《Alter Ego: His Sultry Lover》


 Chapter 1 - Shower Fantasy *

    [Warning snu snu ahead. Read at your own risk.]


    Katherine was showering and humming to herself when she heard banging on the door. "Lily, I need more time!" she screamed out, not knowing why the other had bothered to pound on the door when she knew that Kitty would be taking some time.


    Kitty pouted as she wrapped the towel across her torso and went to the door to tell her off. She slowly creaked the door open and was about to speak when she saw dark eyes staring back at her, dilated and filled with want she had never imagined possible in his eyes for her.


    Her hand on the door loosened and the other pushed the door open, entering the bathroom, and tightly closing the door behind him.


    "I''ve been waiting for you," he said in a raspy voice, his eyes scanning over her dripping body.


    "Cage," she gasped, not understanding what was happening. She opened her eyes wide and stared at the beautiful man in front of her, hunger deep in her stomach.


    He pushed her by the shoulders, holding her flat against the wall within a second, his mouth on hers, stifling her squeal. She shook as his unsteady hands clawed at the towel, peeling it away from her body and throwing it to the other side of the bathroom.


    It was evident from his movements that he wanted more. He craved her.


    For the first time, she looked at what he was wearing: leather jacket, t-shirt and tightly fitted pants that cupped his ass perfectly. He looked delicious in the outfit. Her mouth became as dry as the Sahara desert as he leaned back down and entangled his hand with her hair and kissed her passionately.


    "Let me fuck you," she heard him say. "Please, Katherine." Her name on his lips made her moan in pleasure. Never had she thought that such a day would come when she would hear this man saying her name in such a needy manner.


    She surrendered, a pliable ball of need, all rationality and denial leaving her mind.


    He was begging her. How could she deny him when he was begging her so?


    Her hands travelled down his stomach, reaching the waistband, where she unbuckled his belt and unbuttoned the pant. She slid the pants a bit, hoping to guide his cock out. Her eyes widened as she saw his girth, winking at her, liquid already leaking from the tip.


    She felt the undeniable urge to lean down and take him into her mouth. As if sensing her wishes, he grinned deviously and spoke in a low voice, "I want your pretty mouth wrapped around me."


    She circled his girth firmly in her hands and found him following suit, hovering over her hand delicately. She looked up and saw his whole face awash with desire, his eyes boring into hers. He guided her to stroke his cock twice before he commanded, "Open."


    She gave a quick lick over the slit at the tip, making a shudder escape him. She then stretched her lip over the head, trying to avoid grazing his skin with her teeth. It was a very difficult task. She proceeded anyway, trying to loosen her jaw, not wanting to scrape him too much. She managed to take a part of him in and almost gagged when she felt his hand at the back of her head, gently caressing it. He pushed at the back of her head, showing little pity. She sucked and twirled her tongue around her girth, trying to make this as pleasurable for him as she could. She scraped her teeth lightly over the vein, making sure to elicit a loud growl of approval.


    She removed her mouth slowly, pouting as her jaw ached. "Ow," she mumbled as he chuckled and patted her head affectionately.


    "You''ll get used to it," he said as he pulled her up and made her face the wall. His hand fisted her hair and pulled her back. "Do you want me?" His eyes were feral. She tried to twist her body to get access to his, but he held her firmly. "Say it."


    "Take me," she moaned, feeling his length grinding against her core.


    She felt him press his member near her opening. She steadied herself, anticipating the giant intrusion. She felt his finger twirl around the opening slightly, before he pushed the tip in. She shuddered only to feel his hand soothe her tense muscles, going up and down the arch of her back.


    He pressed in further, slowly and steadily, until his hips met hers. They let out a shuddering breath, finally connected. Without warning, he started to fuck her, his hands leaving her hair and moving to her hips, grabbing them firmly. He pulled her to him, balancing her whole body on his centre of gravity and slammed into her.


    She pressed her hand against the wall, her hands rigid, lest she fall. He continued to pound her, the sound of flesh meeting and slapping loud in the room, accompanied by the animalistic sounds escaping their mouths.


    He grunted as he put his hand at the back of her head, pulling her hair forcefully, so she raised her head up. His other hand left her waist and curled around her body, finding her clit and pressing tight circles on it.


    As she came around him without warning, she felt his taut muscles rippling under her. He continued to pump his hips into hers forcefully, helping her ride out her orgasm, solely concentrating on chasing his own.


    "Katherine?" it was his voice. She plopped to the floor like spaghetti. "Katherine?" she heard again, but this time the voice was different. She startled, looking around, and realized that she had fallen asleep in the bath and imagined movie star Cage Cavanaugh fucking her. She slapped herself once, reminding herself who she was and then got up.


    The show was just about to start. Katherine wouldn''t have a clue what hit her.

 Chapter 2 - Under The Stars

    "Kitty, he''s on!"


    Katherine wiped her body with the towel. It was her friend, Lily, shrieking from the living room, calling on her like her life depended on it. She glanced at the clock and hurriedly left her work to plop down on the couch and leaned forward eagerly. Lily was curled up on the couch, her teddy bear cuddled in her arms.


    "Advertisement break," Lily muttered, turning to her for a fraction of a second. She was in her favorite set of bunny pyjamas, ready to scream at the television. Katherine tried to look a little less bothered than she actually was. It felt like an eternity before the shampoo commercial ended.


    "Our first guest tonight is a ridiculously talented man known for his daredevil stunts in Lost City. He''s here to promote his new romantic comedy, Under the Stars. Ladies and Gentlemen, Cage Cavanaugh!" The crowd in the television erupted into applause. The two girls sitting in front of the television hollered and clapped at the same time as if being present at the location.


    Cavanaugh entered in a grey custom suit, his signature blonde hair untamed. He looked devastatingly handsome¡ªlike a man who could ruin countries with his radiant beauty. His freshly tousled hair looked like he had run his hand through it a million times, or someone else had done it for him. It wasn''t impossible, he was the King of Action movies of their generation.


    The side of his lips curled up into a confident smile, almost a half smirk that raised goosebumps on one''s skin and made them want to be the mother of his babies.


    Katherine found herself clutching her hand close to her heart as it beat loudly against her chest. She couldn''t contain the adoration she felt for the man simply by taking a glance at him. It wasn''t possible to just look at the man, he was too beautiful. You would be mesmerized and left staring.


    "Hold me," Lily squealed from beside her, in the same state of mind as her. She had just been shocked into silence, her words were not enough to express what she felt. Katherine reached over to grab onto her friend''s hand. She went back to concentrating on the beautiful piece of art in front of her, gushing inside.


    He was a twenty-six year old who had been the lead in several action movies and had performed in several indie films because he enjoyed a challenging role. There had been talks of Oscar nominations in the industry, too. Under the Stars was his first romantic comedy. Cage Cavanaugh didn''t want to be pegged as someone who only did serious films and action flicks. He wanted to be an all-rounder who could handle any role he was given.


    Everyone was excited to see this god as a lover, hoping he would fulfil all their wishes and finally give us a piece of him that he had hidden from the world.


    "In this movie, you play the role of a deeply scarred businessman, Harry Grey, who must overcome his demons, right?"


    "Yes, even though the genre is shown as romantic comedy, the premise of the film has the male lead being a cold CEO who has shunned the world. Harry has walls around him and hates women who try to come close. The female lead, Rain Smith, is the perfect new assistant that he never asked for. She makes life so easy for him that he quickly falls in love with her. Their story is about overcoming their demons in a light-hearted and comic manner."


    There had been rumors surrounding the script and how the lead actors had fallen in love with each other on set, only to have the actress cheat on him. It was a huge scandal, pictures of Keira Higgins with a famous director were leaked to the media by paparazzi and Cage had made no comment on it.


    Katherine had been conflicted that someone as godly as Cage Cavanaugh to date a mere mortal, but soon she came to realize (and it took her a lot of time) that she only wanted him to do well in life and be happy. She blessed the rumored couple and continued fangirling over the man.


    News of their breakup came out weeks after the shooting of the movie was over. The couple, who supposedly lived together broke up over the cheating issue. For the life of her, Katherine couldn''t understand how one could cheat on a man like Cage Cavanaugh and that too with a bald man in his late fifties.


    "And Keira Higgins plays Rain Smith?" the MCs suggestive tone left little to imagination. He was clearly curious about what had happened and how Cage had taken it.


    "Is he crazy?" Lily screamed, lurching away from Katherine, enraged that the MC could ask questions about such a touchy topic.


    They saw Cage leaning towards the table and grabbing his designated glass of water. That little action showed how uncomfortable he was with the situation and how hard he was trying to suppress his emotions in front of so many people. Katherine could see that he was somewhat angry, she had been looking solely at him throughout the entire interview. Previous experience told her exactly what he would be thinking about.


    He was considering how to approach the inquiry.


    "She is a brilliant actress and made the complex character look so easy to understand. She did a good job in the movie."


    "Have the two of you contacted each other since the release of the movie?" Cage smiled and didn''t answer. It was clear that they had no communication and he didn''t need to be the one who said it out loud. His fans were furious. They littered the online sites with hate to the MC. He had crossed a line.

 Chapter 3 - Stopping The Goddess

    "I am signing a new movie, and I don''t have much time on my hands," he made an excuse.


    "We can''t wait to find out!" the MC said, but Cage was already peeved. He didn''t loiter much and kept the interview as succinct as possible. The show went on break and the two of them let out exasperated sighs.


    "He just went there."


    "They broke up months ago!"


    "Didn''t you see? He looked so tired today."


    "Do you think he is unwell?"


    "He is too busy to take care of himself."


    Their conversation went on as the ads did. They fussed over how stupid Keira was to cheat, how foolish people were to dislike Cage, etcetera etcetera. The media were hungry for news, always grabbing onto the leg of every person that had a bad day. Cage was only pictured without a smile whereas the headlines showed Keira out and about dating different people all the time. It was frustrating for fans to see the gloomier side of their idol.


    From what they knew, Cage was not dating anyone. If he was, he had kept the news hushed. It made Katherine and all the other fangirls believe that there was a tiny chance that one day Cage Cavanaugh would be theirs.


    When the show began again, the MC asked Cage about his gaming addiction. Katherine grinned as she watched. If the man played the same games as her, she would totally want to play him, even if she lost to the clearly addicted man. He sent on and on about the new games he was playing, but not once did he mention what games he played or what his ID was. Katherine could imagine that a massive number of people were searching for Cage Cavanaugh on their gaming apps, hoping to play against or with the actor.


    Even Lily, who had been busy looking at the TV was now looking at her phone, pulling out a game she knew Cage liked and typing in keywords and sending invites to people.


    "Are you really going to try?" Katherine asked, amused.


    "You never know, there is a chance I will find him. You can call him your brother-in-law when he marries me. Don''t be jealous."


    "What did you type in?" Katherine laughed.


    "His name and every character he played. If I don''t find him, at least I play a couple of games. Productive."


    Katherine got up, shaking her head at her friend who thought there was a chance she would stumble upon the actor. She knew how serious Lily could get when it came to finding someone online and it was rare for her to not find the person.


    She chuckled. It would do her good not to try in vain. She could appease herself by looking at him from a distance. No need to try and grab him for themselves. He was everyone''s to begin with. Why should one person stake claim on such a beautiful piece of art?


    Katherine sat down on her work chair and opened her illustrator. She was satisfied with seeing Cage''s face and had gotten inspiration for her fanart from there. She took out her handy pen and started sketching. It took a couple of hours before the sketch turned into a lively, realistic portrait of Cage Cavanaugh on the show. She leaned back, satisfied with how the image had turned out. She rendered and saved the image as a jpeg file and then opened the fan page to post the image. She was one of the many people who were taken by Cage Cavanaugh and she expressed herself in art. Her artistic rendition of his features was an act of love like no other. She knew that this man could never be hers but she could adore him from far away, cheering him on as he goes on with his life.


    As a book cover designer, her artwork of him had accumulated a lot of fan following for her, she had heard from big companies that wanted artwork for their romance books. It was a good business, with the amount of books being published, Katherine made a good sum of money every month to survive in her three-bedroom apartment that she shared with her friend Lily and Angelina.


    Lily was a photographer for a big magazine and because they were based in the film capital of Country M, she saw big and small stars all the time. Lily had yet to meet Cage, though, and she couldn''t wait for the day her magazine would do a cover of him.


    It was past midnight when Katherine realized that she had slid into her gaming mode and forgotten about the time. She continued playing on her PC until late at night, silently cursing herself for pulling another all-nighter when she had a deadline the next day that she needed to finish. Her obsession with Cage and ''Return of the Heroes'' had cost her more time than she would like to admit. As a freelancer, time was precious cargo, but there she was using it to quench her thirst for gaming and beauty.


    She realized that someone was finishing her targets before she could make her way to them. Her female hero was a double-bladed warrior which ranked high on attacking and speed, yet some other player was beating her to it. Frustrated, she began searching the world forum for an explanation.


    [Rinten: Find the mortal who is stopping this goddess.] She typed in and pressed enter. A flurry of comments came up, she looked from one screen to the other, playing the game on one side and replying to comments on the other. She was leisurely strolling around in the meadows of the game.


    [RayKon53] one said.


    [It''s our master who is eating your gold.] Another one typed.

 Chapter 4 - Eat My Gold

    RayKon53? She quickly typed in the name in the server, searching for him meticulously before finally finding him. She stared at the name for a minute and wondered if she had gotten lucky. While Lily was busy looking for Cage, she had found someone who could possibly be the man. She knew that he played this game, it was one of the reasons why she had started playing it, but the game had quickly pulled her in. Her cursor hovered over the name as she analyzed the chances.


    Ray Kon was his favorite character from when he watched Beyblade. Five and three were his lucky numbers.


    ''Could it be? Impossible,'' she told herself.


    She followed the man and realized that he was an excellent player. A lot better than her, someone who prided herself over her gaming skills. She wondered if this person was a Cage Cavanaugh fan who had taken up this name. She admitted the chance of that happening was high.


    She fired a message at the player. [Rinten: Take my bow, senpai. You have eaten my gold.]


    She curiously gazed at the message over and over again, hoping the reply would come sooner, but the player had already gone offline. Dejected, she played one more game and went to bed.


    - - -


    Cage trudged back to the dressing room, feeling a part of his soul leave his body after the exhausting interview. He plopped down on the designated chair and let his body go as the makeup artists swiftly came forward to remove the gunk from his face. The interview had drained him off his energy.


    "You did well," his manager, Stephen Luther, said. His voice filled with pride.


    "They had to ask about her, didn''t they?" he muttered, exasperated by the curiosity of the people into his private life. He understood that it was part of being a celebrity but he only wanted to showcase his talent, not air his dirty laundry to the wind. He knew that questions about his ex-girlfriend would come up frequently as he promoted his movie, but he didn''t think it would cause such a ruckus.


    The news about Keira and him had been all fake. Neither of them was interested in the other, but fake dating was all the rage in the entertainment industry and any buzz about reel couples evolving into real couples made a movie blockbuster hit, such was the condition. Keira Higgins had been his colleague and they were pleasant acquaintances that didn''t have any issues with one another, but their management company had decided that matching them together and leaking paparazzi pictures would be the best way to promote this risky film. Cage didn''t do romance and unlike his action flicks, the romance might not sell. Cage was adamant that it was not needed, but no one listened to his words.


    In the end, Keira was captured by the cameras with another man, a married director who she was having an affair with. What little civility had been there in their relationship as colleagues flew out of the window. News after news agency contacted them for information but what was to give? He didn''t even like the woman and now he had a reputation of being dumped and cheated on. He wanted none of that in his career.


    "You made the decision when you said yes to the proposal, it was the only way to create buzz," his manager shrugged. Cage couldn''t deny that it had created buzz and that loads of people would watch the movie just to see if the rumors were right, they would go and watch for the drama. The producers would get hefty returns and he would receive some praise from critics if he was lucky.


    "The breakup will only draw more attention," the expression on the man''s face was the source of Cage''s irritation. He tried hard to hide it but it was clear on his face.


    "Never dating a co-star," he pledged when the makeup artists were done with him. He changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and t-shirt and strolled out of the room. Several people bowed at him but he looked peeved enough for none of them to approach him and ask him for an autograph.


    "We''ll take you back to the hotel. You have two interviews tomorrow and a couple of photoshoots in the next couple of days." Cage sighed feeling sympathy for himself. He would have to live through torture for the next few days. "New genre, new technique. You need all the help you can get to make this a hit."


    "People like romantic comedies," he groaned, knowing that he wouldn''t be able to get out of any of the appointments.


    "But they don''t associate romance with you," his manager replied smugly. "You may make women swoon with one smile of yours, but you haven''t shown them how you romance, so you need to work it." Stephen knew how hard his artist was working for the new project. He had spent days rehearsing and making sure his character was perfect and the filming had gone well. Yet at the end of the road, he felt nauseous and disbelieving of what he had to do to make people watch his movie.


    He was the King of Action, not of romance. He had to come in terms with it.

 Chapter 5 - Sexted A Kid

    The mess of Keira had brought on a new vow from Cage, he was not dating. Not for a very long time. He didn''t need another scandal to keep him in the headlines for god knows how long.


    ''It seems like my hand and I are going to be best buddies,'' he thought sadly. Not dating an actress meant no dating whatsoever because those were the only people he met on a daily basis.


    He strolled into the car and leaned back, closing his eyes to catch some sleep. For the next few weeks, he would be constantly travelling all around the globe to promote the movie and he would have to get used to sleeping on uncomfortable and foreign beds.


    "Can''t we just reach the hotel?" he mumbled under his breath.


    "Don''t act so tired. I am quite a bit older than you. You need to look sharp for your fans." It was the capital city of the country and fans had gotten wind of where he was staying. The hotel would, no doubt be crowded with paparazzi and fans asking for autographs.


    Cage groaned when he realized what that sentence meant.


    "You are younger in spirit than I," he said, opening his eyes to peer at Stephen, who was driving.


    After a few minutes of waving at the fans, Cage finally entered his room. He felt the intense need to shower and wipe his body down. Once he was done with that, he wondered if he should sleep, but sleep evaded him. He found himself attracted to his laptop. Logging in, he went on to play a game and complete a few quests.


    He saw something pop out from the corner of his screen but didn''t notice it much. The game server was buzzing for some reason and a lot of people had tagged him. He knew very few people and played with even fewer, must have been a random player that had seen him play and asked for a duel. He shrugged it off and went to sleep, hoping that morning wouldn''t come too soon.


    - - -


    Katherine woke up late the next morning, feeling prickling pain in her back from the hours of gaming and work she had done the last day. She quickly checked the game to see if she had received a reply from RayKon53 but to her vain, she had to put her phone down and wash her face. She had frequently checked her phone throughout the night, excited to find out who the person was, but they had completely ignored her.


    She knew that it couldn''t be Cage Cavanaugh, but at least she was talking to someone. When she got out of her room and entered the common dining area, she saw Lily sitting at the table with a shit-eating grin on her face and her thumbs twiddling on her phone.


    "Did you manage to catch Cage Cavanaugh?" she teased, clearly joking.


    "I think so," Lily said in a singsong voice. Katherine startled. On one hand, she was jealous that whoever her friend had contacted had replied to them, unlike the person she had texted, but the other part of her knew that none of the people her friend had texted could be Cage. He would never use something as common as the name of his characters or something of the sort.


    Then he would also not name himself RayKon53because the information about him was common knowledge, she told herself. She shrugged it off. What did it even matter if she wasn''t messaging Cage when the other person hadn''t even replied yet?


    "Which of the characters was he?"


    "All of them, don''t know. They all replied," she shrugged.


    "And you spoke to all of them?" Katherine asked, intrigued. "How did you figure out which of them was Cage?" She was interested in the method of Lily''s thought process as she tried to figure out which one of her preys was Cage.


    "I went for the one who sounded most intelligent," Lily peeked up at her and gave her a brilliant smile.


    "So one of them didn''t ask for nudes," Katherine guffawed.


    "Hey, don''t be rude," her friend said, embarrassed. So, Katherine had been right all along.


    "And you are sure?" she asked, excited.


    "No. He said the character was awesome."


    "You are talking to a twelve-year-old!" she burst into a fit of laughter. Lily levelled her with a glare.


    "Yes, but at least I tried," she said, a sly look flashing across her face. "I got some lemony conversations out of this. You, on the other hand, are high and dry from your spell last night. Your thirst for Cage Cavanaugh cannot be quenched," Lily pretended to lament.


    "Ew. You sexted a kid?" Katherine giggled, playing along. Lily stuck her tongue out at her and got up.


    "I gotta go. I made some breakfast for you. Have it when you get time. I will be heading to the office." With that, she left, slugging her oversized camera bag over her shoulder.


    Katherine breathed in a breath of relief. She was sure that her friend hadn''t gotten the right guy.


    She went back to her room and started working on her latest commission. It was an erotica piece that had been going up for reprinting and digital art was all the rage. It was a fanfiction that caught a lot of attention and got published and gained big money, now there were publishers stumbling over each other trying to get publishing rights to it. She had been asked by the publication to make a suggestive cover that was both classy as well as passionate which would arouse the curiosity of the reader and make them buy it.

 Chapter 6 - Compensate Me

    Katherine was an expert at this; she had done this for loads of smaller publishing houses, making the books go higher in rating than was expected. She had to admit, she was a wee bit picky about which books she took into consideration. She only took books that she personally liked or the plot of which inspired her. She could only work her magic if she was truly invested in the story. It was a wonder that she got enough work to survive in the entertainment capital of the country even though she was a freelancer.


    When she was done doing the outline of the sketch and had a couple of alternate ideas plotted out, she stretched her muscles and closed her eyes for a few seconds. Looking at a screen all day long really affected her, even her anti-glare, protective glasses weren''t much help when all she did was stare at the computer.


    She cooked herself a quick lunch and sat in front of her PC to watch some videos. The notifications started to pop up. More people wanted to know what their queen Rinten would do to get back at RayKon53, but she was careful to look through. As she was scrolling through the server she saw a private message pop up.


    She squealed when she saw the name.


    [RayKon53: Eh? Do I know you?]


    The user was already offline and Katherine couldn''t help but feel excited.


    ''Who exactly knew others on the internet? He stole my gold so I must introduce myself to him,'' she thought smugly. It didn''t hurt that the person''s name reminded her of her favourite, the scrumptious Cage Cavanaugh.


    [Rinten: No. You played me last night. Compensate me, senpai.]


    The message was already sent and Katherine couldn''t help but slap herself in the face.


    Compensate? Why did it sound like a proposition? She quickly typed out another reply, wondering why there wasn''t a delete option.


    [Rinten: Sorry. I meant the mission yesterday. I am not propositioning you, I promise.]


    She sighed and closed the tab. She knew she had effectively scared away the person with her creepiness. Now she could only hope that he would appreciate her uncanny humor and let it slide.


    - - -


    Cage was back in his hotel room, albeit for a few hours to rest up before taking the next flight to another city. He couldn''t even go out for a couple of hours to catch a break. He had waited long enough to meet the famous MC from the show he loved and had a chat after the interview was over. He was delighted to get the opportunity but he wanted nothing more than a couple of hours of sleep at that point.


    He took a long shower and caught up on some sleep. He was up and ready in no time, with half an hour to spare. He wanted to play for a little longer on days he was more stressed, and recently he had a lot of those days.


    He was stunned to see the server having pinged him so many times. He didn''t give it much notice and went to check on his booming private messages.


    [Rinten: Take my bow, senpai. You have eaten my gold.]


    ''What an odd thing to write when you don''t know someone.''


    Was this someone from his family playing a joke on him? Or had one of his guild-mates changed their handle? And even more so it was sent a long time ago.


    [RayKon53: Eh? Do I know you?] He typed out, thoroughly confused by the message he had received.


    He waited for a minute before heading over to the server and looking through what the fuss was about. Someone was calling someone else a queen. Someone was saying he had committed a sin. Cage was confused. He didn''t like associating much with people online, especially gamers, so he was confused about the recent heightened pinging of his account.


    [Rinten: No. You played me last night. Compensate me, senpai.]


    Cage guffawed when he read the message. It had just come in and he was getting a little too excited with this conversation. His perverse mind wondered where this player had gotten their dialogues from. He had read some pretty gruelling role-plays and this one made him laugh at the sudden flirtatious tone.


    The only thing he was playing last night was himself. There was no one else in the room, unfortunately.


    [Rinten: Sorry. I meant the mission yesterday.] The next message said. But Cage''s mind was already full of naughty insinuations. [I am not propositioning you, I promise.]


    Cage sniffed. He would have rather liked it if a random person on the internet flirted with him. His love-life was either too turbulent or too bland, and it was usually the opposite in front of the camera and out of it.


    Cage went to the server and looked at the person''s chats with the others and realized that they were considered quite the celebrity. The whole fuss about the game was that he had taken their rewards before they could get to it. He quickly went back and typed out a reply. He was really curious is the person on the other side was a girl or a boy. He was having a hard time calling them a common noun.


    [RayKon53: That''s sad. I was looking forward to your ministrations, my lady/kind sir? My trainer tells me that playing games keep you in mint condition.]


    He left it at that, not wanting to let the person think that he was coming on too hard. He had to say, he was getting a little lonely and even a bot on the screen would work for him at the point in time.


    His manager knocked on his door soon after and his plans to continue playing were obstructed. He got up and left, his laptop tucked under his arm, a small smile on his tired face.


    - - -

 Chapter 7 - Everyone Is Looking

    The flight to City L was gruelling. The promotions were happening all over the globe and City L was just one stop. There was a solid five hour time difference between his country and the one he was going to. On top of that, it was a long journey with a stop in the middle. Long hours on the plane were one of the worst things about his job. His body would soon give away under stress, he was sure.


    He was scrolling through the scripts that had come his way, marking those that interested him and keeping aside the ones that were sure-shot blockbuster hits. His manager was in the seat behind him, minding his own business. To his scorn, his rumoured ex-girlfriend Keira was also there on the same flight, heading to the same destination as him. It would be odd to go on a variety show and play games with the woman who had turned him into a joke in others'' eyes.


    Cage could feel her eyes fixed on his face, and he couldn''t hide his irritation. She turned around to whisper to her own manager, ''conspiracy'' written all over her features. Her unsubtle glances unsettled Cage. He knew that she was making some new strategy that would put him in the spotlight again.


    Cage pulled out his earphones from his bad and connected it to his device. He closed his eyes in hope for some peace. He felt something shift beside him and was surprised as he had intentionally asked to keep it empty, booking the seat himself so that he didn''t have to share space with other people. He didn''t budge, though, he pretended to sleep.


    He felt hands sliding towards his direction and reacted intuitively. He braced himself for the impact and held out his arm to protect himself from the touch. He ripped his earphones out and snapped at the person who had dared to invade his space.


    "What?" he hissed, recoiling from the touch.


    "Cage," Keira giggled, much to his irritation. "Why react that way? Everyone is looking." And indeed, everyone had turned to look at them.


    Cage huffed in disbelief. Just a few days ago, she had been showing off her beach body with a new boyfriend and she was surrounded by reporters asking her about who else she had cheated with, but here she was pretending like they were an actual couple, like she was lovingly teasing him while he reclined.


    "I don''t care," he snapped. His face was turned in a grimace, no sight of the fun-loving Cage Cavanaugh anywhere in sight. He still looked good, the scowl made him look rougher than he actually was. "I am not interested," he said, hoping this time the message would go across.


    She felt a hand ghost on her thigh and looked at her in disbelief. Which part of ''not interested'' did she not get? He knew for a fact that the watchful eyes of the flight attendants and other fliers were on them. She knew that this would hit the headlines, and that is exactly what she wanted.


    Cage realized then what the game-plan was. The manager of hers had contrived to make it look like they had got back together, effectively making the scandalous nature of the cheating incident die down, or at least reclaim some of the virtue Keira was supposed to show.


    He realized that within the next two weeks, such occurrences would happen frequently. He crossed his fingers and turned to her with a furious expression.


    "I don''t know what you are trying to do, but we are not getting back together," his voice was loud enough for the others in first-class to hear. There was a quiet mumbling coming from their audience, but Keira ignored him.


    "I want you back," she played along, looking like a betrayed woman. It seemed that she was indeed good at implementing her acting skills in real life, she made it look like he was at fault. He could hear the others comment on how pitiful she looked and how he should have given her a second chance. But there was nothing to give her. He had never felt attracted to her and never would.


    "I don''t want anything to do with you. You cheated on me and betrayed my trust. I am worth more than that," he said, unapologetic. He wouldn''t feel back for ruining her reputation further.


    "Let''s talk about us privately," she hissed, now pissed that he was not playing along with her.


    "The conversation will be very short then, there is no us." There never was, he added boldly in his head.


    "Do you want me to remove her?" He heard Stephen say. He was relieved that his manager was jumping in to protect him. Within moments, Keira was on her feet, huffing and puffing away as she went back to her original spot. Her manager was staring daggers at Cage.


    The woman was a hotshot in the industry who had a lot of artists under her, but the middle-aged woman had let go of most of his artists to cultivate this newfound gem of hers, Keira Higgins. She had all sorts of ideas on how to regulate the media and she must be in a nightmare right now trying to reverse the damage Keira had done by being captured by the paparazzi.


    "I was wrong. She is a train wreck," Stephen admitted in a low voice, now sitting down beside Cage.


    "And you thought us actually hitting it off would be your wet dream. Aren''t you glad I never got involved with her?" he coughed.


    "What does it matter? Everyone thinks you were with her, and that doesn''t look good on you anymore," he commented, his brows furrowed.


    ''So should I throw you under the bus and tell the media that you managers orchestrated this extravagant lie to sell more tickets?" he retorted. He almost broke into laughter at the sour expression his manager gave him. His earlier spoiled mood was slowly ebbing away. His weary eyes were wide open in excitement. He was ready for a fight, but he could think of nothing to do. He spent the next three hours plugging into his phone and listening to music. He didn''t get a wink of sleep.


    - - -

 Chapter 8 - 600 lbs

    Lily had come home early that day and made sure to freshen up and put on the television. Katherine knew that Cage Cavanaugh was making an appearance in a variety show to promote his movie, so she wasn''t surprised that Lily had wrapped up her work for the day and come home early.


    She head Lily scream from the other room to come in and watch the show. "He will be on in a bit!" she screamed, just to drive in the point. Katherine had already set her television to recording mode so that she could watch it later, the love of her life was on the television and yet she had to finish designing the cover of a stupid erotic romance. No doubt, she had chosen it herself, but at the face of looking at Cage Cavanaugh or designing, she would always choose to lovingly gaze at him.


    "Recording!" she screamed back, taking a moment to relax her limbs. Her neck would sometimes hurt from continuously looking at the illustrator and using the pen to draw. From the corner of her eyes, she could see Lily enter the room with the remote in her hand.


    "What?" she asked absent-mindedly.


    "You are drawing smut again. Don''t you think it would come to you easier once you saw the divine face of Cage Cavanaugh and wanted to throw your panties at him? The emotions you need to draw would come easier," she teased.


    "Your one true love needs you, Kitty!" she bellowed, clearly stifling her laughter.


    "Out," Katherine said, suppressing her own smile, knowing that she would succumb to the temptation and go and sit in front of the television. "I have work to complete."


    "And when has that stopped you from taking your time and gazing at him?" Lily asked, confused. She realized that there was something more going on. "I know how you work, Kitty. Is something the matter?"


    Katherine shook her head in denial. But deep down she felt a bubble of animosity bloom.


    "Is it because I texted all those people thinking they were Cage?" she sighed. Katherine shook her head. "I know you, I have known you since you were in diapers. You feel like I spoke to someone while you were left out, don''t you?" Katherine pouted.


    She was peeved that the person she had texted online had yet to reply to her. It was a childish thing to think, but not getting a reply within twelve hours was pretty humiliating and usually meant that she had freaked out the other person with her freakish babble.


    She could have strangled Lily for getting a reply if it weren''t for how much she loved her best friend.


    "I know I have been texting you the raunchy details of what I was talking about to this person, but you do know he is not Cage Cavanaugh, right?" she asked curiously. Katherine nodded. "Then what is bothering you?"


    "The game. Someone didn''t reply to me on the game," she pouted yet again. At this rate, she would have a constant grimace on her face.


    "And you are pissed because?" she giggled.


    "I am a goddess. Not used to rejection or ignoring tactics." She had not been rejected for a long time. Her high stats and OG status on the server had made her quite popular among the players. Everyone messaged her and asked her for help, but there was a person who had escaped her eyes and had played better than her, moreover they had mostly ignored her. What gamer took twelve hours to reply. Definitely not a dedicated Cage fan, she thought.


    And then she remembered that there was a high probability that this person didn''t even like her true love.


    "You are unused to rejection." She snorted. "Do you want to go clubbing today? It''s been a while since we last went and you look like you are in need of some attention." Katherine groaned at the insinuation.


    "I know I haven''t dated in a long time, but that doesn''t mean that I am lonely and looking for validation, Lily. I can handle myself just fine." She gave a playful glare to her best friend and was going to go back to work when she felt her friend put her arm around her shoulder.


    "Haven''t you moved on from Jonathan?" she asked, distressed.


    Jonathan was Katherine''s ex-fianc¨¦ who had been caught cheating on her a couple of years ago. They had been together for a year and the boy had dropped to his knees and asked to marry her. Not knowing what else to do, Katherine had said yes, and felt trapped. They eventually bought an apartment together but when she found him cheating on her, she happily broke up with him. Since then, Lily and another acquaintance had moved into the apartment she had bought and helped her pay off the loan.


    "I moved on the minute I broke up with him. I don''t need a man in my life," she declared, puffing up her chest in pride. Lily laughed but didn''t let the matter go.


    "And if you are going to cite the excuse that you already have Cage Cavanaugh to look at, I am not going to let you go." She gave Katherine a pointed glare. "We are going to club tomorrow and get sloshed, okay?"


    "I don''t like getting drunk," she groaned, refusing the offer.


    "Then you can dress pretty and get attention while I drink the night away, okay?" she confirmed.


    "Alright, I''ll go." It was better than obsessing over her mistakes and the replies Lily had gotten. "But I am not meeting anyone new," I compromised.


    "Now that we are decided on that, can we go and watch your man perform tricks?" she giggled. Katherine loved how Cage Cavanaugh would still be her guy even though Lily thought she was playing someone else in some part of her mind.


    "Now, come." She commanded.


    The television was already recording the show and there were other unimportant people on the screen. Katherine sat on the PC and quickly logged into the game to see if RayKon53 had replied. And indeed after reading a galore of messages, she finally came to the one they had sent her.


    [RayKon53: That''s sad. I was looking forward to your ministrations, my lady/kind sir? My trainer tells me that playing games keeps you in mint condition.]


    She squealed internally.


    Finally, a reply had come, and she had not scared the person away.


    [Rinten: Don''t be sad, I will play with you! This little girl loves her games.]


    [Rinten: Who has a trainer these days? I thought everyone just went to the gym without trainers. Are you sure you are not a 600lbs guy/girl who needs to a quick change to save their lives?]

 Chapter 9 - Dont Sulk

    [Rinten: I thought you ran away. I am glad I didn''t scare you away.]


    She sighed in relief and logged out of the game. She went to the other room and sat down on the couch. Lily spared her a glance but quickly looked back at the television. Cage was yet to come on the screen, but they waited patiently.


    Soon the games commenced.


    Cage didn''t win any of them, but he performed admirably throughout. Katherine was mesmerized by his beautiful hands. Flashes of inspiration passed through her.


    Once the show was done, Katherine found herself running to her room with the need to draw. Lily had been right. His beautiful face indeed inspired her. The erotic romance cover she was designing came out lovely. The picture would be a hit, she realized.


    - - -


    "Please, no," she groaned as she was standing in the line in front of the club. The queue was long and snaking along the street, people in fashionable and outlandish clothes dotted the road, waiting to enter. "I can''t believe I am walking into this warzone."


    "It''s Friday night, Kitty. Even monks come out to play during these hours." And that was what bothered Katherine the most. The place was crowded, and people were ready to stick to one another and dance. Katherine was not meant for this life, she told herself.


    Lily tugged on Katherine''s arm as the unwilling girl resisted going into the club. They walked to the front door. Lily was dressed to the nines, looking like the siren that she was, with a flaming red dress and slinky stilettos that went perfectly with it, showing off her glorious body and unimaginable curves just the right way. Katherine wondered how Lily would function properly on those heels, but left it all to practice. She was ushered into the club, loud music greeting her. Her ears ached at the assault. She looked around and realized that she was underdressed for the occasion. Katherine was dressed in black jeans and a purple-coloured halter top that crisscrossed along her back and showed off a little bit of skin and matching jewelry to go with it; she had never been one to put on much makeup.


    Lily gave her hand a little squeeze of reassurance when she saw how ill at ease she was.


    "This is what we need after a long week at work," she reasoned lightly, looking forgiving a look of sympathy. She knew how little her friend enjoyed such a scene, but at times she needed to let her hair down and release all the pent up tension she had bottled up inside her. "Don''t sulk," she screamed over the booming music, something that made Katherine laugh in delight.


    She was slowly getting used to the beats flowing through her body, and the crowd seemed to be in a frenzy, hollering and grinding into each other. It was the weekend; it was time to party.


    "I am not sulking!" she screamed back, a musical laugh following. She headed into the crush of people and headed towards the bar.


    "Katherine Austen is back on the market, boys!" Lily screamed, making some people turn to look at them. Katherine giggled but swatted Lily''s hand away.


    The place was buzzing with energy, and it hadn''t changed from the last time she had been there. Katherine saw several men turn towards their way and ogle at her friend but didn''t give it much notice. Lily was a magnificent looking being who deserved all the attention in the world.


    When they were seated on the bar, the bartender moved towards their way with a big smile on his face.


    "Hi, what can I get you?" he asked, leaning over the counter. Katherine moved back, uneasy with the closeness of the person, but she knew there was no other way around to ordering drinks.


    Lily giggled as she nudged her and discreetly pointed to the bartender who was very interested in Katherine.


    Katherine rolled her eyes but played along, enjoying the attention she got. This bartender regularly saw them in different states of drunkenness, usually with Lily laughing and rolling around on the dance floor, teasing men who come near her. He was particularly taken with Katherine, who drank little and spoke even less to the man.


    They ordered their drinks and leaned back into the bar, looking around.


    Lily downed her drink in one go and slid out of her high stool and got down to dance. There would be a lot more drinks coming her way, so she needed to pace herself.


    "Katherine, long time no see!" the bartender, Nathanial Brown was his name, called. Katherine gave him a tight-lipped smile and nodded her head. "Been busy with work?" he smirked. She yet again nodded. "How have you been?" he continued. This time, Katherine couldn''t ignore his questions; she was past being rude at that point.


    "I''m good, what about you, Nathan?" She had mistakenly given her name and job description away on a particularly drunken night when she was feeling wretched and that had amounted her no little discomfort on the parties to come. Nathan seemed to be a fixture in the bar, and he was not showering her with compliments because he wanted a tip. It was his other more carnal interests that had him invested in her. Katherine knew this. Though she wasn''t ecstatic about the development, she felt pleased that she wasn''t wholly discard-able.

 Chapter 10 - Whats Your Handle?

    "I''m great. What about you?" she supplied unwillingly. She looked around to see her only savior, Lily, dancing away with some guy she had previously been flirting with. Katherine didn''t want to bother the girl, so she turned back to the bartender and gave him a tight-lipped smile filled with disinterest. It evaded the other.


    "I''m great. Happy to see you," he said with a smile on his face. Now, it wasn''t that the man was unattractive. On the other hand, he was a very charming looking boy, one who screamed good-boy, certainly not the type of attractive Katherine liked. He ran his hands through his hair, looking at her shyly. He then looked over his shoulder to beckon another server. "End of shift," he informed her before going out back.


    Katherine sighed in relief. She made sure to check that he had not seen her do so. She pathetically deflated on the barstool, deep in thought.


    Just as she was about to down her second drink, she saw him come out from the back in different clothes. The new bartender looked at her with sympathy, understanding flashing in his eyes. But Katherine couldn''t drive Nathaniel away. She was a polite girl who didn''t like offending others, especially those that were nice to her under any false pretences and needs from her. She felt obliged to act the same way around them.


    He came around to sit beside, much to her dissatisfaction. He ordered a beer for himself and asked for the same for Katherine. He didn''t consider that she would like her own choice at alcohol.


    "So, how have you been?" he said, placing his hands on her knee surreptitiously. Katherine startled and moved away from him. She was baffled by his forwardness.


    "I thought I said I was doing okay," she grit through her teeth. Understandably, she sounded rude and as if she wanted to be left alone, which was true because she wanted to be as far away from the bartender as possible. She felt the treatment she had given the man was justified, given the situation she was in.


    "I know about your boyfriend and how he cheated on you. I was asking if you were okay about that," he asked, unable to hide the curiosity in his eyes. Katherine was exasperated with the twisted conversation and couldn''t help but want it to send as soon as humanly possible.


    "That was years ago." She could taste the sourness of her words. Even though it had been a long time ago, it had taken away her faith from men, which was why she was so reluctant to date. Men like Nathaniel who tried to latch onto her and show her sympathy were made of the same soil as her ex-fiance, the nincompoop who had used his apathy as an excuse for his misdemeanour. "I moved on," she continued when the other didn''t respond.


    "That''s good. That''s good." The words were said with satisfaction. He took a sip of his beer and fidgeted as he nervously stared at Katherine. She, on the other hand, decided to stare at the glass in front of her and take quick sips from it. She would rather stare off into nothingness than look at his nervous face and whatever that came next.


    "I have a proposition for you," he spoke up suddenly. Katherine gave him a curious glance, but her mind went to the words she had uttered to the online gamer the last night. A flurry of pleasant images flashed by her mind, making her lips tug into a smile. But this smile was taken in a different context. Nathaniel thought he had a chance. "Let''s date."


    She paused. Her head turned slowly toward his direction.


    "I need more beer," she grumbled and raised her hand to call the bartender. The man came quickly as if to help her ease the tension in their conversation. "Beer," she told him and went back to her drink, ignoring Nathaniel.


    She was desperate to be out of that situation, awkward as it was. She threw back the remainder of the contents of her cup and grabbed the newly placed drink in front of her. She was slightly buzzed, so she didn''t notice the startled expression on Nathaniel''s face as his eyes flitted from the peg in her hands to her beautiful face. She berated herself for not handling the matter better, but she just didn''t know how to handle a proposal from someone she had zero interest in.


    She was puzzled by what she should do next, so she pulled out her phone and started up the app version of Return of the Heroes on her phone. The music was loud enough for the noise from the phone to die out, and she started playing the game although the alcohol slightly impaired her.


    She kept ordering drinks and playing, disassociating herself with the man sitting next to her.


    "Return of the Heroes?" Nathaniel asked, shock clear in his voice. Was it that hard to believe that a girl could play video games? MMPORG ones at that? Maybe it was a bit of a clich¨¦ for being a gamer girl or whatever she could be called for being a bit of a nerd about such things.


    She muffled her reply, but it was evident that she said yes.


    "What''s your handle? I''ll play with you some time." His insinuation wasn''t lost on her. She would have cringed if she remembered her first message to RayKon53, but her first instinct was to think the guy creepy.


    "No." A surge of liquid courage flowed through her veins. In a moment of courage, she revealed her real emotions to the other guy. She was disinterested that much was sure.

 Chapter 11 - Pull Your Weight

    Nathaniel struggled to compose words, choosing to awkwardly shift in his seat before leaving her alone altogether, finally getting the message that she would rather not associate herself with him.


    It had been an hour or so since she had arrived, so she thought it prudent to call it a night and leave for home. She usually got very sleepy after drinking.


    She said goodbye to her friend, who danced to the music and sporadically enjoyed a drink and booked a cab for herself. She felt lightheaded as she came home and found herself playing the game in her clearly buzzed state.


    She reached the apartment and stumbled into hear computer chair. In her half-drunken haze, she opened up the game and looked through the server. She was having a gala time on the world server when a message popped up.


    [RayKon53: Don''t worry. You haven''t scared me off. I was just surprised by your random arrival.]


    Katherine was thankful as she started typing her reply.


    [Rinten: That''s my style. *flips hair* I don''t do anything half-assedly.] as the words were typed out, she giggled to herself.


    [RayKon53: I like your style, little girl. I don''t mind your attitude one bit. Are you a yandere loli? I get a tingling feeling that you are!]


    She was indeed a closeted yandere who had shown off her impression dominatrix chatting style on the world forum, but it was the first time someone had called her out on her behaviour. She was quite enjoying the banter.


    [Rinten: I do dream of bathing in the blood of my senpai. *reaches out*]


    Alcohol brought out the dark humor she tried to suppress in her heart, but it slipped out regardless. She was happy with how the conversation was going, especially now that she didn''t have to wait for days to hear back from RayKon53.


    [RayKon53: There, there. *pats head*]


    [Rinten: Time for the drunk girl to shower! Yeay.]


    In which world this information was necessary to send to a stranger, she didn''t know, but she didn''t mind the little tease. She liked it, let them think raunchy things about her. See if she cares!


    [RayKon53: Okay, little drunk girl. I''m sorry I got you all hot and bothered. Take a nice cold shower to calm your racing heart.]


    Katherine chuckled at the comment. Defeated by her virtual opponent as she was, she got up and surely took a very cold shower.


    When she came back a longish message waited for her.


    [RayKon53: I have to get going, little girl.]


    She pouted. She was having so much fun chatting to this person, but he was already gone when she had explicitly asked them to wait for her.


    [RayKon53: I would like you to know that I, in no shape or form am a 600 pound man who is thirsty for a little loli to play with them. I don''t want the authorities running behind me and taking me to prison. For your information, a lot of people I know have trainers and none of them are morbidly obese.]


    So, RayKon53 was a guy. That was good to know. At least, she was virtual flirting with a man and not doing anything that would question her established sexuality.


    It was also quite nice that it wasn''t a 600 pound man who was playing online games all day long. She couldn''t say if he was a kid of living in his parents'' basement but this much was clear: he was entertaining to talk to.


    She was much sober now and could truly appreciate the humor in his words. Earlier she had gone on instinct and typed out whatever had come to her mind, but now when she read the messages she had sent in her drunken state, she wasn''t embarrassed. He had reacted quite well to her provocation.


    She played for a few hours, re-energized by the shower. At last she felt her eyes drooping with sleep.


    She pulled out the chat and send him a message.


    [Rinten: So, I don''t have to worry about Driger having to pull your weight and see you through your BayBlade matches. What a relief. And I am glad to know that I am not playing a minor, Sir Ray Kon, lord of the sacred bit-beast.]


    With that she logged out of the game and went to sleep.


    - - -


    It was late in the evening where he was. City L was hours ahead of his hometown and he was feeling sleepy already. The past two days had been filled with interviews and photoshoots for magazines. He had taken some time to go to a party the night before because he was feeling sociable but nothing more than that. The late night had sucked all his energy out.


    He sat patiently as she scrolled through his phone. The server was on and he was conversing with his fellow teammates when his manager came up from behind him.


    "What has gotten you grinning, Prince Charming?" Stephen''s cheery voice brought him back to reality. He had wanted to play a nice game on his laptop on the way back home so he had carried the heavy thing with him. On being asked what it was for, he gruffly replied ''work.''


    "People in my clan are marrying and doing quests," he said, a small smile on his face.


    "In the game?" he asked, curious. Cage nodded. "One of these days a crazy fan is going to realize they are playing you and it will be all over the media." Cage rolled his eyes, knowing that most of his fans were not interested in the mythical games he liked to play. "So when are you finding a hot gamer to hook up with?"

 Chapter 12 - Little Drunk Girl

    "Never," he mumbled, typing away at his phone. He looked up briefly, to get up and head over to his car where the personal chauffeur assigned to him was waiting. Stephen got on, and he followed suit. He got inside and fished out his laptop from his bag. He powered it on and connected to the net, hoping to get a good game out of the ride.


    The traffic at City L was outrageous and a ride to take over three hours to reach its destination. When he logged in, he checked through his personal messages and found those precious messages from his new friend Rinten there.


    [Rinten: Don''t be sad; I will play with you! This little girl loves her games.]


    He snickered, eliciting a curious look from his manager.


    "Friends being perverts again?" he asked, brow arched in question. Cage nodded, not thinking it was necessary to elaborate on the topic. "You are going to get caught in a scandal. Don''t say outlandish things," he groaned when he saw the sparkle in Cage''s eyes.


    At least now he knew that he was talking to a girl. It was a given. He felt better receiving his innuendoes. And she called herself a little girl, at that, either her sense of humor matched his or she was into some kinky stuff.


    [Rinten: Who has a trainer these days? I thought everyone just went to the gym without trainers. Are you sure you are not a 600lb guy/girl who needs to a quick change to save their lives?]


    He bit his lip at her reply. He was trying hard not to laugh out loud in this situation and trigger a conversation about propriety in front of the public. His manager was a stickler for rules.


    His eight packs would protest at being pegged as a six hundred pound man. His trainer, who was a beast, would slaughter him if he put on even a single pound of weight without his permission. He would rather jump from a building than induce the wrath of the demon trainer of his.


    [Rinten: I thought you ran away. I am glad I didn''t scare you away.]


    ''Where would I run away?'' he thought smugly, thoroughly enjoying himself. ''I am quite interested in our little banter.'' He stretched his fingers out over the keyboard and began typing rapidly.


    [RayKon53: Don''t worry. You haven''t scared me off. I was just surprised by your random arrival.]


    And random, her appearance was. She shot into his life like a meteorite coming at the earth without a forewarning. She was shocked when he received her message and somewhat creeped out, too, but now he grew more curious about the girl on the other side of the screen.


    [Rinten: That''s my style. *flips hair* I don''t do anything half-assedly.]


    How he wanted to see her do it in front of him.


    He paused at the odd thought. He must have been exhausted to have thought such a random and truly horrifying scenario. He was never meeting any of his online friends and with good reason. As his manager had said, all his gaming history would be splashed all over the mainstream media, and people would come in search of his handle. He would rather stay anonymous and play quietly.


    He quite liked how cold she had seemed to show off as, almost reminding her of the variety of series'' she had watched where he had fallen for the cold demoness and not the sweet ones.


    [RayKon53: I like your style, little girl. I don''t mind your attitude one bit. Are you a yandere loli? I get a tingling feeling that you are!]


    [Rinten: I do dream of bathing in the blood of my senpai. *reaches out*]


    ''But I am her senpai.'' A shudder of delight passed through Cage''s body. He felt ecstatic at finding someone who knew and understood his joke. Even his team in the game sometimes didn''t get him, yet here she was, giving back as much as she got. This banter was worth wasting time on. He could play the game later on.


    [RayKon53: There, there. *pats head*]


    [Rinten: Time for the drunk girl to shower! Yeay.]


    ''Holy¡­'' he stopped. The image came to him unbidden. Was his dick stirring? Why yes, his friend had taken a liking to the image without considering the effect of his interest. Now, he had a hard-on inside a car while his manager was seated a few inches away from him. Thank god he couldn''t see his little friend waving hi to the world or he would have died of embarrassment. He thanked the lord that he had brought the laptop: the perfect excuse to hide his aroused bits.


    He had to turn the conversation and show her how unaffected he was. Cage Cavanaugh didn''t take to losing well.


    [RayKon53: Okay, little drunk girl. I''m sorry I got you all hot and bothered. Take a nice cold shower to calm your racing heart.]


    That should do the trick, he thought. And it did. He got no response back.


    The streets were empty that day, and his three-hour drive was shortened to a mere one and a half hour. And Rinten had yet to come back. He was near the hotel and needed to wrap the conversation up.


    [RayKon53: I have to get going, little girl.]


    [RayKon53: I would like you to know that I, in no shape or form, am a 600-pound man who is thirsty for a little loli to play with them. I don''t want the authorities running behind me and taking me to prison. For your information, a lot of people I know have trainers, and none of them is morbidly obese.]


    It was right for him to tease her a little, just because she had come at him with that assumption. He smirked and logged out of the game.


    - - -

 Chapter 13 - Notice Me, Senpai

    The problem in his pants refused to go down. He would be damned if the paparazzi caught him aroused on camera. His little friend would be splashed on television for every teenage girl to see and fantasize about. Moreover, rumors of his sexual escapades would light up in the industry. He groaned. He was unbelievably lucky for bringing a long jacket with him. He didn''t particularly like them, but City L at that time of the year was freezing. Thank god, it hid his body well. He plunged his hand into the pockets of the jacket to covertly enter the hotel he was living in, unnoticed.


    When he rid himself of Stephen and entered his shower, relief washed over him. The handy toiletries supplied by the hotel felt like a boon. He opened the bottle and sniffed it unhappily. The flowery scent would not suit his image, but it would have to do for then. He could have gone without, but really, he didn''t want his little friend to rebel and go out of order in protest.


    Cage felt it silly to feel aroused by some stranger who had pinged him. She could be an old, dilapidated individual. Or worse, it could be someone pretending to be a woman and catfishing him online. There was a more horrifying possibility: that she was underage, and he had gotten turned on by her. That would be so wrong if he were really talking to a minor and having racy conversations with them.


    He could imagine the headlines and the scandal it would create. It would ruin his career if he were not taken in for soliciting a minor or something of that sort. The thought scared him. He needed to ask her before they spoke further.


    He was back on the laptop once he was done taking a shower. He played Return of the Heroes for some time before going to the server and checking on his messages. He was not surprised to find a message from Rinten waiting for him.


    [Rinten: So I don''t have to worry about Driger having to pull you through your Beyblade matches. Glad to know I am not playing a minor, Sir Ray Kon, lord of the sacred bit-beast.]


    He was delighted by the message. It just went to show that she was also curious about him¡ªat least his age. There was something about their mutual flirting that got Cage excited.


    He laughed out loud as he realized that she had caught him red-handed. She not only knew of his favorite cartoon as a child but could also make a joke out of it and laugh at his expense. She had meant that even the enormous bit best Driger could not pull his weight if he were 600 pounds. And he had a good laugh about that.


    He quickly typed out a reply.


    [RayKon53: You recognized my name! I am fascinated that you would know. If you don''t mind me asking, I would rather you tell me how old you are. I don''t want the FBI beating down on my door.]


    He was inquisitive, and the only way to find out was to ask the source of all his questions, Rinten directly.


    [RayKon53: You have a way with words, little rin rin. Do you want senpai to pat your head and notice you?]


    He went back to playing their little game of hiding and teasing. The game was mostly a slow burn. There was something about talking to a stranger; it made you bring out the devious side of you, which you would never show to people you know, lest they judge you. And his online friendship or whatever they had going on was based on the same model. Two complete strangers saying whatever their heart desired.


    It was around 12:30 in the night when he was about to go to bed.


    He saw a message from his mother, Anna, about a concert she had coming up. He smiled at the message gently but furrowed his brows when he realized he had forgotten to call his parents due to his hectic schedule and slighted their concern about his health. Looking at the clock, he realized that it would be 5:30 in the morning in City H, where he and his parents lived. He cursed under his breath before sending her a message apologizing and ensuring that he would attend the concert.


    - - -


    Early next morning, Katherine sat quietly on the couch and munched on her breakfast, waiting to see if Lily would finally return after her night out. It was a matter of time before the front door opened and closed very quietly, and Lily made her way to the living room. Lily bumped into something and cursed under her breath. She hadn''t noticed Katherine sitting on the couch yet, so when she voiced out her greeting, Lily jumped in surprise, effectively hitting her foot against another piece of furniture yet again.


    "Jesus, make some noise, will you? I almost had a heart attack!" Lily had composed herself by that time and was strutting into the living room like nothing was the matter. The woman kicked off her heels and then went ahead and sat down on the floor in front of the couch. She had stripped off her makeup and looked surprisingly fresh after a night out and a good time. She didn''t look like she had been out at a party and had toiled the night away with some boy she had met at the bar. Even her hair, which was usually tousled after a night of sleep, looked freshly combed, if not a little weathered from the wind. But nothing too drastic. Of course, Katherine didn''t know if it was a good time or a wrong time, but she was sure her over-sharer of a friend would let her know, regardless.

 Chapter 14 - Nice Guy

    "Did you have fun last night?" Katherine asked, setting down the plate of breakfast beside her before leaning against the couch, waiting for the information.


    "Yeah, he seemed like a nice guy." Lily shrugged. Katherine scrunched her brows in confusion. It either meant that Lily had not had a good time. She definitely didn''t like to hold back details and this was a trial at evading her questions.


    "How bad was it?" Katherine groaned, wondering what was coming her way.


    "Do you really want to know?" Lily replied, pain evident in her voice. She received a nod in reply and took it as sign enough to bombard Katherine with the details of her wretched time. "It was his first time picking up a girl from a bar and he kept telling me how he had never done it before and that everything was ''so hot.'' I tell you, I have never looked for Shakespeare in my one-night-stands, but a little more command over language would have been nice. Never hitting that again."


    Katherine found herself reclined on the couch, unable to control the fits of laughter that escaped her.


    "Look for English Literature majors, next time. Or supply your partner with a dictionary so that they can find subsidiary words for ''hot''." She guffawed. "Did you have fun, though? Was it any good?" The shake of Lily''s head made her go back to rolling in laughter. "A night well spent, huh?"


    "Don''t laugh at my misfortunes. It was horrifying. His peen was not pretty." Her pout was cute, but the story made more hilarity ensure.


    "Why didn''t you just ditch him for someone else?" Katherine asked, interested now. Lily could be ruthless when she rejected someone or snipped their advances at the bud, but here she was putting up with some guy whom she didn''t enjoy spending time with. There must have been something more to the story.


    "He was a genuinely nice person. I didn''t want to hurt his feelings by telling him to get the fuck away from my vagina!" The strip of bacon Katherine had started chewing flew out of her mouth and spattered onto the ground in front of Lily. She recoiled in horror and gasped.


    "So dirty!"


    "You made me splutter! It''s your fault!"


    The banter followed but it was all fun and games.


    "But you don''t do nice guys, what made you change your mind?" Katherine asked, finally, once they were done spewing playful insults at one another.


    "He told me about how ruthlessly his ex-girlfriend broke his heart and he caught her cheating on him. I felt some sympathy because Jonathan did the same to you. I didn''t want to abandon a poor child who just wanted to forget his ex!"


    "Please tell me you didn''t have a romp with a person who you thought was like me," Katherine groaned in frustration. "You clearly don''t like being the rebound." The guilty look on Lily''s face made horror seep into her bones. "Don''t tell me¡­ you gave him your number!" Lily cringed. It was admission enough to her grave mistake!


    "Lily!"


    "What? He was a poor child!" She was giving a guilty smirk. "It''s not like we are dating!"


    "If you meet him again or talk to him, that means you are dating him, right? You don''t date nice guys." If Lily''s savior complex had led to her reeling in strays from all walks of life, Katherine would consider herself one of the strays.


    Katherine was in kindergarten and deathly afraid of rabbits. Lily was a schoolmate who was chirpy and nice to everyone, nothing like the savage Lily of the present. Their friendship began when a rabbit in the kindergarten jumped all over the place behind Katherine and Lily had to jump in and protect her classmate. They had been best friends ever since, and you could see that Lily was a gentle soul with a rough exterior. And she particularly loved Katherine, so she empathised with anyone who was in a bad position like her.


    "It''s wrong to have sex with a person who resembles your friend." She faked a shudder to emphasize her point.


    "It''s not like I was thinking of you," she said saucily. She let out a small chuckle. "I am not marrying him and having his babies, okay? I am just going to fix his broken heart and then shatter it to pieces again." She stuck her tongue out to enforce a point.


    "And what about your twelve-year-old Cage Cavanaugh who you are exchanging nudes with?" The sly smile on Katherine''s face irked Lily. She flew at her friend, meaning to tickle her out of her words, but fell prey to her friend''s fiendish tickling hands.


    "You dare!" They fought gleefully. The contest lasted for a little time.


    "But no, what about the twelve-year-old?"''


    "He is not twelve. He is at least our age because he seems to be a struggling model in the city. I just lucked out." Lily shrugged her shoulders.


    "And you are letting Cage Cavanaugh run away because you found a broken soul that you need to fix?" The words now turned serious. It was a matter of time before their conversation returned to being serious.


    "I know it''s not Cage Cavanaugh. You know I added those people as a joke; you don''t need to worry, Kitty. I don''t want to be the wife of a star or something of that sort."


    That was a relief. Katherine patted her friends head and gave her a small portion of her breakfast to munch on.

 Chapter 15 - Small Peened Lover

    "Did you get any food in the morning or did you just rush out and do your walk of shame?" Lily shook her head, clearly amused.


    "He cooked some breakfast¡ª"


    "What a domesticated scene. I never knew you to be the kind. I thought you were a slam-bam-thank you sir, kind of girl, but here you are staying over for breakfast." Katherine''s tone was amusing but she snatched away her plate of food and started munching on it again. "You don''t get food," she squealed deliberately, hoping to hurt Lily alcohol affected ears. Hangovers killed Lily, but she still made sure to drink copious amounts of alcohol.


    "How would you feel if I screamed into your ear?" The resulting groan was music to Katherine''s ears.


    "You can try," she taunted, "but you won''t hurt me. I am immune to hangovers." She stuck her tongue out at her friend.


    "I am sorry, I am going to be a deserter," Lily told after a few minutes of silence.


    "When? We don''t have any plans?"


    "He asked me out a week from now¡­ next Friday and the date coincides with when Cage''s new movie premiers. I won''t be making the first day, first show, it seems."


    "You are choosing a man over your friend? How could you!" Though the words were joking, Lily looked at her with a salty expression. "Don''t be worried. I will take Angelina with me. You can go enjoy your date with the good little boy you found yourself!"


    "Not funny," Lily grumbled, but let go off the matter.


    Angelina was their other roommate who was frequently out of town on modelling assignments. She was quite a bit famous and made it a point to flaunt it in front of everyone. Katherine and Angelina went to college together and lived together as roommates for a couple of years despite having differences in opinion. They were both going to school to study the same subject, but Angelina spent her time part-timing with agencies and modelling for various companies. She had a steady yet large amount of income every month which she used to drag Katherine out and party. Katherine was not much of a party-goer, so she was always uncomfortable at the frat parties, but they increased her tolerance for alcohol. Angelina and Katherine were not particularly good friends, on the other hand, they were quite a bit like enemies. Especially since Katherine had retained her field of study and become a graphic designer. Angelina''s calling was art, but she had been blinded by the glitz and glam of City H and the entertainment industry and had wasted her invaluable painting talent by designing and styling others. She was more interested in standing in front of the camera than be behind the scenes, drawing her time away. She said that the pay was too little for her to consider a career in art.


    And she wasn''t wrong. Compared to what she got for modelling, the pay Katherine received was humble. But she still had more savings than Angelina because she didn''t have a shopping addiction. They were constantly at each other''s throats. They pretended to be friends but at the end of the day they were more like frienemies.


    "I had called over friends for the premiere and here I am bailing myself when I was just about to tell them to piss off when they wanted to cancel on me." The little frown on her face made her look cute.


    "So, you like him and are going out on a date." It was weird, but that was what it was. Katherine was sure nothing would come from this scenario but it was still worth a try.


    "Uh, well, he asked me out and I said yes, so I think it counts as a date? I feel so guilty abandoning you and going out for some fun."


    "I understand. And the others will understand, too. It''s no biggie." She made a face.


    "Do you think they would? I hate girls that ditch their friends for a boy and I am not that type of a girl, so it feels wrong. Maybe I''ll just call him and cancel the meeting. I''ll go out with you guys." She looked resolute but Katherine was distraught.


    "You will do no such thing, missy. It looks like you really want to go," she said, gently stroking her friend''s hair and reassuring her. "They will understand your reasoning and be fine with it."


    "You think so?"


    "Yes, you are going out with that guy. I can''t promise you a good time, but I would really like it if you explored that relationship more and see what it is that you exactly want out of your romantic rendezvous."


    She scoffed at Katherine''s words. "Are you sure you are not more interested in how I look under my clothes? You must be imagining me undressing, pervert that you are." Katherine was indeed a pervert and nothing anyone said could change that fact.


    "You are right. Indeed, I am thinking about getting you naked and under your insufficient small peened lover. I have no other work than to think of erotica, don''t you know? I get paid for my raunchy thoughts!" She stood up from the couch and walked over to the kitchen.


    "Lily, you know that I will watch that movie at least four times before I decide to take a break." She knew her friend was worried and she needed to reassure her that everything was okay and that it was okay to date a guy she met. "I know you," she said ominously. "You will keep thinking about us while you are out with him and I don''t want to you distracted from something good."

 Chapter 16 - Warm And Fuzzy

    "Man, you are a dedicated fan." She shook her head. "I wish you found someone just like you are supporting me. Even if Cage Cavanaugh, your one true love, is not in the cards for you, we could get you someone nice who you could cuddle and watch the movie star with."


    "I could only wish." Katherine wondered if she should reveal what was happening to Lily. "I am kinda talking to someone on the internet and though nothing will come from it, I am looking forward to their replies."


    "Explain," Lily pounced. Katherine silently washed the plate as she contemplated how to break the news to Lily.


    "Do you remember I told you I was pissed because someone in the game hadn''t replied to me?" She bit her lip, hoping her friend would remember and not make her reiterate her embarrassing story yet again.


    "And it was this person? Boy or girl? What age?" The excitement in the air was palpable. It was something shared between good friends, some good gossip and tea from their personal lives.


    "I don''t know much about them. We have been talking on and off for some a couple of days, nothing major." She frowned as she saw Lily''s face twist into a suspicious expression.


    She realized what would happen when the other bolted towards her room.


    "Lily, no!" she screamed, flopping behind her friend, trying to stop her from entering her room and fishing out her phone. But she was too late. Lily was already plopped down on her bed, rummaging through her phone.


    "Where is it?" she hissed, making faces at Katherine.


    Katherine smirked, amused by her friend''s antics, not saying a word as she scrolled through various games.


    "Return of the Heroes server," she said finally when she saw a happy glint entering Lily''s eyes.


    She was scared that Lily would text someone inappropriate things and get her into trouble. It wouldn''t be the first time she would do those things. Crushes from long time ago? Texted ''I Love You''s. Old people she hated? Savage texts to them about how much of assholes they were to her. It could be fellow students or professors. Nothing would stop her from texting.


    At least Lily kept most of her secrets close to her heart.


    She surreptitiously leaned into her friend and snagged the cellphone from her.


    "I have the server application on my phone, I will fish it out for you, wait." She harrumphed as she fetched the chat history and smiled at the words she had written. There was a new message from him on the server, and she was glad to have seen it before Lily got her hands on the server.


    "What are you looking at? Did he reply again?" she shrieked, lurching forward to grab the phone.


    "Yeah. Let me reply this once and then I will hand over the phone to you. I promise," she said, crossing her fingers. Lily grumbled from the other side, not wanting to miss the opportunity to look through her friend''s messages. She stood up and peered over Katherine''s shoulder as she typed.


    [Rinten: Notice me, senpai. Yess, yess. I like warm and fuzzy pats. And I was there fangirling over Ray Kon when he showed up on screen.]


    She knew that he wanted to know her age, and she could understand because she was curious about him, too. She smiled as she read over the message. Bayblade was featured when she was young and she had really fangirled over Ray Kon unlike most other kids those days.


    "Notice me, senpai?" she heard Lily''s incredulous voice from behind her. She swivelled around, horrified to have her friend secretly read her messages. "More like, ''put it in me senpai.''" The loli voice she emulated made shivers run down Katherine''s spine.


    "Don''t be crude, Lil." She groaned, wanting to stuff her face into the pillow and burrow into it until she stopped feeling embarrassed.


    "You are having a hentai-esque conversation with a man on the internet. I demand to see this treacherous chat!" Her demand was fair. It was unlike Katherine to have sexually charged conversations with people of the other gender. She was quite free with her friends but the story was quite different when it came to those she didn''t know very well.


    "What name?" she asked smoothly, suspiciously moving closer to her friend. Katherine hesitated for a moment, making Lily laugh out loud. "Don''t worry, I neither have the time nor intention to search for your weird online friend and play with him."


    Katherine narrowed her eyes at her friend and tried to hand over the phone, hoping it would be safe and sound.


    "RayKon53." Her voice was low but resolute. She needed someone to tell her that she wasn''t just imagining the chemistry she had with this faceless person.


    "What nonsensical name is that?" her friend snorted. Katherine gasped in horror.


    "You never watched Bayblade as a child? How are you even my friend, you monster?" The cry of despair was fake, but the words were true. She had never imagined that she would be best of friends with a person who was a non-fandom oriented person. She was always so preoccupied with the series'' and games she was playing, it was tough for her to communicate with others. It was a wonder that Lily had held on for so long and humoured her weird quirks.


    "Honey, I am not a complete nerd like you," she stated proudly. Katherine stuck out her tongue and tried to mimic her scathing friend.


    "It''s my favourite character from the series. It just so happens that it is also Cage Cavanaugh''s favourite character and the numbers are his lucky ones."


    "Such far-fetched ideas." Indeed. It was a reach. "You aren''t playing him, that we know. But how do you even know this information?" She chuckled as she dropped back onto the bed and rolled around so that she could see the screen clearly.

 Chapter 17 - Legal Loli

    "I am the goddess of information when it comes to Mr. Cavanagh, didn''t you know?"


    "Yes, a fangirl. A wild fangirl, that is what you are." Her friend was highly amused and shushed Katherine as she interestedly scrolled through the messages.


    "Katherine Austen!" she giggled. "I didn''t think you had grown up so much. You had hidden away your potential. Look at all these sexual innuendoes. ''play with you,'' ''taking a shower,'' wow. You pulled the big guns, didn''t you?" she was ecstatic. "The bartender from last night would be more than happy to play with you and watch you shower, but here you are offering up your services to strangers," she clucked her tongue.


    Katherine sat down beside her friend and followed her in giggling. "Am I being a tease?"


    "He is insinuating that you have a female boner. You are asking to be taken a bite out of, little loli!" The words made Katherine burst out into fits of laughter. Oh, how the tables have turned. There she was being teased about her flirtatious behaviour, whereas it was usually the other way around.


    "I''d let him take a bit out of me if he is as attractive as he sounds in his messages. He sure knows how to play with words."


    "Just like you, rin rin." They broke into giggles.


    "I am so proud of you, Kitty." She flew towards Katherine and pulled her into a hug. "My little girl, all grown up." She wiped fake tears away from her eyes.


    "This is the last time I tell you anything. Give me back my phone." She snatched it out of Lily''s hands as she continued giggling.


    Lily stopped laughing and touched Katherine''s arm, "Seriously, kitty. I am so proud of you. You haven''t flirted and put yourself out there since you broke up with Jonathan. Even if it''s only an electronic connection, I am proud of you for having the courage. You are finally revealing your true colors!"


    "I feel great," Katherine said confidently, her hands now behind her head, a dreamy look in her eyes.


    "How long have you been speaking to this guy?"


    "About five days, nothing major," she shrugged it off, but she felt great about the situation.


    "It might not be a lot but I am so proud of you for trying something. I wouldn''t mind if you got a little spanking for being a naughty little legal loli, to be honest."


    "I am curious if you will give Nathaniel a try now that you have opened up with romantic prospects," Lily said suddenly after a minute of silence. The curiosity in her voice was genuine. Katherine scrunched her brow in frustration and glared at her friend to stop her from fantasizing about a ship that would never sail.


    "Don''t glare at me, Kitty. He seems like a nice boy and he can mix some crazy drinks." The words were almost coaxing.


    "He looks like a pretty boy and flirts with too many girls while he is serving. He gets his tips off charming girls and I am not one of those." She gave her friend a pointed look. "What happened after he chased me out of the bar?"


    "Chased out? More like you were busy sexting the mysterious stranger and had to get some fresh air so that you could keep your cool¡­"


    "But what did your nice boy do once I came out?"


    "He went back and chatted up a blonde woman sitting two stools down from you. You won''t believe the humiliation when he got turned out by that girl, as well. What do you think happened to his pride? Shattered into pieces, I think." Katherine stifled a laugh at the expense of a bartender whom she had zero interest in.


    "And that is exactly why I don''t like men who mix drinks. He is not my style. See? He gets rejected far too many times to be considered a Casanova and he is not charming enough to sway a woman''s heart."


    "If it adds to your humor, the other woman couldn''t stand the sight of him either." She snorted. It was no wonder, he came off as a charmer at first sight, but in reality, he was a bit of a creep who would take every opportunity to score a girl.


    "It was a good thing you didn''t hook up with Nathaniel, then."


    "And here you were asking me to get together with him because he was a nice boy. What happened to your bullshit story? You have changed your tune now." Lily gave off a fake yawn.


    "I''ll go get some sleep. Don''t blame me for wanting your hoo-ha to get some action. I don''t want it to shrivel and fall off from lack of use."


    "I would rather my organs disappear than they get anywhere near Nathaniel Brown, sorry." She raised her hand and waved it in front of Lily in protest. "Talk to the hand, love."


    "So childish!" Lily swore under her breath. But she was pleasantly amused at the banter. "Play with your Ray Kon, I need some beauty sleep to look lovely for my date." Katherine giggled and wanted to tease a little more, but instead complimented her friend a little more.


    "That''s not possible, my hot friend. You can''t get any hotter. You''ll burn them all if that happens!"


    - - -

 Chapter 18 - He Is Mine Now

    Katherine spent the evening trying to figure out how to re-enter the game server. The site had been down for the whole evening and she had gotten little work done after having the chat with Lily.


    She was preoccupied with playing for the longest time until the server just stopped working. It was under maintenance, they said and the people playing had been informed long ago, but Katherine didn''t remember reading such a notice. Anyway, she let it go and concentrated on her work. She was about to finish her work when she heard the front door open. She walked out of the room, hoping it was Lily but was surprised to see Angelina, her roommate standing in the doorway.


    She was pulling her luggage behind her and frowning as she crossed the threshold.


    "Help me carry this," she said breathlessly, her thin body heaving with the effort.


    "Have your muscles atrophied?" Katherine replied as she set forward to help her. She was about to pick up the luggage when Angelina moved away and went inside the room without her. "Thanks for helping me," she found saying to no one in particular as her flatmate had already made her way to the kitchen.


    "How do you eat like a cow, only plants!" The words didn''t settle well with Angelina, obviously. She was very conscious of what she was putting into her body because it was what paid the bills.


    "At least I don''t look like a cow," she retorted with a roll of her eyes.


    "Are you calling me fat?" Katherine asked, not at all offended by the insinuation. She considered herself gifted in the body department. She had the right amount of curves and assets to make her look good in anything she wore and she didn''t envy Angelina for her wild yet restrictive lifestyle. She would rather lounge in pyjamas than strut around in high fashion clothes, almost naked for everyone to see.


    "Yes," came the blunt reply. "Did you record Cage''s show from last time? I missed it and I want to see it." Katherine shrugged and glanced at the television.


    "I have it saved. Mind if I join you in watching?" Truly, she was a fangirl of another level.


    "Sure, I don''t mind." The two headed towards the living room. One sitting on the couch and the other placed on the foot of it, they switched on the television and turned to the last interview Cage Cavanaugh had gone to. They watched it silently until questions about what games he had been playing came into the conversation. Katherine perked up, trying to remember if she had listened to this segment or was too preoccupied with the beauty of the man to listen to his words.


    The name of the game flew out of his mouth and Katherine froze. She was sure he would never play such a game. She knew him to be an avid gamer who liked multi-player games but yet here he was telling the world that he liked to play a puzzle game on a popular app. Surely, he had to be lying.


    If it was true, everything she believed about Cage would fall apart. And she would never let herself think of that way about Cage Cavanaugh again.


    "I''m going to play Detective Puzzles with Cage Cavanaugh." Her spirited flatmate bellowed startling Katherine. She had just weaned one friend away from their fantasies and thank god it was Lily who knew for a fact that she couldn''t find the actor, but this delusional dummy meant what she said. Her eyes gleamed at the prospect of playing.


    "Please tell me you don''t think he really plays that game," Katherine groaned knowing the answer well.


    "Maybe he got a paid sponsorship and has started playing the game. PC games aren''t the only way one can stay with the title of gamer." The other reasoned. The argument was not a bad one, and if it had been anyone else but Cage Cavanaugh, Kitty would have vehemently agreed to the argument, but she was sure of what the actor liked to play. In her mind possibly apart from his Cellist of a mother, she was the one who knew him best. While she knew that it wasn''t true, the illusion of importance made her feel a little better about herself. At least she wasn''t delusional enough to think she would ever play her idol.


    "You don''t know his screen name," her voice was firm but Angelina didn''t pay her any attention. She waved her hand in front of Angela''s face, but the other swatted it away as if killing a pesky fly that was irritating her. Katherine deflated but didn''t want to say anymore. What was this situation?


    "Kevin Heart works," she said suddenly, uttering the actor''s most famous character out in the open. "I just sent a game request!" Foolish. Foolish.


    "You really think he''d use his character name for his ID?" If it was her guess, anything but the most popular character name in the industry, at that moment.


    "What else would he use?" she asked matter-of-factly. "You wait and see, he is going to respond."


    ''Of course, he is,'' she thought sarcastically as she saw the glowing face of her friend. She looked back at the television where Cage was still speaking passionately about his new film and thought of going to bed early.


    "I''m going to head to bed," she said scathingly, imagining the stupid reactions the woman would give upon hearing back from some random stranger who would catfish her.


    "Don''t dream of Cage. He is mine now." The sticking out of her tongue aggravated Kitty. She ground her teeth together and breathed out the next words.


    "Cage Cavanaugh will randomly select you among the masses that just rushed to ask him to play." The words were harsh, and Angelina recoiled. She gasped almost comically and then bit back spitefully.


    "What in the hell is wrong with you, Kitty?" she asked, huffing. Katherine didn''t talk back, but she felt miserable as she walked to her room, wondering how stupid she had been to befriend such a foolish girl in university.


    - - -

 Chapter 19 - Hentai Colloquialism

    The first thing he did after waking up was go to the washroom and relieve himself. He felt a pang of excitement rush into his body as he pulled out his phone and pulled up the game server. The first thing he had done was reach for his phone early in the morning. He had a couple of hours before he would be sitting in front of the firing squad, answering questions that the reporters threw at him. It was two days before the release of the film and the production houses were in a frenzy. He still had to travel a lot to complete the promotions and finally find himself at home for a couple of weeks before shooting began again.


    There was plenty of time to see what his new friend had to say. He felt a bit ridiculous for having such a big smile on his face as he opened the server. He chuckled lightly at her comment.


    [Notice me, senpai. Yess. Yess. I like warm and fuzzy pats. And I was there fangirling over Ray Kon when he showed up on screen.]


    He was delighted. She had been a child in the early 2000s to be able to say that she had been there fangirling since the beginning. It gave him pleasure to find out that he wouldn''t be flashing a stranger any time soon, not that he was going to flash her anytime soon. The thought came to him suddenly.


    He finally understood why he had thought of such nonsense. It was her perverse twist of words, her knowledge of hentai colloquialism that had prompted such embarrassing thoughts to evade his mind.


    His little friend perked up at the image of this faceless girl acting like a loli. She was a kinky little thing, wasn''t she? He liked it immensely. He felt like they were on the same wavelength.


    He budged himself out of the train of thought and slowly started typing out his reply.


    [RayKon53: Once a fangirl, always a fangirl. I know how you feel. If you know our favourite character since childhood, you are not a very small girl, now, are you? I am noticing you, rin rin. Don''t you see? *spreads arm in invite*]


    Nothing like a little teasing back. If she could tease, so could he. Cage Cavanaugh wasn''t afraid of a little kink and a little raunchiness. He would very much like to play out her fantasies.


    The more he thought about it, the harder he became.


    - - -


    Katherine was busy cooking brunch when she saw Angela coming out of her room with a shit-eating grin on her face. She knew instantly that whatever was going to happen would not be pleasant for her.


    "Why do you have that stupid smile on your face?" she asked with a groan. She awaited the reply, almost hoping that the answer wasn''t what she dreaded the most.


    "He accepted my game. Not even ten minutes after I sent the request, he accepted the request and started playing." Silly girl. She actually thought she got him.


    "Did you message him?" Katherine asked subtly, hoping not to sound too snippy.


    "Of course, I said I was his biggest fan." ''Biggest fan?'' Katherine snorted inwardly. She could consider herself the biggest fan, but someone who could be stupid enough to search for a character name as ID? Angelina was far from a hardcore fan, not to mention his biggest fan. Katherine almost wanted to be offended, but she also understood that the girl possibly couldn''t have said that she was a lesser fan. She let the matter go.


    "Did he say anything back?" She was curious.


    "He said Kevin Heart was the best character he ever played," Angelina paused and gave a pointed look at Katherine, who was patiently eyeing her. She had a small smile on her face, but the warning in Angelina''s eyes told her not to mess with the slightly obsessed girl. "And he knew my name is Angelina, so perceptive!" she squealed. Katherine burst out into laughter at that.


    "Your screen name is QueenAngelina," she said softly, not wanting to offend the girl too much. "It''s not that hard to guess. We didn''t ask him to solve a Quantum Physics question."


    "Oh, please. He is smart. You can attest to the fact." Angelina''s eyes made Katherine stop. She truly believed that this guy was the real deal, and worse, he had told her so. Katherine''s curiosity changed to mistrust and bafflement.


    "I''m sorry for being snarky. I haven''t had a good night of sleep. For your sake, I hope it''s him," she said, looking at Angelina with a sympathetic look.


    "Don''t be sarcastic, Katherine." But she hadn''t been sarcastic, she wanted to say, but she remained silent. "Of course, it''s him." And there is was, the entitlement and confirmation that she truly believed she was talking to a celebrity. Just that she was far beyond the age where one could be catfished in such a way. Clearly, if this went too far, they would have to write into the cast of Catfish and have a gala time getting at the bottom of this show. "He said so himself."


    Katherine nodded. "What do you plan on doing?"


    "He''s going to fall in love with me and whisk me away. I''ll act as his co-star in a movie and then I''ll be famous and the mother of his beautiful babies." Fantastic. How did they come to this, again? She would have groaned if it didn''t offend her friend. She held back and silently thought of how to slowly ease how ludicrous the idea was into Angelina''s mind.

 Chapter 20 - Corrupted Beyond Repair

    "There is a major flaw in your plan. You are not Cara DeLevingne. You are Angelina and you can''t act for your life." The other glared at her. Her eyes conveyed the message of something like, ''you are wrong.'' "Your attempt at anchoring for the media carnival showed me that¡­ you weren''t meant for the glamorous time."


    "That was one time. I was nervous!" Katherine shrugged. She didn''t think the anchoring was that bad, but it wasn''t ''good'', either.


    "You can''t draw either, but you are doing well enough as an illustrator, aren''t you? Don''t knock on ''em until you try them." Katherine threw her head back in laughter. Seriously, she had needed that blow to fully awaken that morning.


    "Yes, my little Angel. You will take City H by storm." She went back to cooking as she heard Angelina mumble.


    "You might not get to be the mother of his babies, but you can be near him a lot if I marry him. Don''t worry; I will let you feast your eyes on him."


    "That''s kind of you," she injected helpfully, not wanting to rain on her parade.


    "Fame and fortune won''t change the friendship we have since our college days, Katherine. You might not think the same, but I sure spend the best days of my life with you." The words were heartfelt, and despite their differences, Angelina and Katherine were friends at the end of the day. Just on some days, they seemed to forget.


    "Don''t you have work to do?" Katherine asked once they had quieted down. Lily had left early that morning on a photoshoot and she had expected Angelina to be gone, too.


    "No. I have a couple of days off. We are on for Cage''s new movie, right?"


    "I''ve booked our tickets."


    "Let''s see my man on-screen, shall we?"


    Katherine only shook her head as she put the spoon in her mouth. The food was delicious but the conversation was spicier. She could live with it.


    - - -


    [RayKon53: Once a fangirl, always a fangirl. I know how you feel. If you know our favourite character since childhood, you are not a very small girl, now, are you? I am noticing you, rin rin. Don''t you see? *spreads arm in invite*]


    Katherine let out a giggle when she read the message. Of course, she was a legal loli. She didn''t dare pretend to be a minor and fool fellow citizens into thinking that they were committing a great crime. She looked at the message one more time before typing out.


    [Rinten: I am a big girl, senpai. But you can bribe me into playing a little girl.]


    She sent a winking emoji attached to the message and went back to work, feeling playful.


    It was hours before her work was over, but she felt a rush of energy when she remembered that she had to check the game to see if he had replied.


    And of course, there was a message waiting for her in the direct messages.


    [RayKon53: Are you sure you will be okay taking my bribes? I am a lecher after all. Don''t want to corrupt a poor girl.]


    She was willing, she thought as she nodded her head in a big yes. She would love his bribes and his punishments alike. That is all she wanted.


    A lecher? Sure. Weren''t we all a little lewd when it comes to talking to strangers? And what poor little girl? Hadn''t they established that she was perfectly capable and legal? She could bend backwards to draw out the words in his mouth. She was at the edge of her seat in excitement, wondering what she should write to stimulate this man.


    [Rinten: This girl is already corrupt beyond repair.] She found herself smiling mischievously as she typed out the words and let them sit. She giggled in joy as she cooked up naughty images in her head and wanted to play them out with her dear little RayKon.


    [Rinten: All your games will be a welcome addition to my boring life.]


    - - -


    Cage bowed his head as he entered the aeroplane. He usually had to bend a bit so that he didn''t hurt himself, much out of concern than real threat. His laptop was tucked to his side and he had come on with a small backpack that had a quick change of clothes. His manager was right behind him, cribbing about how the promotional team for the movie wasn''t doing their part and would end up ruining Cage''s prospects of making a hit in the romance genre.


    Cage, though, was much more concerned about how he would handle the flight. He particularly hated being on the plane for longer flights. It ensured that he ended with a backache and a bad case of jet lag.


    On this flight, he was headed to City B where he would attend a fan meet and go on some shows for the promotion of his film. He remembered that his time frame was changing further and that he would reach City B early in the morning there and be tired to the bone, only to wake up at nine in the morning and rush to meet his appointments.


    Once he was situated on the plane, he pulled out his laptop and booted the game. His manager gazed on from the side.


    "Are you sure you are not addicted? You''ve been playing this game an awful lot recently. Are you too bored? Do I need to schedule more work for you?" Stephen teased.


    "If you give me any more work, I will leave you and go to another agent who takes better care of me," he threatened in a low voice. He knew that he was the cash-cow of his manager and that the money he made off Cage would be enough to shut him up and not complain.

 Chapter 21 - Playing Me

    "Don''t leave. Did you meet some nice girl online?" he said slowly, emphasizing every word.


    "No," he said, but his lips betrayed him. He was lucky that the slight curl of his lips went unnoticed by his manager, or else he would have been scolded beyond belief.


    Internet romances were a no go for all celebrities. Not even those sites for famous people were trustworthy. God knows what kind of weirdos go on those.


    Cage was not the least bit interested. Quite frankly, he was more than scared of female celebrities now. It seemed that if they didn''t want to climb his bed, they wanted to be seen with him so that their fame skyrockets. Cage would rather have a plain old romance than being bitten to death by these women.


    [Rinten: I am a big girl, senpai. But you can bribe me into playing a little girl.]


    He saw, the minute he went to his direct messages. He had a small smile on his lips as he read the words and let out a chuckle of surprise.


    Did he want to bribe her? He could think of a million ways he could bribe her, but he feared that they wouldn''t be close enough to indulge in these talks.


    He quickly wrote out a message and waited for her to reply.


    [RayKon53: Are you sure you will be okay taking my bribes? I am a lecher after all. Don''t want to corrupt a poor girl.]


    That should give her a warning and a glimpse of how wretched he was in the head. He was a beast waiting to be unleashed.


    He was playing the game vigorously when he heard another chime, an alert from his direct messages. He quickly paused what he was doing and went over to see his little loli online and sending him messages.


    [Rinten: This girl is already corrupt beyond repair.]


    [Rinten: All your games will be a welcome addition to my boring life.]


    Boring life? Cage would never believe that this enchanting girl lived a boring life. He quickly sent out a reply to startle her.


    [RayKon53: Let me taint you with my poison, my love.]


    The reply came fast. [Rinten: You''re online?]


    [Rinten: I don''t mind taking this further. Take me, daddy.]


    Cage arched his brow at the reply. He almost choked on his breath when he saw her bold statement.


    [RayKon53: Online. Miss me?] He paused, his hand hovering over the keyboard, wanting to write more. [RayKon53: I would gladly take you, love. But decided¡­ am I daddy or senpai?]


    [Rinten: I''ll just have to surprise you.] He read this in a flirtatious voice in his head and felt himself slightly stiffening. He groaned as he took a quick glance down. Before he could send out another provocative reply, the air hostess came in and asked him to close his laptop for takeoff.


    [RayKon53: Flight is taking off. Talk to you in a bit.] He logged off immediately and put his laptop in the overhead area.


    It took about fifteen or so minutes for the seat belt signs and electronic signs to go off. He took out his laptop and connected to the WiFi on the plane. This would cost him dearly.


    [Rinten: Where are you headed, if you don''t mind me asking.]


    He quickly fell into the pattern and started typing out.


    [RayKon53: I don''t mind in the least bit. City B. Going for work.]


    [Rinten: Exciting business. I have a feeling that you are a high-profile person.]


    [RayKon53: Not really, I am lowkey. I like to have my privacy and only talk to those that I truly appreciate.]


    [Rinten: Should I feel ecstatic about this development? Do you like me so much that you want to spend your flight talking to me?]


    [RayKon53: How about I play you like you originally intended. Get your headphones out and let''s kill some monsters, shall we?]


    [Rinten: Are you kidding?]


    [RayKon53: Headphones. Now.]


    He reached out to take out his own headphones and wore them as inconspicuously as he could. His manager, on the other hand, was fast asleep.


    "This is new," he heard a voice say. It shot tingles down his spine. How could he describe it? It was a soft, bell-like voice with a hint of humor in it. Like honey and spice mixed together and a bowl and made into a delicious concoction meant only for the ears.


    "Your commanding attitude turns me on," she said with a growl.


    He looked around and noticed a lot of people surrounding him. He wanted to be alone, talking to this beauty, but all he could do was listen to her glorious voice.


    [RayKon53: Passenger beside me is sleeping. Can''t talk. Want to hear you.] He wrote concisely.


    [RayKon53: You''re just as bold on voice chat.] He commented. He heard her suck in a breath as if gasping at his words and felt pure delight. This way, he could hear her authentic reaction the moment it happened.


    "Are you playing me?" she said in a raspy voice. He groaned a bit, not sure what he should do. Then the idea struck him. He could put on his microphone and let her listen to him react, just his voice and nothing else. He couldn''t speak, but he could very well show her how she made his breath hitch with every word.


    Clicking on the microphone button, he was set.

 Chapter 22 - S-Daddy

    "You''re on?" she said, surprised. Cage was surprised too. He had never done this before, but he felt compelled to do it.


    "Mmm," he mumbled, giving her a little evaluation of who he was. This was the most he had revealed on the internet.


    "Oh, you have a nice voice," she said offhandedly. "You seem like the full package, unfortunately." She continued.


    [RayKon53: Unfortunately?]


    "I would have liked it if you were a balding old man, but here you are, sounding like a god. What is a girl to do but to swoon?" She giggled. Cage shifted in his seat, fully aware that he was, again, sporting a hard-on.


    [RayKon53: Do I make you swoon, love?] He could imagine saying this into her ear, whispering it as he caressed her hair.


    He had to try hard to shake off the image in his head. Him and her in a bed¡­ he really needed his left hand to come to the occasion and give him relief.


    "Yes." The words were breathy. He could hear the slight breeze coming from a window near her and it made her seem more ethereal than she already was. He raised the volume of his computer to high and listened closely to the sounds of her breathing. "I would love to see what you could do to me," she mumbled, a little shy, but still daring.


    He sucked in a breath. In the next moment, he let it out and gave a burst of rumbling laughter that came directly from his heart.


    "Stop. Don''t laugh into my ears." He startled.


    "Why?" he said softly, looking around to check if anyone had noticed.


    "Your voice in my ear does things to me," she confessed in a small voice.


    [RayKon53: I am glad I have that effect on you. I would have it no other way.]


    "You''re a smooth talker, aren''t you? Strutting around pretending to be nothing when you have that voice. From what little I have heard of it, I almost feel familiar to it¡­ like it''s a voice I have heard before." He stiffened, knowing that he might have blown his cover.


    [RayKon53: What do you mean?]


    "Your voice is familiar. Are you using a voice changer?" she asked offhandedly. "Not that I would mind. But your voice is made of dreams. I really enjoy listening to it." Again, he burst out into laughter.


    "You sound happy. I like that." And the little comment warmed his heart. He really was happy and he wished he could say that more clearly. So he did just that.


    [RayKon53: I am happy. Would you like to know why?]


    "Why?" How innocent she sounded like she didn''t know what sort of an effect she had on him.


    [RayKon53: You.]


    [RayKon53: You made me happy.]


    The other burst out into wild laughter. "How corny!" she gasped, the excitement clearly overtaking her. "How could you say something that embarrassing?" she rested at a fit of continuous giggles, but she sounded delighted by his confession. He was glad that he could have a similar effect. It was strange that they had come to like each other so in the matter on such a few days.


    The flight went on flawlessly. They played a quest together and confirmed that they were compatible on the battlefield. He could see how there were fans of their CP already and he smirked at that.


    At the end of the flight, he felt tired but happy. He shut off the laptop and hoped to reach the hotel soon. He needed some sleep to survive.


    - - -


    After landing in City B, Cage had thought that he could spend the day sleeping, but he got no time as he went from photoshoot to interview. By the end of the day he was tired to his bones and in need of sleep. That is how his Monday was spent.


    The next morning, Cage woke up early and prepared for the flurry of interviews that would take place that day. His publicity assistant had scheduled multiple magazines to come and question him about the movie. He had accepted his part, knowing that the movie had to do well for him to prosper in life.


    Before he left for the day, he opened up his laptop to see if he had any messages from his favorite girl, and he was not disappointed.


    [Rinten: I have decided. I will call you senpai daddy. S-daddy.]


    [Rinten: I realize that you sound like a sadistic kink master, but I won''t mind being tied up by you.] She had written.


    Cage groaned in protest. Why did he have to open his messages early in the morning? There was no way he could forget about this message as he went through his day.


    "Fuck," he cursed, wondering if he should pull out his cock and stroke one out to relieve himself. It had been some time since he had some one-on-one time with his little friend, and he was scared that he would die from blue balls.


    [RayKon53: Call me that one more time, and I will take a helicopter to you and spank your silliness out of you, young lady. Soliciting men on the internet!]


    As he typed out, he imagined coming forth and showing her exactly how sadistic he could be when faced with teasing. He could give back as good as he got, dammit.


    His little friend was still very much at attention and seeking for his favor, so he went ahead and took a nice cold shower to compensate. He would surely die of blue balls, that he was sure of.


    - - -

 Chapter 23 - Helicopter On Speed Dial

    The door closed with a soft click, momentarily softening the buzz of conversations outside. Cage was alone at last, but it wouldn''t last for long.


    He scrubbed his face wearily, his hands stroking the stubble on his chin that he hadn''t bothered to shave off that morning. He wanted another shower. A strong drink, and something filling to eat. He wanted to be far away from the reporters who demanded his attention. He needed someone to tell him that his time was precious and that he wouldn''t have to slave away in front of others to make them write about him.


    Good press, his manager had called it, but it was his personal hell.


    A knock on the door sounded, and the assistant appeared, clipboard in hand and an expectant face.


    "Ready for the next one?" he asked with a small smile that irritated Cage.


    "Give me a couple of minutes," he groaned, stretching his muscles and reaching for the glass to drink some water. He was parched from all the talking.


    "Okay. We''ll wait for five minutes," the assistant said before closing the door behind him.


    Cage pulled out his cellphone and opened up the app, hoping to find relief from all the attention-seeking reporters.


    As always Rinten didn''t disappoint.


    [Rinten: You have helicopters on speed dial? And a trainer? Boy, Mr. Hairless bazillionaire. Adopt me already. I would love to be your young lady. Let me guess, you are from the City H, riding your helicopter into the sunset.]


    He chuckled. There was one person in the universe who would tell him he was ugly but still ask to be adopted by him. ''Rinten, sweet Rinten. What should I do with you?''


    Refreshed by her comment, he pushed his cell phone back into his pocket and called for the assistant.


    "I''m ready," he said in a jolly voice that surprised the assistant. He turned his head to mumble something and then made way for a woman to come inside.


    Great.


    "This is ''Cougardom Magazine''." The assistant had a tight-lipped smile in response and said nothing forward. Cage held back his sigh and wondered how he would go through thirty minutes of talking to a reporter who wrote for older women lusting after him. What possible questions could this reporter have for him?


    ''I can''t wait to find out,'' he thought sarcastically.


    He stood up, wiping his palms on his denim-clad thighs before extending a hand in greeting. The journalist stepped forward, eager for contact. Was it just his imagination or was this woman overly friendly? He was used to crooked smiles and less-than-subtle glances, but he couldn''t help but feel a shiver run down his spine at this woman''s merry smile.


    "Cage, it''s lovely to meet you."


    "Likewise. Please," he gestured. "Take a seat," he said politely.


    Pleasantries were exchanged, much like all his other encounters today. Inside, he yearned for a strong drink. He could do with firm handshakes and having a laid back conversation, but he really didn''t like being on guard, waiting for the other to spout some question that was meant to catch him off guard, and people from magazines with the name as this one usually asked questions that could make him choke on his breath or his food, or his thoughts. It could make him choke, period.


    The woman was high-heeled, pouty-lipped and coming onto him with sly innuendoes, or so she thought. He saw her ''absent-mindedly'' suck on the end of the pen and wanted to throw something or the other at her, displeased by where this was going.


    The woman had smart attire, legs crossed to make her legs look stunning, and her hair twisted in a sleek knot. She was wearing glasses, but one could see that she was an attractive individual on the prowl for some action.


    "You''re a very handsome individual," the woman praised, not leaving space for him to evade. "You have been named Sexiest Man in the world twice in a row. What do you think about this?"


    How many variations of this same question had he heard today? This week? He could almost hear his brain click as it went into autopilot mode. He had been promoting his latest movie for almost a month now and it was going to premiere in a few days. He could barely think of anything new to respond with. He had heard every question in the book.


    "I''m surprised that anyone finds me attractive. I think beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and as corny as that sounds, I think a lot of people just find me attractive. My parents would have you know that I was an ugly child," he said with a nervous laugh. He didn''t want to come off as conceited, but he truly didn''t understand what others saw in him. He was grateful that they thought him so handsome as to put him on a list, but he personally couldn''t see it.


    The interview went on, with the reporter droning about what to expect from the movie. How long had the assistant said the interview would go on for? 30 minutes? At this point, everything was starting to blur and look like one big clusterfuck. He knew for a fact that it would be a few seconds before she asked an extremely personal question. And he would have to swallow it.


    "Readers of our magazine want to know more about you," she began and he instantly knew what was coming. "So what do you wear, boxers or briefs?" He paused, looking at her face with slight shock. This was indeed new; he hadn''t heard this one before.


    "I go between both, but shooting demands a lot of my choices are made to make myself presentable," he said in an offhanded way, meant to not show the slight embarrassment he felt.


    "I see," the woman smiled.

 Chapter 24 - Sex Hair

    Was that a leer he saw? Was she making eyes at him? He could swear that she took a surreptitious peek at his crotch region, hoping to evaluate if his answer was correct. He recoiled inwardly, thinking that even snakes had more appeal than this woman. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair and regretted it immediately when her eyes went back to his crotch. He had the urge to cover himself with something as he felt exposed in front of this female predator.


    Just then a knock came from the door and he sighed in relief. He didn''t even try to conceal it.


    "Three minutes," the assistant said with a bright smile that made Cage wonder what was up with the assistant. Once he moved out, the journalist said her goodbye to him, lunging at him to shake his hand and reluctantly left. Cage couldn''t be happier.


    "One more for today," the assistant told him.


    "Thank you," he said with a tired smile and waited for the next journalist to come along.


    - - -


    With a can of beer in his hand, Cage was sitting on the bed and scrolling through what the news had to say about him. There were quite a few tweets from journalists who had met him, and he wasn''t surprised to see the woman from Cougardom Magazine boast about their encounter.


    He sighed as he sipped from the can and went on to greener pastures. He was not in a mood to play the game, but he could surely reply to his favorite woman.


    [RayKon53: Why yes, everyone in the entertainment capital has a trainer and helicopters to play in. I am sorry to disappoint you but I am a plain old millionaire. I am ashamed I am not up to your standards, then. Whatever will you do with your lovely daddy now that he turned out to be poor?]


    [RayKon53: I will have you know, my full head of hair is often referred to as sex-hair and my wild locks can enrapture you.]


    Within a few hours, he was buzzed and wondering where his fiendish little loli was.


    One can of beer turned into three and he was quite tipsy by the time the reply came.


    [Rinten: A plain old millionaire? Pfft. How poor.] He snickered as he read her message. He put the can to the side and started to type out a reply when a second message came into his inbox.


    [Rinten: Not everyone in the entertainment capital has a trainer and helicopter¡ª] He withdrew for a minute and looked at the sentence in awe. Was she in City H, as well? His fuzzy mind was ecstatic over this new piece of information. [¡ª It''s a sad state of affairs. I will take your elderly nurse''s word for it. She must think the sun shines out of your ass.]


    Her cheeky attitude made him envy the people surrounding her.


    He swiftly typed out the reply, not wanting to lose as she was online.


    [RayKon53: Online?] he typed out at first. When he received a reply, he sat up straight and started to write out his reply.


    [RayKon53: Wash your mouth, little lady. Such audacious language doesn''t become the standards to which I uphold you to. Women¡­ women go gaga over my hair¡­ and my face¡­ and my voice. I am a bit too perfect, you see.]


    On the other side of the world, Katherine was sitting in front of her laptop, listening to music as she saw the other person typing. She spat out her beer when she saw his reply.


    Did he just call her a little lady? She was a raunchy wench who had nothing to do with anything ladylike. People would literally laugh at his face if they found out he had said something of the sort. And women go gaga over his hair? The only man''s hair that she could go gaga over was her favorite Mr Cage. No one else could qualify.


    [RayKon53: Don''t be sad, we live close by, I will send over my trainer and helicopter for you to ride. What is mine is also yours, rin rin. I am sure you would say I have sex-hair if you saw me, too. I am confident.]


    We live close by? Did he just confirm that he lives in City H? It was a huge city, but meeting one was simply that easy. She didn''t know where the thought came from; she had never wanted to meet an online friend before, but this time she felt like this would be fun. One more person to hang out with and enjoy what she liked doing: gaming. She didn''t have any friends like that. Most of the time, the people who pinged her on the game were those who wanted to ride on her coattails and get more gold out of their missions. Rarely did she find people who really wanted to talk to her or play with her.


    [Rinten: The only person who has sex hair is the man I am going to watch on screen tomorrow.]


    [RayKon53: Available to VC?]

 Chapter 25 - Fired Up

    She plugged in her headphone and switched on her microphone.


    "I''m here," she said softly, not wanting to startle him. "You''re going to speak today, aren''t you?"


    "Yeah." His voice was raspy and low, making him sound like he was just getting out of bed in that moment after a long night of strenuous activity. She sat cross-legged on the chair, her stomach tingling with excitement as he relished the low timbre of his voice.


    "So, I was saying. The only person who has sex hair is the man I am going to watch on screen tomorrow," she repeated. She heard him take a gulp of something and couldn''t help but ask. "Are you drinking, too?"


    "It''s been a long day, love. Of course, I am. I can''t bear to part with a strong drink, anymore." The words rolled out of his mouth and left her speechless. There was something familiar about his voice. Just like last time, she tried to remember where exactly she had heard it.


    "What time is it there?" she asked, suddenly remembering that he should still be in City H.


    "Five in the morning," he grunted in reply.


    "Are you kidding me, right now?" she squealed.


    "Oof, woman, don''t scream into my ear. Let this man enjoy his beer in peace. I was in a meeting for the whole day and I feel like dying."


    "You''re a businessman?" she asked. "Only if you want to answer. No pressure," she added in a low voice, not wanting to offend him.


    "I''m more of a freelancer. I don''t know how to explain it."


    "I''m sort of a freelancer, too. So I understand." There was silence.


    "What are you going to watch tomorrow? Who is taking up that space in your heart that should belong to me?" He smiled and she could hear it in his voice.


    "Wouldn''t you like to know," she flirted. She felt the blush rise on her cheeks and quickly sipped on her beverage.


    "You''re drinking, too?" he asked, surprised. He waited for a bit. And she could hear him gulping down his beverage.


    "Mmm. I have spent the last two days working and waiting for you to reply."


    "Were you waiting for me, love?" She sucked in a breath. His voice did weird things to her. In her mind, she could feel his raspy breath against her ears as if he was leaning in and slowly seducing her over a drink. She shamelessly let out a small moan at the thought, only to realize what she had done.


    "What was that I heard?" he teased. She coughed in embarrassment but didn''t want to give away her lemony thoughts.


    "A cat," she said firmly, not leaving room for argument.


    "That must be one eager cat, then, love." She shivered.


    "Stop calling me that," she protested, her voice meek and mild, almost wanting his approval.


    "Why?" There was a command in his voice. "Why do you want me to stop?" She took another large gulp of her drink and then whispered into the microphone.


    He didn''t catch her words the first time, so he asked her again, "Why do you want me to stop, love?" He emphasized on the word, once again. Katherine paused and looked at the green dot flashing beside his name. Her fingers gently moved forward and placed themselves over his screen name gently. She felt electrified.


    Static. It must have been static.


    Or she was lusting.


    "I love your voice," she said softly.


    "Your voice is the mana from the heavens, love. Haven''t I told you yet?" The man was lying on his bed, occasionally sipping at the drink and listening to her speak. His hands edged near the seam of his shirt as he softly pulled it up to reveal his toned abdomen.


    "No, you hadn''t," she sounded shy. He loved it. He was about to pull his pants down and caress his member when he remembered who he was talking to. He didn''t want to disrespect her.


    He wondered if he should ask for permission before doing so. He almost wanted to, but then he stopped. It was for another time.


    "I''m too fired up," he confessed in a raspy voice. "Where are you going tomorrow? You never answered."


    "Cage Cavanaugh." Was her simple reply. He started. He sat up on his bed and couldn''t mutter a single word.


    "I''m sorry?"


    "I''m going to watch his new movie. It comes out tomorrow. You aren''t familiar with the film industry, are you?" she teased in a gentle voice. His hardened member was less excited from the shock he received and was laying almost limply on his thigh. He sighed and rolled over.


    "So he is the one with the sex hair?" he snickered, now amused. "I swear my hair is better than his."


    "You know of him?" she asked lightly. He could hear the shuffling in the background.


    "I just googled him," he lied through his teeth. He smiled at himself, wondering what her expression would be if she found out who he really was.


    "Katherine!" he heard someone scream from the other side.


    "Gotta go," she mumbled quickly and went offline.


    He stared blankly at his phone, wondering how it had come to this. His cock was standing in attention yet again, but this time, it was because her name had pleased him a little too much.


    Katherine. He mumbled the name over and over again. His lips curled up into a smile as he imagined their first encounter. He snickered and went to bed a happy little lion.


    - - -

 Chapter 26 - Juicy Details

    Katherine was ushered away by Lily, who needed to finalize what she was going to wear to her date the next day.


    She patiently sat down on Lily''s bed, waiting for her to take out all the clothes that she had to choose from.


    "What color does he like?" Lily asked as if Katherine would know the answer to the question.


    "How am I supposed to know?" she squeaked. "Nice guy will like you in any color, if he is as nice as you say he is."


    "Don''t be a killjoy," Lily commented as she held out a dress and looked at her silhouette in front of the mirror.


    "This is not first date material. This is too raunchy for a first date," Katherine said in a light voice as she looked at the plunging neckline of the dress. "This is third date material when you are ready to go to the next level."


    "Who told you that I wasn''t going to go to the next level on the first date?" She wiggled her brows.


    "You''ve already spent the night with him, no use pretending to be a nun in front of him now, I guess." Katherine stuck her tongue out at Lily. The other laughed and quirked her brow.


    "What a prude you are."


    "Who needs enemies when your friends are so bad for your self-esteem," Katherine said sourly. She had been insulted multiple times in the span of a few minutes and she hadn''t complained. This came to show the real dynamics of her friendships. They were deeply rooted in insulting one another.


    "I am your enemy. Which is why I am happy that you have a shred of a sex life now."


    "I have a sex-life? Since when?" Katherine picked up a dress from the bed which she liked and threw it at Lily. "Try this," she said before slumping back on her seat.


    "Ooh, this is cute," she said excitedly. "You''re talking to that guy on the game, right? I am sure it counts as being productive in your sex-life," she continued.


    "We are pure beings, love." And she blushed hard as she remembered his affectionate words from last night.


    "You''re blushing. Which means there is progress!" Excited, Lily forgot all about her dress and jumped into the bed to sit beside Kitty. "Tell me," she demanded in a low and threatening voice when she realized that Kitty had no intention of continuing.


    "You are kidding me," she groaned as she looked at her friend''s expression. "I spoke to him yesterday," she confessed in a low tone.


    "Spoke as in?"


    "Voice chat." There was a high pitched squeal in the room.


    "Does he sound sexy?" Lily asked.


    "What happened to choosing clothes?" she grinned. Her friend forgot everything when it came to gossip.


    "It comes later. I need the juicy details." She rubbed her hands together, her thoughts solely focused on her friend and her illicit relationship with a stranger on the internet.


    "Nothing. He has a nice voice." She shut her mouth to stop from saying further.


    "Nice as in you can masturbate to his voice and want to have his babies?" Kitty rolled her eyes heavenwards, knowing her friend would no doubt think of the worst things possible.


    "Yes, my ovaries exploded," she snickered. She watched as her friend gave out another squeal.


    "Shut up, you guys!" they heard a voice from outside and stopped dead in their tracks. "I''m on a video chat!" Angelina screamed. They shared a look amongst themselves and decided simultaneously.


    "She doesn''t get to know," Kitty said in a threatening voice.


    "Of course not. Have you seen the shit her Cage Cavanaugh sends her?"


    "I haven''t had the opportunity to speak to her at length about it. Is she having fun with her celebrity crush?" Stupidly, she picked out another dress from the pile on the bed and handed it to her friend.


    "He''s your celebrity crush, too. But yeah, she''s having so much fun with the boy. You will understand when you see the contents of their messages, and boy will she show you soon. She was gleaming with joy when she spoke to me." Lily scoffed. "I don''t know if she realizes but there is no way that is Cage Cavanaugh. I would sell my soul if it was."


    "You have strong feelings about this," she noticed. "Why are you so pissed at her?"


    "She''s been going crazy recently and I don''t like how she treats you," Lily grumbled.


    "I''m glad you are protective of me, but I can handle her. We shouldn''t come for her when she is just being herself." This time, Lily groaned. She understood where Lily came from but she was also Angelina''s friend and breaking up the relationship was a big no-no. They had been friends for too long.


    "Meh." And that was the end of the conversation. Lily picked the dress Kitty had passed to her and left the house a couple of hours later, leaving them to their devices.


    - - -

 Chapter 27 - Hot Date

    "Katherine, are you ready?" She grabbed her wallet and cell phone and hurried into the living room where Angelina was tapping her foot impatiently. Katherine raised a brow at her.


    "How are you ready before I am?"


    She laughed, tossing her head back. "Since tonight! I have the only hot date with Cage Cavanaugh. Just a little while until he is fully mine."


    Sure, she was able to send provocative texts to her Mr Mystery over the internet, but she didn''t have hopes that it would turn into a movie star or someone who would sweep her off her feet and take her to dreamland. Maybe, the words about billionaires and millionaires had gotten to her, and she had entertained the idea for a while, but nothing more than that. She couldn''t bear to run off with such silly ideas. She felt a little guilty for her thoughts, too.


    "You mentioned he''s sending you poetry." ''How ridiculous was that?'' Katherine thought. Of course, Cage Cavanaugh was a well-read individual and poetry wouldn''t be out of the realm of possibility¡­ come to think of it, Katherine would have been impressed if her favourite star was interested in reading poetry and distributing love among other people. But it wasn''t cool for him to send poetry to some random girl he had met on a mobile application and spent a couple of days talking. Especially love poems!


    Angelina squealed and dug into her purse, searching for her phone. "I''ve been meaning to show you but was afraid that you would be sour because I am the one talking to Cage Cavanaugh." She smiled. "I''ll stop talking to him if you don''t like it," she said quietly, but the smugness in her voice gave her away. She would never stop talking to him, it was all a ruse.


    Katherine laughed. "Sure doesn''t sound like what you want to do, Angel." She toyed with the idea of telling Angelina to stop the pretence and come to the conclusion that she was being catfished, but she didn''t want to be a bitch about it. What if it really was Cage Cavanaugh? What if they were really talking and they liked each other and her friend really did become Mrs Cavanaugh? Surely, she couldn''t throw away her weird friendship with Angelina and the chance that she was talking to a real person who liked her back. It didn''t matter that she thought Angelina was being stupid. What mattered was that everything was possible in this world.


    Katherine held out her hand, "Let me see it. I wanna see what my favourite movie star is sending you." That seemed to placate the other.


    "Really?" She threw her arms around Katherine, surprising her. Angelina squeezed her hard, making it difficult for her to breath.


    "Really," Katherine chocked out. She giggled as she released her. "What would you do if I were talking to Cage?" her joke was met with a grim expression.


    "Are you talking to someone who you think is him?" she growled. Katherine shook her head, furiously, not wanting to unleash the wrath of a jealous beast. "Then, fine. I would tear him away from you and make him mine," she said, sticking her tongue out.


    Katherine snorted. Of course, Angelina was one of those fans who got obsessed and latched onto their stars. Katherine could say that she was the same, but she prided herself over keeping her words rational in front of others.


    "Give me your phone," Katherine asked with a smile.


    Angelina forked it over and she opened the gaming app. Katherine put on a pokerface as she tried to contain her laughter. She had thought that she was chatty with strangers, but in reality, it was nothing compared to how Angelina and her Cage spoke.


    She scrolled through the messages.


    [QueenAngelina: Do you love Kevin Heart as much as I do?]


    [Kevin Heart: Kevin is the coolest character ever.]


    [QueenAngelina: Did you enjoy playing him?]


    [Kevin Heart: Yeah. It was an absolute blast. The screenplay was so smooth and the controls excellent. I enjoyed it thoroughly!]


    [QueenAngelina: Eeep!]


    Katherine gaped. No wonder Angelina had thought this guy was the real deal. Apart from the poetry, there were a lot of signals that this guy was someone else, but for the life of her, she couldn''t come out and say that to her face. The poetry was that of a middle-school curriculum and the poetry he wrote for her was at best, subpar. Who was this idiot?


    "Where you two online at the same time?" she asked, astounded by the chat.


    "Yeah.I am going to ask for his number soon. It would be so much easier to talk over text."


    Katherine raised a brow. "You really think he will give it to you?" She nodded her head hard.


    "He loves me. Of course, he will."


    Katherine skimmed through the rest of the chat.


    [Kevin Heart: You''re different from the girls I usually hang out with.]


    [QueenAngelina: I bet! I''m sure you know a ton of girls, really pretty ones, too. What''s your name?]


    [Kevin Heart: We should stick with Kevin Heart. My mom always tells me not to talk to strangers on the internet. I don''t think I''ll be revealing my identity very soon.]


    It was official, Angelina was hitting on a thirteen-year-old boy¡ªa boy that needed his mom''s permission to talk to people on the internet. Moreover, he was playing Kevin Heart¡­ just the game version that recently came out. The boy hadn''t been lying when he said that Kevin Heart was the coolest character ever. He was speaking from his heart!


    "Isn''t it wonderful?" she asked, all dreamy. Katherine bit back a groan. Any minute the FBI was going to burst in and arrest her friend for soliciting a minor. It could happen at any moment.


    "Yeah." With that Katherine remembered to drag Angelina out of the apartment, towards the movie theatre.


    Katherine patted my hair down as she sat into the car. It was time to leave RayKon53 behind and set my eyes the actor Cage Cavanaugh. She grinned as Angelina started the car. That day was a good day.


    - - -

 Chapter 28 - Running Away

    They were standing at the counter, waiting for their popcorn when they heard someone call Katherine''s name. She swivelled around, stunned to have heard a somewhat familiar voice and didn''t notice the smile on Angelina''s face.


    "What are you doing here?" she asked, albeit protectively. In front of her stood Nathaniel Brown, the bartender who had tried to hit on her on multiple occasions.


    "Your friend invited me," he said with a grin. Katherine turned around to look at Angelina who shrugged. She gritted her teeth and nodded.


    "We''re here to watch Cage''s new movie. Which one are you watching?" she asked, politely making conversation. She dug into her bag to take out her phone and think of an excuse to leave the location.


    "I''m watching the same. Angelina bought my ticket," he said proudly. Katherine frowned but couldn''t say anything as she knew she would offend the man. With her friend playing along in the ruse, there was little to nothing she could do to get away from him. Add to the fact that there was no way she was missing the movie for someone, meant that they would have to stick together for a long time.


    "I hope you enjoy the movie," she spoke in a low and threatening voice, not giving him the chance to reply. She went to the washroom where she was closely followed by Angelina.


    "Why would you do that?" she asked through her gritted teeth. "You know I don''t like being set up!" she breathed heavily, anger getting the better of her.


    "You''ve been alone for so long and Nathan seems like a nice guy. Why not give him a try?" She pulled out her lipstick from her bag and reapplied it with precision.


    "I simply wanted to enjoy the movie, but you have ruined it."


    "I am going to watch hubby and no one is going to stop you from watching it. Live a little," she said casually, but Katherine was too angry to respond.


    ''Bitch,'' she cursed in her head as she leaned her head on her hand.


    Taking a cleansing breath, she moved out of the washroom and headed for the movie theatre, in front of which Nathaniel was waiting for her. Angelina soon followed and she went in like it was nothing. In the crowded theatre, they found their seats and ''luckily'' Nathaniel and she ended up sitting next to each other.


    As the other viewers chatted amongst themselves, Katherine couldn''t help but feel excited. Even though she was accompanied by a menace, she had every right to enjoy the movie.


    "My hubby is going to look so good on screen," Angelina gushed, making her break out into giggles. She was an avid fan of Cage but she would never outwardly show how fascinated she was with the man. She was a little better at hiding her infatuation.


    "Katherine, I have something to ask you." Angelina went silent and pulled out her phone from her backpack. I stared at her wide-eyed, hoping she would help me but she did nothing of the sort.


    "Tell me," she said firmly, sure that there was no way to avoid this confrontation.


    "I know you are still stuck with the idea of Jonathan¡ª" In all reality, she had gone with Jonathan the Cheater to the bar and Nathaniel had personally met the man. They had hit it off, even though the guy was meant to shake off his unerring interest. For some time, Nathaniel didn''t hit on her, but as soon as the relationship was over, he was offering her a shoulder to cry on. If she were dumb, she would have taken the man up on the offer and forgotten how good of friends Nathaniel and Jonathan had been at one point of time, even if their friendship was limited to talking at the bar.


    "I''ve moved on." Her words were sharp and abrupt. "I have no emotions for the man, so you don''t need to concern yourself with such a matter."


    "That''s not what I wanted to ask," he grumbled. "Will you go out with me?"


    "No," she said firmly. She heard a slight snicker from beside her and knew that her friend was having a gala time eavesdropping on this moronic conversation.


    "Don''t say no right now. Take some time to think it over."


    Wasn''t she allowed to reject an offer? What kind of situation was this? She was pissed but she didn''t want to show it on her face.


    "There won''t be a time when I will want to go out with you." The words were cutting and to her liking. "You will come to realize what I horrible person I am by the end of this movie," she promised.


    "Shh." It was probably meant to be said in a sexy tone, but Kitty recoiled. He placed his finger on her lip and blushed. "I really like you, Kitty," he said smoothly.


    "Get your finger off my lips." If she hadn''t come here to watch the glorious Cage Cavanaugh, she would definitely run away and not look back until she was far away.


    The lights dimmed down and his face became obscured in the darkness. She sighed in relief and shifted closer to Angelina in hopes that she would not be groped in the dark by the man sitting beside her. Watching Cage Cavanaugh on the screen would probably make her unconscious to what was happening to her, and render her molested by a pervert in the movie theatre.


    "Are you running away from Nathan?" Angelina whispered to me as the previews came on.


    "You''re lucky you use for face for money, or else I would claw it," Kitty hissed.


    "Cute little kitty is bearing her claws because she was propositioned," she cooed evilly. Kitty let out an angry meow and looked back at the screen.

 Chapter 29 - Bride Of God

    Within moments, the screen turned to dark and the music started. The beat was catchy and something to bang one''s head to, and Katherine found herself enraptured as the dark screen slowly turned to light.


    There was a man in his twenties sleeping on the bed, his upper body bared to the elements. His golden hair lay scattered on the pillow and his lips parted as he breathed in his sleep. His eyes popped open and he lifted off the bed mechanically.


    Katherine clutched at her heart as she saw the character move out of the bed in his pyjamas and go towards the bathroom. The sight of his sinuous muscles rippling as the water cascading down his back parched her throat.


    The man ran through the busy streets of the city and changed his clothes. Katherine was enraptured. His voice pervaded her senses and she quickly fell in love with the male lead and envied the female lead for the love she received.


    ''Holy hell, he is hot.'' She thought as the bed scene began. She heard Nathaniel shift uncomfortably beside her but she didn''t spare him a glance. She stared at the screen as Cage Cavanaugh flexed his muscles and acted out the part of a passionate lover taken over by his lust for the woman he loves. She gulped as the scene ended and left her feeling a tingle in her stomach that she had grown used to over time. She knew this would happen whenever she was looking at the flawless man, it was often that she would be inspired to draw Cage whenever she saw him in such a state.


    The movie ended and Angelina stretched her limbs.


    Katherine sat stock still, still relishing the delicious last moments and the trademark cocky grin on Cage''s face at the last scene.


    "He is so sexy," Angelina breathed hotly into her ears, shaking her out of her reverie.


    "Can you be less clingy?" Kitty laughed and moved away, suddenly bumping into the man she was sitting next to. "Sorry," she mumbled quickly before turning back to Angelina.


    "That snu snu scene just blew my mind," Angelina squealed in her normal fashion. Katherine cringed but a smile perked up on her lips.


    "Shouldn''t you be jealous that your man was getting taken by another woman?" she snorted.


    "It was just a movie. I can talk to him tonight," she whispered, glancing over Katherine''s shoulder to see if the man was still listening in on their conversation. Thank god, he was not. She sighed in relief.


    "You only noticed how sexy he looked in the smut scene?" Kitty giggled and nudged her hand. "So much for loving him from the bottom of your heart," she revealed a toothy grin to piss off her friend.


    "He would fantastic and the acting was on spot. I am a horny girl, what can I say?" She winked at Kitty.


    "Ew." The latter commented, just making puking sounds like a teenager. They really needed to grow up¡­ sometime else.


    "Do you want to wake up Nathan?" Angelina asked slyly. "They say opposites attract. I think you count as opposites. Just put the man out of his misery," she chuckled.


    "He''s not my type," Kitty mentioned passively. She kicked the man''s legs to get his attention. He quickly startled away, wiping off the drool at the corner of his mouth that had dripped down and looked at her with shame.


    "It was a chick flick. What did you think?" She asked generously, supplying the other with an opportunity to speak before she rejected him outright.


    "I enjoyed it," he said with a stiff smile that betrayed his words. Of course, he had not enjoyed watching another man bang a very hot woman, he just wanted to get out of there, but all he could do was sit there and impress the girl he liked with how convenient he was and how ready he was to face anything if she was by his side.


    What he didn''t know was that she was far from understanding his thoughts. She was a simple creature. She would have respected him more if he had been honest or at least done a better job at acting like he liked the movie. On top of that, she was not a person who liked charming-boy-next-door type men to begin with.


    "You gave me time to think about going out with you and I have an answer."


    "I don''t want to hear it," he said, fear evident on his face.


    "I''m sorry. I have decided to become a nun and never engage in any emotional or physical relationship. I have found god and I want to be his bride and no one else''s." Did that sound crazy enough for him? She hoped so. If he were to forget the fact that she had been lusting after a male actor mere hours ago and gushing about his prominent erection, it was not her fault that he was harebrained.


    "Excuse me?" He was flabbergasted. Did she just say what he thought she was saying? He looked at her with a strange expression on his face, not knowing what to do.


    "But you drink alcohol," he groaned, realizing it was just a throw off tactic. He would not be that easy.


    "No. I have a ring of faith to prove it if you want to see. I wear it as a locket with a chain. I don''t like to tell people my resolutions in life," she said simply, shrugging. She could bet that the girl behind her was gaping, her mouth open but mirth in her voice. And she knew to block her view in case Nathaniel saw her expression and caught on.

 Chapter 30 - Celibate

    "You are doing this to make me give up, aren''t you?" he said sheepishly but she shook her head.


    "No. You are a good guy, Nathaniel, but I have sworn to be the Lord''s bride." She looked at him with what seemed like a regretful expression and told him further. "I''m sorry. I told you that you would hate me." She pouted, raising one lip and making a sad face at the boy in front of her, further pulling his leg. "Do you hate me?"


    "No. No!" he screamed. "I don''t hate you. I didn''t know you were this passionate about your religion. You look like a chill girl." He sounded devastated and he didn''t mind a single bit.


    "I am a chill girl." She confirmed in a low voice. The people around them had slowly dispersed and the cleaners were just about to come in and sweep them out.


    "I mean¡­ did Jonathan do that to you?" he said in a low voice, helplessness and failure written clearly on his face.


    "No. I just got closer to god." She could almost hear his thoughts. ''Poor girl,'' he would think. ''She lost her mind over a cheating boyfriend.'' And she was fine with that. As long as he would stay away from her.


    The man departed, leaving the two friends at the movie theatre.


    "I didn''t know you were celibate," Angelina laughed, surprised as hell.


    "There is a lot you don''t know about me, sister. Wouldn''t you like to know?" she made a come-hither motion which made Angelina throw her head back in laughter.


    "I thought you would hit it off with him if you met him outside the bar where there were multiple beautiful women to distract him, but it seems that your standards are too high. You are after my man!" she said amusedly.


    "Says the woman who will buy the DVD just so that she can turn to that part and fiddle with their diddle while watching their man on the screen." It was surprising how easily it came from her mouth. How had she become so okay with Cage Cavanaugh talking to Angelina? She knew that was not the case, but she wouldn''t mind. She wondered what had brought on the change.


    She turned to her phone and saw a message from her game app. She quickly opened it and saw a long message from her one and only RayKon53.


    [RayKon53: I''m on my flight back to City H. You would be surprised to know that I was thinking about you throughout the night. I had the strangest dream.]


    ''Tell me,'' she thought. Wondering what it would be.


    [I met a psychic who said that my dream girl was around the corner and that she could crash into my universe and gain ownership over it at any second.]


    Did he mean her? How she wished to be the master of his universe. How she wished she could shoot into his life and blind him for a second before showing him the world in multicolour¡­ colors he had never imagined before.


    [I didn''t believe her at first. But then I slowly recognized your presence. I couldn''t see your face, but I imagine you as a faceless woman whose voice I recognized in one go.]


    Others would have been infuriated that he had imagined her as faceless, but Katherine saw it as a compliment. He couldn''t see her face, but he recognized her voice, the essence of her being.


    [It was truly amazing. I looked at you and remember thinking you were so beautiful. I couldn''t breathe. I was a thrall to you.]


    ''As I am a thrall to your words, kind sir.''


    [Your honeyed voice rang in my eyes coaxing me to hold your hand and take you to the park.]


    She burst out into a peal of laughter. He had really taken her loli act and made a fantasy out of it, it seemed. She grew excited at the prospect of reading further.


    [Things took a strange turn from there. And I am ashamed to say this, but I must confess my sins to you, I saw you doing wicked things.]


    ''Confess to me, why don''t you. I want to hear the poisons that fill your words and the unfathomable psyche that produces such a weird image of a person they had never met before.''


    [With a bounce in your step, you wanted to go to a yoga class with me. I was surprised, but always wanting to please my little girl, I took you to the one I knew. The class consisted of only us and no one else.]


    Her breath hitched as she read the words. Had he written out his fantasy in this form and sent it to her. She almost looked forward to such an occasion.


    [The trainer, a female, gently steadied the arch of your back and told you to breathe properly and I remember feeling rage that she had touched you when I so wished that I could.]


    She stopped and took a breath. ''Would you be that sour if another human would touch me? What makes you so possessive of one, you elusive one.''


    [You were calm and collected, doing your thing, bending your body in ways I didn''t know was possible. I leaned in closer to you and whispered in your ear to make you stop but you didn''t listen. You tempt me so, my love. You tempt me.]


    She was in the car, sitting right beside Angelina, who was staring at her weirdly, but she didn''t mind the soft sigh that escaped her lips. She breathed, once again, taking a moment to collect herself and read further.


    [Now, tell me. Is my dream ever going to come true? Would you let your trainer touch you and let me fume in the corner? What is your favorite position.]

 Chapter 31 - Practicing Yoga

    She had a small smile on her face as she read those words.


    "Are you talking to someone?" She startled at the voice.


    "No," she said impassively. "Just talking to a friend." She didn''t want to be found out. It felt like her little secret that she wished to keep to herself.


    "Your expression was weird. I thought you had seen a ghost," Angelina chuckled. Katherine looked at her with a strange expression and didn''t speak for a few moments.


    "That was my excited face," she said matter-of-factly. Angelina looked at her with interest.


    "What''s gotten you excited, love?" Katherine immediately blushed. Would she have this reaction every time someone called her affectionately? She was glad that her friend was a little dense when it came to others or she would have been caught in the act in an instant.


    "I''m going to see the movie again."


    "I thought that was a given. I am going to go home and tell my Cage how much I enjoyed the movie." And there it was. The mention of the man she was talking to.


    "Did you tell him you were coming to watch?" she asked curiously, wondering what the kid must have said when that happened. How long would he keep the act up?


    "No, I didn''t. I wanted to surprise him."


    "And how? You are going to give him a critique of the film?"


    "I''m going to feel him out, yes¡­" ''Don''t feel anything related to that kid. The police will break in through our door any time to capture you.''


    "What is this game you are playing?" Kitty asked, not understanding.


    "I want to see how long it takes for him to fully confess to who he is. Mind games," she said proudly, making Katherine frown.


    "If you really want a relationship with him, wouldn''t you want to cut the bullshit and just go straight to the question?" She asked, feeling slightly disappointed in her friend. "Games never work out in adult relationships," she commented, giving her friend a look.


    "Don''t judge me. Without games, there is no fun in relationships. And we haven''t started dating, so it isn''t considered a game, really. Just a way to find out more about him. Nothing more." She defended herself. Katherine nodded, still not convinced that it was a healthy way to go, but then she suddenly thought of it. The reason for sending the message.


    He was testing her, she realized suddenly. Testing to see how far he could go to tease her and what reaction she would give. Was this considered a game or a trial at gauging where the boundary of the other is? Should she openly ask him to not be subtle or should she tell him in the same manner as him how okay she was with talking to him about their passions?


    "You play your games with your dream boy while I enjoy the movie with my Cage."


    "Your Cage?" she said a bit jealously, half faking it.


    "He was mine before you knew him. I have some claim on him. I am his number one fan and you come second. Attest to the fact and bow down to me, peasant." She giggled as her friend looked strangely.


    "Next thing you will ask is if you can bang him once to quench your curiosity about his dick. No way am I letting you touch what is mine," she said fiercely. She knew Katherine was kidding, but Cage Cavanaugh pulled out a possessive streak in her.


    "Calm down, tiger. I get it." She rolled her eyes and looked straight ahead as they started to drive.


    "When I meet him in person, I will make sure he introduces you to his single, hot actor buddies. That way, we can both be happy and live in mansions with our celebrity husbands."


    "Marriage to a celebrity is not my idea of fun." All she could think about was how expendable Cage Cavanaugh was in her friend''s mind. He could be swapped with countless other men, but she didn''t feel that way. She just wanted a simple relationship with a man who understood her and didn''t play games.


    They pulled up to their apartment complex and she turned to her friend.


    "Thank you for driving me," Katherine said with a smile and the other simply nodded.


    "Don''t mention it. We had fun today."


    The two left the car and headed towards their apartment. Lily was still not back and Katherine was tired enough to call for takeout.


    "I''ll head in," she said to Angelina, who had switched on the news to look at some show.


    "Yeah. Don''t stay up too late."


    "I won''t."


    She closed the door to her room and went to her illustrator. She sat down and simply wished to draw something related to the movie. But she couldn''t concentrate.


    She flipped out her mobile phone and started typing in feverishly.


    [Rinten: I hope you have reached home safely. I don''t know what you thought of before you went to bed, but you certainly painted a riveting image of our time together. To be fair, I do practice yoga and often practice alone. I will bring you along next time so that you can enjoy me showing some wicked moves. Things you can''t imagine. And being touched by a woman? Sorry, my preferences completely lay in muscular men who know what they should do to the body of a woman. I don''t want a womanly touch, I want it hard and fast. I would love to tell you what my favorite position is, but I am afraid it will be too hard for you to handle. Wouldn''t want you to go into heat because I instigated you too much in a short amount of time.]


    She looked at the paragraph once more before pressing send.


    She really wanted to say more.


    [You should watch Under the Stars before it goes out of the movie theatres. I just watched it today and it was amazing. Sorry to say that someone dropped off without notice and almost ruined the day by asking me out. Oops. Will you be too stimulated if I tell you that I have a long list of men who are waiting for me to approve of their advances? But don''t worry. You come first in all aspects. You are first priority.]


    She kept it to that and signed out, going back to her illustrator and drawing the image of Cage Cavanaugh, shirtless, just waking up from his sleep. Just like she had seen in the movie.


    - - -

 Chapter 32 - Parking Lot *

    She was standing in the parking lot, looking around when she heard it. Her head snapped up. Yes, it was the sound of moaning and creaking.


    She was thankful that she was in the shadows when she spotted a red car in the lot across from where she was standing. She felt her breath hitch and the telltale tightening of her stomach as she watched the two having sex.


    Really hot, really fast sex from what she could see.


    She knew she should go away but she was transfixed by their rendezvous.


    That was when she saw the face of the people inside the car. Cage Cavanaugh and Keira Higgins were in the car, having explosive sex¡ªor should she say it was their characters from the movie she watched this evening that she was now seeing in front of her eyes.


    Not moving away, she sneaked to stand behind a sign and tried to peek around it. She was closer to the rocking car than she would imagine was safe. It was dangerously close. But she was happy in the realization that she was dreaming and that none of what was to happen was under her control.


    The stimulating noises were animalistic in her ears. She involuntarily squeezed her jeans-clad thighs together as she watched the woman riding the man in the back seat. Her tits bounced in his face and he hungrily lapped and sucked at it. He finally moved from one breast to the other, suckling it hungrily, his tongue jutting out at moments of release and licking her nipple.


    She felt the phantom licks tug at her nipples and before she knew it, her hand was under her shirt pinching her already hardening nipples.


    ''It feels so good, too good,'' she thought as she tried to recollect herself from the lusty haze. Her head felt heavy as she heard the woman increase her moans. Katherine''s hands made their way down her torso and her fingertips played with the edge of her waistband.


    She was so ridiculously turned on from watching these two people go at it that she couldn''t hear anything apart from the creaking and moaning coming from their direction.


    That was until she heard a voice too close to her ears.


    "My little loli likes to watch? What a naughty little girl."


    She was embarrassed that she was caught and mortified by the voice of the man she recognized as RayKon53. What was he doing in her dream? She started to turn around, but he grasped her shoulder so she couldn''t move.


    "No, let''s watch." His breath was at her ear, fire lapping at her nerves, singeing and burning her insides, making a pleasant feeling erupt in her stomach.


    His arm snaked around her shoulder and grabbed her hand while his other hand slid down to her sides until it rested on her hip. He was not pressing himself into her, but she felt completely engulfed by him.


    She knew she should scream, or stomp on his foot, but all she could do was listen to his breathing escalate as his thumb rubbed her shoulder, putting her in a stupor. She thought she heard him sniff her hair and his lips lightly grazed her ears as he whispered. "Don''t miss the show because of me, little girl."


    Her eyes flickered back to the couple in the car, and she let out a whimper as she saw the man pull at the woman''s hair, baring her beck to him, inviting his mouth to lick and suck. She felt Ray close the gap between them, his hard body pressed up against hers, his arms tightly holding her. There was no mistaking what she felt on her lower back and she closed her eyes in delight.


    The sound from the car intensified, and she had to open her eyes to see the man slamming the woman down onto himself, both bracing themselves as they threw their heads back in ecstasy.


    Katherine felt his hand move from her hip and slowly glide across her stomach, settling on the button of her jeans. She should have felt embarrassed, but she was panting with her mouth open. It happened to be one of the most erotic moments she had been a part of and it was just a dream.


    The couple still grunted and moaned, coming together and Katherine whimpered as the hand slid down her shorts to press where she needed him the most, settling inside her thigh.


    "We could be louder," he whispered in a raspy voice against her ear. She shook with need and was about to turn when he clucked his tongue. "Ah, ah, ah, don''t do that. I''ll see you later, little girl." And with that, he vanished.


    She swivelled around to face the man, but he was nowhere to be seen.


    In that moment, she woke up from her sleep and found herself soaked in sweat and need. She wondered if she was too sexually frustrated or if RayKon53 had worked some magic on her.


    ''What was he doing in my dream? Crap. Is this going to continue?''


    - - -

 Chapter 33 - Permission To Be Dirty

    Cage was jetlagged beyond belief when he reached home. Ideally, he should have stayed awake and waited for night to go to sleep, but he just couldn''t control himself and went off to dreamland.


    Today was the opening day for Under the Stars and he was tense as it was. His dreams were plagued by horrors of becoming an unknown actor once again and struggling to make ends meet. When he woke up, it was around twelve at night and for the life of him, he couldn''t go back to sleep. He switched on the television in the living room and went to the shopping channels to relieve him of boredom.


    He was watching a particular advertisement on the television which reminded him of the game and he sprinted to his room to bring out his laptop. Now that he had a couple of months of free time from shooting, he could play the game and level up as much as he wanted. He logged into the game and went straight to his messages to see if Rinten had left a comment.


    Katherine, he mumbled in his mind and smiled. The name still struck a chord in his heart.


    And there it was. She never disappointed. A big ass message from her. He prepared himself for the onslaught of sweet words and dived right in.


    [Rinten: I hope you have reached home safely. I don''t know what you thought of before you went to bed, but you certainly painted a riveting image of our time together.]


    ''I''m glad I could be of service, ma''am,'' he thought mischievously.


    [To be fair, I do practice yoga and often practice alone. I will bring you along next time so that you can enjoy me showing some wicked moves.]


    He groaned as he read the words. He hadn''t thought that she would reciprocate his fantasies by supplying him with new images that would haunt him late at night when he was in bed alone.


    [Things you can''t imagine.]


    He could imagine. He had a vivid imagination that despite not knowing her face had painted a beautiful image of her perky tits and ass twisting into various positions he hadn''t thought were possible.


    [And being touched by a woman? Sorry, my preferences completely lay in muscular men who know what they should do to the body of a woman.]


    For the first time, he felt thankful for the hours he spent at the gym with his trainer, slaving away for the eight pack abs he had been sporting for god knows how long. He seemed to only get roles were he needed to show off his assets and he was fine as long as it paid the bills okay. But this time, he was actually glad that he was a muscular hunk who could accompany her in her endeavours.


    [I don''t want a womanly touch, I want it hard and fast.]


    She was playing with fire, that''s all he could say. He really needed to reach for the bottle of lotion he had kept on his bedside for such events. There was no way his hard member was going to receive any more abuse without closing business in protest.


    He looked at the bottle of lotion on the bedside with a longing look and then went back to reading the message.


    [I would love to tell you what my favorite position is, but I am afraid it will be too hard for you to handle. Wouldn''t want you to go into heat because I instigated you too much in a short amount of time.]


    She had already stimulated him beyond belief. There was no way she couldn''t know what she was doing to him. She was deliberate in her enthralling words and wicked imageries. He knew instantly that she was giving him permission to be dirty. That''s exactly what he had hoped to do.


    [You should watch Under the Stars before it goes out of the movie theatres. I just watched it today and it was amazing.]


    He sucked in a breath, riveted by her opinion. He had not gone on the internet or spoken to his manager about how the film was performing, but seeing her raving about it made him think that the time he spent shooting was worth it. One could say that he thought highly of this mysterious girl without him realizing what had hit him.


    [Sorry to say that someone dropped by without notice and almost ruined the day by asking me out.]


    She knew exactly what she was doing. She was making use of the information given to her and telling him how wanted she was, that he was not the only one pining away for a word from her. Did she realize the possessive streak in him that wanted to double her over and spank her pretty little ass until it was red? He wondered if she would be surprised or down for it.


    [Oops. Will you be too stimulated if I tell you that I have a long list of men who are waiting for me to approve of their advances?]


    Yes, he would feel a maddening growl leave his body as he imagined ripping away any potential suitors away from her, never to be seen by her or considered so.


    [But don''t worry. You come first in all aspects. You are first priority.]


    Damn right, he was first priority. He would have it no other way. He couldn''t imagine her running off with some subpar bloke while he waited, kneeling to worship her at her altar.


    He quickly started typing away.

 Chapter 34 - Hot, Fast, And Hard *

    [RayKon53: Are you trying to kill me, little girl? Do you want me to find you and take you over my knee and do unspeakable things to you as you plead to be released from the pleasure? I don''t think you want that. Let no man near you. Senpai doesn''t like it when other men come pawing what is his. And you should remember that. Remember that you are mine, little girl. Be it a man or a woman, no one gets to touch you other than me. I am glad that you enjoy the touch of a muscular man because I am all prepared, baby, to show you how hard and fast I can go. I bet we would be loud.]


    [As for your favorite position, I wanted to know about yoga. What dirty things were you thinking about, my little loli? I like how your brain is always in the gutter.


    You have stimulated me beyond belief. Make no mistake you will be paid back for this indiscretion. And tell any man who comes knocking at your door that you are taken. Okay, love?


    I will now go and relieve myself. I think I need to go to the store and get a big box of lotion. I will be needing it with you around.]


    With that, he switched off the screen and went to his bed. It had been a long time since he had come and he couldn''t wait any longer. He reached for the bottle of lotion on the bedside table and squirted out a copious amount of it onto his hand. With the other hand, he held and shimmied out of his pants, letting them rest near his knees and grasped his cock with his newly moisture-induced hands.


    He sighed in relief as he stroked with one hand and let his imagination unfurl.


    - - -


    He had entered the room and switched off the light, leaving her in complete darkness. She swivelled around, confused why the lights had gone out before scampering on the wall to search for it.


    He reached out to hold her hand gently, leaning into her ears and whispering, "Is this what you wanted?" he asked.


    "Who are you?" she asked in a low voice, panic clearly written in it, occupying half her being at that point, but she persisted. "I''ll kick you in the balls if you try anything," she said through her gritted teeth.


    "No names, remember?" he chuckled into her ears, leaning in. He was sure she could feel his hot breath against the nape of her neck. He leaned down and quickly rubbed circles on the palm of her hand which he held. "You wanted a stranger, remember?" he reminded her, remembering her teasing words and flirtatious comment.


    A small whimper escaped her throat as she gave in to his seductive voice. It was as if she remembered what exactly she had asked for. Hard and fast. From a stranger like him.


    He grazed his lips against her exposed neck. "You know what I want. And I know what you want," he breathed. "Tell me, Katherine," he demanded softly. Using her name left a rush of pleasure shoot down his body. "Is this room dark enough?"


    "Dark?" she stuttered, short of breath from excitement.


    A warm, wet tongue traced her earlobe. Another deep chuckle rumbled from his chest and shook her to her core. She shivered as he tightened his hands on her waist.


    "To fuck you." A shocked gasp escaped her lips. Her body shook as a part of her realized that it would be better if she screamed. Yet, to his surprise, she didn''t. She leaned back into his chest, finding comfort in his touch.


    "You want this, Katherine?" he hissed, hearing her whimper as his deep voice resonated within her, sending a shiver down her spine. She loved hearing her full name, he hoped. "Hot, fast, and hard sex? Are you trying to get a rise out of me, Katherine?" his rough, low voice was scratchy as he seduced her.


    "You shouldn''t say things that you don''t mean. You should be wiser, Katherine."


    His large hands tightened briefly before tracing circles on her sides. Her breath caught in her throat as he inched his hand higher, gently ghosting over the swell of her breasts. His tongue traced down her throat, his lips finding the base of her neck and teasing it with small licks. The pleasure from tasting her sent shockwaves through him. He tasted like the first snow and warmth.


    "You need to decide what you want¡­" he trailed off, gently letting his lips suckle on her neck. "I want you¡­" he whispered against her skin, breathing in her fragrance.


    Another small whimper escaped her throat.


    "Maybe I can help you decide," he said mischievously, dragging his tongue for one last lick before he let her go. She should have sprung away, but she searched for his heat in the darkness.


    In a sudden movement, he turned her around, his mouth covering hers. His tongue pressed in, tasting her. He wrapped herself around her, holding her tightly with one hand and letting the other be buried in her hair. He tilted his head, his tongue working against her''s, controlling her completely.


    His erection pressed up against her stomach as he kissed and nipped at her lips, his tongue offering delicious sweeps of relief and tingles from his love bites. His assault continued until she was left trembling in his arms, gasping for air, holding onto his shoulder for dear life. He enjoyed the blistering hear they had built between them. He instinctively closed his eyes to relish the moment.


    "Decide," he growled at her, hoping it would make her tremble with need. And it did. "Ask me to take you."


    "Yes."

 Chapter 35 - Whats Your Name? *

    "Would you like me to kiss you again, Katherine?" His lips moved against her earlobe, his tongue tracing the shell of it with luscious motions. "Would¡­ you¡­ like that?" he asked. He felt her nod and swooped in to press her up against him again, covering her mouth with his. His senses were overwhelmed by her taste and scent. His tongue stroked and explored. She clutched at his shirt as he leaned into her further, bending her backwards. His lips pulled away, moving to her sensitive throat. His hand snaked towards her waistband, finding her womanhood and cupping her tightly. She gasped at his possessive attitude. "Mine," he growled against her neck. His fingers began moving, stroking softly as she fisted his shirt, biting her lip to stop herself from moaning.


    Unable to control herself, she gave in. She parted her legs slowly, giving him the access he wanted. His fingers slipped in deeper, finding the spot where she ached for him. They lost themselves in their own little world, everything else forgotten. The feeling of her warmth against his fingers left him bewitched. She arched her back to get closer to his touch, causing him to smile against her skin.


    "Take what you need from me," he ordered. But his voice was affectionate. He increased his tempo and let his lips cover hers to swallow her screams of passion. He felt himself impossibly hard and waiting for her touch.


    He moved away from her, taking his fingers into her mouth and licking her essence off his skin. He slipped the same hand to his pants gave himself a harsh stroke.


    "You were delicious," he commented huskily.


    "I want you¡­ god, I want you so much," she confessed. He smiled as he gently pushed her forward so that he was bracing himself against the table. His entire body vibrated with anticipation and need. With a swift motion, the zip of his pant was undone and it fell unceremoniously to the ground. He moved between her legs, pressing forward, his hand wrapping around her possessively, his front flushed with her back. His large cock slowly slid between her folds, coating himself in her desire.


    "What''s your name?" she asked, panting.


    "I can''t tell you, love." He was bold. He pressed himself closer, feeling the tip of his member breach her. He didn''t move for the longest time.


    "Please," her mewls became louder, her pleas sweet to his ears.


    "Cage, Katherine. My name is Cage," he growled. In a fluid motion, he thrust forward. "Now, let me hear you moan," he chuckled darkly as he began to thrust within her depths.


    It was exactly what she had wanted. Hot, hard and fast. His cock thrust inside her deep and fast, his grip tight and demonic. He groaned and hissed as he fucked her, growling her name in a low rough voice of his. His unrelenting touch demanded her submission, his embrace was crushing as he climaxed, cursing and panting in her ear, burying himself deep within her. At the moment of his orgasm, a long, slow shiver ran through his entire frame and his gravelly voice whispered her name. "Katherine."


    He breathed heavily as he looked down at his now satiated cock, seeing it almost wink at him in satisfaction. He smirked, feeling content in the images of her against him. He really had to give it to himself. He knew how to paint a vivid picture in his mind and masturbate to it.


    - - -


    She couldn''t fall asleep. The dream haunted her to the point that she wanted to move her hands between her thighs and do the deed. She resisted her urges, telling herself that she knew better than that, and pulled out her phone to run through her social media as a means of distraction. What she found was messages, long messages from the devious man who plagued her dreams. She was addicted to his words, she couldn''t delay reading them.


    [RayKon53: Are you trying to kill me, little girl? Do you want me to find you and take you over my knee and do unspeakable things to you as you plead to be released from the pleasure? I don''t think you want that.]


    But that is exactly what she wanted. Wasn''t she provoking him to do just that?


    [Let no man near you. Senpai doesn''t like it when other men come pawing what is his. And you should remember that. Remember that you are mine, little girl. Be it a man or a woman, no one gets to touch you other than me.]


    She loved his possessive streak. She silently bit down on her lips as she continued to read.


    [I am glad that you enjoy the touch of a muscular man because I am all prepared, baby, to show you how hard and fast I can go. I bet we would be loud.]


    And there it was. He had understood exactly what she was implying, and reading this message after that dream of her really left her frustrated.


    [As for your favorite position, I wanted to know about yoga. What dirty things were you thinking about, my little loli? I like how your brain is always in the gutter.]


    She sniggered, thinking that he was bluffing and had made the innuendo deliberately to throw her under the bus.


    [You have stimulated me beyond belief. Make no mistake you will be paid back for this indiscretion. And tell any man who comes knocking at your door that you are taken. Okay, love?]

 Chapter 36 - Relieve Myself *

    She shivered with need. The wetness between her thighs was evident, but she felt ashamed to act on her instincts for a reason this small. Could his words be affecting her to the degree that she needed to rub one out everyone he declares her as his?


    [I will now go and relieve myself. I think I need to go to the store and get a big box of lotion. I will be needing it with you around.]


    With gaped, knowing that it was all the permission she needed. It was late in the night and he was probably sleeping, but she had to get that out there.


    [Rinten: I plan to make your hands baby soft by the time I am done with you, and I know very well as to what I am doing to you and your little buddy down there. Even though I have a sneaking suspicion¡­ more like a fantasy that you are considerable in your package.]


    ''Take that!''


    [I will brand myself as yours, Senpai. Make no mistake, I will take you up on your offer of wicked services. And I don''t see them as punishments. You could tie me up, handcuff me and have your wicked way and I would just ask you for more.


    Let me tell you a little secret. Because you have shared your dream with me, I will share mine with you. I hope this will make you reach for your lotion once again.]


    She paused and took a deep breath. Was she really going to write to him what she had seen? Or would she make it worse for him that he thought her a deviant?


    Worse, she decided with a wicked smile. She would definitely make things worse for him. How dare he ignite her passions so¡­


    [The dream started off innocently, with me standing in a parking lot and attempting to find my car. Now don''t ask me why I was here, but I heard some noises coming from the distance. Meaning to investigate, I walked to the area to see a couple in a red car, passionately kissing, the woman bouncing on the man as she took him deep inside her and throwing her head back in ecstasy. I was shocked. I was frozen in my spot, not knowing what to do, but I couldn''t find it in me to leave. It would have been best if I had left. I don''t know exactly what made me do it, but I hid behind a sign and observed them closely, making sure I didn''t miss a single thrust of his or the moan of hers. They met each other mid-air, and they looked so beautiful together that I found myself pressing my thighs together, looking for relief myself. I reached down to touch the swell of my breasts, feeling the ghost-like sensations from their activities and pinched my nipples harshly¡­ or was it gently¡­ I don''t quite seem to remember.


    It felt so good to be the voyeur, unknown to them, watching their love take wings. I got lusty after that, wanting what the woman was getting, craving the touch of another in that instance. I stifled a moan as my hands glided down my stomach and stopped at the waistband, contemplating if I should give in to my pleasure right there. On another hand, I wanted to join the two in their pleasure, I wanted to be a part of their experience together, feel the love they felt for each other. I played with the buttons of my jeans for a minute, absolutely turned on, dripping wet.


    And I heard it, your voice. You were so close to me, I could feel your breath against my ear as you leaned in. Your lips were unbearably close to the shell of my ears, making me gasp in shock and excitement. I knew then that something absolutely phenomenal was about to follow. You called me a naughty girl, and even though I laugh to think of it now, I was panting with the need your voice had injected into my veins. I was embarrassed, humiliated that someone had caught me in the act, but the guilt of pleasuring myself won over. I was entranced by your voice and what was happening in front of me.


    I was close to turning around when you grabbed me by the shoulder stopped me, your hands tightened around me as you ordered me to watch with you as the couple reached their climax. Your body was flush with mine, making me feel an unbearable heat that brought comfort to me. Oh, what you do to me. You held the hand which was at my button and caressed it. I felt a jolt of pleasure as you drew circles on my palm, giving me a taste of what was happening in the car. I could feel your cock against my back, poking me in a hello, letting me know that you were just as aroused as me.


    I was astounded as they came together and you whispered into my ear that we could be louder. I still remember waking up a ball of need, not knowing what had happened in my drowsiness, but still knowing I craved something which had not been given to me.]


    Of course, she had forgotten a few parts and added in others, there was only so much she could remember from the dream, but she was happy with what she had written.


    [I hope this gives you the courage to share more about your dreams and fantasies with me. I would really like to get to know you better. Not just as my fantasy but as a friend who you can share your deepest regrets with. I hope I can be that for you. I don''t know if we will come online together or not, and I know both of us are busy individuals, but I am really glad that I stumbled across you that day and put my foot in my mouth.]


    She added these words at the end, just letting him know she was not after her body, but genuinely like his personality and the little they had gotten to know each other.


    - - -

 Chapter 37 - Lecherous Teacher

    "Stop jerking off to Cage Cavanaugh," someone said from behind her, startling her. She looked down at herself, making sure she was not inappropriately touching herself anywhere and happily she was not.


    "I am not masturbating, you freak," Katherine threw back at Lily who had a huge grin on her face.


    "You had it written all over your face!" she teased, looking for her mug.


    "Do you want me to make you some coffee?" Katherine asked the other, feeling quite happy with her achievements.


    "Once I find my mug, I will allow you to make some for me," Lily said cheekily.


    "How was the date with Mr. Nice Guy?" she merrily looked at her friend who was glaring at her.


    "He has a name and it''s Jared."


    "Well, how was your date with Jared?" she asked again, hoping this time it was less offensive.


    "We had dinner at a quaint restaurant and then went to the planetarium to look at some starts."


    "And did you have a good time?" She wagged her eyebrows at her friend, insinuating more than her words did.


    "I had a good time, but not the kind you are thinking of. We kissed a couple of times, but he treated me with the utmost respect," she said with a dreamy expression in her eyes.


    "Perks of dating a nice guy. You get treated well," she shrugged. Taking a sip of her coffee she boosted forward with the conversation. "When are you meeting him next?" she asked curiously, taking a bite of her toast.


    "I don''t know, my schedule is sort of full, so it will take some time before I can clear some space."


    "What does he do, by the way?"


    "He''s a high school teacher, which says why he is so respectful." Kitty snorted.


    "All high school teachers are lecherous. And don''t tell me he is an English teacher or I will break out into a song and dance." Lily smirked. "No way. English teacher?" Kitty laughed. "Don''t stand so¡­ Don''t stand so¡­ Don''t stand so close to me!" she sang in full volume. From the distance, they heard a groan.


    "Can you keep it down?" Angelina said, scarecrow haired and barely awake. "You just woke me up from a dream of Cage Cavanaugh," she hissed.


    "Did you get a couple of beers in at night? Why do you sound hungover?"


    "More like she was up all night masturbating to the image of her Cage boinking her mind out," Lily snickered.


    "Was the movie that good?" she asked, looking at Angelina for confirmation.


    "I don''t remember much apart from his abs and his glorious body during the bed scene. The tickets were worth the price." Angelina went to the sink to grab her mug. "Coffee," she demanded, handing Kitty her mug.


    "Yes, your highness," Kitty muttered, rolling her eyes as she walked towards the coffee maker.


    "Do you know what was more entertaining than the movie?" Angelina asked.


    "The movie was the highlight of my week. Don''t compare to anything else," Kitty warned.


    "Seeing Katherine trying to dodge Nathan," she continued without giving the other face. Kitty groaned.


    "Where did the bartender come from?" Lily asked, astounded. "I didn''t know you had hit it off!" She screamed.


    "Ouch," the other two muttered. Lily giggled and went forth.


    "I thought you were learning how to flirt but you are using it in your real life?" she quirked her brow in question.


    "Kitty is learning how to flirt?" Angelina looked bewildered.


    "Don''t mind her," she said, levelling Lily with a glare, a warning to not spill her secrets. "She''s just spouting nonsense because she got banged last night!" she stuck her tongue out at her friend.


    "I did not get banged! How dare you!" Even though she wanted to sound offended, it was much like Lily to give in on the first date. She was a hypersexual individual who was not only confident in her body but also not ashamed to get what she wanted when she wanted it.


    "Did you bang Jared or not?" Angelina asked.


    "You knew his name?" Kitty was surprised.


    "Of course. I ask about gossip, love. I am above you in that aspect," Angelina rolled her eyes.


    "Wouldn''t you like to be above me. You can only wish," Kitty taunted, wanting to get a rise out of Angel. Lily silently enjoyed the banter as she sipped on her coffee and smiled.


    "Bed scene, huh?" she suddenly said when their conversation had ended.


    "Yeah. Very spicy scene, that too inside a car," Angelina commented.


    "The director allowed that and it got published. Were there any teenagers in the theatre?" Lily asked.


    "It wasn''t that steamy, but it was surely heart pounding. I could feel mine at my throat. Delicious."


    Kitty stiffened. "Indeed," she said absentmindedly.


    "Are you wandering off into fantasy land again?" One of the two asked; Kitty didn''t know which one. She was that distracted.


    "No. Just wondering when I will go watch it again," this time she turned to look at the two in the eye. "I really enjoyed it," she said with a sly smile. "You might love Cage for his body," she started, pointing at Angelina. "But I am into him because of his superior acting skills," she finished.


    "Poor you, I am the one talking to him," she boasted all of a sudden.


    "I like to appreciate pieces of art from a distance. I would rather not touch a precious piece." She lied. Of course, she would touch Cage Cavanaugh if given the chance. She considered herself a good person who had not committed any sins. She hoped her good deeds would come in handy and come out as a single touch shared between her and Cage Cavanaugh, preferably naked.


    She shook her head. She felt oddly guilty about thinking of him that way.

 Chapter 38 - Give Me More

    "Some modern art pieces are meant to be interacted with. Cage Cavanaugh is such a piece. I would never let the opportunity pass," Lily said in a bland voice. "You lack hormones, my love. Or you are too occupied with appreciating the man and have forgotten that you have a functioning hooha that needs action to not shrivel up and fall off your body."


    "My hooha is under working condition and working well. I am not a nun," Kitty scoffed.


    "Pfft. That''s not what you told Nathan." She gave her a clever look and turned to Lily with a salacious smile. "She will one day be the bride of the Lord, our Savior," she said in a priest-like voice that pissed Kitty off a teeny tiny bit.


    "You''re the one who called him to the theatre in the first place. I am not interested in that nincompoop who doesn''t know how to take no for an answer." She turned to Lily as well. "Did you know, he told me that I couldn''t say no to him and that I should take some time? He almost ruined the movie for me." She pouted.


    "Poor baby," Lily consoled fakely, making Kitty bare her teeth and hiss like the cat she was.


    "Meow," she called, deflated and out of breath.


    "What an eventful morning. Wanna go out party tonight?" Angelina proposed.


    "You must be kidding me. I just went a week or so ago. I can''t handle seeing Nathaniel''s face two days in a row." Kitty groaned. Lily chuckled on the side.


    "Don''t knock on him until you try him. Maybe he is a bomb in bed."


    "He is a bomb. Period. I wouldn''t even go near him with a hazmat suit." She scowled. The two laughed at her for her pettiness, but she stood firm.


    "We''re just teasing you," Lily said with a smirk.


    "You two are infuriating," she said, trying to control her smile. These were her friends and she would never have it another way.


    - - -


    [RayKon53: Dear Rinten,


    You have left me with a lot to think about. First of all, I would like to tell you that I too would like to get to know you better. Apart from your salacious words, I quite enjoy your smart and quirky personality. It draws me right in.]


    ''Peg me a siren for drawing you in, senpai. I have worked hard to mold my words into presentable coherent sentences that don''t make me sound like a horny teenager. The fact that you see some shred of personality shining through despite my words, is a miracle in itself.''


    [Let''s settle for this, okay? I write out one fantasy of mine in the messages and one fact about me and you do the same. That way your naughty words can accompany me at night and your warm personality can keep me in a bubble during the day.]


    She smiled. ''So my words accompany you at night, huh? That''s a pleasure to know. It makes me outright hot to see you have such a reaction to me.''


    [I am a single child of my parents who somehow managed to do great with their careers and are somewhat connected to mine. While I am not comfortable enough to exactly tell you what it is I do, I would like to tell you in the future when we know each other better. I was a loved child in my childhood and got everything that my heart desired. My parents had a love for classical music so I was forced to learn to play the violin and the piano, which I excel at, might I add. I grudgingly went to the classes and learned to love them. By the time I was ten, I had participated in some concerts. This is not to say that I was a prodigious player, but that my mother really worked hard to get me to that level. I have shown my card, now give me yours, rin rin.]


    ''I want to see more of you, please. Give me more, senpai.'' How was she so lewd in her innocent thoughts, as well?


    [As for that delicious fantasy of yours. What do you want me to say? I would really like to take you out in the dark and watch the stars with you, but this proposition sounds better.]


    She snickered. ''Take me out to see the stars? That would be nice.''


    [I would be down for it. Would you like punishment for leaving me out when you were cooking up these images? I feel left out, not being able to touch you while my dream counterpart could caress your body and be in the same vicinity as you. I want to run to you and take you on the nearest surface I find, no excuses.]


    This was the first time he had spoken about coming to her and actually doing wicked things. It had been all fun and games before, but now she realized that he truly meant it. The possessive attitude was not a fa?ade. There was a chance that someday when they were comfortable with it, they would meet.


    [Let me elucidate a fantasy for you. I hope you have your rabbit and batteries ready, things are going to get hot in here.]


    She quickly turned to the side and produced her trusted toy, taking it in her hand and changing the batteries as she didn''t want it to die on her in the middle of the message. She turned it on and it buzzed in her hand. Satisfied, she stared back at the screen and started reading his depraved thoughts.

 Chapter 39 - Ravishing Miss Rinten *

    [You were in a white buttoned shirt and a pencil skirt with a small slit at the back. I could see you browsing through the books on the shelf, making sure you had everything in order. I looked at you, hunger and deviance on my mind, wanting to feel your curves under my hands. My book on Victorian literature lay forgotten as I stared at you in longing. In a moment of decision, I stood up from my seat and quietly made my way to you.


    "Miss Ten," I say to you, my voice composed, far from the storm in my heart.


    "Yes, how can I help you?" you whisper back, looking delectable.


    "I need your help with a problem I have encountered," I say in a low, breathy voice.


    You raise a brow as if understanding my intentions and look at the book I have abandoned on the table. You turn back to me with a quizzical expression and tilt your head to the side, revealing your neck, ripe for the biting.


    I lean in closer, breathing in your scent.


    "There is something I don''t understand and wish to ask you," I would say, taking a step towards you. You have seen me looking at you before and know what is to come. You had long expected me to act on my impulses are quite surprised that it had taken you so long.


    "What is it, Mr Kon?" you would ask in a timid voice, your gaze not meeting mine. You are shy in the face of my approach, contemplating if it is ethical for you to look into the eyes of a student and lust after them.


    "Did you enjoy reading that story on the train yesterday?" I ask with a wide grin. Your eyes widen comically, knowing what I mean. I had read the story over your shoulder and seen how you shifted in the jam-packed train, reading about a woman offer herself up to the masses and see who would take her, and wildly did she get taken.


    "You¡ª" you splutter but there is no escaping.


    "We''re in the library, Miss Ten. You wouldn''t want to raise your voice and break the rules," I say, my hands going forward to touch your slightly reddened face.


    "What do you want?" you ask, mortified.


    "For you to be silent, and accept my favor." You look stunned. "Be quiet now," I warn, gently cupping your neck and leaning in. I press my lips gently to yours, enjoying the first taste of you, planning the wonderful things I would do to your body.


    "Someone will see us," you say shyly, but I know what you want. You want to be taken where people can see you. You want to be ridden out in the wild as people remain unaware of your passions.


    "In this section?" I chuckle. "No one comes here, love. You are just dreaming." You are putty in my hands as I press my lips to your chin and then back to your lips, moulding my body around you. Our tongues entangle and I suck on it gently, giving you the sweetness you deserve.


    "You like it?" I ask, pulling back. You nod, a slight groan escaping your lips. I smile warmly and glide my hands down your sides, residing on your hips and gently tilting you towards me. I un-tuck your shirt from your skirt and slowly slide my hands underneath, feeling ripples in your stomach as you gasp from the contact.


    "You want me," I affirm, delighted. "Say you want me," I plead, wanting confirmation.


    "I want you," you whisper when you hear me. You sound reverent, almost. I trace my finger on the swell of your breasts and gently draw circles, perking up your semi-aroused nipples, hardening them.


    Seeing you excited makes me fasten my hand, pulling the other one down your skirt. I groan when I feel it. "So wet," I murmur. "I knew you would be dripping wet for me, sweet Miss Ten." You moan, and it is loud. I take out my hand from under your shirt and place it on your mouth, silencing you. "If you want me to stop, tap on my hand at any time. I will leave immediately." It''s not a warning, it''s just to ensure that you are safe and indeed want me.


    Your legs widen instinctively as two of my fingers slide against your entrance, slick with need. I twist them around, finally letting them enter you. You sigh, relieved at the touch. I pump slowly, pushing in and out, slower each time, until my fingers are no longer inside you. I lift my fingers and suck on one, moaning at the taste of you. I offer you the other, seeing the hungry look in your eyes. You quickly suck on it as if it were my member you were sucking on, nibbling at my finger before I pull it away.


    "So filthy," I comment with a growl, grabbing you and pushing you up against the bookshelf. The shelf rattles a bit, scaring you. You clutch onto me, holding yourself up and trying not to lean against the shelf.


    "Let go," I command you. I pull at your skirt, raising it up to your waist and then attack my pants, opening them in record time. "I can''t take it anymore," I say and you nod with need. I position myself at your entrance and thrust in hard, earning a squeal from you.


    "You''re breaking the rules," I tease. I push myself deeper, and I feel you push up against me, one leg wrapped around my waist. Taking the cue, I grab your other leg and put it over my waist, as well, letting you balance yourself between my body and the shelf. You look startled at the depth and brazen attitude. You look around to see if anyone is there, but I am beyond caring at that point.


    A/N: Pleasee support this author by donating. https://www.paypal.me/SunScar9 is the link you can follow. It will ensure that I have money for lunch. I am not even kidding. *okay, just a little bit*

 Chapter 40 - Dreams of Exhibitionism *

    WARNING: You know the drill.


    [You bite at your lip, trying to keep silent as I push into you at a punishable pace.


    "Do you want to wager if anyone will come here?" I ask, my voice husky. "Let me hear you." You cry out my name. I focus solely on your eyes as your hips push against mine frantically, trying to keep my pace.


    "Harder," you plead, gripping my arm. I meet your requests. I chant your name as you start to tighten around me. I watch as your toes curl and your body shakes as your orgasm takes over. I can''t stop the grin on my face as I lean my head on your shoulder and fuck you through your orgasm. I come shortly after, harder than ever, feeling you tighten around me to milk me.


    I lay you gently on the ground, both spent and we see that not a single soul had come to see our little performance.


    How did you like that for a fantasy?]


    - - -


    She imagined every word he said and had to say that his words were enticing. How had he known that it was a fantasy of hers? While it was absolutely critical for men to have a secretary slash librarian fantasy, for a woman to think in the same way was scarce. It was not that she wanted to please the man, but it was more that she had in her childhood wanted these jobs, craved what the stories gave these professions.


    Moving her hand away, she kept the toy to a side and headed for the bathroom to take a steaming hot bath that could calm down her nerves. It was still early on Saturday and she had been riled up like this. She couldn''t believe it.


    She soaked herself in the bathtub and sighed, playing with her abused vagina, hoping it would not be sore in a bit. The bath left her feeling cleansed and fresh, giving her enough mental peace to go out and write out a reply for RayKon53.


    [Rinten: You have sent me to heaven and then dragged me down to hell. I was left shaking and incapable of comprehending what had hit me with your words. At this rate, I think there will not only be a shortage of lotion in the world, but also batteries to charge my handy toys.]


    It was quite possible that the two of them would forever remain single because they had too high of expectations from their partner after meeting each other. How nice would it be if they were there to fulfill their wishes? They seemed to always be in sync.


    [I accept your offer. I quite like the idea of getting to know you inside and out. Wink wink. You must have been a handsome young boy when you played on stage. I should thank your mother for rearing you to be such a talented little boy. I can almost imagine a cute little boy playing to please their mother and doing a good job at it.]


    For some reason, she could only imagine black hair and inky black eyes on a tiny boy who petulantly went to class.


    [Now, I know why you can play me so well. It''s your training in classical music that has grown in you a charm that will no doubt desecrate whatever defenses I have against you. Now, as you have shown yours, I will show you mine.]


    She paused for a bit, wondering how much she should reveal about herself. She decided that she would give as much as she got.


    [My parents raised me to be meek and silent at the face of criticism, which is why I don''t think I can stand up for myself properly. I don''t blame them one bit for making me a decent human being, but sometimes I wish I was a little more outspoken. Contrary to your belief, I am a shy person who rarely speaks to others about such matters. But I find myself wanting to be close to you, and I treat you as a close friend who can embrace my inner vixen. I can''t tell you exactly what my father does, at the moment, but I inculcated my love for my career from him. Something about how he spoke about his profession led me to think differently of the world. He is a businessman and a successful one at that, nothing like a small fry like me. But I have gained much inspiration from him.]


    She smiled as she wrote about her father.


    [My mother is a housewife and a very caring person. She has always taught me to follow my dreams. And I think that is about all I want to share with you today. Show me yours, Ray.


    How did you know that I have a fascination with exhibitionism and a thrill inside trains? I don''t remember telling you that. But I also happen to have a completely innocent librarian fantasy that I would love to play out in front of you someday.


    Don'' t think that I didn''t notice your little dig about coming to me in reality. I know you are a busy individual, but when are you going to make a trip to the poor side of town, meet a friend. I sincerely hope that it is going to be a pleasurable trip.]

 Chapter 41 - Morally Ambiguous

    She logged off, hearing her roommates going off in the distance and quickly went out to check what was happening.


    "Why are the lot of you dressed like that?" she asked, pointing at their fancy clothes.


    "I thought you knew we were going out," Lily said with a surprised look.


    "I thought you were joking!" Kitty looked at the two of them in wonder.


    "Get ready. We are going to watch Cage Cavanaugh flex his muscles again. I bought tickets. We''ll get a nice strong drink after that and come home happy girls," Angelina threw out.


    "Okay," she conceded in one word. There was no way she was going to pass up an opportunity to watch Cage and that too on someone else''s dime. Her friends snickered, knowing that the other was simply going to watch the movie stars abs.


    "Are we dressed to party?" Kitty asked a moment later, sticking her head out of the room.


    "It''s going to be lit." Lily made some lewd gestures at Kitty. Flabbergasted by the audacity, Kitty stuck her head back in and scanned through her clothes to find something suitable.


    "This," she said, finally picking out a white see-through top and a pair of yellow palazzo pants. She had got them from a fancy store and loved how basic yet fancy they were. She donned them on, checking herself out in the mirror, satisfied with how bomb she looked.


    When she got out, she heard a whistle come from Angelina and smirked.


    "Don''t you want to change teams when you see me like this?" she winked.


    "Yes, honey. I can only think of bedding you, now that I have seen you so scrumptious."


    "Your vocab is improving," Lily interjected from the side.


    "Don''t be jealous Lil, we''ll let you join our twosome and turn it into horny girls play all Sunday. What say you?" Lily giggled, elbowing her friend.


    "I''ve got Jared. I need a long, thick yardstick, not some girls playing hide and seek." She looked so confident in herself.


    "We''ve seen your taste, girl. You are into some hardcore shit." Kitty remembered walking in on the other with some man, acting like a dominatrix and shuddered. "I''ll have nightmares tonight," she said, acting like she was going to puke.


    "Oh, you want me," Lily commented, flipping her hair flamboyantly.


    "Let''s go watch Mr. Perfect," Angelina groaned, making them laugh.


    - - -


    "I can''t believe I saw Keira and Cage bonking on screen. I don''t think they have any chemistry to begin with," Lily fumed.


    "Do you think she was cheating on him while they were together? Or do you think he found out earlier than what was portrayed in the media," Angelina mumbled. "My poor boy, he looked so heartbroken."


    "I think he found out on the day the pictures were released. I saw the paparazzi catch up to him and ask him. He was surprised and not to mention pissed," Kitty said as she sat down on the barstool. The club was comparatively empty and Nathaniel was not serving that night. She was happy.


    "I am glad he was pissed and not heartbroken. Sometimes I wonder what he saw in that woman," Lily hissed.


    "She must have been sweet to him when they were in a relationship." Kitty shrugged. She called for the bartender and ordered a tower of beer.


    "We''re drinking beer tonight?" Lily scrunched up her nose.


    "I am drinking beer tonight. You guys can do what you want," she snickered at their sour expression.


    The conversation changed mood and turned into Angelina talking about her upcoming projects and how excited she was to be going further. It was only a matter of time before she hit international, she was that pretty and good at her job.


    "Do you think Cage knows me?"


    "I doubt it. He must know supermodels only. But I think you would make a great pair," Lily said. She gave Kitty a look and made a gesture with her hands which asked her to play along. Kitty looked on graciously, not wanting to feed her friend bullshit.


    "I would look good on his arms," Angelina said, throwing back a shot.


    "You would look like a hanger in his arms. He is ripped. He could buck you off to the ceiling if he so wished," Lily wiggled her brow.


    "Pervert," Kitty muttered, shaking her head, still finding the conversation enjoyable. Her beer had arrived and she was chugging down as soon as it came. Even though she had relieved her pent up frustration, but there was a bubble of want in her stomach that she needed to drown with alcohol.


    "Let''s go dance!" Angelina squealed, intoxicated. She left the seat, going into the floor, which had crowded up and danced her soul away. She was a particularly bad dancer, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.


    "Did you see the poetry her Kevin Heart has been sending?" Lily said, tilting up her glass and clinking it with her mug.


    "Fucking Shakespeare and Neruda, don''t remind me," Kitty grumbled, taking a big gulp of her beer.


    "And she thought it was romantic." The other rolled their eyes.


    "I am waiting for the day the FBI will fill our room and take her into custody. The maximum this boy can be is high school and that''s pushing it."


    "Not all men are profound like your Ray," she winked.


    "That''s true. But acting like his mother wouldn''t allow him to contact her? A disgrace. That is definitely not Cage Cavanaugh." She smacked her lips together and turned to stare at her tipsy friend on the dance floor. "Do you think she will regret grinding into another man while she is talking to someone?" Lily followed her look.


    "Probably. We''ll not let her leave with the guy," she muttered giving me a pointed look.


    "They aren''t in a relationship," Kitty shrugged. "Morally ambiguous is our middle name."

 Chapter 42 - Warning You

    "You are the least ambiguous person I know!" she looked at me with a bland expression. "I am so happy you are opening up with Ray."


    "Do you want to read something?" Kitty asked, excited. "I know you want a play by play and I have got just the thing for you." She reached into her purse and took out her phone, passing it onto Lily. "Open up the server and go to his name. Read the last long message he sent me." Kitty ordered in a soft voice.


    The other''s eyes widened as she stared at the phone.


    "You guys are sexting!" she screamed, but her voice died down due to the loud music. "You like him," she gasped.


    "I think I do," she agreed.


    "And you are talking about meeting! He has the wildest fantasies about you and he is telling you all of them. Do you realize what a huge step that is towards discarding your nun persona? I think you are finally interested in someone, enough that you are breaking out of your shell. And dare I say he likes you too. You have gotten him smitten!" She had a broad grin on her face.


    "Good grief, breathe for a second," she giggled. "I think something could come from this, but do you think so?" Lily nodded vigorously. "What if I meet him?" she gulped.


    "You strip him naked and have your way with him. It doesn''t matter if he looks good or not. If he is a frictional person who can handle you and your amazing body, I think it is worth it. You actually like this guy!" She was ecstatic. "My little girl is all grown up."


    She pulled her phone back and placed it inside her purse.


    "I think I am falling for his words and I am scared." It had been a mere week and a half since they knew each other but they were falling hard.


    "Dive in," her friend encouraged. "I don''t see anything wrong with being in another relationship after what Jonathan did to you. I fucking loathe that boy and I still want to go around kicking his ass if I see where he is."


