Chapter 121 - Love me Back to Life

Jon’s heart swelled at her whispered plea. He raised his hand to gently stroke her cheek. “Make love with me Cate… feel what I feel,” he breathed, his eyes imploring her to understand.

He saw her eyes widen slightly in surprise, then he felt her draw in a breath. She nodded slowly. “I want to,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “But Jon… I…”

Jon pressed his mouth to hers before she could say “can’t,” swallowing her denial. His lips tenderly caressed Cate’s as his finger traced the line of her jaw. He sighed as Cate’s tongue slipped inside his mouth and gently stroked his.

Continuing to kiss her, Jon shifted sideways and downward on the hammock, making it sway unsteadily with the movement. He chuckled softly when he felt Cate’s hand leave his side and clutch at the edge of the canvas, holding on as the hammock rocked. “You’re not gonna fall out,” he smiled, tightening his arms around her. “I’ve got you. I won’t let go.”

Cate’s eyes glittered as she saw in Jon’s gaze that he didn’t just mean he’d keep her from falling onto the sand beneath the hammock. She knew he meant he’d protect her from everything, the best he could. If only you could protect me from myself, she thought.

“Hold on to me, Cate,” Jon prompted gently. “It’ll be alright.” He gave her another tender smile. “If you go, I go. I’ll break your fall.”

Cate drew in a breath as she realized she had never wanted anything in her entire life as much as she wanted Jon now. She wiggled one arm under his body as he raised his torso slightly from the canvas, then slipped her other arm back around Jon’s waist. Her hand slid up his strong back as she molded herself to him, her lips pressing against the base of his throat. She licked and suckled at his warm skin, tasting the salt of the ocean on his flesh.

Jon sighed and tipped his head back to allow Cate full access to his throat, then smiled as he felt her lips travel up to his Adam’s apple. He slowly swept his hand up her back, his palm caressing her warm skin under his soft white shirt. Making happy little groaning noises deep in his throat as Cate continued to nibble at his neck, Jon slid his hand around to her stomach to fumble with the three buttons Cate had fastened in the name of modesty.

He slowly worked the buttons through their holes, then pushed back the side of the shirt, baring her front to him. Cate let out a soft little sigh as her uncovered flesh made contact with Jon’s. She pulled her hand away from Jon’s back and started to shrug the shirt off her shoulder, knowing Jon would want her naked, like he had earlier for their swim.

“Cate… “ Jon’s hand rested gently on her arm. “Stop. Leave it on.”

“Why?” Cate blinked, confused.

“Because you look sexy as hell.” Jon answered huskily. “I love seeing you in my clothes.”

Cate smiled and moved her hand to Jon’s hip as she turned her face upward to capture his lips with hers. The kiss started gentle, then gained passion as Cate’s hand slid downward to lightly stroke him. She felt him inhale at the contact, then tremble slightly as she trailed her fingertips up and down his rapidly-hardening shaft.

“Baby…” Jon breathed, moving his hand to her hip and gripping her gently. He pressed his hips forward, rubbing his erection against the soft skin of her warm mound.

“Jonny…” Cate whispered, shifting her hips toward him and raising her top leg to hook over his chiseled thigh. She twined her leg around Jon’s, slipping her foot behind his calf, opening herself to him. “Please. Love me.”

Cate’s simple words almost broke Jon’s heart. Moving his hands lower to cup her ass, Jon eased her slightly upward, adjusting the angle of their bodies until it was just right. “Cate… look at me,” he ordered softly. She raised her glittering sapphire eyes to his. They lay still for a moment, sharing a silent declaration of affection. Then slowly, gently, he pushed inside her.

Jon watched Cate’s eyes swirl with ten shades of midnight as his cock inched into her soft center. He didn’t realize that his own eyes matched hers, whirling deep indigo with desire. Cate was mesmerized by the beauty she saw in his gaze, paralyzed by the exquisite sensation of him filling her.

Jon pressed forward until he was buried to the hilt inside Cate, marveling at how perfectly she contained him. His eyes slipped closed momentarily as he drew in a deep breath to calm himself. He wanted to make this moment last for eternity.

“Jonny…” He smiled as he heard Cate again utter the endearment. Knowing what she wanted, Jon lowered his lips to hers. He kissed her softly as he contracted his hips, drawing himself slowly out of her. The movement caused the hammock to sway slightly, and Jon felt Cate’s hand slip to the small of his back, her fingertips curling against his hard muscles.

“It’s okay, Baby…” Jon whispered against her lips as he pressed his hips forward again. He repeated his withdrawal and re-entry slowly, rhythmically, causing the hammock to rock back and forth. The gentle swaying motion and the soft creaking of the ropes against the palm trunks aroused Jon even more, and he began to move in time. As his strokes increased in speed and intensity, the hammock’s arc increased, causing a gentle breeze to sweep across his and Cate’s heated bodies.

“Jon….” Cate gasped, clutching him tighter as the hammock swung higher.

“It’s okay, Baby…” he breathed. “I’ve got you.” His arms tightened around Cate as he felt his orgasm rising.

