finding Reese.: a SAFELIGHT novel vol.2 (SAFELIGHT Series) (18 page)

“You have your talents, Stryder Martynus, but don’t forget I also have mine. So pick something out, and let us get the hell out of here before I shove you into the dressing room, and ride my wet pussy over your thick cock.”

I smile in victory when he swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. Adjusting himself he moves towards one of the racks.

“Turn around, Cat,” he says. “I’d rather surprise you.”

Nodding and smiling like a sweet little girl, I turn around as asked. It isn’t long before he snakes his arm around my waist and walks us towards the door with his purchase in hand. As soon as our feet land on the sidewalk, Stryder’s hand squeezes my bottom.

“I hope I didn’t scare the saleslady, Catalina.” He chuckles, looking down at himself. “You don’t play fair.”

With an innocent smile, I bat my eyelashes coquettishly and reply, “And I never will.”

B
ACK AT JACKSON’S RANCH I’M
shocked to see a note from Jackson saying he will be spending the night at his parents. Either he’s feeling down after Sam’s visit, or he knows tonight is my last night here and wants us to have the place to ourselves. I want to think it’s the latter.

I get busy plating the Chinese takeout we picked up on our way back while Catalina showers. Grabbing my phone, I shoot Jackson a quick text.

A few seconds later my phone chirps.

I knew it. Smiling, I send him a quick reply.

I chuckle softly and dock my phone into the sound system, setting soulful music to play in the kitchen. I bring our plates into the dining room and set them on the table, lighting some candles. The sun is setting and hues of orange and yellow filter into the room. Standing by the large picture window, I try not to think too much about tomorrow. Leaving is my decision, and I have to stay true to it. This past week I’ve been tiptoeing around the idea of leaving, but I need to prove my relationship with Catalina is different from what I had with Olivia.

Things will definitely change when I get back because I’m determined more than ever to commit to a life with Catalina. We’ve been in a bubble of sorts since we met, and leaving could change everything, but deep down I know this time things are different. I’m no longer the jaded son-of-a-bitch I once was. I have so much to look forward to, so many dreams to fulfill, dreams which have Catalina front and center.

My spine straightens when I hear Catalina’s footsteps coming down the stairs. When she walks across the threshold, I find myself short of breath. Her long raven hair is curled down the sides of her face, and with each step she takes it bounces happily. She’s wearing a black satin robe with a red sash around her waist, and bright red stilettos which stand out against the black silk stockings I bought for her today.

My mind wanders, imagining the red garter belt holding her stockings in place.
Fuck.
My dick stirs in my pants when she stops in front of me. All I want to do is bury myself deep inside of her, but there will be ample time for that later. I want to give her a proper date first. I reach out to caress the soft skin of her cheek, my thumb tracing over her beauty mark.

The Catalina that stands before me is slightly different from the Catalina I met almost two months ago. She’s significantly thinner, yet the curves I fell in love with are still there. Her eyes used to be sad, but now those dark chocolate beauties burn bright. At the end of the day her external features don’t outweigh the beauty of her soul because it’s the most beautiful and perfect part of her, the part that loves me in return.

Catalina cradles her face into my hand and smiles, a red hue coloring her cheeks. Her cherry-red lips are slightly parted as she tries to even her breathing. There’s an energy surrounding us, and if I could describe it I’d say it’s like a seismograph needle drawing waves of tectonic plate activity. The same could be said about my racing heart; Catalina Pardo is the only woman in the universe who can make it beat this hard.

Licking my lips and gathering my thoughts, I speak. “You look, wow.” I tilt my head to the side and place my free hand at the base of my neck. Clearing my throat, I continue. “Damn, Catalina. I can’t even . . . you sure know how to make a grown man stumble.”

She giggles.

“Hardly, Stryder . . . I wonder how a man like you, with such enviable vocabulary skills suddenly finds himself unable to use his words,” Catalina quips playfully, forcing a chuckle out of me.

I bring my free hand to cup her other cheek and gently coax her forward. She looks at me through her long onyx eyelashes, blinking rapidly, and when my lips hover over hers she closes her eyes. Our lips are so close they’re almost touching, our breaths one and the same, and her candied scent plays a grueling game of chess with my willpower. The air seems too thin, and my hands begin to shake.

My body knows and recognizes Catalina’s, and I swear if I don’t take a step back right this minute, we’ll end up skipping dinner, dancing, and the proper date she deserves. While every single cell of my body wants to kiss her, my resolve remains firm. Instead, I wrap my arms around her frame and hug her fiercely, and when she hugs me back I bury my face in her hair. Our hearts are so close, and each beat feels like a love letter to each other in Morse code.

I break our hug and pull out a chair for her. She sits down, her curious eyes scanning the dinner table appraisingly. I never knew I had it in me to be a romantic kind of guy, but ever since I met Catalina I’ve been doing things for her I’ve never done for anyone before, including Olivia. It wasn’t my style, but when I’m given the gift of Catalina’s love the romantic side of me surfaces, and to be frank I like this newfound side of me. I feel like the man I always aspired to be, but was never given a chance, and it feels fucking good. The more I think about it, the more I believe a man isn’t fully a man until he meets his soul mate. Sex might make you
feel
like a man, but it’s ultimately love that
makes
you one.