    "He got a girl pregnant," Kitty said, scrunching up her brows. "Thank god I wasn''t there with him. Cheated on the girl he cheated on me with and got another girl pregnant." She scoffed.


    "Where do you get all this news about him?"


    "I have my sources," she said with a wicked smile.


    "Fucking speak of the devil," she groaned. Kitty was about to follow her gaze when Lily caught her shoulder. "Don''t turn. You''ll just ruin your mood." Kitty believed her friend and didn''t turn around. She sipped on her beer until she felt an arm on her other shoulder.


    "Son of a bitch," Lily swore. Kitty froze and turned around, ready to rain hell on whoever had dared to touch her but saw her guilty ex-boyfriend standing in front of her.


    "What the hell are you doing here?" she said snarkily. The man had a huge grin on his face that made her skin crawl. She wanted to be as far away physically from this man as possible. She felt like her skin would burn if he was near her.


    Her mood plummeted as he answered.


    "I saw you from across the bar and had to come over. How have you been these days?"


    "I''ve been fine. Now remove your filthy paws off me," she sneered. The man didn''t back off.


    "I''ve missed you, baby," he cooed, making her withdraw in disgust.


    "I''m sorry. You were the only one doing the missing because I don''t think about you at all," she looked at Lily, pleading to help her, but the other just let her handle her situation.


    "You''re an adult," she said, glaring at the man. Kitty didn''t even want to think his name.


    "Shouldn''t you be sympathy abstaining from drinking now that you have gotten a girl pregnant?" Katherine threw out, wanting to scold the other and remind them that they had a girlfriend waiting at home.


    "It was my mistake, Kitty¡ª"


    "Don''t call me that," she interrupted, holding her hand up.


    "Listen to me. I didn''t love those women, I love you. I want to get back with you."


    "I am not interested," she ground out of her teeth.


    "Are you seeing someone already? I will fuck him up when I see him," he looked enraged but Katherine knew better. He only wanted to get into her pants again and boast about it to his friends. What a child.


    "I might not be seeing anyone, but if I did, they would be a lot more worthy of me than you, you pencil-dicked moron." The insult hit him. He grabbed ahold of her hands and dragged her down on her high stool, almost making her fall to the ground, hitting her face. She balanced herself somehow and realized what a dangerous situation she had gotten herself into.


    She heard Lily screaming from behind her and sighed in relief. Having a friend who could kick your ex''s ass for you when he was forceful was absolutely wonderful.


    "Let go of me before I crush your balls," she threatened in a low voice, only to be heard by him. "I am warning you."

 Chapter 43 - Escort Him Out

    "Do you need me to take care of him for you, sugar?" a man from beside her spoke.


    "No, sir. I''ll handle this prick on my own." Jonathan didn''t let go of her hand, instead, he grabbed her tighter, pushing her to the edge of the bar and trapping her. "You think you can threaten me?" No doubt, he was drunk out of his mind, but she wouldn''t stand for an asshole pushing her around. She grabbed his shoulder with one arm and elevated her knee, hitting him in the crown jewels. He shrieked as he pulled back, falling to the ground.


    "Atta girl!" she heard Lily praise. She kicked the man who was laying on the floor, clutching his crotch. She could see the bouncers coming towards their direction and fixed themselves up.


    "Is there a problem here, ladies?" one bouncer asked. They simultaneously pointed at the man on the floor.


    "He was trying to force me," Kitty said, accusation in her voice clear. "Could you escort him and his friends out?" The bouncer knew her well, having seen her multiple times throughout her years coming here and believed her instantly.


    They located the men who were coming towards the girls'' way and ushered them out before coming back for the man on the floor. Lily was laughing her head off, the alcohol having gone to her head.


    "Are you okay?" she asked, between fits of giggles.


    "Fine," she said seriously, going back to her stool and chugging down the rest of the alcohol.


    "I don''t know if I should stay here any longer. I feel like crap."


    "Don''t let him get you down!" she said, her eyes wide. "We still need to party and get your mood better than before. What say we play a fun game of shots and get lit."


    "Why do you talk like a teenager?" Katherine groaned, shaking her head and smiling at her friend.


    "I am regaining my youth," she said slyly.


    "Let''s get lit, ladies!"


    - - -


    Katherine''s head was fuzzy when she woke up in the morning. Her mouth was dry and tasted like ass, making her grimace. Why did she drink so much again? She was one of those people who never had a hangover no matter how much she drank, but the taste in her mouth left her devastated.


    The second thing that came to her mind was the feeling of something soft beside her. It felt particularly soft and cushiony, something she hadn''t felt before. If she had brought a man back home with her, she was going to kill someone, preferably the man she brought, but what were these two cushions pressing up against her from either side?


    She squinted, afraid that the morning light would hurt her and saw that there was sunlight streaming through the windows. From the look of it, it was around eleven in the morning. Thank god it was a Sunday, or else her clients would be calling her non-stop asking for their illustrations. She tried to crane her neck to see what was happening only to find two puppy-dog eyes staring back at her.


    "Who invited you into my bed?" she said in a low voice, knowing that she was flanked by two people who had terrible headaches the morning after.


    "It''s too early," Angelina moaned, making her dumbfounded.


    "I am in breast heaven," she sighed trying to shift away from the two women but failed miserably.


    "Don''t go. And if you do make me something that will take away my pain. I feel like I have been hit by a train and then run over by a bus." Katherine steadied her friend''s arm and removed it from her torso, then going to the other side and removing Lily''s hand from her torso, as well.


    "You guys took that threesome joke a little too seriously." She stared at two at intervals.


    "I''ll go back to sleep," Angelina mumbled and then snuggled close to Lily who was further away from her. Katherine dodged them and jumped out of bed, going to the bathroom and quickly brushing her teeth.


    "Delusional asshole," she muttered when she remembered what had happened the night before. It wasn''t that she had forgotten, just that it was a lot of fun afterwards.


    As she sat down on the toilet she flipped out her phone and started fiddling with it. Going to the server, first thing in the morning was routine for her, at that point, a habit she just couldn''t resist.


    "What have we got here," she said childishly as she hovered over the sign that he had texted.


    [RayKon53: Give your heaven and hell to me, baby, I will illuminate them with my wicked ways. I would have loved to see you moan and shake at my words. That''s exactly what I wish to do to you personally.]


    ''It would be explosive. I just know it.''


    [We can''t let there be a shortage of lotion and batteries on the planet. I am a conscientious human being who cares for the environment. There is no other way than to meet up and satiate our desires amongst ourselves. We can''t jeopardize world peace for something so insignificant.]


    ''What can I say? I love the planet, too. I will have to accept your offer then.''


    [You''ve got me curious, though. What toys do you use? If you don''t mind me asking, that is.]


    ''Oh, wouldn''t you like to know,'' she giggled.


    [You don''t need to try hard, my perverse brain flows as the Amazon would.]


    ''We are on the same page, then.''


    [I was a handsome little boy with black hair and jet black eyes.]


    ''His eyes are black! His hair is black, too!'' She rejoiced. That was exactly what she had imagined.

 Chapter 44 - Groggy Replies

    [My mother had to protect me from the swarm of girls and older women who said they would wait for me to grow up and become their boyfriend. Those were the wild days.]


    ''You must be so smug saying all of that. Gloating, what a guy.''


    [Do I play you well? I didn''t know I was talented enough to play the elusive Rinten like a violin. I love that image.]


    ''You play me like a professional, love.''


    [My mother brought me up as a gentleman, I don''t think I retained much of my musical training or the manners she taught me, considering the crass things I have shared with you thus far.]


    ''What would I do with a gentleman? I like you coarse and crass. What''s the fun in having manners?''


    [It''s fascinating that you could open up to me the way that you did despite being a self-proclaimed recluse. I love that you can be free with me, just as I can be with you. It''s a pleasure to know someone who I can connect to on a baser level and not have to wonder what their motivations are. I have a lot of people trying to curry my favor for a higher position in my line of business and I absolutely can''t stand it.]


    ''He sounds so lonely. Don''t worry, boy, you have me now.''


    [Curious and curioser. The more you share, the thirstier I get.]


    ''Heh. That rhymed.'' She shook her head and went back to reading. The most crucial part was here.


    [Therefore, it''s my turn. I was a handsome boy while young, but a nerd. You must know that from my name. This was the first screen name I used and it has stuck with me. My teenage years were awkward, with girls not throwing themselves at me because I was a pimpled fool who had no confidence in himself. Puberty hit me hard, and then suddenly I was this glorious being that no one could get enough of. But let me tell you a little secret. I am still a nerd at heart. I am still that boy.]


    She clutched her heart, the cuteness of the sentence getting at her. ''I would totally throw myself at you when you were a pimpled teenager. How could I miss out on you?''


    [I didn''t know that you had a fascination with trains, but now I do. I look forward to your ministrations. I meant it when I said I would like to do things to you that dream me had done. I feel a special connection to you that I have not felt¡­ ever.]


    It seemed that she really needed to up her game to tease him. He had desecrated her the last time around, so she couldn''t wait to throw him an equally fiery tale that would shake him to his core.


    [Millionaires like us are expected to sweep women off their feet and take them to their castles. I don''t want to sweep you away; I want to gently coax you to come with me. If you are there it could only be a pleasurable trip.]


    She very much doubted that he was a millionaire. But that didn''t change the fact that he was a sweet, funny, kind, and excellent bloke.


    [I want to know your train fantasy. I look forward to it.]


    ''Well. You shall get it.''


    [What are you doing Sunday? I am going to be home vegging out, so hit me up on Qchat if you want. Same handle. We can chat the day away.]


    She didn''t have Qchat, but she would download it immediately if she could talk to him. She went to her playstore and installed the app, signing in and completing her profile.


    She searched up his username and found it immediately.


    [Rinrin here.] She fired off the text.


    By the time she had placed medication for her miserable friends, a message had come through.


    Strangely enough, it was a voice message. Exactly three seconds long.


    She quickly put in her earphones and listened in. There was static at first and the ''mmm'' that followed. He sounded freshly awake, groggily replying to his texts. She imagined him getting up from his sleep to her text and leisurely looking at the phone, confused what had happened. She fanned her face, commending the extraordinary image.


    [Just woke up?]


    Another voice message.


    "Mmm." And silence. Exactly two seconds long.


    [I''ll catch you later, then. Get some rest.]


    "I love waking up to your texts." Simple words said in a leisurely manner. She heard the voice note again and again. As it turned out, she had a thing for words and voices.


    "Here is my voice, then," she whispered into her phone and sent it off.


    It took some time for him to come back.


    [Waking up to your words and voice? I must be still dreaming.] He attached a winky face emoji.


    [You really have sweet dreams, then.] She smiled.


    [Quick update. Have an emergency. Won''t be able to chat. I should be done by tonight?] He sent.


    She frowned as he looked.


    [Why is your profile picture the grumpy cat?] She sent, not knowing what to do next. [I''ll see you tonight.]


    There was no reply.


    - - -

 Chapter 45 - Five Hundred Percent

    The three friends sat in front of the television, watching movies when Angelina''s phone buzzed.


    "Don''t tell me it''s Kevin Heart," Lily groaned. "You''ve been texting him all day!" She rolled her eyes.


    Katherine sulked.


    "It''s an app that alerts me about news I want," she said offhandedly as she scrolled. "Turn to the gossip news channel!" she screamed all of a sudden, scaring them out of their wits.


    They changed the channel quickly and settled in, Angelina a ball of worry, Katherine who was disinterested, and Lily who didn''t know what to do with herself.


    "Under the Star actor got married in a secret ceremony," the reporter began. The three stiffened. Surely, it wouldn''t be Cage, right?


    "If he got married. I swear to god, I will chop his balls off. How dare he do this to me?" Kitty turned to Angelina with a stunned look.


    "What?" she asked.


    "He sent me his number and everything. We have been texting since last night and he went ahead and married someone behind my back?" she cried. Lily stroked her back.


    "If he really did that, then he is an asshole. Why didn''t you tell us you had this number, sweetie?" she said in a low voice, trying to soothe Angelina. She glanced at Katherine, pleading for help.


    "Give me his number," Katherine interjected. "We''ll set this straight."


    "Actors Cage Cavanaugh and Keira Higgins tied the knot on Saturday in a secret ceremony, sources say. The latter flaunted her new ring in front of the paparazzi earlier this morning, making people stunned. After their very public breakup after the cheating scandal, Cavanaugh publicly admitted that he was only seeing her under professional grounds."


    The cries from beside her became pronounced.


    "If you really think it''s him, we are going to hunt his sorry ass and show him who is boss. He can''t be messing with a girl like this." Lily gently reassured her, her words contradicting the tone of her voice.


    "But he''s married!" she wailed. "What do I do with consolation?"


    Katherine snuck Angelina''s phone out of her pyjama pocket and searched the history.


    She''d saved a number as ''My Cagey'' and from the looks of it, they talked every hour of the day.


    "Have you called him yet?" she asked, getting a little bored. She almost felt bad.


    "You can''t call him. He asked me not to!" she screamed, suddenly seeing the phone in Kitty''s hand. "He''s busy. He can''t take calls," she sobbed.


    "If he is Cage, then he is on his down time. He has time on his hands," Kitty responded, holding the phone to her ears. Angelina crawled to her, edging closer to listen who was on the other side.


    "Hello?" someone picked up the call. The voice was definitely female and sounded sultry to the ears. She didn''t know who it was but it was definitely not Cage Cavanaugh.


    "Sorry, wrong number," she muttered, immediately hanging up.


    "Did he pick up?" she asked between sniffles.


    "A woman picked the phone up. Didn''t sound like an older woman, so I don''t know," she shrugged.


    "He was cheating all along," she broke out into sobs again. Katherine felt pity for her friend but there was something fishy about this whole situation. Why would Cage go back to someone who treated him like trash? That was unlikely.


    "Text him," Lily ordered. "Text him and tell him you need to talk."


    "I can''t." She had a panicked look on her face. "What if he stops talking to me?"


    "You can''t control that." After half an hour of bawling and obsessively looking through all the news channels to see that the same news was being circulated everywhere, they managed to make Angelina go to bed and sleep of her sorrows.


    "How did the woman sound?" Lily asked once Angelina was off to sleep.


    "Could be an older sister or girlfriend. Couldn''t really make out. But it didn''t sound like Keira, so I am sure it is not Cage." Katherine said. She might have been a little concerned for her friend, but she wasn''t going to follow her into delusional thinking.


    "So we are sure that it is not Cage."


    "Five hundred percent."


    - - -

 Chapter 46 - Play Around

    Cage woke up to his little conversation with his favorite girl. Her voice perked up his not-so-little friend downstairs, rearing his ugly head early in the morning. He moaned as he texted her back and was about to head to the shower when his doorbell rang.


    He scurried to downstairs with his fluffy slippers on and looked through the peephole to see the familiar face of Keira Higgins peering at the camera.


    "Cage!" she said in a singsong voice, making him cringe instantly. He wondered what he should do for a moment, before deciding that the plethora of paparazzi waiting for him outside would take pictures of this and circulate it on the internet, making his life worse than it was. He just wanted to enjoy his few days of vacation before he was back on the road promoting his movie again. He would be travelling to other countries, making it difficult for him to do anything but sleep and be interviewed.


    He reluctantly opened the main door and saw her leaning against the wall. He gulped, knowing she had plans that he didn''t care for.


    "Cage, you''ve been ignoring me," she pouted, flying into his arms, posing for the pictures. He was sure the alarms would go off if someone trespassed, but he couldn''t say the same about people who were perched on trees, waiting for the right click to go down.


    "Get away from me," he deadpanned, making sure his arms were nowhere near her body. She snuggled closer into his chest, pressing her palms against the hardness of his chest.


    "But you are happy to see me," she said, giggles escaping her lips.


    He scrunched his brows, not understanding what she meant, until she reached down to palm the front of his pants. He jumped back, hard-on completely gone, a frown on his face.


    "Don''t harass me first thing in the morning; it''s not for you." Her face twisted into a grimace as she looked at his face.


    "Then who is it for?" For someone who had been seen with another man while they were supposedly dating, she was quite possessive about his whereabouts.


    "None of your business," he said shortly, pushing her towards the door. She refused to budge, evading his advance and slipping past him. He could hear her giggles as she ran up the stairs.


    Like a frightened bunny, he closed the door and followed behind her, wondering how he would get rid of her.


    "Please leave," he groaned when he saw her enter his bedroom. His phone lay on his bed, and it was as usual unlocked because he didn''t like to put in a password every time he opened his phone. He panicked, scrambling forward to get a hold of his phone, losing out to her within a second.


    She listened intently to the recording on his Qchat, which was open and glared at him.


    "Didn''t I tell you to not play around?" she sneered.


    "I''m not the one playing around here, Miss Higgins. You are." His voice was stern, but he felt a prick of anxiety at the back of his head.


    "Don''t you see that we would be good together?" she said in a light voice, as if forgetting her anger from before. "I don''t mind if we don''t love each other, I want to be with you." she winked at him. He could feel a shudder about to break through, but he suppressed it with great strength.


    "We were never together, and I am not interested in fake relationships." He grabbed her hand and was about to drag her out, when he pulled at him, catching him by surprise.


    There was a light click and a flash that followed, blinding him for a second.


    "How dare you click a picture of me without my permission!" Enraged, he started to pull at her again. "Have you gone insane? Aren''t you the least bit concerned about your image when you get thrown out of the house?"


    "I am not getting thrown out of the house," she said, shrugging off his hand. "Listen to me carefully. You are ruining my reputation. If you don''t take me back, I will make sure you regret it." He was rendered stunned at the poisonous tone of her voice. Her threat hit him, and he knew that with her connections it was quite possible for her to uphold one scandal or the other.


    "I don''t care," he said after a considerable amount of time. Hell, he had his own team of publicists that could handle the fire when it came at him. He had been in the industry for over 8 years and had a successful career at that. Her star team couldn''t take away everything he had gained from his hard work.


    "You''re making a big mistake, Cavanaugh." Her voice was low. "I have been here longer than you have. I was a child actor. What little fame you have gained in the past few months has been because you were associated with me. Don''t think for a moment that the turnout would be so great without my publicist going out and releasing news of our dating."


    "I never agreed to a fake dating and I never will. Your publicist did what they did was best and I kept silent with my team because it would help the cause. It might have come from mutual discussion but in none of the publicity stunts was my team involved with how our relationship was portrayed." His voice was just as scathing.


    "You don''t mind if I make a huge fuss about this whole affair?" she said, confused. "You really don''t know what is good for you, Cage Cavanaugh."


    "You don''t have to care about me. Go ahead and do what you can," he challenged, realizing too late that he was facing a mad person. He would soon come to regret his words.


    "Tell your little slut I said hi," she said with a flip of her hair which pissed him off beyond imagination. He wanted to push her out of his house, but he knew how that would look so he refrained.


    He opened the door graciously and she left with a small smirk on her face.


    He immediately went back to his room and fired Rinten a text, apologizing for not being able to talk to her all day.


    He finished it quickly before calling his manager.


    "Stephen, be prepared. Keira dropped by."


    - - -

 Chapter 47 - Reignite Rumors

    As she came out of Cage''s house, a flock of people with cameras approached her. She slowed her pace and acted like she was bothered, raising her hand to shield her eyes from the flashing lights, but what the camera caught was the pristine diamond ring on her finger. It was definitely a wedding ring and combined with the image of her coming out of his house in a leisurely fashion, the news spread across the media that they had secretly gotten married.


    In reality, all this was Keira and her publicists trick to entangle Cage in an affair he couldn''t deny if he wanted his film to do well. It was the perfect trap laid out for any celebrity who wanted to make a living in a genre they had never attempted before.


    "Get him to admit we are married," she said in a scathing voice to her publicist. Her team had prepared well for this day and would never let this opportunity go. It was their plan to reignite rumors about their relationship so that it would show that the two had made up and the cheating scandal was insignificant. That would ensure that the fire Keira was receiving from the press would go down and everything would settle in a couple of days. She had been losing quite a few brand deals since the incident and didn''t want to lose any more business. It didn''t hurt that Cage was an extremely sexy man on whose hands she looked fabulous. She had been caught by surprise by the photographer who had caught her with the director. She had been discreet before that, making sure her girl-next-door vibe was not hurt.


    - - -


    "What do you mean they are reporting that we are married?" He was confused. How did the media come to that conclusion? He had been on the phone with his manager and team for the past hour and all they could do was scramble and tell him that it was okay if gossip went out, his movie would just skyrocket. But he didn''t want that. He didn''t want to base his career on stupid relationships that never happened and ruin what little chance he had at happiness in the end.


    "She flashed a wedding ring." Stephen''s deadpan came. Cage plopped down on the bed, astounded by the news, not knowing what to do.


    "What should we do?" he groaned, knowing the answer very well.


    "I need you to calm down and think about it. The sales for the movie are rising and the Twitter and Instagram mentions have skyrocketed. We can make this into a good thing," Stephen consoled.


    "We aren''t going to deny the allegations?" Astounded. That was what he was. "What if they confirm it from their side?"


    "They wouldn''t make such a rooky mistake, considering that it is easily disprovable," Stephen said in a calm voice.


    "Am I the only one who is panicking?" he squeaked.


    "Yes. No one else is even looking at this with fear and here you are going ballistic about something so basic. It really doesn''t suit your superstar personality."


    But he was a human before he was a star. How did working in the entertainment equate to his time and life becoming dedicated to the whims of other people who could play him like a puppet and do with him what they wanted? When had he become so pliable in others'' hands?


    "I don''t think it is going to be easy. That''s all," he said in a low voice, resolute in his belief.


    "We''ll see it as it comes."


    The phone clicked off and he was in a daze. That was all? That was all the consolation he got?


    It was about six at night and there was no way he could go back to the game and do nothing about it.


    [You there?] He texted after a while of contemplation. Should he send her a text after he had bailed out on their plans? He would just have to be shameless, then.


    [You''re finally back!] She replied after a short while. [Emergency averted, I hope.]


    [Not even close. I am in a bad mood and really want to contemplate the meaning of life. I desperately need someone to talk to.] He felt vulnerable as he typed those words out. Though he could not consider her a stranger after all they had shared, he was sharing with her something that he had not even told his own family members.


    [What''s the matter? I''ll lend you the ear you need.] Her reply was sweet and simple. It made him warm inside, presenting in him a feeling of comfort and not loneliness.


    [RayKon53: An associate of mine is spreading rumors about me that are not exactly detrimental to my career, but definitely bad for my mental health.]


    He was tired of the industry and just needed someone to hear him out.


    [Rinten: And why are you affected by these rumors? I just want to be objective here and try to figure out what exactly is happening for you to be so distressed.]


    Really, why was he so affected by this rumor? It was not the first time this had happened to him, neither would it be the last. He had been so cool about it in the past¡­ something had changed. He couldn''t for the life of him figure out what. He was relieved that he could talk to her, though. Someone would listen to him.


    [RayKon53: I feel like I have no right to decide what to do with my life!]


    ''I feel like nobody cares about what I think.''


    [Rinten: I understand. You feel powerless. Tell me more about the situation so that I can understand.]


    ''Do you understand, dear rin. I would hope so. I have no one but you to lean on.''

 Chapter 48 - All Ears

    [RayKon53: I ''do'' feel powerless and that is a strange mood to be in. For a better perspective, my career depends on who I am as a person and what people think of me.]


    ''How much should I tell her. Exactly how much can I trust anyone with my secret. I have known her for too little to tell her who I really am. But why do I feel the urge to regurgitate all my knowledge about myself when it comes to this fascinating woman?''


    [Rinten: You have a role of influence, then. And this rumor defames you and makes it harder for you?]


    ''I love how she didn''t dig for more and just settled for the information she was given. It really makes me want to open up to her. Finally, someone who doesn''t want to control me.''


    [RayKon53: Not exactly. I think you need to know the situation for you to understand. You are being too clinical about this.]


    ''She was. It almost felt like she was holding back and he didn''t like that one bit. They were meant to have a chemistry, and all these issues were just hindering the sizzling conversation they had so far.''


    [Rinten: Tell me, then. I''m all ears.]


    ''Thank you, hon.''


    [RayKon53: She is my ex-almost girlfriend who is going around telling others that we are dating again, even though she cheated on me.]


    He couldn''t very well tell her that they fake dated for however long. This was all he could manage without revealing his identity.


    [Rinten: We share similar unpleasant pasts, then. I strictly stand against cheating.]


    ''Similar pasts? What does she mean by that?''


    [RayKon53: It''s not considered cheating if you weren''t in a relationship. More like I was publicly humiliated even though I had no feelings for her.]


    And then he suddenly realized. Someone had cheated on her. That was why she was not okay with illicit affairs. Who would dump such a wonderful woman? Did they sell their brains off?


    [Rinten: I would cut the bitch for looking at another person while someone like you was near her.]


    His heart thudded and he pressed his against his chest.


    [RayKon53: Thank you for the vote of confidence. I''m more concerned about the bastard who let a fantastic girl like you go.]


    ''Tell me. I will break his skull for you.''


    [Rinten: If only you knew¡­]


    ''Oh, but I want to know.''


    [RayKon53: While we are sulking, why don''t we share our woes?]


    ''Say yes,'' he prayed.


    [Rinten: You tell me first.] She commanded. He smiled and started typing out.


    [RayKon53: Everyone thinks I am heartbroken because she cheated with an older man.]


    ''I felt humiliated. That is true. I don''t like everyone''s pity, either.''


    [Rinten: He is probably balding and has nothing on your sex hair. I am sorry I didn''t believe you.]


    [RayKon53: At least you have admitted that my hair is superior than most. One of these days, I will send you an image of my mane. And she tried to molest me this morning.]


    [Rinten: I look forward to seeing your mane. It''s fate that misfortune has struck us both at the same time. My cheating ex grabbed me by the hand and tried to force me, too.]


    ''The fucker did what?''


    [RayKon53: Give me the name, baby, and I will ruin him. How dare he touch you! Did you tell him you were taken?]


    ''I sure hope you did.''


    [Rinten: Did I?]


    ''What a tease.''


    [RayKon53: How long ago did he cheat on you? What happened?]


    [Rinten: Found the bastard on my bed with another girl that was just his ''friend.'' I froze like a dummy when I saw them and cried a little. The man had the audacity to ask me to join in and learn how to please a man.]


    He shuddered. Such a cold hearted bastard.


    [RayKon53: I don''t consider him a man if he told that to you. He was just trying to put the blame on you because he was caught. Don''t believe his words for a single moment. You have rendered me speechless on multiple occasions and I can only imagine what your mere presence would do. I have no doubt that you are the best I am ever going to have.]


    [Rinten: You make me sound like a siren. Am I that precious to you?]


    [Rinten: I must say though. He confessed his undying love for me last night. I wasn''t flattered. It is better to be loved by a platypus than to be loved by that scum.]


    ''Damn right!''


    [RayKon53: What did the poor platypus ever do to you? Did their species offend you in some way? I hear they are precious and mean no harm to anyone.]


    [Rinten: I have offended you. Platypuses are the things of heaven. Are you sure you are not a platypus?]


    [RayKon53: If we have babies, I will take care of them, don''t worry.]


    [Rinten: I thought we were in for a pleasurable trip and here you are threatening me with babies because I called you a platypus. What tactics is this?]


    He snickered. He was not the only one who watched national geography, then. She got the joke and retorted with the best she had got.


    [Thank you.] He typed out. [I can''t believe you made me feel better despite the shitty situation. What magic do you possess, woman?]


    [Rinten: I am sakura the card captor. Didn''t you know? I have witchy powers.]


    [RayKon53: When are you cosplaying as one and sending me a photo?]


    [Rinten: It seems you that you thirst to see me, kind sir. I would be pleased to show you me if you show me you. Let''s not talk about faces, because frankly, I know you can''t beat Cage Cavanaugh. I just want your body.]


    He gasped.

 Chapter 49 - I Want To Lick Them

    [RayKon53: I will have you know that I am as pretty, if not prettier than the man you mentioned. Let''s not mention the fact that I am the one who makes you come at night.]


    ''How will you reply to that, love?''


    [Rinten: Who told you I don''t get off to Cage Cavanaugh. I am confused between the two of you. Cage or Ray. Hmm. The choice is difficult.]


    ''There''s nothing to be confused about.''


    [RayKon53: There''s nothing to be confused about. I am real. Let your pretty boy movie star compete against my eight pack abs.]


    [Rinten: Now I want to lick them, Perry the Platypus.]


    He groaned. ''Any day,'' he thought, sighing.


    [RayKon53: Didn''t I tell you that I would take care of our babies? Why don''t you trust me, love?]


    He waited patiently for the reply.


    [Rinten: You might make my ovaries explode, but there is no way I am letting you anywhere near me with that attitude, Perry.]


    ''I make your ovaries explode?''


    [RayKon53: I have game, and you, my darling, are an angel. I''ve got to get some sleep or else I''ll be a panda tomorrow.]


    [Rinten: Don''t forget to read my words on the game server. Dream of me.]


    ''She sent me a message there, as well? Might as well take it as a bedtime story and have sweet dreams of tasting her.''


    [RayKon53: I can''t thank you enough for today.]


    [Rinten: The pleasure is all mine. Now sleep.]


    - - -


    [No wonder I like you so much. I care for the environment, too. I am almost enticed to buy batteries in a bulk at lower costs and ship some bulk lotion to you so that we have less packaging and I can finally lend a helping hand to you. Why don''t we make a pact to save the world together¡­ one step at a time.]


    A smile escaped him as he read that she liked him. He was on the verge of falling for her warm personality and he couldn''t find a better reason to celebrate than to find out that she liked him a teeny tiny bit, as well. He would die if she sent him lotion. It would just have another meaning altogether and his masturbation sessions would feel more personal. He was all thumbs up for saving the world together. They could even play out some superhero fantasies.


    [I am sure you are curious beyond belief. I would like to inform you that I am not into whips and chains and just invest in things that will bring me more pleasure than pain. I don''t mind an occasional spanking or kink, but Rihanna can stay away with her songs. I might break my bones. As for what I use¡­ I have a wireless G-spot stimulator that works magic on my body, clit massager with vacuuming technology, and the handy magic wand are among the few that are in my box. If you want, I could show you them when we meet.]


    He thanked god that she wasn''t too kinky¡­ just the right amount. He wouldn''t know what to do with her if she enjoyed pain to a disturbing degree. Not that he had anything against BDSM, but it just wasn''t his cup of tea. Seeing the names, he Googled the objects that were named and realized that she was equipped beyond belief. She had the latest technology on her hands to bring herself pleasure. There was nothing sexier than a woman who knew what she wanted and wasn''t shy to get it. He would definitely like to venture into her box and find some hidden treasures to use on her when they met.


    [I get as wet as the Amazon River whenever I am talking to you. What does that say about me?]


    ''Do I make you that wet, love?'' His broad grin gave away his excitement.


    [Honestly, that was exactly how I imagined you. I know for sure that my expectations will be underwhelming compared to the real deal, but I will keep this message in mind. I bet the swarm of girls are still making a line outside your house, waiting for you to shower them with attention.]


    His eyes glowed with affection. She had imagined him. Even though he had dyed his hair blond before entering the entertainment industry, he longed to go back to his original state and feel like himself. Indeed, they were always outside his house with boards and gifts for him. He never did accept them, though. It would only end in disaster.


    [I have never had anyone have this sort of an effect on me. Even I am astounded. How have you been playing me all this time? Your words lap at my body and make it tingle. I wouldn''t have it any other way.]


    He shuddered at her articulation. Could she really feel what he wanted to give her? That would be a true treasure.


    [I''ve always been a stickler for rules, one that was well-mannered and obedient. I don''t want to be that way around you. What is the use of being a good kid when you could be wild and have the world at your feet?]


    ''If this was you being tame, I can''t imagine what you will be when you are wild. I look forward to it, love.''


    [You''re no longer alone, Ray. I will lend you my ears and let you trash talk anyone and everything you want to tell. I think it is a sign of excellence when others want to do better by latching onto you. I would consider it a compliment, but I can see that you feel isolated because of it. Let it be clear that you are not one to please others and let me proceed in life without having talent of their own. Let it be a warning to others who want to take advantage of you.]

 Chapter 50 - Drip *

    [Warning: You know what comes with the star. Snu snu. :3 Read at your own risk.]


    ''I''m no longer alone? Why does that sentence feel so heart-warming? I have felt lonely for too long and I fear trusting others too much. You learn about life the hard way, and being in the industry teaches you how ruthless people can be when they want something from you, only to discard you when the need is gone.''


    Keira was no different. She just wanted to make him say that he had taken her back and rest the cheating scandal. On top of that, she must have wanted to be the ''it'' couple of the industry. It could only profit her. Maybe he should really take her advice.


    [I personally believe that we don''t change as people throughout our lives. I would like to get to know that part of you. I''m not joking when I say that I would be all over you as a teenager. I love the idea of a black haired boy sitting in the corner. That was my type in school.]


    ''I''m sure you''re just my type, as well, little rin rin.''


    [Oh, yes. I have a plethora of fantasies that I am dying to share with you. I have also never felt this way about anyone, and I can proudly say that I am more attracted, both physically and mentally to you than any man I have come across in my short life.]


    He couldn''t believe his eyes at her confession. Did she just say that? He let out an involuntary squeal and then looked at himself in horror. ''What the hell was that?'' he thought in an embarrassed manner.


    [There might be plenty of fish in the sea, but you are the only one who is fishy to me. Of course, I would be there. It would be a trip worth remembering, I can assure you that.]


    He chuckled at her comment. There might be plenty of fish, but he was the only one she was interested in. But what a weird way of phrasing the sentence.


    [What you wish is what you get. Prepare some lotion. You will need it.]


    ''On it, ma''am.'' He thought, leaning over and opening the drawer to his bedside table. He pulled out the bottle and kept it handy in case he needed it.


    [I stood at the platform in my plaid skirt and tank top, looking around, wondering who would be the first to touch me. It was not a common occurrence on the train, but jam packed ones had a few perverts that would slip by and touch unsuspecting victims. It would usually make me angry, but I had come to see that I quite enjoyed the idea of being taken on the train. I was bewildered myself. I like my privacy, but what was this idea that turned me on so much that I was rubbing my legs with need, warm fluid coating my panties and sliding down my thighs.


    Anyone in my proximity could possibly smell me, but I was waiting for you to come.


    The train arrived and a crush of people entered, packing themselves in like a can of anchovies. I struggled to go to the side and lean on the compartment walls, feeling the pressure of the people behind me.


    Now, I wouldn''t say that I am a horny girl, but you make me all kinds of hot and bothered. Some men eyed me like they wanted to eat me, as if they could see under my skirt and smell my arousal. I knew what I was in for, but I was waiting for you.


    At the next stop, a crush of people pushed into the train, cramming inside the carriage. The announcement went off as the train started and I felt it. At first I thought it was just the jostle of the train, pushing him into me, making his hand brush past my ass. But soon I realized that the touch was deliberate and meant to be noticed. The warmth of the palm made me stiffen as I didn''t know if it was you.


    I tried to turn my head to see the look of the man, but it was too cramped inside the train for me to get a good look. I was panicking at that point. My left side was pressed flat against the wall of the train and I was surrounded by men. He was facing the same direction as I was, his hands wandering, hidden from the commuters. Everyone in front of me had their backs to me and no one could see the hand on my ass. I smelled the familiar scent of your aftershave, but didn''t know if it was the source of the wandering hand. The hand was a little rough, suggesting that he wasn''t against hard work, but also showed that he had a somewhat cushy life. I could just tell.


    "It''s me," I heard your voice. I sighed in relief, feeling more daring as lust coursed through my veins. I pressed my ass against your hands and reached down behind me to pull you closer against it.


    It didn''t matter, with so many people, it was impossible to be at a distance from other people. I could feel your slacks and I knew for a fact it was you. My hands brushed against the front of your pants and I felt your cock twitch under the material softly. You were tall, albeit too tall for me. As though you could read my mind, you bent your knee to slouch, bringing your cock closer to my ass. I felt you squeeze my ass firmly, and lean your face close to my ear, your stubble brushing on my skin as you whispered. "You like this?"


    I shuddered. Your voice made my pussy drip. Your stubble, hard and prickly, made me lose my mind.]

 Chapter 51 - A Ride On The Train *

    [Your voice sounded like a singer''s, lulling me with your words and seducing me as you planted your hands firmly on my body. I could hear you loud and clear. I closed my eyes, focusing on the sensation of your hands on my ass. I didn''t dare turn around and let the others know something was happening.


    I let out a soft, unintelligible mumble, trying hard to suppress the whimper that was about to escape me.


    I pressed harder against you. Feeling your cock poke at me through the material of your pants. Your hands slipped under my short skirt and you sucked in a breath when you encountered my naked skin. You gently stroked my thighs, rolling around, teasing the soft, pliant flesh. You pinched my thigh, letting out a low chuckle when I squeaked softly.


    "Do you know how sexy you are?" you whispered into my ear, low enough that I had to strain my ears to hear your voice. "My dirty little girl," you cooed as you went in for another pinch. Fuck if your filthy words didn''t turn me on more. If it were anybody else, I would have slapped them in the face, but it was you and your honeyed voice. How could I resist. It only turned me on more. You slid your hands between my legs and groaned when you found me dripping wet for you. I tried as hard as I could to spread my legs wider, letting you have better access, but it was all futile. I clutched my back and adjusted it so that your hand was hidden behind the large backpack.


    "You must taste delicious," you said, making me tingle and imagine you eating me, your teeth nipping my clit, sucking me, and plundering my wetness.


    You started to run your fingers up and down my slit, tracing a line around it, slowly, applying enough pressure to make it feel good, but not enough to penetrate me. Such a tease. You knew what you were doing to me. I gasped when you slid a finger inside, your long finger a little rough, driving me insane. I was amazed by my ability to hold back a loud moan. You pumped your finger in and out of me, faster and faster. Thankfully, the buzz of the people and the sound of the train masked the wet sounds my body was making. You were stroking the entirety of my pussy, sliding against my clit, your knuckles brushing past my opening.


    Your finger was wet and slippery from my juices. You added a finger, plunging in and wiggling around, trying to go as deep as you could and touch everything inside me. Then you pulled out and dragged your wet fingers across my clit before sliding in again. Repeat.


    My breathing came in pants as I leaned back into you, letting you support my pleasured body, trembling and shaking, trying to control the waves of pleasure shuddering through my body. Had you pulled away, I would have slid down to the floor, open for everyone to see. I was thankful that you were such a gentleman.


    While I wanted to fuck you right then and there, I didn''t think you would be okay with spreading me open and giving me mind-numbing pleasure in front of the other males. I knew how jealous you were.


    You couldn''t take your hands off me. You slid out your fingers for one last time, asking me just how good that felt. I protested with a soft mewl, letting you know I wanted you back inside me. Without notice, you plunged your fingers back in, finger-fucking me in earnest, just going in and out hard and fast. You rubbed my clit with your thumb as your fingers pistoned in and out of me, your breathing ragged and crazy in my ears, waiting for me to come on your fingers. I ground against you and felt you push back, and I knew you wanted to be inside me that very second.


    And god did I want you.]


    That was it? He would scream if that was it. He scrolled and scrolled and only saw the end, no more salacious words from his Rinten and he plopped down on the chair, his cock as hard as ever. He dropped his head in his palms and groaned, almost cursed her for making him think of such things.


    He had to reply to her before he could use the damn lotion to the full extent.


    - - -

 Chapter 52 - Mine

    [RayKon53: I won''t survive if you send me lotion. I am very sure I would spontaneously combust from playing with myself for too long. I would love to make a pact with you, but be gentle on me. What you send has left me wanting for more, you see.]


    ''I don''t think I can handle much more of your provocation.''


    [Don''t think for a moment that I didn''t search for these items. It all sounded so high technology when you said it, but they all can''t seem to do the task I can do with my mere presence. I''m not much of an S and M fan, either. A little punishment through pleasure denial is fair play. I would very much want to see your box of toys. Where do you keep it? Under your bed?]


    He almost didn''t want to know. Knowing to make him yearn her more, and right now he couldn''t handle it.


    [You should ensure you remain hydrated. Being wet all the time is a deviant disease; you wouldn''t want to die from dehydration. And I wouldn''t want you die because I was too sexy for you to handle.]


    [You have an excellent imagination if you caught me. But it makes me worry that you are imagining me as someone else. Is there someone else on your mind? I don''t know how you expect me to look, but I look good enough to make you eat out of the palm of my hand. I can assure you that. There ''are'' a swarm of girls outside my house, screaming my name. Do you want to hear them? Or do you want to scream my name just like them, love?]


    ''You better not be thinking about other men, Rinten. You''re all mine. You must know from how many women I have chosen you. You must see how special you are in my eyes.''


    [It will only be a matter of time before it is me lapping at your luscious body. Just hold on for a bit. I will show you my superpowers. You''ll fear ahegao when you meet me.]


    He shook away the image, not wanting to fall into that trap until he finished writing out the message in its entirety.


    [You? A stickler for rules? I can see why you have a daddy kink. It''s almost like you were meant to be taken care of. Why don''t you remain a good little girl working under daddy? You would like to be under daddy, right?]


    ''I wouldn''t mind if you were submissive to me, baby. I would thoroughly enjoy bossing you around and giving you a taste of the kinks you anticipate.''


    [I can''t tell you how emotional I got reading you say that I was not alone any longer. I felt tears prickling my eyes. I can''t think of it as a sign of excellence when others latch onto me and want to suck me dry. I will take you up on your advice and try to fend them away, tell them who is the boss in this situation. I should have thought of this earlier. You just put things into perspective.]


    ''I didn''t know I could stand up against this whole thing. At the end of the day, I am just a simple man. I have very few wants in life. Is that too much to ask?''


    [That is an interesting concept. Not changing even though time has passed. It really makes me wonder what one would do if someone asked for a second chance? Isn''t it too grim to think that no one has changed? I would like to think that people are fairer creatures who are capable of learning and evolving. I was not the boy sitting in the corner, though. I had some friends. Yes, I am being defensive, but if you were into that type in school¡­ I wouldn''t mind being part of the team.]


    ''I don''t think I am perfect. Will you not give me another chance if I fuck up?'' he thought. ''What am I wondering? I can''t imagine fucking up in the first place.''


    [There is only one fish in your see. I hope you are not calling me smelly¡­ All that lotion has taken away my manly scent. I would be offended if you said I stank.]


    He sniffed himself and smiled. He really did smell nothing like his usual self. It was a matter of time before the others found out he was talking to a girl.


    [I feel like I need to fulfil every fantasy you have. I was so jealous when someone touched you on the train and I thought it wasn''t me. I was fuming, wondering why you would tell me that you wanted to be touched by a random man. But I was wrong. I love how you crave my touch. I wouldn''t take you on the train. No. I would take you elsewhere¡­ Would you like to know?]


    He was seething when he read that, but her following words were soothing. She only wanted him. He was pleased.


    [My mind was filled with lust as your body moved against mine in delicious motions. With monumental effort, you wrapped your hand around my body, your head barely reaching my chin. I breathed in your scent as my stubble brushed against your jaw.


    "Let''s get down on the next station," I rasped into your ears. You nodded in consent and I turned you around, holding your hand, my cock now pressed against your stomach. You looked me in the eyes with need unmatched.


    The station rolled around and my cock throbbed. I knew you were soaked and ready to be taken. I bet everyone around us could smell you at that point. I was comfortable knowing that it was I who was taking you home and nobody else. My hand gripped yours as I led you to the nearest hotel I could find, pulling you through the crowd, anticipation building in my gut.]

 Chapter 53 - So Sweet *

    [Even before the door closed, your lips were on mine and my hand between your legs. I had my finger under your skirt, digging deep inside you as you moaned and ground into my hand. We slowly stumbled into the bed, our mouths never parting, our tongues battling for dominance. Our pace was primal and possessed. We couldn''t wait. I didn''t bother taking your clothes off completely. I pushed your skirt to your waist and looked at you for the very first time.


    I started licking your neck, my warm tongue dragging along your skin. As I crushed my body against yours, I could feel your wetness near my abdomen, enticing me to stop my actions and take you right there. You moaned, egging me on, almost making me lose my mind as I pushed you up against the headboard, your head now colliding with the board. You let out a soft ''ow'' which made me chuckle. I went lower, taking in your nipple into my mouth and sucking on it in earnest. I gave it a hard nip, not giving you enough time to protest as I pulled away. I could see the dazed expression in your eyes, and knew exactly what to do.


    I went lower and attacked your pretty little lips, dragging my tongue over them. Teeth, lips, tongue¡­ sucking, biting, and licking at your core as you screamed. I threw your right leg over my shoulder and ground my tongue in. I could feel you come on my lips. I lapped up every last drop of dew, sucking harder, making sure nothing escaped. I went on until you were a shaking mess under me, unable to speak, exhausted from my ministrations. You pulled on my hair, but I shook it and gave you no more.


    "My turn," I growled, going to lower my pants. The zip was easy, and my pants fell to my ankles. I took both your thighs into my hands, spreading them as wide as they could go before positioning myself at your entrance. I slid in slowly and fuck if I didn''t want to come on the spot. Your pussy gripped tightly around me, not letting me pull back without force.


    "Oh god," you whimpered as I ploughed into you. I slid out and slapped my cock against your clit, making you moan in a high pitch.


    "You like that?" I chuckled, vibrations going through our body. I slid in as deep as I could and thrust. I pulled you closer, slinging your feet over my shoulder, ramming myself into you so hard that my balls slapped against your ass. The moans which were stifled before, now tore through your being. I kept going, thrusting in and out, making you writhe in pleasure.


    So sweet.


    I pulled you up, suspending you in mid air, my hands lacing around your locks as I set pace. My cock was mostly out of you¡­ you slight little thing before I pushed you down on you, rough and hard. Again and again. You had tempted me so¡­ I couldn''t handle it much longer. My cock slipped from you folds, making you protest before you greedily reached down and slid me into you again.


    "Fuck," you screamed. I laughed. "Don''t stop." You chanted and I listened to every word that you spouted.


    You pushed yourself up against me, making me lose balance and let go of you. You fell, but your legs snaked over my ass, pulling me in further. The abuse continued and I felt you bite on my earlobes, the place when my neck meets the shoulder. My back felt the sweet pain of your nails into my skin in your moment of passion.


    I wondered if you drew blood, and I was pretty sure you did. My world dissolved as I felt you wrap around me, tighter than before. I came, hard and fast, emptying myself inside you, rocking and rolling my hips, hoping to prolong our pleasure for longer.


    When I pulled out of you, you were dazed and delirious. There was a small smile on your face which warmed my heart. Did I need to be so rough with you? No. But seeing my cum mix with your juices on the sheet underneath, both of us panting to breathe, satiated from the session made it all worth the trouble.]


    He stretched his fingers, tired from typing all those words and went back to plopping down on the bed. If it were up to him, he would just masturbate, but how could he not reciprocate to her words? She made such luscious commentary that struck his heart and made it race. Tit for tat was his anthem.


    He wondered what she would think and smiled. Surely, her toys would come out into play as she imagined them together, doing unspeakable deeds.


    With that, he closed his eyes and went off to sleep.


    - - -

 Chapter 54 - You’re Serious

    "People from Keira Higgins'' side confirm that the couple are back together and married. What is the cause of this secret wedding? We speculate in our next session," the reporter said, a wicked look on her face. The media was having a field day.


    Ever since the pictures were uploaded, there had not been a single day since he was called by the media outlets and asked questions. He refused all interviews and went on with his life, talking to Rinten and playing the game in his off time. The movie had done very well in the first week and was estimated to do even better on the following weeks to come and Cage was happy about that.


    Now, this morning, suddenly Keira had thought it apt to declare that they were married. He ground his teeth as he thought about how shameless she was to say something so easily disprovable.


    "You said she wouldn''t be this stupid," he ground out, glaring at his manager.


    "I didn''t think they would resort to that," Stephen groaned. "What do you want to do?" he asked angstily.


    "We are going to deny the ordeal. It''s been 5 days since the news came out and it''s blowing my mind that people think I will take her back." He ran his hand through his hair, taking out his frustration.


    "Why are you so pissed, though. This isn''t the first or last time this will happen."


    "I¡­ I am talking to someone and I don''t know how to explain this to them," he groaned, dropping his head into his palm as he scrubbed his face.


    "You didn''t tell me! Who is she? A model?" The other was excited, but in a bad way. He didn''t think it apt for Cage to be dating so soon after his breakup with Keira.


    "No. I met her online."


    "You told her who you are?" Stephen panicked.


    "Absolutely not," he shot his manager a look. "I really connected with this girl and someday if it comes to it, I will have to explain what happened. This situation is too complex and I don''t want my future relationships to be ruined because of it." Cage sighed.


    "You''re serious." Stephen was flabbergasted. "What do you know about her?" he asked, curiously, taking out his phone to take notes.


    "Don''t think that this is a trap. Just a girl I am talking to. I trust her," he said with a small smile.


    "It''s my job to protect you, Cavanaugh. Tell me everything you know about her and show me the chats. I need to know if you have given yourself out." The panicked expression on his manager''s face made him gulp.


    He handed over his laptop and phone, opening the sites and applications and for the next half an hour, his manager went through his most personal messages with Rinten. He was burning with embarrassment. Those were private.


    "Nothing is private between us," he heard Stephen say, as if he could hear what Cage was thinking. "This is incriminating!" He pinched the bridge of his nose. "You could be talking to a stalker who figured out who you were or you could be talking to a minor. This could be solicitation."


    "I have spoken to her and heard her voice. She is definitely legal," he said firmly.


    "You don''t know that, Cage. I need to¡­ I need to find out who this girl is¡­ This is for your safety. I can''t let your horny ass get into trouble! Your career is on the line¡­" He trailed off, levelling Cage with a glare. "You can''t talk to her unless I explicitly tell you that it is okay."


    "Please don''t invade her privacy." He was scared. He knew nothing related to him was a secret from his team, but this was downright humiliating.


    "I have to. I am doing this for you!" His manager raised his voice. "I wouldn''t have minded if you were talking to another celebrity. Not this much¡­ but this could be anyone. Your cyber team is going to start working on them. I will allow you to talk to her until I find out more and if she is not problematic. You can continue."


    "You''re involving the cyber team?" he asked in disbelief.


    "Yes. I am sorry." He apologized, but that didn''t make things any better.


    "Just be careful. I don''t want to hurt her." The look in Stephen''s eyes softened.


    "I understand."


    - - -


    "The world thinks you guys are married. But people are starting to question why you aren''t living together." Her manager said in a low voice as they got down from the car.


    "We''re just under the process of moving, of course. It''s all logistics," she rolled her eyes.


    "Do you want to go through the comments on the internet?" Keira nodded, expecting to see some hate.


    ''If he takes her back, he is pussy-whipped.''


    ''Bitch cheated on him and he took her back? I don''t think so. There is something fishy here.''


    ''Why do I feel like this is all a joke? Cage hasn''t established the facts yet and he is just lying low, not talking to the media. It''s like he wants to hide from all of this. Highly suspicious.''


    ''You''re right. I smell a conspiracy. What if this is all a hoax to create hype? I never heard anything from Cage''s side and I can see that this scenario helps out Keira the most.''


    Keira stifled her anger.


    "They think I am lying."


    ''You are lying,'' her assistant thought, but didn''t say anything out loud. "How do you want me to take care of this?"


    "I''ll take care of it." Her manager eyed her suspiciously.


    "Run it past me," she ordered, before looking through the comments one more time. She wasn''t getting nervous, it was Keira who was being paranoid. She wouldn''t stop even if the manager asked her to, so the manager just kept silent and hoped for the best.


    It was difficult having such an artist.


    - - -

 Chapter 55 - Deviant Disease

    [Rinten: It''s my religious duty to provoke you into doing things that are uncanny for your taste. Now, now¡­ we wouldn''t want you on television¡­ I can see the headlines¡­ millionaire combusts from over stimulation. I wouldn''t want to find out who you are that way, fortunately. I am kind, you see.]


    She giggled as she typed. She had taken a couple of days to get back to him, mainly relying on Qchat to ask him how he was doing. It seemed that he was having a hard time and needed some escape. He specifically asked her to continue messaging him, otherwise, he would succumb to the bad thoughts he had been having recently. He sounded so lonely that she couldn''t refuse him.


    [Did you search? The adult toys industry has grown leaps and bounds in recent years, making it a sin to say that one can''t pleasure themselves. How did you find my little collection? I can tell you that the list was just the tip of the iceberg. How cocky of you, to think that you could be more impressive than those toys. You will have to prove your worth to me, I suppose. I won''t believe otherwise. The idea of pleasure denial makes me shudder with delight. Why, as a matter of fact, I do keep my box of toys under my bed. Would you like me to take them out and show you?]


    This was the only way she could provide some solace to him. In the recent mails, he sounded a little distant, and it bothered Katherine to a degree. But she also understood that he was going through real-life problems that she couldn''t solve in his stead.


    [*sips on glass of water* Deviant disease? What are my symptoms? How do I cure it? Surely, I am not dying from this. You might be sexy, but you can''t kill me, I promise you.]


    Should she begin drinking more water? It didn''t seem good to always be wet. What doctor should she consult for being horny all the time?


    [Oh, I would love to scream your name. Quite frankly, I am dissatisfied with how popular you are. I did say I was into the lonely guys back in the day, right? If you are that popular, I will have to leave you. And of course, I have my fantasies¡­ not all of them should be revealed so early in our friendship. I expect you to look however you look. I might be a lusty person, but I don''t choose my friends according to how they look. Somehow they just are very attractive. Maybe I attract attractive people? Should I think of this as a quality?]


    ''How could I ever think about someone else when referring to you? Blasphemous.''


    [The fact that we both can concede that Ahegao is our final destination is a treat to my mind. I am holding on, but I wonder how long it will have to be.]


    At least they had the same jokes when it came to hentai. That was saying something. Truly soulmates, these two.


    [Now that you say it, I don''t want to have a daddy kink. I remember my moustached father and feel weird thinking about calling someone else daddy. I do want to be taken care of. Don''t I give off the forever alone vibes? I would like to work under daddy. Being under daddy is warm and exciting.]


    She didn''t know what was up with them but they were perverts at heart. Nothing could stop them from being lechers when it came to one another.


    [I know you are going through a rough time. I can see that you are distancing yourself from me a little bit, but I can understand how hard it must be for you to pretend like you are okay even when you are not. Is she still latching onto you? Do you want me to take care of her? Ruin her face or something. I hope that could make you feel good. Amazing. You stand up for yourself and put on a strong front. It''s my job to be the voice of reason. Ask me any time you need help, okay?]


    ''If you can''t stand up against it alone, I will be there with you, Ray.''


    [I suppose I am cynical for thinking the worst of people. But what you said also makes sense. We can learn and evolve, but our fundamental nature doesn''t change. If one was deceptive, they will not turn truthful suddenly. Don''t be defensive. You are popular. I will still take you.]


    ''If it were you, I would give you a second chance. You must be my weakness, because I can''t seem to think of anything else but for you to stay in my life. Is it too crazy? Is it too early?''


    [I am sure you smell perfectly pleasant and manly. No amount of lotion can do away with it. I wonder if you smell like me, now. What lotion had you been using all this time?]


    ''Maybe we could smell the same in the future.''


    [I wouldn''t have revealed my fantasy if it were for someone else. I would love to know, and I am sure, you will tell m anyway. I look forward to it.]


    [Your words did inexplicable things. I don''t know what to tell you apart from the fact that I am dripping down my thighs and unable to go out of the room. What monster have you turned me into?]


    Talking to him would surely turn her into a sex maniac who craved it all the time. She couldn''t find a way to escape this, either¡­ not that she wanted to.


    - - -

 Chapter 56 - Incriminating Evidence

    "Lily, would you mind taking a few pictures of me?" she asked shyly. Her head hung as she stared at the floor.


    "What kind of pictures?" she asked, quirking her brow.


    "Something along the lines of young teacher and librarian fantasy," she squeaked.


    "Is it for that boy toy of yours?" Lily snickered.


    "This feels like a Spanish Inquisition," Kitty huffed, giving her a look. "Yeah. The man has been down for a couple of days and our conversations are getting less spicier. I think he needs a little help make his day better." She bit her lip.


    "I need to know the fantasy to carry it out!" she said in a light voice. It was another weekend and she was free. "Hand over your phone. I need to read this." After what seemed like hours and a horrified expression on her face later, she looked up and said. "Did I possess you? You have him smitten!"


    "I wouldn''t say that," Kitty grumbled, fiddling with her hands. "I felt inspired."


    "You are a vixen!" she commented with a laugh. "You don''t want your face in it, do you?" She shook her head.


    "I think we would head over to the library with my camera," she winked. She danced away to her room, leaving Kitty dumbfounded.


    "What are you doing?" she asked, horrified, when she saw the other bringing out clothes.


    "You are wearing this," she commanded, slinging the clothes on Kitty''s arm. "Photographer''s orders." In her hand was a black skirt and a white buttoned shirt. It was very basic, but it was definitely not part of her wardrobe.


    "Are these yours?" she asked, her eyes bulging. Seeing the other nod, she panicked. "Lily, you''re a size lower than me. How will I fit into it?"


    "You''ll fit just fine!" she reassured, ushering her to her room. "Now change and show me how you look."


    She sighed and went into her room, closing the door behind her. As she put on the clothes, she realized that she would pop out of it at any time. She peered out only to hear Lily squeal.


    "Don''t change your bra. The black lace under the white shirt looks ethereal. I can''t believe you can do this!" she giggled. She asked Kitty to twirl and appraised her closely.


    "You need accessories," she said in a light voice and skipped away to her room again. When she came back, she had an elegant pendant in her hand.


    "I''ll help you," she said with a smile and helped Kitty put on the necklace. "Perfect," she muttered keeping a distance.


    "Put on a jacket. We are going to the library."


    - - -


    "Where did you get that from?" Kitty gasped, looking at the apple in her friend''s hand.


    "There''s a lot more where that came from," she said with a crafty grin. Kitty rolled her eyes and prepared.


    "How should I stand?" she asked, nervously.


    "Unbutton the first two buttons of your shirt. Reach for the book on the top left¡­ perfect."


    "Bend your hip to the side¡­ yeah like that¡­ elongate your silhouette."


    "Slightly part your legs and grab your hair now."


    "Come look at it," she said after half an hour.


    "Lily," Kitty gasped as she went over the pictures. The gruelling work she had put in to take those pictures were so worth it. She looked like she had walked out of his wet dream, nothing less.


    "You''re surprised?" Lily asked, her voice cautious.


    "It''s not that I doubt your ability¡­ Just that I didn''t think I could be this way," she sniffled.


    "Now don''t go ruin your face. You look devastating. You could make countries fall with how you look. Your breasts, your ass¡­ it''s going to drive him insane. He won''t know what hit him," she said in a sly manner.


    [Rinten: Dear Ray,


    I know you have been busy with life and don''t have the time to talk to me all the time. I was a bit sad at first, but now I feel better. As a reward for handling yourself so well. I have recreated a fantasy of yours and sent it to you.]


    She attached a couple of photos to the message and closed her phone.


    - - -


    "Cage, this is incriminating evidence that she is harassing you," Stephen ground his teeth.


    "I don''t think we can release this to the press. It''s too scandalous. I don''t want my name to be associated with it." He sighed.


    "Have you thought that you should just reply to her and jerk off to her messages at this point?"


    Cage rolled his eyes.


    "Her words make me shudder with disgust. If I needed my words¡­" he trailed off, thinking about Katherine, a small smile playing on his lips.


    "You''re doing it again. What is it?" Stephen asked with a serious expression. "Are you still talking to that girl?"


    "It''s been infrequent, but she gets me, man. She''s gorgeous, twenty-five, freelancing her ass off and earning money and she''s hot. I told her about my librarian fantasy and she¡­ she played on it."


    "Are you kidding me? I am equally angry that you are texting her and that I don''t get a chance at her." He did look outraged.


    His phone buzzed in his pocket.


    "Is it her?" Cage pulled out his cell phone to check.


    "Yup," he said with a bright smile on her face.


    "If she makes you that happy, then you should talk to her more often. She could potentially get you through your hard times." He snickered at his own joke.


    "Was that meant to be a pun? I am not hard in the slightest. Keira makes my skin crawl with her persistence." He huffed and opened her message.

 Chapter 57 - Porn 101

    [Rinten: Dear Ray,


    I know you have been busy with life and don''t have the time to talk to me all the time. I was a bit sad at first, but now I feel better. As a reward for handling yourself so well. I have recreated a fantasy of yours and sent it to you.]


    He looked at the message over and over again, dumbfounded that she had given him a part of her that he would have never imagined. He quickly clicked on the attachment and leaned back in awe.


    She had the most beautiful brown hair that reached her waist and a curvaceous body, sinful in its very presence. He just stared for a minute before he realized what he was looking at. She was inside a library¡­ the book shelves surrounding her were proof of that. She was wearing a white shirt with a black skirt that hugged her body¡­ he could see every curve on her and he marvelled at how affected he was.


    He was a bit disappointed that he couldn''t see her face, but it was made for by the various poses she sent him.


    "You''ve gone silent," he heard Stephen say, but his throat was parched and all of his concentration was on the pictures in front of his eyes.


    In the first, she was reaching up to take out a book. She was on her tiptoes, her shoes abandoned on the side, as if she were comfortable inside the library¡­ like it was her second home. He could see the tautness of her calf muscles and the firmness of her ass. He could see how her waist cinched under the dress shirt and how her neck looked, craned and flesh bare for him to view.


    The second was of her flipping through a book, this time with glasses on her nose, which she seemed to be pushing up with the tip of her index finger. The side profile made it so that he could see her features but it was impossible for him to see how it looked. Whoever had taken the photographs had done an excellent job at it.


    The third picture was of her, an apple in her hand as she leaned in to take a bite of it. Her tongue peeked out and she looked like she really wanted to eat that apple. How he wished she were looking at him like that.


    And the last picture was her sitting on the library floor, her legs slightly bent and parted but nothing was revealed. She looked like she was tired after a day of work and was just lying there. But in Cage''s mind, his fantasy bloomed. She would have looked just as dishevelled after he had taken her roughly against the shelves. If this was what she looked like all trussed up, he couldn''t wait to exhaust her himself.


    "Oh, she''s sexy." His head snapped up and glared at Stephen.


    "Go back," he said through his gritted teeth.


    "It''s Porn 101, man. Forward me those messages, will you?" he teased.


    Hell no. "Don''t you dare. Like hell I am. Katherine''s mine. Mind your own business."


    "Katherine?" he leaned over to take another peak, making Cage push his phone back inside his pocket. "She looks like a Katherine too. And you''re going to keep her to yourself? What kind of friend are you¡­" His words made no impact.


    Cage knew exactly what he was. "I''m a possessive bastard. She''s¡­ something else, Stephen," he sighed. "Beyond the looks¡­ she just¡­ I vibe with her. She gets me even though she has no idea who I am. There is no complication of being backstabbed by her. She''s smart, funny, and sexy¡­ She''s just everything."


    There was complete silence. "You''re gone," Stephen whispered. "I am still looking out for her stuff. Do you want to see? I have a file on her."


    "A file?" he said surprised. The other nodded. "I don''t want to encroach on her privacy."


    "There''s some stuff that you need to know, though. She might not be as innocent as you thought she is."


    "What do you mean by that?" Cage asked, offended now. What could he possibly have that would change his mind about his beautiful Katherine?


    "Here," he said, pulling out his phone and sending him the profile. "This is her professional page. She is a cover artist and she has quite a lot of art on you. She''s a fan." Stephen''s voice was taut.


    "I know. She told me that she was a fan, but she doesn''t know."


    "I''m glad you think that way, but I need to find everything about her for your protection. You might think this is unethical but it''s my job to keep you safe, okay?" Cage nodded, knowing that there was nothing he could do to dissuade his manager. At the end of the day, he paid this man to keep his image in pristine condition.


    Even though he was not interested in finding out about her through surreptitious means, he scrolled through her feed, looking at her amazing art and marvelling at her talent.


    "Do you know where he lives?" Of course he did. That was the first thing he had figured out about her.


    "In H city." The other guffawed.


    "That close? Don''t you want to meet her? Let''s ask her where she lives and go down if you are so smitten."


    "I don''t think that''s a good idea. I''ve barely known her for a month and she has no idea who I am. I know¡­ it''s crazy that I want her so much in such a short period of time so¡­ I can''t tell her just yet. I want to hold onto this sweet conversation for a little longer until my fame and public image comes and bites me in the ass." He looked so distraught.

 Chapter 58 - You’re Human

    "I understand how everyone''s perspective of you changes when they realize who you are. Hell, some people even know me. I can only imagine how much worse it is for you. As a friend, I want you to stay happy and be with someone normal, but the manager in me knows that it''s not possible for you to feel that way about a commoner. You are just not compatible. Do you understand what I mean?" His voice was earnest and it hurt Cage more than he would like to admit.

 Chapter 59 - Missing In Action

    "So you are telling me that you haven''t had a conversation with him after that hot and sizzling picture?" Lily asked, gaping. She refused to believe that the guy lost interest in her because of the picture. Her friend was one of the hottest people she knew and she had that man on his knees begging for her words. There was no way he wasn''t into Katherine.

 Chapter 60 - Victim of Stalking

Divided? No one was divided. No one even knew what was happening. Just that Cage and Keira were probably not married. Nothing else was known. It was only the interviewer, who knew the whole story.

 Chapter 61 - Afraid To Be Vulnerable

"People are afraid to be vulnerable. I was afraid but I am now going to allow my heart and mind to say what I must." And with that little sentence, he let everyone know just how scared he had been through the past three months, alone, struggling to keep himself sane.

 Chapter 62 - Keep Some Distance

"Yes. We were still filming, so we spoke. It was a bit awkward, but I thought I shouldn''t get too friendly," Cage said slowly.

 Chapter 63 - Explicit Emails

"Destroying my career. She has been in the industry for longer and she has great influence in the industry. I was not bothered. I don''t want to be a puppet in others'' hands." He grimaced.

 Chapter 64 - Consent is the Biggest Decider

Stephen was biting on his nails as the interview went on.

 Chapter 65 - Curious About You

    [Rinten: Of course I am. Are you okay?] She had asked. Katherine was overjoyed that Ray had messaged her on his own volition after so long. She wondered what that meant. If he was not interested in her, he would simply fade away or ghost her, right? But what was this slow creeping into her heart. It had to be something.

 Chapter 66 - What do you Want to Know?

[RayKon53: Yes. I want to know everything about you.]

 Chapter 67 - Hold on Tight *

[Rinten: What have you been doing recently?]

 Chapter 68 - Little Punishment *

    [RayKon53: I curse under my breath. I wonder if you drew blood. I glare at the road and warn you not to do it again, but I know you won''t listen. Your hands bob on my length and I finally lose control, coming all over your hands, the bike wobbling. I part nearby, knowing I won''t be able to keep my hands off of you.]

 Chapter 69 - So Cruel *

He could hear how her breathing grew out of control. She was close to losing it.

 Chapter 70 - Are You Bragging *

    "I need your mouth, ma''am," he finds himself saying as he runs his hands over the head, shuffling his hip instinctually.


    "My lips wrap around the head of your dick and I suck hard, licking at the slit." He grunts a soft fuck. "I pull away for a moment before taking you fully into my mouth. I bob my head and set a low and steady rhythm of sucking and licking." He moans as he shuffles his hand over his length, trying to imagine how her mouth would feel wrapped around him, the licking and swirling of her tongue around his length. He could almost feel the warm suction of her mouth and before he knew it he realized that he wouldn''t last long.


    He panicked when his cock hardened further. He couldn''t cum or he would be punished.


    "I grab your ass with my hands and use my grip to bob my head over your length, making sure you are not able to thrust down my throat." He could almost imagine her gagging on his impressive length and let out a giggle.


    "What was that, love?" she asked tensely.


    He bit his tongue when he realized what he had let escape.


    "Ma''am, my cock feels like it''s in heaven down your throat. I don''t know how you haven''t gagged yet." He closes his eyes and hopes she doesn''t stop. He is so close.


    She breathes.


    "Are you bragging? Do you want me to leave you in this state so that your blue balls get to your head and turn you insane?" She may have sounded angry, but she was anything but. Today was about him. She would have given him as many sessions as he wanted, but she wouldn''t let him know that yet.


    "No, ma''am. Sorry ma''am."


    "You know what? I''m not going to go for a rhythm you like¡­ I will do as I please."


    ''Huh. So this was all for my pleasure? But thinking of her is too stimulating¡­ the pace doesn''t even matter.'' She told him the pace to follow, playing a song in the background to distract him.


    "Can''t you feel the tightness of my throat around you? I know how long you have waited for my mouth to be around you. I am going to swallow you down¡­ swallow every drop of cum that is rightfully mine." Sated from her session, she didn''t feel the need to attend to the tingle between her thighs. Instead, she concentrated on the shortened breath and growls he produced as he fisted his member.


    "I push my head down, taking you in and massaging you with my throat. One of my hands snakes down to palm your sack and stroke you as I continue to suck." He chanted ''yes''s and ''fucks'' as his balls tightened, indicating that his orgasm was near. She could hear it in his voice, too. "Now¡­ I rake my teeth along your protruding vein." He reached down and ran his finger along it and exploded.


    He imagined pouring himself down her throat as he rode out his orgasm, his hips gyrating as he emptied himself. She stayed silent, observing every breath he took and sighed in relief. She was glad that it wasn''t a bust. At least, she could make him cum even though her attempt was subpar at best.


    "I think I am falling in love with you," he said out of the blue. It had been silent on both ends, them ruminating over what had just occurred.


    "I think it''s the post orgasm glow talking," she laughed, not taking the words to heart.


    "No, Rin, I am being serious. I am halfway in love with you." These words had an effect that all the provocative ones didn''t. She was shocked beyond belief. In reality, she didn''t think it possible that he would feel the same way as her, that ''she'' had attracted someone as much as they had attracted her.


    "I think¡­" she paused, wondering if this was all a joke and if she was just going to embarrass herself by saying the words out loud. "I think¡­" she had a few seconds to decide what she was going to say. There was no backing out, now. "I think I am halfway in love with you, too." Her voice was low and speculative, almost testing the reaction of the person on the other end of the call.


    Cage sucked in a breath. Surprise colored his face and he turned to look at the mirror. He was grinning ear to ear and his heart was thumping wildly in his chest.


    "I want to be fully in love with you," he declared. This time, it was her turn to be surprised.


    "How¡­ how do we do that?" she asked softly, confused by his sudden statement.


    There was shuffling on the other end. She waited patiently for him to come back. It took some time.


    "I had read this article about an experiment done by actual researchers. It says that there are thirty six questions that you can ask to fall in love. I think they have clinical proof." He sounded so excited that she couldn''t say she didn''t believe in such a thing. She wanted to fall in love with him, too. Whoever he was, he was the one for her.


    "Send me the link. Let''s do this. Let''s fall in love, Ray."


    - - - - -


    Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?


    "This is a hard question to answer. Does it continue to be so hard or does it get worse?" Cage was already flustered, and this would go on for the next thirty six days? Well, whatever it took.


    "I think it gets worse," she said in a small, contemplating voice. Actually, she was quite excited by the prospect of getting to know him better.


    "Well, let''s go ahead, then," he said. "I''d invite former President of the United States, President Obama." Katherine chuckled upon hearing the answer. "I really like the man and his humor." He defended. "We may or may not have differences in political opinions, but I admire the man for his views and the way he talks. I think he would have hit it big if he were a comedian or an actor, but he chose what he did. I really like him." And that was the end of his little rant. It seemed that he really did like the man. It was far from the answer Katherine would have given. Her reasons were shallower and somewhat embarrassing.

 Chapter 71 - Filthy Little Girl

    "Would you say you are politically active? I am curious."


    "No. No. I am a centrist and don''t like to talk about politics. I sincerely don''t know enough about it to have a concrete opinion. I would hate to have a misinformed opinion. Do you have an opinion on such things?" A fine example of a man with a good head on his shoulder. He didn''t talk about things that he didn''t know about. Katherine couldn''t help but be secretly impressed by this new quality that had come out. Turns out, this conversation was far more productive than she had initially thought it was.


    "I have my own ideas, but I think they are a little idealist and you will laugh at them. We''ll have to revisit this topic on a later date when I have an opinion on this matter." In actuality, she wasn''t as embarrassed about her ideas as she said she was. She knew that politics could spark discussions that led to fights and she didn''t want any of that when it came to her beloved Ray. They might have different political beliefs but there was more to them than such fickle ideas about the world. "But I do like Obama as well. I know a lot of people give him slack for being so good at comedy, but I find the man extremely charming. I am now rethinking the answer I was about to give. I should invite him over and not the answer I am going to give." She was abashed.


    "Now, now. Think about it. If we have two different answers, we could totally meet both the people we are going to invite over. Nothing is impossible." She threw her head back in laughter.


    "I love how you always assume that we will someday meet!" She joked.


    "Honey, what''s the use of falling in love if you don''t meet?" he replied with an edge to his voice.


    "I used to believe that one can''t fall in love without meeting and that it takes a lot of time to fall," she sighed.


    "But now you have been proved wrong, haven''t you?" His voice was filled with amusement.


    "Are you being cheeky, right now?" she asked, the same hint of humor in her voice.


    "Of course, love."


    "Do you even want my answer?" she bit back.


    "Give it to me."


    "I want to invite Cage Cavanaugh to dinner." He sucked in a breath, but she didn''t seem to notice the change in his behaviour. "I want to see my friends'' faces when they see him enter. I am by far the most composed of them and am sure that I wouldn''t react when I saw him but Lily is a nutjob. She would squeal. And Angelina? I am contemplating if I should tell you this story." And it was a tough one. She was in for sharing one of the most embarrassing stories about her friends that existed. She was conflicted about spewing such nonsense and scaring the man away, too.


    "Please do tell me. I would love to know." So, all three roommates were fans of his. Should he have been happy to hear that? Or scared?


    "Mr. Cavanaugh did an interview during his promotion for ''Under the Stars'' and Angelina inhaled the information. She found out that he plays some game that she does and searched high and low for him." He remembered that stupid game that was asking to make him the face of their brand, Detective Puzzles. "I think she found someone who unintentionally made her think that they were the actor and well¡­ she now thinks she is in a secret online relationship with him." Cage started to cough and made no attempt to hide it. He couldn''t even bring himself to laugh at the irony of the situation. One friend thought she was dating a star while the other remained oblivious that she was ''really'' dating a star online.


    "I don''t know whether I should laugh or cry, but I can tell that she won''t listen to our warnings. She is set on what she wants." As are most women who confuse him for his characters.


    "And you? Didn''t you try to find your favorite actor?" he asked, his spidey senses flaring. What if she had tried to find him and had succeeded and now she was pretending like she didn''t know? The horrifying thought left him with goosebumps.


    "Did I tell you he was my favorite? Or did you assume?" She remained oblivious to his distress.


    "You think he is the hottest man on the planet. How wouldn''t I know that you like him the best?" He was testing her.


    "That''s not true. I like you the best," she said proudly. Within a second all his suspicions melted and he felt like he was turning into a pile of glue. How easy it was to convince him that she was the purest girl out there.


    ''No. No. She is my filthy little girl.'' He thought proudly and grinned.


    "Now ''you'' are being cheesy. Do you know that?" His voice was warm and fuzzy and she could hear it. She smiled as she answered.


    "Yes. And no, I didn''t try to search for him. It''s not my place to invade his privacy. Moreover, I am not stupid enough to think that I would somehow find him among the barrages of people who tried. I don''t think my luck would be that great."


    He threw his head back in laughter. Oh, to think she would still not be able to figure it out and be so oblivious when he had let her hear his real voice. But he had to admit, his voice on the microphone was very different from what it sounded on television. He couldn''t fault her for being a rational human being who knew the possibility of her finding a celebrity was close to zero percent. But she was¡­ she was talking to him, dammit and he would soon have to reveal himself.


    "And what would happen if you did find him on the internet? And you could speak to him?" He couldn''t help but tease her a little.

 Chapter 72 - To Be Famous

    "I would tell him that he was a fabulous actor and that I will support him through every decision he takes. I will also apologize for the problems he has had with women in the past. I truly feel bad for him." His heart warmed at her words. She was such a considerate soul. How precious his little girl was.


    "I think he would be glad to hear that there was someone defending and thinking about him. He seems like a lonely man." And he was a lonely man before he spoke to her. He looked forward to his days ever since she came into the picture. That was saying something, right?


    "Since when did you start concerning yourself with the entertainment industry?"


    "Since you told me that you liked him. I had to scope out the competition." He stifled a giggle. He was being smug when he said he would scope out the competition. He was bloody pleased that he was the only man who occupied her mind. End of story. She never even looked at another person. It was pretty assuring to see her being plagued by him day in and day out.


    "There is no competition, remember? He is just a fantasy and you are real. I like things that are real."


    ''We are both real, baby. That''s the beauty of this situation.''


    "You have a sweet mouth. Let''s go to the next question?" he asked.


    "No. One question a day. That''s what we decided on. We can''t overburden ourselves." She chided in a gentle voice.


    "Then what should we do now?" he asked with a small smile.


    "Talk about our day!" The excitement was clear in her voice.


    - - -


    Would you like to be famous? In what way?


    There was a pause in the conversation. They had began by asking how their day had been and the woes of their profession, but this question threw Cage off. He had answered first the day before and he wanted to hear her answer before he spewed anything.


    "Would I like to be famous?" she contemplated. "I don''t think so," she said finally. "I don''t think I was meant for the glamorous life. I don''t like how they hound celebrities and make them feel like prey for the consumption of the public."


    She had encapsulated his life in a few sentences and done a far better job than he ever could. It was true; he felt like he was nothing but an object for everyone to look at¡­ like he was an animal in the zoo or circus and everyone had come to watch him perform tricks and entertain them.


    On a side note, if he were an animal, he would probably be a lion, but that was beside the point.


    "I can''t tell you how strongly I feel about this topic," he huffed. "I can be considered popular and I don''t like it." Understatement of the year. But he felt like he needed to explain. "I love what I do, but it doesn''t mean that I get my life splayed out in public because of it. It makes me uncomfortable and sometimes even makes me want to change my profession."


    He fucking hated the fanfare. Hated it.


    "Be honest with me, what would you do except for your profession?" Her question startled him. No. Of course not. He loved what he did for a living. It was the only thing he knew he was good at.


    "Official couch potato? But I wouldn''t survive a single day without money. I am used to living the lavish life, now." Though said jokingly, his words were true. There was nothing more he wished to do than lie around in bed all day doing nothing, but with his current lifestyle, he wouldn''t last long if he quit his job.


    "Look at the rich man bragging about his wealth. He sure knows how to make others feel inferior." The two laughed and teased each other for the next couple of minutes before hanging up, both tired from their long days and looking forward to sleep.


    - - -


    Before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?


    "Do I rehearse what I am supposed to say? Heck yes, I do. I don''t make many calls to begin with and they are either with you or business-related. I am always flustered beforehand, wondering how I should speak. I practice and practice and if I don''t have time to do so, I will feel so nervous that my voice will get squeaky. I sound like a mouse."


    She had a habit of doing this since she was a child. Her mother had the same habit of practicing her tone before she took a call, her jittery motions before the call would have been amusing for anyone, but to Katherine that was the way a conversation had to happen.


    When she grew up, she had the same reactions as her mother. When she was calling for business, she would sound professional, but she was practicing everything in her head before she spoke it out, such was her habit. Her conversations with Cage were impromptu and made her so nervous that she would softly and breathily talk to him.


    On the other hand, this nervousness transmitted very differently to Cage. He, one the other hand, found her breathy voice sultry and devious. If only he knew that it was a product of her nerves. One could guess that now he did.


    "Oh, I think I have heard this voice. Does this mean that I made you nervous? That my voice makes you really, really reconsider if you have to talk to me face to face or not?" He wanted to sound like he was making a joke, but it would be a problem for them once they met. If she was nervous now¡­ he could only imagine what would happen once they met face-to-face.


    "I never considered not talking to you. It would be easier for me to control myself if I didn''t hear your voice, but it''s a great part to you that shows me exactly how you are feeling. I can hear the micro-expressions in your voice and understand if I am on the same page as you. I wouldn''t have it any other way."


    "Micro-expressions? Why do you sound like a detective? Is there something that I need to know about you? Are you a secret agent or something? Don''t scare me, love."

 Chapter 73 - Breathe Easier

    ''I wish my life were as exciting,'' she thought with a roll of her eyes.


    "I can''t think of a single reason why I would call you if I were a secret agent. I am not even acting like a minor. So, I can''t be an agent who is out hunting for predators who solicit minors."


    "Remember the amount of times we have spoken about the FBI and my love for loli? I can''t trust you, it seems!" He was laughing because he knew she wasn''t an agent, but it was so much fun to tease her!


    "Oh, wouldn''t you like it if I handcuffed you. I think you would." He coughed. It wasn''t that he hadn''t thought about it before¡­ it was just that he felt caught in the moment.


    "Now, that is an image I pledge by. I would definitely like to be handcuffed by you, but promise me I am not going to a real jail," he responded gently, his eyes filled with affection that she couldn''t see. ''I definitely want to be cuffed and spread eagled by you.'' He groaned. ''I need some lotion, now.''


    "Real police don''t cuff people for the hentai they watch. You are safe," she commented smugly, having heard his groan. She knew what she had done to him and was very pleased with herself.


    "I feel the need to brush up on my country''s laws now that this conversation has taken place. I wouldn''t want to fall prey to your evil vices." He clucked his tongue and got into a better position, his hand far away from his slowly rising member.


    "Fair enough!" she exclaimed. "But what about you? Do you practice?" Katherine asked eagerly.


    "Nope. I am a spontaneous person. I think it says a lot about your confidence when you say that you need to practice. And I don''t mean it in an offensive way. You are way more grounded than I am. I am confident; you could even call me cocky," he responded after some thought. "But that is what years of being in the business has taught me. I can''t be anything else apart from this superhero, who can do anything. Everyone expects me to have all the answers even though I am completely clueless and I need to keep up the fa?ade because that is the only way people will spend their time on me." And at times it really tired him out.


    "So you are used to acting confident but are always wondering when the attention will go away," she deduced.


    "I am confident in my work, but I do worry about how it will end," Cage confessed.


    "I think all of us are worried about such a thing happening. If one day, the firms think that my drawing isn''t worth their attention, they are just going to stop using my services and that shit scares me, too. I think our world depends on how you attract attention and it usually is gained by your work. So, you can only work to your fullest and reap the benefits. There is no solid path to remain relevant, you just need to keep working and hope that things happen in your favor. I think you should think about this too. Maybe it will help you overcome some of your woes."


    The philosophy hit home. It was something both of them knew, and probably everyone in the world felt the same fear throughout their lives, but saying it out loud to someone else was empowering. There was no point thinking about the ''what if''s'', the only thing they could do was work hard and hope for the best. Nothing else.


    "I can''t tell you how lucky I am to have someone who speaks so well. You¡­ really change the way I look at things." He sighed and looked at the cell-phone in his hands. How had he gotten so lucky?


    - - -


    What would constitute as a perfect day for you?


    "The perfect day for me would be going grocery shopping with my significant other to a local store and going through the list and ticking off items as we get more items."


    ''Significant other.'' That made him seethe with possessiveness. Wasn''t that him?


    "Why the grocery store?" he asked, trying to keep his mind off the topic.


    "I wouldn''t mind it even if it were a first date," she began. "I believe that you get to see the financial and preferential behaviour of the other person while they are shopping. If you buy ramen, I know what you ate at university. I know that you struggled alone for something because no one really eats instant noodles unless they necessarily need to." It sounded rational, but despite having a luxurious life, Cage liked sneaking in ramen sometimes. Didn''t help that his diet was strict and the only thing he could sometimes sneak in as a snack was instant noodles. He especially preferred the curry flavour which came with the flat noodles.


    "Or if I know them better, I will gauge if they simply can''t cook and choose to eat a simple meal rather than order out or if they have other circumstances that make then actually like instant food." She stopped and thought for a minute. ''Is this where she thinks and practices her words before saying them out loud?'' he wondered.


    "If they buy veggies, I know that they are not completely childlike and will eat most things. I can breathe easier then because I love to cook and I would want to feed and fatten up the person I am dating."


    He stifled a laugh. It was a shame that he lived within a dichotomy. He loved to eat but his trainer and dietician held him to high standards. This meant that eating out of his calorific chart was out of question. His relationship with Katherine would consist of her eating savory foods while he ate chicken breast. He wondered if she would someday cook for him.


    A smile came across his lips as he imagined her barefoot in his kitchen, swaying to the beat of a song and stirring a pot, making something to eat for him. He imagined sneaking in behind her and snaking his hand on her hip, startling her. He would gently kiss the spot behind her ear and tell her good morning, or good evening¡­ and she would slowly turn to peck on his lips before going back to cooking.

 Chapter 74 - Perfect First Date

    He shook his head, trying to get the image out of his mind. It would do him no good. Considering that the image had swept his body with warmth, he knew that there was only so much time left before he was hopelessly in love with Katherine.


    "Do you think that the way to one''s heart is their stomach?" he asked, diverting his mind.


    "No. The way to one''s heart is communication. And this is exactly why I like the grocery store. You can gauge how compatible you are."


    Real world solutions to real world problems. How was this woman so perfect?


    "You have the weirdest ideas, let me tell you. But I like the idea of a grocery store. Let''s make that our first date." Yet her weird ideas were infecting his heart. There was no escaping her logic. He definitely wanted to a grocery store with her and let her deduce his personality for him. He wanted to know exactly what she thought about how he spent money. He could imagine everyone screaming when they saw him go to extremes. He would either binge on shopping mall food or he would be a sage and only buy veggies and other healthy things that she could use for her house.


    Of course, he would have to wear a cap and a mask to make sure he was not recognized and act like a patient. He knew it would only bring more attention to them, but he wanted nothing more than a normal life with a normal girl who understood him.


    "Would you really go with me?" he heard her ask and was surprised by how excited she was.


    "I would," Cage pledged.


    "Now you answer," she said, biting her lip, trying to hide the smile that escaped her. She was in the room with Lily, who was frequently looking at her and smiling, giving her a understanding look which said ''oh-you-are-whipped.'' Katherine ignored it.


    "My perfect day would be¡­ just watching television or reading a book." And he rarely had such a day come by.


    "And you don''t get to do that often?" she asked, her heart aching for him.


    "Not at all. I rarely have time to stay at home. Most of the time I am either travelling for work or doing long hours at my workplace." He cringed.


    Even now that he was between projects, he had to go out every morning and practice riding a bike and training with his instructor so that his abs were even more prominent than before. It was hours of work and dedication that made his head spin. But he had signed up for it. He couldn''t complain.


    "It makes perfect sense that you would want to relax at the end of the day. You''ve made me sad. I can''t think about how hard it is to be you. Poor baby," she said in a soothing voice, but there was a hint of amusement, too. Hearing him whine was refreshing. He almost always spoke cheerily or was tired, just hearing him spew out his problems was a nice change and possibly very healthy for his well-being.


    "Stroke my head and make me feel better, little girl. Daddy has come home after a long day of work." She chuckled, but didn''t say anymore. It was late at night and there was only so much she could do.


    She silently went to her room and closed it behind her. Laying down on the bed, they fell asleep listening to the breathing of the other. When they woke up in the morning, the call was still on. The bill? Was forgotten. They could afford it.


    Their sweet good mornings to the other made their day a lot better than it usually was.


    ''So this is how it feels to wake up to someone,'' they thought respectively.


    - - -


    "Hi," he smiled as he approached.


    ''Please touch me.''


    "Hi," she replied, kicking the oven door shut and turning back to him.


    He soaked her in. She was wearing a thin, v-neck t-shirt that shows off a part of her cleavage and jeans that cling to her body, slinging low on her waist. He wanted to grab her and push her against the wall or throw her on the bed. He couldn''t stop thinking about what he planned to do to her. He was in control and he had it all planned. He wasn''t just going to pounce on her and make it easy for her, it was going to be a long drawn out game.


    She was sex on legs and he was left breathless. They stood still, eyes locked and wondering who would make the first move. He felt the sexual tension growing out of hand. If he didn''t control himself, he would throw her down and take her there and he would do so hard.


    She could see it in his eyes, he knew, but he wanted to surprise her.


    He took a deep breath as he neared her, taking in the scent of her body and the fragrance of their dinner.


    ''Do something,'' he could see her beg.


    "Go change into my gift," he said, pointing to the forgotten box in his hand. She looked at him curiously. He had prepared everything for her and she had not the slightest clue.


    He was confident as he traced her lip with his thumb and pulled away.


    "Go," he muttered, giving her ass a quick slap, making her giggle and flit away upstairs to their room.


    He can imagine how she would look in the lingerie he had bought for her, and soon she came down, looking like a goddess. The lacy demi-cup bra and sheer panties leave little to imagination and he turns to see if the blinds are closed or not. He didn''t want his woman to be seen by other men.


    She approached him and stands right in front, waiting for a kiss or a compliment. He didn''t give into his urge to lunge and held out his hand and took her towards the kitchen counter.


    "Face the counter and keep your hands flat on it," he commanded. He was being a little naughty when he ordered because he knew how she took some time to follow the orders. She teased him so.

 Chapter 75 - Begging Already *

    She narrowed her eyes at him, silently asking what he was up to.


    "Don''t make me say it twice. Turn around." She was surprised by the firmness of his voice and even he was a little surprised. But she did as she was told and she turned around in excitement with no clue about his plans.


    "Now spread your legs," he said sternly.


    She pulled her leg apart and gave him a flirtatious look from over her shoulder.


    "Look at your front," he ground out. He waited there for a long time, before walking over to her and peppering her back with kisses, pressing warmly against the spot between her shoulder blades that made her shudder with need. He inhaled her scent as he touched her, drifting his hands down her sides, the fingertips grazing the sides of her breast and the curve of her waist and thighs, before cupping her butt.


    He rested his chin on her shoulder and twisted his head to the side so that he could kiss and suckle at her earlobe.


    "Beautiful," he whispered, the reverberations making her moan. She tried to turn around, but he stopped her, growling at her ear. "I didn''t say you could turn around."


    Her eyes widened. Suddenly, he pulled away, making her think that she had done something wrong.


    "Baby, please touch me," she whimpered, still not looking back to see where he was, following his command.


    "You''re begging already?" he chuckled. He was back on her, rubbing wide circles on her globes, going from the top of her ass to her thighs, his warm palm ghosting over her panties, driving her mad. She tipped her head to a side, stifling a moan.


    Without warning, his hand made contact with the bare backside. It was not a light tap, but nothing that could hurt her. It stung a little and she jumped in her place more in surprise than anything.


    He hushed her as he spanked her again with the same intensity as before.


    The new panties he had brought for her were soaked and he was not in the least bothered that they would have to be thrown out later in the night. He kissed the side of her neck, making her turn to look yet again.


    He spanked her in warning. "You don''t have permission to do that. I''ll add five to your tab," he said threateningly. She realized that he meant it and went stiff in her position.


    ''Do you like this game, love?'' he thought, but he said something else.


    "What do you want tonight? Rough or sweet? Hard or soft?"


    "Rough and hard," she breathed in relief, knowing that she always got what she wanted.


    "Sweet and slow it is, then." He chuckled. She quivered in shock.


    ''But I chose hard and rough!'' she wanted to protest but didn''t think she would be spared any spanks if she spoke against him. So much for wanting to be sweet to her, he was still spanking her, wasn''t he?


    He leaned in to put his mouth on hers, slamming her body against the counter as he cradled her face in his hand and kissed her. Adrenaline rushed through his body as he moaned into her mouth. He reached down to cup her breasts, massaging them over the bra. His tongue dominated hers and set an intense pace that was unlike their usual hard lovemaking


    He ground his hips against her, making her eyes widen as she looked at him breathlessly. He pulled away slowly, making sure to peck her lips a couple more times before he left her to gasp for air.


    "I''m going to take you slow and all night, baby," he said, his palm flat on the counter, his face inches away from hers. She looked down with a coy smile that made him chuckle. "Shy after you told me you wanted me to take you hard?" She looked up to lock his gaze with hers.


    "I want you," she said unabashedly.


    "My gorgeous little girl," he said, looking over the lingerie.


    "Can I touch myself now?" she said in a needy voice. A primal look lit up in his eyes as he leaned in to kiss her hard yet again before moving his whole body on top of her.


    "No. You are not allowed," he looked her straight in the eye.


    Clearly, he was intent on torturing her.


    "You don''t want to watch?" Usually, Cage would love to watch, but that day, he needed to make her come with his own body and nothing else.


    "I will get you off," he assured her with a smile.


    "But¡ª" she began to whine, but he stopped her.


    "I will be the one to make you cum. Do you understand?" she nods helplessly.


    "You look so delicious that I don''t know where to start!" He smirked. "What should I eat first?" Wicked. He was definitely the devil incarnate. "This?" he said putting his palm on her breast, "or this?" he cupped her sex. She jolted and thrust her hips into his hand, looking for friction.


    "Be patient, love," he said as he unclasped the bra and flung it to the other side of the room.


    His mouth glided over her right breast, taking her hardened nipple between his teeth and playfully nipping at it. She arched her back, taking in the pain-filled pleasure that flushed through her nerves. His hands romanced down to her thigh and opened her leg a little further as his lips drew circles on her nipple to soothe the sting from his bite.


    She gasped at the warm sensation of his tongue lapping at her. He was there for a long time, teasing and tasting her flesh at his leisure. Just as she was about to give up hopes of him going any further, he moved down to pepper kisses down her sternum and landed on her belly button. He kissed it sweetly before going lower, now kneeling on the floor as he licked above the waistband on the panty.

 Chapter 76 - Sweet and Slow *

    He nipped at the edge of the band, his lips spread into a wide smile. He tugged on them but it wasn''t easy for the panty to come down with such little force.


    Feeling impatient, Katherine reached down and pushed the sides a little down, aiding him in his quest to take the panties off. He took a little time to get to panties to her ankles before he moved them out of the way. He kissed a trail up her leg to her core, lavishing the sight of her panting at his beck and call.


    "Sweet and slow," he teased before his mouth clasped over her sex, his tongue already at the opening, coaxing it to open. He used his fingers to spread open her lips and drew in intensely. She gripped onto the counter for dear life, knowing that she would collapse, her knees giving away, if she let go. This kind of pleasure was known to her and she knew exactly what it would do.


    He could see her hand coming out unconsciously to touch her clit and he stopped her midway, grabbing her wrist with his wet fingers, his eyes blazing.


    "I didn''t say you could touch yourself."


    "Please," she begged, her puppy-dog eyes in full effect.


    "You''re being decidedly naughty." There was no anger, just disappointment in his voice. It seemed like an arrow passed by her heart when he said it like that. "You need another spanking for disobeying me," he said with a wicked smile.


    His palms were warm as they massaged her globes, giving her time before he stung.


    "Are you ready, love?" he said gently, completely coming out of character, ensuring that she was okay with where the scene was headed.


    Smack.


    "Count for me," he ordered. Her voice quivered as she squeaked out a ''one.'' He moved his palms around, inching closer to her core, arousing her with those stinging blows. When he reached five, he left her wanting for more.


    She didn''t dare to say a word as he planted kisses on her pink cheeks.


    "Do you think you are ready for some love, honey?" She squirmed and nodded eagerly at her words. "Unbutton," he said, pointing at his now wrinkled shirt.


    She slowly placed her fingers on his shirt, brushing his chest, and then slowly popping open each button to reveal his tones chest. Next, she went for his pants and unbuttoned and unzipped them before gulping. She soon realized that he was wearing nothing underneath his pants.


    He looked at him in wonder as he placed his hands on hers and guided his cock out, his eyes never leaving hers. She whimpered as they kiss and grind, her sex growing wetter with each second.


    "Please¡­ I need you," she begged, not wanting to stretch out the game any longer.


    "I didn''t hear you. What is it that you need, love?"


    He stroked himself with his right hand while his other is placed on her thigh. He was trying particularly hard to keep his needs at bay and take her at a slow pace. Quite frankly, he was surprised by how controlled he had been thus far.


    "Tell me."


    "I want your cock inside me."


    "Slow?" he smirked, testing her patience.


    "Please¡­" He had been right when he said that it was too early to beg. She had probably realized how hard he was going to play with her.


    He rubbed the tip of his cock at her entrance and felt her pulsating already. He rubbed it up and down over and over again at a maddening pace that left her breathless. It seemed like forever has passed when he pushed the tip in slightly.


    His teasing continued as he pulls out and rubbed the head up and down all over again.


    Desperation bubbled in her.


    "Cage, I am begging you," she choked out in need.


    "I thought you''d never ask, love." He slid into her slowly, filling her inside. She clutched onto the counter to brace herself, the sound of her nails running against the surface grating at their ears. Their bodies were on fire, her ass pressed against the cold counter she was now sitting on and his body pressed deep inside her warmth. The delicious feeling left them bewildered.


    Suddenly, his arms moved down and he slipped his elbow under her knee, raising her leg. This new angle made it easier for him to go deeper into her.


    "I love you," he moaned.


    She threw her head back, lost in the sensation as her legs started to tremble and numb.


    "I''m coming," she said, gasping for air. He slowed down, letting the sensation build before leaving her midway.


    She almost shrieked in frustration.


    "No!" she gasped as she stared at him wide-eyed. He wordlessly pulled her to the edge, so that she is dangling, only balanced because he was holding the better of her weight.


    His hand seared over her skin. "You can come now," he said into her ear. His hand cupped her pussy. Her head threw back when his fingers finally entered her. Three long, lean fingers plunged into her slowly as he whispered sweet nothings into her ear.


    "I''ve never loved you more in my life."


    "Can you hear my heart beat for you?"


    His words betrayed his scissoring fingers. He stretched her as she pushed back against his touch, Then he hooked his fingers up and suddenly pressed into that sweet spot. He went in deep and she screamed. She screamed bloody murder.


    She writhed under his hand and wondered if her shrieks were enough for the neighbours to call the cops on them. Understanding that her mind was straying, he put a firm finger on her clit and ghosted over it in small circles.


    Her body shuddered as she screamed, fingers moving in and of her, throwing tidal waves of pleasure her way. As she came, she chanted his name like a prayer. He looked at her sweat-coated body in awe and realized that this dream that he was having was something that he craved for in real life. There was no other explanation.

 Chapter 77 - The Sexiest Voice

    Q. When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?


    "Yesterday, in the shower. I blasted some music and scrubbed my body clean."


    "You did that on purpose. You wanted me to imagine you!" His voice was low and gruff. Even though he seemed like he was scolding her, there was amusement hidden underneath those words.


    ''What a tease,'' he thought.


    "I may or may not be guilty of the crime you just mentioned," she replied, admitting to her folly.


    "When did you last sing to someone else?" he asked, wishing to turn the conversation to a more PG-rated one. He didn''t want to turn their platonic conversations into something else. It would just not benefit what these questions were about.


    "I don''t even remember. I don''t even go to karaoke''s so I don''t think I have ever sang in front of someone¡­" she grumbled. These questions really were obscure. "But now that I think about it, during the fresher''s celebration, the seniors asked me to sing a song which someone else could lap dance to. That was the first and last time I sang in front of others." She frowned at the memory. A hall full of people had heard her sing that song and she had felt utterly humiliated.


    "Damn, what did you sing?" he asked, a little excited.


    "Buttons by Pussycat dolls," she admitted, abashed.


    "You have to be kidding me, love. You have to sing it for me." He jumped from his bed, going over to his computer and taking out the lyrics so that he could hear her sing it and enjoy the song to the fullest.


    "No. Definitely not," she said firmly.


    "Please, love?" he coaxed. "I''ll record myself stripping if it makes you feel better," he pleaded in a low voice that made her feel vulnerable. He had a way of making her do things.


    "You promise?" she asked in a small voice, resolution building in her heart. He hummed in acknowledgment and waited patiently for her to muster up the courage and sing the song.


    When she began, her voice was soft and barely audible, but as the song progressed, she seemed to grow louder, singing the notes with confidence. Her voice was clear and pure, sexy even though she tried not to make it sexual. He joined in after a little while, giving her a push during the chorus. She gained more confidence.


    On the other side of the city, Katherine was standing on top of her bed, swinging her hips and shimmying to the beats of the song, her voice wavering with the motion. She personally loved the song, but singing it in front of so many people had made her nervous. Now, in front of him, it was a bit awkward, but she could get past it easily.


    ''What a turn of events,'' she thought as he started to sing along. When she finished, she was breathless and she could hear his breathing following hers. It was calming.


    "You have the sexiest voice," he said after a long moment of silence.


    "I thought we were answering questions!" she grumbled, a little conscious of herself after his compliment.


    "We were!" he said enthusiastically.


    "Then answer," she commanded. He chuckled, sensing her embarrassment and said the words that had been in his mind for some time.


    "I am going to sing a song to someone else and myself the minute we get off this phone and you are going to find out all about it, aren''t you?"


    "You''re actually going to do it?" she squeaked.


    "Does that make you nervous?" he asked confidently.


    "You just surprised me," she admitted. She took a deep breath before saying further. "Guess what? I will wait for it. Show me what you have got, Mr. Ray." With that she hung up the phone, leaving him in awe of her.


    He gave himself a wicked smile and scrolled through the page, looking for a song he could dance for her to. Finding it, he plugged in his cameras and placed them at different angles throughout the room. This was a professional set-up. Even Magic Mike would be afraid of his abilities.


    He went into his dressing room and changed into appropriate clothing.


    - - -


    She had a tall glass of iced tea in her hand when the video came in. It was a huge file and she wondered what he had sent that was this quality.


    She opened it quickly and was stunned to see that it was HD. He was standing in a three piece suit, grey and looking delicious on his body. He had his hands crossed in front of him and he was looking down. What was odd about the video was that his face was precisely blurred out¡­ it almost looked like a professional job.


    [Play District 78- Toxic (feat. Cheesa) for full effects]


    Her eyes widened as she saw him unbutton the cuffs of his suit and turn his head to the side. Though she couldn''t see his face, she could see the perfect shape of his body and she almost thought that it had been taken off the internet or something. But she watched in fascination as the man broke into moves she had never expected coming from a man she had imagined to be a couch potato for the longest period. She stared as he rolled his body, waving like the waves of the ocean, his movements sending tingles down her spine for reasons unknown.


    But this was only the preview. He fell down to his knees and slid forward. Though his face was not visible, she wondered if it had hurt. She winced when she saw him do it, but it was soon replaced by waves of pleasured shock when he rolled to the ground and thrust his body in ways that made her blush.


    No, it wasn''t a blush of embarrassment; it had more to do with anticipation. It was like watching the teaser to a show she had craved for a long time. She shook her head, trying to move away from the image, but watched the video¡ªtransfixed.


    Slowly, the coat came off, and then the waistcoat, followed by the shirt. She quickly paused the video and stared in awe. ''One.. two¡­'' she counted.

 Chapter 78 - Worst Fear

    ''Eight.'' Hadn''t he said that he only had six or was she remembering it wrong? Whatever the count maybe, his boy didn''t have a shred of fat on it. It was toned and muscular, but just the kind she liked in a man. He was not bulky and looked like a model who had come out from a magazine.


    When the video ended, she looked through it a couple more times, making sure that she had not completely lost her mind. After that, she went online and searched every possible surface of the internet to find this video. She failed.


    Her hands were on her forehead as she realized that Ray was way more than a normal man. He was something else. And she was scared.


    - - -


    If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?


    "Body of a 30-year-old," Cage said confidently, not taking much time to think about how he would answer.


    He already knew what it was going to be. Being in the entertainment industry meant that he needed to strive for perfection, be he twenty-something or sixty-something. He would need to be in his top form every day of his life, even after he retired, and that was saying something. Of course, he would choose to have the body of a thirty-year-old. He wouldn''t mind the depth of experiences of a ninety-year-old, though. He would be a much more grounded person if that were to happen.


    "Any day. I don''t want to be old and wrinkly," she agreed.


    "It''s not just about the looks," he defended, suddenly thinking that she would misunderstand, "But I think it''s important to tell you that¡­ that¡­ aging scares me. Aging means I am getting closer to death." She sucked in a breath in tacit understanding. She understood exactly what he meant.


    "And we don''t know what comes after that. I want to be safe and protected, but then there is this chance that even after death I will retain my consciousness and be locked in a casket¡­ in the darkness." She shivered. She had nightmares about these things and here she was, blurting them out in front of him, telling him exactly what terrified her.


    "It''s one of my worst fears, too," he admitted, his voice far away.


    "I hate the idea of that happening. I am shocked to know that we have the same fears," she said with a nervous laugh. Not wanting to end the conversation, they decided on going over to the next conversation. This was the first time they had done this, but it felt natural when they saw the next question. Of course, these were meant to be spoken about in the same breath.


    Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?


    "I¡­ I think I will die in my bed and the fan falls on my head." Silence. There was dead silence.


    "Crazy stalker pulls a gun on me and my family and slaughters all of us," Cage said.


    "What does our fear say about us?"


    "Do you want me to comment on it?" he asked, his voice low and contemplative. He had a couple of thoughts about her fear and he didn''t know if he should say them out loud.


    "Go ahead. I don''t mind a single bit." He sighed in relief.


    "Do you sleep under the fan or not?" he asked.


    "No. I don''t. I sleep away from it," she said. Damn her if she slept directly under it. She knew somewhere deep in her heart that her fear was irrational, but it could happen to anyone. The light swinging of the fan overhead scared the crap out of her, and it would be impossible for someone to tell her otherwise.


    "That doesn''t mean that you have a hunch. It means that you have a fear of it happening to you." Firm. She was shocked. Of course, she knew this. But weren''t all hunches fears? Which human had the power, the gut instinct to tell exactly how they were going to go? No one. She didn''t believe in such a thing.


    "That is probably it. I mean¡­ dying is my worst fear, so imagining myself in various situations is the only thing I can do to¡­ I don''t really know how to explain this. Urm. It''s like I am avoiding death?" She thought about it. How many times in a day did she avoid things that could lead to her death? It was something to think about.


    "Well, I understand. Don''t you feel hot when the fans are not switched on? Or you are sleeping away from it?" he joked.


    "It gets a little hot, I admit." She laughed lightheartedly.


    "I''m not a trained psychiatrist, but your fear needs to be worked on, love." He didn''t put pressure on her, but her fears spoke volumes about how she thought. One never knew if there was more to something that meets the eye, especially when it was about mental health.


    "And what about you? Crazy stalker kills you?" she asked, not in the least offended by his words.


    "Oh, yeah. I have had crazy stalkers. It''s a proven fact that I may be killed by one of them."


    "And you have bodyguards?" He sucked in a breath.


    "Yeah. A whole security team surrounds my house at all times."


    "I can''t say you are paranoid if you have a legit reason." She shrugged. "Hmm. I''ll try to sleep under the fan tonight, see if it falls on me. If I am on the news tomorrow, it''s your fault for convincing me to not follow my instincts and do the rational thing."


    "I have a hunch that we will talk again tomorrow." They laughed before saying their goodbyes.

 Chapter 79 - Give and Take

    Q. Name three things you and your partner share in common.


    Katherine: "Damn. This one is hard. What do we have in common?"


    Cage: "Love for kink?" they laughed.


    Katherine: "Videogames."


    Cage: "Our love for anime and hentai."


    Katherine: "That was quick. Next question."


    For what in your life do you feel most grateful?


    Cage: "I am grateful for my parents and the love I have received from people throughout my life."


    Katherine: "I am grateful for my luck and that I was able to work hard and get to where I am today."


    Cage: "I want to change my mind now,"


    Katherine: "I want to change my mind, too."


    - - -


    Q. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?


    "I wish I could have spend more time concentrating on my family than spend it on honing my skills."


    "Can you elaborate what you mean?" she asked.


    "I was in dance classes, going to play the violin and the piano. Then I was trying to get into sports and trying to ace my classes. I was always doing the best I could do everything to prove to my parents that I was this talented person, but I never realized that they would have been proud of me no matter what I did." He paused, mulling over his words. "They are successful in their own careers and have enough money that I can live my life without having to work hard, but I still wanted to do better than them. I selfishly took away the little time I had with my parents so that I could be the best of myself." Regret colored his voice.


    "I don''t think you were wrong in trying to hone your skills. You really tried your best, and I think your success speaks for itself. I can''t say that you did poorly and I am sure they are proud of you," she comforted gently. She had gotten to know a lot about this man in the past couple of days and she knew how much he loved and cherished his parents. If he felt like he had betrayed them, it must have been a great thorn at his side. She wanted to ease it.


    "But I still don''t have time for them. If my mother has a show, I need to clear my schedule months before so that I can go, or else something or the other always pops up. I feel like I am a bad son because I never have time for my parents. I feel like I have taken away their opportunity to make me feel proud of them."


    "You are not a bad son," she said strongly. "Are you proud of them? Of what they have achieved?"


    "Hell yes. I love their work and the passion they pour into it. I dare say that I got my greed for success from them." He had a faraway tone in his voice as if he was thinking about times long gone.


    "Then what is stopping you from telling them that you love them and appreciate everything they did for you?" Katherine asked.


    "I think¡­ I am too grown-up now to emote." He grumbled.


    "You are never too grown to tell your parents you love and appreciate them. Ray, listen to me when I say that they know how you feel, but sometimes you need to reinforce your emotions by speaking up. Just like any other romantic relationship, it is necessary for you to put effort into your relationship with your family and friends. It''s always about the policy of give and take. You can''t just assume that they know. You can''t just think that you are incapable of telling them how much they mean to you. I trust you. You are a kind man, and I can see that your parents taught you well. But the fact that you feel like you have things to regret means that there is scope for you to improve on what''s already good in your life. You never know, maybe your parents are just waiting for you to reach out to them."


    "You may be right, love." He sighed. "I''ve never thought of it this way. It almost makes me shy. I think I needed to hear this from someone." He went into deep thought about what she had just said. It was worth a try, wasn''t it? He just had to reach out and everything would fall into place.


    "If you need me to tell you this again, give me a call and just ask. I will be glad to scold you and coax you into thinking about what matters the most," she reminded him.


    "Maybe I should kick out my psychic and appoint you to give me advice. You are doing a far better job of helping me out." He smiled a small smile, knowing she could not see.


    "I thought it was a joke. Do you really have a psychic at your beck and call?" He burst out into laughter.


    "I was kidding." She shook her head, smiling at his silliness.


    "You can''t just joke in the middle of such a serious conversation!" She paused. "Now go and call your parents before I burst."


    - - -


    "Did you have a good chat?" she asked, tired from a long day of work.


    "Yeah. We decided on a day to meet and have dinner and there were tears involved."


    "And you called back immediately? Aren''t you a good boy¡­" Katherine cooed, making him giggle.


    "I needed to know what you would change about your childhood," he reminded her.


    "Oh, yes. I forgot all about that. I have to tell you my answer, too."


    "Is it sad?" he asked.


    "It''s not like it''s sad. It''s just that I don''t want to sound like a¡­ baby." She chuckled. "I wish my parents got together better. My idea of a relationship is skewed because I have never seen a healthy relationship. My father was always working and my mother was always sacrificing for the family. She was the one who left her job. She was the one who taught us everything and our dad only concentrated on bringing money home. Like¡­ I appreciate his input. He has influenced me to do a lot of things in life, but sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have grown up with the love of a father. I especially feel the loss when I see other girls gush about how close they are with their dad, or what they did when they were young. I feel envy because I have never had that in my life. I love the man, but sometimes I resent him."

 Chapter 80 - Luck Is A Skill

    She couldn''t believe that she had said it out loud. How long had she kept it inside her heart, keeping it a secret from everyone around her, pretending to be okay?


    "When was the last time you spoke to him?"


    "I never really call him directly. He likes to talk through my mother." She grimaced when she remembered.


    "And they live in a different city?"


    "Yeah. I come from across the country. I haven''t seen him since the last holiday when I went home to meet them." She sighed.


    "You should go some time. Or call him directly. It''s the same solution like the one you gave me, but I think it will work in your case too. What say you?"


    "I''ll see what I can do."


    - - -


    Q. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained one quality or ability, what would it be?


    "I am already a superhero. Why would I need extra powers?" he joked light-heartedly.


    "I am sure there is some power that you want even though you have everything that you can ever want!" she played along.


    "Well, about that¡­ I want to read people''s minds. What say you? Would you want this power?"


    He worked in an industry where everyone had different motives. Even his damn manager didn''t want him to get rest because that would mean less money for them. In a world where you couldn''t trust anyone, one would have to read minds to live properly. That was the only way to find out who was real and who was not.


    "Why would you want to read others'' minds? Imagine being in a room full of people and they are all thinking at the same time. You will get a headache. Have you thought of this possibility?" She shuddered. It would be chaos and a migraine mixed into a bowl.


    "Not really. I think I would get selective mind reading¡­ like reading minds at will. That will make sure I hear only what I want to." How exciting would that be?


    "There''s nothing glamorous about hearing thoughts if you can''t catch something thinking something embarrassing!" she joked.


    "Why would I want to catch someone thinking something embarrassing? I don''t want to know about the color of their poop or what their spouses told them at home. I just want to know what they have planned for me. I don''t want to be backstabbed. That''s all."


    ''Ah, honesty. How good that felt.''


    "So, if someone imagines stripping you naked and doing inexplicable things to you, would you like to know?"


    ''Being the lecher that he was, he would probably love it.'' She snickered.


    "Are you talking about yourself?" he teased. "Because if it were someone else, I would listen to their idea with disgust and come running to tell you so that you can cleanse my mind of the image."


    "You are so loyal¡­" she clucked her tongue.


    "I thought you liked me that way," he protested with a pout that she couldn''t see but could definitely hear.


    "I do!" she replied. "But I don''t want to know what other men and women want to do to your body. I''ll get all jealous and I don''t like being jealous."


    "Let''s move on from the topic, then. What superpower do you want?"


    "I want to have the ability to grow plants at will," she said proudly.


    "Like in that superhero movie?" he asked, scrunching up his brows. He did remember a coming of age superhero movie where the students rode on a flying bus and went to a school that was floating in the sky. He just couldn''t remember the name.


    "Yeah."


    "That seems like an amazing power to have. But why would you choose that?" he asked, confused.


    "I have never been able to keep any plants alive, but I love them dearly. I want to grow plants and one day live in a house where the walls are decorated with crawling plants."


    "That sounds like a plan. But you can just keep a gardener!" he said matter-of-factly.


    "I would have to pay the gardener. I am too broke." They laughed.


    - - -


    Q. If a crystal ball could tell you the truth about yourself, your life, the future, and anything else, what would you want to know?


    "I would want to know when my next success would be. That way I would be able to predict if my next project at work will be good or bad."


    "And what do you hope it will say?" she asked softly. They were both tired from the day''s work and only speaking because they loved to hear each other''s voices. They weren''t even in a mood to flirt like usual. After a day of hard work, it was nice to lay in bed and speak about your day to someone.


    Weren''t they doing just that? Just that they didn''t realize it yet.


    That was something to think about.


    "If I am lucky, they would say it would happen for my next project," he said in a strained voice. She was certain that he was very nervous about his next project which he had, like every other thing in his life, kept under the wraps.


    "You have been working day in and day out on this project. There is no way you are going to fail," she reassured as she reached for the bottle of water on the bedside table.


    "So many people put in the same work as I do and still fail," he told her. She trembled and thought about what she should say for a moment.


    "I would say luck is an incredible part of our lives and it isn''t as hard as people make it sound it to be." She paused. "Luck is a skill, baby. And you can''t tell me a man like you isn''t skilled. I can hear it in the way you carry yourself and speak. You won''t fail." He sighed, smiling at her encouraging words.

 Chapter 81 - Without Any Scruples

    He had never had someone who could tell him these things when he started to doubt himself. He led a life where he was constantly surrounded by beautiful people who all wanted to one-up him in some way or the other. It was all about who sold the most tickets, who got paid the most. And here he was, talking to her, telling her how insecure he was. And what surprised him the most was how innocently she answered every question without pushing for details. When asked why she never asked, she would always say that he would reveal everything when he was ready. That just like she wasn''t revealing her face yet because she was not ready to take that step, he also had boundaries that he needed to work on before revealing himself.


    Most surprisingly of all, she was willing to wait for such a day to come.


    "Are you saying that you will run away if I fail?" he asked in amusement, but there was a deep, lingering fear in him that she would if such a day came that she lost love for one of him or his superstar personality. What would he be left with then?


    "There is no way I am running. I am almost scared that you will run for the hills when you meet me. I am a little hard to handle." She snickered. And just like that, the insecurities in his mind were soothed for the moment.


    "I''ll handle you just fine." The smirk was evident in his voice. "Your turn! What would you like to know?"


    There was a long silence as she thought about her answer. She mulled over the question for a long time before she finally began to speak.


    "I don''t want to know any truth about myself."


    "There is nothing you want to know?" he asked, surprised.


    "No. I don''t believe in divination and think that they are just a thing of the myths meant to make people who aren''t strong enough gain some confidence in their futures or themselves. I am scared of what it will say and how it will affect me in the long run. I don''t trust myself to not believe the sayings and suddenly find myself questioning my worth. I don''t stand for confusing myself when the life I am leading is already so good."


    "That makes sense," he breathes. "Is this why the mention of psychics makes you so awkward? I have noticed it before." She laughed in response.


    "You caught me. I do feel awkward when the topic comes up, but it''s because I don''t want to offend someone who is a true believer," she said thoughtfully.


    ''She''s just so nice,'' he gushed in his head.


    "And what would you do if I were a believer? Won''t you worry about me being offended?"


    "I know you are level-headed and won''t judge me on the basis of what I believe. This is why I can have such a conversation with you without any scruples."


    Their conversation went on for some time, with Cage ratting out his staff and how they made him work harder than was necessary. Katherine snitched about the editor who called and asked for changes in a cover she had liked because it wasn''t quite right. Katherine was pissed because she was the one with a sense of art, not the editor. Anyway, she did as she was told and spend the day grumbling.


    They felt a lot better after having spoken so freely. They bid farewell, too tired to be naughty.


    - - -


    Is there something that you''ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven''t you done it?


    "The last few months have been so difficult for me that I want to get as far away from civilisation as possible and just rest for some time." Indeed, his time had been bad for the past few months and he didn''t know how he was still sane at that point.


    "I always wanted to drive to the mountains and spend some quality time with nature, doing absolutely nothing but vegging out." She said softly, admitting to her own little dreams. Their needs sounded so similar¡­


    "Do you want to go together?" he asked, longing evident in his voice.


    "Would you be willing to show yourself to me?" she asked, surprised by the sudden change in attitude.


    He thought for a bit. He had been impulsive when he had said that he wanted to meet and he had been thinking with his dick, but this time, he genuinely wanted to meet ''her.'' It didn''t matter what they did; he just wanted to be in the same space as her, hold her and speak his mind to her like they always did.


    He was ready to reveal himself.


    "I would. I don''t mind anymore, love," he whispered, making her shiver.


    "You''re not lying?" she squeaked. He laughed in reply, sensing her nervousness.


    "Do you want to drive five hundred miles from the city to the mountains and just enjoy our time together?" he offered timidly, hoping that she would take up the offer. They would have to meet before that, or else it would be one awkward mess of a trip.


    "How do I know you are not a serial killer who takes months to lure victims?" she asked jokingly.


    "Don''t joke about it. It could be true. I would love to take you out, but I don''t want you to feel pressured into going," he said softly. He was concerned for her. "A girl leaving for somewhere far along with a single man is not advisable. I think you should bring a friend."


    "Is this a plan for a threesome?" she gasped. "I don''t share." He choked on his saliva, making a noise that amused her to no end.


    "No, love. I was going to bring a friend, too. This is about safety and comfort. I don''t want you feeling uncomfortable at any point and being unable to get yourself out of the situation."


    "Why are you so good to me?" she groaned, hiding her face in her palms.


    "I''m not being good to you. I am just being a decent human being. I know¡­ it''s uncommon these days, but I really care about you." The last words were said with a tinge of shyness.

 Chapter 82 - Wannabe Diva

    "I¡­ really care about you, too?" The confession came out as a question from her mouth. She slapped her head when she realized what she had done. She had made it sound like she was forced to tell him that she liked him too! Could she be more of an idiot?


    Not even if she tried.


    "I didn''t mean it that way!" she stuttered. "I really like you and want to spend time with you. You just caught me off-guard." She blushed, now having said too much.


    "I know what you meant," he chuckled. "But thank you for the reassurance. I am just as nervous as you," he confessed gently.


    "You? Nervous? I can''t imagine such a scenario." She looked at the clock on her wall and realized that Lily was going to be home any minute. She stared at the door for a second, before taking the conversation to her room. Angelina had gone to another city for a shoot for a jewelry brand and wouldn''t be home for the night, so there was nothing she had to worry about up until then.


    "I get all jittery when it comes to you. I have never felt this way about anyone before." Her eyes widened in shock.


    "No one has ever made you¡­" she trailed off. "They mustn''t have liked you enough to incite such emotions in you," she said smugly.


    "Does that mean you like me a lot more than anyone else on the planet? I would argue that you love me, then."


    ''Maybe I do,'' she thought, confusing herself. Was she in love with him? She was playing this game to make it happen, it wouldn''t be a problem if that was the case, to begin with.


    She just decided to figure things out on her own.


    "Do you have a problem with that, Mister?" she asked confidently.


    "Not a single bit, love. I would be honored to reciprocate your feelings." She surreptitiously sucked in a breath.


    "I will go now. I have some work to attend to," she said quickly, trying to hide how shy she was. She didn''t fool him though. He hummed in response and then waited for her to cut the call. There was silence on the line as both unwilling to part, listened to the other breathe.


    On hearing the front door unlock, Katherine finally came to her senses and guiltily cut the call abruptly. The door to her room opened slightly and Lily''s head peaked through.


    "Kitty?" she called, making the person in question jump. "Did I catch you doing something inappropriate?" she asked with a quirk of her brows.


    "No," she squirmed. "I have something to discuss with you. I need you to listen carefully. Get changed first¡­ then we will talk."


    Around five minutes later, her friend came into the room in a pair of shorts and a tank top, all decked up for a sleepover.


    "Are you sleeping in my bed, or what? Why so dressed up?" Katherine asked flatly.


    "Why? Do you have a problem with my staying here, now that you have a sex life?" she wiggled her brows enthusiastically. Katherine snorted and batted the errant hand of her friend away.


    "Today''s conversation is done and I need your advice." Her tone was pleading and Lily was stunned by how helpless her friend seemed.


    "What is it?" she asked, concerned.


    "Nothing to be worried about. Ray invited me on a trip to the mountains with him," she said in one breath.


    "You are not going without me," Lily admonished. Katherine gave a small smile at the protectiveness of her friend.


    "I wouldn''t go without you. I told him that I would be bringing a friend and he said he would bring one, too. Do you¡­ want to go with me?" she asked softly.


    "As much as I want you to meet this mystery man of yours, I don''t think it''s wise to meet him at an undisclosed location¡­ that, too so privately. I would say you should meet him in a restaurant or something¡­ go out on a few dates before you jump into going on a vacation with him. It just sounds too rushed to me."


    "I thought about this, too. And I feel comfortable going out with him."


    "I may be a ball buster but I can''t handle two men¡­ or serial killers. He hasn''t even shown you himself," she said softly, trying to make her friend understand.


    "I know. I know he has qualms about showing himself, but there has been something I have been keeping a secret from you." Katherine bit her lip, trying not to let a smile escape.


    "Did he give you a name or something?" Lily asked with renewed enthusiasm.


    "No, no. He sent a video of himself. I don''t want you to watch¡­ but I need to share this with someone or I will explode." A blush rushed to her cheeks, stunning Lily.


    "He better not have sent you a dick pic," she scolded, knowing that her friend would even like that if it came from Ray.


    "Ew. No. He is not a teenager."


    "Honey, you won''t believe the number of men who send dick pics to girls even though they are far older than teens. It''s frightening how stunted their mental growth can be at times." Lily shrugged.


    "That is nasty." Katherine scrunched her face in disgust.


    "I''m glad your man has better sense than send lewd pictures."


    "He is classy," she said, dramatically flipping her hair.


    "Oh my wannabe diva. Please tell me what he sent you." Lily rolled her eye.


    "This," she whispered as she took her phone out and scrolled through her messages. She handed the phone to her friend and waited for her to play it.


    Lily pressed play and then dropped her mouth open. "Did he dance for you?" and then there was utter silence.


    Her mouth dropped open and she glared at Katherine for a second. When the video ended, she remained stunned, not saying a single word.


    "Are you okay?" Katherine asked, not knowing what her friend thought.

 Chapter 83 - Magic Mike

    "He¡­ is better than Magic Mike. And I fawn over that movie¡­" She gulped. "Did you make sure that this is not a video off the internet?" Katherine nodded.


    "I thought of that, too. But I found nothing."


    "The editing looks so professional," she said with a weird expression on her face. She¡­ this body was familiar.


    "Why does this look so familiar?" she paused. And then she gasped. "Do you think he is a stripper and he does live shows?"


    Katherine''s eyes widened. "I¡­ don''t know¡­ he never talks about what he does."


    "Honey¡­ he is a professional. These moves can''t be faked!" Lily was jumping on the bed by this point.


    "Is that why he doesn''t want to show his face? Because he is a famous stripper?"


    "Honey¡­ I don''t know who he is, but the man has got moves." Lily paused. "You''re meeting him, right?"


    "I thought you were against the idea!" Katherine laughed boisterously.


    "Damn, I would be happy to die by his hand," she snickered.


    "You have Jared, don''t look at what''s mine, okay?" Katherine gave an evil glare to her friend.


    "Look at how possessive you are¡­ Ooh, I like." These two bantered for the longest time. But as it was decided, the trip to the mountains was on.


    - - -


    How do you feel about your relationship with your mother?


    "My mom is a classical musician," he confessed in a low voice, startling her. It was odd for him to give out information so freely to her. She smiled at his attempt to grow closer to her and disclose himself.


    "What does she play?" she asked, knowing he would not comment any further. Yet, she found it impertinent to not ask. She knew how curious he was about why she didn''t ask too many questions. Sometimes she thought that he was rather hurt by her non-intervention¡­ which was sad, considering that all she did was restrain herself despite her curiosity eating away at her.


    "I can''t tell you that yet, but I am surely but slowly making up my mind to reveal myself to you," he said. She coughed, feeling self-conscious at the gentleness of his tone. Her heart thumped in her chest in rapid motion, telling her how much she would love to get to know him.


    "You really want to tell me?" she squeaked, her voice back to her normal nervous self.


    "Yes," he chuckled. The low rumbling noise in his throat sent shivers of delight down her spine.


    "I can''t tell you how pleased I am to hear that, to be honest. I always wonder why you keep everything from me, and I try to understand¡­ but sometimes it''s hard to comprehend as to why you would keep something so important from me even though you have known me for so long."


    "I''m so sorry you feel like that. I have wondered, too, why you never ask me about myself. You didn''t even comment on the video I sent you¡­ I didn''t know exactly what I should think." He sounded upset and she was having none of that. She had been right to assume that he was upset about her not asking him questions.


    "I fear that you will not answer my questions if I come up with them, so I never ask. I am wildly curious about you. But I also don''t want to be the cat who asked too many questions and found themselves in a ditch¡ªdead and decomposing!" she laughed, but there was nothing funny about the situation.


    "I understand. Let me give you a clue¡­" he paused for effect. "I have told you that I am famous, right? I fear that once you find out, you won''t be able to see me for who I am and will see me as the celebrity that I am. That you will fangirl." He waited for her to reply.


    "I live in H city and see starts on a regular basis walking down the street. I can''t say that I get star-struck. I am more concerned about if you think I will go to the media and spill the beans!" she laughed.


    "You think too lowly of me," he grumbled, but he knew her concerns were legit. If it were anyone else, he would have suspected them of a lot of things, but she seemed so different to him.


    "I don''t think lowly of you. It''s just that I know that it''s a possibility if you are famous that people try to expose you at every turn. That must be how it feels to be rich. You need all the receipts and constant media handling to see that no bad news comes out about you. And I can see you being cautious around a stranger," she reasoned. Whatever she was, she was not irrational.


    "You''re not a stranger."


    "I was watching an episode of Dr. Phil on the internet and when he asked how two people had connected over the internet, I was stunned. They sounded like us, thinking each other their soulmates because of conversations they had from behind the screen and Dr. Phil kept asking about why they didn''t find someone in their own community to date. At first, I was siding with the kids, but then, I love Dr. Phil and I could see sense too. He said that it was impossible to fall in love with someone or know them when it is all over the internet. And I feel conscious about this."


    "We are a good match. I love the doctor, too, but even if he is right, I would want to explore this relationship with you in real life. Hell, I can''t wait to meet you." He threw his hands into the air and dropped back onto his bed. He was frustrated by this conversation and the insecurity she had with their relationship. But who could stand against the ominous words of the good doctor who had forty years of experience under his belt?


    "We could get to know each other in real life and fall in love all over again. I trust our connection." ''I don''t want to lose you,'' she thought in her head. She didn''t know how she would be able to live without him anymore and they had not met yet. Maybe it was not love, but what was it? Infatuation? She had never felt anything this strong in her life. And she had truly believed that she was in love with Jonathan.

 Chapter 84 - Born This Way

    "Yes, let''s do that." His voice was firm, leaving no place for compromise. They had only one way, they had to get to know each other in real life. They were probably hiding from each other and they could only see their real selves when the veil of the screen was lifted up, leaving them naked and vulnerable, ready for the other to see.


    "What about you and your mother? We never got around to speaking about it." Katherine pouted.


    "Ah, yes. I don''t have much time now, but I used to go to every one of her recitals when I was younger. Now, I go when I have time. She still buys the tickets for me, even though I have the money for it, and if I am staying over at my parents¡­ all my expenses are taken care of by them. I love them to pieces. I am truly blessed to have my mother. Can''t forget my father either," he added with a laugh.


    "My mom is the same way. My dad has always been strict with money and she never really had anything to her name apart from the little money I send home to her. But every time I go back, she will spend money on me like she is the queen. I can feel the love she has for me because I know she keeps aside some money from my father''s purse so that she can enjoy with me when I am home. She is the person I go to if I have financial issues. She is my rock."


    There was silence on the line. This was something else they had in common: irrevocable love for their mothers. It felt good to know that he was as much of a momma''s boy as she was a momma''s girl. There was just something about people who loved their mothers more than anything else. They were special.


    "We¡­ we need to meet before our trip to the mountains," he said suddenly, breaking the silence. Her breath hitched in her throat when she heard his declaration.


    "I want to meet you, too," she whispered. "Where and when?" she asked enthusiastically.


    "Let''s go to Phoenix City mall a few weeks from now. We will decide on a date later on. I just can''t wait to meet you, love. If Dr. Phil is right, I want to get to know you all over again. It isn''t enough just knowing you over the phone."


    "You say the sweetest things out of the blue. Where do you learn these lines?" she asked.


    ''Hours and hours of reading through scripts written by brilliant and third-grade scriptwriters gives you an idea about what exactly makes people swoon.''


    "I was born this way, baby," he snickers.


    "I don''t even know your name," she said in a low, accusatory voice.


    "And neither do I know yours," he replied. His voice was quiet, but he hid his guilt well. Of course, he knew who she was, but she had never once mentioned her name to him. He had no right to feel betrayed because he had also hidden so much from her. There was no way they could say anything about each other.


    And what about when they met? She would know his name and he would just pretend like he had never heard her friend calling her over the call or that he hadn''t seen her work? Of course, he would have to confess to everything and hope that he would be alright. Now, he wondered if he should reveal himself to her beforehand and see how her reaction was. Maybe it wouldn''t be so drastic.


    "What a pair of lovers we make." She scoffed.


    "Did you just call us lovers?" he teased. The worry that plagued his mind slowly faded away and all that was left behind was delight about how they really were lovers, despite never having seen each other''s face.


    This was another thing. He hadn''t seen her face. He had seen her body and her hair, but never her face. Her photographer friend had done a stellar job of keeping that part of her hidden. So there was no way of knowing how she looked. If he were a total control freak, he would have asked his manager to find out everything about her and see her face, but he had restrained himself from doing so. He prided himself over it.


    "Phoenix City Mall. Confirm the location and the time." She hung up, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.


    Cage looked at the phone in his hand and smirked. He had embarrassed her into cutting the phone off. Why was it that he felt so devious?


    - - -


    "Please?" Lily pouted, trying her best to convince her friend to go with her on a double date.


    "I already told you I wouldn''t go." Katherine continued to work on her illustrator. Her friend had been pestering her about going out on a double date with Lily and Jared. Apparently, they were going to call in a friend of Jared who was supposedly free on that day and willing to tag along.


    "But why?" Lily whined, grabbing her friend by the arm and shaking her. Katherine glared at Lily for a moment before extracting her hand from her friend''s.


    "I consider it cheating." Her voice was firm, leaving no space for argument.


    "How is it cheating if you aren''t exclusive?" Lily objected.


    "I am serious about Ray. I am not willing to go out on a date with another man simply because you want to spice up your date. I am not asking you to find me any."


    "I know you are serious. I have spoken to Jared and he told me that his friend is not looking for anything either," Lily said, her palms pressed in front of her in prayer. "Please?"


    It was hard resisting her friend, especially when their arguments were so bad. She did have a lot of time on her hands and she didn''t know this boyfriend of her friend''s who had lasted this long without a single fight about her. She had to meet him someday and he was rarely available to meet Angelina and her.

 Chapter 85 - Sound Like a Vixen

    "Ask Angelina to go with you."


    "I already asked her and she has a shoot that morning. She can''t make it." There was a slight pause. "I will buy you the latest brushes for your work, I promise."


    She did need a new set of brushes to up her work. Her style might get stale if she didn''t constantly renovate it and cater to her clients.


    "If it is anything below 100 dollars, don''t bother to ask me to go," Katherine strategically bargained.


    "You''re spending time with your friend and being so stingy about it? Who would have thought that you were so easy to convince. All you need is money." Lily nudged Katherine. "Lower the price."


    "You are the one who is money-driven. I learned it from you. 120 or nothing¡­" she deadpanned.


    "This is highway robbery."


    "If you want I can raise it to 150," she said smugly, giving Lily the side-eye.


    "You''d have made a terrible negotiator," Lily harrumphed and gave up. "100 dollars for one date. That''s settled, you hoe." Katherine sniggered as her friend grumbled under her breath and left the room.


    "I would have made an excellent negotiator," she sniggered as she went back to work.


    Later that night, the phone rang and Katherine leaped on the bed as she tried to reach it before the phone cut off.


    "I just needed to charge my phone for a bit. Sorry for the delay," his voice was tired and Katherine felt bad for him. On most days he would sound half dead when he called her.


    "You should have gotten some rest. You need to sleep," she said in a low voice that was meant to comfort him, but it only made him groan internally. She sounded sexy when she spoke to him, all concerned and demanding him to take rest.


    Obviously, it had the exact opposite effect.


    "I am resting. I am revitalizing myself by listening to your voice." He coughed to hide the arousal in his voice. He was wide awake and his tiredness slowly seeped out of his body like magic.


    "You think too highly of me, kind sir," she teased. She flicked her hand on the lock of hair that had escaped her messy bun and rolled it around her fingers. She was conscious of the nervous actions she was partaking in, but she continued, knowing he would not find out anyway.


    "Are you nervous?" he said suddenly, stunning her. ''How did he know?''


    "No," she squeaked.


    "My lady, I know you enough to know something is on your mind. Now, care to tell me what it is?" He sounded concerned and she wanted none of that.


    "Promise me you won''t be mad once you find out!" She would have to make him swear before she spoke a word of the double date she was going to go on.


    "The fact that you are asking me that tells me that you have committed a grave crime." He was taunting her in an amused manner, but he didn''t realize that she hadn''t caught his tone. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Love, I don''t care what you did, just tell me," he urged.


    "Lily is forcing me into going on a date with her," she blurted out. He remained silent for some time.


    "On a double date?" he asked, his voice sounding a little strained. "Do you want to go?"


    "Of course not!" she stumbled to defend herself. "I didn''t want to go but there was no way out of it. I even asked for a bribe because I was doing her a favor."


    "I hope it was a big bribe," he prompted her on.


    "I asked for exclusive brushes that I can''t afford at the moment. She wanted to bargain but I got my way." Cage clucked his tongue, a faint smile on his lips.


    "Tell me what brushes you want. I will buy them all for you. You don''t really have to go on the date," he said petulantly.


    She laughed in delight. "Don''t be jealous, Ray. I have no interest in the date. I just want to know the guy she is meeting. It would be odd if he didn''t bring a friend along when she was, so they decided on a double date scene." At this point, she was making things up. But it made sense that they were all meeting the friends.


    "I am jealous," he agreed readily. "Even I haven''t had the opportunity to go out with you, but here you are going out with another guy. I feel bad." All his tiredness had left his body but he was left a big ball of tension.


    What would happen if he suddenly found that she had started to like a real guy she had met?


    "What concerns you?" she voiced, knowing that she would react the same way if it were her on the other side.


    "That you will start liking this guy." She chuckled when she heard how he sounded. But he seemed hurt, so she couldn''t continue for long.


    "You little boy. You go around calling me a loli but you are insecure about your girl going out with friends." She didn''t mean it maliciously, and she hoped he didn''t take it that way.


    "''Your girl?''" he whispered. "My girl?" he said again, this time making her giggle for real.


    "Now that we have established that, you don''t need to be frightened about what I do outside with them, okay?" If she could, she would have pecked his cheeks after saying that, but the distance between them was long.


    "I wasn''t frightened."


    "Of course," she acquiesced.


    "But I will ask you to proclaim yourself as taken so that no one shows any interest in you." She threw her head back in laughter. "I''m serious. You''re dangerously beautiful."


    "You make me sound like a vixen!"


    "That''s exactly what you are, love. You will be the death of me with your sweet voice and words."

 Chapter 86 - Freudian Slip

    "I can''t wait to meet you." She sighed. How many more days was it until it was time for their date? She could only wait. They would meet for the first time and? What would they ever do?


    Surely, they wouldn''t fall on the bed at first. But she wouldn''t put it past herself to be unable to keep her hands off the guy once she met him.


    "What will we do when we meet for the first time?" she inquired.


    "We''ll have to see. What do you want to do?" he asked, his voice fresh and simple. His thoughts though were much more impure.


    "I would like to do a lot of things with you, but only if you allow it. I wouldn''t want you to think that we are rushing into something." She had tried her best to sound as vague as possible that he would misunderstand her meaning, but he still showed no signs of taking the bait.


    "And what would that be?" he asked plainly. Finally, years of practicing lines were coming in handy in his personal life and he wouldn''t have to reveal just how stimulated he was. He could sound actively participating and his mind not floating away to unknown land this way. It was a chore.


    "Let''s have our first date out in the grocery store!" She gave up. Her excitement was palpable.


    "Ah, I remember how you mentioned that was your favorite place, but I wouldn''t want to go out on the first date. It''s troublesome for me to go out on a regular basis, in front of a lot of people." Oh, yes. He had mentioned that he was somewhat of a celebrity.


    She grumbled.


    "Then however are we going to spend our time?"


    "Why don''t we play the game like we used to in the beginning. Since we started speaking, we have almost stopped playing with each other. I really love to play with you."


    Play with you¡­ the words echoed.


    ''Of course, you like to play with me,'' she thought perversely. Then, in a flash, she remembered their first encounter and how her foot in mouth moment had resulted in this relationship of theirs.


    Truly, destiny.


    She couldn''t imagine some other guy reacting in the same way for so long that this connection could be built.


    "I would love that," she finally answered. She heard him yawn and smiled to herself.


    "Go get some sleep. I will catch up with work and finish off. I''ll let you know when the date happens." They bid their goodbyes.


    Katherine wondered if he dreamt of her that night. As usual, he did.


    - - -


    "Where are we going?" Katherine asked as she peeped inside Lily''s room. From the look of the clothes Lily was pulling out, it was a posh restaurant or something of the sort.


    "It''s a niche art gallery at the top of the tallest building in the city where food is served." Katherine made a face at that description. She would have loved to go to this place alone but with a bunch of people whom she had to converse with? Wasn''t that taking away from the experience of the place?


    "I know what you are talking about and it is a revolutionary idea which I stand by. It''s good how they have made the art business more profitable by adding in good local food and a bar to the package. But, why didn''t you choose a place better suited for a double date?" Lily gave her a stink-eye.


    "You were the one who insisted that it was a meeting of friends and that it was not a double date, and now you are changing your tune? Did you have a fight with Ray?" she poked.


    "Not at all. It was a slip of tongue," she retorted with a cheeky look.


    "A Freudian slip," Lily countered. The two sniggered when Angelina came into the picture.


    "What are the two of you giggling on about?" She seemed irritated because of something and her friends knew not to stimulate her when that was the case.


    "What happened?" Lily asked, being the more courageous of the two.


    "I hate photographers," Angelina seethed. "Not all, just a lot of them," she grumbled when she saw the glare Lily was giving her. "It''s painful being in the industry when part of the photographer population wants you to do outlandish things for their portfolio."


    "Weren''t you going for a simple test shoot? What happened?" Katherine asked this time. The conversation had begun and she could see that Angelina needed to vent before she started a screaming fit at everyone and anyone who crossed her path. The woman could get really scary if that happened.


    "It was a test shoot and I thought I was getting a good deal. This guy is pretty famous and works with loads of professionals. I was honored that he would choose me when he hit me up on Instagram. I fucking bounced my way two hours from the apartment to reach his studio!" She raised her hands over her head in exasperation. She made weird gestures, breathing in and out in intervals to calm herself down.


    "Since when are you taking anger management classes? I didn''t know!" Lily interjected.


    "You better shut up or my training will go to waste," Angelina threatened as she continued to do her little routine.


    "Is that why you left at 3 am this morning?" Katherine had been stunned when she saw Angelina awake at that ungodly hour when she went to pee. The other quietly left the room, giving Katherine an apologetic smile for waking her but said nothing else.


    "I reached at 5 am and then found out that they wanted me to change into seven outfits for the test shoots!" And she had a right to be exasperated.


    "If I am not wrong, test shoots have a maximum of two or three changes, right?" Katherine turned to Lily for confirmation, who nodded.


    "You should have said no at that point," Lily said softly, not wanting to enrage Angelina further.

 Chapter 87 - Make Men Swoon

    "You would think that years in the industry would teach me how to spot an asshole, but I was on cloud nine that he had considered me so I went ahead with the whole charade." She rolled her eyes.


    "It gets worse?" Katherine squeaked. She had a fair share of horror stories in her industry, but nothing compared to the stories that Lily and Angelina sometimes brought home. From grabby hands to hours of torturous posing, they had all the stories.


    "He got me into those Lady Gaga-esque shoes that go on for miles and wanted me to skip around on boxes of various heights." Gasps filled the room.


    "Did you fall?" Lily cringed.


    "I sure as hell did. Thank god the assistant was nearby and helped me or else I would have broken my ankle in the very least." She shuddered at the thought.


    "And what number change was this?" Lily asked. "This man needs a whiplashing for putting you through that."


    "It was change number four when this happened and I had already revolted, saying I would do no further but the fucker charmed me into taking the shot."


    "And you jumped around like a bunny?" Katherine wasn''t amused. She was infuriated on her friend''s behalf.


    "I was hoping around elegantly, okay?" she snapped back. "But I was at the side and my ankle twisted. It hurt like hell." It was then she limped over to sit on the bed.


    "Did you go see a doctor?" Lily asked, bending forward and raising the skirt.


    "Don''t pull on my skirt so suddenly," Angelina muttered, instantly lighting the mood. "Yeah," she said finally. "I went to the doctor. Waited for an hour at the office until it was my turn. I got badly sprained so I have a bandage wrapped around the location for now. I will have to go for a check-up a week from now."


    "You''re going to report this guy, right? You need to tell other people of what he did." Angelina nodded.


    "I texted a friend, but at least I will get photographs out of it. Can''t believe I spent my time on that asshole," she grumbled.


    A brilliant idea struck Katherine. "Do you want me to stay back and take care of you?" She asked, hoping her friend would somehow extract her from going on an uncomfortable date.


    "You are not getting out of this engagement, honey," Lily said from where she was kneeling. "I have a dress picked out for you. I knew you would try to slither out, so I made sure I had prepared everything for you."


    Katherine groaned.


    "I''ll be holed up in my room, probably sleeping for the rest of the night. I won''t need your services, peasant," Angelina said smugly. "Now go on the hot date and get laid."


    "Ew. You shouldn''t be talking about your friend like that." Lily winked at her friend and got up from the floor. "Now, you!" She retrieved a piece of clothing from her bed and threw it at Katherine. "Change into this. It''s a little loose on me, so it should fit you perfectly."


    Katherine sighed as she looked at the dress. It was not revealing¡­ that she was thankful for, but it could be considered sexy. It was silver with a boat neck and it would surely show a hint of her cleavage. The length was decent so she wasn''t worried.


    She took the dress and bid her friends goodbye. She went into the other room and tried it on. She couldn''t help but wonder how the dress had changed her image so much. She was usually in jeans and hoodies, or in comic book merchandize, so she wasn''t used to seeing herself so dressed up. Even when she went to party or to the bar, she didn''t look this¡­ good.


    Such a day meant that she would have to put on some light makeup and really show the world what she was about.


    She pulled out her cellphone and boldly pointed it to the mirror. Having poses and taken about twelve pictures, she was finally sure that she had the one that she wanted to send to Ray. She giggled as she captioned it.


    ''Ready to make men swoon all over me.'' She wondered if she should press send.


    She swiftly deleted it and wrote out the story of how she had been coerced into going out with Lily and her boyfriend. She sounded apologetic and felt a little apologetic because she knew it was considered micro-cheating. She wanted none of that life.


    [You look fabulous.] He typed out. She smiled and pushed her phone inside her purse. She could hear Lily call her from outside the room. She opened the door and heard her friends whistle.


    "You look like a hot piece of cake," Lily commented, twirling her finger, beckoning Katherine to twirl and show how the dress looked.


    "I can see your panty line," Angelina commented from the side, holding a bowl and spoon in her hands.


    "Eat your ice cream," Katherine snipped as she trotted back to look in front of the mirror. Angelina had been right, there was a slight trace of her panties, even though she had made sure to wear those super-hidden ones. She moaned.


    "What do I do now?" she whined.


    "Buy new underwear?" Angelina supplied carefully. "Or you could go without underwear."


    "No one would be wise," Lily agreed readily, horrifying Katherine.


    "I''ve never gone without underwear," she gasped in horror, almost wanting to close the door on their faces. No underwear? What is it got breezy¡­ or if someone peered under the dress? She would be done for, all her goods splayed out for the world to see.


    "Don''t be so dramatic. I don''t wear underwear unless I am going to a shoot or on my period." Even Lily turned to stare at Angelina at this point.


    "I want to smack your ass to see if this is true," she commented, but wisely kept her hands to herself, not wanting to scandalize poor Katherine any more than she already was.


    "Don''t the hems chaff you?" Katherine asked slowly, curiosity peeking through her horror.


    "No. I buy quality material, unlike some people I know." Lily gave her a knowing look.


    "Fine," she gritted through her teeth and closed the door. She sighed as she tugged on the hem and pulled down her panty. She longingly looked at it and decided that she would put it in her bag and wear it once she was out of the house and there was nothing those two could do about her wearing her panty. In the house, they could wrestle her to the ground and make her not wear it, but they would act civilized in front of others.

 Chapter 88 - I Love Him

    "They''re here!" Lily shouted as she peered out of the window. Katherine realized that Jared had arrived in the car with his friend.


    ''Going out right now. Pray for me!'' She texted Ray quickly before following Lily out of the apartment and down the stairs.


    She saw a tall guy leaning against the car. Seeing Lily''s excitement, she could guess that his guy was the boyfriend, Jared. He was a good looking guy in a suit. Katherine found herself impressed, knowing that her friend attracted a lot of women, but this guy was something else.


    The evening would be eventful, in her opinion, but because she would be judging this guy harshly.


    The other guy was nowhere to be found, but Katherine shrugged it off. While Jared opened the passenger''s seat, she caught a glimpse of a man in the backseat. She stiffened upon realizing that Jared was trying his best to get his friend hooked up with his girlfriend''s friend. Well, she couldn''t fault him for being a good man. She sighed and looked at Lily, who was also looking at her from the corner of her eyes.


    She seemed to be pleading Katherine with her eyes, hoping that she wouldn''t protest.


    Katherine was not the type of person who would cause trouble when she could avoid it. Unless she was completely scandalized, she didn''t defend herself or be rude.


    She walked over to the other side of the car and opened the door. Throwing a smile at the man who was looking at her, she slid in and made herself comfortable.


    Lily and Jared had taken their seats as well.


    "Here we go!" Jared said nervously before turning the engine on. The ride was silent until Katherine''s phone buzzed twice.


    ''I am so sorry for this,'' Lily had sent her. Katherine quickly typed on a message comforting her friend and looked out of the window. The scenery outside blurred by and soon they had reached the bougie art gallery-cum- restaurant.


    From the corner of her eyes, she could see the guy rushing out of the car and sprinting to her side. She blinked when the door on her side opened and a hand appeared in front of her face.


    "Thank you," she muttered politely, taking it even though she felt mildly uncomfortable. She felt bad for not appreciating the guy''s efforts. But how could she when her heart was still lingering on the thoughts of Ray?


    She let his hand go after she came out of the car and maintained distance.


    They were quickly placed at a table, with Lily and Katherine on one side and the guys on the other.


    "So, what are your intentions with my friend?" Katherine asked in a casual but teasing tone.


    Jared took a sip of the champagne from the flute, a smile playing on his lips.


    "I plan on wining and dining her until she accepts my hand in marriage and let''s see if we can make some cute babies," he deadpanned. Lily spluttered and Katherine almost fell from her chair.


    She didn''t know if she wanted to be surprised or just laugh her head off. She knew that the guy was joking, but she couldn''t help but wonder if he was¡­ actually considering what he was saying out loud.


    "Jared is an honorable man," the guy, who had been introduced as Barry after they had been seated, said. Katherine looked at him and chuckled.


    "I can see that." She turned to look at Jared. "I am mildly horrified by that tone! Are you mocking my friend, sir?"


    "Ah! You misunderstand me. You are the soul sister of my bride-to-be. I just want to impress you." The conversation flowed. Even Barry was more proactive in it, shrugging off his shyness. He was a really nice guy, Katherine realized.


    "So, Katherine? What about you? These two are already talking about babies. Do you have anyone special in your life?" Katherine looked around the table, seeing the curious gazes on her. She contemplated what she should do. Clearly, Lily hadn''t uttered a word about Ray, which Katherine was appreciative of.


    But Barry was interested. She had to come clear to these people before she led him on. No, she hadn''t done anything that could mean it, but she was on a sort of blind date with him and he could try to pursue her if he actually was interested.


    She was taken. And she didn''t really need any ambiguity in that sphere.


    Her mind was made.


    "Yes, I am taken," she spoke up. While the men looked surprised, Lily looked¡­ proud.


    It almost seemed like her friend was making her come out of the closet about her online relationship. She had not told anyone apart from Lily and it felt like she was not forthcoming about her life.


    "Oh?" Barry said, trying to hide his disappointment. "How did you guys meet?" Katherine felt bad for hurting this guy and crushing his hopes.


    "We met over an online game and well¡­ it just turned into more," she sipped on her glass of water. "I haven''t told anyone yet, but I thought it was okay to say it out loud."


    "I''m so sorry dragging you here," Jared said apologetically. "I was really looking forward to your friendship with Barry." He patted his friend''s back. "Boy, I am sorry. This fine creature is taken, it seems."


    Barry laughed and shook his head. "It''s no matter. If you find yourself in need of a conversation or want to go out on a date if you break up with him? I am all ears," he winked.


    "I love him," she said suddenly, surprising herself.


    "Well, that''s nice to hear," Lily said blandly. "Congratulations on accepting your feelings."


    Katherine gave her a look to make her shut up. Lily shrugged.


    Though the conversation turned mildly awkward, it was a pleasant evening. Jared dropped them off to their apartment. When she went into her room, she removed all the makeup and put on her pajamas.


    "Do you want to get on with the next question, now?" she texted. The reply came soon after. She smiled, plopping down on her bed and rolling around as the conversation started to flow.

 Chapter 89 - The World Would Stand Still

    He glanced over at the calendar on the wall and realized that there were only seven days left to feel her wrapped around him. Six days until he could look into her beautiful brown eyes and tell her how much he loved her. It seemed like forever had passed since the day they had seen each other.


    She had come into his life without warning, touching his heart, and leaving no way for him to make her go away. Before she came alone, his life was a mess of work and controversies, but now everything seemed to be on track. How would his life have been without meeting her? How would it have felt to not know what her heartbeat sounded like? How could he have fallen in love with her without meeting her? His heart and brain didn''t know the answer to these simple questions, but they had become the truth of his life. He began to wonder if there were other people on the planet that experienced love like they did. Was this feeling of overwhelming emotion something common? Whatever the answer to that question may have been, he didn''t care much for it. If yes, it was common¡­ he was happy for all those people who felt the same way about their other half. If no, he was thankful that the gods have given him the chance to experience something this magical. He felt like even though he had never met her, he could listen to her heartbeat from miles away.


    He was normally not a person who would let his guard down in front of someone he didn''t know. But there was something different about Katherine. There was just something about the easiness with which they understood each other¡­ To some, it was odd that in the day and age of social networking and dating apps, something so transcendental was possible. He hadn''t gone in search of her, they had just crashed into each other without realizing it. It all started out with casual banter but it didn''t take long before she had stolen his heart. Now, half of his heart remained in his body, while the other hard resided in the palm of her hands, at her mercy. In seven days, they would be united, his heart would finally be a whole.


    Their days started and ended the same way. She was the first voice he heard when he woke up and the last voice he responded to whilst he drifted off to sleep. The sound of her voice whispering good morning had become his ringtone, and with every message and call, they grew closer to each other, finding out everything about the other¡­ things that were impossible to find out without playing the game like they had. She had become a part of who he was, and definitely was a huge part of who he wanted to be. She represented everything that was good and beautiful about the world, everything that he wanted in his life to make it happy. While he didn''t like to speak much when it came to talking to others, he found himself lost in words when he was with her. There was just¡­ something about her.


    When he called her ''baby,'' he knew there was no one else who could bring him to his knees and keep him at their mercy. The same games and movies and music coursed through their veins like fish in the sea. When something came up, the other knew for certain something was wrong. Soon, he hoped, they would know what was wrong before the other spoke. They shared the same thoughts so many times, views on lives, about each other that sometimes he began to believe that there were truly people made for each other. They were made for each other. It was only a matter of time before they would complete each others'' sentences, only because the respected each other to finish their thoughts did they not do it now. But what was respect in a relationship of equals? They would know each other so well that nothing would be foreign.


    Sunday couldn''t come soon enough. Every day seemed like an eternity. He prayed that nothing went wrong on the day they had to meet. His heart couldn''t stand being apart from her any longer. He grew nervous as the days passed and the day of her arrival grew closer.


    When they decided to meet, he was ecstatic. He couldn''t believe that they were finally going to be together. He couldn''t wait to tell her how much he loved her and that she completed him. He began to constantly dream of how their meeting would be.


    He could imagine what their meeting would be like.


    He would grab a large bouquet of flowers and make his way to the entrance of the mall. He would check the time to see how long it would take her to finally arrive. His heart would race a mile a minute and he would bounce around in excitement. He would gush over being so near to her¡­ so near.


    ''Where is my girl?'' he would think.


    He would catch the soft scent of her dancing through the air and their eyes would lock. They would take long strides towards one another, brightly smiling¡­ She would run into his arms at the last minute and kiss him with every fiber of her being. He would run his fingers through her hair, deepening the kiss as he pulls her to him. At that moment, the world would stand still. It wouldn''t matter who was around them or who was looking. It wouldn''t matter if the paparazzi found out. As he would tug on her bottom lip, they would slowly pull away and giggle before taking a deep breath.


    They would reconnect, sucking softly on each other for what may be an eternity, but neither would notice. They would melt into each other''s touch, their hearts thumping against their ribcage. It would take some time before they got breathless and broke away. Their passion for the other would have made it pretty evident that they wanted each other. It wouldn''t make a difference that there were people who would judgmentally look at them. The only thing on their mind was how much they wanted each other.

 Chapter 90 - Better, Baby? *

    "That dress was made for you, love." He would say as he brushed away the strand of hair that had fallen on her cheeks. She would flutter her eyes in pleasure at his touch and smile softly at him.


    "You chose them for me," she would say, taking a step back and twirling, showing off the clothes he had bought for her.


    "I just want to see that dress on the bedroom floor. You can keep your shoes on, though," he would wink, making her giggle.


    For the purpose of this ride, he would bring along a driver, who would wait for them in the parking lot. They would go hand in hand, searching for the car before they find it. Entering, she would straddle him without a shred of shame and run her fingers through his hair as their eyes remain locked on each other.


    "You do live close by, right?" she would ask, her voice husky and filled with need.


    He would surreptitiously look at the driver and find him with headphones in his ears and his eyes locked on the way ahead, completely ignoring the two of them. He would smile, knowing his driver had given him privacy and speak freely.


    "We should reach in about fifteen minutes." He paused, looking at her lips before blinking. "I need you, baby," he whispered, despite himself.


    "I may or may not have forgotten something while I was dressing," she would say, making him moan against her neck.


    He would slide his hands under her dress and up her thighs and feel the softness of her skin. She would bite on her bottom lip as his fingers would find her swollen clit. He would pinch it as she rocked her hips back and forth, raising her hips and gripping his hand, repositioning it into the place she wanted it to be.


    Taking the initiative, she would slide down on his fingers and quickly stifle her moan. "See what you do to me?" she would say, softly, her head quirking to her side, her hair falling over her shoulder, making her look like a devious angel. He would swirl his fingers inside her and rub her clit with his thumb as she worked on his fingers, her breathing getting heavier with each passing second. He would pull her face close to her and kiss her hard.


    He knew that he would not let her get off in the car, so he would ease his fingers out of her and watch at her expression of surprise.


    "Please?" she would beg, but he would not give in.


    "No, we are going to my other apartment," he would whisper as he greedily sucked on her juices on his finger. She would gasp, slapping his arm, and looking over her shoulder to see if the driver had noticed.


    If he had, he didn''t show any signs of recognition.


    He would pull her to the elevator when they got out of the car after asking the driver not to wait for them. They would rush inside the lift and impatiently slam on the buttons, waiting for the door to close. Just as the door was about to close, a group of people stopped them. Out of courtesy, they had to stall the doors and wait for them to fill in.


    He would stare at her from the corner of his eyes and feel the heat radiating from their body. Impatience would bud in his heart and leave him yearning for a taste of her.


    Finally, it was their floor and they would push the others over and get out, hand in hand, waiting for the door to close after them. They hastened their pace and she followed him blindly, letting him take her wherever he wanted. She willingly got in through the door behind him. No sooner had she entered than the door shut behind her and she was pushed up against it.


    With a deviant look in his eyes, he would ask her in a soft voice, "Are you ready, love?" and she would nod. He would lower his head, taking in her scent before he swooped in for a kiss. He licked the corner of her lips, tasting her for the first time and taking in her flavour. He could only imagine how sweet she would taste and how her mouth would search for his. He would nibble on her lower lip, biting hard enough to elicit a moan from her. Feeling a little sorry, he caressed the spot with his tongue and then sucked on it gently to soothe it.


    "Better, baby?" he would croon as he cradled her face in his hand and caressed her cheek with his thumb. She would make a noise of consent and he would close in the inches between their lips and kiss her. Open mouth kisses would rain on them, showing them exactly how much they wanted each other. In her ecstasy, she would trace his back with her fingers and find her hands moving to his shoulder and then to his hair, pulling him impossibly closer to her, never wanting to let him go.


    When they parted, they would be gasping for air, still holding each other close, unwilling to let go.


    "It''s time for me to take a shower," she said apologetically.


    "I''ll come with you," he would proposition, but a sudden shy look in her eye would take him back. "Do you want me to come with you?"


    She would shake her head. "I am all dirty from the ride here," she would say with a small smile, making him grin. "I''ll wash off the grime and come out."


    ''You''ll get sweaty soon enough,'' he would think as he pointed towards the bathroom and pushed her in. He would hand her a big fluffy towel and ask her to take advantage of his well-stocked cabinet.


    He would wait in the room, hearing the shower from inside the bedroom and congratulate himself for his luck. He had finally met her, thank god for that. He knocked on the door lightly and asked if she was okay in there when it had been close to forty-five minutes.

 Chapter 91 - Naive Child *

    At first, he would be puzzled about why she was not coming out. Was she regretting her decision to come over or was it something else? These thoughts would course through his brain, but he would tell himself to calm down and wait for her.


    It would be then that he would hear her sing a song from inside. He would feel his member stir at the noise, growing harder again after it had subsided while she was in the bathroom. She would emerge out with a cloud of steam from the bathroom¡ªwet, clean and naked under the thick towel wrapped around her.


    For a moment, she would stare at him in silence before breaking into a seductive smile. All his worries would fly out of the window seeing it, knowing what she wanted. She would pounce on him, chanting what sounded like ''off'' under her breath and he would oblige. They landed on the bed, a mess of limbs, grabbing at each other, their hands and mouths and tongue in sync, feeling as if they would combust from the heat between their bodies.


    He would kiss her neck and her taste would go straight to his cock. He would oblige to her wish and shed his shirt, pants, and socks, leaving nothing but his sanity and control behind. She would tremble underneath him, gasping as his hands ran over her body. He, on the other hand, would pray that he could have her that very instant.


    "Oh god," she whimpered as he slipped a finger between her legs, and dear lord she was wet. So wet and ready that he knew instantly what had taken her so long in the shower. She had indulged in some recreational activities in the shower before she came out and faced him.


    How her face would have looked, he could only imagine.


    She gasped as he pinned her against the bed. He took a second to breathe, drawing air from her lips as she stared in shocked pleasure. She was stunning with her mouth open in shock and her hair sticking to her dewy face. She gasped when he pushed into her, balancing herself on the fancy memory foam he had bought. She thrust her hips upwards, trying to impale herself further on his cock.


    It would feel so good to be buried inside her.


    She clings to him, digging her nails into his back as he plows into her at a mad pace. He starts on her rock-hard nipples¡ªsucking, tugging, and licking as his teeth scrape over it. He squeezes her other breast and feels how beautiful they are. He would love them in his mouth.


    "You taste wonderful," he would find himself saying, praying that he gets an opportunity to taste her between her legs, and good god he can''t wait for that to happen. "I want you so bad," he would say, but he was already inside her. He wanted to stay there forever, be with her through thick and thin, and be joined with her in every way possible.


    "Cage," she would moan as she bucked her hips, swirling her hips to his rhythm, tightening herself around him as she found release. He followed close behind, feeling the rush of ecstasy course through his veins. He shuddered inside her, growing limp but still keeping them joined.


    He pressed his forehead against hers gently and kissed her cheek.


    "Good?" he would ask and she would only grumble. Her eyes would be droopy with exhaustion and she would let his shoulders go and lay her hands limply on the sheets.


    - - -


    It was two days before they had decided to meet. He was beyond excited until Stephen called him.


    "Your tuxedo for the awards has been tailored, you need to come in to check it," his manager informed. Cage sighed. How long had it been since he had actually gone out of the house? Award ceremonies meant lots of cameras and speculation, newspapers, and online publications writing thousands of stories about him, starting from his dress, to his acting to how his life was.


    "I almost don''t want to go," he confessed.


    "But you need to," Stephen said firmly. "You are nominated for two awards and you are going with Julia."


    "Julia Williams?" he said, surprised. "Very interesting."


    "She needs someone to go with and you two have been friends for a long time."


    "It''s going to create lots of rumors, but the media will hopefully be careful about what they say about my love life after the whole Keira thing." He thought for a minute. "I can imagine that she wants to go with someone she knows after what that boyfriend of hers did to her." Julia Williams had entered the industry at the same time as him and they had crossed each other due to work.


    They were not very close but had hung out enough times to be called good friends. She had dated her boyfriend since she was eighteen, until recently when he cheated on her with a younger girl he had met at a party. The media went wild and Cage had felt horrible that she was going through this. He hadn''t been dumped but the media speculation had been bad; he couldn''t imagine how she felt, actually loving the guy and being betrayed by him.


    "You''re a good guy," Stephen said. "Well, I am also a good guy, considering I was the one who made this happen." ''This narcissist,'' Cage thought in amusement.


    "How is Katherine?" he asked suddenly.


    "She''s good." Cage was surprised at the sudden change in topic. He wasn''t ready to tell Stephen about his planned date with Katherine. His manager would never allow it. He would just tell her after everything happened, Stephen wouldn''t have anything to say then.


    "Well, good. I was calculating the chances of things still being good if she finds out who you are."


    "I am going to tell her¡­ soon." He said automatically.


    "Well, I hope it works out and she understands why you hid this for so long." It sounded ominous. "Oh, also, think about explaining all the drama you went through and the gossip."


    "I''ll just explain everything to her. She is intelligent and understanding; she''ll understand."


    "Didn''t you mention that she was cheated on, as well?" Stephen asked. There was silence from Cage''s side. "You are pretty clueless for someone who has been working in this industry for so long. Good luck, naive child."


    "You should do your job and make sure all media outlets know that we are just going as friends and nothing more. Make sure there is no mention of secret relationships and future possibilities. I don''t need that in my life."


    "How I would like if you dated a celebrity, but you are taken and I am going to accept that."

 Chapter 92 - Breakup Over Snapchat

    "You look amazing!" Julia commented as she came down the road and towards their car.


    "You look nice, as well," Cage told her. Julia was in a red dress that left little to the imagination. He chuckled. "That ex of yours is going to regret a lot of things tonight."


    "Thank you for your consolation. That is exactly my intention. I hope it works." She slid into the car with his friend. "Ah, Stephen said that there would be no mention of a relationship. You''re seeing someone, I presume?" Her voice sounded sad. "Tell me about her."


    "Julia, it''s hurtful to see others happy when you are miserable. I don''t want you to go through that. Let''s talk about this when you feel better." He patted her back. "Tell me what is up with you. I am sure you are bottling a lot up."


    She sighed and leaned back into the seat. Despite her fancy appearance, there was pain in her eyes. "I need some liquid courage to face him. He broke up with me over a Snapchat, in front of all his followers."


    "Don''t cry, your makeup will be ruined," he warned, bending forward to get some tissues for her.


    "He didn''t even have the decency to tell me face to face. Hell, I would even have taken it casually if he had texted. But Snapchat?" She took the napkin from his hand and dabbed at her wet eyes. "By the way, my makeup is waterproof." Cage chuckled.


    "The fucking magazines said that I was a broken shoe and that I was fat."


    Cage struggled to show the right emotion at that time. Oh, god. "You''re not fat. But I can see that you really took the comment to heart. That dress¡­ is not your style."


    "Thanks for helping me out. I didn''t know what to do." She sniffed.


    "I''m happy to be your arm candy for the night."


    "Now, tell me about that girl." She tried to smile. "I actually want to know."


    "If you wish so," he said, shrugging. "I haven''t met her yet, but her name is Katherine."


    "God, you are one of these people with online waifus." She smiled and teased him. Cage shook his head.


    "I might be a big nerd, but don''t take it that far! We met in an online game." She raised a brow. "We just got talking and she has an amazing personality. She''s funny, smart, and hot as hell..."


    "Do you have pictures?" she asked curiously. He pulled out his phone and saw through the pictures with a smile on his face. "Don''t show me any nudes, just the nice ones."


    "We don''t send each other nudes." He rolled his eyes. He showed her the picture of her with the books and heard Julie whistle.


    "She is smoking hot! What is the update?"


    "Don''t tell Stephen but I am meeting her tomorrow." Julia startled.


    "Are you sure that is safe? Where?" He didn''t answer. "God, you''re smitten. You were never like this before¡­ It''s good to see you like this."


    He smiled. ''I know,'' she thought. "I''ve never felt this way about anyone before."


    "I''m happy for you," she said softly. "Okay, I need to look happy for the cameras now. I don''t think I can stand seeing him."


    "Just don''t punch him," he said lightly. She scoffed. "No, seriously, you don''t need that drama in your life."


    They pulled up in front of the venue and took a deep breath. "You want to go first?" she asked.


    "I''ll go around and help you out," he replied. He got out of the car and the fans started yelling. The cameras flashed and he was grateful that he had brought his sunglasses. He could just take them off for the interviews. He reached in the car and took Julie''s hand, helping her out of the car.


    Instantly, the questions started coming. "Are you two together?"


    Cage ignored the question and guided her towards the red carpet. He waved with his free hand as she wobbled in her high heels.


    "What a surprise!" the first interviewer exclaimed. "Are you two here together?"


    ''Yes, what do you think?'' Cage thought sarcastically but painted a fake smile on his face.


    "It would seem so," Julia said in a singsong voice. Cage looked at her, his eyes wide.


    ''Oh no, she is going to act out.''


    "We''re good friends and thought us singles should attend together," he commented, hoping Julie would get the message.


    "How have the two of you been?" the interviewer asked.


    "We''re doing just fine, aren''t we?" Julia blew a kiss at him. Cage held back his frustration. Why did it seem like she was mildly intoxicated? He knew what she was doing but he didn''t like it one bit. He''d have to take this up later and tell her how uncomfortable it made him. Right now, he couldn''t do anything.


    "We''re well and hope you enjoy our time at the awards today," he said finally, before tugging Julie away before the interviewer could ask another question.


    "What are you doing?" he said under his breath, still smiling at the camera.


    "I was angry. She was pissing me off." She looked at his expression. "I won''t do it anymore."


    He won one of the two awards he was nominated for. His speech was short and the audience clapped.


    "I love you all," he said, waving as he made his way down the stage. The night was almost over and he couldn''t wait to get back home and talk to Katherine. Just a couple more hours and he would see her, hold her, and tell the truth.


    - - -


    The awards aired after he had reached home. On the other side of the town, the three girls sat in front of the couch and waited for the celebrities to file in.


    As they saw Cage walk down the red carpet, they clapped. Angelina was grumbling about Julia Williams being on his arms and that she was too close to him.


    Katherine and Lily humored her, not saying anything.


    When the interviews came, Angelina''s eyes grew wide. She pulled out the phone from her pocket.


    "What are you doing?" Lily asked, panicked. Katherine, on the other hand, just watched the two of them fight for the phone.

 Chapter 93 - Secret Girlfriend

    "I am going to call him," Angelina said. "I''m not going to go with his lies anymore." Katherine found herself confused.


    "You''re not going to give him a chance to explain?" she said. "You''ve already seen what happened through the Keira event." Katherine was trying to talk some sense into Angelina.


    "Don''t try to talk me out of this!" she shook. "I''ll call him while he is at the event and get an explanation. He has to explain to me." She was resolute.


    "You do know that the event was pre-filmed, right?" Lily said in a cool voice. "You''re going to prove nothing."


    Angelina didn''t want to listen. Katherine promptly switched off the television and asked Lily to let her do it.


    "Call him," Katherine challenged. "See the end to this." Angelina stared at her friend and with a quivering breath, she scrolled through her contacts and finally pressed the call button.


    The phone rang for what seemed like an eternity.


    It was almost ten in the night and the girls sat around the phone, waiting for the right time to call again.


    Suddenly, Angelina let out a shriek. It was a ball of nervousness and excitement. She moved forward to grab the phone. "He''s calling."


    "Pick up," Lily said, leaning in to look at the screen. Angelina did as she was told.


    "Speaker," Katherine mouthed. Angelina nodded and put the phone on speaker.


    "Hello?" she breathed into the phone. The voice, despite the situation, was sexy and almost pornish. Angelina could be a phone sex operator in her spare time and they wouldn''t know.


    ''Should I practice this voice for when I talk to Ray?'' Katherine thought suddenly. ''Not the occasion,'' she reminded herself.


    The voice of a woman came from the other side.


    They looked at each other. It was the same voice as last time.


    "I''m sorry, I couldn''t catch what you said?" Angelina said in a normal voice. The friends shared a look, knowing that the storm was about to hit. "Who is this?" she asked.


    In Angelina''s head, this was a girlfriend, probably Julia Williams.


    "I''m the older sister of the person who this phone belongs to." The voice came.


    Katherine frowned. So, this was how Angelina would find out.


    "Cage has a sister?" she asked, putting the call on mute. Kitty and Lily shook their head in reply. Angelina knew this, but she didn''t want to believe what was happening.


    "And who are you?" the woman said.


    "I''m..." Angelina was at a loss of words.


    "My brother messages this number too much and his bills are through the roof. My parents are worried. I was just calling to ask who you were," the woman assured.


    "I''m a friend of his," she said finally.


    "Oh! Are you his secret girlfriend? How did you meet?" the sister got excited. "Damon doesn''t speak about his friends a lot and is usually playing games or texting you. I am so happy he found someone."


    "We met online," she said silently. Angelina''s eyes wet with tears.


    "Oh," the sister sounded reserved. "I am not a fan of how you met, but because he likes you so much¡­ his fourteenth birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, as you should know. Do you think it would be possible for you to drive over?" She paused. "I know that you live farther away, but I could pay for your tickets. It would surprise him and make him so happy."


    They sucked in a breath. Thirteen, he really was thirteen. How could destiny be so cruel?


    The sister started to fret into the phone call while Angelina grabbed onto the sofa and hid her face. She was crying, that much was clear, her shoulders shaking at the impact.


    "What''s your name, sweetie?" she asked suddenly.


    Angelina stuttered. Lily, feeling terrible, snatched the phone from the table and pulled it close to her mouth.


    "Hi, this is her mother calling," Lily lied. "My little girl is sick today. How can I help you?" she asked. She raised her brow at Katherine, asking for her opinion.


    "Oh, poor girl. I hope she feels better. I don''t know if you know, but your daughter is dating my brother Damon. I wanted to know if she could make it for his birthday?" Lily drew a blank.


    "Hi, I overheard you speaking to my wife and had to intervene," Katherine said, not knowing where she was going with this.


    "Oh, a lesbian couple," the sister commented, surprised. "How nice." There was awkwardness in the tone.


    "Ah, yes," Katherine frowned. "Our little girl won''t be able to make it. It''s expensive and they are both young. It doesn''t seem like a good investment."


    "Money''s not a problem, at all. We would be happy to fly her out."


    "I''m sorry, she has school." Katherine was trying really hard to act like a parent. "Anyway, we wouldn''t want to encroach on you." She dismissed it.


    "Oh, it''s no issue. Our family would love to meet Damon''s girlfriend. Even though we are not progressive, we won''t judge." Katherine sighed. What an overbearing woman.


    "I''m afraid she isn''t allowed to date. It takes a toll on her studies." She tried to sound severe. "We weren''t aware that she was going behind our back and talking to someone."


    The sister laughed nervously. "It seems that I have put her in trouble. They''re at an age where her hormones make her want to date. We were all there. Don''t be too harsh on her."


    Lily was trying to comfort Angelina. Katherine looked at her friend with a glare, knowing that Lily was forcing a laugh back.


    "I''m glad Damon is interested in someone, he usually says girls are too immature for him. Your daughter must be very mature for her age." Katherine coughed.


    "Yes. Sorry, I''ll go check on my wife and daughter, now." She said quickly and hung up the phone. She looked at the object in horror and then kept it aside.


    "Are you okay?" she asked tentatively, putting her palm on her friend''s head.


    "Thirteen!" Angelina cried.

 Chapter 94 - You Were Duped

    "She thinks you are his age and doesn''t know your name. Don''t worry. You are safe."


    "I don''t care. He said he was¡­ Cage! He was just a little boy? What does this make me? A predator?" Angelina looked scared.


    "Honey, don''t worry. You didn''t know. You were duped." Katherine sighed.


    "I should have taken your advice. I know the two of you thought that he wasn''t who he led on to be, but I didn''t believe you." She paused. "I sexted a child."


    "Stop thinking about it."


    "Katherine, god. Thank you¡­ thank you for saving me. I''m never going to talk to someone online. Nothing good comes out of it." Katherine kept silent.


    "Let''s not get carried away," she defended. "Not everyone is bad on the internet." Angelina frowned. "And look at the bright side, you really felt something for Damon. That''s something, right?"


    "I told him to fuck me in odd positions that he has no business knowing at his age. He probably google searched it." Angelina had calmed down and was taking it a little better. Or maybe she was bottling it all in and was going to weep when she went inside her room.


    Angelina took her leave soon after, leaving Katherine and Lily kept silent.


    "You were right," Lily commented.


    "Don''t talk. She might hear us," Kitty warned.


    "Hey. Don''t let this scare you. Ray is not this kid and you are not in the same situation. When you meet tomorrow, you are going to see the guy you like and despite his age, you are going to do fine."


    She hadn''t realized that had worried her.


    "Right. As long as he is legal. I don''t know what I would have done if he was underage." Kitty fiddled with her hands.


    "We have seen his body. That is not a child. And you have spoken to him for a long time. It''s not your fault if she kept a secret from you," Lily reasoned.


    "Guess I''ll find out tomorrow," she sighed.


    [RayKon53: I can''t wait to meet you tomorrow.]


    [Rinten: Same. Things aren''t that good at home, though. My friend got lied to by someone she was talking to. Don''t know what to do.]


    [RayKon53: Wanna talk about it?] She smiled.


    [Rinten: No. I don''t want to spoil the mood. I will eventually tell you. Let''s give it more time.]


    [RayKon53: A bit tired from going to an event.]


    [Rinten: Sleep. Will see you tomorrow. Go.]


