My First Half (Cate & Kian Book 1)

by Louise Hall

  “Hey, I need to get changed,” Cate protested, smacking him on the chest.

  “No,” Kian said. He carried her over to the mattress and lay her down on her back. “I love that you’re wearing my clothes.”

  He knelt above her and pulled off his t-shirt, displaying that gorgeous, muscled chest.

  He lifted up the hem of her t-shirt and pressed his lips against her skin. She tasted so sweet. He peppered her stomach with kisses, pushing her t-shirt further up until he reached her breasts. He slid an arm under her back and lifted her up so he could pull the t-shirt up and over her head. “Fuck,” he groaned, looking down at her beautiful, bare breasts. He buried his face between them, nuzzling her skin. They were so soft and warm against his face. His cock strained against the zipper of his jeans.

  Cate ran her fingers through his hair. She loved the way his skin felt against hers.

  He cupped her breast with his hand and rubbed the pad of his thumb over her nipple, feeling it harden. “Mm,” Cate moaned, arching her back towards him. He took her other nipple between his teeth and teased it with his tongue. He loved how she writhed underneath him.

  He tugged down her trackie bottoms so she was naked apart from her panties. Fuck, he didn’t know how he’d survived two weeks without being inside her.

  Her panties were flimsy, which gave him an idea. He gripped the fabric tightly and began to pull. Cate propped herself up on her elbows, curious about what he was going to do. She gasped as the fabric tightened against her skin and then her panties ripped right down the centre. The fabric fell away, revealing her sex. Kian tore away the shreds of fabric and tossed them to one side and then gazed down at his naked wife.

  “This is how I like you.”

  Afterwards, they lay curled up on the single mattress. It was getting dark outside and the candles flickered softly. “Was it as good as you planned it to be?” Kian asked softly, stroking the small of her back.

  “Mm,” Cate smiled, her body still tingling from the 2nd climax. “Better.”

  “Just out of curiosity, what were you going to change into?” Kian asked.

  Cate’s smile widened. “You’ll have to wait and see.”

  “Spoilsport,” Kian laughed. He got up and blew out the candles on the windowsill. “Hey,” Cate said, “where are you going?”

  Kian bent down and scooped Cate up off the mattress. “I’m taking my sexy wife to bed.”

  He carried her into the master bedroom and laid her down on the bed. “Every night, I thought about you lying here in our bed…” His eyes lit up. “Naked.”

  Cate picked up one of the pillows and whacked him in the chest. “I only sleep naked when you’re here.”

  “Good to know,” Kian smirked.

  “Also, I didn’t sleep in here while you were away.”

  “Where did you sleep then?” Kian frowned.

  “I took the duvet downstairs and slept on the sofa,” Cate admitted.

  “Why?”

  “It’s your bed…” Cate started.

  “Our bed,” Kian interrupted.

  “It didn’t feel right being here without you.”

  Kian looked serious. “If I’m not here, promise me you’ll sleep in our bed? I like thinking of you here.”

  “I’ll try,” Cate said, “but if I don’t get any sleep, it’s your fault.”

  As Cate snuggled down, Kian jumped up and went downstairs to the kitchen. “Where are you going?”

  When he came back, he was holding a purple monkey. “What is that?” The sight of him naked and holding the cute, cuddly toy made her laugh.

  “It’s for Lola,” Kian said, handing the toy to Cate. “What do you think?”

  “Lola?”

  Kian climbed back into bed with Cate and rested a hand on her stomach. “Our baby. Lola.”

  “How do you know we’re having a girl?” Cate asked him.

  “I don’t know. When I think about our kid, I always picture a little girl who looks just like you.”

  “And you want to call her Lola?”

  Cate put the purple monkey on her bedside table and cuddled up to him.

  “It fits, you know,” Kian said, kissing the top of her head. “We got married in Vegas and I can’t get that song out of my head about a showgirl named Lola.”

  “You want to name our baby after a Barry Manilow song?”

  “Or The Kinks?”

  “That’s about a transvestite?” Cate swatted him. “You’re weird.”

