The Retake (Cate & Kian Book 3)

by Louise Hall

  “Ugh,” Cate cried with frustration. “Do you ever check your messages? I’ve hired Domenico to paint a mural for the nursery. He had a last-minute cancellation this afternoon.”

  “Why the fuck are you in the shower then?”

  Cate slid the door back open and stomped across to the laundry basket. She pulled out her splattered jeans. “I was emptying the kitchen bin and spilled tomato sauce all over myself, you happy now?”

  “Come here,” Kian tugged her back inside the warmth of the shower and closed the door. “Turn around.”

  “Kian, we’ve been through this. I’m yours. I’ve always been yours. You don’t have to… you know me, to prove it.”

  “I know I don’t have to,” he chuckled, turning her around so that she had her back to him. He took her hands and pressed them up against the tiles. “I want to.” He swept her hair to one side and kissed the curve between her neck and shoulder, feeling her soften against him. Kian stroked her taut nipple as his other hand slid down her thigh, lifting up her leg so it was bent at the knee.

  Cate felt him press up against her, moulding her into him, his cock sliding through her slick folds. “Kian…” Before she could ask why he suddenly wanted her now when he’d turned her down last night, he slanted his mouth over hers.

  He broke away just long enough to push inside of her, stealing all of the air from her lungs. “Oh.”

  “You’re such a jerk,” Cate panted softly after they’d both climaxed. “It’s like that thing with Nick all over again.”

  Kian spun her around to face him, “I don’t care if he is Matteo’s cousin, if that fucker tried to kiss you, I’ll break each and every one of his fingers.”

  Cate rolled her eyes, “of course he didn’t try and kiss me. Dom’s a good guy and besides he has absolutely zero interest in me. Like you said last night, who’d want to be with a crazy pregnant lady with a bruised cheek?”

  Kian sighed, “that’s not what I said, angel. Of course I want you. My cock’s still wet from being inside you for fuck’s sake.”

  Cate stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. “If you really wanted me, Kian, you’d have taken me last night. If Dom hadn’t been here at the house when you got back this afternoon, you wouldn’t have touched me just now and you know it. But he was and so like a Neanderthal, you wanted to mark your territory, me, just like you used to when I was working for Nick at the Tavern.”

  Kian circled his fingers around her wrist. “Are you saying you didn’t enjoy what just happened between us? Because it sure as hell felt like you did.”

  “I’m pregnant and stupid with hormones,” Cate sighed, struggling to free herself from his firm grip. “Of course I enjoyed it. I just wish you’d done it for the right reasons, that’s all.”

  CHAPTER 26

  “Wait,” Cate protested as Kian spun her chair around so that she was facing him. “I’m working right now. I can’t just leave.”

  “Sure you can,” India chuckled. She was watching them from the doorway of her office. “I’m the boss, remember? I’ll see you tomorrow, Cate.”

  Realising that she didn’t have much of a choice since her boss and husband had effectively ganged up against her, Cate grabbed her handbag from the bottom drawer of her desk. Ugh, they looked so freaking smug.

  “I’m going to kill you,” Cate muttered under her breath.

  “Have fun,” India called after them. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  Cate was still grumpy as she climbed into the Range Rover and fastened her seatbelt. She didn’t know what Kian had planned for them this afternoon but it wouldn’t be sex. The only reason he’d had sex with her yesterday was because he’d found Domenico at the house and he’d wanted to mark his territory.

  “Seriously?” Cate’s mouth dropped open as Kian drove into the car park underneath the high-rise apartment building. She whacked him on the chest, “you kidnapped me from my job so you could have sex with me?”

  “Something like that,” Kian chuckled. It was good to see his wife being so feisty again. “Let’s go upstairs.”

  He unlocked the door to the apartment and gestured for Cate to go first. “Let me guess,” she snarked. “You want to go straight downstairs to the playroom?”

  Kian couldn’t resist. He came up behind her, placing both hands on her bump. “You look so fucking sexy. If you weren’t pregnant right now, I’d take you hard against that wall.”