We sit and enjoy a quiet dinner, taking turns to feed each other. I like how natural these moments come, how effortless it is to be myself with her. While I’m dying to unwrap my Valentine’s Day present, I’m making sure to pace myself. Every so often, Catalina snakes her hand inside her robe to touch her shoulder, and each time I see her tanned skin, I find myself gripping onto my fork a little too tightly.

With dinner behind us, we retreat to the kitchen to wash our plates. I reach into my pocket and grab the rectangular box from my pocket. Catalina is too occupied wringing out the water from the sponge to notice it on the counter right next to her. As she reaches for the paper towels, she gasps.

“What’s this?” Catalina asks, pointing towards the red velvet box beside her.

I clear my throat. “It’s a gift, Catalina. Open it.”

She dries her hands and opens the box. She covers her mouth with her hand, and gasps when she sees the white gold pendant in the shape of a star.

“Oh, Stryder! It’s beautiful. Thank you!”

“Did you read the inscription?” I ask, pointing at the pendant.

“My North Star . . .” Catalina reads aloud, her words measured and slow. She turns to face me with a curious expression on her face.

Grabbing the velvet box from her hands, I remove the pendant and walk behind her. Catalina moves her hair aside to grant me access to her neck. I put the pendant on her, and once the clasp is secure, I kiss the curve of her neck. My hands land on her shoulders, and I spin her around.

“Catalina, I’ll be away for a month and while that sounds like a reasonable amount of time, to me it isn’t. Do you want to know why?” I ask, and when she nods, I continue. “My home is wherever you are, and I know it’s too soon to make promises to you, but I want you to know while I’m away I’ll be thinking of you always. Stars . . . They shine bright in the night sky, and they are constant, always twinkling, even when we can’t see them. Catalina, you are my bright North Star, and I know I will never get lost because you will always guide me home.”

Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, and she smiles revealing the lone dimple on her left cheek. “Stryder, I already loved the necklace, but now that I know its significance, I’ll cherish it with all of my heart,” she promises, and lifts the star to her lips and kisses it once before letting it fall against her neck.

She gets on her tippy toes and kisses me. I pull her close and press her tightly against me. I rub my thumbs up and down on the small of her back enjoying the soft material of her robe. As our tongues tango, I feel a fire building inside me, a fire that demands to be quenched. I break away from our kiss and, with measured steps, approach the counter where my phone is docked. After a couple of taps Halestorm’s “Break In” starts to play. With confident strides, I return to Catalina and lift her hand to my mouth, brushing my lips against her knuckles.

“Will you dance with me?” I ask. Catalina nods, then smiles. She lifts her right hand and places it on my left shoulder.

“Your left hand goes on my right shoulder, and your right hand goes on my left shoulder,” I whisper. Catalina nods and positions her hands like I explained.

I place my free hand on the small of her back, and lead her away from the counter. We slow dance, looking into each other’s eyes with a considerable amount of space between us. A few bars of the song pass before I decided I can’t take her being so close yet so far away. I press her flush against me, and breaking my dance hold I guide both of her arms around my neck, our foreheads resting against one another's.

As our mouths breathe each other’s air, Catalina whispers against my parted lips, “Is this proper dance technique? I definitely prefer this method.”

The way she says those words captivates me. With a soft chuckle, I reply. “No. It’s not proper technique, baby, but I’ve never been one to follow the rules.”

Catalina grins, and replies, “Good to know.”

We slow-dance until the song ends, and by then I’m more than ready to unwrap my Valentine’s Day present. Bringing Catalina to the living room, I light the fireplace. Its pops, cracks and fizzes inundate the room, and Catalina stands in the middle of the room playing with her hair as if she’s nervous.

I excuse myself to run upstairs and grab our pillows and blankets. With them in tow, I fly down the stairs to find Catalina waiting for me, now wearing nothing but the black lace corset, apple-red garter belt, and black silk stockings I bought her, as well as her red stilettos. I halt in my steps, taking a moment to process the vision before me and commit it to memory.

Her raven curls hang over the swell of her breasts, the vintage corset making them look rounder, and at the base of her neck is the star pendant I gave her earlier. Her body curves like a violin, and I’m eager to pluck her alluring strings. Silk stockings cover her shapely thighs, and when she moves, the garters stretch tantalizingly slow. All I can think is, f
uck me.
From across the room, Catalina seems confident, but upon closer inspection I notice she’s quivering under my gaze. That tinge of innocence mixed with confidence has me close to ending this party before it even starts.

When I picked out the lingerie, I knew it was going to be perfect for her, but not once did I imagine she would look as gorgeous and as sexy as she does right now. I know a lot of guys say they prefer their ladies naked and sure, I do too but damn! Catalina looks smoking hot dressed up like this. I swallow hard, my mouth parched all of a sudden, and resume my strides like a man on a mission. Before her I extend my index finger and trace it over her heaving bosom. As I make contact with her skin, she lets out a raspy sigh, and I follow. Either my vocal chords have stopped working, or touching her fried my brain.

I’m incapable of coherent speech as I watch Catalina’s eyes following the movement of my finger. I draw an imaginary line down the center of her corset, hooking my finger over the soft material of the red garter belt, and tug on it gently. Her whispered breaths have me groaning softly as anticipation builds in the narrow space between us.