  “Lola,” Cate repeated the name several times, trying it out. “Lola. Lola Warner. Lola Jane Warner. You know what? I kind of like it.”

  “Jane?”

  “From Jane Eyre, it’s my favourite book. If we have a girl, I’d like her to have that kind of spirit, to always be true to herself, independent but loyal to her friends, a strong sense of what’s right and fair.”

  Kian pulled the duvet down to her waist and kissed her stomach. “I love that my baby is growing inside you.”

  Cate turned her head to look at the purple monkey. “When did you buy it?” she asked, running her fingers lazily through Kian’s hair.

  “New York. Yoakey gave me so much shit for it.”

  CHAPTER 28

  “Ugh, make it stop,” Kian groaned when the alarm went off at 7am the next morning. He stuck a hand out of the covers and fumbled around on the bedside table, looking for the offending item before he realised that it was on the other side of the bed, next to Cate. “When the fuck did you buy an alarm clock?”

  Cate quickly switched it off. “Sorry,” she murmured softly, running her fingers through his messed-up hair. She kissed his forehead. “Go back to sleep.”

  She swung her legs out of bed and was about to get up when Kian wrapped his arms around her waist. “Where are you going, it’s still early?”

  “I’ve got to go to work.” Cate still felt giddy saying those words. After talking to Liv, she’d given Nick a call on Monday morning. He’d asked her to come in for a quick chat that afternoon and she’d started working at the Book Tavern on the Tuesday morning.

  “Work?” Kian grinned. “Yeah, right. Come here.”

  “I can’t,” Cate said, although she could already feel her resolve weakening. She’d been so excited about the idea of having a job that she hadn’t thought about how difficult she was going to find it leaving her sexy husband naked in their bed each morning.

  “What do you want to work for anyway?” Kian asked again. He lay back on the mattress, arms crossed behind his head, the duvet down around his hips. He wasn’t playing fair. He watched the blush spread across the tops of his wife’s breasts, the rosy peaks of her nipples pushing through her thin vest. Ugh, Cate quickly turned away. She knew if she started looking at that tanned, muscular chest, she’d never get out of bed. “It’s not like we need the money.”

  Cate picked up a pillow and threw it at his head. “I told you – I can’t just sit here and do nothing all day, I’ll go crazy.”

  “What am I going to do all afternoon?” Kian pouted when he realised his plan wasn’t working.

  Cate poked her head around the bathroom door and grinned mischievously. “You could stay on after training; maybe practice your penalty taking?”

  “Right,” Kian jumped out of bed and chased her back into the bathroom. Cate giggled as he caught up with her. “It was a friendly and I wasn’t the only one who missed.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Cate said, peering out of the bathroom window. “I’m just looking to see if the ball’s still in orbit.”

  “Oh, you’re really asking for it now.” Kian picked her up and carried her back to the bedroom.

  “Kian, I’ve got to go to work,” Cate mock complained.

  “You might be a little late,” he said with a devilish smile on his face.

  Later that morning, Cate was stacking shelves in one of the rooms upstairs at the Tavern when two hands covered her eyes. “Nick, I’ve told you before. We can’t do this, I’m married.”

&n
bsp; Kian spun her around so she was facing him. “What the…? Has he tried something?”

  Cate took his clenched fists and gently tried to unfurl them. “No,” she said, looking him in the eye. “I was joking, I knew it was you.”

  “You did, did you?” Kian relaxed. He had that glint in his eye; taking a step forward, he pushed Cate back against the shelves.

  He leaned forward, brushing his lips softly over hers. “What are you doing here?” Cate whispered, running her hands over his strong shoulders.

  “I missed you.”

  Kian stroked his fingers down her ribs, over her hips to her bottom. He cupped her ass cheeks, pressing her against the hard ridge of his erection. “Mm,” Cate gasped, feeling a flood of warmth between her legs.

  With her mouth open, Kian slid his tongue inside, deepening their kiss. His hands worked to the front of her jeans. He quickly popped open the top button, exposing the top of her black boy shorts. Kian slid his fingers between the cotton and her warm, soft skin.

  “Stop,” Cate came to, realising where they were. “We can’t do this, not here.” She reached down and removed his hand from inside her shorts.

