long strides, then gently lowered Cate onto the bed.

A sigh of contentment escaped Cate’s lips as she felt the soft, cool cotton sheets against her skin, and her body melted into the plush mattress. Jon chuckled and brushed back a stray strand of copper hair from Cate’s face, then pulled the sheet up over her body. He leaned down and gave her another sweet kiss, then stood and walked around the bed. He crawled between the sheets, letting out his own appreciative little groan.

Jon slid across the enormous bed until he lay close beside Cate. She turned onto her side and smiled at him, her eyelids already heavy. “Good night,” she murmured sleepily.

“’Night, Baby,” Jon whispered as his own eyes drifted closed.