    [Rinten: Dream of me. I''ll be waiting for you tomorrow.]


    - - -


    It was already half-past ten in the morning and she was standing in front of her wardrobe, thinking about what she would wear. She had spent the night before thinking about how it would go, a ball of nerves.


    Anyway, Katherine had two options. One was a white top and a nice skirt she had brought for any dates that she would go to (and never went) and a pikachu overall that would catch a lot of attention.


    While Ray knew that she had a thing for such clothing, she didn''t know if he would be okay with her wearing something so flashy on their first meeting.


    She was on the verge of tears when Lily peered into the room.


    "What are you doing?" she asked. "Why aren''t you ready yet? It''s a weekend and everyone is going to flock to the mall. It''s rush hour, too. The traffic will be terrible."


    Katherine pouted and picked up the top and skirt.


    "What do you think of this outfit?" she asked. Lily gave it a once over and sighed.


    "The skirt is fine, but the top needs to change." She went to her room and appeared with something in her hands.


    "You want me to wear a floral print shirt with this skirt?" Katherine squeaked. It wasn''t really her style.


    "I have discerning eyes when it comes to fashion. This will suit you well." She placed the top in front of Katherine''s torso and nodded in approval. "Try it on. You can always take it off if you don''t like it."


    Katherine grudgingly changed and came out in the outfit. She had already seen herself in the mirror and knew that she looked lovely. "What do you think?" she asked softly.


    Lily gave a thumbs up and was about to speak when Angelina appeared.


    Katherine felt selfish for being happy when her friend was miserable, but how could she give up on such an important meeting?


    "Where are you going?" Angelina asked suspiciously. It was not that Angelina would pounce on her if she found out, just that Katherine and Lily had kept Ray a complete secret from her and suddenly finding out after the shock she received the night before would be¡­ terrible. The results would be devastating.


    Katherine was stumped for words. She was about to answer incoherently, when Lily took over. Without blinking she lied about a new publishing house wanting to sign a contract with Katherine and this being a meeting.


    "Oh," Angelina frowned. "Best of luck," she said with a small smile. It didn''t really reach her eyes, but the fact that she had attempted to be nice was enough for the two other friends. "You look really nice." She scrutinized her with a keen eye. "You should wear the heels I bought for you last year."


    "Heels?" Katherine wondered. "What if he is shorter than me?" she muttered. Angelina perked up.


    "He?" she inquired.


    "Someone from the company," Katherine added quickly. "I''ll just go with flats."


    "You do realize you are fairly short, right?" Lily commented with raised eyebrows. Katherine gave her a look. "I find it hard to believe that someone who went to their last meeting in a hoodie and jeans is actually putting in effort." Lily laughed.


    Angelina had scurried away, making her way to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water, and then disappearing into her room.


    Katherine breathed a sigh of relief.


    "You should really get going. But Angelina is right; wear the heels."


    "As I said, he could be shorter," she said again.


    "Well, he''ll just have to get used to it, then!" The snarky reply made Katherine laugh. She took the advice and wore heels.


    She took a cab, glancing at her clock frequently.


    "Ma''am, do you need me to speed up?" the cabbie asked. She shook her head.

 Chapter 95 - Please Call Me

    With a polite smile, she said, "It''s okay. This speed is fine." Inside, she was screaming.


    She really wanted to be early, but at what cost? Looking too eager? She didn''t want him to think she was desperate. But on the other side, they didn''t play such games. It was her pride and previous experience making her think so deeply into the matter.


    She reached Phoenix City Mall at twelve in the afternoon. Traffic really had been slow and the cabbie had followed all the traffic rules¡­ which was good.


    She had reached just on time.


    She pulled out her cellphone and typed out a text.


    [Hey, I just reached. I am in a white and blue floral top, light blue skirt, and heels, standing in front of the fountain near the entrance.]


    She pressed send and waited for a reply.


    Soon, her phone started to ring. The thing about Ray''s number was that it was private and his name and information didn''t flash like it did for other people. She had gotten used to it, but she still felt it strange.


    What if he really was a hotshot?


    She picked the phone and put it to her ear. "Hello?" she said softly. It was not sexy like Angelina''s voice on the phone, and thank god for that. That had led to a disaster.


    "Hi, Rin. Sorry for being late. I am stuck in traffic at the moment. It''s going to take me some time, unfortunately." She sighed.


    "It''s fine. I''ll wait." She paused. "I''ll call you back. Let''s talk until you reach?" she prompted. She didn''t want to stand there, staring at the entrance until he came.


    She could hear him chuckle. "Why, yes. It would be my pleasure." They spoke for fifteen minutes until he announced that he had arrived. "As much as I want to talk to you more, I prefer to search you out in the crowd."


    Katherine shuddered at the implication. Wasn''t this like saying that he would find her between thousands of people?


    She hung up and waited. There was a commotion near the rear entrance and people seemed to flock towards the direction.


    "Did you hear?" Katherine eavesdropped. "Cage Cavanaugh is here!"


    Katherine froze. She swiveled back and looked towards the direction where the crowd had congregated. Her heart thumped as she wondered if she would head over and take a peek. But then she turned to look at the entrance. Ray would be arriving at any time. He wouldn''t be able to find her if she went somewhere else.


    So she stood there, waiting for him. After a while, she got worried. She called his number a couple of times, but they rang until the mechanical voice told her that he was not picking up.


    Fifty minutes.


    An hour.


    She blinked back the tears in her eyes.


    Did he¡­ ditch her?


    Who waits for someone for that long?


    ''One last time,'' she said to herself. Closing her eyes, she pressed on his name and put the phone to her ear. It rang and rang until someone finally picked it up.


    "Hello?" a female voice said. Katherine pressed her lips together, trying not to assume anything.


    "Hi, I am looking for the owner of the phone," she said softly. It wasn''t like she could tell this person his screen name. "Did you find his cellphone somewhere?"


    "No." The woman said precisely. "He''s in the shower. Who are you?"


    Indeed, who was she?


    "I''m a friend." She gulped.


    "Sorry, could you tell me your name?" It almost sounded like the woman was taunting her.


    "Just let him know that I called. He''ll know." She was about to hang up when the woman spoke up.


    "I''m not going to let my boyfriend talk to other girls. Goodbye." The call was over and Katherine stood frozen.


    The possibilities went through her mind. One, this was someone who was pretending to be his girlfriend and playing a prank on her. Two, he really did have a girlfriend and he had been lying and playing her all this time.


    But what about the meeting? What type of sick joke was this? Did he pretend to be coming here and speak to her on the phone all along, knowing that he would ditch her here?


    She shivered.


    [Please call me.]


    She would give him the benefit of the doubt. She would let him give her his side of the story.


    She made her way home and opened the door.


    Her pace was lethargic as she entered. Lily was sitting in front of the television watching a movie. When she sensed Katherine come in, she looked up with a shocked expression.


    "You''re early..." she trailed off. She frowned as she saw her friend''s face. "What''s wrong?"


    "He didn''t come." She remained silent, Her hands gripped the side of her skirt. Lily could see a tear roll down her eye.


    "Maybe something went wrong?" she stood up, concerned.


    "No. He duped me. He was talking to me while he was on the way. He said he had reached..." Katherine sucked in a breath, trying to compose herself. "But then he never came."


    "You called, right?" Lily asked, mildly confused.


    "Yes. His girlfriend picked up." Her voice cracked and she bent over, her hands on her knees as she cried. Lily felt a sickening churn in her stomach as her hand instinctively went to Katherine''s back.


    "Cry it out," she said, knowing there was nothing she could do to console Kitty. "Maybe..." she started, but Katherine cut her off.


    "There is no maybe, Lily. He was in the shower while a woman picked the phone up. She said she was his girlfriend and she asked me never to call him again." She picked up her hand and harshly brushed away the tears. "He played me. He fucking played me..."


    "Can I ask why the two of you are talking about someone cheating on Katherine when I had no clue she was even seeing someone?" a stony voice came from behind them.


    ''Fuck,'' Katherine and Lily thought simultaneously.

 Chapter 96 - A Gigantic Fool

    They turned around and saw Angelina, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes stormy with fury. "What did you hear?" Lily asked.


    "Enough to know Katherine was freaking out over a guy who cheated on her." She took a threatening step forward. "You didn''t even react this way when scumbag ex of yours cheated on you."


    Katherine exchanged a glance with Lily. The latter shook her head, giving up and asking Kitty to fend for herself.


    There was no point hiding anything from Angelina anymore, especially now that her heart was shattered and they were on the same boat. They could be partners in misery.


    "Will you talk or not?" she asked.


    Kitty blew out a breath, wanting to flee to her room and hide there. "I started talking to this guy before you started talking to Damon," she confessed after a long silence.


    "And you didn''t think it was important to tell me?" Angelina''s eyes narrowed into slits. "You met someone online just like I did and you had the gall to act all high and mighty. You were making fun of me behind my back!"


    "I wasn''t making fun of you and you know that!" Katherine replied angrily. "I just let you know that you were not talking to Cage and that it was a child." Katherine knew that this conversation wouldn''t go down well.


    "Ah, and you got exactly what you thought you were getting?" The sarcasm in Angelina''s voice was evident.


    "Yes, at least the person I was talking to wasn''t a literal child."


    "Oh? What''s his name?" Angelina asked. Katherine simpered in rage.


    "I spoke to him on the phone for months, we had actual conversations. I know him..." When she said it, she knew she was trying to convince herself. Lily, on the other hand, was watching the two of them warily, ready to intervene if things went out of the hand.


    "And what a gigantic fool you must have thought I was, talking to someone who I had no ''real'' conversation with!" She was shouting by then.


    "You were too occupied in your own little world to notice that I was different," Katherine defended.


    "And you had so many chances to tell me that you were talking to someone. I fixed you up with someone and you still didn''t say anything. You had every opportunity to come clean. Then, why didn''t you?"


    Katherine didn''t know how to answer. "I¡­ I don''t know. You were so..." she sighed. "I didn''t want to ruin your excitement¡­ and I never thought it would get this serious."


    "That is not an excuse, Katherine. It''s not like I would have been unhappy that you were happy! Just admit it, you were making fun of me the whole time and thought that I would be jealous if I found out you were talking to someone..."


    Lily moved forward, placing herself between the two of them.


    "Neither of us were laughing." Angelina scoffed. "And if you really wouldn''t be mad about it, why aren''t you being a little more reasonable right now?" Lily was just as exasperated.


    "Because I am pissed. I have been duped by a child and now my friends. Where does this leave me?" Angelina replied fiercely. "And I love how you are taking her side. I am mad because we are supposed to be friends¡­ friends who talk about everything. You have been talking to this guy for months and you didn''t even have the decency to come up to me and tell me?" Her eyes shifted from Lily, looking past her, at Katherine. "Do you know what pisses me off the most? That I was the last person to find out."


    "You have every right to be mad, but consider what Katherine is going through right now..." Lily trailed off.


    "Oh and I am not going through the same thing?" her voice was low and angry.


    "I wouldn''t have told Lily, either¡­ she¡­ I needed to talk to someone about it," Katherine sighed.


    "Oh? I''ve been your friend for a long time¡­ you didn''t think I had the same right?"


    "Please..."


    "Oh, please!" Angelina held her hand up to stop Katherine in her tracks. "Why don''t you cry in front of your best friend? I''ll go see if I can find the real Cage Cavanaugh..." She laughed suddenly. "But poor Katherine. You got dumped by the new guy just like the last one."


    Katherine gasped.


    "Hey. You need to stop and think about what you are saying. You can''t bring that shit up. She really needs support right now," Lily said.


    "Oh, fuck you. You''re just doing this because you think you came before me so you deserve more attention."


    Katherine''s eyes widened comically. She saw Lily take another step forward.


    "You self-centered piece of shit. You were the one who didn''t notice Katherine was up to something. She was talking about this guy all the time, and you didn''t notice one bit. You need some sense knocked into your ass."


    There was silence. Angelina turned back, hurried into her room and slammed the door shut.


    "You shouldn''t have said that," Katherine whispered. "Hell, I shouldn''t have hidden so much from her." She sighed. "It was all for nothing."


    "You don''t know that. I saw how you two spoke. There is a real connection between the two of you. Those words are in black and white!"


    "No, Lily. His words were all lies. He just wanted to play with someone, get some excitement out of it while he had someone waiting at home." She felt another round of tears come to her eyes. She suppressed them and blinked.


    "Don''t just dismiss him. Let him explain. There are always two sides to a story."


    Yes, she knew that. That is why she had sent that text. But she knew what she heard. She nodded, knowing that there was very little hope.


    When she closed the door behind her, she felt the tears flow. She didn''t know what it was, her fight with Angelina or Ray''s betrayal, but she cried. She buried her face in her pillow and cried the hours away.


    It was stupid of her to think that he would settle for her. That he would wait at home until they met and figured out what was going on between them. Even the guy who had committed to her hadn''t bothered to be faithful to her, so what could she expect from a stranger on the internet.

 Chapter 97 - I Can Explain

    It was already evening when her thoughts converged into one point.


    If Ray could do it and her awful ex could do it, why couldn''t she? She had every right to move on. She pushed back all the warnings her mind threw at her and dialed Barry''s number.


    "Hello?" she rasped.


    "Katherine, what a surprise!" He sounded really nice, gentle, and the kind who wouldn''t cheat. She could talk to him now without discomfort. All it took was her heart being wrenched out of her chest. Nothing unusual.


    "You told me to call you if I wanted to talk or go out..." she said tentatively.


    "Yes, I did. Is something the matter?" he asked, sounding concerned. She let out a sad laugh.


    "Nothing. Are you free on Wednesday?"


    "I have work until four but am free after that. Are you sure you want to go out?" He sounded skeptical. Of course, it had only been a week or so since she had said that she was seeing someone.


    "Yes," she said confidently.


    "Okay." They set the time and place and bid goodbye. After they hung up, Katherine sank into her bed and stared at the ceiling. She couldn''t believe that she had been bold enough to do that. It seemed that she had changed a lot in the past couple of months. Maybe, she could be like Angelina and Lily, moving on quickly.


    Yes, she wasn''t going to sit around and mope. He could be with anyone he wanted and she wouldn''t care. At least, that was what she was going to tell herself until she started to believe it.


    - - -


    Even the best-laid plans fail. His was not a very well thought out one. He had just assumed that if he dressed unlike himself and put on a disguise like he usually did to go out, no one would notice him.


    When he entered the shopping mall, he was greeted by a throng of people who didn''t know who he was. He had been stealthy, asking the cab driver to drop him off behind the mall so that he could sneak in. It was a bit of a walk, but nothing much considering that he would finally meet Rin.


    His entrance was without much fanfare, but then he remembered that he had brought nothing for her. It was their first meeting. How could he forget? He looked around and saw a small shop which sold desserts. He was paying for a box of cookies when the person behind the counter recognized him.


    The girl''s gasp caught some attention and then her loud voice exclaiming his name, more. The heads turned and soon he was swamped. He gulped and politely tried to take selfies with people.


    He had no one to keep people away, and the more people that crowded, the less he could see the entrance. He panicked for a bit and realized that it would take him some time.


    A glimmer of hope appeared when Julia came out of nowhere with her guards and swept him aside. The bustle had somehow led someone to spill their ice tea on him. He felt icky and confused, lost in the maze of people.


    "How did you find me?" he asked, as he followed her.


    "I knew you would come here, so I dropped by to see how the meeting went." She gave him a sly smile. "Lo and behold, your plan completely failed and you didn''t get to see her." She sighed.


    "I need to go to her," he said with urgency.


    "Take a couple of minutes, go to the washroom and clean yourself up before you go," she advised.


    "Can you give her a call and let her know I will be late?" he asked, rushing to the washroom. Her guards waited outside, making sure no one would go in.


    Julia''s eyes dropped down to the phone and as she was about to call the girl, she saw missed calls from her. A call was coming in and it was her.


    As she spoke, she felt a crippling sense of guilt overcome her. Why was she doing this? Cage was a friend of hers, one she cherished. Then why could she not let him be a little happy?


    ''Because you are miserable.'' The thought startled her. Had she been this cruel all along? She recalled hinting at the journalist that they were together and him reprimanding her. No, she didn''t like him romantically¡­ she just¡­ didn''t want him to meet someone when she was dying inside.


    It was wretched. If he found out¡­ no, when he found out, he would be furious. She tried not to think about how she would rationalize it. Maybe she could just say that it was a joke and the girl took it seriously.


    She sighed. What was done, was done. She couldn''t go back and change the past. She''d already messed up.


    He came out, looking excited. When he got the phone, he quickly looked at it.


    "She called. I told her that it would be a while. She had something, so she left." The lie came easily to her.


    ''I''m sorry,'' she muttered in her mind.


    "Left?" he sounded crestfallen. "I''ll just give her a call."


    His eye twitched. Would nothing go right today? What was this horrid luck? His phone had died. He ran his hand through his hair, wanting to scream. I''ll go home and charge, he said.


    "Damn it. Why did the day turn so bad?" he muttered to himself. Julia invited him to the car and dropped him at his place.


    His phone was charged and he had opened his phone. Missed calls, texts¡­ his notifications were bursting. Some were friends while others were mostly from his manager. So, he had found out about his little escape.


    He timidly called his number. "What the fuck were you thinking, going out without my knowledge?"


    "I can explain..." It was another media frenzy. It hadn''t been long since the interview¡­ merely a couple of weeks, and here he was, making an appearance in the news again. This time with another celebrity who had been in a bad relationship.

 Chapter 98 - Grow Silent

    They said that the couple had gone home together and stayed together before going out the next morning for breakfast.


    Who has breakfast at twelve noon? He thought grudgingly. After he had apologized and analyzed the situation, he finally approved the statement. It was short and needed to be crafted in a way that didn''t make Julia look bad, and at the same time, told that there was no relationship between them.


    It was early in the morning and he was finally going through his messages. He saw Rin''s message and quickly opened it.


    [Please call me.] She had written. He looked at the clock and knew that she would still be awake. It was eleven and nowhere near the time she went to bed.


    [I''m so sorry for this afternoon. Something urgent came up and I couldn''t make it at the last minute.] He typed out quickly. He couldn''t really call her in front of his staff, so he just texted her instead.


    He waited for a couple of minutes. No reply came.


    [Are you busy? Please forgive me and do me the honor of being my date on Wednesday. Let''s stay indoors and play some games. I am ready to receive any punishment for leaving you hanging.]


    He was satisfied with that. He left a teasing comment to make the tone lighter.


    [Sorry. I have a date that night. You''ll need to find someone else.]


    His brows scrunched. There were no emoticons or the light teasing tone she usually used with him. She must have been really upset with him to act this way. And what did she mean by date? Was someone setting her up on blind dates again?


    [Another blind date? Okay, then let''s do it Thursday.]


    There. She wouldn''t think he was completely possessive.


    [No. I am going out on a date. I will dress up and go out with a guy who wants to go out with me.]


    He stared at his phone. Though they hadn''t said that they were dating exclusively, their conversations had indicated that was the case. Then why was she going out on a date? Why was she punishing him?


    There was no way he could continue to talk to her over chat. He needed to hear his voice, ask her what was going on. He would have to explain why he was late. He didn''t mind that he would have to cut to the chase and tell her who he was. He really wanted her to be surprised when they met, but this was getting out of hand.


    He called her number. For a while, he thought she wouldn''t pick up the call.


    But then she finally did. "Hello?" she said, her voice emotionless, so unlike the woman he had been speaking to for so long.


    "Rin, it''s me." She laughed a hollow laugh, making him frown. It wasn''t the fun laugh he was so accustomed to hearing.


    "I figured," she said harshly.


    "I''m really confused. I told you why I couldn''t make it¡­ I can explain further. Why are you so mad?" Indeed, he was confused. Too many thoughts passed through his head.


    "Confused? I get it, you couldn''t make it. But you didn''t have to humiliate me." Her voice was suddenly low. She sounded hurt, and he couldn''t figure out why she would say that.


    "Humiliate you? My phone died!" She had never been so unreasonable before. He admitted that it was his fault for not calling her immediately and telling her, but he had been so flabbergasted by the situation, it had slipped his mind.


    "I called you¡­ several times."


    "I really didn''t hear it. And my friend picked up the phone," he said.


    "Friend?" she scoffed. He recoiled. The acid in her voice surprised him. "You don''t need to lie to me, I know who she is."


    ''No, you don''t. You don''t know who she is. Neither do you know who I am.'' Wouldn''t it have been easier if she did? It would make everything so much easier. Why hadn''t he told her before?


    "What do you mean, you know who she is..."


    "She told me, of course." Her voice was weird. He ran his hand through his hair, frustrated with the situation. He couldn''t imagine why he was having such a hard time communicating with her. It''s like their spark was suddenly gone and she was someone else entirely.


    "She told you who she was?" Short and crisp. Damnit Cage, ask her properly.


    "Yes. I know that you have a girlfriend and that is who picked up the call. You''re a big shot somewhere in the city and of course, you are taken. I was a nice diversion when you were having trouble with your ex, but now that you''re settled, you don''t need to contact me anymore. I understand, and to be honest, I don''t care."


    But sadly, it didn''t seem that way. There was a tinge of sadness in her voice. She seemed to be on the verge of tears.


    "I don''t have a girlfriend. Who told you this?" What was happening? Was he having a nightmare? Nothing made sense.


    "I don''t know what she told you, but she isn''t my girlfriend." She snorted.


    "Really? You''re going to carry on? I really wanted to give you a chance yesterday, and frankly, if you had told me the truth, I wouldn''t have..." she trailed off. "You were in the shower when she picked up the call. You don''t give your phone to just anyone," she said in a low voice. It made sense, her words.


    He had given Julia the phone because he trusted her.


    "But what do I know anymore? Maybe you are that kind of person."


    "Rin, I know you don''t believe me right now but this is not the case." He stopped. "I really thought we understood each other." He grew defensive then. What if she was the one lying? What if¡­


    The conspiracies flowed.


    "You know what? Think about what you want. I''m just wondering if the blind date you went to was that¡­ maybe you were seeing people yourself!" he accused.


    She grew silent.

 Chapter 99 - Both Liars

    "You''re trying to turn this on me when I have been very transparent with you. How are you any different from my cheating ex?"


    Their conversation was a sad ball of accusations thrown at one another, fuelled by their anger and hurt. Neither considered the destruction they were causing the other, both having bad experiences in the past, they couldn''t see past those. What were they to do? They were just products of their experiences, experiences which had made them prone to misunderstandings and distrust.


    "Oh, so he was real?" he said harshly.


    "I''d never cheat on you," she mimicked. "Wasn''t that what you said? What happened to that?" He could hear her gulp.


    "Let''s settle this then. We are both liars."


    None of this was real. Their relationship, their connection, nothing. It was all shrouded by the screen. Who knew what the other had lied about. Cage knew that he had hidden a lot. How could he trust her to not do the same.


    She sighed. He found himself wanting to comfort her, but he stood his ground.


    "Have fun on your date."


    "I hope you have a great future with your girlfriend." Neither knew who hung up first, but someone did. It was over.


    He felt like shit. It wasn''t like he had lost something material. It was all a lie.


    He cursed out loud.


    There was a knock on the door before it creaked open.


    "Are you okay? What is going on?" Stephen asked.


    "No, nothing. My life is great!" he yelled. "Can''t you tell?" Stephen stared at Cage and sighed.


    "Can you please calm down and explain what happened?"


    "I have no clue. It''s a mess. Things ended with Katherine." Stephen eyed him warily.


    "But you went to meet her. What changed."


    "I don''t know¡­ she said that Julia told her that we were together. She compared me to her ex-boyfriend." No, he wouldn''t be heartbroken. He couldn''t grieve the loss of something that never existed in the first place. "It doesn''t matter," he said finally.


    "Julia told her-- okay. That isn''t the thing right now. Just call her and explain. It''s that simple. You can''t lose something good over a misunderstanding."


    If only things were that simple. "I¡­ don''t know what happened. Julia may have said something to her and she--" he stopped.


    "Misunderstood?" Cage nodded. "You''re never going to find out the truth if you don''t talk to Katherine, Cage." Stephen sat down on his bed and patted the space beside him to make Cage sit beside him. "You also need to talk to Julia about the conversation. You may trust her, but sometimes communication can get skewed."


    "I am done talking," he said, shaking his head. "Katherine has a date on Wednesday. I''m not going to talk to someone who¡­ won''t trust me."


    "Well, think about it from her perspective. She has been cheating on. She is more vulnerable to misunderstanding a situation because she has been burned before." He looked at Cage and then sighed. He didn''t seem to be listening. "Why don''t we go out and hang out with some women." He proposed sarcastically.


    "Okay," he said, shrugging.


    "Who are you trying to convince, Cage? You aren''t even fooling yourself when you say you can go out and have fun after this!" Stephen was frustrated.


    "Well, I have to do something, right? I can''t just sit around and think about this." He sucked in a deep breath. "I''ll get over it. Let''s go out."


    Stephen stared at Cage for a bit before shrugging and going out. He would just have to get over it if he didn''t want to make things better.


    - - -


    Wednesday came fast. Cage had spent the last two days being an utter disaster. He had finished god knows how many bottles of beer and played some obscure game. He leveled up like a boss, starting from level 1. Stephen had been staying over at his place.


    Safe to say, Cage didn''t maintain basic hygiene. He was beyond that.


    "Get the fuck up, little miss sunshine!" he shouted, flinging the door to Cage''s bedroom open. The other groaned, covering his face with a pillow.


    "Go away," he hissed. He had finally gone to bed a couple of hours ago and felt like shit.


    "Get your ass out of bed. We have a fun day out, today!" Stephen clapped his hand.


    Cage sat up reluctantly. "What? Are you trying to rehabilitate my sorry ass?"


    "Yes," he said instantly. "Now go take a shower. You look like shit."


    Cage had done his best not to think about Katherine for the past couple of days, spending all his time trying to divert his mind in any way possible, but all he could think about was her. He wasn''t successful because he kept imagining someone else lying in her bed, her in his arms. He didn''t know what to do. He didn''t know how to not care.


    Coming out of the shower, Cage saw Stephen hand him a lunch bag. "We are going to have a short little trip. Have some food in that fancy car of yours and chill. Capisce?"


    Cage gave a small smile and nodded.


    "Ready?"


    "Thank you for this," Cage said, following Stephen out. "I don''t know what I would do without you."


    They went to the garage and got into the car. The smell of his car somewhat made him feel better.


    The car had started and the way seemed to be towards the other side of the city. "Weren''t we going to a secluded spot or something?" Cage asked, confused.


    "I never said that." Stephen stole a glance at him. "We''re going somewhere special. You can have a fit when we reach."


    "Where the hell are we going?" he asked, He could see Stephen navigate through traffic like a pro, despite the heavy traffic.


    "Your girl''s place," he replied.


    ''My girl?'' he thought for a second. And then he realized. What the fuck?


    "Stephen, you must be kidding me right now!" He had to be.

 Chapter 100 - Threatening Bodily Harm

    His manager ignored him and gunned the engine. "No, I''m not. We are going over to her place," he said sternly.


    ''This can''t be happening. I can''t take more humiliation.'' "Turn the car around. Let''s go home."


    "For once, listen to me. I am doing this as your friend and I know that you will regret not going." His manager said. "I am going against everything in me as your manager to do this for you. Because I care for you, you little bastard," he gritted through his teeth.


    "This isn''t funny. It''s over. She thinks I lied to her and went behind her back to date somebody." He was sweating even though the temperature in the car was not that bad.


    "And you''re going to be a child about it and not tell her the truth? Don''t you want a chance to explain?" The way these words were said made Cage feel like a brat. He wasn''t wrong. Katherine had called him a liar and a cheat like she was comparing him to her ex-boyfriend Jonathan, and he didn''t appreciate it.


    His temper flared and he too said some pretty hurtful things to her, saying that she herself was not genuine with him and that he wouldn''t bother to tell someone so small-minded the reasons for what he had done. He had confessed to a crime he had never committed.


    "I don''t want a chance to explain. She thinks too lowly of me."


    "And did you think what she was going through when you didn''t even call after you ditched your plans to meet her? Who knows how long she must have stood there waiting for you." Yes, he had been insensitive, but all he wanted at that moment was to not reveal her in front of his fans before he even got the chance to say something to her. He couldn''t bear to make her face the music for something she had not signed up for.


    "I didn''t¡ª" He was cut off by Stephen.


    "You didn''t think, right? As usual," he scoffed. Cage gave him a measured glare.


    His friend was trying to be technical when he was the one suffering from a broken heart. "You know how I felt, Steph. I couldn''t do anything! She didn''t tell me who she was either. How do I know if she knew about me or not?" he asked, now exasperated. His heart ached.


    "I know, but I didn''t know that you could be so inconsiderate towards someone you think you love. You are pissing me off. The first thing you do when you have a fight is hightail it out of the room without approaching her or consoling her and telling her that she is wrong about you. That is just childish behavior, Cage."


    "Hey, I have never been in a proper relationship before!" he tried to defend, but he could see that there was truth in the fact.


    "You are a grown-ass man. You are twenty-six, for god''s sake. You should know better than this! You had options."


    Options? How was he supposed to know what options he had? He couldn''t even see how he would salvage this situation.


    "How the fuck would I know my options?" Cage screamed in frustration, his hand reaching up to pull at his hair. It was now all black like it had been when he was younger and before he had joined the industry. He had made the change because he didn''t want to be recognized in public. But he had been. What was he supposed to do?


    "She''s a fan, anyway. You never know how she would react once she finds out," he pouted.


    "You''re a liar if you think that. You would have run away if that bothered you in the first place."


    "So what?"


    "Okay, I will turn this car around and you will never meet your girl ever again. She is going to go on a date with some other guy and fall in love with him because you did her injustice and then she will marry him and have his babies."


    It hurt. It really hurt to think that his Katherine wasn''t his after all.


    "Don''t say that," he choked as he looked in horror at his friend.


    "This guy is going to see what you saw in her and he is going to fall in love with her. He will do everything in his power to get her to fall for him and she will be so hurt that she will give in." Cage growled when he heard that.


    "You''re not making it any better. She has a boyfriend now. She recovered so quickly. Have you thought about that? Maybe she didn''t like me?" Who was he kidding? Of course, they liked each other. This was her way of getting revenge. Didn''t he know?


    "I have nothing to say to you. I can''t believe you let her hear Tanny''s voice and didn''t say anything to her. She heard some girl tell her that she was your girlfriend and that you were in the shower. She probably has no interest in the guy and is only going because she thinks you cheated on her. And you did nothing to defend yourself."


    He was about to defend himself when it hit him.


    "How do you know that?" Cage asked.


    Stephen didn''t say a word as he sped. They were going way over the speed limit and there was a high chance that the police would come and chase them any second then. "Did you call her?" Cage asked, horrified.


    "I didn''t call her. Her friend called you and while you were moping, I picked up the call and got the end of her wrath."


    Cage blinked. "Which friend was it? Lily?" She was a scary woman.


    "No. I think the name was Angelina. Really a feisty woman and sounded really hot when she was angry, as well! Thanks to you, I get to meet a firecracker. She was threatening bodily harm on you, too." Stephen side-eyed him to gauge his expression.

 Chapter 101 - Stephen Kidnapped Me

    "That''s the friend who tried to search for me and started to like a younger boy. It was an insane story," Cage was conflicted. This friend that had called had no idea who he was and had spoken to his manager. She was so obsessed with him that she wouldn''t have wanted her friend to get a share of the man, no matter what. Did that mean Katherine still had no inkling of who he was? He had always assumed that she had figured it out from his voice and body. Or was it that she had not told her friend what was going on.


    Last he had heard, they were having a falling out.


    "She called you a lot of names and said that she would go for your family jewels. I don''t think she was kidding," Stephen said in a sing-song voice. Cage cringed.


    "She''s one of her best friends and I can imagine why she would take Katherine''s side."


    "Hell, I am your best friend and I would take your side because I see what you are worth. Won''t you say that she must be worth something for a friend whom Katherine had a falling out with suddenly takes her side?" Stephen reasoned.


    "You spoke a lot to her, didn''t you?" Cage asked quizzically. His friend ignored the question. "Take me home and I will think about calling her," he propositioned.


    "Do you want to or not want to stop her from going out with that other guy?"


    "We don''t even know where she lives!" he screamed. He really wanted to stop her from going, but he had no clue how to get hold of her. He wasn''t even sure if she would pick up his call after what had happened.


    "I have her partial location but her friend gave me the address."


    "Oh, god. She is going to think that I am a stalker. There is no way she is not!" Cage groaned and hid his face in his hands.


    "Hey, if it doesn''t work out between the two of you, the silver lining is that I am going to hit on her friend and sweep her off her feet," Stephen gave a toothy grin.


    "We are not driving over so that you can get laid."


    "Of course not. We are going to meet your dear Katherine and me hooking up with her friend is just a bonus I get for being the best friend in the world."


    "Dream on. She just got her heart broken by a thirteen-year-old." He eyed his friend, who seemed unbothered by this news.


    "I need to finish reading scripts and get to my riding classes. Do you think my time is a joke? I have meetings. Everything is going to be behind schedule," he said. "Just turn around and everything will be fine."


    "You''re not changing my mind. You seem to have forgotten and I am your manager. All your meetings and classes have been postponed. You have no work for the next two days and can stay in and talk to your girl for as long as you want. There is nothing that will stop you." His friend looked forward but he didn''t miss the look of gratitude flash across Cage''s face. "Are you trying to find reasons to not confront her? Because you are not wearing me down."


    "I can''t wear you down." He huffed with resignation.


    As the sun dipped across the horizon and colored the road in multitudes of warm tones, Cage looked out of the window and wondered what he was going to say when he met her for the first time. It would be nothing like he had imagined, then how would it be?


    He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and took it out to see who it was. He bit his lip when he saw that it was his mother on the other side, video calling him.


    He sat up, finally realizing what had gone wrong. He picked up the call and waited for her stern face to come on the screen.


    "Cage, darling. Why aren''t you home for dinner yet?" she asked, her eyes sending daggers at him. He gulped and gave a stray look at Stephen who was driving with a smirk on his face.


    "Stephen Luther kidnapped me and is now taking me to an unknown destination," he said, his hands waving in apology. "Sorry, mom." In all actuality, he had forgotten all about dinner because of his broken heart. Family dinners were imperative to be attended once a month and he had skipped god knows how many in the past couple of years. Hence, his mother had coerced him into promising to come home on that day for dinner. Bad luck for them, though¡­ it didn''t work out as planned. Cage had his heart shattered into pieces by the girl he liked and he had been moping at home doing nothing but munching on snacks he would regret having later on.


    "Pass the phone to him." Was all she said.


    "He''s driving!" Cage informed her.


    "Then point the camera at him," she scolded gently. Her sternness had gone away. As if her motherly instincts told her there was something odd about her son.


    "Anna, how are you doing?" his manager said flirtatiously, making the woman giggle.


    "Don''t call my mom that," Cage prompted sternly from the side.


    "Okay, Mrs. Cavanaugh." Stephen rolled his eyes.


    "Why is my son sulking and where are you taking him?" Stephen broke out into laughter. The comment left Cage stupefied. As usual, there was nothing he could hide from his mother.


    "You should ask him for yourself!" Stephen said playfully. Cage turned the camera back on himself and gave his mother a petulant look.


    "Son, care to share what is on your mind?" she asked, her face soft with concern.


    "It''s¡­" he paused, running his hand through his hair. "I met a girl online and really fell for her."


    "Oh!" she seemed interested in this information. "You found someone after what Keira did to you? I am proud of you, my son," she said with a glow in her eyes.

 Chapter 102 - To Hold Her

    "Mom, Keira and I were never a thing," he groaned. "But the fact is, we were supposed to meet and someone found me while I was on my way to her. I didn''t want her to be connected to me so I left the location. Later she called and a friend of mine picked up the call. I think there was a misunderstanding and she thought I was not who I was and cheating on her."


    "And this girl¡­ how much did you like her?" she asked quizzically.


    "A whole lot, mom. She means so much to me."


    "And you are being kidnapped by Stephen so that you can meet her face to face?"


    "Yes." He pouted.


    "Where does she live?" she asked, her voice calm now. Cage couldn''t read the expression on her face. ''Shit,'' he thought. She was going to cut through all his bullshit.


    "In H city. Across town."


    "And you didn''t think you should talk it out with her?" his mother accused.


    "I was angry that she would think so lowly of me." Damnit, he wanted his mother to be on his side, at least.


    "So she must be a rotten girl." No expression. She just said it like it was a fact. It shocked Cage.


    "No! She is sensitive and nice and everything perfect¡­" he defended.


    "Then why the hell are you being dragged to her house and not going to her and placing yourself at her feet, begging to be taken back?"


    Silence.


    "Give the phone to Stephen," she demanded after a while.


    "Hi, Mrs. Cavanaugh," he greeted again. "What''s up?"


    "Don''t use that tone with me, young man. Care to tell me why you are dragging my son all over town over a girl?" This tone could put the fear of God in anyone''s heart but Stephen took it lightly.


    "Because she is the one for him, Anna. I can feel it. No way I was going to desert security to come meet a girl he chanced upon online, but I can''t help but see the thing between the two of them." Cage scowled at him. "He''s totally gone over her, Anna."


    Cage winced, knowing the hiss that would follow that comment.


    "Language, Stephen," she said and then went silent.


    "Sorry, Mrs. Cavanaugh," he said in a sing-song voice and a toothy smile. All was forgiven within the minute.


    "Is what he saying true, Cage? Are you in love with her?"


    He thought over it for a time. If he was asked two days ago, he would say he was in love with her, but that day? Under the circumstances? He didn''t know what to think. He had already lost her. What was the point of loving her? "I thought I did, mom. But I don''t know anymore. She doesn''t trust me," he whispered.


    "Did someone cheat on her, honey?" he made a sound. "Did you say something hurtful?"


    "I told her that I thought she was lying about her cheating ex-boyfriend." She gasped.


    "Cage Cavanaugh! Is that how I have raised you? You must have hurt the poor girl!" She was appalled. That much was clear from the conversation.


    "But she hurt me, mom. Can''t you take my side?"


    "I am taking your side. Did you hide something from her? And now you are trying to rationalize it by these things¡­" she paused. Her eyes widened. "Cage¡­" she sounded pained.


    He flinched. "Yeah. We never told each other our names. But I overheard a conversation in which I knew of her and Stephen found out more about her."


    "So let me get this straight. You two anonymously fell in love and revealed yourself to the other without the pressure of money and connections. That sounds like a dream, honey¡­" her voice trailed off. "You kept something so big from her¡­ and now you are accusing her of keeping something from you. Is that correct?"


    "Well, yes." He sighed.


    "You''re worried that she isn''t the girl you thought she was. That she somehow found out who you were and turned herself into this fantasy girl who you would fall for." He stared in awe. How did she know all of this that he was thinking but couldn''t put into words? "I am your mother, Cage. I understand you better than you understand yourself."


    And he really did start to believe that.


    "Yes, mom."


    "I see." What did that mean?


    "Will you ask him to take me back home? I''ll call her, I promise." Stephen would hear whatever she said.


    "I think Stephen is right. You should meet this girl and sit down and chat with her. Only then will you understand if you were conned or not. If she is who she said she is, you have a winner on your hands. Otherwise, Stephen can take care of the problem. What do you think?" And that was the end of the conversation.


    "I''m sorry. I''ll do as you say." They exchanged greetings and then the call was cut.


    "Did you need your mother whipping your ass for you to know that what I am saying is right?"


    "Shut up," he grumbled.


    "Talk to her¡­ It won''t kill you."


    ''It might just kill me. It might hurt me physically to be in the same room as her and not touch her and take her into my arms.'' And then he paused. He thought back. ''But what if she is the girl she said she was? Does that mean I get to hold her?''


    He rejoiced.


    - - -


    "Why are you driving like a snail?" Cage grumbled as he side-eyed Stephen.


    He glanced at the clock on the dashboard as the GPS pinged. "It''s not time for her date yet, hopefully." He laughed. "Don''t be so tense. She didn''t want to go; I am sure."


    Cage growled something under his breath and glared at his friend. Damn the man for torturing him. "We wouldn''t have been late if you had taken the other road!" he said.


    "The traffic is bad everywhere. I couldn''t have rerouted and made it in time anyway. You are crazy if you think that is possible." Stephen scowled. "And I don''t want the cops to get me for disobeying traffic rules."


    "It''s just a fine. It''s not like you are bankrupt. You can pay a fee," Cage rolled his eyes.


    "Hey. I don''t want a black mark on my license. I want to be a model citizen."

 Chapter 103 - Wild Week

    Cage growled something under his breath and glared at his friend. Damn the man for torturing him. "We wouldn''t have been late if you had taken the other road!" he said.


    "The traffic is bad everywhere. I couldn''t have rerouted and made it in time anyway. You are crazy if you think that is possible." Stephen scowled. "And I don''t want the cops to get me for disobeying traffic rules."


    "It''s just a fine. It''s not like you are bankrupt. You can pay a fee," Cage rolled his eyes.


    "Hey. I don''t want a black mark on my license. I want to be a model citizen."


    "Tell me that the next time you get a booty call and you speed off to whoever called you." Cage was pissed. If he didn''t make it in time to stop her from going out on the date, he would be mad beyond belief.


    "Hey, now no calling out my activities. I have needs!" The man whined.


    "And I don''t want to know anything about it," Cage stopped him from explaining further.


    "Then shut up and let me drive the car. Get some sleep. The traffic is going to put us back a lot." Cage gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. Damn him, he would not get any sleep under such circumstances. There was no chance his nervous heart could calm down enough to let him relax into sleep. But he still closed his eyes.


    The days caught up to him and he found himself flitting in and out of sleep as his friend drove the car to his girl''s house. He imagined all possible scenarios, things out of a movie¡­ screaming, shouting and whatnot, things he hoped wouldn''t happen. He just wanted a civil conversation with her. Was that too much to ask?


    It was some time before they reached the location and Cage put on his hood. It was not a fancy apartment building, but he could see that she did well in her life monetarily. She wasn''t broke, she was doing quite well. They walked up to the apartment they had been told would be hers and waited.


    "Nervous?" Stephen asked.


    "I want to turn back right now," Cage groaned.


    "Bad luck. I am knocking." He followed it up by knocking on the door. It took some time before they heard the shuffling of feet from the other side.


    "Who is it?" the person from the other side asked.


    "We spoke on the phone this morning?" Stephen called out. There was a quick ''oh'' heard from the other side, before the door swung open. Cage moved to the side and hid behind the wall so that he could see what was going on but not be seen himself.


    "Tell me the truth. Are you the one who broke my friend''s heart?" Angelina sneered.


    "Hi. Angelina, right?" Stephen extended his arm. The other took it hesitantly, but one could see that her grip was strong.


    "You look familiar. Have we met before?" she asked, her eyes lowered into slits. "Did you dupe my friend?" She was protective. Others would see her relationship with Katherine and think that the two were enemies but when it came to protecting each other, these two would become fierce. Angelina was the tsundere kind who liked to do things her way, but here she was defending her friend when she was hurt herself. It took major gut to be able to stand up like that.


    "No. I am Stephen Luther. I am the criminal''s friend. You may know me from television. I am Cage Cavanaugh''s manager." Her eyes widened comically and she looked behind him wildly to see who was there.


    "Come out!" she shouted. A man from the next apartment was coming out. He startled and scurried down the stairs before he could face the wrath of Angelina.


    Cage came out from his cover to come face to face with the woman. She was indeed beautiful like Katherine had said, but she looked like the model that she was. Cage felt no attraction to her.


    "You have got to be kidding me!" she threw her hand into the air and said in a sarcastic voice. "I cry over a man and he comes to my doorstep and asks for my friend. Fan-fucking-tastic." It was then he noticed that the woman''s eyes were red and swollen like she had been crying.


    "I am surprised that you didn''t pounce on him and say that you had met the love of your life, though!" Stephen said in a joking manner which was not appreciated by either Cage or Angelina.


    "I already know that I had no conversation with him. I am not delusional," she snapped back.


    "That''s not what I hear," Stephen retorted.


    "What? Did Katherine tell you that I was going crazy over some teenager? Did you have fun laughing at me? What a fucking wild week it has been in this household." She sounded tired and resigned.


    "No. I knew of it and¡­" Cage didn''t know how to continue, so he changed the topic of conversation. "Is Katherine here?" he asked softly, praying to the gods that by some miracle she would have canceled the date.


    "Yeah, she went out on a date just like you did, jackass!" She couldn''t believe she was saying such things to the man she had thought she was in love with, but then she remembered that she had liked a thirteen-year-old boy who had pretended to be the man. Now she felt stupid for believing that she had Cage Cavanaugh.


    Had Katherine known? She doubted.


    "I wasn''t out¡ª" Why did he have to explain himself to this person? Why did he feel obligated to look good in front of her friend? "Just let it be. Let''s go, Stephen." She was turning when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He glared at the man. It was all his fault that they were late, to begin with¡­ If only they had taken the other route.

 Chapter 104 - Support My Friend

    "Could you tell us where she went? We could catch up to her," Stephen pleased.


    Angelina sighed. "I don''t know and I wouldn''t tell you even if I did. You messed with my friend, you ain''t going to ruin the one chance she has for a rebound."


    "So you don''t know," Stephen said smugly. The other gazed at Stephen and said nothing.


    "Unfortunately, we had a falling out. I don''t think she would tell me anything after what I told her." She winced.


    Cage imagined a scenario where Katherine went home with the guy she was out with and he felt his heart shatter. He couldn''t just stand around waiting while it happened. It would be better if he just went back home. He couldn''t stand seeing her with someone else.


    "Wait!" Angelina called from behind them. They turned to look at her. "I''m sure she won''t be long. Why don''t you come inside and wait for a bit?" Stephen shrugged and followed the woman in without looking for Cage''s opinion.


    At this point, the man was frustrated by how he was being treated by his secretary.


    Cage followed behind, huffing as he closed the door after him. They were led to a living room where there was a huge television and a wall full of photographs of three girls.


    Cage quickly noticed the brunette who looked beyond happy in the pictures, smiling at her friends or at the camera. He found himself smiling with her and was almost nostalgic when he realized that he might not be able to see her smile like this ever.


    She was beautiful. Beyond beautiful. Her doe-like eyes and full cherry lips made her look like an angel and the curve of her body was just perfect. There was nothing boyish about her, nor was she like those models who people seemed to like. She was glorious and unappreciated. He could see that when he saw her picture with her two friends. He could see the insecurity in her eyes when she was around them and he didn''t like it one bit.


    "This you?" Stephen pointed at a picture of Angelina.


    "Yeah," she said when she looked at what he was pointing at.


    "Damn," she heard Stephen say and rolled her eyes. She was used to these compliments, but now was not the time she wanted to be called hot. It was the furthest thing from her mind.


    "And this must be your friend Lily."


    "She''s not home either. They went out together but I don''t know when she will be back."


    "We don''t really care for the other girl. Only Katherine. I guess you realize that Cage has been involved with Katherine for some time now?" Angelina scoffed. She was staring at Cage with a strange expression on her face.


    "It sure didn''t sound like you were bothered when you had a woman over after you ditched my friend."


    "She was just a friend!" Cage defended.


    "Yeah, and you didn''t tell her anything about it. She doesn''t even know who you are. All these secrets. Are you sure you like her?" she accused. She seemed to be boring into his skull.


    "Maybe she does know who I am and is pretending not to." He knew that was not true, but he felt the need to defend herself in front of this aggressive woman.


    "You know well that is not true. And I didn''t even know she was talking to someone until a couple of days ago! Do you know how fucking insane she would have to be to keep the fact that she was talking to you a secret when she knew I thought I was talking to you?" she screamed.


    ''This girl has a shrill voice.'' He cringed.


    "I''m sorry." But then he noticed the look she was giving him and he shifted uncomfortably.


    "Calm down, superstar. I am not in a mood to jump you. You are my friend''s property." He was almost offended, but an insane part of him enjoyed being called Katherine''s. "I''ve got my own problems. I don''t need the two of you to judge me," she grumbled.


    "And what is your problem?" Stephen asked.


    "My problem? My Cage turned out to be a thirteen-year-old kid while my friend found the real one and didn''t even realize it." She pointed at Cage. "And she didn''t tell me a single word of her association with someone. I am pissed."


    Cage winced, wanting to defend himself, but Stephen beat him to it. "So you are jealous?" he asked. Cage could see how his friend was pouting.


    "You''re insane!" she screamed.


    "She''s so hot," he whispered to Cage. They were lucky Angelina didn''t hear them or else she would have gone into attack mode.


    They saw her take a deep breath and then she began speaking again. "It''s difficult to see the man of my dreams waiting for someone else, okay? I am stuck with a kid." Her eyes watered.


    "Mind telling me what you searched for?" Stephen asked, amused.


    "Kevin Heart," she muttered and his friend burst out laughing. Cage shifted from one foot to the other in discomfort at the conversation.


    "In hindsight. It was stupid of me to assume that I would get it. Really, why in the hell did I use a character name? How lame and unoriginal would it be if Cage put that as his username."


    "Thirteen is not all that small. I was doing lecherous things when I was that age." The girl looked at Stephen in disgust.


    ''Is he stupid or what?'' she thought as she looked away.


    "The kid lied to me, you know? He said he was you¡­" She sounded sad. It was pitiful that both the friends were in such similar situations but didn''t realize it. Even Cage felt bad for the girl.


    "Any guy would be silly to say what you didn''t want to hear. Maybe he really liked you and didn''t want you to go away."


    "You''re annoying." ''Amen, Angelina. You are right. This manager of mine is a pain in the ass.'' "Don''t you have another place you can be?"


    "I am here to support my friend."

 Chapter 105 - Exactly What I Wanted

    "I don''t call people who pay me friends." Stephen didn''t even look offended at the term. It was really amusing seeing the two of them talk to one another.


    "I''ll leave, but if you do anything inappropriate¡­ you''re getting your ass handed to you."


    "Get out now," she commanded and took steps towards him to usher him out.


    "I''ll go out and grab some food for us. You haven''t eaten a proper meal since yesterday." Cage nodded and watched as his manager sauntered out, putting on a show for the woman he had taken a fancy to. But the woman seemed oblivious to Stephen''s charms. Cage was happy inside that there came a day where a woman was immune to his manager''s charms.


    "You must really like Katherine," she observed once everything was silent.


    "Pardon?" Cage asked, flustered. He really did like her but he didn''t want to commit to his feelings unless he was sure that he was getting what he had signed up for.


    "You wouldn''t have come here if you didn''t like her." Angelina shrugged.


    "I like the girl who I thought I knew. I really don''t know if she represented herself as she is, or if she made herself out to be someone else. I need to find out before I leave." His shoulders hunched in defeat. What if she was nothing like what he expected? What would that make of him, a superstar¡­ who had been catfished¡­ but could this be considered catfishing?


    "I realize that it takes time to know if they are the one and talking through a screen can be so deceptive." She looked up to the ceiling and thought for a moment.


    "I don''t know if that is true. I really felt it. I''m really messed up but I know I missed her when she was not there."


    He had fought himself so hard to keep himself from calling her and begging for her to understand, but his pride had gotten in its way.


    "I miss talking to him, too." She had a yearning in her voice.


    "You liked this kid?" he asked, cocking his head to one side and taking a long glance at Angelina, who was now sitting across from him.


    "No. I can''t say I liked him. I liked the idea of him. I thought he was my soul mate, and it really hurts to see how I had deceived myself into liking someone half my age." Cage felt a tinge of fear in his heart. What if his ending was the same?


    "Well, you can choose to see if you have lost something truly precious or you just think it was precious because it took up so much of your time." Cage contemplated to himself.


    "Are you here because you spent time on her?" Angela snapped back, but she instantly muttered a sorry, eliciting an apathetic smile from the superstar.


    "Despite everything that has happened, I don''t think it was time wasted. I really like your friend and I want to see if she is real."


    "Well, I know it makes you uncomfortable but I only tried to find you because you are practically sex on legs." He winced.


    "Does Katherine think of me the same way?" She shook her head.


    "Katherine is one of those people who see the potential in people and while she knows you are hot, she finds your personality even more enticing. I think she fell in love with you twice because you were just her type and not because she liked some grand idea like me." That was where her friend was straightforward.


    "You''re being awfully nice to me even though you have every right to be mad at us." Cage was curious as to what her answer will be.


    "I may hate on her on most days, but she is my best friend. We just act differently. Sometimes we hurt each other, but it''s okay. At the end of the day, I wouldn''t want to not have her in my life."


    "And me?" he asked.


    "I don''t know you and you are hot enough to make me forget about whatever you have done. Not to Katherine though. I won''t forgive that." She began to sniffle, breaking through Cage''s composure. "You devastated her."


    The thought of doing something that brought Katherine so much pain tore at him. "I was actually planning on surprising her the day we met. But it was all ruined." He laughed sarcastically. "I made some mistakes and things just blew up!" He palmed his face to wipe away the exhaustion written all over it.


    "So that''s why she went out with Barry¡­" she mulled. Barry? What kind of a name was that? He sounded like an old man with a fetish with stockings.


    "Oh, don''t make that face. I have heard of the guy. He is nice." She gave him a look which said, ''you may lose her, buddy. Buckle up.'' "But you don''t need to worry. She didn''t want to go on the date. If not for what happened between the two of you, she wouldn''t have called up the guy."


    "How do you know?" he asked petulantly. ''Stop being such a baby, Cavanaugh,'' he found himself thinking. Now was not the time to question everything they had done together.


    "We may not be talking, but I have known the girl for a long time. When she got her heart broken by Jonathan, she didn''t resurface for months. She shut herself out. She isn''t the kind of girl who believes in rebounds."


    "He was real? He really came onto her when they met last time?"


    "Of course he did!" Now she looked angry. "If I get my hands on him. I swear, I will make sure he can never reproduce." She sneered.


    And he had been so harsh on her, accusing her of pretending to be someone else, when he was the one guilty of doing that.


    "I sort of felt like she was lying. Here she was, a woman who liked me for me and not for being an actor. And now, I am here unsure if she liked me or not. I am wondering if she was that big of a fan that she knew who I was and figured out my screen name. I am wondering if she figured out exactly what I wanted."

 Chapter 106 - Interrupting Something Important

    "So you came to see if the girl you thought she was is who she really is, right?" He nodded. "I don''t know for sure, but I can tell you that she is a terrible liar. She can''t even lie about eating the last piece of chocolate. I am sure she would have slipped up."


    ''That would be a relief.''


    "She didn''t tell you, though," he said slowly, not wanting to anger her.


    "Recently she has been a lot happier than she was before and I thought it was because she was finally ready to date. That''s why I set up a surprise date with her and Nathaniel. I thought she was secretly seeing someone and didn''t want to pry until she told me herself. But I was too preoccupied to see for myself what was happening. Lily knew everything, but I didn''t. It hurt¡­" She grimaced. "Apparently she was ready to date, but only you."


    "But she went out on a date with someone else and she didn''t even bother telling everyone about me."


    "Does everyone in your life know that you are talking to this girl?" she defended, her hands balled at her sides. "She would have told me if it weren''t for my situation blowing up all of a sudden."


    "I may¡­ need your help."


    "What help do you need from me?" she asked, crossing her hands in front of her.


    "I want to see who she is."


    "I¡ª" she cut herself off and ran to the window to look. "I think she is back. He is seeing her off!" she screamed and then placed a hand over her mouth. "Quick, hide in my room for some time." She held him by the shoulder and forced him up. Then, she pushed him to her room where she thought the acoustics were the best and trapped him inside the room. For someone who looked so frail, she had an awful lot of strength.


    "Trust me," he heard her voice from the other side. "This is the only thing I can do to salvage the major fuckup I did."


    It was a few moments later that he heard the door opening. He wanted to go to the peep and see if Katherine had brought the guy with her and kissed him goodbye. He felt his insides burn with rage at the thought. He knew that he would be caught instantly if he tried.


    He braced his arms on the doorknob, ready to burst out if the guy came in. Going at him like a jealous lunatic. He could see the headlines the next day floating all over the media.


    ''Cage unleashed his inner animal on a civilian.''


    "You''re home early." Angelina''s voice was sarcastic. "What? Didn''t like your little boytoy for the night?" So scathing were the words that Cage had to restrain himself.


    "Yeah." She had a beautiful voice.


    "And you brought him with you, too?" Angelina''s voice raised a pitch. He almost lost his mind then and there. Had she brought him back home to spend the night? Was he the one interrupting something important?


    "He just wanted to make sure that I came home safe. He will be leaving shortly," she sighed. "Just give him a glass of water." Apt. So she just wanted to get the date over with. He couldn''t fault her for being nice to a guy.


    "Which way is the washroom?" the guy asked and Cage couldn''t help but cringe. The guy had such a lousy voice. How had he sustained a conversation with her? Didn''t he feel inadequate?


    "The washroom is that way," he heard Katherine say. He didn''t know where it was, but he hoped that the conversation would take place while he was gone.


    "How did it go?" Angelina asked and he sighed in relief. The conversation had finally started.


    "What? You are finally talking to me again?" He could hear the coldness in her voice. She was pissed off, that much was clear.


    "It seems that way," Angelina replied.


    Katherine scoffed. "You may think everything is fine but I am not in a mood to talk to you."


    Oh no. He was going to miss his chance to hear her truth.


    "Well, that''s too bad. We need to talk and we are talking. End of discussion. You lied to me for so long that I deserve an explanation," Angelina demanded.


    "I didn''t lie to you. You were so preoccupied with your own happiness that you couldn''t even see that your friend was acting differently." Her voice sounded sad. He wanted to go and hug her.


    "I know I did wrong, too, but I am here apologizing. You were wrong not to tell me that you were also in an online relationship." She sounded remorseful. "Please sit down and tell me."


    "What do you want to know?"


    Finally.


    "Why are you home so early?"


    "I didn''t want to go in the first place. I just thought it would be a good way to keep my mind off Ray in my angry haze. I wanted to punish him for cheating but¡­ I couldn''t do it. Barry is a nice guy and he realized what was up with me and quickly brought me home."


    If only he could peek inside the room and see the expression on her face. Was she disappointed that the date didn''t work out?


    "Did you kiss?" He had a violent reaction. His fists clenched up at his side. What was she doing asking such questions that could stimulate him?


    "No!" Katherine replied violently. "Stop. He can hear us," she whined.


    "He is not going to come out, seeing that he hasn''t yet. Let''s finish this talk."


    "We decided to remain friends and that I would call him if I ever wanted to date."


    To hell if he was letting that happen. He would not let Katherine date someone whose name sounded like that of a pervert''s.


    "Now tell me about Ray," Angelina admonished.


    He sharply took in a breath. "I told you what happened. He didn''t show up when we were supposed to meet and a girl picked up his phone while he was in the shower." There was uninhibited pain in her voice.


    ''I''m so stupid,'' he thought.

 Chapter 107 - Showtime

    "What happened then?" He was dying to watch this conversation unfold but he didn''t know if Katherine would be able to see him from where she was sitting.


    "He called afterward but I didn''t let him explain and told him I was going out on a date. I was so mad, Angelina. I don''t know what came over me."


    "Did he say anything?" Angelina had not known about this part of the conversation.


    "He said that he thought I was lying about who I was. That I had deceived him." There was a gasp from the other room which Cage knew came from an infuriated Angelina.


    "Girl, he did not!" She sounded angry. "How did you find him, though?" she asked suddenly, giving Cage whiplash.


    "I was playing Return of the Heroes and this player kept fulfilling all my conquests before I could get there. Asked the server who the guy was and everyone pointed towards him. So, I sent him a message."


    "And what would you do if he was an ugly bastard?" Angelina asked.


    ''That''s a good question.''


    "I have no clue who he is. I wouldn''t care because I liked him. He made me feel beautiful with his words and nothing else. I have never had anything of the sort happen to me. I felt so special when I was talking to him¡­" Cage felt himself smiling. She¡­ really did like him. Her feelings for him had been real.


    "And did you act differently with him?"


    "I don''t understand." Cage sighed. He was trembling by that point. He knew that he had made the hugest mistake of his life by doubting her. He had not heard her answer and he knew exactly what it was going to be.


    "How would I pretend to be something I am not? I liked him and I wanted him to like me for who I was. I am not unconfident enough to think that I can''t make a guy like me with my personality."


    ''Your personality is alluring, you are right.''


    "You really stormed off the conversation, didn''t you? Maybe he has something he has to say? There are always two sides to the story." Angelina coaxed.


    "I wish that was the case. I have been waiting for his messages all day, but I have been disappointed. It feels like he really did those things and he is hiding from me." He could hear a sob and he knew that he had fucked up. He should have called her way before, blasted her phone until she got tired. But he was so thankful that his friend had brought him there to talk to her face to face. He couldn''t think of any other way to have found out so much about her.


    He finally felt like he knew her.


    "I feel like he was everything good about my day and I lost that¡­" Her sniffles became more distinct.


    He felt the exact same way. His day began with her and ended with her and he wanted nothing more than to listen to her voice every free moment he had. Was that so wrong?


    "Hey, out of the two of us¡­ one got abandoned by their online boyfriend and the other was sexting a child."


    She had been sexting the thirteen-year-old? Chris Hansen, where are you?


    There was laughter heard through sniffles.


    "Now that you mention it. Your story is worse than mine!" she giggled. "What are you going to do about that?" Katherine asked softly.


    "We are talking about you, now. What would you do if he was famous?" Pause.


    "I know he is famous. He told me himself and I don''t mind it. If there was anything that I really disliked about him, I would have ghosted him."


    He flinched and thanked the lord that had not been the case.


    He heard another door open and knew it was Barry, the pervert.


    "I''ll get going now," he said sheepishly. He shook their hand one last time and then went his way without turning back.


    "I think you broke the guy''s heart with your confession of undying love for Ray," Angelina laughed. Cage, too, was smiling now that the man was gone.


    "I have a surprise for you in my room. An apology gift, if you may."


    "I love you, Angel," he heard her say and then the padding of her feet against the floor. His heart thumped in his chest as he gazed at the little strip of light under the door. He moved away and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for her to come to him.


    The lock rattled and the door swung open. He saw her silhouette in the doorway and sat there stunned. Finally, the moment had come.


    Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see a man sitting on the bed. Her breath hitched as she glanced back at her friend in the distance, who had a wide grin on her face.


    "There is a man in your room," she deadpanned, not knowing what to do with herself.


    Was her friend giving her a man for a present so that she could forget about Ray? She wouldn''t put it past her friend to do that, in all honesty, and she was almost frightened that it was the case.


    "Turn on the light," Angelina said with a wink.


    She did so dumbly.


    Gaze looked at her stunning form. Her eyes widened and she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Cage.


    "Cage?" she whispered and lurched back, her body swaying with shock. "You found Cage Cavanaugh?"


    Showtime.

 Chapter 108 - World Without You

    He stood up hesitantly when he saw her sway. He hoped to the lord above that she was not going to faint because there had been a lot of screaming and fainting in front of him in his time in the industry. Moreover, he had enough of that and didn''t want that from the woman he liked. He really didn''t want to associate her with that part of his life. She was definitely a fan, but more than that, she was the woman who had stolen his heart without knowing who he was.


    "Oh god," she whispered to herself. ''Please be different.'' "Either I have lost my mind or Angelina scored well." She turned around and looked at Angelina.


    "I am so happy for you," she said in a choked voice that hurt Cage''s heart.


    In Katherine''s mind, she was sure that Angelina had been talking to Cage all this time and it had been a prank or something of the sort where they thought that he was a kid. She felt a jolt of jealousy that Angelina had met exactly whom she had hoped for, but also felt happiness that at least one of them had a happy ending.


    "No, silly. He''s not here for me," Angelina said with a small smile but appreciated that her friend hadn''t gone into a rage because of Cage appearing in Angelina''s room.


    "Then am I having a psychotic breakdown? I''ve finally lost my mind, haven''t I. It was only a matter of time," she hyperventilated.


    Angelina snorted from across the room and folded her hand across her chest.


    "On any other day I would have told you what a crazy bitch you are, but he is here for real." She blinked. Cage couldn''t help but laugh at the scene in front of him. It was inappropriate, but so like her to make him laugh at the most inopportune moments.


    She had closed her eyes shut, but when she heard his guttural laughter, her eyes snapped open and she looked at him in awe. "Is this real?" Her eyes glowed with hope.


    He couldn''t laugh at her at that time. He stepped forward, wanting to take her into his arms for a hug or a kiss¡­ or just shake her out of her stupor. He didn''t know what to do. He had dreamt of their union, but the scene had turned out nothing as he had imagined. And now they had so much to talk about. He settled for reaching out and brushing a strand of hair away from her face, his fingers ghosting over her cheek for a second before he moved back¡­


    Shock and need coursed through his veins.


    "Katherine," his voice was like a prayer. She sucked in a breath and her eyes clouded with confusion.


    "Angelina made you come? How?" Her shoulders shook with panic. She really couldn''t understand what was happening around her. Cage grabbed her shoulder gently and held her still.


    "You made me come, love." Her eyes widened and suddenly she grew frightened, her doe-like eyes gazing at him with such fear that it made him slightly uncomfortable. "Ray?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.


    "Mmm," was all he said as he stroked her shoulder with his fingers. "I am sorry I couldn''t meet you before," he said equally slowly, making sure that she could hear him in her panicked haze.


    He stood still as her palm approached his chest. She placed her hand on his heart lightly, listening to his racing heartbeat and stood stunned.


    ''Could it really be him? Was this a joke and the cameras would come out any second?'' She couldn''t believe it.


    "I know what you are thinking, and I am sorry for hiding this from you. I really wanted it to be a surprise." He would have shrugged if it weren''t rude to do so in this situation. He found himself standing stoically, unable to express any of the conflicting emotions shooting through him.


    "You''re¡­ really here¡­" Her chest heaved with the need for air. He nodded. "This can''t be true. I''m going to wake up and life will suck again." She groaned. "How did I come up with the idea that Ray was Cage, though? Has Angelina''s stupidity finally affected me?" she grumbled.


    "Hey!" her friend protested from behind, but she was quickly ignored.


    "I really hope that you''re not dreaming." He smiled. He placed his hand over hers and smiled. He had finally touched her. She finally knew who he was. It was only a matter of making her believe it was real. "It would suck to go back to a world without you," he confessed, taking her hand by the wrist and kissing it gently to reassure her.


    He saw her shudder and knew exactly what she had felt when his lips met her skin. He had felt the connection, too, and it was strong. There was no denying the attraction between the two of them, it was simply nature.


    She blinked several times as she looked at the hand now in his grasp. "What are you doing here?" she finally came to her senses. Memories of what had happened floated back into her mind. If he really was Ray, he had betrayed her.


    Her eyes welled with tears. Unable to stand it, he pulled her into his arms and crushed her against his chest. He breathed in her scent of lavender and wilderness and knew that was what defined her being¡­ that was how she naturally smelled.


    So what if their first meeting was awkward, he still had her in his arms. There was no denying that.


    "Please don''t cry, love. I don''t think I can bear to see tears in your eyes. It tears at my heart." She pulled back from his embrace. ''This can''t be happening,'' she thought as she did so. She looked up into his eyes and for a minute, the passion grew.


    He reached down to wipe away her tears and realized how supple her flesh felt under his hands. He pulled her back into his chest, hiding his head at the crook of her neck. Her scent calmed him down and let him know that everything would be fine.

 Chapter 109 - No More Lies

    He hoped that he would be able to kiss her and hold her. Every part of him raged to take her and make love to her, but he couldn''t do that to her. He cared for her too much. They had much to talk about.


    ''When I make love to her, I don''t want anything to come between us¡­ especially a silly misunderstanding.''


    "We need to talk." It sounded ominous, but there was no other way to put it.


    They released each other as she rubbed at her face. "There is so much to sort out." She sank down on the bed. It was her house, so she was comfortable around it, but Cage didn''t know where to place himself. He looked around the room and found that there was no other place to put himself than on the far end of the bed, which was the farthest from her.


    No, he didn''t want to sit that far away, but he knew that she needed some space to process what was happening.


    "How did you know where I lived?" she asked straightaway, catching him off guard. Her voice sounded as cold as it had on the phone call with him the last time they spoke and fought.


    "Your friend called my number and my manager happened to pick up. She was the one who gave the address. My manager drove me here." He replied honestly, knowing that there was no other way around it.


    "And where is he?" she asked suspiciously.


    "He went out to grab some food." Her eyes softened.


    ''Could it be that he hasn''t eaten like me?'' The thought made her feel bad for him, but she was nowhere close to forgiving him.


    "And what are you doing here?" She paused and realized that it sounded wrong. "I mean¡­ I am glad that you are here but why now¡­ I''m really." She closed her eyes and opened them again, looking resolved. "I''m sorry." She stood up suddenly.


    "I really didn''t know who you were. I didn''t even have an inkling and I wouldn''t go to the media even if I knew."


    He was stunned. Had he made himself that clear over the phone? Or was it this identity of his that led her to believe that he was here to do damage control. His voice hardened when he realized she thought so lowly of him.


    "If I thought you would do that, I wouldn''t come here myself. I would send my team to take care of it." She winced at his tone but knew that she deserved it for acting that way.


    "Then why are you here?" Damn it. He really didn''t want the conversation to turn hostile.


    "I wanted to apologize for the misunderstanding." Her eyes filled with tears again. "I couldn''t meet you because I was spotted by the paparazzi while I was on my way." The first truth had been put out.


    "And you couldn''t call me to let me know?" She was still angry, but she somehow understood, too. She didn''t want to come off as too aggressive, but she was surely not going to give him slack.


    "I''m sorry. That is my mistake. I came home and changed. My friend took your call and there was a miscommunication¡ª" She cut him off.


    "There was no miscommunication. She told me she was your girlfriend," Katherine deadpanned.


    Angelina shifted uncomfortably, not knowing what to do with herself. She found herself heading to the washroom, where she would hide for god knows how long. Why had she offered up her room for this conversation, again?


    "And I will have a hard talk with her about that. I am not in a relationship with her." She frowned at the statement.


    "You have an awful lot of women claiming to be your girlfriend, don''t you think?" She felt bad the instant the sentences were out of her mouth. Bringing up Keira and that situation was a low blow.


    "Are you trying to push me away?" He asked, tensed.


    "No. I just want answers, Cage."


    "Then let me explain, dammit!" He was frustrated.


    "I''m not out to hurt you, Cage. I am sorry I am making it seem that way, and I will never tell anyone about what happened between us." At this point, she had started to pace around the room and she stopped, kicking off her heels. He stared at her pretty little toes for a while before he snapped himself out.


    She was a fascinating creature. Her mind worked in ways he couldn''t imagine and watching her go through her process of thinking was such a delight. He hoped he would get to see more of this side of her. Angry Katherine was really sexy. Damn, Katherine in every form was sexy.


    He held out his hands in surrender. "Please sit down. You''re making me dizzy!" She sighed and did as she was told. Cage held out her hand in hopes that she would take it but she ignored it.


    "I pretty much knew that I was going to show myself to you when we first spoke. I just needed time to fully process it. I wanted it to be a pleasant surprise. Like ''Hi, I am the movie star you love and the man you will love.'' And I wanted that to be special. I hadn''t thought for a minute that you would betray me or go to the press. I was my hundred percent with you and I hoped that you did the same." He took in a deep breath.


    "My manager found out who you were during the whole Keira stalking scandal because we needed to be safe and I pretty much knew who you were. I was fascinated by what I saw and it was a pleasure to get to know you professionally¡­ You are so talented."


    "Then you are here to talk to me face to face? No more lies, no more secrets, and misunderstandings?"


    "Does that work for you?" He asked gently, crossing his fingers.


    "Yes."

 Chapter 110 - This is Craziness

    "That''s excellent." He smiled at her and she smiled back. She bit her lip. "I didn''t want to come initially and was kidnapped by my manager who thought it was imperative for me to sort this out. I have been moping, you see." She let out a small giggle at that.


    "So, you didn''t want to come," she said softly, going silent.


    "At first, no. And then a talk with the manager and my mother later, I realized how I yearned to be with you. I was miserable when we didn''t talk and I was furious at myself for allowing myself to say those hurtful things to you when I meant none of it. I get that now, but back then I was too taken with my emotions and how you were attacking me to think straight."


    "I can''t apologize. I should have been calmer when I spoke to you. I should have realized that your life was more complicated. You have always told me that." She sighed and placed her head in her palm.


    "No, love. It''s not your fault. I love that you could feel so much for me. I know anger is not what I was going for, but we are young and we can channel this passion elsewhere. Couples have misunderstandings and they fight."


    "You are a year older than me, but you sound like a grandfather," she sniffed.


    "Are you crying again?" he croaked, scooting closer to her and taking her back into his arms. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and smiled. This would be the first kiss of many kisses to come; he would make sure that was what happened.


    "Wait. Did you say ''couple''?" She sounded astonished as she raised her head.


    "What else do you think we are? After everything we have done." A wicked grin took over his face. And a blush was plastered on hers. "When have we not been a couple?"


    The words buzzed in her head.


    ''I thought we were talking casually over the internet and here you are saying that it was all serious. This is craziness.''


    "There is so much I want to ask, and Angelina did most of the job for me." He chuckled.


    "You heard all of that?" she said through her embarrassment.


    "Yeah. She was really nice about it all and much more amiable than I thought she would be." He shrugged.


    "She can be a little scary at times, but she is also one of my best friends."


    "You never spoke of her that way." He tilted his head to the side and looked at her with warm eyes.


    "I sometimes forget that she is my friend. Our dynamic is weird. You must have realized that by now." She gave a watery smile.


    "She told me a lot about how her situation went and well¡­ we are in a better position, I have to say," he chuckled. She scrunched up her face cutely. Cage was enticed to kiss her at the moment, but he had to curb his urges.


    "She did?" she sounded surprised.


    He chuckled. "Yeah. How was the date, love?" His expression became grim again and her eyes widened. Of course, she hadn''t expected him to come out like that.


    "I''m just stumped that I went out on a date with the wrong guy and came back home to find the two men I dreamt about being combined into one," she confessed. She grabbed the stray whisk of hair falling on her face and swept it back in an awkward motion.


    "I''m glad you think I am the dream guy but are you sure you don''t want¡­ Barry?" His tongue stung to take the name. If he could, he would banish the guy to the pits of hell for placing his eyes on his girl.


    Seeing the apprehension in her eyes, he further commented, "I heard what you said to Angelina, but I was just making sure that you weren''t pressured into thinking that way. It''s fine if you like him."


    ''No, damnit. It''s not fine if she likes him. I don''t want her to not like me. I don''t want her to like a pervert like Barry.'' One part of him screamed.


    The seconds it took her to contemplate her answer felt like hours to him. "He is a nice man but he is not¡­" her eyes darted around the room as if she were searching for the exact word. "You," she breathed suddenly, making his heart skip a beat.


    ''Praise the Lord.'' He had needed her to say it out loud even though he had heard her iterate these same words to Angelina.


    Suddenly she moved away from him, quick enough for him to be shocked at the move. "I¡­ am not convinced that you are not with that girl." She looked confused and he couldn''t blame her for it.


    "I''m sorry for lying and saying that she was my girlfriend. I was so angry that I¡­ lied." And once a lie was told, there was no way other than to tell the truth over and over again to redeem oneself. Cage knew that the moment would haunt him and make her insecure. He knew her, and he knew how much he would hate to be the side chick.


    It was nauseating to imagine her thinking of herself in that capacity. She was not the side chick; she would never be. It was impossible.


    "There were news reports of the two of you recently, too." Damn the media. They were always behind him and lurking in his business, ensuring he never got to be happy.


    "You have to trust me. I am not with her." She looked hopeful, she really did. "We both said things to intentionally hurt each other and we have apologized for that. If it is not enough, I will keep apologizing until you are perfectly content with my reasons."


    ''I won''t let you go.''


    "If you don''t mind me asking. Now that you know who I am, in what capacity do you want to know me? Just as a friend¡ª" He hoped not. "Or just as a star."

 Chapter 111 - Everything About You

    She put her hand on his leg and he immediately put her hand over hers. "I never thought of who was behind the screen from the beginning. I enjoyed being with you. The real you. I may have had a crush on you from when I saw you on the TV but that is nothing compared to the emotion I felt while I was playing the game. You were so nice and funny that I wanted to know more about you."


    "Am I still that man for you?" he asked cautiously.


    "Yes."


    "How much more did you want to know me?" he said in a light-hearted manner, clearly trying to tease her. Her face turned a lovely shade of red, ripe for the taking.


    "I can''t say that I planned on us having phone sex or writing out our fantasies, but I at least wanted to be acquainted with you." She laughed nervously. Cage shifted in his seat. "Does that make you uncomfortable? Talking about such things?" Of course, it didn''t. He had moved for a different reason altogether. But he wasn''t going to tell her that.


    "You seemed like such a genuine person that I sometimes wondered why you would pick me out of all the people that you surrounded yourself with. Now that I know who you are, the choice becomes even more confusing. I didn''t know what to do except for being myself and you seemed to like that. Now, I wonder¡­" she trailed off.


    "You must realize that there is a reason why I didn''t come out and say that I was Cage Cavanaugh. I have been in the industry for so long and I have seen people trying to mooch off me or take advantage of me in so many ways. I didn''t want to fall into another trap. There are girls everywhere, sure. But that doesn''t mean they are after me. I liked the fact that you liked ''me'' and no one else. It was rare for someone to not know me and still think I was someone worth spending their time on." He grimaced.


    "You are an amazing man," she reassured.


    "Girls wanted to be out on the street, being seen with me all the time and it got old pretty fast. I didn''t like the attention the press gave me and definitely didn''t like the attention these girls were showering on me. I just felt like I needed to date someone who was blind. Who didn''t know anything about me¡­ who had lived under a rock."


    "And you found that in me?"


    "You were a fan. I was scared that if I revealed myself to you, you would become like every other girl I had ever dated. But once I got to know you more, I thought that you were different. And I see that now." He smirked at Katherine.


    "You did have a relationship with Keira," she stated. He made a weird face which left her curious.


    "It was a publicity stunt that the companies pulled. I was in no way interested in her. I thought you were a fan! You didn''t believe me," he gasped theatrically.


    "I mean, I was a fan and I didn''t really think I was out to eat you up because of your private life. I wouldn''t judge you for being with her, she is pretty after all." She shrugged.


    "No. I find nothing about her attractive and she brought me nothing but trouble." On top of that, he wondered if he should make a comment about how he would have enjoyed if he tried to eat her up. Restrain was a godly value to abide by, he told himself.


    They had a lot to go over before they could dive into their usual selves.


    "And I like you. You are my type." More than like, he thought to himself. But that was a question that would need to be figured out on a later date. He touched her cheek again as her pretty eyes stared at him in shock.


    "You''re cute," he said.


    "Damn. I''m sorry she made you crazy¡­"


    "I had you at the time to keep me sane and my pride was hurt. She was really good at lying." He took a deep breath. "Can I be honest with you?" he asked. It was time to give her the full truth. "Our fight hurt me a lot more than Keira ever did."


    She gasped and her eyes started to well up again. "Oh, no. I''m sorry. I didn''t mean for you to cry!" He cradled her face in between his palms and tried to make her understand. She was the only one who understood him so well, he could just hope that it extended into real life. "You mean the world to me. All these months with you were the best time of my life and I was torn when I lost you. I fucked up."


    "No. You didn''t. I loved everything about you." Past tense? The word in itself warmed the cockles of his heart. "I loved your love for hentai and anime and your mom. I loved how you spoke and joked around."


    She closed her eyes as he stroked her cheek with his thumb.


    "I couldn''t stop thinking about you either. I love everything about you." There, he had said it. He had not spoken in the past tense. Her eyes widened at the admission and he smiled because he understood what she must have felt in the moment. "I want things to go back to how they were." His voice was firm.


    "But I don''t want them to go back to how they were." It hurt him when she said that. She said she loved everything about him and then retracted by saying she didn''t want to amend the relationship? He didn''t know what to think! "I don''t want the secrets and the distance. I want the real you, your presence, and your face in front of me from now on."


    He laughed nervously, the energy from before refusing to leave his body. She bit her lip to hide her smile, enticing her to touch it. He gently pressed his finger against her bottom lip.

 Chapter 112 - I Wont Stop

    "I can''t seem to keep my hands off you." He sighed. "I really want to kiss you, but I don''t know if you will appreciate it."


    Her tears had dried up by the time and she gave him a smile. A real smile. It looked like those of her in the pictures with her friends, a smile he had thought he would never get to see for himself. "You want to kiss me?" she asked, her pouty lips moving, making him go wild. She was the most beautiful woman in the world. He wouldn''t look at anyone the same way.


    Her heart thudded in her chest. ''He wants to kiss me,'' came her excited thought. Other than the conflict in her heart and insecure suspicions, there was nothing more she wanted to do than to kiss his lips when she found out that he was Ray. How could she? She had finally met the man of her dreams and she couldn''t help but enjoy every single touch he bestowed upon her.


    Her eyes were slightly red from crying, but she still looked so enticing. "I wanted to kiss you and hold you since I met you online. Now, my instincts are screaming at me to take you," he whispered, almost embarrassed by the confession. "You''re gorgeous¡ª" he was cut off by her.


    "Nothing like the women you surround yourself with." He snorted.


    "Of course, you are nothing like them. They are vying for attention and do not appeal to me. You do." He paused. "Now let me finish." He tapped her cheek with his thumb. "I am sure I wouldn''t be able to stop once I start. You look amazing in this dress, smelling so good and your skin so radiant." He looked her over once. "I feel jealous when I think that another man almost got the chance to be with you. I don''t think I would have handled that well."


    The admission brought on an onslaught of giggles from Katherine.


    "I can''t believe Cage Cavanaugh just said something like that outside my fantasies," she snickered.


    "You''ve fantasized about me?" he asked, shocked. Well, it wasn''t shocking, considering that most of the female population of their country probably thought of doing lewd things to him at least once, but to hear her say it really pleased him. He knew she was a fan, but featuring in her fantasies was a whole different ball game.


    "I would love to get to know them," he said, but then he stopped. "But not now. I won''t be able to stop if you start now." She licked her lips, resulting in the stiffening of his cock. It didn''t take much effort when it came to her.


    "Why don''t you?" she challenged.


    "I won''t stop," he threateningly reminded her.


    "You don''t need to." Her voice grew husky. ''She''s going to kill me,'' he thought as he peered into her eyes. They spoke of devious things that she wanted him to do to her.


    ''Soon,'' he promised himself.


    "I have more to say," he said with a sigh. "I have to go to red carpet events with dates and there will always be rumors surrounding me. Sometimes it will be for publicity, and other times it will really be because the media need something new to talk about. I know that you reacted poorly to a girl picking up the phone, but I need you to know that none of those things in the media are true. None of those news articles and journalists know me. They will try to spin stories about me that are untrue and I can''t have you believe them. Now that I think about it, I never told you about myself. I don''t know how much trouble I would have gotten in if you knew about Keira''s thing."


    "I saw Angelina cursing over that incident and I probably would have been the same, but I would have confronted you and called you out just like this time." She grimaced. "But I would like to think that I would have been more restrained if not for you ditching me." She looked at him curiously. "What do you think?"


    "I think you are a level-headed woman and it is my fault for not telling you who I am. I should have made sure that we communicated before like we are doing now. Honestly? I didn''t think it would be an issue. I should have known that keeping it from you would lead to complications."


    "You just wanted to surprise me. I get it," she defended him, even though she should have been the last person to do so. She then looked down at her lap. "I really should have listened to you and not assumed the worst." Seeing her so upset, he tilted her chin up and saw her smile sadly. "I wish I could go back and not act that way. I wish for so many things¡­ I just¡­ blew up when I heard someone else talk on the phone."


    "Don''t you think I know it was because of that awful ex of yours? I know, but I tried to deny it for the longest time." That man had really done a number on her self-esteem. Now it was up to Cage to make sure that her lost confidence could somehow be resuscitated. "You are a naturally incredible woman."


    She tried to smile. "I might be over Jonathan but the guy really did make me feel like I didn''t deserve to be loved. I really thought I was past that after I met you, but hearing her over the phone really brought out old wounds."


    "They were never properly tended to," he said. "I don''t know why she said those things, but I will have a talk with her. Don''t worry. She almost ruined my relationship with my precious rinrin."


    She laughed. "Fortunately, you salvaged the situation somehow. You meant so much more to me than I realized."


    "Meant?" he asked hopelessly. "Do you not see me as important any longer."


    She shook her head. "No. I still like you. A lot."


    "I need you to trust me. I will never cheat on you. Whatever you hear in the future, come find me first before assuming. I don''t look at women the way I look at you, Katherine. I didn''t even consider dating anyone before I met you."

 Chapter 113 - Kiss Me Already

    "I shouldn''t have gone out with Barry." She groaned.


    "I hate that I didn''t come to stop you in time¡­ that you went out with him. Damn traffic." He huffed.


    "Damn the traffic," she repeated. "Do you¡­" Why was it so hard to say the words out loud? "want to try without any secrets?"


    "Yes." He nodded vehemently.


    "Can we kiss now?" she asked petulantly.


    "You want me to kiss you?" he asked, jerking in surprise. She just nodded. "I already told you that I wouldn''t be able to stop if I start," he warned.


    "And I already told you that I didn''t want you to stop," she informed. There was a confident smirk on her face, one he had imagined she would have every time she made him hard with her words. He stood up instantly and took her by the arms. Pulling her up to her feet, he slowly leaned in.


    "Kiss me already," she commanded.


    Cage complied.


    He slid his arms down her back and pulled her against him. Her soft and fragrant body pressed up tightly against him. He was finally successful in holding her the way he had hoped to for so many months. Of course, he had held her in his arms as she cried, but it was nothing like this. There was unbidden passion in this embrace. Her smoldering eyes and full lips were right there, inches from his face.


    She was a slight thing, barely above five foot and he was a giant compared to her. He had to raise her to her toes to get anywhere near her. He slowly inched towards her and her arms wound around his neck, her fingers stroking the hair and scratching his scalp with her nails. He groaned as he looked into her eyes and quickly swooped in.


    She was about to say something but was stopped mid-sentence, his mouth swallowing her words. He would listen to what he had to say when they were done, but he had an inkling that she probably meant to command him to kiss her because he was taking too long.


    She gave a satisfied sigh when their lips molded together. Her fingers tightened around his hair and he felt a slight sting on his scalp. He took it as guidance and a rush of happiness flashed through him at her confidence. He touched his lips lightly to hers, brushing it his hers¡­ once¡­ twice¡­ thrice. He blinked open to see her staring at him.


    ''What a pair of psychopaths we are,'' they thought in unison.


    Seeing the hunger in her eyes made him want to take her right there. No, he couldn''t do that. This time, he pressed his lips firmly against hers. He caught her bottom lip between both of his and she m.o.a.ned. Her mouth opened slightly, giving access to his tongue to delve into newfound land.


    Their tongues touched softly, moving against one another. She tilted her head to the side to give him deeper access.


    He had kissed a lot of women on camera but they had never affected him in this way. He had to strain not to grind against her as his length hardened against her stomach. The sting in his hair only contributed to his need for her. He pressed their lips together harder, biting and licking at them to show her exactly what he wanted, but he restrained. This was perfect. She ground her body against his, driving him insane.


    ''Is she trying to kill me?'' he groaned into her mouth.


    He pulled away dejectedly when he heard a cough and realized that the door was open.


    "Get a room," Angelina said from the hallway. When they turned to look at her, they saw her grinning from ear to ear.


    "We are in a room," his little kitten said smugly.


    "Ew. It''s mine. Finish your business in your room." Angelina turned to go and she didn''t look reluctant in the least. She raced away, leaving the lovebirds on their own.


    "Should we relocate?" she said, looking up at him with a dreamy expression.


    "Love, I need to call my manager and see how he is faring. He has been gone for a long time," he said, shaking his head.


    "You''re leaving?" There was a hint of sadness in her voice that he didn''t miss.


    "It''s not that I want to leave¡­" he grumbled. "But I didn''t know if you wanted me to stay longer," he said softly, looking at his hands.


    "Please stay," she urged, putting her hand on his shoulder before she got on her tiptoes and cradled his face in her palms. "Please?" He, in turn, gripped her waist in agreement.


    "How can I say no to you?" he said with a charming smile that would make most women swoon. "I''m not going anywhere unless you come with me."


    "All mine," she pretended to growl. He chuckled at her cute reaction and tapped her forehead with his fingers. She pouted leaning closer and resting her head against his chest.


    ''He''s so tall,'' she sighed.


    "And you''re mine," he swore. She really liked the sound of that.


    - - -


    [Before they met]


    A couple of days had gone by. Katherine had been in her room, working her butt off and not really coming out.


    Angelina on the other hand was constantly looming around the living room, waiting for her to come out. Her wish wasn''t fulfilled. She was still upset, f.u.c.k.i.n.g raving about it, but she had been a little piece of shit to Katherine because she was upset.


    She shouldn''t have been so harsh. They were good friends and saying that she deserved to be cheated on was a horrible thing to do. She was terribly sorry and didn''t know how to mend what she had done.


    Lily had been awfully silent, but she hadn''t been angry. If she had been angry, she would have taken a hatchet to Angelina''s head. In reality, Katherine held Lily and Angelina together. She was the one who brought them together despite how radically different their personalities were.


    "She''s a mess," Lily said suddenly when both of them were in the kitchen grabbing their cup of morning coffee.

 Chapter 114 - The Same

    "I know," Angelina whispered.


    "You went through a lot, but so has she. We live together. I can''t take this any longer." Lily sighed and went to her room. Before closing the door, she suddenly looked straight at her and said, "Do something. Because I f.u.c.k.i.n.g don''t know what to do."


    F.u.c.k yeah, that was exactly what she was going to do.


    She went to Katherine''s room and knocked. Not getting a reply, she pushed the door to find it open. She frowned and went inside, hoping to see her friend moping.


    She was not there.


    She peered out of the room. The water in the bathroom was running. She looked back inside the room.


    Katherine''s phone was on the bed.


    The impulse was overwhelming. One, she didn''t know enough, but hell if she wasn''t going to stand up for her friend.


    It was her chance. If anyone thought that Angelina was going to sit silently and see Katherine be cheated on by that internet guy? They were wrong. He wasn''t going to waltz out of Kitty''s life and make her cry.


    What a f.u.c.k.i.n.g asshole.


    Katherine had been there for her when she was horrified over her own situation. if she found out where this guy was based, he would be lucky if she just gave him a piece of her mind.


    She knew Kitty''s password. Putting it in, she dialed the number and waited. No one picked up. Frustrated, she tried again and again until someone picked up.


    What a coward. It had taken him that long to pick up.


    "Hello?" someone said from the other side. She didn''t know how this man was supposed to sound, but the voice was nice. Breathless, but nice. She could see why Kitty might have liked him. He had the voice of a s.e.x operator.


    "Listen well, you cheating bastard. When I get my hands on you, I''m going to get you by the balls and make sure you never put your c.o.c.k anywhere near a woman again. How f.u.c.k.i.n.g dare you treat my friend like that. She is the sweetest person ever."


    "Wait..." the person on the other side said.


    "Don''t you dare interrupt me, asshole." She sucked in a breath, trying to reign in her anger and form coherent sentences. "You broke my best friend''s heart. She cared about you. No, she loved you and you stomped all over her. So what if everything was over the internet? Her feelings are feelings. And I would bloody well hope that it is the same for you. She found you and you made her smile."


    "You should be scared. You probably know me as the lunatic and you will be right to be scared. I will f.u.c.k your life up. Believe me, I will make it my mission to make your life miserable if you don''t get on your knees and apologize for what you have done to my friend. My stilettos are enough to bust your body open." And she was willing to use all of her precious shoes on this bastard. She didn''t care how good this guy sounded, she would ruin his face. Nobody hurt her friend and walked away from it.


    "Uh. You have the wrong guy. I am the bastard''s friend." She paused. "Also, the guy is a mess. What did your friend do to him?"


    How dare he pin everything on Katherine! What a typical misogynistic response.


    "Excuse me? She didn''t do anything. He was in a relationship and led my friend to believe that they were a thing. He pretended to be single. What kind of two-timing asshole is he?"


    "Excuse you, Miss-shout-my-lungs-out. He doesn''t have a girlfriend or a wife and your friend got everything wrong. The girl was his friend. I don''t think your friend listened but MY friend wouldn''t cheat."


    Angelina became quiet.


    "Friends?"


    "Yes."


    Wow, this was complicated. What f.u.c.k.i.n.g fools were they? Ruining a good thing with a misunderstanding.


    "He didn''t tell her anything about her being wrong, either."


    "Oh? Maybe he was pissed off that she would jump to conclusions!" Angelina gritted her teeth. She simply didn''t know the details to fight back.


    "He is an asshole for making her miserable..." she trailed off, sounding petulant.


    "Hey, don''t call him that!" the guy on the other side protested. "But tell me something. Does she like him?"


    "Of course she did. You could see it in how badly she was affected." It was a match on who could defend their friend better.


    "Don''t get loud again. I don''t know your friend¡­ just like you don''t my friend. He is beyond upset and your friend is the reason. We are both protective of them and¡­ what is your name?"


    "Angelina... continue."


    "You have a lovely name. I wish we had met under different circ.u.mstances." She scoffed.


    "I am not interested in your charm. Spill now." She walked up to the door and checked if the water was still running.


    "He''s lonely. He thinks no one notices, but I do. His life is strict and careful, if not monotonous. He doesn''t really go out or party unless it is for work and he doesn''t get into relationsh.i.p.s or hook up randomly. He let your friend in because she made him feel things and it was an experience of freedom for him. He thought he finally found someone he could talk to without being afraid."


    Angelina didn''t know shit about this guy but she felt a little sorry for him when she heard his side of the story. But how could she forget how far this would set back her friend who had been through a lot herself.


    "She''s the same. Kind of. She has had her fair share of bad guys and it angers me that she is hurt again."


    The guy laughed. "If they really like each other..."


    "Oh, yeah. She likes him. She looks much worse than when her ex cheated on her."


    "Then why is she going on a date with someone?" he countered.

 Chapter 115 - Follow Your Heart

    She was going on a date? Well¡­ what was she thinking? Deciding to see someone because she wanted to keep her mind off this guy. What stupidity. The situation was much worse than she had anticipated.


    "My friend over here is rambling about how she has moved on and that she doesn''t really care."


    Well, then both of them were stupid. Katherine clearly cared for him and Angela had sensed it just by seeing her reaction that day but this guy who had spoken to her for so long couldn''t see it?


    "I think I know who she is going out with and believe me, she has nothing for the guy. She must have reacted violently to finding out he was cheating." She frowned.


    "We established that¡­ he wasn''t cheating on her!" he clarified.


    "What is your name again?" she asked, tired of referring him to the nameless guy in her head.


    "Stephen," he said instantly. "I am glad to know that she is not the kind to jump from one guy to the other."


    "Knowing her, she might not go. He''s a friend of our roommate''s boyfriend," she clarified quickly.


    "Well, then let''s carry out the plan, shall we?" Stephen said excitedly.


    What an absolute nutjob. What did that even mean?


    "What do you plan on doing?" she asked suspiciously.


    "We need to get them into one room and sort things out. It is evident that both of them love each other but want to wave it off and pretend like that is not the case because they have not met. Just like you said, feelings are feelings, and they can''t just deny theirs."


    That made sense. But would it work? "I need more information than that," she snapped. Sue her for being bitchy. She had been tricked by a child.


    "I''ll let you know, okay?"


    "Oh no, you don''t!" she stopped him mid-track. "Tell me."


    "I''ll convince him to contact her before the date." ''Which is when?'' she thought to herself. "See you soon!" And he hung up.


    What did that mean? He didn''t even give his number! How would they communicate? Surely she couldn''t call the guy''s number to talk to Stephen.


    If they did meet, she would just have to kick both their asses.


    - - -


    "Are you really going to go?" Lily asked when Katherine came out for food. Her shower had sucked because all she could think about was his voice and the multiple conversations where he had expressed that he would take her in the shower.


    "Yes," she said decisively.


    "And you are sure that he is cheating and it is not just some weird misunderstanding?" Lily asked, poking at her food.


    "Why ruin our time by thinking about his life? I was just a random girl on the internet he was having fun with and maybe¡­ just maybe¡­ he would meet me to have some fun, f.u.c.k around with me before he left for his real life. That would be all I got. I am grateful that it ended when it did."


    "Don''t sell yourself short, Kitty," Lily said vehemently. "You''re hurt and..." she trailed off.


    It would be easier to deny that it was all a lie. She had to accept that and move on. "It doesn''t matter, Lily."


    She could see that Lily was about to say something, so she stopped her in her tracks. "I really don''t want to talk about this. I just need to get him off my mind." Lily sighed.


    Angelina stepped into the kitchen and silently listened to their conversation. Katherine had looked at her, hoping to at least be civil, but Angelina didn''t even bother.


    "I want to cancel the date with Barry," Katherine admitted.


    "Just follow your heart, sweetheart," Lily put her hand on Kitty''s. Angelina, on the other hand, was listening in patiently.


    Katherine was conflicted. On one hand, she didn''t want to go, on the other, she wanted to get back at Ray for doing what he had. Wasn''t it the perfect way? To act aloof and like nothing had happened?


    "I''m going."


    "Okay." Angelina''s shoulder slumped.


    ''Oh god, this stupid girl.''


    "It''s better than wallowing at home and wondering what he is doing." Lily nodded her head, but Kitty could see that she disagreed. "I don''t appreciate your reaction," Katherine said blandly.


    "I don''t know what you mean. I didn''t say a word." Lily eyed her. "I just want you to do what you think is right. If it means that you will go out with Barry, you do that. If you want to stay home and cry your heart out, I am going to be right here sitting next to you. F.u.c.k, if we knew where he lived, I would have driven over and helped you kick his ass."


    Angelina smirked. She felt the same way. Guess Lily and her were not that different.


    "But because you have decided that you will go out with Barry, I hope you have some entertaining thoughts to keep you awake. Because he is a total snooze." Katherine glared at her.


    "He''s a good guy and definitely not a bore. Come on."


    "Whatever you say!" Lily shrugged. "Knowing you, you would have stayed clear off guys until I dragged you out. YOU jumped to conclusions, made a phone call, set up a date impulsively¡­ and you didn''t even talk to me about it."


    "Yes, I have changed a little." But she really wanted to curl up into a ball and just shut herself in. It was anger and resentment that made her hit up Barry. It was her stubbornness that kept her from calling Barry and canceling the plans. She wanted to see this through, maybe something good could come out of it. "But I don''t have to answer all your questions..."


    "Yes, I am not your mother, but it would be nice if you didn''t make rash decisions. Because as a friend, I wouldn''t want you further hurt." Katherine realized that she had pissed off Lily.


    Angelina on the other hand was just standing in the corner, eavesdropping.


    "I''m sorry. I didn''t mean it like that. I''m just in such a bad mood that I am being a bitch." She sighed. "Ray is gone, and I want to prove to myself that I won''t close off, that I will thrive." She remained silent.

 Chapter 116 - Sink my Teeth

    "You think that no one will ever want you," Lily said suddenly. "You''re scared that no one will make you feel like he did. But you can''t settle!"


    "I won''t. I promise. I just..." Katherine trailed off.


    The conversation died down. Angelina left shortly after, not wanting to look suspicious. There was still time until the date and she could change her mind.


    - - -


    The restaurant Barry was taking her to was nice, so she couldn''t dress sloppily. Though she didn''t want to go, she should be respectful and at least act like she had tried. Lily had abandoned her and gone out, still pissed at her tone.


    Katherine put on her clothes and some light makeup. She still had some time until Barry picked her up, so she stared at her phone. Her phone rang suddenly and she looked at the name on the screen and smiled.


    "Maa," she sighed.


    "Katherine. You''ve not spoken to me for weeks." She said in a clipped voice.


    Kitty''s eyes widened and she stuck her tongue out in grievance.


    "I''ve been busy, Maa. I haven''t been able to call you because of all the work."


    "Oh? Please¡­ don''t lie. You always call even when you are busy." She had a point. Even when she was buried in work, she would take some time out and call her mom to update her on everything.


    "Uh, yeah. I have not been in a good place recently," she admitted.


    If her mother called out of the blue, it meant that her mother senses had gone tingling. "Why?" she asked.


    "Maa¡­." she whined.


    "Don''t try to lie. You can''t say you are okay or that it is trivial." She sucked it up.


    "I fell out with a friend," she admitted. Actually, she had fallen out with two people. Didn''t that make it worse? "I haven''t spoken to them for some time and I don''t think I ever will."


    "Ah!" she made the sound. "What happened with him?" Leave it up to her mother to get to the crux of the matter.


    "He messed up, Maa. And I got so mad, I did some bad things." She stopped. "I have a date in an hour."


    "Trying to forget the other guy, I suppose?" Katherine made a choking sound that conveyed her acceptance of the fact.


    "I don''t know about your situation, but you shouldn''t jump into something new when you have to figure out this relationship with the guy you had a falling out with."


    "The thing with the other guy is over, Maa."


    "Keep lying to yourself, honey. If it is over, you wouldn''t be so affected by it." There was silence.


    "How are dad and you doing?" she asked, trying to divert the conversation.


    "We''re good. Your dad is buried in work. He is getting old, so he gets a little irritable." It was a light conversation from there. "I haven''t seen you in a while. Why don''t you come by home? You don''t have to go to the workplace¡­ you can work from our home for a while. I miss you."


    "I''ll let you know, okay?" Katherine said. She really wanted to go home and cry into her mother''s arms.


    "Yes, you do that. Just make time for your old parents."


    "I will, Maa." She looked at the clock. "Maa, I need to go, okay?"


    "Have fun, I suppose. And let me know how it goes! Katherine, you shouldn''t run away if you really like the other guy. You should fight for the things you want in your life."


    "Thanks, Maa." She hung up and slipped the phone into her purse. She put on her shoes and went into the living room to find Angelina sitting on the couch, reading a magazine.


    Angelina looked up at her and neither of them spoke for a minute as her eyes moved up and down Katherine''s body.


    "You have a date." She smirked.


    "Bye."


    "Though you didn''t like Barry. Must have been wrong." Why did she keep being a bitch whenever she opened her mouth.


    She stopped at the door and turned back. "Maybe when I get to know him, I will like him more." She stormed out before Angelina could reply. Katherine got downstairs and saw a car pull up. Barry appeared out of it.


    She took in a deep breath and walked into the car.


    Barry was dressed in a blue suit and white shirt with a matching tie. It made sense that he would wear it because they were going to a nice restaurant but she couldn''t help but think what Ray would wear if they went somewhere.


    Which was not fair, at all.


    "Hey, you didn''t have to come down. I should have picked you up from your apartment," he said, smiling. She tried to return the smile but was pretty sure that it looked like she was trying not to fart. He came over to the passenger side and opened the door for her like a gentleman.


    Would Ray do the same? She cut herself off. She really needed to stop thinking and comparing the two.


    "I wanted to wait downstairs," Katherine said without much explanation.


    He was smiling wider. "Didn''t think you would be excited to go out with me." She wouldn''t say she was excited, but she felt like such a bitch for using this guy to get revenge.


    She shrugged and got into the car. "How has your week been?" she asked, trying to make small talk. She buckled her belt and saw him jog around the car to get in. He, too, buckled in.


    "It''s been hectic, as usual. You?" He seemed kind. Which was sad because she didn''t want to be here. What the f.u.c.k was wrong with her. he had done nothing wrong. He had been sweet and supportive, not pushing or pursuing. She was the one who set this up. Why was she acting like she had been forced?


    "It''s been fine. I have some deadlines to meet and new projects to sink my teeth into."

 Chapter 117 - What Is Dignity?

    "There''s a long holiday coming up in a couple of weeks. What are you doing then?" He sounded like he was offering up his free time to her. She had been planning to go on a trip with Ray and her friends, but that was out of the window. But spending time with Barry on those days would be a disaster.


    "I don''t know yet. I am still planning," she lied. She would probably be moping at home. She must have sounded off because he quickly caught on.


    "Are you okay?" he asked. Kitty offered him a shallow smile, making him let the matter go.


    "The question just surprised me." His eyes were wary. They had already reached the restaurant and the valet had already taken over. He guided her over to the door and gave his name to the hostess. They were quickly led to a table by the windows.


    She looked out to the beautiful scenery outside. "This place has a wonderful view." He had been so thoughtful and booked this place with beautiful lighting, architecture and view, but there she was, feeling miserable.


    "Have you been here before?" he asked, placing the napkin on the other side of the table. She shook her head.


    "I''ve always wanted to but it never happened." At the time, Lily had a huge argument with her then boyfriend and they had just ended up ordering Chinese from the local restaurant.


    "I have been here a couple of times. It''s a great place. Maybe we can come again," he offered.


    "It seems like a wonderful place." She had heard great things about it. And she was trying her best to muster up excitement for the good food.


    "What can I get you to drink?" The waitress asked. She was looking at Barry with interest and Kitty almost smiled. The waitress caught her expression and quickly fixed hers. Seemed like this man was sought after. Just that she was not particularly fascinated by him. She was sad to say that she didn''t really care.


    "Just water for me, thank you," Katherine told the waitress.


    "You aren''t getting wine?" Barry asked, surprised. She shook her head. "Then I will take water, as well."


    "What interests you from the menu?"


    "Do you like seafood?" he asked for her opinion. He had ordered a lot. She smiled and thought, this guy really must think I am a pig.


    He smiled at her brightly when the waitress walked away. "This place serves great lasagna. You should try it."


    "I definitely will." She had to try and enjoy this, and there was no way she was turning down food.


    "I like women who are not shy about how they eat," he said suddenly.


    "Ah, yes. I can stuff my mouth with a lot of food, I admit." She laughed nervously.


    "You really don''t want to be here, do you?" The question startled her.


    "I don''t understand?" she replied even though she did. She knew exactly what he meant.


    "You were in a relationship a couple of weeks ago and now you are not. There is something wrong and you look like you''re being forced to stay with me."


    She sighed. "I''m terribly sorry. The things with the guy didn''t work out and turned bitter. I called you even though I was not in a healthy mental space." She trailed off because she didn''t know how to continue.


    She still loved Ray and she wanted to be with him even though she knew he had someone else. What did that make her? What type of a disgusting human was she?


    "You''re not ready," he supplied helpfully. He closed the menu and leaned back into his chair. "You''re trying to be someone else. And I have to say, I like the original Katherine more. Your personality attracted me."


    "I''m sorry. I can''t go out on a date with a good guy without acting like a..."


    "I''ve been there!" he exclaimed, trying to make her feel better. He sipped on the water that the waitress had placed on their table a while back. "I dated this woman and wholeheartedly wanted a family with her. Things didn''t end well. I tried very hard to get over her. I understand you and don''t fault you for it one bit."


    "I''m sorry."


    "Don''t apologize. I get it. You can always talk to me about it, you know?" What a nice guy¡­ why can''t I like him?


    "I don''t think I am comfortable talking about it for now. It''s too fresh," she admitted sheepishly.


    He waved it off. "It''s no big deal. Don''t force yourself. Why don''t we treat this as a dinner between friends?"


    The food was delicious. But there were a lot of apologies exchanged.


    "I like you, Katherine," he suddenly said. "I really want to be with you and this isn''t a terrible date. I know what you are thinking." He chuckled. "Maybe you''re not involved with this guy, or maybe you are. It doesn''t matter to me. I want you to be happy. We''ll enjoy tonight and if you want to hand out again, call me. You don''t need to feel sorry about it, okay?"


    She breathed heavily. "You''re way too nice. How do you survive?"


    "Just fine. Now, tell me. What happened?"


    Tell him¡­ she didn''t know how. "We''ve never met."


    "Dating app?"


    "Something like that. He''s fabulous but I think he is taken." She ate a shrimp. "There were a lot of angry words thrown around and I called him a cheater. It was bad."


    "Ah, so that''s why you called. Well, I am flattered that I was the one you thought about!"


    "There is definitely something wrong with you," she laughed.


    "And you didn''t talk to him since?" She shrugged. "You were angry, still are. Maybe you misunderstood things. A lot can happen. It''s best if you listen to his side of the story. You have nothing to lose."


    "Other than my dignity," she added blandly.


    "Eh, what is dignity in front of something good?"


    "Everyone thinks I should talk it out."


    "So many people can''t be wrong, right?" She shrugged. The idea of talking to him made her stomach clench. Could there be an alternate explanation. Would she be played again? There were so many questions that needed to be answered.

 Chapter 118 - Help Me Graduate

    "So you are going to do it." Barry could tell from her expression.


    "I think I am." She nodded.


    "Let me know how it goes."


    "You could do so much better, though. Did you notice how much attention you garner?" she said as they got into the car.


    "I have been told that I chase girls who don''t like me and remain oblivious to the ones who do. Why?" He looked over at her.


    "The waitress couldn''t keep her eyes off you. You''re just a masochist, I suppose." He laughed.


    "What can I say? Chains and wh.i.p.s excite me." She gave him an odd look.


    "Too much information." He grinned.


    She would be calling Ray when she got him. Even if nothing came from the conversation, she would discard her pride for a time and just talk it out. If it didn''t work out, she would just have to move on.


    Closure.


    - - -


    [Back to Present]


    She grinned at him.


    "What is it?" His voice was husky and it made her want to kiss him. She couldn''t control the urge. She pecked him on his cheek and then moved back.


    "I want to spend time with you. As long as I can. What do you want to do?" he asked, carefully looking at her smiling face.


    "I have some ideas," she said with a wink.


    "Whatever do you want to do to me, Miss Austen?"


    "Bad things, obviously," she said smugly. "Do you remember what we planned on doing when we meet?"


    He remembered the promises of steaming s.e.x, but what else was there? He had to think fast so that he didn''t look like the total hornball that he was.


    In her mind, she wanted that date with him. The original plan was to spend their time playing games side by side, but now that she had actually met him, she couldn''t help but think of all the things she wanted to do with him.


    She giggled at his confused expression. Clearly he didn''t know what she was talking about.


    "You''ll need to remind me, love. I think I have a short term memory loss." She threw her head back in laughter.


    She was beyond excited. "You wanted to play with me."


    "Oh, didn''t I want to do that with you all the time every day?" he smiled. "What do you want to play?"


    She thought about it for a moment. "Let''s play our usual game and blow everyone''s head. It''s been a while since I have played like a couple with you."


    A couple. That sounded really nice to him.


    "Instead of playing over chat, we can now do it face to face!" He was equally excited. That was good to know. "Let''s kick some ass, love." Life was so crazy. He had thought he would never see her, but here they were doing things that couples did.


    She really wanted him, but everything in her screamed for her to take things slow. She had imagined that they would jump into bed immediately, but after that massive misunderstanding, it was harder for her to go back to when everything was just okay. The cheating scare was something that she needed time to heal from. No, she didn''t think he had cheated or played her. She understood the situation, but she was shaken.


    "Hey, Cage?" she called out, chewing on her lip as she tried to come up with a way to break the news to him. He was already looking at her. He hummed in acknowledgment. "I really want you and I don''t want you to misunderstand," she started. He seemed confused. "I just..."


    "I know. We have lots of time and we both need to truly be comfortable with each other''s identities and how we function. Our lives are different when we are together. Let''s not jump into things." That was reassuring. "For now, let''s just play some games, watch a movie and let me hold you in my arms."


    "I''ll allow you to kiss me, too." That was exactly what she wanted to do. "That''s exactly what a date is about. Being close, making a move¡­ maybe coping a feel," she joked.


    He laughed. "I''ve heard that people do that, but I have never experienced it for myself. You''ll have to teach me."


    "Of course. I''d rather I teach you than you coming with all the knowledge in the world. I can be very possessive, you see." It was absolutely unbelievable that this guy had never had a proper relationship in his life. Was she lucky or what?


    "Ah, so are you the good girl who will help me graduate?" She looked at him with confusion before it dawned on her.


    "Oh god. Did you just quote Arianna Grande and Bang Bang?" He snickered. "You''re a fan."


    "I have a thing for her ponytail. It''s just too beautiful," he admitted.


    "Do I need to be worried about this? Or do I need to learn how to make that bun?"


    "I''ll call her and ask her to teach you over a skype call or something." What a kinky guy. And resourceful too. Then she remembered that she was really uncomfortable in her dress. She had to get out of it.


    "Okay, I am going to change into something more comfortable." She glanced down at herself, wondering if her outfit would make him think that she was really interested in Barry. It was a rather nice dress. "I don''t wear such clothing usually," she clarified even though he had not asked.


    "You look wonderful, Katherine. But it''s more important that you are comfortable."


    ''He thought I look good?'' She couldn''t imagine that someone like him could think her remotely attractive. It was hard for her to even look at him without swooning. The fangirl in her was screaming. But this was Ray. That was the main point.


    She grabbed a nightshirt and some pants that she wouldn''t normally wear. It was too fancy for her, but this was a special occasion. She would usually just wear an oversized t-shirt with just her panties, but she knew what would follow. She would be screaming for him to touch him and if he was anything like he spoke on the phone, he wouldn''t stop himself from jumping on her.

 Chapter 119 - Simple Pajamas

    They needed time to just¡­ be.


    "S.e.xy," he commented when he saw what she was holding. ''No, you are s.e.xy.''


    "These are simple pajamas," she snickered. "Wait. Do you have anything to change into?" she asked when she remembered that he would be staying over. She wondered how long he would say. He must have a lot of work that he was putting away to be with her. She was so happy that he would think so highly of her.


    He shrugged. "It was a sudden trip so I didn''t pack any clothes." She should have some clothes that would fit him. She went to her wardrobe and pulled out a t-shirt that was too big for her and belonged to her father. They were old, but it would have to do.


    "I wear my dad''s clothes sometimes. I think it will fit you." She threw it to him. He caught it effortlessly, smiling sweetly.


    "Do you have pants I can wear?" she blushed. The most she had were boxers she would use as shorts to roam around the home.


    "Do boxers work?" He laughed but nodded. Thank god she had a 3pack of new boxers which were all fruit prints. She picked the one with pineapples and gave it to him.


    "Okay, I''ll go get changed. You can lock the door and do your thing." She pointed at the bathroom. She really needed to wash off her make-up and get out of these clothes.


    "I''ll be fine. Just go." Oh, yeah¡­ she was ''fine.'' Beyond that. She hurried into the bathroom and peeled her clothes off.


    She didn''t wear underwear to bed. First dilemma. She probably should when he was around. She would inadvertently get wet with him around and it would get awkward really soon. She put on her clothes (and her panties). There was no way she was going to wear a bra, her b.o.o.b.s were pert enough to not need them all the time.


    There was going to be kissing. A lot of it, if she could help it. Her face flushed as she removed her makeup. She splashed water on her face, needing to calm down.


    "Okay, I''m just gonna go¡­" I pointed at my bathroom. Why I couldn''t say I was going to the bathroom was beyond me. I needed to wash off the make-up and get out of these clothes.


    Thinking of getting a little naughty, she pulled up her phone and went to YouTube. Pulling up a tutorial of an Arianna Grande hairdo tutorial, she followed and put her hair up in a close to an impeccable ponytail. Her forehead felt like it was being pulled back and her hairline? She looked like a boiled egg.


    Palming her face, she opened her hair and then just twisted it up in a messy bun. Much better. She finished up and opened the door. When she entered the room, she found him sitting on the bed in the clothes she had given him. How he managed to look that s.e.xy, she would never know, but she really tried hard not to jump him.


    She was too horny. Maybe she should have rubbed one out in the bathroom. Damn.


    He was looking at his phone with a smile on his face.


    "What are you smiling at?" she asked casually, going towards her dresser to put some moisturizer on.


    "Because my manager is a goof and making jokes." He looked up and his eyes wandered. "As I imagined, gorgeous."


    ''He has a problem with his vision.''


    She sat down next to him. His fingers trailed over her bare arm, making her shiver. It was unfathomable that he was touching her.


    "I can''t help but remember that picture of you in a t-shirt, all tousled and sleepy." His voice sounded husky. He thought that was s.e.xy? He should see some of the risque clothing Lily and Angelina had made her buy. Those should get him going.


    "I may have some other things that you will enjoy," she teased. He shifted and she could see that he was a little aroused. His eyes said as much.


    "I am a gentleman," he said tersely. She wanted to find out if he was getting hard.


    ''Be good. Be good.''


    "Do you want to play Outlast 2?" She pulled up her computer, laptop, and tablet. "Pick which one you want to use."


    He contemplated for a moment.


    "You play first, then I will join in. I''ll just watch you play, I think."


    "Beware. I put on a live commentary when someone is around." That sounds nice.


    He took a seat beside her and stared at her as she booted the game. She smiled as she fixed the settings and the game began.


    "It''s actually a really good game, have you played it yet?" she asked.


    "Not yet. But I heard it is really good. It came out about 4 or 5 years ago, right?"


    "So this journalist is trying to solve the mystery of a pregnant woman who was murdered under uncanny circ.u.mstances. The journalist is the husband of the murdered woman. It''s a horror game. Pretty cool stuff."


    "Let''s do this!" The scream lit up and screams could be heard. Cage chuckled. "You love horror games, don''t you?" he asked. When she nodded, he continued. "I just want to watch you freak out."


    "Holy shit, the visuals are so cool!" she exclaimed, having forgotten completely. The story was running in the background and they watched intently, hoping not to miss any information.


    The characters were on a chopper talking about the husband who had called out the name of a woman other than his murdered wife.


    "Of course, he doesn''t know the woman..." she rolled her eyes when the guy in the game denied any connection.


    "Now, now. It''s just a game. I know you get triggered by cheating, but just a character." he patted her shoulder.


    "I really hate these situations..." she sighed.


    She was cute as she interacted with the characters on the screen, talking over them or replying to them when they very well couldn''t interact with her. As the chopper started to act up and all hell broke loose, Katherine swore and her voice changed. It sounded nothing like her, really.

 Chapter 120 - From Your Hands

    "Hold onto something, please!" Even her accent had changed. Cage, in all fairness, couldn''t concentrate on the game because he was engrossed in her reactions. She was so f.u.c.k.i.n.g entertaining.


    "I love this new intro," she said, excitement clear in her demeanor.


    "The first one was different. Even the soft launch didn''t have it if I remember correctly," Cage commented from the side. She was fully engrossed in the game, but taking him through it, letting him see exactly what she was thinking throughout it.


    "Jesus, please don''t prank me..." she whispered as things on the screen started to open and close on their own. He sniggered, figuring out that she was afraid of the paranormal.


    Good to know. He filed the information away for later use. "I didn''t know Jesus had such fabulous abs." The screen was pointed at a cross on the wall. Cage was trying his best not to laugh out loud.


    "What is this sound?" She was creeped out. The music was getting intense. She jumped when a door closed on the character''s face. Her expression was weird and in total concentration at the same time.


    "This Jessica is stealing her moves from The Shining," she sniggered as a wave of blood came down the corridor on the scene.


    "What the f.u.c.k? How did this camera survive a chopper crash? How did the character survive? What bullshit."


    "This guy needs to clean his nails. They look nasty."


    Note: she is a little OCD, too. He had already known from their conversations, but now it was more concrete.


    After half an hour, she let up and gave him the seat.


    "Did my commentary bother you?" she asked. He shook his head.


    "It was cute. You had me totally entertained and engrossed in the plot." He couldn''t say that he was mostly looking at her and had a basic idea of the plot.


    He played effortlessly and she watched in fascination. What the hell. He was so good at it. His fingers flew over the keyboard. No wonder he was stealing everything from her that first day. She had improved but so had he.


    When did he get time to play?


    She asked him as much.


    "I have a hard time going to sleep, so I play. I got better because I have been playing something or the other since my childhood." What a charmer.


    "How are you good at everything?" She pouted.


    "You''ll soon realize that it is a misconception. I am good at nothing in particular."


    "I find that hard to believe," she scoffed.


    "You must believe it, little girl¡­ or slowly you will find out how disappointing I am."


    She chuckled as she shook her head but did nothing.


    "We just spent the whole evening playing games, what do we do now?" she asked after a moment of silence. He contemplated for a minute before shrugging.


    "We''ll eventually have to cook something to eat and I am sure that Stephen is going to come back at some point to check on me."


    "Cooking sounds good. Stephen is your manager, right?" she asked. Of course, she knew everything about him¡­ because she was a fangirl but she didn''t have to act starstruck.


    No, to tell the truth, she wasn''t starstruck. She was just fascinated by the turn of events. She felt close to him like she knew him. Not Cage Cavanaugh the superstar, but Cage the man. Something she had never known about him. She had idolized him as a god, but now she saw him as a human with flaws and feelings and¡­ hers. It was a pleasant feeling.


    "Hm. He''s also one of my friends." He frowned. "Angelina said something that struck me, though." Katherine perked up in interest. "She said that you can''t be friends with someone you employ." He sighed.


    Katherine thought about it for some time. "While I agree with her to some degree, one cannot really compartmentalize their personal and professional life. Especially when your personal life is so entwined with your professional one. You pretend to be other people and remain in the limelight because of your private life."


    "That is true, too." He sulked.


    "Don''t think too much about it. There is a thing about people who share their everyday life with each other. He has been with you for a very long time, and it is a normal transition of relationship to be your close confidante."


    She could understand his dilemma. He lived a life where everyone he was surrounded with had something they could get from him. It must have been tough living that life, always wondering if the person next to you was being deceptive to profit off of you.


    "Let''s go. I''ll cook you some sumptuous food." She extended her hand to him and beckoned him over. He smiled sweetly and grabbed into it without hesitation.


    "Whatever will you cook for me, love?" he asked as he let her lead him.


    "Whatever is in my fridge. You might just get instant noodles," she warned him lightly.


    "From your hands, everything is ambrosia."


    ''Ah, a man after my heart!'' she sighed inside.


    Thank god the fridge was fully stocked. She pulled out the veggies and the meats. She pulled out some pasta from the cabinet, too. She would go for the kill, the dish she cooked best- one-pot mixed pasta. It was something she had made up on her own when she couldn''t decide which non-vegetarian option she wanted to eat that day.


    She carefully chopped and diced, chatting with him while doing her work with ease. He watched, fascinated. This was an image of domestication that he had never imagined he would be a part of.


    He had seen his parents be like this and never thought ''he'' would have something like that. But there he was, looking at her with wonder in his eyes, praying this would never end.


    "What did your manager say?" she asked out of the blue. She looked over her shoulder, glancing at him. He was wearing a s.e.xy half-smile.


    "He was wondering if I had already jumped you or not. He also wanted to know more about your friend Angelina." His admission made her raise her eyebrows.

 Chapter 121 - Its Weird

    "What about her?" she asked with the quirk of her brow.


    "Everything. He seems to have a crush on her," he shrugged.


    "Oh, if it had been another time, she would have jumped him." Yes, Stephen was just her type, in the industry, famous, well-off and handsome. His body wasn''t bad either.


    "Well, good to know. If he holds on, maybe he will get a chance. He was mesmerized when he heard her voice over the phone, I think. And when he saw her? I knew that look. He likes her."


    "Well, how much can he like her just by being abused by her over a call?" Katherine laughed.


    "Well, things happen, and he might just be a masochist." They snickered together.


    "Where is your friend Lily, though?" he asked lightly. He had heard a lot about Lily and knew she was a ballbuster. It would be weird to meet her after the misunderstanding, but he would have to get it over with soon.


    "She went out with some friends from her professional circle, but I don''t know what she is doing." She brought over the food on plates and placed it in front of him. He took a whiff of the dishes and smiled.


    "They look wonderful," he commented. She hoped that she had not botched the dishes and that he wouldn''t choke on her food. That was the last thing she needed when she bragged about her cooking. He took the fork up and dug in.


    He didn''t look like he was holding back and seemed to actually enjoy the food. He m.o.a.ned sometimes and chewed with his eyes closed. She wanted to roll her eyes because obviously he was exaggerating.


    She too started eating. She had to admit, her cooking was not bad.


    "This is the best thing I have ever had." He had eaten at the best restaurants across the world but nothing tasted this good to him. He had an uncanny feeling that it was because he was eating something his girlfriend had cooked for him.


    ''His girlfriend.'' He wanted to grin. Actually, he wanted to go to the nearest rooftop and scream it at the top of his lungs, letting everyone know.


    They walked hand in hand back to her room and sat on the best for some time. For a moment, he twirled her hair through his fingers, making her want to purr.


    It felt incredible.


    "Lily might kill you when she comes back." She joked as she tried to divert her mind. "She might hold back from your face because she is a fan, but otherwise? Would totally kick your ass." He pretended to gulp.


    "I''ll have to count on you to protect me then!" She thought it would be fun to play along.


    "I might," she said coyly. He was pouting and damn she wanted to bite his s.e.xy lips. "It depends on how you perform on our date."


    "Bribery!" he gasped. "What do I have to do to win your protection?" He grinned.


    Katherine giggled and bounced off the bed. She went to the corner of her room and started to sort through the movies she had stored. "If I tell you the answer to that it''ll be cheating." She clucked her tongue. "What do you want to watch?" She asked, stopping the conversation short.


    "Anything that is not mine."


    "Don''t worry. I wouldn''t want to embarrass myself by fangirling and screaming in front of you."


    Oh, what he would give to see her do that. If it were anyone else, it would creep him out, but because it was her¡­ he liked it.


    "Deadpool. Let''s watch Deadpool," she said decidedly. She moved out of the room and came back after a couple of minutes with a bunch of things in her hands.


    "Guy came in here looking for you. Real Grim Reaper-type. I don''t know. Might further the plot." His imitation of Deadpool was on point. He even sounded like Ryan Reynolds.


    "I didn''t think I would feel hot hearing that line from your mouth." He smiled slyly.


    He was too cute, on top of being too s.e.xy and perfect and wonderful and every other good thing that existed.


    "You have a good taste in movies," he commented as the movie began.


    "This is a masterpiece that needs to be exalted. The fans joined hand and created this abomination¡­ but it is a masterpiece. It couldn''t have been better." She sighed. "Dad?" she said, imitating the main character, but ended up bursting into laughter.


    "Well, I don''t mind if you call me dad, but I don''t have a weird crotch."


    "I''ll have to check for myself before I believe you," Katherine challenged. He almost choked. Yeah, he walked right into that one.


    "You got me, little girl." She turned to him.


    "Still calling me that?"


    "I like it."


    They quoted the movie, having seen it multiple times. Ah, she is the perfect woman for me, he thought while they were watching and he told her as much. She didn''t take it seriously, though.


    "I could be." But she didn''t know how it was possible. It just felt right. She moved over and pulled the pillows up so that they could rest against them. She patted the bed indicating that she wanted him nearer.


    He scooted up and against the headboard as she flipped off the lights and hurried back to him. When she sat back down, he immediately put his arm around her.


    The thought flashed through her head: ''He can''t stop touching me.'' She loved it.


    Ryan Reynolds came on the screen and she decided to question him. "You know a lot of these people through awards and projects. How does it feel watching them act?" He shrugged.


    "I know them, but it''s a movie. I just watch it like that. I especially love the ones that came out before I joined the industry because that was part of the reason why I joined." He paused. "But I don''t like watching myself. It''s weird."

 Chapter 122 - Miss A Single Word

    That made perfect sense. She wouldn''t have been able to look at things she had participated in. She didn''t even like seeing pictures of her childhood, let alone videos.


    "I''m a huge fan of movies, and Ryan Reynolds comes second to my love for you. That man is pure gold." She cuddled into him.


    "He''s a wonderful actor and person, but I don''t think you have a crush on him for the right reasons," he said, looking down at her with mock suspicion in his eyes.


    "Hey, he is a fine man. On top of that, he always makes me wonder if he wore underwear under that Deadpool suit. That just clings to his body so perfectly." She chuckled.


    "Ah, so that is a legit parameter for liking someone? I am offended. You like him because he doesn''t wear underwear under his clothes." She gasped, even though he was pouting.


    "Thank you. I am glad I am dating you. Now I have the juicy information."


    "You''re horrible." He threw his head back and laughed.


    "What are you doing during the long weekend? Do you have any plans?" He asked tentatively. Katherine could see that there was interest in his eyes. She was actually hoping that they would spend it together like they had originally planned.


    "Nothing much. My mom called me, asking if I wanted to go home. It would be nice seeing them. It has been a while." He hummed in acknowledgment but continued to watch the movie. She couldn''t concentrate now that her mind was filled with questions.


    "Cage, how long will you stay?" she whispered, scared he would misunderstand.


    "You want me to leave you, little girl?" he joked. She shook her head vigorously, making him smile and plant a gentle kiss on top of her head. She felt it and ducked her head shyly. "I''ll probably stay another day before I go back home. I can''t dismiss my classes for too long."


    Wow, another day? She hadn''t even expected him to stay that long. She was going to enjoy every second of it.


    "We all day tomorrow," she said, appeased.


    "And all night if you like." She liked the prospect of spending the night with him. Very much so.


    "I would love that," Katherine admitted. He agreed as he toyed with her hair.


    "I don''t know if this is the right time to bring it up, but remember our plans to book a little cabin on the mountain and spend time together with friends?" She nodded. Even though Cage couldn''t see her expression, he felt Katherine''s confusion. "The booking hasn''t been canceled."


    She hadn''t wanted to presume. Could they really still go?


    Cage knew she was bubbling with excitement.


    "I am glad I didn''t cancel it. I think deep down I really knew we would work it out."


    "And we did." Somehow, they had managed to reconcile. Neither of them could believe it.


    "Do you want to go with me?" There was trepidation in his voice. He should have been more confident in his charm. Katherine wanted nothing more than to stay by his side. In the end, he had taken the first step to come to her. It was only fair that she took one step to meet him.


    She sat up and turned to face him. "Yes. I would like to go if you want to..." He kissed her then. It was unexpected and passionate, making her unable to resist. His mouth was addictive. Katherine found herself climbing on him, straddling him as she heard Ryan Reynolds in the background.


    He was unbearably hard underneath her. She m.o.a.ned and rubbed herself against him, creating friction to appease her thirst for him.


    He gingerly gripped her waist and pulled her against him further, thrusting below her. They continued for several minutes before he pulled away. There was a trace of a pout on her unsatisfied mouth.


    "I thought I was supposed to be a gentleman?" She sighed. Cage was right. She tried to move back to her original spot but he was holding her tightly. He moved his legs apart. "Sit here," he told her.


    She crawled between his legs and leaned back against his chest. The hardness of his chest against her back made her content. He felt so good. She felt him kiss the back of her ear and she shivered in delight.


    He knew exactly where to touch her to turn her into a pile of goo.


    "We have over 30 hours to continue." He paused, teasing her. "We have the vacation on the mountains and much more. I want to go with you, Katherine."


    She quivered. "You do?"


    He laughed at her excitement. "Of course."


    Despite his words, Cage was not a perfect gentleman through the movie. His hands moved down her side and skimmed the sides of her ass. He brushed her hair aside and kissed her on the side of her neck. It felt so incredible that she m.o.a.ned.


    "Am I a good date?" She felt herself glare. Good? He was f.u.c.k.i.n.g perfect. It wasn''t even fair.


    "You''re okay," she said lightly, trying not to let it go to his head. God knows he had enough people flattering him. "And let me watch the movie!"


    "Oops. I know for a fact that you have watched it too many times." He chuckled. "If you want I can recite all the words to you. Wouldn''t you like that?" She would very much like it. Damn, she could imagine him doing it. She had a love for Ryan Reynolds'' voice, but it was nothing on Cage Cavanaugh. That was another level of honey and s.e.x altogether.


    He kissed her jaw to entice her.


    "I promise you won''t miss a single word of the movie." The offer was enticing. She couldn''t really complain when he was kissing her. Despite the weirdness of their positions, he had somehow managed to make it feel good. Cage tugged her around so that Katherine was sitting sideways on his lap.

 Chapter 123 - Came Back With A Movie Star

    His talented tongue on her skin made her feel things in places she didn''t think possible. She put her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss. Damn the movie, she needed his hands all over her. His hands moved over her and his fingers traced over her chest. They moved to her clothed n.i.p.p.l.es and she thrust involuntarily into him.


    "What are you doing to me?" he groaned against her skin. She was tugging on his hair as he moved down her neck, kissing and sucking with fervor.


    Safe to say he was driving her insane with his out of the world moves.


    "I believe you promised me a good time." She was feeling bold and the words that came from her mouth didn''t even elicit a shred of shame. She wanted him inside her, all around her, engulfing her being.


    She wanted to do everything that they had told each other, the teasing and then some had left her with some pretty high expectations. But she also wanted to be good. She wanted to show him that she was interested in a stable, long-term relationship.


    Then, the rational part of her brain started to analyze the situation. A stable relationship could bloom out of one of the blistering s.e.x.u.a.l attractions. It didn''t need to be dramatic. Some people just fit, and it seemed that Cage and her fit like missing puzzle pieces. Moreover, she knew for a fact that he didn''t mind her being lewd, on the contrary, he enjoyed it thoroughly. If the hardness between his legs wasn''t proof, she didn''t know what was.


    It seemed that even her rationality had abandoned all hope of her being good. It was simply impossible.


    She choked out his name as he nibbled her neck with his teeth. His hands moved down to the hem of her shirt and he pushed her up, touching the skin of her stomach. He may have been a gentleman, but she had already lost all her decency.


    She grabbed his shirt and pulled on it. He chuckled against her skin, the sensation sending bolts of electricity through her. He pulled back, much to her dismay, and helped her.


    Within moments, he was shirtless, looking incredibly delicious with his disheveled and turned on look.


    Damnit, she wanted to lick her lips and run her tongue all over his body. She debated doing it, too. "How are you even s.e.xier in person?" she said, wonder evident in her voice. He laughed.


    "Glad you think so, little girl." Her index finger trailed over his chest and abs. She had looked at those pictures of him for years and cooked up lecherous images. Now that she was in front of him in real life, it was even better.


    It should be illegal to be this s.e.xy.


    "You''re pretty amazing yourself." She sighed. It was a miracle that he thought so. It was only fair that she also took off her shirt. She was about to do so, the door opened and she dropped her shirt in fright.


    She turned to see Lily at the door. She had been extremely stupid not to lock the door. Not that a locked door would deter her. She was probably curious about what happened on the date and seeing the door locked would make her assume weird things.


    "So, you didn''t fall asleep on your date," Lily commented. The lights were off, so she couldn''t see Cage. "You brought him home?"


    A little shame would have done her good, but she unabashedly continued. She was processing what was happening. The lights came on and Lily just stared.


    "Where did you pick up..." Shock flashed across her face. "No way is that who I think it is. Does he have a doppelganger?" Katherine gave her a moment to calm down.


    Knowing Lily, if she gave her too long to process, she would go into a rant that would cause everyone in the room to be embarrassed. Katherine slid off Cage''s lap and started to make introductions calmly.


    Well, as calmly as it was possible in the situation.


    "Lily, meet Cage Cavanaugh." To his credit, Cage waved at her. Lily''s eyes narrowed as she stepped into the room, trying to process what was going on.


    "You went out on a date with an average Joe and came back with a movie star?"


    "No, he was waiting for me here." That sounded even more confusing. "Let me reintroduce you two. Lily, meet Ray."


    Lily gulped.


    ''The f.u.c.k is going on in the world.'' When the stories Ray and Cage said were matching up, she thought that it was a weird guy just faking his life to make himself sound pitiful in front of Katherine. But he turned out to be the real deal. She composed herself.


    Even though she was a fan, this guy was Ray, who had hurt her friend.


    "What are you doing here?" Didn''t he go to the awards with Julia and be all cuddly with her? That had caused some raucous in their home.


    Katherine placed herself between them, doing good on her promise to protect him from Lily. Cage ran his hand through his hair nervously, trying to think of what he should say.


    "My manager and I drove up so that I could talk to Katherine and figure things out," he explained.


    "I can see that you were talking," she scathed. Katherine glared at her, trying to dissuade her, but Lily was concentrating on Cage. Not that Katherine could fault her for it, the man looked godly half-dressed.


    "We talked. We apologized to each other and found out what had really happened. We are good now," Katherine promised. Lily looked at her.


    "What happened to your date?" She asked bluntly.


    Cage turned to look away, clearly not liking the direction that the conversation had taken. It was clear that he was jealous and it floored her. Katherine put a hand on his knee to calm him down.


    She would have to keep telling him that she only wanted him and no one else.


    "I went, Barry quickly realized that something was wrong. He lent me his ear and wished me best of luck." She shrugged. "He dropped me to the apartment and came in. We found Angelina at the door and she was all confrontational. Turned out Cage was in her room listening in."

 Chapter 124 - Make A Dent

    "He is an eavesdropper too?"


    "Lily," she warned. "As you can see we resolved everything."


    "Obviously," she said, pointing at the shirtless man sitting next to Katherine. "I''m just surprised that Angelina was so nice and helped out."


    It amazed Katherine too.


    "She was a little angry, but yeah¡­ we made up." Lily smiled slyly.


    "Seems like your day turned for the better. I was sure you would be crying or something, not making out with Cage Cavanaugh." Cage took that as the cue to put his shirt back on, much to the disappointment of both women. "Please don''t clothe yourself. I rather like you shirtless." Katherine shook her head. Her friend was shameless.


    "My night didn''t go how I thought it would, either. But I am glad it happened. Oh and he is staying over."


    "He is?" Lily quirked her brow. She shrugged. "As long as you are happy."


    "I know." Her attempts at being intimidating were for her benefit. Lily wanted to take care of Katherine.


    "How long will you hang around?" she asked point-blank.


    "Until tomorrow. I have some work to attend to after that."


    "Good. I have a date with Jared tomorrow and Angelina won''t come out of her room because of her broken heart, so you will have the apartment to yourselves. Don''t go around contaminating it with your escapades, that is all I ask."


    "I can''t promise that."


    "Well, I''ll get going," Lily chuckled. "Just remember that you went out with one guy and ended up in bed with another. I am damned proud of you." Katherine rolled her eyes.


    Cage was trying his best to smile, but he was still jealous. When Lily left, Cage sagged on the bed.


    "She''s scary," he admitted. She apologized, making him shake his head. "Don''t be sorry. She didn''t make a dent on me."


    "She''s protective." She walked back to him. "But I would have scratched her if she got to you." She pouted.


    He bit his lip to keep himself from smiling. "I believe we were interrupted." She looked at the clock with purpose.


    "We have time, right?" He held her chin. "It was supposed to be a simple date but you jumped me anyway."


    "I jumped you? Excuse me. You were teasing me. You can''t think I have that much self-control."


    "I did cop more than a feel." He looked at his hand reverently, slyness mixed into it. "And you liked it," he said, pointing at her.


    "Very much. You can cop a feel whenever you like. I''ll let you."


    Cage sighed. He would love that.


    He tugged her back to him, making her lean against her chest. Katherine relaxed back against him.


    "There is no rush, though." He started again. "We can wait as long as you want."


    "It''s weird how in tune we are even though we have been together for a couple of hours." He nodded. "But we know each other and I want you so bad..."


    "I know," he replied. "Let''s slow down for tonight and enjoy our time together. I really will be happy just having you in my arms and a little kissing here and there." She looked at him with a smile. "If you don''t want to kiss, we can forego that too."


    "I''d very much like you to kiss me."


    "I already got so much more than I hoped for." She put her hand on his hair and massaged his scalp gently.


    "My night is a lot better because you are here." She kissed him softly, thanking him for being there. She was thanking the gods that he wanted her. He moved her hair to the side and kissed her cheek.


    "Watching this movie with you was so much fun." She laughed at his words.


    "We didn''t even see much of it. How will you face Ryan when you meet him next?" He shrugged.


    "I''ll just apologize and let him know that my girlfriend likes him¡­ but she likes me a lot more." She shook with laughter at the jealousy in his voice. She smacked him on the shoulder, causing him to snicker.


    "I wonder how he will react."


    "Probably curse me out. What else. Sounds like him."


    After a couple of days of hell she had been through, she wouldn''t have imagined that it was possible for them to be together. It was so much better than talking on the game or over the phone.


    He squeezed her hand and linked their fingers together.


    "Thank you for coming for me, Cage." She just had to. Because she would have never had the courage to go to his house straight. Hell, she needed so many pushes to even want to call him. "You could have kept your dignity and walked away without thinking about me."


    "How could I do that when I knew that I had made you misunderstand and cry?" He looked worried. He kissed her forehead. "I couldn''t walk away. My dignity is intact and it would have been even if we didn''t work out."


    She gasped at the prospect. There had been a chance that they didn''t reconcile. It could have happened that they never met. The possibilities were endless.


    "I''m so glad Stephen tricked you into coming." Her eyes watered. She cradled his face in the palms of her hand and leaned her forehead against his. She really wanted to cry.


    In happiness.


    "I''m here," he breathed. He took one palm from his face and placed it on his chest as if to make her feel his heartbeat¡­ to assure her that he was really there. "How could I give up knowing if the connection we had was real or not? I was impatient to meet you, but life made me hesitate. One way or the other, we would have ended up here."


    "If it wasn''t for Stephen, how long do you think we would have held on?" she wondered.


    "It would have taken me some time to come to terms with the fact that I can''t live without you¡­ but I would have come." He nodded sagely.

 Chapter 125 - My Girl

    "I was going to call you tonight," she admitted.


    "What prompted that?" he asked curiously.


    "Don''t get jealous again," she warned. "Barry listened to me and advised me to call you and fix things. He made me really see that I was wrong." She frowned. "Lily had tried, but hearing a complete stranger say it really hit me hard. Someone who didn''t know me well could see I was hurting and in denial, but there I was unable to accept what was truly happening."Cage remained quiet.


    "It seems that I owe a lot to this Barry guy." He chuckled suddenly, startling her. "I thought his name was boring and that he was a pervert. I was just jealous." He waved it off.


    "I never thought I would say this, but I like that you care enough to be jealous. Mind you, I wouldn''t want you going caveman on me, but I know what I did was wrong and you deserve to feel badly about it. I''m surprised you are taking this so well." Katherine looked at him with wonder.


    "I was devastated when I found out¡­ and I still wonder what possessed you to take such a drastic measure."


    "You must think I move on quickly--"


    "Not at all!" he interrupted her. "It just seems so unlike you to just go on a date when you are clearly upset. And you said that your friends weren''t taking you." He shook his head. He still couldn''t understand and he hoped that she would explain to him.


    "I felt cheated on. I felt like you were going your merry way with your girlfriend while I was hurting and mourning the loss of our relationship. I wanted to know why I couldn''t be like you and my ex. Why couldn''t I move on and be fickle." Katherine sucked in a breath. "I really thought I would feel powerful if I could somehow be like that. I thought I would get back at you and show you how wrong you were. I could move on."


    He nodded. "That makes sense."


    "But you are still upset by it, aren''t you?" she asked. "I wasn''t doing it for myself. I was doing it for revenge. It would have never worked out."


    "At least you didn''t call your ex. I know that a lot of people do that." The idea horrified him.


    "I think him slimy and completely disgusting. I wouldn''t even touch him with a ten-foot pole if you gave me a million dollars." She shuddered, showing him exactly how she felt. He guffawed and patted her cheek.


    "Good to know. I won''t let you look at others from now on," he proclaimed proudly.


    ''Who would need to look at others when you have the face of an angel and the personality of a demon?'' It was the best of both worlds, in her opinion.


    "Remind me to give Stephen a big hug when I meet him." Katherine owed him a lot more than that. Cage laughed.


    "Stephen is an affectionate person. He might just crush you if you offer a hug. Be careful."


    "Thank you for the phenomenal first date!" she said, smiling at him.


    "We fit well when we are just ourselves." His words were much needed.


    "Let''s just be ourselves then. I enjoy your company thoroughly." She blew him a flying kiss. He tapped her lips with his finger.


    "My girl," he said.


    ''Damn, I must be dreaming. He''s making a claim on me?'' Nothing was better than Cage telling her she was his girl.


    "Yours," she whispered. Cage kissed her again.


    By some twist of fate, she had gotten lucky enough to be with him. His intoxicating lips against hers were nothing she had ever imagined, even in her wildest dreams, but it had happened nonetheless. No, she wasn''t going to lose him again.


    Being with him felt right. Like they were meant to be. Cage was hers and she was his. That was the way it was supposed to be.


    - - -


    Contrary to what Katherine had thought, the emotional rollercoaster of a day ended with them in her bed, cuddled together.


    No, it wasn''t a dream, that she was sure of. She had never had a dream so detailed, perfect and amazing. She could feel every touch, every kiss, and word he spoke into her ears. She spent eternity repeating them in her mind as they lay silently, him stroking her shoulder with his finger.


    Katherine reveled in the warmth of his embrace. Her fantasies were wild and most would say that nothing could surpass them, but she was confident that the moment she was in his arms, just chatting about life, reality trumped fantasy.


    Her own mind couldn''t have cooked up the absolute sweetness of that night.


    Cage''s soft lips moved on the back of her necks, making her m.o.a.n and push back against him. Though they wanted to, and it was plenty evident, they didn''t go beyond kissing and petting each other affectionately.


    The wild attraction was there, but neither felt the need to take it fast or leap into a s.e.x.u.a.l relationship. They were happy to not have had s.e.x that night.


    But the next morning, Katherine woke up frustrated. She could feel his hard length pressed against her ass. It had been the case throughout the night, so she knew that it wasn''t morning wood. They had eventually fallen asleep and she had awoken before him.


    She wanted to be naughty and tease him awake. If she had been so bold, she would have slid his pants off and taken him in her mouth and licked him until he awoke, disoriented and wondering why her soft lips were moving on his length. But she wouldn''t do that.


    She squirmed in his embrace, feeling the weight of his arms. She giggled when he m.o.a.ned in his sleep and slowly awoke.


    Katherine could feel the ripple of his muscles as he stretched, coming back to embrace her immediately. "Mean," she heard him say in a husky voice. She giggled. "Stop," he groaned, feeling the sound shoot to his c.o.c.k.

 Chapter 126 - Just Attack Him

    His teeth nibbled on her ear. She closed her eyes in satisfaction because of how good it felt. How dare he say that she was a tease when he was doing everything to make her wet her panties early in the morning. He was the tease who was interested in more than just a morning cuddle.


    "You''re the one arousing me in the wee hours of the morning with your little friend." His laugh tickled her neck, but then he said something very apt.


    "Don''t insult him by calling him little." He bucked as if to prove his words to her. "Also, I would happily stop teasing you and let you have him if you so pleased."


    As if she didn''t want her hands all over him all the time. "This is hard." He chuckled.


    "Yes." He was extremely hard, but that was not what he was hinting at. He sounded so bitter that Katherine had to laugh.


    "I didn''t mean it that way, you perv!" She squirmed and turned to face him. Cage touched her face softly as if he just couldn''t believe that Katherine was in front of him. She had to admit, even after the day they had spent together, everything felt like a vivid dream. He had a sweet smile on his face that melted her heart.


    "You''ve misunderstood my words, then." He was cute when he was playing. "There''s not much between us apart from two pieces of clothing. They could come off easily."


    ''I should just attack him.'' If she did that, she would not be able to let him go home. She would want to keep him by her side all the time¡­ at least until the long weekend they planned to travel to the mountains.


    The mountains, she thought. She didn''t know if she could hold on to her wits until then. There was no way she would go untouched after that. It was too long already. Cage ran his thumb over her lips and Katherine felt a shot of tingles run down her spine. She closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation.


    "Let''s do what feels right." For a second she thought he could hear her thoughts. She started and opened her eyes to stare at him. She wanted to tell him that they felt right, but she suddenly realized her bladder was bursting.


    A tinge of embarrassment came over her. She hadn''t calculated these things when they went to bed last night. Morning routines needed to be taken care of, and they hadn''t been together for more than a couple of hours to be completely okay with that.


    However, should she breach the topic? She really needed to go pee.


    Before she could speak up, his stomach growled. She looked at the embarrassment on his face and grinned at him. "We need to put food in your stomach," she proclaimed. "And I need to go to the bathroom."


    "If it makes you feel better, you have mint fresh morning breath." She extracted herself from his arms and was about to leave when she turned and shot him a look. What a liar. She was human.


    "Ah, now I am thinking about how you ate without me on your date and enjoyed your time." He sounded like a sighing puppy¡­ if that was even possible.


    "I didn''t eat much. Isn''t the real question something else?" Damnit, she was never going to get to the bathroom at this rate. "You''re so cute when you are jealous." She was dragged back to the bed and on top of his body, staring down at his handsome face.


    "You like that I am jealous." He was processing it. Of course, who wouldn''t like that their lover deeply wanted them. "I am jealous he got to take you out before I could get here. It''s not a matter of who came first, just that¡­ I didn''t want you out with him."


    She knew that her decision to go out with Barry would come up frequently in different parts of their life. It was a decision she wanted to regret, but also knew that it had been a catalyst for many things¡­ Things that were necessary for them. They needed to talk about their worries, their trauma from past relationsh.i.p.s and trust each other implicitly. What better way to do that than to be completely open and talk about it until they knew exactly what the other felt.


    They had rarely had a lapse in communication. So it made sense for them to resolve matters through words.


    "I keep wondering if he touched you." And he didn''t want to assume. But any man would want Katherine.


    She frowned. She would have to keep telling him until it went through his head. The date didn''t mean anything. But then she remembered how Barry had guided her with his hand on the small of her back.


    "What is that expression?" he asked cautiously, seeing her hesitate.


    "He helped me into the building." He frowned with dissatisfaction. She did the only thing she could think of and kissed him. But then she recoiled. She hadn''t brushed her teeth.


    "You''re scared of morning breath!" As if he had found something groundbreaking. Didn''t everyone feel the same way? "I''ll breathe all over you if you don''t tell me."


    "There is nothing else to tell," she giggled. He nodded but his hand slid down to her back where Barry had touched her. He drew small, incredibly s.e.xy circles on her back as his eyes burned into mine.


    "I will ensure that I am the one sitting across from you from now on." Katherine felt her eyes moisten as she touched his jaw gently.


    "I wish for the same. Last night, the time I spent with you was way better than any dinner I will ever have." He kissed her then, his lips crashing into her, not letting her worry about her morning breath or the fact that she had to go to the bathroom. She slid her arm around him and held him tight.


    But his stomach and her bladder wouldn''t take the hint.


    "Morning routines and food," she reminded both of them. With another soft kiss. She pulled away.

 Chapter 127 - Very Domesticated

    "Let''s go out for fancy dinners sometime." He said it so sweetly that she wanted to faint. He sat up. "I wish I could take you right now but the media..." he trailed off.


    "Cage. You are a public figure and its too early to come out to the press. Let''s just enjoy ourselves before we decide on stepping out into the madness." And both of them knew that such a day would come. They were in it for the long haul and coming out to the world and hoping they would embrace this unconventional relationship was their longterm plan. "Also, I want you to myself. I''ll share you with the world eventually. But not now."


    "We can hole up in your apartment and I''ll be blissful." He smiled sadly. "I need to talk to my PR team on return and inform them about our relationship. They will monitor everything and ensure your name doesn''t come out at any cost. I''ll do everything in my power to protect you from my world."


    "I feel protected and loved with you. You don''t need to explain." She saw him grimace. "What is it?"


    "I also want to tell the whole world that you are mine." Her eyes widened. He wanted that? She had thought that he would be reluctant to bring her out in front of the world before they were absolutely sure that they would be spending their life together, but he actually wanted everyone to know. "Don''t look so surprised. You''re my girl." His laugh was smooth and filled her heart with warmth. His girl¡­ she could barely believe it.


    "It feels so surreal," she admitted. He was Cage Cavanaugh, the man that every woman in the world wanted. The very idea was blasphemous!


    "I am a complete nerd who just happens to be famous," he began. "it doesn''t define me in the slightest. It affects my choice, sure. But I met you and fell in love with your despite that. It can be considered a taboo to meet someone online if you are famous. It just leads to complications. And I have no regret about it." He added quickly.


    She laced her fingers with his. "I know. I just wonder what your PR people and the press will say." They remained silent for a few moments.


    "I''ll take care of that." They would just enjoy their time together until the day came and he would take precautions to ensure no one came beating on her door or harm her.


    "Okay, I am going to break the tension. I need to pee." He laughed and shooed her away. She could hear his laugh as she scurried into the bathroom. She went through her morning routine and looked at herself in the mirror to check if she looked any different.


    No, it seemed that Cage liked her in her usual messy and average self. How fascinating. She bent over to the cabinet under the sink and pulled out a new brush for Cage to use. She placed the towel on the counter and left the bathroom. When she came out, she found him smiling at the phone.


    "I left an extra toothbrush and a towel for you to use. When is Stephen coming over?" He looked up at her.


    "Soon. He''s bringing breakfast with him for all of us, so don''t worry about cooking anything."


    "That''s very sweet of him." Thank god she didn''t have to cook.


    "Coupled with the fact that I was the one who asked him to bring breakfast, shouldn''t I be the one who is sweet?" He blinked innocently.


    She shook her head as she headed over to the kitchen to get the coffee. She found some fruit on the table and cut it into pieces for him to have until Stephen came with breakfast. His stomach needed to be filled a little for the monster living in it to calm down.


    "Apples?" he asked. "You''re seriously feeding into my teacher fantasy," he teased.


    "What is the connection between the two apart from the stereotype of the teacher having an apple on the table at all times?" she scoffed.


    "It''s a stretch, but I will take it as long as I can make an innuendo on the go." She rolled her eyes.


    "What a tease," she murmured.


    "Stephen asked what kind of sandwhiches Lily and Angelina like. He''s buying a lot of food from what I can gauge." She told him their preference for fillings and sauce and Cage merrily typed away at his phone, doc.u.menting the words.


    Very domesticated.


    He then looked at the plate of fruit and just placed it on the side table. "I''ll go brush my teeth now." As he moved past her, he tapped on her ass and she called out his name. He shot out a smirk over his shoulder and made hisway inside the bathroom door.


    "Didn''t you call me a pervert this morning? Just living up to the title, baby." He winked.


    "I''ll get you back for that later!" He laughed and shut the door.


    Katherine fanned herself. ''Phew.''


    She changed and decided to make her bed as she waited for him to come back. He saw her tidying up when he entered.


    "I''ll help with that," he said immediately. She turned to him with a smile, happy that he was comfortable enough to say the same.


    "Don''t worry. I am messy most of the time. I am just making it because I want to show you otherwise." He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.


    "There is no need for you to do that. I''d like you even if you were messy." A naughty thought passed her mind.


    "Well, I was just making the bed because I wanted to roll in the sheets and mess them up with you later on." She sat down, spreading her hand on either side of her and crossing her feet. Cage looked absolutely stunned, albeit a little turned on.


    Cage was about to take a step forward when the doorbell rang.

 Chapter 128 - Steal Your Fries

    "Stephen is here," he announced. Katherine giggled when she heard him curse. She linked her fingers with Cage''s and pulled him towards the door. He was a tad bit reluctant to move but she was excited to see his friend-c.u.m manager who had helped them resolve their problems.


    "You shouldn''t be so excited," Cage told her. She laughed as she opened the door.


    "I am more excited about the food. Handsome men are easy to come by." He pinched her side, making her glare.


    On the other side of the door, Stephen stood with too many packets in his hand.


    "I have been glared at a lot by people but I usually do something wrong before it happens." Katherine ushered him in as she replied.


    "Cage here was being handsy, so I was warding him off." Cage pouted.


    "I thought you were asking me to..." Stephen shook his head.


    "I didn''t know he had this side to him. Sorry for unleashing him on you." Katherine nodded sagely.


    "It seems like it will take the two of us to control him now." Stephen laughed heard and put down the food.


    "You''re a fireball," he commented. "Nice choice," he told his friend. Having freed his hands, he moved forward to hug Katherine.


    "Nice to meet you. He''s been secretive about you for so long that I thought we would never meet." She hugged him back.


    "Is he one of those people who tie up others and keep them in his bas.e.m.e.nt?" she joked.


    "Ah, yes. I have seen that streak in him. You should be careful. Never come over to his place. You never know what he might do to you." Cage waggled his brow, pleased by the innuendo.


    "Thank you for bringing him here. This wouldn''t be possible without you."


    "You guys realize I am here, right?" he announced, making himself known. He was scowling.


    "He is an ass most of the time. Let me know when he gets too much for you. I''ll hit him on your behalf." Cage shot them glares and opened a packet.


    "Wait. Did you bring the extra meat stuffed sandwich? You know this shop makes a killer out of it." The last part was mostly for the benefit of Katherine who was looking at Cage with awe.


    Stephen had let her go and they were sitting around the table, ensuring that there were enough plates.


    "No, I didn''t bring it because the carbs in it were too high. I won''t allow you to get sloppy, you have a movie coming up soon." Cage snorted as he pulled out the sandwich intended for him, the same extra meat one and took a bite out of it.


    Katherine moved to him and nudged. That sandwich really looked good. "Can I have a bite?" He raised his eyebrow. "I promise I will not steal your fries! Just one bite."


    "Weren''t you calling me names right now? I won''t share." She rolled her eyes. Of course, he would share.


    "This accounts for if you will get any action later in the day." The hand quickly came in front of her, urging her to take a bite. She laughed through her nose as she leaned in took a small bite. She gave him a triumphant look.


    "You can have the rest of it, too." Anything for perks.


    "Katherine, you''re good! I like you." Stephen moved his hand to hold it up into a high five. She did not hesitate to slap it. "Welcome to the crazy family." Stephen then moved to search for his own sandwich.


    Family? What does that mean? Seemed like Stephen could read her mind just fine. Was her face an open book?


    "You''re his girlfriend, so you are part of the Cavanaugh family. I am an honorary member because I keep him in line and out of trouble." Made sense.


    "That bite you took out of my favorite sandwich?" he started. She nodded as she took a bite of her sandwich. "That will be one kiss from you, Miss." She would love that.


    "Okay," she said when she managed to swallow a bite. How could she resist when he demanded she be aroused by his words. During their conversation, Stephen had ventured into the living room and was looking at their pictures.


    "Where are the other two?" he was excited. It was clear that he wanted to see Angelina but was making it out like he cared about Lily as well.


    "Must be sleeping," she called out. It was surprising that they weren''t being nosy and roaming around the apartment to get more information.


    "It''s almost ten. What normal person would sleep at this time?" Cage snickered at Stephen''s comment. They had moved to the living room. Cage had taken his seat on the couch while she sat on the arm next to him. He pulled her into his lap exactly like she had hoped. She snuggled into him.


    "They have varied work hours. Not everyone gets up at five in the morning to contemplate life like you."


    "Five?" Katherine was horrified. An ungodly hour. She would sometimes stay awake until then but she couldn''t imagine waking up at that hour.


    Stephen shrugged. "I go to the gym and plan out my day before I start it. Unlike others."


    "And you still eat more junk than me."


    Angelina entered the living space then. She was in a shirt that had indecent graffiti on it and usually wore to the club when she was feeling frisky. She would pair it with a leather jacket, tight jeans, and some boots. It wasn''t her normal attire but Katherine was suspicious that Angelina was doing her best to not look like a hot mess.


    The catch was, she always looked like a hot mess when she dressed up. That was just her style. Cage gave Katherine a look to stop her from laughing. When Stephen turned to see her, he stuttered.


    "You''re eloquent, aren''t you?" she commented with the roll of her eyes. She shook her head and moved to the kitchen to search through for something to eat. "Thanks for the food, though." She paused. "I heard you guys converse from my room. So loud, the lot of you."

 Chapter 129 - Sainthood

    "Get yourself some coffee and come sit with us," Katherine told her. Stephen looked gobsmacked. When she sat down, right across from Stephen, she bit into the sandwich and m.o.a.ned.


    F.u.c.k.i.n.g m.o.a.ned. There was no need to, but the night had somehow made her crazy enough to do that. Some of the mayonaise oozed out and left a trace on her lips. The woman made a big show of wiping it with her finger and popping it in her mouth for a good suck.


    ''What is she doing,'' Katherine thought. Stunning performance though. She needed to take some classes at seduction.


    Stephen looked like he was going to die from lack of oxygen. "F.u.c.k me," they heard him swear. Or was he begging.


    While she could understand that Angelina wanted to see if she could still gain attention from men and reassure herself that nto only twelve year olds liked her, Katherine felt sorry for Stephen who was being used for this purpose.


    Not that she blamed Angelina¡­ it was just funny.


    Katherine buried her head in Cage''s neck and laughed.


    "Does anyone want another sandwich?" Angelina asked innocently. Katherine managed to force about her want for one. It was hard keeping her laughter in.


    Much to Cage''s credit, he too asked for one. Another thing about him was that thought Angelina looked like a bomb, he didn''t spare her a glance apart from ones necessary. His eyes were for Katherine.


    The show was too good to miss, though.


    "You should have told me what you were up to, before popping up at the apartment," Angelina accused.


    "Hey!" Stephen protested. "I got him here and they are practically on each other all the time because of me!" Angelina seemed disinterested.


    "I called you while you were sitting on your ass not doing anything."


    "I knew that I was going to bring him here before you called, okay? You just kickstarted the action." At least he could talk back to her despite wanting to only salivate and stare at Angelina.


    "I thought you were a man of action," she sighed. She was playing the part so well that Katherine was horrified. Cage though watched in rapt attention. She waved it off when he didn''t reply. "I hope the two of you had fun last night?"


    They just nodded.


    "Strange. I didn''t hear any screaming. Now I am wondering if you can perform." What a great accusation. Katherine wanted to feel insulted.


    "Yes, just because we plan on taking it slow and he is a gentleman, you bring our performance into question." She taunted.


    "Eh. If you''re not jumping him after all that drama¡­ woman, you have strong mental capability. " Angelina liked to reinforce her relationsh.i.p.s with s.e.x because they made her feel relevant. It was an issue she had and never addressed. Worse, she thought that was how everyone handled their problems.


    "Clearly, I haven''t taught Cage well." Stephen clucked his tongue.


    "F.u.c.k off," Cage snapped.


    "Well look at that. We have loads of horny people in my living room today." Lily was finally awake. "You too look cozy," she said pointing at Cage and Katherine.


    "We had a good night." Lily nodded.


    "They didn''t f.u.c.k," Angelina interjected suddenly.


    "Sainthood would suit the two of you," Lily said, but then she stopped. "At least we have one healthy couple in our house." She snickered.


    "Hey don''t knock on my situation." Angelina''s tone was bland. "I didn''t know!"


    "Well, I have plans today. Don''t bother me. Some of us have to work."


    "Leave the two lovebirds be. I am going to go to the bar and start a mosh pit!" Angelina said suddenly. Stephen looked at her weirdly.


    "Want me to come along with you?" he asked. She shook her head.


    "I''ve not done it in a while." They were grinning at each other and it was evident that Stephen would be following her using some excuse or the other. Katherine was trying to figure their dynamic: they were going hot and cold and she didin''t know how this would end. "I''m going to call one of those biker boys and get a ride," she said in contemplation.


    "I hope it rains," Stephen muttered. Cage broke out into a laugh, unable to handle it.


    "It doesn''t get to you if you speed through. Any way, I like to get wet."


    "If you want to get a little wet, there are much more interesting things to ride." Okay, he was just as cunning as her. She gave him a square look before answering.


    "Of course. That''s what I plan to do." Stephen squinted. His voice cracked as he asked who she was going with. "A friend." The way she said it made it sound like she had a f.u.c.k buddy. While that might have been the case a couple of months back, Katherine knew her friend didn''t have any of those anymore.


    "Aw. I thought we could bond today." He sounded upset. And he was obviously exxagerating.


    "Why would we do that?" There was a spark in her eyes. In another situation, Stephen was just Angelina''s type. But she was heartbroken and a little lost.


    "They will start punching each other soon," Cage commented.


    "Or kiss." Lily shrugged. Angelina and Stephen heard. While the man had a grin on his face, Angelina just grimaced.


    "Never," she said. Katherine giggled.


    "This is fascinating." Cage said. She snickered again, loving that they were on the same page.


    "Come one, take me with you. I don''t want to watch them cuddle and go at it all day!" he whined. Katherine rolled her eyes. At the end of every conversation the talk of her and Cage''s s.e.x life came up. Was it that fascinating?


    "You''ll find something to do. Just go home if you don''t want to stick around."


    "While you get on the bike with some douchebag whose bike is inferior than mine? You should go for a real machine and a man that can ride it properly. Like me. I could take you for the wildest ride of your life."

 Chapter 130 - Big as my Personality

    ''What a c.o.c.ky little bastard,'' Angelina thought. For a second, she forgot about her situation.


    "Why don''t you show me then?" she demanded. It was the anger speaking. She didn''t take into account his reaction. He moved swiftly, grabbing her. They were making out right there in front of everyone, devouring each other''s faces.


    Angelina wasn''t fighting, instead she was holding onto him for dear life.


    Katherine just gaped at them as Cage cursed under his breath.


    "I called it!" Lily said, laughing her ass off. "This was bound to happen. So much for being heartbroken over a child." She scoffed.


    Angelina and Stephen broke apart after some time and both straightened their clothes.


    "I was asking you to take me for a ride in your car, dipshit," she seethed. Did she have to put it that way? She seemed to have enjoyed it a lot.


    "Of course. Only if you take me to the club." She shook her head.


    "Not happening, buddy. I don''t want you hindering my warpath. Any way, I am taking Dean with me." F.u.c.k.i.n.g Dean. Katherine was mortified as everyone turned to look at her. Cage followed everyone''s eyes.


    "What?" Cage asked.


    "Katherine almost went out with the guy." Katherine found herself glaring at Lily. "It''s a widely known fact that he has a small p.e.n.i.s."


    "You''re going to go out with a guy who has a small peen?" Stephen taunted. If he had any self-preservation, he wouldn''t taunt Angelina. She was definitely in a volatile mood to make out and go out with small p.e.n.i.s Dean. "How cute. I''d have offered you a condom, but I don''t think it comes in his size."


    "Not everything is about s.e.x. Also, don''t size shame people." She rolled her eyes.


    "Good thing you don''t intend on sleeping with him because he sure wouldn''t make you come!"


    "Well f.u.c.k you. I don''t need anyone to get me off. I have two fully functioning hands and a plethora of toys to give me mindblowing orgasms." Stephen stared at her for a minute before making his comeback.


    "It''s always better when you have a real c.o.c.k inside you." He shrugged. She harrumphed.


    "I''ll go anyways." Stephen quirked his brow. "They need some time alone and I don''t want to be a bone in their meat." Katherine sighed. As much as she would want to think that Angelina was being sweet, she knew that this woman had ulterior motives. She was a good liar, Katherine had to give her that.


    "I suppose I will just have to tag along." What a sacrifice he was making, Cage thought sourly. Stephen could have just gone home, but now he wanted to linger around Angelina. Not that he could fault Stephen. The guy knew exactly what he wanted and he wasn''t shy to pursue it. "It''s decided then, Angel," he said. That was new. Not many people called her that, and she HATED being called Angel.


    "Don''t call me that," she snapped.


    "Why?" Stephen countered.


    "I hate that name. How would you like it if I called you¡­ d.i.c.k?"


    "I do have a big one¡­ as big as my personality. And I would love if you called me anything. No worries about that." So compliant. Angelina huffed in frustration.


    "Team meeting!" she announced in a gruff voice. "You and you," she pointed at Lily and Katherine. "In my room, now." Katherine followed confusedly while Lily looked bored.


    "Guys, I have a shoot I need to attend. Make it quick."


    Angelina shut the door behind her and turned to the other girls. "Did you see that?" she demanded. Lily scoffed.


    "Yes, you were trying to suck his soul out of his lips." Katherine held back her laugh.


    "I wasn''t doing that," she said with irritation. "That was just kissing."


    "Looked like a fantastic kiss to me," Lily commented.


    "Oh my god. Best kiss ever. But I can''t sleep with him." Katherine looked surprised. "Hey! I don''t sleep with everyone I find attractive."


    "I didn''t comment on anything. Please don''t assume," Katherine held her hand up in surrender.


    "I can see the expression on your face. The surprise is evident." She paused and looked at Lily. "Well, I am still traumatized by recent affairs and I don''t want to jump into anything knowing that I have suppressed emotions. Bouncing from one person to the other will only hamper any chances of a healthy relationship." Lily was about to interrupt when Angelina held her hand up. "Relationsh.i.p.s can be based on s.e.x as well. Doesn''t need to be romantic." The two girls nodded.


    "And I sense that he likes the chase. I need to heal and he needs to fall deeper into the trap for this to work." So conniving. Katherine had never treated a prospective relationship so calculatingly.


    Lily patted her back in reassurance. "That is a modern relationship for you. All games but no fun."


    "Sounds horrifying." Thank god Cage and she were nothing like that.


    "He''s not going to be done with me until I am done with him," she said with conviction.


    "So you plan on taking him to a club, getting shit drunk and not sleeping with him," Lily asked, just for clarification. She shook her head in disbelief.


    "I will try my best," she admitted, making Katherine groan. "I won''t lie, it might happen, but I will try my hardest not to think about that amazing kiss. I really wanted to throw him down and mount him right there. But I am still hurting from the ordeal with the child and I know it is a coping mechanism. I''ll have to wait and see if it''s more than just s.e.x appeal."


    "When did she go to therapy?" Lily asked, looking at Katherine.


    "She must have watched too many self-help videos on YouTube. That''s why she is having conflicting ideas about what she wants to do." Katherine shook her head.


    "And for your information, it was evident that you wanted to have your wicked way with him. You should have seen how white your knuckles were from grabbing his shirt. I am surprised it didn''t rip from the strain." Lily replied sarcastically.


    "We should ask him where he bought that," Katherine supplied happily. Angelina sighed and swatted her shoulder.

 Chapter 131 - Famous Lover

    "You''re awfully chatty for someone who butchered my heart a few days ago," Angelina said to Lily. Lily stiffened and looked at her with a complicated expression.


    "Hey, I am sorry about that. Are you still angry?" Angelina shrugged. "I apologize for what I said. You might have deserved it a bit, but I shouldn''t have attacked you."


    "Wow, your apology is amazing," Angelina laughed.


    "We should have included you in the conversations. On the other hand, I was trying to protect Katherine from your wrath." She stopped. "You did your share of protecting too. I am very happy about that."


    "Thanks for that, Angelina. Without your intervention, Cage and I wouldn''t be here together today. I trust him now and he does the same."


    Neither of them was the hugging type, so they awkwardly stood.


    "I called him a lot of times before someone picked up. Just happened to be Stephen." She breathed, possibly remembering the kiss from earlier. "It''s making me horny again. I''ve not ventured out with others for months and it''s all coming back to me all at once."


    "Best of luck keeping your hands off him," Lily scoffed.


    "I have my fingers and toys to keep me sated until he earns my trust. Then I''ll have his fingers and tongue to play with. It will be worth the wait."


    "Stop oversharing," Lily groaned even though she was exactly the same. "Why are we here?" she asked again. "not to talk about Stephen''s magic c.o.c.k, right?"


    "No, this is about Katherine and her famous lover."


    "Yeah, sorry about barging in yesterday," Lily said, revealing their escapades. Katherine turned a shade of pink in embarrassment. "They couldn''t keep their hands to themselves. It would completely sicken me to stay around them while they act so damned cute," she admitted.


    "Thanks for interrupting us," Katherine said dully.


    "I thought you would be bawling your eyes out because your date with Barry was horrible and you couldn''t forget Ray. If I had known Cage was inside, I would helpfully stand outside with my ear against the door, hearing everything that goes on inside." Lily smirked. Katherine kicked her leg.


    "We talked, laughed, and cuddled all night long. And yes, you are right about one thing. We really like touching each other. I can''t keep my hands off him." She sighed. "Can we go out? I miss him a little already."


    "Why am I happy for you?" Angelina said sourly. "Damn it, I even helped you out. Now I have to watch you dance around."


    "Thank god you are going out, then."


    "I''m happy for you too!" Lily said. "You deserve to be with someone who makes you excited to be with them."


    "Hmm. He''s just so much better than anything I have dreamt of. I feel like I am getting the best of all worlds. I get Ray the man, and Cage the star¡­ I fantasized about both of them and now I have them both in the same package." Her eyes glossed over.


    "Here we go again," Angelina rolled her eyes. "What are you going to do with him now that he is there. You won''t let him go back without a romp, right?"


    ''I worked too hard for them not to get some.'' Angelina thought.


    Katherine blushed. "Not now. I know it sounds strange because we have always been so open to talking about our fantasies. We''ve s.e.xted and had phone s.e.x but it is just different in real life. I want him like I need air to survive, but I am also really happy just being by his side. I have these voices in my head that had conflicting ideas. One wants me to jump him that very second while the other asks me to take it slow and work on our relationship like any other normal couple."


    "Oh boy, now she has voices in her head," Angelina snickered.


    "There is nothing normal about the two of you." Lily supplied generously, ignoring Angelina. "You l.u.s.ted after Cage Cavanaugh the actor for years and you fell in love with Ray over the game and phone. Now, you''ve come face to face with him. It''s perfectly normal for you to be with him in every capacity. You''ve known each other inside out for months!" Katherine understood where Lily was coming from but she had concerns.


    "I think we should start out as a normal couple¡­ do normal couple things before we embrace the ludicrousy of our relationship." Lily shrugged.


    "Just do what makes you happy."


    ''The problem is, doing Cage would make me very very happy.'' Then she remembered holding his hand and watching the movie. She wanted that too.


    Wasn''t that normal for couples who really liked each other? Maybe they were not too different from others¡­


    "I want to wait until our trip to the mountain." Lily''s eyes bulged.


    "We are going to the mountain?" she squeaked. Katherine nodded. "You have to drive him nuts. We need to shop, honey. You can''t let him off."


    "What trip?" Angelina asked, confused.


    "You''re coming with us," Katherine said adamantly. "Cage and I planned on spending the long weekend together, but wanted all our friends to come along because we weren''t sure how it would turn out if we were alone."


    "You actually want other people to join you after you know you can have that fine man all to yourself? I have to say, Katherine, you are a saint."


    "God, I am going to be the fifth wheel," Lily groaned. "Thank you for including me but I am seriously contemplating going home and chilling for the week."


    "Are you going to take Jared with you, too?"


    "Hell no. We aren''t in that stage of the relationship where I can take him home to meet my parents. That''s too fast."


    "You think about it. I want you there," Katherine said softly.


    "Actually, the more I think about it the better the idea sounds. I should go home. The family will be happy to see my face. Maybe I can drop by your place and meet your parents. Haven''t seen them in so long."

 Chapter 132 - All Yours

    "Mom would love that," Katherine admitted. "She asked me to go home, too, you know? If Cage hadn''t appeared, I would have gone." She shrugged.


    The room grew silent.


    "What are you going to do when the two of you are alone?" Angelina asked.


    "Haven''t thought about it. I''m sure we''ll find something or the other to keep us entertained." They could spend all their time talking and watching television, but that would be too much for Cage.


    "I have twister in my closet if you want. I hear strip twister is a bloody good game." Katherine made a face at Angelina. "Maybe he''ll push you down on the floor and take you right there when he sees how flexible you are." What a lecher.


    "You should cut down on the p.o.r.n," Katherine commented. But the image wasn''t too bad. It would be nice seeing Cage''s body twist in weird ways.


    ''What is wrong with my head?''


    "It''s just good imagination. And I know you are thinking about it." Katherine shrugged.


    There was a whole world of possibilities for all the things they could do while they were alone.


    "Okay, meeting over. I need to go to work." Lily left without a goodbye and Angelina pouted.


    "She is always so busy. Well, then. I''ll just take off for the day and you can do whatever you want."


    When they left the room, Stephen was sitting on the couch just looking at his phone. "Do you mind if I click a picture of you?" he asked Katherine.


    "What for?" she asked curiously.


    "Cage''s mom asked me for one." He smiled.


    "Sure." She had agreed, but she was nervous. What would his mother think when she saw him. What is she thought Katherine was not good enough for her son?


    "Where''s Cage?" she asked, trying to keep her mind off her anxieties.


    "He''s in the shower." Cage was n.a.k.e.d in the shower. And everyone was leaving. She wanted to squeal. "Wow, I can imagine that he would have the same reaction if I told him you were in the shower."


    "What can I say, we are compatible."


    "Okay, let''s go, Stephen. I can''t keep my date waiting." Angelina was about to leave. Stephen scurried to her side and made a comment about the guy being small peened. Angelina, god bless her, pretended not to hear.


    "I''ve never seen him so happy." He called from the door as he was leaving. Katherine was stunned. It seemed like the words were directed at her. "You''re perfect for him." He winked. "The sky is the limit. Go crazy with him." Angelina shook her head and walked out. Stephen soon followed her.


    The apartment was silent except for the sound of water in the bathroom. She gulped as she thought about Cage in all his n.a.k.e.d glory in ''her'' bathroom.


    A devious smile spread across her lips.


    ''Whatever am I going to do with him?'' Plenty. She had plans.


    She sucked in a deep breath.


    No big deal. It was just Cage¡­ n.a.k.e.d in the bathroom and no one else in the apartment that she needed to think about. If she had her way, she would be alone with him for long periods of time from then on. She thought about what she should do and pulled out all the wine and beer that they had and placed it in the living room table. She was trying to plan out something romantic for him that he would enjoy but she was not good with such things.


    She ran to the refrigerator and thanked God that her friends had better taste than her in these things. Lily would sometimes have a personal spa, occupying the bathroom for hours with her wine, cheese, and meat samples. So, they had a good stock of those things.


    She prepared a platter of food and placed it on the table. Seeing the setting, she was happy.


    She could hear the shower turn off, so she went towards the bathroom and waited for him like a creep. She had intended to ask him what he planned on doing, but the mental image of Cage drying his wet body with her spare towel couldn''t let her remain rational.


