Cato Read online

  I rocked her into my mattress, making the headboard tap against the wall. If my neighbors heard it, they would hate me. But they hadn’t complained so far. I was already working up a sweat because I was thrusting into her with everything I had. She used my body as an anchor then rocked into me from below.

  Shit, she was hot.

  We were fucking like animals, trying to get off and get the other person off at the same time. She didn’t just lie there like most girls. She gave me equal effort, sliding onto my cock as I shoved it inside her.

  Her head rolled back and she released a deep moan. “God, yes…”

  Sweat dripped from my chest onto her breasts, and the sight was a turn on. She already had a built up of moisture between her tits and I liked watching the skin glisten.

  Finally, she tightened around me and started to come all over my dick. Screams came from her throat and she dug her nails hard into me. “Yes…yes!” She remained tight around my cock until the orgasm started to fade. Her cheeks were rosy red and her nipples were hard.

  Then she grabbed my shoulder and rolled me onto my back. Balancing on the balls of her feet, she held onto my chest and bounced up and down. She had the stamina of a cheetah and she kept going even when she broke out in a sweat. I laid back and enjoyed it. My hands gripped her hips and I felt the deep burn in my gut. I was about to explode and I knew it was going to feel amazing.

  “Come for me,” she said as she panted.

  Those words, uttered in a sexy voice, made me shatter. My entire body tensed and I gripped her hips as I released. She kept going, making it feel amazing until the very last drop was spilled. A groan from deep in my throat came out, and my body relaxed in satisfaction.

  She got off of me then lay beside me on the bed.

  I stared at the ceiling as I recovered from my high. “Fuck, you’re good.”

  “Right back at you.” She caught her breath as she lay beside me.

  I grabbed the tissues on my nightstand and cleaned up before I turned off the light and snuggled close to her. I was still warm but I wanted to be next to her at the same time. My arm wrapped around her waist and I felt her back expand with every breath. “Where did you learn to fuck like that?” I said into her ear.

  “Porn.”

  I smirked. “I knew you were my type.”

  “Just from looking at me?” she asked playfully.

  “No. When you said eating Oreos was your New Year’s resolution.”

  “And that told you everything you needed to know?” she said with a chuckle.

  I kissed her shoulder. “Yep.”

  “Interesting…”

  “So, are you from New York?” I realized I hadn’t asked her anything important beforehand.

  She yawned loudly and with exaggeration. Her back pressed into my chest as she did it. “No. I’m from California.” Her voice came out quiet, like she was trying not to fall asleep.

  “Here for the holidays?” I was a bit disappointed she wasn’t from New York. But we could make it work somehow. She would probably be here for another week or so.

  “My family lives here…” Her voice was trailing off even more.

  I kissed her shoulder again, loving the way her skin tasted when it was mixed with sweat. “What’s your name?” I never asked beforehand.

  She didn’t respond.

  I sat up and peered into her face.

  Her eyes were closed and her face was relaxed. She was clearly asleep.

  I’ll just ask in the morning.

  My eyes were closed but I could feel the sunlight pour on my face. It was warm, and it stirred me from the deep sleep I was in. Automatically, my hand reached out for Red Jacket. I groped the sheets but didn’t find her.

  My eyes peered open and I searched the bed, squinting so only a limited amount of light could get in. She was nowhere to be seen and I realized I was alone. Perhaps she was in the kitchen or the bathroom. I opened my mouth to call her name but I realized I didn’t know what it was. “Uh…baby?” That was a good way to go.

  No response.

  “Baby?” I called again.

  I sighed then got out of bed. Then I noticed the torn piece of paper sitting on my nightstand. I grabbed it and examined it.

  * * *

  Happy New Year. Whenever I eat Oreos, especially the root beer kind, I’ll think of you.

  -K-

  * * *

  I read the note twice even though it didn’t gleam any additional information. The paper was from an envelope sitting on my nightstand. I felt it in my hands, like it would tell me something more.

  A sensation started in my stomach but I couldn’t identify what it was. I was disappointed, even hurt. She left without saying goodbye to me, without giving me a phone number.

  She didn’t even tell me her name.

  Was this how every girl felt when I slipped out the following morning? Did they always feel like this? Or did I feel this way because I genuinely like this girl? Now I could never find her even if I tried. She lived in California and I didn’t even have a name to begin my search. But she clearly didn’t want to be found anyway.

  I lay back in bed and had no energy to do anything. I remembered my night with her clearly, how our first kiss was filled with chemistry and electricity when the ball dropped. She and I stood outside a convenient store and tried different Oreos then made out in front of a bum. Then we had the best sex I’ve ever had in my life. Connections like that didn’t happen to me very often. It took a lot for a girl to impress me. And when I finally found a girl I wanted to know more about, she ditched me. Perhaps it’s what I deserved. Perhaps it was karma.

  I felt like shit.

  1

  Two Years Later…

  Cato

  I walked into the office then approached Danielle’s desk. “Hey, beautiful.” I grabbed the folder sitting on her desk then dropped into the seat facing her. I gave her a wink before I opened the folder.

