Chapter Nineteen
Catherine
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S INCE IT WAS A CASUAL night out, I kept my outfit simple. I knew Timothy would understand. He wasn’t expecting me to do the hair and makeup and get dolled up. I’d made sure my dad ate his dinner, had his medicine, and his phone was within arm’s reach. I was nervous about leaving him alone but he was insistent. I didn’t want him to feel like he was a burden or holding me back from enjoying my life. If he felt like that, he was going to go back to his place.
I had to concede on this or risk losing him for good. I walked back into the bedroom we had put him in. His eyes were closed, but I knew he wasn’t asleep. “I’m going to be leaving,” I said. “Do you need anything?”
“No. I’m fine. I plan on sleeping and watching a little TV. I’m not doing anything exciting.”
“Call if you need anything,” I said.
“I will.”
Timothy showed up a few minutes later. “Ready?” he asked.
“Yes, but I’m keeping my phone on.”
He laughed. “I would expect nothing less.”
“Should we tell him where we’re going? Just in case?” I added, peeking back toward Dad’s room.
Timothy shook his head, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “Are you stalling?”
I sighed but smiled back at him, my heart racing with a mix of excitement and apprehension. “All right then,” I said, reluctantly grabbing my purse.
He held the door open for me as we stepped out into the night that was just a little cooler than the unusually warm day.
Timothy drove us to one of the nicer restaurants in town. It was a steakhouse, which made me feel just a little guilty. I’d given my dad bland grilled chicken, and I was going to be eating a juicy steak.
Timothy must have noticed my unease. “Catherine, tonight is about us. Your dad is fine, and he wants you to enjoy yourself. Your arteries are just fine. You can have a steak.”
I smiled at him gratefully, placing my hand over his. “You’re right, I need to stop worrying so much.”
For the next hour or two, we indulged in mouthwatering steak and baked potatoes and a bottle of wine.
“Boy, does it feel good to eat,” I said. “Thank you for this.”
“You’re welcome,” he said.
“Let’s go for a walk. It’s a nice night.”
I hesitated, but he gently squeezed my hand. “He’s fine.”
“I should call.”
“Luke is sitting with him,” he said.
“What?”
“I called Luke.” He shrugged. “He was going to take care of that electrical work.”
I smiled. “You mean you’re tricking my dad. Luke is there doing work so my dad doesn’t know he’s there keeping an eye on him.”
“Busted,” he chuckled. “Come on. Let’s walk. I haven’t been in this area much.”
“I had a really good time tonight,” I admitted, offering him a grateful smile as we walked.
Timothy returned my smile, his eyes warm as he squeezed my hand gently. “I’m glad,” he replied, his voice soft. “I wanted to take your mind off things for a little while. And I wanted to spend time with you. It’s been a while.”
“You always know how to make me feel better,” I murmured, leaning into his side as we walked.
As we wandered the streets, Timothy pointed out various landmarks and buildings. He listened intently while I gave him the history that I knew of.
“Would you like to go to the house for a bit?” he asked, his tone gentle. “Paisley’s sleeping over at a friend’s house tonight, so it’s just us.”
I hesitated for a moment, torn between the desire to spend more time with Timothy and the lingering worry about my dad.
“I don’t know.”
“Luke is there. He’s competent. If anything happens, he’ll call.”
He was right. I knew I didn’t need to go home and watch my father sleep. “Okay,” I agreed, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “I’d like that.”
Timothy’s face lit up with a smile as he led me back to his car. It was nice to be back at his house. I had actually missed the place.
“I’m glad you came,” Timothy said softly, his gaze meeting mine. “I know things have been tough lately, but I want you to know that I’m here for you, Catherine. Always.”
“That means a lot to me, thank you.”
“Should we watch a movie?” he asked.
“Sure.”
We went to the media room and settled in. The dim lighting and plush seating helped me to unwind. The tension from the past few week slowly melted away.
As the movie began to play, we fell into an easy conversation, discussing Timothy’s upcoming trip to the Hamptons.
“I wish you could come with me,” Timothy said, his gaze fixed on the screen. “It’s going to be a long weekend, and I’d love to have you there by my side.”
“I thought you didn’t like the Hamptons?”
“It’s not that I don’t like going there; it’s just a little pretentious.”
“Why are you going?” I asked.
“Because I got myself locked into hosting the end of the year party,” he sighed. “I can’t back out.”
The idea of spending a weekend away with him sounded like a dream. But then reality intruded, reminding me of the responsibilities I had at home.
“It sounds nice, but I can’t leave my dad alone for a while weekend.”
“Bring him,” he said. “It would be good for him as well. The beach is healing.”