    She needed a shower to cool down.


    "Cage¡ª" The door flew open. He was standing there in a towel wrapped around his waist. She could see the v of his h.i.p.s as the towel hung dangerously low. He looked delicious, making her want to lick him. She also wanted to rip the towel off him and throw him down on the floor, but that would be dangerous. The impact could injure him and she wouldn''t want a single hair on his body hurt.


    "I forgot to bring my clothes in," he said sheepishly. He gulped and nodded.


    ''You can run n.a.k.e.d around the apartment if you want. You only have me to see you and I sure as hell won''t mind.''


    "Don''t worry about it. Stephen brought you clothes to change into, right?" He nodded. "I''ll¡­" she trailed off, not knowing what to say next. She awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other as Cage looked at her weirdly.


    She knew she was salivating but he was n.a.k.e.d! How could she control her reaction? He must know what kind of effect he has on people.


    "Katherine, do you need something?" he asked after a while. What a ridiculous question. Of course she wanted him n.a.k.e.d.


    "You?" she managed to force out. It wasn''t a question. She looked down involuntarily and gasped. He seemed to be hard underneath the towel. Should she check?


    She had to wonder where she had gained this self-restrained from. How was she still not jumping that glorious body of his?


    "You don''t have to ask. I am all yours." The wicked grin on his face made her gulp. He was lethal. Katherine had to close her eyes to focus.


    "I just wanted to check on you and ask what you wanted to do after your shower," she said with some semblance of composure. ''Don''t look at him and you will be fine. You can jump into the shower after he is clothed and rub one out¡­ vigorously.''

 Chapter 133 - Vigorous Rubbing

    The other voice in her head protested. ''Wouldn''t it be nicer if he was the one doing the vigorous rubbing?''


    She heard him laughing. Don''t look at him, she reminded herself.


    "If you would just look at me¡­" he teased. Her eyes flew to him and she glared. How could he make fun of her like this? Wouldn''t he be just as flabbergasted if the situation were reversed?


    "Can I use the shower now?" she asked hotly. He raised his palm and gestured to her to go inside. She hastily entered and closed the door behind her with a slam. How embarrassing. She would have to get it together when he was clothed and show him who the boss was.


    The time spent with him was amazing. They got along well and understood each other''s needs. It was so easy to be with him, touch him, and kiss him. She tried to remember a time when she felt this comfortable with a guy she was dating. Not at the beginning of the relationship or after months.


    They fit. She turned on the shower and hopped in when the scent of his soap permeated through her senses. Of course, he had brought his own soap, nothing plebian for him (even though he didn''t seem like a guy who would care but just imagine him smelling all florally and like her¡­ she would enjoy that but it didn''t suit his image). He smelled good. She inhaled deeply as the water ran down her body.


    Cage had been n.a.k.e.d in the shower before her. It had only been a few minutes since then. They had spoken of sharing the shower, and she wished that she could have acted on it. She didn''t have the courage to barge in.


    ''What would it feel like to have Cage lather my body in shower gel?'' she wondered. ''Heavenly,'' she answered, knowing the answer immediately. If it was anywhere near her imagination, she would be more than satisfied.


    ''It would probably be the best feeling in the world.'' But then she stopped. ''Not better than having him inside me,'' she thought slyly.


    But then she shook the thought off. There was little chance of her to spend the day with him without salivating over him and melting every time he looked at her.


    For a minute, she was furious at herself. Why did she have to propose to wait until the long weekend that was a couple of weeks away? She could have had him and he wouldn''t have protested in the least. Wasn''t she torturing herself and him?


    At the end of the day, wasn''t it about the whole process feeling right for them? It should be tailor-made for them. The pace that they set would be what was best for their relationship and if they wanted to jump each other the minute they met, that was what was going to happen.


    Katherine could imagine feeling insecure if Cage hadn''t been so vocal about his physical attraction towards her. She was not especially beautiful and if he didn''t tell her, she wouldn''t even imagine him being remotely attracted to her. She wondered if her insecurity would rear its head if she went slowly.


    But it wasn''t the right time to think about all that.


    She wanted Cage and she would have to figure out how to show him. She had to be brave and speak out. While she could have returned his treatment and rushed out of the bathroom in her towel only to discard it in front of him, it wasn''t her style. At all.


    No. she needed to be¡­ mature about it. Maybe the wine and the samplers would help create the ambiance. Maybe they could play a game where she could hint at it. The possibilities were plenty.


    She felt the fire in her lower belly and the urge to touch herself. She needed to relieve some tension that had built up over the last day before she could step out and talk to him like a normal human being. She had shared her bed and cuddled with the s.e.xiest man alive on the planet. Sainthood was near, she had never been closer.


    She gulped. There were ten fingers¡­ perfect fingers waiting in her room that she could ride and get off on, but she would probably die of embarrassment if she asked him point-blank.


    "Hey Cage, I need your fingers in me. I need to come. I can''t handle how hot you are."


    She shuddered.


    She shaved quietly, making sure not to cut herself. She needed to be prepared for him if they took the next step. She was usually a waxing sort of girl, so she had a hard time shaving. She did cut herself quite a few times and the water running over the cuts made her wince.


    ''Anything for that c.o.c.k,'' she thought sarcastically. She checked to make sure that she had not left any spots and then applied some lotion that Angelina used.


    Having finished the routine, she finally touched herself. She played softly, not wanting to make a sound, especially when the shower was turned off. If he heard, it would be no good.


    ''Or maybe he would take matters into his own hand and everyone would get a happy ending.''


    After about half an hour, she finally left the bathroom. She was left unsatisfied because her fingers couldn''t do the job. Her brain kept telling her that she needed more. The more she thought about it, the worse her arousal became. She simply had to wash her arousal and sob before she got dressed and left the bathroom.


    He was talking in low tones in the living room when she went out. Cage was talking on the phone. His face lit up when he saw her, but his tone remained somber.


    "I can''t imagine you would do that knowing that I was invested." Katherine wondered what he was talking about. He looked at her and tapped the spot beside him. She walked over and sat next to him, trying not to overhear.

 Chapter 134 - Up Against

    The voice on the other side was female, that much she could hear. But she didn''t care about it. Cage slid his hand around her and put his head near her shoulder to smell her.


    "Why would you make it out to be like we are a couple?" Katherine stiffened. He was either talking to Keira or Julia. "No, you told her I was with you. Why would you do that? What possessed you to do that?" There was something said from the other side. "I understand your breakup had a bad effect on you, but I consider you my friend. I didn''t expect you to be impulsive and try to ruin my chance!" He sounded angry, but his body language towards Katherine was gentle.


    Cage''s finger combed through her hair and she snuggled closer to him. "No. I am not single anymore." He sighed. "And we need to reevaluate our relationship."


    He felt betrayed. Julia had been the cause of the misunderstanding. She was a convincing actress and no doubt with Katherine''s past, she would believe anything a woman said. "She wants to talk to you." He said suddenly, turning to Katherine.


    She pointed at herself and when Cage nodded, she nervously took the phone.


    It was one thing talking to a stranger on the phone, but talking to a superstar who had pretended to be Ray''s lover was something else. She felt some anger but also wanted to understand why she had done something like that. What had she gained from creating a misunderstanding?


    "Hello?" she said into the phone.


    "Katherine?" the person on the other side said. She sounded soft and unlike the person she had spoken to previously.


    "This is Julia. I wanted to apologize to you for the other day. Cage went to the award with me as a favor and told me all about you on the ride there. I was at the mall to see how the two of you were doing when I found Cage swamped with people. I pulled him out and got him to the washroom. He left his phone with me and that was when you called. I said some horrible things¡­"


    Katherine remained silent.


    "I want to understand why you did that."


    "I don''t know, I was jealous."


    "Do you like Cage?" He turned to look at her and shook his head. "Tell me honestly. I want to know what I am up against."


    "I think of him as a little brother. I wanted to make myself look good and feel important. I was cheated on, it does weird things to you."


    Katherine gritted her teeth. "I''ve been cheated on too." But she didn''t pull stunts like this.


    "It''s all my fault. I am sorry for making things worse for you." ''Damn right, you were the one who almost ruined our chances.'' Katherine thought.


    "No," Katherine said humbly. "I should have trusted him and given him the opportunity to explain. I went off like a crazy person and hurt him." There was silence on the other side. Julia knew that she was not forgiven and that Katherine was just being polite.


    "It''s nothing," Katherine heard Cage whisper and she gave him a small smile.


    "I''ll not interrupt your time together any longer. I hope you have a lovely date." She looked at the man next to her. The phone clicked off and she passed it to Cage.


    "She hung up," she informed him. He nodded and pushed his phone inside the pocket of his pants.


    "Good. We have the place all to ourselves. What are your plans?" he asked. Katherine pointed at the set-up on the table.


    "I want to play Never Have I Ever with you but with a fancy twist."


    "Really?" He sounded surprised. Katherine chewed on her lip, waiting for him to think it through. "I''ve never really played this game, but it has been my long-time dream to get you drunk and take a peek into your mind." She hoped he was not disappointed with her idea.


    "I thought it would be fun," she said in a small voice.


    "Let''s play," he said warmly. She pulled him to sit cross-legged in front of the table. "You begin?" he asked tentatively. She nodded and thought for a minute.


    "Never have I ever¡­ peed in a pool." She smirked. He glared at her for a second before reaching for the bottle of alcohol and pouring himself a little.


    "Can''t believe I am drinking early in the morning, but who cares!" He poured himself a little amount and downed it.


    "That''s cheating. You need to have more," she said, reaching over and pouring himself some more. "I''ll need the story out of you, as well, Mr. Cavanaugh. Whose pool did you pee in?" Cage blushed. Were they at a stage where they could talk about bodily functions already?


    "I peed in my own pool, okay? Everyone pees in the pool when they are young." He paused. "Our pool had those detectors and it turned dark blue. It was a pool party with my dad''s associates and I was young. Safe to say I was embarrassed and the other kids wouldn''t talk to me or be near me." He pouted.


    "They probably peed in pools, too. How dare they ignore my Cage." She supplied helpfully. Cage smirked when he heard her say ''my Cage.'' There was a nice ring to it. "But why did you pee in the pool when you knew it had a detector?" she chuckled.


    "I needed to pee. You know how the water affects your bladder." He shrugged. "My turn!"


    Katherine waited patiently as he thought.


    "Never have I ever tried to guess someone''s password."


    "I don''t believe that!" Katherine exclaimed.


    "Well, I don''t have social media and I am not around people enough to try and sneak into their stuff."


    "Urgh. Seriously, why don''t you have social media, again?" she pouted. It would have been so much easier for his fans to connect with him if he did. Well, it was a good thing he didn''t or else she would have tagged him in her lewd fan art and this whole sitting together exchanging lovely words would have gone out the window.

 Chapter 135 - Dirty Text

    "I don''t like sharing my life. It''s already out there for everyone''s consumption and if I let the little private time I have, be seen by others, too¡­ I''ll simply be alive to entertain others. I don''t want that." Katherine felt a little sad.


    "I used to be one of those people. I still am, in a way. I''m sorry you feel that way." With a second of thought, she said. "There are loads of people who think of you as a form of entertainment, but there are others who genuinely wish you well."


    "But why do I feel like you are avoiding the question, Katherine?" he said lightly, changing the topic. It was weird thinking of her as a fan when they had met and shared a connection.


    Realizing that he didn''t want to delve deeper into the topic, she answered him instead. "Not avoiding it. I have done it. I have tried to playfully log into Lily and Angelina''s account to see who they were talking to, or someone I hated from school. I think I tried to log into someone''s premium grammar checker once, too. They were the only one in class who had it and I wanted my hands on it."


    "You''re innocent, aren''t you?" He reached over and patted her head. "Now drink." She raised her brows and looked straight at his eyes as she poured the drink. Even the sip she took had a seductivity to it.


    Was she trying to arouse him? He wondered. Because he was aroused. He had been for some time.


    "Never have I ever taken a s.e.xy selfie."


    "Lies! You sent me pictures of yourself all mussed and s.e.xy." Cage laughed. "This is cheating."


    "Let me rephrase. I have never sent a nude." She raised her empty cup and pointed it at him.


    ''I hope you haven''t and if you have, to whom?'' This was not the possessiveness of a girlfriend. It was the fear of a fan for their favorite actor to be exposed and humiliated in front of the world.


    "Neither have I."


    ''Thank god,'' she thought.


    "But I would send it to you if you like." The tease¡­ Katherine shook her head. If she spoke about such matters so soon, they would never continue with the date. She would jump on him and pull him to the bedroom. No questions asked.


    "Never have I ever gone camping." He smirked.


    "Avoiding the topic, are you?" He poured himself a glass. "I used to go camping with the family when I was younger and in my teens. I even went when I was first starting out in the entertainment industry, but then it got harder to escape public eye and go outdoors for personal time. So, it''s been years since I went." His voice sounded whimsical. She could hear a real yearning in them and felt like she had to do something.


    "I''ll be right back." She pulled herself up from the ground and rushed to her bedroom.


    Cage looked at her bewildered as she dumped a heap of blankets, clothespins, binder clips and tape on the couch. She had even brought out a broomstick. Cage had no clue what she was doing, so he could only stare.


    "Move aside," she ordered, surprising Cage. He did as he was asked and watched as she moved the table to a side and made room. It took about twenty minutes for the whole thing to set up and Cage watched fascinated as she went about the activity.


    She had brought in the chairs from the kitchen and started working. She had built him a fort.


    "We''re missing something," she said, engrossed in what she was doing. As if having an epiphany, she bolted again and appeared with multiple pillows and cushions. Cage smiled as she crawled in and placed them inside.


    "Thank you," he said with emotion in his voice. She looked at him bewildered for a second before understanding and smiling.


    "If you can''t go camping, we can bring the camp to you." She stood and inspected the fort with keen eyes. She nodded, deeming it good. "It''s not stellar, but we''ll have to work with it." If she had her way, she would take him camping later on and ensure that no one followed them. It would be a risk, but she couldn''t bear hearing the sadness in his voice.


    "You''re the best, you know that right?" He moved forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. She pressed her lips together, trying to suppress her smile and looked at him with fake haughtiness.


    "Of course, I know." She paused. "Let''s go in!"


    Cage helped Katherine place the food inside and crawled in. The tent wasn''t extremely spacious, but enough to fit the two of them comfortably.


    He finally drank the glass he had prepared for himself and then asked his question.


    "Never have I ever sent a dirty text to the wrong person." Katherine''s eyes grew wide. She coughed, too, showing her guilt. "You have!" She nodded and poured herself a drink.


    "I was trying to text Lily about something I had done and well¡­ sent it in the wrong chat." She bowed her head in embarrassment.


    "Who did you send it to?" He couldn''t imagine the answer being good from her reaction.


    "I sent it to a professor of mine whose name was also Lily." Cage turned read from secondhand embarrassment. "Oh god, I cringe every time I think about it. She was such a good sport though, quickly informing me that it was good to be curious and s.e.x.u.a.lly active but that I had sent the message to the wrong person."


    "At least she was nice about it." He sighed.


    "At this rate, both of us are going to be really drunk."


    "Isn''t that the purpose of this game?" he asked. Katherine nodded. "No point changing the rules. Just eat some food in between. We don''t want you sick."


    "And you have work tomorrow," she said. He suddenly remembered and sighed.


    "I don''t wanna leave," he whined.

 Chapter 136 - Thank God

    "Never have I ever been in handcuffs, for any reason." She knew he had been in handcuffs because he had seen it on the screen.


    Cage raised his brow and poured himself another glass. "You are trying to get me drunk!" he accused with a chortle. "I have been on screen, but not otherwise. No cop has come near me, neither have I been with any kinky women."


    "That is going to change soon," Katherine said, pouring herself a glass even though she didn''t need to drink.


    Cage''s eyes widened. He leaned forward and traced a single digit over her cheek. Being in the fort had its unique perks. "I''m so happy that you are not shy with me."


    "I know," she said. She could see it in him. It was unlike her personality to be so brazen in front of people. She was all talk on the internet, but in real life, she was rather softer when it came to lewd things. She just knew that he was Ray and that it was okay for her to say these things¡­ it was welcome.


    "I love how dirty your mind is. I had seen it online, but experiencing it in real life is such a boon." Katherine laughed at that. She turned her face to the side and placed a kiss on the hand that was still on her cheek.


    "The feeling is mutual," she said.


    "I feel like you are implying something..." he raised his brow at her.


    "Maybe. We''ll have to see how things progress." She gave him a playful look and a grin.


    "Next question! Never have I ever been invited to a threesome." She looked at him sourly.


    "You are doing this on purpose. You know that my ex invited me into this escapades with the girl he was cheating on me with." He chuckled.


    "The point of the game is to get drunk and be stupid. Drink up." She rolled her eyes and drank.


    "Never have I ever challenged an animal to a fight." It came to her in a spur. Maybe the alcohol was slowly getting to her.


    Cage burst out into laughter, throwing his head back. "Safe to say, I have not done that yet, but you never know, scriptwriters and directors are always finding unique ways to showcase my prowess."


    His prowess. She smirked. He had had, of course.


    "This is the best drinking game I have ever played. Not that I play many drinking games." he sighed.


    "We''re just getting started, baby," she said cheekily. He had asked for it, so she wouldn''t hold back.


    "Never have I ever tasted myself." She was lying of course, she had out of curiosity, but now the game was about getting him turned on as much as she was. She couldn''t help but laugh at the expression on his face. He shifted in his position, clearly letting Katherine know that he was getting turned on. Or at least she hoped so. She let her hand brush past his thigh. Cage made a little noise at the back of his neck and shook his head.


    "Not yet," he said huskily. The scenarios played in his mind, imagining her bringing him to climax using her mouth and then picking her up and kissing her deeply, tasting himself.


    Katherine raised her brow as she watched him wander off into deep thought.


    "Never have I ever done it on a kitchen counter." He looked at her with such l.u.s.t that it amazed her. She licked her lips and smiled at him.


    "I''ve only ever done anything in bed." Which was why she couldn''t help but imagine them having s.e.x on every surface of the apartment and outside. The whole thing was, she lived with other people, and it was inconvenient for her to take him out in the open¡­ anyone could come in.


    Not that the possibility didn''t excite her, but she didn''t want to scar anyone either.


    "Never have I ever..." she was suddenly overcome with feelings other than l.u.s.t. She didn''t know why it hit her, but it did. "loved someone as much as I love you." She grew silent. Was it too soon to proclaim that?


    He seemed stunned, too. He leaned over suddenly and kissed her. Katherine kissed him back and wrapped her hand around him, softly sighing into his mouth that did magical things to her. After a few minutes, they broke apart and smiled.


    "Never have I ever watched someone sleep." The conversation had taken a romantic turn. It wasn''t intended, but she sure as hell wasn''t opposed to it. "Now that you have given me your heart, I''ll make sure that I overturn that."


    "Good that you know it belongs to you." She would treasure his reactions and his acceptance of her feelings.


    "You know you own mine too, right?" he said softly. Katherine felt her eyes burn as tears threatened to spill. It stunned her that he would feel the same way. It would take her a lot of time to wrap her head around the concept, but she could see it in how he looked at her and touched her.


    He combed his hands through her hair. "Let''s keep our hearts together for a long time, okay?" The words didn''t sound quite right, but the meaning was apparent. The words warmed Katherine.


    They took a couple of deep breaths, before restarting the game again. "Never have I ever licked food off someone." She was silent for a moment before continuing. "I know it''s a thing where couples place food or drinks on their body and lick it off, but I have never ventured into that territory. It fascinates me and I definitely want to try out."


    "Katherine," he warned in a low voice. He was holding on to his thigh for dear life, his knuckles whitening from the force. It seemed as if he was trying to anchor himself back.


    "What?" she asked innocently. After the romance and lechery, was he still not going to take action? Did she have to reach over and take him herself?


    "You know what you''re doing to me." His voice was rough. "You don''t want to wait?" he asked. Katherine shook her head, her boldness seeping out of her body. She was almost scared that he didn''t want her then. She heard him sigh in relief and then mutter a "thank god."

 Chapter 137 - I Want You

    ''Thank God, indeed.''


    His arms darted out and he pulled her across the fort, kissing her hard. The platter of food and drinks was brushed aside and she was pinned into the comfort of the pillows and blankets. She felt his hands hover over her b.r.e.a.s.ts, grabbing them as he probed into her mouth.


    She, on the other hand, reached for his t-shirt and tried to bring it up his head. He quickly let her go, helping her take it off. As he did so, his muscles flexed and she watched in fascination. She was staring at the perfect body of a god. She only snapped out of it when he pulled her back, threading his fingers into her hair and kissing her again. The kiss was hot and needy, leaving no room for her to escape¡­ not that she wanted to.


    She m.o.a.ned softly and rubbed herself against him, letting him know that this was exactly what she wanted. She sounded so wanton, but she felt unashamed because he was the one who had turned her into this.


    He suddenly stopped kissing her. He pulled her and with hazy eyes Katherine looked at him in bewilderment.


    "Are you sure?" he asked, panting. It should have been a statement more than a question. She had to answer though, just to ensure that he knew 100% that she wanted this.


    "Cage. I want you. Please." The begging really drove the point. She sounded like she was begging, but she really was. She was begging.


    "I want you so much, little girl." He stroked her cheek. "But not in here. I''ll take you to bed." Katherine pouted. "What? You even have a fantasy of having s.e.x in a fort? Deviant." Cage tapped her forehead playfully. "Later," he promised.


    She could only smile at that. "You''ll do that?" she asked in a childlike voice, so unlike herself.


    "Anything for you." He proclaimed. "But now, I want to make love to you. I want to treat you perfectly on our first time together."


    "I''ve always wanted to be carried to the bedroom." She also wanted to be carried over the threshold, but that conversation wasn''t for now¡­ or anytime soon.


    He chuckled and bowed his head in acknowledgement. "Allow me," he replied, pulling her into his arms and carrying her with no effort. With all the workout he did, it wasn''t a problem for him, but damn Katherine was drooling.


    Cage was the epitome of hotness. The door to her bedroom was shut, so he could only kick it open and walk in. She held onto him tightly as he moved, until they were at the bed and he was placing her gently on top of it. Looking down at her from where he was standing, he looked like an angel. Her heart beat a mile a minute.


    No, she was not nervous. It felt just right. Cage had her heart and it was natural for him to have her body. She ''wanted'' him to have her body. It wasn''t some prehistoric notion of giving herself to him, but a selfish ask on her part. She wanted to feel good. She wanted to feel that connection to him.


    Finally, after what seemed like hours, Cage came closer to her. In that small frame of time, a million thoughts had passed through Katherine''s mind. Thoughts of insecurity and fear: what if he thought that she didn''t want him? No, but she had already told him that she did. What if he was mad? What about? She had done nothing wrong.


    She was about to jump out of the bed and start talking but she feared what would come out of her mouth. Maybe she would sound absolutely insane. But as he placed his arms on either side of her, aligning his body against hers, she felt safe.


    She could feel his warmth surrounding her. She opened her mouth to his as he kissed her, gently at first and then with more greed.


    ''Oh god. Finally,'' she thought. It had felt like forever since they had first spoken and gotten to know each other. It hadn''t been slow in the least, but the process of meeting had been long drawn out. It had only been a few months that she had known him, but it felt like forever. She longed to feel his body against hers.


    She opened her legs and made space for him to adjust. He did just that, slipping between them, right where she wanted him. His c.o.c.k was prominent and hard, and she m.o.a.ned into his mouth as he rubbed against her. The friction over their clothes was slowly driving her insane. How she wished that the layers would magically vanish and their skins would be flushed, with nothing separating them. She should have foregone the clothes altogether, been unashamed about her needs.


    He balanced himself on one hand and put another on her neck, slowly drawing circles and moving down her skin to her collarbone. She felt goosebumps rise at the simplest and most innocent touch and she wrapped her arms around his neck, trying to pull him closer. As her hand travelled to his muscular back, she could feel the flex of his muscles under her touch. Against the assault of his lips, she could only m.o.a.n.


    He moves slowly, kissing and suckling on her lips and carrying the assault to her jaw and sideburn. What should have been uns.e.xy turned into something so e.r.o.t.i.c that she couldn''t wrap her mind around it. As his breath fanned against her ear, she shivered with need. He kissed the back of her neck, whispering her name before he did so.


    She prayed to the lord that she would survive and not faint from the sheer intensity of the situation. Cage had barely touched her and it already felt like the best thing that had happened to her. She had never felt his good before. He was worshipping her, she realized.


    His lips slowly wrapped around her earlobe and he bit in gently. He chuckled when she squeaked and whispered in her ear again. "Do you want to say something?" She felt the words throughout her body. She felt it inside her, right where she wanted his c.o.c.k.

 Chapter 138 - Take Me Now *

    "I want you," she found herself saying. What else could she say? That''s what she wanted. She wanted him more than anything else he had wanted in his whole life. He hummed as he kissed the back of her earlobe, bringing his finger back, near the place he was kissing and slowly caressing the fine hair on her scalp. They worked magic on her, his lips. She felt him kiss down her neck and then to her shoulder, gently biting again.


    ''So, he''s a biter,'' she thought out of the blue. Though she couldn''t focus on the thought, the information got embedded into her subconscious mind. She would use it later on to tease him.


    She quivered at every touch, and he felt it. Her trembling put some hesitance in his mind, but when he looked at her closed eyes and blissful expression, he chuckled and reassured her. If he wasn''t so preoccupied with kissing every inch of her body, he would take her lips again. She really looked enticing, biting the lip to stop herself from m.o.a.ning out loud.


    "You have me," he said. "You can make a sound if you want. I won''t bite you¡­ much."


    She groaned, finally letting a sound escape her. Did he have to phrase it that way?


    His fingers picked up the pace, running down her body. They brushed against her b.r.e.a.s.t and Katherine fought the urge to grab his hand and firmly place them on top of her b.r.e.a.s.t. He was in no rush, but she felt like she was going to combust if he didn''t touch her soon.


    The only thing she could do was return the favor. Instead of just laying there and taking the pleasure he was giving her, she threaded her fingers through his hair and massaged his scalp.


    It was just a given bonus that her dream of running her hand through Cage Canavaugh''s silky hair was coming true. She would do it as many times as the chances presented to her.


    She bucked up when she felt him bite a little harder, thrusting herself against him shamelessly and urging him on. He was so hard that she was sure that he needed her as much as she needed him. Suddenly, he crawled back up her body and touched his forehead to hers. His tongue darted out and found their way across her lower lip. She opened her mouth involuntarily to gasp, only to find it closed by his. Their tongues danced, no battle of dominance, just a lull of pleasure taking over them.


    She pulled at his hair a little harder as if telling him ''take me now.'' It wasn''t far from the truth. The kiss got harder and he thrust against her. If her eyes hadn''t flitted closed, she would have been cross-eyed and a bumbling mess even without him inside her.


    She cringed internally as she thought about the embarrassment.


    She groaned as she pushed back, grinding against him just like he was. She could feel how wet she was, and she hoped that it would seep through the layers and he would sense it too.


    He was taking his time with her as he had promised. He wanted it to be perfect. And she was not impatient, but the need inside her was too much. She wanted to rip the remaining clothes off themselves and f.u.c.k like bunnies until she was sore and unable to walk. She wanted to rub her thighs together just thinking about it.


    ''One must wait for good things,'' Katherine reminded herself. She dragged her hand down her back, scraping the skin lightly with her nail. He grunted and he thrust into her harder. it made her smile triumphantly.


    Of course, he saw it. He pulled back and smirked. "You''re trying to entice me?" he asked, his blue eyes sparkling with mirth. Well, if he was able to talk coherently and make jokes, she hadn''t done her job well enough. She needed him to be a horny mess.


    She licked her lips which tasted like him and realized that she wanted to be bathed in his scent throughout her life. Damnit, it sounded creepy, but she meant it romantically, okay?


    "Yes. Is it working?" she answered cheekily. He chuckled and he shook his head.


    "Just you wait. I am going to enjoy messing you up." Promises, promises.


    She whimpered as she felt a pull in her stomach at his words. "What are you going to do about it?" she said defiantly. "You''ll have to try it. I''m not easy to please."


    He got off her, much to her displeasure, but he placed himself between Katherine''s legs. She liked him there because of the possibilities it brought. He placed his hands on her waist and coaxed her to sit up.


    "Come, take off your shirt. I need to see your pretty tits," he said. She chuckled. She never thought he would use such a word. He glared at her and pulled her up. He finally pulled her t-shirt up and dragged it over her skin. It drove her crazy and boy did the man know what he was doing. He clearly wanted to turn her into a puddle of need. And it was working.


    He finally pulled it over her head, making her lose her sight for a second.


    He was looking at her like she was something to eat.


    ''He better do well on the promises his eyes are giving me right now.'' His eyes roving over her torso made her hot. She was surprised that she felt this way. It was new to her¡­ all of this. She had been s.e.x.u.a.lly active previously but it was nothing like this. With her ex, if he looked at her for too long, she would curl up into herself because she didn''t like it.


    But with Cage, she felt completely comfortable. She felt that his admiration was¡­ she stopped thinking because she didn''t have the words. She felt wanted every time Cage touched her or looked at her.

 Chapter 139 - Touched You Enough

    His fingers moved over her lace bra (which thankfully she had worn because her granny underwear might have ruined the mood), touching her. Her n.i.p.p.l.es pebbled, now visible through her bra and poking out towards him. They were so hard, they might have gouged someone''s eyes.


    She shivered as his fingers moved over her at an excruciating pace. "You''re so beautiful," he mumbled, bending down to kiss her. His thumb brushed over her n.i.p.p.l.es, making her m.o.a.n. Just with that little touch, she was blazing.


    She looked down and saw his heated eyes staring at her. His tongue darted out and he licked along the lace. He smirked as his tongue darted over her bare skin, right above the lace. She thrust her b.r.e.a.s.ts at him, pleading him to take the damned bra off. If she had her way, there would be nothing between her and that talented tongue of his.


    She sighed when he reached behind her and unclasped her bra. It loosened around her and she felt the rush of air against her hardened n.i.p.p.l.es. This was the state she loved to be in, braless. Add in the man and his talented tongue and fingers, there was nothing but bliss awaiting her.


    Cage''s eyes were glued onto her as he pushed the straps down, first over her right shoulder, and then over her left. She wiggled out of it and giggled when he smirked and threw it over his head. It ended up flying to the other side of the room, right over her television. But she soon forgot all about flying clothes when he focused on her b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    The way Cage looked at her made her feel special¡­ like she was the only woman on the planet who would do. Time slowed down as his fingers inched forward and he cupped her b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    ''Just the right size,'' he thought. He pinched her left n.i.p.p.l.e and rolled them between his fingers. He was focused on the task as it was part of his exploration and he had always been a curious child. This was a whole new world for him. Her body was undiscovered land that he needed to memorize like the back of his hand. Hell, he wanted to know it even better.


    She watched as he enjoyed himself. He was so focused that she wanted to laugh. It looked like he had found this treasure that he needed to know everything about. The fingers she had wanted on herself for so long were finally on her skin¡­ not that he hadn''t touched her in the time, but this was different. This was him touching her, knowing he would be inside her soon.


    If it was even possible, her n.i.p.p.l.es grew tighter. There was slight discomfort, but more pleasure. The slight pain of the pinch of her fingers made a jolt of electricity to run through her body and reach her p.u.s.s.y, where she wanted him the most.


    It seemed that he was not happy with the level of his ministrations when he licked his lips and captured her n.i.p.p.l.e in his mouth. If he continued, she could climax just from his lips and tongue lapping over her n.i.p.p.l.es. Katherine grabbed his head and held her head in place as he continued.


    The feeling of his wet tongue moving over the hardness of her n.i.p.p.l.es was an exquisite feeling. She was lost in sensation, writhing and sighing under him. He moved to her other b.r.e.a.s.t, his teeth tugging on her flesh. There was a sharp pain, but then the pleasure of his tongue soothing the pain. She let out a surprised squeal and bucked against him. Every single nerve in her body screamed. his hands ran over her sides and she knew he was moving below her waist. She knew what was coming. With a smooth motion of his fingers, he had flicked the button of her pants and undone the zipper.


    "Do you want me to undress you?" he asked. Was that even a question? ''Yes!'' she wanted to scream. Katherine arched her h.i.p.s, trying to get him to undress him. She needed him to touch all of her. He took off her pants and smiled as he exposed her lacy panties.


    "Ah, did you match your underwear for me?" he asked. She didn''t strike him as a girl who matched her underwear, but hell what did he know? His narcissistic side came out when he thought that he had done it for her.


    Katherine on the other hand nodded. She was blessed to have some s.e.xy lingerie.


    "Well, I''ll have to find out how many more you have, then. I look forward to the search!" He had a wicked grin on his face that promised things to come. She laughed as he pulled off the pants which were at her knees. This time, he placed it by the bed and then went back to open her legs and kiss the inside of her knee.


    Her eyes widened, partially with anxiety and the rest with anticipation. He had painted a beautiful image when they had spoken over the internet. She imagined that he wanted to lick her p.u.s.s.y and do everything in his power to make her c.u.m again and again.


    It was simply a kiss to the inside of her knee, a place that was not supposed to be sensitive, but it felt like the spot was on fire.


    ''Please, please...'' She didn''t know who she was pleading to, but if there was a god, she would feel his mouth on her. She was sorely disappointed when he moved up her body and frowned as he stared at her.


    She was confused for a second when his hand cupped her cheek. "Did I hurt you?" he asked. She looked at him weirdly.


    "No, not at all." Did her expression look pained? She would guess so because she was aching for him. She cringed at her own pun. "Your touch feels amazing. You should touch me more."


    "Oh? I haven''t touched you enough? What are you saying, Katherine?" She squinted her eyes mischievously and placed her hand on his torso, on a mission to show him exactly how she wanted to be touched.

 Chapter 140 - Youre On *

    It was her turn. She kissed his chest, giving back what he had done to her. She ran her tongue and teeth over his n.i.p.p.l.es, trying to drive him crazy. As she swirled her tongue over it, she bit gently and tugged on it. Cage threw his head back and m.o.a.ned.


    ''Mine,'' she found herself thinking. It took her back. She was not a cavewoman; where had the thought come from?


    She released him and smiled, knowing that she had done it now. "Do you want more?" She dared him to tell her differently with her eyes.


    "I will die if you stop," he admitted with a growl. Before she could react, he had pounced on her and held her down on the bed, kissing her feverishly.


    She kissed him back with equal vigor until he pulled away and whispered, "I understand." What he understood evaded her for a moment ''Oh,'' she thought. She smiled victoriously.


    "Little girl, you''re on..." Oh yes, she was turned on beyond belief. He kissed her b.r.e.a.s.t reverently before moving down to her stomach, kissing and licking. She laughed because she was beyond ticklish.


    He bit her hip bone, punishing her for her soft laugh. She thought she would come right there under his teeth when his tongue latched onto the location. His fingers slid down her body and he was touching her sweet spot, feeling how ready she was for him. She couldn''t contain the m.o.a.n that escaped her when his finger traced over the side of her underwear, barely touching skin. He slid his finger inside the panting and pushed it aside. With a light tap and a curious look, he grinned and started to pull the underwear off.


    She pulled her legs up and helped him guide the piece of lace off her. Cage tossed it aside and immediately bent his head to kiss her inner thigh. He rested his head on her thigh and met her eyes as his fingers began to stroke her.


    The sight was incredibly e.r.o.t.i.c, with him looking at Katherine like he wanted to swallow her whole and her wanting him to do exactly that. She widened her legs in invitation. That seemed to spur him on as he grew more demanding.


    It was new for Katherine to see him demand it of her. He usually took only what was given to him and now seeing this side to him showed her that there was so much more that she needed to know about him. She would just have to find out slowly.


    She was begging him to touch her more. Kiss her, taste her. As if hearing her thoughts, he pressed the finger to her opening and pushed in. He slowly moved in and out, giving her time to adjust, but quickly he pushed a second finger in and she found herself thrusting shamelessly at him. She was slick with need and he easily moved his fingers inside her.


    The thought pushed her to m.o.a.n and croak his name as he stretched her with his fingers. She would have prayed to the gods or whatever, but she didn''t think it would be appropriate in this situation. Meh, she was going to hell anyways, might as well take the lord''s name in vain.


    Just as slowly as he moved his fingers he moved his face closer to where she needed him the most. He looked her in the eye and said, "I think you are getting my name wrong, little girl. I''m Cage. You better remember that."


    The words send a jolt through her, but it was only magnified when his tongue hit her clit and she let out a m.o.a.n she had never thought could come out of her mouth. It sounded like those fake p.o.r.n m.o.a.ns that people scoffed at, but every sound that he made her invoke was very real.


    He licked her slowly, his fingers pushing in and out. She gasped as she wound her leg against his shoulder and pulled him closer to her p.u.s.s.y. Anything to get him to continue licking and sucking on her. His teeth scr.a.p.ed across her clit for a fraction of a second and she thought she would lose her mind from pleasure. She pushed her h.i.p.s towards him and choked out how good she felt. She hoped he understood because it was a garbled mess.


    Cage was slowly killing her. His tongue moved a little faster, as did his fingers.


    ''Thank god,'' she thought. ''Thank Cage,'' she amended.


    It was then he reached under her and pulled her up from the bed, his hand planted on her ass, pulling her closer to his face as he began to lick with more fervor. Her legs were wider than they had ever been before and she was completely at his mercy, her body doing its own thing, moving in ways that could maximize the intensity. Not that she needed it, she was almost overwhelmed with pleasure and close to losing her mind absolutely.


    Her fingers were twisted into the sheet as she tried to anchor herself to the bed. Cage''s fingers curled inside her and his lips closed over her sensitive clit. She was so close¡­ she could feel it. Suddenly his lips were gone, but she could feel his hot breath against her skin. With the dart of his tongue, he licked her slit from top to bottom and then pressed on the spot where his fingers disappeared inside her.


    His fingers rubbed against the rough spot inside her that made her belly tighten. If he continued, she wouldn''t be able to hold back. Not that he wanted her to hold back. Even though she was torturing her slowly and not being rough with her, she understood. This was their first time, he didn''t need to go all out and show all his moves.


    Katherine thrust her h.i.p.s up, swiveling it from side to side to get him to be faster. For a second, he did just that, roughing pulling out and then pushing in before curling his finger and stroking her insides.

 Chapter 141 - In All His Glory *

    Her fingers were twisted into the sheet as she tried to anchor herself to the bed. Cage''s fingers curled inside her and his lips closed over her sensitive clit. She was so close¡­ she could feel it. Suddenly his lips were gone, but she could feel his hot breath against her skin. With the dart of his tongue, he licked her slit from top to bottom and then pressed on the spot where his fingers disappeared inside her.


    His fingers rubbed against the rough spot inside her that made her belly tighten. If he continued, she wouldn''t be able to hold back. Not that he wanted her to hold back. Even though she was torturing her slowly and not being rough with her, she understood. This was their first time, he didn''t need to go all out and show all his moves.


    Katherine thrust her h.i.p.s up, swiveling it from side to side to get him to be faster. For a second, he did just that, roughing pulling out and then pushing in before curling his finger and stroking her insides. From what she could hear and feel, he was humming a song over her, his lips clasped over her clit and he sucked. She could hear the bohemian rhapsody in the background and he took full control. The electrical shocks that went through her made her see dark spots.


    She was scared that she would pass out for a moment. With one last suck, she felt herself explode on his fingers. Her stomach rolled as she quivered, her body moving on its own accord and not wanting to stay in place as he kept sucking on her over-sensitive bug. She groaned, wanting to push him away but also wanting him to continue.


    When she opened her eyes and looked at him, she saw him part his lips and let the nub go. He had a devious grin on his face as he kissed it one last time. She grabbed his hair, rougher than she had wanted to, but he didn''t seem to mind¡­ and pulled her to him, kissing his wet lips and tasting herself on him. The taste of herself mingled with his fragrance was something she could never get enough of.


    Yes, it was new to her. She had never tasted herself on someone else''s mouth and it was damned s.e.xy. She rolled them over so that she was on top of him. She sat on his legs and leaned over.


    It was her turn.


    She ran her fingers over his chest and watched as his smile faded away and all that was left was the scorching heat of his eyes. She reached for the waistband of his pants and unbuttoned it. His hands came up to cup her b.r.e.a.s.ts but she swatted it away. If she let him touch her again, she would be at his mercy in no time. She wanted to see all of him.


    She climbed off him and pushed the pants down, following it with his boxers. She could have easily pulled him out from the small pocket, but what was the fun in that? She needed to see him in all his glory.


    She was rewarded with the magnificent sight of his c.o.c.k springing out and showing itself proudly to the world. Cage hissed as the air hit him, but Katherine couldn''t help but focus only on the extremely hard and thick c.o.c.k in front of her eyes. He was definitely bigger than her ex and a lot of those people who make p.o.r.n and she was mildly worried how they would fit. It had been some time for her.


    "Nice c.o.c.k," she found herself saying. He chuckled at her words but didn''t contradict her. Of course, he knew he was packing this monster that any woman would salivate over. Damnit. How was he keeping these women off? Thank god this was a well-kept secret or she couldn''t imagine the amount of attention Cage would get. If it was even possible to get more attention that he already did.


    She had always thought c.o.c.ks were ugly things, even though she liked them. But this one? Call her biased but she would totally tag it as pretty. Not sure if Cage would approve of his little brother being called pretty.


    "Thank you," he said with a c.o.c.ky smile. She quickly pulled the boxer down his ankles and freed his legs. He pulled her up and planted a wet and sweet kiss on her mouth, making her forget her intentions. Was this reward for praising his c.o.c.k? She wondered.


    The thick rod poking at her inner thigh brought her back to reality. She sn.a.k.e.d her hand down and wrapped her hand around his c.o.c.k and squeezed it. It was so hard that she couldn''t wait to see how it felt inside her. She rubbed a single digit over the tip and felt a drop of pre-c.u.m residing there. She spread it around and gave his c.o.c.k a quick tug before pulling away from him and crouching between his legs.


    She felt a streak of glee at the thought that she was the one who made him this hard. It made her so hot that she dragged her hand down her torso and touched herself between her thighs. She was still looking at him and saw his eyes widen when he realized where her other hand had gone.


    Cage propped himself up on his elbows, trying to get a better view.


    It was easy to touch herself in front of him. She had never been comfortable doing it before and had never felt the need to do it either. All in all her s.e.x life had been bland. She had occasionally touched her clit to get a little more pleasure but it had never worked before. Now, she could feel how wet she was, she stroked herself gently, putting two fingers inside, wetting them completely before replacing the hand on his c.o.c.k. She wrapped her wet fingers around his c.o.c.k and slowly stroked his shaft. The wetness acted as lubricant and he bucked, m.o.a.ning as she worked him ever so slowly¡­ up and down, squeezing him at the base before dragging her hand all the way to the top of the shaft and swirling a finger over his tip.

 Chapter 142 - Trust You *

    He thrust into her hands and she started to work him faster, sliding along over and over again. Though she loved touching him this way, seeing his reactions to her mere touch, she wanted to see how much more she could elicit from him.


    She wanted a good taste of him.


    She ran her tongue over her lip, giving him a hint of what was to come. His body filled with anticipation as she tilted her head to the side and moved closer. At first, it was only a gentle press of her closed lips to the tip of his c.o.c.k. Then her tongue slid out and took a quick lick. She tasted his salty prec.u.m and savored it for a moment before going in for another taste. This time, she ran her tongue around the head and heard him should an expletive.


    She grinned knowing that she hadn''t even taken his length inside her mouth and he was already so pliant in her hands. She held the base of his c.o.c.k as she licked his length from top to bottom. Taking the opportunity he ran her tongue back up before popping the head between her lips and sucking on it. She swirled her tongue around it, teasing him before she took him further into her mouth. As she took more of it, she continued to move her tongue on the underside of his c.o.c.k where his sensitive vein lay. Cage''s hands were in her hair, tugging her hair, urging her on. She took him in further, letting go of the base in an attempt to see if she could take all of him in her mouth. She failed, but pledged to work toward the base. She used her hand to cup his balls and trace patterns on it, giving him a taste of the sensations to come. Squeezing gently and rolling it, she moved her head at an angle which would possibly make him feel better.


    She heard his choked voice and opened her eyes to look at him.


    He would have sobbed if he could. The sight of her innocent eyes peering at him while she had his c.o.c.k in her mouth was a sight he could have never imagined or done justice to.


    "Up," he said, his voice scratchy. She hummed around him and from the beat and length, he could hear that she was saying no. Actually, it seemed like Katherine was taunting him. He used his last weapon. "I know you want my c.o.c.k inside you. I know you want me to f.u.c.k you slowly until you see stars. Now, up." There was promise in his words and there was an order.


    Katherine might act dominant at times, but she liked letting go in bed. She very much liked the idea of Cage taking control over her. Hearing him call her out on what she wanted gave her a sense of urgency. He had left out the part where ''he'' was the one who needed to be inside her desperately, but she would give him a pass. In the end, it was obvious from his words that he needed it as much as she needed him.


    She released him from her mouth and kissed the top of his head before crawling up back into his arms.


    He returned the previous favor by kissing her. He pushing her on her side and scooped her up in his arms. Katherine could feel him between her legs, his throbbing members resting against her lips. His h.i.p.s moved forward, propelling his c.o.c.k to slide between the lips, hitting her clit and resting against her opening as he did so. She shuddered and waited but then his words brought her out.


    "Katherine, do you have a condom?" he asked. Her eyes widened, suddenly remembering that there was more to s.e.x than just insert A in slot B. This was their first time and they needed to be protected. She had lost all reasoning and forgot that they needed protection.


    Thank god Cage was still rational and brought up the topic.


    Katherine shook her head.


    ''Oh f.u.c.k.'' Katherine had no use for it because she hadn''t been interested in getting laid for a really long time. Since Cage came, they had not left the apartment and even if they did, they had discussed and thought they would take it slow. Now, she didn''t have protection. Damnit.


    She was sure that Angelina and Lily would have some, considering they were s.e.x.u.a.lly active and Lily had a boyfriend who she sometimes brings over.


    "I''m on the pill," she said. But she wouldn''t blame him for being wary. He was a movie star and he couldn''t afford an unplanned pregnancy. There must have been women plenty who would try to trap him and allege that they were having his babies. Not that she wouldn''t like to have his babies, if he wanted them, they could have a couple¡­ but not now when their careers were at a good place and there was more success ahead of them. "Lily might have some," she said. She was still involuntarily rubbing against his length.


    She was a little distracted, but damn it was difficult to concentrate when something so fine was at the brink of entering her and rocking her world.


    She had told him that she was on the pill, but there was hesitance in her eyes. Hell, even she was hesitating. Would any of the condoms her friends have fit him? "I got tested after my last relationship and I was clear, but we need a condom," she said decisively. Cage nodded.


    Their relationship was still new and there was a lot they needed to do before having unprotected s.e.x. Even if both of them were clean and she was on the pill, it was not good to be reckless with these things.


    "I trust you," he told her suddenly, making her feel so much better about the situation. It could have been taken so poorly on his part, he could have thought she was trying to trap him, but he didn''t do that. Instead, he was supportive and voiced his concerns like a healthy a.d.u.l.t would. She could respect that.

 Chapter 143 - At His Mercy *

    "Stay here," she told him and scooted away from him. She gave one last look to his slick c.o.c.k and with a shake of her head scurried out of the room. Cage could hear shuffling in the corridor and he could imagine her swaying ass as she moved n.a.k.e.d through the apartment.


    Katherine, on the other hand, was praying to god that none of her friends found out that she was running around the apartment butt n.a.k.e.d, looking for a condom that would fit Cage. She could guess his size, so she ventured into Angelina''s room and looked through the drawer where she knew Angelina kept her s.e.x goods. Angelina wouldn''t find out, anyways. It would be some time before she got laid¡­ if her words about Stephen were true, that is.


    She moved back to the room and wanted to act s.e.xy but she was bouncing on her step in anticipation. Cage was lying flat on the bed, looking at the ceiling, trying to calm himself down.


    He had wanted nothing more than to enter her bareback. He didn''t care if she was on the pill, but he had to consider her, they were together and it was abominable for couples to not talk about such matters before jumping in.


    He heard her enter and looked up. She looked ethereal in the lighting, the shadows of her b.r.e.a.s.ts and the curve of her h.i.p.s were on display. Standing up, she was just as magnificent as she was when she was under him. He curved his fingers and beckoned her forward. She quickly came to him, the pace making him laugh.


    It stopped short when she put the packet between her teeth and ripped the packet open. Cage choked, watching as she neared him. She slid between his legs and helped it on him, stroking him to get all the air bubbles out. His head fell back and he was about to let her have her way, completely distracted.


    He refocused and pulled on her arm, putting them back in their original position. She was startled as she was thrown on the bed and turned away from him. Suddenly, his chest pressed up against her and his hand slid above his b.r.e.a.s.t and then crawled slowly down her torso to her belly and finally stopped right over her mound. She gulped as he pulled her leg apart and pushed his hip forward. His c.o.c.k slid in between her lips again, getting his condom covered c.o.c.k wet with her juices. He was big and it had been some time since she last had s.e.x. He would need to work her properly before slowly entering her. He did just that, making sure she was absolutely dripping, his fingers planted on her clit, stroking, pinching and rolling until she was sobbing. His c.o.c.k slid between her thighs over and over again, making her thoughts go wild with need. How would it actually feel inside her when he could already make her close to coming just like this?


    ''Do something,'' she wanted to scream.


    "I need you," she sobbed, a ball of need. His c.o.c.k slid against her again and she instinctively opened her legs wider so that he would get the message loud and clear. His other hand slid under her waist and pulled her closer, if that was even possible, while the hand on her mound clasped her jaw and turned her head to him.


    He kissed her deeply, letting their tongue dance. Slowly he entered her.


    The tightness was overwhelming and the need to go fast was causing him pain, but he held back. She was screaming inside. With her mouth completely being ravaged by Cage, she couldn''t scream.


    ''Holy shit,'' she thought. It had been a really long time and he was big. She felt so full already and he was nowhere near fully sheathed in. She wanted to cry out when he pushed deeper, her eyes rolling back, and her mouth opening in a scream. He kissed the side of her lips, a grin on his face as he watched her completely immersed in the sensation of him inside her.


    "Are you okay?" he asked. Yes, he was c.o.c.ky, but he was also concerned. And she loved that about him. She nodded, somewhat disoriented, but he kept going. It was slow, but oh-so-good. He barely moved inside her for a while, but then she felt his hand on her thigh, pulling her leg up and bending her knee so that her leg was flush against her chest.


    Somehow, he managed to sink in further. What did he have, an unending c.o.c.k? What the f.u.c.k, Cage?


    She tried her best to kiss him back, his lips going hard on hers. She grabbed his hand, trying to hold onto something but it wasn''t enough. He moved slowly in and out of her and it felt so good that she could only meet his thrusts with hers. Their thrusts grew faster with each trust and he kissed her from her lips to her chin and cheeks, adorning her body with his lips and showing her exactly how much he wanted her. A small smile escaped her lips, a smile of pure joy. She had never imagined she would be able to smile during such an intense event, but she was love-struck. Their affection for each other was in every thrust. It was a strange mix of love and l.u.s.t that left her dizzy and threw her to the brink.


    She smiled even as his c.o.c.k pounded into her. She squeezed his hand as he brought his lips back to hers, their tongues moving together as he thrust deep inside her. She could feel that she was getting close. She angled her h.i.p.s a little and he changed his.


    His eyes were dark as his hands pinched her clit and then flicked it. She came, feeling like she had been electrocuted. No, it didn''t hurt in the slightest, but she tightened around him impossibly, trying to hold on when all her limbs seemed to be at his mercy.

 Chapter 144 - Irrevocably In Love *

    He continued his onslaught making her yell and cry his name out, hitting that sweet spot inside her that made her climax go on and on.


    "Cage, please¡­" she pleaded. For what she didn''t know.


    "Tell me," he growled as he kept thrusting. Suddenly the ongoing climax which had somewhat ebbed away, threw her into a frenzy hitting her hard again and making her curl her toes.


    "I don''t know!" she screamed. He chuckled and continued. She was lost as she panted and let him have his way. When she came for the third time under his c.o.c.k, Cage followed her closely. His thrusts grew shallow and then came to just a grind, just keeping the pleasure going. He finally stopped and they lay connected.


    He clung onto her for a bit before trying to pull away. She groaned and protested telling him not to go.


    "I''ll need to get rid of this condom," he told her patiently. It wasn''t always comfortable being in that position.


    "Just a little longer." She pouted. Cage kissed the back of her neck and shook his head.


    "Where do I throw it?" he asked. He pulled out of her, leaving a little ache and the feeling of hollowness inside her. She sighed and turned to him.


    "I have a dustbin beside the PC." He nodded and then left the bed for a couple of seconds.


    Katherine watched, fascinated, as he unrolled the condom off his c.o.c.k, tied it up and discarded it. She found herself wondering if she had gone completely mad for finding the act s.e.xy as hell. Or maybe she had turned into a s.e.x addict. Only for Cage.


    He sauntered back to the bed and slid in beside her. He placed his hand on her stomach and leaned his head against hers. Feeling the weight of his arms over her made her feel safe and taken care of. If he could just hold her all day, she wouldn''t complain a single bit. He kissed her cheek softly, but she turned her head and caught his lips, getting lost in him again.


    The emotions bubbled inside her.


    "Are you okay?" he asked softly. He could see the emotions brewing in her eyes. She laid back and opened her eyes, staring at the ceiling.


    "I just need a moment." He was tender with her as he grabbed the sheets at the end of the bed and pulled them over her n.a.k.e.d body. He, too, went under it and just held her. "Yeah¡­" she sighed. He didn''t understand what she was replying to, but he could guess it was his question about her well-being.


    He placed his finger at her chin and turned her head to him. He looked at her curiously and finally pinned down the emotion in her eyes. He kissed her nose softly. "Do you feel like you need to cry?" he asked.


    She breathed, unable to understand why that was so. "Yes. This is so strange." Her breath shuddered.


    "It''s not strange. You''re just overwhelmed and you need some time. If you need to cry, just go ahead. I''ll be right here." He ran his nose along hers, making sure she knew it was okay.


    Katherine curled up against him and when he stroked her back affectionately, tears started to fall from her eyes, soaking the crook of his neck. He pressed his lips together. She didn''t need to explain to him, he understood what she felt.


    He was overwhelmed, too, but every person reacted differently.


    The silence just made her sob even more. She felt like she needed to explain why she was crying. This was embarrassing and horrifying at the same time.


    "It was amazing," Katherine said decidedly. Yes, he knew that it was. He let her pull her thoughts together and sort through them. If explaining to him made her feel better, he would let her. Who was he to stop her from crying and talking her heart out? Moreover, he loved hearing her speak. "It have never been like that for me. Not with my ex, not with any of the other guys I have been with. Its¡ª"


    He hummed, continuing to stroke her back.


    "I mean¡­ the connection we shared." The silence made her change her sentence again. "The s.e.x was amazing, but I think our connection made it so¡­"


    "Intense," he supplied.


    "It felt like I lay bare in front of you and I don''t know what to do about it. I did all these things that I was never comfortable doing. I might have talked about them, imagined them, but I never thought that I would actually do it in front of someone. In front of you. You just shook my world when you came in and I don''t know how to handle the emotions. I feel like I am so full that I am going to burst." She sobbed out again. "it just didn''t help that you made me orgasm so many times and I feel listless."


    "I''m here. I''ll hold you," Cage reassured her.


    "How is it possible to love you so much when I just met you?" She said suddenly. It was not suspicion or anything of that sort. It was just a question that had popped into her mind and she had voiced it. She was being candid in that moment and she couldn''t hold back.


    He thought for a minute.


    "As humans, we always think that we need to know someone for a really long period of time, go through the same motions to fall in love or find companionship. But human connections are made at the oddest moments and the simplest memories end up in lasting relationsh.i.p.s. For example, a single joke shared with a stranger can end in a close friendship with them that lasts years¡­ even a lifetime. That is just how it is. You can''t pinpoint exactly the reason why some relationsh.i.p.s are more successful than others, but it is not always because of the time they have known each other or how they met. It''s just emotions that guide you." He paused. "Communication is another point that binds people. We spoke, Katherine. We spoke about everything. From our hardsh.i.p.s to the memories we cherished or were embarrassed by. Our words brought us together. It was through our communication and transparency that we were able to fall in love. I don''t doubt for a second that it is possible for us to be irrevocably in love with each other."

 Chapter 145 - Helping Women Bathe

    ''Irrevocable.'' The word echoed in her mind.


    His fingers were in her hair and he slowly dragged his nails across the scalp, soothing her. This was something his mother used to do when he was distressed as a child. It surely worked on Katherine, whose breathing leveled and she snuggled closer to Cage.


    She had relaxed in his arms even though she wasn''t sleepy. She stayed there for an hour before her bladder started to act up.


    She tried to move away from him, but he held her in his arms before questioning, "Where are you going?" Katherine patted his shoulder and was going to move when he spoke again. "Don''t move." The exhaustion from their activities had somewhat affected him. He was lethargic.


    "I need to go to the toilet." She said with a little embarrassment. It was routine for her. She needed a shower now that her sweat had dried and she felt sticky all over. She assumed she smelled too. On top of that, it was only hygienic to wash herself properly down there.


    "You go, I''ll join you shortly, okay?" He winked at her.


    Thank god he didn''t ask to go with her. Katherine didn''t think they were at the stage where they could share the bathroom while one of them peed. That was still a long way ahead.


    She went inside the shower and peed, she washed herself down there properly, before she called for him.


    "Cage?" she called. He came quickly. She had set the shower to a good heat and then left the door unlocked for him to enter. When she looked at the door which had just opened, she saw Cage enter with a bunch of towels and two pairs of clothing. Both his.


    "Why do you have two sets of clothes?" she asked. She saw him smile and looked on in confusion. He shook his head and just shrugged.


    "I didn''t want to go through your closet, so I just brought in mine." Katherine blinked, realizing that he would obviously feel uncomfortable alone in the apartment and she was being a bitch for thinking he would just adapt to everything so fast. "It would be nice to see you in my clothes, as well," he added slyly.


    She laughed, almost shocked by his candidness. ''She would love to be in his clothes.'' Sure she had a lot of men''s t-shirts and shirts that she would wear around the house or even outside, but she had never worn a man''s clothes. She imagined that it would smell like him, or at least the detergent he used. It would be like she was surrounded by him as she moved¡­ like she was his in all sense of the word.


    She nodded and hooked her finger to beckon him into the shower. He obliged, sliding into the shower and letting her soak him in.


    He looked magnificent with water running down his body, every contour of his body wetting and glistening. If she wasn''t so overwhelmed, she would have demanded shower s.e.x. But she didn''t think she could handle it then. She sighed as he procured a washcloth and gently caressed the back of her neck and shoulders.


    She sighed, feeling the gentleness of his touch. He didn''t want s.e.x, this wasn''t about it. She was surprised that he would be so conscious of her needs. It was a refreshing change. She didn''t know why she had such low expectations of him or men in general, but it said a lot about how she was treated in her previous relationsh.i.p.s.


    It was nice to be touched without the expectations of having s.e.x.


    She leaned into him, putting her weight on him and letting him take care of her.


    He had wrapped his hand around her waist and he was moving his hand in a circular motion, slowly easing away the sweat and grime from her body without being harsh on her skin. His care was reassuring.


    She could feel herself get wet again and she felt a little bewildered. She knew there was nothing s.e.x.u.a.lly motivated about his situation, but at the same time, her body wanted more of him. When his hands reached between her legs, he must have felt the slippery wetness. He sucked in a breath but made no comment. Quickly, he gently stroked the spot, his fingers brushing past her clit with no intention of pleasure. She felt herself quiver and flinch a little, still sensitive from his ministrations in the bed.


    "Are you okay?" he asked, worry lacing his voice. She nodded, albeit a little hesitantly. "The cloth must be hurting you." She didn''t say anything. He was right, in a sense. She needed something gentler than even the soft washcloth he was using against her oversensitive mound.


    Cage hung the cloth near the shower and then reached for the bottle of body wash. He poured just the perfect amount and then lathered it on his hands before putting it on her body.


    "Better?" he asked. She nodded, not making a sound and just leaning back on him and letting him take care of her. The water washed away the foam, leaving her squeaky clean and feeling a lot better.


    Her hair was a little knotted and it was nice that he was being so considerate. He had even started to stroke her scalp and massage her hair with his shampoo lathered hands. She could only sigh and enjoy how good he was at it.


    "Have you ever considered doing this for a living?" she asked obtusely. He quirked a brow and looked at her, even though she couldn''t see him do it.


    "You mean, helping women bathe?" he asked. He knew that was not what she meant, but it sure sounded like that. She chuckled at the insinuation and let out a playful but tired growl.


    "These hands and this experience are mine. I just meant that you are really good at washing hair." He nudged her neck with his nose, closing in and smelling her.

 Chapter 146 - Open Your Eyes

    ''Creepy,'' he thought to himself. Well, it didn''t seem like she minded how clingy and creepy he was around her. He would just continue until she says otherwise.


    "So, this is why you smell so nice," he commented out of the blue. She turned a little to look at him.


    "Do you want to use it too?" she asked lightly, but then she scrunched up her brow. "You''ll smell like me¡­ but you won''t smell like yourself. I like how you smell."


    He gave her a pleasant smile. "I feel the same way."


    Usually, they would have loved if the other person smelled like them and it was natural for couples to mark their other half that way, but¡­ Katherine and Cage appreciated how unique they were. Sometimes? Yeah, they wouldn''t mind indulging and smelling like the other, but not always. Wasn''t the scent of someone''s body all about pheromones?


    Katherine was thinking curiously about this when she felt him push her in the line of the water. She squeezed her eyes shut and let him wash the soap from her hair.


    "Open your eyes," he instructed finally. She did, even though squinting, almost scared that her eyes would burn. "You have little faith!" he grinned.


    "Hey, this is a huge step in our relationship. Following your instruction and believing you when you said there is no more shampoo in my hair? Sign of great trust!"


    "Hush. We need to put conditioner in your hair," he said, smirking. She looked at him strangely. "I love my hair too much and I want it to be super nice all the time. I will treat your hair the same, of course. You have beautiful hair."


    ''It is so soft and silky,'' he thought.


    "Ah!" she yelled. He retreated, thinking he had hurt her somehow. "I''ll have to run my hand through your hair properly later. It has been my dream to find out if it feels as amazing as it looks."


    "You''ve run your hand through my hair and tried to tear it out of my scalp today¡­" he trailed off, his tone filled with innuendo.


    "I wasn''t concentrating." She nodded sagely.


    She returned the favor, lathering his body and making sure every nook was clean. She even cleaned his c.o.c.k properly, gently stroking it with soap.


    Despite his intentions, he was hard and found his breathing become rapid. It was the same as her. Neither of them wanted to do anything about their arousal, just enjoy and take care of each other. When she had washed him off, he pressed her against the tile.


    It felt cold against her skin, but she didn''t mind it when he raised her in his arms and held her securely against him. It was a slow and steady kiss, just meant for the intimacy of the moment, to get to know one another and nothing more. Their lips stroked and ventured, exploring the other with curiosity rather than need. It went on for what seemed like hours and a fleeting moment at the same time. The water had cooled and it rolled off their bodies. She shivered despite his lips against her and he paused.


    His head was resting against hers as he sucked in a deep breath.


    "Cold?" he said softly, not letting her go. She nodded softly, making him smile. Taking the opportunity, he cradled her in his arms in bridal style and helped her out of the bathroom. Placing her on the dry mat outside, he leaned over and wrapped her hair in a towel and then slowly and softly dried her skin. He didn''t care about himself, keeping all his focus on her. He even helped her into his clothes.


    Katherine looked at herself in the mirror and then tucked a wet lock of hair that had escaped the towel behind her ear. She looked different¡­ more content. She knew that was not possible, but it was what she felt. She saw him silently dressing behind her and she watched in rapt attention.


    Once he was done, he picked her up again and took her back to the bathroom.


    "You''re very strong," she complimented, touching his bicep and squeezing. He burst out into laughter when he heard the admiration in her voice.


    "I''ll let my trainer know that his grueling training has led to you being impressed by my strength." She pouted. She really wanted to see what other tricks he could use. She wouldn''t mind him lifting her up and putting his c.o.c.k in her the next time they shower together, either.


    "I''ll make sure to praise him if I ever meet him in person." Cage quirked his brow.


    "You''ll meet him but I will have to protect you from him. He''ll see you and think that you are the perfect client to show off to the world," he sighed. Katherine glared at him. Was that supposed to be a compliment or was he telling her that she needed to work out? "You have the perfect body. To have you as a client would get him clout."


    Katherine laughed through her nose. "Glib mouthed," she commented.


    "Can I propose shower s.e.x for next time?" he pouted. She smirked at him and nodded.


    "I was going to ask the same." He placed her on the bed and looked around.


    "Come, let''s sleep for a bit before we do anything else. You need some rest," he said, placing a finger on her cheek. He pulled on the towel on her hair and let her hair fall. He quickly dried her hair and then pushed her back onto the bed. "Sleep," he said, placing her hair in a halo around her head on the pillow.


    She watched him do as he pleased.


    "Air drying is the best to keep your nutrients in." She nodded. He was the expert with perfect hair, she would take his word for it.


    As she drifted off to sleep, she remembered that there was only that day left for them and then they wouldn''t meet for some time. She reminded herself to cherish the moments they spent together and try not to think about the time apart. They would slowly figure it out.


    She felt the warmth of his chest against her back and finally lost to her heavy eyelids.

 Chapter 147 - Only For You

    He was definitely dreaming and he didn''t want to wake up from it. He cuddled with Katherine in her bed, his chest pressed up against her warm back and it felt like a boon. He had been crushing on this woman for months at a stretch. These things didn''t happen in real life, especially to people in his profession who met with nothing but betrayal when they opened their hearts to people. His head was buried in her hair, and he imagined that the friction from the pillow and his constant running of fingers through her would cause some really bad knots to form.


    He reminded himself that it was too early for him to have her again. He was mildly surprised when he felt her turn towards him, her face now pressed against his n.a.k.e.d chest. He didn''t know if she had woken up or was getting close to the source of warmth. His confusion was soon cleared when her hand rested smoothly over his ass. He wanted to chuckle, but he was stunned by her boldness. This was what he loved most about her. She was a strange amalgamation of brazen and shy. She was emotional and cold at the same time, not to him but others around him.


    "You have a one-track mind," Cage told her, kissing her head. She moved back a little and shot her chin up, barely missing his. She looked at him with her doe-like eyes, mischief sparling in them.


    "I''m a sinner, baby. But your hard c.o.c.k against my stomach tells me that you want the same thing." The smirk on her face was evil and he almost imagined her coaxing her hand between their bodies and grabbing onto his c.o.c.k to show him just what she meant. Thankfully, she didn''t do that. This would have turned into a very different conversation otherwise.


    "Ah, you''re being extremely naughty right now. Hmm, I suppose I will have to take my shower alone." As expected, her expression was beyond hilarious. She was pouting and Cage could say that it was a bit extreme. "Little duckling, I am kidding," he chuckled. He just had to put her out of her misery. "We are both human and if we go without food, f.u.c.k.i.n.g like bunnies with no sense I don''t think we will survive past today. We will die of dehydration and hunger!"


    "You''re right, we should eat." She said it like she really didn''t want to move but that she was being forced to. "What do you want me to make?" She asked, sitting up and using her than to put her hair up in a bun. Cage watched with rapt attention before answering her.


    "Don''t make anything. Let''s order in. I don''t want you to work like a slave." Katherine couldn''t help but smile. She would have loved to cook something for him all the time, but if he insisted, she would let her tired limbs rest and just order in. "You can cook for me another time. Let''s have something plain for now." He leaned in to kiss her cheek.


    "I''ll cook for you at the cabin, actually." He raised his brow.


    "I thought we were going to take a barrel of fruits and just eat that." It was the truth. Not that he had thought much about the trip apart from spending every waking moment with her.


    "As cute as that sounds, I don''t want to come back looking like a skinny stick. You have a lot of muscle mass and will only look better, but me? I will look malnutritioned if my water weight goes away." His eyes widened in terror. He would have lept and held on to the softness of her waist as if to protect it if he hadn''t controlled himself.


    "I like you just the way you are. We don''t want you to starve. I will personally cook nutritious meals to ensure you stay healthy and well-fed."


    "I like you too," he said with a silly look in her eyes. He ruffled her hair and rummaged through the bag Stephen had brought for some clothes.


    "Does spaghetti and meatballs sound good for you?" she asked. He hummed. From the corner of her eyes, he saw her press the phone to her ears. She ratted off an order even without looking for the menu and he knew that she frequently ordered from this place.


    "You''re easy to please," she commented once she had hung up the phone.


    "Than I am." Damn right, you are, she thought smugly. She crawled on all fours, nearing his butt, which was lusciously in front of her eyes as he bent over to search for clothes from his duffle bag. She slightly slapped his ass, surprising him. He turned, his eyes wide in shock.


    "What, you said you are easy?" she told him innocently. He shook his head with a small smile on his face and replied.


    "Yes, only for you." Mhhm. And it would stay that way if she had a say in the matter.


    "I''m only easy for you, too," She placed her palm on her chin, suspending her boy on her elbows and watching him pick out everything. He pulled out his toiletries and she dipped forward to take a look at them.


    "I like it that way." Great, they were on equal footing. There couldn''t be a better outcome.


    "You don''t use extremely expensive products as I had imagined." She turned the bottles to take a look at the ingredients.


    "Yeah, actually, the secret to my beauty is the phenomenal genes my parents passed on to me and the home remedies my mother puts me through when I go home every week for family lunch and dinner."


    "What do you mean home remedies?" She asked curiously. Her hair was looking a little lifeless recently, she wouldn''t mind using Mama Cavanaugh''s remedies to get some life back in them.


    "She used curd, flour, and turmeric for my skin once. It really stained my skin for a couple of days and she realized that the turmeric she had brought from the store at a cheaper price wasn''t good quality. The raw eggs and vinegar for the hair actually work wonders, even though they smell abhorrent." He shuddered.

 Chapter 148 - Stand My Lechery

    "I will take a note of that. I won''t do it before you come either. Don''t want you turned off because of my stinky hair." He looked at Katherine, placing his hand on his waist. She was sidetracked for a minute, taken by how low his pants hung but then quickly composed herself.


    "I wouldn''t mind if you smelled like rotten eggs, to be honest." He shrugged.


    "Now, if that is not love, I don''t know what is. You would endure the smell of sulfur dioxide to be with me." She paused and tilted her head to the side. "Why don''t we set aside a spa day and we can take care of our skin and hair together on that day?" She pouted.


    "You look like a duck." He threw his head back and laughed but he quite liked that idea. "Let''s do that."


    "Why don''t we start tonight with a shower?" Katherine suggested slyly. She wouldn''t mind some action in the shower in the slightest, even after how satiated she was from the last session. She was greedy and she would always want more. They had actually woken up once and gone at it again.


    "I''ll check my calendar to see if I can pen you in," he said with a wink. Knowing that she would have to entice him before he gave in, she sat up and slowly slid out of bed.


    She could feel his eyes follow him as she slightly swayed her h.i.p.s and moved to her closet. She was stark n.a.k.e.d and in the dim light of the room, she looked absolutely divine. She bent over... of course, out of necessity. Her underwear drawer was at the very bottom and from behind her heard him choke.


    ''Good.'' A little teasing never hurt anyone. She pulled out a pretty pink pair of underwear which had cost her a pretty penny. She looked over her shoulder as she stepped into the panties and then shimmied them up her legs. His face was priceless. The bra came on too, even though she was slightly reluctant. Next, Katherine pulled out a pair of gym shorts she had never worn to gym (because she never really went to gym) and then an oversized t-shirt.


    ''She shouldn''t look this good.'' Cage thought with a pinched expression. Good thing he was headed to the shower or else he would have pounced on her. She must have been a little sore from how rough he had been with her before and he didn''t want her to hurt.


    What they had should never be brought in the same sentence as any sort of discomfort.


    "I''ll set up a movie or something while you shower and we wait for the food to be delivered." As he went to the bathroom, she went to the living room. The whole place was still in a bit of a mess, so she picked up after herself and looked around the room one final time before opening the television.


    She felt like watching an animated movie, something for kids, but she didn''t know if he would enjoy it. She could fall into the black hole of searching her memory and finding out if he liked a certain movie, but she had to restrain herself. She was not a fan any longer. She was his girlfriend who also happened to be a fan of his work. Now, she knew him and she wanted to know more about him.


    Within ten minutes, he was done.


    "Weren''t you a little too quick?" Her expression implied that she was unimpressed but he didn''t pay her mind. He hadn''t jerked off because he needed to save his energy. If he wasn''t reading her wrong, she wanted him as much as he wanted her.


    "Do you want to watch a Disney movie?" Katherine asked trepidly. He nodded vehemently.


    "Actually, it''s been a while since I watched something fun. What do you have?" She pointed him towards the shelf of DVDs. "Mm. You still buy DVDs. I don''t know what to say. You might as well be contributing significantly to my sales." He chuckled. She looked up and saw him pull out one of his movies.


    "I am a stalker fan. I thought you would already know that!" she said sassily. Feeling slightly playful, she smacked his ass again and tried to escape. Before she could get any further, he pounced on her and grabbed her.


    "Not so fast," he taunted.


    "You should be honored that I am the one paying for your salary. Wouldn''t you be broke without me streaming your movies thousands of times a year?"


    He laughed. "I really appreciate that." He kissed her cheek and then went back to perusing through the movies. "Let''s watch Beauty and the Beast?" he asked, pulling out the DVD. She nodded and took the offered box. Putting it into the DVD player, she held him by the wrist and dragged him to the couch. His arms lay on her shoulder, pulling her flush against his body as the credits started. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he asked her.


    "Do you have beer at home?" She nodded.


    "I love beer and wine. We always have it stocked in case the apocalypse happens and shops close down." Katherine extracted herself from Cage''s embrace and ran to the kitchen to grab a six-pack of beer. Hopefully, he would like this brand as much as she did.


    When she entered the room, the credits were still playing and his eyes were on her. "Is that any good?" he asked, his eyes squinted as he read the label.


    "They are a local brewery. Pretty cheap but tastes amazing." She paused to hand him a can. "Hope this is to your taste, Mr. Famous." Getting comfortable, far more than she should have been in this new relationship, she raised her feet over his thighs and looked at him coyly.


    He had an evil glint in his eyes that she couldn''t quite figure out. He placed a single cold digit on her bare thigh, the cold liquid from the can slowly dragging over her heated skin. She shivered but persisted.


    "Didn''t know you could stand my lechery," he said with confidence. Katherine perked up.


    "Speaking of lechery, do you think Stephen and Angelina are still alive?"

 Chapter 149 - Set Them Apart

    "Uh, don''t think so. Hopefully, they are alive." Cage seemed unbothered. His manager was a go-getter. So he was either slaughtered by Angelina or he successfully convinced her. The result remained to be seen.


    "Where is your phone?" Katherine asked slowly, knowing she hadn''t brought hers along or looked at it since morning.


    "On your table?" he answered, unsure himself. She scurried away and brought back two cellphones and handed his back. He unlocked the phone and started to laugh. "See this," he told her, pointing the screen at her.


    "She is so hot. I want to marry her. I think she will kill me, though." Katherine snorted.


    "He thinks he will marry her? This fast?" Cage shrugged.


    "My parents always say that when you meet the person you will spend the rest of your life with, you just know." Katherine mulled over that sentence for a bit, unsure of whether she believed it or not. "I know you are it for me. I don''t need to look anymore." Her eyes watered and she looked at him with an unreadable expression. She didn''t know what to say.


    "But we are different," she whined. Her friend had been recently jilted and the actions she took couldn''t be considered optimal. Yes, she was in the same situation and she clearly knew how that would have turned out where is not for Cage coming to her.


    "We aren''t that different if you think about it," he supplied helpfully. "While Stephen and I have vastly different personalities, some of what we believe does overlap. He is a player through and through. When he says he wants to marry her, I know he is being serious. He actually feels that way." But the human heart was fickle and could change at any time. Just because he thought Angelina was his soulmate now didn''t mean he would feel the same way after a certain period of time.


    Katherine had to think about what made Cage and her different. She had said this herself and she couldn''t take back the cynical thoughts that passed through her mind when she thought about Angelina and Stephen. Then... what set them apart?


    She came to a conclusion. There was this indefinable feeling of rightness when they were together. From the very start, it had been the same way. Moreover, they had spent months talking to each other, getting to know each other, both the devious and the person. That could count for something.


    On the other hand, she also knew that even their relationship was not long enough to know for sure that they were meant to be together. She sometimes wondered how all these people who had happy marriages come to the conclusion.


    To get his opinion on the matter, she voiced the words in her mind. "We have been talking for a while now..." She trailed off.


    "Sometimes time is not a defining factor in these things. Some people get married within weeks of dating while others take years to know each other and finally marry. In both situations, it can go bad or be a fairytale." He paused and took her hand in his big one. "Take us for example. We fell in love online, does that mean that it isn''t valid?"


    "Of course, it is!" she protested vehemently. Cage squeezed her hand, trying to calm her down.


    "I know you are feeling a little angsty not only because of Angelina but because it brings into question a lot of the issues you faced in the past. Jonathan must be a great source of pain for you even though you moved on from him and I know that no amount of conversations can fully make you believe in a long-lasting happy relationship. So I can only hope that I can stay by your side and slowly prove it to you throughout our lives."


    "Sometimes, I can''t fathom that you are real." She saw a slight change in his expression and retracted. "No, you know what I mean, right? Yes, this is all real... but not even in anyone''s wildest dreams do they think that something of this sort can happen." Cage slowly leaned, bridging the gap between them and placing his lips gingerly on hers.


    Katherine closed her eyes instantly and hummed in happiness, all her worries melting away with the slow movement of their lips. His fingers brushed across her cheek. She felt this overwhelming need to open her eyes and look at him, so she did just that. She was greeted with the sight of his eyes flashing back at her.


    She felt a laugh bubble at her throat and they pulled away, both laughing.


    "What a pair of psychopaths we are, kissing with our eyes open." The love in his eyes was overwhelming. He probably already loved her and she found it hard to wrap her mind around it. Yes, she felt it when he touched her. The words almost seemed to be screamed at her.


    "It seems you will have to put up with me for a very long time," he said with a goofy smile and she found herself mirroring him. ''Anyday,'' she thought.


    "You won''t find me complaining," she said, resting her head on the crook of his neck. ''Why is this so comfortable?'' she thought absentmindedly.


    They finally looked at the movie. "I think you know already, but I will start filming in a couple of months. It''s going to take three or so months for it to wrap up, so I will have to leave you alone." She felt a stifling in her heart.


    "Three months? Or more?" she said in a soft voice. How would she survive so long without seeing him?


    "It''s not that far from H City, but I really want you to come to visit me sometimes. I know you would love to get to know my crew and see me in action." So fast. He was even thinking about introducing her to his inner circle.


    "You''d really want that?"

 Chapter 150 - Wanted To Be A Nun

    "I always want to be with you. Of course, I would take you with me. But I know you have responsibilities here, so I won''t whisk you away and hog all your time." He patted her cheek gently with his palm, an affectionate gesture she had not expected him to show.


    "I don''t think I would be able to afford living in hotels or that long either. I am okay staying here." His hand paused on her cheek.


    "I invited you, so all your expenses will be on me." That was final.


    "But-" She didn''t want to seem like she was taking advantage of him just because he had more money than her.


    "I am fortunately rich and I want to spend on you. To be honest, I never knew what to do with the money and I am glad I can now spend on things I actually want."


    "I am unsure about this. Are you saying you want me or that I am your possession? Also, just because you have money doesn''t mean you don''t let me have an equal footing in the relationship." Finances. That was always a huge issue that couples fought over. Might as well sort it out before things got messed up.


    "No. I Just never really had anything that I wanted to spend my money on. Apart from the house and car I brought to keep up appearances, I don''t really spend much. I just buy games sometimes and never get to play them. Spending on you will make me happy. Don''t you want to see me happy?" The look he gave her could have melted the heart of a cold CEO; of course, she was a foregone case.


    "Is that look supposed to work?" Katherine asked, stealing her heart from the onslaught of cuteness that was to come.


    "It was supposed to work but you managed to evade the attack. Impressive."


    "No," she told him with a stern look. "I know you want to invite me for the whole shoot." He looked startled. "You want to be with me all the time and I don''t have any responsibilities here, I work remotely. But you are considering my pride in the matter." He smiled softly.


    "Ah, you caught me." Katherine was mildly surprised by how much he knew her already. She was with the man of her dreams and he wasn''t completely wrong in wanting to spend on her, dang, if she had any resources she would want to spend them on him, as well. But that was not the case. Katherine wanted to see him and it was a matter of pride, not wanting him to pay for her. So she had to compromise.


    "How about it? I pay for our food and where we go and you pay for accommodation?" It was the first draft. A more long term agreement would consist of them talking about their income and setting up protocol about spending and saving. For now, this was fine.


    "Deal," he said after some thinking. There was a knock at the door and Cage looked at the clock. "The restaurant sure took their sweet time." Katherine ran to the door, taking her purse from the table and opened the door slightly.


    She blinked a couple of times when she saw who was on the other side. Nathaniel Brown.


    What had possessed her to think that she had outrun him with her little stunt?


    She looked down to see him holding a paper bag with the logo of the restaurant she ordered from.


    "Uh, I thought you were a bartender?" She didn''t want to assume anything. Maybe he needed two jobs. She felt so bad after the words came out of her mouth.


    "Oh yeah, the owner of the bar started his own cloud kitchen, I saw that you had ordered and tod them I would deliver." Nathaniel smiled, but nothing about this was pleasant to Katherine. It was wrong for him and the owner to let this happen. In all rights, it was creepy of him to come over when he wasn''t the one who should have done the job. Her address was now known by this guy, and she never wanted that to happen.


    He was not a stalker by any means, but... it was a matter of discomfort.


    "I''m sorry, you shouldn''t have come," she said firmly. "How much do I owe you?" She put her purse in view to make some distance between the two.


    "Babe, do you need change?" I heard from the living room. I turned and glared at him, knowing he had overheard the conversation and thought to interject. He probably didn''t know what was happening but must have picked up from her tone of voice.


    "It''s okay!" she called back. She turned around to find Nathaniel''s ashen face. "Here you go," she said, estimating what the cost could be and adding to it just in case.


    "No need," he said, distracted. His line of sight was over her shoulder as he tried to peer into the room. Katherine tried to block his view. "Uh. I thought you wanted to be a nun?"


    She heard a soft snort from beside her and her eyes widened. A hand was caressing the small of her back as she faced this man who had tried to pursue her. She didn''t look at the man who was hiding behind the door and listening to everything.


    She could imagine him, leaning against the wall with a smirk as he remembered everything he had done to her a few hours ago.


    "I''m sorry. I wanted to say no in a better way, but my personality is such..." she trailed off.


    "You could have said that..." ''I did,'' she thought sourly.


    "In all fairness, I did say I was going to be the bride of god..." she stopped, wondering if she should go there. "I admit that my boyfriend is nothing short of that." The hand on her back stopped for a second before it was gone. She was mildly confused before she felt his chest pressed against hers and his arms circling her waist.

 Chapter 151 - Cat Cage

    She squealed in surprise, sounding like a pig being slaughtered to her own ears.


    "Hey, thanks for bringing the food, man." Trying to sound like a bro, Cage? Katherine felt him press his head in the crook of her neck and almost grew scared that he had given his identity away. But then she felt the material of his hoodie and sighed. Thank god he wore this and not something else.


    "Uh, yeah..." Nathaniel stared, dumbfounded. She supposed her clothes didn''t say much about what they had been doing either. It screamed of easy access.


    "I''m starving," Cage whined. The vibration of his voice against her skin made her think he was purring.


    ''Cat Cage sounds like he wants to eat me.'' She thought. ''I don''t mind one bit. I will offer up a limb if he wants me to.'' As she was thinking this, she looked up at Nathaniel and saw his wide-eyed expression. She felt a little bad for him but she had made her disinterest clear from the very beginning. She was definitely not the kind to lead people on.


    "Thanks a lot, Nathaniel," Katherine said, making sure she used his full name and not the nickname he went by usually. Maintain distance.


    One arm left her waist and she saw it disappear behind her before he produced some notes and gave it. "Hey man, thanks so much." For some reason, Nathaniel took the extra money and then stepped back. He probably realized that he was better off being compensated with money when his heart was broken.


    "Bye," he said, his eyes darting between Cage and Katherine. With the goodbyes said, Katherine closed the door. She hurriedly turned to him and saw his expression.


    "What was that?" Katherine had somehow thought that he would be upset but he simply looked concerned.


    "He is the bartender at a place we frequent and he asked me out." Cage''s frown deepened. "Angelina called him when I went to watch your movie and he fell asleep. We had a long conversation about why I couldn''t accept his affections."


    "And now he appeared on your doorstep." He flung the hoodie open and then sighed. "Do you need me to fend him off?" She chuckled at his response.


    "I think your little act did well enough." She paused and looked at his hair. "You didn''t have to jeopardize your identity like that. Even though your face was hidden, the hood could have come off any second and your hair is a dead giveaway."


    "Well, you could have just flaunted me on your arm. I would have loved that." He winked at her. "I really hate it that I couldn''t introduce myself." He made a face. She took his wrist and sat down on the couch. Pulling out the boxes, Katherine handed him the plate and plastic cutlery.


    "Eat," she commanded as she opened her box and dug in. She was beyond famished. "I know you are frustrated. I am too. But it is too early to come out. You also need to talk to your people and make sure we do everything right."


    "It sucks, but I think it worked. He won''t be asking you out anymore." He growled and then pressed his lips against her cheek. She giggled and smacked his shoulder.


    "You are cute when you are jealous, but beware, I am not the kind who likes overly jealous guys." He pouted.


    "And here I thought I would pee on your leg and make sure the world knows you are mine. Way to pour water on my plans, little girl."


    "Cage, you don''t need to worry about me. Shouldn''t I-" he hurried to stop her mid-sentence.


    "No. There is nothing you need to worry about. I am yours completely. If someone comes between us you can sucker punch them. I will bail you out of jail." He looked so sure that she had to laugh. He haad set his plate aside and moved forward to take hers away too. "As ridiculous as it sounds, I am not capable of looking at other people anymore."


    Katherine stared at him with pleasure. He knew exactly what he needed to say. She couldn''t help but wonder if these lines came from movie scripts that he had received and he was ratting them off to her. Not that she cared. She could see that he meant it. As long as he was telling the truth, did it matter where the content came from?


    As her eyes filled with tears, she hurled herself into his arms. He held her tightly in his arms, swaying from side to side, comforting her for all he was worth. He would kiss the side of her head, the top, and then pull back suddenly to press a peck on her forehead. She casually stuck to him until her stomach growled and then laughed in unison.


    "How am I supposed to let you go now?" She whimpered softly. It had been just a day and she was attached to his presence. Habits formed over months, but here she was sure that it had happened in the span of a few hours. She wouldn''t survive the next three days. Damn it. The weekend seemed too far away.


    "I know how you feel. It feels like once I leave, we will never meet again or that I will wake up from a wonderful dream." If that happened, he would be crushed. How would he survive? Would they have been happier if their insecurities weren''t tying them down?


    Possibly.


    ''Katherine, wake up!'' the voice in her head said. ''Guys like Cage don''t exist. This is just a figment of your imagination.'' The evil voice was overwhelming at times, but now that she was in his arm, soaking in his warmth, it seemed to buzz in her head without overwhelming her.


    "This is real, Katherine." He squeezed her. "I''ll come back in two days and we will spend the vacation together. Believe me, you won''t be able to kick me from your side after that." Sounding so proud, Cage looked at her.


    "You better not leave."


    ''Not unless you want to. I would let you go then.''

 Chapter 152 - Watch The Stars

    "Do you think I am insane? Why would I push you away from my side?" She rolled her eyes. "You can call the psychiatric ward and sign me up if I ever say anything of the sort. I give you full authority."


    "I''ll draw up a contract to bind you to your words," he said, pretending to be serious. "Do you want me to record you saying it, just in case?"


    "Here I thought you would like to record me when I come," she said coyly. She hunched over his lap and got the plate from the other side. He was blinking, stunned for a second before he regained composure.


    "Little girl, don''t play with fire," he warned, his voice scratchy with need. "Anyway, most of my life is on camera, so I am not a fan of recording my private time, especially if it is with you." He was avoiding the topic of intimacy in this conversation which was fascinating to Katherine. But she understood. "But I would take videos if you want me to," he tried to say it lightly.


    "Don''t worry, I am not that much of a risk-taker. I don''t want my private moments splashed around the internet. Nothing is secure these days." He nodded.


    "Damn right, no one gets to see you." He pawed her thigh before taking his own plate and starting to eat again.


    "Now, no more tears. We''re going to have 5 days to ourselves at the cabin and then a couple of weeks during my shooting. It''s going to be amazing." Katherine nodded.


    "I just realized that I need to call my mother and tell her that I won''t come home for the long weekend. She actually invited me home."


    "You should find some time to go back, actually," he suggested, pointing his fork at me. "Did you tell her about your plans?"


    "I did say things weren''t working out in my favor with you. So, I need to tell her that as well, or else she will worry."


    "You told her about me?" he asked, surprised.


    "And you told your parents about me." She actually felt very happy about that. Though they had just started to date, the fact that their parents knew was a positive sign that both of them took this seriously.


    "I am going to have to explain that I am going on a vacation with you and living in your hotel room." She contemplated. "Oh, it is going to take a lot of convincing, actually. My mother will still be okay with it, but my dad is protective. He still thinks that I am a little girl and that all the boys are out to get me."


    "You''re lucky your dad thinks that way," he commented. The movie was going on in the background but neither of them took notice of it.


    "He also thinks that men and women should live separately and abstain before marriage." His fork stopped mid-air and he looked at her incredulously. "I''m not kidding." He looked thoughtful for a moment.


    "I was going to suggest that we bring him along with us for the trips but then I realized I would have to sneak into your room after he fell asleep." Katherine snickered at the image. "That would not be fun. And I know dads have superpowers so we would never succeed." The conviction with which he was thinking it through was too endearing for him.


    "At least my dad doesn''t own a gun."


    "Well, he would need to fly out to the city, and guns aren''t allowed on planes anyway." He shrugged.


    "He could have taken a train. They don''t check for guns." He looked startled.


    "Seriously?" he asked. She nodded vehemently.


    "This just shows you have never been on a train before." She scoffed.


    "Well, I wouldn''t be traveling on the train with a gun, to begin with." He paused and glared at her. "You are distracting me from the crux of the matter. I will not invite your father to our getaway at the mountains."


    "Don''t worry, I''ll just talk to them and let them know I have been living away from them too long and my virtues have been gone for too long." He chuckled.


    "I could talk to him too, you know..." He trailed off. Katherine gave him a look.


    "And what would you tell him, ''Hey Mr. Austen, I promise not to put my p.e.n.i.s in your daughter''s v.a.g.i.n.a. I just want to hold her hand and watch the stars.''" She even mimicked his voice. Cage had to admit, it was a good attempt.


    "Hey!" he protested. "How do you know that is not what I want? I want to hold your hand and watch the stars..." he grumbled.


    "Sure, while you are screwing my brains out," Katherine scoffed.


    "True," he admitted. "I wouldn''t want to make any promises I can''t keep. That will just lower my credibility in front of your father. But I am good with parents. I have a likable face." Cage smiled at her as if to show her exactly what he meant.


    "You may have a likable face, but you would be going as my boyfriend. There is no way he would like you." He rolled his eyes. He looked too confident of himself.


    "My mom would totally like you. I saw a couple of your movies with her and she thinks you have the voice and body right. She would approve as long as you brought your physical appearance to the table. But then again, you are good to me, too. She would totally approve." Katherine slurped on a spaghetti. "My dad, though..."


    "He must have seen my movies too, right?" he asked. Katherine''s dad liked old action movies with zero physics application so, Cage''s movies were probably not what he enjoyed.


    "Probably not. He might have heard your name from my mouth, but he ignores almost everything we say, so I wouldn''t hope for much." Cage cursed under his breath. "How does it feel to be a common man meeting his girlfriend''s parents?" She asked slyly.


    "It is still a long shot. We will do it when the time comes!"

 Chapter 153 - Fingers Crossed

    "Don''t think you can escape from meeting my parents either. My mom wants to meet you too." Katherine stiffened.


    "Yeah, she asked Stephen to take a picture of me. He asked for my permission, so don''t worry." Cage groaned.


    "Oh god, I am so sorry. She is really involved in our lives. But don''t worry, my mom has a soft spot for you because you love me... and I love you."


    "And you''ve already had this conversation. I hear she can be really scary. Should I be afraid of her?" she asked. Cage shook his head.


    "She does everything to keep Dad and me in line, but in reality, she is a real softie. You will love her." He took another forkful and put it into his mouth. How does he look so good eating spaghetti? Or maybe she was biased.


    "Did she know that the relationship with Keira was fake?" That seemed like a safe question to ask.


    "Uh, she did know, but I don''t think she believed it." He chuckled. "She still asks me about Keira. Dinners are colorful, too. You know, my mom doesn''t really swear, so she comes up with funny alternatives to curse words and screams them at the top of her lungs."


    His eyes glittered as he spoke about his mom.


    "Looking at how dirty you can talk, you didn''t learn from her," Katherine teased. Cage smirked and turned to her with a sly expression.


    "Of course. I don''t show her this side of me... and if I did, that would be illegal." His brows scrunched up as he made an expression of disgust. "She would wash my mouth with soap if I ever slipped up in front of her." He shuddered to drive the point home.


    "Good thing you are an actor and have excellent restraint." She pouted.


    "Is that a complaint I hear?" Cage teased.


    "Any way... Did your mother like her... Keira, I mean?" she amended. He shook his head.


    "She supported me in her own way, but she was upset that I was associated with that woman. But she pretended to be okay with it until recently. Now she hates him. I don''t think she even watched my movie because she was in it." Katherine couldn''t help but laugh. She had to give it to Keira... even though Katherine hated her for what she did to Cage, she had to thank her for pushing Cage to her. It was harsh to say, but if Keira hadn''t been a pain in the ass, the course of their relationship might have been very different.


    She would like to think that they would have ended up together at every turn, but who knows... the universe worked in a weird way.


    "In all truth, I hate her too. So, I have something in common with your mother." Cage snorted.


    "Well, you two will get along just fine. Both of you love me and share a hatred towards Keira Higgins. I can''t see how you two won''t be civil." He grinned.


    "Okay, let''s not think about meeting the parents just yet. We''ll figure that out at some point. First, let''s enjoy our time together."


    Yes, now she had to think about all the ways they could spend their time together.


    Okay, she needed to think of things that were not s.e.x. But it would be really hard. ''If you get my drift,'' she thought to herself.


    "Oh, tell me about your father," she asked him, trying to distract herself from the train of thought she was going under.


    "My father is a very happy go lucky sort of a person. He is a composer by profession as you already know and he often directs for classical music concerts. As such, he is nothing like the usual solitary genius image that we have of someone in his profession. He likes to throw house parties and if you don''t find him in bed at night, he is probably in front of the television watching sports or those wedding dress choosing shows."


    Katherine almost choked on her food. She was gasping, trying to hold back her laugh.


    "He has the most epic dad jokes, but beware, it shouldn''t be my mother who you worry about... the planning of parties, weddings of every relative I have? My dad did it. He loves planning these things. He has a maniacal look in his eyes every time the holidays arrive."


    "I am not much of a party or celebration sort of a person. So... I will try to hide in a corner."


    "He''ll love you, too," he reassured her.


    "I hope so. I have my fingers crossed." She sighed. Putting her plate aside, she cuddled into Cage''s side and tried to watch the movie. She noticed that he was a slow eater. No, not because he was talking to her, but in general. Another thing to know about Cage: he eats slowly and in measured quantities. He needed to watch his figure, so she understood.


    She wouldn''t mind if he let go a bit, but his job demanded it, so she would support him. She thought about it for a minute and came to the conclusion that she would also follow his diet... to some degree. That was what a supportive girlfriend would do.


    He finally ate the last bit of food and then put his plate down. Now that his hand was free, he kept it around her.


    "We just wasted electricity. We never did watch the movie," Katherine sighed as she moved forward to take the plates. Cage got up with her and beat her to it.


    "I''ll be doing the dishes," he told her and despite her protests, kept the plates high over her head and made his way to the kitchen. She followed slowly, a smile spreading across her lips when she saw him humming and washing the plates.


    "You do know that you could throw the containers away, right?" Katherine suggested, leaning against the frame of the entrance. He chuckled and looked at her from over his shoulders.

 Chapter 154 - To Be Dominated

    "I got a peek into the refrigerator. Most of the containers you use are from takeout. So, I thought you would want to save these." He had a confident look in his eyes and surely she couldn''t refute. What he said was the truth. They recycled old boxes every few weeks and they ate out enough to have backups.


    "You''re very observant. And a smartass." She stuck her tongue out. He turned around with a smirk on his face. "The dishwashing liquid is on the open shelf near your head." He looked up immediately and muttered thanks.


    "Do you do all the dishes at home?" she asked.


    "Yeah. Apart from the housekeeper who comes twice a week, I do everything myself. I like privacy and freedom." So independent and down to earth, she thought to herself with a satisfied sigh. "I really wanted to watch that movie," he said suddenly. "But I like watching you more. So, we need to set up a date when we can have a movie marathon."


    Her cheeks flushed with delight as she neared him and hugged him from the back.


    "You like watching me?" She pressed the side of her face against her back and clasped his waist tightly. Feeling her hot breath against his back, he chuckled and wiped his hands on his pants before pressing it over hers. Unclasping them, he turned around and took her into his embrace.


    "Yes, I like watching you. I would also like to watch you touch yourself." Her breath rushed out of her lungs as he said that.


    "Now?" she asked tentatively. She would oblige at any time. The deepening of his voice showed that he was as stimulated as her, but what part of washing dishes got them going, neither of them knew.


    He looked at the cute pout on her lips.


    "Well, if you touch yourself, I will have to touch myself, too." She nodded vehemently loving that idea. Her eyes glittered at the thoughts... the possibilities that lay ahead. She had imagined it too many times and she just had to see it for herself. "So, no. I want to do something different." She deflated.


    Seeing this, he patted her head to reassure her. "Just so you know, when we do it, I will lose your lotion and not mine. That way I can smell like you long after we are done."


    "That sounds nice," she said. But the whine in her voice was evident. This little girl was beyond dissatisfied.


    "Actually, I will buy a couple of bottles for when I am away. That way I will smell like you all the time. I''ll get to feel like I am always with you and everyone else will know that I am taken," he said, moving back to look at her expression more carefully. Katherine was far from a spoilt brat, but this expression of hers made Cage want to spoil her to bits. He wanted to give her everything.


    "You don''t need to buy it. I have a stockpile of lotion I brought when it was on sale. You can take those. Actually, you know what? Just tell me when you are out of stock and I will replenish it for you." Cage grinned. So his little girl was easily placated.


    "I will remember to do that." He patted the top of her head again, mussing it up further. "I''ve heard your toys over call, so seeing them in action... you using them on yourself will be a great pleasure. But right now, I think I want to explore something else with you." He''d thought about it a bit and they had discussed it. Neither of them had experience in it but her spanks had sparked an idea in his mind.


    "What?" Color her interested. She waited patiently for him to speak further.


    "Would you like to be dominated?" his voice was low, holding no persuasion in it. This was her decision. If she said no, he wouldn''t talk about it ever again. Her face was expressionless, but he could see that Katherine was mulling over the idea in her head.


    "In theory, I really like the idea. I want to see what it feels like. But no wh.i.p.s and chains. I don''t think I will enjoy pain." She looked at him with an interested gaze. "What do you have in mind?" She had read enough books to know that these things could go south really quickly, so she wanted to get a download on his ideas before saying yes.


    "I was mildly jealous that so many flies are hovering all around you and wanted to punish you a little." She shifted back when she saw the cunning look in Cage''s eyes. The devious look held the promise of pain and pleasure. "The punishment will cause you little to no pain, but I promise a lot of pleasure." She squinted her eyes at him.


    "Safewords," she said slowly. He nodded.


    "Let''s go simple. Red for ''stop''. Yellow for ''I am uncomfortable, let''s talk,'' and green for ''go-ahead''." Seemed pretty simple. She nodded her head.


    "Go inside. I need to get in character." He tilted his head towards the direction of her room. She followed without question.


    "What do you want me to do?" she asked softly just as she was about to enter the room.


    "Wait." She opened the door and shut it behind her. The room was shrouded in darkness. She sighed and tried to find her way around, not knowing if she was allowed to turn on the lights. She would be getting a taste of his acting live... and she couldn''t wait.


    Behind her, the door opened and a streak of light shined on the ground. She turned back and was immediately blinded by the light. He had switched on the lights. She squinted as she looked at him.


    "Hi," she said, breathlessly. On the other side of the open door, Cage stood with a wicked smile on his lips. Katherine raised her head to meet his eyes. They looked dangerous. Her eyes fell to his body and the way he carried himself. She couldn''t put her finger on it. Something had changed about him. She wanted his body flush against hers... that was the reaction she had to him.


    "Hi, Katherine." With that, he took a solitary step forward. Reaching out, he slowly pulled the door and let it close behind him.

 Chapter 155 - Exquisite

    Katherine takes a moment to take in his presence. His hooded shirt stuck to his body like a sheath and she could see every muscle he had worked out for years peering through. The strings to his pants hung, peeking from under the shirt and enticing her. And the pants themselves? They hung dangerously low. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than him to grab her and push her against the wall... or better, throw her on the bed.


    She thought back to the conversation outside, about him having control over her s.e.x.u.a.lly... just for once and she felt her stomach tighten with need. She had thought about it and she had relished in the thought before, but now that it was happening, it was a strange mixture of fear and anticipation bubbling inside her.


    He had morphed himself into the role. His gait and mannerisms resembled that of a predator stalking his prey. And in this case, Katherine was his prey. His eyes alit with desire, his arms behind him as he calculated what he was about to do next.


    In reality, he was going to make up the scene as he went, but he knew the important aspects that he wanted to be added to it.


    "Take off your clothes," he commanded. The confident tone with which he said it made her shiver. Cage was usually flirty and funny, but this tone told Katherine that he meant business. Katherine was mildly confused because she always believed herself to be an independent and strong woman who didn''t want to be controlled. She had imagined how it would be, sure... the plethora of books on the subject had made her fantasize, but she hadn''t thought it would affect her this much.


    His taking control like this was undeniably s.e.xy. If he was s.e.x on legs before, Cage was now a nuclear bomb.


    "Go," he said, brushing her hand on Katherine''s cheek before dragging it down her arm. His hand found their way to her ass and he smacked lightly, showing her a glimpse of what was to come.


    She took a step back and without another word, started to take off her top. The whole process lasted no more than thirty seconds and if this had been a different scene, she would have teased him. This, she knew, wouldn''t float in this situation.


    She was still wearing the matching pair of underwear which she had slowly and s.e.xily put on after they had woken up from their post-coital nap. The fabric was smooth against her skin, part of the reason why she had brought it. In a world where finding the right bra was more difficult than finding a good man, this bra had fit her perfectly. At the steep price tag, it was still worth it.


    Too engrossed in her own act of disrobing, she had not noticed how he had also taken the opportunity to pull his shirt off. It lay near his feet. The muscles that hid under the fabric were now in display and it was nothing short of luscious. She could see the soft trail of hair disappearing into his pants.


    He c.o.c.ked his head to a side. Wordlessly, Katherine waited for him to order her. "Place your hand on the wall and don''t look back." It took her a beat to fully grasp what he wanted and she showed signs of suspicion. His eyes flashed with anger, but he remained calm on the surface. Katherine was almost surprised to see this expression. She had not seen it out of the movies.


    Remembering that he could punish her for hesitating, she scurried away and faced the wall. It took her some time to suck in a breath and plant her hands firmly on either side of her head.


    Her heart raced, going a mile a minute as several outcomes flashed through her mind. ''What will he do to me?''


    "Spread your legs." His voice was firm with a hint of coldness to it. She extended her legs and then waited. "More," he commanded. She shuddered and then did as he said. Standing there, almost splayed and waiting to find out what he would do was excruciating. She could almost hear the cogs in his mind turning as he plotted what he would do next.


    She heard him step towards her and then press his lips between her shoulder blades. This was the very spot that grew so sensitive when even a drop of water fell on it and here he was, lighting her on fire just with a simple kiss on the very same spot. He had somehow figured out the right buttons to press, or he had read a book about all the spots and was experimenting to see which would make her react the most. She felt his breath on her skin and after a moment, she heard him take in a deep breath, relishing her scent.


    She imagined that she still smelled like him, considering that he had been the only one who showered after they woke up. Now that she thought about it, he did shower an awful lot. How much does he need to pay in a month for the water bill?


    ''Concentrate, Katherine.'' As she said that, she finally felt him touch her. He grasped her shoulders gently, traveling up her forearms and them helping her resituate them. Then, his hands drifted to her sides, slowly caressing the side of her b.r.e.a.s.ts, the curve of her h.i.p.s, before he finally rested his hand on the sides of her ass.


    "Relax your body. Your posture tells me you have no discipline. If you keep standing like this, you''ll have joint pains before you are forty." She stared at the wall blankly. ''He sure went into doctor mode. Are we playing Doctor and is he examining me? Or is he telling me this out of general concern?'' She didn''t even know what to think.


    Nonetheless, she relaxed. Katherine heard him mutter an approval before she felt his hands cup her ass. His face was still between her shoulder blades and she felt the wet sensation of his tongue darting out and touching her skin for the fraction of a second.


    "F.u.c.k.i.n.g exquisite."

 Chapter 156 - Not Allowed *

    She couldn''t help but m.o.a.n. She was about to turn her head when he stopped her, pressing his palm on the side of her head and turning it back towards the wall.


    "I asked you not to turn around," he warned. Katherine''s eyes widened. He sounded angry and by the way he moved away, both his hands and lips no longer in contact with her, she knew that he must have been.


    "I''m sorry, please touch me," she whimpered.


    "Hush," he whispered near her ear, surprising her. His hand was in her hair, softly stroking the strands. "Don''t worry. You will ask me to stop touching you by the end of the night."


    He rubbed large circles on her ass, from the top and down to her thighs and then back up again. The hypnotic rhythm kept her calm but also shaking with anticipation. His warm palm grazed against her panties and she shifted just a little bit. He paused in his track, if only for a split second before he started to move again. Just when she was about to m.o.a.n she felt a sharp sting.


    Smack.


    Without warning, his hand had come down on her barely clad ass. The sting was sharp but mostly from surprise. The sound had been a dud. She yelped in surprise and jumped.


    ''Holy shit.''


    He shushed her again and then the next blow came.


    "Breathe," he advised her calmly. She sucked in a large breath and focused on the sting on her ass. It was frightful how turned on she was. Her panties which had been dry a few minutes ago were probably drenched and her mind spun in anticipation of the next spank.


    Smack.


    She shudders. She turned back and looked at him. His eyes were filled with darkness and for a second she was stunned. Cage shook his head in disappointment.


    "I told you... Not. To. Look." His mouth was so close to hers that if she moved just a little bit, she could have pressed her lips against his.


    Smack.


    Her eyes widened, her m.o.a.n stuck in her throat as she stared into his dark, bottomless eyes. She turned around reluctantly, knowing that the punishment would only go on if she didn''t follow his rules. No, this punishment was not about pain, she understood. This was about keeping her from getting her own pleasure. Cruel man.


    His lips were at her neck instantly, slowly sucking on the spot under her ears as he continued to draw circles on her ass, soothing the sting from his own hit.


    Smack.


    "You like it rough, don''t you?" Cage whispered directly into her ears. She gulped just in time.


    Smack.


    Oh god, how she wanted to answer him but her throat was dry and she didn''t even know if she was allowed to speak. Her breathing was uncontrollable and her head swam in a flurry of thoughts that she couldn''t discern one from another.


    What are the rules of this game? Are we even playing a game? She was too confused.


    As if sensing her confusion, he suddenly stopped. The tone of his voice morphed into that of Cage, her Cage, the one who made her feel comfortable.


    "Do you remember your safe words?" It took her a moment to respond. He waited patiently for her, knowing that he would have to stop if she didn''t answer. He didn''t want her too overwhelmed. This was all to bring her pleasure and see if she enjoyed it. This was to see how he would react. Without her explicit consent, he would do nothing, even if it meant stopping mid-way.


    "Mm," she answers, almost sluggishly. He took a step to the side and saw her biting her lips with her eyes closed.


    "Tell me."


    "Red. Yellow. Green," she breathed.


    "Are where on that scale are you?"


    "Green. Always." He sighed in relief. He took a few seconds to get back into character.


    To Katherine, the pause felt too long. She got concerned. Was he not going to spank her anymore? But then she felt his lips back against her neck.


    "You''re terrible at taking orders. I asked you a question. You like it rough, don''t you?" Katherine could feel the hardness of his chest flush against her back. His hands were on her shoulders, keeping her in place.


    "I like it hard," she said with a gulp, wondering if there were any repercussions. He let go of her in an instant, instead, grabbing her wrist and twirling her around to face him. His eyes were slightly widened with l.u.s.t.


    "Hard, you say?" He asks, a threat in his voice. Katherine nodded vehemently, letting her confidence flourish. ''Very well,'' Cage thought. ''I''ll give you just that.''


    She moved her fingers forward and hooked her hand on his pant, wanting to pull it down and let his c.o.c.k out. She felt the overwhelming need to taste and see every inch of him.


    "You''re not allowed to do that," he said gruffly, swatting her hand away. She pouted but didn''t go further. Within the blink of an eye, his weight was on her, her body crushed between his hard body and the wall. He took her face between her palms and kissed her. She had heard of toe-curling kisses in books and movies, but now she was experiencing it for herself. Katherine found herself m.o.a.ning, unable to keep from sneaking her tongue out and gently licking the side of his lips when he pulled away for the fraction of a second. She was incredibly aroused, filled to the brim with raw l.u.s.t and need. Cage reached up to cup her clothed b.r.e.a.s.t in his hands, massaging it roughly.


    She hadn''t noticed it before but his hands were slightly rough. And they still felt incredible. His tongue dominated hers, setting the pace: fast and ferocious. He wouldn''t let her escape. The message was clear: surrender to me and I will give you the pleasure you want.


    If it were any other time, she would say that this kiss would sustain her for eternity. But right then, she could feel his hard c.o.c.k pressed against her stomach, slowly grinding against her, seeking friction.

 Chapter 157 - Bit Me *

    When he pulled away, she was gasping for air. "How hard do you expect I will f.u.c.k you?" he asked, keeping his weight on her, one arm on her waist and the other beside her head. She gulped as she silently watched him.


    Her cheeks flushed slightly at the thought and she stayed mum.


    "Are you going to pretend to be shy after you claimed you wanted to be f.u.c.k.i.e.d hard and fast?" His tone was gruff and full of mirth, but it was unlike his usual flirty sense. That added with his filthy mouth made her want to curl up under her sheets and let him screw her senseless.


    Her eyes locked on his, she blurted out, "Rough." And then she gasped, wanting to slap her mouth. Of course, he knew what she wanted. This was just a means to get her to say it out loud. They had experience hard f.u.c.k.i.n.g, but he hadn''t given it to her rough. His extreme tenderness even when he was in character made her wonder what it would feel like. She was looking forward to it.


    He picked her up effortlessly. She wound her leg around his waist but when he walked over to the bed, he reached back and unclasped her legs. He threw her on the bed, making her bounce slightly before she propped herself up on her elbows and scooted up towards the headboard. He sat on his knees and loomed over her, just looking at her half-n.a.k.e.d body.


    Seeing him scrutinizing her, Katherine hooked her hand on her bra and started to slide off one strap. His hands came up to stop her as he leaned down and kissed her unapologetically. His body lay on top of her, and the stunned Katherine could see the fire blaze in his eyes before she shut it in pleasure. It was a long and satiating kiss. As they embroiled in themselves, he had parted her knee with his body and found his place there.


    She reached up to run her hand over her shoulder. He pulled away and shook his head.


    "You''re not allowed to touch." He looked straight into her eyes as he said the next part. "You or me."


    She sucked in a breath and was about to protest but then stopped herself. Surely, he was doing this to torture her.


    "You said you would want to watch," she whined. Her lip was trapped between her teeth as she appealed to him. He tapped on her lip, a warning.


    "Don''t bite your lip." She let it go immediately. "I''ll be the one to get you off." His words were dirty, but when he swept an errant strand of hair away from her face, her heart filled with warmth. This touching moment was just the beginning to a very rough night... a good one.


    "Okay," she whispered. But her eyes held protest. He smirked as he placed a hand on the side of her mouth.


    "I will be the one to give you an orgasm." End of conversation. He was appraising her again. "Your lavender panties look wonderful against the pink stain of your ass." He snickered. And she knew immediately.


    She was buzzing with excitement as he rolled her over. He was going to spank her as she lay down in bed. Would it be too wanton if she pled him to take her over his knees? She shook her head internally.


    She waited patiently for the sting but nothing came. Perplexed, she tried to turn around only to feel a sting.


    "Ow," she protested. ''He bit me!'' She felt the coolness of his kiss againt her skin and then settled down.


    "This should turn out beautifully by tomorrow morning." He seemed extremely satisfied with his work. She could feel his gaze on her and wiggled her ass a little, just for show. Cage chuckled, giving her ass a slight tap. "You''ll see it in the mirror tomorrow. And I promise you won''t forget a second of tonight."


    Katherine swallowed and nodded immediately. They hadn''t even begun and she already knew her mind was going to turn into mush by the end of the night.


    "Have you been a good girl?" he asks suddenly and she startles.


    ''Have I?'' she asks herself, thinking back to everything she has done. What would her rewards be if she was good and the punishment if she was bad?


    "Yes?" she said tentatively.


    "You need to be sure, Katherine. Were you good or not?"


    "Yes," she said with more vehemence. There was silence for a couple of seconds.


    "Jesus Christ. You look so delicious laying there... I can''t decide which part to eat first." She tried to sit up so that she could get closer to him but he pushed her back onto the bed. She pouted almost wanting to whine and writhe to drive the point across.


    ''Give me relief.''


    "I do love this bra, but we need to get rid of it." With a flick of his wrists, he pulls her body up just a little and unclasps the bra with no effort. In Katherine''s mind, this was his superpower, he could unclasp bras and make panties dissolve with a searing look.


    She waited with pouted lips to be kissed. "Patience," he reminded, laying her back down on the bed again.


    His mouth falls on her newly exposed b.r.e.a.s.ts, his warm tongue swiping over her flesh before he grazed the n.i.p.p.l.e with his tongue. The hardened peak reacted favorably, tightening up and sending jolts to where she needed him the most. She involuntarily thrust her chest out, giving him better access.


    She could feel him hum against her and she shivered. Her insides quaked as he continued. The sensations were aggressive and the pain was sending mixed signals throughout her body. His hand found its way down her thigh and opened them up.


    But where was she supposed to focus? It was a dual attack. His tongue was making circles around her n.i.p.p.l.e and then clamping shut over them to suck painfully hard.

 Chapter 158 - Sell My Soul *

    Katherine was a wet and m.o.a.ning mess. If this continued, her sheets would be soaked and not from their sweat.


    His patience was unwavering. He continued his ministrations without pause, not getting bored for a second. She had to wonder, was he a b.r.e.a.s.t man or an ass man? He seemed to like both equally. She would have to ask him to find out.


    She could tell by his pace that this was going to be an all-nighter. Part of her was worried that her friends would come back and hear her scream for dear life. Another part of her wondered if her neighbors would think she was being murdered. Then most of her just knew that she didn''t care.


    He planned for the long run whereas she was more oriented. When she was aroused, she did everything to reach orgasm but he... he would drag this out and make her beg.


    His hand was warm and heavy on her thigh and he was making good on his promise of a rough night. He was gripping her fiercely.


    He slid down her body, abandoning her b.r.e.a.s.ts, and used one palm to spread her apart further. This way, her wet panties were completely in her view. She could see the grin on his face and the anticipation in his eyes.


    ''Put your mouth on me,'' she wanted to scream, but she waited, wondering how long she would last before she writhed. She was scared that the moment he put his mouth on her, she would come. That would be too embarrassing.


    "Remind me to buy you more panties like this one," he m.o.a.ned. His mouth was at the edge of the panties and Katherine watched as he opened his mouth and took the edge of the material between his teeth.


    ''Cage, I swear to god, if you tear my panties...'' They were expensive... But on the other hand, he had promised to buy her new ones. He lifted the fabric off her skin and tugged at it in an attempt to pull them down. He tugged them down a bit but they didn''t quite move down her h.i.p.s. She helped him, more for her sake, my pushing the sides down and he took the rest. The panties slid down with the aid of his teeth, down her thighs. Her eyes widened at the sight. Once the panties were at her ankles, he swooped down and pulled them off, bringing them up so that he could see them properly.


    He must have seen the damage and smirked. He knew exactly what effect his spanks had on her.


    He swore under his breath and trailed kisses all over her legs and back up. In the end, he was close to where she wanted his mouth.


    "Did you say you wanted it hard?" he asked, mirth flashing in his body language.


    "Rough," she amended helpfully. He c.o.c.ked a brow and dove in.


    His mouth was on her p.u.s.s.y, his tongue assaulting her, pushing in and out of her in what she could only call tongue-f.u.c.k.i.n.g.


    ''Mother of God, where did he learn this? Was there a way this could be patented? Because damn, anyone would pay good money to learn this. F.u.c.k.i.n.g hell, I would sell my soul to get f.u.c.k.i.e.d like this once in a while.''


    If it continued, she would probably blackout or forget her name. Maybe both. ''Call me a doctor...''


    She gripped onto the sheets for dear life, her body twisting under his mouth as his tongue slid in and out of her wet s.e.x.


    The sounds she was making were inhuman to her ears, but who gave a f.u.c.k? Her legs were shaking in the tell-tale sign of her oncoming orgasm. Just as she was about to cry out his name in a plea, his hand shot up and grabbed her right b.r.e.a.s.t. She felt a stinging pain and yelped.


    She wanted to cry. He was doing this on purpose! He wanted to take her mind off the mind-numbing pleasure by giving her a little pain to put a stop to her orgasm. Moreover, the cunning man had her thigh in a vice grip ensuring that the delirious her couldn''t wrap her legs around his head and guide his movements,


    Katherine was heaving and writhing, losing her mind as he pushed his mouth harder against her, his tongue dipping inside her with intent.


    Involuntarily, her hand slid down her body and the solitary middle finger made contact with her swollen clit. This move as old as time would bring her to climax without his help. His eyes flew up and his mouth left her cleft immediately.


    "Damn it, Katherine," he growled. His hand came up to wipe at his lips, her juices still evident on them. The displeasure was clear in his voice. "I told you not to touch yourself."


    ''I never was one to follow instructions.'' She wanted to cry. She tried to sit up and he helped her to do so. With her wrist in his grasp, he flung her over his knees, completely n.a.k.e.d. Her ass was hanging in the air and the wetness of her p.u.s.s.y attracted the chill of the air. She was raw and exposed, her p.u.s.s.y still pulsing from his ministrations. One of his hands pressed down on her back, holding her down while the other dragged circles over her already pinked ass cheeks.


    She tried to squirm but he had her in a bind. Soon enough, he submitted and waited for the slaps to come.


    "Now, count every one," he instructed.


    Smack.


    She didn''t have enough time to process his instruction when his hand met her ass. It was harder than before. Last time, it was about testing the waters, seeing how wet she got. This time, he was punishing her. Did it hurt? Not really, but the intent was clear.


    "Count," he barked, startling her. She had forgotten. She tried to clear her mind and think of the number.


    ''What was it called?''

 Chapter 159 - So Eager *

    "One," she said finally and breathed a sigh of relief. Was she even audible, she wondered. She hoped.


    Smack.


    This time, he didn''t caress her to soften the blow.


    "Two." She could feel how aroused he was. His hardness was pressed up against her stomach. It twitched against her as the next blow came.


    Smack.


    He ran his hand up and down her thighs, giving her a little time to adjust. He had switched his blow.


    She thought for a long while, wondering which number comes after two. Her brain was blank and all she could think about was the sting on her skin and the emptiness in her stomach that needed to be filled. Even though she was being punished, she was still at the brink of an orgasm, and the spanks weren''t really helping her come down.


    She needed to c.u.m. Period.


    "What comes after two, love?" he coaxed. She shook her head. "What''s wrong?" he asked, a bit of concern leaking into his voice.


    "I don''t remember," she said truthfully. She heard him chuckle but she couldn''t even feel offended.


    "Okay, get up." He put his weight off her let her stand up. As she stood up, she saw him survey the room. "Where should I take you?" he mumbled to himself. Katherine waited patiently as his eyes zeroed in on the location.


    He took her wrist and guided her to her work desk. It was glass and she could only imagine the wet stains she was going to make when she sat on it. He moved forward and made sure all the things were kept away before placing her on the desk. The coolness of the glass against her stinging ass and warm thighs made her hiss. She didn''t even know if it felt good.


    He chuckled and pressed her chests together, kissing her slow and steadily. The passion was overwhelming. "I love you," she heard him say. The pain seemed to vanish instantaneously and she pressed their forehead together. Her hands wrapped around her shoulder and they just kissed for god knows how long. The heated urgency from before was gone and the thought that he had spanked her was dulled down. This? This was soft and steady, full of emotion.


    "Okay, Lean back," he ordered, finally pulling away. Dominant Cage was back. "You have a choice. You can watch me take off my pants or you can do it." Was this even a choice? Of course, she wanted to do it herself. She had been dying imagining it since he entered the room.


    She hooked her fingers through his waistband and waited for his approval. He nodded, urging her on. She slid her hands down, taking his pant down with it and watched in wonder as his c.o.c.k popped out, hard and dripping with pre-c.u.m.


    ''Happy you are as aroused as me, Master,'' she thought. She heard herself m.o.a.n out loud and wiggled on the desk.


    "So eager to be f.u.c.k.i.e.d," he growled. The promise in his voice made her s.e.x pulse uncontrollably.


    "Please?" she begged. Her voice was low and almost a whisper. It was the only option, really. She could have screamed but he might have thrown some more obstacles and not let her come at all.


    "You have to tell me what you want. Be articulate. You are an intelligent girl..." He had taken the opportunity to fully take off his pants and before she could answer him, her eyes fell on his c.o.c.k. He was stroking it. And f.u.c.k, if it wasn''t a sight to behold. His other hand was on her thigh and the slight shake of it let her know that he needed to be inside her as well.


    "Katherine, tell me what you want."


    "Please f.u.c.k me," she stumbled over her words. ''Just please f.u.c.k me already, or I will take your c.o.c.k and put it where it belongs!''


    Right, was this the part where she should start to beg? Because she really wanted to beg.


    He didn''t reply. He stepped forward and she braced herself in anticipation. ''He''s going to slam his c.o.c.k in me.'' But the f.u.c.ker simply rubbed the tip of his c.o.c.k at her entrance. At this point, she had a right to be angry. This was pure torture.


    Katherine was sure that he could feel her pulse. Their heads were down and both stared at the place they were almost joined. He rubbed it with up and down over and over again. Suddenly he stopped and pushed the tip against her. But alas, even though the tip entered her, he pulled away. Again, he continued the dance.


    ''Three. That is what comes after two. Damn it.''


    "Mm. Okay," he said. The silence between them had been long and she didn''t understand what he meant until he grunted and slammed his c.o.c.k into her. The force made her throw her head back. It hurt when it hit the wall behind her but she didn''t make a sound. Her hand flew to the glass and she tried to hang on for dear life. The surface was too slippery so she tried to hold onto the wall.


    The grunts overwhelmed the room. His thrusts were rough and merciless, just as she had asked him. The sensation of his c.o.c.k pistoning in and out of her while his skin rubbed against her clit was delicious. The depth of his thrusts had confused her, was it pain or pleasure... or were they the same thing?


    His arms hooked under her knee and he held them up, making her get into an uncomfortable position. Her head still rested on the wall, but she was lower than before, her neck straining a little. They were closer and he was deeper inside her.


    "I''m coming," she screamed.


    "Oh," he said, stopping mid-thrust. He was still inside her, his hand gripping her legs and holding them up. "Let''s slow down." Her eyes flew open and she wanted to behead him. That evil grin on his face? Yeah, she would slap that off.


    ''Slow down?'' Hell no.

 Chapter 160 - Lets Play A Game *

    She lay limp in his arms, indignation apparent in her expression. "You said you would get me off!"


    "I am," he said, a hint of warning in his voice. "Be patient." He remained in place inside her without moving. As he kissed her, she tried to move on him, needing the friction to reach release, but he stopped her.


    "Quit that or you won''t come tonight." Her h.i.p.s move as he said the words and he shakes her head. "You only respond to threats, don''t you? You''ve been a very bad girl." He looked around the room, scratching his nonexistent beard, and then turned to her. "Where are your toys?" he asked gruffly. Her eyes lit up like stars and she tried to scramble off the desk to show him. "Stay," he ordered.


    "Under the bed," she said immediately, pointing in that direction for good measure. He nodded and stepped towards the bed. He bent over and peered under. As expected, she had nothing under her bed other than a box with a lid on it. He pulled it out and placed it on the bed.


    When he opened the box, his eyes widened. He glanced at her surreptitiously, making sure she had not noticed.


    Cage filed through the toys... it was a collection that she had amassed. He picked out the one he knew would work best with his plans and pulled it out. He checked for the remote and made sure the batteries were working.


    "When was the last time you used this?" he said, dangling it from his hand. She gulped when she saw what he was holding. It was her cherished egg vibrator and she used it if she wanted to be on the edge for a really long time... which was not often.


    "A couple of weeks ago?" she answered, not knowing herself. "But they are all sanitized and ready to go." He nodded. He brought it to her and showed it to her.


    "I am going to put this in you and you are going to be at my mercy. You wanted to watch me touch myself, right? So I will give you that. But you can''t touch yourself." Her mouth hung open as she heard. She nodded involuntarily but this was blasphemy.


    He sauntered over and looked the egg over before crouching over her. One of his forearms were on one side of her thigh, while his other hand held the egg. He coated it in her juices, slowly getting her used to the sensation before pushing it between her wet lips.


    She groaned in response as her muscles spasmed around it. The pace he pushed it in was so slow that she wanted to hit him. Thank god he took mercy on her and slowly kissed her lips, keeping her preoccupied. Once he was satisfied, he pulled his finger out and ensured that the string was in place.


    ''Safety first,'' he thought to himself. He took the remote in his hand and set it on the lowest degree. She jolted, her hands flying up to her mouth as the vibrations began.


    "Oh, Katherine? You aren''t allowed to c.u.m." The words registered too slow, and he was too far away by that point. He stood at a distance, his hand firmly at the base of the c.o.c.k, tugging at his length for good measure.


    "Do you want my fingers in you, little girl?" he said hotly, his fingers slipping over his length. "I could feel how hot you were... all for me. Isn''t that right?" Katherine nodded numbly. "Your p.u.s.s.y is so f.u.c.k.i.n.g wet," he groaned, his motions becoming stronger. She cried out just as he increased the vibrations, feeling her stomach clench with need. "So soft..." he whispered.


    He was having too much fun, she could see that. He facade didn''t slip and Katherine finally understood why the man in front of her had won so many awards. She just didn''t think she would have found out this way.


    "Do you like to be finger f.u.c.k.i.e.d?" he asked suddenly. "I bet you do. I bet you want to feel my fingers deep into your p.u.s.s.y, finding that sweet spot and rubbing it over and over again until you are putty in my hands and coming like there is no tomorrow."


    "Yes, I want that," she finally said. Her voice was scratchy and her throat dry. She had a lot to say, but she wouldn''t. She had decided that she really liked the game and playing along had the most rewards in the long run.


    She loved watching him pleasure himself, but coupled with his filthy words, she wanted nothing more than to pleasure herself. The vibrations were high enough to keep her dripping but so low that she couldn''t come without assistance. She clenched her thighs together and rubbed them in tandem with his rhythm.


    "Let''s play a game," he said suddenly and she was confused. Weren''t they already playing a game? Why was he changing the rule all of a sudden? "Choose one, finger or mouth." The working was beguiling. Wait, was he going to tie her up or gag her? She hesitated.


    "Pick your choice or I will choose for you," he warned darkly.


    "Fingers," she almost screamed. Even if he tied her hands up, at least she would be able to scream in pleasure. He wasn''t letting her touch anyway.


    "Ah. Of course. You do love to be finger-f.u.c.k.i.e.d." His words hung in the air and her jaw dropped. She hadn''t expected him to say that. This man, she had spoken to him and he had said the filthiest things to her but hearing it in action... it almost made her blush.


    His hand glided over her skin. She enjoyed every second of it.


    "I''m going to make you come now," he proclaimed. She sat up straighter. He leaned in and kissed her before taking one of her hands and helping her cup her p.u.s.s.y. She was wet and ablaze, her mouth pressing harder against his as she felt her own finger enter. He guided her slowly for the first minute and it was nowhere near enough.

 Chapter 161 - I Want That *

    "I want that," she said, pressing herself closer to him. His hand pressed roughly against her and she felt one of his digits join her. Their fingers slipped in together, filling her. His arm held her by the waist and pressed her back against him harder.


    They moved their fingers in and out, the arm on her waist sliding over her chest and cupping her b.r.e.a.s.t. She was holding onto his forearm while the other tried to keep up with the motion of his fingers inside her. His fingers were considerably longer and the dichotomy was puzzling.


    Just when she was about to ask for more, he slid another finger in. She was tingling from head to toe as he scissored his fingers and stretched her. Her own finger stalled and she was lost in the sensation until his thumb bumped inter her hand and pushed her to move again.


    ''What the hell is this?'' she screamed internally.


    She was stretched taut and pulsing under his touch. And then it happened. He hooked his fingers up and pressed into her walls as far as he could go.


    She screamed, in pleasure or pain she didn''t know. He was definitely acting on his promise to be rough and as he touched the vibrating egg, he was guiding it to push against her sweet spot. She feels her finger flop out, her chest heaving, and unable to do so many things at once. He hears her chuckle and then without warning entered a third finger. He started to move it in and out in an odd rhythm and she quickly realized that he was humming it under his breath.


    "Please," she mewls and as if reading her mind, he placed his thumb on her engorged clit, pressing it lightly before ghosting circles on it. He brought his fingers out and gave it a quick lick.


    "Delicious," he said. He thrust his fingers to her and she willingly took them into her mouth, sucking on her juices. "What say you? Don''t you taste better when my fingers f.u.c.k you?" He paused with a lilt in his voice. "Do you want to try?" She m.o.a.ned in response but didn''t know if she could handle any more.


    The pout on her face is a dead giveaway. Taking mercy on her, he asks her to reach out and grab a packet of condom. "Don''t worry, we''ll find an answer to that later, but right now, I want to pound into that sweet, hot, and needy p.u.s.s.y of yours." She reached out with trembling hands and retrieved a packet. He ripped the packet open with precision and slid it on.


    Holding her h.i.p.s, he made sure her legs were in place and pressed his erection against her. "One day, I am going to take your ass too." Even though she wouldn''t have been thrilled by the idea, she found herself m.o.a.ning in agreement.


    He lined himself up at her entrance and placed just the tip against her. He groans at the feeling. "You better hold on for dear life, Katherine. I''m about to fill that tight and teased p.u.s.s.y of yours." It was a promise and a taunt.


    In answer, she moved her h.i.p.s against him, urging him to begin. Suddenly, he pulled the string forcefully, the vibrating egg coming out of her. Her walls clenched uncontrollably as she opened her mouth in a silent scream. Taking the opportunity, he buried his c.o.c.k within her. She finally screamed. The sound of his grunt mixed with hers and the desk banged against the wall at the impact. He stood there, flush against her, breathing heavily.


    "You feel heavenly wrapped around me." His lips were at her ears, whispering as he pushed inside and then pulled out. The pace was not quite frantic but at the same time, it wasn''t leisurely. Her head lolled forward and she m.o.a.ned, hitting his shoulder. "That''s it, clench your p.u.s.s.y around me," he ground out. "F.u.c.k..." he drew out. "I can feel your muscles tightening around me with every thrust." His pumps were steady and she had to hold on to him.


    "Do I feel good, hmm? Do I feel good inside you? F.u.c.k.i.n.g you? Filling you?" Katherine nodded her head unable to answer. "Tell me," he commanded.


    She m.o.a.ned, stuttering as she tried to form words. Coherence had left the building when he started to ram roughly into her. She mustered up the only thing she could say at the moment. She needed to trump him somehow.


    "Having you f.u.c.k my p.u.s.s.y as you whisper the words that drew me to you..." she panted, "is so amazing." Her sentence ended with a m.o.a.n as he thrust in exceptionally hard. Though the pace wasn''t fast, the intensity would probably have left a mark.


    She heard him chuckle darkly, the words not having the intended effect. He placed his mouth on her throat. Her toes curled in at the fervor with which he was thrusting into her. He sped up, keeping his thrusts deep and all she could think about was how good he felt, how good Cage was making her feel.


    His hands grabbed hers and he placed her on his wet c.o.c.k. "Touch it, feel me as I fill you deep. Feel me slipping in and out of you." She was so close...


    "Can I c.u.m?" she said, her voice breaking.


    "Mmm. Ask me again..."


    "Can I please c.u.m?" This time it comes out more as a sob.


    "Of course, but first, tell me. WHO is making you c.u.m," his growl tipped her over the edge.


    "You! Cage. You are making me c.u.m. Oh!" And with that, he bucked into her frantically, his h.i.p.s slightly sore from the edge of the table. He moved back for one last time and pounded her furiously. grunting as he gave the final thrust, seating himself deep within her as he pulsed, finally stilling.


    They don''t move. They don''t speak. Katherine tried to breathe as she regained normal brain function. After a moment she felt his lips pressing against her shoulder and then her hair. The harshness and dominance were gone. He was finally her sweet and flirtatious Cage again.

 Chapter 162 - Always Be Safe

    Cage had to say, he didn''t know how people in BDSM relationsh.i.p.s handled it. He felt like he had run a marathon and he was considered fit. There was silence for a long time and he almost thought that she had fallen asleep.


    "Hey, Katherine?" he asked, breaking the silence.


    "Hmm?" she mumbled.


    "Did you enjoy it?" he asked softly. He sure hoped she did because he was rather confused himself.


    "I saw my idol Cage Cavanaugh in full light. I am inexplicably happy," she said. She cuddled into him, running her nose over his chest and breathing in his scent.


    ''He smells like me,'' she thought with a goofy smile.


    "Apart from that. Which part did you like and what did you dislike?"


    She thought about it for a moment before she replied. "I was actually confused about how it was going to go at first and frankly a little scared," she admitted.


    "You should have told me." His voice almost broke. Did he rope her into doing something she didn''t want to? Because that would be a shitty thing to do and he knew better than that. He was carefully mulling it over and going through every step.


    "No. I really enjoyed it, though. I didn''t think I would like being spanked that much." She smirked. "Of course, you know because I was dripping." He sighed.


    "Aren''t you always?" he said playfully, hoping he could overcome his guilt. She slapped his chest, giving a fake gasp of offense. "Sorry," he chuckled. "What did you dislike?"


    "I didn''t dislike any of it. As I said, I was a little confused. I loved the scene we played out and your voice and your actions. But I want a little more clarity. I am not sure if orgasm control is my cup of tea." The admission was true. He hummed in acknowledgment. "You have a lot running through your mind. Tell me. We can talk this out." From the way he had started this conversation, it seemed like there was something he particularly disliked about the whole thing.


    Katherine stopped herself from panicking. Just because he didn''t like something didn''t mean that ''she'' had done something wrong. It could be multiple things. So, she took a cleansing breath and waited for him to say more.


    "I know what you mean. I didn''t plan out everything and I was flipping between doing something in one moment and something else in the next. I confused you quite a bit..." he trailed off.


    "I didn''t think you were flopping between anything. In all honesty, I don''t know about you, but it was a first for me and I felt very comfortable sharing this scene with you. You made sure that I was okay with the scene if I looked like I was out of it or panicking and you really tried to get across to me." She really hoped he didn''t put the blame on himself.


    "It was a first for me, as well." He paused. "Actually, I don''t think the whole dominant thing is my cup of tea... at least not the bit about punishment. When you yelped in pain, I felt like a piece of shit who was hurting my girlfriend because it made me feel powerful or some s.e.x.u.a.l pleasure." The guilt in his voice was so evident that Katherine had to stop and really think about what she was going to say next. Her next words could cause a lot of hurt if she didn''t frame it properly.


    "Why don''t you think of it in a different way? We mutually decided to act out this fantasy to see if we enjoyed it. Punishment was part of it. Though it hurt mildly, I enjoyed it thoroughly. In my eyes, you only responded the way you did because you caught onto my arousal."


    "Yes, you enjoyed it, but the second part of the sentence... I don''t really know." He was grumbling. She sat up, her n.a.k.e.d body rising over his. She looked down at him, her hair framing her face and falling down to hover over his. He blinked blankly, stunned by her for a second before he regained his conscious thoughts.


    "You gave me safewords. If it hurt, I would have bailed out. If I was uncomfortable, I would have bailed out. I liked it. I wanted to see it through. And you wanted to see it through."


    "I don''t know if you noticed... I forgot to put on a condom the first time I..." He sighed. He didn''t know how to say it. He hadn''t realized it at first and had thrust inside her for so long. He had almost c.u.m inside her.


    "I don''t think I was in a state to notice," she chuckled. "It''s okay, we''ll go to the clinic and get tested for everything, okay?" He startled.


    "I didn''t mean-" he started, thinking he had screwed up. He stopped him in his track.


    "Cage, stop. I know you didn''t mean it that way. It''s only responsible for us to get tested before we stop using protection. I''ll check in with my doctor about my pills as well. We should always be safe." He pressed his lips to her hair and thanked god. He hadn''t exactly thought a lot about responsibility because he was focused on her. He was very lucky to have someone who was levelheaded and thought things through.


    Now that he thought about it, he had been uber careful throughout his life and made sure not to make any mistakes, but when it came to Katherine, he was more relaxed and going with the flow. He felt at ease being with her, and frankly, while others might have thought that they were losing control, he enjoyed it immensely. He felt alive for the first time in years.


    "Okay." The conversation seemed to have come to an end. "Do you want to do it again?" he asked. He would do it if she had enjoyed it.


    "Only if you want to. We''ll set boundaries and slowly ease into it if you think that is what you want." She combed her hand through his hair, trying to reassure Cage.


    "We do have a lot of time on our hands," he said with a smile. The light was still on and the two of them were too lazy to get up and switch it off. Katherine hummed to him until their breaths synchronized and the two fell asleep.

 Chapter 163 - Strange Question

    Cage, Katherine found, was a light sleeper and he sometimes awakened and night and would gently stare at her face until he felt sleepy again. Her mother always said that you would always know if you were being stared at while you were asleep and that was what happened to her.


    She didn''t think anyone had ever looked at her like he did. She was sure that she slept with her mouth open and drooled quite a bit. He didn''t seem to mind in the least and embraced her without an issue throughout the night. The handful of boyfriends she had in the past were nothing of the sort. Even Jonathan, whom she planned to move in with, hadn''t looked at her this way or made her feel like the butterflies in her stomach were going to eat their way out.


    Thank god that morbid image was full of romance of she really would have needed to go see a doctor to check her head.


    The night though was spent chastely, or as chastely as Katherine and Cage could have spent time together. From the very beginning of their relationship, they had not been able to not flirt so it was evident that when they met they would become possessed rabbits who wanted to repopulate the world.


    Thank god they weren''t going to populate any time soon. That would be a nightmare... from a public relations perspective.


    When they finally woke up the next morning and left the bed, both of them were still drained from the session from last night. Apparently, those acting heavy scenes took a toll. Katherine sluggishly hauled her butt to the couch and made Cage sit down. She had to introduce him to Hallmark Movies. He probably wouldn''t have watched any of those and absolutely wouldn''t know the stars. Now that she thought about it, she also wanted to make him watch Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube. Watching him take in new mediums of content would be fun. She could get his perspective on the filming process and whatnot.


    They were watching a Hallmark Movie called ''Unleashing Mr. Darcy,'' which was a modern-day rendition of Pride and Prejudice and a true masterpiece. Cage was engrossed in the movie, making cooing noises at the cute gods and laughing at appropriate times.


    "We''re going to get along just fine," Katherine commented, patting on his back. He shot her a look and turned back to the television. After a particular ballroom scene and Mr. Darcy kissing Elizabeth in front of everyone, Katherine turned to him and couldn''t help but ask, "Hey Cage? What would you do if something like this happened? Would you just tell everyone?" she asked out of curiosity.


    "That is a very strange question to ask. Their problem is very different to ours and she is the one saying that they are from different worlds. They have misunderstandings. I don''t think it applies to us." He raised a brow, asking her to answer.


    "Isn''t it a similar situation? Only that our parents would probably approve and not play the villains. We would belong in different worlds." She shrugged. Cage snorted.


    "Different worlds, my ass. If I may say so, I think the universe was conspiring to bring us together. In what world does a die-hard fan stumble across their idol without knowing and fall in love? Even more impossible? The idol finding his dream girl online and she turns out to be a fan... not a bat-shit crazy one... but just one that is mildly insane." Katherine burst into laughter.


    "But would you?" She asked again.


    "Proclaim to the world that you are mine?" he asked, just making sure. She nodded. "Hell, yeah. I would do it right now if I weren''t afraid my media team will go nuts or the media will have a field day." He reached out his hand and tucked a lock of stray hair behind her ear. "I really want everyone to know that I am taken." There was longing in his voice and she felt guilty.


    "I don''t think I would survive if people found out," she admitted. "I was a fan and I know how jealous as nasty people can get when they think their favorite artist is dating someone. Add into the mix the fact that I am not even from the industry?" She shuddered. "I can only imagine the nonsense they will say."


    Cage frowned.


    "I''m used to it but you should never have to go through that. If I can, I will hide everything about you." She smiled.


    "Oh, am I going to be one of those secret millionaires that everyone knows exists but no one ever finds out the identity of?" She was intrigued. A lot of celebrities liked to keep their lives in the shadow, and with good reason.


    Cage had initially had not much to hide, but with Katherine in his life... and the probability of their children in the distant future, he would rather they stay out of the public eye. She didn''t want her picture flashed in the public, didn''t want her to be hounded and abused because he loved her. And he would do everything in his power to stop her identity from being leaked.


    "I''ll protect you."


    ''And that, gentlemen, is how you melt your girl''s heart and ensure they are addicted to you.''


    "You do realize that I am not worried about myself but you, right?" she asked, sounding shocked. "I don''t give a f.u.c.k about what others say. What I care about is how people perceive you. A major part of your audience are women who see you as eye candy. Once they find out you are taken, they will go nuts."


    "You think my sales will plummet?" He was mildly amused. "Now think back to when people thought I was dating Keira. There were two segments, one who supported the relationship and the other who hated it." She looked at him blandly as if asking what that meant. "It skyrocketed sales!" He laughed. "If I think my movie is going to flop, I will leak news of your existence to the press," he said playfully and she couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "Okay, but the difference is... she is a superstar. I am not."

 Chapter 164 - Sneak In

    "I sometimes wonder how people will react when they find out I hate them," Cage snickered. But then he had to amend. He had told her before, but dang, he needed to say it again. "I don''t hate my fans. I just don''t like that they can''t mind their own business."


    "I know. Stop overexplaining everything. It feels like you are always walking on eggshells. You don''t need to do that anymore. I understand and I can wait for you to slowly explain." She shrugged. "And if it is urgent, I can just ask you, really."


    "I really like that you are smart."


    "I really like you."


    "Which reminds me. Do you think you will die if you don''t see me for a while?" She sat up straighter, slightly alarmed.


    "What? Where are you going?" she asked suspiciously.


    He shook his head. "I am not going anywhere. Just asking because I remembered an old movie I had watched where the lovers proclaimed that they would die if they didn''t meet each other." Katherine snorted.


    "As much as I like you, I don''t think I would go that far. Would I have died... metaphorically... Yes. But then again, now that I have had a taste of you, I don''t think I can stay away." She made a kissy face and sent it his way.


    "Oh, is this the part where I act like a little flower and blush?" he asked with a snicker.


    "As you wish, my little lady," she teased. She put a chip close to his mouth and he took it without regard. "Would you die without seeing me?"


    "Well, with modern technology, I don''t think I would die. But! If we didn''t meet at the mountain cabin I think I would..." He thought for a minute. "I have vested all my lecherous thoughts in that time frame. 5 days of blissful alone time with my girlfriend and friends? Damn. I will have my wicked way with you and then party with friends," he said blissfully.


    How long had it been since he had actually hung out with people he enjoyed partying with? How long had it been since he drank because he was in a good mood and had a lot of things to look forward to? He couldn''t remember.


    "Now, I can almost imagine you trying to sneak me into your room..." Cage said suddenly. "You would do that, right? You must have been a rebellious child." Ah, the wonders of imagination.


    "Actually, I was so scared of my parents finding out or even thinking about having s.e.x with my high school boyfriends that I never considered bringing anyone in. Also, my town is considerably small and everyone knew my dad. He is a pretty big and scary guy. The boys would have fled before coming anywhere near our house." She snickered.


    "I bet I would have put my head on the line to sneak into your room." She looked at him with wide eyes. "Actually, you could totally sneak me in when you go home next time. Bring me with you."


    "Don''t think that my dad won''t kill you because I am an a.d.u.l.t now. He is fully capable of that."


    "Oh, baby. You can sneak me in, any time. I would dare to do that for you." She wanted to fan herself to cool down. His voice had gotten all low and sultry like he was going to show her just how daring he was right there on the couch. She made a noise at the back of her throat and ran her fingers through his hair. He took the opportunity to kiss her neck softly.


    ''God that felt good.''


    "Well, call me a rebel. I think you just convinced me to sneak you into my childhood room. Be careful though, the posters of hot romantic heroes and pokemon might throw you off!" she said in a singsong voice.


    "Anything for you," he reassured with a kiss. His arms were wrapped around her and as usual, they lost all thought about the movie playing. At this rate, they would never watch any movies to completion.


    She felt something stiff against her leg and knew that he was getting excited. She m.o.a.ned and debated if her legs and hooha would hold up if he took her again. While her privates had some hesitation, she was ready to spread her legs and pat him on the back asking him to take her right there on the couch where anyone could walk in and see them.


    Call her a deviant.


    Well, they still hadn''t had the chance to explore the living room, or the kitchen counter or the plethora of other places they needed to defile. Might as well get to it.


    "Yes, this is what I need to see early in the morning." Someone cut them off. Katherine was just humping his leg when Lily interrupted them. "You''re a nymphomaniac for having the apartment to yourself for a day and still humping him the next morning." Katherine turned back and gave her friend a death glare.


    "What did you think I would do except for rock his world?" Way to go, Katherine. Make Cage think you are overconfident and only after his private parts.


    "More like he rocked your world," Lily snorted as she placed her keys in the bowl. "Not that I can fault you. This is Cage Cavanaugh, the person who you masturbated to for most of your a.d.u.l.t life."


    "Well, could you resist him if you were me?" Katherine asked sweetly.


    "Don''t let Jared know, but yeah. You make a good point." Cage didn''t feel uncomfortable with this conversation. The banter was lighthearted and neither insinuated anything. He would say they had a good relationship just like Stephen and him. "You have my blessing to carry on until you need to surface for air and food. But for all intents and purposes, go back inside the room and hump."


    Cage seemed to realize that they were in a compromising position and shifted Katherine slightly so that she was not straddling his c.o.c.k. "Don''t worry. We''re just chilling."


    "If that is what you call chilling, I''d like to see when you turn it up." Lily rolled her eyes. "Be happy that I brought some food over."

 Chapter 165 - Got The Hint

    "We''ve been ordering in too much," Katherine complained.


    "Well, I know that you can compromise Cage''s body, but I can''t. I can''t have that on my conscience so when I was cooking breakfast for Jared, I made extra for the two of you." Katherine scurried away and peered into the packet that was placed on the table.


    "Nothing for Angelina?" she asked after looking at the quantity.


    "Nah, I called her. She already ate breakfast... with Stephen." Lily gave Katherine a meaningful look.


    "Did they..." she trailed off.


    "Don''t know," Lily said conspiratorially. "But that would be fast." Katherine shrugged.


    "Speaking of weird incidents, guess who delivered our dinner last night." Lily gave Katherine a weird look.


    "Who? Bill Gates? I don''t know why this would be remotely important, to begin with."


    "Don''t be a fun-sucker," Katherine groaned. Cage snickered from the sideline.


    "Okay, don''t make me wait. Who was it?"


    "Nathanial Brown." Cage frowned and Katherine giggled. She pointed Lily towards Cage and the other seemed to finally understand the purpose of the conversation.


    "What a child..." Lily commented with a sigh. Katherine was acting like a teenager whose first boyfriend had become jealous over something. Seems like she had regressed in mental age since she fell in love. But was it really love if you don''t do crazy things? "Is he working two jobs, now?" she asked. Last time she had met him, he didn''t mention anything... not that they were super close or anything. He actually spoke a lot to them.


    "Uh, not really. The owner of the bar now has a ghost kitchen and he thought it would be a great idea to deliver because I ordered." Lily looked slightly traumatized.


    "Hate to break it to you but that sounds horrifying." She paused. "I really want to laugh. Damn, what did you do?"


    "Ask Cage," Katherine said smugly.


    "Well?" Lily asked, looking at Cage.


    "I loudly called her out to let him know there was a man in the house and put on a disguise." He scratched his hair in embarrassment. "I may have also displayed affection in front of him."


    Lily finally burst into laughter. "I bet he wanted to kill himself. Most of the time, he has to talk to Katherine with other people around. He must have thought he finally had some alone time with her only to have your handsome hunk marking his territory."


    Katherine sighed. "Well, he didn''t see Cage''s face."


    "It doesn''t matter. He probably got the hint." If he didn''t, Katherine would have to bring out her self-defense skills and break some sense into the guy''s head.


    "He better have," Cage grumbled. "How long has he been pursuing you?" He didn''t think he had asked that before. It seemed like the question he should have asked a little earlier. Not that it really mattered in the larger picture.


    "I don''t have the slightest clue," Katherine admitted truthfully.


    Lily chuckled from the sidelines. "Since the moment he laid his eyes on her. As you know, Katherine here has a charm about her. She has the superpower of attracting the creepiest men." Katherine elbowed Lily. "Not you, of course. You are not a creep."


    "Well, I am a creep. But I hope not the bad kind." Katherine gave him a warm smile. ''I love your creepiness. It gets me going,'' she thoughts. She didn''t need to show how mushy she was in front of Lily. God knows, she would never live it down.


    "He was always willing to help her home if we met someone we liked and she was drunk. If he had a choice, he would mistakenly bump into her on the street. But that never happened." Katherine glared at her.


    "He followed you or something?" Cage asked, alarmed.


    "It was just the one time he came to the movie theatre," she assured him quickly.


    "Like any of us would believe that!" Lily said in a low voice but both of them heard.


    "Don''t worry. He can be a bit creepy at times but nothing like yesterday. He stepped up his creep game by asking me out and appearing on my doorstep. I promise this is not normal." That guy needed some sense put into him. Seriously, who just appears at someone''s doorstep uninvited?


    "Well, I don''t think lightly of stalkers. You know I have had a bad past with them," his face was twisted into a grimace. "If he is a problem, I will have no problem doing something and making the situation better. I could send my mother after him," he joked instantly, trying to lighten the mood. Even though he seemed to be joking, the look in his eyes showed that he was taking the situation seriously.


    "Don''t worry about him. He got the message today and if he didn''t, I''ll just tell him to go f.u.c.k himself next time. I won''t run away."


    "You''d think anyone with a brain cell would understand that if a girl runs away from you, it''s not a good sign," Lily commented from across the room, sounding a little bored. "He''s just the type of guy who can''t take no for an answer," she said.


    "It''s those movies, I tell you. They try to pander to women and it just makes a vicious cycle. Women think being treated poorly is romantic and men think that makes them manly." Katherine''s voice was filled with disgust.


    "Under the Stars was somewhat like that," he said softly.


    "No offense," she said with an apologetic smile.


    "None taken."


    "But a guy who can''t take no for an answer is dangerous. Maybe I should get you a bodyguard." Katherine wanted to run away.


    "He might be persistent but he is harmless." She gave him a gentle kiss on the lips to reassure him. Nathaniel was not a problem at all. She pulled away to see that his brows were still furrowed with worry. "Just imagine a hunk sitting in my room all day long and watching me work."

 Chapter 166 - Call Him Daddy

    "Well, they would keep you safe, but I would be jealous that they spend time with you." There he was, the guy she liked so much.


    "Still want to get a bodyguard?" she laughed.


    "If it keeps you safe," he said seriously. "But I believe you. If the need ever arises, I can always arrange for someone to keep you safe."


    "You don''t need to worry about that nincompoop. He wouldn''t hurt a fly... He is mostly scared I will take a knife to him and make sure he can''t reproduce." Lily flashed Cage a smile. With friends like these, Cage could rest assured. Slightly.


    Okay, that was enough about creepy men. Cage was getting more worried and she couldn''t blame him for it. She had not been around when Keira was trying to get him, but she could imagine that she would have gone beserk trying to protect him.


    So, she had to change the topic.


    "Did you have a good time at Jared''s?" she asked.


    "Yeah, I think we are progressing really well, and if there is a time we are all secure in our relationsh.i.p.s, we should have a group date or something. We live together, makes sense for everyone to know each other." Lily gave Katherine a wink.


    "Best friends forever!" Katherine shouted, startling Cage. "But you guys were having issues, right?" Cage turned and took out his phone, immersing himself into his messages so that he didn''t eavesdrop.


    "Yeah, he was being a bit controlling. He might have to go home for a bit to take care of his parents and he wants me to go with him to meet his parents." She shrugged.


    "And you don''t want to meet his parents?" Katherine asked. She was interested. They were at different points in their relationsh.i.p.s and they both had brought up the topic of meeting the parents.


    "You know how useless I am with parents." Lily was a strange being. She thought everyone hated her, but that was not the case. Lily''s parents weren''t the greatest of people. They had enough money to send her to an expensive school and let her be a photographer but they never really supported her emotionally. They were romantics who tried to keep their lives to themselves. Such people... shouldn''t have kids. If you don''t want to put your effort into your child, don''t have them.


    "That''s not true," Katherine told her vehemently.


    "Yeah. I don''t think I am ready for that yet. Who meets the parents so early. It feels like he is trying to tie me down or something." The words had been spoken and Lily''s deepest thoughts had been revealed. Commitment issues ran through the veins of the three women that lived in the apartment. Lily was a serial dater, Angelina liked to hook up, and Katherine was once bitten, twice shy and wanted to do nothing with relationsh.i.p.s.


    Recently, they had been more stable and everything was falling into line. But this was when all their insecurities came back. Katherine needed to do her best to be happy in her relationship without thinking the worst of Cage. Lily needed to overcome all the sadness she felt like a child being ignored by her parents. She just wouldn''t be happy with it because being tied down meant she would be vulnerable.


    But Katherine couldn''t bring this up.


    "Everyone has their own pace. Did you talk it out with him?" she asked tentatively.


    "I did. I don''t know if he fully understood how resistant I am to the idea, but I can make him understand slowly." Katherine squinted. She was actually glad Lily had not run for the hills. Had it been anyone else, Lily would probably have flipped her shit and abandoned sh.i.p.s. "I already have a dad, I don''t need another one breathing down my neck," Lily sounded more bitter than irritated.


    "Sure." Talk about daddy issues. If she had to bet, she called Jared daddy in bed.


    ''Okay, Katherine, stop assuming things about other people''s lives. You know what happens when you do that.''


    Katherine didn''t have much of a filter when it came to her friends.


    "Just call him ''daddy'' once or twice and see if he stops doing it." It might have been a joke, but Lily took it seriously.


    "I could do that but he has a dirty mouth on him. He might be a teacher, but damn..." Lily shook her head and Katherine laughed. Even Cage was snickering on the side.


    "Sorry, I didn''t mean to overhear..." he said, even though he didn''t really sound apologetic. "If you want my perspective, being called a daddy is a compliment to most men unless they don''t understand the gravity of that word."


    "How so?" Lily asked, growing curious. Even Katherine turned to him with a gleam of interest in her eyes.


    "The first person women love in their life and look up to as a model for a husband is their father... usually," he started. "Then, they shape their daughter''s views on life and what a man should be like. In that sense, it is a big role. You are basically either making your daughter an independent woman who doesn''t need you or screwing up their view of life." He shrugged.


    "That got serious very quickly," Katherine said with a snort. "Too serious for something that is a kink." Lily rolled her eyes.


    "Well, calling someone daddy is a compliment because a majority of women like men who interact with babies. It makes their ovaries explode. In short, you flow like the Amazon river." Cage was bewildered for a moment.


    "Wait, so handling babies equals more s.e.x appeal?" he asked.


    "Yeah. Maybe it rekindles animalistic urges to reproduce in females or something." Lily waved it off.


    "Does that mean I need to cuddle with someone else''s baby to make you think I am the s.e.xiest man alive?" Cage asked, turning to Katherine.


    "If you want to experiment, sure." She shrugged. "But you are already the hottest man on the planet. If you get any hotter, I fear I will be blinded and incinerate."

 Chapter 167 - Get Arrested

    "Mmm. We wouldn''t want that, now would we?" He had a thoughtful expression on his face. "I wonder what you would think if we met in high school and I was this awkward kid who really wasn''t confident in himself."


    "I can imagine you having a growth spurt and awkwardly walking around it. Weren''t you a complete nerd, too?" she asked lightly. He nodded. "I like the larger than life personality you have right now, but I would have liked nerdy Cage, too." She leaned over and kissed him softly.


    He returned the kiss tenfold, pecking her lips a couple of times before giving her a blinding smile. "My god, I was so shy back then. I probably would have fled if you approached me." He chuckled.


    And that image was all Katherine needed to blush and giggle. "I can imagine you running away from me, screaming silently as I run behind you, trying to catch your attention." She booped his nose for good measure. "I just want to play with you, Cage," she said in a little girl voice.


    "As scared as I would be, I doubt I would reject your requests to play."


    "I think I puked a little," Lily groaned from the side. For a second, the couple had forgotten that they had company. To say the truth, this would not be the only time. Katherine snickered slightly, feeling a minimal amount of embarrassment. No need to rub her happiness on other people who were not having a great time in their relationship.


    "Sorry," Katherine and Cage said in unison.


    "Meh, it''s alright. Honestly, I am glad to see this stupid girl so happy. I haven''t seen her so giddy and in love ever and I have known her since we were in diapers." Oh, come on. Did you need to bring in diapers?


    "Ever?" Cage asked, a grin plastered on his face as he looked at Katherine.


    "If I didn''t know better, I would think she was spending a bomb on cosmetics. She has a glow about herself that she didn''t have with Jonathan. They were a bit awkward around one another and I knew for a fact that Katherine didn''t like being sweet and cuddly..." She trailed off. "Oh, how the mighty fall," Lily joked, winking at Katherine.


    That was actually true. Katherine had never felt this connection before and she couldn''t imagine falling so hard for someone she had only known for half a month. "I''ve never felt this way before," she admitted.


    ''Yes, just break into a Disney song and the scene will be complete,'' Lily thought to herself.


    "Me, too." Was his reply. It warmed the c.o.c.kles of her heard and she smiled at him as he played with a stray strand of her hair. He really liked her hair, didn''t he?


    "Okay, I don''t want to see more of this," Lily admonished. "I''ll go to my room and do my own business. You two continue." Just as she was about to leave, the front door swung open. The stomping of heels was so loud that all three people in the room turned to look at the source of the sound, stunned.


    It was Angelina. She looked positively livid. "Bloody f.u.c.ker!" she swore as she stormed in. She turned abruptly and waved her finger at the man who had entered after her. "You are not invited."


    Stephen, who had just been spoken to, rolled his eyes and sauntered in after her.


    Katherine and Lily looked between the two and wondered what had happened since last morning that set Angelina off.


    "Be rational. I did my best to keep you out of trouble."


    Trouble. Yes. Angelina''s best friend. Now, what kind of trouble it had been was still to be known.


    "Maybe I like trouble!" she screamed back at him. Katherine glanced at Cage and saw how bewildered he looked. She rubbed circles on his hand to reassure him.


    "Happens all the time," she whispered just to be sure that the point was driven across. With that, the two turned back to watch the drama that was unfolding.


    "What? That makes no sense. Why would you want to get arrested?" Stephen demanded in a gruff voice. "Believe me, been there. Done that. It''s not fun like they show on television."


    When was getting arrested fun on television? What world was this guy living in?


    "You ruined everything. I would have ended her with a single punch!" Lily quirked a brow. She had known Angelina loved bad boys and what not but she didn''t know that Angelina had a penchant for getting arrested. The girl loved to stir up trouble and drama, but not to the point that she could get arrested.


    "Angel, I think the gravity of the situation is escaping you. You pummelled her and she called the cops on you. And I doubt you could have ''ended'' her, as you put it. If I hadn''t held you back, you would have punched the police officer as well. It wouldn''t have gone over lightly, either."


    Praise the Lord, had she got into a fistfight with someone and then tried to attack a cop?


    "Stop calling me Angel!" she gritted out. "That bitch deserved the beating for ogling you. She treated me like air. And her clothes? Preposterous!" She seethed. "She was flirting with you and you let her." She stepped threateningly forward and jabbed her fingers into his chest. "I could see the wheels turning in your head. You were imagining a threesome, weren''t you? Get this straight, that will never happen."


    Though Katherine was confused, she picked up on the main issue. Angelina didn''t like to be treated like she wasn''t important... like she wasn''t pretty enough to be noticed. Someone had approached Stephen while she was around and even though she wasn''t fully into the guy, she didn''t like being treated like the leftover.


    Made sense.


    "For the love of God! Shut the f.u.c.k up!" Lily shouted. Everyone turned to her in surprise, especially the two engaged in the heated argument. "I love the theatricals, but give us some damn context to enjoy the show, will you?" Damn right!

 Chapter 168 - So Violent

    ''Thank you, Lily. I felt like I walked into the movie theatre twenty minutes after it began and it confused the hell out of me.''


    "Lily is correct. We can only evaluate the situation if you guys stop shouting and give us the details of what happened." Cage''s words sparked some discontent in Stephen''s expression.


    "Why would you take someone else''s side?" Stephen whined. Angelina smacked him for no reason and he ended up saying something else. "You''re my friend, you should take my side." He scooted away from Angelina, still unsure as to why she had hit him. To be honest, one of the others knew as well, but Lily had a suspicion that Angelina just wanted to hit him to vent her frustration.


    What a weird and violent relationship these two will have. They aren''t even seeing each other yet and they still have so much drama in their lives.


    "Actually, I like to be unbiased. I will decide who was in the wrong after hearing the whole story," Cage responded.


    "I planned the whole trip so that you would haul your sulky ass out of your room. I was the one who made sure you met Katherine. How are you going to repay me? By being ''unbiased''?" he quoted in the air.


    "What are you? From a 90s sitcom?" Angelina grumbled. Cage laughed as he heard both of them and then looked at Katherine carefully before answering.


    "Thank you for your stellar services," he said. "Now, mind explaining what happened?" The curiosity would kill them.


    Everyone was seated and Stephen placed himself beside Katherine and Cage, probably to maintain some distance from Angelina.


    ''His rose-tinted view of her disappeared pretty fast,'' Katherine thought. It was impressive even my Angelina''s standards.


    "So, I thought we would go to a couple of novelty places for those buffets. We were having so much fun just going about the city and spending money like water..." He sounded almost whimsical. Taking Angelina to a buffet? It could go two ways: one, she would curse you for bringing her there and storm out, or two, she would single-handedly put a dent in the restaurant''s food supply. "Damn, this woman can drive..." At this, Stephen shot Angelina a smile.


    "I drive that beauty of a car better than you ever will," she said with the flip of her hair.


    "Anyway..." he diverted. "We were at the buffet, just having dessert when we had a little squabble." He waved that off like it wasn''t an issue at all, but Angelina was not having it.


    "You made a comment about making me plump!" she hissed. Her glare was evident. The others glanced between the two. Asking a model to gain weight? Stephen was either an idiot or actively looking for death. "It''s evident that you want to monopolize me or whatever," she scoffed.


    "I just said that I like women who can eat," he protested. "I was complimenting you or holding your ground in front of me." Stephen shrugged.


    "He is a pig when he eats. I would go broke if I didn''t lock my refrigerator at home." Katherine looked at Cage with a dumbfounded expression. "A bottomless pit," Cage added in a low voice.


    "Keep lying." Angelina rolled her eyes.


    "Anyway, we were bickering when a woman walks up to us and starts to talk to me."


    "Ha!" Angelina interrupted. "Talking? She was shoving her b.o.o.b.s towards you."


    "That tone you are taking reeks of possessiveness. Almost like you are acknowledging that you are attracted to me..." Stephen pointed out, grinning ear to ear. Damn, he had really caught her with that. It was not often someone retorted to Angelina unless it was either Lily or Katherine.


    "Don''t flatter yourself, Luther," she replied in a much softer tone. "If you throw cars and food at me in a short span of time, I get really horny." Lily would go crosseyed if this continued.


    Who was Angelina trying to fool? Sure, she really liked driven sleek cars and eating on her cheat day, but she was a hornball because she found Stephen Luther unbearably hot. Katherine almost burst out laughing because she was thinking the same. Angelina threw them both a glare, knowing they were thinking of the same thing.


    "I''ll remember that for later but damn, you feel jealous when you are horny?" Stephen arched his brow.


    ''I am losing track of the conversation,'' Cage thought. ''It''s on me. I was the one who asked for details.'' He sighed.


    "Continue," Lily said impatiently, tapping on her wristwatch for effect.


    "So, the woman starts talking to me, trying to ask me for my number and whatnot, I didn''t think much of it because people usually recognize me as your manager and try to see if they can land a deal to see you," Stephen said this in a matter-of-fact voice that made everyone believe him.


    "Yeah, she was eyeing you like a piece of premium steak. And this punk was talking her up, telling her how pretty she was. It was f.u.c.k.i.n.g disgusting." Cage sucked in a breath, knowing Stephen had f.u.c.k.i.e.d up. He was a ladies man, but damn, if he was doing this while pursuing a woman... he really wasn''t smart.


    "I am a people pleaser. And it looked like she was doing it to show off to her friends!" Stephen protested. He looked towards Cage for his approval but the man just shook his head.


    ''I''m not going to help you when you acted like a douchebag.''


    "Traitor," Stephen muttered under his breath. "She was going to leave when dear Angel grabbed her shoulder, told her off for ignoring her, and then punched her square in the face." Katherine''s eyes widened.


    So, restaurant fights were a thing.


    "If there was jello involved, I wouldn''t have minded, but we were drawing a bit of a crowd and Angelina was going at it..." he paused for effect. "Some guards came up and pulled them apart. Because Angelina started it, the other girl pressed charges."


    Angelina shrugged. "They could only take me away because she was in bad shape and she couldn''t even put a scratch on me." So violent.

 Chapter 169 - Show Respect

    "Good job. Why don''t you sign up for WWE in place of being a model? I see a bright future ahead of you," Lily said in a scathing voice. "Did you get a good grilling from the police?"


    "Male officers," Angelina said, as if that was an explanation. "They stared at me for a while and then stared at my b.o.o.b.s some more. It wasn''t much of a problem." Stephen shook his head from the side.


    "She didn''t say much because she was exercising her right to stay silent. And no, even though her perfect tits are enough to make any grown man beg at her feet."


    "Your flattery won''t get you anywhere," Angelina hissed. Katherine looked at her friend critically and knew that Angelina was a little appeased by the compliment.


    "I talked to them and explained the situation, contacted some people. It was fine. Took us the whole night, but the charges were dropped and I drove her home." Stephen chose to ignore her.


    "It wouldn''t have happened if that woman didn''t place her hand on something that was mine." As soon as the words left her mouth, Angelina''s eyes widened in horror. She clapped her hands over her mouth to try and take back the words everyone had heard. She probably hoped no one would ask her anything about it. She was wrong.


    "Ah, so I am yours," Stephen said, extremely pleased with the situation. Angelina shook her head like a little tsundere but everyone knew the truth. Stephen leaned in, placing his elbows on his thighs and looking at her with a grin. "Don''t worry, my Angel. I am yours. No amount of women... however pretty can make me look away from you."


    Well, that was reassuring. "I''m not worried," she said through her gritted teeth. "I don''t care what you do or who you do. Be my guest."


    "Yes, you do," he told her. "You''re possessive of me and it is driving me crazy. If the car turns you on so much, I''ll just let you drive it. Bonus? I''ll throw in a free ride with Stephen Luther." Katherine almost choked. S.e.x in a fancy car.


    Well, she didn''t know how feasible it was, but it would be damn s.e.xy if Cage and she tried it.


    "I''m doing nothing of the sort," she shouted. "You had a chance but then you went ahead and spoke to her... you were gonna dump me to go with her... Sorry, I don''t do that shit."


    Stephen squinted at her. Cage knew that expression. He was going to say something outrageous.


    "Well, maybe I will. I''ll just go back to the police station and get her number..."


    "I dare you to do it!" she said, pouncing on him. The kiss commenced and the other three stared at the scene without saying anything.


    Katherine was the first one to comment, "I don''t know how they didn''t sleep together after having that crazy chemistry." Cage shook his head, as well.


    "They are absolutely crazy," he commented with a sigh. They saw Stephen reach for Angelina''s butt and squeeze it, bringing her closer to him.


    Lily looked just as fascinated. "Doesn''t it feel like one of those crazy toxic relationsh.i.p.s in the movies?" she said out of the blue, deflating the other two. "I wouldn''t say punching the woman was right, but Stephen was an asshat for leading the woman on..." she commented with a shrug.


    ''Ah, Lily comes in and breaks the moment with her truth bomb, again,'' Katherine thought.


    "Also, women understanding women is important. When did violence solve anything." The implication was strong and having heard it, Angelina pulled away from Stephen and gave Lily a blank stare.


    "I don''t know who you are," Stephen deadpanned.


    ''Holy shit, he went there.''


    Lily glared at him while Angelina smacked him on the shoulder.


    "Katherine, Cage... who do you support in this?" The couple shared a look. Cage wanted to opt out immediately but Katherine had something on her mind.


    "You''d have f.u.c.k.i.e.d up your future if you got charged and you well, that shit would have made the 6th page or something." Yeah, she wasn''t that famous, but it would make some news. And no one wanted to work with a volatile model. "Stephen was wrong too and should have handled the situation better. So, both of you are wrong."


    "Damn, babe. Maybe I should fire Stephen and have you as my manager," Cage said with a smile.


    "Sure," she chirped. "Now, if you will excuse me. Cage and I need to spend the last few hours together before separating." They could ruin the apartment if they wanted, she needed her time alone with her boyfriend.


    "I''ll see you in a couple of hours," Cage said with a wave.


    "Angel, I didn''t get any sleep last night... neither did you. We should go to your room and catch up on some sleep," Stephen said. Lily rolled her eyes.


    If that man thought he was getting anywhere with Angelina with that attitude, he was in for a rude awakening. The kiss might have made him think differently, but Angelina was a tough cookie when she was offended.


    "Do you honestly think you will get anywhere near my bed? Whether you got me out of the station or not, you let a woman hit on you while you were with me. You get a f.u.c.k.i.n.g F for that. I don''t sleep with men who don''t know how to show respect." Her words were harsh but also... not true.


    Angelina slept with an array of guys who were anything but respectful, but this time, she was vulnerable. First, the guy she had been texting was a child and now... this guy.


    She had to think carefully. Was she trying to get over her embarrassment and stringing this guy along or did she actually want a piece of him? These questions remain to be answered.


    "Bicker all you want, but keep it down. I''ll go back in." Lily waved them off and the room only had Stephen and Angelina sitting, neither of them talking any longer.

 Chapter 170 - Lover Boy

    Katherine was worried. When they returned to the room, they cuddled and subsequently fell asleep. Was it complete comfort with each other or did they have nothing to do apart from f.u.c.k like bunnies?


    She was rudely awoken by the sound of her alarm clock blaring. Cage had set it up just so they didn''t lose track of time. He had to be back for his appointments on time and it couldn''t be put off any longer.


    Katherine slapped at it and buried her head in the pillow as Cage chuckled from behind her. She could feel him shifting and getting up from the bed. She felt like she could somehow stretch their time together if she pretended it wasn''t time yet. But that wasn''t how the a.d.u.l.t world worked.


    ''He''ll have to stay here if I don''t get up,'' she thought stubbornly.


    Finally, she sighed and hauled herself up to wait for him. He had changed into clothes that he could wear outside. He looked great and if she had her way, she wouldn''t have let him go anywhere. But that was a thought she couldn''t entertain.


    Cage smiled at her as he made sure his clothes looked okay and then opened his arms. She ran into them without further prompting, her head burrowed in his chest, stopping herself from begging him to stay.


    Just another week and they would see each other again, why was she overreacting. In reality, she couldn''t imagine how she would spend her time without him. It was ridiculous, but she couldn''t stop herself from feeling this way.


    "Just a few more days," he said in a soothing voice. The reminder made her realize that he felt the same way. He was just as reluctant to leave. She couldn''t fathom how people survived long distance relationsh.i.p.s. She couldn''t even think of separating from him when they lived in the same town. That being said, it still wasn''t easy to let him go.


    "I''ll miss you," she said in a small voice.


    "I''ll call you everyday and text and email and annoy you until you ask me to stop." She rolled her eyes. Like that was ever possible. She pulled away slightly, looking up at him with a smile because she knew he needed to see her face as much as she did.


    "You could try," she challenged lightly.


    "I''ll take you up on that." Suddenly, the thought came to her mind. She extracted herself from his arm and ran to her wardrobe, shuffling around and running back to him.


    "Close your eye and open your hand," she ordered him. He raised a brow and did just that. She asked him to place the other palm up as well. Having done that, she placed 3 bottles of her lotion on his palms.


    His expression turned into confusion before he opened his eyes and saw the bottles. He burst into laughter. He unscrewed one bottle and then smelled it. A smile spread across his lip as he muttered a thank you.


    She was glad that he was as enthusiastic about the lotion as she was. "This should suffice for some time. I''ll be taking the responsibility of your lotion stack, so make sure not to use too much. I don''t want to be broke because you think too much about me." He leaned down and kissed her.


    "What a confident girl you are. Though, nothing compares to you. This lotion will keep me in line until I run back to you."


    She sighed in contentment. She would never tire of his kisses. "You''ll smell like me from now on... and you might hear my voice often enough, so you won''t miss me much." Cage''s eyes widened at the prospect. Katherine was alluding to a lot of phone s.e.x. She was growing just as bold in real life as she was online.


    "I''d like that," she said with a small smile.


    He sighed when his phone rang. "It''s Stephen. Time to go."


    Yes. He had to leave. Katherine, let him go without making it any more difficult. Just a few more days and you will be alone in the wilderness.


    He pushed her hair back, his fingertips ghosting over her cheek. "We''re not going to say goodbye, okay?" He kissed her cheek. "Enjoy my shirt," he said with a sly smile.


    Ah, he knew she had stolen it. She also wanted to have a piece of him with her. If he smelled like her, she also wanted a constant reminder that he was real. She didn''t need to explain any further.


    They hugged for a while, holding each other close. The knock on her door was jarring... they just wanted a little more time together. "I have to go." Finality.


    "My man," she said in a corny voice. F.u.c.k saying ''my woman''. She was claiming him as hers. To his ears, it was sweet. He nodded acknowledging that was exactly what he was.


    "See you soon," Cage said finally and opened the door. Stephen peered at them.


    "Okay, lover boy. Out. We need to head back. You''ll be seeing each other soon." He sounded a tad bit impatient and Cage was thinking that Stephen''s conversation with Angelina hadn''t gone down well after they had left the room.


    "I''ll let Angelina loose if you don''t bring him back," she said, crossing her hand over her chest.


    "I''d love that. Maybe you want Cage out of your hair, is that why you are making me a promise?" He taunted. Katherine rolled her eyes and waved him off.


    "Goodbye." Katherine looks at Cage wanting to tell him how much she loves him but stops herself. Not in front of so many people.


    Why was she feeling so shy all of a sudden? Hadn''t she said it in front of complete strangers before. The human brain, it never made any sense.


    "Maybe..." Cage suddenly began, seeing the emotions well in her eyes. Stephen held him by the shoulder and dragged him away.

 Chapter 171 - Sounds Preposterous

    "You have to go to your meetings or we will lose out on deals. Shut the f.u.c.k up and follow me home." Stephen shook his head.


    Katherine gave him a reassuring smile. No way in hell was she going to stand in the way of his career. He had worked so hard to get where he was. "The sooner you leave, the faster you can come back." The conflict in his eyes was evident, but the anxiety had eased a little.


    "I''ll hurry back," he said. He shrugged off Stephen and moved forward to take her into his arms.


    "Bye." He backed away slowly and met Stephen at the distance. Stephen though was looking at Angelina who had just emerged from her room.


    "See you soon! We''ll work things out!" He winked. Angelina didn''t reply, taking the opportunity to stare at Katherine.


    "How long does it take to say goodbye? Damnit, you people are a mess."


