The Meant to Be Collection

by Claire Highton-Stevenson

  When Brooke caught up, she dropped the bags gently to the floor and leant forward, capturing smiling lips and holding them hostage until her tongue made a rescue attempt. “I like it when you’re all casual like this,” Brooke said. Catherine in blue jeans and leather jacket was a look the blonde carried off too well.

  “I’ll wear it again then.” She grinned and leaned against Brooke’s back as she pulled her keys from her pocket.

  “Uh huh, mind you, I think I prefer you in just your underwear.”

  Catherine leant in further and smouldered against her ear. “I’m not wearing any.”

  She laughed out loud when she heard the gasp of “Fuck” skitter from Brooke’s mouth while she fumbled with the key in the lock. She pushed the door open and held it for Catherine to pass through. The blonde shrugged off her jacket while Brooke brought her bags inside. Kicking off her high tops, her bare feet pitter-pattered along the hallway and into the lounge.

  Robin looked up from her seat, still reading, but a different book this time. A notepad was open beside her with several notes scribbled in biro. “Hey Catherine.”

  “Hello, Robin.” She tilted her head to see what it was that she was reading. Pride and Prejudice. “Good book?”

  Robin twisted the book around to look at the cover. “It’s okay…” she sighed. “I wanted to read The War of the Worlds, but we all voted and this won.” Her nose scrunched up as she shrugged.

  They both looked around at the sound of Brooke swearing and crashing bags against the walls. “Do you want help?” Catherine called out.

  “No, all good. Just have to put these ones in my room, and then the other two need to be packed way in the freezer and I am all yours,” Brooke called back. Gently toeing the door to her room open, she propped the bags up against her chest of drawers. As she straightened, she felt the warm arms snake around her waist, soft breasts pressing up against her back.

  “Do you think Robin would mind if we stayed in here all evening, naked and writhing in your bed?”

  Brooke turned in Catherine’s arms, studying her face, the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled like that. “You’re so sexy. Stay the night?”

  The groan that left Catherine’s lips was downright sinful. “I really want to.”

  “But?”

  Catherine smiled. “I don’t have a change of clothes.”

  “So? There is no dress code for office staff, otherwise Amber would not be allowed to enter the building.” Brooke grinned and leant in to place a soft kiss against the corner of Catherine’s mouth.

  “I can’t go to work in jeans,” Catherine gasped.

  “Oh the shame of it!” mocked Brooke. “You look hot, you look relaxed, and I’m gonna be honest, it’s clear that you’ve been trying to cultivate a…nicer you at the office.”

  Catherine playfully slapped her arm. “I’m always…okay fine, yes I want to be nicer, but that doesn’t mean I need to look like a slob.”

  Brooke looked down at her own jeans and shirt ensemble. “A slob?”

  Realising the mistake, Catherine chuckled. “Of course, you look amazing in jeans and being the rugged, protective and strong security guard that you are, it’s the perfect getup.”

  Brooke took Catherine’s hand and led her over to the mirror. It hung perfectly on the wall to give a full-length image of them both: Brooke standing behind, her arms wrapping around Catherine’s waist as her chin tucked into the curve of her neck. “Just look at you.”

  Catherine tried to turn away, but Brooke put a fingertip to her chin and directed her attention back to the mirror. “You’re gorgeous. There is nothing about you that needs to be hidden behind fancy clothes and an ice queen exterior.”

  Catherine studied herself, trying to see what Brooke saw. Closing her eyes, she imagined herself walking into work the next day wearing this outfit, passing Stan and waving hello. Brooke’s lips were warm as they kissed the patch of skin between her shoulder blades. Her left hand, still bandaged, slid beneath Catherine’s shirt, flattening out against the softness of her stomach.

  She inhaled, exhaled, and then opened her eyes and watched as Brooke’s mouth began to move against the curve of her shoulder, up the taut tendon in her neck.