  Danielle rolled her eyes, but it was half-asked. She liked it when I hit on her even though she acted like she didn’t. There was obvious color in her cheeks, and it picked up her confidence. “Knock it off, Cato.” Her voice wasn’t stern like it usually was when she was genuinely upset over something. I’d known her long enough to understand the difference.

  “What?” I asked innocently. “A guy can’t tell a girl she’s beautiful anymore?”

  “We work together.”

  “So?” I gave her a smug look. “I can say what I damn well please.”

  She turned to her computer and couldn’t wipe the smirk off her lips. She’d broken up with her boyfriend about three months ago, and her depression was obvious in everything she did. I was just trying to cheer her up without actually telling her what I was doing.

  “Do you understand your assignment?” she asked without looking at me.

  “You act like I’m a CIA operative.”

  “You kinda are,” she said in a teasing tone.

  I flipped through the pages. “Needs a boyfriend to protect her from her family…” I skimmed through the lines. “Pretty typical. This will be easy like it always is.”

  “You’re a pro, Cato,” she said vaguely.

  “When am I meeting her?”

  “Tomorrow at noon. Same place.”

  I opened the folder and looked at the name. “Katarina…pretty hot name.”

  She rolled her eyes.

  “Danielle is a hot name too,” I said quickly.

  She laughed. “That wasn’t why I rolled my eyes. I don’t care about your opinion of what you think is hot.”

  “Yes, you do…” I winked at her.

  She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Get out of here, Cato.”

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  I met River at the bar.

  “You got your next assignment?” he asked as he drank his beer.

  “Yep. Katarina…” I wiggled my eyebrows. “Sounds hot.”

  “Hopefully she’s not for your sake.”

 
; “I can keep it in my pants…unlike you.”

  River rolled his eyes. “It happened one time. You guys need to stop throwing that in my face.”

  “Let me think about that.” I rubbed my chin. “Nah. Too much fun.”

  He looked like he wanted to punch me in the face but he found the restraint not to. “Had a threesome last night.”

  “Cool. How’d that go?”

  He shrugged. “It was okay.”

  I cocked an eyebrow and gave him an incredulous look. “A threesome should never be just okay. Did you do it wrong?”

  “Of course I didn’t do it wrong,” he argued. “I’m just getting bored.”

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I blurted. “Two women at once should never be boring.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe I should make it a foursome or something…”

  “You could do that.”

  “But I kinda want to try something different…” He gave me a particular look.

  “No fucking way,” I snapped. “I’m not doing a threesome with another dude.”

  He flashed me a look of annoyance. “No, idiot. What about a group fuck? Two guys and two girls? That’d be pretty hot.”

  “You want to watch me have sex with a girl?”

  “I’m not going to stare at you the whole time. But it would be something different. We can trade girls too.”

  “I don’t know, man…it might get weird.”

  “Only if we make it weird.” He drank his beer again.

  “I thought you were looking for a girl to settle down with anyway?” I asked.

  River shrugged. “And have I ever found anyone?” He finished his beer and left the glass on the table. “I officially give up. The right girl isn’t out there. There are just…other girls.”

  “Well, maybe you shouldn’t look for Mrs. Right in a bar,” I argued. “Try a bookstore or something.”

  “I don’t read, Cato.”

  “But you can look at picture books,” I teased.

  “I’m sure the ladies will love that.” He leaned forward and lowered his voice. “So, you want to do it or what?”

  “I don’t know, man.”

  “Come on, live a little.”

  I felt the glass in my fingertips. “If I agree to this, we can’t tell anyone.”

  “Why?” he demanded. “The guys will think it’s cool.”

  “That’s my condition.”

  “Fine,” he said as he released a sigh. “Whatever.”

  “Now we have to find the girls.”

  River winked. “Leave that to me.”

  When I reached the coffee shop, I pulled out the piece of paper with Katarina’s information. I hadn’t looked at her driver’s license yet so I had no idea what she looked like. It would be impossible to find her when I only knew her name.

  I examined the picture and squinted. She was a pretty girl with brown hair and bright blue eyes. She looked faintly familiar but I couldn’t figure out where I knew her from. The picture could have been taken five years ago. Maybe that was why I couldn’t pin her down. I shoved the paper back into my pocket then entered the coffee shop.

  The scent of freshly ground beans entered my nose, and the quiet chatter of people came into my ears. I wore slacks and a collared shirt, looking spiffy and professional. I scanned the room and looked for my next client.

  My eyes settled on a brunette near the window. A cup of coffee was in front of her along with a blueberry muffin that only had a few bites taken out of it. She wore jeans and a teal top, bringing out her skin tone and eyes. I stilled when she turned my way. Those lips were ingrained in my memory forever. I remembered the way they felt against mine, and I remembered those eyes as they burned when I had her on my bed.

  I couldn’t believe it was her.

  It was the girl I met on New Year’s two years ago. That night came back to me, and I remembered her unusual resolution to try different Oreos. She left without saying goodbye, and I woke up feeling like shit.