  “Yeah, right,” Cate rolled her eyes. “I know you feel guilty about what happened yesterday but you don’t need to lie to me.” She didn’t feel even a little bit sexy. She lightly touched her cheek. She’d covered it up with make-up again this morning so India wouldn’t see it.

  When they were both inside, Kian closed the door to the playroom and turned the lock. Cate was drawn to the large, ebony cross mounted on the far wall. They hadn’t used it before. She stroked her fingers up and over the smooth wood.

  “Ah,” Cate felt Kian’s hands snake around her waist, dragging upwards until he was cupping her tender, aching breasts. She could feel the thick bulge of his erection against her bottom.

  “Take off your dress,” Kian said huskily. “I want to see you.”

  He wrapped Cate’s silky, black hair around his wrist and tugged her head to one side so he could trail kisses down the side of her throat.

  Cate fumbled with the buttons at the front of her dress. She couldn’t take her eyes off the cross.

  She undid the last button and her dress fell open, exposing her breasts and stomach, both swollen with pregnancy.

  “Lean forward, put your hands on the wall,” Kian instructed. He roughly plaited her hair and tied it with a band, keeping it away from her face. If his plan was going to work, he needed to be able to see those beautiful, black eyes of hers at all times.

  Kian turned her around so that she was facing him and guided her backwards until she was pressed against the cross. The wood felt chilly against her bare skin. He reached for her delicate wrist and slid it into one of the leather cuffs hanging down on chains. He tightened it just enough that he could run his finger around the edge. He secured her other wrist the same way.

  Kian tugged on the chains, stretching her arms out to the sides. Her breasts, encased in a lace demi-bra, jutted forwards. He gently stroked his knuckles down the cheek that wasn’t bruised. “Mm,” Cate mewed, lightly tugging on her restraints. He stepped closer, until she could feel the rough denim scratching her bare thighs. Kian slid a hand down her sternum and into one of the cups of her bra, palming her warm flesh. Her breasts were so tender, even the lightest touch hurt. Cate arched her back, wanting more. The jolts of pain anchored her, giving her something else to focus on.

  Kian pressed a chaste kiss on her lips before removing his hand from her breast and dropping to his knees. He reached for another set of cuffs and secured them around her ankles.

  When he got up, Cate waited for him to remove her underwear but he just stood there, his gaze searing into her skin. She didn’t like being the subject of such intense scrutiny, not when she was hiding so many secrets. She pulled frantically on the restraints, feeling the rough edges of the leather chafe against her skin. “You’re scaring me.”

  “I’m sorry, angel,” Kian said softly. “That wasn’t why I brought you here.”

  “Then why did you?” Cate asked.

  “I want you to tell me what happened this weekend,” Kian explained, “with your dad.”

  Cate pulled harder against the restraints, “it’s no big deal, I told you.”

  Kian walked out of the room. When he came back, he was carrying one of the bar stools from the kitchen. He sat down in front of her.

  “Will you let me down?” Cate struggled. She ached for him to touch her.

  “We’re not going anywhere until you tell me what happened.”

  “Lola…”

  “Mum’s going to pick her up from school today.”

  Cate realised Kian was serious ab
out keeping her like this. “I hate you.”

  The longer she went without saying anything, the more worried Kian became.

  When he got up from the stool, Cate watched him carefully. Kian gently brushed his lips over her bruised cheek. “Who did this to you, angel?”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “It’s not nothing,” Kian fought hard to control his anger. “I walked in on you lying still on the bottom of the bath. I had to fucking drag you out, Cate. Don’t tell me it’s nothing.”

  Cate felt so guilty that she’d caused, was still causing her husband so much worry and pain. “I wasn’t trying to…”

  Kian dragged his fingers through his hair, “I need you to talk to me, Cate.”

  Cate hung her head, “it was Mum.”

  Kian gently tilted her head back, forcing her to look at him. “Irene?”

  Tears streamed down her cheeks. “I told her that we’d found our biological father.”

  Kian desperately needed to hold his wife. He dropped to his knees, quickly unbuckling the cuffs from around her ankles. Her delicate skin was scratched and bruised. “Fuck,” Kian grunted. He’d never meant to let it get this far. He stood up and removed the cuffs from around her wrists.