  “Keep doing that.” She whimpered and relaxed against her as their eyes met in the mirror and held until Brooke moved on with her kisses and Catherine’s gaze followed her lips. She hadn’t even noticed the right hand joining the left until both were cupping her braless breasts. She dropped her gaze lower and watched as her own hands, working with a mind of their own, undid the button on her jeans, loosening the zipper before reaching for Brooke’s good hand, urging it down and away from the nipple it was currently teasing.

  “Why don’t you come back to my place?” Catherine asked, pushing her jeans down lower to give her lover more room. She gasped each time Brooke teased a finger pad against her clit.

  “Can’t…can’t leave…Robin,” Brooke said, moaning against her ear as her finger dipped lower, into the wetness of her. “You feel so good.”

  Catherine studied the image in front of her: her jeans half way down her thighs, her lover’s hand between her slightly parted legs, moving against her as she gently thrust her hips back and forth. Brooke’s other hand moved across her chest beneath her shirt, caressing one breast and then the other. She could see her nipples straining against the material, the contrast of dark next to blonde, tan skin against pale. Just watching them together was turning her on. She bit down the urge to cry out as Brooke increased the pressure and speed of her movements.

  “Make me—” Her words caught in her throat as Brooke found the one spot that would drive her over the edge. She grabbed at Brooke’s thighs, fingers gripping her jeans and grounding her as her breaths came hard and fast, muscles tensing and relaxing at will. “Going to…oh God, right there.”

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Brooke stretched out and felt the empty but warm spot next to her. She sat up, blinked against the darkness, and noticed the shadow of movement as Catherine dressed with just the light from her phone.

  “Go back to sleep, you’ve got another hour,” she whispered as she walked topless towards the bed. One knee knelt on the mattress as she leaned in and found sleepy lips.

  “Where are you going?” croaked Brooke. She rubbed at her face and the sleep in her eyes.

  “Home, I need to get a shower and a change of clothes.”

  Brooke pulled her down on top of her as she fell back against the pillows. “Want you to stay, let’s phone in sick.”

  Catherine laughed. “You are a bad influence.” She kissed her quickly before climbing off of the bed. “Go back to sleep and I will see you in the office at 9.”

  Brooke was already asleep by the time Catherine snuck out of the bedroom.

  ~FI~

  Getting into the office at just after 8.30, Brooke found Amber and Kim with concerned looks on their faces.

  “What’s the matter with you two?”

  Amber shrugged. “Nothing, it’s just Catherine isn’t here.”

  Brooke frowned and checked her watch. “Maybe she’s just running late. There was plenty of traffic when I came in on the bus.”

  “She’s never late though,” Kim said.

  “Well, there was that time when she stormed in here and demanded we got Brooke in the off...” Amber tailed off, realising it wasn’t a good point.

  Brooke now remembered the day all too well. She didn’t want a repeat of that ever again. But that couldn’t be the reason now. Catherine had left this morning in a good mood. “I’m just going to go and grab a coffee,” she said, pulling her phone from her pocket as she left.

  It rang for longer than Brooke was comfortable with, but just as she was about to hang up and redial, Catherine answered.

  “Hello?”

  “Catherine, where are you?”

  There was a pause before she answered. “In my car. In the car park.” Brooke sped up, her feet taking the stairs two at a
time.

  “Are you alright?”

  “Uh, yes…yes I’m okay, I just…” She took a deep breath and then another. “I’m nervous.”

  “Nervous? What about?” Reaching the bottom of the stairwell, she pushed open the emergency exit door that led out to the carpark and looked around for Catherine’s car, easily spotting the monster; it towered above most of the others in the area. She moved swiftly towards it.

  “I took your advice and now…” She jumped as Brooke rapped her knuckles against the window and put the phone back into her pocket.

  Brooke stared in at her through the window and grinned. She was wearing jeans and a cashmere jumper. When the door unlocked, Brooke pulled it open and held out her hand. “Come on. You can do this.”

  “I can.” She took Brooke’s hand with one hand and grabbed her bag with the other. “I can do this.”