  “I need you,” Kian groaned. He took her hand and placed it against the front of his trousers.

  “You had me last night,” Cate blushed.

  “And twice this morning,” Kian smirked. “But it’s not enough.”

  Suddenly, they heard somebody coming up the stairs. Cate pushed Kian behind the shelves, out of sight of the doorway and quickly buttoned up her jeans.

  “Guess who’s just come in the Tavern?” Molly said, bouncing up and down with excitement. Molly also worked at the Tavern; she was studying English Lit at Manchester Met.

  Cate shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know.”

  “Kian Warner.”

  Cate couldn’t even look at Kian; she knew he’d have a big smirk on his face. “Huh,” she said, as if she wasn’t that impressed.

  “Come on, Cate,” Molly chided. “He’s well fit. Have you seen the advert he did last year for Senta? You must have seen that – it’s in black and white; he’s wearing just a pair of jeans with the top button undone? Ooh.” Molly quickly fanned herself. “Come downstairs, I’ve got it stuck on the back of my locker.”

  “He’s OK, I guess,” Cate returned to the stack of books, which still needed shelving. “Let me just finish up here.”

  After Molly had gone back downstairs, Kian came out from behind the shelves. “I’m just OK, am I?”

  He put his hands on Cate’s hips and pulled her back against him so she could feel his cock throbbing against her bottom. “If I remember correctly,” he whispered in her ear, his tongue playing with one of the studs. “You weren’t saying that last night or twice this morning.”

  “Stop,” Cate protested, removing his hands from her hips. “I’ll admit you have your moments. But right now, you need to go. I’m working.”

  Kian turned around, scanning the shelves. “What’s the name of that book you’re always reading?”

  “Jane Eyre?”

  “Have they got a copy here?”

  “I think so,” Cate found a copy on the bookshelf underneath the window and handed it to Kian. “Why?”

  “It’s important to you, I want to read it.”

  Cate looked shocked, “you want to read Jane Eyre?”

  “What’s so shocking about that?” Kian pretended to be offended. “I can read, you know?”

  “I know,” Cate stammered. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m just surprised.”

  “It’ll give me something to do while I’m waiting for you,” Kian kissed the top of her head. “Well,” he looked down at his crotch, “something else to do.”

  Cate blushed, “stop it.”

  Kian was still laughing as he went downstairs to pay for the book. When Cate followed him downstairs a few minutes later, Molly quickly tugged her over to the staff lockers. “Look at that,” Molly hissed, “and tell me you’re not impressed.”

  Cate felt insanely jealous, looking at the photo of her husband in just his jeans. This was the first time she’d ever felt jealousy and she didn’t like it; it felt like her blood had been poisoned with salt. There was a really big part of her that wanted to rip that photo down and tear it into tiny little pieces. Cate rubbed at her wedding ring, finding comfort in the weight of it on her finger. He’s yours. She reminded herself that although other women might look at photos of her husband’s muscled chest, she had the real thing. They could fantasise about that delicious v that disappeared inside his jeans; Cate knew what it was like to trace it with her tongue.

  “Is it any good?” Kian asked Nick as Cate and Molly came out of the alcove.

  “You’ll have to ask Cate; she’s the Bronte fan,” Nick grinned, beckoning them over.

  Kian caught Nick looking at Cate and he didn’t like it.

  Cate looked at Molly, watching her mentally undress her husband. She clenched her fists.

  “What do you think?” Kian asked, bringing her attention back to him.

  “I’m sorry,” Cate stumbled. “What do I think about what?”

  “I was just asking if you wanted me to get anything special for dinner tonight?”

  “I’m sorry, I guess I should have said before,” Kian snuck an arm around Cate’s waist. He enjoyed the look of jealousy in Nick’s eyes. “I’m Cate’s husband.”

  Cate winced, looking over at Molly. She blushed bright red and disappeared into one of the side rooms.

  “That was really mean,” Cate hissed at him. “You know she’s got a crush on you.”

  Kian cut her off, pressing his lips against hers. He didn’t care that they were in the middle of the Tavern. “I also know,” he whispered in her ear, “that he’s got a crush on you. I’m just reminding him that you’re mine.”