    Katherine mouthed a quick ''love you,'' not wanting the others to hear. The person who it was directed at stared at her bewildered. She didn''t repeat herself, just shaking her head instead.


    The two men went down the stairs and Katherine''s eyes welled with tears. No, she was not going to cry, not one bit. She had spent two days with the man and it had been phenomenal. She couldn''t have asked for more. She was on the top of the world and a little separation would only make the heart fonder.


    "I need to buy more clothes for the retreat," she said under her breath.


    "I heard the word buy. Are we going shopping?" Angelina asked looking at her expectantly.


    "Hmm. I''m sure you want to drive Stephen crazy, let''s do it together." Angelina smirked.


    "Guess I will be spending the vacation with Stephen Luther and Cage Cavanaugh, then." The evil grin on her face was priceless.


    "Keep your paws off my man," Katherine fake growled.


    "Yes, yes..." Angelina. "Let me have my fun. I''ll call Lily. It''s Friday, so we can shop until we drop tonight."


    Katherine paused for a second. What had she gotten herself into?


    - - -


    Cage was glad that Stephen was the one driving the car for the ride. If it were him, he wouldn''t have stopped himself from turning the car and running back to Katherine. To hell with his meeting with the public relations team. To hell with his trainer and teachers.


    It was a dangerous thought. If his team found out, they would probably kill him and then dangle him from a pole for everyone to see. ''Errant superstar hung because he neglected his duties.'' Sure, that would look good in the papers.


    "If you sulk for another minute, I am going to throw you to the sharks." The sharks being his staff. Cage turned to glare at his manager.


    "I pay them. They can take a hike to hell..." he pouted for good measure.


    "You pay them to keep you relevant and make you bucket loads of money. They sort of have a right to keep you on track." Traitors. Other bosses controlled their employees, but here he was, almost feeling like a puppet playing to their tunes.


    If he didn''t like acting so much, he would have gone into seclusion long ago.


    "You''re killing my buzz," Stephen said with a sigh.


    "What buzz?" Cage glanced at him with a smirk. "Angelina was ready to pummel your face for what you did. I would say you failed at your attempt to woo her." He scoffed.


    Stephen gave Cage a bland look. "She''s passionate. I would be terrified if she was indifferent to my advances. As long as I can infuriate her, I think I can stimulate her into being with me. I''ll give her time to calm down and wait for her to jump me next weekend."


    "You have a very different outlook on how wooing works, that''s for sure." Cage was happy that he didn''t have to think about that anymore. But who was he to bring Stephen down?


    "You might think it is an abominable approach, but I can see that she likes me. She just doesn''t want to admit it yet and that is okay. I''ll wait for her to come around." He chuckled darkly and Cage stared at him.


    "You''re going to die and that is not a sustainable approach. Take no for an answer for a change," Cage said softly.


    "Of course!" Stephen defended. "She made it clear that she likes me... she just needs a little sunlight and exposure..."


    "I will personally strangle you if you expose yourself anywhere near my girl." Stephen burst out into laughter.


    "Oh no, I am not going to show any part of my body in front of your girlfriend. Just wander around shirtless and maybe tie my towel a little low." Cage rolled his eyes.


    "How the f.u.c.k are you going to do that? Their apartment isn''t big enough for me to seclude Katherine while you are dancing around pantless."


    ''Bitch, if you show your body anywhere near Katherine. I swear to God I will forget the years of friendship and service and stab you.''


    He already had to worry about Barry and Nathanial dropping by all the time. Did he now have to worry about his manager, too? What the f.u.c.k? Why does the universe not give him a break?


    Worrying about Katherine was a full-time job now. Not that he minded. The former two were lurking around her while he barely had time to drive over and cuddle with her. They could come around any time, though. He was going to lose his mind.


    "We booked a property with three cabins on the mountain. Katherine wouldn''t see me even if I ran around n.a.k.e.d all day long." He shrugged. "Lily and her boyfriend, and Katherine and you will be staying in single bedroom cabins, while Angelina and I will share a cabin with two bedrooms."


    "That sounds preposterous!" Cage laughed. "Angelina would flip out when she hears you have clubbed her with you. 5 days alone with someone who she seemingly hates? Don''t think it would float with her." Sounded awesome to Cage. His manager would get his balls handed to him in a platter.

 Chapter 172 - Ruin My Vacation

    "Don''t worry, she won''t mind."


    "You can''t guarantee that without running it past her." Cage felt a little protective of Angelina, in all reality. Despite how distraught she was over her own issues, she buckled up and made sure Cage made his way to Katherine. He owed her for that. And for that, he needed to make sure his manager wasn''t being a douchebag. On top of that, Angelina was a very good friend of Katherine''s. He didn''t want to be stuck between those relationsh.i.p.s if something goes wrong between Stephen and Angelina. That seemed unfair.


    "I''ll ask her once I know how to phrase it properly." Cage could imagine Angelina screaming in rage and almost shuddered.


    "Do as you will. Just don''t ruin my vacation."


    "I won''t. I promise. I know she is interested in me because she was sending me signals, man. You know how I get about food and she used it as a weapon against me! She sucked on her fingers when she got gravy on it and showed off her cleavage every chance she got. I nearly died of a heart attack. Even when she was beating the shit out of that woman, I swear to god I was drooling. She was so damned s.e.xy..." Cage groaned. He really didn''t want to hear this. To his credit, he had never spoken like this about Katherine to anyone. Even Stephen.


    "Don''t get a hard-on while you are driving," Cage cautioned.


    "Too late. Just thinking about her makes me go whoop. You understand, right?" Yes, he did understand. It was a problem. No wonder, Katherine had handed him three bottles of lotion.


    Thank god, he was too busy missing her to get hard thinking about her. S.e.x was not at the forefront of his mind. He just wanted to hold her. "No, thank you."


    "One of us got laid yesterday and it wasn''t me. I am sure you don''t have blue balls, my friend."


    "Can you sound less envious?" Cage asked with a glare.


    "Fine. But I have to say, I have been by your side for many years now and I have never seen you so happy. The way you look at her," Stephen sighed dreamily. Cage rolled his eyes. Stephen was such a romantic. One wouldn''t figure if they saw him, but he was a complete softie at heart. "She looks at you the same way, too." Stephen and his sh.i.p.s.


    "Okay, shut up. You are making it worse."


    "Anna should start preparing for onesies. The babies will pop out in no time." Stephen stopped. "On another thought, I hope you are using protection. The relationship will be hard to handle, a baby might just bring disaster."


    Cage nodded. His mom would be thrilled to meet Katherine and probably even happier if he gave her some grandkids, but damn, it was going to be a shit show if the public found out.


    "Just having creepy guys stop at her house is enough of a scare, I don''t need the paparazzi involved..." He frowned.


    "Someone stopped by?" Stephen demanded to know. He sounded confused and infuriated. Cage was glad to see that Stephen had so easily adopted Katherine into his life and was concerned about her. He would probably kick some ass for her if it came down to it. "She''s family now, and no one messes with us." There was a slight menace to his voice and Cage had to smile. Yeah, she was family. He couldn''t deny it any longer.


    "Just some guy called Nathanial... a bartender. He''s been persistent and can''t take no for an answer."


    "And you showed him who is boss, right?" Stephen asked.


    "No. I didn''t show my face but yeah... I may have shown some possessive behavior to scare him off..." That hurt. He couldn''t even protect his girl without putting her in harm''s way.


    "Good good. Don''t show your face just yet." With that, the conversation ebbed away.


    Cage pulled out his phone and started texting.


    [RayKon53: Miss you.]


    Yup, it had been 40 minutes and he was already texting. He couldn''t imagine what their phone bills would look like when he was shooting outside the country or promoting his movies worldwide.


    His phone buzzed in his hand after a couple of minutes and he unlocked the screen immediately.


    [Rinsten: I''ll drown myself in work until we meet again.]


    He grinned and started typing again.


    [RayKon53: I am counting down the hours until we see each other. Don''t work too hard.]


    He closed his eyes and leaned against the window. Maybe he could catch up on some sleep before the meeting.


    [Rinsten: Yes, countdown until seeing each other is good. But do you know what I like more? Touching and tasting you.]


    He had spoken too early. Missing her didn''t stop him from being mildly aroused. Actually, it might have been worse, now that he had tasted and felt her.


    He had been too stupid to put his bag in the back... not that he could have pulled out the lotion and rubbed one out. Why did that even cross his mind? Okay, maybe just smell her, but that would be even worse for his hard-on.


    [RayKon53: You''re going into dangerous territory, little girl. Do you really think I won''t spank you?]


    No, he wouldn''t. Probably. But teasing her shouldn''t be too bad.


    [RayKon53: Also, Stephen has booked three cabins for us. We will have our own cabin and a lot of s.e.xy time!]


    "You''re s.e.xting, aren''t you?" Stephen asked blandly. His expression must have given him away.


    "Technically? No." Not far from the truth. He was just flirting. No crime in being smooth over text. If he had actually s.e.xted with her in the car... damn. He would die. Moreover, he didn''t think he was capable of watching p.o.r.n any longer. That was just not an option for him. Lord bless his soul. One less sin to go to hell for.


    [Rinsten: Mm. You can always have your way with me. Doesn''t need to be the cabin. Anytime. Anywhere.]


    ''Damn it!''

 Chapter 173 - The Best Deals

    Cage groaned. Stephen tightened his grip on the steering wheel and blared the horn in frustration. "Don''t lie. You are texting. This is unfair!" Cage looked at him with a weird expression. "Take my phone. Type what I say."


    The cell phone was tossed to Cage and he smacked it away like a hot potato. F.u.c.k that.


    "Voice to text input is a thing. Please use it, don''t ask me to do your dirty work." He shook his head. "What is wrong with you?"


    Stephen groaned. "I don''t want to say it out loud!" And then he stopped.


    "Now I am sure your mother dropped you on your head when you were a baby." The sheer stupidity. "How are you this way and handling multi-million dollar deals?" He shook his head.


    [Rinsten: But also, different cabins? Explain how that is going to happen. On another note, I am glad to hear that I won''t be hearing then tear each other''s clothes.]


    [RayKon53: That would be a delight. Spending time with you while not seeing Stephen walk around n.a.k.e.d.]


    [Rinsten: Well, that is not an image I want in my head, but I am sure Angelina wouldn''t mind. Again, different cabins?]


    [RayKon53: Ah. So, Stephen found time to book three cabins for us. One bedroom for us and Lily and her boyfriend and two bedrooms Stephen and Angelina. I am dying thinking about how this will go...]


    He waited with bated breath for her reply. It came soon enough.


    [Rinsten: She won''t mind at all. She''s all for making Stephen beg for her. She might give him grief for not asking her first, but I can help you with that. I know how to negotiate a deal with her.]


    Cage read the text and turned to Stephen with a contemplative expression on his face.


    "What do you think about letting Katherine break the news about the cabins to Angelina?" Stephen looked at him with an incredulous look.


    "You''re going to take away my pleasure of talking to her?"


    "Just trying to get you into her good books," Cage said, holding his hands up in defense.


    "Cool. Maybe after I inform her? She can scream at me and then talk to Katherine. She''ll get her anger out and won''t think I am hiding behind people or being transparent with her." Cage nodded. Made sense.


    "I''ll let her know." With that, he tucked his head down and starting to text again.


    [RayKon53: Wait for my signal. Stephen wants to tell her himself.]


    [Rinsten: Okay. When will you get home?]


    [RayKon53: In another 30 minutes, maybe. Are you working?]


    She should be. She hadn''t worked in two days and she must have deadlines to meet. It would be a disaster if she didn''t finish things on time.


    [Rinsten: Mm. I have to submit a draft for a book cover next week. I''m just finishing everything before I leave for the holiday. I finished a lot of work in the last couple of days before you came, but now, I just need to finish as much and... yeah.]


    ''Meet you...'' that''s what she wanted to say. It would be nice to just switch off from the world and enjoy themselves.


    "I wish I could skip the meeting," he sulked.


    Stephen laughed. "Sure, go ahead. Even if I don''t butcher you, your PR team will destroy you. As I have said before." Stephen looked at his expression. "Just imagine. They beat you to a pulp and you are unable to meet Katherine."


    "If that happens, I am suing and firing all of you." Another text came in.


    [Rinsten: I can''t concentrate on work.]


    "Don''t wanna lose my golden goose." Stephen revved up the engine.


    [RayKon53: Okay, focus on work. Finish everything before next weekend. I''ll talk to you soon.]


    He closed his eyes and remembered their time together. Just one week.


    - - -


    Unfortunately, Cage was still tired when he got off the car and entered the office building. The receptionist and other staff members were quick to recognize him. Cage was one of the actors with higher profiles associated with the company and handled by the top two group leaders. Yes, he had two group leaders on his account. That''s how much he paid to stay out of the news... not that it had worked that well this year.


    The fawns and flattery got old soon and Cage kept his eyes down unwilling to let everyone see how sullen and tired he was. Stephen was conversing with the other staff members, just catching up, as if he wasn''t constantly on the phone with them, appraising what to get published and how to navigate media opportunities.


    Demetri and Irene sat in the office, waiting for them to enter. The floor plan was open, but the smaller conference rooms, as they called it was enough to fit the four of them. Demetri was the head of brand deals whereas Irene made sure that the news regarding Cage was polished and holding up his reputation. They made a formidable team.


    "This almost looks like a team meeting," Cage muttered as he took a seat. Stephen slid in after him.


    "Should we call in the interns and executives as well? Now, that would be a fun team meeting," Irene said slyly.


    "No, thanks. I have had enough of those. I need a break."


    "You have bags under your eyes. Makes me wonder what you have been up to recently," Irene asked. Cage ignored her and turned to Demetri.


    "You said that you wanted to talk about numbers?"


    "I''ve already handed the charts over to Stephen." He pointed at Stephen, who began to speak.


    "Thanks for that, man. Your connections really pulled through. We made a big decision putting him in the romance genre and the pay was nowhere close to action, but it really worked out." He nodded.


    "It''s my job to make you the best deals," Demetri said with a shrug. "Your royalties have come in and you made some good money. Under the Stars made 120 million domestically and 300 million internationally." Demetri gave a little smirk. "On that note, we received an offer from a watch company to get you as their brand ambassador. Prestigious, premium company. They also want you to do a voiceover."

 Chapter 174 - Ordinary Person

    Cage thought about that for a second. "Send the details to Stephen and we will look over it before accepting anything. Too many bogus companies are offering contracts these days. We need to keep an eye out for that."


    Everyone attested to that.


    "Now that we have spoken about the gross profit and brand aspects, let''s talk about where you went for the last two days." Irene was a no-nonsense sort of a person and Cage usually liked her because of that.


    "I went to meet my girlfriend because we had a misunderstanding." Flat out. Tell the truth. There is nothing they can do. He could see Demetri and Irene''s eyes bulge.


    "You knew!" Irene said, accusation clear in her voice as she pointed towards Stephen.


    "Yeah, I drove him there." Demetri looked perplexed for a second.


    "Cage, we never heard about this before and you are suddenly springing this on us. You know this is extremely important." Irene was the sort of person who got angry very quickly and Cage usually put up with it because she was very good at her job. Not this time.


    "Yes, it''s important, but knowing you... you will take advantage of my relationship in some way or the other. You have a way of putting your nose in my business." If he said it this way, Cage came off like an asshole and her as a person giving him unwanted attention. That was not fully true. But he did hold a little grudge on Irene because she had been the one who had pushed for the fake relationship with Keira. She had also shouted the loudest when he was contemplating coming out with his story. She hated every part of it.


    "Well, you pay me to do that," was her counter-argument.


    "I''ll tell you all about it because I don''t want her identity out in the public. Other than that, you won''t have a say in if I stay in a relationship or not." On that, he was firm. It was his relationship. What he did professionally should never come into his private life.


    "Which celebrity is it?" she asked instantly, her eyes calculative. Cage sighed.


    "She is not a celebrity. She is a very ordinary person." The other two frowned.


    "Then where did you meet her?" Demetri asked.


    "Please don''t tell me that it is a cleaning lady or some contractor you came across," Irene groaned, thinking the worst and putting her palms on her face as if a great catastrophe had occurred.


    "She is a freelance graphic designer and ill.u.s.trator and we met online on a game that I play." There was a gasp in the room and Cage knew very well where it came from.


    "That is worse!" she shouted. Cage looked out the glass wall and saw a couple of employees who were walking past pause at the sound and then scurry away as soon as they saw him look at them. "How long has this been going on for?"


    "Over six months. I didn''t think it was important at first. Later on, I let Stephen know. We didn''t bother you. I just met her and it was fine." Irene was going to faint.


    "You''re kidding me. Give me her details and I will have a talk with her. We need to be absolutely sure that she is not talking to any publications or magazines. Do you know what a big chaos this could create? This could be a big scandal."


    Cage looked at Stephen, pleading him to take control over the conversation because he, sure as hell wasn''t going to defend his choices or hear someone badmouth Katherine when they hadn''t met her yet.


    "I''ve personally met her and can ensure that nothing of the sort will happen. I have undertaken thorough research of her and who she is associated with, as well. I can hand over the details if you want."


    Cage felt like puking. "Like hell you are." He glared at Stephen. But then he thought about it calmly. These were the people he employed. They could make sure that Katherine''s identity remained a secret. "Okay, I will give you some information. But you cannot contact her or breach her privacy. I know you have news and keyword tracking devices. I know you have excellent relationsh.i.p.s with entertainment journalists." He sucked in a deep breath. "Her name should not come out. Ever. Understood?"


    Irene looked stunned. Demetri was more of a chill guy and went with the flow so he just nodded.


    "For what it is worth, you look very happy and in love. Congratulations," Demetri said politely.


    "Thank you," Cage muttered with a sigh of relief. "She''s an amazing woman. Smart, talented, funny, and extremely perceptive. We had a great time."


    Irene scoffed from the side.


    "I''m sure you did." Cage didn''t like the tone she had used. Cage raised an eyebrow at the woman but didn''t say anything. "Don''t worry, I''ll try my best to keep everything under the wraps." She frowned. "I will need details of how you met and the conversations, though."


    "You don''t want to read those, ever," Stephen commented. He had read them. He knew she wouldn''t take them lightly.


    "That bad?" she asked. Stephen nodded. "With your permission, I will call the servers and delete everything." Cage shook his head.


    "You don''t need to do that." He wasn''t even going to ask Katherine about this. It was an offensive idea even to him.


    "Moving forward," Stephen began. "I received a couple of scripts that you will have to read through. We can arrange your schedule according to that." Cage nodded.


    "What are my options?" he asked. With his foray into romance, he would receive more diverse roles, but he didn''t know how much he wanted to experiment.


    "There is no working title as of yet, but I don''t think it matters what they call it. There is a high chance you will get an Oscar if you act in this." It was as simple as that.

 Chapter 175 - Hesitating Over A Girl

    "Oh?" That was always good to hear.


    "The cast so far is good and the plot is captivating. The character they want you for is convincing and very complicated. It will really bring out your acting capabilities. I have great faith that you would fit in perfectly with the role." Cage raised a brow.


    "Ah, you''re really pushing this on me. You never do that." He must have really liked it. He hadn''t done this after Cage had become well known in the industry. That was something to take into consideration.


    "Give me the dates and the location. I also want to look at the other scripts. Considering that you only spoke of one, this one must be the cream of the crop."


    "So, you have the shooting for Kevin Heart in a couple of weeks. That will go on for three months and a week. This one will be shooting about three weeks from then. So, you can take a week off before heading over to the next shooting location. Whatever you like." Only three weeks of free time. Adding in Katherine''s availability and work hours... They would probably have a couple of days together at maximum.


    "I''ll look at the script and let you know," Cage told him. He knew for a fact that the three months following the long weekend would be hectic. He would have to pack, make sure all his training was done and his body was in top shape. Then during shooting, he would be on the set for sixteen to twenty hours a day all week. If he only had a couple of days with her before jumping into another movie. He wouldn''t get to be with her for the rest of the year.


    Cage felt al the eyes on him and looked up. "What?"


    "Are you seriously hesitating about this over a girl?" Irene sounded scathing. Cage threw her a glare. The stares of the two other people in the room also bore into his skull.


    "Not exactly," he lied. He really needs to work on his pokerface or those journalists would eat him alive. "I haven''t read the script yet and while I trust your judgment, I have my own thoughts." He was protesting, but what he said was true. "Sometimes, I want a little break between projects. If it means letting a project go, it''s okay. I don''t want to burn out."


    Now, with Katherine, he really wanted to make sure that he didn''t burn out. He had seen people in the industry fall down that hole and just struggling to survive. He didn''t want to turn something he loved to do into a chore. It was just a plus that he made a shit tone of money from what he loved to do.


    "Of course. that makes perfect sense," Demetri said.


    "I admit," he said, feeling a tad bit guilty. "Katherine is part of why I am thinking this way, but I am not saying that I won''t do it. It''s not just because of her. I need to see what the story is and if the schedule is something I can commit to."


    "You''re placing your future in the hands of a girl and emotions that can go away?" Irene was on a warpath.


    "I know you don''t like the situation and you think it is too fast or whatever, but I don''t care. I know what is right for me and for Katherine." He paused. This was probably a good time to let them know that she would visit him while they were shooting. "Just for your information, she will be dropping by when I shoot for Heart. If she does drop by, we will have a little more time together and I won''t hesitate to take this up. But if she can''t make it... yeah... I''ll look for a little time off."


    "That''s-" Demetri didn''t have words. Stephen was quite and Irene was flipping out.


    "You tell me that now? You need to tell me the exact dates! I need to make plans so that you don''t get caught with her and Stephen has to schedule shooting according to when you want to meet her." That was why he was telling them, damnit.


    "Yes, I know. That''s why I am telling you this now. Also, she will be staying with me if she visits."


    Stephen looked a little uncomfortable. Irene was a tough cookie who hated not being in control and Cage was throwing bombs at her like nobody''s business. She would probably implode if he didn''t stop.


    "Don''t give me crap about it. I know Demetri and you are dating. I also know it is prohibited to date your colleague, so... don''t." Demetri stared at Cage.


    Stephen too turned towards Cage and felt a sense of pride. ''Way to get control.'' He crossed his fingers and hoped that Irene didn''t think about revenge. That would not be a pretty picture. PR people did everything for you, but a little oopsie and they would simply tell you there was nothing they could do. He had seen it happen before.


    "Ah, so you knew..." Irene laughed. If Cage didn''t know better, he would think she was being friendly. Irene really didn''t have a friendly bone in her body. She was good at pretending, though. It was part of her job. "I understand. Just keep me in the loop. She''s your forever?" she said with a little smile.


    "Yes." That surprised her again. Now, she would take it much more seriously.


    "Okay. So what is the deal? When do you want to go public? Do you even want to do that? What do you expect of me?" Cage felt like the battle was over. Stephen too leaned back on his chair.


    "We need to set the expectations so that we don''t have any dereliction in duties," Demetri assured quickly. His girlfriend was a hothead and pushed back a lot when it came to her clients, but she also knew when to shut up.

 Chapter 176 - To Katherine

    "Let''s keep it quiet for now for both of us. With the Keira thing happening and her not being from the entertainment circle, it''s best we take our time before coming out. I don''t want the press raining down on her. You know how my fans can get. They are mean and she doesn''t deserve that." He shook his head.


    "Is she a fan, as well?" Irene asked. So she was calculating.


    "Yes, she is very vocal about it," Cage said readily. Irene and Demetri would find out if they simply google searched her, so there was no point in denying.


    "That will be tough. Fans think that their idol is untouchable. For them to be with a celebrity is fine, but with another fan? They think of it as traitorous," Demetri said before Irene could put her thoughts in.


    "But then you also have that part where fans think they have a chance because someone else is with their idol." Ah, Irene was using her cunning mind. "Mm. It''s about how you spin it. I''ll start preparing for all scenarios just in case. But I really think I should sit down to talk with her before she visits you on set."


    "I''ll talk to her before confirming that." There was no way that they could keep it a secret for too long. If they were being ambitious and very careful with how they moved Cage and Katherine... They could maybe hold on for a year and a half.


    Fortunately, neither of them publicly displayed affection of liked to go out. So, it should be easier.


    "Okay, for now, let''s deny any stories about him dating anyone and making sure that his reputation is stellar before we slowly introduce Katherine to the public. We can control public opinion in that way." Everyone nodded.


    Irene opened her planner and checked. "You have an interview with GC Magazine on Friday, two weeks from now." Cage quickly calculated. They would come back from the mountain the day before, so it was okay. "Ah, aren''t you taking a vacation?" she asked.


    "Yeah." Irene made a face, realizing that Katherine would be tagging along.


    "Be careful. You deserve time off, you have convinced me. You''ll not spend much time with her during the shooting anyway." There was a little glee in her voice. Less work for her, yay. "Hope you are ready to bust your ass."


    He was. "Yup."


    "GC will ask a lot of probing questions, so make sure you meet me. I will give you a brief and make sure you are media-ready." Cage sighed. He thought that they would have a little more faith in him after so many years of being extremely obedient and an angel to work for. He had never said the wrong thing!


    "Don''t worry. I won''t say anything about being with someone."


    "The tabloids would hound you if you let anything slip. I trust you, but I like to be thorough." he nodded.


    "Protecting Katherine is the top priority. If they ask, I won''t be able to deny it because that''s wrong, but I would like to do it in a way that she isn''t harassed." Cage was terrified that it would drive Katherine crazy and she would leave him. Once she found out how hard it was... she would realize why so many famous people dated within the circle. They knew what to expect.


    Would she be okay with the cameras? What about the scathing comments on the internet and tabloids?


    "Sorry, I don''t care who you date. That is Irene''s sphere. I just care that you get spokesperson opportunities and bring in the money." Demetri, always ruthless.


    "Send over the proposals, I''ll go through them." He then turned to Stephen. "Send me the scripts, too. I will read through them when I get time." As much as he wanted to talk to Katherine all day long, he would have to slip in time to read and train. Maybe, he could ask her to go over the scripts. She was a viewer, she would know what people would like to see him in.


    The meeting ended soon enough and Cage had a lot of papers to go through and numbers to crunch. As he went towards the car, he heard some clicks of the camera and turned towards their direction. He waved, feeling a little pensive. Thank god they had not followed him before.


    He just wanted to go home. To Katherine.


    - - -


    Katherine spent most of the day working and managing calls with clients. She had texted Cage while he was in the car but knew that he had meetings, so she didn''t bother him after that. She missed him, but work was a priority for both of them. Romance flew out of the window when one didn''t have money to spare.


    When she emerged from her room, she was tired. She found Lily and Angelina sitting on the couch having a heated conversation. Katherine stared at them for a bit, not understanding their whispered words before finally asking them.


    "What are you doing?" She sounded more suspicious than was necessary.


    "We are trying to see who blinks first." Just another day at this household.


    "Ah, you guys continue. I just need some air before I head back in. Weren''t we supposed to go out today?" she whined. The other two broke away from their Mexican standoff.


    "You need to spill first," Lily said. Angelina nodded vehemently.


    "No way," she said, glancing between her friends. "You know what happened. You had front seats to the show. I am with Cage. Period." Angelina scoffed.


    "Wasn''t expecting it to be Cage, but good for you. Damn, you won the lottery." Angelina didn''t sound salty, but it was probably because she had met Stephen on the same day.


    "You don''t get to do that. I was there since the s.e.xting days and you promised to give me details. This is the girl code. You need to tell us the details." Lily, always the lecher. Angelina was too interested, as well.


    Katherine gulped. "That doesn''t seem okay..." she said softly. "I can say that it wasn''t just s.e.x."

 Chapter 177 - Magical Three Words

    "Honey, I''m not asking you to roleplay it for us. Give us the measurements and a rating on performance," Angelina interjected.


    "Yeah. Like, we have seen this guy on the screen. We''ve seen his fake orgasm face and we demand to know more." Lily stopped and stared, knowing Katherine would evade. "We won''t judge. Did you pass out when you saw him n.a.k.e.d?"


    Now, there was a good question.


    "I almost did. My nose would have bled but I think I was composed enough." She might have blown his mind with her body, as well. She didn''t think li''l old her could have that reaction from the almighty Cage Cavanaugh.


    "I saw the little smirk on your lips when I mentioned size. I know the answer to that question," Angelina snickered. Katherine threw her a glare.


    "Yes. I don''t have to worry about limp appendages and people thinking it''s my fault for not getting wet."


    "Does it make you want to ride him into complete pleasure and make him scream that he is in love with you?" Lily groaned. Katherine was too mortified.


    "Shut up. It was beyond good and even though I am sore as hell, I want to jump him again. His c.o.c.k is mine now and you will never see any of it or find out." Lily and Angelina burst into laughter.


    "Sure, sure. We don''t want to see it. It will be a feast only for your eyes." Angelina paused. "Wait. We really need to go shopping. Stephen called and told me he booked a single cabin for the two of us."


    "Did you give him hell?" Katherine asked.


    "Yeah, I screamed at him, but I am very pleased. Easy access and lots of possibilities to make him go crazy."


    "Atta, girl," Lily commented. "So we need to buy clothes, underwear, and roleplay stuff?" Lily threw Katherine a lecherous look as she said this. Katherine should have been embarrassed, but she had done this with her friends before. Usually, she was the one making the perverted comments. She could only endure for now.


    - - -


    "It was torture," Angelina was saying as they browsed through the racks of clothing. "You should have seen how he looked when he drove that car. It took so much strength not to jump him the first time he shifted gears. The speed was phenomenal... the engine... the seats... He could have those hands on my machine," she said with a dreamy sigh.


    A lady in their vicinity looked at them with a horrified look and scurried away.


    "How did you resist?" Katherine asked.


    "I didn''t know I possessed such willpower. I reminded myself that I had been duped recently and that he was a player. Did the job but I was still frustrated."


    "Pot calling the kettle black. When was the last time you were in a relationship?" Lily asked, holding up a top in front of the mirror and seeing how it looked on her.


    "I can''t remember," Angelina said with a shrug. "But I need it to happen on my terms. I don''t want to be pushed into something which I will regret later. I feel the chemistry but that''s all."


    "You just don''t want to be in something right now, I understand." Katherine did. Jonathan might be of the past but she did have a lot of scars from that relationship. "What about the kid?" she asked absentmindedly. The surroundings grew quiet.


    "Nothing much. Just ignored everything. I don''t need that shit in my life. It also made me wonder if I have the emotional maturity of a teenager. Not the best moment of my life," She grimaced.


    "It''s a kid, he''ll forget about it soon enough," Lily said slowly. Even she sometimes wondered if Angelina had the emotional maturity of a pre-pubescent teenager. And no, if this 12 year old spoke to her for so long, he was probably not going to forget. She could only hope that the law enforcement wasn''t involved.


    Lily decided that she would read up on interstate cases of child grooming and whatnot. Just to be safe.


    "Forget about Damon... or Damien... whatever his name is," Katherine said with a shrug. "If you clash with Stephen at this pace, you''ll be head over heels in love with him or holding a knife over his bleeding dead body in no time." She gave a sarcastic smile.


    "F.u.c.k you. No way in hell I am falling in love."


    Katherine shrugged. "I know what passion looks like and the look in your eyes tells me you are pretty close. I would know because I can see the similarities."


    "Wait, did you tell him you love him?" Angelina squeaked. That was fast. "Did he tell you?"


    Katherine shrugged. "I was incoherent most of the time. I think we told each other. It was evident, though. We talked about meeting our parents and our life together. If that doesn''t scream ''I love you,'' I don''t know what does."


    "Yeah, it''s too early, I guess. You don''t want to freak him out or misread him. The difference in social status is too big and a lot of problems can arise from it. Just take it slow..." This came from Lily. Katherine nodded.


    "I want to be sure of our relationship before I say it with finality." There was Jonathan. She had been with him for a long time and everyone knows how that turned out. Time didn''t guarantee anything and she knew to be guarded in all situations. But she couldn''t help it. It was Cage.


    "Eh, I can see you love each other," Angeline commented. "There''s no written rule to it, so who cares?"


    "Have you said the magical three words to Jared?" Katherine asked out of the blue. Lily shook her head.


    "I would never say it first. Jared will have to take the initiative or else that part gets unnoticed." Lily folded her arms.


    "So, you want him to say it. Does that mean you love him?" Katherine asked slyly.

 Chapter 178 - Footing The Bill

    "No!" Lily barked. She surreptitiously looked up and checked to see if anyone had heard her. "We need to work things out before any of that goes down. As I said, I don''t need another dad."


    "Or that is exactly what you need," Angelina scoffed. "It''s not like your parents are stellar. You have always done what you wanted. Maybe you need someone breathing down your neck to really see that they love you." Made sense. Sometimes Angelina''s skewed ideas were of use.


    "I don''t think it works that way," Lily grumbled.


    "Okay, I am bored. I can''t find anything I like," Angelina commented. Katherine was more interested in underwear, so she had simply browsed through the clothes with no intention to buy anything. Lily, on the other hand, went to the counter and bought a top that she thought looked flattering. Neither of the two others disputed what she said.


    "Two hundred dollars for a pair of panties?" Katherine hissed. The price was unbelievable. There was no way she was going to buy these without going broke. They had gone to many of the other lingerie stores in the shopping mall before finally entering the stupidly priced store. Angelina loved this store and Lily had done a photoshoot for the brand. Yes, their products were stellar but Katherine would rather not wear underwear than spend a month''s worth of groceries on something she wouldn''t wear often.


    So far, she had gotten an olive green bra and matching panties that complimented her skin, an orange night set that made her look like a goddess and some complicated black lingerie that should have probably come with instructions. She hoped that they had tutorials online because otherwise, all that money would go down the drain.


    Angelina had somehow put together a schoolgirl outfit from some of the other shops, pairing a pristine white shirt that fit her too snugly and showed off the black bra she had brought. She also got a black plaid skirt and a blazer with golden buttons. When asked why she was buying this, she shrugged and said, "It shows off my thighs and hints at my other private bits wonderfully. It''s bound to drive Stephen crazy." During their vacation? How was that even feasible?


    "One good lingerie piece is always an asset in your wardrobe. Think about the pictures you can take in them and send them to Cage when he is weary and just wants to see his girlfriend." Katherine sighed. Lily was right. She felt powerful in pretty lingerie, but she was also buying it for his pleasure. Nothing wrong with that.


    But Katherine also doubted that Cage would care. He would probably have no clue what the difference between the high end and cheaper ones was.


    "I already bought a lot today. I don''t need to buy anymore," Katherine responded. The two friends looked up disapprovingly.


    "You''re buying this," Lily said.


    "I''m footing the bill," Angelina commented. Mindboggling. "Once you have the star in your grasp, you need to do everything in your power to keep him there. You might not be a fan of games, but I am not letting you lose to the other women who are pursuing him." Katherine blinked.


    "There are women pursuing him?" she asked in a small voice.


    "He''s Cage Cavanaugh," she whispered and looked around. "He must have supermodels falling all over him. I trust him not to look elsewhere, but love is not always forever. You need to keep it spicy and step up your game." Lily seemed to agree to this.


    "Cage might not care but there is nothing wrong with buying something s.e.xy. You deserve to feel like the best," Lily said with a wink.


    "I feel like this is the beginning of a lesbian party. Are we going to wash our n.a.k.e.d bodies and sing kumbaya?" Katherine commented with a snort.


    Lily rolled her eyes. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she scurried away in the opposite direction. She was eyeing a hot pink babydoll and soon picked it out and searched for her size. "Jared will love this."


    ''Are you sure he won''t go blind? Why is this so fluorescent?''


    As they paid, Katherine''s phone started to buzz. She quickly took it out and smiled as she picked up the phone.


    "Hello." She sounded all breathy.


    "Hi, love," he said, his voice all smooth and honeylike, making her shiver.


    "How was the meeting?" she asked, watching her friends pay. Lily turned to her in that moment and smiled. The corner of her eyes crinkled as she mouthed, ''Cage?'' Katherine nodded and turned to walk out of the store. She stood at the entrance, waiting for them to join her when they were done. In the meantime, she could talk to her boyfriend.


    "Mm. We discussed a lot of things..." he trailed off. "I need to discuss some things with you but I can hear that you are outside. How was your day?"


    She laughed, looking at the bag in her hand. She definitely couldn''t let him know in advance. This would have to be a surprise. She wanted to see his face. "I worked after you left and made progress on some pending projects. Apart from that, she just came out to shop. It''s getting really late now, so we will probably grab dinner outside before heading home."


    He must have caught the promiscuity in her voice. "Oh? Shopping for what?" He sounded excited like he actually had a clue what she was doing. She hoped not!


    She giggled as she pictured his face when he saw her in the contraptions she had bought. "Nothing exciting. You will find out soon enough."


    She heard him groan. "Are you teasing me? Is it a gift for me?" he asked, his voice deeper and rougher. If she wasn''t out and about, she would have rubbed her thighs together for good measure. Just his voice was enough to melt her into a puddle of goo and his body? Don''t get her started on that.

 Chapter 179 - Approve Of Me

    She hummed. "It''s a gift for both of us." The words held promise.


    "Now, now. You are definitely teasing me. My mind is wild with the possibilities." He made a strangled noise at the back of his throat and she chuckled, knowing how she affected him. "Ah! My mother is here. I''ll talk to you later, okay?"


    Oh? She had come to talk to him? Katherine wondered how it would go. She was slightly nervous that they might talk about her but she also knew that Cage had missed a family meal because he went to her to make things better. Would his mother be discontent with her for that?


    Leave it. She couldn''t think too much and scare herself even before a problem arose. Overthinking would kill romance before any real problem could. She would just wait and face any problems that might come their way.


    "Bye," she said cheerily and with that, he hung up.


    Cage was adorable. The way he spoke about his parents and still was scared of his mother? She loved it. Their bond seemed to be good, too. What girl didn''t like a boy who loved and cherished their mother. It spoke volumes about their character. Not that she judged people too harshly for how they treated others.


    [Rinsten: Miss you.]


    "That cost me 900 dollars, if he rips them, I will cut his throat," Katherine heard Lily threaten. She turned to gawk at her friend. "What?" she commented, noticing Katherine''s gaze. "I''m not lying. I would at least scream." She shrugged.


    "I bet you would," Angelina snickered.


    - - -


    Cage made his way to the living room where his mother was busy looking around and fixing anything that was out of place. And a lot was out of place because he had not been in a stellar mood the last time he had been in this house and no one had cleaned up since.


    She looked mildly pissed off, but Cage didn''t know what had caused that. Was it the state of the room or the fact that he hadn''t updated her about the situation with Katherine when he had the time?


    "You can stop hiding now," Cage heard his mother call out and startled. Her spidey senses always worked when it was something to do with him. It was probably a mom thing that he would never understand.


    "Hi, mom," he said in a cheerful voice.


    "You could have at least given me an address to send lunch and dinner for that day. I could have at least fed your girlfriend some food." She was in formal clothing, glaring at him like he was the biggest criminal on the planet.


    "I know. I just needed time to explain everything. I didn''t plan on letting you say hi so early either," he said. Bad move.


    "Ah, now that you have someone you love, you discard me, eh?" The older woman rolled her eyes. If Cage had it in him, he would roll into a ball and cry. Who said that he wasn''t scared of his mom? She was a sweetheart and supported him in everything but she could be the devil''s incarnate when she interrogated someone.


    "Mom," he whined. Her eyes softened a little, letting him know that she was simply joking. She crooked a singer at him and beckoned him forward. He moved forward without hesitation. Her hand closed around his chin, a comical image considering that he was a head taller than her. She eyed Cage for a minute before wrapping her arms around him.


    Quickly, she pulled away and pointed towards the couch. He quickly sat down and pulled her by her arm, making her take the seat beside him.


    "You''re in trouble, young man," she said. "You didn''t call me at all."


    Shit.


    "Yeah, everything was too much and I had back to back meetings today so..." She shook her head, stroking his back as if to comfort him.


    "My hair will grey if I keep worrying about you so much." She paused and beamed at him. "Now, tell me about your girlfriend."


    Cage lit up as he pulled out his phone pulled out his camera roll. While Katherine had been working around the house and gathering things, he had followed her and taken pictures of her that he could look at when he missed her. In some, she looked fierce with concentration in some and smiling happily in others. There were pictures of the indoor camp, as well.


    "She''s so beautiful," his mother said with a smile. "Tell me about her."


    "Stephen probably sent you her pictures... Her name is Katherine Austen. She is twenty-five, a freelance graphic designer and ill.u.s.trator. She''s an amazing artist."


    "That sounds wonderful. All is well, I hope?" she asked. There was the concerned mother hen that he knew all his life.


    "I couldn''t leave this morning. I didn''t want to." He shrugged. "She had a close-knit family and well, it is highly possible that they are not going to approve of me," he snickered.


    "Well, I could persuade them," his mother said with a wink. Cage shook his head vehemently.


    "Anna Cavanaugh, please don''t scare my girlfriend away. She is shy, to begin with. She''d flee if she saw you." She snickered at this.


    "Well, hopefully, I will meet her before you get engaged. You sound so in love. I am happy for you." A thought must have crossed her mind as she started to speak again. "So when are you seeing her again? When can I actually meet her?" Cage thought for a bit before answering. "I was joking about the engagement. Please don''t tell me you actually got married without me."


    Like he could do that to his parents. More so because they would kill him. He shook his head. "No, we are going to spend 5 days together next week. Not married, I promise. I''ll miss the family day again."


    "Oh, that was fast." She pulled out her phone and pressed it to her ear. "Honey, do you mind coming over to Cage''s place? He''ll miss family dinners for a while, so I want to make up the time."

 Chapter 180 - Downright Sinful

    "What are we eating?" Cage asked, getting up from the couch.


    "I brought over food for a couple of days, so we will just eat from that. I''ll send over more later on. Your dad will arrive in an hour." He pulled her onto her feet and hugged her.


    "Thanks for understanding, mom." He kissed the top of her head.


    "I can see that you''ve never felt this way before. I am so happy for you." She sounded teary and he was going to have none of it.


    "Does this mean, dad has another chance to tell me how the two of you fell in love?" he asked with a chuckle.


    "Yes, for the hundredth time." As they waited, the talk of when he planned on telling her he loved her came up.


    "I probably told her already, but I don''t think she believes me. She''s been burned in the past. Her fiance cheated and got another woman pregnant. She walked in on them and he asked her if she wanted to join." His mother''s eye widened in horror before uncontrolled anger brewed in them. She had very little tolerance for cheaters and jerks. That was why he grew up becoming a gentleman. She would have disowned him otherwise, especially after becoming famous.


    "I''d hope she peeled the man''s skin and tossed it in the bin. What is his name?" Her tone her promises of violence. Rarely was she angry enough to threaten bodily harm. Cage felt the need to reassure her, but he didn''t know how.


    "Jonathan. But I have no clue what his last name his." He shrugged.


    "She''s probably too nice to do anything to him, so I will find him and help her out a little. Only if she wants, though." She scoffed.


    "Shouldn''t you send her a thank you card for leaving her? That''s why I met her." He laughed. "She met a wonderful man."


    "Narcissist," his mother said with a smack. "Yes, I would think you are the most talented and handsome man in the world even if you weren''t my son." She rolled her eye. "But she didn''t need to go through that. I advise you to take it slow and show her your sincerity. You''ll have a hard time, though." She smiled at him.


    "I know." His mother went to the kitchen and started to pull out the dinner set he had never used. They had cost quite a bit, so it was good to make some use out of them.


    He pulled his phone out and saw Katherine''s message. He was about to reply when he heard his mother call. He scurried off to his bathroom and washed up, knowing his mother would ask. No one sat at his mother''s table without being prim and proper. They were simply asking for a beating otherwise.


    He would call Katherine about the shopping trip later on. They hadn''t video chatted before, so maybe she could model the things she bought. Now, that was an idea he could stand behind.


    "Cage?" he heard his mother called from outside the bathroom door. He jumped.


    "Coming!" His perverted brain conjured images that were downright sinful to think about while his mother was standing on the other side of the door.


    "Hurry up!" she replied and thankfully walked away. He calmed himself down, clearing his head of the multitudes of images of Katherine in various pieces of clothing. When he looked at himself in the mirror, he looked perfectly normal and ready to head out and face the others.


    He hurried the kitchen and saw his mother plating the food. "Do you need my help?" he asked.


    "Were you talking to Katherine?" she asked slyly.


    He had obviously taken far too long to wash up. "No, no," he said all too quickly.


    "Okay, you took fifteen minutes to wash up." She giggled as he sighed. "Don''t worry. I''ve been there. Now, don''t groan. I know you don''t want to hear any of it, but you are living proof." Cage had a conflicted look. "I often send your father dirty texts when I am between classes and know that your father is composing. It either inspires him or he forgets about his work. He''s learned to ignore them when he is working over the years." She held back a sad sigh.


    "Please stop..." he finally knew where he got his dirty texting genes from and he didn''t know whether he should be proud of disgusted. As she had said, he was living proof.


    "Heat the plates," his mother said, changing the topic quickly. There was a flash of mischief in his eyes that he couldn''t hide. Cage hoped in his heart that after 30 years of marriage, he too would feel this deeply about Katherine.


    It was already that every time he spoke to her, his heart wanted to burst with affection. It grew more profound as the days passed.


    Just as his thoughts floated, his front door opened. He placed the plates in his microwave and went outside to greet his dad.


    "Hey," he said, pulling his dad into a hug.


    "Do you want to take another shower?" his dad asked gruffly. Cage shook his head, knowing his mom had been quick to tell his dad that he had spent a little too long in the bathroom. These two.


    "No. Wash up and head in. We''re just heating the food."


    Within five minutes, the three of them were seated.


    "You must see Katherine," his mother gushed.


    "Who''s Katherine?" his dad asked absentmindedly. Typical dad. He was probably thinking about something.


    "Stop thinking about work. We are talking about your son''s girlfriend!" Her tone was all too serious.


    "Oh, right. Your mom told me about the girl you like. How did that go?" Now, he was all too interested. He loved some good old gossip and putting his nose in his son''s love life. Nothing more fun than to compare if his son had gotten their romantic genes.

 Chapter 181 - A Failure

    "The beginning was a little bumpy but everything turned out great in the end." His father looked highly dissatisfied with the lack of details. "When I marry her, I will tell the story. I promise you tell the story so many times that you need to stop me from ever mentioning it again," Cage quipped.


    "Was that a jab at me?" his father asked, pointing at himself. "Let me know when you want me to start planning the wedding. I might just start making a mood board." He rubbed his stubble and stared off into space.


    "You have a piece to finish. Also, they just met."


    Cage pulled up a picture of her and passed the phone to his dad. "She''s beautiful." The older man stared at the picture and then swiped, suddenly seeing a picture of us together. "It seems you have fallen under the Cavanaugh curse," he said with a chuckle.


    "The what?" Cage asked, perplexed.


    "Uh. It''s a family tradition of knowing that you will marry this person and dedicate your life to them the minute you see them," his father explained. Cage shook his head, clearly thinking this was a joke. "I''m not lying."


    "Yes, because your hate to love story can be called that," Cage replied with the roll of an eye.


    His father shrugged. "Extreme attraction manifests in different ways. The stories develop differently, but the outcome is the same."


    "Don''t believe him. He tried to persuade me with this nonsense as well. Apparently, all of their family fall in love this way. You''d better not believe in these fairytales and do your best to keep that girl happy. There are no happy endings without effort."


    His dad, of course, started to tell his side of the story, with his mom interjecting at times. Cage loved the story. As much as he kept groaning about his dad telling it all the time, he really liked it. It had given him hope about true love for a long time and now he could see it come true with Katherine. He got it. Maybe his father wasn''t wrong about the whole soul mate thing. But his mother was right too.


    "Your dad has quite a dirty mouth too. Good thing his voice can make grown women weep, or else I would have slapped him for his impudence."


    "Okay, guys. Stop." If he wanted to be scarred for life, he would let this conversation continue. Not today, not when he was on a Katherine high.


    "Cage, your story is so much more romantic. Crossing paths in the virtual world and falling in love without seeing each other. Almost meeting and then fighting... only to drive hours to her house and fixing it. It sounds like a blockbuster movie." She sighed. Then her eyes lit up. "That would actually make a good movie." She threw Cage a suggestive glance.


    "It would be cute and might work in the box office but I don''t want my love life to be talked about. But are you footing the bill?" He winked at her. She made a face.


    "I didn''t say anyone needs to know it''s about you. And no, I don''t have as much money as you."


    "Sure." He didn''t really mean it. He shook his head, knowing there was no arguing with her when she got an idea in her head. Might as well let her forget it naturally.


    - - -


    The weather had been extremely humid recently and Katherine was dying to change into comfortable clothes by the time they had dinner. The drive home took some time but when they reached, all the girls went to their rooms. The past week had been extremely stressful for people in the household, so they needed some good rest.


    It was time for Katherine to call home. She had been dreading it and putting it off until she possibly couldn''t do it anymore. She had to tell her parents she was not coming and she had to convince her father that it was all okay. She had spent a couple of days of bliss with Cage, but now it was time to face reality.


    Katherine dialed her mother''s phone and waited for the woman to pick up. "Hi, mom," she said immediately.


    "You finally have time to call me." Katherine shifted guiltily. "Sorry, I got caught up with something and didn''t have time to get back to you."


    "Yeah. Is your mood better? How was your date." Date? Katherine thought for a minute. Suddenly, she remembered the date on Wednesday and what had followed. She had told her mom she was going out but never gave her an update on that. At least her dad didn''t know anything about it, or she would get a lecture of being fickle.


    It had been a couple of days and so much had happened that she could barely recall all of it.


    "Oh, it was a failure," she said simply.


    "What happened?" She didn''t sound concerned. Mostly because she was expecting Katherine to live the forever single life by then.


    "Uh. The guy was really nice but he quickly guessed I wasn''t interested in him. So we called off the date and he brought me home." She waited with bated breath.


    "And what happened with the other guy you were crying about?" she asked. Katherine could hear the dishes in the background and chuckled.


    "I couldn''t avoid him any longer."


    "Okay?" her mom said, now sounding suspicious.


    "When my date brought me home, he was waiting for me in my room. We talked about everything and cleared up the misunderstandings." She smiled at the thought. "I feel happy."


    "You sound happy," she said. "Well, I suppose I will have to ask my friend to cancel that blind date I had set up for you." Katherine froze. "I am joking," her mother said quickly.


    "Thank god." Katherine paused. "I need to tell you something."


    "What?" Her mother had mood swings galore.


    "He''s famous." There, she had said it. There was a long pause on the other side. And then her mother started to cackle.


    "Pray tell me which celebrity you are dating. Is it a YouTuber? They earn a lot but I doubt you could keep up with their ego," she scoffed.


    "I''m not dating a YouTuber."

 Chapter 182 - Make It Worse

    "Oh? Who are you dating then?" Her mother finally stopped. She waited... even her breathing was quieter.


    "Cage Cavanaugh."


    Howls of laughter. Katherine wanted to slap her forehead. "Oh, that was so funny," her mother said in between rounds of laughter. "No, tell me the truth. Who is it?"


    Katherine made a face. Yeah, it was hard to believe that she was dating Cage Cavanaugh. "I really am dating Cage Cavanaugh."


    Silence.


    Clearing of the throat.


    "I''ll humor you for a minute. How did you meet Cage Cavanaugh? Have you been camping outside shooting sites and waiting for him to come out because you have a lot of work apart from fangirling." Well, at least her mother admitted that fangirling was a side hustle for her. What else could a fan ask for from their parents?


    She wasn''t going to believe Katherine. At least she wasn''t going to get yelled at like her dad would if he found out.


    "No, I don''t have the time to follow him around. I met him on a game online."


    "Honey?" She heard her mother scream. She pulled the phone away from her ear, trying to protect it from the damage her mother was about to cause. "Katherine wants to tell you something."


    Wait wait wait. Was she calling dad to let him know what had transpired? He would kill her. Katherine had hoped that she would run everything past her mother and her mother would be the one to tell her father, thus softening the blow.


    That was the plan. Why were the circ.u.mstances now deviating from it?


    "Mom, please don''t do it." She wanted to sob. She also wanted to hang up the phone but if she did that her parents would book plane tickets and fly to her to kick her ass.


    "I''m putting you on speakerphone," Katherine''s mom said, sounding uncaring. Katherine sucked in a breath and waited. "Yeah, so Katherine is dating someone famous. Katherine, tell your father who it is." Katherine was silent. She could feel that her mother was ridiculing her.


    "I am in a relationship with Cage Cavanaugh." She could hear her father ask her mother who that was. Blasphemy. "He''s a superstar and known for his action movies."


    "Haven''t hear of him before. Must not be as good." Katherine was offended. The diehard fangirl in her wanted to scream.


    "Dad, you watch South Indian movies where the hero splits a bullet into half... a bullet that was shot at him." This was saying that her father had no taste in movies and was not the connoisseur he believed himself to be.


    "Movies are supposed to transcend reality. Why would I watch a stick figure fight?" her father brooded. The conversation was quickly turning into a fight about action movies.


    "You two, stop. Katherine, tell us how you met him."


    "I met him online while I was playing a game."


    "I thought you were a smart woman," her father commented. "You''d know better than to believe that some chit behind the screen is a hotshot actor. They don''t have time to play online games. Also, I had warned you not to play games online and talk to strangers but you do it time and time again. You''ll get into serious trouble someday. People on the internet don''t portray themselves in the right light and you can definitely not trust them."


    "Dad, this isn''t about that."


    "I hope you didn''t give him any personal information or send him pictures that he can use against you." Katherine wanted to bang her head into the wall. She could hear her mother gasp at the implication. Now she felt a little stupid, too. But her story had a happy ending so she could forget she was stupid and believe it was destiny.


    "Mom, dad. Rest easy. He is real. I have met him. He was at my house until this morning."


    "Katherine!" her mother gasped. What? She was a grown woman. She lived in her own apartment and could bring any guy over. If they still behaved this way, she would really have to become a nun and pledge her life to Jesus. Wanting your daughter married and also not wanting her to associate with men were conflicting ideas. They don''t go together in this day and age.


    "You had him in your house?" her father asked. His voice was low and angry. "Your house has three rooms and you have two other roommates. Where did this boy stay?" Did he really want to know the answer?


    "I''ll just go back to the beginning." She was going to forego answering that question altogether. "I was done working one evening and went over to my PC to play some games and relieve stress. You know how good I am, so I was particularly surprised when someone was beating me at the missions. I started a conversation with him and we subsequently started to email and call each other." She paused and waited for it.


    "Don''t sound so happy that you play well. If you had paid more attention at school, you''d get better grades," her father grumbled. She wanted to remind him that she had stellar grades and wanted to have a life outside of studying. "Also, you gave him your number? How many times have I told you how crazy the world is? You could have been talking with a serial killer. You can''t give your phone number to any guy. Even if he is a celebrity."


    "I didn''t know he was a celebrity."


    ''Way to make it worse, Katherine.''


    "We live in an age where we date people online. It''s no big deal. With great inventions come other resources to protect people. Have some faith in your daughter."


    He muttered something about Katherine being exactly that stupid. "The ending was happy. It was Cage Cavanaugh and I am dating him."


    "And what about the fight you had with him?" her mother interjected. Katherine again felt like telling her mother anything about the situation was a huge mistake. She seemed to be on a warpath to make Katherine suffer.

 Chapter 183 - He Likes Me Too

    "We were going to meet in a public place and he didn''t arrive on time. I ended up calling and his female friend picked up the phone. There was a misunderstanding and I thought he was playing me. Words were exchanged and I thought we would never talk again." That was the story in short.


    "At least you wanted to meet him in public... How did he come to your home, though?" At least her father sounded less pissed off.


    "Angelina was mad at the whole situation and orchestrated a meeting with the help of Cage''s manager. His manager drove him to my apartment without his prior knowledge." Her mother hummed thoughtfully.


    "Did you like each other in reality?"


    Katherine was taken aback at the question. Yes, she liked him more than she could possibly say.


    "Yes, dad. He''s kind, caring, and sweet. He really likes me too." And that was the most important part of the conversation.


    "I''d be surprised if he didn''t like you."


    ''Thanks for the seal of approval, dad. Means a lot.''


    "Any boy would be a fool not to like you. Even if he is a star." Her mother sighed.


    "Now, you are being biased. If you saw Cage with your two eyes, you would think differently."


    Strike while the iron was hot. They seemed placated, so she threw in the punchline.


    "I won''t be coming home for the long weekend because I am going to the mountains with Cage."


    "You''re staying with a boy you just met?" he shouted. Katherine again had to pull the phone away.


    "I know you are happy he is rich and famous but I really don''t think it is a good idea to rush into a vacation together so soon. The entertainment industry is ruthless and he could have any woman who wants to climb his bed." It was right for her mother to be concerned. Yet, Katherine found herself upset and offended on Cage''s behalf.


    "That might be true, but Cage is not like that. I''ve come to know him and I am sure you will like him when you get to get to know him as well," she explained. She didn''t want to force her thoughts on her parents but if they were negative, she would have to work hard to improve their outlook of Cage.


    "I''ll have to read articles on him, then." That sounded like the worst thing anyone could do to get and know a person.


    "Please don''t. Newspapers are great for local news, but the entertainment section isn''t worth reading. No real news there all gossip and fluff." She sighed. "And just so you know. Angelina and Lily will be accompanying me, as will Cage''s manager and Lily''s boyfriend. We won''t be alone. It''s just a fun outing." She would reveal things about spending more time together later. Burn one bridge at a time.


    "And what about the world knowing about your relationship?" Give it to her mother to get to the crux of things.


    "We''re going to keep sneaking around as long as we can." She didn''t have the answer to that question but sneaking around was the best option.


    "Why? He wants to hide you away?" Her father sounded offended. "You aren''t a dirty little secret."


    "No. He doesn''t want to hide me. We mutually decided on this because we can both be protected in that way. He doesn''t want the press following us around and taking pictures of me and I don''t want to face public opinion and online abuse." That should reassure him a little bit.


    "I don''t like this," the man grumbled.


    "I know that you really love him as an actor. I just want to know if you are confusing that with feelings of romantic love. Maybe you just like living out a fantasy of dating your celebrity crush."


    "Mom, I love him. You''re right to doubt everything but please don''t question how much I love him." Her mother sighed.


    "I won''t tell you what to do. You are a grown-up. I''d like to meet him, though." Well, that was as close to a blessing she would get from her father. Her mother though was a different story.


    "Mom?" she asked tentatively.


    "Just come home with him soon," she said even though she didn''t sound pleased. "Be careful. Stay safe. I will be keeping an eye out for dirt on Cage and you best believe I will pull him up on it. No way he is duping my daughter." Katherine chuckled.


    "I thought you were a fan of his!" she said.


    "Until he started dating my daughter," she grumbled. The call ended soon enough with pleasantries. At least she had not been threatened. It had gone much better than she had previously thought.


    She didn''t want to look at a computer anymore, so she decided to slip into her room and lie on her bed. After a couple of minutes of staring at the ceiling, she started to doze off. She was getting tired too much these days. She wondered if it was the passing of anxiety that was making her body let go.


    She must have dozed off because the ringing of her phone startled her. She rubbed her eyes as she looked at the illuminated phone screen. Seeing Cage''s name on the screen made her smile.


    "Hi," she breathed, putting the phone to her ear. She was sure that he could hear both the grogginess and happiness in her voice.


    "Fell asleep?" he asked gently. She giggled.


    "How did your mom''s visit go over?"


    "I wasn''t grounded and we had a long chat about you and our situation. Dad came over, too and we had a family dinner."


    "What did you tell her?" she asked anxiously.


    "Just how we met and how much I like you. She wants to know you better." Katherine let out a squeak. ''She wanted to know more about me?'' And obviously this man knew how to make her feel good about herself. She would have to thank his mother for the excellent upbringing. Who said chivalry was dead? It had just evolved into dirty talking.

 Chapter 184 - Here I Come

    His beautiful laughter floated over the phone. "I showed her some of your pictures and she thinks you are beautiful and smart and perfect. She wants to meet you."


    Katherine stiffened. She did want to meet his family, especially after what Cage had said about them but she was a little scared. She didn''t think she was good at meeting the parents. "We''ll have to see when we can make that happen."


    Cage made a small noise. "Soon." Katherine raised a brow. "We''ll plan something once I have more free time." She hummed in acknowledgment. "We can plan a dual family trip or something, that way I can meet your parents and you can meet mine. Not now," he added quickly so that she wouldn''t be scared off.


    She thought about it. His parents were enthusiastic, hers were afraid. They would probably cancel each other out and everything would be good, right?


    "We''ll have to make it private or thousands of people would maul you," she said with a laugh.


    "Oh, did you get time to talk to your parents? I don''t know if you said anything about me." Oh, little insecure Cage. How was that even possible?


    "I told them." He waited to hear more. If he knew, he would flip. "They want to meet you," she said lightly. There would probably be a confrontation in store for Cage when he met her parents.


    "Were they concerned?"


    "You know how parents are. It was a long conversation and it ended in an impasse. It will get better. Just so you know, they think all of us are living in the same quarters and nothing impure will happen."


    Cage was chuckling. "I''m sure they know you better than that. You might try to convince them, but they are your parents. Parents have a radar for such things and are unbelievably hard to dupe."


    "They actually don''t know me better. They were going the crime thriller route, thinking you were a serial killer trying to kill me." Well, she did get a sizeable lecture on the subject.


    "Next time your mother and father talk about serial killers, let them know that killing people would be bad for my image. That should put them at ease." Katherine couldn''t hold back her laughter.


    "Sure. I''ll tell them and they will panic and call the cops on you." There was silence for a couple of minutes.


    "The curiosity is killing me," Cage said finally. "Won''t you tell me what you bought?"


    Katherine wished she could, but she needed to see his face when she walked out in her new gear. "No. Good things come to those that wait patiently." Yes, there would be coming involved if she had any say in the matter.


    "Why wait? You can show me now..." He was using his s.e.xiest voice. Katherine steeled her heart and stuck to her guns.


    "You want to Skype?" she asked, lowering her voice just enough. Her voice was still scratchy from sleep so it added an extra layer of ambiguity.


    "Do I want to look at my ethereal girlfriend? Yes, I do."


    ''Well, your wish is my command. But you don''t get to see what I bought. That''s for later.''


    "I want to see you too. Not tonight. Distance makes the heart grow fonder." She wondered what she should wear. In person, she hadn''t thought much about it but Skype made everyone look horrible. She would have to put in the extra effort.


    "When?" he whined.


    "Tomorrow. 9 in the night. You and me. How does that sound?" Katherine posed the question. The person on the other side sighed and contemplated it.


    "Okay, see you then, Katherine."


    "Bye, Cage." She hung up the phone and scrambled to her wardrobe. She had less than twenty-four hours to decide what she would wear. Could this be considered their first date? Skype dates would be considered dates, right?


    Meh, whatever worked for them.


    ''Ready or not, here I come.''


    - - -


    Cage had spent the day working out and going through scripts. He was beyond tired but when it was a quarter to nine, he may or may not have bounced on his bed while he waited for Katherine to join Skype. They had exchanged their Skype IDs and added each other as contacts (they would need it once he started filming).


    He turned on the video chat for the first time in ages. He would sometimes log on when he was on tour or shooting for long hours to check up on his parents, but that was rare. He rarely had time to speak to them and it was so much easier to just call them or text them to let them know he was okay.


    Yet he couldn''t resist when his girlfriend had gone shopping. She must have bought some s.e.xy things as she had insinuated. While he had an excellent imagination, he would much rather see them. He was sure she would drive him insane with whatever she had bought.


    Across the city, Katherine was biting her lip as she stared at herself in the mirror. Was she really going to do this? Yes, she was.


    She wanted to see Cage more than anything and she wanted Cage to see her in this outfit and see his reaction. She looked herself in the mirror and adjusted the straps on her shoulder. She could imagine her dad stabbing her if he found out what he was up to. But she also knew her friends would approve of her actions. When it came to her romantic life, she was much better listening to her friends than waiting around for her parents to find some celibate to marry. Sorry, not her style. Cage was her style.


    She looked good, she wanted to say herself. She suspected that Cage would be satisfied with her appearance as well.


    She grabbed her laptop and logged into Skype. She could see he was online, so she requested contact. The lecherous part of her brain rejoiced, knowing that she wanted the contact, alright. It had been two days and there were only five more days to go. She could make it if they kept contacting each other.


    She pressed the call button and moved away from the camera.

 Chapter 185 - Delayed Gratification

    The call alert sounded and Cage saw Katherine''s request. He accepted immediately, not wasting a second. He almost pressed reject in his haste. Thank god that didn''t happen. The video popped up but all he saw was her bed and her headboard. The painting over the headboard was also available and she had black sheets on the bed.


    He scrunched his brows as he called her, "Baby?" He couldn''t keep the excitement out of his voice. She giggled on the other side, having heard his impatient call. Soon a long and s.e.xy leg appeared on the camera. She had her toes pointed on-point and the lines of her muscles made her legs look exquisite.


    Cage gulped as her foot pressed down on the bed, making a small dent.


    "This is unfair," he said with a pout. Her laugh resounded again.


    "Delayed gratification, kind sir. I hear it does wonders." Her voice was all honey, and his eyes were glued to the screen. Her hand appeared on the screen and a single digit traveled from the tip of her toes to her knees.


    "May I ask how much longer it will be delayed?" he asked roughly.


    She snickered. She had painstakingly waxed every single hair that had appeared and made sure her skin looked smooth. She had even put the black satin sheets on the bed that made her skin look phenomenal in contrast. There was no way she was going to let the setting go.


    He had his opportunity to torture her, now it was her turn to show him how it feels to be unable to touch something you crave with every cell of your being. She wanted to let out an evil cackle, but that would let him on into her plan.


    "I haven''t decided yet," she said slyly. The foot disappeared and Katherine''s face filled the screen. She was leaning right in front of her camera and he couldn''t see anything apart from her face. Not that he minded. He was enchanted by how her hair cascaded down and framed her face. The light from her screen illuminated her face and she looked like a goddess right out of Greek mythology.


    "It''s been too long. I couldn''t control myself," she said with a sigh. The plans to torture him went out of the window. While he was on the side, trying to torture him, the laptop didn''t allow her to see his face either. Hearing his voice and not being able to see him? She couldn''t handle it either.


    She shifted into the frame and sat cross-legged in front of the camera. Cage had imagined her in s.e.xy lingerie or completely n.a.k.e.d if she bought toys for them to play. Instead, she was in only a bodysuit and nothing else.


    ''Oh god.'' Instant hard on.


    How could a bodysuit do this to a person? Probably because it was her.


    "Katherine," he breathed. She was gorgeous. Of course, the bodysuit was modest, but it left her thighs uncovered and had a slightly lower neckline that showed off her cleavage. The modesty of it made it so much more appealing. With her sitting cross-legged, he could see the n.a.k.e.d skin of her inner thigh.


    Bodysuits were notorious to get rid of, but this one had a chain in the front. It would be easy to get rid of when he got her alone. "You look amazing," he whispered.


    "I thought you would like it," she told him with a smile. Cage wondered how she appeared innocent when she was being so provocative. He loved it. It a talent in its own right.


    "I don''t like it," he started seriously. "I love it. Are you going to wear this for me later?" The anticipation in his voice...


    She burst out into laughter. "Sorry to disappoint you. This is not what I bought on the shopping spree. I decided to keep it a secret for now." She gave him a wink.


    "You promised to wear what you bought!" he protested.


    "I didn''t," she giggled. "But I will wear it for you as long as you let me wear it."


    Cage sighed She really did know him. "Ah, then it won''t stay up for long. I will take great pleasure in taking it off your body then." Katherine smirked.


    She bent forward, giving him an excellent view of her cleavage as she picked up the laptop and placing it on her lap. She scooted back and rested against the headboard. Cage was a little peeved that he wouldn''t be able to see her legs anymore, but the view of still stellar, so he couldn''t protest.


    "I miss you a little," she told him.


    His heart ached a little with longing. "I miss you too." He paused. "Is this what a long-distance relationship feels like?" he asked.


    "We live in the same city, just forty kilometers apart. I don''t think it counts as a long-distance relationship, but our circ.u.mstances make it strange. It''s weird that we only spent a short time together but it still feels like a part of my soul went with you when you left."


    Ah, so mushy. Katherine couldn''t believe what she was saying. Were these words truly coming out of her mouth? How shameful!


    "It''s not strange, at all. That''s just our dynamic. We fit like two pieces of a puzzle and when one is missing, it just isn''t complete." Cage knew what she meant.


    "My God, I feel like we are in a teenage romance novel or something. Are we really grownups?" She wanted to groan.


    "I doubt we are kids." They snickered together. "You''ve been on my mind ever since I left."


    "Five more days," she said with a sigh. It seemed so far away. "You''ll get your cute ass up here and we can dance to the cabin." She smiled then.


    "Five more Skype calls and we will get there. In the meantime, think about me sometimes."


    "How do you know that I don''t already think about you?" Oh, yeah?

 Chapter 186 - Little Kitty Wants To Play *

    "Pray tell me what you think about..." He was sitting on the chair and his laptop rested on the table. He held his head in his palms as he waited for her to reply.


    "You want to know?" she teased. No, shit Sherlock, he wanted to say.


    "I asked you, didn''t I?" She grinned.


    "I like it when you are demanding. But not always." Cage scowled at her. But he couldn''t stay irritated for too long. Her eyes danced with amus.e.m.e.nt. It was even better when she started to talk.


    "When I was shopping, I thought of how you would take me out of the things I bought. If you would like them... how much you would like them." Just imagining his face when he saw what she was wearing would be a present for her. She would have to keep her camera handy to catch his expression.


    "You were imagining me while you should have been working?" he taunted. Her face was priceless. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "Why? Uncomfortable?"


    "I admit, I had to draw the cover of a newly released e.r.o.t.i.c romance. I had to read the first couple of chapters to get a feel of the characters. Safe to say I was hot and bothered." He raised his brow.


    "Is that so?"


    "You''ll see," she teased,


    "You''re going to ger punished for teasing me, again. Do you want to be taken over the knee and spanked the instant I get you alone? Again?" Was this supposed to be a threat? It sounded more like a promise. She wouldn''t mind, but she knew he would.


    "Oh?" Like they would be able to stop themselves. The moment they entered the cabin, he would be inside her. She knew him well enough to know he wouldn''t be able to resist. The couple of hours they would need to drive would be pure torture for him. She would make sure that happened. "I think your hands could be put to better use."


    Cage was unbelievably horny all the damn time since he met her. In his heart, he prayed that it never went away. It would be a great problem if they spent too much time apart of if he was filming and he had a boner.


    But he knew they wouldn''t be apart for long. He just needed to be patient and they would be spending more time together in no time.


    "What do you want these hands to do?" he asked, raising a hand and showing it to her. He watched as she shuddered. ''Glad to know I have the same effect on you,'' he thought.


    Katherine looked at his long lingers and remembered that he played the piano as a child. No wonder his fingers could play her so well.


    "Do you want me to show you?" she asked. Her voice was husky and Cage felt his mouth drop open as she trailed her index finger down the side of her face, then her neck and finally down the line of her collarbone. He gulped, as her fingers dipped down between her b.r.e.a.s.ts, just at the beginning of her cleavage.


    He had previously thought that he would be the one to initiate this conversation, but she had boldly done it herself. What a dream.


    She cupped her right b.r.e.a.s.t and then squeezed it.


    ''This bodysuit is pretty comfortable,'' she thought offhandedly. She saw the hand he was holding up clench as if mirroring her movement.


    She leaned back slightly and then brought her other hand up to her left b.r.e.a.s.t and cupped it suggestively as well. "I wonder what your hands would be doing if you were here? Would they... continue?"


    She dragged her thumb over where her n.i.p.p.l.e was. Cage wanted to cry because he could see just how excited she was to be doing this. The material must have been soft because he got a nice view of her hardened n.i.p.p.l.es.


    "Continue," he said with a gulp.


    "I am scared..." she began suddenly, her tone still teasing. "I believe in some conspiracy theories. What if someone was watching us on this chat and seeing me rub my tits for you?"


    "I would find them and kill them," he said immediately.


    "Killing a government employee will get you a longer sentence. Didn''t you say you wanted to keep your name pristine?" She chuckled. "You can touch yourself, go on."


    He did just that. He removed his hands from the desk and dove straight into his pants. She didn''t have a view of him but she seemed okay enough with it. He palmed his c.o.c.k through his boxers.


    "I think little Kitty wants to play. She doesn''t mind being watched, is it?" Two could play at the game, Katherine. "Your hands are right where I want to be."


    She let out a m.o.a.n. She moved her hands away from her chest and pushed the laptop further away, giving him a view of her thighs. Her left hand traveled down her stomach and moved ever so slowly towards her p.u.s.s.y.


    She stroked herself through the material, smiling softly. "As you can see, I am not wearing anything under this. Just one clasp and..."


    She was stunning in her confidence.


    "Touch yourself," he breathed.


    "Only if you follow me." He nodded vehemently. Moving his hand out of his pant, he quickly picked up the laptop and scurried over to his bed. He made sure that the angle was right and sat in front of it. "Do you have my lotion near you?"


    Of course, he did. What sort of a crazy question was that? He would have carried it around in his pocket if it wasn''t too creepy. The people he met would ask too many questions and he didn''t need everyone to know that he had turned into a s.e.x addict. Only for her. Actually, it was the smell of the lotion that got to him. She smelled this way all the time.


    He reached for the bottle that he had kept on his bedside table and held it in front of the camera to show her.

 Chapter 187 - Some Other Time *

    "I keep it nearby so that I can use it at any time." She laughed in delight and shook her head.


    "Have you used it yet? Without me?" she pouted.


    "I haven''t gotten myself off since I came home. I wanted to share that with you." And that had left him awfully aroused throughout the day. "You didn''t let me get to the good part last night, so I saved it up for today." She snickered. "Are you happy to have tortured me?"


    "Yes. Very happy. No more interrupting our s.e.xy times!" she cheered. "I was so busy that I didn''t have much time for myself, either. I guess we can''t do much without each other anymore."


    Cage shrugged. "Wouldn''t have it any other way. But then again... if we had gone shopping together, the outcome would have been different. A quiet dressing room and me inspecting your clothes? I would tell you exactly what I wanted to do..." Katherine m.o.a.ned as she pictured it.


    "What makes you think I would let you come into the dressing room with me?" she said even though she would jump with joy at the idea.


    She hummed as her hand slipped under the mater of her bodysuit. His eyes widened at the sudden change and he scrambled to get out of his pants. She was laughing as she stroked herself and watched him panic to get off his boxers.


    Soon, he had opened the bottle of lotion and poured out a generous amount of lotion into his hand.


    "I bet you would have reacted the same way, putting your hand on your pretty p.u.s.s.y when I was in the dressing room with you. You''d let me watch you." Katherine wanted to laugh at the one-eighty degree change in his attitude. He had gone from looking like a horny teenager to a man who knew how to play her like an instrument.


    "There were a lot of mirrors in there, too."


    He stroked his c.o.c.k. He smiled when he saw how she was looking at his member. She pushed the material further away, giving him an excellent view of her. He clenched his eyes shut when she slid a single finger along her clit.


    ''Damnit. So hot.'' But then he remembered that he couldn''t miss a single second. This was a gift from the universe, it would be disastrous to waste.


    Cage began to work his c.o.c.k with his right hand. She watched him for a bit before she realized that she had stopped stroking herself. Sometimes it was so much more pleasurable to see your lover get pleasure than to feel it yourself. Also, she might have been ruined forever. He had set the standard too high and she might not be able to come without his presence any longer.


    She spread her legs further when she heard him speak. The tables had turned quickly. She had wanted to tease him, but he had somehow managed to take control of the scene. Well, whatever. As long as they came.


    "When you put on those clothes, I would touch them and feel if they were worthy of being against your skin. They should be soft and comfortable, don''t you think?"


    Hell yes to good quality products and Cage''s hands on her body. She managed to squeeze out a ''yes'' as she swiped her fingers over her clit once again. She could feel herself getting wetter.


    "I''d run my hands down your sides, feeling the fit of the clothes... how it should hug your perfect body." She could imagine him sitting on the chair inside the dressing room and touching her like she was touching herself. "I would touch every inch of your body: your b.r.e.a.s.ts, your stomach, your legs. Until I reached down to stroke your p.u.s.s.y while you stand there, posing for me."


    Katherine bit her lip subconsciously. When he talked to her that way, she was going to die. Coupled with the fact that he didn''t skip a beat as he stroked his c.o.c.k... she was jealous. She wanted to replace his hand with her mouth. She also wanted her fingers to be his.


    This confused her for a second before she regained her thoughts.


    "I''d take my c.o.c.k out because there is no way I could just touch you when you looked like that. I''d need to be inside you."


    She hummed. It would be just like him to f.u.c.k her right there in the dressing room while her friends and a plethora of strangers were just a foot away. She wouldn''t stop him either.


    She slid two fingers insider her and felt unsatisfied. What a poor substitute for his c.o.c.k. But that was all she had on hand right now. She couldn''t very well take out her toys. That would take too much time.


    "Would you let me take you in the dressing room?" Was that even a question worthy of being asked? Of course.


    She opened her mouth to speak, "God..." she said, her fingers stopping their motion inside her as her mouth widened and she yawned. "yes," she finished, mostly feeling ashamed. The yawn had come so suddenly that she hadn''t even had the time to cover her mouth.


    Now he had seen the universe. She wanted to slap herself. How could she possibly be sleepy while he was on call? She was almost scared that he wouldn''t understand.


    "Oh my god, I am so sorry. I promise I am not sleepy," she rambled. Before she could go into an explanation, she heard him laugh. His head was thrown back and she could see his bare throat. If it was a less embarrassing situation, she would have told him how much she wanted to bite him.


    "Don''t apologize. You worked hard today. As did I," he said softly. He wanted to stroke her hair to reassure her. Damned screen. "We can do this some other time," he reassured.


    "But you''re hard and I am wet!" she protested. There was no way she would get any sleep with how horny she was, but he was implying that she could.

 Chapter 188 - Wrong House

    "I can take care of it after you fall asleep." He frowned. "Do you want me to sing to you? I think that would make it easier for you to sleep?"


    "You''ll accompany me?" she asked incredulously. "Can''t believe I will get a personal performance from Cage Cavanaugh and he will lull me to sleep. Not the thought I ever had," she said with a snicker.


    She pulled her hand out of her p.u.s.s.y and then placed them in the mouth to clean herself up. She could have reached for the wipes, but she wanted to tease him just a little. She could see how his eyes darkened, but he didn''t comment or escalate the situation.


    What a nice boy. He had too much self-control.


    "Lie down," he said roughly. She was excited, expecting him to start again but instead, she heard the clicking on his keyboard.


    "What are you doing?" she asked, confused.


    "Searching for the lyrics," he said impassively. "Got it." He smiled at the camera.


    She did as he had previously commented, sliding down to lie down and placed the laptop right in front of her eyes so that she could still see him.


    He wasn''t the best singer on the planet. Yet she was extremely happy to hear him sing for her. He sang songs he liked, slower and purer ones and she listened until she could no longer keep her eyes open. As she drifted away, he lowered his voice.


    Slowly, he came to a pause and smiled. If only he could lull her to sleep every night like this. If only he could wake up and see her face first thing in the morning. How blissful would that be?


    - - -


    They made it. The sweet phone calls, the blistering Skype sessions, and impromptu falling asleep together stayed constant. Sometimes, they would even text when they got time. The days seemed to pass slowly because they were apart but the stack of work they needed to finish kept them so busy that they didn''t have time to miss each other two much.


    It was Friday morning and the girls were busy packing their things for the trip. There were two duffle bags on the couch, whereas Angelina was busy shouting and demanding what she should wear on the trip.


    "You had one week to decide," Lily whined as she packed up the snacks for the drive to the mountains. It would take a couple of hours and she was a major snack muncher, much like Katherine. If there were sweets involved, Angelina would join as well.


    While the chaos continued, Katherine was just packing her backpack with her laptop and notepad. While she had finished all her work, one never knew when an urgent call would come in. As she was packing her charger, she heard the doorbell go off. She looked around and no one seemed to be bothered about who had come.


    "Did we order anything?" she shouted. There was no reply. It couldn''t be Jared or the boys. So, it had to be something else. She sighed and walked to the front door. She looked through the peephole to see a young girl on the other side. There seemed to be no one else.


    ''New neighbour?'' she thought absentmindedly before opening the door.


    "How may I help you?" she asked. The girl on the other side looked confused.


    "You''re so young," she said in awe.


    "I''m sorry?" Katherine asked, flabbergasted. "Who are you?"


    "Ah, Damon?" the girl shouted. Katherine''s eyes widened comically as she stared in horror. She heard the sound of footsteps coming from down the hallway. "You see, I am Damon''s older sister. We spoke over a call?" Looking at Katherine''s face, the girl nervously laughed.


    "Damon?" she gulped. "Sorry. I don''t know what you are talking about." She was about to close the door when the young girl placed her hand between the door and the ledge.


    "I asked the neighbors where Angelina lived and they pointed to this apartment," she said with a smile. Katherine frowned.


    She had never really spoken to the other people living in the building and neither had the other girls. Someone must have checked the mailbox and remembered. Damn it.


    "I''m sorry. You have the wrong house," she said firmly. A voice broke out from behind her and she froze.


    "Angelina! Are you done packing? They should be here to pick us up at any moment." Damn it, Lily. Did you have to ruin it?


    The girl on the other side looked at her suspiciously. From the corner of Katherine''s eye, she saw a young boy peering at her.


    "Ah, we know you don''t want us to see Angelina, but we won''t settle for it." Katherine sighed.


    "I don''t think it is appropriate for you to be here. Please leave. You don''t look like you are an a.d.u.l.t and I don''t know how you know our address. Please don''t contact us any more." If they saw Angelina, it would be disastrous.


    The sheer audacity of the girl! She shoved past Katherine and entered the apartment. The young boy scurried behind her, taking advantage of Katherine''s shocked state.


    "Hey!" she screamed in protest. She ran after them.


    Lily, too, had come out of the kitchen after hearing the commotion.


    "What the hell?" she swore when she was the unwelcome guests. "Who are these?" Her eyes went to Katherine, who looked beyond panicked. "Whose mistress and child is this?" Leave it to Lily to make an inappropriate moment when things got tense.


    Lily''s hand was already at her waist as she tried to fish out her phone.


    "Don''t call," Katherine warned. She couldn''t even say what she wanted to out loud. Lily looked at her weirdly.


    "This is Damon and his sister," Katherine said. She tried not to panic. This was the worst day to come. Why didn''t they come tomorrow or the day after when they were already gone. Was this universe''s way of punishing them for being too happy for the past couple of days?

 Chapter 189 - Keeping Her Hostage

    "Uh... what are you doing here?" Lily asked. She looked much calmer than she actually felt. "As you can see, we are going somewhere. We don''t have time for this." This was said to the brother and sister pair. Then Lily turned to Katherine. "We still have some packing left to do, right? Will go be a darling and finish that?"


    Katherine blanked for a moment. What was that supposed to mean?


    Yes, lesbian parents of a teenage girl.


    Take the opportunity to make Angelina stay in her room.


    She quickly made her way to Angelina''s room. Not bothering to knock, she barrelled in and locked the door behind her.


    Angelina heard her door bang and jumped in fright.


    "What the f.u.c.k?" she swore. Katherine lurched forward, pressing her palms against Angelina''s mouth, muffling her words.


    "Shut up," she hissed. "Damon is here. He brought his sister." Her protests vanished and she quietened down in record time. "We''ll handle the situation. You remain in the room. Ask Stephen and Cage to not come up. I''ll try to contact Jared and ask him to wait for us downstairs."


    Angelina nodded dumbly. Katherine slowly let her mouth go and then moved to her bed.


    "I''ll help you pack. Don''t worry. We''ll get through this." They slowly packed and heard the voices come from outside.


    - - -


    "Sit down," Lily said politely after she saw Katherine close the door behind her. She sighed as the two kids sat down. "I know Damon. What is your name?" She put on the fake smile that helped her handle difficult clients and bratty models.


    "Sophia," she said. There was an arrogance about the girl that made Lily want to smack her lips.


    "How old are you?" she asked.


    "I''m eighteen," Sophia said proudly. Lily calculated the siblings'' expressions. Either this girl had just turned eighteen or she was lying.


    "Ah, good. What brings you here? My spouse and I already made it clear that we don''t want our daughter in any relationship." And she had to pretend to be in a relationship with Katherine. It wasn''t like they could bring out Angelina and have her talk. The kid would probably recognize her voice immediately.


    "I was hoping to change your mind. Damon and I wanted to come to H city for the long weekend. I haven''t told my parents anything yet, but we were hoping that Angelina and Damon could meet each other formally."


    Thank god. At least the parents didn''t know yet.


    "I''m sorry. We really don''t want any contact with you or Damon. It''s just uncomfortable for us if you keep pressing for them to meet." That sounded reasonable and motherly, right?


    "That''s not for you to decide!" Sophia protested. "They are old enough to decide for themselves what they want to do." If only that was the case. Angelina was, but this child? He could barely be allowed to go out and buy his own pencils for school.


    "When you get to my age, you will realize that is not the case." It hurt Lily to say this. She had been on the receiving end of such sentences and hated it completely. She had even sworn to never say such things to people who were younger than her. But here she was, preaching this ageist bullshit.


    "If it is because our family is not open to homos.e.x.u.a.l relationsh.i.p.s..." Sophia trailed off. "We understand. I will talk to my parents and we will find a solution. Please don''t let two people in love be torn apart because of different world views."


    Lily gaped. What was this little girl spinning the story into? Was this some sort of tragic romance that she was writing in her head? Wasn''t it just two teenagers who had met online and it didn''t work out?


    "She''s the love of my life," the boy squeaked.


    "Damon, right?" Lily asked. The boy nodded. "Thank you for thinking that way, but it''s not really my decision. Angelina herself doesn''t want to be with you."


    Damon frowned. Sophia looked infuriated.


    "Because you are keeping her hostage!" she shouted. Lily''s eyes widened as she looked at the pair of siblings.


    "Please keep your voice down. Angelina is not here."


    "She is! When your wife opened the door, we saw someone inside the room. That had to be her. You must be taking her somewhere else so that we can''t find her." Sophia''s nostrils flared.


    Lily pressed her fingers to the bridge of her nose and cursed Lily in her head. Did she have to open the door so far? But that was not the point.


    "I''m sorry you think that way. The luggage is here because we have a five-day vacation and we are going to have some family time." Sophia scoffed on hearing that.


    "Lie all you want. I am not leaving until I see Angelina." The girl crossed her arm over her chest. "Anyway, how do you manage to look so young? How old are you?" she asked indignantly.


    Lily rolled her eye.


    "Old enough. Keep sitting here. We will just leave you in here and lock the door behind you. We are in a rush, you see."


    "Like you would do that, old lady." Lily gasped. This little bitch.


    "Hey, Damon?" Lily asked. "Do you really want Angelina uncomfortable because of you? She would have contacted you if she wanted to, don''t you think?" The boy''s head snapped up. He glanced at his sister helplessly.


    "I''ll just talk to her and leave. I need to explain some things to her."


    - - -


    "Stephen," she said calmly even though she was not feeling it. "Don''t come up," she pleaded.


    "What happened?" he asked, concern lacing his voice. He had never heard her so vulnerable and it worried him out of his mind. He started to speed and saw Cage look at him questioningly. Stephen shook his head.


    "This f.u.c.k.i.n.g child and her sister barged into our apartment," Angelina hissed.


    "Who?" he asked, but Angelina had already hung up the call.

 Chapter 190 - Daddy Stephen

    "What did she say?" Cage asked. He too was getting worried.


    "She asked us not to come up. When I asked why she said something about a child and someone''s sister coming to their apartment?" They stared at the road in confusion for a moment before Cage''s eyes widened.


    The realization had dawned on him.


    "The child she spoke to online! He''s there!" Stephen choked in the driver''s seat. "Damn it. Hurry. We need to think of something."


    Cage was sure that Stephen was going to get speeding tickets, not that he cared. Right now, they needed to help the girls out.


    - - -


    Katherine had heard the commotion outside. She patted Angelina on the back and took her packed bag on her shoulder.


    "Don''t come out. At any cost. We''ll handle it." She opened the door and walked out, eyeing the pair of siblings.


    "Kitty, meet Sophia and Damon. They want to meet Angelina but I have let them know that she doesn''t want to talk to them." Having gotten a download on the situation, Katherine placed the bag on the couch and sat down herself.


    "Right. I''m sure you understand as a woman how inconvenient it is when someone forces you to confront others," Katherine said with a smile. Call the teenager a woman and get on their side, appeal to their compassion for fellow females.


    Sophia looked slightly stunned before furrowing her eyes.


    "How can you ensure that you are not holding her back?" she asked. Damon nodded vehemently as well. Katherine shared a look with Lily.


    "I am not sure what you spoke about, but we have been told that you hid your identity from our daughter. Moreover, it''s absolutely uncalled for that you knocked on our door without our prior permission. I don''t know how you got our address, but this is..." she trailed off. Sophia gulped. She looked away from the two. "I would like to know how you got our information," Katherine said firmly.


    "I have a friend from college who tracks people''s IP addresses," she said in a small voice. Lily startled and stood up. She was going to burst.


    "That''s illegal," Katherine said through gritted teeth. "I''m sure you know what happens if the police get involved." No way were they going to involve the police.


    "No-" Sophia stuttered. "We''ll leave as soon as we see her, I promise." The panic had set in.


    "I think you should leave," Lily said coldly. "You are not welcome here. You are underage, so I don''t want to call the police and your parents. You will get into big trouble if this gets out. Leave."


    Katherine heard footsteps and looked up in shock. Stephen was standing near the living room door, gaping at the scene. She had heard Angelina ask him to wait downstairs and he still came up. The way she had sounded... Katherine couldn''t blame Stephen.


    "She''s inside," Katherine told him helpfully. He nodded and knocked on Angelina''s door.


    "Who is it?" she said softly, but the silence in the apartment amplified her voice.


    "It''s me," was all he said. The door opened and he went in without another word. Before going, though, he threw a look at the two siblings.


    "Who was that?" Damon asked. He squinted his eyes as if understanding something suddenly.


    "Her dad," Lily said blankly. Katherine almost choked. Well, okay. Daddy Stephen was probably in Angelina''s fantasies. She wouldn''t argue that point.


    "What is this scenario?" Sophia asked, looking between them.


    "We have a complicated family tree. Now go out."


    Angelina''s sobs came through and the two friends stiffened.


    ''Thank god Stephen is in there to console her,'' both of them thought in unison.


    Katherine''s phone rang all of a sudden and she jumped. She looked at the screen to see that it was Cage.


    "Hi," she whispered.


    "Everything alright there? Do you want me to come up?" Cage asked. He sounded so concerned. Katherine felt her eyes water even though she was not the person in the tough spot. How she wanted him to barge in and save the day, but that would never be possible.


    "No, just stay downstairs. We''ll handle this and come down." He hummed in acknowledgment. She hung up immediately.


    "Seriously, we need to leave and the two of you are ruining our vacation."


    "No, you are ruining it! We came from across the country to see her!" Sophia screamed.


    Something clicked in Katherine''s mind. Stephen had walked into the apartment without them opening the door. The door had been open. It was probably still open and their neighbors could hear the drama unfold. She wanted to slap herself.


    She didn''t care what they thought about anything, but... it was not a good look.


    She darted towards the door and saw that it was wide open. Despite her warnings, the man she loved wholeheartedly was standing near the door, leaning against the wall of their apartment. He was wearing all black clothes and had a cap and mask on. He was more conspicuous than ever.


    "Come inside!" she whispered urgently. Some of the people on their floor were outside, listening in.


    "Sorry for the commotion," she said apologetically as she pulled him inside.


    "Let us know if you need any help," one of the friendlier neighbors offered. With a quick thanks and a polite smile, she closed the door.


    "I''ll just stay here. Call me if you need anything," he said sweetly, placing a kiss on her forehead despite his mask. She sighed and nodded.


    In the living room, there was silence.


    "I forgot to close the door," Katherine muttered apologetically. She sat down again and sighed. "Really, you two. There is no point sitting here..." she wanted to groan and throw a tantrum.


    Just as she was about to say more, the door behind them opened. Lily''s head stapped towards the direction. Stephen emerged and behind him... Angelina.


    Lily swore, slapping her palm against her forehead.


    The seat opposite to the siblings was taken up by Lily, so she quickly moved and went to sit on the armrest beside Katherine. The two friends waited patiently as Angelina hesitated and then took the seat. Stephen stood behind her as if guarding her.

 Chapter 191 - Dont Joke

    Katherine''s phone buzzed. She looked at the illuminated screen.


    [RayKon53: Spoke to Stephen. He is good at averting scandals. Trust him.] Katherine felt something get stuck in her throat. ''This thoughtful man.''


    Stephen probably would have helped anyway, but just seeing how dedicated he was, she couldn''t help but want to pull him into her arms and cry.


    "I''m Angelina," she said. Her voice shook and one could see her eyes water. They were slightly red and the sobs from earlier were proof further of it.


    "I''m Sophia and you already know Damon," Sophia said with a tinge of discomfort. The girl didn''t want to assume. The woman in front of her was beautiful, beyond beautiful and she looked a little older than her brother. "Uh... how old are you?" she asked tentatively.


    ''Don''t joke right now,'' Katherine willed her friend through her thoughts. "Much older than your brother."


    "But he already knows that, doesn''t he?" Stephen interjected immediately. Lily felt her shoulders sag. If it was Stephen, he could handle the situation better.


    Sophia looked at Damon, dumbfounded. "Did you know?" she whispered. She sounded more concerned than angry, so that was a plus. "From when?" she asked.


    "From the beginning."


    "You pretended to be a lot older than you are, didn''t you?" Stephen said coldly. Oh, so this was how scary Stephen could be when he meant business. Damon looked at the older man in fear and nodded.


    He turned to his sister and in a shaky voice explained the situation to her. "I... I didn''t tell you before because you would be angry. I knew she is twenty-five. She let me know right in the beginning and I let her think I was older than her." Sophia''s eyes bulged.


    "You did what?" she hissed. "Why didn''t you tell me before?"


    "I..." he started. He looked at Angelina with awe-filled eyes as he said the next words. "I knew from the start because you told me how old you were and I wanted to impress you because I had never spoken to an older girl before." Uh, but she wasn''t a girl. She was a woman... "You were so different from everyone. I knew you thought I was Cage Cavanaugh and you were so nice to me that I didn''t want to tell you the truth. You have a very nice voice, too." The young boy blushed, making everyone else in the room frown.


    "I didn''t want to give you up. So, I dodged all your questions about names and real age. I didn''t think my sister would call you back..." He sounded embarrassed.


    "Your little lies have hurt a lot of people, young man," Stephen said smoothly. He placed his hand on Angelina''s shoulder seeing that she had dropped her head.


    "Oh, please don''t put the blame on my brother. She isn''t young, he is. He can make a mistake like this, but how could she not know he was young?" The sister defended. Lily felt the need to roll her eyes.


    Yeah, they knew he was young, but what twelve to thirteen-year-old s.e.xts women after knowing they are that old? Forget consent. Angelina hadn''t known who the real person behind the screen was, how could she do anything.


    Stephen, on the other hand, hated the tone with which the girl spoke. He had a long and successful career and he knew bad intentions and calculations when he saw it.


    "Sophia, is it?" he said softly, his demeanor changing. He looked more approachable all of a sudden. Clubbing in the fact that he was an extremely handsome man, the girl was beguiled.


    "I have gone through all the texts and exchanges. Angelina''s phone records all conversations. Your little brother was using a voice changing application to talk to her, too. He got one that made him sound just like the movie-star Cage Cavanaugh. If you think he is a harmless boy, you are wrong. He knew what he was doing. He might be young, but don''t think boys his age don''t know what they are doing."


    Sophia recoiled in shock.


    "I''ve been that age and I know what goes through his mind. You are underestimating your brother. He might look shy, but I heard what he can say. Do you want to hear, too?" He threatened. Even though he didn''t say it, it was made evident that Angelina had all the information and recordings. She could submit it at any time and any threats that Sophia thought of making wouldn''t work.


    "What do you want to say?" Sophia asked. You could see the fear in her eyes, but there was also anger.


    "You wanted to meet Angelina, you met her. What do you want next?" Stephen asked casually.


    Katherine felt like she was watching a thriller. Lily just observed the situation carefully, not moving an inch and hoping that Stephen would continue the stellar performance.


    "What are you? A lawyer?" Sophia asked. "I can post about this on the internet and you will be done for. You are threatening two minors." This was when Katherine had to speak up.


    "Excuse me, but these two minors trespassed on my property and slandered me in front of the people of my apartment," Katherine said as leaned back and crossed her arm over her chest, trying to look like the stone-cold bitch that she wasn''t.


    From the entrance, Cage smiled with pride. That''s my girl.


    "Ah. So you trespassed, slandered, and threatened. How many charges is that?" Stephen said in a low, amused voice.


    "You lied, too! You told me you were a lesbian couple! That''s why we flew out here!" Sophia screamed.


    "We wanted you off our back," Lily said. "Shouldn''t you be blaming your brother for giving you false information?" she asked.


    "He''s a kid," the girl gritted through her teeth.


    "It''s best you leave. We will call the police if you don''t." Lily to the rescue. With Stephen on their side, the girls could rest assured that Angelina was not going to jail and the FBI was not going to come knocking on their door. Amen.

 Chapter 192 - Reacted Pretty Well

    "For what it is worth, it was not right of you to do to that to me. If you had really liked me, you would have come cleaner soon." Angelina''s voice was small. At that point, she had stopped sobbing and looked a lot calmer than before. If Katherine had to guess, it was because she knew Stephen would handle the situation.


    How often did Angelina lean on someone else to solve her problems for her? Rarely. She hadn''t even done it when she was in university and her parents threatened to disown her if she passed up on the job offer she got to model full time.


    Seeing her now, Katherine felt lighter. Maybe Stephen pursuing Angelina was a good thing. Maybe this girl would finally breathe a sigh of relief and live her life as she wanted without thinking of people abandoning her for the choices she made.


    It was yet to be known how their story would play out, but today''s incident could be a good step towards a healthier relationship. Angelina might not go looking for fleeting and sweeping love stories anymore and organically fall in love with someone who liked her back and had no shady past.


    "I''m sorry," Damon said, his voice barely audible.


    Angelina stood up suddenly, startling the others. "Great, We have a trip to take. Go back to your parents please." Having said what she had wanted, she herself took her leave. She picked up her bags and walked out without looking back.


    Lily sighed and watched as Angelina left. Stephen stayed back and waited for the siblings to gather their wits.


    "I''ll call you a taxi and you can go back," he said after a few minutes. By then, Angelina should have reached the ground floor and gotten inside the car safely. If Katherine had to guess, Cage must have followed her to make sure she was okay.


    Sophia nodded and patted her brother on the back. "Let''s go," she said softly and the boy nodded. Stephen called for a cab, which came quicker than expected. The awkwardness eased yet no one spoke. Stephen led the siblings down. Katherine and Lily juggled the rest of the bags and went downstairs, making sure they had locked everything and switched off all appliances.


    By the time Lily and Katherine came down, they saw Stephen leaning down and talking to the cab driver. The car was gone and Cage had come out of his car to help them put all the luggage in.


    Stephen ran over to them when they were almost done.


    "They''re gone. I gave the older sister my number so that she can contact me," he said lightly.


    Lily raised her brow in question.


    "It''s a protocol," Cage explained, not giving Stephen the chance. "If Sophia or Damon want to contact Angelina, they will have to call Stephen. That way, we can distance them from Angelina and make sure the situation doesn''t escalate." All good points.


    "Must thank Katherine for introducing us to bigshots," Lily commented off-handedly. "Who''s going to console Angelina, though?"


    Actually, all of them were uneasy with how the situation had turned out. It was right before they left for the mountains and it would be bad to go about not acknowledging what had happened. Were they even supposed to take the trip?


    "Let''s get in the car, first. Don''t make her stay alone for too long," Katherine commented. Everyone accepted that. They filled in... thank god, Stephen had booked one of those bigger cars that fit six people comfortably. They had to drive for 4 hours to get to the mountain.


    "Ah! Jared is not here yet," Lily suddenly said. In the midst of all the chaos, all of them had forgotten that one member of their group was missing.


    "Wah, you forgot your boyfriend?" Angelina commented from the front seat. The others stiffened for a second before realizing that she was trying her best to act normal. Okay, if that is what she wanted to do, none of them would object. They would follow her cue.


    "I''ll call him," Lily replied, abashed. She pulled her phone out and dialed the number, looking slightly irritated. "Where are you?" she asked immediately when the phone was picked up.


    "Almost there. What''s wrong?" Jared asked.


    "Ah, we are already in the car. Waiting for you." The call ended quickly.


    "We are early," Katherine said suddenly, pulling Lily out of her thoughts. She hummed. "Don''t sound irritated with him. The boys came early, so we left the house earlier. Jared is actually on time," Katherine told her.


    Lily nodded and didn''t comment further.


    Katherine was sure of something. There was going to be at least one cold war during their vacation, Lily''s irritation spoke volumes. She would probably have a front-row seat to watching Lily fight with Jared.


    As expected, Jared arrived soon. He ran over to the car when he saw Lily poking her head out of the window and waving at him.


    To his credit, he had a small duffel bag on his side which he quickly threw in the trunk. The setting was shuffled and somehow Jared sat beside Cage.


    The others watched tensely, hoping to see some sort of a reaction from Jared. Nothing came.


    "Hi, my name is Jared," he said, extending his hand to Cage. He was friendly and open and didn''t show any signs of being starstruck. It surprised everyone that he was so calm, but then again, he was a teacher. They saw all kinds of things at school. He was probably good at pretending not to see. "You''re Katherine''s boyfriend, right? She never really told me your name..."


    The others looked at the man incredulously. He was asking Cage to introduce himself. There was acting cool and then there was this.


    "Didn''t you tell him who I was seeing?" Katherine whispered to Lily. The other shook her head.


    "I forgot. He reacted pretty well."


    "Cage Cavanaugh," he introduced himself. He felt at ease with this guy and it was almost like Jared had no clue who he was.

 Chapter 193 - She Is Leaving

    "Your name sounds familiar," Jared commented offhandedly. "Where did the two of you meet?" Random stream of thought.


    Katherine turned to Lily with a raised eyebrow. The easy-going behavior and general acceptance of the man coupled with his questions...


    Lily shook her head.


    It was then they realized... Jared had no clue who Cage was.


    "We met online and fell in love," Cage replied. The two men fell into silent conversation, neither knowing much about the other and that was fine. The four other members of the group, though, watched in fascination.


    "Only Jared would have no clue who Cage is. The man is a contradiction. He is a teacher and communicates with his students so well, but he has never heard of Cage?" Lily snickered. "He has no idea about stars and is so geeky..." she sighed.


    "Rare specimen," Katherine commented. "Don''t tell him who Cage is. This is too pure for my soul. I want Jared to bond with Cage without the barrier." Lily nodded.


    Jared and Cage spoke about some technological advancement and laptops, discussing animatedly amongst each other. No one made them stop. No one mentioned the entertainment industry.


    About one and a half hours had passed since they started the drive. Angelina had been silent throughout. No one dared to speak to her until she spoke herself.


    "I got a call from my modeling agency last night," she said out of the blue. The others turned to her with interest and didn''t comment. Angelina was looking out of the window, pretending like she had said nothing.


    "What about it?" Katherine coaxed her to speak. The other seemed too awkward to speak and Angelina had never met Jared, so she was the only one who could say anything about the situation.


    "I''ve been modeling for certain companies for the past years. I got an invite from a famous designer to be the show-stopper." She said this without feeling.


    Angelina had wanted to break the news to the others during their vacation and treat everyone to a feast, but now that everyone was awkwardly sitting and waiting for her to say something, she had no other option but to bring this up. She was ecstatic about the opportunity, but today''s confrontation had dampened her mood, if she put it lightly.


    "Holy shit. Really? You''ve been going around the globe but..." Katherine stopped. Something was wrong. Stephen looked perplexed as well.


    "Let me know if you need any help. This is your first time as the show-stopper, right?" Stephen asked carefully, trying to gauge the problem. It wasn''t just Damon, there was something else.


    "Yeah. I''m excited." She said that, but her voice was slightly flat.


    "Congratulations," Cage chimed. The others followed.


    "Is it in H city?" Stephen asked lightly. Angelina nodded. "How many tickets can you get. Is it invite-only?"


    "No. I got three tickets," she said with a frown.


    "Ah," Stephen seemed disappointed.


    "There''s enough for all of you to go. I know Cage can''t show up because..." Angelina trailed off meaningfully (this bewildered Jared beyond belief). "I called my parents. They don''t give a f.u.c.k."


    Lily and Katherine stiffened.


    So this was the case. Angelina was in a far worse mood today because she spoke to her parents. One of them sighed, but no one could figure out who it was.


    "Said they wanted nothing to do with a soiled girl who gave up her talents for fame." This was said matter-of-factly. There was an eerie silence in the car. Cage had found out Angelina''s situation from Katherine during a conversation.


    Angelina had gone to art school like Katherine but modeled part-time while she was in school. Her career took off and her parents who were both professional artists all but disowned her. Stephen had caught wind of the same because Cage had hinted at it and he had done a little digging of his own.


    Occupational hazard.


    "So, let me know if any of you want to come. Because my family sure as hell isn''t," Angelina scoffed softly.


    "Ah, I think I will buy another ticket," Stephen said off-handedly, still staring in front of him. He could estimate the curiosity of others. "Lily and Katherine will go. One is for me. And I need another one," he sighed like he had all the burden in the world.


    "Why would you be coming?" Angelina asked dumbly. The people in the back seats straightened up and waited for a good show. Was this the beginning of an explosive romantic scene? Their eyes glowed.


    "Obviously, I want to see my girl graduate fulfill her dreams." The people at the back wanted to applaud. But Katherine and Lily waited with clenched teeth. Oh, no.


    "Girlfriend?" she squeaked. "Hell no. You can come to see me, but no girlfriend business," she said quickly. "And what about the other ticket?" Angelina was growing more suspicious.


    "That''s for my mother, of course. So that she can meet you." Silence prevailed.


    "Hell no. She''s not coming for me," Angelina informed Stephen. Everyone waited curiously.


    "I''ll not ask her to come if it makes you uncomfortable." Stephen''s voice was on the edge. "But you said that you won''t have your family at the show. That''s f.u.c.k.i.e.d up. So, I''ll come for you. My mother and I will be your family if you let us."


    Katherine''s jaw dropped. Lily waited for the explosion. Cage was in awe of his manager.


    ''Oh my God,'' they thought. ''This is amazing.''


    Angelina made a choking sound. "Pull over," she managed to say.


    "I''m sorry... what?" Stephen''s eyes darted off the road.


    "Pull the f.u.c.k over," she said firmly. Stephen drove for a bit until the coast was clear and he moved to the side of the road and parked. Stephen was scared of tickets, but there was nothing that could be done. Damn it.


    Angelina took off the seatbelt and darted out of the car.


    ''Crap. She is leaving,'' Stephen cursed. He scrambled to open the door and ran out to her. Angelina was standing a few feet away from the car, her expression unreadable.


    COMMENT 4 comments VOTE 1 left SEND GIFT Load failed, please RETRY Privileged


    More Privileged Chapters


    Download the app and become a privileged reader today! Come take a sneak peek at our author''s stockpiled chapters! Download Gifts--GiftReceivedSend Gifts 4 Table of Contents Display Options


    Background default yellow dark


    Font Nunito Sans Merriweather


    Size


    Paragraph comments Chapter comments Write thought liked newest Author:


    ? 0){ %>Chapter :


    Author: Machine Translation


    Editor:

 Chapter 194 - Holding Hands With A Guy

    Stephen was standing in front of Angelina, panicking. "Angel, don''t hyperventilate. It can..." he had started to speak. The people in the car remained wide-eyed as the fragile-looking Angelina tugged at Stephen''s t-shirt, catching him off guard and making him stumble.


    Angelina''s lips were on Stephen''s and the two started to make out without consideration of the fact that they were in public. If Katherine had to guess, all their kisses so far were in front of an audience and they would probably continue to do so until they were arrested for indecent exposure.


    Jared had taken to looking at his phone and Cage was simply smiling as he stared out of the window and looked at the cars that passed by.


    The girls kept looking, feeling too happy because someone had come to stand by Angelina. They were especially happy that it was a steady man like Stephen.


    They didn''t know how long the whole thing lasted. Angelina looked like she needed him and both her friends knew that she wouldn''t admit it out loud. They feared that she wouldn''t admit it to herself. The fact that he offered her a family had brought Angelina to tears. What Stephen had offered was exactly what she needed.


    Eventually, the two broke apart and they scurried back to the car. Angelina shifted in her seat uncomfortably, her eyes pink. Stephen cleared his throat, trying to break the silence.


    "Well, can we go now?" he asked.


    "Yes," Angelina said strapping in and actually smiling at Stephen. "Thank you for sharing your family with me so freely. It means a lot to me." The wistful look in her eyes caught Stephen''s attention and he couldn''t help but reassure her.


    "What''s mine is yours from now on." Katherine wanted to laugh when she saw how smitten Angelina looked at that moment. If she had a camera, she would have taken a picture and shown it to her. Hadn''t Angelina commented on how inseparable Cage and she were? That would show her!


    Angelina''s smile broadened. "I know you have a Porsche. Even that?" she asked with a sweet smile.


    Stephen broke out into laughter. "Yes, even that. Glad to hear my collection of cars is more enticing than my family." While he was joking, Angelina''s smile faltered before it dropped.


    "No! It''s not. That''s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me." She held out her hand to him, almost looking lost for a second. Stephen saw it and grasped it firmly.


    "Angelina is holding hands with a guy," Lily whispered to Katherine.


    "She''s done more. But this is a first," Katherine replied in an equally hushed voice.


    "So, it''s settled. I''ll bring my mother, too," Stephen said happily.


    "I didn''t say yes to that," Angelina muttered. "But thank you for your word." She looked so happy. Her friends were thrilled. "Okay. We have a long drive ahead. Let''s go."


    The engine came on. "Yes, we do," Stephen said. And they were on their way.


    - - -


    When they were around half an hour from their destination, they finally stopped to eat at a restaurant. The traffic had thinned down and there were barely any cars coming their way. The restaurant was desolate as well, but there was also a supermarket attached to it. Cage, as usual, couldn''t come out because there were quite a few patrons, probably locals eating at that moment.


    Katherine took a picture of the menu and sent it to him. She asked the server to pack their food and let the others eat inside. Katherine went back and slid into the car, sitting right beside Cage. She kissed him softly before handing him his meal. They spoke about nothing and everything in as they ate. It was about fifteen minutes when Stephen came to them.


    "We are shopping for groceries, anything specific you want? We''ll have come down another day to get produce again," he said.


    Katherine nodded, she listed off the necessary vegetables and meat that they would need. Stephen had told them that the cabins were self-sufficient and furnished with all the gadgets. So, they would make their own meals.


    "What do you want?" Stephen asked Cage as he prepared to head off into the supermarket.


    "Apples," Cage said with a snicker. Stephen looked at them weirdly.


    "I feel like this is a s.e.xy doctor role play in the making and I want nothing to do with it. Sorry, no apples for you," Stephen said.


    "Take my card," Katherine offered instantly, handing over the card before Cage could say anything. Katherine needed to pay for something before she felt like she was taking advantage of people. Stephen nodded and went away.


    Finally, some alone time with Cage. It was a good thing that they had not sat beside each other during the ride or they might have jumped each other. It had been too long and despite the awkward situation, they were happy to see each other.


    "What do you think about Angelina and Stephen?" Cage said out of the blue.


    "He offered her a family, which she hasn''t had for some years. Her parents wanted her to be just like them if not better and they couldn''t condone that she wanted a different career. She flourished in the modeling industry but they just don''t want to see it. They haven''t even wished her or visited her in years. They barely speak to her on the phone."


    Cage shook his head. "I don''t know how a parent can be so cruel to their child, especially when she is so amazing." His face twisted.


    "Well, no child deserves that," Katherine said with a sigh.


    "Knowing Stephen, if Angelina said yes, he would invite his grandparents over to meet her, too," Cage said with a laugh.


    "Don''t joke about it. It would overwhelm her and she would run for the hills." Katherine stopped. "What about Stephen''s dad?" she asked suddenly. She hadn''t wanted to ask Stephen so she chose the second-best option. She was nosey, okay?

 Chapter 195 - Kiss And Make Up

    "His dad left them because he was not ready for a child. His mother brought him up. That''s why he offered her his family. He is one of those people who know how important family is, no matter how small or unconventional."


    "He''s a sweet guy," she said with a small smile.


    "Ah, how I wish you could meet my parents, too. Stephen just got a breakthrough!" Cage sulked. His fingers caressed her cheek. "I''ll make it happen," he said softly. Katherine didn''t doubt he would make it happen. She just needed to be prepared for it.


    He leaned forward to kiss her. It felt like forever since they had actually kissed. Their tongues danced and Katherine m.o.a.ned, making Cage want to do dirty things to her. She moved over him, straddling him in the small space. Cage moved up so that she was pressed against his groin.


    Cage''s hand slipped under her shirt and he caressed her stomach.


    ''Touch me,'' she sighed in her head. She ground herself against him. She couldn''t help it. And she knew that he was the same. They were just an hour away from being stripped from clothing and all over each other.


    Cage suddenly regained his composure and gripped her h.i.p.s, stopping her. The resulting kiss was softer and more romantic. She sighed and tried to wriggle closer to him but he stopped her and pulled away. He had the audacity to laugh when he saw the petulant look on her face.


    "Don''t pout. You know I want to take you right here but the others will come back soon."


    "So?" she challenged.


    "First of all, I don''t like starting what I can''t finish," Cage said with a raised eyebrow. "Also, I don''t want anyone else to see any part of you. Only for my eyes."


    This time, it was Katherine''s turn to laugh. She rolled her eyes. "Caveman," she commented, flicking her hand on his nose. But she got his point. "I don''t want others to see little Cage, either."


    She didn''t want to admit that she liked how possessive he was. She smiled.


    "I''m just glad that you''re also dying to jump me," Cage snickered.


    "You need a change of scenery. Otherwise, I would have let the others go to the cabin and kept you all to myself."


    Cage felt so lucky at that moment. He had fallen in love with the sweetest woman in the world. For a second, he was flabbergasted. ''How is she mine?''


    Cage attacked her, his lips hard on hers and his hand grabbing her ass and pulling her onto him again. Her hands circled his neck and tried to get him closer.


    "Shouldn''t have left these teenagers alone," Katherine heard Lily comment. She wanted to curse.


    She loved Lily, but this woman had single-handedly c.o.c.kblocked her multiple times. Katherine needed to have a stern conversation about the matter with her friend immediately. She wouldn''t condone this further.


    "We got alcohol," Jared commented, raising a bag of bottles. Cage nodded with approval and quickly shifted away, holding Katherine up and placing her beside him. Just half an hour before they got to the cabin. They could make it.


    "I''m going to warn you guys before. Angelina and Stephen are going to be explosive for the next few hours. We will need the booze to ignore them," Lily said with a sigh.


    In the distance, Angelina was stomping towards the car and Stephen was following with a couple of bags in her hand. If she didn''t carry some on his behalf, something must have pissed her off.


    ''I knew she was too happy for a bit,'' Katherine thought sadly. Angelina was known to self-destruct and push people away when she saw that they wanted to be close to her.


    "It was nothing!" they heard Stephen say.


    "I can''t believe you were with her!" Angelina screamed.


    Katherine startled and looked at Lily with panic-filled eyes. Angelina was jealous. How was that even possible?


    Cage was just as clueless, shaking his head when Katherine threw him a questioning look.


    "She''s a whore and that is why I am mad!" Angelina told Stephen. Stephen put the groceries in the car just as Angelina tossed a magazine at Cage and Katherine. Katherine caught it without a problem and looked at the cover. "He was with her!" she said, looking like she was about to murder someone.


    This was a model Katherine knew. She had tried several ways of sneaking into shows and taken Angelina''s spots. It could be said that this woman was an enemy. A formidable opponent to have.


    "Um..." Katherine started, not knowing what to say. Lily played dead and Jared was simply pretending that he was not there. Even Cage didn''t help her.


    "Look at her. You know how many surgeries she has gone through. Everything about her is fake. Her b.o.o.b.s, her face, her butt! And this guy slept with her..." Angelina laughed, showing barely restrained anger.


    Katherine knew how Angelina felt about this woman. She was beyond intimidated by her in regards to her career, now she also had to worry about this girl in her personal life. Katherine could somewhat understand.


    "You don''t need to think about her. It was years ago and just for one night," Stephen said quickly.


    Cage hissed from the side, alerting Stephen to shut up.


    "If I had known you then, I wouldn''t even have looked her way. Scout''s honor!" Stephen held up his hands in surrender.


    "You were never a scout. And you have low standards. What does that make me?" Angelina told him. There was silence.


    "Don''t let that stuff upset you. I was with her once, but I am with you now. You''re real and beautiful. You''re the only woman I want."


    Katherine turned to Cage with a perplexed look. ''What?'' she mouthed.


    ''Script,'' he replied, making sure no one else saw.


    "Okay, you two!" Lily clapped loudly. "It''s settled. Stephen likes Angelina the best. Now kiss and make up!" she said with a broad smile. Angelina threw her a glare but Lily simply laughed. "Seriously, you can''t be mad about something he did before he met you. That''s unfair."

 Chapter 196 - Cant Evade

    Katherine understood, though. Angelina was jealous and scared that Stephen had other options. If her parents could leave her, what chance did she have with a guy whom she just met?


    "I''m a grown man and I have done a lot of things in life. I can''t undo those. And I don''t want to. Those make me the person who I am, the person you like. I spent the time until I found you. Now that I have you, we''ll just overwrite all those experiences and make new memories, okay?" Stephen smiled at her. His eyes were soft and his voice coaxing, making the others feel bitter.


    Wasn''t this public display of affection?


    Angelina closed her eye. "I can''t evade when you say things like that," she said in a small voice. Katherine and Lily startled. First jealousy, then promises of commitment, and now vulnerability and acceptance? This was a whole new Angelina they were seeing and they weren''t upset with the change.


    Amazing.


    Cage pulled Katherine into his arms just as Angelina opened her eyes.


    "Get used to it. I don''t know what these boys eat, but their words are too smooth to ignore," Katherine said. Angelina shook her head and laughed softly.


    "It''s a good thing to have a silver tongue, but I''ll be depressed if it''s not good for anything else," Angelina commented peevishly. Lily shook her head. The old Angelina was back. She couldn''t stay emotional and real for a long period of time without making an inappropriate comment. Much like the chuckles from the others in the car, Stephen was laughing.


    "Trust me, Angel, my tongue makes promises I can keep." He licked his lips like a creep, making Angelina scrunch her face in fake disgust.


    ''Well, as long as Angelina likes it,'' the friends thought simultaneously.


    "Stephen is all talk. If he was good on his promise, he would have started driving and we would be closer to the cabin and you would find out if it is true," Cage said. He was impatient in a cute way and had taken to taunting his manager.


    ''Get going!'' Cage wanted to scream and bang on the car.


    "Good idea," Stephen said quickly and started the car.


    "Thank god," Cage whispered, making Katherine giggle. "The vacation finally begins." He sounded excited and Katherine loved every part of it.


    "Oh god, why are we on a trip with four horny teenagers?" Lily commented, disgust clear in her voice.


    "Oh, come on. You are making me sound old. I can be like them," Jared commented out of the blue, startling everyone. This was the first time he had said something remotely inappropriate.


    "Oh, you do have it in you!" Angelina exclaimed, turning around and staring at Jared. "I think I can like you!"


    Lily rolled her eyes, threading her fingers with Jared''s and kept quiet. This was going to be their time to sort things out. They didn''t need l.u.s.t to hinder solving their relationship problems.


    - - -


    Stephen drove up the narrow road up until the very top. The view from the road showed a range of mountains, some higher and some shorter than the one they were at. The weather grew colder the higher they went. Yet, the view was incredible... the greenery, the spotting of color from the distance houses on the other mountains.


    The location Stephen had chosen was towards the peak of the mountain and the property was stunning. The land was maintained with the grass trimmed and trees growing uninhibited. The three cabins sat at a safe distance from one another, each had two levels but the space was not too large.


    The caretaker took them around, explaining everything, and telling them what numbers to call in case of emergencies. Once the caretaker was gone, they quickly unloaded the car.


    "Here are the keys," Stephen said, handing the couples their keys. "That one is ours," Stephen pointed to theirs. "You guys pick out of the other two,"


    "Guys, please don''t be bunnies. Let''s have at least four hours a day together," Lily commanded. The others nodded.


    "Sounds good to me," Jared commented.


    The cabins were wood, glass, and stone, looking ethereal. They picked the food that they wanted and then retreated into the chosen cabins.


    "This is beautiful," Katherine told Cage. He smiled and kissed her nose.


    "Let''s enjoy our vacation. Ready?" he asked. She nodded. The room was warm and gave off a cozy feeling. There was a piano in the open living room and a fireplace that wouldn''t be of much use apart from setting the mood, maybe.


    Cage took on the responsibility of putting away the bags, while Katherine put all the groceries in the fridge. Katherine remembered that she needed to call her parents. She also needed to remind Cage to call his.


    Katherine looked around the kitchen and felt a sense of awe. It was beautifully furnished and had everything that she could ever dream of. Hopefully, she was going to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, preferably n.a.k.e.d.


    She pulled out her phone from her pocket and dialed her mother''s number.


    "Hi!" she chirped. "How has the vacation been so far?"


    Katherine heard her mother sigh from the other side. "Your father took two days off from the office. Today is his third day home and I think he is insane." Katherine chuckled. "Don''t laugh. Somehow he has turned into a Masterchef and thinks he is Gordon Ramsay. He checked all the groceries, went through all the supplies, and even commented on how the washing machine works!" Her mother sounded frustrated and Katherine knew why.


    When she was living with her parents, she would have moments when she would feel the same way. Her father nagged a lot. He had worked every day of his a.d.u.l.t life and now that he was getting older and closer to retirement, he would take some time off and drive her mother crazy.


    On those days, she thanked God that she didn''t live with her parents anymore. She wouldn''t have lasted.

 Chapter 197 - Simple But Hot

    "I''m so sorry, mom. It''s just a few more days," Katherine reassured.


    "Easy for you to say! You''re out there enjoying with your friends," her mother grumbled. "Ah! Where are the others?"


    Katherine''s eyes widened comically and she was glad her mother couldn''t see her. She worried that her parents had found out and also thought about what she would say.


    "We just reached so everyone is washing up. I called you as soon as I came," she said, hoping that would appease her mother. Her mother seemed happy.


    "Is that Katherine?" she heard her father''s voice come from the distance. Her mother responded positively.


    The phone was handed over and Katherine heard her father speak. "Kitty, I don''t know how to break this to you..."


    Ah, so this was how he was going to start. Her father only took the call when he had to say something. Otherwise, he wouldn''t speak to her on the phone. More often than not, he would hurriedly pass the phone off or not greet her at all. She was used to it.


    "What''s wrong?" she asked, knowing it was probably something trivial. Her dad had a habit of getting hyper without any big reason.


    He cleared his throat. "I went to the grocery store in the morning and saw a magazine with your boy and this lady whom I don''t know. Apparently they have a secret love child." Katherine almost choked.


    Oh no. "I told you not to look at gossip, right? You should know that such outlets post stories that make people buy them but never say the truth..." she trailed off. From behind her, she could hear Cage snickering. Even though he didn''t know what her father had said, he probably had an idea.


    Of course, he did. His team was always monitoring when his name was mentioned.


    "No, no. It''s one of the trustworthy ones!" her dad protested. Katherine sighed.


    "That''s a lie, too." Katherine looked back to see that Cage had gone back upstairs again.


    "Well, that is good to hear. But I am worried about you hanging out with this guy. I just want to keep my eyes out," her father grumbled. It was kind of cute so Katherine remained patient with him.


    "Thank you for looking out for me. I trust Cage and you''ll see what I mean when you meet him. We''re trying to see when we can make that happen."


    There was a long pause before he blew out a loud breath. "Okay. Have a good time." He sounded hesitant to say the words and Katherine fought back the laughter bubbling in her throat.


    "I''ll be safe, dad," she said cheekily, making him splutter. The greetings were exchanged before she hung up. She breathed out a sigh of relief and went back to admiring the kitchen.


    That was when Cage entered the kitchen. He was leaning against the doorway, looking like a five-course meal. The kitchen was surely the room to look this way.


    She touched the granite and felt how cool it was. She could picture him taking her right there in that kitchen. "Done?" she asked, her voice sounding overly excited.


    "Hmm. Glad you like the kitchen," he said with a chuckle. Despite his best efforts, he looked worked up and ready to pounce on her. Determined to relieve the tension, she walked slowly to him and slid her arm around his waist.


    "I mentioned that I was talented in the kitchen, didn''t I?" Cage asked, kissing the top of her head lightly. The soft material of his casual t-shirt rubbed against the side of her face. She had to admit, this man could look so good in everything he wore that it should be deemed a sin.


    Simple, but hot.


    "I don''t think you mentioned that," she said with a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt in her voice. Cage placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her back towards the counter. He definitely heard the meaning behind her words. It just so happened that his mind was just as dirty as hers.


    "I think I''ll have to show you," he said seriously. She pressed her lips together, trying not to smile.


    They were on the same page. But then the bastard turned to the refrigerator and started to look through the ingredients on hand.


    ''You have got to be kidding me,'' she thought incredulously.


    "Go upstairs and wash up. I''ll start preparing a small meal that we can enjoy," Cage said smoothly like their little banter had never taken place.


    But... they had just eaten a meal. What was the meaning of this? Katherine had thought that he would jump with joy and they could start with their tour of the cabin from the kitchen and work their way throughout the house into the bedroom. Has she been wrong?


    "Don''t think too much. We have a long time ahead of us," he said. Katherine sighed and scurried away. As she freshened up, she saw that Cage had organized everything in the bedroom. She smiled warmly as she peeped into the wardrobe and saw their clothes hanging beside each other. She felt the prickling in her eyes and didn''t know what exactly she would do next. She definitely couldn''t cry or else her eyes would be swollen.


    Cage would get worried and then their s.e.xy times would be delayed. Now, Katherine couldn''t have that.


    Downstairs, Cage had taken out all the ingredients he needed and made sure they had enough ice for the alcohol.


    He had sent her up because it had been a long day and she would be emotionally drained if not physically exhausted from the drive, as well. Taking her without letting her rest would overwhelm her.


    He didn''t want to hurt her in any way. Even if she thought she was okay, it was his duty to ensure she was emotionally and physically okay.


    - - -


    Katherine felt the knots in her muscles fade away as the hot water cascaded down her body. When she switched off the shower and turned the knob of the door, she was greeted by the heavenly scent of food.


    He hadn''t been joking when he said he was talented in the kitchen!

 Chapter 198 - Beautiful On You *

    She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. It was sweet and smelled of home. The scent grew stronger as she moved towards the kitchen. She could hear the faint hum coming from the room as she got closer, the overhead light casting shadows on the dim hallway.


    Had it been this way when she went upstairs?


    She checked on the clothes she was wearing and grinned. She walked on her tiptoes, making sure no sound was made. Her clothes consisted of a soft almost see-through white shirt that hit the middle of her thighs and one of the many lingerie pieces she had bought. For some reason, she had also packed a pair of black high heels that would go with everything and painted her toes the same.


    She stared at Cage''s form, looking so wholesome like a good little husband. She felt a flutter in her stomach at the sight of him. This was anything but wholesome. This man was s.e.x on legs.


    Suddenly, he moved to the stove, his body moving with the humming. Katherine watched entranced as he bent at the waist to pull out something from stainless steel oven. The jeans he was wearing hugged his ass perfectly and she groaned at the sight.


    Anything but wholesome, she reminded herself.


    The sound of approval coming from her throat must have been loud enough for him to hear because Cage''s body stiffened as his mitten-clad hand gripped the baking pan that was on the middle rack of the heated oven.


    "Feeling better?" Cage asked in a low voice. His eyes traced over what she was wearing. He clucked his tongue mentally as he noticed that she had covered her chest. But he could also see the color of her lingerie through the shirt, hovering over Katherine''s supple b.r.e.a.s.ts. Even her lips were painted, making them look full and pouty lips she smiled devilishly at him.


    Her long wavy locks cascaded down to where her b.r.e.a.s.ts ended. he whole image made his c.o.c.k throb: the whole package with the sultry eyes and kissable lips.


    Katherine moved forward, circling her hands around his waist and kissing him. He pushed back with the same fervor, kissing all the red paint off her mouth.


    "I hope you like what I cooked," he said as his head motioned towards the kitchen table.


    The small meal he had wanted to make had turned into sliders that she didn''t know he could make. They were decorated on the table with a pitcher of sweet lime soda. Katherine felt an insatiable thirst, for the soda or the man in front of her, she didn''t know.


    Her eyes also slid over to the pan in his hand. Quick bake chocolate cake in a mug.


    "You''re so good to me," she said, her voice rough with desire.


    He laughed and put the pan down on the granite counter. Katherine knew that she was about to make his day. "It''s been a very long week. Right now, I''d like to f.u.c.k you in the kitchen... if you don''t mind." Cage smirked. As if that was even worth considering.


    No more waiting.


    Cage buried his face in the crook of her neck. She smelled of shampoo and lotion, just like he remembered. Unable to resist her any longer, he opened his mouth to lay soft kisses along the column of her neck.


    Katherine squirmed in his hold, his slight stubble tickling her soft skin. She m.o.a.ned softly when he palmed her ass and dragged her closer than before. Soo, his hand traveled up the front of her shirt, being careful not to slide his hand underneath the material. He squeezed her soft b.r.e.a.s.ts through the material, making her m.o.a.n.


    "Cage," she m.o.a.ned as he pushed them together. She could feel her n.i.p.p.l.es harden under the shirt. Her body had been impossibly sensitive since she met Cage. Katherine slowly turned in his arms, her mouth brushing against his jaw before her lips connected his. She opened her mouth and slid her tongue against his lips, begging for entrance.


    Which he gladly gave. Soft and sensual strokes passed over his tongue as she kissed him, her nimble fingers finding their way to his hair.


    "Missed you," she mumbled as her mouth pulled away from his. He ground his h.i.p.s against her, bringing her in contact with his prominent arousal, showing her just how he missed her, as well.


    "I''ve been waiting all day for dessert. I''d like to have it now," he purred.


    Cat Cage was back and Katherine was ecstatic.


    He pulled away, taking in how she looked and slowly unbuttoned her shirt, one button at a time. The dance was exquisite, with her hands reciprocating his motions, pulling his top off until she realized that she was only in her expensive black lingerie set.


    Expensive as hell but she wanted nothing more than for him to tear them off her body. His fingers moved over the material, his eyes dark and hot as he touched her.


    She needed him. Immediately.


    "Cage," she called his name, pushing herself against his hand. "Now," she ordered, hoping he would listen. He followed her words silently, trying to get the thing off her. Katherine couldn''t help but laugh at how adorable he looked when he was frustrated. She had a hard time with it too.


    Hearing her laugh, he growled and somehow... finally managed to get the thing off.


    "These look beautiful on you," he told her, running his fingers over her underwear, his eyes filled with worship.


    "They cost a fortune. You may shred them, but compensate me. I won''t forgive you otherwise," Katherine said with a proud. She took orgasms are currencies, as well. No pressure. As if hearing her thoughts, his eyes grew hotter as he tugged on her panties.


    F.u.c.k if they didn''t rip a little. When he was looking at her like that, she was ready to come at the snap of his fingers. She m.o.a.ned as he pulled again, giving her what he wanted. The material ripped away from one side. He proceeded on to doing the same with the other side, as well.

 Chapter 199 - Satisfy You *

    She was n.a.k.e.d, but the heat was on. She would fan herself if it wouldn''t kill the mood.


    Cage threw the panties on the floor and she felt like she couldn''t get enough air to sustain her body.


    "Did that satisfy you?" he asked, his voice honey and s.e.x combined.


    "Yes," she breathed. He had nailed it. "Now make me scream."


    Her arms wrapped around his neck as he lifted her up, her legs clamping on both sides of his hip before he moved and set her on the kitchen counter.


    She felt the cold against her heated skin and sighed. Within seconds, her lips were on his and he leaned forward, his c.o.c.k rubbing against her hot core. Through the material of his pants, he could feel her wet heat. He groaned as Katherine shifted her h.i.p.s against him, rubbing her p.u.s.s.y against the bulge in his pants.


    Cage slid his hands up her creamy thighs, his fingers dancing over her skin. Her head fell against the cabinet behind her and her hands were everywhere. Her hands dipped into the back of his pants to grab his ass.


    He bucked against her as her nails dug into the flesh of his back and she chuckled at his reaction.


    "You want me?" she teased.


    "Just as much as you do," he growled as his teeth sank into where her neck met the shoulder. He moved his hands between them, fumbling with the button and the zipper before shoving his pant and boxers down just past the bottom of his ass so that his erection was freed and throbbing between their bodies.


    He slipped one hand to her p.u.s.s.y, stroking her soft folds with his fingertips before rubbing her glistening clit.


    She mewled with need, her high heels digging in his bare ass. Somehow, the sting of pain only made him harder, his c.o.c.k twitching and dripping with the need for her.


    Slowly, he slid two fingers inside her, feeling her warm walls constrict against his digits, reminding him of how amazing it felt when she gripped his c.o.c.k. He pumped his fingers in and out until she begged for him inside her.


    With the hand that was soaked in her juices, he gripped his c.o.c.k, tugging it twice and coating it in her arousal before teasing her entrance with the head. It slipped easily against her folds before he pressed forward, his c.o.c.k sliding into her in one smooth thrust.


    ''F.u.c.k. Yes. Just like that,'' she thought. She m.o.a.ned as he thrust into her, her nails digging into his back, her legs wrapped around him. She would do anything to get closer to him. For it to be harder and faster.


    She felt so good, so tight and warm that Cage never wanted to leave. Her walls clamped down around his shaft and he groaned. "So good," he groaned low as he pulled back out only to slam into her with more force.


    Their h.i.p.s collided and he continued to piston himself inside her body. Soon her pants turned into loud m.o.a.ns. She neared her release, then only begging for more. Her chant in his ear was like music.


    Her legs tightened around his body, her heels sinking in further into the bare skin of his ass when he reached down to toy with her clit. His fingers glided over the silky smooth skin coated with her wetness.


    He smiled when he thought about how wet and willing she was to take whatever he wanted to give her.


    His thumb pressed down on her sensitive bug and she screamed his name. The walls of her p.u.s.s.y pulsed around his length as she orgasmed and he watched in rapture as her face contorted with pleasure, her full lips open as a sultry m.o.a.n escaped her. Her eyes were screwed shut as waves of pleasure crashed over her.


    "Come inside me," she begged. He couldn''t deny her. Fortunately, they had tested and been cleared. She was on the pill and the condoms could be thrown out of the window.


    Her command catapulted him to his release, his body seizing, filling her. He stayed pressed against her, hip to hip as his c.o.c.k twitched deep inside her body. He felt clammy from their movements but there was no sense of disgust. Even though his pants were still on his legs, there was a sense of e.r.o.t.i.cism that didn''t go unnoticed.


    Katherine''s eyes fluttered open slowly and a satisfied smile spread across her lips.


    "You really are a master in the kitchen," she complimented with a sweet giggle. He grinned and pressed a kiss on her forehead.


    "I owe you a pair of new underwear," he said with a laugh.


    "I take payments in orgasms, so you owe me nothing."


    He pulled out slowly, freeing himself from her body. The pants and shorts were completely off and he fished for a handkerchief. Once found he wiped at her thighs and laughed.


    "Your shower was of no use!" he exclaimed. "Now that we have experienced the kitchen, we can go to the next room." He sounded like a kid in an amus.e.m.e.nt park.


    Then what was her body? Adrenaline inducing high-risk rides? Probably.


    "I like that idea," she said with a nod.


    "I thought you might." He picked her up and carried her down the hall and up the stairs.


    "Hope you enjoyed the first hour of your vacation." Katherine winked. He placed her on the bed and moved to the bathroom. He brought a small towel that he had soaked in warm water and made sure she was clean.


    The c.o.c.kles of her heart warmed she looked at how eagerly he did it.


    "Wait for me," he said after he was done and went downstairs. Within five minutes, Cage was back.


    N.a.k.e.d, carrying a tray full of food.


    Katherine knew right then. She was living her best life.


    For the next half an hour, they talked and he fed her what he had created. His fresh lime soda was sweet and better than any beverage she had tasted. The sliders were much needed after their strenuous activity. Best of all? He gently fed her and stared at her like she meant the world to him.


    She hadn''t thought she could fall further for this man. But she did.

 Chapter 200 - Blurted It Out *

    Evening came and no one came knocking on their door. No one called. They spent it watching television and cuddling.


    When Katherine awoke, she felt a hard body and soft lips pressed to her skin. Cage''s lips moved over her right shoulder lazily, his long lashes brushing against her skin, making her want to giggle. Her body went rigid for a second before she relaxed into his touch.


    "Awake?" Cage asked, his teeth scraping over her neck. She whimpered his name as she felt her n.i.p.p.l.es hardening. The rush in her stomach told her that she was on her way to be wet and ready for him. Just from simple touches.


    She craned her neck so that she could see his face. "What''s the time?" she whispered, scared that she would break the moment. She wriggled her ass against him suggestively, letting him know that he was starting something that he would have to finish. Otherwise, she would not hold back her wrath. He''d been amazing in the afternoon.


    "It''s close to 9 PM," he said softly, letting her play. She nodded, continuing her little dance.


    She''d taken her hard and fast in the kitchen, followed by a gentlemanly snack and some much needed making out and cuddling. She loved both sides of this man equally, the beast and the prince.


    Cage groaned as he rubbed himself against her butt. "You''re teasing me!" he said.


    "It''s called reciprocation, Mr. Cavanaugh. I enjoy a good game." Cage felt like he was being challenged, but he didn''t bother about it much. Katherine would follow through if she wanted.


    He found himself grinning when she lopped her right leg over his. Taking the hint, he rubbed his length against her. She sucked in a surprised breath and Cage found himself feeling triumphant. Didn''t she want to play? He could give her a little taste.


    "Katherine," he warned before he entered her, sending shivers through her body. He breathed into her ear as he pulled her closer, the warmth of his body substitution the chill of the mountain air. Sucking on her earlobe, he moved inside her slowly.


    His hand slid over her hip and he found her clit, moving it against her just like she liked him to.


    She let her head fall back, letting the overwhelming sensations overtake her. The speed remained slow, almost as if he was testing her limits, but doing so affectionately. She felt like a dead fish, letting him take her as he wished. But he didn''t seem to mind.


    And she didn''t think she would last long either. She had been waiting for this before she woke up. She didn''t remember her dream, but it was definitely something naughty, brought about by the warmth of his n.a.k.e.d body against hers.


    She lifted her leg up higher, coercing him to shift. This time, he hit that sweet spot inside her that made her want to curl up in pleasure. He unerringly moved and she slowly realized that she would forget every other man she had been with.


    No, she didn''t want to remember. She couldn''t remember a time when he was not with her.


    ''This is not good,'' she thought as she finally let go, gripping his member. His lips were on her neck, barely kissing as he reached his limit, filling her.


    Slowly but steadily, he pulled out of her and held her tightly against him.


    She was always worried that the way he held her... he was afraid that she would disappear. But she had never spoken of such a thing so she didn''t understand what he was so scared of.


    "I love you," Cage said, surprising her. He had been clear about his feelings for her, but the words make her heart flutter. Had she heard correctly? Or was it wishful thinking?


    "Is it a post-coital confession?" she said in a low voice, just to make sure. She had to see his face when he answered, so she moved in his arms and turned so that she was facing him. His gaze bore into hers.


    And she saw it. He had meant it. She felt the prickle of tears in her eyes. She had known he liked her a lot, but the affirmation through the use of words just made it so much more real. Now, she had no doubt.


    She felt relief and joy but she didn''t have time to inspect it further.


    "You love me?" she asked as if wanting to hear him say it again.


    "I love you," he confirmed, smiling. His eyes searched her face, looking for something. It took her a moment to realize that he wanted to hear her say it, see if she felt the same way.


    Stupid man. How could she not love him? Didn''t he know what effect he had on her?


    She couldn''t stop the smile that spread across her face. "I love you, too, Cage."


    The resulting goofy smile was everything she wanted but didn''t know. Seeing this every day of her life would be her new mission from now.


    Make Cage happy.


    His lips were on hers and she felt herself laughing. Cage felt slightly offended that this woman could laugh when he was showing her his passion but let it go when he felt her fingers slip into his hair.


    He propped himself up, pressing Katherine into the mattress as he kissed her all over the face, peppering her with ''I love you''s so that she would never have a doubt about his feelings.


    She lost count after ten and she hoped that she would hear it so often that she would never have to count again. Only, she promised to say it back as often as he did.


    This was the first time Katherine wanted to be so close to a person that she wanted to crawl into their skin.


    ''Very creepy, Katherine,'' she scolded herself internally.


    "I feel so stupid. I wanted to reveal my feelings to you with a scrumptious meal and a speech. But I came and blurted it out."

 Chapter 201 - A Hardcore Fan

    Katherine chuckled at his words. What a sweet man she had found. She was not one for overly exaggerated gestures even though she would like it if he was the one on the other side. Other than that, this way of confessing was perfectly heart-stopping for her. N.a.k.e.d Cage and his sweet words of love? What else did she need in life?


    She caressed his face, letting him know that she didn''t mind. "I know how hard it is to hold back from saying the words when you feel it flooding your heart."


    He looked so cute when he was confused. She giggled.


    "I didn''t know if you felt the same way and part of me wondered if I should wait for you to bring it up before saying how I felt," she confessed. She scoffed at how primitive her own words sounded. Waiting for the man to confess and consent to it? Did she forget that she had agency? She was not one to follow those rules anyway. Now she wanted to laugh.


    Ah, she was just scared that the depth of his feelings was not the same as hers. Now that she thought about it, she found the whole scenario funny.


    "I was waiting for you too!" he replied, his eyes wide with excitement. "You see, great minds think alike. I wanted to tell you on the Skype calls and when I saw you this morning but I wanted the timing to be perfect." If he could, he would bounce on the bed.


    "I am glad it didn''t get brought up during Skype."


    Cage''s smile melted her. "You''re right. This way, I could see your reaction. It is so much more personal. I almost felt like my heart would burst through my chest." He pouted. "I was nervous!"


    Katherine sat up, now looking down at his exhilarated expression and patted his head. "You prepared for a candle-light dinner, so I won''t mind if you say it again." She wanted to sound cool but Cage''s boyish laughter threw her off her character. She smacked him on the shoulder as his arms circled her waist.


    "I''ll say it to you every day if that is what you wish," he said with a killer smile. He kissed her thigh and then rested his head on it.


    "Do you want me to spoil you?" she asked slyly. He sure was acting like a little puppy who wanted attention. He nodded without saying anything.


    "How would you like to be spoiled tonight?" she asked, sounding contemplative.


    "I want to sit by the fireplace and read my scripts with you," he said lightly. Katherine felt her chest tighten as she watched him incredulously. "Would you join me?" he asked after a minute of silence, not knowing what her reaction was. Her face was blank.


    "You want me to see something so private?" she squeaked. She felt him nodding.


    "I would love that. I brought the Kevin Heart script and some others I am contemplating with me. I want to practice with you and see your take on it." He sounded perfectly serious.


    "You sound like you are letting me choose your next project," she warned.


    "I am," he replied confidently. She pressed her lips into a thin line. She loved that he wanted her to be a part of his career but she felt uncomfortable with the weight of her words.


    "You trust my taste that much?" In reality, she was scared that her words would influence him and he would miss out on a good opportunity.


    "You know me the best, remember?" he began gently. He chuckled. "You''re my biggest fan and girlfriend. You know what would suit me and at the same time consider if I want to do it. Isn''t it the perfect combination?" She was slightly embarrassed. "I don''t mind if it is a movie that shows a lot of skin. You tend to draw a lot of those," he teased.


    Ah, her fan art of him. She had drawn him in all sorts of situations, some more perverted than others. Of course, he had seen all of them. And he still trusted her judgment? He must be crazy.


    "You''d do p.o.r.n if I asked you?" she challenged. Not that she would. No one was getting a glimpse of this fine specimen.


    "If you are acting opposite me. Sure. Would love that. But only for my eyes." His previously closed eyes opened and they stared into hers. She looked at him contemplatively.


    "I guess being a hardcore fan worked in a favor," she said, biting her lips.


    "You can draw me any time you like. Now that you have the man to yourself, you can put m in any position and I will be the model for your fantasies." As if she had any other models who starred in her fantasies. God, she loved her perverted and adorable boyfriend beyond belief.


    "Okay, pervert. Let''s go!"


    Somehow, they managed to dress up and make their way to the living room. The fireplace was lit and the outside was slightly misty. They sat at opposite corners of the couch, their legs tangled together.


    She had picked up a script from the pile that Cage had brought along. "How many scripts do you get in an average month?" she asked.


    "It ranges from twenty to forty, usually. I like to read all of them. You never know when you come across something that you really like." Cage shrugged.


    The script in her hand was named, ''CEO''s Little Pet.'' She glared at it for a second. If the first one she picked up was a romance, she could only guess that a lot of the others would be the same. But this title... it was very provocative!


    Compelled, she flipped to the first page and burst out into laughter.


    "Is it that good?" Cage asked with a shocked expression. "Is it a comedy?"


    She shook her head. She didn''t know what to tell him, really. She couldn''t tell the truth without bursting into a fit of laughter. Would he think poorly of her if she did that? Oh god.


    "Nothing," she said, trying to hide her smile.

 Chapter 202 - The Dream Team

    "The first scene is of a woman describing how she met the male lead and how she was dripping between the thighs instantly. Like, girl... you must have a wet spot on your clothes and are ruining the cloth chairs you are saying you are sitting on." Katherine snickered as she started to speak.


    Cage looked at her wide-eyed. "Is that even possible?" he asked. Katherine turned to him with a glare.


    "I don''t think so. Why don''t you try?" she said with a snicker. Cage shook his head before urging her to tell more. "It is not intended to be a comedy, I know this. But it seems like a fanfiction of Under the Stars and they think somehow you are going to enjoy it?" To be honest, Katherine felt offended on his behalf.


    "Since I did Under the Stars, I have been receiving a lot of romances. They seem more to do with pandering to the fans than be based on a solid plot." Cage''s face twisted into a grimace. Katherine felt a little sorry for him.


    "While I would have loved to see you in more romances, I can speak for your other fans. We don''t want you to compromise on your acting skills and do something that you know you won''t enjoy." She gave him an encouraging smile.


    "Why don''t we do a dramatic reading of this script?" Cage said, beyond amused. Katherine could see the delight flashing in his eyes.


    Katherine coughed to clear her throat, preparing to start reading.


    "The clumsy female lead trips over air, her books jiggling as she trips over and spills cold tea over the hero''s lap." She wanted to put on a serious expression, but reading it out loud had introduced another fit of giggles.


    Even Cage joined in. "How did the female lead end up sitting down on a cloth chair?" he asked, looking interested.


    She let her eyes travel over the page before she looked up and answered his question. "She was apologizing profusely for her mistake. The male lead says something along the lines of dazzling her with his looks. She blushes. He asks her to sit and she does." Katherine looked mildly horrified by how bad it sounded.


    "Kitty, was this how you felt when you first met me?" he asked, raising an amused brow.


    "Sorry, you might be the s.e.xiest man on Earth, but if my v.a.g.i.n.a was leaking or dripping, I would rush to my gynecologist to check out what was wrong with me," she snorted. Cage snickered as he looked at her expression.


    "You should come to one of the readings with Stephen, he gives the characters names and tries to mimic their voices. It''s like watching a puppet show, just that it is the most hilarious and stupid thing on the planet." While Cage was losing it with laughter, Katherine watched him with a wide grin on her face. Ah, so this was the life of a normal couple.


    This was what normalcy with Cage Cavanaugh looked like. Talking about work and joking about colleagues.


    "Stephen is obviously high on the list of people I like," she said lightly. He stopped laughing, tilting his head to the side and giving her a warm smile.


    "He likes you too," he said. His hand reached out and he tugged at her foot. She threw him a curious look for the action and he withdrew immediately.


    "Foot fetish?" she said nonchalantly.


    "You fetish," he replied. Katherine sighed a content sigh. Then she thought about Cage and the people who surrounded him. She had to admit that she was worried about how his representatives and associates felt about her and their relationship. She knew that she didn''t bring Cage any benefits like Keira did, so they must not like her that much. "Your people don''t have a problem with me?" she asked in a small voice.


    Cage set the script in his hand aside and took the one in her hand out as well.


    "My personal life should not be their concern. I pay them enough so that I can live my life a little freer. If they can''t handle that, I should fire them." He sounded serious and Katherine felt her face fall. So, they didn''t like her. Seeing her expression, he panicked and began to speak again. "Stephen likes you, that you know. My public relations team didn''t know up until I left your house and went to the meeting. I let them know that you are a permanent fixture in my life."


    Katherine moved towards him, relaxing between his legs and laying her head on his chest. He put his arms around her and stroked her hair.


    Katherine was overcome by complex emotions, but his presence diminished her worries.


    "Haven''t you stuck to the dream team since the beginning of your career?" she asked, indulging in some small talk.


    He made a sound of acknowledgment. "Yeah, my mother found Stephen while he was wet behind the ears, he was managing people who were big and doing well. I contacted him and poached him. He was more than happy."


    "Are you more famous than the people he managed before?" she asked, a streak of competitiveness bursting out.


    "Absolutely," he confessed. "Actually, Stephen built the public relations team and everything by himself. I trusted him to do that. Mostly, he handles them and I just need to show up for the meetings." Katherine felt him shrug.


    She nodded, still burrowed in his chest.


    "I''m glad you have good people surrounding you." God knows he needed it with how turbulent the industry was.


    "My team is prepared for every scenario. We can continue normally for as long as you want. We can hide, we can make it public. Anything you want." She pulled away to look at his face.


    "I don''t want to be a secret," she admonished.


    "I don''t want that either. If you don''t want your name out in public until we grow old, I will protect you. But I will let everyone know that I am taken and I don''t want them up in my business."


    She played with his finger as she contemplated their situation. "What happens if they find out who I am?"


    She was scared of that. She didn''t want to say it but she was beyond scared.

 Chapter 203 - Lose Complete Control

    "They''ll try to find out who you are, then they might stake outside your apartment to figure out your personality. They will see if you talk to guys and speculate on the nature of our relationship. They will also make it look like we have broken up." Cage looked at her face carefully and saw the panic rise in her eyes. "Don''t worry. You''ll meet my team and they will guide you through everything. Happy couples aren''t newsworthy and we are a happy couple. They''ll get bored of it soon enough."


    "That''s good to hear," she said, revealing a small smile. "It''ll be hard because we won''t have privacy, but nothing is more important than being with you. I trust you." She nodded.


    "If you''re worried about dates, there are always back entrances and sneaking away." He looked thoughtful.


    "But there is social media. It''s not just the paparazzi anymore," she said with a shrug. How a private person like Cage had survived in the spotlight was beyond her.


    "I''m used to it," Cage sighed. "I worry about you, though. They will come for you if they find out. It might be too overwhelming for you..." He trailed off.


    She looked at him incredulously. "Are you scared that I will be overwhelmed and run for the hills because I can''t cope with it?" she said softly. "I might be embarrassed when they find out the lewd fan art I have made but other than that, there isn''t much they can say about me." Except for her not being up to Cage''s standards.


    "What are you thinking about?" he asked, the suspicion rising in his mind.


    "They''ll shit on me because I don''t look... a certain way." She shook her head.


    That was the dumbest thing Cage had ever heard. She was beyond beautiful. He held her face in his hand and tried to show her exactly how he saw her. "If they don''t see what I see, they are clearly blind. And I''m going to throw a hissy fit if anyone comes after you."


    Katherine laughed nervously. "So childish!"


    "But I will do everything in my power to prevent it from happening. Bodyguards, more media professionals. Anything to keep you safe." Katherine cut him off by kissing him. For now, her mind was at peace. She didn''t want to ruin the vacation by talking about the grim future. They could worry about it once they needed to. Right now, they needed to reassure each other that no matter what, neither of them was running away.


    "Dating you won''t be easy. You''ll be away filming for most of the year. There will be kissing involved. But it is your job. I am definitely not one to discriminate because of your career." She was displeased that he would have love scenes with others but it was all fake. What good was it when they were surrounded by tens of people, all of them gawking and instructing them on how to make the script look flawless. Didn''t sound very romantic to her.


    "I don''t enjoy love scenes either," he groaned. "But we always have phone calls and emails to communicate. It will be nice to take breaks from filming and finding your dirty texts on my screen," Cage said, a grin spreading across his face.


    "I can do that. We''ll make it work. I don''t need bodyguards or extra media personnel unless things hit the fan. It will just make me more conspicuous, in my opinion. Aren''t there other celebrities dating?" she asked curiously.


    "Look at you being all calm. With our looks? We blow them out of the pond." Narcissist.


    "I have two choices. You or not you. I choose you with all the shit that comes with it. I want to enjoy my time with you and if we decide to come out, we will deal with the results. I don''t care how big the backlash is, I am not leaving you unless you tell me to go away." There was stubbornness in her voice.


    He kissed her hard. "I''ll never do that. I love you and you are perfect for me."


    "Damn straight! If you dare forget..." she trailed off, giving him a fake glare.


    "Never," he promised. They went back to their scripts. Hunger pangs hit them soon enough and they decided on eating instant noodles. With that... the tone of the evening changed drastically. Who had known that noodles could lead to ambiguity...


    As the South Koreans say it, "Wanna come over for Ramyeon?"


    - - -


    Cage carried the silicone ice tray and entered the room. Katherine was lying in bed, her clothes hanging off her body. She looked up lazily and smiled.


    "Take them off, love," he asked huskily. She complied, slowly teasing him, taking off her clothes at a delectable pace. She slipped her t-shirt over her head and shimmied out of her shorts, leaving behind her lace bra and matching panties. His broad grin left her giggling. He neared her, placing the things on the bedside table and then slid out the ties he had brought for the explicit purpose of using on her.


    "Stay still," he said in a hushed voice as he kissed her right elbow, caressing it with his finger before pulling the arm over her head, securing it on the headboard with a firm knot. She squealed as she struggled. "Hush," he commanded, giving the same treatment to her other arm and then her legs.


    He crawled out of the bed, looking over the masterpiece he had created and smirked.


    "Now that''s a sight to see," he m.o.a.ned. His natural instinct was to pounce on her and get straight to the point, but he had a lot of plans. He saw her staring at him with a hungry look and gave her a wink.


    "Time to sleep, love," he taunted as he slid over her body and slid the silk tie over her eyes, securing them behind her head, making sure she could not see.


    "Why am I blindfolded?" she asked, her voice wavering. Despite her subservient fantasies, Katherine had a fear of letting her control go. She was always a curious one, needing to know everything and have a plan about what would happen next, he knew that very well. That was exactly why he had chosen to show her how to lose complete control.

 Chapter 204 - Trust Me *

    "It enhances your other senses and helps you concentrate on what is important," he whispered into her ear, causing her to shiver.


    "Can you tell me what you want to do?" she asked breathlessly. He chuckled as he moved his pants and shirt away, leaving him only in his boxers. Today was about her, he would think about his already hard c.o.c.k later.


    "Just relax and trust me," was all he said. He went to the bedside table and put on headphones.


    "What are you doing?" she asked, panicked.


    "Just putting on some music for you to enjoy. Wouldn''t want you bored." He paused and realized that she was a little flighty. "Don''t worry about it. Just enjoy it." He pressed his lips on her cheek, making her blush.


    He skimmed a finger down her cheek to her neck and then drew languid circles on her skin. He reached for the cellphone and put on some music. No one should be able to hear what was happening inside the room.


    He kissed up and down her neck, sucking and biting gently as he went along. He bit and sucked a little harder causing her to whimper.


    His lips traveled across her collarbones and skimmed over her sternum, making her shiver. She squirmed below him, m.o.a.ning and heavily breathing as he continued to tease her. He hadn''t done anything yet, but she was still so responsive.


    Cage couldn''t help but feel proud.


    He pulled back, going to the table and scooping out an oval ice cube. He hissed as the cold hit his skin but quickly hid it. He held the ice firmly, pressing it against her nape and giving her the first taste of the cold.


    She shuddered and tried to squirm away from the sensation to no avail. He glided the cube down her collarbone and over her bones, leaving a trail of ice water in its wake. As he reached her b.r.e.a.s.ts, he cupped one and rubbed the cube against her peak, hardening it instantly. He gently massaged her, stroked her until her peak winked at him with happiness. He then moved on to worship the other b.r.e.a.s.t, giving it the same treatment as the first.


    An idea struck him suddenly and he leaned down, taking the ice and putting it between his lips. He pressed on various spots on her b.r.e.a.s.ts and licked and sucked at the water that melted away, giving her a sensation of warmth and cold at the same time. Her chest started to rise and fall, her breathing speeding up.


    "Cage," he heard her murmur. But she couldn''t hear his soft acknowledgment.


    He placed the ice on her naval and let it warm there, taking her body heat to melt the ice and let droplets of ice water run down her flat stomach. He swooped in, licking away the traces, making sure nothing except the warmth of his eager tongue remained on her body. He wouldn''t want her to catch a cold.


    She looked like she really wanted a taste of him, so that''s exactly what he gave her. He crawled up her body and pecked her lightly on the lip. She smiled and puckered her lip, asking for more. With a purr, he went back in and licked her bottom lip, taking it between his teeth and coaxing them, gently rolling them around before he pushed his tongue into her waiting mouth. She gasped, tugging at the restraints, wanting to hold him at any cost. She needed to feel his soft locks between her fingers as he pleasured her.


    He straddled her, lapping at her body as his hard c.o.c.k ground against her heated s.e.x. He couldn''t wait until they were skin to skin¡­ but that was for another time.


    He sucked on her neck and her body until the lewd signs of his assault were evident on her skin. It was good that they didn''t have to go out the next day, or Katherine wouldn''t have been able to wear most of her clothes.


    She struggled as he slid down, going further away from her. He hovered his hand over her covered s.e.x and had a wicked idea. Taking another oval ice cube on his mouth, he lapped at it until there was no sharpness that could hurt her. He moved her panties to the side, revealing her pink folds to him. He smiled and he drew tight circles on her bundle of nerves.


    She shook, desperately trying to grind against his finger.


    Letting her out of her misery, he pushed the ball of ice inside her, leaving it to melt as he lapped at her nether lips, enjoying the taste of her.


    She screamed and even the sound of the loud music couldn''t hold her back. It wasn''t in pain but in surprise and pleasure. He teased the cube, pushing at it with his tongue after a few swipes at her clit. He let his fingers part her lips and took a long lick at her core.


    He listened to her cries of pleasure as he slowly pleasured her, the sounds she emitted driving him crazy.


    "My favorite taste," he muttered against her core, the vibrations sending quivers through her body. Her breathing faltered as she struggled harder. He took her clit between his teeth and gently nipped at the nerves, making her m.o.a.n uninhibitedly.


    He continued until the ice had fully melted before he pushed two fingers inside her and curled them up, letting her pliant flesh suck at them. She wailed as he rubbed and circled his fingers along the rough surface inside her, the pleasure escalating throughout her body. She gripped at the ties as she climaxed, her body violently shaking under him.


    When she finally stopped, he slipped his fingers out of her, loudly licking them despite her not being able to listen.


    He went up her body, removing the ties on all her limbs, and pressed a kiss to her lips. She tiredly pecked him back, a smile on her lips. When he took off the blindfolds, she was fast asleep. He smiled and turned her over. He snuggled close to her and pulled the covers over them. With her in his arms, he only had pleasant dreams.

 Chapter 205 - Complete Your Song

    She woke up in the dead of the night to the music playing in the background. Stunned, she sat up and searched the room for something to wear.


    She had felt the presence of a warm, n.a.k.e.d body pressed to hers and a hot tongue moving down her neck, teeth scraping across her tender flesh. In her dreams, she had heard his m.o.a.n and his hard c.o.c.k pressing against her leg. But when she awoke, there was no one there. What had been that dream? Was she so depraved?


    The sound of the music was faint and the bed beside her cold. She stared at the ceiling for a minute as she fully awoke and realized that it was Cage who was playing the piano downstairs. The noise which had traveled up was sweet and passionate. It brought her immense joy to hear him play for the first time. But why was he playing so desperately at this odd hour?


    She sighed as she got out of bed. She thought of grabbing her robe but soon realized that it would be easier to entice him to bed if she went in front of him completely n.a.k.e.d. And there was no fear of neighbors in his cabin, either. It was safe to say that their session earlier and the hotness of her dream had left her bothered and in need of him. It felt as if it had been years since they had been together.


    Her feet padded on the floor as she exited the room and went down the stairs. The music was clearer then and it was beautiful. She reached the room and stood at the doorway. He sat on the bench with his back facing her. He was in his t-shirt and sweatpants and he looked delicious. The image he painted made her n.i.p.p.l.es tighten and wetness pool between her thighs. His bare feet rested on the pedals. Something about his posture was incredibly sensual.


    His fingers moved over the keys fluidly, making just the right notes. She watched, mesmerized by the combination of his disarrayed hair and his lean, muscular form. He paused the music for a moment and ran his hands through his hair, tugging at it in frustration. In a minute, he started to play again, this time the tune was different and she suddenly felt like it was directed at her. She had never heard this piece before and it screamed at her to acknowledge it.


    At that moment, she couldn''t stand not touching him. Feeling the pull, she walked over to where he sat and touched his broad shoulders. He jerked and looked over, his surprise quickly covered up by a lazy smile.


    "I''m sorry¡­ did I wake you?" he whispered apologetically. The music had stopped and in the dead of the night, his volume was just enough for her to hear.


    "No," she replied with a sweet smile, brushing her fingers against his cheek as she did so.


    "I feel guilty," he said as he turned his cheek and planted a soft kiss on her fingertips. "Go to sleep. I''ll be there soon."


    "I love to hear you play," she said. He had turned back to his piano and was looking desperately at the keys. "What was that piece?"


    He hummed in reply, his focus was clearly not on her. She chuckled as she ran her hand through his hair and scr.a.p.ed his scalp with her nails, gently. He leaned into her hand and asked her to repeat her question. So, she did.


    "Ah. I was composing for you." She was stunned. That song had been for her¡­ that beautiful song¡­ he had made it for her? It was then that he turned to fully look at her. He stopped dead in his track when he realized what she was wearing. His eyes widened in shock as he hissed out the words, "You''re n.a.k.e.d?"


    As if he couldn''t see that she was¡­ She scoffed.


    "You put me to bed n.a.k.e.d," she shrugged. "I just rolled with it."


    "You must be cold," he mumbled starting to get up but she stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.


    "I have never watched you play the piano. Can you play for me?" she asked, looking at him from under her lashes. If only she knew what she was doing to him.


    "But you''re n.a.k.e.d!" Dumbfounded, that was what he was.


    She quirked a brow and lowered herself onto him, straddling his h.i.p.s with her legs. His hands placed themselves on the curve of her hip as if to support her form. Not that she needed it. The contrast was palpable. He, fully dressed and her, stark n.a.k.e.d. She leaned into his chest, feeling the friction of the material of the t-shirt against her b.r.e.a.s.t.


    She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face into his neck to smell that unique scent of his. The back of her legs rested against the back of the piano bench. It was cold, unlike the scorching heat of his touch.


    "I love you," she said, testing the words.


    "I love you, too." They stared into each other''s eyes. "I''m sorry¡­ we should go back to bed."


    "Why are you up so late, Cage?" she asked, confused.


    "I can''t get the composition right," he grumbled.


    "My song?"


    "Yes, your song. I want to complete it," he confessed.


    "It sounds beautiful," she slithered her hand to cradle his face in her palms. "I feel your love when I hear it, I do."


    "That''s not the only thing I want to show. I desire you, Katherine. With everything that is in me, I desire you. I want you every second of the day. I want all of me to be poured into this song for you. You deserve nothing less."


    She sat on his lap, silent.


    "Play is for me again?" she requested in a small voice, not knowing how he would react.


    He released his grip on her waist and placed his fingers on the keys, his beautiful eyes burning into hers. "With you on my lap?" he teased.

 Chapter 206 - Lack Of Foresight *

    She nodded coyly. He shot her a knowing look before he began to play. She leaned in and pressed her cheeks against his shoulder as he played. The music coursed through her.


    "I hear how you must have felt when you heard my voice," she said suddenly as she listened. And she had been correct. That was exactly what he had thought of when he had composed that part.


    "And now?"


    "The playfulness of our conversations," she said with certainty. The tempo changed into something softer. It stirred her heart and made it beat faster.


    "You love me."


    "Mmm." His fingers stopped hovering over the keys and she pulled back to look at him. "I love it," she said.


    "It was easy to show my love to you, but how do I show how much I desire you, love?" he asked desperately. His lips met hers in a soft kiss.


    "Take your shirt off." She pouted. He chuckled as he pulled up his shirt and threw it away.


    "It was my lack of foresight. I apologize." This time, the kiss was hungrier. His lips moved across her jaw and found her neck as she caressed his shoulder with her fingers. A soft m.o.a.n escaped her as she nipped at her neck lightly. He loved doing that, she had noticed.


    "I feel inspired already," he said against her skin. His hands moved up to rest on her ribs. She brushed her chest against his, letting her feel how hard her n.i.p.p.l.es had gotten.


    "Cold, baby?" he asked smugly.


    "I can feel how inspired you are," she threw back as she ground against his erection. Feeling particularly smug, she moved a little away from his hardness, only to hear him growl in frustration.


    "I need you, love." He groaned when she placed her hand on his hardness and palmed it confidently. There was nothing more inspiring than a woman who knew no shame around her man. He thrust in her hand.


    ''He''s so hard,'' she thought in awe in her mind. She wanted nothing more than to have him inside her. She tightened her grip on his hand when she felt his hand travel lower, and his long fingers stroked her flesh.


    "Lean back, love."


    She did as she was told, releasing her grip on him and leaning against the piano as his fingers found her clit. He stroked softly, as expertly as he had played the piano. He applied the perfect pressure onto her bundle of nerves, rolling and squeezing it in motions she had not thought of before. She gasped as she pushed back into his hand. Even though the edge of the piano was cutting into her skin, all she cared about were the long fingers that played her so beautifully.


    "Get on the piano," he commanded as he flicked her clit with his thumb. She jumped in surprise, but let out a mew. She thought it would be a hazard if she climbed the piano, but there was nothing she could do when he asked her so bossily. When she didn''t move, he gave an impatient sigh and curved his hands under her knees. Supporting her butt with his hand, he raised her up and seated her on the piano. He slid his hands out and splayed out her knees, pushing her legs wide open. He was the perfect height. His face was at her lower torso. "Now, lay back."


    He scooted the bench forward. She lay back on the cold surface as his fingers traced her calves. She tried to find something to hold onto, but the smooth surface offered nothing as respite. She felt his hot breath between her legs and shivered when his tongue pressed against her clit. She instinctively closed them, only to be stopped by his hot palms, holding them apart and pushing them open wide again.


    "I''ve dreamt of this day," he said between licks.


    Her bare feet crashed down on the keys, making a horrendous sound that made her cringe, but he seemed to have enjoyed getting the little reaction out of her. She could feel the vibration of the noise created by the keys. Coupled with Cage''s tongue, it was pure magic. She writhed helplessly against the piano as Cage ate her out. She shouted out his name as she came.


    He kissed her clit as she was coming down. She looked at him in a daze as he got rid of his pants and boxers.


    "I''m afraid this beautiful thing will tumble down if I get up on it. So come down." He extended his arm for support, which she took after some time. He pulled her off the piano and sat back down on the bench, this time, facing away from the piano and making her sit in the position they had been in before. Her legs were on both sides and this time there was nothing between them. His c.o.c.k was almost where it should have been, pressing against her but not yet inside. His little thrusts hit her clit, making her m.o.a.n in pleasure.


    He leaned back against the piano to give their body the space needed to connect. His c.o.c.k was against her entrance in a moment and she rose up to line it up. She lowered herself on top of him, letting him enter fully. As the feeling of fullness took over, she threw her head to the side to relish it.


    "Beautiful," he muttered, cupping her b.r.e.a.s.ts with tender care. She moved on top of him, making sure the pace was slow and sensual. His thrusts were unhurried as if they had agreed on a long, slow ride. Having him fill her this way was beyond words. She lowered her head and looked at where they were connected and a warm feeling overcame her.


    ''Finally.''


    "Mmm," she m.o.a.ned as she moved a little faster, taking his c.o.c.k deeper into her.


    "I shouldn''t have left the bed," he said in a gruff voice that shook their bodies. The vibration felt so good that she shuddered with need. She would have chuckled, if not for the small gyrations of his h.i.p.s which drove her crazy.

 Chapter 207 - How The Song Ends *

    "You shouldn''t have." He grinned and slid his hand to her waist. He gripped her tightly as he pulled her towards him, thrusting deep inside her. They m.o.a.ned in unison as she tightened around him in the premonition of her orgasm.


    "I''ll never do it again," he swore, their bodies coming together faster. His fingers dug into her h.i.p.s and he guided her on his c.o.c.k, their rhythm just right, just like his song before. She threw her head back and arched against him, her chest pressing against his as she took him inside her over and over again.


    His left hand left her h.i.p.s and moved down to gently strum her clit. Her breath hitched as she rode him harder. The sound of slick skin slapping and sliding filled the room. When she came, she cried his name in delight, milking him for all he was worth.


    Unable to handle the tightness of her walls, he came with one last thrust into her, releasing himself deep within her with a sigh.


    They gasped for breath as they came down from their high. His arms tightened around her as she slumped against his chest, exhausted from their rendezvous. He stroked his hair gently, taking the comment to calm down her nerves, their bodies still connected, his softening c.o.c.k still inside her. She kissed his cheek sweetly and smiled as she mumbled a quick thank you.


    "I think I got what I wanted," he said with a smirk.


    "S.e.x?" she chuckled.


    "No. I know how this song ends." His gaze was brilliant.


    "Well, then. I''ll leave you to it." Her legs shook as she tried to stand up and dislodge him. After a few moments of struggle, she finally succeeded. She swung her h.i.p.s as she left the room, giving him a nice view of her ass.


    He shook his head and then turned to the piano. This time, the music came to him instantly.


    - - -


    Angelina woke up to find herself in an extremely comfortable mattress. She floated on the cottony cloud, experiencing heaven for the first time. But when she opened her eyes, she was assaulted by the brilliant light from the nearby window.


    Her mind was slow to work. She wondered where she was. Her mind eventually caught up and she remembered that she was on vacation with her friends at the cabin. They had come last afternoon.


    Feeling content, she reached over to the bedside table and grabbed her phone. She dialed Lily''s number, knowing that Katherine would never pick her phone up. It rang until the end and she cut the call, feeling frustrated. This was unlike her friends but she had also never gone on vacation with them and brought along the boyfriends. Maybe she would be the only one who got no action during this period.


    Not if she had a hand in the situation.


    She decided that she would call after breakfast and if they still didn''t pick up, she would just go knocking on their doors. She recalled the eggs she had put in the refrigerator and knew that she was craving a fluffy omelet. She didn''t recall having cheese, but she was sure they had tomatoes.


    She pondered what type of omelet she should make (considering that it was one of the only things she could cook), still wearing the clothes from last night... butt shorts and a tank top. It was early in the morning, so she didn''t expect Stephen to wake up, which is why she scampered towards the kitchen without further ado.


    From the kitchen window, she could see the beautiful scenery and sighed. She reached for the fancy radio on the kitchen counter and turned it on, followed by rummaging through ingredients for breakfast. She loved cooking but she was only good at creating simple dishes. It was something about all the raw ingredients coming together to make one great dish just satisfied her. If only they turned out delicious. Breakfast was, by far, her favorite meal. When she was at home, she always insisted on making breakfast for her parents.


    Her mom was hopeless in the kitchen. The best thing she could cook was probably heating frozen meals. She even remembered a time when her mother put the packaged meal without removing the plastic and it had turned into a disaster. I was a wonder that she hadn''t died of starvation as a child.


    Her father was just as hopeless. He kept to himself and he could cook some meals. Most of the time, it was their household helper who did the cooking.


    She cracked the eggs open and released the yolk into a glass bowl, mixing in some tomatoes and cheese. She added in a little milk to make it fluffier before whisking and mixing it all together. She flicked her wrist to stir with the beat of the music, swaying her h.i.p.s a little. She was definitely not a good dancer and only knew some moves that would help her on the runway.


    When the mixture was ready, she searched for the frying pan. She should have done this before. She leaned down, looking at the cabinets, trying to find it. She was bent at the waist to retrieve it when she stopped short. She had heard a quiet gasp behind her.


    - - -


    When Stephen woke up, the first thing he felt was the chill in the room. Despite the light from the window, the room was cold. He was susceptible to it and grumbled because he had forgotten to switch on the thermostat.


    Instead of stretching out his time in bed, he wanted to get up and see what would happen today. He had slept in the same building as Angelina and he couldn''t hold his excitement in. He jumped up and landed on the cold floor.


    He stopped short when he saw his reflection. He looked at himself critically in the mirror. In his sweatpants and old T-shirt, he didn''t look indecent but it was definitely more casual than he was used to looking around people. He supposed it would be okay to slum around in these clothes in the house.

 Chapter 208 - Give Me A Tour

    Stephen hoped that Angelina was not awake. He was almost positive because she had gone to bed later than him. He nodded at his reflection, knowing that he would have time to clean up before she woke up.


    With that thought, he opened the door and went to the kitchen to make breakfast.


    ''What should I make?'' he wondered. ''French toast? Plain toast?'' He thought out his options as he walked to the kitchen but stopped short when he looked inside.


    The radio was on. Angelina was standing with her back to him. Her h.i.p.s swayed to the beat, drawing his attention to her backside. Perfectly round and firm from where he stood. A distant part of his brain knew that she was doing something but her perfect ass had rendered him speechless.


    Suddenly, her motions halted. He was mildly disappointed... but not for long. Angelina bent over at the waist, searching for something in the cabinets. He hardly noticed because he was zoomed in on her ass which was now completely on display, practically being offered to him.


    He didn''t think it could get any better but then she bent even lower. His heart stopped.


    She was flexible. Without permission, his lungs let out a gasp.


    Angelina spun to face him, an expression of shock crossing her face. Her eyes widened as she focused on him and he couldn''t breathe.


    "Good morning!" she said, recovering quickly, looking like nothing was wrong.


    "Good morning, Angel," he said softly. He wanted to berate himself for taking so long to reply.


    "Just making egs for breakfast. Do you want some?" she trailed off. There was a glint of mischief in her eyes that he missed. In reality, she was delighted that he had been staring at her. She could completely hook him into her plan.


    "I would love that. What do you have in them?" Stephen looked inquisitively at the bowl behind her. Omelets sounded great, especially if they were made by Angelina. This would be the first time he would eat something she made.


    "Tomatoes and cheese, okay?" she asked worriedly. He almost laughed. Well, that was a safe bet. At least she hadn''t put anything weird in the eggs.


    "I would like that," he told her, unable to control his smile.


    As she made the omelets, he stood beside her uselessly. He tried his best to be useful and helped set up the table. As he poured the juice, his eyes drifted to her backside. He stopped himself short, relieved that she hadn''t caught him again.


    When she arrived at the table, she looked at the set up with confusion.


    "I wanted to help," he said with a shrug.


    They quickly sat down and began to eat. There was an air of awkwardness, especially after their hot and cold attitude. They were friendly, but neither understood what the other exactly wanted.


    Having a normal conversation could be considered a miracle!


    "What type of a cook is your mother?" she asked suddenly, remembering how he had offered to bring her to meet him. He looked up, surprised but remained silent. "Did you eat breakfast like this or was she more of a cereal sort of a person?" she asked again.


    Stephen thought for a moment before answering, "Oh, she''s a great cook, actually. One time she made me amazing pancakes with whipped cream, cherries, and syrup. She''s one of those people who don''t believe that you can''t have cake for breakfast."


    "Ah, that sounds wonderful," she sighed as she took a bite of her food.


    "It was. I''ve been to lots of hotels and restaurants, had the best foods in the world, but at the end of the day, my mother''s cooking is the best." He said with a smile. "But of course, I have to say. You may become a close second." He winked at her. Angelina scoffed feeling like he was buttering her up. She hadn''t even started.


    The rest of the meal continued comfortably and neither spoke. The two were at ease with each other for the first time since they met. Angelina was busy with her breakfast to notice him staring.


    She looked beautiful even though she was wearing the plainest clothes. Her hair was slightly tangled around her shoulders and he wondered how she could look so s.e.xy.


    He thought about this as he cleared the table and washed the dishes. Very few men would be this lucky.


    "So, Angel, what are we doing today?" he asked her brightly. The question seemed to catch her off guard and she took a few moments to respond.


    "You could give me a tour of the premises. We could also go sightseeing," she said softly. She smiled deviously internally. She should show him how the game is played.


    "I''ll give you the best cabin tour you''ve ever had," Stephen said cheekily.