  Brooke chuckled. “Yes you can, because you are Catherine Blake, sexy HR manager and the hottest member of staff on the payroll.”

  Catherine rolled her eyes. “Seriously, has that worked for you before?”

  “Oh yeah, all the time.” Brooke laughed and guided her by the elbow towards the door. “Now, do you want me to walk in with you, or give you a few minutes to get up there before I return?”

  Catherine turned towards her and cupped her cheek. “You really don’t mind keeping us a secret for now?”

  “I’m not interested in what any member of staff thinks about my love life. I’m only interested in you. And if you need privacy, then so be it.”

  Catherine kissed her, the kind of kiss that told you that you were loved. The type of kiss that in a private bedroom would lead to one or both of you being naked.

  “Thank you for making me want to be the person I know I can be again.”

  “You’re doing that all by yourself.”

  ~FI~

  Walking into the office was the most daunting thing Catherine had done in a long time. She’d slowed her pace as she walked the corridor and neared the door. Taking a deep breath, she tried to remember back, before Penny, when she was happier. Brooke was giving her a 5-minute head start, and she was determined to be in her office and over herself before Brooke arrived.

  “Fake it,” she mumbled to herself. If she could just fake it now, then it would come more easily over time. She turned the corner, fully expecting the gasps of surprise from Amber and Kim. “Morning,” she said brightly.

  Amber was at the kettle waiting for it to boil. “Morning, Catherine. Tea?”

  “I’d love one, thank you.”

  “Good morning,” Kim said, looking up from her phone.

  “I’ll be in my office if anyone needs me,” Catherine added, startled that neither woman had commented on her lack of suitable office attire.

  “Okie dokie. I’ll bring your tea in when it’s made.” Amber smiled. “Oh, and I changed the time of your meeting this morning. Mr Sims called, and he is stuck in traffic.”

  “Brilliant, thank you.” She was about to enter her office when she stopped. “I wondered if either of you would like to join me for lunch today?”

  She held her breath and waited as both women looked at each other. During the awkward silence, Brooke strolled in and took in the scene.

  “That would be lovely actually, thanks Catherine,” Kim finally said, smiling at her.

  “Yes, that would definitely be preferable to spending an entire hour with Brooke.” Amber winked at her friend.

  “Hey, that’s rude. What are we all doing? Am I invited?” Brooke asked.

  Catherine smiled at the scene; it was pretty easy once she let herself relax. “Of course, you’re paying.” She entered her office, laughing at the stunned look on Brooke’s face.

  Chapter Forty-Six

  “Robin, if you don’t hurry up, the poor kid is going to be standing outside wondering if he should have bothered,” Brooke said through the bathroom door. “Or shall I invite him in? I’m sure we could find loads to talk about.”

  The door flung open to reveal Robin in a beautiful red dress and low heels with her hair piled up on her head. “Don’t you dare.”

  Brooke sniggered before sobering. “You look amazing.”

  “Ya think so?” the teen asked, twirling around in the hallway. “Let me see what Catherine thinks.”

  “Oh, my opinion not good enough?” Brooke laughed, following her into the lounge, where Catherine was giving her the once-over. “Well, does she pass?”

  Catherine smiled and held Robin by the shoulders. “You look beautiful, and if Miles doesn’t appreciate it, then he doesn’t deserve you.”

  “Thanks,” Robin said, looking between the two of them. “I guess I’d better go then.”

  “Have fun, don’t be late, and if he does anything that you’re not comfortable with, then you call me and we will come and get you,” Brooke was saying as she followed her sister down the hallway.

  Robin pulled on her coat and grabbed her keys. “He won’t, but I will call if anything happens.” She kissed Brooke on the cheek. “Thanks, B.”

  Brooke held the door open and listened as Robin descended the stairs. When she reached the bottom and the door opened, she smiled to herself as she heard the deep voice of Miles tell her she looked gorgeous.

  “Brooke, she will be fine,” Catherine said. She stood at the other end of the hall, watching her girlfriend being all protective.

