The One Night Stand

Chapter 3

Cat looked out the cab window as the sun was rising, smiling to herself, her entire body aching, but in a good way. She could see the cab driver looking at her in the mirror, I know what he's thinking, she thought, another smile forming on her full lips. The lovemaking had been intense and urgent, on both sides. She blushed now thinking about her body's reaction to his. Tom Bell had been a perfect lover, eager to please, compliant. He had watched her face intensely, his close scrutiny causing her to close her eyes on many occasions.

Cat closed her eyes, her insides ached again as she recalled his face. So angelic, so sexy and beautiful, contorted in ecstasy. His deep moans in her ear had driven her wild, until she was crushing his body so hard against her, almost to the edge of pain. It was the perfect one night stand.

Cat had crawled out from under his arm while he slept, the young man was totally spent from the marathon love making session. She dressed and snuck out, certain it would be better this way rather than have to face each other awkwardly in the light of day. There was a tiny voice in the back of her head, screaming at her for allowing this to happen, but she pushed that inner voice deep into the recess of her brain. She was happy in the afterglow of the perfect night, she wouldn't allow guilt to ruin it.

Sixty minutes later she was inside her house, she took a deep breath in, still smiling. Cat had a book signing at two that afternoon and she had to get some sleep. She stripped naked and slipped under her rich cotton sheets. She could still smell Tom all over her body. She'd shower later, for now she wanted to enjoy his musky scent on her, smiling again, she drifted off to an exhausted sleep.

At 12pm, the clock radio buzzed in her ear, shocking her back to life. She didn't realize where she was for a minute, waking in this house was still unfamiliar most mornings. It generally took a couple of weeks for Cat to get accustomed to the surroundings of her country home. She stayed there twice a year, to write. The little country cottage was perfect, inspirational. She had fallen in love with it over the internet, but when she arrived for the first time two years ago, she had finally discovered the love of her life.

It's idyllic location in Stapleford Abbotts, Essex, approximately 87 kilometers from London, where Cat's publishers were located, had been a major factor in choosing the house. Set on approximately one third of an acre of landscaped grounds at the end of a private country lane, the house was a perfect hideaway. With the added benefit of electronic security gates, a triple cart lodge and a brick built guest house containing her office workshop. Cat had fallen in love with it's beamed ceilings and dark wood latch doors. The four bedroom detached chalet was a lot larger than she had needed but following her third best seller in a row, she could afford to be extravagant.

Cat dragged her body out of bed, catching a glimpse of herself as she walked past the full length mirror, stopping in her tracks. She turned to look at her reflection, and she gasped. Her breasts were covered in purple bruises; her thighs also had small blue smudges on them, she placed her fingers on the bruises. The love making had been perfect. Every stroke and every caress had felt wonderful, yet looking at herself this morning stirred that guilty little voice in the back of her head.

"No regrets." She told herself in the mirror and headed into the shower. Despite the fact that she hadn't planned on it, Cat told herself the encounter with Tom Bell was just what the doctor ordered. She smiled again to herself in the shower as she felt the tenderness between her legs, last night was exactly what she'd had needed.

The limousine arrived to take Cat to the city early, but she was ready and waiting. Her stomach was churning with butterflies, despite the fact that she had done dozens of book signings, each new one brought the same insecurities to the surface. What if no one shows up? She knew her books sold, but what if no one wanted to meet her in person? As Cat shifted in her seat, a fresh wave of dull pain stirred in her thighs, she felt like she had done a thousand squats. She blushed as she pictured the true reason behind her aching muscles. I'm really out of practice, she thought to herself rubbing her sore leg muscles. Her mobile phone began vibrating; even without looking at the caller ID she knew it would be Nic.

"Hello..." She answered softly.

"So..." Nicola prompted.

Cat smiled, her friend had been trying to get her laid for a long time. Why last night, and why Tom Bell? cat asked herself. She couldn't say, probably just good timing, right place, right time.

"How are you?" Cat could hear the smile in Nicola's voice.

"I'm great." she said truthfully. She was, despite the bruising on her thighs and the love bites all over her breasts, she felt better than she had in years.

"So, just like riding a bike was it?"

"Something like that," Cat laughed at her friend's taunts.

"Well I am very happy it all went well, because I have a signed contract in my grubby little paws as we speak. Tom Bell called me, looking for you, and I blackmailed him until he signed. Tag teaming him last night was a stroke of genus, even if i do say so myself." Nicola gloated.

"He called you... looking for me??" Oh no, complications, Cat thought. She hadn't expected Tom to try to contact her, she was certain he had many distractions to keep him busy by the looks of all his admirers at his show. She frowned at the thought of the pub full of women, all there to hear him sing, to try and sleep with him, a slight pang stirred at her stomach. It' just butterflies over the book signing, Cat lied to herself.

"He wanted your number, address you know the usual. You snuck out while he was sleeping eh? Good for you, that usually guarantees a second date."

"You didn't give him my number did you? I'm not planning on seeing him again Nic, that was definitely a one time thing." Cat began to feel uneasy, a one night stand was one thing, but seeing Tom Bell again was not an option. She was content with her many vivid memories of last night, a night so perfect nothing could mar them. It was a one night stand, and would never happen again. Catherine Stone was a good girl.

"No I didn't give him your number Cat, I'm not daft," Nicola sounded offended, "Have fun at the book signing, I'm coming over tonight; I want to hear everything, ciao Bella."

Cat groaned aloud as she hung up the phone, she knew Nicola would definitely be at her house tonight, bottle of wine in hand and she'd want to know every minute detail. Cat was dreading it, The Spanish Inquisition had noting on Nicola Starr's interrogations, she shuddered involuntarily, her thighs contracting painfully. She'd deal with Nicola's
questions when the time came, but now she had a job to do. The butterflies in her belly fluttered again as she thought about the book signing.