Chapter 98 - I Don't Want to Go Home


Fifteen minutes later Cate pulled her Mustang into its space at FTB. Checking her watch, she realized she had done the same thing almost twelve hours ago, at the beginning of this long, emotional day. No wonder she was exhausted.

On the drive back from the range Cate had told Jon that he would be spending the next day in Mandy’s classes. He had been excited to “play CSI” with her students, but Cate had caught the longing glance he gave her when she mentioned she wouldn’t see him until at the end of the training day.

Again she silently thanked Mandy for offering her instructor services for Jon. Though she no longer wanted to avoid Jon out of anger and frustration, Cate needed the time away from him to sort out her emotions and try to figure out how to handle his last few days at the Center.

Cate smiled weakly to herself as she remembered her other intended appointment for tomorrow, to meet with Floyd and ask to be relieved from her duties as Jon’s trainer. Thank God she hadn’t already called him, for that meeting was no longer necessary.

Jon took a minute to toss his gear into his rental SUV, then followed Cate into the building and to her office. He took up his position in her doorway, leaning against the frame while he watched Cate take a seat at her desk. She typed in her computer password, then pulled up her calendar.

“Shit,” Cate swore quietly as she scrolled down the screen.

“What?” Jon asked.

“Oh, I forgot that I have to be here for a meeting in the morning,” she sighed. “We have a Credentialing Board at ten. Mandatory, all hands.” So much for time to myself to think.

“What’s that?” Jon asked.

“It’s for Bobby’s class. You know the students you did the raid house exercise with last week? They graduate on Friday.” Cate explained. “The Credentialing Board is the last review before graduation. Every instructor has to go through each student’s training file, then give thumbs-up or thumbs-down on whether he or she should be awarded a badge and credentials.”

Jon let out a low whistle. “Wow,” he said quietly. “You mean a BAT could bust his ass here for ten weeks, then still walk away with nothing to show for it?”

Cate nodded. “If he doesn’t have what it takes to be an agent, yeah. It’s not enough just to be able to pass the tests. We evaluate attitude, instincts, maturity, the whole package. We’ve been doing this a long time, we instructors. And sometimes we just get a gut feeling that a BAT isn’t cut out for the immense responsibility that comes with that badge and gun.”

Jon considered that for a moment, nodding slightly. It seemed harsh and even a little unfair, but he could understand. There were many times in his own life that he had made decisions and judgments based on his gut rather than on the empirical evidence before him. And he was rarely wrong. Jon had a feeling Cate and the others were right on the money when they made that difficult decision not to graduate a student, for whatever reason. He certainly didn’t want to see unqualified people running around with badges and guns.

“So, you don’t have to be in ‘til ten, then?” Jon asked.

Cate nodded, then met his questioning gaze. “Why?”

“Well, I don’t have to be at Mandy’s class ‘til ten, either.” Jon gave Cate a little smile, the implication of his words clear.

Cate shook her head. “No, Jon,” she said firmly. “I told you I need some time to think.”

“Think tomorrow. After you have breakfast with me.” Jon said. He smiled wider and blinked innocently as she gave him a suspicious look. “What, we can’t have breakfast together?” he asked. But his sexy little smirk gave him away.

Cate gave Jon a stern look. “Yeah, right. Breakfast,” she replied.

“I didn’t say what we’d be having for breakfast,” Jon purred silkily. “Oh, did I mention it would be breakfast in bed?”

Cate gave an exasperated sigh. “Jon,” she protested. “Didn’t you just agree to back off a little? Like less than an hour ago?” She was getting so tired of being on the defensive. Hell, she was tired, period.

She swiveled her chair toward him and leaned back, tipping the seat slightly on its springs. “You should go home. It’s been a long day,” Cate said. “I’m gonna grab a quick shower, then I’ve gotta take care of a couple things here.”

Jon lowered his chin and gave her a searching look. “What if I don’t want to go home alone?” he asked huskily.

“Well, do you always get what you want?” Cate shot back, arching an eyebrow at him.

Jon pushed away from the door frame and moved forward, stalking slowly around Cate’s desk. As he advanced, Cate involuntarily shrank back a little into her chair.

Jon stopped in front of her and gave her a long look. Leaning forward, he braced one hand on each curved armrest and lowered his face to hers. “Yeah, I do,” he answered, his voice deep and gravelly, his eyes locking with hers.

Cate sucked in a breath at the seduction in his tone. She met his stare, her eyes sparking with challenge. “I don’t think so,” she responded, her voice wavering slightly. “Not this time.”

Jon gave her another long look, then the corners of his mouth curved upward in a wicked little smirk. “We’ll see,” he replied softly. He held her gaze for another moment, then pushed away from her chair and stood.

Jon chuckled softly, then turned his back to Cate and strolled out the office door. He stopped in the hallway and glanced back over his shoulder at her, the secretive little grin still on his face. “ ‘Night, Baby. Think about me,” he said. Then he disappeared into the darkened hall.

Cate held her breath as she listened to his footsteps fade away. Groaning softly, she dropped her head back against her chair and closed her eyes. Oh, fuck! she thought. I have COMPLETELY lost it.