    Stephen strode back to the room, throwing the door open. He quickly searched through his bag frantically for a comb but he had no luck. He thought about something else to wear. If they were going to go out, he needed to look presentable beside her.


    Everything he had packed seemed way too casual. He hadn''t been planning on dressing up and if he thought closely about it, he shouldn''t be dressing up when they were on a chill vacation!


    He''d never really cared about what women thought of him, knowing they naturally were attracted to him, so he didn''t know what exactly he had to do to court her.


    Maybe he should just write an announcement on his forehead? ''Take me.'' She would get the idea then. When he walked back out, he saw that she had changed into delectable clothing. Her long legs were propped on the arms of the sofa, seeming to go on for miles and her shorts were salacious. Furthermore, even her top looked risque.


    He knew what she was trying to do. He wanted to give in. But he would have to pretend like he had seen nothing.

 Chapter 209 - Romance My Girl

    Cage opened the door when he heard a knock.


    "Is the coast clear?" Stephen asked, his hands full of bags.


    "Yeah. Katherine is taking a bubble bath." To make the atmosphere romantic, he had been the one who draw up the bath and scent it. He had even found some candles and made sure they were lit once she entered the warm water. It was safe to say that he had an extremely hard time pulling himself away from her.


    She needed the time alone and he needed to prepare for everything. He could run back to the bath and hopefully it would not be cold.


    "Very sad circ.u.mstances," Stephen snickered with a shake of his head.


    "Bring the things in," he said gruffly, leading Stephen to the table. Cage had actually set up candles and plates. The music was on and the ambiance perfect. All it needed was good food. Unfortunately, if he had cooked, he would have had zero time to prepare for the rest of the night.


    Stephen helped him unload the food. "I brought steak, potatoes, salad, and dessert." At the last bit, Stephen gave him a pointed look. "Dessert is the most important part of the meal." Stephen actually sounded envious. Cage just couldn''t help himself as he tossed the salad in a bowl.


    "You''ve not tasted dessert yet?" he asked with a smirk.


    "No," Stephen sighed. "Angelina is driving me insane. I know she wants me, she''s been provoking me since we arrived. One second she is sweet and the next I think she is going to jump me. Frankly? I am a bit confused." And he did look confused.


    "I''ve spoken to Katherine and I think she is not sure if she should let you in. You''ve touched her emotions but for a girl in her situation, it is hard to fully trust someone enough to involve them in her life. Especially when she is so vulnerable. She must be terrified."


    Stephen scoffed. "That girl doesn''t fear anything."


    Cage would have begged to differ. "That is an absurd thought. Her family has disowned her, she was recently catfished by a child and then you came prancing, fighting for her attention. It seems suspicious." He shrugged.


    "So, her parents are horrible and she is scared to love?" Stephen frowned.


    "Judging from how happy she was when you offered to bring your mother and be her family, she wants the love and warmth of one. She''ll take time to trust you, but you did really well with communicating with her. Don''t shy away from it in the future." Cage patted Stephen''s back.


    Stephen grinned "You''ve become quite the guru yourself!" he praised. "So you are telling her that you love her, right?" Stephen asked, getting all excited.


    Cage laughed. "I actually told her I loved her after a passionate exchange. Uh..." he trailed off. "We mutually decided that we would redo it."


    Stephen started to laugh. "Passionate exchange," he snorted. "Of course. You couldn''t keep it in, could you?"


    Cage slapped his manager, making the other smirk.


    "And did she say she loved you?" Stephen asked. Cage vehemently nodded. He couldn''t contain his grin.


    "We talked about going public and what it entails. I know I put some of her worries to rest, but I think we will need to revisit the conversation frequently so that she is at ease..." Cage placed the potatoes and sliced through them so that the steam rose. He slowly added the butter and cheese, knowing she enjoyed the taste of both. He repeated the process with the vegetables. His mom would scream if she saw how much cheese he had put on everything. Maybe, Katherine would freak, too.


    "Did you decide on anything?" Stephen asked curiously, vying for any new information. Cage shook his head.


    "It''s just like I said. If the topic of my relationship status comes up, I''ll let the world know I am off the market. I know its risky, but I also don''t want to hide that I have someone significant now. That will belittle her." His voice was warm but Stephen clapped his hand on Cage''s shoulder.


    "I''ll be with both of you and ensure the backlash is minimal but the moment you say anything about a relationship, the detectives and bloodhounds will come out. You will be tailed non-stop and there will be no chance that you will see her for a while."


    That irritated him. Cage didn''t doubt that Stephen would do everything in his power to protect Katherine but the fans would make it hard for him to meet her for a while. And he was leaving to shoot a week after they went back to H city. They might not see each other for a really long period of time.


    "It''s not just the press, Cage," Stephen continued. "Some teenagers at a restaurant. Grocery store sightings. Even your car will be tailed." This is what Stephen hated about the industry. Fame and money were lovely but at what cost? What was the use when you couldn''t enjoy it in peace with the people you love?


    "Well, good thing Katherine said she won''t run away," Cage said with a sigh. He was beyond glad that she said that.


    "Enjoy the cabin. Have fun. Once you are back to work, I will make sure you don''t have to hide Katherine. If I have my way, Katherine will be on your arm when you walk down the red carpet." Stephen was so confident that Cage felt reassured.


    "I''ll go romance my girl. You romance yours," Cage huffed. He wanted to shoo Stephen out because the water was getting cold. His manager clutched at his chest, pretending to be offended.


    "Well, I guess I''ll try to win Angelina over now." Stephen wished himself luck and was ushered out. Closing the door behind Stephen, Cage finally grinned from ear to ear and hopped up the stairs.


    "Lunch is ready!" he called as he entered the bedroom. The words got stuck in his throat and he made a choking noise. His lips trembled as he saw her shimmy into a pair of olive underwear that complimented her skin tone. She looked soft and barely covered. The devious smile on her face gave away her delight.

 Chapter 210 - I Just Love You

    "I just need to put clothes on," she said, putting on a silk robe, hiding her goodies. She walked over to where he stood rooted to the spot. "Did I turn into Medusa?" she teased, shaking him out of his daze.


    "How am I supposed to eat food when you look like a snack?" Even the scent of her skin and the soft glow of light reflecting on it would drive him insane. He might have finished composing a song for her, but it seemed that he would soon be inspired to play more.


    "You only get a snack a few hours after a meal." Before she could say anything further, he bent her and kissed her lips, stroking his hands down the sleeve of her silk robe. She pulled away all too soon, taking his hand in hers and leading him down the stairs. She stopped short when she saw the delicately decorated table.


    "You..." she remained speechless.


    "I wanted to give you this. You deserve it."


    She turned around immediately, wrapping her arms around him. Her robe opened in the front and it rode up her thighs, revealing more skin than he could handle.


    But he controlled himself. He had slipped up once, he couldn''t do it again. He was a fan of ceremony and romance. Damn it if his s.e.x-crazed brain ruined his plans.


    He pulled out the chair for her and guided her to the seat. She gave him a bedazzled look and sat patiently as he went to the other side and took his seat. He reiterated the menu for the night and put some salad in bowls for each of them.


    Conversation flowed but it was nothing beyond their usual ones. The air of romance was banal. No proclamations of love were made, they simply spoke about the food they liked and places they want to visit.


    When they finished, Cage put the dishes into the sink and stopped Katherine from helping. "I''ve got it," he said quickly, trying to shoo her away. "Take the wine to the living room and I''ll join you shortly."


    Katherine smiled and nodded. She did as he asked, letting him clean up. Cage hurriedly led everything dry and scurried off to join her.


    In the living room, she was on the couch. She had taken off her robe and dr.a.p.ed it over the couch so that she was lying in just her lingerie. He prayed that he would be able to speak when he opened his mouth because his throat was beyond dry.


    She smiled when she saw him, holding out a hand and beckoning him forward. He walked forward and took it, sinking into the couch next to her and pulling her into his arm. Katherine snuggled close to him as he stroked her hair and they just relaxed.


    Cage wanted every day to pass by like this. He would come back from shooting and she would be done with work. They would take showers and have dinner before snuggling into each other and relaxing. Sometimes it would lead to s.e.x, others would just result in them falling asleep. He didn''t mind either.


    Breaking out of his thoughts, Cage turned her to the side so that she was facing him. Katherine grinned, sliding her leg over his h.i.p.s to make him lose focus. He glared at her but didn''t say anything.


    He put his hand on her thigh but didn''t let himself move it. "Kitty," he breathed, making her curiosity bloom. "I love you," he said softly.


    She smiled, her face was bright and delighted. "I love you, too."


    Cage touched her cheek and smiled back. "I love you so much more than I thought was possible." He shook his head. "I almost believe the quirky family tradition my father told me about." He wanted to chuckle.


    She tilted her head to the side, listening with interest. "Apparently, every man in our family finds their soulmate at one point in their life and they know immediately. It''s..." he was at a loss for words.


    "Like love at first sight?" she said with a small smile.


    "It sounds stupid, I know," he groaned. "And maybe I didn''t fall in love with you the minute you slid into my messages, but I fell in love with your words. I fell in love with you. And I know that you are the person for me. I don''t know if I should call you my soulmate, but I want to grow old with you and love you forever." He waited for her response. He could see that she was visibly moved, almost choking.


    "Me?" she said in a small voice as if she dared not believe. He nodded, wiping the stray tear that rolled down her cheek with his thumb. "I don''t believe in such stories, but I believe you. If you feel like I am the person, I will hold on to you and never let you go. Stories be damned."


    He laughed as he cradled her face in his hands. Happy tears, he reminded himself. "I love you," he said again.


    "Ah, so you think we are fated to be together," she said with a small giggle, finally recovering. Cage felt relief wash over him. At least she wasn''t scared.


    "Destiny. Fate. Coincidence. Who cares? I just love you." He had fallen so hard and fast. It must have been permanent or he was a teenager in a grown man''s body.


    "I don''t want anybody except for you either." She paused and looked at him with a gleam. "Did all of the marriages in your family last?" she asked slyly.


    "Ohho! Marriage. You think too quickly. Did I propose?" he said, playing along. "Yes, each one of them has had happy and long marriages," he assured her.


    "Must be the water you drink," she waved it off. He nodded in acknowledgment.


    The kiss began slowly and grew more passionate. The skimming of fingers over bare skin turned to the unbuttoning of his shirt. And we all know what happens after that.

 Chapter 211 - Hard To Get

    Another day passed and it was evening when a knock came on the door of their cabin.


    Cage opened the door to see Angelina standing on the other side.


    "It''s time to take a break, bunnies!" she screamed. In the background, Cage saw Stephen and Jared carrying liquor and food towards the garden-like space.


    "Katherine!" he called, feeling slightly embarrassed. With that, he walked past Angelina, giving her a small nod and moving towards the guys to help them. Angelina scurried in to find Katherine and grabbed her hand.


    "Come out. We''ve been here three days and no one picked up my calls!" Angelina sounded a little angry. Katherine snickered as she walked out. They locked the door behind them to find Lily helping the boys set up the barbeque.


    "If you''re calling other people while they enjoy bliss, you are failing at your mission," Katherine said mildly. Seeing the irritation on Angelina''s face, she figured that things were not going according to plan.


    "He''s being an asshole." Katherine raised a brow. "A sweet asshole," Angelina said in a disgruntled voice.


    The same asshole had offered to take her into his family. "What is he doing to piss you off?" Katherine asked, trying not to sound too interested.


    "Everything in his power to get me highly strung and then leaving me wanting!" Angelina''s face was beyond red wih anger. "He barely puts on a shirt and when he does, usually he is wearing something so casual that I want to get him out of it. It''s pretty chilly outside, so I don''t know what he is doing!" She stopped. Her eyes glazed over. "He takes a lot of showers and lifts weights. Where even did he get those from?" she sneered.


    "What are you wearing?" Katherine asked smugly, gaining a cough from Angelina.


    "Some nightwear. Nothing risque." Angelina''s definition of risque was very different. And Stephen and she had amazing chemistry, so it must have been hard to keep their hands off each other. Katherine knew that Angelina was trying to break the man, but she had an inkling that Stephen was not giving in to prove a point. It was as if taking Angelina would make him lose the battle. He probably wanted to show that he wants her more than just for s.e.x.


    Katherine could appreciate that thought.


    "I can''t even tell him. I feel like we are in a war, seeing who breaks first." Angelina was visibly distressed. And what she had said was definitely not the case.


    "So, you''re not having fun?" Katherine asked, wanting to keep the conversation light. Heavy conversations about emotion never floated well with Angelina and she might lash out. One never knew her reaction.


    "It''s fun because we are playing a game. But you know how long games frustrate me." Yes, Angelina lost interest very quickly. "I even pulled out my trump card. When I heard him walking around, I pulled out my vibrator and switched it on. I know he heard it!"


    "Did you m.o.a.n like a p.o.r.nstar?" Katherine snickered.


    "Yeah. I feared God would burn down the cabin because of how sinful I sounded." At least Angelina sounded mildly embarrassed.


    "Did he retaliate?"


    "He watched tasteful p.o.r.n in the living room," she said blandly.


    Yup, these two were made for one another. "How did you react?"


    "I wore a babydoll and just sat beside him. He didn''t even look my way." She looked baffled. And Katherine would have been too. Did she need to have a talk with Stephen? How far was too far? Angelina was plagued with insecurities about how she looked even though she was a model and the more Stephen remained unbothered by her charm, the more puzzled and aggressive she would become.


    "He''s playing hard to get," Katherine told her soothingly. "A slow flame consumes all."


    "It''s also easier to stop it," Angelina groaned.


    Katherine looked at her friend carefully as she thought over the words she was going to say. "Have you wondered why he is doing that?" Angelina turned to her with a curious look. "Maybe he wants more than just casual s.e.x," Katherine said with a shrug.


    "He has a week to f.u.c.k me seven ways until Sunday. What more could he want?" Angelina rolled her eye.


    "He offered you his family. Surely, he just doesn''t want s.e.x. He wants a relationship with you. One that lasts for really long."


    ''Get this through your thick head, you dummy!'' Katherine wanted to scream at her friend.


    Angelina''s expression softened. "Nobody has offered me that or made me feel wanted apart from Lily and you." Then she scoffed. "If he wanted more, he would have told me that he liked the way I look or something."


    And there was the problem. Stephen had confused her by prancing around without his shirt on and watching p.o.r.n in front of her, not paying her attention.


    "I think a conversation about your emotions would be good," Katherine suggested. Her words were met with a skeptical look. "Cage and I confessed to loving each other. We discussed what hardsh.i.p.s we would face."


    "That''s great," Angelina said, looking stunned for a second before her expressions melted into warmth.


    "I know you don''t like to be emotionally invested. But I really want you to have something similar."


    "I have a career to think about. Love is not meant for me." There was another wall that she had put up for herself.


    "Ah, yes. But have you wondered how people juggle careers and families? You need someone to fall back on, be it a friend, romantic partner, or parents. You''ve had us, your friends. It would be okay to add another person, right?" Katherine wondered if she was making any sense. Her words seemed to have made Angelina think and that is all she wanted. For now.


    They looked back to see that everything had been set up, from garden chairs to the drinks. They slung forward and greeted the others.


    "Are you guys hungry?" Lily asked. She was already placing the food in the barbeque. We nodded.

 Chapter 212 - Proposal For Marriage

    "I''ll mix the drinks!" Angelina called out. She pulled out a bottle of vodka and some lemonade. With how emotionally charged Angelina was, liquor would make for an explosive night. On the other side, no one missed how Lily was avoiding Jared''s eyes and he was looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman on the planet.


    How could they forget that all the people here had issues that they needed to solve and from the looks of it, Lily and Jared were not doing well either.


    They had some drinks and chatted until Stephen groaned and threw his arms around.


    "I''m bored. Shall we play a game?" His eyes lit up.


    Jared looked at Stephen curiously but didn''t say much else. "What game?" he asked, looking at the others. He didn''t know if anyone had bought board games. He sure as hell hadn''t.


    "I know a game we can play," Angelina commented slyly. The girls turned to her with a horrified expression. They knew what she wanted to play. Never Have I Ever. With the emotional high in the group, it would only lead to disasters. "We can switch to something lighter and play Never Have I Ever."


    Cage looked at Katherine knowingly. They had played this very game a week ago and it had led to explosive... results. The boys accepted immediately. Lily and Katherine just played along.


    With friends who knew too much about you. Dark things about your past came out.


    Angelina explained the rules as the cans of beer were passed around.


    "I''ll start," Angelina jumped in before anyone else could. "I''ve never had s.e.x in a public bathroom." Everyone looked around.


    Jared and Lily drank. No one asked any questions.


    "Never doing that," Cage said from the side. Thank god. Just imagining someone walking into them and taking a picture of Cage? She would never let that happen.


    "My turn," Lily said with a devious look in her eye. "Never have I ever had Skype s.e.x."


    Katherine glared at her. This was definitely pointed towards her. She took a swig and saw Cage doing the same. They shared a sly smile and everyone understood.


    "That''s why you were so happy..." Realization dawned on Angelina. She sounded a little jealous too.


    It was Cage''s turn. "Never have I ever slept with a fan," he said, sounding proud. Angelina took a drink. Everyone looked at her. It seemed like Jared was the most confused.


    "Fans? I know Angelina is a model so she might have people following her... what about you?" The innocent confusion was hilarious. This man really didn''t know a thing. Stephen coughed.


    "You teach high school, right?" Stephen asked. Jared obviously nodded. "You''ve heard about Kevin Heart?" Again another nod.


    Lily had pulled out her phone and was typing in it. She handed the phone to her clueless boyfriend and saw as his face morphed.


    "You''re a movie star?" Jared gasped. He looked mortified. "I''m sorry I didn''t recognize you," he said with a bow.


    "Ah, I really liked that you behaved normally with me. Don''t treat me differently. It was refreshing." Cage felt a twinge of disappointment that this guy had found out. He really saw him as a friend... or someone who could become close to him.


    "Don''t worry, I don''t have an interest in movies these days unless they win Oscars, so you are safe," Jared said with a soft smile.


    "Cage, I think he is saying you will never get an Oscar," Stephen said in a hushed voice, filled with amus.e.m.e.nt. Jared''s eyes widened as he shook his head vehemently.


    "I know you didn''t mean it." Cage chuckled and then shook his head. "Jared, you start next," he said raising his beer and pointing at him.


    "I have never been proposed marriage to." Silence fell on everyone. Jared was looking pointedly at Lily but she didn''t pay him any attention. She took a swig of her beer.


    What surprised everyone was that Katherine took two swigs of beer instead of one.


    "Lily is not going to tell her story, so I will tell mine," she started, taking turns to look at every one. "You all know Jonathan asked me to marry him and I said yes at some point. The lesser-known story revolves around my mother''s friend who saw me when I was twenty-one and liked me so much that she wanted me to marry her daughter." She paused. She was sure that she had told her friends this.


    Lily snorted from the other side. "Ah, yes. I remember. What was his name again?" she asked in a low voice.


    "They pestered me for a year. My mother finally caved in and told me that it would be a good idea. She showed me his picture, too." Katherine nodded her head, remembering.


    "He was a handsome f.u.c.ker," Angelina commented from the side, earning a glare from Katherine. "What, he was. You met him!"


    Now Cage turned to look at her with a curious look.


    "Yes, so I saw his picture. He was good looking, had a great job, wanted a wife who was independent. Good guy in general but I was not ready for marriage... definitely not an arranged marriage."


    "How does the proposal come about then?" Stephen asked, probing for more answers.


    "Well, the guy eventually got my number and texted me, asking if I wanted to marry him. That''s where I got the proposal from. I said no," she injected quickly. "I went to his wedding a year ago. He married someone nice. When he saw me he joked about how he regretted not meeting me before and how I was his almost wife."


    Cage looked bemused, Angelina was laughing and Stephen had followed.


    "You regretted a bit. You didn''t think he would be that handsome, remember?" Lily said helpfully. These friends of hers were really out to ruin her night.


    "I didn''t know Cage then. I wanted to live in reality." She turned to look at Cage with a panicked expression. "I showed no interest in the guy whatsoever. I didn''t even entertain his jokes. I was in a bad place at the time and thought I would get security if I had married him. I don''t think this way anymore." She defended quickly.

 Chapter 213 - Terrible Idea

    "Don''t be so frightened. I don''t mind. You''re really popular and I understand why. It''s good to see that people have good taste." Cage gave her a small smile and patted the crown of her head.


    The group went through numerous other rounds. Drinking with friends and playing games can only result in one thing. Destruction of dignity or alcohol poisoning.


    "Last one!" Jared shouted. He was drunk beyond doubt and could barely stay upright. He was staring at Lily longingly before he opened his mouth. The can of beer was right next to his face, as if he knew what he would say next. "Never have I ever... met the person I''m going to marry," he said in a loving voice.


    The atmosphere grew frigid. Jared drank right away and all the others felt their mouths drop open. Only Lily ground her teeth together. Cage was the first one to drink. Katherine followed. Considering how Stephen and Angelina''s relationship was, it was for the best that they didn''t drink.


    Jared was grinning at Lily like a fool. "Drink up!" he urged.


    "Why would I drink?" she asked, sounding scared.


    "Because we''ll marry, obviously. You''re the one for me!" he proclaimed. Katherine groaned, feeling the outburst coming.


    As she had expected, Lily went off. "What the f.u.c.k does that mean?" Jared moved forward to touch her but she withdrew immediately. "Don''t touch me. I will not be marrying you," she shouted.


    "You''re my one true love. I know you haven''t met my parents and you don''t want to. That''s fine. We can marry and you never have to meet them if you don''t want." As sweet as that sounded, it was not possible. "Look at Cage and Katherine, they will get married too. Can''t you be secure in our relationship and say yes?" he pleaded. Now that he had put it all out there, it did sound like the ramblings of a drunken man. It was bad.


    The group remained in silence as Lily fumed and Jared remained bewildered by the turn of her expression.


    "I don''t give a damn about what others do in their relationship. I am not marrying you or anyone for that matter." She had already stood up and was gesturing wildly.


    "Cage!" Jared turned to him with an expectant look. "Get on the internet and get ordained to marry us. We''ll do it right now."


    Lily looked like she was going to faint from anger.


    "That is a terrible idea," Cage grumbled, despite being beyond drunk himself.


    "It''s an excellent idea. I can get ordained and marry you too!" At least Jared was a happy drunk.


    The others were cursing their fate. Did they have to be right there in an awkward situation? It wasn''t like they could leave.


    "I''m going to kill you," Lily swore.


    "You can kill me after we marry," Jared claimed sluggishly.


    "I will do no such thing. I am not meeting your family and I am not marrying you. You can keep your stupid fantasies to yourself and say goodbye to me." Lily was at that point denying everything she felt for the man. If Katherine had pulled her aside and spoken to her before, maybe this outburst might not have happened. But because she was drunk, she was reacting more violently. Her walls were up and she felt trapped. It was understandable.


    "I''ll make you see when I am sober. Just you wait. Cage! Call everyone I know, I''ll have to tell everyone the good news." He laughed crazily. Cage groaned, trying to hide so that he was not pulled into the conflict.


    "Don''t you dare call anyone," Lily threatened, pointing at Cage.


    "I wasn''t going to. And I don''t have any numbers," he said quickly. He looked away, hoping no one else was going to speak to him.


    Katherine was beyond frustrated by that point. "Lily... stop it..." she began hesitantly.


    "I won''t," she attempted to cut Katherine off. It wasn''t going to work, though.


    Katherine stood up and pulled Lily away with her. Her friend was visibly fuming and she had to do something about it. "I''m saying this because I love you. Stop running away. Admit to your feelings and stop hiding behind this scary facade you have built. How long do you think it will take him to either rip it apart or completely abandon you?" Lily flinched.


    Katherine didn''t want to hurt her friend but she wanted this thick-skulled woman to see the reality.


    "You''re a grown woman and he knows what he wants with his life. He wants marriage and kids and the whole white picket fence thing. He wants it with you. If you think your goals are different, break up with him. It''s useless to waste your time." She gave Lily a hard look.


    "I don''t..." Lily trailed off.


    "What? You don''t want to lave him? You''ll continue wasting your time, then?" Katherine hardened her stance. "Okay, he''ll eventually leave you. It won''t be hard. He''ll probably just remember you as the girl who didn''t love him." At that Lily choked up.


    "Yes, I don''t love him," she said softly. The can in her hand was brought to her lips and she took a big gulp.


    "Keep tricking yourself. Maybe you''ll start to believe it yourself," Katherine advised sarcastically. She felt guilty for forcing her friend. She was drunk and there was no other way to convince her friend at that point. Tough love seemed to be her only option.


    "I see how Cage looks at you and you him. I don''t think we have that," she sniffled. Katherine felt her face soften.


    "Love is different for everyone. Some feel overwhelming passion, others feel comfortable. I have seen the way you look at each other and I know what I see. Want to guess?" Katherine prayed that her friend would know the answer.


    "Love?" Lily squeaked. Katherine nodded.


    "Now, think about what he said. Try to see if you can compromise. Don''t mindlessly shout at him because you are scared of the future." She patted her friend''s arm and then guided her back to where the others were.

 Chapter 214 - Wonderful Day

    "My turn!" Katherine chirped as they got seated. The others sighed in relief. "Never have I ever fallen in love." The group drank. Except for Lily. She remained stoic, her eyes wide as if she were caught doing something bad.


    Lily stuttered as she looked at Katherine, "I..."


    "Drink," Katherine said. Over her dead body would Lily worm out of this situation. A part of her wanted to protect her friend but no more running away. Lily should take the advice she preached and confront her demons.


    Lily had helped her on numerous occasions. When Jonathan cheated and she wallowed, Lily had been the one who dragged her out and helped her recover. She wanted to carry out the same role in Lily''s life.


    "Lily, have you ever been in love?" Katherine asked, pushing her with a smile. Encouraging her. Even Angelina who usually didn''t pay attention to such things looked like she wanted to shake some sense into Lily.


    "How should I know?" Lily replied angrily. She didn''t like being cornered. Jared cuddled into her, wrapping his arms around her. Her eyes closed as she finally leaned against him.


    "Come to me slowly. I''ll wait," Jared whispered. Lily felt overwhelmed. "I know its scary to admit, but I know you love me..."


    "Not so much right now," she grumbled. And before everyone knew it, she took a gulp of her drink.


    The crowd cheered, finally feeling like something productive had come from the horrifying discussion. They collectively decided that it was time for everyone to go back to their respective cabins. Volatile emotions could only lead to more explosions.


    Cage got up and helped Katherine off the chair. Angelina and Stephen were quite a distance apart from one another as they walked back. In the small garden, only Lily and Jared remained. They kept hugging, oblivious to the rest.


    "Let''s sleep in tomorrow," Cage said suddenly.


    "We''re going to have one of the worst hangovers ever," Katherine groaned. But still, she felt a smile on her face as she imagined how he would look when they woke up in the morning. "I love you," she proclaimed suddenly. She didn''t need alcohol or probing to say that.


    Cage grinned. "I love you too." His hands were wrapped around her waist. "You did well making Lily open up. Though, I think she will try to kill you when she is sober," he said with a snicker.


    "You''ll have to protect me," she told him. She felt unbeatable when he was by her side. "Let''s go to bed. Tomorrow is going to be a great day."


    Yes, it was going to be a wonderful day.


    - - -


    Katherine didn''t get any sleep. Her alcohol-induced brain conjured up loads of images that she needed to perform. Having read all those romance scripts he had received, she wanted to give him something memorable. She couldn''t act like his pet or whatever, but one fantasy she knew would blow him away was the one with the librarian.


    Thank god this cabin had an office that had loads of books. No doubt, she could carry out her plans there.


    When the sun came up, Katherine slowly extracted herself from Cage''s arms and walked out of the cabin. Buzzing with excitement was never a good thing when one was in bed with Cage. Moreover, he had been n.a.k.e.d for most of the part. She had to careful not to jump him while he slept.


    Lily and Jared were still in the garden. The chairs remained intact, but the two were sleeping as they leaned on one another. The only addition was the thick blankets covering them. Katherine tried to tiptoe around them as she picked up all the bottles and cans. Seeing that the temperature was very low, Katherine moved forward and tried to shake Lily awake, albeit gently.


    "F.u.c.k off," she groaned.


    "No," Jared whined.


    Katherine almost burst out laughing. Of course, he had assumed she was talking to him. She must have told him this numerous times.


    "Both of you need to get up and sleep inside your cabin," she said loudly.


    "Speak slower and lower." Lily groaned. One of her eyes crinkled and she peered at her surroundings. "What is the time?" she asked, her throat scratchy.


    "Barely dawn. It''s still a little dark outside so you can go back and sleep."


    "I''m sleeping today anyways," Jared groaned. He was on the verge of falling off from his chair. At least he wasn''t drunk anymore.


    "I can''t believe I said it," Lily groaned suddenly.


    Katherine snickered, knowing exactly what her friend meant.


    "Oh, you remember," Jared marveled. He let go of her and stretched, suddenly feeling rejuvenated. If he wasn''t so hungover, he would have pulled her in for a morning kiss. But he was sure that he stank and his mouth tasted like ass. No need to let the woman you love be tortured by your bad breath. "Lily loves me," he said with a laugh. It boomed around them until he stopped abruptly, clutching his head.


    "Yes, no need to say it again. We''ll talk about it when I am feeling better." With that, Lily stood up unsteadily and walked over to the cabin. "Let''s go to bed," she called out to Jared. He followed peacefully. Just as they were going inside, he turned to her with a smile.


    "Thanks, Katherine. Have a great day!" Jared waved at her. Katherine smiled as she shook her head. The door closed and she stared off into the distance, looking at the range of mountains in the distance.


    After sitting in the garden and watching the sun rise, she finally got up and went back to the cabin. She hurried to the kitchen and grabbed some water. First, she drank some herself and then placed a glass beside Cage''s bedside table. She took a notepad out of her bag and promptly wrote a note to him.


    "Good morning, Mr. Cavanaugh. We have noticed that the books you issued from the library are overdue. Pertinent fees and punishment will be dolled out if further delay is recorded. Please return the books to the library immediately.


    Sincerely,


    Katherine"

 Chapter 215 - Clear Your Dues

    Cage woke up to the noise of the alarm setting off. He felt disoriented for a minute before he grumbled. "Just a little more," he said, burying his head in the pillow.


    The noise continued. It didn''t help with his headache and he m.o.a.ned, asking Katherine to turn it off. There was no reply. The noise continued. He pulled his head out of the pillow and reached out to scowl at the clock. He hadn''t even known it was there. And he surely didn''t set an alarm on it. He smacked on the thing, hoping it would die, and eventually, it did.


    It was eight in the morning. At first, he thought that the others were f.u.c.k.i.n.g with him, but then he realized that the other side of the bed was empty. He pressed his hand on the sheets to find them cold.


    For a second, fear gripped his heart. Had it all been a dream? He shook his head. Maybe she had woken up at an ungodly hour.


    Yeah, that must have been it.


    He sat up and scrubbed his face, trying to rid himself of the sleep and headache. "Katherine?" he called.


    No response. Just as he was about to hop out and go looking for her, he saw a paper beside the clock. He squinted at it as he picked it up and read it.


    The headache was forgotten, his body feeling energetic. It hadn''t been a dream. It was just going to be another fantastic day.


    His librarian fantasy was going to play out and his c.o.c.k was rock hard. He was ready to be penalized. He hopped out of the bed and rushed to the bathroom. His grin was wide as he looked into the mirror. Of course, the fantasy he had kept in his mind since he was a teenager was finally coming to fruition.


    He looked ridiculous in his t-shirt and boxers. He thought for a bit before freshening up and scavenging through his clothes to find a formal shirt and pants. He even had a tie with him for some reason. Now, he remembered that she had asked him to bring it along. But if he was a student, it made no sense.


    Or maybe, it was some fancy place with a uniform. He wouldn''t knock on her imagination. Whatever she gave to him, he would eat it up and lick the bowl clean.


    He showered and got dressed, studying himself in the mirror. He decided to roll up the sleeves a little so that he looked more casual. Did librarians reprimand students for uniform violations? The possibilities.


    He took his sweet time, knowing that the longer he took to go to her, the crazier the scene was going to be. He practically skipped to the office, where he knew was a floor to ceiling bookshelf, the ideal place to act as the ''library.''


    He opened the door to the room to find her behind the desk, a book flipped open in front of her. Katherine fingered the pages as she turned to the next page. He doubted she was reading anything because he could see her eyes dart up when he entered the room.


    So, she had been waiting for him. Cage wondered if she had gotten impatient.


    She ignored him for a long time and he waited in front, not knowing what to do with himself. He shifted from one foot to the other, anticipation building in his stomach. He found himself coughing to garner her attention.


    "Can I help you?" Katherine said in a soft and sultry voice.


    "I received a notice asking me to come to the library," he said, his voice louder in the eerily quiet room.


    "Ah, Cage Cavanaugh," she said with a small sigh. "The one who took two books at the beginning of the year and never returned it." Her voice was filled with restrained sarcasm. Then she paused and looked at his hands. "Did you bring the books?" she asked, already knowing the answer.


    Cage cleared his throat and shook his head. "I lost them," he said, curiously looking at the book she was reading. She snapped it close and moved towards the laptop on the desk.


    "Interesting books you have there. Hardbound and extremely expensive," she commented offhandedly before raising a brow at him. "For misplaced or lost books, we charge you the price of the book in full and the amount left for dues."


    Cage was at the time ogling at her. She had a white shirt on and despite the fabric, he couldn''t see much of what was happening underneath the material. Her hair was tied in a braid, loosely hanging over her shoulder and giving her the perfect look. The red lipstick on her full lips didn''t help his imagination, either. He gulped.


    "How much will that amount to?" he asked, leering at her. She noticed his gaze but ignored it very professionally.


    "One thousand two hundred and eighty dollars in total," she said after checking. In Cage''s mind, he wondered what book it must have been to cost that much. Well, he would play along.


    He pretended to gulp in nervousness. "Uh... I don''t have that much money," he said, fiddling with his fingers. His hands were clasped in front of him, playing out the role of a student who had been reprimanded.


    "Unfortunately, your dues won''t be cleared unless you pay the fine and you won''t be able to graduate." The words were blunt. He looked at her, wide-eyed and bewildered. He sucked in a deep breath before he answered.


    "Is there anything you can do to help me?" he asked. His words were suggestive.


    Her head snapped up and she stared at him.


    "Now, now, Mister. I don''t know what gave you the idea, but engaging in s.e.x.u.a.l acts is prohibited on campus," she sneered. She flipped her hair back and stood up. She pressed her palms down on the desk and thrust her chest forward, offering them to his hungry eyes.


    "That''s not what I meant," Cage stuttered. "But... I''ll do whatever you want! I have to graduate..." he trailed off. Her eyes were dark and filled with l.u.s.t.

 Chapter 216 - Katherine Dominates

    She squinted at him, wondering what she should do next. "Of course, you will be punished." Then she stopped and looked him dead in the eye. "Sit here," she said, crossing the desk and motioning him to take her place.


    He looked at her, bewildered but didn''t question her.


    She promptly pushed him into the chair, leaving him breathless before going out of the room. He had been waiting for about five minutes when he saw her enter the room again. For some reason, she had three articles in her hand: a piece of paper, a pen, and a tie.


    Cage gaped at her as she walked towards him, the slight sway of her h.i.p.s intentional.


    "Write an apology letter on this," she demanded, slamming the paper on the desk. He took the pen from her hesitantly and stared at the paper, unsure where this was headed. As he uncapped the pen, he saw her sink onto her knees in front of him.


    A barely audible gasp escaped him as he stared at her. Her knees were on the carpeted floor and he imagined the fabric wasn''t comfortable against the skin of her knees. He gulped and she scooted towards him, the glint of mischief clear in her eyes.


    "Write," she ordered. He followed wordlessly, tucking his head down and pressing the nib to the paper. His mind drew a blank as he thought. Out of the blue, he felt her hand on her thigh, undoing his pant and unzipping it. She didn''t pull it down or ask for his help. She pulled his c.o.c.k out, rather roughly and wrapped her fingers around it.


    "Keep writing," she gritted through her teeth. Katherine spread his legs apart and disappeared between his legs, her soft lips unbearably close to his length, her hot breath fanning over it, making him impossibly harder.


    His knuckles turned pale as she played with his c.o.c.k, tugging at it and letting her hand slide over his length in a careful manner. Cage began to write the address line when his hand slipped and a stark blue line made its way across the paper.


    He felt his head loll back and mouth open as he felt the warmth of her mouth surrounding the tip. He looked down and saw her eyes closed, a wicked smile on her lips. His length disappeared into her mouth and he felt her suck on it expertly. The pen dropped from his fingers and he groaned, his hands moving to her hair so that he could dominate her movements.


    Within a second, her mouth was off him. She glared at him as she felt his hand hover over her head. She reached out and pushed them away, producing the tie from her pocket and using it to tie one of his hands to the arm of the chair.


    Then, she stood up slowly, giving him a view of her body. She was leaning into him, her face close to his, her eyes boring into the depth of his soul. He felt her fingers work at his collar, the tie loosening under her ministrations until she unbound it and flipped it around her hand. Using it, she deviously smiled and tied the other hand down as well.


    Cage was completely at her mercy. Before, he had thought that it would be easy to come out of the binds, but the woman knew her knots. The harder he tried, the tighter it became. He sighed and stopped struggling, much to her pleasure. She went back down on her knees and engulfed him completely, bobbing her head up and down at a fast pace.


    She felt her throat constrict, but she endured and continued. This was the day she would dominate. He had done it since the beginning, now she would conquer him.


    Cage looked at her in awe. When she came up for air, he saw his c.o.c.k, stained and streaked with her bright red lipstick. His eyes widened as he realized what he had done. Wasn''t this a game college students played? He would have to ask her about it.


    Katherine saw how he was looking at his member, awe and uninhibited l.u.s.t in his eyes. If he could, he would lunge at her and take her roughly.


    He had been pretty close to his orgasm when he pulled away and he had to give it to her. In the short time they had known each other, she had come to know his body well. Cage was buzzing with excitement on what would come next.


    Much to his surprise, she pulled her skirt up her thighs, bundling them up to her waist. He eyed her p.u.s.s.y with fascination. She had foregone the panties, much to his delight. Then she slowly unbuttoned her shirt, leaving it still tucked into the skirt, its ends showing from under the bunched waistline. The white fabric of her bra made her look pure in contrast to her devious ministrations.


    She made herself comfortable, straddling him, sitting in the middle of his thigh, her legs spread and her p.u.s.s.y glistening. She reached down to caress the lips, spreading them open before finding her clit and rubbing in slow but firm circles.


    Cage trembled slightly as he saw her fingers near the opening and promptly disappear. How he wished it was his c.o.c.k that replaced those fingers. He watched in rapt fascination as she slowly went in and out, almost carelessly pleasuring herself, frustrating him beyond belief.


    She was doing it intentionally, making him itch to take over. She wouldn''t reach an orgasm like this and usually, she would be chasing it without much thought. Today seemed to be different though.


    "Frustrated?" she asked. "I was frustrated too when you didn''t show up for a year. I was also angry when you lost the books and had no money to pay the fine." She laughed, throwing her head back, exposing her fair neck to him.


    The primal need to bite down on it surfaced and his eyelids fluttered close.

 Chapter 217 - Leave Me Hanging *

    "Open your eyes," Katherine threatened. Shocked, he opened it immediately, looking at her alluring face. The fingers came out of her p.u.s.s.y, and the tips traveled slowly to the base of his c.o.c.k and back up. He bit down on his lips, waiting to see what she would do when she scooted forward, her wet p.u.s.s.y flush with his member.


    He groaned as she sat still, her fingers still traveling over his n.a.k.e.d flesh.


    "You''ll have to pay back in kind," she muttered deviously.


    Cage heard someone choking and quickly realized that he was the source of the sound. He sucked in a deep breath as she started to grind against him, slow motions intended to play with his sanity. At first, it was just grinding, then she started to move up and down, working her h.i.p.s and keeping his c.o.c.k in place so that he couldn''t thrust towards her.


    For Katherine, it was great fun. She remembered how he denied her orgasms at times and felt the wicked sense of justice come over her. It was time Cage got a taste of his own medicine.


    After what seemed like a decade, he finally broke and pleaded her. "Please take me inside." His eyes widened when he saw the devious expression on her face. She raised her h.i.p.s higher than she had previously and hovered over the tip.


    Just one thrust and his tip would be inside her. But what was the fun in that? She dragged her opening over his member, feeling the wetness of his prec.u.m mix with her juices. She wriggled on him, just letting the tip enter before moving back up.


    Cage sighed in frustration. He was seconds away from grinding his teeth and pulling his hair out. Good thing his hands were tied.


    Just as he was about to beg again, she sat down fully, taking him in one swoop. She stopped, looking into his eyes with a grin on her face. She wanted to sigh from the fullness she felt, but she would rather see the mixture of pleasure and shock on Cage''s face.


    She was slow in moving. The excruciating pace was not good enough for her either. Yet she was having too much fun torturing him.


    She was laughing a little, her eyes on Cage who looked at her with wide eyes. "You think this is funny?" he asked, narrowing his at her with mock menace. She almost burst into laughter again.


    "Your... face," she wheezed out. Cage really wanted to shut her up, but her laughter had made it harder for him to think. This menacing woman had no regard for him. Her laughter felt like electric shocks going from his c.o.c.k to his brain.


    Thinking it was enough, Katherine placed her hand back between her legs. She knew exactly how to touch herself; she had watched him closely when he pleasured her. Her thumb pressed on her clit, putting the right amount of pressure so that the slight bit of pain was enticing. She had since stopped laughing.


    Urgency took over her. She raised herself, almost pulling him out before plunging her h.i.p.s back down. He let out a low animalistic groan. He thrust his h.i.p.s upwards, trying to reach the peak before she could c.u.m. Knowing what she wanted, she would not let him c.u.m anytime soon.


    Katherine''s head snapped towards him as she glared. She placed her hand on his thighs, pushing him down and stopping him from moving his h.i.p.s. Then she continued.


    Cage grit his teeth as she maintained her pace. She said no words. Just when she felt like he was close to c.u.m.m.i.n.g, she would stop and let him cool down. At this rate, he would die from blue balls. Finally, she came. She had held off longer than they ever had.


    Her thighs burned with exhaustion and she was covered in a layer of sweat. Not the best she had looked. She quickly got off him and took two steps away to look at his form.


    "You look great tied up," she commented.


    "You''re not going to leave me hanging, right?" Cage asked, his voice almost filled with fear. Katherine blinked, thinking about it for a minute. If he hadn''t sounded like that, she would have tortured him a little more, but the puppy dog look in his eyes persuaded her.


    She dropped to her knees and took his length into her mouth. It didn''t take much for him to c.u.m. The mixture of their juices in her mouth was something different. She quite liked it.


    He was panting when he popped his c.o.c.k out of her mouth, the length growing flaccid after his explosive orgasm. She stood up and held his chin up.


    Cage stared at her curiously, waiting to see what she would do next when she gave him an open-mouthed kiss. She probed his mouth open and pushed her tongue in. Cage let her dominate. The feeling was growing on him and he thought that it would be nice to give up control at times. The passion she showed was something else.


    The proactive effort even made him feel her attraction towards him renewed.


    They kissed for what seemed like hours. When they were done, she moved off and slowly released his hands from the ties.


    Cage let out a satisfied sigh and rubbed his wrists. They were sore and red from the pressure. She caressed the spots, making him wince.


    "Sorry," she mumbled, feeling the guilt creep in.


    "Don''t be," Cage countered. "It feels like you marked me." He paused. "I love it."


    She gave him a small smile and dragged him out of the room. He followed wordlessly, not uttering a single word until they were in the bathroom and wiping themselves with a warm wet towel.


    "Was it a good morning?" she asked, her tone light and filled with amus.e.m.e.nt.


    "The best," he replied without thinking.


    "I thought you would be mad for being awoken early, but seeing you satisfied, I can rest my worries." She sounded smug. Well, she deserved it, with how good he felt. He was still slightly breathless and remembering her moving over him did weird things to him. Again.


    Ah, he really had gone back to being a horny teenager.


    "You can wake me up to this any time you want," he encouraged, giving her a wink.

 Chapter 218 - Without You

    Katherine laughed.


    Cage''s expression turned serious. "I woke up without you in bed," he started solemnly. "For a minute, I panicked because I thought it was a dream." Katherine''s smile disappeared as well. "I was terrified." He looked sheepish but Katherine knew what he meant.


    "I wake up some days to the same feeling. I know it can be hard to believe at times but it is real..." And they had to figure out how to keep each other from forgetting.


    "Thank god," he muttered. But then she shook off the melancholy. "My fantasies are lackl.u.s.tre, now I know." He looked over her body with appreciation, looking like the lecher he was. "I was confused at first and mildly scared but I got over it." He shuddered a little.


    Katherine grinned. "I planned this last week. Glad you enjoyed the show." She tipped her proverbial hat.


    "Has anyone told you that you are a great actress?" He was slightly shaken at the thought. "I actually mistook you for my high school librarian who was intimidating... just painfully pretty and mind." While he was showering her with compliments she was giggling with joy.


    "My teacher always commented on how dramatic I was... didn''t know that was a good thing," Katherine scoffed, stroking his cheek.


    "Now, you have got me excited about the next two days." Cage''s eyes glimmered with hope. She had to laugh. She did have some plans but she would be careful not to blurt it out in front of him.


    "Don''t tease me. I didn''t plan anything else," she said with a pout, avoiding his eyes.


    "Hmph, I don''t think the fees I paid will cover it, though," he said with a shit-eating grin on his lips. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head.


    "By all means, the library is always running on a deficit." In her head, she shivered with need. Don''t let him see, she told herself.


    Cage, on the other hand, acknowledged that he was addicted to the woman in ways he hadn''t thought possible. Katherine was his, until death do them apart.


    - - -


    The couple cuddled in bed, reading through Cage''s script. Katherine tried her best to help him practice. She had only seen movies and never really had to be part of bigger dramas, so it was fascinating to see him so immersed in his character despite the lack of ambiance and props. He worked the scene well, leaving her quite flabbergasted.


    She tried her best to act her part, but he was too professional for her. She stole glances at him and quickly looked away when he also looked at her as if feeling her gaze.


    She was falling in love with him again and no one could help it.


    Cage, on the other hand, was distracted. The past few days had been heaven and he had not had the time to really think about it. He needed to buy a house near this place, preferably because it held so much meaning for them. Also, they needed to figure out how they could meet each other more often. She was based in H city just like him but they would rarely see each other. Most of the year, he would be at the filming location, god knows how many miles away from her.


    Though she worked remotely, she would probably not be up to traveling with him all the time. She had friends who lived with her and their relationship still remained a secret from the world. He wanted to take her everywhere but... this would be a conversation for later when their relationship had aged well. Jumping into these sorts of things was never a good thing.


    After a couple of hours, they got up and finally stretched. "I''m going to make lunch," she proclaimed. She sauntered off into the kitchen with him hot in her heels. "Don''t distract me," she warned.


    "I wanted to cook for you!" he protested. Surely enough, he settled down quickly. "What are we having?"


    "We''re going to have pot roast," she gave him a look. "You''ve been having too much cheese recently. Your trainer will complain that I am bad influence on you." She frowned at the thought.


    "I have a great metabolism, firstly," he retorted. "Secondly, the workout I have been getting since coming here is burning a lot of calories, don''t worry." If she were looking at him, she would have seen the smug look on his face.


    Yes, he did have a fast metabolism, moreover, he would work out on overdrive for the last week before shooting started like crazy and cut down on all carbohydrates to give him that chiseled look. All shirtless scenes were done first so that the actor could resume eating a normal diet post them and gain the energy they needed for the rest of the filming.


    But he couldn''t tell her that. Cage feared that it would really worry her or make her sad. What she didn''t know wouldn''t hurt her. For now.


    "Pot roast, it is!" he chirped. God, he adored her. He thought happily that he could spend the rest of his life just like this. He picked up his script once again and practiced his lines. He would rather banter with his s.e.xy girlfriend but he needed to earn a lot of money before he could retire. Then he could spend the rest of his life beside her, possibly mooching off her income.


    He almost giggled at the thought.


    From the kitchen, he heard Katherine''s phone go off. He curiously looked up. He wondered who it was because all her clients had been informed she would not be picking her phone up during these few days and her parents didn''t want to call her when she was on vacation.


    He shrugged it off and went back to reading until he heard her footsteps fast approaching. He looked up again and saw her rush to stand in front of him with a astounded look on her face. Her eyes were glittering, as well, the phone still at her ears.


    "Can you repeat what you mean by that?" she asked.

 Chapter 219 - Let You Fall Asleep

    There was a muffled voice on the other side. Cage mouthed a quick ''who'' at her but she didn''t know how to respond.


    "Thank you for your offer. I will think it over and respond to you within a couple of days. I hope that will be okay." Her voice was professional but the glint in her eyes told him that it was exciting news. She finally hung up the phone and faced him.


    "It was from the head office of Children of Gods," she said.


    Cage blinked, feeling astounded. "What did they want?" he asked cautiously. Usually, people from gaming companies didn''t contact separate players or use their contact information.


    "They are having a CoG tournament and they want me to participate," she squeaked. Cage looked at her bewildered.


    "They what?" he asked. "In a tournament? Why?"


    She sucked in a breath before explaining. "They are releasing a new version of the game and the tournament will act as promotion for it. They have called in professional gamers and novices in an attempt to include the players, as well. They want to team these players up and let them battle it out."


    "What is the catch? You play, but what do you get in return?" he asked suspiciously. Gaming companies had a bad reputation for such things.


    "The teams that win get prize money and unlimited buys on the new version?" Cage''s eyes widened. "Yes, if I win, I will be a god." She wanted to break out into a cackle, but she feared this side of her would really scare him.


    "Okay, think about it. I''ll ask Stephen to ask around about how reliable they are." He nodded thinking about it carefully. "I don''t want you walking into a bad situation," he said affectionately.


    "You''re the best!" she squealed, falling into his arms and peppering his face with kisses. He laughed alongside her, before patting her plump ass and shooing her away.


    Depending on the scale of the competition, there would be a lot of participants from all over the globe and the odds were, she might not perform well. The audience would eat her alive if she didn''t, especially if she is compared to professional players. She might get a lot of flack. For one, she might grow a thicker skin for when they come out, or on another, she would be totally discouraged.


    The safest bet was to ask a favor of Stephen and help her in whatever capacity that he could.


    He shot Stephen a text, asking him to keep an eye out and get inside information before tossing the phone away and joining Katherine in the kitchen. She was excited and he would get happy just seeing her face. Why wouldn''t he just do it anyway?


    - - - - -


    "I still can''t believe you have abs with the amount you are eating," she commented as she watched him chow down his second plate. She was generous with her helpings so this was like watching a trainwreck.


    "Don''t shame me for having food," he said after a fulfilling gulp. "I''ll have you know, I have been showing restraint. I would like more but I know we need to get to naughty business. If I am too full, I might fall asleep."


    Katherine rolled her eyes. "As if I would let you fall asleep. You dare!" she mock-threatened. He took the dishes to the sink and started to rinse them. No sooner had he done so than Katherine wrapped her hands around his waist from behind and leaned against him.


    "Ah, should I be flattered that you like me more than food?" she teased.


    "Yes, you are nourishment enough for me." He laughed and turned around, his hands still soapy. He pressed a wet finger on her nose, making it scrunch up.


    "Wah, you''ll end up eating me and not leaving the bones at this rate," she grumbled, pulling her hand away and swiping at her nose to make the liquid go away.


    "Ah, I''ll eat you in other ways," He said leaning in and placing a light kiss on her lips. "As far as I am concerned, your body, your mind, and that beautiful smile of yours will give me eternal life."


    "Cheesy," she grumbled. This time, she took the initiative to kiss him. It felt just right: slow and promising.


    - - - - -


    A couple of hours passed but Stephen did not reply. Cage angrily stared at his phone, telling Katherine he was mildly worried.


    "I don''t think Angelina will kill him," she told him. Not that he was reassured by those words. "Yet," she added discreetly, making him choke. She giggled as she leaped away.


    "You aren''t worried about them?" Cage asked. Katherine shook her head.


    "I had a long chat with Angelina yesterday. They should have talked about it and figured things out," she shrugged. "Don''t call them right now. You might get scarred for life," she advised.


    Cage shook his head, not taking her advice to heart.


    "I''m going to check on them," Cage informed her. He was just worried about the whole thing. While it could be a good opportunity to grow her career and get more freelance work for herself, it could also have bad effects. Only Stephen could clear things for him.


    Ugh, he hated being so dependent on others but he couldn''t handle calls from companies and individuals all day long. He had to focus on his work.


    Katherine laughed. "You''re just being a busybody. I still have time." Cage gave her a confident smirk that made her want to bite his ass. She got her game face on.


    "I''m not going to be scarred. Don''t worry," he said, dialing his manager''s number.


    She didn''t know what Stephen said but Cage''s eyes widened slightly before he flinched slightly. "I was checking to see if you were okay." He made a disgusted face that she had never seen on him. "Are you having s.e.x right now?" he asked with defeat in his voice.


    Katherine snickered from the side. "Goodbye. Check your messages." He disconnected the call quickly and looked shocked.


    "They were having s.e.x?" she asked. Now she had to wonder why Stephen would answer the phone.

 Chapter 220 - Never Refuse

    "I don''t know what they were doing and I want to keep it that way. I already know too much about them," he groaned. "I think he is taking revenge for all the times we displayed affection publicly."


    How petty.


    Well, it was his own fault, Katherine thought. "I told you not to call."


    "Yes, I will listen to you from now on." He looked defeated.


    "Don''t be scarred by so little. I am sure they will do worse," she told him lightly. Knowing Angelina, she had no boundaries to speak of and rarely cared about her image. With Stephen on her side, she would just get worse.


    Cage scrunched up his face. "Oh god."


    "My poor Cage. It''s okay, I''ll make you feel better." She stroked his forehead gently as he stared at her. Sure enough, he broke into laughter and shook his head.


    "Come on. Let''s go online and see what people are talking about." Katherine raised her brow. "We need to see if anyone else got asked." Cage''s words seemed well thought out. She followed him without complaint and pulled out her laptop for the first time during the trip.


    Logging into her social media and game account, she went through all the chat logs and realize that there was not much talk about her or any competition coming up. Possibly, the team had just started to plan it out. She had heard of the launch happening in a couple of months, so she wasn''t worried about that in the least.


    After this, she realized that they didn''t have much to do.


    "Wanna play?" she asked coyly, the double meaning evident. He looked at her with a smug smile and nodded.


    "I would never refuse that."


    "Take out your lappy. I''m going to beat your ass tonight." She glared at him as he scoffed.


    "You are forgetting who the teacher is, little girl," Cage taunted as he bonced off and pulled out his laptop from his bag. He was setting it up when he saw her bend over to pick something up from the floor. Standing right behind her, he moved an inch.


    Katherine bit back a grin when she heard him groan behind her. "You''re doing this on purpose!" Cage accused.


    "What did I do?" she asked innocently. She barely contained her laugh when she looked over her shoulder to find him staring hungrily at her ass. Yes, she had done it on purpose.


    "Where is your underwear?" he asked, his voice full of longing. She had changed into a long t-shirt that acted like a dress, falling mid-thigh. Because she hadn''t been able to torture him to her heart''s content before, she had come up with such a plan. It had taken her a long time to pull out this trump card.


    "I ran out," she said simply, shrugging her shoulders.


    "Really?" he squeaked. He bounded forward, ready to pounce, but she moved away and concentrated on her laptop once again. With it powered up, she chatted with some people online. He grumbled as he pulled up his page.


    "What mission do you want to go to?" he asked. No one person lost on a mission, the whole team did, so they obviously couldn''t fight on that. Instead, they focused on health points and movements.


    They played for a prolongued period of time, in which Cage often coached her on which moves would have been better. He wasn''t a professional but he had played longer and had a little more knowledge than her in the field.


    Now that he thought about it, he should probably tell her to get a coach and train hard. Blow people away.


    She continued playing as he thought about dinner. Seeing her so engrossed in the game, he thought it the perfect opportunity to cook. He walked down to the kitchen and looked through what they had left. Not that much.


    Taking the ingredients, he came up with different dishes that she might enjoy. When he was done, he called her from downstairs. There was silence. He plated everything and covered them in case she came later and then went upstairs to find her.


    "What are you doing?" he asked, when he saw her gritting her teeth and shouting at the laptop.


    "I''ve been surrounded by a group of people. I am fighting battle after battle and no one is taking my side," she exclaimed.


    "Why are they doing that?" he asked. He leaned against the doorframe and watched her fingers fly over the keyboard.


    "No reason," she muttered. Not believing her, he came forward and looked at his screen. He was still logged in and he saw that he had been mentioned too many times. He read through the comments and held back his laughter.


    She had been trying to convince everyone that she was the best. She had lost to Cage before and wasn''t mentioning that.


    "You are a sore loser," he commented, startling her. She looked over at him and sagged when she realized they had found out.


    "Wah. I didn''t lose. You forfeited. So, you lost!" She had a competitive streak in her. Cage scowled.


    "I was winning before that. So, no."


    "Nope, you refused to compete with me because you would get your ass kicked. I won." She pouted. She was set in her story. He shook his head.


    "Ah, yes, you have been meaning to beat my ass..." he trailed off, smirking.


    Katherine stopped. She quickly typed in some bullshit about an emergency. There were protests that she was running away. She didn''t pay any of them attention.


    Instead, she launched herself across the bed as Cage stared at her. She slammed into him. Fortunately, he caught her by the shoulders and kept them both from hitting the floor. She was still sitting on the bed, on her knees. The mirth in Cage''s eyes diminished and was replaced by something wilder and darker.


    Katherine gulped. ''F.u.c.k me,'' she thought.


    "I won," she whispered again. She didn''t want to let it go. No, she also wanted him badly. Again. So much for restraint.

 Chapter 221 - Rise And Shine

    "Looks like I won," he said, his voice gravelly. He kissed her forcefully, making her sit up and wrap hr arms around him, tugging at his hair. His hands too were tugging at her clothes. Like magic, he got them off without a problem.


    Katherine could see that he was happy that she wore nothing underneath.


    "You can take me," she promised, hearing his thoughts. "But only after you admit that I won."


    "So competitive," he commented with a grin. The banter continued as they wrapped around each other, moving without abandon. Mid-s.e.x, a thought crossed Cage''s mind.


    ''At least I covered dinner.''


    - - - - -


    Early the next morning, Cage''s cell phone rang and he startled awake. He pressed the pillow to his face so that he could ignore it. When he felt Katherine shifting beside him, sounding distressed, he moved over and pulled the phone to his ears.


    "Hello?" he answered groggily.


    "Rise and shine, my little flower," Stephen sang into the cellphone.


    ''What the f.u.c.k,'' Cage thought. His manager was in a wonderful mood. Something he had not been in for a very long period of time.


    "Tell me," Cage grumbled.


    "Sorry about yesterday. I was in the middle of something," Stephen chuckled. "Did you know Angelina has no gag reflex?" he said, his voice going a few octaves higher than usual.


    "Dude, I don''t need to know," Cage groaned, scrubbing his face with his free hand. "Did you find anything from CoG?" he asked, quickly wanting the call to end. He didn''t need too much information about Stephen''s romantic life.


    "I looked through the email first thing yesterday and realized that you had gotten an invitation from them, too. Not as a player but as the brand ambassador," he started. "Guessing from your message, Katherine got an invite as a player. If she accepts, it won''t look good on you to accept the offer. It may lead to complications. Furthermore, the compensation is not great, at least for you." Cage listened carefully and hummed, encouraging him to go on.


    "It''s legit, that is for sure. I have a list of the people they have offered and it is an impressive list. They are expecting about five million people to actively watch the competition. I think it''s going to be great exposure for Katherine if this is something she wants to do."


    "That sounds great!" he exclaimed before turning towards Katherine in fear that he had woken her up. "What''s the catch?" he whispered.


    "It is a lot of attention. Apart from two other participants, it''s basically an all-man competition. The audience will be harsh on her and if she doesn''t perform well..." he trailed off.


    "Is it important for her to?" Cage asked suspiciously.


    "Depends on if she plays well," Stephen commented.


    "She does." Cage''s tone was firm.


    "Then you will have no issue. Make her practice a lot, though." Stephen stopped. "She will also need to participate in the promotion and the like. It''s some heavy work."


    "I''ll talk to her. Email me any information you have." Cage thought about it for a moment. "I''ll talk to you later."


    - - - - -


    Katherine finished packing everything and made her way downstairs to where Cage was standing, looking lost in thought.


    "What''s up?" she asked as she placed her bag next to his. They were all packed, the cabin was cleaned and neither of them wanted to leave.


    Cage wrapped his hands around her shoulder and she snuggled close to him, breathing in his scent.


    "Just wondering how this place feels like it''s ours," he hummed. Katherine agreed with him. This place felt like a safe haven where they could be by themselves and no one would bother them. No one could touch them.


    Cage''s fingers were under her chin, pulling her face up so that she was looking at him. "Should I just buy it for us?" he said with a small smile. As much as Katherine wanted to say that he was joking, he wasn''t. If she said yes, he would buy this place for them.


    But that was a long stretch. Cage was the sweetest man on the planet, of that she was sure. She had to laugh despite the moisture in her eyes threatening to fall.


    "I''ll miss being with you like this, but please don''t buy the cabin," she suggested softly.


    Cage hastily brushed her tears away and felt his throat constrict. "I wish we didn''t have to go back to the real world either. It''s just a few weeks. I''ll fly you out to where I am filming. Everything will be great," he reassured. But he sounded like he was trying to convince himself.


    Katherine appreciated his efforts, though.


    She gave him a small smile. He needed to see her okay as much as she needed to feel it. "I can''t wait."


    His lips brushed against hers. "I can''t buy this place but I want a place for us. Somewhere we can escape and shut the world away. At least once a year, okay?" he asked.


    "You should start earning more money, then. Taking time off is difficult," she said with a snicker.


    "Where do you want it to be? Mountains? Beach? Woods?" He sounded too excited.


    She giggled and shook her head. "You can drop me in the middle of the desert and as long as you are by my side, I''ll happily stay. I''ll go to the ends of the world with you," she added cheekily. Cage pinched her cheek, his eyes looking delighted at her confession.


    "I won''t survive in a desert, but thank you for loving me enough." He patted her head affectionately and made a note to search for quaint properties where no one would bother them.


    She squeezed his waist, giving him another bout of warmth. The man had no selfish bone in his body, which didn''t bode well for him in the ruthless world. As long as they were together and she was selfish on his behalf, they would be okay.


    "I''ll be selfish, then," she said. "I''ll keep you away from the world and your fangirls." She pouted.


    "I would be okay with just one fangirl," Cage winked suggestively. "That''s all I can handle."


    She felt lucky. Beyond lucky. They were interrupted by the laughter and chatter of the others. They sighed, happy that everyone was finally happy.

 Chapter 222 - How It Went

    "Ready to go?" Jared asked, grinning widely. He seemed so happy, the light catching in his eyes, glittering. They definitely talked it out. Jared smacked Cage on the arm in a show of camaraderie, which surprised everyone. Katherine ended up hugging Jared and whispering how happy she was for him in his ear.


    Lily was equally cheerful.


    "Your manager''s an idiot," Angelina commented from the side.


    "Welcome to the club," Cage snickered, picking up a few bags.


    "Angel, you''re in love with me. It doesn''t bode well for you." Stephen looked smug.


    "Never said I was the sharpest tool in the box," she said in a sing song voice. Which was true. She wasn''t.


    "The only tool you need..." he trailed off, waggling his eyebrows at her. She rolled her eyes and picked up the small bag of leftover booze. Even after drinking until they dropped, they hadn''t been able to finish the contents of the bag.


    "Do you want me to smack your ass?" she bit back at him. Stephen rubbed his ass with a pout on his face, revealing to everyone just what had happened.


    "Please... I don''t want to know," Cage groaned. The others didn''t blame him, they thought the same. Everyone was in the car and the drive started. At first, it was Stephen, but then Angelina coaxed him into letting her drive.


    Mind you, she was a good driver (most of the time), but Lily and Katherine knew for a fact that she was doing it to appear s.e.xy in front of her new boyfriend.


    "Why do you care who drives?" Lily asked, feeling irritated. The discussion had been going on for fifteen minutes with no end at sight.


    "He thinks he is better than me," Angelina replied gingerly.


    "He is better than you," Lily pointted out with a snort. Angelina gave her a glare. Well, if she wanted, she could do it. She had never driven for so long, so she would get bored easily.


    "We''re in no hurry to get back," Cage chimed in, giving Katherine a sweet smile.


    "Okay, you guys suck," Angelina retorted as she slid into the driver''s seat. The drive was mostly uneventful with Lily and Kathrine chatting about their time in school and how much fun they had. Even Angelina joined in and reiterated the multitudes of embarrassing stories from college. The boys were laughing most of the time. The vacation had come to an end, but none of them wanted to let it go.


    After dropping them off, the guys scattered and went their own way. Lily was overly dramatic when she entered their apartment, calling out to no one as she declared that they were home.


    If they weren''t happy about it, they could pretend. No use lingering and sulking. Just move on.


    - - - - -


    Katherine called the CoG marketing team. She asked them the same questions Stephen had, evaluated her goals and realized one thing. Maybe, if she was better known to people, when the public found out about her, she wouldn''t be crucified. Furthermore, she would get her hands on the game earlier than others. How could anything beat that.


    Cage would leave for shooting the Kevin Heart movie in a couple of days and he barely had time to get on call with her after working out and practicing every day. He was so tired that he could barely keep his eyes open. She often spoke about her day, the new projects and how she was practicing playing until she could hear his breathing level out.


    Post that, she would watch him sleep for a couple of minute before hanging up. It happened every night.


    Yes, she had signed the contract. Yes, she was given a script that she needed to film and send to them so that they could make a trailer and everything. They also wanted her to post videos of herself on social media and gain a fan following before the competition began. Apparently, popularity would be a factor in deciding who gets to win.


    Typical reality TV show style. She was not thrilled about it, but seeing that she would just be putting her gameplays on the internet and add in her face, she didn''t bother much. She had not been shy about her identity before and was definitely not going to start now.


    Meanwhile, Stephen had been on call with her throughout the process. He was teaching her about branding and how to go about it so that she could maximise exposure. Stephen was on a mission: get Katherine as famous as possible before revealing the relationship. Katherine was beyond happy about this.


    Lily had been great about the whole thing. Her magnificent camera had been used to capture the video. It was an introduction video with who she was, why she gamed and tidbits about her. Lily even edited the videos to make them look like they had been professionally done.


    While Katherine was beyond thankful, she knew that she couldn''t ask Lily to do the videos for her for a long period of time. So, she learned. She knew the basics of video editing and cinematography but with practice, she needed to get as good as Lily. That was part of the mission.


    As discussed with the marketting team, she sent them the introductory video and then made an account on a video and content sharing platform. She didn''t really share it with anyone.


    Until... Children of God''s official channel posted the videos. It was even up on their official website. Ads were run. Esports players and amateurs joined hands to make this experience better. They even had high ranking gamers on the platform promote for them. All in all, it must have cost a lot of money.


    Here is how it went.


    The first shot was of a girl in a pikachu onesy, sitting in front of multiple screens. She was furiously typing on the laptop, her mouse going wild. Her brows twitched and in the video, you could see that she was mumbling under her breath.

 Chapter 223 - Had A Baby

    In the background, Katherine started to speak.


    "This is Katherine Austen. No, she''s not from a Jane Austen novel. She wouldn''t survive in it, to be honest. Yes, she is a couch potato, likes to game and works as a freelance graphic designer." There was a whirring sound in the background. "Uh... she draws e.r.o.t.i.c book covers, too... and fan art." Then there was silence. The sound of crickets came on.


    "I will stop referring to myself in the third person, now." Her face came on the screen. She was smiling. Lily and Angelina had helped her put on some natural makeup and she looked good if she said so herself.


    "Welcome to my channel. There are two ways we can go about it, sneakily worming my way into your heart until you can''t stop thinking about me... or I can head in guns blazing. Choose." The camera panned down, showing her watch and then her face.


    "Oops, times up. I guess you''re stuck with me now." Followed by a blinding smile. Her hands darted out of her side and she grabbed the camera, pulling it closer to her face. "I''m fun, I promise. Let''s play!"


    Yes, that was what she posted as an introduction to her channel. Within the first hour of posting, there wasn''t much activity, but ever since the Children of God''s notification went out, people came flooding to her profile, looking for content.


    There was only one video that day. And then, slowly she posted one video after another. For some reason, her wide-eyed crazy introductory video had garnered a lot of attention. She even got calls from friends from high school and... friends from the bar.


    A particularly unimportant character in her life called her one evening and she picked up, surprised. Let''s call her Karen.


    "Katherine?" Karen started, startling her.


    "Hey, what''s up? We haven''t spoken in a while," Katherine said, trying to sound as polite as possible.


    "I just wanted to catch up with you. I saw your video on my recommendations. Didn''t know you were so keen on gaming. How have you been?" Karen was extremely enthusiastic about how she spoke and unlike her usual self. At other times, she was throwing tantrums and fussing about the littlest things, so if she was being so nice, she must have been up to something.


    "Yeah. It was unexpected. Thank you for checking in," she replied courteously. "How was your vacation?" Katherine asked even though she didn''t want to entertain any questions.


    "Ah, it was amazing. I went to the beach and got a lovely tan. I totally hooked up with a hot foreigner!" Karen exclaimed. "I was wondering if we could meet," she said out of the blue. Katherine was shocked. Not that she was eager to meet or anything, but the number of times people wanted to catch up because she was somehow... famous?


    She didn''t think that was true, though.


    "You fell in love during vacation. How nice," she commented, ignoring the second part. This woman was always in love with someone or the other. Previously, she had treated Katherine like shit and her friends had told her that Karen had a huge crush on Nathanial. The same Nathanial who apparently liked Katherine. Not ideal.


    "Yeah. We exchanged numbers but he is on a road trip so we haven''t spoken yet." Karen sighed dramatically.


    If that wasn''t love, Katherine didn''t know what was. And yes, she was being sarcastic.


    Karen spoke about how one of her followers had gotten engaged and how happy she was about it. Her tone said differently. Katherine was at her wit''s end, beyond frustrated and ready to end the conversation so that she could call Cage before he fell asleep.


    "Ah! I forgot to ask. How was your vacation?" That took Katherine off guard.


    "It was fine," she said promptly as her mind flooded with memories of Cage.


    "So, you didn''t go with a guy?" Karen asked, stopping Katherine on her tracks.


    "What guy?" Katherine questioned cautiously.


    "I went to the bar last night. Nathanial obviously told me everything. Everyone knows that you''ve got a man nobody knows about," Karen scoffed. Katherine felt her eye twitch. This nincompoop had gone around telling people she was dating. Didn''t that go against some rule? Was she allowed to talk about the private life of a customer to others?


    "It''s new and I don''t want to talk about it." Growing more uncomfortable, Katherine was formulating ways to end the conversation.


    "You don''t want to talk about it? He must be ugly or something. Who is he? Does he come to the bar too? You don''t go anywhere else, so."


    What the hell. "As I said, I don''t want to talk about this. Can we move on from this conversation?" Katherine pleaded.


    "I met your ex, Jonathan. He had a baby. You must be upset."


    No, she wasn''t.


    "I''m sorry. Our relationship ended long ago and I moved on. I don''t care about that man''s life anymore. I would appreciate it if you didn''t bring him up in front of me anymore," she spoke firmly. Just as she was going to say her goodbyes and hang up, Karen had the audacity to put in her two dimes.


    "Anyway, if you''ve moved on, you wouldn''t mind hearing about him. By the way, do you think you can promote my channel on yours? You''ve crossed a hundred thousand followers today." So, that was what this was about. Katherine scrunched her brows and wondered how she should reply.


    "I don''t think I am allowed. I am only doing this for the game. I won''t continue posting after it is done." At least, that was what Katherine thought. She didn''t say much more and hung up the call.


    When she got off the phone, she quickly called Cage to talk to him before he crashed.


    "Hey," he answered, sounding tired to his bones.


    "Are you okay?" she asked, so concerned that she wanted to run to him.


    "Yeah. I just had a tough day. My flight is at 1 PM in the afternoon, so I need to rest for now. I''ll pack in the morning and then speed to the airport." Katherine could imagine how he must have looked, light stubble on his chin, and his hands clutching his hair as he tried to figure out what to do next.

 Chapter 224 - Look Up

    "Please send over your routine to me once you reach, tomorrow," she pleaded. She really wanted to support him in any way possible. The only thing she could think of was to follow his routine and make him feel like she was there with him in spirit.


    Deep down, she knew that she was doing this more for her sanity and nothing else.


    "I''ll send it to you," he said, his tone slightly brighter than before. "I really wish I could see you before I leave," he groaned, the longing evident in his voice. The idea came to her before it hit him.


    "When will you reach? Can Stephen arrange for you to get into the airport without being noticed?" she asked quickly. His tired brain couldn''t catch up.


    "It''s H city. The paparazzi is always at the airport to catch a glimpse of celebrities. But yeah, Stephen could do that. Why?"


    "Have a full breakfast. I''ll meet you at the airport." The decision was made. It would take some while to go to the airport and come back. With Stephen''s help, she would be able to accompany him for a while. That sounded lovely. As long as they could do it surreptitiously, nothing would go wrong.


    She would just have to look out for the sneaky people with cameras.


    - - - - -


    Cage was sitting in the car Stephen had booked for them. Stephen was looking at his watch ever so often and texting furiously on the phone.


    "Who are you texting?" he asked, feeling bored. He had stormed through his closet to pack his belongings for the long trip. He usually had a bag packed at all times, but this time, it seemed sort of special. He didn''t know why.


    He remembered Katherine saying something about coming to the airport but she hadn''t texted him since. He was rather sad that they hadn''t spoken in a while. There was a hole in his heart. After spending five days, glued to one another, they had rarely had time to speak or Skype. It was usually him falling asleep or too tired to tease her or be a romantic fool. She had also gotten extremely busy with the competition and all the hoops she needed to jump through.


    As soon as he remembered the competition, he pulled out his phone and typed in her name. Lo and behold, the trailer for the competition and her channel popped up in the searches. He hungrily took in how well the trailer was produced, excitedly commenting to Stephen about how talented Katherine was and how everyone paled in comparison to her.


    Stephen was mildly amused.


    "Don''t worry, I have asked someone I know to keep an eye out for her. I''ll introduce the manager to Katherine when her channel grows. Right now, she is fine to manage it herself. The equipment she uses is good too. No worries." It was odd to see Stephen so proactive.


    "You really like Katherine," Cage commented in awe.


    Stephen looked at him with a grossed-out expression. "My best friend loves this girl and she is an amazing human being. What''s there to not like?" he shrugged for greater effect. "And don''t worry about the manager. It''s a backup plan. I am charging you for it," Stephen said with a small snicker.


    Cage lit up like a Christmas tree. "You really do know me the best. She would never want the fanfare. But she is too charismatic. She''s be trending soon and growing pains can do a lot of damage."


    "And you''re too worried. Lily is a photographer and Angelina is a model and influencer. She has some good people backing her up," he commented. His phone lit up once again and he started to reply.


    Cage was reassured.


    [I miss you already.] He sent. There was no immediate reply. He decided on watching her introductory video again. He knew that this would be a great pastime while he was between scenes, just taking a break. He wouldn''t be able to call her, but he could watch her in peace.


    Time seemed to fly. They had reached the airport in no time but Cage was not ready to leave. As he sneaked into the airport, he imagined all the ways he could cancel the movie and just live at Katherine''s apartment.


    The penalty fee would be too high. And he needed to make enough money before he could retire and recede from public view.


    He was sitting and fiddling with his ticket when Stephen announced that he needed to grab something. Cage didn''t think much about it. Simply because his mind was still stuck on how his girlfriend had yet to reply to his message.


    ''She forgot,'' he thought. He was not inherently an insecure person. Despite spending time with her and knowing that their feelings for one another were genuine, he always wondered when the ball was going to drop.


    Shaking his thoughts away, he dialed her number and pulled it to his ears. It took a couple of rings for her to pick up.


    "Hey," Katherine''s sweet voice came through his phone. It was somewhat noisy in the background, but she also sounded breathless. "Where are you?" she asked. Her tone was plain as if she had forgotten where he was supposed to be.


    "The airport," he replied, suddenly disappointed.


    "Mm." She hummed. Cage could hear that she was walking and somewhat absent-minded.


    "Yeah. I was too tired last night. Couldn''t talk to you properly." No reply. He heard a quiet gasp from her and straightened up. "What''s wrong?" he asked, feeling on edge. That gasp was something he recognized. He didn''t like it if something or someone else elicited it from her.


    "How can a man look this good?" she commented. Cage''s heart froze. He was about to ask what she was talking about when he heard her breathing quicken. "Look up," she commanded.


    On response, his head snapped up. Right there, in front of him... just a few meters away, stood his girlfriend. She was wearing the hoodie he had left at her apartment. The one she had stolen.

 Chapter 225 - Reservation For Katherine

    Katherine wanted to run to him and hug him so tight that he would feel her warmth for the next couple of months. But the airport was a place with many eyes. She walked towards him slowly, slower than the normal human''s pace until she reached in front of him.


    He was already on his feet, waiting for her to leap into his arms... to do something.


    "I''ll miss you, too," she whispered. There was the reply to his text. She looked at her cellphone and her disposition brightened. "We still have two and a half hours until you board. Come on." She threaded her fingers through his and pulled him along towards the restaurants.


    The H city airport had some very private restaurants for high-end clients and Katherine had made it a point to book a table for the three of them.


    "Is this why you dragged me out of my house early?" Cage asked his manager, baffled and amused at the same time.


    "Of course. Your girlfriend called me last night and asked for my cooperation. Who would have thought that you were stupid." Stephen gave him a pointed glance. "Don''t think it escaped my eyes. You thought she didn''t mean it." He said this so much lower. Cage was thankful for it. If Katherine heard, it would spoil her mood.


    "It''s a fabulous surprise," Cage acknowledged. He rubbed circles on the back of her hand, hoping to give her the same warmth he made her feel in that moment.


    "Reservation for Katherine Austen," she informed the server at the reception. The reception quickly went through her list and confirmed. She took the party to a very private table, out of the eyes of the common diners.


    "How did you manage to do this?" Cage asked, slightly in awe. It took some considerable amount of persuasion to get a reservation here.


    "I have my ways," she smugly replied. She even gave him a wink that made his heart skip a beat.


    "What do you want to eat?" she asked sweetly. The ambience was romantic and while Cage and Katherine sat side by side, exchanging loving glances, Stephen sighed and felt like he was being stabbed.


    He, too, missed Angelina. He had a lot of time to talk to her. Yet Angelina was somewhat of a cold person. She loved the push and pull game. Despite acting coldly towards him, she was also rather clingy. In the time Cage and Katherine had spent apart, they had met multiple times and gone out on dates. Angelina had even stayed over at his place one night.


    Seeing the lovebirds in front of him, he felt the strong urge to talk to her. Once the shooting started, he would be running around like a headless chicken to make Cage''s life a little easier.


    Cage and Katherine startled when they heard the ringing sound coming from Stephen''s phone.


    "Are you calling Angelina?" Katherine asked, amus.e.m.e.nt coloring her voice.


    "Can''t watch the two of you without thinking of her," Stephen confirmed. Angelina picked up soon enough. She was in what seemed like a dressing room, and her makeup was being done by an artist. She looked unbothered as she picked up.


    "Why did you call?" she asked flatly as the makeup artist fixed her hair.


    "I''m having a meal at the airport. Was missing you, so I called." Stephen sounded love struck. Angelina''s eyes wavered from her usual look of boredom.


    "I haven''t had food since last night," she mentioned without emotion. Stephen looked like a doe caught in the headlights.


    Katherine put her hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Angelina didn''t eat the night before her photo shoot so that she looked leaner and less bloated. It wasn''t good for her health, but she did what she had to.


    "You haven''t eaten for over sixteen hours?" Stephen asked. He was worried. He also knew that her work demanded such sacrifices. He might not like it, but this was how she would flourish in the industry, unfortunately.


    "Yes." Angelina''s answer was prompt. "What did you order?" she asked... almost like she wasn''t dying of hunger and just wanted to know.


    "How long until you are ready?" Stephen changed the topic.


    "Five more minutes," she answered, looking at the makeup artist for confirmation. There was a pleasant silence between the two as the call continued. Katherine and Cage sat hand in hand, simply enjoying the moment together, wondering when they would see each other next. On the other hand, Angelina simply looked at the mirror with Stephen staring at her.


    This was the first time he had seen her work.


    Wow. How could a woman be so s.e.xy?


    Fortunately, Angelina was called to the set before the food arrived. They said their goodbyes and the call was disconnected. The other two didn''t ask questions.


    Stephen sighed as he turned to Katherine. It was good that she was right in front of him. "I heard that you might visit us on set during shooting. Do you have any idea when that will be?" he asked casually.


    "With how hectic things will be right now with work and the competition, I might not be able to go. The competition is in two months, so I need to prepare for it, as well. Would you mind if I let you know later?" she asked.


    "I have watched your videos. They look wonderful. Your videos are being pushed by the platform, too, so you have an advantage over other participants regarding popularity." He paused and gave her a pointed look. "You will be asked questions. I don''t know if you want to reveal you have a boyfriend lest they go hunting, but I think you should say you are single for now. It makes you more appealing," he commented.


    Cage was visibly frowning from the aforementioned statement. "What do you think?" Katherine asked him cautiously. She didn''t want to hide but she knew how dangerous netizens were. Whatever Cage decided, she would be okay with that.

 Chapter 226 - Rubbed Off

    "While I don''t like the idea, Stephen is right. For your sake, I won''t be jealous. You must win." There was a gleam in his eyes. Katherine threw back her head in laughter and patted his hair.


    "I must have rubbed off on you. I see flashes of my obnoxious competitive nature in your now." She tilted her head to the side, placing her face in her palm to inspect him.


    "Is that a bad thing?" he asked with his signature smirk.


    "Depends on who you want to win against." They broke out into frenzied laughter. The food was what rabbits eat. Salads, water, and protein, mostly. Katherine followed religiously because she wanted to support him. Stephen, on the other hand, made sure to order savory foods that would add an inch or two to his waist. He didn''t seem to mind.


    "Are you teasing us?" Katherine asked blandly as Stephen m.o.a.ned and groaned. The sounds were somewhat lewd and she understood why Stephen and Angelina were so well-matched for each other. They could both work as s.e.x call operators with the sounds they were making in broad daylight.


    "Somewhat," Stephen retorted mischievously, taking a bit bite of his food. Cage rolled his eye, distanced from the emotion.


    "Don''t worry, he''s just showing off in front of you. He behaves when we are alone," Cage reassured her. Katherine sighed and shook her head. She threw a mock look of disappointment towards Stephen before she dug into her food.


    The rest of the lunch was pleasant. The problem arose when it was time to pay the bill. Stephen kept his hands away and watched in amus.e.m.e.nt as the couple fought it out.


    "I''m going to pay," Cage said casually, pulling out his wallet from the pocket of his jeans.


    "Absolutely not. You''re always spending money." And doing his best to spend every ounce of his free time with her. She felt a bit lacking in the relationship sometimes. Moreover, she was the one who orchestrated this whole affair, so it was fair that she paid the bill.


    "When have I..." he trailed off as he saw the obstinant expression on her face. So adorable, he thought. After a couple of minutes of bickering, he finally conceded. He never did have a chance in front of her. They walked out, fingers intertwined while Stephen trudged behind, missing Angelina and pouting.


    He also kept a lookout for anyone who pointed their cellphone towards them. Luckily, no one seemed to bother with Cage that day... or they didn''t realize it was him. It was a good day.


    They stretched their time until the last minute. Stephen was anxiously glancing at the clock as Katherine and Cage refused to pay him any attention. If Cage could have it his way, he would take a later flight. He could cut down on his rest time so that he could spend it with his adorable girlfriend.


    They sat hand in hand until they heard an announcement--the last call for boarding of their flight. Cage couldn''t delay any longer.


    "Go," Katherine softly told him. It sounded more like permission than anything else. Not that she had any authority to hold him back from his job.


    "Get some safely and send me a message," he replied, his eyes filled with sadness. They hugged briefly, not making a big show out of it before Stephen called Cage out and they left i a hurry. It was her first time seeing Cage run towards something.


    Fascinating as it was, it made her upset to see him leave. It felt like such a long period of time that they would have to wait in order to see each other. It was fine. She would survive.


    As he disappeared into the crowd, Katherine pulled out her cellphone and quickly started to type a message.


    [My apartment doesn''t feel like home anymore. When I am done with work, I always imagine you being at my side... but you aren''t. I can''t wait to see you again. Have a safe flight.]


    She sighed as she turned around. As she stepped into the cab and left for her apartment, her phone buzzed.


    [You''re my home now. I can''t wait to come home to you. I don''t care where that may be. I love you.]


    She had the urge to call him and cry but she restrained her emotions and called him to say goodbye... once again. The phone beeped before the operator informed her that it had been switched off. With a sour expression, Katherine continued towards her apartment, her thoughts still lingering on the retreating form of Cage Cavanaugh.


    When she entered the apartment, she received a call from a client and quickly shuffled into her room to help them out. She had to make changes and submit the draft on an urgent basis.


    It was about two hours later that Katherine emerged from her room, still in the clothes she had worn outside.


    From the corridor, she heard Angelina huff and bang the front door closed. "What happened to you?" Katherine asked curiously as she saw how irritated Angelina looked.


    "It was a horrible day," she groaned. "The clothes were amazing but one of the designers of the company I was photo shooting from was an old fling." She threw her bag on the couch and plopped down. She leaned her head against the back and breathed in carefully, trying to cleanse herself of her frustration.


    "Which one?" Katherine asked.


    "No one you know. He asked me to go out with him once again. Like hell, I had taken that ride and it was nothing impressive," Angelina shrugged.


    "That''s all?" Katherine asked. It wasn''t uncommon for this to happen. What had made this encounter bad?


    "Nope. I was nice in the beginning and asked how he was doing to be polite. I only got annoyed when he kept asking me out. I said no, obviously, but he got agitated. He got a little handsy, to be honest, and I had to do some damage."

 Chapter 227 - I Have a Boyfriend

    Katherine groaned. "Please tell me you didn''t hit him." At least, she hoped not.


    "Nah. I don''t want to get into trouble. I let the guy know I was dating an amazing man who was actually good with his c.o.c.k," Angelina said matter-of-factly.


    Katherine wasn''t surprised at the crash words. It was Angelina''s style. "Well... that wasn''t nice."


    "Never said I was a nice person. He touched me without my permission. In my opinion, I let him off easy with just a bruise to his ego." Angelina shrugged. She did look tired.


    "You did the right thing. Did you speak to Stephen before he boarded the plane?" Katherine asked.


    Angelina shook her head. "We exchanged a couple of messages but I was busy with the shoot to actually talk to him." She huffed. "What do you want to do tonight?" she asked casually.


    "What is this? Two friends mourning over their boyfriends going on a business trip?" Katherine snickered. Angelina nodded, her eyes widening with realization.


    "Exactly that. I can live without Stephen any day, but I feel sorry about you. You must be dying inside already." Angelina clucked her tongue.


    "If I am not wrong, we are going out to the usual bar to drown our sorrows. Courtesy Lily." Katherine rolled her eyes.


    "I don''t know what you mean," Angelina pretended.


    "Lily wants to babysit me for the next three months in hopes that I don''t sulk." She scoffed.


    "It''s not like you have a lot of time on your hands right now. We only want to spend time with our friend while she wades through the dangerous waters of the internet and the onslaught on Cage''s fangirls who will plan to murder you brutally." Angelina blinked innocently.


    "Well, drowning our sorrows it is, then." She had to smile.


    "You will be visiting him, right?" Angelina asked suddenly. The question was, would Angelina do the same.


    "Not right now. But he has another shooting post the next Kevin Heart movie, so we won''t have much time on our hands. I hope I can meet him then."


    "You work remotely and you don''t need to be tied down to one place. It makes sense to tag along with him. You will barely get any time together as it is," Angelina huffed. "You''re lucky in that way. I have to travel for my photoshoots and runway appearances. I won''t have the time to run to Stephen when I want to." She pouted to make her point. "You better grab your opportunity while you have it," she warned. With that, she stood up and walked towards her room.


    Well, Katherine would have to think about that slowly and come to a decision. Moreover, she also needed to inform Stephen when she would go. Damn. So much planning was needed in this case.


    - - - - -


    Lily came home soon enough and it was barely sunset when they ventured out towards their local bar. As usual, there was no crowd at that hour, especially on a weekday. They sat down at the bar and ordered their drinks.


    What they didn''t expect was Nathanial appearing out of nowhere. It was as if he was staking out in the backroom and waiting for them to come to the bar or order.


    "Hi Katherine," he spoke shyly. Katherine felt a surge of panic. Clearly, he was not on duty and even the bartender was giving the man a weird look.


    Katherine hunched her shoulders and turned to face him. This was the man who had advertised her new relationship. And he just had to block her path on the day she felt like absolute crap. Maybe he was a bit of a stalker and Cage had been right. She was reconsidering his offer about bodyguards.


    "Hello," she said shortly, hoping he would hear the disinterest in her voice and go away. Nope, the nincompoop took no notice. Angelina and Lily were trying to keep Katherine busy in the conversation but Nathanial wouldn''t let up. He hovered and interjected in their conversation.


    Thankfully, the girls didn''t speak about anything private. Who knows what this creepy dude would catch up on. He had already presented himself at their doorstep.


    "How was your holiday?" he asked cheerfully when the girls quietened down to take a sip of their drinks.


    "Good." One word answers were the best way to go. She still remained polite. She would have to stay until they finished their drinks and there was a long way to go for that. They just had to order those tall glasses of alcohol that evening. They didn''t want to get completely sloshed, so they could only drink slowly and endure the pure torture.


    "I had a lot of fun. I went out with my friends on a trip..." he trailed off. "What did you do?" he asked, managing to sound less curious than he looked. She didn''t like how he looked at her. She probably needed to get some classes in self-defense.


    "Went to the mountains. Was great."


    ''Move along, already!'' she wanted to scream.


    "Who''d you go with?" he asked. He was studying her closely... almost crawling under her skin.


    "Us," Lily and Angelina said in unison.


    "Did... that guy... go too?" he asked softly. The least he could do was be subtle. But nope.


    Katherine played dumb. "What guy?"


    Nathanial''s eyes brightened a little. "The guy I met when I delivered takeout?" It seemed like he was hoping she had forgotten the man. Like that was possible.


    "Ah, did I forget?" Angelina said suddenly, sparing Katherine. "We went with our boyfriends," she lowered her voice, sounding seductive. "It was one of those vacations."


    Katherine almost spat out her drink. At least, he will get the message. She was off the market.


    "Good. Good." His voice was filled with disappointment. "I am throwing a housewarming party in a couple of days, I would love it if you came," he said suddenly... like the previous conversation had never happened.


    "They just told you I have a boyfriend." She might have felt bad talking so rudely to someone before, but she had no patience for a man who couldn''t take no for an answer.


    "I get it..." he groaned. "Just... bring him if you want."

 Chapter 228 - You Sound Jealous

    Katherine wanted to laugh but Lily beat her to it.


    "Hah. I can''t imagine him waltzing into a party like that." Katherine glared at Lily. "He doesn''t like meeting strangers or discussing his relationship." Way to go, Lily.


    "We, as a couple, are very private and like to be left alone."


    ''What more do you need to get the message?''


    His shoulders slumped as he said a quick goodbye and walked off. She felt no remorse for telling him off. He knew well that Katherine was in a serious relationship but he still wanted to poke his nose where it didn''t belong.


    He just needed to respect her boundaries regardless of her relationship status. Was that too much to ask?


    With the pest gone, the girls had a couple more drinks. It was around nine in the night when a cab was called and they filled in. The bar wasn''t far from their apartment but for safety reasons, they preferred cabs.


    When they reached home, they sluggishly fell on the couch. Angelina and Katherine''s phones rang at exactly the same time. They glanced at each other, an explosion of joy in their hearts and scurried away into the privacy of their rooms.


    Lily rolled around on the couch for long enough before pulling her own phone out and drunk dialing her loving boyfriend... who was probably checking assignments.


    "Hello," Katherine said, trying not to sound too eager. She failed miserably. The door closed behind her just then.


    "Hi, love." She shuddered. With just those two words, she wanted to melt into his arms. I sank onto her bed, pressing her face into the pillow as the smile on her face broadened.


    "I miss you already," she m.o.a.ned. "I am beginning to know that we''ll never play hooky again." Stupid work. Who asked the planet to revolve around materialistic things?


    His warm laughter filled her ears. "Seriously. Everybody is conspiring to keep us apart. I don''t like it. We should have run away when we had the chance."


    She joined in with his laughter, his thoughts mirroring hers perfectly. "Nobody''s conspiring. I''m too scared people would chase me with pitchforks if I hid you." She gasped for effect.


    "As long as they don''t find us, we should be okay. And if they do... I''ll protect you with my body." The line went silent for a minute.


    "Was the flight okay?" she asked.


    "It was. None of the media outlets got wind of my arrival, so apart from a few fans asking for autographs, it was uneventful. I just checked into my room. We are staying farther away from the city because the location for shooting would be too long to travel every day." His words were meant to report on his every move. She loved it. She sniffed, feeling a loss. She could have just followed him and nothing would have gone wrong, but who knew, maybe his crew members would leak information to the press. They had to be careful.


    "I was speaking to my mom while I was in the cab, though. That''s why I didn''t call you right after I landed. Though, with Stephen constantly texting Angelina, you should have known we had landed." He sounded a bit confused.


    "We went out drinking. Lily and Angelina are babysitting me so that I don''t drown in my sorrow. But I think Angelina needs the support equally." She giggled.


    "Ah, so that is why you are so chirpy despite my absence. You''ve had a couple of drinks!" he sounded lighthearted about it, so the conversation changed quickly.


    "I''m sure Stephen was sending dirty texts to her by the look on his face. The sly man," he grumbled. He too wanted to send raunchy texts to his girlfriend, but more likely than not, both of them would remain unsatisfied and twisting and turning in bed due to lack of sleep.


    "How dare he!" she exclaimed. She felt a pang of jealousy one second and in the next, she decided that she was stupid for not being the one to text him, as well. Probably because she would just miss him more. "You sound jealous..." she commented smugly. "Do you want to get dirty texts, too?" Like she had to ask.


    "I always want dirty texts," he claimed. She could hear the smirk in his voice.


    She decided that she could do that tomorrow while he was working. Work him up a little during his breaks and rejuvenate him. She wouldn''t want her boyfriend to be tired, right? "If I had some alone time, I would send you all the filthy words I knew," she whispered for effect. She heard him suck in a huge breath and giggled.


    "I miss you," she heard him say. "Even though Stephen is with me, it feels so quiet and lonely."


    She knew what he meant. She stayed with two other girls who were boisterous. If the apartment seemed quiet with them in it, one could imagine.


    "One day down." She managed to say.


    He laughed. "We''ll be so busy that we won''t know when the time comes."


    "My mom wants to send you some gifts and was wondering if she could come down to cheer for you during the championship." He mentioned out of the blue. Katherine''s heart skipped a beat and she mulled over the words. She did? She felt tears prickle.


    "She doesn''t have to give me anything. Tell her that I can send her some tickets if she wants to come. I''ll send the date and timing when they arrive. If she is free..." she trailed off. His mother sounded like an incredible woman but meeting her alone without Cage? Would that be appropriate?


    "She wants to bring stuff for Angelina and Lily, too. I''ll send her the information. If she is free, she can drive to the championship."


    "She is so sweet. I''m looking forward to it." She didn''t want gifts, but if Cage''s mother wanted to give her something, she would be happy if it was a poisonous tode. Hopefully, she wouldn''t act flabbergasted when she met her in reality.

 Chapter 229 - Youre A Natural

    "I think Mom will be a huge part of your life from now on. She can poke her nose into everyone''s business but she means well..." he trailed off. It was meant to be a warning. Katherine had always been popular with parents so she didn''t mind in the least bit.


    "I won''t mind," she said firmly. It would be refreshing to have a boyfriend''s mother who was amicable and actually liked her. Weren''t mothers-in-laws seen to be as evil and whatnot? She would like to break away from that stereotype.


    "I think she likes you more than she likes me," he huffed. Katherine laughed at the idea.


    "Why do I feel like you will be the number one man in both our lives?" she taunted.


    "Can''t blame you for having good taste," he sang. She could hear rustling in the background and knew immediately that he was taking his clothes off. She didn''t comment on it and let him continue. Who knew a phonetic striptease could be so tantalizing?


    "Oh. I ran into Nathanial again," she admitted. She didn''t want to hide this from him lest Cage was offended upon finding out later.


    "Oh?" he simply replied. But his tone said it was.


    "Nothing to worry about. I don''t think he got the message. He just wants to keep pining for me or something. Wanted me to bring you to a party and whatnot..." There was silence. "I let him know that we are private and I am uncomfortable because of him."


    "You did good, love." He sounded a bit relieved. "Keep me informed. If anything changes, I''ll assign someone to look after you. With your videos going up... I will have to fend off waves of men pining for you."


    "Don''t exaggerate. It''s just a small channel."


    Cage scoffed. "You have seventy thousand followers already. Once you start uploading consistently... you''re going to be the new poster girl for gaming content on the platform."


    "You think too highly of me," she retorted. She didn''t believe that would ever happen.


    "Love, believe me. I have been in this industry for a long time. So has Stephen. We know how people work. You''ll be a sensation soon." He sounded convinced. There was no fear there, only pride.


    "Will that be okay with you?" she said suddenly. Would he mind?


    "I don''t mind in the least. I met you before you were famous and you love me despite my being famous."


    ''It will put us at an equal advantage,'' Katherine thought to herself.


    "I would like that," she said in a low, breathy voice. Cage would like that too.


    - - - - -


    [1.5 Months Later]


    The camera followed her as she cooked herself and her friends'' dinner. On tonight''s menu was Chicken, Eggs, and Greens. Well, it was mostly a stir-fry with the least bit of oil and a whole of nutrients which tasted amazing. In an attempt to give herself more flavor while she followed the dietary restrictions that Cage did, she had to come up with great recipes that worked. Lily was always up for the task of filming her cooking... which usually took around fifteen minutes of her time. The rest was left to Katherine.


    Post shooting the cooking video, Katherine covered Lily and Angelina''s portions and took hers to her bedroom where she would start filming her video.


    "Hello, my aliens," she said, looking straight at the camera with a wicked smile. She had slowly got into the habit of filming every day. She rarely got to speak to Cage, so showing him how she cooked, what she played, and leaving him small messages in her videos was all she could do.


    "Tonight, we are venturing into the dark dungeons of the game..." she continued to speak. She filmed for another hour before stopping the recording and stretching. Next, she would have to edit the whole thing and post it. Now, she had two full-time jobs, from the look of it.


    She walked out of her room to find her roommates in the dining area.


    "That was fast," Lily commented. "You''re a natural at this, aren''t you?" she commented as she broke into the omelet.


    "Thank you." Katherine took a deep breath. "I still feel nervous when I film and upload." She shrugged. "It''s been one and a half months." She wanted to groan. During that time, she had already posted forty-five videos and there were only two weeks left for the CoG competition to begin.


    "It''s been a short period of time," Angelina shrugged. "I still feel like an imposter when I post on my social media." And she was a model. It was obvious that Katherine would struggle with this newfound influence she had.


    "How did you make the sauce?" Angelina asked, poking at the food curiously. "It''s amazing." She had the audacity to m.o.a.n. Angelina was trying to learn how to cook for some reason. She hadn''t told anyone why.


    "Watch the video to learn," Katherine taunted. "I need you to watch all the ads so that I get money."


    "You already have half a million followers. It will only be a matter of time until you make tons of money. You don''t need my views for that." She stopped and turned to Katherine with a gleam in her eye. "I just remembered, I got some clothes that will fit you perfectly. I''ll go grab them after dinner."


    "I don''t need new clothes," Katherine grumbled as she took a seat. "I have everything that I need."


    "Stop," Angelina warned. "As an influencer, you are supposed to look a certain way. Your brand might be eccentric but down to earth. Yet it doesn''t mean that you can''t look pretty. Put some effort into the way you dress will make a world of difference. The followers will swarm to you like flies."


    Katherine knew she could trust Angelina but feared that the clothes her friend would recommend would be outlandish and not to her taste.


    "I''ll have you know, the hottest man on the planet thinks I look amazing in ratty clothes," she announced proudly. "I don''t need fancy clothes to be eye candy." The smugness made her friends look at her in disdain.

 Chapter 230 - Higher Aesthetic Standards

    "Your followers aren''t blindly in love with you. It is only a matter of time until they start m.o.a.ning and groaning about how you look. Believe me, the internet is a dangerous place." The sage-like nod and ominous tone were meant to frighten Katherine.


    "Have you seen the other gamers on the platform? They look like shit most of the time. I don''t think I need to be better!" Fair point.


    "But how many of them are women? How many are competing with men to win a championship? Women are held to higher aesthetic standards..." Seeing the look of disgust on her face, Angelina continued in a firmer voice. "I am not an advocate for such behavior but when in Rome, do as the Romans do." End of speech.


    Katherine groaned. "I hope it is nothing lewd." She was praying.


    Well, she did see the clothes and they were all nice looking. Some of them did have provocative necklines but nothing that would make Katherine feel uncomfortable. She was a bit worried about s.e.x.u.a.lizing her brand. Maybe she would talk to Cage about it before making a wardrobe change.


    As she mentioned earlier, most of the time, she filmed the video keeping him in mind. Give him a taste of how she was living. Let him live with her for some time.


    "How much did you spend?" Katherine asked, feeling uncomfortable.


    "I didn''t buy them. Perks of being an influencer." Angelina winked. "Start showing interest and companies will flock to you with products."


    "Have you been speaking to Stephen?" Katherine asked, wanting to change the topic.


    "Yeah. We walk when Cage is on breaks and doesn''t need him. For the most part, he after Cage so it''s not a lot of work. Cage, on the other hand, is working his ass off." Angelina suddenly missed the wily old fox.


    "Stephen has been sending me videos of the shooting and everything." She pulled out her phone and showed Angelina and Lily a picture of Cage sleeping in a chair on set.


    "Whoa. He looks so tired," Lily commented. Katherine couldn''t help but feel the same way. The movie was pure action and every scene was taxing on the body. On top of that, Cage demanded that he do all the stunts himself. Overall, he was not only working hard but also getting hurt all the time. When she thought about this, she wanted to pack up everything and run to him.


    But she couldn''t. She barely had time to talk to him on most days. Like the week before he left. They got on calls or Skype and then accompanied each other until Cage fell asleep. Occasionally, she would fall asleep before him.


    Raunchy discussions and teasing had gone out of the window. Replaced by it were two tired a.d.u.l.ts who needed some time off. Just one and a half more months and it would happen. Katherine would somehow manage to pre-film everything and put the videos on a timer. It didn''t matter.


    The conversation dwindled down until all of them retreated to their own rooms. Somehow, all their careers had taken off at the same time and they were barely breathing.


    Katherine pulled her Skype profile up and called Cage exactly on time. When he picked up, he was in an open space. His face was partially in the shadow but she could see that he looked beyond tired.


    "Are you still at the set?" she asked tentatively, keeping her voice low. After a long day, if she spoke too loudly, he might get a headache from being tired. She, of all people, knew how those splitting headaches felt.


    "Yeah. We couldn''t perfect one of the scenes. Everything got delayed." Cage wanted to complain and pout but he was surrounded by the crew members. He looked around himself to make sure no one was looking at him. Especially at his screen.


    "Will it go on for a long time?" Cage nodded.


    "At least three more hours. Then we will head back to the hotel. Thank god I have to come in later tomorrow." In his signature style, he scrubbed his face with his free hand. Katherine heard someone call his name and smiled despite her disappointment.


    "You should go. I will talk to you tomorrow." She blew him a flying kiss, hoping it would wipe the weariness off his face. Sure enough, he gave her a smile and nodded.


    "Goodbye," he whispered, the reluctance to part showing through. "Love you."


    "Love you, too." She muttered. A second of silence followed before both of them hung up.


    Katherine went back to the video and started to edit it.


    - - - - -


    People assumed that only being a good artist was enough to produce new paintings all the time. That was not the case. She didn''t live and breathe painting, and she oftentimes didn''t like the concept or specifications of a book cover. At those times, she really had to press herself to come up with excellent commercial ill.u.s.trations that would do her style justice.


    At university, digital media had been her interest and forte, especially since she discovered Photoshop. She would much rather work on a computer than a paintbrush. That was where she had been different from her fellow classmates. Angelina was amazing at realistic painting, while others preferred different methods and styles.


    Katherine massaged her sore neck after a couple of hours of drawing. Her eyes were rather dry and she felt her whole body sag with fatigue. She made full use of the stress ball as she took a break. Standing up, she walked around the apartment for some fresh air. The next day was a holiday, so she wouldn''t ill.u.s.trate. Instead, she would have to film extra videos that day so that she could post during the days off.


    Today would be a hectic way. More so than normal.


    She decided to relax and check her social media. She was not someone who checked her phone constantly for how her posts were doing but she did like to scroll through comments now and again just to make sure her followers were being nice to one another.

 Chapter 231 - Get Into A Scandal

    Her last video had been posted for about four hours at this point and she really wanted to see how it had done. The game she had played was somewhat unconventional and not many people had been featuring it on their channels. It was a multi-part series and if it didn''t do really well, she would have to rush through it. She frankly enjoyed the game, so she didn''t want to do that.


    For now, she wouldn''t let the statistics bog down her creativity. She wanted to play games because she loved it. She would stop posting when it became a chore. She had promised herself that.


    She blinked when she saw the views and the number of comments. She was used to seeing a hundred thousand views and hundreds of comments but the results she saw were staggering. One million views and thousands of comments.


    "Did I get into a scandal?" she muttered to herself. Feeling jittery. Something had done wrong and too many people had crowded her channel. As she scrolled through the comments, she saw compliments on her gaming skills and the food she had cooked. That was pretty standard. But she seemed to be trending... again.


    That is when she saw the most liked comment. Seven thousand plus likes already and it had been a couple of hours.


    [LazerBoi: I wish I could eat this food while I played. Fantastic gameplay!]


    Standard comment. Nothing too fancy or worth mentioning. The only thing was the person posting the comment. The reason why the video had become so popular was suddenly clear.


    LazerBoi had commented on her video. Most people on the platform knew who this man was. Twenty-eight years old, the king of gaming on the platform with over twenty-five million followers. He was most famous for playing flash games and reacting to Reddit posts. He uploaded two videos a day and had been on the platform for over ten years.


    He was one of the original content creators when the platform was launched. He was, indeed, a legend in these circles. Moreover, he was an attractive man. His gameplays may have attracted the gamers, but loads of casual fans dropped by because of his wicked looks sense of humor. Safe to say he had a lot of fangirls. A winning combination, in her opinion.


    But what the hell was he doing in her comments section? How did he find her? He always commented on how he never really watched other gamers on the internet because he felt lost if he did so. So, it was a huge deal.


    Also, how was she supposed to reply? It''s not like she could completely ignore him. She would be slaughtered.


    Not knowing what to do, she texted Lily and Angelina on their group chat.


    [Katherine: It seems that someone popular has taken notice of me.]


    She smiled when she saw Lily''s reply.


    [Lily: You found out just now? Isn''t he your boyfriend already?]


    Why, yes, he was. But not the man she was referring to.


    [Katherine: Not Cage. A popular creator LazerBoi commented. Somehow, I have millions of views on a video I posted five hours ago.]


    [Angelina: What a dumb name. Let me check.]


    There was radio silence for the next half an hour before she got a group call from her friends.


    "I can''t believe this," Lily commented. She seemed excited, but it was subdued when compared to Angelina.


    "Have the deities been taking mercy on you recently?" Angelina joked. "This man has as many followers as a small country has citizens." She seemed to be in awe.


    "Well, no need to be starstruck. You need to think of a nice way to reply to him," Lily commented.


    "I can''t believe it. How do you think he found me?" Katherine asked. She was still staring at the comment. So far, whenever she refreshed the page her stats would spike up.


    "Check if he follows you," Angelina asked quickly. "Just a comment won''t make people flood to your channel. There must be something else."


    Lo and behold. He had, indeed followed her. Her eyes widened. "Holy shit, he has."


    "Check on your other social media. I think his followers got wind of it and came in throngs to see who you are." That was safe.


    "I''ll do it later. For now, what do you guys think I should reply? I don''t want to reply..." she trailed off. She was doing just fine with her followers, now she felt like this would lead to something bigger.


    "Are you crazy?" Lily stared at her, appalled. "Of course you have to. You reply to other top comments and you shouldn''t discriminate." That was a fair point.


    "I understand that, but what do I reply to this comment?" she groaned.


    "Type it out..." Angelina started. She said the words and waited for Katherine to type it out.


    [Rinsten: I''d be happy to pass the recipe along. :D]


    "Doesn''t this sound a little flirty?" Katherine asked nervously. Lily scoffed and Angelina rolled her eyes.


    "Are you listening to yourself? You just told him you would give him the recipe. Not invite him over to your house for dinner." Angelina commented. An idea seemed to cross her mind. "Maybe, you could do that, too!"


    "Don''t say that," Lily reprimanded sternly. "Katherine''s situation is a bit different. She has to consider a lot of things. If a collaboration presents itself, she needs to ask Cage and Stephen before she finalizes. Her channel is in its infancy and she is still learning about the industry." Lily was always the wiser one.


    "I won''t be calling him over to my place. Don''t worry. Anyway, he lives in another town." She shrugged.


    The conversation ended soon enough and they went back to work.


    She didn''t check her social media for the rest of the day. She had already answered someone famous and didn''t want to think about his reply.


    She totally considered collaborating with LazerBoi because it would benefit her, but she would talk to Cage about it before making any decision. For now, she would wait for a reply.

 Chapter 232 - Getting Late

    She also regretted her wording. Should she had replied differently? After shooting three videos in a row for the weekend, she finally checked her social media once again.


    He had replied.


    [LazerBoi: I can''t even boil water without burning it. I would have to plead with you to cook me dinner someday?]


    He had also privately messaged her on one of her social media accounts to ask which city she lived in and if they could collaborate. She was flattered. She contemplated how to reply before she decided that she needed to text Cage first.


    [Are you free to talk?] she typed out and sent in a hurry.


    The phone rang after five minutes and she heaved a sigh of relief when she saw who it was.


    "Hi," she started anxiously.


    "You sound nervous, what is wrong?" Cage asked. He had just finished shooting a scene and had been rewatching the take when her text came in. Thankfully, Stephen was holding onto his phone and passed it to him when he saw Katherine''s text flash on the locked screen.


    Her words screamed of urgency, so he called the minute he had time.


    "My recent video got millions of views and comments..." she trailed off. The panic in her voice alerted him and his head snapped towards Stephen. His manager had been watching him and scurried closer so that he could help.


    "What is it?" he asked. He had gone through each and every one of her videos and made sure someone was tracking everything. Surely, there was no problem.


    "So, a content creator with lots of followers commented and people flooded to my video. I replied and now he wants to collaborate," Katherine said in one breath. Cage breathed out in relief and shook his head at Stephen.


    "That''s a good thing, right?" he replied. He knew he needed to reassure her about something but she wasn''t sure what. Yet.


    "It should be. The problem is, he wants to come over for dinner. I think this is all about making videos together but I don''t know what to do." Katherine thought about her reasons.


    "Okay, walk me through this. It seems like a good opportunity, why are you worrying?" He had a slight inkling as to what it was, but he didn''t want to assume anything.


    "I am worried that collaborating will lead to rumors or reflect badly on you." So, there it was. Cage sighed. "Are you angry?" she asked in a small voice. Had he ever given her the impression that anything she did could reflect badly on him?


    "What made you think that? Katherine, I don''t care what others say about you. If you are worried, just do your research, think about the risks and benefits. Weigh them out and decide. This is your life." He wanted to let her live. His identity shouldn''t be a hindering block in their relationship and her growth. She should be able to do whatever she wanted, not be bogged down by worry for him.


    Then what was the use of all his employees and the money he had earned?


    "You''re not joking," she commented after a long pause, awe filling her voice.


    "Of course, not. You make the content you like. Just like I choose movies I would like to watch. If there is any backlash, we will take care of it. You shouldn''t worry about something that might happen and live in fear!" This was a lesson that he had learned the hard way. It was difficult to overcome the fear but he would stick by Katherine''s side until she could trust herself to make the right choices for herself.


    "So if I brought on a problematic content creator and my name was tarnished, you would stand by me?" She wouldn''t do that but it was an example.


    Cage listened to her silently before laughing. "You underestimate yourself. You are far more mature than most people on the planet and know your boundaries. I trust you." What more could he say?


    "Thank you for that," she sighed. "I feel a little better. I will watch his content and figure out how I should reply." Then she paused.


    "Scared?" Cage voiced. He knew the feeling. The crippling anxiety before starting a project or before you made the decision. It got easier but never faded. The higher the stakes, the more one had to choose.


    "A bit," Katherine admitted. "You''re getting late," she muttered under her breath.


    "Never for you," he claimed with a small smile. Stephen was already on his phone and getting a download on the situation. He looked pleased with everything.


    "I love you. Goodbye," she said, finally. His reply was soft and doting. The call ended and Cage turned to Stephen with curiosity.


    "The creator is huge. Would bring in a lot of followers. Now, she has to retain them and make them think she is more than just a creator shouting her out." Stephen meant business.


    "Don''t interfere right now. Katherine can handle it on her own," he mentioned. Stephen nodded and pushed his phone back inside his pocket.


    "You need to go. The next scene will start shooting shortly." Cage heaved a sigh as his shoulder slumped. Remembering her ''I love you,'' he puffed up his chest and walked straight. Time to get some work done.


    - - - - -


    [Rinsten: I wouldn''t want you to burn down your house. Sure, I would love to cook you a meal.]


    She publicly posted this on her YouTube comments section in reply to him so that everyone could see. She also privately texted him saying that she lived in City H and would love to collaborate with him if the opportunity arose.


    She didn''t want to assume that he actually wanted to collaborate and wanted to leave a leeway so that they could place their offers without having to think about the commitments they made at the beginning of the conversation.


    She closed her browser quickly before taking in a deep breath.

 Chapter 233 - In Black and White

    She should have known this would happen. She had spent most of her life talking to people on the internet, albeit anonymously. She was well aware that fans could get a little crazy. She had been on the other side of the discussion many times. She had been getting into social media fights and philosophical discussions about fan theories and celebrities, especially Cage, so she knew what she had signed up for. But know knew that social media personalities could garner this much attention.


    Maybe they were right to say that content put out on social media would be the new go-to in the coming decades.


    It was a different ballgame when she was on the receiving end. Hundreds of mentions in the past couple of hours, especially after she had replied to LazerBoi. He hadn''t replied so far, but the fans were going wild.


    After her message telling him she would love to cook for him, he had tweeted something about her.


    [LazerBoi: Who wants a colab with @Rinsten?]


    The mentions ranged from people who couldn''t believe their eyes and thought it was an absolute joke to people who were looking forward to it. She had even seen some of the handles who frequently mentioned her throwing themselves in the mix in enthusiasm. And then there were the confused souls who had no clue who this elusive Rinsten was.


    Yes, her email ID, the one she made for her social media accounts was flooded with queries, some business-related, and others absolute nonsense. If it went on, her brain would explode from working on overdrive.


    She was still nervous about Cage and how her newfound ''fame'' would affect him. But she also took the precautions he had spoken about. She watched video after video on the background as she worked on other things and did her chores. She went throw news articles about him and ug for anything negative that might have come out.


    The result? She absolutely loved his content. He was mildly eccentric, with his loud-mouthed antics and accents. He was quite a comedian. She couldn''t find much dirt on him that would throw her off the idea of this collaboration. Therefore, the pros were above the cons. She wanted to take the bet.


    Now, she just had to sit back and see how the audience reacted, and if the negotiations went through.


    She was still working on her ill.u.s.tration with LazerBoi''s videos in the background when the door to her bedroom opened.


    "Katherine?" she heard Lily call.


    "What''s up?" Katherine asked, pausing the video and turning to look at her friend who was standing at her doorway.


    "I''m going out on a date night with Jared tonight, so please don''t cook. Angelina is already complaining that she has gained some fat around her stomach." Lily came into the room and sat herself down on Katherine''s bed.


    "A shame. It would have been better if it went to her b.o.o.b.s," Katherine snickered. It was a running joke between the girls that Angelina''s excellent genes had deprived her of the voluptuous b.o.o.b.s that she wanted. Angelina often groaned about Katherine''s luscious ''funbags''. "You''re meeting Jared''s parents, right?" Katherine asked.


    She had been curious about this since they came back from vacation. Lily had softened up about the situation during their time at the cabin but she still wanted their relationship to mature before she took the frightening step of meeting the parents. Recently, Lily and Jared had spoken about the matter again and decided that it was time.


    Good for them.


    "I don''t remember telling you," Lily comment, arching her brows. Katherine snickered. "Are you lonely because your boyfriend is out of town? Is that why you are eavesdropping on my conversations with my bae?" Lily was cheeky, as usual.


    Katherine rolled her eyes in response. "Yes, I enjoy torturing myself by seeing people in love when I can''t touch my man." Though it was meant to be sarcastic, the longing in her voice gave her true thoughts away.


    Lily smirked. "Well, wish me luck. Parents don''t like me. I am not betting for that record to change." Her smirk fell and she sighed. It was true. She never seemed to get along with the parents of men she was dating. Parents of friends? Sure, they loved her.


    "Parents know when someone is serious about their child. You are serious about Jared, so they will see that and love you," Katherine reassured.


    "You''ve become a guru at this, haven''t you?" Lily praised. "How is your relationship with your mother-in-law?" Lily asked.


    "Don''t say that!" Katherine whined. "One shouldn''t make claims so early..." She trailed off. "She''s doing well. Busy with the practice for a coming series of concerts. His father has been cooped up, composing. I don''t know when we will meet but I have my fingers crossed. Hopefully, he will be there when the meeting happens." She really hoped that would be the case or she would be in hot water. She wouldn''t know how to act or what to talk to her about. A mess.


    She needed to be perfect when she confronted her mo... Cage''s mother and father. She looked up and did a quick prayer so that the superior powers wouldn''t condemn her for singing the victor song before the battle.


    Don''t call yourself family unless you have it in black and white.


    Okay, Katherine. Going too far. One step at a time. Enjoy your quiet time with Cage before you think about cakes and wedding dresses. It''s too early for that.


    "That''s an excellent game plan. Make sure you talk to her when you can. Even send memes." Lily stood up. Cleaning her sweaty palms on her thighs she was about to go out. "Are you watching LazerBoi?" she asked before she left.


    "Yeah. Doing some research before I commit to anything." Lily nodded.


    "Don''t think too hard. Don''t think he is too big of a creator for you or that he can harm you. He''s just a human. Just because he has loads of fans doesn''t mean you are on the losing side," Lily reassured with a shrug.

 Chapter 234 - Express His Personality

    A bell of understanding rang in Katherine''s mind. The losing side. So, that was what she was worried about. If it had been smaller creators, she would have gladly collaborated with them or spoken to them freely, but with a larger audience there were higher stakes and she was the one at a disadvantage if something bad happened. Why? Because LazerBoi would have the support of his fans.


    "Also, please remember that your boyfriend had a lot more fans than this guy. You would crush him by default if it came to a battle between fandoms." Lily sounded so confident.


    "Honey, Cage''s fans would side with LazerBoi if they found out I was doing the devil''s tango with their idol." Katherine rolled her eyes.


    "Make them love you, then." Coming from Lily''s mouth, it sounded so easy. But it was easier said than done.


    "Winning someone''s heart is harder than most things," Katherine commented. "Do you want anything to eat?" She changed the topic quickly.


    Lily groaned. "Stop. I don''t want to eat. I''ll start complaining about gaining weight, too."


    "Don''t be afraid of the scale, sister!" she cheered as she stretched and got up from her seat. Slowly, she made her way out of her room with Lily hot on her heels.


    "I''m just grabbing a glass of milk," Katherine announced. Lily was peeved. The food was good, but for herself, she would have to watch how much she ate. Even if Katherine said that her food was healthy, the other two were constantly eating other meals outside.


    "I should start cooking," Lily commented as she trailed behind.


    "What possessed you to come to that decision?" Katherine asked curiously. Lily thought about it.


    "I want to pack my own lunches. Beeing in a committed relationship has made me realize that I spend money frivolrously." She tsked and shook her head at her previous antics. Katherine narrowed her eyes as she scrutinized Lily''s expression.


    "You''ve had an argument about this with Jared," she concluded proudly. Jared was... very fatherly. He liked thinking about the future and planning. Lily was also future oriented and very mature about most things in life. Just not material things.


    Apart from the amount she paid as rent, she rarely saved a lot and usually spent her money on buying equipment she did not need or buy food outside.


    "Yeah," Lily confided with a shrug. "It wasn''t much of an argument. We pulled out our bank details and talked about money like a normal couple. I saw what I had to offer and felt like shit. Man, he is invested in the family thing." She shook her head. It was difficult for her to think about these things, but slowly she was coming to terms with the banal aspects of a long term relationship.


    "Looking at financials..." Katherine repeated thoughtfully. "Cage and I tried to talk about money... we never got down to the hard numbers," she confessed. "You''re far mature that way." She had to agree. Money was important.


    "Uh. Cage has a lot of money and you own an apartment at twenty-five. You are doing well, don''t worry." Lily rolled her eyes.


    "The bank owns my apartment. I still have to pay the loan for two years before I fully own it." She pouted.


    "You''ve not been together for long, considering the time you spent apart. You can''t just whip out your bank information over a call or Skype." There was a silent consensus on this. Both of their relationsh.i.p.s were non-toxic and mature. They were doing life right. Great. The girls went their own way, Lily to her room to watch tutorials on how to impress parents and Katherine to her work with a glass of milk in her hands.


    - - - - -


    Katherine was on a video conference with executives from a publishing firm and a best selling author who wanted her to ill.u.s.trate the cover. The discussion was mostly between the firm and the author and Katherine was utterly bored.


    Mix that with the lack of sleep, and she had a problem on her hand. Most things seemed bland recently. Things she loved and looked forward to seemed to pale in comparison. She chalked it up to not being abe to ee Cage or talk to him for an extended period of time.


    The parties droned on and on. She surreptitiously looked at the time. Just a few hours until work ended.


    Her phone buzzed on her work table and she quickly pulled it to herself before the vibration finished. Anything for a distraction. She looked down at the phone and a smile spread across her face.


    [How does this outfit look? Apparently, Kevin needs to look like a bad boy in this scene and express his personality through his attire. How does it look to you?]


    This was the message Cage had sent. The photo attached made her mouth water. How does it look? Divine. He was in a black leather jacket and pants to go with it, his shirt had a graphic ill.u.s.tration that showed off his nerdy side. And the sunglasses. That was the final touch that killed her.


    Looking at him felt like a sin, and boy would she go to hell for him. He was smiling and looking completely f.u.c.kable and she was stuck in a business meeting hours away.


    [Kind sir, aren''t you scared that this little girl will get a heart attack from how incredible you look?]


    Having sent the response, she kept her phone aside and waited for his response.


    [It''s an emergency, ma''am! Answer me.]


    So demanding. What was his question again?


    She scrolled back and saw what he was asking.


    [There''s no use asking. You look like a snacc. The cookie monster in me is fighting to come out. You''ve been taking care of your skin...] Yes, she noticed that. He had been looking rough when he left for shooting, but recently, he had become supple and moisturized. What was his secret to flawless skin? She must find out.

 Chapter 235 - Heavenly But All Mine

    [I''ve been going around buying your lotion. Alas, those bottles run out fast.] He had attached a crying emoji, as well. She couldn''t believe that he was actually using her lotion. Not as a joke but for daily use.


    Another text from him came in.


    [It feels like you are here with me. When I walk around, everyone knows your smell on me. I''ve been asked what it was. Apparently, you smell amazing to others, too.]


    She bit her lip. Why were all these people going around sniffing him? Had they no other work? And she didn''t think they were complimenting her. They were complimenting him.


    [While I don''t appreciate others going around smelling you (that is downright creepy), I won''t be that person who pees on their significant other to ward of love rivals.] Well, that should do it.


    [Do you need to do another action scene?] she asked after a while. The reply came soon.


    [I will protect my body from the sniffers. I have one scene today that is action-based, but nothing that will injure me.]


    She read it and pursed her lips. She had watched the previous movies and knew the kind of stunts Cage had to do. On that note, anything he called not harmful would be at the least enough to cause a concussion.


    [Will you let me sniff you, though? I miss you.]


    She laughed at the thought of him sniffing her. Her train of thought was broken when someone spoke up.


    "Miss Austen, is everything okay?" an executive asked. The man looked positively livid. If they hadn''t been on a business call, the tone he used would have been very different.


    She swore internally. She had forgotten to mute her microphone. A rookie mistake when one worked from home.


    "Sorry, I just got a lovely idea for the cover. Don''t mind my reactions..." She hoped for all she was worth that the other two wouldn''t point out her blatant lie and condemn her reaction as an act of lunacy because of inspiration or something. Whatever they think about artistry.


    The executive eyed Katherine but thankfully, the camera couldn''t catch the cellphone in her hands. "If I may continue, then," the executive said frigidly. Katherine smiled innocently and pretended to care about the discussion happening as the executive went on about the character growth and how the plot needs to change to suit a stupid trope readers liked in the present.


    Katherine sighed and counted herself lucky. Clearly these people didn''t know how enticing Cage Cavanaugh could me. Irresistible.


    [I''ll let you sniff me anytime, just give me a headsup before you do. I do stink after a long day or work or workout. I don''t want you to think I smell like a decomposing buffalo.]


    Katherine moved forward and muted the call immediately so that she could snicker to herself. Where did he get those similes from. They made no sense. But at the same time, she got a perfect sense of what she meant. She didn''t know what a decomposing buffalo smelled like but it wouldn''t be pretty. If her attraction to Cage was any indication and pheromones and science were not kidding, even if he did smell like that, she might just find him attractive.


    Did she want to test that theory? Not really. But their love would have to stand the test of smelling foul to one another. It was bound to happen some time.


    [Sorry. I am not interested in smelling corpses. But if you coax me enough, I might just try.] Call her crazy, but that was what she texted him. [Is your GC interview today?] she asked out of the blue. She remembered he had said something of the sort.


    [Yeah. It was supposed to happen before our vacation but something urgent came up on their recent editions and my interview was pushed back.] Understandable. There had been a lot of surprise movies coming out for the past two months from people who are well known in the industry. Though Cage was a hotshot, there was nothing hot to talk about at the moment, so they must have pushed it back.


    It was a good thing that there was no juicy news about him. Yet.


    [Hope it goes well. You''ve thoroughly enticed me. How am I supposed to concentrate on my meeting now?]


    Her mind went back to the video call for a second and she tried to concentrate when another message came in.


    [Ah. I really want to get into a business meeting with you. But don''t let them detain you after the call. I''ll be the only one doing that.] Damn right. She thought about it. A boss fantasy? Why not.


    Suddenly, she was hot and bothered and the executive and author droned on.


    [What are you doing to me? *groan* I''m turned on, now and on a video call. How do you think I look?]


    Take that!


    [Heavenly, but all mine.] He replied.


    [Just you wait. I''ll take revenge!] Katherine swore.


    [Game on.] Cage replied.


    Katherine squinted at the screen and dropped her phone on the table. She turned back to the call in front of her and thought about ways she could get back at him. He challenged her when he had a long interview to sit through. With a little help, she would be prepared.


    [Lily, Angelina... It seems I need some help.]


    And then she wrote what she wanted to do.


    - - - - -


    "Good evening, Mr. Cavanaugh," The reporter began on a very formal note. "My name is Giselle. It''s nice to meet you." She extended her hand towards him with a polite smile.


    "Just call me Cage," he insisted without a second thought. The woman seemed to be his age and had a friendly face. From what he knew about her, she wrote some pretty insightful stories and gave the audience what they wanted without it being brash. That was exactly what he wanted.


    Giselle promptly led him to a suite in the same hotel he was living at. The room was beautiful, with a fireplace and a piano. It reminded him of the cabin on the mountains and he had to smile at the memory. The little look of satisfaction on his face wasn''t lost on the photographer and Giselle.

 Chapter 236 - No Blood No Foul

    "We hope you like the room. The magazine editor pulled some strings to get this on a short notice, really. We wanted the best for you, considering how you have put up with us postponing the interview for months, now." Giselle sounded extremely apologetic. Cage shook it off and pointed towards the couch.


    "Do you want me there?" he asked the photographer. The man shook his head with a small smile.


    "I''ll take candid photographs for now, so maybe explore the suite a little before we settle down. We have also booked some time in the rooftop and poolside area for some photos."


    Sure," Cage agreed readily. He shrugged off the jacket he was wearing and placed it on the armrest of the couch. He went around to explore, loosening up. He felt pulled towards the piano, so he went towards it momentarily, caressing the keys with a smile on his face and languidly pressing on random keys until he was satisfied. It was a beautiful suite, but there was only so much he could ''explore.'' On top of that, he didn''t have a lot of time to expend on this interview, primarily because he was tired and he really wanted to talk to Katherine before going off to sleep.


    But the suite was great. If Katherine ended up visiting him, whenever that was, he would definitely bok a couple of days in this suite. She would have so much fun with the vast balcony and outdoor furniture. The decoration seemed right up her alley.


    Soon enough, he sat down on the couch, getting comfortable. The couch was tricky. Photographs of people on the couch rarely came out well unless the actor and photographer were cautious. Cage might not have in a mood to pose, but for the sake of the long awaiting interview and the pressing need to let the world know that he was taken, he would look handsome and smile along.


    You don''t mind if I record this, right?" Giselle asked confidently. She hadn''t brought a notepad and pen with her as per usual protocol, so it was given that she would be recording the conversation. Cage had allowed a personal interview without Stephen being in the room, so he needed to protect himself, as well. He puled out his cellphone and loaded the recorder with a smirk on his face.


    "Of course, I don''t have a problem with that... if you don''t have a problem with me doing the same." He would pass on the recording to Stephen so that he could predict the article and back up any comments with facts.


    Giselle chuckled with a shake of her head. "I''m surprised that you came prepared. Of course, that was the only reason why I am interviewing you without a chaperone." She switched on the recorder at the same time as Cage. He tilted his head to the side and gave her a casual shrug.


    "I like to keep proof of everything I say. You know how dangerous misconstrued words can be."


    Giselle nodded, almost in understanding, her eyes twinkling at the prospect of getting some dirt on a felow journalist. "Sad to hear your words have to twisted. Would you mind elaborating on who and what they said?" she asked politely. It was a long shot, but she had to take the chance. She wouldn''t know the answer unless she asked. A little coaxing could go a long way.


    Cage wanted to roll his eyes. Giselle had a close to impeccable reputation but she, too, liked to get the juicy details. Cage would be stupid if he trashed another media outlet in front of their competitor. "No blood no foul."


    Giselle paused and gave him a cautious look. "Before we start the interview, is there anything you would like to order? Some food or drinks?" she trailed off into the question. "We''ll foot the bill, of course," she added immediately.


    "I''m good. I have to watch what I eat, you know. I''ve been receiving special food from the hotel chefs for the past month and a half." He smiled a bit dejectedly. After watching Katherine''s videos he would feel even worse about the food. Sure, these executive chefs at hotels knew how to make healthy food delicious, but he wanted to taste what she was tasting on a daily basis.


    "I understand," Giselle said with a small laugh. "I saw that you are wearing a graphic t-shirt with an ill.u.s.trated cat on it." She pointed to his shirt. Her eyes were a little wide when she read the caption under the ill.u.s.tration. "And it says ''Cat Cage''. Where did you get this made? Who designed it?" She gave it a look and admired the artistry.


    "Secret. My t-shirt dealer will not be revealed to the world." He snickered. He had received it a couple of weeks into filming. The package arrived on set during the morning and he didn''t open it until later. He received Katherine''s call before he opened it, actually. She asked him how he liked it and he had no clue. Well, when he opened the box, he had to guffaw.


    Cat Cage. Katherine often called him a cat because he sometimes purred when he was cuddling. He didn''t mind. He was a clingy cat when it came to his Kitty. What a cheesy pair they made. The cherry on the top was that she had pranced around in this shirt and sent it to him smelling like her. She had a shirt of his and he could then say the same.


    "I''m jealous. I like graphic t-shirts, too," she mentioned. "But what does it signify?" she asked casually.


    "I''ve been told that I act like a cat at times." Obviously, he wouldn''t be saying when. "Sorry to all my fans who prefer dogs over cats. I have come to realize that I prefer kitties over puppies." He gave a smirk at that.


    ''Great wordplay there, Cage.''


    "Is that an innuendo?" Giselle burst out into laughter. Cage''s face was overcome with horror.


    "No!" he protested loudly. "Clearly, I didn''t think that answer true." He waved his finger at her in warning. She raised her hand above her head in surrender. He sighed and went back to relaxing.

 Chapter 237 - Women Love You

    "Moving on. Let''s talk about your new movie. Kevin Heart... the next installment is being filmed right now. How is that going?" So, the time for greetings and fun was over.


    Getting down to business, Cage replied. "We started filming six weeks ago and the progress has been phenomenal. It''s a lot to do in a short period of time and the demand is higher than ever. You know how Director Sam loves perfection." Giselle nodded in understanding.


    "You''re still doing your own stunts. It takes considerable amount of training to achieve the level of perfection you bring to the table. What has been your method to achieve this?" This was a question he didn''t get as often as he would like.


    "I have to train hard every day of the week and there is little time to rest in between. I am eating consistently and making sure I am safe during those scenes. That is what matters the most to me: the safety of my team and I." It was the truth. Stunts could be extremely dangerous. At best, he would have a minor injury, but one mistake and he could end up in the hospital.


    He didn''t want that for himself.


    "How do you maintain this routine when you are between the Heart films? You have been doing other films in between. Your schedule... what does it look like?" Cage looked at Giselle with a curious look. She was definitely leading up to something but he wasn''t sure what it was exactly. He decided to remain cautious and think over his words carefully before he replied.


    "I tend to wake up at the wee hours of the morning and work out. My trainer doesn''t let up on the routine, usually, so I remain in good strength and retain stamina even when I am filming. It does get very difficult to keep up with everything at once, but at the end of the day... I chose this path." He shrugged.


    "Action movies are hard to film," she acknowledged. "You''ve mainly focused on action for all these years, but rumor has it, you are moving away from that and going into romances and more mature plots." Cage paused and looked at her. So, this was her game.


    "Personally, I feel that an actor should be versatile." Short answers so that he doesn''t walk into a trap.


    "That is to say that you won''t be doing any more action films in the near future?" Cage thought very carefully about how he should answer. He shot to fame because of his action movies. If he removed himself from that genre completely, he would lose out on a lot of traction. At the same time, filming action got boring really quickly. It didn''t challenge him any longer and he felt stunted in his acting career. He needed more to prove himself worthy.


    "I am not going to stop doing action movies. If something catches my interest in the future, I will jump at the opportunity." Conservative answer that couldn''t be picked apart. He was happy with that response.


    "People know you for your action movies. What else would they come to see you for?" she asked with a clever look in her eye. Cage returned her gaze and thought carefully about how to answer. Though the question might seem like a personal attack, this was something he was frequently asked by people in the industry. The audience wanted to know what he would do next. At some point, he would have to answer those questions. The question was: how?


    I can''t really say what roles I will take on in the future, but I am sure I will know the perfect roles when I come across them. Until then, I can only hope that people enjoy my acting and feel like my journey as an actor is worth following." He gave her a polite smile. One thing was for use. There would be at least one fan who would watch every movie he acted in.


    I''ll wait patiently to find out what you have in your sleeves, then," Giselle nodded. The stern tone let Cage know that she was settling for that answer for now.


    "Talking about roles out of the norm for you. You acted in the movie ''Under the Stars'' and it was a massive hit with the audience." It was a statement but Cage felt like he needed to reply or acknowledge it in some manner. It was an insinuation that he could talk about going into acting as romantic interests and what not. Cage didn''t want to take the bait.


    "I was astounded that people would come to watch me. It was a smaller production than the other films I have participated in and it was a romance. Both of those things made it quite unlikely that the film would do well, but at the end of the day, it did really well in the box office." From the corner of his eyes, he could see the photographers snap pictures of him. For a second, Cage wondered what was so fascinating about his expression that the man was intently clicking pictures of him.


    "Women love you!" Giselle pointed out. Cage squinted at her, trying to figure out if she was part of that group. It didn''t seem like the case. It was rare for a journalist to grill him and try to ween out information from him without sighing and giggling about meeting him. It was hard to believe for most, but it was the sad truth.


    "For some reason, they do. I''m eternally grateful for that. I should also thank all the male friends, boyfriends, and husbands who accompanied these women to watch my movie. I know there was not a lot of action in the movie, but I hope they enjoyed it as well." Cage let out a small chuckle, satisfied with his little speech.


    "The role was unconventional to say the least... for you. What prompted you to take on that role?" Easy peasy.


    "The character was an odd combination of self-assured and vulnerable that really resonated with me. For once, I wanted to act like the hot male lead that women swoon over and still show the depth of this man''s emotions."

 Chapter 238 - Best Served Cold

    He paused and thought carefully before saying the next part. "Some people have commented that I am trying to become a romantic hero now that action isn''t working out for me. I don''t think that is the case." He shook his head for emphasis.


    "Action isn''t working for you? Who are these people?" Giselle asked, looking utterly confused and rather aggravated by the fact. She leaned forward, pressing her fingers to her cheeks as she waited in rapt attention for his response.


    "Hey, I''ve heard it. I hope I would know if I was washed up." Cage shrugged. The comment hadn''t really affected him but when he thought back, he wondered how long he could do what he loved doing. It wasn''t for money. He had a passion for this. That was why he struggled to get where he was today.


    "I''ll move on, then. How is shooting so far? Is it any different working on this set from the one you were working on previously?" There was a twinkle in her eyes that Cage didn''t like. She was going to grill about salacious stuff.


    "I worked with a new crew for ''Under the Stars'', so it was a refreshing experience. But on the Kevin Heart set, I am treated like an old boy who is imprisoned with the others. I am not treated any different and I get cursed out often." He bit back a smile that was about to escape.


    "Ah, I suppose the sets are different. People matter. If I understand correctly, you had a wonderful time with your co-star Keira Higgins." The tone was sarcastic. Cage really wanted to shut her down but he felt like he needed to get news about Katherine out, so he persisted.


    "While you are recording this, I hope you don''t put this in the article. I would highly appreciate if you keep all of that aside." He was as stern as he could be in that case.


    "Is that to say that you are not over the incident?" Giselle propped back, placing one foot over the over and tapping her fingers on her cheek as she watched him for a change in expression.


    He leveled her with a hard look. "It''s hardly news. I''ve already said my piece."


    Giselle sighed. "You aren''t curious about what Keira is up to after you came out?" Cage quirked his brow at the journalist. "She lost some brand deals and has been recently signed to take part in an action movie."


    Yes, he had known. There was no way he wouldn''t know with everyone around him reminding him on a regular basis. Yet, he pretended that Giselle was the first person to bring it up. "Is that so?" he asked with the raise of a brow.


    Giselle chuckled. "I have to say, either you are indifferent about her or you are a really good actor."


    Cage laughed in response, trying to lighten the situation. "I would like to believe that I am a good actor. So, both?" he left it at that.


    His phone went off on the table. Giselle scrunched her brow as she looked at the illuminated screen. She couldn''t see a name, but it was a message. Cage looked down too.


    "Do you need to take that?" she asked, pointing towards the phone.


    Cage had an inkling about who was texting him. "Yes," he replied cheerfully. He picked up his cellphone and started speaking again. "I''ll take a small break. Do you mind stopping the recorder for a bit? I''ll do the same."


    Giselle shrugged, prompting him to go ahead. He stopped the recording and sat back with a smile on his face when he saw that the text was, indeed, from Katherine.


    He clicked it open and groaned when he saw what she had sent.


    [Revenge is not best served cold. It is best when the time is right.] This was the message under the picture of her. He was not a fan of the color pink but she had a little satin night dress on that was baby pink in color. It brought out the color of her skin and how delicate it looked. She was lying on her bed with a look that screamed for him to run his way back to H city and to her.


    [I started a war I could never win. I want to beg for more pictures but I have a journalist sitting across from me. I don''t think she would hold back if junior makes an appearance.] Cage grinned as he sent that. Less than a minute passed before she replied.


    [I have more from where that came from. Who knew that Angelina had one of those bendy tripods for cellphones.]


    His eyes bugged out. So, she did have more pictures. How long could he hold on before he begged her to send her more pictures? [Ah, I may have posed n.a.k.e.d, as well.] His hand reached his forehead and he wiped it. He wanted to hide his expression for a bit before he composed himself.


    He quickly typed back. [I sent you a picture of a mirror selfie and you sent a piece of art? How am I supposed to compare?]


    Cage heard the clearing of throat. Someone was trying to catch his attention. He could have a little more time to reply if he wanted. It''s not like they were in a horrible rush. Or at least he hoped not. He needed to reply to his girl. It had been too long since they flirted over text. This was their original romance. A slice of that pie was good for their body once in a while.


    [Somehow, I like that mirror selfie better than those glamorous pictures they take at photoshoots. Of course, I wouldn''t want you disrobing in front of anyone else.] He could imagine her glaring at him mockingly.


    [I only took off my jacket. No one else sees me. Should I stop showing skin altogether?] While he was teasing, if she wanted, he would do it. [I am wondering how long I will survive without calling you.] He was disappointed he couldn''t call her immediately or that she couldn''t send him the s.e.xier pictures. He was also grateful that his c.o.c.k wasn''t too painfully hard. It was a miracle.

 Chapter 239 - Not A Distraction

    [You should be in the middle of your interview. Am I holding you back?]


    ''Never,'' Cage thought vehemently.


    [I feel like having a date with you tonight. Be prepared, honey!] After writing that, he finally heard another sound from the two other people in the room. He looked up and gave them a guilty look. [I''ll get going. I am getting glares now.]


    He put his phone on silent before restarting the recorder again. Cage felt the need to smile at Giselle, who looked like she had found a valuable piece of information. Of course, she had. Anyone who looked at his face when he so much as thought about her would know exactly how he felt about her.


    "I apologize for that. It was important."


    Giselle answered shrewdly. "Huh. Yeah. I can see that it was." She looked at him curiously. "I''ve never seen you smile before."


    That made him think that. "I smile all the time," he defended. He thought back to all the times he had smiled at every person he came across. Even when he was tired to his bones, he smiled.


    "Of course, you smile all the time. Politely. But I have never seen you look so ecstatic about something." Well, only if she knew why he was excited.


    "Well. No more distractions. I''ll answer all your questions now." That was a bold thing to say.


    "I like distractions. I want to know them. Who?"


    Cage was considering if he should play dumb. He had previously decided that he would let people know of her existence. "She''s not a distraction," he informed vaguely.


    "So, it is a female." She nodded her head. A smile spread across her lips at the fact that Cage was answering her questions. She had expected him to close up at the mention of his private life once again. Can I assume you have someone special in your life?" She prayed that he would offer more information.


    "I do." Special didn''t cut it. She meant so much more.


    "Who is she? Tell me about her." Cage raised a brow. He mulled over it for a moment and went for the vaguest possible reply.


    "She doesn''t work in the industry and that is all you will get out of me." He shrugged.


    Giselle''s eyes narrowed as she prepared for her next attack. "Don''t be a spoil sport." She gave him a meaningful look. "She is dating you, she will come into the spotlight sooner or later. Might as well reveal her now. You never know when the world finds out and pounces on her." Giselle shrugged.


    "Isn''t that why I am telling everyone that she exists?"


    "The press follows you all the time. Apart from some female friends, you haven''t met anyone." Now this was a good strike. If he said that he met her, they would follow him more cautiously. If he said no, it would disregard Katherine''s existence. Nope.


    "I am not going to tell you anything about her," he shrugged.


    "Come on. People will find out eventually..." Cage shook his head.


    "Just because people will know eventually doesn''t mean I will give away information when my girlfriend and I are not ready. Until we decide to do it on our own terms, I would ask everyone to respect our need for privacy." He bowed, hoping that the message went across.


    "Will she be travelling with you while you shoot?" Giselle asked, still pressing. Did she think that he would tell her this, so that they could hound Cage at the hotel and airports and try to find out who she was. How stupid. He was getting mildly upset but evasion was also amusing.


    "No, she has to work." He would like to see how she figured that one out.


    "So, she works," Giselle said with a shred of interest. "More clues."


    "Do whatever you want with it. Best of luck," Cage chuckled. Over seven billion people on the planet, how were they supposed to find out who she was from simply knowing she worked?


    "You''re not making it easy for me to understand who she is. You''re doing a good job at hiding her." She clucked her tongue and asked how she Cage had met his girlfriend.


    "I really won''t tell you." While it was amusing to evade the media, he would quickly get tired of being probed.


    "You must be lonely living in that big house of yours. Or are you living with the mystery girl?" Giselle was being clever but the question only made him feel dejected. Unfortunately, they were not living together.


    "I''m not," he informed her. At the back of his mind, he wondered how soon they could move in together. He would go and live at her apartment if that was what she wanted. He didn''t want her to move away from her friends.


    "Then when do you spend time together?" Good question. He wondered the same. They barely had any time together because of how busy both of them were.


    \"Whenever we can." Cage shrugged.


    The questions about Katherine continued until Giselle grew incredibly frustrated. "I really don''t understand why you can''t tell us more." She scoffed a little, making Cage feel slightly irritated as well.


    "We''re stuck in a situation where we want to be together but because of who I am, we can''t be completely forthright. I feel guilty that she wakes up to news about people speculating if I got someone pregnant or if I secretly married someone. She doesn''t deserve that."


    Giselle blinked, picking up on his anger. "You were in a relationship with her for over 3 months?" She was trying to find out the timing for their relationship. Had he been in a relationship when Keira Higgins made a fuss about everything?


    "We started talking eight months ago," he informed her. "You realize how frustrating it would have been, right?" The insinuation was clear. He was giving more information about his relationship than she had expected. She got an inside look into his relationship without knowing who the woman was. She didn''t know what to do with the information. "Our story isn''t some grand romance that the media wants to cover. We are a normal couple that just wants to spend our time together. That is the least we can expect from others, right?"

 Chapter 240 - Miss Tease

    It was a veiled attack on everyone who had thrown him under the bus and written articles about him for the past year.


    Giselle sighed. "I get it. Just one more question about this." Cage narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you love her?" Cage laughed loudly, throwing his head back. He didn''t reply and simply nodded. "And there''s nothing else you can tell us about her?" It was his turn to sigh.


    "You really don''t know when to give up. She loves me for who I am and not what I do. Our public image doesn''t matter to us as long as we are together. She is that sort of a woman. I never thought I could be this happy."


    "I can see how happy you are. I wish you the best. When will the world find out who she is?" she gave him an apologetic look, telling him this was absolutely the last question.


    "When we are ready, we will disclose her name."


    She moved forward and gave him a strong smile. "What will it take to get the first scoop of the news?" she asked.


    Cage shrugged. "Depends on how you write about this conversation."


    The conversation moves back to his career and his role in the recent movie he signed on. Cage breathed our loudly in relief and launched into information about the movie. The world knew he had someone in his life. The first step had finished. Now, he needed to remain focused and see the reaction of the audience when Giselle released the information.


    He had his fingers crossed.


    - - - - -


    The day had been long. By the time the interview finished and all the pictures were taken, it was long into the night and hardly a time that he should contact Stephen. He had led his manager leave earlier so because it seemed harsh to keep the man back. He sent Stephen the recordings so that he could sign off on what Cage had said and talk to Giselle if anything needed to be edited.


    He didn''t have any complaints. Instead, he commented on how in love Cage sounded in the recordings and it was excellent content that needed to be saved for later use... if such an activity was required. He ordered his dinner and apologized profusely because the kitchen should have been closed already, but they accepted it without a word.


    Of course, after all of this was done, he called Katherine.


    "Hi," she greeted in the most cheerful voice possible.


    "Miss Tease, how are you doing?" he asked with a small chuckle, delighted by the tone of her voice.


    "Don''t blame me for following your direction and starting the war." She giggled. "I finished filming and am was just about to edit it. But you are more important." Cheeky girl. Of course, he was more important.


    "I love your consistency and malicious compliance. Did you know that?" he asked. "I''ll remember not to send you unsolicited pictures from now on." He smirked, knowing that she would not be pleased to hear that.


    "That is unfair!" Katherine protested, her pitch going up a couple of notches. "You have to sent me images. How will I survive otherwise?" Cage could almost imagine her pout at that.


    "You are right about that. Why don''t we keep sending each other raunchy images?" he asked. Katherine sighed. The pervert in him had struck again.


    "Of course, you would want that. I would be happy to send it to you, but are you sure you''ll not die of blue balls if I do that? I just need to remove all my clothes and take pictures, you know?" She thought she had a right to be smug about that. No one else could boast that they made Cage Cavanaugh lose his mind from l.u.s.t.


    "When we are home?" he suggested in a light voice. "Actually, I just want to see your face. I don''t care if you look s.e.xy or not. I would take looking at you drooling in your sleep over not seeing you for so long." She would have thought his words were romantic if he had not brought up such an embarrassing matter.


    It was true. She didn''t wake up pretty in the morning. There must have been something wrong with her nostrils because she rarely breathed through her nose while sleeping. Instead, she ended up drooling into what she was sleeping. Sometimes, it had been Cage. He hadn''t brought it up before because he thought her cute, but this seemed like a great moment to tease her. Tit for tat, Kitty.


    "What a truckload of cheese," she groaned into her hand. "I miss you," she confessed after a beat, catching Cage off guard.


    "I miss you, too. I just can''t wait to see your face." He sounded just as dejected. She decided to turn the conversation to lighter things.


    "So, how did your interview go?" she asked finally. She had been losing her mind. She didn''t know how the whole interview thing went, so obviously she was a bit nervous about the outcome.


    "It went exceptionally well. There were some speed bumps, though. The journalist kept grilling me to give out more information on you and I tried my best to dodge all questions. It was wild." He sighed.


    "Now, we just need to wait and watch." She assured.


    "We''ll find out immediately when something comes up, so don''t worry about it in the least," Cage told her. From the other side of the call, he could hear commotion.


    "What is it?" Cage heard Katherine ask someone. It was Angelina who replied but Cage couldn''t decipher what was being said.


    "You''re trending on all social media platforms. Giselle from GC tagged you on a post and mentioned that you were seeing someone. She even added a picture of you..." she trailed off.


    "Is that so? She didn''t tell me she was going to post anything but what can I expect. I did give her an exclusive. She''ll probably milk this," he chuckled. He prayed that it was all good things.

 Chapter 241 - Prepare For Battle

    Cage needed someone on his side to narrate his side of the story when Katherine and his relationship came out in the open. He had already enticed her by offering first scoop, so he could expect that she would behave when it came to him for a considerable amount of time.


    Then he remembered what Stephen had told him earlier about the press. ''Never promise them an exclusive. You might forget but the journalist will never forget.'' He had yet to know how dangerous a promise could be.


    "Oh, star show host from Entertainment Tonight tweeted about this, as well. He says you are going on his show day after tomorrow?" Katherine sounded confused.


    "Well, I didn''t know that. Seems he is working hard to rate his viewership rate up. Didn''t know he was getting this eager," he chuckled.


    "Can he do that? It''s like putting the blame on you if you don''t show up to the show, right?" Her brows scrunched up as she tried to figure out what was going on.


    "He is known to ensure guests come to the show using underhanded measures. Don''t worry about it. It will be good promotion for Kevin Heart. I''ll divert the situation from it. Heads up, though. He pays a lot of paparazzi members and they are good. You''ll hear a lot of rumors floating around for the next couple of weeks." Cage had to sigh. He would deal with it himself.


    "You sound so exasperated. I can imagine you taking him down in your anger." She meant to make light of the situation so that he wouldn''t worry. Deep down, she felt responsible for his worries because she had asked questions. But as he said, she wasn''t from the industry. Cage would rather she knew nothing about it.


    "You bet I would take him down if he did something underhanded with me. He wouldn''t stand a chance," he growled playfully, making Katherine drop into peals of laughter.


    "Between Stephen and you, he would turn into mush. Don''t get too mad. Their job demands they pull such antics." She wanted him to feel better but didn''t know how she would achieve that.


    "You don''t regret that I mentioned you, right?" He sounded mildly worried by this and she had to suck in a breath before she answered.


    "Don''t overthink about this. I''m ecstatic that you want the world to know about me. We''ll take them head on," she assured in a low and firm voice. He breathed out a sigh of relief.


    "Beware. Stephen is very aggressive at times. You never know what he might do to protect me." Katherine was overjoyed when the teasing tone returned to his voice.


    "Well, I''ll relay the news to Angelina. Should I be worried that he will show his butt on camera or kiss you in public," she joked. There was silence from Cage''s side. "No way..." she trailed off in horror.


    "I can''t promise it won''t happen. I hope that he will keep my reputation out of it. It''s his job, so..." He didn''t think Stephen would do anything. He was extremely professional and Cage couldn''t afford to act out either, so they would have to grit their teeth and face the music alone.


    "You''re okay, right?" Katherine asked after a pause. He didn''t sound completely fine.


    "Yeah. I''m fine. Just preparing for battle!" It sounded so ominous. Yet, he was optimistic so she didn''t pull him up for it.


    "Angelina just showed me the picture, too. It''s so weird seeing you on television now... especially seeing you on the headline and knowing I feature in it too." She was awed by this. "I miss being with you... our little bubble... the little tent in the living room and chatting all night long."


    "Well, we could always run," he gave her that option.


    "I won''t run away, Cage. Ever. If things come out, we''ll hold our chins high. Who knows, maybe I''ll be able to accompany you to award ceremonies and have dinner out in public ''and'' hold hands."


    Cage smiled. It sounded romantic... it really did. And he wanted nothing more than to see her without restrictions. "Until they climb trees and trespass into your property to get pictures of us." Well, that was the truth, too.


    "I forgot about that," she noted with distaste. "Well, as long as we are together. I''ll rethink the offer on running away." She wouldn''t think about it.


    "That''s all I want," Cage confirmed. It was a miracle that she hadn''t run for the hills yet. Her words made him feel a million times better about the situation. Frankly, he was surprised that he was so on edge just by revealing her identity. He was almost jittery inside.


    Then he understood why. This was the most important announcement in his life. The stakes were high and he couldn''t afford to lose. "You''re all I need," he said, longing in his voice.


    Katherine laughed lightly. "Well, you have me."


    - - - - -


    It was an ungodly hour when Katherine''s phone rang and woke her up. She checked the phone to see that she had five hours of sleep but it felt like a few minutes. She was beat. She wrestled with the annoying object and pulled it to her ear without knowing who was on the other side. Someone would get their ass handed to them early in the morning.


    "Hello?" the voice from the other side asked timidly. It was an unfamiliar man. She blinked, trying to get rid of the hint of sleep in her system.


    "Hi, who is this?" she asked gruffly, her voice still thick with sleep.


    "This is Katherine Austen, right?" the person on the other side asked.


    "Yes, she is me." She really wanted to know who this was before she went off on him. She got calls from unknown people all the time for work but not during these hours.


    "Great. I thought I got the wrong number," the caller''s light laughter was familiar. "I know it is very early, so I apologize. This is Laurence Mitch, by the way." Her mind went blank for a second as she tried to remember who that was. The name seemed familiar but she couldn''t pinpoint how.

 Chapter 242 - Sweet Of You

    Then the light over her head went off. "Laurence Mitch?" she repeated, not fully grasping what was happening. "As in LazerBoi?" she confirmed.


    "Yeah," he replied peevishly.


    "Oh, hello..." she replied, mildly bewildered. "How are you doing?" she asked. She was actually curious about how he had gotten her number.


    "I''m doing okay," he replied casually. "I just landed in City H for a contract signing and called you. Hope I didn''t wake you up." Well, he had woken her up but he was a celebrity so she wouldn''t kick his as for it. Also, he hadn''t been rude to her. Such a reaction would be uncalled for.


    "Don''t worry about it," she reassured him, slowly getting out of bed and processing the situation.


    "I''m glad you don''t mind me calling this early," he paused briefly. "I was really busy for the past couple of days and wasn''t able to get back to you earlier. I hope you don''t think I am unwilling to collaborate with you."


    "No, I didn''t think that." A.d.u.l.ts had a lot of responsibilities and work to handle. Why would she think about late replies when she was so bad at replying to messages herself.


    Laurence sounded relieved by that. "I''m glad you don''t mind. I just wanted to apologize and was hoping that you were still interested in doing the collaboration?"


    She paused for a while before replying, not wanting to sound too eager. She had gone through his content and there was nothing problematic that she could point at. She trusted her gut and decided that a collaboration would be good for her. "I am still interested," she informed him eagerly. "Do you have any idea what you want to do in the video and when you will be free?" she asked. She pulled out a notepad and pen.


    "I''ll be here a couple of days but how does tomorrow sound for you? Or is that so soon?"


    "Tomorrow isn''t too soon but I won''t be available during normal work hours. I can meet you in the evening. How does that sound to you?" She was as professional as she could be. It was a business meeting of sorts.


    "Great. I look forward to seeing you, then. I was hoping that I could film a video with you for your channel and post the behind the scenes on mine as a more interactive piece." He sounded thoughtful himself as if he had thought about it but wasn''t sure what she would think about it.


    "I''ll be frank with you. I am new to this and I don''t take hours to make the video like you do..." she trailed off, giving him a fair warning before he committed to anything.


    "We can work that out when we start. I am excited, actually," he admitted. "Do you mind giving me your address?" Katherine thought about it for a minute and digressed. While she didn''t like giving out her information, she had to do it for the collaboration. He was living in a hotel in all probability and the only way they could cook was in a fully furnished and stocked kitchen.


    She sighed internally as she spoke. "I''ll send you the address after the call. But I am curious. How did you get my number?"


    There was a nervous silence on the other side and she braced herself for something bad. "I actually called the CoG representatives and asked for your number. They asked questions about why I needed it and I told them the reason. Hope you don''t mind that. Well, yeah... that''s how I got it. Sorry for being creepy." Ah, so that was how it went down. He went into an explanation on how he didn''t have enough time to go to and forth with me on messages considering he had a limited number of days before he needed to go back. He lived in City O, where the championship would take place and he was one of the special guests. So, that was why he got the information easily.


    "You don''t need to reassure me about their integrity," she chuckled. She could find out the truth herself if she was uncomfortable.


    "Actually, my manager got the idea to call you," he explained further.


    "It was sweet of you to call." She told him.


    "I also wanted to hear your voice. I have heard it in your videos and it seems so nice that I wanted to hear it in real life. Well, we can''t call this in person'' as we are on the phone but you get what I mean." Katherine didn''t think much of it. Laurence was much more awkward than she had imagined. He portrayed a dorky yet confident personality on his channel so she hadn''t thought he would be so far from it.


    Well, his viewers watched him because of the personality he put on, so she couldn''t complain.


    "Oh." She didn''t know what else to say.


    "Sorry, was that too forward?" Laurence was back to being a ball of nervousness.


    "No, no. I understand the feeling of loving someone''s voice. It is a unique trait most people don''t really consider." She had to chuckle. She liked Cage''s voice, too. Who was she to judge the likes of a voice lover?


    She heard a banging sound in the background and heard the rusting closer to the phone. ""Hey Katherine. I wish I could talk a little longer but my friend is calling me. I''ll see you tomorrow. Send me the time and address when you can."


    "Will do," she informed him in a casual tone. With that, she ended the call.


    She sat on the bed, taking a couple of seconds to digest what had just transpired. She was collaborating with a hotshot creator. He had called to apologize and confirm.


    She smiled and shot Cage a text. [Mr. Cavanaugh, beware. It seems I might become famous really soon.] She pressed send and then waited for his reply.


    [I look forward to being called Katherine Austen''s boyfriend!] Cage replied. The excitement and pure sweetness made her heart melt. She rubbed the letters on the screen as if imagine it were his face. Then she sighed and got up.


    Time to get ready for work.

 Chapter 243 - Love Of Life

    "I hate you," Stephen muttered as he accompanied Cage to the set. "Everybody wants an interview with you and my phone hasn''t stopped ringing since Giselle posted about you dating. They want double page stories about your private life and dig through every person you have gone out with and splash your pictures." That freaked Cage out. "Why are you scared? As long as Katherine hasn''t sneaked into your hotel room and has been squatting there, they won''t find out." Stephen snickered.


    Cage sighed in relief. He tried to control his rapidly beating heart and his heightened breathing.


    "The image they posted is of a random girl who came by the set. You are not even in the image." A scoff followed. "Some outlets say you are going out a friend from high school. Others are claiming you got together with Keira."


    "And she is not disputing it, am I right?" Cage wanted to bang his head against a wall.


    "I haven''t checked with her team but knowing her, she will try to push her false narrative and make use of this exclusive to the fullest." Stephen looked at him with a worried expression.


    "I''ll just outright deny it if she becomes vocal." He shrugged, finally.


    "I don''t think you''ll need to say any more. You made it clear that Keira was a non-issue in your life. Knowing Giselle, her story will have the details." Stephen shook his head with a smile on his face. "Keira is going to be pissed. You''ve not cut her any slack."


    "Thank f.u.c.k. I can''t stand her. Period." His breath gushed out. "When is Giselle pushing the article out, though?" he asked. It was a huge piece... an exclusive and she needed to churn it out before Cage spoke to anyone else. There was fire on her ass.


    "End of this week," Stephen commented.


    "That soon?" Cage said, surprised. "Her coworkers might be cursing her..."


    "She doesn''t care. She''s going to get a fat end of the year bonus." Stephen shrugged. Cage rolled his eyes. He could only imagine how many people had called Stephen and tried to curry favor with him so that they could get the scoop.


    He was glad that he wasn''t in City H at the moment. Being so far away from Katherine was hard, but it was so much easier to keep her safe when they weren''t meeting face to face. He probably would have thrown in the towel if they were in the same city.


    "So, what are you telling the journalists?" He scratched his chin, trying not to look too awkward.


    "I just said that you have someone in your life. You are very happy and that you appreciate the privacy." Stephen groaned. "They just don''t stop calling!" he shouted, stunning the driver. The man looked back at Stephen, who in turn gave him a look of apology.


    "I bet they are camping outside my home to see if any female goes in or out," Cage sneered.


    "Why are you so sure that they aren''t waiting outside the shooting area, waiting to bombard you?" Stephen gave him a watery smile, filled with guilt.


    "I''ll just pretend they are air. Good promotion for the movie?" he tried to console himself.


    "I''m turning down all requests for interviews at the moment with the excuse that your schedule is packed. We do have to think about Entertainment Tonight, though. Is there anyone you want to give an interview to?" Stephen asked, just to be sure that he wasn''t missing out on anything.


    "No. I don''t want to talk to anyone. Entertainment Tonight won''t stop pursuing us until they get a comment. I''ll give him ten minutes of my time and that''s it." He was rather angry for being cornered in this manner. But he needed to wrap up this news as efficiently as possible so that Katherine wasn''t affected later on.


    Plan for the future.


    "Follow the plan. They''re going to be easy," Stephen commented. He was on the phone again, pressing it to his ear and politely telling someone off for calling him for the third time that morning. Media could be so persistent when they thought they could get a story out of it.


    When they reached the site, Cage realized he had been right about the crowd of reporters. There were no more than a dozen reporters, a small crowd in comparison to what he was used to. He also knew that he had dropped the bomb too late last night, so only correspondents in the city had come to talk to him at that time. As more time passed, more journalists would come to town to get a glimpse of him or scream questions that they hoped he would answer.


    Why the reporters thought he would have Katherine with him was beyond Cage. He did have his manager, though. The cameras flashes as the car stopped and Cage stepped out. Stephen followed swiftly, making sure no one came too close.


    Just because Cage was used to this didn''t mean he liked it.


    They crowded around him like scavengers, tearing at him and screaming to get answers. Sometimes, Cage wondered if their sole reason for living was to infuriate people and make them act out in anger. He usually believed that was the case.


    "Hey guys, you found us," Stephen began as he made a path for Cage to move forward. "I was Cage''s love of life all this time. Nice talking to all of you." The taunt in his voice reeked of frustration. There were some questions thrown at him and he replied with equally amusing remarks. "Do you want me to kiss him to prove it to you?"


    Cage huffed and wanted to cry. Leave it to Stephen to dumbfound the media. He had an excellent reputation in the industry but sometimes they thought he was a lunatic.


    Cage wanted to laugh when he remembered that Stephen now had a girlfriend who would find out about this conversation. He wondered how Angelina would react when she found out. He wanted to rub his hands together and act like a smug villain.


    Mental imagery aside, he pushed through with Stephen''s help and breathed a sigh of relief when the security at the gate held the journalists and cameraman back.

 Chapter 244 - Helping Matters

    Angelina was pacing across the apartment for god knows how long. Katherine bustled around, seeing if everything was neat and tidy before Laurence and his friend came over.


    "The two of you!" Lily called from the couch. "Can you sit down?" she squeaked. She had been puzzled and rather irritated by how her roommates were behaving. "You''re making me dizzy."


    "I have a ton of things to do and I don''t know where to start," Katherine groaned. She was yet to set up the television so that they could play on the consoles. In reality, she was trying to work off all her nervous energy before LazerBoi came over.


    "You''ve already done everything!" Lily commented, throwing her hands up in surrender. "The whole apartment is clean, the kitchen has been scrubbed so well that I can see my face on the floor and counters, and you have checked the refrigerator too many times to see if all the ingredients are there are not. If you don''t hold off, you''re going to die of a panic attack." Katherine was amazed that Lily didn''t roll her eyes to the heavens or hit her over the help. "Just ask Angelina for help with whatever is left. She isn''t helping matters, either," Lily groaned.


    "I''m just worried she is not trying harder to look presentable." Angelina scrunched her brows together and waited for Katherine''s response.


    "I know you are concerned but that is just not my vibe. We will be eating some pretty messy dishes and I don''t want it to stain me or my clothes. These clothes are nice enough for a video. I even contacted Cage to ask him what he thought." She pouted. Whatever had the seal of approval from Cage was bound to be good.


    "Well, fine." She rolled her eyes. "Wear whatever you want. I will be watching you from the sidelines because that''s what Stephen asked me to do." Angelina gave them a sweet, angelic smile that Katherine wanted to swipe off her face.


    "Are you sure he doesn''t want you to look after me and not stare at some handsome guy you crush on? I''m sure he won''t be glad if he finds out what you were actually doing." Finally, she pulled out the consoles and attached everything. Finally, she wiped her hand on her jeans. Laurence would be over within half an hour and she was standing in the middle of the living room, wondering if she had missed anything else.


    She remembered what Angelina had said over in her head and turned to Lily. "Do you think I should change, as well?" she asked. Lily was more practical about those things.


    "I think you should do that. Keep the jeans but wear something a little better..." She looked him up and down and then nodded sagely. "Remember the blue top I bought you for your birthday last year? That would be perfect?" Katherine thought for a moment. It had a conservative neckline but was beautifully crafted. She nodded and hurried to her bedroom to change. With combed her hair for a final touch and then went back to the living room.


    The first thing Angelina did when she came out was to give a nod of approval. "I wouldn''t have chosen that personally, but it looks great on you." She tilted her head to a side and asked her to spin. "Your back looks amazing, too," she commented before turning to Lily. "Make sure to get a shot of her cooking from the back."


    Lily nodded, understanding.


    "What is going on?" Katherine asked bluntly.


    "We are making you look amazing for the videos so that more than ten percent of his viewers can''t help but come to your challenge," Lily informed her.


    "It sounds more like a trap for all the people who are attracted to me," she retorted with a hint of accusation.


    "Don''t worry, Cage won''t mind." Angelina raised her phone towards Katherine''s profile and asked her to twirl as she made a video. "Sent," she said finally with a wicked grin on her face.


    "Who did you send it to?" Katherine asked suspiciously.


    "Stephen," Angelina said offhandedly before going away.


    "Just call her when the others come out. She is our supervisor for the day," Lily snickered. She was plastered to her phone, grinning at something she was seeing.


    "He should be here any minute now," Katherine announced, looking at the wall clock.


    A few more minutes and there was a knock on the door followed by an awkward silent. Then the doorbell rang. Katherine flew forward and went to the door. With a deep breath, she opened the door to see two men on her doorstep. Lily had followed behind and was ready to greet them, as well.


    "Hi, Katherine," Laurence greeted while Katherine silently stood, not knowing what to do. It was weird meeting an ''online friend.'' He had a nice voice and he definitely looked attractive, so Angelina would be all over this man if she wasn''t in a committed relationship with Stephen. "You look amazing!" he said as he reached forward to hug her.


    She was taken by surprise but it wasn''t unpleasant so she patted his back a bit awkwardly. He gave her a toothy grin.


    "You don''t look so bad yourself," she replied with a hint of amus.e.m.e.nt in her voice.


    His friend, whose name was still unknown made his presence known. Katherine saw the bouquet he was carrying in his hand and moved forward to take it from him. "Thank you so much. You didn''t have to do that," she said. She moved to the side and ushered them inside. Lily was following their every move like a hawk.


    Angelina, having heard the doorbell must have scrambled out and taken a place in the living room. She eagerly waited for Laurence.


    "Nice to meet you," she chirped as she extended a hand towards him.


    "Hello," he replied with a bright smile. "Lovely meeting you. I''m sorry I didn''t catch your name, though." Angelina''s cheeks pinked as she replied.

 Chapter 245 - Signature Style

    "My name is Angelina. I will be watching from the sidelines today. Don''t mind me!" The brilliant smile on her face gave her small crush away.


    "Do you think we should take a picture and send it to Stephen? A fat load of good she will do supervising," Lily snickered.


    "I am contemplating that, as well," Katherine commented with a glint in her eyes. "Ah, to see Angelina in trouble would be great but she is wicked and may take revenge in the worst way possible." She wanted to wipe the sweat off her forehead just thinking about what might happen if she went against her friends. Frightening creatures.


    Lily made a noise at the back of her throat and went inside. She had already set up the cameras in the living room and checked the lighting and brightness. They just needed to wait for Laurence to do the same.


    "Just call me Laurence... or Mitch. I don''t mind either way." He shrugged.


    "Just sit down and make yourself at home. I''ll bring you some refreshments before you start setting up, okay?" Katherine informed.


    "Oh, I don''t have a grand plan for filming. My friend will casually take the video like I usually do. That''s my signature style." He chuckled.


    "Yes, you do enjoy grainy videos. It gives you an air of authenticity." Katherine took her leave and went to the kitchen to pull out some soft drinks that she had prepared beforehand. She presented it to every person in the room and then wiped the cold perspiration from her glasses on her jeans.


    Laurence was looking at her with an inscrutable expression on his face. In his mind, he suddenly realized how lovely Katherine was and the subtle actions of wiping her hand and tucking her hair behind her ear made his heart skip a beat.


    Katherine noticed his gaze but didn''t think much about it. "What is the plan?" she asked softly. "Do you want to just chat or do we begin making dinner?" She looked at the clock and then changed the last word with a chuckle. "Supper."


    "Let''s just catch up while you cook," he said with a nod. That was perfectly fine for Katherine so she led him to the kitchen. It was an open kitchen so there was space for everyone there. Lily was checking on all the settings and had already started filming as Katherine introduced her kitchen to Laurence.


    "The only reason I bought this apartment was because of this kitchen," she began as she caressed the counters. "While we didn''t cook a lot before I went bonkers about cooking on a regular basis, but a nice kitchen is so important for a healthy living space." She glanced around the space and sighed in contentment.


    "Don''t make it sound like we are hopeless when it comes to cooking, you''ll scare him away," Angelina said from the doorway. Lily didn''t turn the camera around to show the others in the room simply because they were not on social media as content creators.


    "No need to worry. I can''t even cook instant noodles properly. I have been surviving on takeout since I moved out." Laurence shrugged. "Whatever you cook will make me want to cry, I promise." Katherine didn''t think that was much of a compliment.


    "I assure you, I do cook well. It''s not just pretty looking dishes." She quirked her brow, giving a sassy look and flipping her hair over her shoulder.


    "I have seen your knife skills." He pretended to gulp and widened his eyes in mock horror. "Wouldn''t want to get on your bad side." He raised his hand over his head in surrender.


    "Don''t worry. I''m not homicidal..." she paused and looked at him deeply. "Most of the time." She gave an angelic smile before turning to the refrigerator. "Student Mitch, watch and learn!" she exclaimed as she pulled out the ingredients one by one.


    "First rule to cooking. Know what you like to eat and what your dietary restrictions allow you to eat." In front of her, she placed several types of proteins and veggies.


    "What are we cooking today?" he asked tentatively, his hand on his waist as he peered over her and towards the ingredients.


    "I have been trying to cook healthy meals and make sure they are balanced. So, I will proportion everything out and cook according to my recipe." She pulled out the bowl of shrimps she had defrosted beforehand and patted them down.


    "Aren''t you going to de-vein them?" Laurence asked tentatively, watching her pat the ingredient dry with rapt attention.


    "I prepped the proteins beforehand because they take more time to prepare and put on the skillet. Usually, this would take a lot longer to do, but for the purpose of teaching you, I''ll simply show you how to cook and not the preparation." She looked at him for approval.


    "I''ll have to take more classes, then!" he commented, looking delighted. Katherine stiffened for a second before smiling at him and nodding. "But don''t we get prepared ingredients in the supermarket?" Katherine looked at him with a look of disgust.


    "I follow what Gordon Ramsay says... anything frozen is not good. Prepare your own ingredients. Put some soul in your food. Even if it tastes terrible, at least you know you cooked it." She shrugged.


    She pulled out a skillet from the cupboard and put it over high heat. "I''ll add a little olive oil and let it shimmer."


    "What does that mean?" Laurence asked. Katherine chuckled as she explained.


    "In my mother''s words, when you see waves forming within the oil and dancing to the heat, you can put your ingredient in. Don''t wait until you see smoke, okay?" Laurence hummed and kept looking at her. "While the oil heats up, we are going to prepare the garlic. Don''t chop it, it will get burned when you put it in the oil and stick to the skillet. Instead, just put pressure on it so that the juices can flow and put it in the oil."

 Chapter 246 - Morally Support A Friend

    "Oh! So you can use a knife like this, as well!" Laurence sounded like a child in a candy shop. Katherine snickered as she pulled up the lemon and cut it into two halves. Next she prepared the parsley and black pepper.


    "I''ve prepared the rest of the ingredients, as well," she announced. She turned to the skillet and saw that the oil was hot, just to be sure, she put her hand over the skillet to see if the heat was right. She nodded, satisfied and then put the shrimps in.


    "Proteins are so hard to cook. I don''t think I have ever had a piece of cooked meat that was not over cooked or under cooked," Laurence said in a small voice.


    "Not even all the takeout you eat?" Katherine asked. "For shrimp, it will take about two minutes for it to become a bright pink. This is when you know it is cooked to perfection. There might be a slightly golden brown tinge to it. At this point, we need to add the garlic." She pushed all the shrimps to a side and then tilted the skillet so that a pool of oil was formed. While she had used very little oil, it was enough to put the garlic and douse it with the heated oil.


    "This already looks amazing. Can I just pop one into my mouth?" Laurence asked.


    "Don''t be greedy. Good things come to those who wait," she reprimanded softly.


    "Okay, mom," Laurence teased. Angelina, Lily and Laurence''s friend tried their best to keep their laughter at bay.


    Soon, the garlic started to become golden brown. "You see this color?" Katherine asked. Lily panned down so that the exact color could be captured by the camera. On the other hand, Laurence''s friend was focusing on Katherine and Laurence conversing. "This is what you should aim for. If you have this color and the scrumptious scent of the garlic mixed in, stir it with the shrimps. You need to infuse the flavor. After coating the shrimp just distribute them evenly over the skillet."


    Laurence ''ooh''ed and ''aah''ed at exactly the right moments.


    "Why don''t you squeeze the lemon over the dish?" she asked with a raised brow. Laurence looked surprised but nodded eagerly as he reached for the lemon. He tried his best to squeeze and did a pretty good job at it.


    "Excellent," Katherine complimented. "Maybe you aren''t as hopeless as you thought!" she raised for good measure.


    "I think this miracle has taken place because you are the teacher," the insinuation was clear. Slightly flirtatious, slightly teasing. Katherine didn''t know how to respond. Flirting was obviously not what she wanted, instead she could play along with his joke in a friendly manner.


    She moved away from the skillet. "Indeed, I have always been a good teacher, but you are also a good pupil. So, now stir it a little before adding the parsley and black pepper."


    He jerked forward and took the handle gingerly. She tentatively stirred and looked over at her for her approval. Katherine urged him on and helped him out until the dish was plated.


    "And that is how you cook lemon garlic shrimp! It''s nutritious and in combination with other dishes it makes for a very balanced meal." Laurence nodded.


    "Are you on a diet?" he asked casually, looking at her passively. "You don''t need it," he complimented. Katherine blinked, her mind blanking for a moment before she regained her thought and broke into free laughter.