“I want to go,” I admitted, my voice tinged with uncertainty. “But I don’t know if he will be up for it. He’s still recovering from the surgery, and I don’t want to leave him alone.”
Timothy reached out to take my hand, his touch grounding me. “Catherine, your dad is a grown man,” he reminded me gently. “He can make his own decisions. And besides, I’m sure he’d want you to go and enjoy yourself. If you going depends on him going, I bet you he will go. He wants you to have fun.”
I sighed, feeling torn between my desire to spend time with Timothy and my sense of duty to my dad. “I just wish he would take better care of himself,” I admitted, my voice tinged with frustration. “Then I wouldn’t have to worry about him so much.”
Timothy squeezed my hand reassuringly, his gaze meeting mine. “I understand,” he said softly. “But you can’t let your worries consume you. You deserve to have some time for yourself, Catherine. And if going to the Hamptons with me is what you want, then we’ll find a way to make it work.”
Timothy wasn’t trying to force or coax me; he simply wanted me to have some time for myself, and that was a comforting thought. I took a deep breath and nodded softly. “We’ll talk to him tomorrow,” I agreed, squeezing his hand in return. “Thank you, Timothy.”
His smile was warm and comforting as he nodded once. “Always, Catherine. There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Oh no,” I laughed. “I can only imagine what my father put you up to.”
“Why do you think it’s your dad that put me up to something?”
I gave him a dry look. “Because I know my father. What is it?”
“It’s about his meals,” he started. “I know you are following the recommendations from his doctor, but I’d like to suggest something, and please keep an open mind.”
“What?”
“I mentioned to your dad that my chef can pretty much make cardboard taste good,” he said carefully. “I would like to hire him to cook some meals for your father. It’s a way for your dad to see healthy food can be good. It doesn’t have to bland or dry.”
“No offense, but your chef is a little out of my price range.”
“Catherine, this would be my gift to him. I want to do something to help. And I owe the guy some pay since I’m not using him as much as I planned to. Your dad was on board with it, but he said you would be the one to resist.”
I laughed. “He knows me well.”
“Yes, he does,” he agreed. “Will you let me do it? I’m sure I can get the recipes. We’ll see what your dad likes and what he doesn’t. Then he can cook for himself or you can cook for him.”
It wasn’t a bad idea. “That’s very generous,” I said. “My cooking skills are very basic. My dad’s skills are even more basic. I learned what I know from him. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to shake up our usual menu.”
“Perfect,” he said. “I’ll call him in the morning.”
“Thank you,” I said with a smile. “You have certainly become my hero lately.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
I got up from the couch and stood in front of him. He frowned as he looked up at me. I bent down, brushing my lips across his. “Let me show you real pleasure.”
His eyes widened in surprise but then softened, his hands sliding up my arms to pull me closer. “Catherine,” he whispered against my lips, sounding both pleased and surprised. His hands tangled in my hair as our kiss deepened, the world around us fading away until it was just the two of us.
I dropped to my knees in front of him. The movie played on the large screen behind me as I undid the button on his plants. I pulled the zipper down and reached in to grab his cock, which grew in my hand.
I looked up and found him watching me, as I began to stroke him slowly. The world around us disappeared, swallowed by the intense heat between us.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said through a moan.
“I want to,” I assured him, my voice tinged with a tremor of excitement and anticipation. “I want to make you feel good.”
A soft moan escaped his lips as I continued my movements, setting a comfortable pace that allowed me to explore him in my own time. His hand found the back of my head as he leaned back into the couch, his breathing becoming more erratic with every stroke.
With a slow, deliberate pace, I used both hands to work him over. Enveloping him fully, I felt him grow harder under my touch. His body shuddered as I took him deeper, exploring every inch of him with my fingers and mouth. He groaned again, louder this time.
His fingers tightened in my hair as I took him all the way into the back of my throat. He let out a low groan, full of heat and masculinity that sent a wave of desire flooding through me.
“Catherine,” he breathed, his voice ragged and strained. “You get me so hot and hard.”
I didn’t back off but quickened my pace even more. I could feel his body tensing beneath me, an indication that he was close to his edge.
“Stop,” he managed to gasp out. “If you don’t stop... I...”
But he didn’t get to finish his sentence. I continued my movements, pushing him over the edge. His gasp filled the room, followed by a low groan as he climaxed, his body shaking with the intensity of it.
Breathless and flushed, he looked at me with a heated gaze that sent a shiver down my spine. “That was incredible.”
I sat back on my heels and wiped my mouth. “Good.”
He leaned forward. “My bedroom. Now.”
I smiled, feeling powerful. I loved that I could undo him. He got to his feet, his pants hanging open, and reached for my hand. He pulled me to my feet and then grabbed my face to kiss me. Excitement raced through my veins. It was a promise of what was going to come.