  As the blood flowed back into her arms and legs, Cate stumbled forwards. “Come here, angel,” Kian picked her up and carried her across to the bed. He gently laid her down on the mattress and retrieved a tube of lotion from one of the drawers. “I’m so sorry,” Kian murmured, applying soothing balm to the chafed skin on her ankles.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, lifting up her wrist so he could apply balm to the skin there too.

  “I was scared,” Cate admitted. “I don’t want him anywhere near you and Lola.”

  Kian lifted Cate up a little and unfastened her bra. “What are you doing?” she asked. It was such a relief for her heavy, aching breasts to be freed from the constraints of her bra. He stripped off his t-shirt and handed it to her. “I thought you’d find this more comfortable,” he said, as if he could read her mind. As Cate pulled the t-shirt over her head, Kian pulled back the covers and lay down next to his wife.

  “I haven’t spoken to either of my sisters since that weekend,” Cate tried to explain. “When Mum found out about what we’d done, she hit me. She’d never raised a hand to any of us before. The only reason I haven’t lost Ben yet is because he’s so wrapped up with Erin and Oliver. Finding Dexter Rathburn again has destroyed my family, Kian.”

  “No, it hasn’t,” Kian said. “You’re struggling right now but you’ll get through this, I promise.”

  In her safe place, wrapped up in Kian’s arms, Cate told him everything.

  When he found out that that her most recent panic attacks had centred on Ruby taking Cate’s place as Kian’s wife and Lola’s mum, he quickly got to his knees and straddled her thighs, pinning her wrists to the mattress above her head. “I thought you didn’t want to restrain me?”

  “I don’t but I need you to hear this,” Kian said firmly. “I love you, Cate. I love you so fucking much.”

  “I know,” Cate gulped.

  “I’m not done,” Kian frowned. “I promise I’m not going to let anything happen to you or our baby, OK?”

  Cate shook her head, “you can’t make those kinds of promises.”

  “Yes, I can,” Kian softened. He released her hands so he could undo her braid and run his fingers through her inky-black hair. “I don’t give a shit if Ruby has black hair like yours.” He looked into his wife’s beautiful, black eyes. “Or the same black eyes. It’s not your hair and they aren’t your eyes. She’s not and never will be you. When I look at you, I don’t see black hair and eyes, I see the woman I love so fucking much, the mother of my children, this amazing life that we’ve built together.”

  “If something happens…” Cate stroked her husband’s cheek. She couldn’t bear to think about him hurting when she couldn’t physically be there to comfort him. “I don’t want you to be sad all the time.”

  Kian pressed his finger to her lips, “nothing is going to happen.”

  “If it does,” Cate choked. “Will you promise me something?”

  “Please,” she looked up at him, her black eyes glassy. “I don’t want my children to call anybody else “mum”.”

  “Our children,” Kian gently stroked her bump, “will only ever call you “mum” and me “dad”, OK?”

  “Yeah,” Cate fell back on the mattress. She was just so tired. Tears trickled down her cheeks. “I don’t know how to fix my family, Kian.”

  CHAPTER 27

  The next morning, when the alarm went off, Cate felt like she’d only had about five minutes sleep. She dragged herself out of bed and into the shower, hoping the warm water would wash away the exhaustion which was still stubbornly clinging to her bones.

  “I really don’t think that you should go into work today,” Kian said, when she came back into the bedroom.

  “I’ve got to,” Cate sighed. If anything, she felt more tired. “I left early yesterday.”

  When she looked in the mirror, she looked haunted. There were dark circles under her eyes and the bruise on her cheek looked more obvious against her pale skin. She reached for her make-up bag and began painting over the signs of her inner turmoil with Touche Éclat. As she swiped blusher over her cheeks so she didn’t look half past dead, she felt like a clown hiding her sorrows with thick make-up.

  Kian followed her downstairs to the kitchen, still hoping that he could change her mind about going into work today.

  “Darn,” Cate cursed, “I forgot to make Lola’s lunch last night.”