    "Thank you for showering me with compliments but no, I am not dieting. I am actually trying to morally support a friend in their journey." Well, the word ''boyfriend'' did have the word friend in it. It wasn''t a complete lie.


    Angelina coughed from behind her and Katherine turned to glare at her from over her shoulder.


    "You didn''t cook enough for all of us," Angelina commented, looking longingly at the plated food.


    "Didn''t you say you were gaining fat from my cooking? The ones who complained don''t get food. Obviously the guests do." She gave a saccharine smile towards Laurence and his friend (whose name turned out to be Ian).


    "I don''t think I live this evil Katherine much. You''ve changed, my friend." The catalyst of her change remained unknown.


    "I''ve always been this way," Katherine informed, wriggling her eyebrows to make a silly face. Angelina pulled her cellphone up to her face and clicked a picture of Katherine with a sweet smile.


    "Every face you make garners a thousand pictures. Ah, I feel like plastering this all over social media and sent it to everyone who loves you." Angelina sighed. Lily wanted to roll her eyes. The words between the lines were so subtle that these outsiders might not have understood what was happening.


    "Okay, you two. No more fighting. Let''s eat!" Lily called out.


    Angelina smirked as she sent the message over and waited for the response. All she got was an emoji from Stephen, but the message was clear. The picture would be relayed to Cage when he had time. That''s all she needed to do. She had been in charge of supervising, so a little picture wouldn''t hurt. It was just considered reporting to one''s superior.


    "Lily, Angelina. I already have food for you cooked," Katherine informed without looking at them. "It''s in the microwave. Just heat it and serve it to yourselves." She huffed as she turned to Laurence.


    "Okay, should we have dinner first or do you want to do it my style and play while we eat?" The choice was his. He thought about it for a moment before replying.


    "I''ll eat first. Let''s sit down." He pulled out a chair and sat down on it. He had already done the set-up so they just needed to sit down and enjoy the food. "These smell amazing," he commented as he buried his nose closer and sucked in a huge breath.


    "I also made pasta, so I''ll bring that in." Katherine pointed towards the kitchen and scurried away. From further away, Laurence heard her ask if he liked it a little spicy.

 Chapter 247 - Little Anecdotes

    "I don''t mind," he answered immediately. She brought it three dishes, balancing them perfectly and setting them in front of everyone.


    "I add a little more kick to original recipes," she told him.


    Laurence''s eyes sparkled. "Are you sure you are not trying to kill me? I love spicy food, as well. And it looks so good... I can''t wait." He theatrically sighed. He couldn''t keep his eyes off the food.


    "Let''s dig in, then!" she announced with the clap of her hands. No one needed further invitation or instruction from Katherine. He stabbed his plate to take a spoonful of food and easily took a bit.


    "This tastes better than it looks," he m.o.a.ned. "To think that you eat such delicious food everyday. It hurts my heart."


    She tried to keep in her laughter from escaping. Hearing him make little noises in reaction to her food was hilarious. "You''re not saying that my food will cause you heart burn, right?" she teased as she sliced through a piece of shrimp and popping it into her mouth. She relished the taste for a moment and nodded in approval. It was cooked perfectly.


    "It would be worth it!" he called, taking another bite. Katherine guessed that she was a decent cook. Recently, having Cage in her life made her want to cook more often. They could look after their bodies and still eat delicious food. Until they could go out into public areas, that was.


    "How did you get so good at cooking?" Laurence asked as he took a break to wipe his lips. "Did you study culinary?"


    Katherine shook her head. "I went to art school and specialized in digital art. So, I am a ill.u.s.trator slash graphic designer."


    "Oh, so you must be good at drawing!" He seemed delighted. "I can Photoshop a little," he snickered.


    "I''ve seen you Photoshop pictures for your followers before, so I know." She paused and looked at Angelina. "I went to university with her. She ended up becoming a model and I stayed back and took my art style somewhere it was actually needed."


    Laurence looked at them thoughtfully. "So, you are a gamer, master chef, and ill.u.s.trator. Is there anything that you aren''t good at?" His pitch increased as he looked at her with a wide-eye.


    Katherine made a show of thinking about it before shaking her head. "I''m pretty perfect," she noted with pride.


    Lily scoffed from beside her and earned a glare. "She isn''t intelligent, that is her vice." Katherine smacked her lips and looked at her friend with a blank look.


    "I''m secure in my life. I don''t need extra perks to be on top," she said in a low and bored voice. Well, she wasn''t going to call the MENSA and ask to be admitted in the club but she wasn''t too dumb either. They could suck it up to her average temperament and intelligence. She scored a successful career and love life being average, so who cared.


    "What about you? What were you planning on doing before you joined the platform?" Katherine asked Lauren with interest. He bit his lips as he laughed.


    "I actually studied Computer Science at university," he shrugged. "I was a gamer since childhood, so I wanted to design games. I started making videos when I was in high school. I was making videos for a couple of years and got into the job market. Soon realized that game design wasn''t for me and I just wanted to play." He shrugged as if it wasn''t a big deal.


    "Your career must have taken off by then. As long as you love what you do, an unexpected change in career path is nothing," Katherine informed him. "How did you juggle college with making videos, though? That must have sucked the life out of you," she wondered softly. She was dying a little with her job and she wondered how he had done it consistently for so long.


    "It wasn''t as bad as you think, actually. I just stuck to my schedule and everything worked out. The first year is the hardest. It gets a lot easier after that." His words were meant to be encouraging. Katherine stared at him and wondered if she would last ten more months. Well, she would but it would be rough.


    "I''ll take your word into consideration," she said with a cursory bow. "I have a question, though. How did you find my video?" she asked. She knew that this man rarely watched content from other creators.


    Laurence pointed at Ian. "Actually, he found your content. He helps me out at times and I have been feeling uninspired. He found your video and thought it would get me going. I really liked your video and ended up watching every video on your channel." Katherine sat stunned as LazerBoi gave his side of the stories. "Moreover, I never thought that you could bring in another aspect of your life into your channel and have it blend so seamlessly into your content. Ingenious."


    "Thank you for your high praise!" she replied, flabbergasted. "I''m just trying to make food interesting for my friend who is dieting," she informed him. "So, not all the dishes I cook are polished. Some don''t taste that good, but I have those, too."


    "You must really love your friends," he commented with awe.


    "That I do," she retorted slyly as her friends shook their head.


    "I''ll have to slide into your friend circle, then. Now that I have tasted this food, I can''t go back to eating takeout all the time."


    Ian scoffed. "You don''t have the patience to cook. I''ll see how long you last."


    The group chuckled and continued to finish the the dishes. Thankfully, everyone was full by the time they finished and the conversation flowed without any awkward pauses. Angelina''s crush on Laurence Mitch had increased by the end of dinner and continued on as he told stories about his childhood.


    As they cleaned up the kitchen and the table, Laurence recalled little anecdotes from his life. About how his sister sneaked into the bathroom while he was taking a shower and found him sleeping in hot water. Apparently, when he woke up, he found the water cold and a half eaten banana on the side of the tub.

 Chapter 248 - Long Days

    Angelina was laughing and giggling while Lily just smiled at the story. Katherine had joined in, commenting on how fascinating his childhood sounded. "I wished I had siblings when I was younger but after living with these two, I am glad I didn''t."


    The friends rolled their eyes but didn''t snap back.


    The game was set up and they chilled in front of the television, playing like there was no tomorrow. The camera''s rolled on and they bantered while they competed and threw out compliments when the other did something amazing. They took small breaks and the shooting went on for a really long time. It was about two at night and Katherine was growing weary. She missed Cage like crazy and she wanted nothing more than to call him and talk to him. But with all these people in the room, it would be unwise to make the call.


    Also, it would be really late where he was, as well. He would be sleeping and waking him up when he was in the busiest phase of shooting would be cruel.


    Her phone rang suddenly while they were playing. She looked down at the phone and her eyes widened in surprise.


    Laurence, too looked up and saw her staring at her phone. "Take the call," he said casually as he paused the game. Katherine looked at him with gratitude and didn''t need to be told twice. She jumped off the couch and went to her room to take the call.


    "Hello, Cage." She couldn''t contain her excitement in her voice.


    "Hi," he said. He sounded so tired that her heart ached. "I miss you," he groaned.


    All she wanted to do was to give him a warm hug and hold him until he didn''t feel tired any longer. Just one more month to go, she reminded herself.


    "I miss you, too. Why are you awake so late tonight?" she asked, worry lacing her voice. She loved that he was calling despite being exhausted, but he needed to be healthy.


    "Yeah. I can''t fall asleep, either. We finished shooting late and I was preparing for the interview with Entertainment Tonight tomorrow."


    "Ah, yes. That one. Best of luck for it. It seems Stephen hasn''t fallen asleep either." She wanted to talk to him for longer but she could hear a knock at the door. It was Lily.


    "Yeah. They are waiting for you outside, sorry," she mumbled.


    "I''ll be there in ten minutes," she announced with a sigh and went back to the call.


    "Are you guys still shooting the video?" Cage asked, sounding super confused.


    "Yeah, it is running really long. We want to finish the game and send out a series in place of just one video. So, once I am done editing, I have a couple of videos to go up. We''re filming for his channel, too, so that engagement is high." Her voice was soothing and Cage had gone silent on the other side. As if jolted awake, he replied guiltily.


    "Sounds like a good plan." He yawned suddenly and she could hear the silence that followed.


    "Cage, you have a long day tomorrow, please go to sleep. Just ping me when you wake up or have rested for long enough." She was stern and felt horrible about it. But this man was pushing himself to the limit because of her and she needed them to be a couple who supported and pushed each other up. Thinking that he needed to stick to all his commitments despite his condition was thinking too lowly of their connection. Their love and affection would remain even if they didn''t talk for a prolonged period of time.


    "I really wanted to talk to you," he grumbled.


    "I know. I wanted to talk to you, too. But I''ll have to finish this game and you need sleep to stay healthy. How will you shoot if you are delirious? Won''t it eat up more of your time?" Now, her voice was softer and coaxing. "I''ll probably take tomorrow off. We can talk for as long as you want," Katherine reassured calmly.


    He hummed, feeling sluggish already but happy that she wasn''t angry. She was never angry. How did he find this angel?


    She waited for him, humming a tune as she heard his breathing even out. It had taken him a couple of minutes to fall asleep but she stayed for a little longer, hearing his soft and rhythmic breaths drumming against her ear. She closed her eyes and sank into the moment, feeling closer to him than she had over the past month and a half. She wanted to cry. She wanted to run to him. But she sucked it up and hung up on the call.


    She stared at the phone in her hand for a second before slapping her cheeks to wake herself up and force herself to go back to the living room.


    As she closed the door behind her, the people in the room turned to look at her. Her eyes were red and watery as she tried to keep herself from crying. The stress was finally getting to her and just playing the game would make her remember Cage more than ever before.


    "Are you alright?" Laurence asked as she walked over and sat down beside him. She pushed a small smile on her lips and shook her head.


    "Just a little tired. Long days," she lied. He nodded, buying the story. Lily and Angelina looked unconvinced. "You guys should get some rest," she told them.


    Lily sighed and patted Katherine on the back before retreating into her room. Angelina sat in the corner of the room, away from the lens of the camera and simply observed.


    "I don''t have anything to do tomorrow. I''ll just stay here," she told them. She was rapidly typing on her cellphone and furrowing her eyes. Katherine imagined that she was still texting Stephen and let her be.


    "Are you sure you are okay?" Ian asked, looking beyond concerned. He threw a scared glance towards Laurence who looked equally puzzled. He didn''t wash to ask her what had happened and knew that she wouldn''t tell either way.

 Chapter 249 - Until We Meet

    "Yup. I''m fine." Her words were crisp. The trio resumed, with one behind the camera zooming in on their expressions while the players continued to curse and play the game.


    Katherine tried her best to look happy and excited, look like she was not bothered that she was sitting beside a man who was not Cage and playing the game. She also enjoyed her time. She couldn''t stand it.


    When they were on the last leg of their game, Lily''s door opened. "Katherine, are you still up?" she mumbled. Katherine looked up at her friend, seeing how sleepy and rumpled she looked. Ian took a special notice of this and looked away, blushing.


    "Good morning," Laurence chirped. Katherine wanted to murder him. He had remained high energy throughout the night, providing entertainment and commentary throughout. She, on the other hand, had forced it. Apparently, she was extremely funny and had an attractive personality. If her being cranky was attractive, she didn''t know what to say.


    Lily froze when she noticed Laurence and Kitty still on the sofa. She looked up at Ian who was behind the camera, sometimes checking to see if it was in focus.


    "Sorry. Wasn''t expecting to see everyone awake at..." she looked at the clock. "... seven in the morning." She looked past the trio to see Angelina slumped in the corner, leaning against the wall and sleeping. "Well, not everyone," she sighed. She mumbled something under her breath but none of the others seemed to hear what she had said.


    Katherine looked up at the clock in surprise. She hadn''t thought it would be this late... or that early.


    "Oh, shit," Laurence muttered, noticing the time. "Apologies, I didn''t realize how many hours had gone by. I monopolized your whole night and didn''t even let you sleep." For what it was worth, he looked genuinely apologetic.


    "I didn''t mind," she lied reassuringly.


    "Well, it''s too early and you haven''t slept. You guys should take a nap. Don''t shy away from taking the couch," Lily offered generously. "You can take up my bed, too. The room is clean and I am going to my boyfriend''s place after work."


    Katherine looked at her friend with a hint of irritation.


    "Nah, we''ll just finish this up and head back," Laurence countered. "We''ve already spent a lot of time here and we have other things to do on this trip, as well." Laurence looked at Katherine and gave her a smile before standing up and stretching.


    "Yeah, my shoulder feels terrible, too," she snickered when she saw him wince. "Let''s finish this and have breakfast," Katherine interjected in a motherly manner.


    "Another meal?" Ian bounced at the prospect. Angelina, who was fast asleep woke up at the exact moment.


    "Are you guys done?" she asked, her voice gravelly. "I need to call Stephen," she m.o.a.ned.


    "Just a little left to go," Katherine told her and walked over to her. She passed on a bottle of water and watched as her friend unscrewed the cap without opening her eyes and taking small sips. She let out a small noise of satisfaction before slowly opening her eyes and squinted at the lit room.


    Katherine was too tired to make anything fancy, so the lot decided on cereal and cut fruits. As they were eating, someone rang the doorbell. Angelina bounced off the chair, muttering something about an important package. No one else paid any attention until Angelina screamed from the other room.


    Ian and Laurence were startled at first but then they looked over at the girls. Seeing them so calm, they too went back to eating.


    "Package for Katherine!" Angelina came in, all sing song and smiles.


    "What is it?" she called back, looking out of the kitchen. She saw Angelina carry a big box, followed by a smaller box. She scrunched her brow as she heard the sound of the box hitting the surface. It looked heavy, too.


    "Come and see!" she said, laughing now. She was reading the names of the senders and looking extremely amused. Katherine picked up her bowl of cereal and trudged to the living room. She peered at the labels and then her eyes widened comically. She made no sound as she placed the bowl on the table and fell to her knees.


    The boxes were from Anna Cavanaugh, Cage''s mother. She gulped as her fingers inched forward to touch the package. She went back to pinch herself, too, just in case. Having confirmed that she was not sleepy, she jumped up to her feet and ran to the kitchen.


    She opened the drawers, swiftly and pulled out a sharp knife before running back.


    "She wasn''t lying about being homicidal?" Laurence asked in a fearful voice.


    "No, she''s just excited," Lily said matter-of-factly. "You should join her," Lily told them and then picked up her bowl and placed it in the sink.


    "Who was so generous with you?" Lily asked as she walked to the living room and saw Katherine precisely slicing through the packaging.


    "Anna," Katherine replied without missing a beat. She didn''t pay any of them attention as she opened the box and gasped. No, she didn''t see anything special because of the colorful pieces of packaging material. She peeled them off, one by one, not wanting to damage them and then looked at what was inside.


    She pulled out a card that was on top of the goodies and sighed. Her eyes watered as she read the handwritten note.


    ''Dear Katherine,


    You have brought great joy in my life. You appeared when we were least expecting you and I can wholeheartedly say that I love you as my daughter. While I can''t meet you just yet, please receive my adoration for you with these small gifts. Hope you enjoy them.


    Until we meet,


    Anna.''


    She held the paper close to her heart as she peered into the box. Putting it aside, she went to check on the other things inside.


    Premium wines. Skincare products. Three tickets to a well-known spa.

 Chapter 250 - Slowly Moving In

    "She sent things for all of us," Katherine whispered. Angelina and Lily, quickly came forward and looked at the items with increased interest.


    "Those bottles of wines are going into our collection. No pulling them out until a chance to celebrate occurs," Lily set the rules from the very beginning. Katherine and Angelina nodded. Lily quickly pulled the bottles out and scurried off to keep the bottles in a safe location. Angelina took out the tickets and sighed.


    "Wah, she even took care of us. How nice does a person need to be?" she asked, in awe. "You scored, girl," she said with a wink. "Keep these safe!" She pumped her fist victoriously.


    "Oh! You got packages..." Ian said, sounding confused by their enthusiasm.


    Katherine put the card back in and closed the box before going to the next one. It was the smaller one, so she was careful to cut it open. It was not as beautifully packaged. The neat pieces of paper gave away what was inside. Clothes. She opened the first flap and grew silent.


    Shirts. Lots and lots of shirts. Cage''s shirts. She lifted a black t-shirt out and held it to her face. She knew it was washed and ironed but it smelled like Cage. Freshly showered and changed Cage smelled like this. She pressed it close to her heart and grinned. She wanted to run to her bedroom but the others in the room were looking at her with varied degrees of weirdness.


    "Shirts," she informed. She could barely contain her excitement as she started to type out her response.


    "You must really like men''s shirts," Laurence muttered. He looked thoroughly confused and neither of the girls went forward to tell him the reason why she looked like she was on cloud nine. He was almost a stranger, so he didn''t mind it. Later, as Katherine typed on her cellphone, Angelina explained.


    "Katherine loves wearing men''s shirts," she told them. It was the truth. She just loved wearing her boyfriend''s shirt more.


    [K: You send me shirts?!]


    She pawed at them, marveling the soft material. From the brands, she knew they were expensive and she knew how amazing he looked in them. But he had sent them to her. They were now her property. She would let him wear them later when he came over. More Cage-time for her.


    She would be damned if she gave those back.


    [C: I didn''t want you to forget what I smelled like, so I asked my mother to send these to you.]


    It felt like he was there with her. She clutched it closer to her with one hand as she typed.


    [K: You didn''t need to. I would have been happy if you sent me a lone t-shirt. But now you are never getting them back, you know that, right?] She pouted as she looked at the screen. He should be headed to the shooting location so he had some time.


    [C: Ah, you missed the point. I like you in nothing but my shirts. Moreover, consider this as me slowly moving in.]


    Katherine stared, not knowing what to say next. Moving in? Why did that sound so good to her. She wanted to squeal.


    [K: I''ll let it slide then. Just finished filming and had breakfast. I''ll be free in a couple of hours. Text me or call me when you have time!]


    She ended the conversation abruptly and stuffed the shirt back. Angelina, who was looking at the shirts with great interest felt a piercing look and looked up. Katherine was warning her with her eyes.


    "If you dare steal them from me, I will murder you in my sleep," she warned. Angelina burst out into laughter.


    "I don''t want your shirts. I have my own box coming soon." She stuck her tongue out and bounced away like a rabbit. Katherine shook her head in amus.e.m.e.nt and turned to look at Laurence and Ian.


    "Sorry for keeping you out of the loop. We''re a weird bunch and a lot of packages came in. We get excited by our goodies." Laurence gave a sly look.


    "At least we didn''t see anything we weren''t supposed to." Katherine startled when she heard the joke. She grinned and shook her head. She could handle an innuendo or two here and there.


    "On that note, we need to get going," Ian informed as he looked at his phone. "You have a meeting in a couple of hours. We need to rest and then head to that," he informed his friend reluctantly.


    "I''ve stayed over for a long time," Laurence commented apologetically. "I''ll send the footage to you for your video. Can you send yours to me, as well?" Katherine nodded.


    "Wait! Before we go, why don''t I take a picture of you guys?" Ian asked. Laurence gave him a sharp look, but Katherine nodded.


    "Sure," she said easily.


    "Great!" Ian had already poised her phone and was ready to take a picture. "I''m a big fan of capturing important moments. Why don''t the two of you stand closer together?" he asked, hinting at them to pose.


    Katherine bit her lip as she scooted closer. Laurence smiled and raised his fingers in a V shape while Katherine simply laughed at the gesture. Ian snapped the photo and looked extremely satisfied.


    "You guys look cute!" he chuckled. "Maybe we should take another-"


    Laurence cut him off. "We need to go," he interrupted. Ian shrugged and pocketed his phone before saying his final goodbyes.


    "Have a great day," they greeted, before the two were gone. Katherine closed the door behind them and padded off to her room. By the time she shut it after her, a message from Laurence came in.


    [Laurence: I had a great time! Let me know when we can meet again.]


    Katherine looked at the message and thought nothing of it. She quickly typed out a response and sent it without further thought.


    [K: I''ll let you know soon. I had a blast, as well. Have a great day.]

 Chapter 251 - Bring It On

    She locked the cellphone, threw it on the bed before staring the next part of her plan.


    She quickly pulled off her jeans, top and bra, throwing them to a side before pulling on a white shirt from the pile. It was a designer shit and she opted to leave it unbuttoned, barely letting it cover her goods. Her brightly colored panties were a stark contrast to the shirt, making the sight even more alluring. She took her phone in her hand and stood in front of the mirror, snapping a picture. Seeing that Lily had left shortly before Laurence and Ian, she made sure that the picture was good quality.


    [K: I think it looks pretty good on me.] She wrote and attached the photo before sending it.


    She knew he would love it. And he did. A couple of minutes passed by before her phone pinged again. She was in his shirt still, the buttons now done as she sat in front of her laptop and transferred all the footage to it.


    [C: How am I supposed to rappel down a building when I''ve got a raging hard on and my mind is in a mess? Aren''t you scared the whole world will see my bulge and shame me for it?]


    Katherine could imagine how frustrated he looked at the moment, peering around to see if anyone had noticed his expression when he first saw her picture.


    [K: I can''t imagine anyone would shame you for that beautiful bulge of yours. Did that sound too creepy? Because that''s how I feel about it.] She could be a tease when she wanted. Well, she was a tease most of the time. But he couldn''t complain considering how little time they spent. She was a little worried he would be distracted while performing a dangerous stunt and get hurt because of her.


    Now that she knew what he would be doing best, she couldn''t help but wring her hand together and wonder how she could make him think straight. However good an actor she was, Katherine had come to be confident of her effect on Cage Cavanaugh.


    [C: Aren''t you scared that someone else would see the picture if I wasn''t near my phone?] His message made sense until you thought about his password. His password was a jumbled up pattern that no normal human could decipher. Apart from that, Stephen was the only one who could hold his phone for him while he shot.


    Stephen was a gentleman enough not to see her pictures, she trusted him that much.


    [K: Of course, I knew you would be in front of your phone and Stephen wouldn''t open any messages I sent.]


    Miles away, Cage saw the message and scoffed. He remembered how Stephen had wanted to see her pictures and been a pervert about it. He wanted to break her misconception but seeing how Stephen was now in a committed relationship with Katherine''s friend, he shook the thought away and started to speak about something else.


    Just then, another text from Katherine entered his phone. [K: I''m sorry about the hard on, though. How about I take care of that later when you go back to the hotel and have some time? How do I divert your mind from it?]


    If only she could do that.


    On the other side, Katherine vowed that she would take care of her man the way he took care of her all the time. The fact that he had asked his mother to send his shirts was testament to how much he thought of her. For her to feel safe and warm in his absence¡­ no doubt, he loved her a lot.


    [C: You can count on it! I have to go back to filming, We are putting on protective gear, so don''t worry. Put something on until I call, you''ll get chilly otherwise. You can model my shirts for me later on, again. You''re beautiful. I love you.]


    Katherine stared at the cellphone with a grin on her face and took his advice. Indeed, it was getting chilly and she was quick to catch colds. She folded the shirt and put on a thicker t-shirt she owned with sweatpants.


    She breathed in as a wicked thought crossed her mind. ''Bring it on, Mr. Cavanaugh.''


    [K: Clothes changed. I am warm. Love you, too.]


    She snuggled into bed with his shirt near her head. The covers provided her with much needed warmth and she felt enveloped by him for a moment. She drifted off to sleep and no nightmares plagued her.


    - - -


    Katherine woke up a couple of hours later, feeling refreshed. She stretched and looked at the clock. It was nearly three in the afternoon and her stomach felt so empty that it was going to eat itself to sustain. She slid out of the bed and trudged to the refrigerator to see if she could grab something to eat. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could eat from the ingredients in the fridge. Any way, she was running low on supplies. After going to Angelina''s room and finding her sound awake, she tried to wake her friend, only to be almost slapped and threatened with bodily harm.


    Angelina had stayed awake for most of the night, as well, so Katherine let her sleep and packed some cloth bags for the groceries. She was in an excellent mood, so she hummed as she walked to the local supermarket. It was a huge complex with all sorts of products that one could need in their home.


    As she picked out bags of milk, she felt the eye of someone on her. Not thinking much about it, she continued to inspect her expiration date and putting it into her cart.


    When she turned around, she saw a group of people giving her strange looks. She scrunched her brows as she moved forward. These people weren''t whispering behind their hands or anything but she swore they were looking at her funny. Or was it her paranoid brain making up stories because she suddenly felt important.

 Chapter 252 - Dont Curse Me

    With Cage saying he was dating, she wasn''t as safe as before, but no one would be able to find her because he didn''t leave any clues. She rubbed the back of her neck nervously and went about shopping for supplies.


    "Hello!" she heard someone call her. The voice was high pitched, sounding extremely excited about something. She looked up in confusion and saw a girl from the group of people who were staring at her earlier. Katherine blinked, confused by the situation.


    Bringing herself back to reality, she looked at the girl carefully. She looked to be a eighteen or nineteen, short brown hair and average height. The girl had an eager smile as she placed her hand on Katherine''s forearm. Katherine looked down at the hand in slight alarm and gave a nervous smile.


    "Hi?" she replied awkwardly, trying to figure out how she knew this girl. She simply couldn''t place the face, though. "Do I know you?"


    "You''re Katherine, right? From Rinsten?" The girl seemed sure of herself.


    "Yeah?" Katherine sounded simply confused and replied with a questioning tone.


    Amazing!" the girl exclaimed, clapping her hand. "Do you mind if I take a picture with you? I am a fan¡­" she trailed off, a plea in her eyes.


    Katherine thought for a split second before nodding. "Sure." She nodded easily but in reality her heart was in knots. She was still new to creating videos and couldn''t be called famous by any right, so she had never been recognized or stopped while she was out in public before. This was first. The surprising thing was, why today all of a sudden?


    Then she thought back to the recent events and had an epiphany. Was she a LazerBoi fan who recognized her because of the comments? Probably. The selfie was taken and more of the group scrambled forward to shake my hand and take pictures.


    "Thank you so much," the girl gushed. "We''re looking forward to seeing you on LazerBoi''s channel."


    Katherine smiled, glad that she had guessed correctly. "I hope you will enjoy the videos." She did a quick bow before turning back to the produce section.


    "Oh," the girl stopped her again. "Are you dating him?" she asked, curiosity coloring her voice. Katherine''s brow scrunched as she tried to figure out what the girl meant.


    "Who?" she replied, trying to understand the situation. The girl''s eyes widened as she apologized.


    "I guess she''s not dating him," the girl said to her friends and a conversation broke out. It was heated and surely about her but she didn''t care much about what they were saying. She shrugged as we moved forward.


    "Weird," she muttered to herself and hurried to pick up the fruits and vegetables she needed. The wait at the counter wasn''t very long, but Katherine had a lot of bags to carry. She trudged towards her home and thankfully no one bothered her, not even the curious old lady in the opposite building who liked to call her when she walked down the street.


    When she reached the apartment, Angelina was on the couch, just scrolling through her phone while she munched on ch.i.p.s.


    "Can''t you find something healthier to eat?" Katherine scolded lightly as she hurried to the kitchen to place the bags. She quickly segmented the haul, putting the produce in water and rinsing them thoroughly, putting away the packages of meat, while the other household items went to their designated places. She pinned the bill to the refrigerator so that everyone could see it later and pay their share.


    Having done that, she started to pick out the vegetables that she would be cooking. She was not in the mood for non-vegetarian food but she also didn''t want instant noodles, so she thought about making some light dishes with veggies. Even a salad sounded good at that point. As she chopped and sliced the ingredients, Angelina entered the kitchen.


    The mark of her entry was the crunching sound of ch.i.p.s as she bit on them.


    "Don''t snack anymore. I''ll be done in half an hour. You''re just asking to gain weight this way." Her tone was bland but the implication was clear. ''Don''t blame me for my food. My dishes are made according to the diet of the hottest man on the planet. I certainly am not making you fat.''


    "I don''t want to starve to death," she informed Katherine. "Moreover, I now have a boyfriend who has connections in the industry. Do I need to work so hard?" The matter was meant to be a joke, but Katherine turned with surprise.


    "Don''t even say that! It doesn''t suit you." Angelina had fought hard to get where she was and if she pinned it on connections or her boyfriend helping her further her career, wasn''t it discrediting all the effort she put in over the years?


    "Don''t get so serious. I''m just kidding." She paused as if thinking about something. "The show is in three weeks time. You should be done with the championship by then, right?" Angelina asked curiously.


    "Yeah. I wouldn''t miss your first runway walk as the show stopper." Katherine scoffed. "Hope you don''t trip!" she teased.


    "Don''t curse me. I''m nervous as it is. Did you know that Stephen''s mother is really coming to watch?" She looked panicked for a second.


    "So what? She''s not going to eat you alive," Katherine commented before turning back to cook their lunch.


    "I''m scared. She''s a single mother and had Stephen on her side for so many years. I have heard that mothers can get jealous of their son''s girlfriend and wife. They can think that the girl is taking their son away forcefully or something." Angelina pouted and made a show of gulping with fear.


    "Then I should be scared, too. But you see, Cage''s mother sent us gifts and tickets to the spa. Don''t you think that clich¨¦ about evil mother-in-laws is too outdated?" She washed her hand as she was done with the preparation and took out the utensils to cook.


    "You lucked out on future in-laws. I can''t say the same just yet," Angelina demanded.

 Chapter 253 - Pair Of Lovebirds

    "Stephen thinks highly of his mother and offered her up to you as family. He is a good judge of character. Don''t worry about that." Katherine had no other option than to reassure. "You''re in a relationship with Stephen. You can always maintain your distance with his mother if things aren''t great. Or you could break up with him," Katherine suggested slyly to see how Angelina would react.


    "I''m not breaking up with him even if he is the devil incarnate," she responded stubbornly, huffing and puffing as she complained about her friend being unsupportive.


    "If you''re so sure about him, then why are you getting scared of meeting his mother. The outcome is set. You are not breaking up with Stephen. Anything else, you can find a solution to. You have the ending of the story, so you don''t need to make yourself anxious over nothing."


    Angelina grew silent for a minute before speaking. "You sound like a relationship counsellor. You''re scaring me," she confessed. Katherine rolled her eyes and didn''t reply the stupid insinuation. "Oh, I forgot to tell you¡­ there is a post on social media about you¡­ you might want to check it out." Katherine swivelled around, surprised.


    "Is it bad?" she asked nervously.


    "Now really," Angelina shrugged. She pulled out her phone and handed it over to Katherine to see. It was Laurence''s friend Ian who had posted.


    [IanVlogs: Don''t these two look like a pair of lovebirds?]


    He had written over a picture of Laurence and Katherine standing together. This had been taken that morning before they left and from the time it was posted, Ian wasted no time to share it with his followers.


    "Figures," Katherine said in understanding. "That''s why I got stopped in the grocery store today." She sighed. Her first exposure into the world of the rich and famous and people were already making rumors. She felt worse about Cage''s situation, this time from personal experience. And it wasn''t even the tip of the iceberg.


    "You can call yourself an influencer now. Someone stopped you while you were frolicking about," Angelina joked. "The hashtag RinBoi is trending, too." Katherine looked disgusted by the hashtag. "It takes your usernames and puts it together. You got entangled in a ship."


    Katherine forgot all about the food and typed in the hastag to see the posts that had been made. People calling them cute, asking if they were dating and what not. It could be said that her channel would get more followers soon, too.


    LazerBoi had a lot of young men and women on his profile. Some of them would have a problem with him being partnered with someone else online and there would be backlash. She managed to read the top posts only but there were hundreds of tags and reposts of the original picture shared by Ian.


    Katherine grew awkward at the prospect and chucked the phone back at Angelina.


    She went back to cooking before the thought came to her.


    She needed to tell Cage before he found out from some other source.


    [K: People think I am dating LazerBoi. I didn''t have any idea this would happen.]


    "Informing Cage?" Angelina asked. She helpfully went forward and started to cook the dish, instead. It wouldn''t taste as good but Katherine was too distracted to cook anything without burning her hands.


    "Yeah. He''s going to get a shock," she whispered as she looked at her cellphone. She knew he would be shooting some very dangerous scenes today, so she didn''t expect him to reply. Yet she was scared that she would get angry that something of this nature had happened.


    "Don''t worry about it. Cage knows how bizarre people can be when they are speculating." Katherine hoped for the same. Cage had never let her down, so he wouldn''t do it this time around as well. She predicted that he would get jealous, though.


    Over the next two hours, Katherine sent quite a few messages to Cage, but he was yet to reply to any of them. She sighed as she rested her chin on her hand and waited for the phone to light up.


    She needed some advice urgently. Apart from the general feeling of being overwhelmed there was also the fear of what Cage thought about the situation. She felt guilty that such a thing had happened. She had shipped people with others before but when she was the one being shipped, she felt like her heart was being torn apart by worry. Fans could get crazy and they could get violent. Moreover, she was a taken woman who needed to preserve her integrity for when they decided to introduce her as Cage''s girlfriend.


    Her phone chose that moment to vibrate violently. She bit her lip as she leaned forward and pulled the phone to her ear without checking who it was.


    "Hello? I''m sorry-" she started in a panic. She wanted to apologize first before he got the chance to speak. "I was beginning to think you never not going to reply," she uttered those panic-laced words.


    "I don''t think I received any messages from you," the foreign voice replied. She pulled the phone away from her ears instantly and stared at the name flashing on her screen. Laurence.


    "Laurence," she greeted him, more composed than before. "I apologize. I thought you were someone else." Thankfully, she had not blurted out Cage''s name. That would lead to a whole new conversation.


    "I got that part," he chuckled lightly. "So¡­ I was wondering¡­ have you been on social media lately?" The fact that he sounded nervous made her worry a little less. So he hadn''t planned it himself and his friend was just being an asshole.


    "Are you talking about the RinBoi thing going around the internet?" she asked tentatively, wanting an explanation on the matter.


    "Yeah," he sighed. "I wanted to call and ask if you were okay. I saw that hundreds of thousands of people had seen the post and interacted and I just hope you are not freaking out." He kept the talk of his friend posting the photo with an ambiguous caption out.

 Chapter 254 - Breach Of Trust

    "The caption wasn''t helpful," she reminded him politely. "I''m alright. This is the first time something like this has happened to me. Can''t say it is pleasant." She heaved a breath and waited for him to respond.


    "I''ll talk to Ian in a while, don''t worry." Laurence sounded sincere. "I am kind of used to the craziness. Followers can get really crazy." There was shuffling in the background but Katherine wasn''t interested in finding out what it was.


    "Yeah, all fanbases are like that." She didn''t want to make a mountain out of the situation. This was her first collaboration and she didn''t want a bad name in the industry from the very start.


    "I don''t mind being shipped with you," Laurence said confidently. While someone else might have been flattered, Katherine was mildly scared. Was it like the entertainment industry, where people acted like they were together to get more publicity? It seemed that way. She looked down at her lap as she constructed the next sentences.


    "I am not a fan of gossip and shipping," she admitted firmly. This was her saying ''hey, I don''t want any part of this.''


    "I understand." His voice sounded lower and disappointed but Katherine didn''t notice the change. "There was something else I wanted to ask you, actually." He was back to normal.


    "What is it?" Katherine asked cautiously.


    "I was wondering if we could do another video together, this time showing off our photoshop skills. A competition," he told her. He wanted to make it sound more enticing so he continued to make the deal sweeter. "You''ll get your foot into varied content and more followers. I think it is a good deal. As per my norms, you''ll get fifty percent of the revenue generated from the video, of course. What do you think?"


    She gulped as she thought it over. The video would make people look deeper into the issue and solidify their belief that Katherine and Laurence were dating. On the other hand, popularity would be a huge factor in how far she got in the championship. In that case, she should focus on the long-term implications.


    So, why was she hesitating? Her integrity hurt. She felt like she was betraying Cage''s trust by not posting the truth.


    "It sounds like a lot of fun. Can you give me some time to think about it?" she asked. She tried to sound positive and hoped that he got the same impression.


    "Awesome. Let me know," he replied, relief obvious. "If you do say yes, when will you be available?" Laurence asked after a moment of silence.


    "Same time as yesterday. How long are you in town?"


    "Day after tomorrow, I am going back. If tomorrow is not too soon for you¡­" he trailed off.


    "I''ll let you know soon," she reassured.


    "I''ll ask my followers to send pictures they want edited. I think we will get enough to make a good video out of it." He chuckled.


    "That sounds great. I''m okay with whatever." She remained relatively silent and let him talk for a couple of minutes before he remembered that he had something to tend to and hung up after bidding farewell.


    Katherine stared at her phone for a really long time before giving up and sliding back into bed.


    [K: What should I do?] The desperation was evident in those words.


    ''Cage, I hope you are just busy. I hope you aren''t too angry. I hope I didn''t screw up.''


    - - -


    Cage had finally gotten rid of the protective gear and seen through the various takes to pin point the ones that looked the best. He had conversed with the director and discussed the next couple of scenes inside the building which they had booked for the day.


    It would be another long day.


    Finally getting some reprieve, he took a seat and received his phone from Stephen. His face looked dismayed, so Cage couldn''t help but ask him what was wrong.


    "Katherine texted you multiple times," he informed. Cage looked at him curiously, wondering why that was a bad thing. "There has been a rumor online, so she must be freaking out. I just found out myself," Stephen said with a sigh. He apologized before giving Cage privacy.


    Cage unlocked the screen and was confronted with several desperate and scared messages from Katherine ranging from fearing that he would break up with her to asking him to help her with what to do next to solve the situation.


    He smiled as he put in the name of the hashtags and looked through the posts. His smile dropped when he saw the comments and then clicked on the link to the picture. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the happy expression on the man''s face and then looked at himself in the mirror.


    After a little thought, he let the matter go and looked at Katherine''s bewildered expression. He smiled sweetly as he caressed her face on the screen. How did she look like a couple with this guy? Clearly these people on the internet knew nothing about how two people in love looked at one another.


    Also, falling in love within the day? Was this a joke? He huffed in indignation and scrolled to see if the male culprit of this gossip had commented on the rumor. So far, the man hadn''t but his friend had already done the damage.


    He started to type his response before stopping and dialing her number. She picked up instantly, sounding panicked.


    "Cage," she m.o.a.ned. She was on the verge of tears and he felt terrible for not replying earlier.


    "Don''t cry. I just finished shooting and am on a break. I saw your messages¡­ What''s wrong?" He wanted to hear it from her first hand. When she wrote, her meaning was clear, but if she didn''t say it out loud, she wouldn''t be able to cleanse her worries.


    "You saw the posts, right?" she inspected. He hummed in response, urging her to keep speaking. "I really didn''t know that this guy was going to post with such a statement. I don''t know what to do. I really didn''t say anything to lead them on or anything. I don''t understand why this happened¡­"

 Chapter 255 - The Universe Is Playing

    "Breathe, baby," he urged in a calming manner. A sob ripped through her throat, finally breaking after months of stress.


    "I miss you," she cried, her words muffled by her tears. "I feel like I can''t do anything to reach you and the universe is playing a game to make sure we don''t make it." The uninhibited fear in her voice scared him too. "I understand the distance and your work. But it''s so overwhelming when people that have nothing to do with me keep poking me to break down."


    He silently waited as she unloaded her frustrations, talking about the people in the supermarket who had stopped her and asked if she was waiting, being ambushed by likes on social media and the guy insinuating that he was okay with the rumors.


    Cage instantly had a bad feeling about the situation but it wasn''t danger, just discomfort. He didn''t think this Laurence was dangerous. Instead, this guy was interested in Katherine. That was why he was okay with the rumors. Telling Katherine wouldn''t serve any purpose so he waited until she was exhausted to say his piece.


    He could see that she needed reassurance from him. He had neglected her concerns and thought she would be okay. Even though she was strong, the separation had taken a toll on both of them.


    "I miss you, too," he said softly. The adoration in his heart seeped through his heart and reached her ears miles away. She sniffled, feeling much better after venting. "I know you didn''t show interest and I know people misunderstood without context. You did nothing wrong in this context. You are in internet personality and not a celebrity. But the rule applies. Your fans should not encroach on your private space and make you feel awkward. None of it is your fault." He couldn''t emphasise it enough. He waited for her to respond.


    "Yes," she muttered, unconvinced.


    "Look at it like this¡­ the universe is testing you so that we can emerge from this stronger than ever. When we meet again, when we face the world hand in hand, nothing will be able to separate us. I''ll see them try. And I promise you, I''ll tear down everything that tries to keep me away from you." The threat was clear. Try me. I''ll make sure you regret it.


    Her breath hitched as she heard him speak.


    "About the collaboration. Do it. Do a video for his challenge and make the fifty percent cut from his video. Why should you shy away from making use of him when his friend and he are okay with using you to make people speculate? You''re in the right if you do it."


    "But the rumor-" she interjected weakly.


    "Just hint at the fact that you are not in a relationship with him. You don''t have to think too deeply about it. If people talk poorly about you, you have me to back you up. Why are you so scared?" He was ferocious and protective. It tingled her heart and she felt the tightening of her chest in response.


    "You didn''t suspect me when you went through the posts?" she asked, feeling confident once again.


    "I scoffed at the posts. When I saw the picture, I could clearly tell that these people needed to get their eyes checked." He sounded amused and she was relieved.


    "Well, nobody knows me better than Cage," she sighed, sounding like that was a bad thing.


    "Do you want me to post that you are mine?"


    "Don''t joke!" she retorted hurriedly. "I don''t have a death wish, yet." She fell silent. "You are the best man on the planet. God must have taken a lot of time to create you." She nodded at the thought.


    "Well, he must have kept you in mind when he created me because I seem to be perfect for you in every sense." The innuendo and the sultry aftertaste of the words left her reeling.


    "You''re going on Entertainment Tonight, right?" she asked, changing the topic quickly. She rolled around on her bed freely, feeling the burden on her shoulders lift immediately.


    ''Don''t get Cage hot and bothered before he goes on screen. He sounds deadly.'' She would have to fight women off with a sword if they heard this side of him. She must protect her treasure with her life!


    "Yeah. I need to call in two hours." He checked his watch to make sure. "You''re going to tune in, right?" he asked hopefully.


    "Of course. My boyfriend is going to be on call, I must watch. I might want to punch people, though. I have a hard time keeping myself off social media when it comes to you." Her confession didn''t come as a surprise. He chuckled in understanding.


    "You''ve been awfully quite on your account about me. Don''t you think people will grow suspicious?" Cage teased lightly. He unscrewed a bottle of battle and took small sips to drown out the exhaustion from his brows and listened to her speak.


    "I have so much work already that I rarely get time to draw recreationally anymore. And don''t you dare think I don''t understand. You just want to see me fangirl over you, don''t you?" She would have waved her finger at his face in accusation if he was in front of her. The image was vivid in his mind, though.


    "I''m very lucky to have my biggest fan as my girlfriend," he confessed.


    "Who said anything about being your biggest fan, clearly you don''t know how crazy people can get." She snorted when she remembered the plethora of confessions of love and people wanting to have his babies. He did make her ovaries explode, as well, so she couldn''t really blame them.


    "I don''t care about the crazy. I care about the sane," he pointed out bluntly. "Do you think I will be criticized for hooking up with a fan?" he contemplated.


    "Well, it was me who seduced you," she prompted. "Secondly, fangirls will start to think that dreams do come true. Doesn''t Stephen always say that it is the narrative that matters?" She felt so self-righteous that she could pat her back any time.

 Chapter 256 - Outed Me

    "You''re learning really fast," Cage grumbled. Learning fast meant she was getting disillusioned about his world. At the end of the road, she would see the real picture. She might not run away but she might come to dislike him.


    "And you sound haunted by that. Don''t worry. Just because I had a setback doesn''t mean I''ll break down every time something happens to me." She wished she could role her eyes or reassure him in another way.


    "I hope so. I''d have to whip you into shape otherwise," he proclaimed proudly.


    "Your dominant side is coming out. I''m not a wh.i.p.s and chains kind of gal, Mr. Cavanaugh. I''ll settle for some spanks, though. I miss them." Cage groaned as he pressed his fingers to the bridge of his nose. Beautiful picture. Not helpful.


    "I don''t want to talk about your beautiful ass," he bit back. "We don''t have a shower I can use nearby." Poor baby.


    "Tonight," she promised.


    "Tonight," he replied, relief flushing through him. The makeup artist was back, waiting for him to be done with the call. He smiled politely at the woman before closing her eyes and calming himself down. "I need to get my makeup done and change. Miss you."


    Though she didn''t want to hang up, she knew they both had work to do. She shook her head, feeling a lot better than before and murmured a quick ''I love you,'' before hanging up.


    Her mind was clear and her chest didn''t feel like it would explode, so she got to work.


    But before that, she needed to text Laurence to let him know she would come over. She needed someone to go with her, though. She called up on her friends and lured Angelina into coming with her. Relieved, she finally sent the text.


    [K: Send the address of your hotel. I am free tomorrow at 7.]


    [L: Thank you!] He replied immediately. The location was attached. She saw it and calculated. It was half an hour away, so she could slowly finish work and then go over.


    With that, she turned to her laptop and started to edit the videos. She needed to post as soon as possible to maximize effect.


    "You''ve got to call in a couple of minutes," Stephen reminded him as they sat in the car and made their way back to the hotel. The clothes for next day''s shoot were finalized and the lines were gone over meticulously before he left the premises. He had found that he had become leaner than before. Somehow, despite being well-fed and eating without abandon before he came to shoot, he had somehow retained body shape. Thank god for that. Though that meant the stylists altering his clothes last minute, he felt better about his body. He did look amazing, if he may say so himself.


    Cage called the prearranged number and waited for someone to pick up. "Hi, this is Entertainment Tonight''s guest line. How may I help you?0


    "Hello, this is Cage Cavanaugh. I was asked to call this number shortly before I am supposed to go live," he informed, helpfully.


    "Oh!" the woman cooed, overjoyed. "I''ll put you through immediately."


    There was a pause and then the interviewer was on. "Hi, Cage. Thanks for calling in. We''ll be right on after the commercial, okay?" Cage wanted to scoff at how benevolent and appreciative this interviewer sound, nothing like how he threatened him if he didn''t come on.


    "Sure," Cage agreed, kicking back on the seat.


    "And we are on in five¡­" In the background, the producer was counting down. "This is Entertainment Tonight and I am on the phone with¡­ you guessed it, Cage Cavanaugh!" There was a round of applause. The live audience was cheering for him.


    "Hi everyone," Cage spoke. "Thank you for having me." Not that he was given a chance to say no.


    "Cage, we are beyond excited." Of course, he was. Cage smirked at that. "You''ve been on everyone''s mind in the past couple of days¡­" he trailed off, wanting Cage to take up the conversation from there.


    Cage laughed warmly. "Yeah, it has been loud since Giselle outed me in front of the world." He tried to keep the edge out of his voice and he succeeded wonderfully. He brought it on himself, he had no one else to blame.


    "You''ve been single for a very long time now and we haven''t gotten any official news from you for a couple of months. What prompted you to open up?" The interviewer asked.


    Right. Back to the questions. "I have been career-oriented since the beginning and never gotten into a relationship. Well, love does slam you in the face when you are least expecting it."


    The interviewer laughed. "Well, now that you say it, maybe I have been looking too hard for love. That''s why I am so single." Cage laughed along with the audience, not talking about how shitty the interviewer was as a person. That was why he was single. "So, what can you tell us about your mystery girl?"


    He expected that question. Giselle was yet to publish the article, so no one knew that he didn''t want to talk about it. "The only thing I can tell you is that she makes me happy beyond belief. Also, please don''t look for pictures of us together. She''s not in town and you will never find them." The confidence made the interviewer pause.


    "You won''t even tell us a name? You''re really making me think that she is imaginary!" The interviewer sang like a canary.


    "She is unreal, but definitely part of this world," Cage engaged without taking offense. "She''s not part of the industry. That''s all."


    "It''s hard to meet someone who is not in the business. How did you come across her?" The actual question was, how did you evade the cameras while you dated.


    He was done with the question. "It is difficult but not impossible. There is one more thing I can tell you about her." The taunt in his voice was evident. He wanted the audience to take the bait. Whispers broke out as the audience went wild.


    "What''s that?" The interviewer question hurriedly.

 Chapter 257 - Dedication To Promotion

    "She loves Kevin Heart." He smirked, smelling victory. The interviewer was stumped for words for a solid second before he awkwardly tried to salvage the little dignity he had left.


    "Didn''t we all?" he began roughly, the awkwardness evident. Stephen was watching the show on silent beside him, so Cage would see how disgruntled the man looked on screen.


    And they were back on track.


    "You are back to filming the series. How do you feel?"


    "I''m thrilled to be back on set, working with the people I know better than my family at this point. It''s scary how excited the audience is and the expectations are high. As the movies come out, one trumps the previous one. Constantly getting better is something we strive to do." He paused before the next part for impact. "I want to thank each and every one of you for the support. Please continue to follow me once the movie is out!" With the little promotion done, he felt better.


    "Cage, I can promise to buy front row seats to all your shows. I am a huge fan!" he exclaimed. "When does the shooting end?" he asked.


    "We are ahead of schedule as of now, so it should be done within the month," he informed helpfully. "But you already know this, right?" Cage teased lightly.


    "I may love you, but I am not a borderline stalker¡­ yet." The smirk was there.


    "I am glad. Thank you so much for having me on your show today," he added politely.


    "No, thank you for taking the time to answer all our questions. I look forward to seeing you and your mystery girl out and about."


    Cage grinned at the thought. "I look forward to that, as well. I have my fingers crossed."


    The call ended and he slumped back. "You did really well," Stephen complimented. "Their viewership spiked when you came on and you beautifully dodged the dangerous questions." Stephen sounded impressed.


    Cage smirked. "Don''t forget the little promotion." He quirked a tired brow, his head lolling on the head rest.


    "You''re getting a gold medal for your resilience and dedication to promoting your own work." Stephen chuckled. "You won''t get any extra money," he added. "But continue."


    "You don''t need to blow gas up my ass." Cage pouted. Stephen looked at him with disgust and Cage just shrugged. "I''ve been watching Gordon Ramsay videos recently because Katherine likes him a lot."


    "What love does to a completely sane man. You''re quoting Gordon!" Stephen wanted to throw his hands in frustration. "You need to hug your girl soon or you will go out of your mind."


    "Don''t hate on the chef. And yes, I need to see her. How are we on the schedule? I want a couple of days off during the championship."


    Stephen paused.


    "I can make this happen but how will you manoeuvre around the media?" he asked, crossing his feet and waiting for him to answer.


    "It is going to be an auditorium fool of people. Everyone knows that I love gaming. They called me and I am going for free. I''ll inconspicuously slide in and watch my girl win." He shrugged.


    "If only it were that easy," Stephen huffed. "I''ll see what I can do. Your story sounds okay, just don''t go around making it obvious."


    "I''ll try." Cage smirked. Stephen gave him one last look before focusing on his phone. "By the way, don''t tell Katherine."


    "I know." The pair relaxed as they went back to the hotel.


    - - -


    Cage logged into Skype and bounced on his bed as he waited for her to join. It felt like forever since they had seen each other. It wasn''t the same with just pictures. Even video calling didn''t cut it. The connection was established within a minute and Katherine appeared on his screen. He sucked in a breath, surprised.


    "You have been extremely naught." He grinned at her in greeting. F.u.c.k conventionalities, they were past that.


    "Only for you, Mr. Cavanaugh." She was obviously in the white shirt, appearing even more enticing than she did in the picture. The fabric didn''t fall on her body like it did in the picture while she was sitting. Instead, it opened at her collar, giving him a look at the upper side of her b.r.e.a.s.t. His throat dried instantly as he swallowed the image in front of him.


    "You should stick to wearing that all the time," he proposed. She looked down at the shirt, acting clueless. Fiddling with the lapel, she pursed her lips.


    "This?" she replied, tracing her finger over the material.


    "I''ll be ordering those shirts in bulk after this call. It is illegal for you to wear anything else from this day forth!"


    Katherine giggled and sent him a flying kiss. He looked beautiful, his eyes showing her tired he was. "Tired?" she asked. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair and wash away the weariness. As if hearing her thoughts, he ran his finger through his messy hair and gave her a little smirk. It looked so good on him.


    "Never too tired for you," he proclaimed. He searched her eyes for lingering fear from what happened earlier but he didn''t see anything.


    Katherine looked at the sweetness in his eyes and felt her heart thump rapidly. ''Be still, my heart,'' she muttered. "You need to sleep," she reproached softly.


    "I need you more," he said with a pout. Katherine would have rolled her eyes but she wanted to see him just as much.


    "I''ll give you what you need and then you are going to sleep," she demanded. She pried the shirt open, letting him get a good view of her b.r.e.a.s.ts. "Where do you need me?" she asked coquettishly. Her finger caressed her n.a.k.e.d skin as she watched him gulp with need.


    He shifted the laptop away from him. His previous shirtless state gave away to his true state. He had been n.a.k.e.d all along. Her eyes glazed over as she watched him in all his glory. She wanted to lick him all over but she settled for simply licking her lips, instead. Sad outcome.

 Chapter 258 - My Scent On You *

    "Everywhere," he swore under his breath. He watched as she eyed his c.o.c.k with hunger in her eyes. The point of her attention was standing at attention, waiting for her to lavish more.


    "See how happy I am?" he smirked.


    She mumbled something that he couldn''t hear. But the smile she gave as she reached down to the hem of the shirt and sliding it away from her body, revealing all of her skin left him breathless. "The shirt smells like you," she said, smiling softly.


    "I love that my scent is on you." You could see how hot and bother he was.


    "I''ve been pretending like you are here," she confessed, her voice almost a whisper.


    "You can''t imagine how much I want that to be true," he groaned.


    "We have no one interrupting us now," she sounded evil. The wickedness in her eyes made him laugh. "Whatever do you want to do to me?" She tilted her head and trailed her finger down her sternum.


    "I want to touch you and taste you and hold you until the wee hours of the night." Katherine knew he wasn''t lying.


    "Where do you want to touch me?" She m.o.a.ned from her own touch over her b.r.e.a.s.ts. From the tip of her n.i.p.p.l.es to the soft skin underneath, he wanted to touch it all.


    "Right there."


    "Like this?" she teased, brushing her knuckles over her n.i.p.p.l.es and feeling them harden under her ministration. How she wished Cage was there to wrap his lips around it.


    "Rougher," he demanded hungrily. She narrowed her eyes as she pinched lightly. She hid her smile when she heard him m.o.a.n and watched as his hand descended to his c.o.c.k and palmed it. "Just like that," the words came as a sigh. Cage watched eagerly as she administered the same attention to the other b.r.e.a.s.t. "Beautiful," he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.


    She ignored his compliments and went for the throat. "I want your c.o.c.k."


    He cursed before he replied. "All yours."


    "I want it in my mouth." Cage gulped, visibly shaken and wondering how long he could hold out. At this rate he would c.u.m in no time and embarrass himself. No doubt, that was what she intended to do. Bold and beautiful Katherine had a way of getting her way. If she wanted him relieved fast and to get sleep, she would try her best to break him.


    "I love it when you wrap your lips around me." He sighed. "It reminds me of the stain you left on my c.o.c.k. I had a hard time taking it off later in the shower." His reminder jolted her. She grew breathless as she too remembered the scene. She screwed her eyes shut and tried to concentrate on her plan.


    "I know you do. It was my plan to make the experience unforgivable." She gave him a cursory wink. "You also like it when I hum." She demonstrated in case he had forgotten. How was he supposed to? It was one of those tricks that made him wonder what she ate to make her think of some ideas. His hand stilled on his c.o.c.k as he tried to repress the need to blow his seed.


    "Damn it," he cursed. He heated look he gave accompanied his words perfectly, "Where do you want my mouth?" he asked. He made a show of licking his lips and she let out a quite gasp. Cage knew that she didn''t think he had heard.


    Katherine was about to speak when he shushed her. "Show me," he demanded with a wicked grin. He had turned the game to his favor.


    She spread her legs open, scooting back so that she was in frame and then pushed the pink panties aside. Her p.u.s.s.y was in his view, glistening in the light of her room. One hand remained on her b.r.e.a.s.t while the other travelled down her stomach to her h.i.p.s and then to her clit. She circled it with her middle finger and watched him with a steady gaze.


    Katherine was killing him. "You want me to taste you?" He leaned forward, his voice amplifying. She nodded. "Close your eyes. Can you feel my tongue on you?"


    Another little nod that made her look adorable. He watched her as her head fell back and rested against the headboard, her mouth slightly open as she circled her clit with her finger. Cage reached over to the nightstand to grab her lotion and squirted a generous amount on his pleading c.o.c.k. When he looked at her again, she had plunged two fingers inside her and stroked harder. His palm found his c.o.c.k instantly, in sync with her strokes. The scent of her lotion permeated her room giving him a feeling of having her in the same room.


    "I want you inside me," she whispered roughly, placing another finger inside her. Her h.i.p.s bucked as she tried to keep pace with her pleasure. She squirmed and dug her fingers into her b.r.e.a.s.t as she chased. Cage suddenly realized that he liked this better than watching her ride her toys.


    "More than anything. Do you want me to f.u.c.k you?" She m.o.a.ned in response. Cage took it as agreement as she started to work herself frantically. It wouldn''t take her long, which was good for him because he could barely stop himself from coming. He jerked his c.o.c.k as he put his filthy mouth to good use.


    "I''m so f.u.c.k.i.n.g hard. Having your p.u.s.s.y wrapped around me, all warmth and silk as I f.u.c.k you hard¡­ Can you feel it?"


    She choked out a yes. "More! I miss your c.o.c.k so much."


    ''Of course you do,'' he thought confidently. "I miss being inside you, too. I can''t wait to have your legs around my h.i.p.s and your n.i.p.p.l.es in my mouth. I can''t wait to bite down on your shoulders as I f.u.c.k you to the inch of your life." If this wasn''t filth, he didn''t know what was.

 Chapter 259 - Experienced The Universe

    He felt exactly that way. To have her and cherish her. To make love to her and then f.u.c.k her. Show her exactly how much he loved her soul and her body.


    Katherine called his name as her body writhed from pleasure. Cage barely noticed his own orgasm as he watched in awe. ''So beautiful,'' he thought, watching her skin flush and the light sheen of sweat on her body gleam as she repeated his name over and over again.


    Orgasms were nice but nothing compared to how she looked when she was swept by passion. Nothing.


    She needed moments of peace after that. Breathing heavily until she regulated it and gave him a small, satiated smile. "You look¡­" she scrunched her nose. Adorable.


    He shook his head. "I was a bit tired but the image of you¡­ I''ll have it engraved in my mind until I can see you like that in person again." The thought occurred to him. Cage needed him by her side. "I need you to decide if you want to travel with me when I start shooting the next movie." It was an abrupt change in conversation.


    Katherine was startled but took a moment to think about it before coming to a decision. "My family knows we shared the cabin. I''m old enough to make a decision and I think I want to go with you. I can''t stand the distance. I''ll get used to the schedule shortly and I can work remotely from then on."


    All these logical reasons were said to imply one thing. "I can''t live without you anymore."


    "Thank you for making my life better." Cage wrung his hands together and wondered how he had gotten so lucky. Katherine snickered as she saw his nervous expression fade. In contract to his glorious n.a.k.e.d body, the lack of confidence in his charm was striking.


    This silly man.


    "You''re it for me," she sighed, acting as if she was disappointed. "You won''t get rid of me easily." She shrugged. "I''ll have to ensure we are happy and you won''t leave me." If only it were that simple, but for them it was.


    "That''s my job from now on. Whenever you need me, you call. Even if you are bored, I want you to come to me. I''ll make sure Stephen takes all of your calls and the staff knows not to talk to me when I am with you." His dedication was impressive.


    But not at the cost of his reputation and career. "You don''t have to do that. I enjoy talking to you on your free time. Watching the exhaustion slowly seep out of your body is the highlight of my day." She was confident in her skills because he had the exact effect on her. Moreover, she was good at reading him, security in yourself and your relationship does that to you.


    "You know everything!" he exclaimed. "But I don''t mind if you are bothered. You''re first." The sweet smile came on.


    ''You''re first, too,'' she thought to herself. They spoke for a little longer before he yawned.


    "I just experienced the universe," Katherine teased when he shut his mouth closed.


    "Well, I am your universe, so it''s not an issue," he uttered, being obtuse on purpose.


    "Now that you have stroked your ego, go sleep. Enough chatting and fooling around." Cage grumbled something about real life getting in the way of his happiness but reluctantly agreed to hang up.


    "See you soon, love. I love you." She waited, watching as he picked up the laptop, his face filling the screen. Cage gave her a last smile and told her he loved her again before disconnecting.


    Katherine would carry that expression on his face with her while they were far away from one another. Six more weeks. No matter how busy either of them were, it was six more weeks of missing each other like crazy.


    - - -


    Katherine was standing in front of the hotel and waiting for Laurence to pick them up. Angelina had started to prepare for the runway show and her diet had become restrictive. Katherine was trying to convince her that the food she cooked would suffice, but Angelina thought otherwise. She was superstitious and usually ate certain foods so that it would bring her luck before a show.


    Katherine understood eventually and didn''t force her to do anything.


    Laurence had come out of the hotel and looked around to see them standing across the corner.


    "There you are," he exclaimed, running to them. "I told you that the hotel wasn''t that far," he said, gesturing towards the building.


    "You''re right," Angelina replied with a nod. It had been closer than they anticipated and it had taken about ten minutes for them to arrive, earlier than the scheduled time.


    "Ladies," he said, bowing and holding his hand out to beckon them forward.


    "Thank you," Katherine politely replied. As they walked to the entrance, Laurence''s arm brushed against hers and he jolted away. Katherine glanced at him curiously but didn''t say anything.


    ''So the romance books had it right. You do feel an electric current when you touch someone.'' If Katherine had heard this thought in Laurence''s mind, she would have advised him to go see a doctor or a psychic. Feeling electricity in your body wasn''t normal.


    Laurence led them inside the spacious structure and took them to the tenth floor. He stopped in front of a room and knocked. When the response didn''t come, he fumbled to find the keys. Finally opening the door and allowed the ladies to go through first.


    "Sorry, Ian and I aren''t the cleanest people," he apologized as they entered and saw the room in utter disarray. Though the suite was wide and open, almost every surface was covered with clothes packets of snacks or takeout boxes.


    Angelina wondered if hotels allowed guests to bring in food from outside, the answer to which was that these two had sneaked it in without others knowing. Fair enough. Hotel food was expensive. Katherine didn''t mind much but bit her lip when she realized that they would have to clean up before filming the video.

 Chapter 260 - Household Name

    "The clutter gives character," she said simply as she looked around.


    "I tried to clean up but Ian¡­ yeah, he ruined every surface I cleaned." He followed with a nervous laugh and the scratching of his hair.


    "It''s okay. We can just clean up a little before filming." She remained neutral and nice throughout.


    "Really?" He blinked, feeling like he had met an angel. Like her tolerance knew no bars. "Your apartment was so clean¡­ You must like cleaning." Katherine wanted to laugh her head off.


    "I''m not that big on cleaning either. I like it to be organized, though." Laurence nodded in understanding. Not a neat freak, but enjoyed a clean room. Nothing wrong with that.


    Ian came barreling out of a room, looking ecstatic. "Hey Katherine, thanks to you, I have a lot of interaction on my account." He came forward to shake her hand. Katherine stiffened as she immediately looked at Laurence.


    It seemed that this man hadn''t brought up the conversation with his friend yet, or this friend was tone deaf and couldn''t read a room. Either was possible.


    "Uh¡­" she hesitated.


    "We talked about this," Laurence interjected quickly. "He''s kidding."


    Ian looked at his friend with an unreadable expression before a smile broke out on his face. "Don''t worry. It was a slip up. I can delete it if you want."


    Angelina, who was on Katherine''s side, let out a little huff that no one apart from Katherine caught.


    "You don''t need to do that," Katherine began. Ian looked really pleased with himself for some reason, so Katherine continued. "People pay more attention and make stories when you post something and then delete it. It looks like you were forced or you have something to hide." Ian''s shoulders slumped slightly.


    "So, are you going to cook for us?" Ian began, diverting the conversation.


    Katherine shook her head, wondering how she was supposed to cook in a hotel room.


    "She''s not here to feed your ass. We''re just going to shoot a photoshoot video. We just need you to fix the camera. We can screen record the rest, right?" Laurence looked at Katherine for approval.


    "Yeah, but before that, let''s clean up." Her skin felt itchy just seeing the train wreck that the room was. She brushed the hair off her neck and tied it into a ponytail. She stretched her fingers before ordering Laurence to help her, as well.


    She dared not call the cleaning service. Laurence and Ian would be pulled up for bringing in food and alcohol from outside.


    Anyway, as she was cleaning, she heard Angelina''s phone go off. Katherine glanced back, uninterested until she picked up and brushed her hair over her shoulders and smiled at her phone.


    "What are you up to?" she heard Stephen say. Katherine looked up in surprise.


    "Just watching Katherine clean¡­" she trailed off. She bounced off the couch and placed herself across the room. She must have flipped the camera over because Katherine heard Stephen swear.


    "Baby, shouldn''t you be helping out?" Stephen commented, sounding mildly amused.


    "I did my nails. Acrylic nails and cleaning don''t go hand in hand. You wouldn''t tell me to clean if you knew how much it hurts to break a nail." She sounded bored. "How is the shoot today?" she asked passively, her eyes roving over the room to see who was listening.


    "It''s been hectic today but I think we will finish before the usual time," Stephen informed. "Is Katherine there?" he asked suddenly. Angelina hummed before she called Katherine over.


    Katherine pressed a hand on her hip as she took the phone and smiled at the man on the other side. "Hey, Stephen. You miss your girlfriend too much," she commented, envy evident in her voice.


    "Well, I can''t help it!" he exclaimed as he turned around. In the frame, right behind Stephen''s head, she saw Cage. His head was leaning against the wall and he was asleep. Katherine''s eyes widened as she smiled.


    "Thank you," she said suddenly. Her words were so out of the conversation, the people in the room looked up at her. She remained silent as she saw him scratch his face cutely and then turn his head a little. "I''ll give the phone back to Angelina now," she said.


    "No, no!" Stephen interjected, looking at her with urgency. "Your championship starts in six days, right?" Katherine counted the days in her head and nodded. "Are you prepared for it? You need to take your camera and laptop so that you can edit videos and post on your social media. You know that, right?"


    "Of course. With you helping me out, I''ll be a household name in no time." She smirked. "I''m going to take a poll, I''ll send you the plan by tomorrow for your approval. How does that sound?" She was going to do it anyway, but with Stephen taking the initiative, she didn''t feel too bad doing it. She would have to pay him back somehow, she wondered how she would do that.


    "Take your time. I''m a little drowned with work at the moment, with the reporters blowing up my phone. I''ll look into it and make some changes." Stephen nodded sagely. "Now, give the phone back to my precious girlfriend."


    Katherine snickered as she passed the phone to Angelina like a hot potato.


    "Why do I feel like this call was made to talk to my friend and not me?" she asked sassily.


    "Jealous?" Stephen bit back. Katherine knew that the end of this conversation would be explosive. She pursed her lips and waited for the banter to begin. Ian was watching Angelina talk with rapt attention. There was no romantic interest but he was curious who Angelina was talking to.


    The call ended before either of them could scream or anger the other. "Boss has woken up," Stephen claimed as he waved goodbye and hung up.


    Katherine''s lip raised slightly as her phone pinged. She ignored me for some time until she was done cleaning. She took in a cleansing breath before pulling her phone out of her jeans.

 Chapter 261 - Dont Publicize

    [C: You''re cleaning?] he had texted.


    [K: Cleaning up after other men.] Was her reply.


    [C: You will be punished for that. Beware.] She shook her head as she smiled.


    [K: I''m running away¡­]


    She placed the phone back in her pocket and then went to Ian and Laurence. They were sitting beside Angelina asking her about her job. She was positive in her responses.


    "So, your boyfriend manages influencers?" Ian asked, waving towards her phone. She was still holding it in her hand and checking messages.


    "You could say that," Angelina evaded.


    "I think I saw Stephen Luther," he said. His eyes gleamed as he looked at her with intrigue. So, Stephen had been recognized. Angelina and Katherine shared a look. Both wondered how to answer. Yet there was no way to bypass the questions now that Ian knew who Angelina had been talking to.


    "I didn''t think my boyfriend was famous enough to be recognized," Angelina grumbled. She looked straight at Ian as she spoke the next words. "I hope you don''t publicize this. I don''t like flaunting my relationship." The remark was biting and clearly Angelina was taking revenge on Katherine''s behalf.


    "How did you meet him?" Ian asked casually, ignoring the jab.


    "I met him through a friend. Why do you ask?" Angelina gave him a no nonsense look that could make people''s blood turn cold. Ian looked shocked to be on the receiving end of the look. He shook it off quickly.


    "I was wondering if you could hook us up with him. We''d love to get a collaboration with Cage Cavanaugh." He motioned towards Laurence as he said so. "You know how some movie stars promote their movies through influencers now, right? With Laurence''s reach, it would be mutually beneficial for the two to collaborate. And Cage likes to play videogames, so it shouldn''t be a problem." As easy as that sounded, Katherine felt her heart thump with fright.


    Angelina looked inconspicuously at Katherine''s expression and sighed. "I don''t mix myself with my boyfriend''s business. Also, it is impolite to give away someone''s number without their knowledge."


    "Don''t misunderstand Ian!" Laurence defended quickly. "He gets a little aggressive when it comes to our channels," he chuckled nervously. Angelina tried to hold back the roll of her eyes.


    "I sometimes forget if he is your friend or your manager," Angelina commented bluntly.


    "He does take care editing and publishing of my videos," Laurence said without thinking much. So, the power was in Ian''s hand even though he was the one making the money. Ian had a lot less followers and mostly shot to fame because of his friendship with Laurence. Apart from that, from his videos and posts, he seemed like a nosey person who didn''t know his boundaries. He made prank videos and flash gameplays. Katherine had no interest in his videos and couldn''t understand why others would watch it either.


    To each their own.


    "Let''s start filming the video," Katherine spoke up, wanting the conversation to end.


    "How I wish we had food like last time. It would be great." Ian rubbed his stomach, recalling the memory of the delicious food Katherine had cooked for them. Suddenly, he clapped his hand. "Aren''t you going to City O for the championship? Maybe you can come over to our house. And Laurence will allow you to cook me something?" His eyes glittered.


    "I''ll make you something good," she assured without much thought.


    "Sweet!" Ian pumped his fist upwards. "By the way, with Stephen helping you plan and manage, you''ll be big in no time. Don''t forget us then¡­" He paused and thought about something. "Doesn''t that make you as important as Cage?" he asked innocently.


    "Of course," Katherine retorted slyly.


    Laurence laughed, calling her a narcissist before pulling her towards the film setup. They sat down, Katherine with her drawing tablet and Laurence with his gaming laptop. The camera was rolling and the play began.


    "I have been asking me to send your pictures to me to edit. And you guys flooded my social media with weird images and ideas. I am not complaining, though. But you finish all the edits and make this extra entertaining, I have brought on the highly anticipated and loved creator, Rinsten." He angled his body towards her and gave a cursory clap.


    She bowed her head slightly, accepting his introduction before turning to the camera with a blinding smile. "I have gone through the submissions. I must say, you guys set us up for failure." She mock glared at the camera and suppressed her smile. Her expressions were natural as she tapped her hand. "What do they have in store for us?" she asked Laurence.


    Laurence looked at her with an adoring smile. "This person asks us to make her skin look flawless." He gave her a grin and shared the picture. They started to record their screens and both took no more than two minutes to finish their edits.


    Laurence was looking at Katherine with admiration in his eyes. "You''re really fast!"


    "I have photographers and models as friends. I''ve done a lot of editing for them in my free time. I''ve found that I am very efficient in a short amount of time." She nodded, feeling self-satisfied with what she had done.


    "Are you tooting your own horn?" Laurence joked. Katherine shrugged.


    "One must appreciate themselves." She puffed her cheeks up and held back a laugh as she watched his face morph into horror. "Scared of me yet?"


    "Not at all," he stammered, looking at his laptop screen. "You sounded too cool," he said after a while.


    "Yes, so cool that I can freeze people''s heart over," she deadpanned. "I am dying to know what you did with the picture!" She peeked at his screen and then shook her head.


    "What? She wanted flawless skin!" he defended. He looked at the monitor which showed their respective screens.


    "You actually cleared up all her pores," Katherine admired. "Not bad." She took another look at the picture.

 Chapter 262 - Felt Your Hostility

    "But what have you done?" Laurence asked, sounding horrified.


    "Flawless skin¡­" she smirked. She had just cut the person''s eyes and mouth from the picture and pasted it over the image of a boiled and peeled egg. "Don''t tell me¡­ you thought I would be good at this?"


    Laurence broke out into laughter as they tagged the person in their respective posts.


    As they continued to film, various weird requests came in. From turning people into imaginary creatures to cropping people out of images after a breakup, all sorts of requests had come in.


    One request stood out from all the others. [Edit a picture to show how you want your relationship with Rinsten to be.]


    Katherine stared flabbergasted as Laurence scratched his head.


    "Are we being trapped?" Suspiciously, he looked over towards Ian. The man in question grinned but shook his head. He hadn''t instigated this. The fandom just wanted something more to ship. Confirmation from the parties in question.


    "It seems that way." Katherine was puzzled. This seemed like a great opportunity to stop people from making stories. Deny all rumors and start with a clean slate. "Why don''t we take a stab at it." She smiled, a wicked gleam in her eyes.


    Laurence nodded, feeling ecstatic. His eyes wandered off to her as she worked. He could barely concentrate on his own piece because Katherine kept scrunching her brows and biting her lip as she figured out how to portray the scene.


    "Are you done yet?" he asked, impatiently. Despite being distracted, he had somehow finished faster than her.


    "Just making finishing touches!" she explained quickly. She licked her lips and hid her smile as she looked over the edited picture one last time. "Done," she pronounced finally. The images were projected onto the monitor and Katherine marveled her masterpiece for a second.


    Laurence remained in stunned silence. To make up for it, Katherine started to comment on his artwork. "Oh, it''s actually very well done," she scrutinized the other''s work. He had put together screenshots of them from their videos to make it look like they were gaming together in the room he had filmed in for the past decade. The familiar setting and proximity between the two of them could be seen as friendship or more according to what the audience wanted to think.


    "I wanted to show how I want my friendship with you should look like. The two of us laughing and gaming." He arranged his expression accordingly and smiled at her.


    "You put in a little Shrek in the background as an Easter egg, I see," Katherine snickered. "Judge mine," she compelled. Her eyes were eager but she suppressed her true emotions wonderfully in front of the strangers. She, too, had kept some Easter eggs in the picture.


    There was a pronounced wall in the picture acting as a barrier between Laurence and Katherine. While he was in proper clothes, she was dressed as a nun. In the distance, you could see a church and nothing more than that. In reality. She had placed small pictures of Cage throughout her side of the image. Even though it was not evident, Katherine felt smug about it.


    Let''s see if anyone figured that one out.


    No, she wasn''t playing with fire. If anyone noticed, she would just tell them that she was a die hard fan. It would collaborate with her other accounts where she constantly gushed about Cage before she met him face to face. She couldn''t see any problem.


    "I have never been rejected so politely in my life," Laurence laughed his heart out. He stared at the image in sheer delight. "Bride of God?" he asked after further inspection.


    "Of course. But you won''t find out who my God is." She pouted when she heard Angelina snicker. She turned to her friend with a c.o.c.ky grin.


    "You''ve used this example before, haven''t you?" Laurence protested lightly. "I demand a new way to reject me. You say, isn''t the motto for this collaboration ''break your follower''s heart''?"


    Katherine shrugged as she rendered the image and sent it out to the person who had posted it.


    [Rinsten: Sorry, I am taken.] She attached the photo and then sent it over.


    They said their goodbyes to the audience after a couple more edits to relieve the awkwardness. The cameras were turned off before Ian started to speak. He seemed bothered and irritated by the whole ordeal but remained mostly polite.


    "You''re a very funny girl, Katherine," he said with a little hostility.


    "I would like to think so," she retorted.


    "You must be offended about the post yesterday but a lot of people pretend to be together to get more attention on social media." The words were said so lightly said that Katherine felt even more offended. So, this was how Cage felt when everyone told him he was wrong for not wanting to lie about his relationsh.i.p.s.


    "Ah, so this is what it feels like," she whispered with a sigh. Ian looked at her curiously but she didn''t say much more on the topic. "I was offended. Thank you for understanding that so quickly."


    "I felt your hostility." Katherine''s eyes roamed over Ian''s face trying to find any trace of guilt for what he had done. None. Ian was too engrossed in his role as a manager or whatever he thought he was to think about other people and their worries.


    "Find some time to look around you and see how others feel when you act irrationally. I''m not a person who wants to be entangled in rumors and seen under a critical light. If I liked someone, I would like to keep it to myself and nurture feelings." What she meant by that was, ''I don''t like your friend, don''t make me rebel and expose you.''


    She had confidence that her subtle threat. It felt great to have people back her up. She could act more shamelessly without thinking about the repercussions. Moreover, she had studied Cage''s interviews closely to see how he handled such situations. With how closely she watched Cage, one could say she had become a second-hand expert at hiding her threats behind sweet words.

 Chapter 263 - Greedy Woman

    "Oh. You really do get training from the professionals." Ian blinked. At least, he wasn''t stupid.


    "You will find that I am more resourceful than you. And it''s not just my friend''s boyfriend." She was about to turn and leave when she stopped. "Don''t pry too much. Nothing good comes from that." Why did she feel like she was a mafia boss or something? Una.d.u.l.terated joy filled her heart as she walked away.


    Laurence wanted to walk them out but Katherine refused.


    "This Ian gives me a bad feeling," Angelina grumbled as they slid into the cab. Katherine gave their address to the cab driver before replying.


    "I warned him today. I''ll be keeping my distance from Laurence and Ian from now on." She had made up her mind. Ian easily manipulated Laurence and the man was too meek to say anything else in that regard.


    "Good thought. But make sure your fans don''t get wind of it," Angelina insisted.


    "I''ll do that. It seems I''ll have to take up your boyfriend''s time again," Katherine lamented, startling Angelina.


    "Consider it sharing of boyfriends. Beware, it might come back to bite you in the ass," she snickered. Katherine recoiled, bracing her chest as she moved away from her friend.


    "I don''t share. Don''t you dare!" Katherine wagged her finger in front of Angelina''s face, warding her off.


    "Then keep your time with my man limited," Angelina warned. Katherine pulled her finger back, fearing Angelina would lean in and bite her finger to avenge the time she was taking away from her man.


    "Scary woman," Katherine grumbled under her breath. She huffed and puffed until she slowly lulled herself to sleep.


    - - -


    The coupons to the spa were put to excellent use three days before she left for the championship. Katherine was a ball of nerves throughout and couldn''t shake the feeling of dread building in her stomach. A plethora of doubts plagued her mind. She wondered if she was good enough, if she had ridden on other people''s coat tails to get where she had.


    When she put on the timer and practiced, the worries slowly ebbed away. She had come a long way in the last two months. Studying theories and strategies had helped her evolve her style and attach and defend on command. She had even contacted her partner several times to practice missions together to ensure they worked smoothly together.


    It could be said that Sheila or ''shewolf'' as she was called in the esports circles had taken a liking to her. Katherine was excited to meet this new idle who was one of the few female players in the esports community at the time.


    Coming back to the spa. They left their apartment pretty early and arrived on the scheduled time. The day was spent in a manner fit for a king. The best part? The massage.


    Her masseuse had magical hands. Well, they weren''t as good as Cage''s fingers on her, but after weeks of tirelessly working, the knots in her muscles would have hurt like crazy. This genius masseuse had brought back bliss in her life.


    Katherine had to thank Anna for this, though. She was a wonderful woman. Katherine had yet to thank her for the amazing gift. She couldn''t stop thinking about it as she basked in the aftermath of the comfortable fingers on her.


    If she earned enough money in the future, she would surely indulge in such pampering in the future. It seemed that staying with Cage had made her standards higher. Who could blame the man, though? Once you got a taste of Cage Cavanaugh, your life turned upside down. Your eyes looked beyond the normal and nothing could really satisfy you.


    She had truly become a greedy woman.


    Thinking about him made her miss him even more. She picked up her phone from the table near her massage bed, earning a look from the masseuse. Thankfully, the woman simply smiled and didn''t object.


    Katherine decided that she wanted to play. She checked the time and knew that Cage would have finished shooting for the day. He had finished most of his portions and would work less from that day. Not that Katherine minded. She would have more time to talk to him now. She liked that.


    ''Time to play,'' she thought cheerfully as she typed out the text.


    [K: I finally found a pair of hands that feel better than yours.]


    What a lie. Well, not exactly a lie, but the purpose of those two hands were drastically different, so she would let that one slide. She stifled a laugh as she imagined the look on his face as he read the message. As expected, it didn''t take him long to reply. Her phone buzzed and she opened her messages eagerly to see what she had written.


    [C: Do I need to catch the first flight home and hunt down the person who touched you?]


    Always so serious. Another message came in soon after.


    [C: Wait. Aren''t you at the spa, today? Don''t tell me¡­ you''re getting a massage from a man?!]


    Two punctuation points one after the other. Oh, Mr. Cavanaugh must be losing his mind! So predictable. So cute.


    [K: You know what they say. Massages are best when done by buff men.]


    Katherine looked at her very feminine masseuse and felt a surge of guilt. Forgive me angel. I''m just calling you a man because I need to tease my boyfriend.


    [C: This buff man has a pulsing vein on his forehead. I''ll call my mother and throw some hands. What? A man massaging my girlfriend?]


    Katherine quickly typed back, feeling hateful that this man could guess her thoughts so easily. He clearly knew that no man was massaging her and he was taking the opportunity to tease her beyond belief.


    [K: Oops, did I say ''man''? My mistake. It is hard to tell because she is very strong. A woman, though.] She felt silly sending that text but what she got in response was way worse.

 Chapter 264 - Loosening Up

    [C: That is no better! Right now, my girlfriend has her bewitching and irresistible body under her hands. Just a towel separates the two of you. How do you know that she is not thinking about what she would like to do to you¡­ I certainly wouldn''t be able to hold my thoughts at bay.]


    Katherine shuddered at the thought. Instantly, the pressure on her back reduced.


    "Is my pressure too much? Does it hurt?" the masseuse asked, concerned. Katherine shook her head, commenting that she felt slightly chilly all of a sudden. The masseuse, being very understanding, raised the temperature of the room a little.


    ''Angel, the heat is not the problem. My perverted boyfriend just put a worrying image in my head that I can''t shake off.''


    [K: Have some faith in your mother. She would never send me to such a place. Moreover, this woman is a professional. Nothing like you.] She wanted to huff and puff, complain that he had planted a bad thought in her head.


    [C: Indeed, I am a wannabe masseuse. But only for you. Also, your body is irresistible. However professional this woman may be¡­]


    The worst part about that text was how he had balanced the wicked and the sweet. He had flirted with her abundantly and scared her into double guessing herself at the same time.


    [K: Thank you for your attempt at flattery. I am not enjoying my massage anymore. I''m so stiff that I''d make lovely whipped cream.]


    Suddenly, she was hoping that her hands didn''t wonder. The rational part of her mind knew that it wasn''t possible but she had been scared by the horrid man. Now she had to deal with the consequence of wanting to play with Cage. How did she never get an upper hand with that man? That was so unfair.


    Thankfully, the woman was staying away from the towel.


    "Ma''am, please relax. You''ll undo all the relaxing¡­" the masseuse commented on the passing. Katherine heaved a sigh of relief, commending the woman for understanding her worries.


    [C: Checkmate. You shouldn''t have teased me.]


    Point taken.


    [K: I might have started it, but you almost ruined my day out! You must pay me back for this injustice.]


    Katherine pouted into the table as she started to work on the calves.


    [C: Just enjoy. I promise you give you a massage when I come back, okay?]


    Katherine felt her lips curve up into a small smile. That did sound like a good offer.


    [K: I like the sound of that. How about this, you can be my private masseuse for the rest of our lives. How does that sound for a deal?] She stifled her laughter, grabbing the attention of the masseuse yet again.


    "Everything okay?" she asked. Katherine nodded, reassuring her it was fine.


    "My boyfriend is being silly. Don''t mind me," she reported.


    "I''m glad you''re loosening up." Katherine looked over her shoulder to see the woman smiling. She turned back when her phone buzzed with an incoming message.


    [C: Be very scared of my wandering hands. Unlike a professional, I enjoy sliding my hands where they shouldn''t be. You''d allow it, wouldn''t you?]


    ''Always,'' she thought. Her stomach tightened with need and she realized that the conversation was too inappropriate when she was practically n.a.k.e.d in front of another person. Moreover, if she got wet, it would be too embarrassing.


    She settled for continuing the torture.


    [K: In my opinion, I won''t be clenching and sweating because of your wandering hands. Or, should I say¡­ the clenching and sweating will only give me pleasure and leave me relaxed and feeling wonderful. You are innovative when it comes to making me feel wonderful.]


    Clenching around him¡­ in all ways possible. That was the best kind of clenching as far as she was concerned.


    [C: Prepare to clench until you can''t walk anymore. I''ll make sure you are so relaxed that you can''t remember what it feels like to have weary muscles.]


    A few moments later, another message came in.


    [C: I can''t believe we are sending such provocative messages to one another when a woman has her hands all over your n.a.k.e.d and oil slick body. What has the world come to?]


    He couldn''t blame her for having an overactive mind. When he was making such promises, it was a given that she would be left hot and bothered.


    [K: If I am not sore by the time you are done, you are definitely doing something wrong. Making me unable to walk and leaving me completely relaxed are two opposite states of being!]


    Exclamation point for how audacious his claims were.


    [C: There are two states of being. F.u.c.k.i.n.g you until you are so sore you walk bow legged. Making you come so many times that you forget how to walk because your legs feel like jello. I can make both happen. Different days. Why don''t you try both and see which one you like better?]


    The masseuse switched legs. It felt amazing. Massages were great, but s.e.x.u.a.l massages even better. She would have to wait for a couple of weeks before the latter to come to fruition.


    [K: I''ll have a taste of both and leave truthful reviews. Don''t even think about bribing me. And no, this service is only available to me. I''m enjoying my massage now. The thought of your hand did that. Be honored.]


    She sounded so petulant that she wanted to slap her own head. How was she was shamelessly clingy? Good thing he liked it. Otherwise, he would be running away before she could utter the next word.


    The masseuse informed her that the massage was almost done and that the next thing on the itinerary would begin in the next room.


    [K: Off to the next event. It might not feel as good as your hands, but I''ll be sure to enjoy it. Talk to you in a bit. Love you.]


    As the finishing strokes were made, Cage''s reply came in.

 Chapter 265 - Evaluating Our Relationship

    [C: Of course, my hands are better than anything the spa has to offer. Don''t think about me and just enjoy your day out. I''ll be waiting patiently when you are done. Miss you.]


    She giggled as she pushed off the table. As she walked to the next room, clutching her robe to her chest, she looked back at the masseuse and thought that even if it was a man massaging her, she wouldn''t care for it. Cage was all she wanted.


    - - -


    It was nearly five in the evening by the time they were done with their spa day. They had come home and decided to sleep. It was a good plan¡­ until Katherine woke up at one-thirty in the morning. She gaped at her phone screen, seeing that she had received missed calls from not only Cage but also her parents.


    Her parents went to sleep at ten sharp, so calling them wouldn''t amount to anything. Cage had a higher possibility of being awake. But if he were asleep, she would be disturbing him and he would just play along like it was nothing. He had been shooting non stop for two months and his body must have been so tired that he didn''t need her bullshit.


    She put the whole calling thing off until later in the morning.


    She recorded more videos and edited until her eyes felt as dry as the Sahara dessert. She pulled out an eye drop from her drawer and dropped some in her eye to lubricate them. Since she started looking at the computer screen eighteen hours a day, her eyes had been protesting. She had bought protective glasses for the purpose.


    But she couldn''t wear them while she was shooting. It nullified all the work the thing did in the long run. At this rate, she was going to go blind from overuse.


    Finally, it was five thirty in the morning. This was the usual time Cage would get up and start his day. Katherine was hoping that he wouldn''t be irritated to start his day with her voice. In theory, he would love that. Waking up to your nagging girlfriend in real life was another thing altogether.


    "You''re up early." His was rumpled from sleep, enticing her to cuddle with him and not leave the bed. She also wanted to bite his cheek and gobble him up like a dumpling. The psychopathic tendencies needed to be toned down, that was for sure. She also wanted to do dirty things to him but he probably didn''t have the time to put up with her whims this early in the morning.


    "Too early? You said you wake up around this time, so I called¡­" Her voice was barely over a whisper but he heard her loud and clear. She sounded apologetic and he would have none of that.


    "There is nothing better than waking up to you," he said fondly. "I do get up earlier but I set the alarm for a little later today." He laughed, the boyish kind that made her heart tingle. He sounded a bit more awake, so she didn''t stall from the next part of the conversation.


    "I slept through the evening. Sorry." She sounded like a petulant child who had been caught doing something bad. But she hadn''t done anything bad. His warm laugh filled her ear once again.


    "I got a bit worried that you ended up staying with the masseuse, so I called Lily and she told me you were in your room sound asleep. Ah, she also sent me a picture of you pouting in your sleep." Katherine sniffed, indignant. Give it up to her friend for taking a picture when she was least attractive.


    "Forget you ever saw it," she commanded immediately.


    "I think it looks wonderful." He sighed. "Every morning when I wake up, I can look at that picture and imagine you sleeping beside me, unknown to the world and without care¡­" he trailed off, imagining the situation. He pressed his fingers to his lip, feeling a smile spread across them in reaction.


    "Are you sure you want to see that first thing in the morning?" she asked apprehensively. "What about a nude photo of me¡­ or me in one of your shirts again."


    "Tempting, but I want my mind clear for the rest of the day. Walking around with a raging hardon is uncomfortable to say the least," he grumbled. "Isn''t watching you sleep considered romantic?" He scrunched in nose in confusion. He had read this in romance novels and wondered if women actually liked that.


    "I feel that it is creepy. I''m already afraid to turn off the light and run to the bed, thinking that a demon will grab my foot. I don''t need someone standing at the foot of my bed and staring at me while I sleep." She was indignant about this. Teenage romances aside, this sounded like a horror story in the making. "Now, if you were beside me on the bed and woke up before me, I would give you a pass." That was the loophole she would allow him to have. Also, she could always set an alarm so that she woke up before him and washed up before going back to sleep. He could wake up any time and see that she was presentable.


    But then she remembered how he had seen her drooling and commented that she snored. And no, she did not.


    "Thank god for that. I was going to question your sanity if you thought that was romantic. We would have to re-evaluate our whole relationship," Cage joked.


    Katherine sucked in a breath, letting out an audible gasp. "What else do you not want in a girlfriend? Let me know fast. We can break it off without bad feelings," she murmured. It was a joke but his reaction was aggravated.


    "Nothing! I only want you. Don''t even think of evaluating our relationship." There was pain in his voice. He might not have been through a tragic break up but the fear of it was enough to keep me awake at night. If it were up to him, he would never let that happen with Katherine and him.

 Chapter 266 - Saved The Universe

    "Whoa. Don''t worry. I was just kidding." Katherine made a note to herself to talk about this in detail with him later on. Right now, she needed to placate him. Later on, they could slowly talk about it and overcome the fears together. Didn''t he say it once? They would prove their love and commitment to one another over the years.


    That seemed to be the best method of attack.


    There was a moment of silence as both mulled over their thoughts.


    "I am glad that evil alarm clock didn''t wake me up. I panic every time it rings. I think I have been traumatized by it!" he exclaimed. Katherine snickered because she knew what he had put as his alarm tone. It was the sound of mysterious music followed by a jumpscare that could resurrect the dead.


    "I need this wake up call in person. Wish you were in bed with me right now." She could imagine him pout and felt a squeal bubbling in her throat. Too cute. Too adorable for words.


    "I would love that, but neither of us would get any work done, remember?"


    "Yes, yes. We have had this conversation. But it doesn''t change what I want. Imagine this, leaving you to go to work would definitely be hard. But in the evening when I come home, you''ll be there."


    Like a child who had revealed his dreams, he spoke about this future life. She wanted it, too. But more for his sake than anything else.


    "You come back to a dark house." Cage must have felt so lonely. She had never really felt that way because she had lived with roommates since she moved out of home. But he had spent most of his a.d.u.l.t life alone, traveling to different parts of the world to shoot and promote, no track of time or the faces that he passed by. Just living. "How did you live like this for so long?" she asked, feeling a surge of sadness for him.


    "I love my job but sometimes it feels like a chore. Like I did something really bad in my last life and that was the reason why I was not allowed to live as I pleased, take some time off or have a relationship with someone. It felt like hell, waking up every day knowing I was living a life that I didn''t want. I make a living pretending to be someone else and selling the character. I understand why some people have a hard time distinguishing themselves from their character. Why some people lose their identity." He sounded sorrowful. She could barely handle it anymore.


    "I promise you won''t come back to an empty house," she professed finally. "I promise that the lights will be turned on and there will be home cooked food. There will be music and someone to lean on. Moreover, there will be someone who is completely yours and holds your hands as you revisit who you are as a person." The promises that she made where not light. She meant them and she would put her life on the line to keep them.


    "These days, I am happy," he said with a satisfied sigh. "I might just have saved the universe in my last life." He chuckled, a bit of sadness from his previous thoughts still lingering in his voice. Katherine rubbed her hand over her heart to ease the needles of pain.


    "I am glad you know that." Just like that, the minutes passed. They spoke about things inconsequential and teased one another until both of them had to go. The hour had ticked by and they had work to complete.


    Katherine hung up the phone and started to work. She had enough content to post for a week thanks to the collaboration with Laurence. He had wanted to post their editing video after she posted the series they had played, so she had taken to posting twice a day. The footage would run out that day. She would have to film while she was playing the championship and post live from her social media. She would have to pack her bag for the trip and then take a cab to City O. That would cost her less than a plane and cut down on the security checking time at the airport.


    Surprisingly, she finished work by one in the afternoon and had made her videos by nine in the evening, editing and all finished and calendar reminders made for when each video will go up. Satisfied with herself, she called over Lily and Angelina to her room.


    "What do you think I should take to the championship?" Katherine asked as she looked over her closet. She had enough clothes for all sorts of situations but a gaming championship was one of them.


    "They took your size for clothes and shoes, so you will probably be wearing team t-shirts and trackpants while you are competing. Other than that, you should take clothes for casual wearing, going out to restaurants and fancy clothes for any parties that might pop up," Angelina suggested. The three girls stood shoulder to shoulder as they shuffled through clothes that would suit each situation.


    "Why restaurants?" Katherine frowned.


    "Someone may ask you out to dinner or something. Socializing at these events will do you a lot of good," Lily interjected before Angelina could say anything. "Also, be prepared. There is going to be a lot of gossip and the other players will try to bring you down." Angelina looked over at Lily with surprise.


    "I can tell you for sure that competitors get petty. To make you lose the game, they will use any method possible. Don''t listen to their crap and stay strong." Angelina had been to pageants and the like before when she was younger, so she knew all about how gnarly these people could get.


    "You''re scaring me," Katherine spoke in a small voice.


    "Don''t be," Lily said with a shrug. "They have nothing on you. I''ve checked the social media of all the other participants and they are way behind you."

 Chapter 267 - No To Marriage

    "If they cough up insults, it''s because they are jealous of your success and scared that you will do better than them." Lily scoffed and rolled her eyes after saying this.


    "People try too hard for a competition that will bring them no benefit in the long run. This is a promotional contest, none of them will get invited to play professionally," Katherine commented as she threw a couple of casual clothes on her bed.


    Angelina proceeded on to picking out some outrageous and gorgeous outfits as well. Katherine gave her the evil eye, but she persisted in putting those in the pile of clothes Katherine would be carrying to City O.


    "You never know," Angelina started all of a sudden. "You can see how Katherine has gained some popularity on the web. If her momentum remains, she''ll be earning good money from this hobby," Angelina noted.


    "Yes, but a considerable amount of my ''fame'' can be attributed to Stephen and Cage and you guys. You know the industry and what works. I have an unfair advantage, don''t you think?" Katherine contested thoughtfully.


    "It''s a competition. If it is within the rules, it is fair. Don''t overthink everyone''s influence on your life. You would have done a stellar job yourself," Lily stated.


    "Well, her nasty personality came to some use, then," Angelina snickered. Katherine wanted to smack her friend for teasing but what she said was true. Katherine''s personality was eccentric and sarcastic in her videos. Even though she did it politely, she couldn''t be considered sugar sweet. In that way, her real nasty personality seemed to have done her a favor in attracting people.


    "What can I say, birds of the same feather flock together." Katherine smiled slyly as Angelina frowned. "Which reminds me. You have been behaving suspiciously for the past couple of days, Lily." She turned to look at her friend, giving her a firm look that demanded Lily give up the secret.


    Not one to be coerced into saying things, Lily ignored the look. "Don''t know what you are talking about," she answered.


    "Now that you mention it," Angelina began in a contemplative manner. "Lily has been a little quite lately. Ever since she met Jared''s parents¡­" Angelina''s head snapped towards Lily. "Did you break up with Jared?" she screamed.


    "Don''t jinx our relationship," Lily m.o.a.ned. "We are doing really good. I liked his parents." She looked away from her friends, taking to silently folding and placing clothes inside the suitcase.


    Avoidance tactic, Katherine thought to herself.


    "That''s wonderful. Why didn''t you tell us?" Katherine was worried that there was something else bothering Lily. The magnitude of the revelation was yet to come out.


    "I don''t want to¡­" Lily trailed off. Her eyes glazed over as she stared into nothingness. She was thinking of something, as if waiting to break the news to her friends.


    "Is it bad?" Angelina asked. Lily shook her head.


    "It''s good. It''s really good."


    Both Katherine and Angelina exchanged a glance.


    "What? Did he ask you to move in with him? Or get married?" Angelina joked.


    Lily stiffened and the other two gasped. It was either of those two statements. "Which one is it?" Katherine asked, sounding excited. Lily coughed, unable to speak for a second before she sighed and looked at her friends.


    "He asked me to marry him." Squeals ensued, but Lily held up her hand to stop them. "I said no," she mumbled, silencing the two effectively.


    "I thought it was not bad news?" Katherine stammered. She exchanged a glance with Angelina who looked equally panicked. Both friends were ready to jump in and console their friend but they also remembered that she had not broken up with Jared. This would mean, she was scared of their opinion about her rejection.


    "Sweetie, we won''t judge you for saying no¡­" Angelina claimed.


    "I said no to marriage. Then he asked me to move in with him," Lily choked.


    "And you want to," Katherine finished. "What''s wrong with that?"


    Lily looked at Katherine incredulously. "We''ve been living together for years and you ask me what is wrong? I''m essentially going to move out and stop paying my share. You guys will have to foot bigger bills and¡­" She didn''t know what else to say.


    The light bulb went off in Angelina''s head. "So you are scared about our opinion?" she asked without judgment.


    "I don''t have a problem with you moving out. It was bound to happen sooner or later," Katherine shrugged. "Angelina is travelling most of the time and I am not certain how long I will live without Cage. Life is just like that. We were bound to go separate ways," she explained. She placed her hand on Lily''s shoulder and stroked it to comfort her.


    "I have no issues, either. Frankly, moving in is a great choice for you." Angelina smirked as she said the next part. "But I have to say, Jared played the game well. He asked something you would never agree to before the actual offer so that you compromised immediately." Angelina nodded in approval.


    "Those tactics don''t work on me. I want to live with him too," Lily deadpanned. She sighed as she picked her head up and looked at her friends. "You really don''t mind?" she squeaked.


    They shook their heads.


    "If things go well, we''ll all be living with our significant others. We''ll have triple dates and hang out all the time. What''s there to worry about?" Katherine observed both Lily and Angelina. Neither seemed to have a problem.


    "When are you moving out?" Angelina asked.


    "After Katherine returns. I''ll slowly move my stuff over to his place." Lily remembered something. "What about the rent?" She fiddled with her finger.


    "I think I can pay off the loan after my ad revenue comes in for the month," Katherine announced. "So, I don''t think you should worry about rent."


    The conversation turned to lighter things and soon enough, all the packing was done. For the five days she would be in the other city, Katherine had packed up a medium sized suitcase of things. Not too shabby if she may say so herself.

 Chapter 268 - Got Lucky

    Katherine didn''t know what possessed her to do it. Maybe curiosity? Or masochism¡­ She needed to know what people were saying about her. No, not her as an ''influencer'' but as Cage''s significant other. Nobody knew her identity and she really thought it wouldn''t hurt her. She went on forums and news articles searching through the comments and chats to see what they were saying about her.


    She braced herself for the impact as she went in.


    [Imagine settling for a nobody when he could have any woman in the world. Maybe the tryst with Keira has traumatized him too much. He should definitely resolve his underlying issues with her and get back together.]


    Katherine blinked in surprise. Well, she expected people to call her a nobody because that was exactly who she was but to condemn him and his mental health, telling him that he should get together with Keira. She didn''t expect any fans to talk this way about their idol.


    [Well, this girl will never look good on his arm. The hottest man on the planet, settling for a plain Jane. What a sad fate.]


    How did they know how she looked? For all they knew, she was a goddess and way better than those celebrities. They didn''t know a thing about her!


    [Some bitch got lucky! Well, if he wants to settle for trash, let him have a try.]


    Trash? Did they just call her trash? She might not be a celebrity but she was nowhere near trash. Moreover, the gall of some people to call people less than themselves. How entitled does one need to be to think of someone as below them. If anyone should be called trash, it should be them.


    [What happened to Julia? They look so good together.]


    Well, that comment wasn''t that bad. Only if Julia remained a well-meaning friend and didn''t try to sabotage them.


    [Lucky girl. Now that Cage has started dating fans, maybe he''ll get addicted and start dating more? Form a line, ladies!]


    Katherine wanted to throw something.


    ''Well, ladies, it''s going to be a long wait. You''ll be turning in your graves by the time we separate.'' She scoffed. The next comment shocked her.


    [S.l.u.ts do well in life. Like this one.]


    A s.l.u.t? What was wrong with these people?


    [Did you see the girl that have been associated with him? Ugly looking trailer trash that look like they are over the moon because Cage gave them the time of the day. Imagine being that thirsty for attention. Even I am prettier than those girls. Hope he is going through troubled times and gets a hang of himself. Can''t see Cage ruining his life like this.]


    Katherine felt tears stinging her eyes as comment after comment condemned their relationship. It seemed like these people wanted to put her down simply because she was in a relationship with Cage. It made zero sense for them to talk about her this way without knowing a thing about her.


    She wondered if she would have been the same. Would she have cursed the girl Cage was dating if they had never met? Was she one of those toxic people who would make someone''s life miserable because they didn''t believe in the choices of a celebrity? She had hated Keira but only when the pictures of her cheating had come out. She had hated Keira more when she found out what the woman had done. But in the beginning, she had only shrugged and said that she would accept whomever Cage chose to be with. If he was dating anyone and was happy about it, she had faith that she would be glad for his sake. She would be supportive and fight off the haters.


    Maybe she would be slightly jealous but that was how fans were¡­ the healthy kind. She wouldn''t have gone out of her way to slander and trash Cage''s girlfriend.


    Her head seemed to be underwater. A faraway voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She turned back and asked what was up.


    Lily''s brow scrunched up as she looked at Katherine''s face. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded, crossing her hands over her chest. She could sense that something was amiss and the conversation would be long.


    Katherine looked at her and shook her head. "It''s nothing. Just some fans bashing me online."


    "Who?" She seethed, her face turning stormy and she stomped into the room. "Is it because of that Ian bastard who spread fake relationship rumors about you?" She growled as she came closer. "I swear to god, I will flatten that bastard if he doesn''t stop with nonsense and take a scalpel to his balls." From her tone, one could gauge that Lily wasn''t lying.


    "Not Ian. Cage''s fans," she informed. She genuinely felt a little fear for Ian''s life. Just for a second though. Katherine turned the monitor towards Lily as she pointed towards the comments. "Why would they say this stuff?" she whispered, a strand of pain evident in her voice. "They don''t even know me."


    Lily grabbed the laptop and started going through all the tabs Katherine had opened. Her brows scrunched further and it was almost like steam would come out of her ears if she got angrier. "Who do this shit faces think they are?" she screeched. "I''m going to find them, hunt them and then pummel them until they can''t say such nonsense about you." Her eyes spewed fire.


    Katherine was slightly worried that Lily had entered her threaten the opponent phase and it usually didn''t end well for the opponent. She was more discreet about revenge than Angelina. At least, Lily wouldn''t end up in jail for whatever she did.


    "Do we know anyone who can hack into their accounts and create havoc?" she commented with a hint of malice. Katherine shook her head.


    "That''s not how hacking works. Also, what use will that do? They won''t learn a lesson." Katherine felt slightly embarrassed to bite back at these people. She might have felt better but dissuading her friend from doing something stupid was far more important than her pride.

 Chapter 269 - Jump Sh.i.p.s

    "I should have f.u.c.k.i.e.d a nerd when I had the chance. I wonder if Jared has any skills with the computer," Lily mumbled, leaving a squeamish Katherine behind. She stared at her friend, waiting for her to do something.


    "I don''t care," Katherine claimed. She tried to hold back her laughter as Lily rattled obnoxious and impossible methods to get back at these people.


    "Yes, you do," Lily pressed. "Even if they don''t hear from you, they will get a taste of their own medicine." For some reason, Lily went to the sign up button of the forum and started to fill out the details.


    "What are you doing?" Katherine asked, confused.


    "Giving them a piece of their own medicine," Lily sneered. Katherine glanced at the screen and choked. The given name of the profile was ''SkinningDumbBitches''.


    Katherine sometimes felt like she was living with a psychopath. It was these tendencies that scared her.


    "What? They deserve a little aggression," Lily deadpanned. Katherine sighed and watched as Lily typed out a long rant on the forum.


    "Are you sure you will remain within word limit?" Katherine sighed as she saw the paragraphs increase. She didn''t read it yet, but she knew Lily would pack a punch. She thought about informing Cage about this, at first. But this was a public forum and Lily was posting anonymously. Any person on the planet could do this, so nothing could come back to them.


    When she leaned in to read, she was baffled.


    [Look at all these pathetic twits going around running their mouth. You claim to be fans of Cage, but here you are, questioning his choices. Guess what? You aren''t even worth calling yourselves his fans, let alone date him. You''re clearly unwilling to see him happy. You only think about your lonely v.a.g.i.n.as and beating off to his pictures. Him being happy ruins your fantasy, doesn''t it? Selfish bitches. Deep down, you know that even if you had the fortune of seeing him in person, he wouldn''t look at you twice. Forget that¡­ he wouldn''t even spare you the first glance. Waiting for your chance to get with him? Ah, get a psychiatrist and ask them to fix your inferiority complex and self-serving attitude. Which man, in their right mind, would date someone who wanted to see them unhappy. Not Cage Cavanaugh.


    Take it from someone who knows Cage and his girlfriend, he is happy. Your sorry asses getting your panties in a twist because he found someone he wants to spend the rest of his life with is so pathetic that I can''t even laugh.


    You don''t even deserve to breathe the same air as them, yet you go around showing how superior you are, talking about things you don''t know. Are you so comfortable with your ignorance? Mark my words, he will not be ''tossing her to the curb''¡­ ever. Have some dignity and like real fans.


    Or you know what? Jump sh.i.p.s. Go make some other celebrities life hell. I will make sure to send Cage the links to these sites so that he can see what sort of people claim to like him. I promise he will despise you just as much as you seem to dislike his girlfriend.


    I will now politely ask you to f.u.c.k off and go back to your husbands and boyfriends¡­ I doubt you have one. Hope you had fun being ''keyboard warriors,'' and ''internet bullies'' because that''s what you will always be.]


    "You just snapped," Katherine uttered, her voice filled with awe.


    "What?" she snipped, glaring at the screens as she made minor changes to the essay before posting it. "They''re lucky I am timid."


    Katherine snorted as she spared a glance at the post and shook her head. "You are anything but timid."


    Lily turned to her with an evil smile on her face. "Well, I didn''t tell them how I would torture them, now did I?" Katherine''s shoulders shook with laughter as she agreed. Indeed, Lily hadn''t told them how she would torture them individually, but this counted as a full-blown rage storm. Whoever read it would have a hard time swallowing their food.


    Murdered by words, that''s what the kids called it these days.


    "You''re not allowed to get on the internet from now on," Lily ordered, leaving no room for argument. She shut the flap of the laptop as fast as she could, so that Katherine couldn''t say anything.


    "You do know all my work is on the internet, right?" Katherine retorted with the raise of her brow. "You can''t ban me!" she exclaimed.


    "Well, I can. I''ll block you from accessing any of those sites," Lily pouted.


    "Well, you don''t have the slightest clue how to go about it," Katherine scoffed. She was in a much better mood but she would have to attribute it to Lily. She was okay for the moment. What would happen in a few hours when she left for City O? The ride would be long and boring. Everyone knows the saying, the idle mind is the devil''s workshop. Bad thoughts would come to her mind when she was alone.


    "I''ll figure it out," she joked.


    "I learned my lesson. I won''t go back to hunt for comments anymore." Lily narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Katherine to see if there was any hesitation in what she said. Seeing that Katherine was honest, her eyes softened and she patted her on the shoulder.


    "Good, I don''t want their words hurting you. A lot of people will be jealous but you need to ignore them and live your life to your fullest." If that wasn''t the best advice given to Katherine, she didn''t know what was. No matter how many times anyone said it, a small part of her would be concerned. Who knows, maybe someday, none of this would matter to her any longer.


    "I know," Katherine sighed. Lily threw her a wave as she headed out of the door. Katherine took a deep breath, opening the laptop and closing all the tabs before shutting it.


    No more fan comments for her.

 Chapter 270 - Google Themselves

    Katherine had just loaded her outstation cab to City O and slid into it when her cellphone went off. It was the wee hours of the morning, but she was surprised to see that Cage was still awake. He woke up a little later than this, so she scrunched up her brow and picked up the video call. The interior of the cab was dark, so he couldn''t see her at first.


    "Hi, love," he greeted, a bright smile adorning his face. She found herself smiling back at him. He obviously couldn''t see her, so she looked at the driver, who was sitting in front.


    "Excuse me, I am turning the lights on, if you don''t mind," she politely informed the driver before doing exactly that. She raised her finger in front of the screen to ask him to wait for a moment before reaching into her backpack and rummaging for her headphone.


    It was tangled in knots, but she just plugged it in and put it to her ears. Wouldn''t want the cab driver to be the one who exposes their relationship.


    "Hi," she breathed finally, looking at his handsome face. She saw him blink in confusion as he searched for something.


    His smile faded as he spoke. "What''s wrong?" Katherine bit her lip, wondering how he read her so easily when she had tried to hide her displeasure. She was still upset by those comments but a lot less. He still saw it.


    "I¡­ may have done something stupid," she began. She had to tell him. She had to talk to him so that she could feel better.


    "What did you do?" He looked nervous. Katherine hesitated, her eyes prickling with tears as she thought of how to say it. It was nothing big, everyone did it. "Don''t worry about anything. Whatever it is, I''ll take care of it." He pleaded. He didn''t want her to cry, especially if it was something that he could help with.


    Katherine realized that she needed thicker skin. "You know how people google themselves?" she squeaked. That was not how she wanted to bring up the conversation. She was stalling. "Yeah, I went on the internet."


    "And?" he sighed. The internet was a cesspool of filth and rumors. Of course, she was upset. "What did they say? Is it about Laurence?"


    "No. No. I googled to find out what they were saying about me¡­ your girlfriend." Katherine looked up surreptitiously to check if the driver was listening in. It seemed that he wasn''t. "Well, they''re calling me a whore and a number of other things," she confessed. She looked away from the camera, focussing on his face to see what he thought.


    He looked murderous. "Who? Who made you sad?" Yes, he was positively livid.


    "Your¡­ fans," she confessed in a small voice. She was trying to be as silent as possible, considering the driver could hear in. Sensing her discomfort, the driver quickly put on some earphones. There was the slight thrumming of the beat through the device, so Katherine heaved a sigh of relief.


    Cage dropped his head, his free hand combing through his hair with brutal force. She felt a tug of pain in her heart. Maybe she shouldn''t have told him anything about this. Maybe she should have swallowed her stupid insecurities and not pulled him into her mess when he was already so exhausted from months of continuous work.


    "I''m so sorry you had to see that. This is why I don''t look myself up on the internet." He stopped, suddenly thinking of what he had just said. It seemed like he was blaming her for going online to check. "They don''t know you. They think they do but they are dead wrong. They are just jealous and lashing out because of problems they have in their own lives." He amended quickly.


    An errand tear escaped her eyes. It had barely run past her lashes when Katherine swiped at it, brushing it away. She didn''t want to cry over something like this. She knew what she was getting into. "I know. I am much better than this. I just got so curious¡­" she huffed.


    "This is not your fault. It seems to be human nature to pull one another down." The fury in his eyes was barely concealed. "Do you want me to issue a statement on your behalf? Flip the proverbial bird at them?" he offered. He had the smallest smile on his lips, barely the curl of the corners.


    She instantly felt better. "No. Now that I am talking to you, I feel so much better. I knew this would happen. I shouldn''t have let it affect me."


    "Katherine, stop. You are absolutely valid in feeling this way. They were saying nasty things. Just because you expect hurtful words doesn''t nullify the fact that they are hurtful. Words hurt, Katherine," he whispered.


    "Thank you. I felt a little stupid for my reaction," she admitted. "But talking to you¡­ none of that matters. They don''t know me. And I won''t believe a word they say." There was an assurance in her that he hadn''t seen before.


    Going on the internet had done her some good, it seemed. She was channeling her insecurities and feeling anger. It would be the first step to having her accept all of the things that come with Cage Cavanaugh.


    The crazy fans. The paparazzi. Having your whole life thrown in front of the world to see. Happiness. Unbridled happiness.


    And that was why she could pull through everything.


    "Absolutely. They don''t know a single thing about you. About us. They can screw themselves if that is what they want¡­ because I clearly won''t be screwing any of them." He gave her a small wink, feeling a warmth of relief wash over him.


    "On the bright side," Katherine began with a cheerful tone. "The tabloids are rather quiet." She was curious about that.


    "If you think Stephen had something to do with it, you are wrong." Cage snickered. "You know the industry. When they don''t find what they want, they don''t waste any more time. There is no scandal in me loving you. Just a normal relationship with no salacious details. So, they just stopped bothering."

 Chapter 271 - Knight In Shining Armor

    "You mean¡­ they went on to other juicy news?" she asked, confused. He nodded. "I feel slightly undermined!" she exclaimed. "I think our relationship is exciting. Not that I want them tailing you. Wouldn''t want to punch the paparazzi in the face."


    "What do we have here? You have discovered a rebellious side to you! I must warn you, though. Don''t punch those bloodsuckers. They sue. I''ll help you have fun, if that is what you want, though!" he drawled naughtily.


    "I sense some hostility there," she sang. "Don''t worry about it. Lily took care of them."


    Cage''s brow scrunched in confusion. "Is she going around punching people? Should I know about this? I don''t want to be an accomplish to serial violence," he joked. Well, if he wasn''t famous¡­ or mostly able to control his emotions, he would punch those faceless bastards who upset Katherine, too.


    "She isn''t punching people¡­ yet. She did create a profile and leave a scathing comment on a highly viewed forum." Katherine looked nervous for a second. Cage''s mind blanked for a second before he scrambled to get answers.


    "Really? That doesn''t surprise me for some reason." he asked. "What did she say?"


    "She called them horny bitches who had pathetic lives. She also insinuated that even if you don''t like me, you wouldn''t be with one of them because they were hateful people. You can go check. I am simply paraphrasing." She paused. "Will this be a problem?"


    "I don''t think so. She has a right to her speech and she seems to have taken the word out of my mouth." Suddenly, he burst into laughter. "I just saw the post. The picture of them masturbating was repulsive, but the scathing words¡­ Fantastic!"


    "Your fans to rub their nubs to your pictures." Katherine rolled her eyes. "It''s an unsaid rule in the fandom," she smirked.


    So devious.


    "I''ll have you know that I am offended that people even think I don''t love you. Makes my blood boil." He glared for the intended effect. "If I knew who they were, I would tell them to burn in the circles of hell. To upset the woman I love most in the world!"


    "Preposterous," Katherine played along. "I doubt they would hear a single word you said, though. Instead, I would have to come at them with a bat to pry them away from you. You really do want me to go to jail for murder, don''t you!" She giggled at the resulting stunned silence.


    "You wouldn''t look good in jail," he berated. "But really, I wish you hadn''t experienced that." He couldn''t shake the guilt off. But this was life.


    "It''s good that I know. I should get a taste of this before my identity is revealed. It can only get worse." She tried to reassure him. "Think of it in this way¡­ I am getting desensitized."


    Cage couldn''t take his eyes off her. She was a strong woman, but everyone had their limitations. Damn the world. He needed to hold her. "If they are my fans, they won''t be saying anything negative. If they aren''t, they can f.u.c.k off and not bother about us. They will never touch either of us, I will personally make sure of that."


    She smiled self-assuredly. "I know you will. You''re my knight in shining armor," she teased. Cage slumped back on the couch and listened to her voice.


    He had wrapped up shooting for the next couple of days and taken vacation so that he could accompany Katherine during the competition. According to his mother, she would be leaving City H in the morning and reach in time for the opening ceremony of the competition. He would do the same. He had packed a small bag of clothes with him and booked a rental car in advance. He planned on driving there himself.


    Stephen had decided to head to City H for a much needed vacation, himself. It could be said that Stephen would be spending the time with Angelina. All in all, he was set to rip apart anyone who spoke poorly of Katherine.


    "The black knight, you mean." He scoffed. He would rather be the devil than the prince charming. He was all for free will and independence of his princess.


    "I like the imagery, my knight," she said with a sultry wink. "I miss you," she added immediately.


    Soon, Cage thought. He bit his tongue to keep from letting out his surprise. He had kept his mouth shut for all this time, he would rather she not find out until the moment they see each other. The expression on her face would be worth all these months of torture.


    "Little old me?" Cage pouted. "I miss you more."


    Katherine rolled her eyes before indulging him. "You did? That must have been a lot of missing. I don''t know how you are still looking so handsome after all this time." She had to say, it was unfair and frankly illegal to look this good despite being sleepless and missing someone.


    "I think you haven''t seen me for a long time, so your mind is playing tricks on you. I''m sure I look beaten down." She could lightly see the dark circles under his eyes, but she didn''t want to talk about them.


    "It could be the lighting," she proposed, giving a thoughtful expression. He barked a laugh before shaking his head and retorting.


    "Lighting might be everything, but this face was carved by the Gods. No additives, thank you very much." The coy look made him seem even more appealing in that moment. What was it with her and becoming a horny mess whenever they passed an emotional barrier in their relationship?


    Well, it wasn''t ideal in a cab. She might have been aroused by emotional maturity. That was a good sign, right?


    "I''ve touched that face. I can attest that there were no additives." She nodded sagely. "But I''ll have to inspect thoroughly to make sure I didn''t miss anything." The wicked glint and the sly smile gave away her intentions and inuendoes.


    "Soon. Soon I am going to have you in my arms again. You can check my ass cheeks to see if a coin bounces off it then, okay?"

 Chapter 272 - Biting Remark Strikes

    A beautiful smile lit up her face at his words. "Does that really happen?"


    "Don''t go on the internet and search for it!" he growled in warning.


    "Everyone is banning me from the internet today. I feel like a teenager being scolded by my parents," she groaned.


    "Despite your fantasies, I want nothing s.e.x.u.a.l to do with your parents." He made a cross and looked at the ceiling as if asking the higher being to forgive his indiscretions.


    "Thank goodness for that!" she remarked. "I''ll be marking the days until we meet, then. I''ll have to bounce that coin off your ass. Don''t forget to work them out for me!" If she had a handkerchief, she would flail it in support.


    "I have an ass of steel!" he remarked humorously. She snickered, imagining him clenching his ass just as he said that. Feeling utterly delighted she added, "I have been crossing of days. I have a personal calendar for it, too. I cross off each day." The fact that she hadn''t blushed was a great deal.


    "What is this mysterious calendar?" he asked, unbearably curious. The look on her face told him that it was something embarrassing. Knowing her, it would also be extremely cute.


    "Why does it have to be special? It just has babies on it." Cage gave her a weird look.


    "Is this a calendar to track your cycle?" he asked, amused. Katherine shook her head vehemently. "Don''t be so quick to say no. My s.p.e.r.m is highly sought after!"


    "As much as I want your little monkeys, I will have to pass on the ovulation charts." She rolled her eyes. "It has ill.u.s.trations of you¡­ Drawn by me." She looked at him expectantly.


    "A personalized calendar with ill.u.s.trations of me. Makes perfect sense that you count down your days on that." He couldn''t hide his smirk. "I''m a little upset I don''t have a personalized calendar like yours. I''ll have to compile nice pictures of you and make one for myself." He planned on hogging it and making sure no one else got their hands on it.


    "You''re actually thinking of making one¡­" she trailed off, flabbergasted.


    "Can''t have you fangirling all alone. This relationship has two fans. Come to think of it, want to make a couples calendar?"


    "Don''t tell me, are we going to be n.a.k.e.d in the pictures?" She screwed her eyes shut, trying not to burst out into laughter.


    "You recommended that. Take your mind out of the gutter, Kitty. I never mentioned the clothes coming off!" He had the audacity to act all innocent. As if that wasn''t what he was insinuating in the first place. Cheeky bastard.


    "I know how your mind works," she denied instantly.


    "Great minds think alike. Happy to know that we''ll be staying in the gutter together." Cage, oh, Cage. How right you are.


    "Let''s do that," she conceded without protest. "Thank you for making me laugh," she remarked after a short silence.


    "It''s my pleasure. I take my duties as a boyfriend seriously. And I love you hear your laughter." It lit up his existence.


    "I love to hear you laugh too," she sighed. "I love you."


    The world was going to know it soon, too. "I love you, too, Katherine. With all my heart."


    - - -


    Katherine could see that the sponsors and people at CoG were not playing around when she got to the hotel. It was a five star hotel, for one, and it looked like she was entering paradise. Though the event didn''t start until afternoon, the participants had to come in earlier to be briefed on the programme, schedule and other procedures.


    The event coordinator led Katherine to a room where all the other competitors were gathered. She was a little nervous because it was a group of unknown people. Moreover, these people were all creators at this point. Meeting more online acquaintances had never been on her bucket list.


    For some reason, Laurence and Ian were also at the hotel, waiting for everyone. Laurence came up to Katherine and greeted her personally before going to the others. There was clearly a level of favoritism there and it made Katherine mildly uncomfortable. Laurence had posted the video of her denying the relationship but the shippers seemed oblivious.


    ''Thou dost protest too much,'' they said. She shrugged it off because she had done her part. They couldn''t hold her accountable for not believing what she said.


    "You''re going to be fine," Laurence reassured her as they sat at the lobby. With the big cameras around, the other guests peeked at the scene with unrestrained curiosity. Ian had gone off to talking to some of the other contestants who had taken to daily vlogging about their lives. "You have a lovely personality. They will love you."


    There was that word again. She shifted, giving Laurence an awkward smile. It was a good thing that a couple of familiar looking men approached them.


    "Hey guys, this is Katherine," Laurence introduced, a hint of pride in his voice. "Katherine, meet Tom, Liam, and Jake. They will be competing against you as amateur players."


    Katherine bowed in greeting. "It''s nice to meet all of you," she told them sincerely. She extended her hand to them, shaking them one by one. "It feels surreal to be here, seeing all of you in person and not through a computer screen."


    "Exactly!" Jake exclaimed, taking her side and pushing his long hair behind his ear. "You look lovelier in reality. And I do want to taste your food, as well." He smacked his lips together, showing some greed. Katherine felt herself lighten as she spoke. Jake seemed to be one of those people who could put you at ease.


    "Are you insinuating that I don''t look nice in my videos?" she asked with a raise of her brows.


    "As usual, the queen of sarcasm and biting remarks strikes!" Liam chuckled.


    "The title is too long. I need something catchier to be satisfied." Katherine shrugged. "You guys are smooth talkers¡­" she remarked with the casual glance around the group.

 Chapter 273 - Celebrity Boyfriend

    "And you have nothing to say about our style? Look at my hair!" Jake burst out. He ran his hand through his long hair, showing off how shiny and healthy it looked. "People have been stealing my look." He huffed, fanning his hand in front of his face.


    "You have me curious, what is your hair care routine?" One of these days, Katherine would have to fix a system and get her hair healthy.


    The five of them continued to chat and Katherine finally had a sense of belonging among these strangers. They seemed to be excited gamers with little interest in politics. In the back of her head, she remembered the cautions put into her mind. She would be better off not trusting anyone.


    Albeit the fact that the other three were star-struck by Laurence''s presence, everything went down smoothly.


    "So, Katherine, you are an artist!" Tom turned to her, her name sounding wonderful in that accent of his. "What style do you prefer?"


    "I am," she nodded. "I actually prefer fan art in the realistic style. I also like hyper-realism in some cases, but those are for special occasions." Namely, detailing every inch of Cage''s body in black and white.


    "That''s great!" Jake remarked, raising the welcome drink served to the competitors up in a toast. "The three of us are college students. If this works out, though. We are planning on quitting."


    Katherine reigned in her disapproval. She wanted to ask these students to stay in school but it would be highly inappropriate.


    "Existential crisis is a bitch," Liam said with a disappointed sigh.


    "It''s just so hard to juggle college work with creating videos, you know?" Tom added gingerly, looking at Katherine for approval. "How do you do it with your job?"


    That was a good question. She didn''t know how either. "It can be hard sometimes but I sacrifice on my time with the people I love to manage all of it," Katherine confessed. She felt a twinge of guilt. "I love my work, but I also like creating content. It''s hard to just¡­ not talk to people, you know?" she breathed.


    "Have you thought of quitting either one?" Laurence interjected helpfully.


    "No!" Katherine protested. "I am not going to quit anything unless I roll over, dead." She scoffed.


    There was talk about examinations and how to deal with stress. Memories from university came flashing back and Katherine couldn''t help but laugh.


    "The only quiz I want to take is the celebrity boyfriend one," Jake said. "Have you guys seen all the content creators taking it?"


    Katherine hadn''t. "Can''t imagine actual celebrities pouncing on others because their girlfriends got a different answer." For one, she knew she would not be taking one. The answer would probably result in a very jealous Cage and sulking. Fun times.


    "I bet you would get Laurence if you tried," Tom quipped, giving a pointed look to the man in question. Katherine balked, not answering at first. She sobered up quickly and replied vehemently.


    "Those things are dangerous!" She waved her hand in front of her animatedly. "What if I get a scandalous answer and some celebrity gets on my ass." She pretended to wipe the sweat off her forehead. "Well, my friends are possessive about celebrities. Can''t get someone they have on their lists. I haven''t learned how to sleep with my eyes open yet."


    The bunch chuckled.


    "You just need to try until you get the answer you want," Tom pressed. His eyes were hopeful as he looked at Katherine. "We should all take it!" He looked around for approval.


    "Sorry, I ship Laurence and Katherine but the results may break their friendship apart," Liam chortled in a jokingly serious tone.


    "Now, we wouldn''t want that," Katherine nodded sagely. What a lively bunch. It seemed she hadn''t gotten rid of those rumors just yet. People were talking in real life and she needed to snub them before it created a bigger raucous.


    The whole celebration started with a panel of creators and professional players, joking and talking about the game. Katherine blended into the crowd, her expression equally excited as the others as she heard about this new version. The session was hilarious, making the crowd roll in laughter.


    The fun continued with impromptu meet and greets with any viewers of the competitors who were in the crowd and caught up to them. Of course, Katherine wasn''t given any bodyguards because she wasn''t really important enough to protect. In worked in her favor as she filtered through the crowd without being noticed.


    It all went to hell when Laurence came to find her. A huge crowd of people followed. Thankfully, she was in the less crowded part of the venue.


    "Whoa, that is a lot of people," Laurence muttered, sounding unaffected. "Are you ready?" he asked.


    She wanted to scream no, but instead plastered a smile on her face. "As I''ll ever be," she replied. "Catch me if I say something weird. I have never really spoken to a crowd of my viewers before."


    Laurence shook with laughter. "We''re bound to say some weird things eventually. Isn''t that part of our brand?" He gave her a pat on the shoulder. The crowd hollered, commenting about their ''relationship'' and Katherine was left grinding her teeth together as she laughed and protested that nothing was going on between them.


    "We''re going to stand for a long time before the actual championship begins, so I hope you will be comfortable." He looked at her hopefully, making her feel guilty. In a moment of insanity, she said what was on her mind.


    "Laurence, I''m sorry. I''m uncomfortable with how close you are. I don''t want the viewers to think we are together." Who knows how he took the news, he spluttered as he carefully moved away. The viewers didn''t seem to hear or notice the change in their interaction.


    "Don''t hesitate to tell me if your feet hurt," he tried to salvage the situation carefully. She sighed in relief as she nodded. Sometimes, being rash helped the situation, it seemed.


    "Let''s do this."

 Chapter 274 - Gold Digger

    It was her first time participating in something like this, so she didn''t know what to expect from ''fans'' who came to say hi. She had met those kids at the market, but apart from that, she had enjoyed a life of anonymity since she started making videos. Katherine was sure that the line was for Laurence for the most part, so she was surprised when many of them expressed excitement to see her.


    "Oh my god, hi!" a boy came hurtling straight at her, putting his arms around her face and almost throwing her off balance. "I love you so much. You are my hero."


    Katherine chuckled breathlessly. "Thank you. How are you doing this morning?"


    "I''ve been subscribed to you since the beginning and when I found out that you guys collaborated, I was ecstatic," he said happily.


    "Thank you so much for the support," Laurence replied warmly.


    "You can get Laurence to sign something for you. Do you have anything on you?" Katherine''s voice was much calmer, contrasting with the hyper reaction of the fan.


    "I have an edit you made printed out. Could you sign it?" the boy asked, hope filling his eyes. Katherine couldn''t say no. She chuckled as she placed her hand forward, motioning him to give it to her.


    "I don''t sign anything usually, but because you are cute, I''ll do it." She gave him a playful wink. Rounds of hugs followed. Some said they watched all the videos, others said that they liked Laurence and Katherine together. She even received some gifts that she tried to deny.


    Laurence told her that it was best she take them. Fans put in a lot of effort for those gifts and it was uncouth to return them or say no. Katherine begrudgingly took the gifts but kept a thankful smile on her face.


    The whole affair lasted about an hour and went great. When it finished, Laurence and Katherine went their separate ways. Laurence had to catch up with other content creators while Katherine had to head towards the grand hall to prepare for the competition.


    The preparations were coming along great and she was constantly talking to her. All the competitors had had gathered around the table after the event was over. Katherine felt a weight lift off her shoulders as she interacted with the others. They seemed like normal human beings who had been thrown into a large group. Somehow, they managed to keep the conversation flowing.


    All the water she drank to stow away her anxiety finally made an appearance. She needed to go to the toilet. She announced the same, garnering giggles around the table.


    "While you are there, can you see where Ian went?" Laurence called. "He''s been missing for twenty minutes."


    "Well, if he''s not back in five minutes, I''m stealing his food," someone joked.


    "Will do," Katherine coughed, giving a thumbs up before she headed to the ladies'' room. After relieving herself, she was about to head out of the stall when she heard the door burst open. The voices that followed sounded somewhat familiar and she quickly placed them as two females from the staff who had been extremely friendly towards her as she struggled through the procedures.


    ''I should say hi,'' she thought. Before she could leave the stall, the words they spoke made her freeze.


    "I don''t know why people even like her," Staff number one scoffed. "Like, she is not pretty and everyone knows she is with Laurence to become popular." Katherine screwed her eyes shut as she tried to reign in her anger. She didn''t know why she didn''t burst out and put them in their places but she stood there, unmoving from the spot as they kept talking about her.


    "And his money," Staff number two supplied helpfully. "I hear Laurence makes six figures every month. I''m talking seven figures a year," she added. "I can''t believe they let such a subpar looking person and gamer join the championship. She''s not famous enough and her videos are crap at best. Why didn''t they get someone else to fill her slot?" The woman huffed.


    Katherine snarled in her thoughts. She was the highest viewed and followed competitor. Moreover, she played better than some of those people sitting at the table.


    "She''s a woman. You know how the marketing team harped on representation. They could have taken a much better female representative, in my opinion. Seeing how chummy she is with Laurence, maybe they knew each other from before. Do you think she has connections within the higher tier of staff?" Number one sighed. "Well, we can just crop her out of the photos and keep her from taking too much footage."


    "Enough about the gold-digger. Apparently, some hot guys are in the dining area, wanna go check them out?" Number two commented with a little too much enthusiasm.


    The two yammered away as they left the washroom while Katherine stayed in her spot for a significant amount of time before stepping out. She wanted to make sure they were far away, but she was also shaken by the encounter.


    This was how people thought of her when she wasn''t even associated with Cage. Instead of thinking about how much worse it could get, she thought about the inevitability of being talked about. She was getting mildly popular and people would continue talking. If she could handle criticism for herself, she could handle it when it came from inconsequential people like those staff members.


    She tugged at her hair as she thought about the comments from last night. She saw those on videos and forums all the time and never took them seriously. Last night, she took them so personally that she had teared up. Most of those people were trolls and Katherine had focused on the positive comments.


    But this was her first time hearing a mean comment in real life. It was a different playing field, but she was less affected than before.

 Chapter 275 - Road Bump

    She understood, suddenly. Her views and followers grew since she associated with Cage and it would skyrocket once her relationship came out into the open. She would get hate comments. She had not paid much attention to any of it in comparison to Laurence because she didn''t care for the man. Video making was her hobby and as long as she could work, she wouldn''t pay attention to any of them. Her love for her job and Cage was solid, these trolls and jealous bitches could go to hell.


    She wasn''t a gold digger or riding on someone else''s coat tails to fame.


    She might have cared how people thought about her before, but now? Not so much. What she disliked was that those girls had been so nice to her when they met. It bothered her that all those nice people might be talking shit about her behind her back.


    As she slowly walked back, she heard Ian''s voice from behind her. He was talking to someone else. When he saw her, he stopped mid-sentence and spoke to her. "Katherine?" He stared at her quizzically.


    "Hey," she replied, her voice sounding unused. I had to clear it before she spoke again. "Hi."


    "I''ll talk to you later," Ian said to his companion. The other scurried away without a second glance, leaving Ian and Katherine standing together. She didn''t know when she stopped walking, but she had. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking worried.


    Katherine hadn''t expected this from the man, so she stared at him.


    "Why are you standing here? Did you get hurt?" he asked carefully.


    "Just hanging out." She waved her hand in dismissal. "Just not ready to head back."


    "Are you sure?" Ian narrowed his eyes slightly. "You look a bit upset. Did something happen?"


    Despite his follies, Ian was a nice change to the harshness Katherine had just experienced. The truth came tumbling out of her mouth in an instant.


    "Holy shit." Ian held a hand to his temple and leaned against the wall, taking in the situation. "First of all, people are chosen based on their ability. You became popular after you showed your face and no one helped you do it. Even though they are staff, they need to be educated on the process." He paused and in a surprising moment of niceness, he continued. "I''m sorry you heard that. It''s bad enough reading mean comments on the internet, to come face to face with them and hearing people say it¡­"


    "I''m not as badly affected as I imagined," Katherine replied softly. "I just need to grow thicker skin."


    "You know that none of it is true, right?" Ian urged. "Those people might think they are right but it isn''t true. I can attest to the fact that it isn''t."


    "I didn''t expect you to be so nice to me," she yelped, surprised. "Did something happen to you?" she raised a brow and stared at him curiously.


    "I''m an asshole usually, but you are a nice lady. You don''t deserve the hate." Ian patted her back. "Do you want me to post a strongly worded video in your defense?" he joked.


    "I''d rather not attract more attention towards me. Thank you for the offer, though." She grinned. She was much happier than before and the simply words from the antagonist had cheered her up so easily.


    Her phone buzzed in her pocket suddenly. She slid her hand in and pulled out to see that it was¡­ Cage.


    [C: How is everything? Is everyone treating you nicely?] he had written.


    Katherine looked up from her phone and glanced at Ian. "Hey, I''ll stay out for a little longer," she informed him.


    "I''ll stand here with you," Ian announced. She looked at him, surprised but let it go.


    "Then, I''ll have to be impolite and reply to my texts." She gave him an apologetic smile and went back to her cell phone.


    [K: Small road bumps aside, everything is fine. On your break? When does it get over?] She waited for him to reply and promptly started going back to their previous conversations.


    "You have that lovestruck smile on your face," Ian blurted out, surprising her. She looked up and blinked at him in confusion. "You like someone," he explained, pointing at her face. She raised her hand and pressed her palm to her cheek. Indeed, she was smiling and she knew how it looked to others.


    It was evident that she loved the person whom she was texting. Katherine decided not to hold back. "My boyfriend," she sighed. Her phone pinged again.


    [C: Road bump? Are those dumb men giving you a hard time? Are they hitting on you?] She could imagine his urgency. She shook her head as she chuckled.


    [K: Don''t worry about it. I''m fine. Miss you loads.]


    "I didn''t know that," Ian commented silently. "You never said. I wouldn''t have narrated the relationship thing if I had known. Was your boyfriend upset?" He sounded genuinely concerned.


    "No. He understood and asked me to deny the rumors. He''s¡­ good with such things." She remembered how supportive he had been and felt an ache in her heart.


    "He didn''t suspect you? Even for a second?" He looked genuinely perplexed.


    "Why should he suspect his girlfriend?" She shrugged. "Our relationship is based on trust. We don''t get to spend any time together as he is travelling and busy, but we know that there is no one else for us." She bit her lip as another message came in.


    [C: Fine. Are you eating with the group?]


    [K: Nope. Just standing the hallway. Went to the washroom.]


    "Wow. Sounds wonderful. I''ll try to reel Laurence in." Ian chuckled nervously.


    "I''ll have to thank you for that." She gave him a small bow. "I''ve been awfully nasty to you since we met. I''ll apologize for that. But please, don''t push the ship along. Nothing will come from it. It''ll just hurt Laurence in the end." She felt mild pity for the guy.

 Chapter 276 - Not Appropriate

    "Yeah, Laurence likes you. I hope you knew." Ian fiddled with his fingers. He reached into his pocket to take out a cigarette and a lighter.


    "I deduced. Don''t smoke. It''s not allowed," Katherine warned. Ian ignored her and was about to light the cigarette when they heard the shuffling of footsteps near them.


    Both of them looked up. One of them gaped, the other felt tears prickle her eye.


    All it took was a second for the breath-taking smile to light up her face. She sprinted to him, throwing herself into his arms. Cage held onto her, his hands wrapped around her waist.


    Finally. Within a second, he had pulled away from her. She looked at him incredulously but the expression turned to delight when he pushed her towards the wall. He lowered his head so that their lips were inches apart.


    With a final warning, and her name escaping his mouth, he swooped in and kissed her.


    It was a sense of completeness that they only felt when they were together.


    Cage needed her, more than anything.


    "I love you," he murmured over and over again as he kissed her cheeks, her nose and her jaws. She smelled wonderful and all his. God, he had missed her.


    "So much," she replied, jumping at him and palming his face.


    There was a cough from the side. Katherine couldn''t really focus with the blood roaring in her head. Her stomach tightened as Cage ground against her. Nothing was enough any longer.


    "I have no clue what I am seeing right now, but I don''t think it is appropriate."


    Katherine''s eyes widened as her head snapped to the side.


    Ian.


    He was standing right there, staring at them like he had seen something inexplicable.


    ''Oh, f.u.c.k,'' she thought.


    Of all the ways Cage had imagined exposing his relationship with Katherine to the world, humping in the middle of the hallway hadn''t been an option. Especially in front of a man who was adamant on pushing him towards another man. The truth was, he forgot all about everyone and everything the instant he saw her standing in the distance. Months of being apart had taken a toll on him and his mental state. His body craved proximity to her.


    Her reciprocation had just aggravated his desires. The way she made him feel just took over¡­ even common sense. On their left, Ian stood frozen, gaping at Cage and Katherine''s tangled form. On their right stood Cage''s parents.


    Cage was grateful for a second that Katherine hadn''t noticed his parents yet. Knowing her, she would die of embarrassment for making such a first impression. Not that his parents minded a single bit.


    "Is it inappropriate if a couple welcome one another after being apart for months?" an amused sounding woman argued. Katherine froze for a second before looking up. Cage''s mom stood behind him, smiling warmly while his Dad looked beyond amused.


    Katherine had forgotten that they would be there. She wondered if she had brain damage for a second before attributing her reaction to hormones. If Katherine didn''t want to faint from nervousness, she would appreciate Anna for speaking up in her favor.


    Katherine swiftly pushed Cage away (much to his displeasure) and slid to the floor, her knees giving away under her. Cage sank down beside her, swiftly turning so that they both leaned against the wall and breathed heavily. "I''m so embarrassed," Katherine whispered to him.


    Cage placed his hand on her knee, offering support as he turned to face Ian. His hand on her knees kept her anchored and feeling safe.


    "Don''t be," he told her softly before turning to Ian. "You must be Laurence''s friend. I''ve heard a lot about you," he started, his voice hard and intimidating. "You''ll be wise to tell your friend not to continue flirting with my girlfriend." He stopped and looked at him with finality. "Also, make sure no one finds out about us."


    Ian bit the inside of his cheeks as he saw the two together, sitting close and acting as if no one else was there with them. Moreover, the threat Cage had made was enough to dissuade him from any ideas to tell the world about this situation.


    "Don''t worry about it," Ian sighed. He spared Katherine a glance. "I''ll make sure the message is received. Nice meeting you." He dropped his hands into his pocket as he briskly walked away. He didn''t have the confidence to talk to someone so popular or threatening. The little popularity he had could be crushed by this man without a single thought.


    He knew better than to have any bad thoughts about Cage or Katherine. As he walked away, he saw Laurence coming down the hallway. Fl.u.s.tered, Ian looked back and panicked. Laurence couldn''t see this. He bolted towards his friend, catching up to him immediately and placing his palm on Laurence''s shoulder.


    "What are you doing here?" Ian asked, looking panicked. He tried his best to block Laurence''s sight.


    "Katherine and you have been gone for so long. I wanted to check on you." Laurence was dumbfounded by Ian''s gaze. He looked scared, something he had not seen before. "Is something the matter?" he asked. Ian held his shoulder and turned him around forcefully, pushing Laurence back towards the direction of the dining area.


    "No, nothing. Katherine wanted some alone time. I need to talk to you, too," Ian said, successfully guiding Laurence away. "Don''t flirt with Katherine anymore." He ordered.


    Laurence stopped immediately and looked at Ian incredulously. "What do you mean? Weren''t you pushing the idea before?" He stared at his friend, trying to understand what was happening.


    "I was wrong. I can''t use an innocent girl to propel your career. It will only create problems for her in the future." Ian hoped that his friend would get the point.


    "I don''t understand," Laurence whispered.


    "Even if you like Katherine, you have to stay away from her. I''ve spoken to her. She likes someone else. Stop pursuing her." Ian''s words sounded angrier by the minute. "Just believe me."

 Chapter 277 - My Girlfriend, My Rules

    "She is single! I don''t see why I can''t pursue her." Ian sighed.


    "She... I have been told to inform you that you can''t flirt with her any longer." Thought unintended, Ian''s words came off as something Katherine had told him.


    "If she wants me off her track, she should tell me herself." He shook off Ian''s hand from his shoulder and fumed as he walked away.


    Ian heaved a sigh of relief. The crisis was averted for now.


    - - -


    "Katherine, I am delighted to finally meet you," Anna spoke up, smiling as she stepped forward with her arms wide open. Katherine jumped up, leaving Cage flabbergasted on the floor. It seemed to be the easiest thing to do, Katherine stepped into Anna''s welcoming arms and got the hug. It had been a long time and a sense of warmth only mothers could give washed over her. She even smelled wonderful, like mothers did. It seemed that she smelled great generally and Katherine had to wonder if body scent was also hereditary. This Cavanaugh family genuinely smelled good.


    Or was this in her head?


    "I''m sorry you saw that¡­" Katherine tried to apologize only to be hushed by Anna. The woman rubbed her back just as Cage did.


    "Honey, I am so glad I saw that. My son is finally in love and happy. Which mother doesn''t want that for their son?" It was truly beautiful to see, it reminded her of her youth when she got together with her husband. "He''s so loved in return and its beautiful to watch." She let out a dreamy sigh as she stroked Katherine''s hair. "I''m so happy to finally meet you."


    As they pulled away, Katherine smiled beautifully, hoping that she looked perfect. "I''m happy to meet you, too. Cage talks about you all the time. I was wondering if I could join pampering day." She smiled shyly, looking down at the floor as she spoke about the details of Cage''s wonderful relationship with his mother. She would very much like to join, if Anna allowed it.


    "With my son''s busy schedule? I''m surprised that he didn''t hog all the time talking about himself!" Katherine snickered, knowing that was mostly true. "Henrick, come say hi to Katherine," Anna called, looking over her shoulder at her husband.


    "Lovely meeting you," Henrick said, extending his hand forward. Katherine reached forward, lost for a moment as she saw Cage''s father. She had seen pictures of him but seeing him up close. The man was absurdly handsome, much like Cage. The same blue eyes and facial features. Now that she looked closer, Cage was a mix of his mother and father. But she could imagine how Cage would look decades later looking at their faces. Henrick had an air of composure and class about him that was hard to come across. "Thanks for letting us come. We''ve been meaning to meet you. There is no better way than to cheer for you from the stands!" His toothy grin reminded Katherine so much of Cage that she had to look away.


    When she was younger, she had a thing for older men, Henrick Cavanaugh was exactly her type.


    Katherine felt her cheeks heating up. They were too nice. "Thank you so much for coming," she replied meekly. "I''ll take you to the room. Someone might see us here." She looked around suspiciously before leading them away.


    When they had walked for a bit, Katherine spoke up. "Thank you so much for the gifts. It meant a lot," she muttered. Anna perked up as she placed her hand on Katherine''s shoulder.


    "I''m so glad you liked it. I was happier going through Cage''s closet and sending you the shirts, too." She sounded sly and Katherine had to bury her head as she walked forward.


    Henrick cleared his throat, trying to contain his chuckle. Cage, on the other hand, had shoved his hand in his pocket and was enjoying watching his girlfriend be pampered and loved by his parents.


    "Anna, stop teasing the poor girl. When she goes up on the stage, she''ll look like a tomato," Henrick said from the side, amus.e.m.e.nt clear in his voice. Cage interrupted quickly, saving her from further embarrassment.


    "Stop bothering my girlfriend! She''s really shy." Cage shoved his parents away from Katherine''s side and planted himself firmly beside her. Katherine squeaked as she felt a fresh wave of embarrassment wash over her.


    "You''re already trying to separate her from us? You clearly want to hog her time," Anna protested.


    "My girlfriend, my rules!" Cage replied with a smug grin. Henrick sighed as he shook his head.


    "For all those teenage years when we told him that he had to follow our rules while living under our roof. I see he has taken a page from our book." The family dynamic was wonderful. Unlike Katherine''s family where she was still the child who needed to be guided and persuaded to take a certain decision, the Cavanaugh''s seemed to view their kid as an a.d.u.l.t, an independent being who they could trust and lean on.


    "I can see why you have such a good son," Katherine spoke up. The three turned to look.


    "It was a lucky draw, really. But don''t let him fool you. He has his moments¡­" Katherine leaned forward, interested to find out more.


    "Now, now. Let''s not mention those!" Cage begged. Katherine had to snicker as she watched him fiddle nervously. She squeezed his hand in reassurance.


    "Well, the boy has spoken. I can''t mention his bad behavior. You''ll have to find out on your own!" Anna clapped her hands together.


    - - -


    It had been half an hour since they reached the room when the staff informed her that she would have to go to the venue. Katherine scrubbed her face as she apologized.


    "I''m so sorry. We have to set up before the audience arrives. You''ll be in the crowd, right?" she looked around the room for reassurance.


    "We''ll be cheering you on from the side," Henrick smiled from his spot. Cage was lying on the bed casually despite his parents'' warning to not be rude.

 Chapter 278 - Fake Beard Or Other Strategies

    "It''s my girlfriend''s bed. Let me rest a bit. I drove for so long." He closed his eyes and sucked in a breath.


    Katherine looked at his leisurely form and cleared her throat. She had gotten dazzled for a second.


    "Lazy," Anna commented from the side. As Katherine rushed to the washroom to change, Cage knocked on the door and called for her.


    "We''ll head back and unpack in our room. See you at the venue," he called She replied loud enough that he could hear and then went back to washing her hair. She heard the entrance door click and felt her heart burst from her chest.


    At first, it was only fun. The championship would mean she could get exposure but now she had to do well to prove herself. For Cage and for herself. There was the added pressure of Cage''s parents watching as well.


    - - -


    Cage had started to get nervous about what might happen at the championship. If it were done outside, he would have worn a hat and sunglasses to conceal himself but it was being held in an auditorium. Wearing a ''disguise'' would only call more attention onto him.


    "We need a strategy," Henrick spoke up suddenly.


    "Strategy?" Anna asked, looking confused.


    "Yeah, Cage is going out in public. As you can imagine, people will notice, so we need to plan in advance. He can''t shave his head or wear a fake beard, so there is no option but to get noticed." His father shrugged. Cage sighed.


    "Why can''t you wear a fake beard?" Anna asked, sounding beyond disappointed.


    "They make my skin break out!" Cage protested. They were in the parking area of the auditorium facility and had been for some time as they figured out how to enter without being noticed.


    "You can''t even sacrifice your skin for your girlfriend?" Anna teased. His father joined into the snickering while he rolled his eyes and stayed put.


    "What other ideas do you have?" he asked.


    "Well, we can just pretend to be rooting for someone else. Out on a family vacation and dropped by to see someone you admired." Henrick paused and looked at his son. "Of course, it shouldn''t be Katherine¡­ or any other female. Let''s settle for a nondescript looking guy who plays videogames well." Henrick nodded sagely, making Anna guffaw.


    "Yes, we don''t want people spreading rumors," Cage sighed. His father''s idea wasn''t terrible. And it sounded perfectly reasonable. "I also want to cheer for Katherine, though."


    "People are going to notice you no matter what, so just act normal. You''re here to watch the championship with your family. If someone calls you up, confidently say that is the case. We''ll just have to make sure no one writes about it," Anna shrugged.


    She was always the optimist.


    "Some people might approach me, I''ll let you guys slip away and secure whatever comes next," Cage informed. As they slid out of the car, no one seemed to notice. Not many people were at the venue yet, considering that they couldn''t enter beforehand. Thank god for having inside connections¡­ he could enter earlier.


    "Let''s go get some good seats!" Anna suggested. Henrick chuckled as he patted Cage on the shoulder.


    "Are you ready?" Anna asked, watching Cage nervously. They had entered the auditorium and there didn''t seem to be anyone at the venue yet¡­ at least the audience. Members of the staff and some of the players loitered around on stage, checking equipment. They wore their uniforms and didn''t look up at them when they arrived.


    That was a good thing.


    Cage had slipped out of the hotel in the wee hours of the morning and stayed elsewhere so that the paparazzi couldn''t catch wind of him leaving. He just had to worry about civilians today, but they could be worse. One minute he could be cheering and in the next, his pictures would be plastered all over social media for the world to see. Paparazzi people at least didn''t spill information until they got a hefty sum of money for their pictures.


    Cage hung his head for most of the part. But when people started filtering in, he could feel the eyes on him. The first gasp came and them excited whispering followed. Thankfully, most people here would be more interested in the game than in him. Henrick had straightened up, ready to interfere if the situation needed it.


    Cage patted his knee to call him off and gave him a reassuring smile.


    "Will you be seeing Jake today?" Anna asked, looking at her phone. Cage turned to her with raised brows. Her voice had been really high so everyone around them could hear. He peered at her phone to see that she had pulled up a list of competitors and chosen one randomly.


    It was in that moment he heard someone squeal his name. A boy, maybe fifteen, was standing with his parents, pointing his phone at Cage. Cage tried to look away with Henrick springing to action as he tried to block the camera. It was to no avail.


    Cage sighed as he stood up and walked over to the boy. "Do you mind not posting the picture?" he asked sweetly. "I''m out on vacation with my family. I can sign something for you if you want," he engaged slowly. The teenager looked stunned for a moment before nodding vigorously.


    His parents, though, seemed beyond embarrassed. They apologized profusely for encroaching on his private time with his family and quickly tugged the boy away after receiving the autograph. Cage was pleased that some parents still had the decency to understand. The other audience members seemed to follow suit and didn''t pull any attention towards him henceforth.


    For the most part, he acted like he didn''t hear anything. One could say he was acting like a douche, but his family was forever accommodating.


    He fished out his phone from his pocket when it buzzed and saw a message from Katherine waiting to be read. His smile dropped when he read her words.

 Chapter 279 - Look Like Fun

    [K: Mr. Cavanaugh, you''ve been found out. All the participants and staff members are talking about you being at the championship. Some of them think you are a surprise guest. Which would be really cool. Compared to Laurence, I would have you as my guest any day.]


    Anna was looking at him with curiosity so he turned the phone towards her.


    "You knew this would happen. You informed them beforehand, so they should handle it," his mother reminded him. He nodded and just hoped that he could stay until the end without outing Katherine.


    [C: Word travelled fast, I see. Everyone is being respectful for the most part. I don''t think the media will get wind of this. Fingers crossed.]


    There were hushed words being uttered from behind them.


    "Say something," a girl hissed.


    "No, you!" another girl retorted behind him. Cage froze up for a second before relaxing. He was used to this. He just needed to get out of his personal time to show his professional face.


    "Something," Henrick grumbled, making everyone around them jump. He turned around swiftly to face the girls. "I thought you wanted someone to say that?" he addressed the two girls.


    Cage wanted to groan. His father was a dork at times, but this was not the time to act out. Have some decency when you are meeting your future daughter-in-law!


    "I was talking about him," one of the girls mentioned. Cage didn''t turn and he didn''t have to, knowing that they must be pointing at him.


    "Cage, say something," his father demanded slyly. Henrick threw him an exasperated look before grumbling under his breath. The girls behind him squealed.


    "We''re your biggest fans!" Yes, everybody said that. ''Do you have anything new to offer?'' he wondered sourly. He braced himself as he turned around, smiling over his shoulder.


    "Thank you so much. It''s nice to meet you." They looked young but they didn''t come with any parents.


    "What are you doing here?" one of them asked, much to his chagrin.


    "Family vacation," he prompted quickly. He was praying for the championship to start so that he could turn around without being an asshole.


    "Oh," the girls sighed. "We''re here to support Liam! But can we get your autograph?"


    "Sure." He took the paper they held out promptly and signed it without further words. "Enjoy." They took the cue and stopped bothering him. Everything fell into silence.


    Sabrina was busy scrolling through her phone as they waited to enter the auditorium. The staff members were hovering around them, looking all excited. Specially one of the two female staff members who had badmouthed Katherine.


    She didn''t even turn to look at them, keeping the conversation to one word answers for the most part. Instead, they were talking behind someone else''s back.


    "You know, I hate people who talk behind others," Sabrina said suddenly. She peered at Katherine for a fraction of a second. "It makes me want to bully them until they understand how horrible they are," she sighed.


    Katherine looked at her with shock. They had known each other for a couple of months, and she had been mostly sweet, albeit fierce when it came to practice. "Don''t let the sports media hear. You''re big news, aren''t you?" she said with a soft smile.


    "Nah, they don''t care about me apart from the fact I am a woman." Sabrina shrugged. "That one?" she said, pointing towards one of the badmouthing staff members. Katherine followed to look. "Got their nose and b.o.o.b.s done. If I was in a bad mood, I''d go right ahead and tell them how I would pop her new tits with a pen."


    "Jeez!"


    "What? You wouldn''t do the same? They''ve been talking shit about you, too, you know?" Sabrina mentioned off-handedly. Katherine stiffened before staring at Sabrina.


    "I know. I don''t care."


    Sabrina heaved a sigh as she went back to her cellphone. "Oh, look, your boyfriend is here!" she said suddenly.


    Katherine''s eyes flew around, looking for Cage. Had he come down and into the staff area? That was dangerous. "Where?" she asked.


    "Right there." Sabrina pointed blatantly towards Laurence. Katherine turned to glare at her. They were not friends, so she didn''t expect the joke.


    "Seriously?" she groaned. "I already told you, Laurence is not my boyfriend."


    "You didn''t tell me who it is, so I''m going to assume that I''m right. Which reminds me. You haven''t made plans with me¡­ is it because your boyfriend is coming?" Sabrina''s eyes widened as she stared at something on the phone.


    The look on her face completely changed.


    "What are you doing?" Katherine asked.


    "Oh my god! Cage Cavanaugh is sitting in the audience. How is that possible?" Katherine''s heart started to pound. Being with Cage had taught her not to react poorly in such situations. Playing with him had also taught her some acting skills.


    "Are you okay?" she asked, feigning concern.


    "Do I look okay? He''s going to see me and I am wearing this lousy uniform." Sabrina pinched her shirt for effect. Katherine snickered. "Maybe I should change? Or should I just walk into the auditorium n.a.k.e.d?"


    "Uh¡­ that would be memorable, but there are cameras. I''m not sure the audience will appreciate it." Katherine wouldn''t appreciate it either, considering her boyfriend would have to see some other woman n.a.k.e.d.


    "I don''t care. I''ll crawl over hot coal for that man. F.u.c.k this championship, I need to find him now!"


    Katherine rolled her eyes. Another rabid fan? Great! "Sabrina, how do you even know he is here?"


    "Check the group conversation which has the staff members. They posted a picture." She held up her phone and sure enough, there was a picture of Cage in his casual but classy clothing sitting amongst the audience.


    She found herself smiling. It was cute that he was wearing sunglasses inside. On par with his brand¡­ even though it made him conspicuous.


    "That does look like him," Katherine commented, pretending to squint at the photo. She handed the phone back to Sabrina.

 Chapter 280 - Stop Dreaming

    "How do you look this calm?" Sabrina demanded. "You''re far more in love with him than I am." Her eyes narrowed at that.


    ''Honey, stop dreaming. You don''t love him. Because you don''t know him. And nobody can love him as much as I do,'' she wanted to say, but she refrained.


    "I am?" Katherine pretended to be stupid.


    "You draw him all the time and your phone wallpaper is a picture of him sleeping." She trailed off and suddenly remembered something. "Which movie is that from, though?" She turned to Katherine with curiosity.


    Katherine wanted to smack herself. Indeed, she had taken a picture of him sleeping and put it as her wallpaper. She just hadn''t changed it before coming here. She hadn''t thought someone would notice her wallpaper for god''s sake.


    "Exclusive fanclub," Katherine commented without thinking.


    "How do I get in?" Sabrina asked, grabbing Katherine by the forearm.


    "Invitations only." Whatever that meant. Sabrina seemed to take that answer and went back to her original line of questioning. "Again, why aren''t you screaming yet?"


    "Of course I am excited! The love of my life is in the same building as I am. This is a dream come true."


    The suspicion in Sabrina''s eyes seemed to fade thanks to Katherine''s exaggerated show of enthusiasm.


    "We need to meet him somehow. If only we could find where he is staying¡­" She trailed off and started searching on her phone. In the meantime, Katherine texted Cage about this.


    "He must be staying at a fancy hotel. So we could stakeout at the possible one. If only we knew how long he will be staying." Katherine looked at her weirdly. "What? People call hotels to ask about celebrities all the time."


    Seemed like a horror movie. So, this was what Cage had to go through on a regular basis. His safety was compromised every second he breathed.


    "I don''t think he''ll register under his own name," she supplied helpfully.


    "Buckle up. You aren''t being as enthusiastic as needed."


    "I have a boyfriend," she stated lightly. "I don''t need to chase him."


    Sabrina huffed, not sensing the wordplay at hand. She proceeded onto calling the hotels and being sorely disappointed at not finding out where Cage was staying.


    Thankfully, one of the staff members shouted. "Places!"


    At exactly that moment, Katherine''s phone buzzed.


    [C: Best of luck. See you soon!]


    She put her phone on silence and shoved it back inside her pocket. As the participants marched in and took their seats, Katherine tried to look for him. She couldn''t exactly see him yet, but she was looking for the sunglasses in the crowd.


    Sabrina almost tripped over thin air while searching for him. "Is that him?" she kept asking.


    Katherine didn''t respond.


    Laurence was up at the center, welcoming everyone and talking about how grand the occasion was. Katherine''s mind wandered to what Cage was seeing at the moment and her anxiety lessened. Anxiety she didn''t know she had.


    As individual names started being called and people introduced themselves, she heard the crowd go wild. Sabrina was still looking for Cage amidst the crowd.


    "After we wrap up, we''re going to search for him," Sabrina hissed.


    Katherine thought it best to just go along with her. "Sure." Instead, she would be wrapped up in the arms of the man Sabrina was trying to find, probably having wild s.e.x with him after so many months apart.


    "Welcome on stage, Katherine Austen." Finally, it was her turn. The crowd went wild, but over everything else, she seemed to hear Cage''s voice. She zoomed in towards the location and searched for a brief moment before she located him.


    She started to introduce herself, taking time to connect with the crowd before returning to the seat.


    From there on, it was war. She played her heart out, forgetting completely about the man watching her. She concentrated on winning this championship. She didn''t know how, but with the help of Sabrina, she demolished every candidate that came near her.


    It seemed she really had improved in the past couple of months. Cage''s constant support and his initial training had also come in handy. She wouldn''t say she could take on a professional player, though. They were a different breed altogether. Their hands moved too fast and their strategies were precise.


    She was at an advantage because most of the novices couldn''t keep up with their professional partners or follow properly. Her practice with Sabrina had paid off in that manner because their strategies and moves were aligned by that point.


    - - -


    "Well, you saw your girl in her big moment. How do you feel?" Anna asked, eyes twinkling with excitement. Before the closing ceremony of the day could start, the three had left the auditorium. The hallway was empty, giving the family the privacy they needed to chat.


    Cage smiled. "I''m so proud of her. I know this was unplanned, but it means a lot to her." Henrick was looking at his cellphone and had a calculative look in his eyes. Seeing that, Cage continued, "I plan on taking her with me for the next filming."


    Anna''s eyes widened and she bit her lip as she thought.


    "Do her parents know?" she asked, slightly panicked.


    "I don''t know yet. I''ll have to ask her." He sighed. "She wants to be with me and I want nothing else. Staying apart has been so difficult. We did look at the long distance thing, but... it''s not working out for us."


    "That is great!" Anna chimed. She squeezed Cage''s hand. "Her work is remote so she can do it online. I''m so glad..." She trailed off.


    "I''m beyond excited," he admitted sheepishly.


    "And I am excited for you. She''s a lovely girl, Cage. And she''s just as much love with you. I could undeniably feel it." She patted his arm.


    "I love her more than anything. I can''t wait to start our lives together." He had a goofy smile on his face.

 Chapter 281 - Know Each Other

    "Once your dad and I started dating, we couldn''t stand to be apart. I don''t know how you are doing it," Anna gossiped.


    "Yeah. The two months apart nearly killed me. You saw how we jumped each other." Anna snickered, nodding her head in understanding. Most parents might have been ashamed or angry, but she knew her son. He wouldn''t be improper in public even if there was a gun to his head. To have someone who he could break the unbreakable rule for was a boon.


    "It gets easier as you age," Anna informed. "Henrick and I stay apart for long periods, but it doesn''t kill us." She shrugged.


    Cage glared at her. "Don''t pin your lack of love for one another on us. We''ll be this cuddly even in our graves." Anna smacked his arm, protesting against his unlucky words.


    "Go to your girl. You should see her when she comes out. We''ll be in the car. We booked a private table in a hotel for dinner. Remember that!" She waved at her son, taking Henrick''s arm in hers and dragging him out. The last he saw of them, Henrick was still looking intently at his phone.


    - - -


    The finals was going to happen the next day, so Katherine trudged out of the arena without a look back. She was greeting everyone when she noticed Laurence and Ian talking to someone. Ian was more silent than usual. But Laurence animatedly spoke to the person in question.


    The man was Cage. He had made his way into the room where all the staff were and had started talking to Laurence.


    Katherine squinted in suspicion as she moved forward. She stopped a few steps away, not wanting to intrude on the conversation just yet. But she was close enough to eavesdrop. Ian noticed this, but he remained mute.


    "Thank you so much for coming. I didn''t know you were or I would have properly greeted you," Laurence was saying.


    "I wanted to be lowkey for this event. It''s a personal trip, so I don''t want more people knowing," he chuckled nervously.


    "I was surprised to see you there. Are you a fan of CoG?" Laurence asked, sounding more interested than he should.


    "Yeah. I am looking forward to the new version. That''s why I dropped by," Cage supplied helpfully. "It was nice seeing you, though," he added helpfully.


    It was actually Ian who called on Katherine. "Hey, Katherine! Come here," he called out, waving his hand. The expression on his face was awkward as he tried to taichi around the conversation. Seeing Cage talk to Laurence casually and not bringing up how the latter had constantly flirted with Katherine despite the warning he had put out... it wasn''t pretty.


    There were moments when Cage looked at Ian blankly in the eyes, accusing him of not doing a good job at bearing his message. Ian had quickly looked away, ashamed. He had, indeed, tried his best with the limited amount of things he could reveal to Laurence.


    Coming back to the present, Katherine swiveled around, surprised but walked over any ways. She glanced towards Cage and wondered what she should say. In front of the others, this was the first time she was meeting Cage. They didn''t know each other and Cage was a superstar.


    Sabrina was also in earshot, so she couldn''t act like she wasn''t affected. So, she went for the best option.


    "I love you," she blurted out, her eyes widening as she turned around to see who else had heard. Cage choked, as did Ian and Laurence, but the former was the first to recover.


    It was usual for Cage to receive such love confessions, so it wouldn''t be suspicious that Katherine had said something of the sort.


    "I love you, too," Cage replied with a chuckle, sounding absolutely polite and as if he was indulging a fan. Nothing more than that. Kudos to Cage for having the calmness to recover from her blunder.


    "Katherine, I didn''t know you were a fan," Laurence commented as if to dissolve the air of awkwardness.


    "I am. You mustn''t have been to my social media much. I have some pretty amazing fanart." She turned to Cage with a sweet smile.


    "Rinsten, yes. I see your content every day. I must say, I''m taking by it. Moreover, your use of ingredients and dietary restrictions used... they match with mine perfectly." The teasing lilt of his voice and the general silence coming from Ian make Katherine blush.


    "Yes, but you can''t call me a stalker. I wouldn''t have known unless you told me." Two could play at the game, Cage.


    "Never said you did." He shook his head, chuckling. He glanced briefly at Laurence, who looked bewildered. He hadn''t caught on with all the little hints they had put out.


    "You two know each other, right?" Laurence commented, pointing between the two of them. Katherine stiffened, suddenly remembering that they knew Stephen was Angelina''s boyfriend.


    "Hush, we wouldn''t want others to know," Cage said with a wink.


    "Right, people would flock to her. She''s very low key," Laurence provided helpfully. Katherine remained mum as she looked at the anger in Cage''s eyes.


    "You seem to know her well..." he taunted. It was barely recognizable in his voice, but having known him for so long and so intimately, Katherine could critically analyze the moods of Cage Cavanaugh.


    "They collaborated, that''s about it!" Ian interjected before Laurence could get his words in. Katherine heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Well, then." Cage looked at his watch conspicuously and then back up at them. "It''s getting late. I''m having a private dinner with my family today. I''ll get going." As the others greeted him, Cage threw Katherine a meaningful look.


    The people outside had already left and there wouldn''t be anyone in the parking lot either. Katherine could see how he had diverted the time so that he could wait for Katherine to come out.


    Katherine actually hung out for a couple of minutes before receiving a text from Cage.

 Chapter 282 - Single Diner

    [C: Come out.] Two words.


    She smiled at the text, shaking her head with a smile. Cage had been slightly jealous.


    "I''ll have to rush out," she informed Ian and Laurence. "I''ll have dinner alone and then get some rest for tomorrow." She quickly walked out without much greeting and went to find the love of her life.


    Katherine made her way out of the auditorium and was stopped twice by autograph seekers. She blinked in confusion, wondering why more people wanted to see her. As she entered the parking lot, she surreptitiously checked around her to see if anyone was looking.


    Cage had been right. The paparazzi had not followed him. When she saw his car, she sprinted to it. The driver''s side opened and Cage slid out, opening his arms and waiting for her. Katherine didn''t have any qualms launching herself into his arms, forgetting all about his curious parents, and placing a sound kiss on his lips.


    "Congratulations!" Cage commented, squeezing her waist before letting her down.


    As her feet touched the ground, she snickered. "Thank you. I still have another day to go, but let''s see how well I do. I also had to listen to Sabrina talk about you nonstop."


    Cage chuckled. "Yes, I saw her looking around the auditorium."


    "If I had to listen to her for another minute, I would have smacked her mouth." In reality, she probably wouldn''t have.


    "Is that so? I love when you get all violent. So s.e.xy." He crinkled his nose as he laughed. Katherine had the inevitable urge to ''boop'' his nose, but didn''t feel it was appropriate in front of his parents.


    "You are slandering me. I am not violent." She glanced quickly towards Anna and Henrick, who pretended not to be eavesdropping on their conversation.


    "Well, I am the only one who can get away with it," he appeased her sweetly before guiding her in. As she settled in, he moved inside to buckle her seatbelt before closing the door and jogging over to the driver''s side.


    "I''m cool with having a cozy dinner in the suite," Katherine commented, looking at Cage sweetly.


    "Absolutely not!" Henrick interjected. Katherine jumped, never having imagined that this man could protest. "You''re not spending such a wonderful day eating room service in a suite, hiding out with Cage. If that is the case, he can stay indoors," Henrick announced.


    Her face looked horrified as she turned to look back. She shook her head vehemently, refusing to entertain such an idea.


    "Well, then we''ll go out. Who asked him to be so noteworthy," Henrick huffed, albeit jokingly.


    "Thank you for your genes," Cage retorted with a sly smile.


    "People will see you," Katherine grumbled. This time, Anna replied.


    "They already have. It''s not about being seen... as long as they don''t see you with us. You don''t need to be harrassed because of us."


    "I don''t mind that." Katherine frowned. But the others did.


    "I want to celebrate with you, Katherine. We book a private room, so no one will enter. Don''t worry." Cage pressed his hand to the steering wheel as he watched the conflict on her face. She looked positively guilty about the situation. After a couple of minutes, she turned to look at him, resolute.


    "If you''re sure," she smiled.


    "I''m sure." With luck, nobody would take a picture of her walking with them. Cage gritted his teeth as he thought. They could take as many pictures of him as they wanted, but they better keep her out of them. If they could do that, all would be well. They could obviously pretend that they had bumped into one another and been invited to have dinner together.


    "This will be our first time in public," Katherine said, smiling.


    "Well, even though it''s not a date..." They simply forgot about the other two in the car. "Let''s have some dinner," Cage grinned.


    "There are other people here!" Anna commented, sounding delighted.


    Cage huffed as he brought the engine to life. With that, they were off.


    It was Henrick who created the elaborate plan. As per Cage''s previous words, he was the one who enjoyed setting up parties. So, Katherine was not surprised.


    "Are there any seats available for a single diner?" she asked, having left the elevator before Cage and his parents. They trailed behind as she asked. As the server was about to answer, Katherine heard Henrick''s voice from behind her.


    "Katherine, is that you?" his voice was loud and clear, carrying across to some of the other employees.


    Katherine tensed up but turned to face the group, doing as she was asked to do. She pretended to look bewildered for a moment before turning to Cage with an incredulous look. She bowed to greet.


    "Fancy meeting you here. We watched your performance today. I must say, I am a fan," he declared, moving forward to grab her hand in a handshake. It was safe to say that there was pin drop silence near them.


    "Thank you so much for your praise. I didn''t know that..." she trailed off, feeling too embarrassed to keep acting. Cage was smirking on the side, not saying a word.


    "We heard that this is the best restaurant in town, so we decided to come here." Anna too greeted Katherine as if it was her first time meeting her.


    "Well, enjoy your dinner," she told them. She was about to turn back to the employee when Henrick called her back.


    "Don''t rush off," Henrick demanded. "We have a table booked here. I''m your fan, why don''t you join us?" he asked. He waited with anticipation.


    Katherine looked at Cage for mercy and he nodded. "Miss Austen, please join us. Seeing that my father likes you so much, it would be a shame if we let this opportunity go. You''re dining alone?" he asked. Among the four of them, he was obviously the best actor.


    It was Anna''s turn to move towards the employee and greet her. "She''ll be dining with us," she informed politely.

 Chapter 283 - Going To Stay

    The waiter grabbed some menus and stumbled as he led them through the restaurant.


    Cage was walking a few steps behind her so as to appear separate from her. Though not happy about the situation, Katherine admitted that it was the best option for them. The people at the restaurant stared. It was a bit disconcerting so Katherine kept her head down and awkwardly walked away.


    Thank god, Henrick had been so loud before. Their seats were in the private area of the restaurant, overseeing the other patrons. They did have to go up a staircase to a balcony where they were seated. There was only one other table in the area, so they could rest in peace.


    Henrick proceeded onto playing the matchmaker as he placed Cage and Katherine beside one another, while Anna and he sat opposite to them. Katherine was fascinated to watch how minutely he had planned this out to avoid any suspicion. She had to give it up to him.


    The waiter helpfully waited through the charade and gave them the menus and took their drink orders before finally moving away.


    "Okay, now that we are alone, we can act as normal."


    "Happy first public dinner!" Cage cheered, leaning into her and whispering.


    She giggled. "Today is a wonderful day," she acknowledged. Watching Henrick concoct the plan and Anna going along with the insanity was such a treat. This family... she could get used to them.


    "This time, we had to meet as strangers. We''ll make it up to you," Anna promised. She pulled out a box from her bag and slid it across the table. Katherine looked at the neatly packaged box with curiosity but didn''t dare touch it.


    "I''m happier than I have ever been. You don''t need to make up anything to me." This night was better than just any other one. He was there, so were his parents who seemed to like her.


    With some coaxing, Katherine hesitantly leaned forward and took the box. Undoing the cute little bow, she opened the box and gasped. It was a chain with a small pendant on it. The design wasn''t magnificent or anything.


    Hidden inside was a rose gold chain with a small flower pendant. The horrifying part? It was designed with a smatter of small diamonds lining every surface. She looked up, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to form words.


    Finally she pushed out, "I¡­ I can''t accept this." She snapped the box close and pushed it back towards Anna, her cheeks flooding with color.


    "I''ve already given it to you!" Anna protested. "This is my first time meeting you, so I have to give you something as tradition. I admit we usually give family heirlooms in our family but times have changed and you would be burdened if I whipped out Cage''s grandmother''s ring." Anna laughed heartily at Katherine''s terrified expression.


    "Mom," Cage scolded. He turned to Katherine and patted her back. "You''re lucky my mother didn''t go to the bank and lay out the dowry."


    The mother and son seemed to be on a mission to terrify the poor girl so Henrick had to step in to save her.


    "Katherine, don''t mind them. It''s just a small present. You don''t need to think too much about it. In the future, just treat us well and that will be enough." Hearing what Henrick had to say, Katherine relaxed a little. To dissolve the situation, she chose to reply with a joke.


    "Then, I''ll take the bribe," she gave them a blinding smile and slowly retrieved the box, trying not to look too eager. Cage''s parents were beyond amused but also glad that they didn''t need to coax the girl too much to take the gift. "Your care package was wonderful. My friends and I really enjoyed the spa, too," she emphasized shyly.


    "Yes, both your friends are in relationsh.i.p.s with Cage''s friends, right?" she questioned. "I like taking care of my people. Don''t worry. I''ll send you more!"


    Katherine wanted to cry. She didn''t mean it that way.


    "Why don''t we go out on a pampering trip?" she muttered. Anna nodded, liking the idea very much. "How about day after tomorrow?" she offered quickly.


    "Ah, no. We are leaving tonight. When you are back to H city, give me a call and we''ll have a fabulous day together!" Katherine bit her lip, looking mildly sad at the news. "Oh, don''t look like that!" Anna exclaimed.


