Chapter 16 - The Breakdown
Cat practically skipped into the bathroom to shower while Trey checked the laptop for updates from his team. She didn't know where all her energy was coming from, but she felt like she could walk on water.
She slowly came down from the high as she got into the shower and let the warm water flow over her body. Cat felt a sense of dread thinking about everything Trey had told her and how she had acted.
She had been so mesmerized by the appearance of Atlas that all reason went out the window. Cat put her hands over her face when she remembered sitting on Trey's lap and grinding herself on his erection. What had gotten into her? She'd be lucky if he were still there when she got out of the shower.
She then remembered everything he said about marking her and how she would turn into a werelion. She suddenly sat down in the bathtub and began sobbing.
Trey was right. Everything was happening so fast that she hadn't been able to come to terms with it. Now that she could, Cat didn't know what to think. She was glad he said they needed to take it slow when she had been the one ready to rip their clothes off.
Cat sobbed harder when she realized that everything she thought was true in the world wasn't true at all. She was in a hotel with a man that could turn into a giant lion. Who would even believe her if she told them? She didn't believe it herself. She wasn't upset that all she knew was different, but it made her feel she knew nothing anymore.
"Are you okay?" She jumped when she heard Trey knock on the door. Cat thought about him saying they were mates and what that entailed. She couldn't respond to him as she continued to cry.
"I'm coming in." Trey opened the door and peeked into the bathroom. She had the shower curtain pulled so he couldn't see her, but he could hear her crying.
"What's wrong?" Trey wanted to pull the curtain aside, but he didn't want to scare her.
"Everything you said and how I acted just hit me. The adrenaline I was feeling left, and I crashed. You were right. I needed time to process everything. I'm sorry for how I behaved." Trey smiled. He knew it would hit her eventually. He was glad it was sooner rather than later.
"You don't have anything to apologize for. I know it was a lot, and I knew this would happen. How are you feeling now?" Trey stood against the wall wishing he could see her.
"I'm better. Thank you for being the rational one. Can you come here for a minute?" Trey walked up to the shower curtain but didn't open it. He heard Cat standing up, and then she slightly pulled the curtain back so he could see her face.
Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and her hair was a wet mess. Her face was flushed, and her lips looked puffy. To Trey, she looked absolutely beautiful. He reached up and lightly touched her cheek, and she leaned into his hand with a small smile.
"Will you kiss me? I have to make sure that the way I was feeling out there wasn't a dream and that I'm still okay with you kissing me." Cat's voice was a little hoarse as she spoke. She had to know if his kiss would have the same effect as before. She needed that feeling to ensure that everything was going to be alright.
"Okay, but only if you promise you're not going to try and jump me. You have no clothes on, and I showed restraint before, but I'm not a saint." Cat giggled a little at what he said.
"I promise I won't jump you." Trey leaned toward her cautiously, being careful not to get too close.
Cat would have laughed at his reaction, but she was too nervous about the kiss. She leaned toward him and closed her eyes. When their lips touched, she felt that same feeling of sparks flying between them and heat flooding her body. Cat almost ripped the shower curtain to the side, but Trey pulled back and stopped her. She was breathing heavily and felt disappointed.
"You were getting ready to expose yourself to me. That's not something I can handle. Just being here with you like this is hard enough." Trey leaned over and pushed the hair back from her face before kissing her forehead.
"You're right. I don't know how to control all of these new emotions, which is somewhat overwhelming. After going through life numb to everything, I don't know how to act when I'm feeling so many things it's making my head spin. I'll finish my shower and be out in a minute." Cat smiled at him as he rubbed her cheek. For such a big strong man, he had a very gentle touch.
"Alright, sweetheart, I'll be out here waiting on you. I received an email from Roger. We need to go to the gas station and pick up a burner phone. How about we walk over there? We can stop and pay up the room for a few more days on our way." Cat, was still swooning at him calling her sweetheart, so she just nodded.
Trey chuckled as he walked out of the bathroom. His little kitten was a ball of emotions all of a sudden. He was glad they had this time to spend alone, so she could try to deal with the changes on top of the Leo issue. Atlas growled in Trey's head at the name of Cat's uncle.
He understood Atlas' feelings. Leo was the reason Cat was going through all of this. He walked over to the laptop and told Brooks they would pick up a burner and send him the number.
Trey sat down at the table, waiting for Cat. He heard the blow dryer on in the bathroom. He suggested they walk to the gas station to get out of the hotel room for a while. Being in a confined space would make it harder for them to resist each other. Trey wanted to ensure Cat was genuinely ready before they went any further.
He looked up when the bathroom door opened, and his heart raced at seeing his mate. Cat was wearing blue jeans and a dark green long-sleeved t-shirt. Nothing special, but with her red face, long black hair, and blue eyes, she looked like an angel to him.
"I'm ready to go. Are we going to pick up something to eat while we're out? I bought some food yesterday, but it's mostly snacks." Cat walked over to him while he stared at her. He took her hand and pulled her between his legs when she was in front of him.
With Trey sitting in the chair and Cat standing, they were face to face. She smiled as she looked into his handsome face and wrapped her arms around his neck to put her hands in his hair. She loved that his hair was long enough to run her fingers through it.
He pulled her closer and kissed her cheek, then ran his lips along her jawline and down her neck. Cat's legs got wobbly at the light kisses he left all over her face and neck. Each one sent a spark of fire through her body.
She held his head tighter when he moved to the other side of her neck and down toward her collarbone. He licked the area and slightly sucked it. Cat closed her eyes at the intense sensations his lips were causing. He suddenly stopped and lightly kissed her lips.
"That area near your collarbone is where I'll be marking you when this is over. Then you'll be mine forever. Are you sure that's what you want?" Trey still feared she would change her mind.
"I've never wanted anything more. You've not only helped me get past my fear of touch, but you've opened my eyes. I thought I was going to live a long lonely life hiding from the world. I want you, and only you, now and forever." Cat took his face between her hands and looked into his hazel eyes.
Trey had never thought himself to be the mushy type, but he was feeling all kinds of mushy stuff with what Cat said. He pulled her onto his lap, so she was sitting sideways with her head on his shoulder, and he held her in his arms.
She snuggled into his embrace and felt tears running down her face as a memory came back to her. The last time she sat with anyone like this was when her mom told her she had cancer.
"What's wrong?" Trey wondered if he had done something to upset her.
"I was just thinking that the last time I sat on anyone's lap was when my mom told me she had cancer. That was also the last time anyone loved or cared for me. After we return from buying the phone and food, I'll tell you about my childhood." Cat sighed as she leaned against him. Living through the nightmare was bad enough the first time. She didn't know how she would handle going through it again.