She couldn’t believe how easily her resistance had crumbled under Jon’s offensive. What had happened to her? To her unyielding self-discipline? To her iron will? To her determination to keep Jon at arm’s length for the remainder of his training?

Her mind flashed back over their encounter on the range, the explosion that had followed the day’s escalating tension and frustration. Cate shivered as she recalled Jon’s strength as he had imprisoned her in his arms and crushed her body against his. She let out a little sigh, remembering the surge of excitement she had felt when Jon had picked her up, then slammed her down onto the hood of the cruiser. And when he had pinned her, then captured her hands, then stripped her… Sweet fuck, that was HOT...

Cate moaned softly, feeling herself slick at the memory. She pressed her thighs together, reliving the delicious moment when Jon had taken her, forcefully and without hesitation or apology. When he had total power, total control over her…

Lord help me, Cate thought with a groan. In their battle of wills, Jon had won. But what a hell of a consolation prize…

Cate savored the memory a moment longer, then finally conceded her defeat. She sighed out a long breath. She knew now that there was no way she would be able to resist him. Jon was going to be with her for three more days, then he would be gone. And for those three days, her will was his prisoner.

Cate was going to have come up with a plan, and quick. Somehow she was going to have to seal off her heart, not let herself feel anything more than the otherworldly physical pleasures of Jon’s lips and hands and body on hers. She had no doubt whatsoever that she would end up in his bed again, probably within the next 24 hours. Christ, I’m a junkie, she realized with a miserable chuckle. Already looking forward to my next fix…

“Aaargh!” Cate growled, disgusted with her weakness but also relieved that she and Jon had called a truce. She opened her eyes and focused on the clock on the opposite wall of her office. Seeing that it was almost ten o’clock, she reluctantly pushed herself up out of her chair. She needed to get a move on if she was going to get home before midnight.

But first she needed a shower. Her panties were still sopping wet, chafing against her delicate skin, and she was sticky and grimy with dust and grit from the range. Sighing, Cate grabbed her iPod and portable speakers from her desk and headed down the hall to the locker room.

As she walked down the dim hallway, Cate manipulated her iPod, trying to decide which of her playlists fit her mood. She settled on her old standby “Chill Out” list and dialed it in, then hit the “shuffle” button. As she reached the locker room the opening bars of a mellow Billy Joel song wafted from the little speakers.

Cate pushed through the locker room door and flipped the double switches on the wall. Only the small light over the shower stall came on, dimly illuminating the back half of the room. “What the hell?” Cate mumbled, looking up at the large fluorescent light bar centered over the locker area, which was now dark. Must be a blown bulb, she thought.

She shrugged, then turned the lock on the door. Oh well. She could undress in the dark. Wouldn’t be the first time.

Crossing to the back of the room, Cate set her iPod apparatus on the ledge above the sink, then opened the shower stall. She turned on the water and moved over to her locker. Singing softly along with the music, Cate pulled open her locker and grabbed her towel and her little tote of shower necessities. She carried them over to the stall, then returned to the locker.

Cate pulled the elastic from her ponytail and tossed it onto the locker’s shelf, then toed off her shoes. She reached down to slip off her socks, tossing them in the small basket in the bottom of her locker, then pulled her shirt from its tuck.

She drew the damp, sweaty t-shirt up over her head, then dropped it in the basket as well. She hooked her fingers under the band of her sports bra, ready to pull it up over her breasts, when her senses jumped to alert.

“Oh, yeah…” Cate heard a deep growl from the dark corner behind her. Instinctively she wheeled around, drawing and aiming her Glock in a fluid, split-second movement. Her eyes searched for the threat as adrenaline coursed through her body, tensing every muscle and enhancing her senses.

One eye snapped shut as Cate trained the sights of her weapon on the broad chest of the shadowy target in front of her. Her finger settled on the trigger.

10 comments:

  1. Oh fuck!! It's Jon isn't it? She's not gonna shoot him is she?

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  2. Well shit Cate, don't shoot him! Drag Jon into the shower and "wash" his back for him. LOL

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  3. Cate, put the gun down slowly...and engage the safety please! Jon, WTF were you thinking!?!?!!?!?

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  4. They do seem bent on doing each other bodily harm in one fashion or another. Carry on,Catte, need another chapter quick!

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  5. Oh Shit! Like Queenie said, don't shoot him! And Jon, you should know better! Think about where you are!

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  6. Chapter 99 "BANG!" The End.

    LOL! Just kidding, ladies. Will post the next installment soon.... :)

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  7. *mumbles* how soon....
    just remember what kind of pics I have access to... *insert evil laugh*

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  8. Hell I thought she was going to shoot him in the last chapter...Serves him right for screwing around with a woman with a gun. just don't shoot below the waist. LOL

    And catte...chapter 99 bang the end is not funny!

    Cute but not funny! LOLOLOLOL

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  9. oh shit,she didn't shoot Jon? What the hell were you thinking sneaking up on her like that Jon?

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