  What were the odds of this happening?

  The only information I had about her was the fact she lived in California.

  So what was she doing here?

  I froze, debating whether I should take off just like she did to me. I could have one of the other guys do it. Most of them owed me favors anyway. But I didn’t move because she was staring straight at me.

  It didn’t seem like she knew who I was. That flash of recognition didn’t come into her eyes. But how could she not remember me? That hurt even more.

  Then she gave me a small smile and waved hesitantly, like she wasn’t completely sure if I was the guy she was waiting for.

  Don’t be a pussy.

  I squared my shoulders then approached her table. “Hi.” I wasn’t as polite and pleasant as I normally was. I guess I hadn’t let go of the fact she just bailed on me. Was this how most girls felt toward me?

  “Hi.” She looked up at me and smiled.

  She seriously didn’t recognize me? I was pretty damn unforgettable. “Cato.” I extended my hand to shake hers. It felt odd since I’d already kissed her and held her. Now it was like that never happened.

  “Katarina,” she said. “But call me Kat.”

  “I prefer Katarina.” I refused to let her have the power in the conversation. I moved to the seat across from her and rested my ankle on the opposite knee. I kept my back straight and shoulders tense. When I looked at her, a flashback of the way she rode me came into my mind. The sex was fucking mind-blowing.

  “Thank you for meeting me today,” she said politely. Her teal blouse brought out her eyes, and they looked the same as they had on that night in Times Square. They twinkled even when there were no lights.

  She was sweet, just like she used to be. But I didn’t like that. “I’m just doing my job.”

  She didn’t seem offended by my slightly hostile behavior. She either didn’t pick up on it or just ignored it. “So…I’ve never done this before and I’m not sure how it works.” She looked to me for guidance.

  I adopted my professional façade. “Tell me what you need me to do.”

  “Well…” She looked at her hands in her lap. “It’s a long story.”

  “I have all day.” I stared at her face intently and watched her look at me. I waited for her to recognize me, to finally make the connection that I was the one-night stand she had on New Year’s Eve two years ago. How did she not remember me? And more importantly, how could she leave me without wanting to see me again? Did she not feel what I felt? This was driving me crazy and I wasn’t sure why. My confidence was shaken, and a girl had never done that before.

  “Basically, my parents are best friends with another couple they’ve known forever. They have a son named Joey. He’s a really nice guy and he’s very handsome, but…he’s just not for me. My parents are really pushing me toward him even though I’ve asked them to stop. The reason why is because my family owns a large winery, and his family owns a large shipping company. If we married, we could combine both worlds. Another problem is, Joey won’t stop pursuing me. I think his feelings are more than just political. That’s where you come in.”

  I’ve heard different iterations of this story countless times.

  “I need you to pose as my boyfriend for an indefinite amount of time. Maybe one day they’ll accept it’s really not going to happen between Joey and I. But the best way to achieve that is to show them I’m in love with someone else.”

  I nodded my understanding. “Why don’t you just get a boyfriend?” It was a personal question but I was entitled to the answer since her personal life was my job.

  “Because I don’t want a boyfriend,” she said simply. “If and when I find the right guy, I’ll consider it. But for now, I’m very happy with my life.”

  There was more to this story but I didn’t press her on it. “I understand.”

  “So, do you think you can help me?”

  “Definitely.”

  “My family is wealthy so they are a
bit snooty, fair warning.”

  “I can be snooty too,” I said. “Problem solved.”

  “Okay,” she said. “Is there anything else you need to know?”

  Yeah, why the fuck don’t you remember me? “No.”

  “Great,” she said. “The winery is hosting a charity event for my father’s benefit company. I’d like to make your introduction there. It’s black tie.”

  “Okay.”

  She rested her hands on the table and regarded me for a moment. “You’re easy to work with. This is nice. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect.”

  “It’s a job,” I said simply. “I do what you pay me to do. It’s that simple.”

  She nodded. “I heard you were professional but I had no idea just how much.”

  “You get what you pay for.” Would I be able to do this? I couldn’t stop being cold toward her. And I found it ironic that she liked my distant attitude. Was this woman made of ice? When we met two years ago, she was happy and upbeat. It was like she was two different people. It didn’t make any sense.

  “Here’s my number.” She wrote it down on a napkin. “Call me if you need anything.”

  “Danielle will speak to you on my behalf.” I pushed the number back. “We never speak personally.”

  “My apologies.” She took it back without asking any questions.

  Two years ago, I would have loved to have her number and chase her down. Now I pushed it away like it was poison.

  She stood up and shouldered her bag. “It was nice meeting you, Cato.”

  Against my will, I quickly checked her out. She was the same size as before, thin but curvy at the same time. I remembered the way she tasted and how tight her pussy was. Would I ever stop thinking about it when I was around her? I wanted to dig my hand into her hair.

  I stood up then shook her hand again. “You too,” I forced myself to say. I stared straight into her eyes, waiting for her to make the connection.

  Come on, woman.

  “I’ll be in touch.” She gave me a quick smile before she walked away.