  “I know, it’s just…it was only last week that she was four.” Brooke smiled wryly. “Now she’s got her first boyfriend, and you know what is going to come next? Her first broken heart, and I’m not sure I know how to deal with that.”

  Catherine walked towards her. “You will deal with it, because you’re her sister and she looks up to you.” As she reached her, she let her arms snake up around Brooke’s neck and kissed the corner of her mouth. “Come on, we have a film to watch.”

  ~FI~

  The film was over two hours ago, and Brooke was fidgety. She had been up and down for the last 30 minutes, checking out of the window, making tea, checking the window again.

  “Brooke, she isn’t even due home for another 40 minutes!” Catherine chuckled.

  “Well, they just walked up the path,” she said, peeping out around the curtain. “What are they doing?” She observed them as they stood together in the lamplight, smiling at each other. “Oh God,” Brooke realised. “This is that awkward moment when they might kiss, isn’t it?”

  Catherine laughed. “Brooke, are you seriously going to stand there and watch them have their moment?”

  Brooke glanced back at her lover. “Yes...No.” It was like car crash TV; she couldn’t look away and yet, she didn’t want to see it.

  “Come here and let me take your mind off of it,” Catherine said, holding out a hand for Brooke to take, which she finally did. “Now, come sit here.” Catherine tugged her right hand until she gave in and sat down on the couch. In a swift move that Brooke wasn’t expecting, Catherine settled herself in her lap, straddling her thighs.

  “I see, so your plan is to trap me in the sofa?”

  “Yes, it’s a good plan.” She smiled, leaning in to take Brooke’s lips in a gentle kiss. “As plans go, I am quite proud of this one.” The one thing Catherine had learnt early on with Brooke was just how much she enjoyed kissing her. Sliding her tongue into her mouth and grinding down against her, she kept her mind from wandering until the sound of the key in the lock put pay to Brooke’s relaxed state. Catherine slid elegantly off of her lap and into the seat next to her as though she had never been sitting anywhere else. Keeping hold of her shirt, she snuggled into her flank. “Just sit here and wait for her to come in. Pretend you’re not bothered.”

  “But I am bothered.” Brooke checked her watch. “They were down there for nearly 15 minutes.” The sound of Robin kicking off her shoes reverberated down the hallway. “She’s just a kid.”

  “Doing exactly what we were doing,” Catherine reminded.

  “Yeah, well that�
�s the point isn’t it? I know where I was planning to go next.”

  Catherine laughed out loud. “So did she: home!”

  Before Brooke could comment again, Robin came into the room, blowing her cheeks out. She looked flushed and dreamy.

  “Nice time?” Catherine asked, squeezing Brooke around the middle.

  Robin nodded. “The best. It was so much fun. Jas and Simeon were making everyone laugh. And then some idiot tried to spike the punch with vodka, but Miles caught them and saved the day.” She flopped down into the armchair and sighed.

  Catherine gently pinched Brooke’s side and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “See, he’s a good kid,” she whispered, before adding, “Take me to bed.”

  “Right,” Brooke said, suddenly standing and holding her hand out for Catherine. “We will see you in the morning then?”

  Robin nodded. Standing herself, she reached out and wrapped her arms around Brooke. “Thanks,”

  “What for?”

  “For being my sister and not turning into some overbearing parent figure that doesn’t want me to grow up.”

  Catherine sniggered. “I’m off to bed. Night, Robin.”

  “Night, Catherine.” Robin smiled. “Oh, are you coming to Christmas dinner?”

  Catherine raised her eyebrows in Brooke’s direction. “I don’t know, am I?”

  “I’d like it if you did, I just didn’t want to assume you would.” Brooke grinned.

  “Well, I am pretty sure that I told you before, you can assume whatever you like,” Catherine purred.

  “Oh, get a room.” Robin laughed and rushed past them to the sanctuary of her own room.

  “Actually, I think you said that I could take liberties with you,” Brooke corrected.