Chapter 59 - Rock Star Morning

Hours later, Cate awoke. She cautiously opened her eyes, bracing for the stabbing pain she was sure was coming. But as her lids parted, she saw only a soft, dusky light.

She blinked with confusion for a moment, wondering why everything seemed fuzzy, like she was looking through a filter. Then she remembered where she was. She was lying on her back, looking up at the filmy blue fabric of the canopy over Jon’s bed.

Jon’s bed. Cate felt herself smile. She turned her head to look at him.

Jon was lying on his stomach, his arms curled under his pillow, his face turned toward her. His hair was a tousled mop, the ends of his thick blonde locks pointing every which direction. His eyelashes formed a soft golden fringe across his eyes, and his cheeks were covered in light stubble. His lips were slightly parted, full and soft, with a little upward curve at their corners. His expression was almost angelic as he slept.

Cate quietly sat up and slipped out of bed, careful not to wake the beautiful man beside her. She glanced back at him, then stopped and did a double-take. The pale blue sheet lay angled across his thighs, revealing his taut buttocks under the sexy black briefs. The waistband had ridden downward as he slept, exposing the tops of his glutes and the beginning of the little valley between them.

Cate let her eyes slide upward over his tanned, smooth back to his shoulders, taking in every little ripple and ridge of his musculature. She felt a surge of desire as she admired his divine form. He may have the face of an angel, but Lord knows he has a body built for sin…

Tearing her gaze away from Jon, Cate crept into the bathroom, quietly sliding the door closed behind her. Moving to the sink, she splashed some cool water onto her face then sucked a little into her mouth from her cupped hand.

Cate regarded her reflection in the mirror. All in all, she felt better than she expected; there was a slight ache in her temples and she was a bit dehydrated, but that was it. She was grateful she had thought to take the Tylenol before going back to sleep.

Cate smiled as she noticed her folded blue jeans resting on the vanity beside the sink. She reached out and touched the soft denim, remembering how gently Jon had removed them from her body. A little shiver ran down her spine at the recall of his touch, and she felt a flush of heat between her legs as she remembered how drop-dead sexy he had looked, leaning against the vanity clad only in the black briefs. Damn, I really WAS tired, not to rip those briefs off of him and do him right here on the floor! She smiled dirtily at the thought.

Looking around the spacious bathroom, Cate noticed a clock on the wall opposite the vanity. The dial showed that it was 11:50. She had slept for almost five hours; about her normal night’s sleep. But it was now the middle of the day. Livin’ like a Rock Star, she thought, chortling softly.

Cate yawned widely, then stretched her arms up over her head. She turned her torso first to one side, then to the other, groaning as she felt a series of soft pops ripple down her spine. Then she shuffled over to the shower.

Like the rest of the master suite, it was oversized, big enough for three or four people. It had a deep bench at the back, opposite the multiple adjustable showerheads that lined up along a vertical track. Pulling open the glass door, Cate stepped into the stall and turned on the water. She jumped back to avoid the spray, then closed the door. She grabbed a fluffy towel from the bar on the wall and looped it over a hook next to the shower door.

Crossing to the vanity, Cate pulled small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash from her toiletry bag. She padded back over to the shower and and set them on the bench inside the stall. Then she stripped off her tank and panties and stepped into the steamy cubicle.

Cate groaned with pleasure as the warm spray assaulted her body. She turned her back to the water, dropping her chin to her chest and letting the hard needles massage her neck, back, and legs. After several long, blissful minutes, she turned her face to the water, then began to cleanse herself.

Twenty luxurious minutes later, Cate emerged from the shower in a cloud of steam. She dried herself and wrapped the towel around her body, tucking the corner in between her breasts to hold it in place. Grabbing a smaller towel from the bar, she squeezed the excess water from her hair. She moved over to the vanity and and began to comb through her long tresses.

Cate heard the gentle swishing sound of the pocket doors sliding open, and she smiled. She turned to look at the doorway, and her eyes fell upon one of the most beautiful sights she could imagine. Jon was leaning against the door frame, nearly naked, the black briefs slung low across his hips. In his hand was a large, steaming mug of coffee.

“Morning, Baby,” he purred. He held out the mug to Cate. “Thought you might need this.”

“Thank you,” Cate answered gratefully. She walked over to Jon and accepted his offering. She took a sip of the hot liquid and sighed blissfully. He had added chocolate caramel creamer and whipped cream, just like she made her coffee every day. “God, I love you…” Cate groaned, before she realized what she was saying.

Jon raised his eyebrows in surprise at Cate’s spontaneous utterance, then a grin spread across his face.

Cate’s eyes widened and she blushed. “I mean, for making the coffee…you know, the way I take it…” she sputtered hastily. She stopped when she heard Jon chuckle at her babbling.

“You’re welcome,” he said softly. Jon took the coffee mug from Cate’s hand and stepped over to set it on the vanity, then turned back to her. He tilted her face to his with a gentle hand and lowered his lips to hers. The kiss was warm and soft, Jon’s tongue slithering into Cate’s mouth and dancing with hers. After a long minute he pulled back and smiled. “Good morning,” he murmured.

“Morning…” Cate whispered breathlessly. Suddenly she was acutely aware that the only thing between her naked body and Jon’s was the towel, which she felt slipping down her breasts. She quickly clutched at the tuck, her cheeks coloring a bit as she looked away from him.