  Cate smacked his chest, “you’re such a caveman.”

  “Do you get a lunch break?” Kian asked.

  Cate looked at her watch, “in an hour.”

  “I’ll pick up some lunch and meet you back here,” Kian said. “It can be our first lunch date.”

  In the hour between Kian leaving and her lunch break, Cate tried really hard to avoid both Nick and Molly. She was still annoyed that Kian had made such a scene where she worked.

  At 1 o’clock, Kian was waiting with a couple of carrier bags from M&S. “I thought we could go to the park,” he suggested.

  Cate frowned, “I haven’t decided if I’m still talking to you.”

  “They were going to find out anyway,” Kian nudged her.

  Cate didn’t crack a smile. They sat under one of the large oak trees in the park. “What can I do to get you to talk to me?” Kian tried. “What about this?” He pulled out a tub of hummus. Cate’s mouth watered, ever since she’d found out she was pregnant; she’d been craving the stuff.

  “My job’s important to me,” Cate said. “It’s not a game.”

  Kian straightened up, “I’m sorry. What can I do?”

  “You can eat this,” Cate grinned, taking a large spoonful of hummus.

  “Bleurgh,” Kian turned his face away. “No way, that stuff’s disgusting.”

  “Eat it,” Cate said, leaning over him. She circled the spoon near his mouth, “watch the little aeroplane.”

  Kian lifted her up so she was straddling him. “Kian,” Cate struggled to free herself from his grasp. “We’re in a public park.”

  Kian laughed, “you wriggling against me like that isn’t helping, angel.”

  Cate stilled. “Eat this or no sex for two weeks.”

  “Two weeks,” Kian spluttered. He looked again at the spoonful of hummus. “Two bloody weeks?”

  He closed his eyes and opened his mouth, allowing Cate to feed him the hummus. “Ugh,” he swallowed, feeling the disgusting substance slither down the back of his throat.

  “Happy now?” he asked Cate.

  Cate grinned, “very.”

  “Excuse me,” Cate turned arou
nd, there was a little boy stood just behind them. She quickly climbed off Kian’s lap. He was still semi-hard so he grabbed his jacket and covered his crotch. “You’re Kian Warner?”

  “I am,” Kian smiled. Cate watched him curiously; she’d never seen his public smile before. She’d always just assumed that he was the same in public as he was in private but it was like he’d put a mask on.

  “I’m really sorry to bother you,” the little boy looked awestruck, “but please could I have your autograph?”

  “Sure,” Kian said. He reached in his pocket and quickly scrawled his name across the back of the till receipt. “Thank you,” the boy grinned widely. “Thank you so much.”

  “One question,” Kian said, as the boy was about to go back to his Mum. “Do you like hummus?”

  “No way,” the boy laughed. “Bleurgh.”

  After they’d finished their lunch, Cate looked at her watch. “I’d better get back.”

  “I’ll walk you,” Kian said.

  “As long as you don’t follow me inside,” Cate said. “You’d probably try and hump me against the cash register.”

  Kian’s eyes lit up, “now there’s a thought. I might keep that in my spank bank.”

  “Ew,” Cate wrinkled up her nose, “don’t be gross.”

  “I’m joking,” Kian laughed. “I love watching you blush. Besides, why would I use my hand when I’ve got you?”

  “Aw, you say the most romantic things,” Cate teased.

  When they got home, Cate went upstairs to take a quick shower while Kian started dinner.

  “Hey, what are you making?” Cate asked as she came down the back stairs, which led into the kitchen. She’d changed into jeans and a t-shirt and rubbed at her damp hair with a towel.

  Kian was studying the fridge. “Mm, trying to decide what to try next?”

  Cate came up and put her arms around his waist. She loved his smell.

  She peeked over his shoulder and realised the fridge door was closed. He was looking at the chart she’d made.

  “Hey,” Cate protested. “I thought you were making dinner, I’m hungry.”

  Kian smiled. “It’s in the oven. I was just thinking about dessert.”

  “You’re insatiable,” Cate grinned.