“I… oh…. Jonny…” Cate gasped as she felt the fire rushing up her legs to her center. She buried her face against his chest as she anticipated the explosion.

Jon felt Cate’s walls clench around him and he thrusted hard inside her. “With me, Cate…” he gasped. She answered with a long, husky moan as he felt the powerful contractions of her climax ripple around his shaft. The heat of her release fueled his own, and he buried himself inside her as he combusted.

They lay tangled together for several long minutes, panting their recovery from their lovemaking. The hammock’s wild rocking slowed as Cate and Jon lay still, until it just swayed gently, cradling the lovers together under the shining summer moon.

Cate finally broke the silence. Her question came on a soft whisper against his chest, and caught Jon by surprise. “Why me?”

Jon paused for a minute, considering how he should answer, how he could express in words what was feeling. Finally he realized he couldn’t. So he answered her honestly. “I don’t know. I can’t explain. But my soul knows yours, Cate. We fit.”

Cate was silent for another moment, but Jon could feel her smile. “You’re not gonna say ‘you complete me’, are you?” she asked, a gentle tease in her dulcet tone.

Jon chuckled. “Well, not NOW.” He pulled his head back slightly, silently encouraging her to look up at him. When she raised her face to his, he smiled tenderly. “But you do. You fill that void in me, Cate. You’re the missing piece.”

Cate laid her cheek back against Jon’s chest. “You make me feel alive,” she whispered.

Jon’s heart soared at her admission. He hugged her against his body and pressed a kiss against her forehead. He didn’t respond, not wanting to say the wrong thing, anything, that would cause her to doubt the honesty of her words.

Cate and Jon lay together in the hammock for a long time. Eventually they untangled their embrace, shifting so that Cate was again lying comfortably in the circle of Jon’s arms as they gazed up at the stars. After another long silence, Cate finally spoke.

“We should go to bed. We have to be in early for that interview in the morning.” Her voice was softer, more content, than Jon had ever heard it.

“Okay,” he agreed gently. “Why don’t you go on in. I’ll put out the torches and go get our clothes.”

“Oh yeah…” Cate had forgotten about the clothing they had dropped on the beach earlier, before their moonlight swim. “Oh! Your wallet!” she realized.

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Jon chuckled. Constant vigilance, he thought, understanding that it was her nature. “Nobody’s been out here but us. And the tide’s not any higher than it was an hour ago.”

Jon started to sit up, struggling unsteadily to push himself upright as the hammock swayed. At the same time, Cate tried to shift to allow him to rise. The resulting counter-movement caused the hammock to list wildly. “Jon!” Cate shrieked, grabbing onto him.

The abrupt shift in Cate’s position as she wrapped her arms around Jon’s waist caused the hammock to flip sideways, dumping Jon onto the sand with a surprised yelp. He pulled her with him, and she landed on top of his warm, firm body with a little squeak. They lay in stunned silence for a brief moment, then Jon started to laugh.

“Christ, Cate…” he chortled as he heard her start to giggle as well. “Well, at least this time we did it BEFORE we fell over!” His mind flashed back to their ill-fated encounter with the ottoman during their Saturday night date. He gazed up at Cate, melting at her sweet smile. “See, told you I’d catch you if you fell,” he said gently.

“Just like Superman,” she whispered, dropping a tender kiss onto his lips.

Finally Jon and Cate parted and helped each other up. At Jon’s direction, Cate started toward the deck. But after she rounded the hammock she stopped and stooped to pick something up off the ground. Jon watched her curiously, then a little grin crept to his lips as he saw what she had retrieved.

“You didn’t wear it for me,” Cate pouted gently, holding up the bandana.

Jon tilted his head and walked around to stand beside her. “Tomorrow. I promise,” he replied softly, slipping his hands inside the unbuttoned front of his shirt to gently caress her sides. “Forgive me?” He gave Cate his best adoring puppy-dog gaze.

“Oh….. okay,” Cate sighed, then smiled. “I’ll forgive you if you wash my back. Deal?”

“Deal,” Jon growled. “Meet you in the shower, Baby.” He grinned and gave Cate a light smack on the ass as she turned toward the deck. He watched her as she moved gracefully across the sand and up the steps, until she disappeared inside the house.

Jon turned his attention to the tasks he needed to complete. Realizing he was still naked, he picked up his board shorts from their resting place on the sand and slipped them on. Then he took a drink from one of the forgotten bottles of Corona that still sat on the small table. Carrying the beer with him, Jon moved around the perimeter of the grove, extinguishing the torches.

That done, Jon wandered down the beach, toward the spot where he and Cate had stripped off their clothing earlier in the evening. He found his wallet and shoved it into his pocket, then picked up Cate’s lacy red undergarments. He grinned as he carefully shook the sand from them, then he picked up and shook out the remaining garments. With the clothes folded neatly over his arm, Jon paused and took another long pull at his beer as he looked out at the tranquil ocean.

Tomorrow he would tell her. He just had to make the final arrangement, to make sure everything was set.

Tomorrow he would know… one way or the other.