  “It’s OK,” Kian put his hands on her shoulders. “I’ll do it. You go and check Lola’s almost ready.”

  “I bet perfect Ruby wouldn’t forget,” Cate muttered.

  “Cate,” Kian reached for her wrists and tugged her towards him. “I love you.”

  “I know, I love you too,” Cate tried to pull away.

  “No,” Kian pushed her back against the kitchen counter. He slanted his lips over hers. “I love you.”

  Cate tried to push him away, “I’ll have to redo my make-up.”

  “I don’t care,” Kian cradled the back of her head. He parted her lips, licking inside her mouth, until he felt her begin to soften against him. The hands she’d been using to try and push him away were now tightly gripping the front of his t-shirt.

  The kiss was like a raging fire, consuming everything in its path. Kian undid the front of her dress, sliding a hand inside the cup of her bra. Her breast was soft and warm. He rubbed his calloused thumb over her nipple.

  Cate struggled against him, “it hurts too much.”

  Kian immediately stopped. He pulled back the cup of her bra and in the early morning sunlight; he could see the angry, red scratches which marked her nipple.

  “Fuck,” Kian clenched his fists, “why didn’t you tell me?”

  Embarrassed, Cate tried to cover herself up. “I needed it.”

  “You needed me to hurt you?”

  “Yes.”

  Cate quickly buttoned up the front of her dress and went upstairs to check on Lola. She’d gone back to sleep. “Come on, sleepyhead,” Cate pulled back the curtains, flooding her daughter’s room with bright sunlight. “You’re going to be late for school.”

  “Mummy,” Lola blinked. “It’s too early.”

  As Lola trudged down the hallway to the bathroom, Cate paused to look at the empty room, which was going to be the baby’s nursery. Domenico was going to start the mural next week.

  Because they were running late, Kian said that he’d drop Lola off at school on his way to training so Cate could go straight to the clinic.

  India was also late. When she got to the clinic, her first appointment was already waiting so she and Cate didn’t have chance to catch up.

  In the quiet moments, when India was with a patient and the next one hadn’t arrived yet, Cate wondered what she was doing. She thought abou
t the empty room at home which needed to be turned into a nursery. Cate felt tears prick the corners of her eyes when she thought about how perfect Lola’s nursery had been. She’d seen Domenico’s portfolio and she knew that the mural he would paint for them would be beautiful but it just wasn’t the same. Their whole family had been involved in putting together Lola’s nursery. Liv had painted the walls so that they looked like the countryside with tall reeds of grass and fluffy bunny rabbits darting in between. Ben and Sinead had both donated furniture for their niece. Even Rocco and Luca had made a banner, welcoming their new cousin to the family.

  Cate knew she was being foolish but she still checked her phone to see if she had any missed calls from either of her sisters. She ached with how much she missed them, especially Liv who until a few months ago had been her best friend.

  The only missed calls she had were from Irene. Cate switched off her phone and dropped it in her handbag. She felt a throbbing in her cheek, reminding her that the bruise was still there, even though she’d tried to cover it with make-up. If this had been somebody else’s family, Cate would have understood how her mum was feeling. They’d been so eager to chase after the parent who’d left them that they’d forgotten about the one who’d stayed. When Dexter left and took all their money, Irene had worked countless jobs to support them; to make sure that they were never hungry or scared.

  Yet she still couldn’t forgive her mum for hitting her.

  The phone rang, startling Cate. “Good morning, Dr Green’s office?”

  “Can I speak to Mrs Warner, please?”

  Even though she’d been married for years, Cate still thought of Jean when she heard “Mrs Warner.”

  “Um, that’s me?”

  It was Mrs Blake, the headmistress at Lola’s school. “You’re aware Mrs Warner, that Emily Richards; your daughter’s classmate has a very severe nut allergy.”

  “Yes, of course.” Emily was Lola’s best friend.

  “Then why did you send your daughter to school today with peanut butter sandwiches?”

  “Oh no,” Cate sank down on her chair. She hadn’t packed Lola’s lunch this morning, Kian had and he didn’t know about Emily’s allergy. “Is Emily OK?” Cate crossed her fingers.