Jon chuckled again at her modesty and at the adorable, slightly confused, slightly embarrassed expression on Cate’s face. It was such a departure from her usual controlled, guarded mask. “Actually, we should probably be saying ‘afternoon,’ ” he smiled. “How about we get something to eat, then decide how we want to spend the day?” In bed would be nice….

Cate looked back up at Jon, surprise on her face. “Spend the day? I…but…don’t you have something you have to do?”

Jon nodded. “I’m having dinner at the Director’s house, but that’s not until six. We have all afternoon to spend together.” He smiled sweetly.

Cate took a deep breath as her heart somersaulted. Last night was perfect; her fantasy date come true. To spend another day with Jon all to herself almost seemed… selfish. But she wasn’t in a sharing mood. “Okay,” she agreed. “What do you want to do?”

Jon gave her a saucy grin. “Well, we could spend all day naked in bed…” Cate’s eyes widened and he chuckled. “Or how about we hang out on the beach for awhile? I need to work on my dialogue for the movie. You could help me run lines while we catch some rays.”

Cate considered Jon’s proposal for a moment. Actually, lying on the beach sounded wonderful. And lying there beside Jon sounded heavenly. “Okay,” she nodded. Then she smiled as an idea came to her. “How about I take you to lunch at a great little place in the village first?”

Jon was surprised that Cate suggested they be seen in public together, away from the Center. She really IS starting to relax. He nodded eagerly. “Sounds great. Let me jump in the shower, then we’ll go. You have a suit with you, or do we need to go bikini shopping?” He grinned lecherously. “I’ll be happy to help you pick one out!”

“There’s one in my bag,” Cate laughed. It was obvious Mandy had picked out the two-piece in her duffel; Danny would have selected the skimpy string bikini she had bought on a dare when they were TDY to Puerto Rico.

“Damn,” Jon muttered. “Oh well.” He stepped away from Cate and walked over to the shower, reaching in to turn on the water. He looked back at Cate and saw her staring at him. “You can watch… or join me.” He grinned suggestively.

Cate blushed. “Uh.. sorry. I’ll go change.” She snatched her comb and jeans from the vanity and grabbed the coffee mug, then scooted out the bathroom door. She heard Jon laugh as she went, then she heard the loud click of the shower door closing.

Unable to stop herself, Cate turned and peeked back into the bathroom. She gasped as she saw Jon standing under the shower’s spray, his head tipped back and his arms raised as he ran his hands through his hair. The steam and water droplets on the glass enclosure prevented her from seeing everything, but just seeing the silhouette of Jon’s naked body made Cate feel weak.

She gaped at him for another long moment, then tore her eyes away and walked unsteadily over to the bench at the end of the bed. She dropped heavily onto it and took a gulp from the coffee mug in her hand.

Holy Lord, she thought. And WHY exactly am I afraid to sleep with him? Cate shook her head at herself. Because I know if I cross that last line, I won’t be able to let him go.

Cate sighed and set the coffee mug on the end of the bench, then stood. She leaned down and pulled her duffel bag out from under the bench, setting it beside the mug. She rooted around until she found both pieces of her swimsuit and the clean shorts and tank top, then dropped her towel. She slipped on the bikini, then pulled on the shorts and tank over top. Cate took another sip of coffee then started to pull the comb through her damp hair.

Cate paused when she heard the shower stop, then the click of the door. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, imagining Jon toweling off. You could just go watch, she told herself with a smile. But she didn’t. She opened her eyes and resumed combing out her thick tresses.

Not a minute later, Jon came strolling out of the bathroom, his wet hair slicked back and a damp towel wrapped around his waist. Cate’s eyes widened and she dropped her comb. Jon gave her an amused grin and chuckled, shaking his head slightly as he walked over to the closet. He pulled open the door and stepped inside, out of Cate’s sight.

Two minutes later Jon emerged from the closet, clad in sun-faded, knee-length navy board shorts and flip-flops. He pushed the closet door shut with his foot as he pulled a gray t-shirt over his head. Seeing that Cate was still watching him, he laughed and crossed over to her. “You’re gonna give me a complex if you keep staring at me,” he said teasingly.

He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers, then gave her a once-over. “Nice shirt!” he grinned, taking in the vintage Wonder Woman logo on Cate’s light blue tank. “But I thought you were Super Girl,” he commented, remembering Danny’s description of Cate.

“What?” Cate asked, puzzled.

“Never mind,” Jon chuckled. He raised one hand to finger a damp strand of auburn hair that had slipped over Cate’s shoulder. “Do you need to dry your hair? There’s a blow dryer in the bathroom.”

Cate shook her head. “I’ll just let it air dry,” she said. “It’ll be a mess, but if we’re gonna be on the beach later, it doesn’t matter.” She gathered her hair into her hands and quickly twisted it up into a loose knot at the nape of her neck.

“Okay,” Jon answered. “Then are you ready to go? I could use some food.”

“Yep.” Cate picked up the coffee cup and took another gulp of the sweet liquid, then handed it to Jon. “I’m ready if you are.” She took her flip-flops out of her bag and dropped them on the floor, then slid her feet into them.

“Then let’s go,” Jon smiled, taking her hand and leading her from the bedroom.