Chapter 24 - The First Bath
Cat stared at Roger in shock. Leo wanted her so badly that he was willing to pay twenty thousand dollars for her. Where was he getting all of this money?
"Did he say anything else? Why did he increase the amount that much?" Trey looked at Cat and saw she was staring at Roger in disbelief.
"He said there wasn't anything else, only the change in amount. With Leo making this move, we must have shaken him a little. That man you saw earlier probably told him he saw you. Seeing Trey with you, he knew it wouldn't be easy to snatch you off the street. I need you to promise me that you won't go out alone. It's too dangerous with him offering more money. People will come out of the woodwork, willing to take chances they may not have taken before." Roger looked at Cat, hoping she understood.
"You don't have to worry. I won't be going anywhere without Trey." Cat leaned against Trey, happy she had her own werelion to protect her.
"We'll go back to the other apartment. Ellie, I want you to go to the hospital and get Cat's purse out of her locker. I was going to wait until tomorrow but let's do it today." Roger looked toward Ellie, who nodded.
"Cat, I'll be back within the next couple of hours."
Ellie and Roger left, and Cat was relieved. She didn't mind them too much, but she preferred to only have Trey in her apartment.
She sighed when she thought about an earlier conversation. Would Trey want to go back to his place after they caught Leo? She wanted him to stay with her.
"Why do you look worried?" Trey wrapped her in his arms, letting Atlas purr to comfort her.
"I'm a little embarrassed to tell you. I was worried that you would want to return to your apartment after catching Leo. I want you to stay with me. I don't want to be alone anymore." Cat looked down, afraid to meet his eyes. Maybe she sounded too needy.
"I'll be wherever you want me to be. Remember, we're more than just a couple. It's so much deeper than that. How about we go into the bedroom and talk more, okay?" Cat squeezed him tighter and nodded.
Trey led her into the bedroom and shut the door. He thought about suggesting they take a hot bath, but he wasn't sure how she would react. She didn't have any good experiences with bathtubs. He decided he would try to show her how good a bath could be. He would get her out if it was too much, but he hoped she would enjoy it if he was with her.
Trey pulled Cat toward the bathroom, and she looked at him in confusion. Did he want to take a shower?
"What are you doing? I thought we were going to talk."
"I want you to consider something for me. I know you're scared of bathtubs, but will you trust me enough to take a hot bath with me? I'll never force you to do something you don't want, but I want to help you overcome some of your fears." Trey saw her glancing back and forth between him and the bathtub.
Cat felt her throat closing up with fear. He wanted her to actually get into a bathtub? She stared at the oversized tub and started shaking. The only memories of being in a bath were the cause of her nightmares.
She looked into Trey's eyes with the intent of telling him there was no way she could do that. However, she saw how much he cared for her, and if she didn't try to get past some of her fears, she was letting Leo win. Cat decided she would try it with Trey's help.
"Alright, I'll do it with you." Cat took a deep breath and looked at the bathtub. Trey was shocked. He didn't think she would agree so quickly.
"Promise me that if you start feeling any panic or fear, you'll tell me immediately so I can get you out. I don't want to set you back by doing this, okay?" She hugged him. She couldn't believe how amazing this man was.
"I will. I promise."
He walked over to the bathtub and turned the water on. He got it to a comfortable temperature and then began taking his clothes off. Once he had nothing on, he walked over to Cat, who was still staring at the water.
"Are you ready?" Cat looked from the bathtub to Trey and saw he was naked. She couldn't get over how good he looked with nothing on. She licked her lips as she stared at him until she heard him laughing.
"If you keep looking at me like that, the bath will have to wait." She felt her cheeks getting hot.
"I can't help if I like what I see." She said slyly as she started taking off her clothes.
Trey got into the tub and stood while he waited for her. Once she had her clothes off, she nervously walked over to him. He leaned down and kissed her gently. Trey then held out his hand to help her step in.
Cat took another deep breath before taking his hand. She slowly stepped into the water. Once both feet were in, Trey sat down and helped her sit between his legs. She started breathing heavily until she heard Atlas purring, and Trey began rubbing her shoulders.
The two of them together were able to help her relax enough to lean back. His warm skin against her back made her snuggle even closer. She closed her eyes and let Trey and Atlas comfort her.
Trey was struggling behind Cat. When she shifted her little bottom against him and moved closer, it excited a particular part of his anatomy. Feeling her smooth skin against him was driving him crazy with wanting more.
When he looked down and saw the peacefulness on Cat's face with her eyes closed, all of his desire went away. If this was helping to ease her fear, that meant more to him than anything else. He continued to rub her shoulders and arms while she lay against him.
"Can you tell me more about what it means to be mates? I'm still confused about this concept." Cat spoke quietly while keeping her eyes closed. By focusing on Trey and Atlas, she wasn't thinking about the water surrounding her.
"Being mates is like being soul mates for humans. It's more than just dating someone or loving someone. Even though I haven't marked you yet, you probably already feel some of the effects. Like not wanting to be away from me or feeling sparks fly around us when we touch. That's all part of the mate bond." Trey hoped she was feeling those things because he was feeling them.
"I feel that and more. Just thinking about you not being with me causes me pain."
"I want to be wherever you are, and the feelings we have for each other will be more intense after I mark you. Once you have your lioness, you'll mark me, and the bond will be complete. We'll be tied to each other more than if we got married." Cat moved a little so she could look up into his face.
"Thank you for finding me. I was lost before I met you. You rescued me. I can't wait to be fully mated to you and meet my lioness. So you'll move in with me then?" Trey leaned down to kiss her before answering.
"Yes, I'll move in with you." Cat squealed with excitement. That meant she never had to be alone again. She had been alone for so long, and the memories of those times were still fresh in her mind. Cat never wanted to have those feelings return.
She moved around in the tub, then straddled his lap, so they were sitting face to face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and put her fingers in his hair to pull him down.
Trey was surprised when Cat turned around and started kissing him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. He felt her tongue sliding into his mouth, stroking his. He couldn't control his erection beneath her.
She pulled back and looked down with a smile. She could feel him pressing against her under the water. If she adjusted just a little, it could slide its way home. Cat raised up and looked into Trey's eyes as she lowered herself onto him. They both groaned in pleasure at the feeling of being connected.
Trey couldn't believe it when Cat started riding him in the bathtub. She held onto his shoulders as she moved slowly up and down on him. She leaned back a little as Trey watched her. Her full breasts were bouncing with her movements, and they were mesmerizing.
Trey held onto her hips to give her support so he could meet her movements. As he thrust into her harder and harder, Cat became breathless, and it excited him even more.
When Trey grabbed her hips and took control, Cat couldn't do anything other than hold on. The feelings he was sending through her body were so intense she forgot all about the bathtub. It didn't take long for them to reach their climax, and Cat fell on top of him.
Trey held onto her. He had never been happier than he was with Cat in his arms. She fit so perfectly. He kissed her forehead and was about to suggest they get out before the water got cold when they heard a crash come from somewhere inside the apartment.