    "I''m going to stay," Cage told her. Katherine turned to glare at him, only to see him smirk. He knew why she was upset, yet he had to joke.


    "Don''t tease her," Henrick warned.


    Cage stiffened beside her before he hissed under his breath. "F.u.c.k, phone." Henrick looked up immediately and turned to see one of the servers standing behind them putting their phone down after clicking a picture.


    He stood up quickly and rushed to the girl. "That is such a cool phone!" he exclaimed. Indeed, the waitress had a cellphone cover with mermaids and glitter on it. "Do you mind if I see it?" The girl stood, bewildered as Henrick took the phone from her and flipped it around. He kept asking her questions that could very well be answered and before anyone knew it, he handed it back.


    "I''m sorry," Henrick apologized as he handed the phone back. "I get a bit excited. Thank you for the information though. I''ll surely ask my phone guy to get me something similar." He smiled and turned to face some other waiters to were standing on the staircase. "Go back to work. I''ll need to look at your phones too!" he commented, gesturing towards the others.


    His tone implied that there might be more awkward shouts if any of them dared to take more photos or post them. There was silence. He waved them goodbye and then came back to their meal.


    The four people exchanged glances. Cage looked so proud of his father, while Katherine was giggling beyond control. Anna, on the other hand, looked like she was about to kill someone.

 Chapter 284 - Exclusive Club

    "Did you have to do that?" she asked, her voice low and threatening.


    "Well, I highly doubt they will come back to take more pictures," Henrick sighed. "It''s a blessing that the phone was unlocked and I could delete the pictures. Otherwise, I would have to throw it from the balcony."


    The argument ended with that and everyone was at peace.


    They ate and talked quietly for a while. Katherine saw someone coming towards their way and thought that they had been spotted again and someone was trying to peak at Cage. It seemed to be a small group of people so she kept her head down as they turned to their parties direction.


    "Katherine, is that you?" she heard someone say. Katherine cursed internally. She knew that voice. She looked up and there she was¡­ Sabrina, dressed up in nicer clothing and looking at her with utter shock. Beside her stood Laurence and Ian.


    How this had come to be, she didn''t know, but she didn''t have time to think about that at the moment. "Hi Sabrina¡­ Laurence¡­ Ian."


    Cage tensed next to her.


    Sabrina tried to play it cool as she pointed towards Cage. "Do you know them?" Her voice was a few pitches higher than usual.


    Katherine refused to look at Cage because she couldn''t act that well.


    "I met them at the reception and they invited me over to have dinner," she replied. Cage''s hand made contact with her thigh and he squeezed lightly. It was painful for him not to speak up as well.


    "Oh, that''s cool. Eating with a celebrity." Sabrina gave her a sidelong glare. "You should have called me. We mentioned meeting up after today''s event, remember?" she implied forcefully.


    "Something came up," Katherine said lightly. She hadn''t promised anything of the sort, Sabrina had just assumed. She really wanted to remain friends with Sabrina but if she found out about Katherine''s relationship with Cage, this woman would turn in an instant. Of that, Katherine was suddenly sure of.


    "Kitty, do you want to join us instead?" Laurence asked, pointing towards the other table on the balcony. Katherine''s eyes flitted towards the direction but she looked back at Cage, a little panicked.


    "Let her be. It''s impolite to ask her," Ian interjected, tugging at Laurence''s hand. Sabrina was on the other''s side, though.


    "Oh, come on. Katherine¡­" she prompted.


    "I''ll stay here," she muttered.


    "Yes! Henrick and I really like Katherine, so we invited her over. She can meet you any time. Hope you don''t mind her being with us for the evening," Anna prompted from the side, trying to gain control of the situation.


    Sabrina reluctantly looked towards Anna before her eyes moved back to Katherine. She was trying really hard not to look at Cage.


    "Not at all!" Ian jumped in before anyone else could. "Enjoy your meal, Katherine!" he gave her a thumbs up.


    "See you tonight?" Laurence said hopefully. Sabrina nodded, giving Katherine a firm look.


    "Uh¡­ Don''t tell anyone about this, please," Katherine asked, bowing her head.


    "Heh, who would we tell," Ian chuckled.


    "Yeah, you didn''t even tell everyone about Katherine''s boyfriend," Cage scoffed. Even though his voice was low, everyone seemed to have heard him. Anna coughed, Henrick looked away and Katherine sat paralyzed.


    "With whom I''ll spend the next couple of days with. I won''t be available apart from the event," Katherine said loudly.


    "He''s here?" Sabrina asked, loudly. "That was why you weren''t squealing when I told you Cage Cavanaugh was in the audience." Katherine''s eyes snapped to this so called friend. She should really look at who she calls that. "It''s because your boyfriend is here with you!"


    Cage kept silent, his lips pursed as his hand grew tighter on Katherine''s thigh. It didn''t hurt, though. He just seemed to be reigning in his anger.


    Now that the world knew he had a girlfriend, he was getting impatient to let people know who it was¡­ not the world, but people they knew.


    "Cage already knows I love him," Katherine snickered. "I told him when we met earlier." She glanced at Laurence.


    "Ah, show him the picture you have of him on your phone." Of this, Cage knew nothing of. He looked at Katherine with surprise and then towards her cell phone which was on the table. "She spoke about an exclusive fan club. How do I get invited?" Sabrina asked, blinking at Cage.


    Cage had moved towards the cell phone and pressed on the power button. Lo and behold, a picture of him sleeping. A smile crept onto his lips as he picked the phone up.


    Katherine, now panicking, stopped him from taking a better look. Her fingers curled around his wrist, making the others gape. Cage''s parents, though, watched with rapt fascination as the scene unfolded in front of their eyes.


    "Your boyfriend doesn''t get upset when he sees this?" he asked, sounding intrigued. Katherine stared at him as she tried to understand what he was implying. He was leaving it to her to reveal their relationship in front of these people.


    Laurence looked stunned and she couldn''t help but chuckle as she moved forward. "He knows. He goes crazy when I do such things¡­ But if you want, you could give me your number. You know¡­ the list and all," she suggested flirtatiously.


    "I''ll do that," he said, understanding her meaning. "Gimme a call," he said, with a wink.


    "Uh¡­" Sabrina blanked out. Laurence remained silent.


    In his mind, he was wondering if Katherine was the type of person who remained faithful. Had he judged her wrong? Or was there something else. A clue seemed to be lingering in his head but he couldn''t quite point towards it.


    "Well, this exclusive club has its perks," Katherine announced. She looked at Sabrina and winked, too. She dialled his number, his name prominent on her screen. Indeed, a picture of him sleeping, tangled in sheets and looking adorable accompanied his name. At the same time, a ringtone rang.


    Cage pulled out his phone and mumbled. "Good thing you''re the only member of this club," he chortled. As he pressed the red button, everyone in close proximity could see what was written.


    ''Mine.''

 Chapter 285 - Back Off

    The picture? Him placing a kiss on her cheeks. While she slept.


    "Get a room," Henrick groaned. The others silently moved a step back.


    "I''ll just get back to the table," Laurence announced, his hand on Sabrina''s as he pulled her away.


    "Bye," Cage chirped. He looked triumphant. "It was nice seeing you."


    The other table was thankfully far away. Katherine could feel the stares coming her way but she ignored it. Instead she smacked Cage on his arm.


    "They''re public figures. Were you that jealous?" she asked. She wasn''t mad in the least. She didn''t like being infamous for dating someone she had no interest in. But this was¡­ not done.


    "You played along," he admitted childishly.


    "That I did," she sighed.


    "To getting rid of annoying flies!" Anna claimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Don''t worry about anything. Let''s just have a nice dinner."


    They got through the rest of the meal without incident. Cage tried his best to pay the bill, but Katherine wasn''t having any of it.


    "This is on me. You can get it next time," she informed. Cage''s ears perked up at that. Next time? There would be a next time, then.


    Cage helped her up from the table at the end and guided her down. When they were leaving, Katherine made sure to keep her head down in case someone was taking pictures.


    It was a blessing that no one approached them. Even more so because no one was waiting for them outside. They hurried into the car and left. Katherine just prayed that no one outed his presence in City O.


    Cage dropped her off at her hotel before taking his parents back to the one he was staying in. Not mch was said except for teasing and well wishes for the next day.


    As Katherine entered the suite that had been booked for her, she felt happy. The worry mixed with hesitation and the sweetness of being acknowledged as Cage''s girlfriend had gotten to her. Who could have known that a mixture of these could actually result in happiness. A weird form of it.


    [C: I want to take you out on our first date.] Cage had texted her. She looked at the message and smiled.


    [K: Just because you claimed me as yours in front of a handful of people, you''re going to be courageous enough to expose our relationship to more people?] she asked.


    She waited for a few minutes before the reply came in.


    [C: You seem to forget the Clark Kent- Superman situation.]


    His taunt made her roll her eyes.


    [K: I never did understand how people couldn''t recognize the two as the same person!]


    People were somewhat stupid, she had to say that about them at least.


    [C: It''s not that people are stupid. It''s just that they don''t expect it. They expect a grand scheme of things when they think of meeting someone they idolize. For example, have you ever heard of an actor winning a contest where people impersonate them? Even singers don''t place first in contests for that. You''d think people would recognize them at first glance. It''s because people don''t think it possible for a celebrity to do that. In the same way, if I change up my appearance a little without making it obvious, no one will even turn to look at me again. This is simple psychology.]


    Katherine frowned. When she looked at the first sentence, she could see that he had read her thoughts perfectly before sending this text.


    [K: You''re growing more daring as days go by!]


    She had nothing more to say. If he thought it would work... it would have to. He knew his way around the world and who was she to stop him from taking her out on a first date? She didn''t know what possessed her to be that courageous, but she ended up sending one more text.


    [K: Okay, we''ll go out tomorrow.]


    She threw her cellphone away and was about to walk into the bathroom when a the bell for the room went off. It was not one single press, but a continuous bellowing of the alarming sound penetrating throughout the suite.


    Katherine scrambled towards the door and dragged it open to see Sabrina, heaving, her eyes red as she glared at Katherine.


    "Oh, f.u.c.k," Katherine swore under her breath. Her heart stopped for a second and then it sped up manifolds. She composed herself quickly before starting to speak again. "Why did you come find me?" she asked, keeping her voice calm.


    Sabrina took a step forward, looking like she would reach towards Katherine at any second.


    "I can see that you are angry. Please back off," Katherine commanded but Sabrina was still fuming. She didn''t step away. Her stance became more threatening and Katherine was ready to throw her hands if it came to that.


    "Seriously, Sabrina... back the f.u.c.k off or I will flatten you like a pancake."


    What possessed her to say this, she didn''t know, but she felt the need to laugh at that very moment.


    "Why was he there?" she shouted, trying to push past Katherine and enter the room. Her eyes kept searching for something behind Katherine before the realization dawned on her.


    "He''s not here," Katherine informed her. The poor man would have been petrified if he were there. On second thought, Katherine dodged to the side as Sabrina was about to push, making the woman stumble in.


    "What the f.u.c.k is going on here? Why was he flirting with you?" Sabrina asked loudly. Katherine shut the door in a hurry, worried that others would hear.


    Jesus, Sabrina, why don''t you just broadcast it to the world?


    "Calm down first. I''ll answer all your questions then. But before I do, I should warn you. Don''t breathe a word of this outside this room. You have nothing to worry about from me, but he has a team of professionals protecting him."


    There was no need to mention who this illusive ''he'' was.


    "Threatened by you? Who are you to even protect him?" Sabrina asked.

 Chapter 286 - Protect Him

    Katherine wondered for a second if Sabrina was in denial. She had seen Cage''s cellphone... or so Katherine had thought.


    Katherine snapped. "My boyfriend," she told Sabina. "Cage Cavanaugh is my boyfriend. I didn''t like how you spoke about him the whole day and the way you were looking at him in dinner while he was sitting beside me infuriated me."


    "Are you kidding?" Sabrina looked like she was about to swallow her tongue.


    "No, I am not," Katherine asserted. "All day long you kept concocting plans about how you would hunt down my boyfriend and I had to listen in and pretend to go along with it. My boyfriend!" she emphasized. "To you, he''s a mere show animal, not much different from those animals who are abused in the circus... just that he is human and you have to pretend to care about him. But he''s not that. He''s a human like you and me. He has his concerns and his wounds that he can''t reveal."


    "You make it sound like I am the one who has done wrong when you were the one who didn''t tell me who your boyfriend is!" Sabrina screamed.


    Katherine took a step forward, her stance threatening.


    "And? Would your reaction have been better? The disbelieve, the scoff that you let out when you found out."


    "Because it is unbelievable. How would someone like you meet someone like him." No, the words were not said in a manner of rationality but utter incredulity... like Katherine''s presence was being deemed unfit beside Cage.


    "It is not unbelievable. People like you are the reason why we haven''t told anybody about the relationship. We have to stay indoors all the time and even when we go out, we have to pretend to be strangers. If not for Cage''s jealousy, you wouldn''t even have found out the connection. And I don''t mind it... I don''t mind being hidden because I love him. He is worth the bashing on the internet and the torrid of people who are going to flock to me when you leave this room and let the world know."


    She drew in a cleansing breath as she stared Sabrina down. In her head, the figures of Lily and Angelina emerged.


    ''You tell her!'' they screamed in agreement. They were cheering Katherine on in her rant against the world.


    Sabrina deflated visibly. "I don''t understand," she began slowly. "How did this happen?" In the face of a calmer Sabrina and Katherine''s blood still boiling, she didn''t know what to say. What excuse could she come up with? They had met through Angelina and Stephen? They had met in the passing one fine evening and fell in love at first sight? She didn''t know.


    She settled for the first.


    "I met him through a friend. His manager is dating my friend. Angelina... We saw each other, interacted and the rest is history." That was what she said. Not a total lie.


    "You could have just told me that was the case. I wouldn''t have spoken about Cage like that and I definitely wouldn''t have been blindsided in the whole thing." Even though her tone was soft, the accusation was clear in her voice.


    "I consider you my teammate. Even though I would like to be friends with you, I don''t know you well enough to divulge a secret I have kept from most people in my life." Katherine shook her head.


    Sabrina looked offended but when she opened her mouth, nothing came.


    "I don''t appreciate how you banged on my door so late at night either." Katherine''s rage had simmered down. The hatred she felt for the world had boiled down to this moment where she screamed and claimed and slowly, it left her body.


    The fear of being outed was suddenly gone. She could just call Cage and tell him what had happened. She could trust him and his years of experience.


    Would he blame her? Maybe, but not much. He had been the one to initiate the conversation and after talking it out... Katherine knew that he wouldn''t hold it against her.


    "I thought I had the right to do that," Sabrina shrugged. "You let me go on and on about Cage and who he was there to see. You knew exactly what was happening but you let me make a fool out of myself. Did you tell him about that?" she asked.


    "Yes, I did. He is on a much needed break. He deserves to get the time off and enjoy as he wishes. I don''t care if it is with me." But she was glad that it was. "I feel sorry because I let you go on and on but what other choice do I have? I have to protect him from his fans."


    "Don''t be so high and mighty. ''Protect him from fans.''" She scoffed. "You were one of us. He belongs to us. Yes, we like to follow him around know about his life. What''s so wrong about that?" The words made Katherine feel frustration more than anger.


    "And this comes from the mouth of a person who is in the spotlight and knows how disconcerting being in the public eye can be." She was tired. She wanted to end this conversation but they had one more day for the championship and if this was not resolved, Sabrina would no doubt make a fool out of them.


    She was known in the industry for her daring and outspoken personality. So, it wouldn''t be the first time that she put her hand up and cursed out her teammate in front of a huge audience. She''d even changed teams because of that.


    Sabrina didn''t speak. "I don''t have to apologize for loving him and there is absolutely nothing I can do to stop you from leaving and letting the world know." Katherine remained focused on Sabrina. There was a slight change in her expression and nothing else.


    "Who''d believe me?" She pretended to look Katherine over. "Internationally famous Cage Cavanaugh running around with a girl who has a scandalous relationship with someone they collaborated with."

 Chapter 287 - Sabotage

    Katherine sucked in a breath and let that comment go. She had to.


    "If you''re implying that I am not good enough for Cage, I will let you know that you need to reconsider your liberal education. Your preconceived notion and entitlement have already deemed me unfit of being beside Cage. I am not up to change your worldview or make you a better person." Katherine looked away for a second and then glared at Sabrina. "Don''t stand in my room, threaten me and insult me because you can''t believe that a man fell in love with a woman. That''s just a testament to how petty you are."


    Katherine was pretty sure Sabrina was close to having a heart attack. She was gasping for air as she stared at Katherine.


    "You should leave."


    There was a long silence. After what seemed like hours, Sabrina broke her silence. "Okay. I won''t say anything. I''m sorry you think of me this way and I think it is better for me to go." She turned around to open the door. Before she stepped out, she made the last comment. "Tell Cage that it was nice meeting him."


    There was radio silence after that. Even though the door shut after Sabrina, Katherine hurried forward to look around and check if anyone had seen the spectacle. Once reassured, she came into the room and lunged towards the bed.


    She needed to inform Cage of this. His reply came soon enough.


    [C: Told Stephen. He asked not to worry.]


    [K: Not worry?] she replied.


    [C: I sound like a jerk but Stephen handles threats with threats. Apparently, he knows a secret about Sabrina that she wouldn''t want to disclose to the world. Trust him. We''re safe, for now.]


    The whole affair sounded like they were gangsters. Not paying any of it attention, Katherine finished her work and then went to sleep.


    - - -


    Now, what happened during the finals was best described as a ''shit show.'' Sabrina, who had acted all cool the night before, willfully sabotaged the game to the point where it was painfully obvious that she had a grudge against Katherine.


    Unfortunately for her, the fans were cribbing about this and not infuriated by Katherine in the least. It seemed people did have some sense at the end of the day. Somehow, after the first match, Sabrina lost her steam and started to play seriously.


    As the audience calmed down. Sabrina too played better. Katherine figured that it had something to do with public opinion and nothing else.


    When they were done with the championship, placing second by a large margin, Katherine gave herself the leeway to think about what had happened the night before.


    Stephen must have made a friendly call to Sabrina and set her straight. The progress they had made in outing their anger towards one another had been renewed in Sabrina''s heart and she had set out to destroy the matches for Katherine. She had been too emotional and made the sabotage obvious. In result, Sabrina was not able to handle the criticism and straightened her way before word got out.


    Good for her.


    No, Cage didn''t sit in the audience that day. He came when he knew the championship was over and the audience had left.


    "I heard you wished me well last night," he started when he saw Sabrina walk towards him, right beside Katherine.


    Sabrina remained silent, awed by his presence, unable to say much.


    "Ah... yes..." she admitted after a while.


    Cage grinned. "Well, I would say I felt the same way if you hadn''t upset my girl and tried to sabotage her." He inclined his head to a side, scrutinizing her with suspicious eyes.


    "About that-" Sabrina started, but Cage cut her off.


    "Well, perhaps we will meet again under better circ.u.mstances. But you already know what to do to make that happen." His grin was evil. Even Katherine felt a little rattled.


    "I do," Sabrina paused. "I''ll talk to you later, Katherine. I''m sorry for everything."


    "Bye," Katherine replied, not sparing Sabrina a glance. She didn''t take her eyes off Cage. "What was that?" she asked, looking at him strangely.


    Cage shrugged at first but seeing the expression in her eyes, he shifted uncomfortably. "I just acted like a villain. Did it work?" he asked sheepishly.


    Katherine nodded vehemently. "Have you thought about being a villain before?" she asked, thrilled by the idea.


    "A charming villain who would take out the pretty girl?" he insinuated shortly. Katherine chuckled and nodded. "Go to the hotel. I''ll pick you up in the evening for our first date." He bowed, acting the part of a butler and held the passenger''s side door open for her. Guiding her in, he helped her buckle her seatbelt and then jogged over to the other side.


    Katherine sat silently as he hummed under his breath. The song was familiar to her. The same one he had made for her. With a soft smile, she let him drive her back to the hotel.


    - - -


    Sure, they were alone after months of being apart. The few minutes spent alone didn''t count. She still couldn''t believe that she had accepted his proposal to go out on a public date. Pretty guys can make everyone crazy, it seemed. And she knew this for a fact.


    Once in her room, she went to her closet and sighed. Unfortunately, they were in a different city, so she would only have to settle for the clothes she had brought. Despite not being a seasoned traveler, with the help of her roommates, she had managed to procure her well stocked luggage. he rummaged out a cute dress that she had brought in case someone invited her to a party, something which had not happened as of yet, but she was glad that she had done that. But then, she found another dress, one she had not packed. Bewildered, she thought about how it had come to be and decided that one of her roommates had figured this would happen and packed while she was not there.

 Chapter 288 - Getting Jittery

    She inspected the clothes for tear and hung them on the curtain that went over the window. Giving herself a few seconds to decide, she came up on a blank.


    She now realized that this was their first date outside private quarters and she was beyond excited for it. So much so that she couldn''t even decide what was appropriate.


    She powered up her laptop and did what she had come to do best. She switched on the self-facing camera. "Hey guys, sorry for the poor video quality, but I am in an emergency. Now¡­ don''t be worried. I am just in desperate need of your advice." She put on a nervous look that was partially fake. It was an emergency and she had no time to edit, damnit!


    "I will start out with a confession. Yes, I am here at the championship and going to put up some quality content for you. I swear." She waved her hand, dismissing the topic. "But here''s the thing. I am in a relationship with someone." She didn''t specify if it was a guy or a girl, or that it had been a long time since they met. They didn''t need to know all that.


    She broke out into a giggle. This was too dramatic for her. This was the first time she was talking about Cage on her channel and well, she could only keep on an air of mystery.


    "God, that was dramatic. Apologies, but I have to go out on a date in the next three hours and I have to get ready before that." She glanced at the c.o.c.k and yelped in alarm. Crap. She really hadn''t considered taking more time for him. "Okay, I need to take a shower, do some proper skincare before this. In the meantime, you decide which dress I pick."


    She moved away from the camera, bringing in her clothes one by one and explaining it to the audience.


    "This one is cute and classic. It''s a little baggy, but dare I say it is suitable for a first date, and second. This black one. Shows a little cleavage and hugs the body tightly. A little provocative." She looked directly at the camera. "What do you think I should do?"


    "Vote via the comments and I will take a shower. My life depends on this!"


    She quickly uploaded the video, thanking the god-level wifi of the hotel. She couldn''t wait to see the results. She washed her body thoroughly and gave her legs and private bits a quick shave before hopping out.


    When she came out, wrapped in a towel, her phone was going crazy. She knew her followers had quite a bit to say about her going out on a date, so she focused on the comments talking about which dress would be appropriate.


    She took the moment to go live on Instagram. "Hey guys. I am almost n.a.k.e.d and back with the results. I know this may turn into a scandal or many of you will screen record and keep this in your private collections, but¡­ give me a minute. I consent to your decision. The first one is better for this occasion. It is elegant and doesn''t imply that I want a good stroking from the guy. But I see some of you saying that it might be more provocative¡­ like, do you really think that keeping everything hidden will provoke him?" Oh, no point in sounding so comfortable. They might figure out something, she decided.


    "Thank you for your help. I will archive this for your benefit," she chuckled. "Now, I''ll go get ready for the date."


    She grabbed the dress- a simple cut white dress, and hurried back into the bathroom to change. Thirty minutes later, she was dressed and had put on a little makeup so that no one would catch her looking bad beside Cage.


    Now, that was another one of her concerns. What if someone saw them out and about? It was championship season, people here were obsessed with celebrities and could do just about anything for them. She was sure that Cage would come up with something; he wasn''t thoughtless.


    She spun around, checking herself out as best as she could. It couldn''t compare to when Lily dressed her up, but she didn''t look bad. And she knew Cage would think she looked good in anything she wore.


    Her phone rang in the telltale ringtone she had set for Cage. Her heart was going to burst out of her chest. She wiped her palm on the dress and looked at herself at the mirror. "You talk to millions of people all day long, and you know Cage inside out. Why are you getting so jittery?"


    Holding her head high, she made her way to the lobby. He was standing near the front gate, leaning against a car. His arms were crossed over his chest and his head was tilted down. His usually tousled hair was neatly combed and when he looked up, Katherine faltered.


    He looked amazing, but nothing like himself. He looked amazing, but somewhat unlike himself. How he had transformed himself so quickly and efficiently was beyond her. She began to question why he hadn''t done the same when he attended the championship. Strange.


    She could only hope that he didn''t see her falter. At least he didn''t seem to have noticed. His eyes swept over her body and he smirked, running his finger over his lips and pushing himself off the car.


    It seemed that he appreciated the dress, she sighed in relief. Moreover, what was that gesture with his finger? Did he want her to combust?


    "If you came down any later, they would have called the cops on me," he said playfully.


    "Now, we wouldn''t want you in handcuffs this soon into the night, now would we?" she smirked, giving him a wink and hoping that it had the same effect as his actions usually had on her.


    "Ah, of course. Now, let''s get out of their hair, shall we? Wouldn''t want the hotel people to bust us."

 Chapter 289 - Candid Or Posed

    He opened the passenger side door for her and let her in before jogging onto the other side. Soon, they were pulling into the traffic.


    "It''s a medium sized town, but it''s brimming with people because of the championship," she commented on the passing. "So, where are we headed?"


    He glanced at her. "Not far," he said and went back to driving. He was a very serious driver, rarely looking away from the front of the car. Which was good. They wouldn''t want to get into an accident and have it plastered all over the news.


    When they stopped in front of a store, Katherine gasped.


    "This is the game store I have heard so much about!" She quickly undid her seatbelt and pulled out of the car. Cage shook his head, chuckling as he followed.


    The security checked her purse before they entered. Cage saw the bounce in her step as she moved about. On a date, it would be nice to hold her hand, but that was out of the question in this store.


    Katherine was really trying to act cool, like it was nothing. The warehouse-like space was filled with video game memorabilia and merchandise. There were even comics and figurines to go with it. She craned her neck, looking at a huge painting depicting characters of a Chinese game.


    "This place is amazing," she mumbled under her breath. Cage watched in fascination as she spun around in a circle, taking in the place in its full glory. Her cheeks were burning when she saw him looking at her like that¡­ like he was in love.


    She knew that there was nothing to impress him about, but she wanted to show him that he could take her out in public. "It''s a nice place," she said with a restrained smile.


    Someone brushed past them and Katherine moved forward, coming closer to him. She snapped out of her embarrassment and finally pulled out her phone.


    "Take a photo of me with this background," she said, handing it to him.


    "For your followers?" he asked casually. She nodded. She gave him a sheepish smile as he took her picture.


    They wandered around the store, looking at the display and talking about games they had played, art that had inspired her, movies that had made him want to be an actor. No one noticed them, thankfully.


    "Let''s go into that room. All the influencers take pictures there." She looked delighted. He nodded and followed behind. The room was set up like a battlefield from a popular game which Katherine enjoyed playing. There were numerous spots she could pose at. Knowing what to do, Cage started to click her pictures.


    They were candid in the beginning and then some of her posing. Cage didn''t hold back.


    "Do you like this picture?" he asked dotingly, showing her the screen. She liked it a lot; if she had a choice, she would ask him to take all her pictures. "Now, let''s do something different." He recited pose after pose, directing her.


    He had stepped closer throughout the series of pictures, and soon she found herself standing face to face with him.


    "What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously. He didn''t reply, choosing to lean in and kiss her instead.


    She was still processing the situation when he broke the kiss and stepped back.


    "Sorry," he muttered, running his hand through his hair. "You''re too cute when you are in your zone. I couldn''t hold back," he sounded breathless and like ''he'' had been the one who had been taken advantage of.


    She wondered if it was possible to get high from a kiss because that''s the exact feeling she was experiencing in the moment. The utter delight from coming to this place combined with his kiss had left her brain in a fuzzy mush of warmth. She couldn''t quite process what he had just said.


    Though her brain was not functioning, her hand moved forward and grabbed him by his expensive shirt. She didn''t give a damn if the collar became loose. Pulling him down, she pulled up to her tiptoes and kissed him. A proper kiss. She felt his content sigh against her lips.


    She straightened soon after, caressing his shirt to put it back in place and then finally looked at him. Her eyes were wide while his were narrowed into slits.


    "You shouldn''t go around yanking people''s shirts that way. It''s too s.e.xy." She shook her head and mumbled a sorry before scurrying away.


    "You know how good you look right now," she hissed. "You did that on purpose to get me bothered," she accused, turning back and pointing a finger at him.


    "Don''t know what you are talking about," he said innocently.


    He moved to her and took her palm into his. "Come." Electricity shot through her as usual. Being out in public, holding hands¡­ she had never imagined such a day would come.


    "Let''s take a picture for private consumption, shall we?" he asked her. He had a gleam in his eyes, a knowledge of the effect he had on her. They stood in front of the battlefield and took a selfie, making silly poses and faces. Once they were satisfied, they walked to the small caf¨¦ in the shop.


    "Would you have rather we go out on a proper date?" he asked suddenly as they sipped on their drinks.


    She looked up, surprised. "Sorry. I am not the kind who enjoys grand gestures. This was so much better. This is personal. It shows that you know me."


    He looked back at her, a small smile playing on his lips. "I suppose it lived up to your expectation of a first date?" he asked, his palm cradling his scruffy chin. The smile reached his eyes, doing incomprehensible things to her body.


    Did every damn look he gave her need to make her want to melt into a pile of goo?


    "It was amazing. I like games and I like words." She gave him a look. The implication was clear.

 Chapter 290 - Desensitized to Charm

    His eyes were dark, a delicious shade of dangerous and thrill. How she wanted to kiss him. "I''ll be here for a couple of days. What about you?"


    "Three days to go," she said. She had forgotten how to breathe when his voice was husky like that.


    "Let''s go out every day, then." 3 dates, that''s how much they could fit into that time frame.


    Was he really playing that game? Like they had just started dating and couldn''t touch each other? She wanted to scream at him to press her up against a wall and just take her already.


    She swallowed her cool drink and met his eyes. "I''ll see if I have time for you."


    Apart from the post championship convention and the panels she wanted to attend, she would be staying in the hotel. It was a surprise that he had come to see her, so she could spend her time productively.


    "What about I plan all the dates and we have some fun." He had always wanted to date her. Like, out in public, holding hands and doing things that other couples do. Not just staying indoors all the time.


    "Are you hungry?" he asked.


    "Yes," she whispered, staring at his lips.


    He caught the smirk that was about to escape. Clearly, she was thinking of some other sort of hunger. One he knew he could satiate but chose not to bring up. "Let''s eat some Italian cuisine for a change..."


    She smiled sweetly.


    "Oh, you are really trying hard to woo me, Mr. Cavanaugh." He shrugged. He wanted to give her the normal experience. Just because he was a star, he didn''t want to keep her locked inside, scared of the paparazzi. She didn''t deserve that.


    On the other hand, Katherine was having the opposite thought. She didn''t need any of this. As long as he was by her side, she would be fine with wherever they were.


    - - -


    Katherine really didn''t want to get up that early in the morning, but she opened her eyes and blinked at the soft light that filtered through the curtain in her hotel room.


    As she grew alert, she gasped and closed her eyes yet again. Turning her head to the side, she slowly opened one eye and sighed.


    It had been a dream. The place beside her was empty. Maybe she had cooked up the idea that Cage would take a couple of days off from shooting and come to her to spend time. Who was she kidding. He didn''t have time for that.


    She sat up on her bed, her eyes darting to the dress discarded on the chair at the foot of the bed. it was the same baggy top she had worn in her dream. She looked to the side where the other dress still hung.


    Ah, so it had really happened. Well, some of it. She had obviously dreamt up the part where she pulled him into the hotel elevator. It would also seem that he had pressed her up against the elevator wall and kissed her senseless in the dream.


    He had proceeded to drag her to her hotel room and commanded her to open the door. On going inside, they had kissed feverishly. But dream her hadn''t remembered that he didn''t know which room she was staying in. She had never told him. All she knew in her dream was her legs in the air and his h.i.p.s thrusting into hers.


    She groaned as she rolled over, hiding her face in the pillow and letting out a groan of frustration. All a glorious fantasy that left her aching. If she had asked him, he would have definitely come up with her. There was no doubt in her mind that they would have gone all the way and not looked back. But he had wanted to date her.


    And no one slept together until the third date. Katherine also felt that it was important.


    She shook her head. She knew that she was getting a tad bit clingy when it came to Cage.


    In actuality, they had walked their way back from the hotel parking lot, circled the hotel many times, fingers entwined together, softly smiling and talking about their day. Even though their pace had been slow, the walk seemed to have flashed by in no time.


    She had desperately wanted to ask him to follow her and she could see that he was trying his best to hold back his needs. He had taken her face in his palms, softly sighing as his thumb caressed her cheek. His eyes were conflicted. He kissed her slowly, letting the heat build. His fingers skimmed over her shoulder and down her arms until his warm fingers were teasing hers, asking for permission to hold them again.


    "I''ll see you tomorrow," he mumbled against her lips.


    "Mm," she replied. She didn''t know what she was agreeing to, but he could have asked anything and she would have jumped and said yes. He clearly knew what was going on in her mind as she felt him smirk against her mouth. He planted a few more sweet kisses before stepping back.


    "I''ll see you tomorrow," he said with more finality this time. She nodded and that was the end of their night together.


    Katherine groaned as she flopped back onto the bed. She bit her lips, trying to hide the grin no one would be able to see. How did he always do that to her? How long would it take for her to finally become desensitized to his charms?


    No, she had to concentrate. She was here for work. She had to open her laptop and edit the footage from the first day of the championship and send it out to the universe. She had promised her followers for a day on day update.


    After a couple of hours of editing, she shut her laptop. She checked her social media to find innumerous comments about the emergency video she had put out and the pole. They were all messages asking her about how the date went.

 Chapter 291 - Jump Him

    And here she thought they wanted to know about the championship. Her demographic was broad, with both men and women watching her and following her for her art and gaming streams. And the overwhelming number of men were also chiming in, asking about every aspect of the date.


    One comment even asked if she was already pregnant with the guy''s super s.p.e.r.m. That one really made her laugh. She could only wish for that type of action.


    She quickly uploaded a couple of pictures onto Instagram and scrolled through the profiles of others who had participated in the championship.


    She was wearing the same dress they had chosen and clearly someone had taken care to take her photographs. So they knew instantly that it was the guy she had been on a date with. The comments started to flood in.


    [He took you to the store? What a dream!]


    [Man''s got game!]


    [Do we get to see him?]


    [I imagine all that videogame paraphernalia really got you hot and bothered.]


    What a bunch of perves her followers were.


    It would explain a lot. But whoever needed aphrodisiac when they were dating Cage?


    "My dear perverts¡­ as you know I have come back in one piece from the date. Thank you for all the speculation. And no, he is not here, not that it''s any of your business. A perfect gentleman, that''s what he is."


    "I know you are curious about who he is, but it''s just our first date and no way am I going to bring him onto the channel." She thought for a bit. "In a way, I have brought him into the picture by talking about him and he knows that. But I don''t want to share him with all of you. At least, not anytime soon." She was lying blatantly. She wouldn''t tell them unless Cage''s PR team sent the statement out.


    She started to talk about some random stuff, answering questions, telling people about her experience.


    - - -


    "I''ve been a fan of yours since I saw you play. I was here for Liam, but I stayed for you," a shy teenager said as he passed her a poster and asked her to sign it.


    She was sitting at the table, her head bent as he drew on the poster and placed a signature on it.


    "Thank you. It''s what prompted me to start the channel, really. I was just playing games in my room up until then." She handed the poster back to the guy. "Why are you guys here anyways? All the bigshots are in the neighboring booths."


    "You''re our angel and way funnier than them," someone hollered. Katherine laughed.


    "Well, I''m lucky you think so!" Another fan came up and chatted with her.


    "Will you go out with that guy again?" the girl asked suddenly. "You''re not going to the party for the vloggers, so¡­ I figured." Katherine smiled.


    "I don''t like to dance and I barely socialize. So, I pulled out." She couldn''t admit that she was going out or word would get around and people would find her on her date with Cage.


    "Yeah, but you changed plans all of a sudden. You''re going out with him again, right?" she asked, sounding hopeful.


    While she wasn''t anywhere close to famous like Cage, sometimes she understood the things that bothered him on a daily basis. She had released a tentative schedule about where she would be and hadn''t known at the time that Cage would be in town. Of course she was not going to any of the events anymore.


    She just hadn''t expected someone to figure out that she had pulled out.


    "Yeah, it''s because of that guy," she said confidently, even though she didn''t feel it. "Look, it''s him." Her phone had chimed and she knew it was him.


    "A text?" someone shouted from the end of the line. Was she really that loud?


    "Yeah." She laughed.


    "A s.e.xt?" someone prompted.


    This time, Katherine blushed. She shook her head. She opened the text and smiled. It was a gaming meme. As usual, he was goofing it up.


    Katherine explained to the crowd and things went as normal.


    At the end of the signing event, she received a text from his number.


    [In the parking lot, waiting for you. Tonight is going to be a long night.]


    Promises, promises.


    She looked down at her clothes. They were nice enough for any occasion, as long as he didn''t take her to a really fancy place. But he wouldn''t be that high-key, in her opinion.


    He was sitting inside the car this time. It was for the best because people in the convention had a higher chance of recognizing him. She knocked on the window and waited for him to open. His eyes lit up when she entered and he reached out to take her hand.


    "You look wonderful," he said.


    "I''ve been signing all day long. I know I don''t look that great." She stuck her tongue out at him. He gripped her hand harder.


    "To think that so many people saw you look like this." He faked a growl, making her giggle. He swooped in to kiss her. God, his kisses¡­ they were so intoxicating.


    Her head swam and she resisted the urge to move over and place herself on his lap. Who cared about the date, when she could just jump him.


    She shook her head and urged him, "Please start the car before I do something bad."


    They pulled up in front of a bar and Katherine''s eyes lit up with delight. "I''ve heard of this place," she whispered, almost reverently. "Doesn''t it have an arcade?" she asked, knowing the answer.


    Cage chuckled and urged her to go ahead. He was just going to park and be back. She stood in front of the front door and waited patiently, her excitement rising.


    He knew exactly where to take her. It was not a huge town, in all honesty and there were about a handful of places that would suit them. Mostly, it would be easier for Cage to go around such places because less people would be there and fewer who would recognize him. Moreover, they would enjoy it further.

 Chapter 292 - Breathless and Intoxicated

    After a few minutes, she saw Cage jogging towards her. She smiled and waved at him, almost like she was seeing him for the first time that day. They walked in hand in hand, not needing to show their ID because they looked old enough.


    Thank god for small miracles.


    The bar was stretched along one wall, with very few people, while the rest of the room had a wide variety of arcade games. There were a couple of people competing in some of the games, but otherwise, the place was pretty empty.


    They looked around for a bit, spotting their favorite games before heading over to the bar. She was too preoccupied to even see where she was headed. He took her by the hand and guided her to the bar, making her sit down and taking his place in the stool beside her.


    "What do you want?" he asked tentatively as he eyed the waiter. Her eyes moved to him. She hadn''t quite moved on from the games, but when she saw his face, her expression melted and she sighed.


    She looked at the drink menu in his hand and took it from him. The names were colorful, all gamer terms that made her laugh.


    "This would probably taste horrible," she said, pointing at a particular drink. It was a good thing that the ingredients were mentioned and they didn''t have to order blind. Most of these specialty bars kept the menu a ''secret.''


    "I would totally order it if you still kissed me at the end of the night." He blinked coyly, so unlike him that it made her giggle.


    "You expect me to kiss you at the end of the night?" she said, tilting her head to the side.


    "Of course. I think I am allowed on the second date." She rolled her eyes. It wasn''t as if he had held back last night, either. They had kissed, and it was damned hot.


    They placed their order and went back to the games, finding themselves in front of pinballs of various kinds and totally getting immersed. Gamers were like that. Their orders were served on the table beside the game and they quickly glanced at the server and thanked him.


    "We should probably drink them," Cage said, his eyes still glued on the game.


    "Not before I win this game," Katherine professed.


    Her gaming skills had gotten a lot better after the tournament and they were a pretty good match at that. But pinball¡­ it wasn''t your everyday game. It was cutthroat. You either won or you died.


    "I''m going to make you my bitch," she swore. Cage laughed before replying.


    "I''m already your bitch, love. You don''t need to beat me at pinball for that." She shrugged and continued. She managed to beat him at that game. When she got to her drinks, they were warmer than required.


    They stood side by side, her sipping on their drink as he placed his hand on her waist. There were a few glances thrown at them but no one bothered to come up to them.


    The way he spoke to her was something else. She pushed up to her toes and kissed him gently. He could taste the remnants of alcohol on her tongue, and it was nothing short of delicious.


    He drive them back and walked her up to the elevator. She had drunk quite a bit and wasn''t in a clear state of mind. Maybe she would have invited him up otherwise.


    "Hey, Katherine?" he said, making her turn to him.


    "Yes?" she said instinctively. He swooped in and pressed a kiss to the back of her ear. "You look beautiful." He peppered kisses down her neck. "Everything about you is so beautiful."


    He pulled back slowly, letting their noses brush. His eyes were filled with l.u.s.t, making her take in a deep, shaky breath. "But you know what? You''re so s.e.xy when you''re all bubbly and drunk." He chuckled.


    He gave her a deep kiss, way too inappropriate for people who were standing in front of the elevator. Neither of them cared, though. When they broke apart, they were both breathless. His palm pressed to her cheeks as he muttered a goodnight.


    She echoed the same, feeling dizzy, her heart racing a mile a minute.


    She stumbled into the elevator, breathless and still recollecting what had transpired. She was drunk. Damn, she was drunk out of her mind. But she had not had enough alcohol to make her feel this way. It was him. It must be him.


    She smiled goofily and went back to her room in a romantic daze.


    - - -


    Katherine pulled her hair up in a bun and checked herself out in the mirror. She pulled her laptop in front of her and checked the camera setup.


    "Hello there," she said, giving her best smile. "God, I hope I am recording." She checked once and then sat back. "I''m going to keep that in the video, because I overshare everything on the internet."


    "So, today is the last day of the convention and it has been an amazing experience. I met some of the best creators in the gaming genre whose names I can''t say because I have some surprise content coming for you. But what do you all concentrate on? Ah, not the convention that you made me come to. No." She paused, dramatically rolling her eyes.


    "Your tweets, Instagram DMs and LINKEDIN. WHO TAGGED ME ON LINKEDIN?" She glared at the camera. "Well, you kept asking me about my date and about this guy."


    "Okay, fine. I will give in, okay? You guys caught me yesterday at the convention table texting him and yes, we''ll be seeing each other again. But remember, don''t try to find me. I don''t want any of you stalking me or trying to dig out this guy. He isn''t the type who shows himself freely."


    "Back to the topic. Today is our third date and I don''t know what will happen." Of course she knew what would happen! She had freshly shaved her whole body and ensured that her skin felt baby-soft.

 Chapter 293 - Third Date Material

    She had been thinking about this moment since he had surprised her. But she wouldn''t be sharing that with her followers. Contrary to popular belief, she had created this personality and it was mostly not like her. It was a performance.


    "So, I''ll answer some of the questions." She opened her laptop and then scrolled through the messages. "An overwhelming amount of people asked if he was from here and not City H." She straightened and shrugged. "No, he is from city H. Though, knowing the traffic, it is going to take just as much time to reach here from my home." She stopped. "No, don''t take it another way. I am not going over to his home this soon."


    "This one is interesting. Is he handsome?" She chuckled, thinking about the face that women drooled over. "He is that and much more. But it doesn''t matter. In my opinion, it''s the heart that matters. Once you like someone, you just find them attractive no matter how they are. You start finding their flaws attractive¡­ or at least you accept them."


    Half an hour later, she decided that she was done with the questions.


    "Well, that will be all you get for now¡­ or ever." She bid her farewell and then stopped recording.


    It was 3 am in the night, the usual time for her to record her video. She had a couple of hours to edit and then time to post. Daily posting was such a struggle.


    - - -


    Her hotel was close to the convention, so she walked there. There were fewer people that day. The last day of convention was usually slower because everyone was going back home or really tired from the two previous days. The few panels and good booths were still open. She made her way around, talking to people and meeting the remnant of her fans.


    At noon she decided to head back to the hotel and dress up. It was time to unleash the really s.e.xy dress for the third date. She stood near the parking lot and didn''t need to wait for long. He pulled into the parking lot and she could see his lips pull up when he saw what she was wearing.


    Almost comically, he parked the car and pretended to bang his head on the wheel. He got out of the car and went to her side. Guiding her to the car, he groaned.


    "You''re going to kill me one of these days." She turned to him and gave him a hot stare. Her throat was dry and she had to swallow before she could speak.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about." He brushed his fingers on the small of her back and pulled her in close. She held her breath as he leaned in and planted a light kiss on her lips. She sighed, opening her eyes and seeing his wicked grin.


    What a tease. At least, he hadn''t ruined her lipstick.


    "Jesus Christ," he said suddenly, startling her.


    "You just remembered how s.e.xy I am again?" she snarked back.


    "I have never forgotten." He cleared his throat.


    If he kept talking like that, there was no way they were getting anywhere. Hell, just his presence was enough for her to want to hand over her panties to him.


    They shouldn''t break the law and be accused of public indecency. How would that look on the headlines? Horrible, that was what.


    "I''m going to be a criminal by the end of the night."


    "Or I am," he interjected, giving her a look. "If you keep looking at me like that, I am going to be terribly distracted while driving and cause an accident." He opened the door for her and helped her in.


    "Okay, you criminal, where are we going?" she asked.


    "It''s going to be a secret," he told her.


    "Damn. You''re going to be all secretive. You win¡­ I am desperate to know." She twisted in her seat and looked at him with a heated expression. "Are we going to your hotel room?" He burst out into laughter.


    "Well, not right now," he admitted in a small voice. They turned the corner of a wide street and entered a parking lot. "Let''s go in now. I''ll give you a wild ride on the way back."


    Her stomach fluttered at his words. "Ah, so you are taking me to your place. Very third date material." He threw her a sly look.


    "It is a possibility if you behave..." he trailed off, raising his brow.


    "Now that is a little hard to do." She stopped. "But you know what is hard when I am mischievous?" He groaned in response to her bad attempt at a pun.


    "Always so naughty," he chuckled, shaking his head. He crossed over to her side and kissed her.


    The kiss was hot and demanding, almost making her want to climb into his lap and have her way with him despite the cramped space. His hand was on her neck, keeping her in place and guiding her. The other was on her side, slowly stroking and making her whimper into his mouth. She took the opportunity to put her hand on his thigh.


    He jolted back and scrubbed his face with his hand. "Way to go against your plan, Cage." He made a strangled noise from the back of his throat. He laughed through his nose, trying to calm himself down.


    She had to suck in a few deep breaths to gather her thoughts again. "Let''s go inside before I tell you to skip the date and go over to your hotel."


    He smiled.


    "You want to go in, believe me," he said softly. She looked at the entrance and pouted. It said ''Lockdown.'' If this was what she thought it was, she would definitely want to go in.


    She got out of the car and beckoned him on. "Let''s go." This place catered to mystery and games enthusiasts, who liked to solve puzzles and play to win. It described the two of them perfectly.

 Chapter 294 - Promise of Wickedness *

    They checked in and spent hours in the rooms, figuring out how to escape. It was pretty even teamwork, with both of them contributing. They just so happened to grab some milkshakes and junk food on the way out.


    "Dating you has really made me eat a lot of junk food. I can only imagine how my trainer will react when he sees how much mass I have gained."


    "It''s a good thing I don''t love you for your body, or else I would leave you after you weren''t the same¡­ even though I caused it," she teased.


    "Oh, you aren''t in this relationship for my looks?" She shook her head. "Good to hear." Of course he knew, but a little banter only improved the quality of their relationship.


    "But you shall never find out if I am being truthful!" she said in a sing-song voice. He rolled his eyes and guided her into the car.


    "Come, we need to pet you when we get back to my hotel room." He tapped her head and winked. She giggled and got in, excited for their little adventure.


    "Can''t you drive a little faster?" she said, laughing. She was eager, hot and ready. Maybe she should have tried to give him a blowjob while he was driving, but that would be disastrous. She had settled for making him feel equally wanton, placing her hand on his knee and stroking his inner thigh.


    "You better stop before I pull over," he groaned.


    "Oh, and whatever would you do after that?" she asked, her voice high and scratchy. When he looked over, she shivered. His eyes were filled with a promise of wickedness. "Wouldn''t you want to know..."


    She bit her lip. She wanted to know! "I hope it is kinky."


    "Don''t tempt me. I can google places we can stop without being spotted."


    "Are we there yet?" She pouted like a petulant child.


    "Are you getting anxious?" he grinned.


    "Of course not," she counteracted. "I could just stay on the road forever and not feel a thing." She removed her hand from his knee.


    She curled up in her seat, making her dress ride up higher than it previously was. "It''s just that I know you want to see what lay under this dress."


    "You got me there."


    She felt a rush of warmth coursing through her body. The tension between them was so thick that one could cut it with a knife. It wasn''t just l.u.s.t though, she felt completely in love with him. His affection and honesty was something which made her want to stay with him. He was down to earth and knew what he wanted from the relationship. No, their relationship was not perfect, but they were happy together.


    It was the thrill of attraction, wanting him pressing down on her, but it was also about how well they got along, the banter and the calmness of being together.


    The hotel parking lot they pulled into led to a grander hotel, one much finer than hers, which is saying that he could afford it far more than her, even with her fat paycheck from making videos.


    When they entered his room, she stood there stunned. It would be incredibly rude to bring this up.


    "Whoa," she slipped.


    "I know," he coughed.


    "Is this¡­ what color is this?" She continued to stare.


    "Looks nothing like the outside, right?" he chuckled. "But don''t laugh at my room. I am very protective of it."


    "It''s puke," she said suddenly. He snorted. "It looks like someone with very bad taste lives here. I can''t believe you are staying." She tittered. "God, even the furniture is ugly."


    "You''re calling me out for having bad taste?" He rested his hand on her waist. "That doesn''t say much about my love for you, does it now?"


    "Well, I asked for that one." She went on her tiptoes and pecked him on the lips. "You''re right. You have impeccable taste. Why would you pick me up otherwise?"


    "You''ve finally seen the light." With that, she swept her into his arms. She squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head up to kiss him properly. It was a scene from one of his movies¡­ the beginning of a blistering love scene.


    She giggled as he placed her on the bed. "Why are you laughing?" he asked, climbing over her. He held himself up on his arms and knees.


    "The scene is just too peculiar," she admitted.


    "We''ll make you forget all about it." She quirked her brow up.


    "We? Are we expecting someone else?" She paused. "I wouldn''t mind," she said in a low voice. He growled in response, freeing one hand to go to the hem of her dress. He pushed it up her thighs until her panties were visible.


    "Ah, you were anticipating this, weren''t you?" he taunted. He crawled down and kissed the inside of her thighs. She m.o.a.ned, making him peer at her face.


    Katherine felt the hint of smile as he peppered her thigh with kisses, slowly inching forward to her center. She shimmied, trying to ride the dress further up and succeeded. With that, she splayed her legs shamelessly and gave him the access.


    He chuckled and quickly patted her covered p.u.s.s.y. "Eager?" he asked. He didn''t expect the hissed yes that came from her. Pushing the panty aside, he stared for a minute, before sighing happily and leaning in.


    At first, it was just a kiss, and then the dart of his tongue over her lips. But then he dove in, placing his mouth on her opening and pushing his tongue in. She shivered and remained in her place, biting her lip and grabbing onto the sheet underneath her. The coolness of it contrasted the heat of her skin.


    "I''m going to make you come now," he proclaimed. His fingers found their way to her core, doing exactly what he had told her he could. She let go of the sheet and grabbed his shoulder for support.

 Chapter 295 - Yielding To Him *

    Within seconds, one of his fingers was pressing inside her, the delicious pressure and the swirl of his tongue over her clit driving her insane. She whimpered as he pumped, mercilessly pushing into her. She arched off as he plunged another finger into her.


    He moved around, trying to get into a comfortable position and found himself pressing her down with his hands to keep her from moving. With the sensitive bud in his mouth, he licks and sucks get more intense. She wanted to cry. His face was completely against her and she could feel every ridge of his tongue on her. The vibration of his hum shot through her body and her eyes widened. She looked down at him to see his eyes closed and a look of pleasure on his face.


    Was he singing against her p.u.s.s.y? Seriously?


    She wanted to chuckle, but all she could do was tug at his hair.


    He pulled away, his fingers stilling inside her. She bucked a little, trying to feel the friction inside her.


    "What?" he questioned, traces of her wetness all over his lips and chin. "You taste so sweet." He licked his lips and ran his finger over her clit. "You taste like my favorite dessert, soft and sweet." His attention went back to her swollen s.e.x.


    He grabbed her leg and hitched it over his shoulder, She shifted, trying to be more comfortable. He went back to breathing her in, alternating with his tongue and fingers to be inside her.


    The tension in her stomach continued to rise, and he must have noticed that she was close because he started to move faster. her leg shook under the pressure of her pending release. All she could feel was the combination of his tongue and fingers ruthlessly pumping inside her.


    "Come," he ordered, his thumb flicking her clit.


    She couldn''t hold in her scream as she exploded around his finger. It was so loud that she feared that the people in the neighboring rooms would complain or worse, call the cops. She tried to breathe, but the orgasm had left her unable to even do that. The tremors coursed through her as his fingers moved languidly inside, prolonging her ecstasy.


    "Up," he said when she had finally regained some semblance of rational thought.


    "Oh my god," she breathed. That was all she could say. She pulled her hip up, letting him take her dress off.


    "Love, I am not nearly done with you yet. You''ve been teasing me for three days now." He nudged her on the shoulder, asking her to move. He helped her, taking off the dress and blowing cool air over her newly freed skin.


    His hand slipped down to her ass, to the slit that was still humming. He slipped his finger inside again, just to check.


    She whined. "Oh no..." she groaned. She was wiggling, already ready for him again.


    "Why am I the only one n.a.k.e.d?" He was still dressed, just a little tousled, but dressed nonetheless. But it was visible that he was incredibly aroused.


    "You want me n.a.k.e.d?" he asked with an impish smile. Oh, she knew right then that they were in for a long time of pleasure. She nodded.


    He pulled his shirt over his head and she could see his broad chest. As he stretched, she could see his muscles flex under his skin. He had spoken of gaining weight and what not, but there was not a shred of fat on him. Liar.


    She helped him with his pants, pushing it to his ankles with her feet. His boxers followed, allowing his c.o.c.k to spring forward. She reached forward and touched the tip.


    "Bend over," he commanded in a gravelly voice.


    She obeyed, placing her palms on the bed and rolling over. She propped herself on her elbows, leaving her ass in the air. She felt him draw closer behind her and she heard the wrapper being torn open. She turned her head, wanting to see him. She caught a glimpse of him stroking himself as he slid the condom on. When he noticed her watching, he glared and turned her head forward.


    Ah, so he didn''t want her to see what he was up to. Good thing she had come to like surprises. Especially ones he prepared for her.


    His hands were soon on her, grazing over her spine to the arch of her back. His lips followed suit. She could feel his erection rubbing against her, inches from where she wanted him. Her body was aching, wanting to take all of him inside.


    She hissed as his teeth nicked her hip and she heard him mumble something.


    The warmth was suddenly gone, making her shiver. She wiggled her ass, trying to get him back to her.


    "No." He grabbed her hip and stilled them. His finger slipped between her legs and between her drenched lips where he pushed a couple of times. She m.o.a.ned when he pulled away.


    The room was eerily quiet and she patiently waited for him. It felt like decade had passed when his hand suddenly gripped her h.i.p.s. With a sharp thrust he was buried completely inside her. She clenched around him due to the sudden invasion.


    "You feel so good," he whispered. She could hear him gulp and a felt a surge of happiness.


    She hissed as he withdrew and pushed back strongly. He was big and she felt too full every time he was inside her. But her body accepted him nonetheless, yielding to him.


    He was moving fast, his body slapping harshly against her ass, his fingers gripping her h.i.p.s. The slight sting was nothing compared to the pleasure she felt. She liked it rough¡­ with him, at least.


    "Please don''t stop." She lowered her head, dropping to the pillow and lying down and her h.i.p.s still remained in the air. It just got better. At this angle, he hit deeper. It felt like he was everywhere.

 Chapter 296 - Little Self Control *

    He hissed, his movements uncontrollable. Her orgasm loomed and suddenly let go. It felt like thousands of shockwaves invaded her body. She opened her mouth to scream but all that came out as a squeal that only dogs and bats could sense.


    Cage, on the other hand, was still moving. He held his h.i.p.s and he continued, twisting and turning her until he growled and came. He kept their bodies joined, pumping as he released.


    He collapsed on top of her, breathing like he had run a marathon. Her heart was beating wildly and she could feel him against her back.


    The bed moved as he rolled over and left the bed. She didn''t know why he was leaving but she didn''t have the energy to think. When he returned and wrapped his arms around her middle, he pulled her into his n.a.k.e.d body and spoke.


    "Are you okay?" he asked tenderly, his fingers lightly grazing her pubic bone. "It doesn''t hurt, right?"


    "No, not at all." She eased closer to him. "It was amazing." She knew what his roughness meant. He had missed her terribly.


    He chuckled and kissed her shoulder.


    - - -


    They were leaving for different cities that day but he insisted that he drive her home before going his way.


    "I told you I could get back myself," she said as Cage''s hand tightened around her waist.


    "It''s no trouble," he waved it off. "I just wanted to spend a little more time with you before I have to go back to my dreary work routine." He groaned.


    "Do you want to come in?" she offered. "You need a little break before you go on a four hour drive. You have barely had any sleep."


    "I want to come in, really, but it is getting a little late and I don''t think I will be able to hold myself back and take you again."


    "You have little self-control. Didn''t know this about you."


    "Who has made me like this?" he asked. "It''s hard not to see you for so long. Now that I have seen you, I''ll be yearning to talk to you again all month."


    "Don''t remind me," she frowned. "But you gotta go to work so that I get a new movie!"


    "You only like me because I am an actor."


    "Yes, this way I can date multiple people at once." She giggled. He growled and leaned in to gently bite her shoulder.


    With one more kiss, Cage sighed and stepped back. "I''ll see you soon, okay?"


    She bit the inside of her cheek and nodded. She was sad seeing him go and knew that they would talk in his free time, but it was so hard being apart from him all the time. At the same time, she was nothing but excited for his work, supporting him and helping him go through scripts. The anticipation of meeting him after a long time and seeing the passion for her unravel in him kept her giddy.


    He stood and watched him leave. Finally, she made it inside the apartment and winced as she moved.


    "Wow, that good, huh?" Katherine yelped in surprise, spinning around and facing the room. Angelina was sitting on the couch, dressed, probably ready to go out for a shoot. "Are you actually walking bow-legged?" she laughed.


    "Didn''t expect to see you."


    "I saw the videos. I was surprised that you were going out before I realized Cage had actually driven down to see you for a couple of days." Angelina smirked.


    "I''m surprised ''you'' watch my videos. Good job. You have great taste." She stuck her tongue out. "And yeah. It was beautiful. The convention was tiring but not going to stop me from seeing him."


    "Girl, Cage is head over heels for you. What busy superstar would drive hours to get to you?"


    "Only Cage," Katherine sighed, plopping down beside her. "How was your time with Stephen?" she asked off-handedly.


    Angelina looked at her with surprise before speaking. "He arrived half an hour after you left, actually. I was especially happy about him coming over until your Cage called him and asked him to dig out information about someone..." she shrugged.


    "Sorry about that. I had a rabid fan to take care of. They found out about Cage and I," Katherine admitted in a small voice.


    "Seeing that the internet knows you are taken, you aren''t afraid for it to come out to the public, either." Angelina looked at her curiously. "How did you muster up the courage? Stephen was scared for a bit but Cage called him off. Apparently, your boyfriend is over the moon that everyone knows you are taken." She snickered.


    Katherine shook her head. "I saw what a fan could do. Sabrina was the one who reacted poorly and I got a taste of what it would be like. It just flipped a switch, you know? Ian knows. Laurence knows. And now, Sabrina knows. So... three people with three types of motives know and I am not complaining. I like it."


    Angelina sighed. "You may lose some fans because of it... or you may gain even more because people are curious who you are dating."


    Angelina was correct. She had checked her messages frequently and lots of questions had been thrown her way. Some asked if it was Laurence, others grieved the loss of their ship. But most of them were beyond curious about who had stolen Katherine''s heart.


    There might have been some nasty comments, but Katherine was somehow immune to looking at them.


    Angelina was scrolling through her phone when she squealed and shoved her phone in front of Katherine''s face.


    "What?" Katherine groaned.


    "Laurence posted a video titled ''My Girlfriend Tag,''" Angelina commented before clicking on it.


    Katherine stopped breathing for a second. She scrambled closer to Angelina and listened as the introduction played out. Sabrina had acted up, would Laurence act up too? Katherine wanted to have faith in Ian and his power to stop rumors, but she generally didn''t believe in human beings anymore.

 Chapter 297 - Mutual Disadvantage

    "Hi everyone! I have seen this tag float around the internet and had to jump of the train!" Laurence exclaimed.


    "A lot of you have been asking me who my girlfriend is." He paused and looked straight at the camera without hesitation. "She is the loveliest woman on the planet, her gaming skills and humor above and beyond anything I could ever ask for..." And he went on to talk about how magnificent this woman was.


    "I''m going to poop my pants," Angelina chirped as Laurence went about his monologue.


    "I''m on the same boat as you," Katherine sighed.


    "-But. It''s not who you think it is. This woman exists only in my imagination." He let out a soft chuckle. He went off frame for a second before returning with a human sized pillow with an anime girl on it. "This is my waifu. My girlfriend... the woman I have given my soul to." He smirked.


    From off the camera, the viewers could hear Ian snicker. "She must be warm and cuddly!" he teased.


    "Of course, I just have to keep her out in the sun sometimes..." Laurence trailed off. "You must be surprised," he said out of the blue. "No, it''s not Katherine. We are just friends who were mistaken for something else. She''s in a relationship and rumors are notorious for breaking those up. I don''t want any of you to hound her because of this."


    The shock Katherine felt couldn''t be explained in words.


    "Did you know he would do this?" Angelina asked softly.


    "Of course not," Katherine choked out.


    "Well, he must really like you to go above and beyond to explain everything." Angelina turned her head to stare at Katherine. "As usual, it could have two effects. Either people will m.o.a.n about how you guys looked good together and it was a pity that you didn''t end up dating," Angelina paused. "Or, they will think his denial was too strong and you guys are hiding a relationship."


    Katherine was silent. "I can''t act coldly now that he tried to help me out." She sighed.


    She pulled out her phone and clicked on the video herself. There were loads of comments already and she didn''t want to read through them. She clicked on the comments section and typed out her comment.


    [Rinsten: Your waifu looks amazing. Let''s have a double date soon!]


    After she sent it, she went to the messaging app and thanked him personally. She moved on to sending the link to Cage and Stephen as a safety measure.


    - - -


    With only a month for the next shooting to start, a call from the producer came to Cage, stunning him. Giselle Watts was not going to shoot the movie. The reasons? Unknown. For now.


    As he travelled back to H City, Cage remembered the first time he met Giselle. He had pushed her down a flight of stairs. He had splayed his hand wide over her chest, ground his teeth and shoved, making a show of using all of his strength. He pulled himself ramrod straight, watching as she tumbled over and down a grand, marble staircase and landed in a pile on the floor.


    She remained still. He held his breath, keeping on the act.


    "Cut!" the director called and the set came alive. He had been petrified that the little girl he had pushed off the staircase was hurt and rushed to her and knelt by her side. "Are you okay?" he had asked.


    The girl raised her head, no trace of emotion in her eyes. "Yeah, man..." she said with a laugh.


    He apologized profusely even though she was a professional. Yeah. It was his first Kevin Heart movie and the stunts were crazy and most actors required stunt doubles. Giselle was one of them representing a villain he needed to kill.


    They worked closely on the film, pulling off one scene after the other.


    When he appeared out of the airport, he bounded towards the little cafe he had called Giselle to meet him at. He took a seat and watched as she entered. A smile pulled on his lips at the sight of the girl. Poor girl still hadn''t figured out that the paparazzi was rarely fooled by the hoodie and sunglasses. Usually, they looked for those in H City to spot a star.


    Giselle looked spooked as if someone was following her around. More often than not, that was the case. About two years ago, this girl was a stunt double but over the years, she had participated in indie movies and made a name for herself. Recently, she landed a leading role in a movie that wasn''t expect to do well.


    But it had. She became a household name overnight, leaving her at a loss for what to do next. He tried his best to hide his smile as she slid into the chair opposite him. He knew her plight very well. He spent most of his career being harassed or fearing that he would be harassed.


    Finally, she gave a sheepish smile, pulling her hood down and her sunglasses off. "Sorry for being late!" she said.


    "I just arrived," he mentioned, extending his hand to shake hers. "How have you been, Gigi?" he asked with a smirk.


    "Ugh, I hate that name. The media thinks they are so clever, coming up with that name... Unoriginal bastards," she cursed. The waiter came by and took their orders, when he was gone, Giselle looked at Cage. "So, you wanted to talk to me?"


    Cage leaned in and nodded. "About the film."


    "I figured," she replied with a grimace.


    "You dropped out. Why did you do that?"


    A look a genuine fright came over her. She wrung her hand together and looked to the side... as if waiting for something. "Do you promise not to laugh?" She let go of her joined fingers and hide her eyes behind her palm. She was hiding from a camera.


    Cage looked off to the side and saw no one with a camera. But he could have been wrong.

 Chapter 298 - Spoilers Or No?

    "I won''t laugh at you. No one is taking a picture of you. And I just want an honest answer about why you pulled out."


    "You know what they say? Not to trust anyone in the entertainment industry. Everyone is pretending to be someone they''re not. I know you are not a tipper or whatever but I have lost a few friends over the drama. Some people spread rumors and add to the gossip, you know?"


    "You''re right. I don''t need to circulate gossip. If people knew I was here with you, there would be speculation that you are my new girlfriend or that I am cheating on mine. I don''t want any of that to happen, so you are safe." Sometimes, trust was based on mutual disadvantage. This was Cage''s approach in the industry.


    Giselle sighed. "I''m just paranoid," she said softly.


    Cage''s voice was gentle as he tried calm her. "Tell me what''s going on."


    When the waiter came back with their drinks, Giselle craddled her coffee between her hands and waited for the waiter to go away. Only when they were out of earshot did Giselle start speaking again. "I knew there would be backlash when I signed to be in a film with you. It''s given that a film you''re in will be wildly successful but I didn''t imagine..." Giselle trailed off, glancing at Cage between her words.


    "You got threats," Cage muttered. It wasn''t a question.


    She snorted. "Yeah... I did expect it. Everyone warned me beforehand." Cage''s fans got crazy at times... most of the time. Some would go to the extent of threatening his co-stars if they thought the acting wouldn''t be top notch.


    "Someone got under your skin?" Cage asked but he could fill in the blanks himself.


    She looked at him, her eyes wide with fear as she nodded. "Were there a dozen letters from the same person. They didn''t threaten me or anything... it just creeped me out." She looked past him towards the window. "You know how they pretend to know about you? That doesn''t bother me. But these letters... this anonymous person, they made it personal... like I was being watched." She shuddered, wrapping her hands around herself.


    "Did you report it to the cops?" he asked, suddenly feeling bad about the whole situation.


    "There were no threats, so I couldn''t report it to the police. But I really got the feeling that something bad would happen to me if I worked with you."


    Cage could only huff.


    "This person thinks I am not good enough to work with you and that it wouldn''t be a box office flop that would happen if I acted." Giselle''s lips quivered as she said the words.


    Cage remained silent for a solid second to process the situation. "Do you want to act in this movie? Apart from the threat?" he asked bluntly.


    "Of course!" she exclaimed immediately. "Acting alongside you in such a production is a blessing." Giselle shook her head in disbelieve.


    Cage smiled, ducking his head and looking down at his drink for a moment to think. "Then film with me. The breach of contract will cost you more than you can imagine," he began. "On top of that, security at the set is guaranteed. For special purposes, my manager brings in bodyguards, so I can help you hire one for yourself. The fun part? They are so good at their job that you won''t even realize you''re being protected. They scope out threats and manage them without you having a single clue."


    Tears prickled in the younger girl''s eyes. "Why..." she sniffed.


    "Well, I love the plot of the movie and I think you would suit the role well. I don''t need a grand reason to come here and convince you."


    Giselle nodded gingerly. They went on to talk about their recent movies and how it was going. For the most part, Cage was trying to assauge Giselle''s fears. Changing cast in the last minute could be very messy and he loved her acting so far, so he had been looking forward to working with her.


    At the end of the conversation, this came up. "So, you''re telling me to get used to such threats?" Giselle asked.


    "No. You should never get used to such things. I''m saying that they will happen nonetheless and you need to hold your head up high and show them you can take care of yourself. They''re all bark. They can''t touch you if you are prepared. So, don''t be scared."


    Giselle nodded with a sniffle. "Thank you," she muttered.


    "Now, don''t go out crying like that or it will be in the news tomorrow." Cage smiled. "I''ll pick up the bill," he commented in a friendly manner.


    "The public would love to know how generous you are," Giselle joked for the first that that evening.


    "I''ll let my manager know," Cage said with a wink.


    - - -


    [C: What are your thoughts on spoilers?]


    Cage had texted her. Thrill went down her spine as she looked at it.


    He''d been busy, beyond busy this past week and she had discarded the idea of s.e.xting him in the meantime. She was disappointed that this was how he started his texts. On the other hand, when had Cage disappointed her? Would it be too crass to tell him that she missed feeling him inside her? Probably.


    The spoiler had, effectively, made her ears perk up. She didn''t know what they were for, but she would bet it was something juicy.


    [K: Are you sliding into the DMs of your actor and director friends to impress me after you have ghosted me for a week? It isn''t easy to get spoilers these days. The times are dark.]


    [C: Who do you think I am? Spoilers or no?]


    Katherine thought for a moment before giving in.


    [K: I am always up for some spoilers. But what for?]


    The reply made her want to throw herself on the bed and laugh with joy.


    [C: Ryan Reynold''s new film.]

 Chapter 299 - Deafening Screech

    She nearly dropped her phone in excitement. The production had been so tight-lipped about the whole thing that no one knew what was going on at the movie set.


    [K: You have my attention.]


    He had the snark to reply.


    [C: I always have your attention, baby. On another note, I will have to disappoint you. I don''t have the spoilers yet.]


    Katherine furrowed her eyes at the phone.


    [K: Yet? Are you playing detective you get spoilers? Is this legal? I don''t need to break you out of jail, do I?]


    [C: That is a lot of questions. Don''t worry, I won''t be the one being interrogated.]


    What did that mean? Did Ryan Reynolds get caught for something? Was Cage threatening him for information? As much as she loved Cage, she wouldn''t want her second favorite actor in the world to be abused and held at gunpoint.


    [K: And what is Ryan being held against his will for? I''m scared to ask. If you dare touch that wholesome man...]


    [C: I don''t feel like sharing spoilers anymore, now that you and ''Ryan'' are on a first-name basis. Should I just cancel all of it?]


    Katherine thought before sending a picture.


    [K: Well, what can I say? I saved the country in my last life to have a boyfriend like you. First-name basis is for platonic friends. I''d call him lewd things otherwise.]


    Instead of a reply, an image popped up. She clicked on it and stood stumped. They were tickets. It took her a moment to process it but she almost screamed and dropped the phone. Again. She dove after the phone, looking at the picture again and bouncing up and down as she made the phone call.


    "Hello," Cage greeted warmly.


    "You''re not kidding, are you? You really got your hands on tickets for the premiere?" She wanted to squeal, but for the sake of his sensitive eardrums, she didn''t do that.


    "Do you like it that much? You''ll be going to my premiere''s for the rest of your life, so it will get old pretty soon," Cage snickered.


    She couldn''t contain it. Her screech of pleasure almost deafened him. "I won''t even ask how you did this." She cheered for a little more until his chuckle became apparent. His laughter, so rich and deep made her smile even more. She was over the moon.


    "I wish I could see your face right now." He sighed deeply.


    "Hold on," she beckoned before pulling the phone away from her and hitting the button for the camera. Having snapped a photo of her face, she sent it quickly. "There you go," she declared.


    There was a small pause before he saw it and laughed. "You liked the surprise that much?"


    "Yes!" she replied immediately, surprising him.


    "Well, you''ll be even more surprised when you open the door," he teased.


    "The door? Which door?" she asked, confused. Her mind was blank from joy.


    "Open your front door, you fool," he scolded softly. She padded towards the living room and then to the front door. Joy bubbled in her chest as she opened the door and saw the man in the flesh.


    Her arm went slack on the side and her phone hung limply. Thanks to him, their talk time was saved. He hung up the phone and hugged her with all his strength.


    "Missed you," he whispered, nuzzling her neck and breathing in her natural scent. He pulled away and walked past her into the apartment. He didn''t even turn around when he heard the door close. He heard the thump of her footsteps and turned around.


    Good thing he had quick reflexes because he saw Katherine rush towards him before jumping into his arms.


    "Whoa," he said, huffing out in surprise as Katherine wrapped her legs around him. He held in his surprise as she peppered his face with kisses and mumbled her thanks over and over again.


    He held onto her tightly as he kissed her back. He loved the feel of her in his arms and he certainly liked how her ass felt in his hands.


    She wrapped her arms around his neck and grinned at him. "Thank you for coming back early and for the tickets! For a second, I thought about driving to your shooting location and pulling you aside to give you a blowjob but you arrived just on time."


    He laughed, not knowing if he was baffled or plain turned on. "I wouldn''t expect any less from you. Go ahead..." he teased with a smirk.


    Unfortunately, she kissed him again before hopping down. "I''m so happy you''re back."


    "That makes the two of us." Cage patted her hair and smiled. "What were you doing when I texted you?"


    "Just getting ready to film. Wanna watch me today?" she asked coyly.


    "Are you really asking? Of course, I do."


    He led her into the room and placed him on the bed before finishing up her setting. He thought back to the present that felt too hot in his pocket and waited as she started to film. She would, at times talk to him, pausing the game and asking for his advice and whatnot.


    "It''s going to be edited out," she told him for reassurance.


    "I know. You don''t need to tiptoe around me." He plopped down on the bed and rolled around for a bit before perching himself on his elbows and looking at her with those soft and sultry eyes.


    Her endurance must have been strong because she only glanced at it several times throughout the shooting and didn''t acknowledge what he was trying to do.


    Distract her.


    And it was working.


    When she finished shooting, she stood up from her chair and glared at him.


    "What are you doing?" she asked. Her tone was not tough, but she looked so confused that Cage had to sigh.


    "Just watching you," he said without a hint of remorse.


    "You look like you have a lot to say," she commented, squinting at him.


    "And you look like you don''t want to hear it," Cage retorted.

 Chapter 300 - Open All Night

    "Listen to me," Cage asked. Katherine nodded once, indicating that he was, indeed listening.


    "It wasn''t a live feed, first of all. I just want to slowly be part of your life, the part you share with others. While you put out one aspect of your life, you never show your personality to others. It can be really tiring when you are pretending to be someone else for a long time. You can act like someone else for short spans of time, but if you keep pretending, it takes a toll on your body and mind." He held up his hand before he could interrupt. "The videos are about your life and I am a huge part of it if I dare say so myself. I have to exist to your viewers. That doesn''t mean that they will see me. You don''t have to name me or talk about my job, but I can exist in this world of yours."


    Katherine folded her arms over her chest, considering his words carefully. "How are you supposed to exist for them if they don''t see you or know you?" she asked curiously. It seemed that she was warming up to the idea.


    Cage gave her a cautious smile. "You can call me by nicknames. Right now I am just your ''boyfriend,'' but you could give me nicknames as parts of my personality. You are good at naming..." he suggested earnestly.


    Despite her seriousness, Katherine''s lips twitched in amus.e.m.e.nt. She took a deep breath, some of the tension leaving her body. Cage realized that her staunch disagreement had diminished and took a cautious step in her direction. When she didn''t move away, he took another step and placed his palms on her waist.


    "What about your face?" she asked, calmer.


    "You''ll see," he answered mysteriously. Cage kissed her jaw before pulling back. "Trust me. I''ll even help you edit your videos."


    Katherine scoffed. "You''re a busy bee. You''d die if you help me edit my videos as well." She slapped his chest. "If I don''t like how your plan turns out, I''ll not post it," she said firmly.


    "Yes, baby," he obliged. Seeing a small smile turn up her lips, he pulled on her. "Now, get dressed. We have places to be."


    - - -


    Katherine started to laugh when she realized where he was taking her. "You''re joking, right?"


    They were already in the parking lot, so she didn''t have much to protest about. There were a mere two cars in the parking lot and almost no sign of life. "Do you think I would joke about something as serious as an amus.e.m.e.nt park?"


    Cage sounded so fakely outraged that Katherine had to laugh.


    "This is your idea of a good time? Waiting in lines for rides?"


    Cage glanced at her quickly before looking back at the road. A security guard came forward to give them a ticket. Take took it graciously without the other person realizing who the driver was.


    "No need to fear the long lines. We''ve come at a time when the amus.e.m.e.nt park is generally empty and we''ll be the only ones on the rides!" Katherine frowned but said nothing. "Don''t be sour, Austen. How long have you not been in an amus.e.m.e.nt park?" he asked.


    "Probably a decade or so," she replied. "Must have been with friends and most of them were busy dating so I didn''t get to enjoy the rides." She looked around as they paid the unlimited entry fee. "But won''t this close soon?" she asked.


    "No," he said quickly. "I called in a favor. They''ll be open all night for us to play." His chirp confused her.


    "Did you rent the place out? How much is it costing you?" Now, there was a million-dollar question.


    "Not much. This will be a shooting location for the next few days so I asked my friend to let me play here. Just called in a favor." He shrugged.


    "So wasteful," she grumbled. Cage knocked on her head and pushed her forward.


    "Just enjoy having a boyfriend who gives you these benefits," he commented sagely.


    Cage pointed excitedly at a tram and pulled her towards it. When they were on it, Cage put his arm around her shoulder and pointed towards the lights in the distance. "Ah! We need to click a picture!" he exclaimed, pulling his cellphone out and posing.


    Katherine quirked a brow before following suit. After a couple of pictures, Cage had the grand idea of unzipping the mysterious bag he had brought with him. From within came a brown paper bag with a smiley face drawn on it.


    Katherine froze for a second. "Is this some new kink that we need to talk about?" she asked as politely as possible.


    "We''re clicking a picture for your followers. Introducing your boyfriend to them." He put the bag over his head and scrambled to hand her the phone. "Take the picture, please... I can''t see through this."


    Katherine burst into laughter and shook her head. "You didn''t think this through, did you?"


    "Not really." Though his voice was muffled, she could hear the slight amus.e.m.e.nt in his voice. She stared in bafflement as he fixed the bag on his face. "Ready?" he asked softly.


    "Yeah," she said. She picked up the phone and did as she was told, clicking pictures with the inanimate looking paper head. If they asked, she could say her boyfriend had a sense of humor.


    The tram came to a stop, their first destination having arrived. They hopped down after Cage placed the paper bag into the bag once again. As he walked, he was texting. Despite this, he kept a hand on her back. Katherine looked out for signs of collision but there weren''t any people around for that to happen.


    "Who are you sending that to?" Katherine asked, glancing at his phone.


    "You, for now. I''m also placing it in the right folder and categorizing it. You never know."


    Of course, they didn''t need a ticket for the ride. Cage flashed his cellphone to the security and rolled inside. It was one of those boat rides inside the cave. "This is a horror cave, isn''t it?" Katherine groaned.

 Chapter 301 - Big Words

    "Oh, I thought you weren''t afraid of those," Cage commented slyly. "You can grab my arm and hide your face if it helps." He snickered.


    "Wouldn''t you like that," she huffed. She wasn''t scared of ghosts or horror but to humor him, she might scream a little. Hopefully, he wouldn''t notice how fake they sounded.


    Of course, the ride was smooth. It wasn''t scary enough for her to scream but she took every opportunity to grab his hands and squeeze it tightly. He didn''t complain.


    When they came out, Katherine spotted a small store that was about to close. Without a second thought, she let go of Cage''s hand and sprinted to it. With her wallet in hand, Cage could see her buying something.


    And he didn''t have a good feeling about the situation.


    "What did you buy?" he asked, taking an involuntary step back, wondering if he made a grave mistake.


    "You weren''t completely dressed, so I bought you something," she said with a giggle. She produced a devil horn headband and showed it to him proudly.


    "Katherine, no..." he groaned.


    She smiled with glee. "It''s a must!" she claimed. Cage continued to stare at her, hoping she wouldn''t make him do it. It was then she pulled out the big guns. She let her eyes go wide and pleaded with him in a small voice.


    His will broke down. "F.u.c.k. Okay. That''s all!" he grumbled. He was the one who had brought her along. If it meant that she would be happier and less stressed about their trip to the amus.e.m.e.nt park, he would play along.


    "Just you wait. This is just the beginning," she muttered evilly.


    When they walked around in their newly acquired headbands, Cage felt slightly self-conscious. He turned to look at Katherine and found her pressing her lips together to stop herself from smiling. "Do I look silly?" he asked, tugging at one of the horns.


    "No. I just never thought I would get to style you this way." She propped herself up on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose. "I guess, I need to click a picture of you."


    Cage rolled his eyes but humored her. She had all sorts of ways to make him pose. He could only smile and let her have her way. She scrolled through her pictures as she asked.


    "Where to next?"


    Along the way, Cage found himself buying a matching pair of amus.e.m.e.nt park themed t-shirts. They quickly put them on and danced around the park with no end in sight. By the end of the night, their feet ached. Cage was tired but also happy. When the firework display took place, Cage felt his eyes flit from the illuminated sky to the beautiful woman beside him. The awed grin on her face and the spectacular view of her nose and arched lips. He couldn''t help but feel that all the wear and tear was worth it.


    He had to admit to himself, the places he went with her all seemed to turn magical.


    - - -


    Angelina watched as Katherine tore apart her closet to find something suitable to wear.


    "This is not just a date with Cage, it is something bigger!" Katherine boasted, sticking her tongue out at Angelina. She, in turn, raised her brow.


    "Get used to it. And make sure not to reveal yourself, you nerd," she huffed.


    "Yes, I am a huge nerd. What will you do about it? Good thing my boyfriend is a nerd as well," Katherine said, not even bothering to hide her grin.


    "Just to quench my curiosity. How big are we talking here?" Angelina made a motion with her hands. Katherine scrunched her brows.


    "Wouldn''t you like to know," she commented.


    "That''s why I am asking," Angelina sang.


    "Stop talking about the size of my boyfriend''s c.o.c.k and focus on what I am going to wear to meet Ryan Reynolds," Katherine sighed.


    "So, between Ryan and Cage... who would you choose to take home tonight?" Angelina teased.


    "Is that even a question? Cage wins by default. Ryan can be happy with his wonderful wife and kids. I''ll have to make some for Cage so that he can reach the daddy level of attractiveness," Katherine joked.


    Angelina remained silent for a second. "I didn''t know you were ready to pop out his babies so soon. Do you have something to tell me?" Angelina asked after a while.


    "Nonsense. There is nothing I need to tell you. I''m just joking," she snipped.


    "But wasn''t Ryan Reynold''s on your famous five list? Five people who are so far beyond your reach and you would have no chance with any of them even if hell froze over. But now you do. What are you doing? Passing up on this chance?" Angelina, ever the prankster.


    "Well, I got the man who was on the top of that list. Who cares? I don''t have eyes for another man, be they angels dropping from heaven or crawling up from hell."


    "Those are some big words!" Angelina praised. She hopped forward and picked out a dress that would perfectly suit the occasion without looking too extravagant or less impressive. "This will do." She handed the dress to Katherine and slapped her butt to rush her off.


    "Well, thank you. I''ve been working out so that my ass looks plump." Katherine smirked.


    "Well, it looks marvelous." Katherine turned around immediately, her cheeks flaming for a second before her brain caught up and informed her that the voice was definitely Cage''s.


    "I''ll change," she stuttered and pushed everyone out of the room. It took her a couple of minutes to get dressed. When she came out, Cage pointed a finger and her and asked her to turn. It seemed that he was going the overbearing CEO way this time.


    "You like it?" Katherine asked, popping her hip a little bit.


    Beside Cage, Angelina snorted. "I picked out the dress. Of course, it looks good."


    Katherine shushed Angelina and looked at Cage. He had moved forward and within moments she had wrapped her hands around his neck and opened her mouth to him. Pulling away, she looked at Angelina.

 Chapter 302 - As Pure As Snow

    "Don''t give away my secrets. It''ll ruin the magic," she winked. Katherine pressed up on her tiptoes to kiss him, squealing when he kneaded her ass. He must have really liked the change. The workout helped.


    "What magic? You''ve already stripped your clothes in front of him." Angelina scoffed. She padded away. Katherine might have mumbled something in her general direction but Cage had caught her attention back.


    "We''ll be late," she informed him breathlessly.


    "Well, no one can fault us after they see you," he replied politely. He stroked her lip and sighed as he pulled away. It was time to get going.


    - - -


    The idea came to her belatedly. There would be cameras at the premiere. Lots of them. There would be a red carpet splayed across the front of the theatre and celebrities would walk down it and get their pictures clicked. She was definitely not one of the people who would be worth clicking pictures of. Moreover, if her pictures were taken, people from all over the internet would shout at her for placing too much importance on herself.


    While she didn''t think similarly, there was no point in calling for trouble. She turned to Cage, who looked pristine in his suit. They had taken a fancy car and Cage had gotten one of Stephen''s contacts to drive them to the venue.


    She wondered how she could be so shortsighted.


    "Cage, how are we going to enter?" she asked nervously.


    "Because of the cameras, I''ll head in first. You stay behind in the car." He nodded towards the driver. "He''ll be taking you to a secure location. Someone from the security team will come out to escort you inside."


    Katherine sighed in relief. "And here I thought you had overlooked the matter, as well."


    Cage glanced at her sheepishly. "Well, I would have if not for Stephen and his shouting over the phone. He took care of everything," he said softly.


    "If I didn''t know better, I would think that you were trying to expose our relationship to the world." Katherine glared at him momentarily before laughing. If she could help it, she would want the same. It might have slipped his mind casually.


    "I think, I want that subconsciously. Or..." he trailed off, giving a sly look. "I''m just getting old and stupid."


    "If you get stupid, it won''t bode well for our relationship," Katherine commented blandly. Seeing his bugged eyes and surprise, she explained further. "We''re already notorious. If it gets worse, we''ll be called Dumb and Dumber."


    Cage broke out into laughter and didn''t contradict her words. He thought for a minute before he started to speak again. "Wait, don''t you need to film some aspects of this premiere to put it on your channel? It would make for good content for your vlog," he said helpfully.


    "You really know how to act like a good boyfriend. I''ve brought my phone. That''s all. The video quality is excellent so I will be taking people''s permission before doing any videos," she told him. "How hard would it be for you to introduce me to the bigshots without the press finding out?" she asked. Actually, she was saying this to tease him.


    She hadn''t known that he would be so serious. "Already arranged for everything, love." She remained stunned.


    "Aren''t you scared that I will take advantage of your connections?" she whisper yelled. She surreptitiously looked at the driver who was blissfully ignoring them.


    "When did I forbid you to make use of my connections? You think like a saint," he said. He tapped her forehead with his knuckle. "I have no use for connections, really. If you don''t use it, will I be squandering them away after all the work I have put into it? It''s better if you use them."


    Katherine remained silent. After a long while, she spoke. "Cage, they are going to say that I used you to further my career." She gritted her teeth and said no further.


    "Ah, yes. The infamous comments on your videos. I see them all the time. I love your videos, I do... but whenever I venture down into the comments, I feel like ripping people''s throats out." His jaw ticked as he remembered some of the comments he had come across.


    "Stop. You know well how people react. The first thing to being an internet personality is to not look at the comments. They''ll just demotivate you and make you think of murder."


    "Well, I was thinking about murder, believe me." He huffed. "Well, I don''t look at comments about me, but when it comes to you, my fingers just keep scrolling until I find that one comment that makes me want to obliterate humanity."


    "And that''s all it is," she said quickly. "One comment out of the thousands I receive. They are rare. They might be lewd or harsh at times, but those people are far in between all the good people that come to comment. Moreover, I don''t care about my viewers. I care about yours. You''re... Cage Cavanaugh. Your viewers are scarier than the Illuminati."


    "Yes, they can be quite scary," Cage agreed. "But you have the best boyfriend in the world and he can provide you with top-notch security." He grinned.


    "You think too highly of yourself, you narcissist. Of course, dating you would have to have some dangers, or else... won''t we get bored and bicker about small matters?" Katherine winked.


    "I would like to bicker with you over trivial matters very much," he grumbled.


    Katherine grinned as she drew closer to his body and hugged him tightly.


    "What scripts have you been reading recently? You can''t stop acting all romantic." It was scaring her a little. Too much happiness usually led to bad things. But it could just be her paranoia.


    "Oh! I forgot. When you enter the theatre, you''ll be placed beside me. I''ll join in really late, so the lights will already be turned off."


    "Well, dim lights, and you? It screams of mischief."


    "Thank god, I''ll be there to manage it. Otherwise, you could be climbing Ryan Reynolds. He might be okay with it, but his wife might come at you with a chainsaw!" Cage joked.


    "He would throw me off before that happens. He''s as pure as snow!" she demanded. Cage laughed and agreed with her.

 Chapter 303 - Freebie List

    The car came to a halt in front of the screening location. From the tinted glass of the car, Katherine could see the majesty of the red carpet, fans, and a plethora of cameras that came with it.


    Despite the flash of cameras as the door opened, nothing much was revealed of who was sitting inside the car. When Cage emerged, he blocked the sight of her within the car and closed the door behind him. Loud shouts followed as fans screamed for the person who stood at the edge of the carpet, waiting for him to stride forward.


    Looking at his back, Katherine''s heart filled with some unknown warmth that she didn''t understand.


    The cameramen on the other hand noticed Cage''s peculiar behavior and realized that someone remained hidden in the car. Where it would go, was still a mystery. Some decided to follow, but then they looked at the impressive amount of people who would also be coming to the premiere and shook their heads.


    Following Cage''s car would prove detrimental to the news that they can initially come to cover.


    As Cage walked forward, the car disappeared from sight. He remained low-key and didn''t really take much time to go to the entrance.


    On the other side of the building, Cage''s car had come to a halt and Katherine remained seated patiently. The driver finally looked over his shoulder and smiled at her.


    "Miss Austen, someone will be arriving shortly. Please wait a few more minutes," he reassured. Katherine nodded and smiled back, not saying more. She was simply pleased to be at an event, she didn''t need special treatment.


    It seemed she was treated more like a star than the others, so she felt mildly ashamed. When the door to the car finally opened, Katherine felt the need to hide her face.


    "Miss Austen?" someone called. She turned slowly and found a person with a staff card waiting for her. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she scooted to the edge of the car and slid out.


    "Mr. Cavanaugh asked me to escort you inside the venue. Please follow me," the man said, knowing that Katherine was hesitant. Katherine nodded despite herself and followed the man silently.


    Her gown was long enough that she needed to walk carefully. As they entered through the back door, she looked around to see familiar faces from the other side of the television everywhere.


    "We''ve already informed the staff to show you around, so don''t feel awkward," the man said. For the most part, it was this guy who had to be out of his normal duty to help her around. She definitely did meet quite a few people, none of whom recognized her but were curious. She kept the introductions to a minimum and spoke politely to everyone.


    Cage was shifting around in the room talking to others, as well. He looked over towards her and smiled encouragingly at times. Mostly, his phone didn''t ping from notifications about her exploits at the premiere, so Cage was a little confused.


    [C: You aren''t filming?] he sent her.


    He saw her reach into her clutch and pull out her phone to reply. Her eyes roamed across the room to set on him and she smiled.


    [K: I''ll only film the actors in the film. It''s too much to film everything.]


    Cage didn''t reply but when he turned to her, his eyes revealed acknowledgment. He felt the need to sigh. She had been talking to everyone but not really showing her true self. He could understand her worries, so he didn''t press her. She would come to enough of these events to finally break out of her shell.


    Katherine did post pictures, though. With the movie poster and the premiere signs. She looked gorgeous, so no one really thought much about it. If she received an invite, she definitely belonged. It was actually the captions that revealed who she truly was.


    From comparing her b.o.o.b.s to a celebrity who was worshipped for hers to some actor who was so versatile that she wanted to be friends with them. She didn''t tag those people, though. She was too ashamed.


    Finally, the cast began to arrive. She clicked pictures of them from angles, making sure her panicked expression was evident in each.


    ''Should I just run towards them?'' she captioned one.


    She felt a tap on her shoulder as she published the picture. She turned around, expecting someone from the security to stop her from taking pictures but instead, it was someone she never expected. She gasped, almost jumping back in fright.


    "Katherine, right?" he asked. Oh, god. Ryan knew her name.


    "Hi," she could muster up. "You know me?" she squeaked.


    "You''re as cute as you seem in your videos!" he commented. He patted her back.


    "Wait, you know of my videos, too?" If she were to die right then, she wouldn''t mind. She would have liked to think that she looked composed, but in reality, she looked star-struck. How could that be when she spent so much time together with Cage, you ask?


    Because Cage was her boyfriend... he was no longer a celebrity she worshipped from afar any longer. A man with flesh and bones was much different from the gods she saw on the screen. Anyone apart from Cage still seemed to be in that light.


    "Well, I got tweeted at a lot by our mutual fans, so I watched your content. You really like me, don''t you?" His smile was so brilliant that Katherine felt a blush creeping up her cheeks.


    "I do talk about you sometimes," she giggled. With the banality of the conversation, Katherine felt more comfortable than before.


    "Wait, am I not on your freebie list?" Ryan asked casually. Katherine''s breath hitched before she replied.


    "I''m amazed you know about the list," she replied. "I wouldn''t dare to have those any longer. My boyfriend would probably kill you in front of my eyes before he comes at me with a dagger." She chuckled.


    Ryan''s eyes sparkled. "I can see him butchering me, but he loves you too much to kill you. He''d be sullen for some time before forgiving you. Mind you, I won''t flirt with you for the sole reason that Cage will not let me sleep."

 Chapter 304 - New Friend

    Amazed, Katherine turned to look at Cage. He was leaning against a wall, staring in their direction with a smirk.


    "Crafty bastard," Katherine mumbled under her breath.


    "What does it take to make an appearance in your videos?" Ryan asked suddenly. Katherine''s eyes widened comically as she stared at him.


    "I mean, you could walk into frame and I would let you take over my channel, so." Honest answers always won out. Ryan laughed, almost flattering her. "Come on, let me say hi to your fans!" He pulled a hand over her shoulder and waited for her to pull the phone up and in view of their face.


    The live stream began and thousands filtered in to watch. "I made a new friend," Katherine said with a chuckle. Ryan peered into the frame more prominently and waved.


    "I''ve never really done this before. How is it that you do this?" he asked. He had a hard time looking directly at the camera and not the screen.


    "It should be more difficult to look at the camera when your face is on the screen," Katherine said with understanding.


    "You''re right, it''s hard to look away from my face." Ryan, the epitome of comedy, as always.


    "I feel your pain," Katherine remarked with a thinly veiled boast.


    "I was thinking, how about you become my photographer for the night, Katherine?" Ryan suggested. The comments blew up and Katherine looked at him with a weird expression.


    "You''ll swap out those expensive professionals for little old me? Aren''t you scared I''ll take unflattering pictures of you?" Katherine teased lightly.


    "I''m the one you''re here to see. That much sincerity will get you a permanent position as my photographer," Ryan nodded sagely.


    "I am here to see you. It''s your movie!" Katherine replied, finally getting into her element.


    "Will you be offering any spoilers for your fans?" Ryan injected helpfully.


    "I don''t want to die just yet, so I''ll refrain from that. But you can reveal something juicy, can''t you?" she asked. She gave the camera a wink and then waited on him to think it over. He did a great job pretending to mull over it before grinning.


    He gave out the most salacious detail without a hint of information on the plot, perfect content to get people''s imaginations running.


    "You''ve given nothing away, Mr. Reynolds. Now they will have to watch the movie to find out!"


    "Satisfaction promised, though!" he relayed. "My abs and almost my... strong thighs..." he trailed off. Katherine squinted her eyes, her expression mischievous.


    "We''ll look forward to it!" Katherine cheered. Ryan said his goodbyes and the live stream was cut off. Cage had long looked away and was talking to other people. Having seen Ryan off, Katherine''s time tonight had become better.


    She was promptly led into the auditorium and had to take a seat. The lights dimmed and Cage finally found his seat beside her. He effortlessly sat down, not a care in the world about the others around them and slid his palms into hers.


    "Had fun?" he whispered as the host appeared on stage and introduced the event.


    She hummed in acknowledgment before going into a small rant on the difference between a convention and a red carpet event. This time, she had come as a fan, so she had a completely different take on things this time.


    "Are they any different from what you expected?" Cage asked softly. No one around them seemed to shush their conversation, so it continued.


    "Of course. Ryan was just as funny though. Didn''t expect you to pull that trick. What did you trade?" she asked. Neither looked at the other, keeping their eyes planted on the stage and watching the silly moments play out on the screen behind the host.


    "Not much. He might contact you, though. He promoted his movie for free to your audience of millions without spending a dime. He games sometimes and you being a popular female gamer makes the appeal better. He might just collaborate with you in the future."


    "Don''t joke!" she exclaimed. She turned around immediately to see if someone had heard her loud voice. No one seemed to notice.


    Finally, the stars entered the theatre and Katherine''s eyes remained riveted on the stage. They were closer than Katherine had expected. Just two or three rows from the stage, so they had a clear view. Ryan Reynold''s was talking.


    "Don''t drool," Cage whispered in her ear, shaping her out of whatever trance she was going into.


    When she turned to him, her eyes were dancing with amus.e.m.e.nt. "Are you jealous?" she joked.


    "No, you''re just cute when you are starstruck," he chuckled.


    "I''m not starstruck. Just listening... closely," Katherine protested.


    "Fangirl," he accused with a smile and held her hand tighter.


    "I teased Ryan Reynolds today. Don''t reprimand me." His other hand darted towards her head and he patted her hair affectionately.


    "You''ve grown up," he said proudly.


    "You''re going down!" she threatened, answering his blatant teasing.


    He turned to her with a grin. "That''s the plan." He winked.


    She couldn''t help but whimper.


    How was she supposed to concentrate on the movie when he made such threatening promises?


    - - -


    The whole way back to her place, she chattered about the movie. There were arguments about plot points and they differed on how the romance between two unlikely characters should have progressed. Katherine seemed to see the bromance as something more... romantic, while Cage insisted that it was friendship.


    She was still debating the matter hotly when they got in the door. He pulled her down the living room towards her door and had to pick her up and settle her in the middle of the bed when she wouldn''t stop arguing.


    "The look in their eyes. How can you not see it?" she argued further.


    She didn''t seem to notice that he was taking her shoes off, pulling her stockings down and off shortly after it. He pushed her gently backward as she presented her essay on the subject.


    He''d even pushed her legs apart and licked his way along her slit when she stopped short.


    "I- what are you doing?" she stuttered.


    He raised his head. "That should be obvious," he commented as she pushed her dress further up her torso and grinned coyly at her. "I did tell you that I was going down."


    She tried to be playfully combative.


    He simply smirked and lowered his head. She couldn''t win the argument if she was incoherent and screaming his name.

 Chapter 305 - Excited For Tonight

    One month had gone by. Lily had moved in with Jared. Angelina had met Stephen''s mother and created a bond with the woman. Much to her pleasure, Stephen''s mother had browsed through her photos and thought her exceptionally talented, so Angelina, for the first time in her life, got the approval of a parent.


    Katherine knew for a fact that Stephen had been slowly removing Angelina''s things from her apartment and into his, hoping that Angelina wouldn''t figure out his plan until it was too late. Angelina acted oblivious even though she knew exactly what things he had moved and generally stayed where the things she needed were.


    In her big three-bedroom apartment, Katherine remained alone with Cage sometimes coming over. She didn''t need to cook bigger portions or put up with the fuss of roommates, but she missed living with someone on a regular basis.


    Thankfully, her days were spent in calmness and soon enough it was time for Cage''s movie to start shooting.


    The flight out had been easier than she anticipated. She had gone through the private entrance while Cage and Stephen went into the airport where the fans sat waiting for him to arrive. Cage created quite a stir, signing autographs and taking pictures with his adoring fans... all-female... The raucous created resulted in Katherine making her way into the same plane without being discovered by anyone.


    The alarm blared and Katherine cringed away from it, feeling beyond guilty. It was five in the morning already and she had yet to go to sleep. She had thought that she would pick up on Cage''s routine and timely get sleep every night but that was far from reality. She groaned as she lowered the brightness of the screen further and kept editing the video without paying the alarm attention. As much as she could.


    She heard Cage laugh and felt his lips brush over the skin of her arm before he silenced the alarm.


    "How can you wake up so early?" she asked, pulling the pillow out from behind her and peeking at him. The dim light from the bathroom was all that illuminated the room and she was glad. She didn''t want Cage dazzled early in the morning.


    Cage was a considerate man. The nights she fell asleep, he would tiptoe around in the dark without switching on the lights so that she wouldn''t wake up. On others when she was awake, he would massage her head for a couple of minutes before kissing her forehead and leaving the bed.


    This morning, he kissed her forehead and massaged it thoroughly.


    "Habit," he said quickly. "Why are you still awake?" he asked belatedly.


    Did he have to ask? "Editing videos for the next two days. I finished all my designing work this morning." She sighed. She placed her laptop aside for a second and shuffled down the bed, laying down her head on his lap and mumbling a quick ''love you'' as she snuggled into him.


    He gently smiled before removing her head from his lap and sliding out of bed.


    She could hear the shower running and all she could think about was him n.a.k.e.d. How she was going to get any work done or sleep was beyond her. Some mornings she managed one of the two, others... neither were possible. In reality, they got so little time together since they arrived a week ago that she wanted to take advantage of any time they had together. Even if it meant, working at ungodly hours so that she could have a couple of hours of free time for him when he finished work every night.


    She had fallen into a rhythm already. Living together proved to be simpler than she had imagined and she loved being the first person he saw when he came home. They would talk about his day and make love before he crashed and she would get back to work and finish so that she could get some rest.


    Since the contest ended, she had stopped posting every day and posted about twice a week, so her work pressure had gone down a lot. She even had time to go out during the day and sightsee when Cage wasn''t around.


    They had gotten more time together during the weekend. He had worked lesser hours on those days and got the evenings to themselves like normal human beings. It was just the two of them, room service and movies on the television.


    Katherine had been lucky so far. Though she had come and gone from Cage''s room, no one seemed to know who she was yet. She went around the city without incident. Everyone who knew remained discreet and the hotel staff seemed to be blind.


    The reason for finishing her work for the day early was because Cage had invited her out to dinner. The next day, they would go to a spa to get some much-needed rest. Cage was spoiling her rotten and the only thing she could do was comfort him and give him a home when he came back after a hard day''s work.


    They had bickered about it quite a bit in the past week and she had mostly won until Cage slyly kept adding benefits to the room and wouldn''t let her pay.


    She didn''t make a fuss about it because it made him happy to know that she was safe. She understood his concerns.


    He was taking her out that night and she couldn''t wait. A fancy dinner date with Cage Cavanaugh in a city as beautiful as this? She wouldn''t mind it a single bit. The restaurant was one of those that needed to be booked months in advance and she had no clue how he had managed to pull that one off.


    Good thing she had brought some fancy clothes she could wear to knock his socks off.


    Cage sauntered back into the room, his towel hanging deliciously low on his waist and his hair dripping with water. She bounced up from the bed and snatched the towel from him, lowering him so that she could help him dry his hair.


    "Why didn''t you go back to sleep?" he asked.


    "Too excited for tonight?" she said coyly.

 Chapter 306 - Injured The Talent

    "As you should be," Cage said lightly.


    "You told Stephen, right?" Katherine asked finally. The last thing she wanted was her getting caught unaware.


    "Yeah, he''s prepared to take care of anything that comes our way. But I think it will be fine." He shrugged. Cage had arranged for a private car and made sure their seats were out of the sight of the public. Moreover, there was also the plan to sneak her back inside the hotel when they came back together. It should have worked and that was what she hoped.


    "Good," she murmured, resting her head against the headboard. Finally, she thought about going to sleep. A little later, she decided.


    "What have you planned for today?" he asked.


    She looked up at him and laughed. "Finishing work and then preparing for dinner." Cage was about to say something when she interjected with purpose. "I know I don''t need to prepare for the date but I want to doll up for you. We rarely get to go out, so I want to make the most of it."


    Cage scowled but finally sighed in resignation. "You always look beautiful. You don''t need to..."


    She turned to sit on her knees and raised herself as much as she could to kiss his chin. If she aimed a little higher, this man would get carried away and never make it to his shooting. "I love you for thinking so... but I want to. Now... Go!" She slapped his butt and then let out a small giggle at his surprise.


    Finally, he kissed her forehead and pushed her back into the bed. Having tucked her in, he whispered, "Sweet dreams." She resigned to her fate and thought about catching up to a couple of hours of sleep. It wouldn''t hurt her anyway.


    - - -


    The current film he was filming had a minor number of action scenes which could be handled by the actors themselves. Considering that Giselle was a former stunt person and he had prior experience in the field as well, the filming crew cautiously let them perform the minor stunts themselves.


    Due to a revision in the script, the actors had to reshoot the first scene together. They found themselves on a rooftop, her on the other side of the railing and him on the rooftop, looking onto her and talking to her as he tried to prevent her from jumping.


    The scene was supposed to be intense, but for the safety of actors, they had decided on a one storey building. A padded mat was placed where Giselle could supposedly fall. From years of experience, Cage was seasoned to watch people fall.


    Cage remained in character, grabbing the front of Giselle''s short, twisting his fingers in the fabric and yanking her forward into the starting position, just as had been planned. He moved a couple of steps back and asked the director if they could practice some more.


    After a few practice takes, the director decided that it would be best if they put a safety harness around Giselle''s waist, just in case something went wrong.


    Cage finally took his place a couple of steps away from the railing and Giselle.


    "Action," the director called.


    Cage lurched forward, trying to grab her and as he reached her chest to grab onto her shirt. Just as he did so, he saw her eyes widen and in that instant, Cage realized that something was wrong. She was caught off guard and seemed unbalanced. One of her hands grabbed onto the railing while the other clamped on his arm, trying to stabilize himself.


    It worked for a fraction of a second. Yet, the grip with which she had pulled on him threw Cage off balance. He heard his startled cry before he went over the railing alongside her.


    As he fell, his eyes widened and he saw Giselle falling along with him. The harness had snapped and they plummeted down. The whole event took less than a second but he hit the mat with much more force than anticipated. In the absence of it, his skull might have cracked open. There were shouts from all around. Giselle had somehow managed to fall on top of him, making Cage take the impact of their fall.


    How it had happened, neither of them knew. Maybe it was her good luck.


    He worked hard to shake off the daze he was in and concentrate on the voices around him.


    "Move back. Let me look at him." Cage blinked as the on-set medic checked over him.


    "I''m fine," he whispered, trying to get up.


    "Just stay put, Mr. Cavanaugh," the medic said, forcing him back down with a hand on his chest. "I have to take a look at you."


    He didn''t argue further, letting the doctor have her way. Pain was beginning to make it known in several parts of his body, including his waist which had taken the brunt of collision when he knocked over it.


    A minor concussion, random bruises and a wounded pride later, Cage was allowed to sit up. Filming would be affected, hence leading to loss of time and money. On the other side, Giselle was talking to the director, explaining what had happened.


    The harness had failed to work. The mat was too old to take the brunt of the force.


    He was sent back to the trailer and had to wait on the insurance people and people from the set to come and pay him visits. Stephen was nowhere in sight after the first rush of screaming and panic.


    Cage considered sending the people away when he heard a soft knock on the trailer''s door.


    It wasn''t the people he was expecting but Giselle who had popped her head and in entered with his permission. She closed the door behind her and pressed her lips together, looking at him with concern.


    Her face was a bright red, probably from embarrassment.


    "I''m sorry," she blurted out, hanging her head. "I don''t know what I was thinking, grabbing onto you like that. I shouldn''t have injured the talent..." she blubbered.

 Chapter 307 - Family of Cage Cavanaugh

    "Stop right there." Cage held up his hand and pressed it to his temple. "My brain needs time to function," he groaned. Giselle started to spout another bout of apology when Cage stopped her with a sigh.


    "You called me talent. You''re an actor yourself, now. Why are you discriminating between the two of us?" he scolded gently. "It is basic reaction for humans to try and stop from falling. You should be questioning the crew people for why they failed to protect us. Not blaming yourself."


    Giselle gave him an awkward smile. "I..." she stopped.


    "You have every right to feel threatened. I don''t know how two safety measures failed to work. I''ll have someone look into it," Cage reassured.


    "And you need to get yourself checked up at the hospital," Giselle reminded. She stopped short and spoke again. "Thank you."


    "For?" Cage asked cautiously.


    "For everything." With that, she turned around and left.


    - - -


    Katherine had just completed her work and editing the videos when her phone rang. She frowned as she looked at the number. It was Stephen. Without hesitation, she picked up the call.


    "Hello?" she said, wondering what was happening.


    "Hey, Katherine. Are you free?" Stephen''s voice had a hint of panic in it. Katherine furrowed her eye, an unsettling feeling becoming prominent in her stomach.


    "Yeah, I''m free. Why?" She held her breath. Her heart seemed to be pounding. Something was definitely wrong. She knew.


    "Cage had an accident."


    Katherine froze in her seat, unable to recognize the words that were coming out of Stephen''s mouth.


    "What do you mean?" Katherine asked, forcing her voice out.


    "There was an accident on set. He was hurt. The medic saw him but I am trying to convince him to go to the hospital." Stephen''s explanation made sense.


    "I''ll come over," Katherine said quickly. Asking for the address, she booked a cab. As she was about to reach the location, another call from Stephen came in. Cage was going to the hospital for a check-up. Stephen asked her not to come to the shooting location and go straight to the hospital.


    Somehow, it only took half an hour for her to reach. To Stephen''s credit, her phone chimed twice, giving Katherine updates on how Cage was doing. Katherine was relieved that he was not badly hurt but her heart still remained at her throat.


    Finally, she reached the hospital. She met Stephen in the lobby and greeted him.


    "The doctor is checking over him right now," he said before she could ask. "Come this way."


    Stephen led Katherine to the waiting room and smiled reassuringly. "He was talking when he went in to get the scan. The reporters haven''t gotten wind of this yet, so I am praying the news will be buried." Stephen grimaced as he looked at the phone.


    "The director and Giselle will be arriving, too. So, you might need to hide." Katherine nodded in understanding. He ran her hand through her hair as her mind pulled her in several directions at once. She didn''t know how to process all the information that was being thrown at her.


    There was a frantic voice and quick footsteps coming their way, making both Stephen and Katherine look up. She could have very well hidden from this crowd but something possessed her to stand up and look these people in the eye.


    A man in his fifties came rushing at Stephen, accompanied by a younger man and a woman whom Katherine recognized as Giselle. The director gripped Stephen''s shoulder and shook him.


    "Tell me-" he began but Stephen was quick to respond.


    "Take a deep breath. We admitted him in case we missed something." Stephen looked towards the room and then sharply looked back at the director. "We''ll talk about safety and processes in the crew when Cage is better. Right now, please stay on standby and remember to thoroughly investigate what went wrong."


    Giselle was the first to notice Katherine. She glanced at her multiple times, confused at first before understanding dawned on her. Katherine saw the change and bowed a little in acknowledgment.


    "I''m Katherine Austen," she said, moving forward and extending her hand. The director and his assistant remained stunned by the information while Giselle came forward to hug her.


    "I''m so sorry," she said, her voice low and guilty. Katherine patted her arm, pulling away.


    "I''m sure it''s not your fault. Cage speaks highly of you and your skills. He was looking forward to working with you." Throughout the interaction, Stephen remained calm, not revealing if he was displeased or not.


    "Family of Cage Cavanaugh?" the team looked up as the doctor came towards them.


    Katherine jumped to respond. "Yes," she said quickly. The doctor used some complicated terms that went over her head but the conclusion was that Cage''s injuries were minor. He required some rest and medication to make sure he recovered but none of it would have a long-term effect. He wouldn''t be able to work for a couple of days and ensure he doesn''t hit his head again in the future.


    Katherine was ecstatic. Cage was okay and he would be discharged shortly. Now that she knew nothing was really wrong, she could think of other things.


    "That was a reckless move," Stephen commented, taking a seat beside Katherine.


    "You think so?" she asked, giving him a sideward glance.


    "You''re growing more courageous about revealing your relationship. Not that I mind, you had to get over it sooner or later. I''m happy it was sooner and you have some sense of who you are revealing the truth to." Stephen chuckled.


    "That being none of the three will run off to the press, am I right?" Katherine speculated.


    "Cage helped Giselle out before shooting began, so she is loyal to him while the director and others on set signed an NDA. You''re in the clear. No one followed us either, so..."


    "Safe for now, then," Katherine said without much emotion.


    "It''s bound to come out sometime in the future." Stephen shrugged.


    The other three perked up.


    "Do you want anyone to drink while we wait?" Stephen asked.


    "No, I''m still reeling from the shock," Katherine admitted. "But why is the assistant director staring at me like he will murder me?"

 Chapter 308 - Like A Fool

    Stephen looked at the man in question and chuckled. "He seems to have questions. We''re in the hospital so he won''t get far if he attacks. On the bright side, you''ll get help immediately." Stephen, this evil man smiled. "I''ll get you a bottle of juice or something. You don''t look like you had anything to eat today."


    "You know what?" she began, placing her hand on her thigh and standing up. "Let me go with you."


    "No, stay," Stephen said. "A doctor might look for Cage''s family. And I can handle your food and drinks by myself." He turned to leave. Katherine watched with wide eyes as he left her with these unknown people in a hospital. She took in a cleansing breath and was about to close her eyes to pretend to sleep when someone put their hand on her shoulder.


    She jumped and look wildly in the direction of the person only to see the assistant director taking a seat beside her. He smiled a gentle smile which may or may not have hidden his violent intentions. "We should get to know one another," he said quickly.


    At that moment, Katherine bit her tongue and hoped for Stephen to come back quickly. She regretted telling these people who she was. While the other two watched in fascination the exchange happening between them, Katherine pleaded silently for it to get over.


    "I never thought that Mr. Paper Bag that you mentioned was Cage. What a small world," he said, smiling.


    This was not what she was expecting. "What?" she squeezed out the word.


    "Uh... you talk about him all the time in your videos..."


    Her brain took a minute to process that. She gaped at this stranger like a fish out of water. Good thing she was in a hospital, her brain capacity seemed to have diminished quite a bit in the last hour.


    "You are a follower?" she pointed.


    "Ahha! So it is you," she chuckled. Katherine groaned as she put her hands over her face.


    "Cage kept watching your videos on the set so some of us picked up on that because we were curious. Half of the crew is in love with your videos at this point. The elusive boyfriend you kept talking about was Cage. What a surprise!"


    Katherine''s cheeks were burning. She could have fried an egg on them if she wanted. She peeked from between her fingers. This had gotten the interest of the director who was grimacing.


    "You talk about Cage on the internet?" this older man asked. Most people his age were still disparaging of the internet revolution so Katherine didn''t jump to defend herself. She didn''t see the point.


    "Yes," she said definitely. To think that she could find her courage only when someone opposed her.


    "I wasn''t informed of this," the man grumbled.


    "Not that there is much to it. A normal person talking about their loved one on their social media with the permission of the said person," Katherine remarked.


    "You''re quite sharp with your words," the director objected. "Stephen teach you that?" he snipped.


    "Sir, it''s their private matter," Giselle defended quickly.


    "Not when it can plummet my sales," the man spoke. He crossed his hand over his chest.


    "Last time I heard, production liked when actors got into romantic scandals during filming. It boosted sales. The magazines did sell a lot when Cage announced that he was in a relationship." The assistant director stared at Katherine silently.


    "Only when it is between the leads," the director glared.


    "I''m the common audience. I can tell you what we want." Katherine smiled sweetly and said no more.


    "A fan?" the director sighed. Katherine paid him no attention.


    "She''s a vlogger. She does gameplay and cooks amazing food," the assistant director said to lighten the mood.


    "You and your vlogs. So, this girl has followers?" his eyes brightened a little. "How many?" Having found gold, the director seemed more pleased with Katherine.


    "About six million now," the assistant director boasted. Katherine glanced at the man, wondering how he seemed so proud that she had many followers.


    "Good." Was all this man said. Katherine passively looked at him before turning towards the footsteps approaching them. Stephen was back. He looked at her curiously as he handed her a box of food and a drink.


    "Thanks," she muttered. She opened the box and munched down on the food quickly, silently letting the others chat and discover that she wasn''t a nobody anymore.


    The only problem was... no one knew if that was a good thing or a bad thing.


    Soon enough, the doctor allowed visitors in the room. Katherine remained in the waiting room as the others went in to talk to him. Stephen was already in the process of talking to the doctor to get him discharged. Finally, when the others came out, Giselle approached Katherine.


    "He''s waiting for you. You were the first person he wanted to see," she said with a warm smile. Giving Katherine''s hand a squeeze, she left.


    Katherine pressed her lips together to stop the surge of emotions from overflowing. She moved inside timidly, seeing him laying on the bed with his eyes closed. She reached his side and checked his forehead for a temperature like a fool. Then she ran her shaking fingers through his hair, finally losing her battle against the tears.


    She ducked her head, swiping away the tears quickly. But he had already opened his eyes and seen them.


    "Hey," he called in a raspy voice.


    She raised her head with a small gasp. "You''re awake?" she whispered.


    He blinked at her in confusion. "I was just pretending to sleep at first... then I really fell asleep." The smile on his lips barely tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Don''t cry," he whispered back, touching her cheek gently.


    Much to her horror, her tears poured out and a sob broke through her lips. She pressed her knuckles against her mouth, trying to stop the sound from escaping. "I''m sorry. I was so scared. Your work shouldn''t... it shouldn''t be dangerous like this..."

 Chapter 309 - Risk Assessment

    He put his hands on hers, trying to reassure her. "I''m okay. It was just a malfunction. Nothing happened to me!" he said. He worked diligently to loosen her fingers from the tight fist she had made.


    She groaned, wiping her tears with one hand. "Good thing it wasn''t a skyscr.a.p.er you fell off of," she sniffed. "On another note, I was ambushed by the assistant director. You didn''t tell me people watch me on your set."


    He huffed. "I didn''t know that. At least he is contributing to your ad revenue."


    Katherine smiled a small smile and said no more. She smoothed his hair back, smiling because he looked so vulnerable. Soon, he drifted off to sleep. "Cage?" she whispered. He hummed, even though he didn''t seem to be conscious.


    "I love you." She leaned down to press a kiss on his temple.


    "I know," he murmured and his head turned to the side.


    Katherine stifled her laughter.


    - - -


    "Ever think that you are a fourteen-year-old who needs to be driven to his dates?" Stephen asked without taking his eyes off the road.


    Cage snorted and looked over to his manager. "No one was asking me to dates when I was that age," he replied promptly.


    "I mean, I drive you around all the time. How does that make you feel?" Stephen snickered. Despite himself, he knew that teenager Cage was not the finest hunk in school. Puberty had really hit him hard, so who cared.


    "The only reason you are driving me is that I knocked myself on the head," Cage grumbled.


    "Well, your mother probably dropped you on your head as a baby to begin with, so I wouldn''t put it past you to worsen your intelligence in the meantime," Stephen deadpanned. With a pause he began to talk again. "Still feeling out of it?"


    "I''ll be okay," Cage pouted.


    "Answer the question."


    "I''m still a little woozy but yeah..." Cage''s voice was low.


    "Settle down, then. You''re jumping around too much." Cage chuckled and closed his eyes as he rested his head against the headrest.


    "Reminds me, how is Giselle doing? Her bodyguards are not having issues, right?" Cage asked offhandedly.


    "Yeah, I took a look at the letters and they unnerve me. I can''t imagine what it feels like to be in her shoes," Stephen sighed.


    "Don''t make a big production out of her going places, she''ll get scared further."


    "That''s better than her going around as she wishes." Stephen paused. "We looked over the safety equipment. Both the harness and the mat were old and malfunctioning. The crew is perplexed how it happened."


    "Then we''re thinking in the same direction. Giselle was the one who was supposed to fall. Instead, I got roped into it." Cage crossed his arms over his chest. They were almost at the restaurant. "I convinced her to remain in the production. She''s walking on eggshells all the time and with what happened today, I don''t know how to reassure her."


    "Don''t fret about this. You have done your best. The production does have a good security team and the bodyguards Giselle has appointed are the best in the industry. That is all you can do in this situation."


    Stephen glanced towards Cage to see him gazing out of the window with a faraway look in his eyes. Cage hadn''t realized that the other had stopped talking. Which was unusual for him.


    "What is it?" Stephen asked, his brows furrowed.


    "Nothing. It''s just that... I feel like we are missing something obvious."


    "Now that you mention it," Stephen started thinking. "The person sending those letters is obsessed with you... not Giselle. You are the one who is mentioned over and over again. They put you on a pedestal. It makes me feel like we are protecting the wrong person."


    Cage''s head snapped towards Stephen. "Don''t start with that. I''ll be fine, I don''t need another babysitter."


    "I''ll do a risk assessment. Moreover, you are not the person at most risk here... its Katherine." That statement shook Cage to his core.


    "F.u.c.k." He banged his head against the headrest.


    "Stop that. You hurt your head." Stephen had a moment of silence as they sat stuck in traffic. "What if we have missed something obvious. We haven''t gone through your fanmail thoroughly and checked for any threats. You haven''t gotten anything threatening, right?"


    Cage shook his head. "I get threatening letters all the time. And I haven''t checked through them in the past couple of months. I barely got any time to breathe." He huffed.


    "Then we need to go through everything without fail. I''ll get a team of interns to read through your fanmail or something." Stephen''s plan was concrete.


    "Not that I have any privacy," Cage sighed. "You tell me every little thing you find, especially if it has something to do with Katherine. Is this person is interested in Giselle because of her association with me, god knows what their opinion of Katherine is."


    "You''re lucky her identity hasn''t been revealed yet. Maybe the creep doesn''t know anything about Katherine to go off of."


    "You''re scaring me." Cage tried his best to remain calm. In the distance, he could see the sign of the restaurant he had booked.


    He pulled out of the car after making sure that nobody that followed him. He peered at Stephen from outside with his final instruction. "Pick me up at ten unless I call you and tell you otherwise," he told him. Stephen nodded and turned to take out the bouquet of flowers they had bought on the way to the restaurant.


    "You almost forgot this," he commented, half throwing it at Cage. The other protested but smiled. He sniffed the bunch, feeling satisfied with the aesthetic.


    He had to pace the floor for a couple of minutes. He had arrived earlier in his anxiety to see her all dolled up for him. While this was for his private viewing. One day soon, the world would see them together, dressed up and matching.

 Chapter 310 - Bend Me Over

    Lo and behold, from the window, he saw a taxi stop in front of the restaurant and sighed in relief when the door opened. He remained rooted to his spot, unable to go out and open the door for her, lest someone noticed him. It pricked his heart but he did what he could.


    At first, he could only see her legs, completely covered in a red material. And soon, she was out in all her glory. The bell over the door chimed and flew open when she entered. Her hand slid into his and he pulled her in, nearly fainting at the sight of her.


    "You look amazing," he said breathlessly.


    She smiled, making him dizzy. She was dressed in red, the material skimming down her body, covering everything yet showing off her beautiful cures. It was a strapless dress, hinting at her cleavage and leaving her b.r.e.a.s.t to the imagination of the viewer. She wore the pendant his mother had given her and damn... it complimented her throat so well. Her hair was pulled to the back by a clip but some loose curls spilled out, framing her beautiful neck. With her smokey eyes and incarnadine lips, she looked nothing short of a siren.


    He should have ushered her back into the cab and taken her to the hotel straight away.


    "Thank you," she said, her tongue peeking out provocatively. The move was so enticing that he had to kiss her immediately. When they broke apart, he hurried her inside the restaurant. He placed the flowers in her arms, saying no more.


    "Where did you get this suit?" she asked, bewildered. She hadn''t seen this one before.


    He smirked and kissed the back of her hand. "I took it from the movie''s stylist. She informed me that I would be stabbed to death if I spill anything on it." He couldn''t take his eyes off her. "Where did you get this dress?"


    "Angelina pulled some strings and got a local boutique to deliver it to me this afternoon. You like?" Like she had to ask. "It cost a fortune, so you should humor me." She pouted.


    "Did you spend all your money on this dress?" Cage frowned.


    "No," she replied quickly. "Angelina is in the talks to be their face. They sent it to me as a favor to her. I don''t know how to pay back all these influential people in my life." She scoffed. He rolled his eyes, placing his hand on her back and guiding her to their designated room.


    The room was dark, the seat jet black and the windows tinted, showing off the city lights in the distance. A waiter appeared, helping pull the chair out for Katherine.


    She sat across from him, looking out the window and sighing, content. "Would you like me to find something for the flowers?" the waiter asked politely. She startled back to look at the man and gave him a blinding smile, leaving the man befuddled.


    "Thank you. I would appreciate that." She handed the flowers to him and he hurried away, trying to hold on to his professionalism. There was already a bottle of champagne in a bucket and two glasses already poured.


    "What did you do to the poor man?" Cage teased. Before she could answer, they heard the clearing of a throat. Looking towards the direction of the sound, Katherine saw a famous chef standing at the head of the table.


    "Chef Carlos!" Cage called, surprised. "To what do we owe this pleasure?"


    "I heard that you had made a reservation and had to prepare our traditional meal myself. It is designed to invoke all your senses and leave you in a state of bliss."


    "Thank you. We look forward to it." A Michelin star chef cooking for her? To what did she owe this pleasure? She looked at Cage''s unwavering eyes and knew the answer immediately. The chef had left without a sound and the two kept staring at one another. In the end, it was Katherine who broke the silence. "You''re looking like I am on the menu."


    "You are on the menu... later tonight." He smirked.


    She burst into laughter. "I can''t take you anywhere. You''re always looking for ways to bend me over."


    "It didn''t seem like I was the only one. The waiter almost lost his eye back then. Good thing the restaurant is empty, I would have to kill them all otherwise."


    "You''re growing more violent every day!" she commented with a giggle. "Good thing. Now we can go on a murder spree and kill people who like the other half."


    "You''ve rubbed off on me," he winked. He caressed her hand and watched her eyes darken with desire. "Even your skin is like silk," he observed.


    "I''m lathering myself in oil too often. It''s doing wonders to my skin." Two can play at the game, Mr. Cavanaugh.


    The teasing continued and the food arrived. The food looked divine, but the ingredients were not... ideal. They were all the fancy things that Katherine didn''t particularly enjoy. She couldn''t speak up much because Cage had put in so much effort to bring them out.


    "I usually eat what appeals to me," he spoke suddenly, changing the conversation. "I''m sure half the food we ordered will be thrown out. When we go out, we can get some burgers and fries. What do you say?" Katherine looked at him with wide eyes.


    "Sounds good to me," she said finally. Leave it to Cage to know exactly what she was thinking.


    - - -


    The call came in sometime early the next morning. The interns had gone over all his mail and found something surprising.


    "What is it?" Cage asked, quickly leaving the bed and going to the bathroom so as to not wake Katherine up.


    "It''s nothing you haven''t heard before. Mails from people who think they know you. A lot of them talk about you like the two of you are best friends. What''s surprising is that they do talk about Giselle a bit. I took scans of the letters she received and it all fits in? Like it is part of one big conversation."

 Chapter 311 - Sensitive Creatures

    Cage mulled over that for a moment. "Send me the pictures and I''ll take a look at them myself." He huffed. "Did any of them mention Katherine?"


    There was silence on the other side. "Some of them did mention your girlfriend and how they wanted to know if she was good enough for you. Nothing jarring, but with the overall creepiness factor, I think we''ll have to get some bodyguards for Katherine too." Stephen''s words made sense.


    "I''ll be resting for a couple of days, so no need for that now. I''ll go out with her whenever."


    "That''s even worse!" Stephen protested. "Do not go out with her anymore. I have a sinking feeling in my gut."


    Cage pressed his lips together in dissatisfaction. "And your gut is never wrong." He said his goodbyes and cut the call immediately.


    He turned to go to the bathroom but then remembered that he didn''t need to go to the shoot that day. Instead, he went back to bed. He wasn''t in a good mood.


    Resting didn''t come easily to him.


    Rationally, he knew that he wasn''t sick enough to take time off, but knowing his overprotective manager and girlfriend, he wouldn''t get away with shooting the day after the ''accident.'' The bright spot in his frustration was spending his time with Katherine.


    He finally relished the feeling of waking up with her in his arms. She cheered him up. Not that day.


    That day, he was in a really foul mood. He wasn''t talking too much, still mulling over the information about a stalker who could potentially hurt Katherine. He pretended to watch television while Katherine sat next to him working. He knew she was only trying to help him if he needed anything but his non-answers were taking a toll on her.


    Cage knew that if he spoke, he would go on a rant about the stalker and he didn''t want her to worry.


    He jumped a little when Katherine put her arm around his shoulder and snuggled close to him. He stiffened when she held the phone away from their face and was about to snap a picture.


    "What are you doing?" he asked, pulling away.


    "What''s wrong? Why are you so upset?" she asked, frowning at his expression. She looked over his face to search for signs of pain.


    "Just..." he trailed off.


    "I''m sending the picture to your mother. She called me because she was worried." She stood up, looking at him with a hurt expression. "Did you think I was sending it to someone else?" She huffed and strode out of the bedroom, muttering to herself.


    Cage hung his head, cursing under his breath. He considered going after her to explain but instead found himself crossing his arm over his chest and stopping himself. He couldn''t tell her.


    Half an hour later, Katherine peered in again. She had put her hair up in a bun. When she entered, she didn''t say anything. Neither did he. She came in and sat down on the bed beside him, crossing her arm over her chest, mirroring his actions.


    She looked at him, her eyes firm, her lower lip jutting out stubbornly, ready for a fight if the need be.


    Cage''s lip twitched despite his will. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see her smirk, too. He figured that she wasn''t too upset.


    In reality, Katherine knew that not being able to work and staying in the hotel because of an injury was the last time Cage wanted. She also figured that something was plaguing him. So, she decided not to give him a hard time.


    Another minute passed and she pointed at her cheek. "Kiss it," she demanded.


    He let out a deep breath, amused and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. She turned her head to the other side and pointed to her cheek.


    "Kiss." He did as he was asked.


    She propped herself up on her elbows and knees, popping her butt out and sticking it in front of him. She pointed. "Spank it."


    This was the breaking point. He burst into laughter and caressed her butt before giving it a smooth smack. He leaned in, his fingers reaching her chin and pulling her in for a proper kiss.


    "I''m sorry," he apologized quickly. "I was an ass just now. I love you." If it came to the worst, he would kneel down and beg.


    "I know." She forgave quickly. She pressed her lips to the tip of his nose and settled down beside him. "Is something bothering you?" she asked carefully, putting the ball in her court, letting him decide how much information he wanted to divulge.


    "Just some troubling activity on the set," he said vaguely. Katherine understood immediately but didn''t ask further to clarify. She nodded in understanding and then pulled out the phone once again.


    "Now, can we take a picture so that your mother knows I am taking good care of her little boy while she is not there?"


    Cage rolled his eyes but let her take the picture. She even put on a filter that put cute glasses on their faces. After a few more filters, Katherine giggled. She leaned over and rested her head on his chest as she scrolled through the pictures.


    "Look at this... Is that a worm in your pants?" she asked. "Or are you happy to see me?" she snorted.


    "Don''t call it a worm. It''s a dragon, don''t you know?" he chuckled. He burst into laughter when he saw that she was editing the photograph to put a picture of Dragoon from Beyblade on his bulging nether region.


    "It looks too angry," he commented glancing at her. "My Dragoon is never angry to see you."


    Now, it was Katherine''s turn to laugh. "I can''t take it seriously if you keep referring to him as an anime character."


    "I will stop them. It is never a good idea to laugh at a man''s c.o.c.k. They''re sensitive creatures." He nodded sagely.

 Chapter 312 - Taste Of Leisure Life *

    Her hand slowly slithered down his chest to rest on his belly. Her fingers stroked along the hem of his shirt that had ridden up his body. It was distracting as hell.


    "So, what do you want to name it?" he asked, clearing his throat as he watched her fingers dance over his skin. "We must remain serious about this topic."


    The vixen got down on her knees and traced the outline of his semi-hard length through the pants he wore and looked up at him. Batting her eyelashes, she spoke. "I think I need to inspect it closely to come to a conclusion." Her tone was evil but her eyes innocent. She extended a single finger and poked at it. "I think he is shy."


    Cage made a face, offended. "Shy?" And she was seriously treating it like a worm, poking at it without any intention to finish what she started.


    Her head raised and she looked at him. "Yes," she challenged. A thrill went through his body. If she wanted to play, he would gladly tag along.


    "What should we do about it then?" he choked out.


    She pretended to think before getting up from the bed and standing straight. He was unmistaken nervousness in her eyes. He needed to think for a second before he realized her plan. Her hands went to the shirt she was wearing... it was his... too big to fit him, so on her, it looked like she was drowning in the material. She slowly unbuttoned it.


    As she swayed her h.i.p.s and unbuttoned, stopping only to push her pants down and kicking them off, he realized what she was up to. He almost shrieked as he tightly shut his eyes.


    "Cage," she tempted in that sing-song voice of hers.


    "I can''t look!" he whimpered. "It''s... sacrilegious!"


    "Wah... Don''t tell me, you''ve never imagined an anthropomorphic image of her," she snorted. "Knowing you, you would," she teased. The black tail and peeking out from under the oversized shirt was all the clue Cage needed.


    "It''s a children''s show!" Cage squeaked. "This should not exist."


    The shirt soon followed suit and joined her pants on the floor. In her red and black little Minnie Mouse costume, Katherine stood waiting for him to open his eyes.


    The bed dipped beside him and then her hand was on his shoulder. "The costume exists and it is a best seller, what does that tell you? Too sinful for Cage?" she hummed. Her lips were near his ear now. "I won''t tell on you..."


    He whimpered. It shouldn''t have, but he felt his c.o.c.k harden. Treated to s.e.xy cosplay! It was good that he had hurt his head.


    She straddled him and put something in his hands. "Open your eyes."


    He did... and choked. She looked glorious in that black and red corset and underwear with the tail and bow on.


    "This is so wrong!" But even as he said it, he wrapped the tail she had offered him around his hand, bringing her closer to him for a rough kiss. His breath was short as his head tried to catch up with what his body was doing.


    For commodifying Minnie and Katherine, he would pay somehow, but for now, he decided to enjoy himself. He would just have to spend days worshiping her.


    And then, he sat back and let himself enjoy.


    She pushed him down when he tried to sit up. "I''ll be doing all the work," she mumbled. She was already grinding her h.i.p.s over his erection.


    He licked his lips, not thinking it a bad idea. Considering his head hurt at odd moments, letting her do all the work was the best option. A little degrading, but a good option for his health and sanity. He busied his hand running up and down the length of her body, over the corset and bikini. And her b.r.e.a.s.ts? Almost spilling out from the little bra she wore...


    Costumes. It was too hot.


    His mind went blank when freed his c.o.c.k from the confines of his pant. His hand was on her h.i.p.s, groaning when he felt the heat of her p.u.s.s.y slide over his c.o.c.k. Before he realized what he was doing, he was tugging on the tail again.


    "You want me?" she m.o.a.ned. The reaction was a little out of place, so Cage was mildly confused. He gave another tug, making his intentions known. If he was in good health, he would have flipped her over and taken her hard and fast... not to mention, deep.


    She decided to put him out of his misery when she shimmied out of her panties. To his surprise... the tail remained attached to her.


    "Is that?" His eyes bulged and he had to crane his neck to see it with his own two eyes. Katherine laughed at his reaction but didn''t let him recover before sinking down on him.


    Cage cried out as she took him deep, starting to ride him with vigor. She owned him... no matter what she wore. All he could do was tug at that tail whenever he felt that she was getting the best of him. Apart from that, he squirmed and shouted her name without repent.


    When they were spent, she collapsed on top of him. Their breathing out of sync, but their bodies slick with perspiration.


    "Did I break you?" she asked, trying to get off him.


    "I think so," he grumbled, clinging onto her tighter.


    "Now that you''ve had a taste of a leisure life, how will you go back to working?" she scoffed.


    "Well, if you keep doing that, I won''t mind."


    She lifted her head and pressed a kiss to his chin. "I''ll take the responsibility of feeding you, then," she said lightly.


    He reached around and inspected the tail closely. "Whatever you want," he replied. She wriggled off him, escaping his inspection.


    "Stop. I''ll..."


    "Wear it again?" Cage interjected hopefully.


    "It seems I haven''t taken care of you enough!" Katherine pouted.


    "Katherine?" he called out of the blue. She turned to him with a curious look. "Move in with me."

 Chapter 313 - First Flight Back

    Katherine started to sputter.


    "It''s okay if you don''t want to. I understand," Cage said quickly.


    "I''m not saying no," she clarified. "I just don''t understand why this conversation came up. I mean, I pretty much live with you now?" She was mildly confused.


    He chuckled and raised his arm to stroke her cheek lovingly. "We are out of town right now. I want you to move in with me when we return to City H."


    "And the people?" she asked, taking in the proposition and actually thinking about it.


    "I haven''t figured out the logistics yet, but with all your friends basically moving out, you''ll be left to pay the EMI on your own every month. We don''t get to spend much time anyway, so it would be fabulous if you lived with me. You could rent out your apartment and not have to worry about the EMI."


    "And the people?" she asked again.


    He brushed her hair back and cupped her cheek. He wanted to do everything in his power to reassure her. He was going to be fine no matter what the world threw at him and he was going to make sure nothing could touch her, either.


    "When I was falling, for a split second, I was scared that I would die. It made me think about what is important. Not the endless questions that people will ask but just living my life with you." He paused and pressed a kiss on top of her head. "I love you. We may not have known each other for years but I know it. I''m in this for life. I''m sorry it took me thinking that I was going to die to tell you what I really wanted."


    Her eyes shined with unshed tears. "I don''t want to think about that. And you don''t need to convince me. I had pretty much decided to ask you myself but then backed off because it was too shameless."


    Cage pushed her away from him, looking at her face carefully.


    "You should have been shameless. I wouldn''t have to pretend to say it in the throws of passion then." He pouted.


    "So, we''re doing this..." she trailed off. "We have a couple of months until we return to City H. By then, we can figure out how to move in."


    Every small thing in the life of a couple seemed so hard to them. One was an international superstar and the other a public figure who needed to be careful. So much had to be considered to take a single step.


    Cage groaned all of a sudden. "The week before you move in, we need to go to the store."


    Her nose wrinkled with dissatisfaction. "Why?"


    "We need to pick out new paint for the house. You can choose what you want to do with each room." Katherine beamed.


    "You want me to paint your house?"


    "Our house," he corrected her. "Yes, you choose."


    "Your house is really beautiful. Why do you want me to..." She sounded mystified.


    "This is serious." He lowered his head to press a soft kiss on her lips. "I''m serious about you." Her eyes sparkled but she made a show of studying him.


    "You must have hit your head too hard," she scoffed.


    "I didn''t do much to make it my own house. I let my mother take over and decorate. I let the cleaners do the rest. I want to build a home with you. One that feels like our home."


    And there it was again.


    "Stop sounding like a lost puppy. It doesn''t suit you." She pinched his cheek and chuckled. "Okay, we''ll paint everything. Let''s have fun!" she cheered and dropped down beside him.


    "If you think I''m being unreasonable because I hit my head and am emotional, I''ll ask you when I''m all better." His confidence was overwhelming.


    "I don''t doubt you one bit," she confessed.


    - - -


    Two days later, Cage had shot a couple of scenes and was beyond tired. While he was napping, his phone rang approximately too early into his nap. Groaning, he rolled over and slapped his hand around to find his phone.


    "Hello?" he grumbled, throwing his arm over his eye to block the light.


    "Good morning, asshole," Stephen fumed from the other side. "I went away for a day to meet Angelina and you went out with Katherine without telling me?" he asked.


    Cage blinked, confused. He checked to see if he was really awake before responding to his manager. "Stephen, what the f.u.c.k are you talking about? I didn''t go out with Katherine since that day at the restaurant. You drove me."


    "What?" Stephen sounded equally confused.


    "I stayed in the hotel room for the last four days, recovering."


    There was silence on the other end of the phone, then a sigh. "Put your phone on speaker and get your browser going."


    Cage sat up with a groan and squinted at the phone as he did as he was asked. "Okay," he said with a yawn.


    The browser was on and Cage was plastered all over social media. The articles and shares were widespread. The bad part? Katherine was in the picture. He cursed under his breath as he read through the article.


    There were pictures of them together in the car when they were in City O. Him waiting outside the hotel. Even their pictures on their dates. They had everything. Thankfully, none of the pictures had Katherine''s face in them. Her head was turned in each one or obscured by his arm.


    Worst of all? The newspapers had mentioned which hotel he was staying in and hinted that Katherine was staying with him.


    "F.u.c.k f.u.c.k f.u.c.k f.u.c.k." He couldn''t stop. His hand was embedded in his hair as he pulled savagely.


    "Don''t worry, I''m booking the first flight back. Just make sure Katherine stays indoor for now. I''ll try to clean up the news and issue a statement."


    "What are you going to do with these photos?" Cage asked, panicking slightly.


    "I''ll try to take them down. Just... trust me."

 Chapter 314 - Cant Be Without You

    Katherine hadn''t heard him leave in the morning. We woke up alone and showered before getting up to dress. She had slept in late and was still sleepy. Not wanting to order in food, she dressed in Cage''s oversized hoodie and jeans to head out. The plan was to have a chill day outside, have lots of street food, snacks, and confectionaries.


    She''d heard of a famous alley where artists would come to show off their work, so she planned on visiting it as well.


    She was about to walk out of the front door when someone shouted. All hell broke loose when a mass of bodies surrounded her. Flashes of the camera went off and questions were fired non-stop. Katherine froze for a second before hanging her head. The hood covered her head completely, not letting out a single hint of her face.


    "How long have you been together with Cage? Where did you meet?" The crush of bodies crowded around and she ducked. She couldn''t understand how they had figured out it was her. She tried to get the hell away from them as fast as possible.


    Her heart was pounding and the security guards were yelling and trying to shove the bodies away from her as she got out her phone. Katherine stared at the screen for a split second, wondering if she should call him in this mess and get caught red-handed. They would hear her voice.


    Her shirt. It was her shirt that had given her away. But she didn''t know what had happened. There was no news about them, so what was happening?


    A security guard shoved a guy out of Katherine''s face. The man had been trying to rip her hood off while he tried to question her. There were questions in different languages and they kept coming at her. So fast that she couldn''t think properly. All she wanted to do was run, but the chances of space were grim.


    It felt like a lifetime had passed until she saw a couple of men in suits break up the crowd considerably. The hotel management had been called. Someone had done that for her. Katherine relaxed marginally as some of the bodies backed off. But she still couldn''t move. She kept her head down as she heard the constant click of cameras.


    There was shuffling and struggle, and Katherine ducked. "Miss, get inside!" someone yelled. A barrier had somehow formed around her and they were struggling to get her back inside. Someone grabbed her arm and forced her out, dragging her inside the hotel with great effort.


    Her hood fell, the cameras flashed. Thankfully, her back was turned. Her long brown hair flowed out, waving in the wind. She limped and almost balked as her knees gave away. The stewardess at the front desk hurried forward helping her.


    "Ma''am, I''ll take you to the room," the woman said softly. She nodded as she limped. "Did you get hurt?" she asked with a frown.


    "Someone stepped on me," Katherine mumbled unhappily. The phone in her hand rang. As she looked at the screen, she couldn''t help but suck in a deep breath.


    ''This is no time to cry,'' she reminded herself. She picked up the phone and answered.


    "Hello?"


    "Katherine?" the raw worry in his voice broke her. Tears pricked at her eyes as she tried to contain the sob.


    "Cage... they know."


    This was the beginning of chaos.


    - - -


    On the other side of the call, Cage was panicking


    ''What have I done? Damn it.'' "Did something happen?" he asked. He was already donning on his jacket and leaving the set in a hurry.


    "I don''t know what happened. I was going out and they just surrounded me all of a sudden..." she trailed off.


    A member of the crew came forward, looking shocked at how urgently Cage was moving about the set. "Get me a car, immediately," he shouted pulling away from the phone.


    "But sir-" the boy protested.


    "Now!" Cage roared. Taken aback, the boy shuffled away in search of someone who could fulfill the demand.


    Cage heard her hyperventilate, her breath coming in short spurts. "I''m so sorry..." she kept mumbling.


    "Don''t say that! It''s okay, love. It''s going to be okay. Just tell me what happened in detail and I will figure out what to do." He needed to know how she had gotten out. Who had helped her.? Everything.


    Cage''s heart cracked at the confusion and pain in her voice. She told him everything, from the security to the questions and the people who finally pulled her out.


    The f.u.c.k.i.n.g media... those bastards had ambushed her.


    Cage was going to kill someone.


    "I kept my head down and I don''t think they got my face."


    Despite her words, Cage couldn''t focus.


    "Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" he panicked as he wildly searched for the car he had asked for.


    "I''m fine. I... just got pushed. I think I have a sprained foot. That''s all." Cage fumed as he imagined rampaging over the people who had hurt her. Whoever it was, they would be dead by tomorrow.


    He could hear how her voice had gotten higher and higher, bordering on a panic attack.


    "It''s okay. Just go to the room. I''m coming back. I''ll take care of everything." He tried to sound as soothing as possible. All he could think about was these damned people ruining his relationship with Katherine. What if she was too scared and ran away. What if...


    ''I can''t be without you,'' he wanted to say, but the panic. He would definitely worry her more if he said anything.


    Fortunately, she sounded a little better before they hung up.


    "Where is my car?" Cage finally screamed. The crew turned, stunned that the usually happy and excited actor had turned into a raging monster.


    The assistant director was fast approaching him. "I got the car," he said from a distance. "Are you sure you''ll be able to get in?" he asked, worry lacing his voice.


    "I don''t care how I get in," Cage asserted. "I''ve gotta go. I''m sorry."


    The assistant director nodded. The director on the other hand looked less than pleased.


    "What do you mean you have to leave? We''re in the middle of the shooting! Don''t joke."

 Chapter 315 - Flipping The Bird

    "I don''t have the f.u.c.k.i.n.g time for this. My girlfriend just got out and a swarm of paps got to her. I have to f.u.c.k.i.n.g go. You can fire me or sue me if you want but I am going." He paused. A car had come to a stop near them. "And if anyone from the crew has a hand in this, I''ll be the one you answer to."


    It was a possible hypothesis. The director knew who she was and Cage had been in the industry for long enough to know how directors did things.


    The director blinked a few times, looking like he was going to argue but whatever he saw on Cage''s face stopped him.


    "Alright. We''ll shoot some other scenes. I expect you to call as soon as you straighten this out."


    Cage didn''t make any promises as he sped out. He would be back when his girlfriend was safe. He''d never delayed filming before so the industry could suck it up. If they had any choice words to say about his work ethic, they could try. This situation needed to be dealt with first.


    The ride seemed to take forever but eventually, he got a call from his PR team.


    "What the f.u.c.k is happening?" Irene asked, she sounded beyond pissed.


    "Stephen must have informed you about what happened. They surrounded Katherine. I was hoping you would know why there is news about her!" Cage demanded to know.


    "There was nothing last night. I double-checked. Damn it, we were going throughevery channel even this morning." She paused. "And don''t you look carefree in these pictures. You are even holding her!" she sighed.


    "I can hold my girlfriend whenever I want without your permission. I took every measure possible to keep her safe and sound. When my girlfriend looks beautiful, I can kiss her, too. It''s your f.u.c.k.i.n.g job to take of these things."


    Irene was silent. "I''m on your side."


    "It doesn''t sound that way!" he protested. He wasn''t pissed at her. It was the media. He knew better than to snap at his team, but all he could think about was how all of them had failed to stop the news from coming out. "I''m sorry," he said after a long moment. "Katherine is upset and she was crying. I know she is. I''m on my way to her and I can''t think straight."


    He took in a cleansing breath.


    "The cat is out of the bag. There is no going back. They will hunt her down until they find her so I''ll sit down with the team and Stephen to figure out how we can make it safer for you two."


    "Stephen is coming back on the first flight," he informed her. "And thank you."


    "It''s what we are supposed to do. In the meantime, stay away from the pap. We''ll issue a statement that the girl in the picture is your girlfriend but that we will not be releasing her name yet. I''ll also tell the media that we will publicly condemn any publication that outs her. Have Katherine tell all her friends and family to not disclose her identity or talk to the media."


    "Understood," Cage said quickly. Just as he was about to hang up, the manager spoke up.


    "It''s a beautiful picture. You two look very much in love." Of course, they did. "Go be with her. We''ll make some calls and figure things out."


    Stephen''s call came in next. "You''re going to need to do an interview with GC. You promised them that you would give them Katherine''s identity first in an exclusive."


    Cage remembered that conversation. "Let me talk to Katherine first. And once you get here, we can have a team meeting and figure out how to disclose the news." It was up to Katherine whether she wanted to talk to the media directly or not. Cage couldn''t take the call on that.


    The call ended quickly and the car pulled up in front of the hotel. Cage saw the press gathered across the street and there were a lot of them. Cage cursed internally as he wondered how these people had gotten wind of the situation. It was ridiculous.


    As soon as he stepped out, they started shouting. Fortunately, the cops had already been called and the security was waiting outside taking care of the other clients. Cage hurried up the steps. Before he could go inside, he turned to face the cameras. Not once since they started following them did he behave poorly with them. This time, he snapped. He flipped them off and glared.


    "Hope you got a good picture of that," he called before entering the hotel. His PR team would lose their minds, but he needed a place to bestow his anger.


    "Sir, we have returned Miss Austen to her room and placed a couple of security guards outside," the manager spoke as soon as he saw Cage.


    "Thank you for handling everything. I''ll want the footage from the scuffle. Please send it to my room once you have it." He didn''t bother sticking around. He hurried to the elevator and hit the button for his floor.


    ''I''m here. You''ll be in my arms within a few minutes,'' he reminded himself.


    The door opened and he sprinted down the hall, yanking out his key card as he went. He shoved it in without paying the security any attention and threw the door open. "Katherine?" he called out, as loud as possible.


    "Cage!" And there she was, embedded in his arms. Finally, his world was in balance again. Safe and sound.


    He hugged her close to him, burying his nose in her hair.


    She was fine.


    Thank God she was fine.


    She pulled away and looked at her face. Her eyes were wide and slightly unfocused but she looked unharmed. "Where are you hurt?" he demanded.


    "I''m fine, just a few scratches here and there. I''m so glad that you are here. I didn''t know what to do. I didn''t know it could be like that."


    Scratches? He quickly looked over her and tugged at the hem of her hoodie. He pulled it over her head, leaving her in her bra. Not a scratch. There were bruises. Rage shot through him at the fact that she had been injured no matter how ''minor.''

 Chapter 316 - Above And Beyond

    Cage wondered how he messed up. He felt like an idiot of the biggest proportion. "I''m so sorry," he apologized.


    "It''s not your fault," she reassured, despite how shaken she was. She snuggled into him and he closed his eyes as he held her. Having her in his arms had dissipated some of his fear now that he knew she was alright. He hadn''t realized how wound up he had been on the phone calls until this very moment.


    "What happened with the photographs?" Katherine asked softly.


    "Sit down. I''ll tell you." He pulled back and slipped an arm around her, leading her into the bedroom. "Do you need to see a doctor for your leg?" he asked, worried as he looked at how she was limping.


    "I just twisted it. I asked for ice already, it''s on its way."


    "It was really bad out there from what I saw," Cage mumbled.


    "Did they chase you, too?" she panicked. She turned swiftly and looked over him to see if he was hurt.


    "No!" he said quickly. "The security and cops had them covered. They''d be in a very difficult position if they tried to ambush me." He frowned. They had treated her like crap because she was a civilian. It''s like laws acted differently for different people. "I did ask them to f.u.c.k off when I saw them, so. My parents are not going to be thrilled."


    "Neither are Stephen and your PR team," Katherine chuckled for the first time.


    Once they had settled down, Cage started to explain. "I saw the pictures before I came. It seems to be taken on a phone camera and not one that the paps use. And the extent to which the photos go back, it was right after I announced that I had a girlfriend. If it were the papers, they would have published something with speculations long ago. This was someone who was following me around and waiting to get solid information in their hands."


    Katherine looked shaken by that. "You mean... someone has been following you?" she asked, raising her brow.


    "Remember how I had to convince Giselle not to ditch the production?" he asked.


    "Yes, because of some threatening letters," Katherine recalled. "Don''t tell me..." she groaned.


    "It is highly likely that this person is actually obsessed with me and wants to get their way by publicizing our relationship." Cage felt like an asshole saying this to her but an explanation was needed. Blindsiding her had been a bad choice to begin with. If he had told her, he wondered if the outcome would have been different.


    "I know of crazy fans but..." she shook her head. "At least the pictures came out looking beautiful. It would have been a disaster if I looked like a hag." She paused, pursing her lips. "Come to think of it... just then... I was going out in your hoodie and pants... I didn''t look my best."


    Cage tightened his grip around her and kissed the top of her head. "You didn''t look like a hag. You looked like a girlfriend who was well-loved." Seeing her calm made him happy. But he knew that this was just the beginning of the storm that was to come.


    "Oh, you''re wearing makeup!" Katherine said cheerfully, though forced. Cage cursed. He had meticulously taken off the layers of makeup in the past two weeks before returning to the hotel. He quickly released her and went to the bathroom to wash his face.


    "I rushed back," he told her as he scrubbed the stuff off. It barely came off, so Cage growled in frustration.


    "Use this," Katherine offered helpfully. It was a huge bottle of makeup remover and wipes. He smiled at her thankfully and took them without reservation. Using your girlfriend''s makeup remover, how very modern.


    Phone calls were made. First by Anna and Henrick, and then Cage''s team. There were some angry words said to the later party and Cage was scolded for flipping off the paps, but all in all, it was good.


    "Take some rest. You''ve gone above and beyond," Katherine said, pulling him towards the bed.


    "Least I can do," he grumbled. He had brought this on everyone. It was his oversight for not being careful.


    Katherine took his face in her hands. "No. You have been the most wonderful person since I walked into your life. You have been understanding and holding my hand through everything." Cage was about to protest when Katherine shushed him. "You''ve made my life worth living. I''m not just working and wondering what I am doing with myself anymore. I don''t want you to apologize for being yourself. I knew what I was getting into the moment I found you in my apartment. I might have been slightly overwhelmed but I am not going to hold you accountable for things people are doing wrong. You don''t deserve to be treated that way."


    Cage huffed. "Everyone keeps telling me that being followed and giving up your privacy comes with being a celebrity. I accept that. Why do they have to pull you into this?"


    "But it''s not your fault, Cage. You know that right?" she asked.


    Cage shrugged. "I know it''s not. And I don''t regret going out on dates with you. I don''t regret hugging you and kissing you when I want." He kissed her to emphasize that point.


    "I suppose we have to do something about this?" Katherine said after a moment of silence.


    "Stephen will arrive shortly and my team is issuing a press release shortly. We were thinking of letting GC interview me and get an exclusive. I''ll probably do it alone."


    "No," Katherine interjected. "We''re in this together. We need to face it together. If I don''t face them, they will continue harassing us."


    "You''re right," he said softly.


    "I can do everything as long as I am with you," she said with a smile.


    "That''s true," Cage commented warmly. She pushed him back all of a sudden and staddled him. Despite the mischievous smile, Cage could see the worry in her eyes. "Want me to prove it to you?" he asked.


    "Please do."

 Chapter 317 - Master In This Field

    Stephen came in that night looking exhausted.


    "Are the two of you doing okay?" Stephen asked as he plopped down on the bed.


    "Have some courtesy," Cage frowned seeing his manager sit so casually.


    "Give me a break. I took a flight, was in meetings throughout, got too many calls from reporters, and had to go to the police station to press charges against the paps." He heaved a sigh.


    "You''ve worked hard," Katherine soothed, handing him a glass of juice.


    "Is this from the suite fridge? They cost a bomb," Stephen complained.


    "Stop complaining. I can spare a few dollars for a drink." Cage was seated on the floor and looking through articles that had come out.


    "Did you call your parents?" Stephen asked, looking at the two.


    "I called my parents. My mom found out because she has news alerts on her phone. She wasn''t too pleased... neither was my dad. But his anger against the reporters outshined his outrage for his daughter being in a relationship with a celebrity." Katherine chuckled.


    "I haven''t called Mom, yet. Dad won''t have a fit, but mom will probably kill some people."


    "She already did," Stephen informed. "Henrick and Anna pulled up their contacts, got the lawyers in the case, and sued a few outlets. The paps are quivering in their boots, too. Don''t know what they did." The protective tendencies of parents was a great thing.


    "So they won''t be too pissed," Cage commented.


    "Now that they have handled the legalities, you''ll get your ass handed to you because you weren''t discreet enough."


    "They would never!" Katherine gasped. "They seem so nice."


    "Until they are pissed off." Cage didn''t look bothered so Katherine didn''t think much about it either. "People are already starting to speculate who you are," Stephen told Katherine. "It''s only a matter of time before they dig out who you are."


    "I''m getting messages from fans asking if it is me, too." Katherine frowned.


    "You have very distinguishing features. No wonder they recognized you instantly." Stephen thought for a bit. "At this time, we need a two-pronged attack. One to assuage your viewers and the other to let the world know who you are gently."


    "And how do you propose that?" Cage asked curiously.


    "We''re getting on a team call in half an hour," Stephen sighed. "Join in."


    - - -


    "You guys are insane," Cage said, locking eyes with Stephen and Katherine. "Let me get this straight. You want Katherine to post a video revealing me as her boyfriend and then date publicly."


    "It allows Katherine to be in the position of power and us to control the variables." Stephen informed him. "It might be easier to determine who has been sending those threatening messages if we do that."


    Cage glanced at Katherine to see her nodding in agreement. She knew all about the letters and had read through them, horror evident on her face. She was practically on board with any solution as long as it meant Cage was safe.


    "We don''t know if Giselle or I are being stalked," Cage groaned.


    Stephen ignored that. "Jealousy is a huge factor in this case. If the person sees you together out in the public. It will drive them out into the open further. They already sent the pictures to the newspapers. Didn''t even take the money and used a throwaway email at that."


    "That means you are using Katherine as a bait." Cage was horrified.


    "A willing bait," Katherine interjected.


    "In a controlled setting," Stephen added.


    "You''re all crazy."


    "Mr. Cavanaugh. Might we remind you that you pay us to get you the best plan of action?" Irene, the bitch, said.


    Cage glared at her through the screen. "They somehow have pictures of you coming out of the hospital. The newspapers were going to publish it, but we stopped it. These are very deliberate moves to get under your skin and get close to you."


    "And it will get to Katherine soon. It''ll affect her work and her morale. Do you want that?" Someone else from the team commented. Katherine remained silent, wanting to protest but also knowing that it would only strengthen Cage''s stance.


    After a long time, Cage sighed. "Okay, we''ll make a video revealing my identity to her followers for starters. We ensure that the style of the video is in line with her usual content and doesn''t look forced. We''ll call GC and give them some extra content that they can print an exclusive on and promote the video on their online article. I also want a group of bodyguards assigned to Katherine."


    Katherine stared at him for a moment before turning away.


    "I have no problem with that." To make him feel better and never be in the same situation ever again, she was ready to give up her freedom for the recent future.


    "I know it is a lot to ask, but we will have to depend on you to make this succeed," Irene bowed. Katherine smiled and didn''t speak back.


    "I''ve already revealed parts of Cage''s personality in my videos on his assistance. He has featured off-camera interrupting me and helping me clear levels. He has put on an accent every time and changed his voice so we should go ahead with that trend. In line with my graphic art side of the channel, I think we should do one of those reveals."


    No one really understood what she was talking about but they trusted her gut.


    "Okay, I''ll get GC on the line within a few hours. We can start filming with Stephen present," Irene quickly planned out. "Do you need any help editing the videos?"


    "No need, I am a master in this field," Katherine chuckled proudly.


    "Okay, we''ll leave it to you, then. Send us the video once you are done and we can give it the green light. We''ll send it to GC post that and have Cage answer a few questions with them, too. We''ll make this about you revealing your private life willingly and not because your boyfriend is a celebrity."


    "Thank you, it makes me feel powerful." Even though this move was made to lure out the stalker. This move really gave her the upper hand in the situation.

 Chapter 318 - Hint Number One

    Word was out. It had been almost a day since pictures of them together were posted but thankfully, her face was not visible. Her fans had yet to figure it out and frankly, they wanted to reveal their relationship on their own.


    None of this, being coerced into doing it. While their options were limited, Katherine was at a stage where it would be easier to reveal their relationship. Cage and Katherine sat in front of the laptop with Stephen on the side. On the video conference, his public relations team was prepared and monitoring all social media platforms and news outlets.


    When the pre-recorded video started to roll, it was the beginning of mayhem. Katherine had posted on her social media that she would be doing this and had asked her followers for questions. So, she did a question and answer video with her boyfriend. The catch? Cage''s face was animated by her personally. It was not magnificent, but it was enough to satiate anyone who saw it.


    In the meantime, she brushed up on her skills learned from the animation course she took.


    "Hello, my aliens!" she greeted. "This is my boyfriend," Katherine said, pointing towards the man on the screen, still in his animated form. She had painted him to be one of those ugly men from hentai videos, purposely to mislead the audience. They had never seen him, but the assumptions in the comments had been polarizing. She wanted to enjoy it a little longer and Cage didn''t mind. He got the joke, even.


    "Hello!" Cage said, producing a thick Transylvanian accent for some reason. She turned to gawk at him for a second before laughing and going back to character. Katherine didn''t know why this was kept in the video, but Stephen insisted that it showed off their relationship.


    "Today, we are starting backward..." she looked up, contemplating. "Which means, I will be doing the artwork after I shoot this video. As you know, I take a picture of a real person and turn them into a character in my own style. But today, I will be doing the exact opposite. I will be slowly revealing who my boyfriend is." She paused and gave the camera a wink.


    "All of you have been dying to know who my boyfriend is and I thought, well... Let''s do a Q and A. But it is also like strip poker?" Katherine looked a little confused herself. Cage, on the other hand, was snickering, still holding onto his deepened and very fake voice.


    "Well, we won''t be stripping any clothes, unfortunately," Cage commented from the side, much to the audience''s delight. So far, the comments were positive and excited. They wanted to know more. Knowing the content creator, she never failed to surprise on these things. "So, I asked you guys what you wanted to know about my boyfriend and you guys had a ton of questions..." Though she sounded excited she knew that she would be sitting on that chair for a really long time. "It''s currently ten at night," she informed after looking at her phone.


    "What do they want to know?" he asked, almost nervously. He had commented from the sidelines from time to time but never really made an appearance on her channel...


    "A lot. And you have to answer honestly." She gave him a blinding smile.


    "Okay," he nodded his head.


    "You all have asked me if I can animate and well, while I have a whole video on that, I thought we could do it this way, as well. So, enjoy!" Then she paused. "Are we in focus?" she asked, cutely craning her head and looking at the monitor.


    "No."


    "Hold on," Katherine said and skipped away, leaving Cage on the screen for a split moment. "You sit there, being all handsome," she cooed from further away before she bounced back into the frame.


    "You''re really happy to have me in your video," he grinned and she nodded her head vehemently.


    "Well, you don''t sound like yourself. And you won''t look like yourself in the video, so... this is going to be hilarious."


    "So, what is the first question?" Cage prompted.


    "It''s a comment actually... the person asked me to show your face immediately and not pull a stunt," she said, her lips spreading into an evil smile.


    "You evil, evil woman. You will break their hearts by doing exactly what they fear!" Cage said in a low voice. Katherine''s eyes darted to him, hoping that the audience couldn''t see the mild l.u.s.t in her eyes. Who knew that the Vlad Dracula accent could turn her on. But then, everything Cage did turn her on. This was no exception.


    "Someone also said that it was LazerBoi," she laughed loudly, thinking about how many people actually thought that. The comments burst forth with shock. It wasn''t LazerBoi? Who else could it be? Hadn''t everyone made it very clear?


    "Hint number one," Cage started. "I am not LazerBoi." His voice was actually filled with possessiveness. Even the viewers heard it.


    "A lot of you assumed that it was him, but sorry to break the ship, guys! It''s not him." She interjected quickly so that it was not too evident. Cage was looking very smug at the moment. A little bit of his body came into view, his black hoodie in the frame. It was an expensive brand, so there were a few comments about that. "Just in case, I''ll check with him before posting the video." She bit her lip to keep herself from laughing, but Cage was actually tilted to the side, holding his stomach as he tried to stop himself.


    "He''s an attractive man, no doubt, but just... we knew each other before so..." he trailed off.


    "Oh, honey. I''ve been waiting for you my whole life," Katherine commented cheekily. This was when the audience would find out how sappy this couple was. "Question two: Is he really your boyfriend or just a friend who is a boy?" she read the question and then turned to the camera with a stern expression.

 Chapter 319 - Hint Number Two

    "Yes, he is my boyfriend," she said firmly.


    Cage started to explain. "I have heard people say that they don''t believe you have a boyfriend because it sounds a little surreal?" he started in an uncertain voice. "Yeah, I mean, they probably don''t want you to be taken and be single forever." He snickered. "Some even wondered if I was your manager or your brother."


    Katherine moved forward and cradled his face in her palms before kissing him softly on the lips. Of course, the audience couldn''t see this because his face was covered by the animation still. "It''s unfortunate that they couldn''t see that," he lamented. She kissed him again, just for effort. "But that makes me feel a lot better." He grinned this time.


    "Next question. Did you meet on a dating application?"


    "No," Katherine and Cage said at the same time.


    "I think that annulled most of the guesses. It''s not LazerBoi or tinder," Katherine said with a shrug. "Do you ever look at him and just wonder how you got so lucky?" Katherine read out. She paused and looked at him with a mischievous look.


    "Depends on what I am being drawn as," Cage guffawed. "What are you drawing?" he asked.


    "Probably a tentacle monster," she bluffed. Cage huffed but said nothing about it.


    "But I would still make you smile, right?" The overconfident bastard.


    "Yes," she said quickly, her pitch higher, her cheeks slightly flushed.


    He said a quick ''aw'' before replying. "I''m the one who is lucky... I''m serious," he added when he saw her incredulous look. Really, he was so lucky.


    A little more of his form was revealed. This time, there was a flash of skin. In the background, her voice came on. "Hint number two. He has excellent skin." She had thrown that at the last minute, just because.


    "Does your boyfriend play videogames like you or is he a muggle?" she read out in a flat voice.


    "Actually, up until the competition, he was a better gamer than me. I''ve lost to him multiple times," she admitted. Cage was surprised at that.


    "Oh, my. Are you finally going to admit to it? I ''am'' better than you, though," Cage commented, flipping his hair. She mock-glared at him.


    "Please, not anymore. You''ve been out of touch for months. I would beat you any day. Bring it on," Katherine challenged.


    "Slow down, baby. I think you are giving too much away!" He chuckled for effect.


    "Can your boyfriend sing your background music?" Katherine read. She bit her lips to hide the silly smile.


    "Your background music, as in the one in your intro and outro?" he asked. Katherine nodded. She knew he had watched her videos, she just didn''t know how much he had watched or if he had liked them. "Yeah. Of course, I know that song. I composed it."


    Katherine burst into laughter. "Oh god, that sounded so weird with your accent." Controlling herself, she addressed the viewers. "Yeah, he did compose that song. And I know you guys would start a petition for us to break up if he didn''t know it by heart."


    "Your fans are hardcore!" Cage exclaimed.


    "Next question!" she clapped her hands. "What do you love most about Kitty that she doesn''t show people?" She looked at him expectantly.


    "You are the most caring person I know. You understand the people around you without them spelling out anything and you are such a good friend." His voice was soft and warm like he meant it with all his heart.


    "Do your friends like him?" Katherine gave the camera a pointed look.


    "Yes, they do. Her friends are dating my friends..." he trailed off. "That sounds so odd when I say it out loud." He shuddered in his seat. Katherine joined in, looking weirded out.


    The conversation continued for a while before a heavier question came their way. "Were you attracted to each other at first sight or did it take time?"


    The two thought about it. Their situation was a little complicated.


    "When we first saw each other?" Cage asked cautiously.


    "Urm. We were very attracted to each other at first sight. But we won''t say too much right now." She winked at the camera. In the meantime, the edges of his head were coming into the scene. Yet, his identity was still completely hidden. No one in the comments had guessed yet. "Well, a lot of people also wanted to know how we met each other." She gave him a curious look.


    "How would you describe it?" he asked, throwing the ball back to her court. She was the one who was going to edit, so.


    "Well, I have known him for a really long time," she said with the roll of her eyes. "But he didn''t know I existed. I actually, stumbled across him... eleven months ago. And yeah... we just started talking to each other. Everyday." She shrugged. She hadn''t given a lot of details but it should be enough.


    "Next question. Who earns more money in the relationship?" There was an awkward silence.


    "Well, see, I wanted to address this. A lot of you think that he mooches off me because I am famous or whatever." She snorted. Famous! "But he actually earns a lot more than me."


    "Might I add that we are independent and neither of us is in this relationship for the money? As sappy as that sounds, we really didn''t know. We just liked each other for our personalities..." he trailed off, looking at her for a cue.


    "And voices," she added helpfully. There was another wink towards the camera. The shameless and perverted viewers knew exactly what that meant.


    "When did you get into a relationship?" Interesting question. "I would say six months?" They didn''t have a definite moment. But she was thinking it was around the time they saw each other for the first time. The whole misunderstanding part.


    "Well, when have we not been in a relationship?" Cage commented.

 Chapter 320 - Bleep It Out

    "Well, I was exclusively talking to you at the time and I didn''t look at anyone. So, It''s been a year for me. I am very loyal." That extra information really sealed his fate. The viewers who were still on the fence about him were sold. They loved him.


    "And we started on such good terms as well. You knew how weird I was and my issues. I knew what you were facing and we supported each other. I knew that at the end of the day, I would have someone to talk to. It really showed me that we could work it out, no matter what happened in the future."


    And this was particularly deep because it was a confession from Katherine. No matter how everyone reacted, she was not going to run away. She would stick to his side until the bitter end.


    There was a long silence that was cut out of the video.


    "Did you take your relationship slow?" Katherine started laughing immediately. "No," she said firmly.


    "We were ready and committed. We just didn''t think we needed to wait. Our pace was perfect for us," Cage said. How romantic. Litanies of how perfect her boyfriend was littered the comments section.


    "What was the biggest fight you have had?"


    "Oh shit," Cage swore. He blocked his mouth immediately.


    "Don''t worry, I will bleep that out," she reassured. But she hadn''t.


    "So, our biggest fight was before we officially met. We had this epic misunderstanding. I stood her up. She thought I had a girlfriend. We said some very vile things to each other and basically wallowed for a couple of days before our friends joined forces and forced us to talk things out."


    Katherine nodded, not adding in more. Too much information could implicate others. No point in that.


    "We haven''t fought since," Katherine said proudly.


    "This is where people will say we are in our honeymoon period and how we must not be communicating." He broke into a chuckle. "We overcommunicate and Katherine is just so patient that we never really have to fight."


    "Well, it also doesn''t hurt that you wear your heart on your sleeve. You literally ask me if I am okay and how you feel. It''s not common," she added, complimenting him. She couldn''t tell him enough. He made it so easy for her to love him more.


    "Why did you decide you announce your relationship rather than keeping it shrouded in mystery..." Now, things got serious. She had to confess.


    "Do you want to answer that?" Cage asked gently.


    "Yeah..." she took a deep breath. "We weren''t going to talk about it, really. But I also want to go out with my boyfriend and hold his hand out in public. I want to do what other normal couples do." The longing in her voice was heartbreaking. She looked at him to continue.


    "For me, it''s because of my identity. Before it gets splashed all over the internet and people bicker over it... I want to do it on my own. I want to show the world that our relationship is not a secret. We are proud of it. We just want to do things that others do." He sighed.


    The comments were a mix of confusion. They didn''t know what that meant. Some more clever ones were thinking in the right direction, though. Is he more famous? They did say he has a lot more money.


    "It sucks keeping such a crucial part of my life away from everyone when I am so happy in it," Katherine added, wanted to end on a positive note.


    "By this point, you can see some of his face... but you might have guessed wrong," Katherine said with a smug smile.


    "But some of them did figure it out!" Cage pointed it out. His change in voice vanished. Her eyes widened.


    "You just lost the voice," she said with a laugh.


    "Woops!" he exclaimed. Such a drama queen.


    "What do you think of each other''s profession?" They both tilted their head to a side and thought.


    "I love his work, always have. But now I have a better view of all the work that goes into it. I have so much respect for what he does and how well he does it." She really did.


    "She always was an amazing artist. I love her artwork, especially the ones she drew of me."


    "Well, the cat''s out of the bag!" Katherine snickered. The audience could see his hair at this point, but because he had changed his hairstyle, it would be hard for people to tell.


    "Yeah, I have drawn him. The options are limited at this point. You can speak in your own voice now. We are down to the last question," she claimed.


    Cage cleared his throat and reached for a bottle of water.


    "Wow, I feel so much better. How long have we been filming?" he asked, looking at his wrist. "Two hours!" he exclaimed. At this point, everyone was excitedly commenting. They weren''t sure but they thought they knew. The voice was familiar. Even the hair seemed familiar.


    "The second last question," she said in a sing-song voice. "How did you meet?"


    "We met online on a videogame." Straight answer.


    "Yup. We met while we were playing Children of Gods and he was finishing the missions before me. I hit him up and the rest is history." She gave the camera a blinding smile. They paused for a whole two seconds. "Last question. Who is your boyfriend?"


    "Will you say it, or should I say it?" he asked. He slipped his fingers through hers and waited for her to reply.


    "Go ahead," she beckoned him. The last bits of animation cleared away. Cage''s face appeared bright and clear on the screen for thousands of people to see.


    "Hi, aliens. I am Katherine''s boyfriend, Cage Cavanaugh. Nice to meet you." With his signature smile, the video ended.


    The people in the room were silent.

 Chapter 321 - Model And Sidekick

    About five minutes later, GC''s article appeared. The title read, ''Cage Cavanaugh reveals inside details about his life with his girlfriend''.


    Stephen was planted in the bathroom as soon as the article appeared, several journalists calling him all at once to confirm if the news was true.


    Katherine''s viewers were losing their minds, screaming, and cheering for their favorite idol. Some commented on how they had assumed Katherine''s boyfriend was mooching off her. Others were shocked that Katherine''s boyfriend turned out to be her dream man. Mostly, everything was positive. Until the fans came into play. Cage''s fans.


    There were some harsh remarks. Some called her a gold digger, others said she was trying to create hype to promote her own channel. There were even ones that called her ugly and wondered why Cage would choose someone like her.


    Katherine received congratulatory messages from other creators. Even Laurence and Ian calling her to tell her she was brave to put the video out. Katherine watched and listened without saying much.


    Social media was overflowing with comments. Katherine finally decided to stop looking at the comments. She had grown tired. Coming out so flamboyantly, she felt powerful.


    A couple of hours passed. Angelina and Lily were on a video conference call with Katherine. Angelina was roaring.


    "I''m going to kill the bitch!" Since there were a limited amount of people who could hear this call, Katherine hoped it was none of them. Katherine looked confused and Lily was equally bewildered.


    "What is it?" Katherine asked. Cage looked over towards her and listened in. He was also wondering if some new article had come out. At this point, it was possible.


    "Karen, that f.u.c.k.i.n.g rat we sometimes hung out with at the bar gave inside information to the paps." Well, shit.


    "We knew someone was going to speak. Better Karen than someone from our family." Katherine had already spoken to the reporter from GC. As surreal as it felt to talk to someone about her relationship, she was doing it.


    "What did she say?" Cage asked curiously.


    "We''ve been frequenting the same bar for many years. She had a tough time a few years back when her boyfriend of many years cheated on her and got someone else pregnant. There was a period of time I thought Katherine wouldn''t make it," Angelina read.


    Katherine gaped. Was it necessary to bring it up? It had been years since they broke up and Katherine was over him. Why bring that up in regards to her relationship with Cage? The whole world knew that she was cheated on. Great.


    Cage hugged her tightly and whispered that it was okay over and over again.


    "It was dramatic when the guy ended up coming to the bar over and over, begging her to take him back. She was so cold to him even though no one thought she was over him."


    "What in the world is she spouting?" Katherine groaned.


    "There is more!" Angelina fumed. "I''m sure she is clinically depressed. The clothes she wears is good sign of that. Even the bartender knew. There was a period when they were flirting and she seemed a lot better." Now she was flirting? This was awful.


    "Karen is making it seem like you were f.u.c.k.i.n.g every guy who came your way. What a psychopath," Lily sighed. "I''m not surprised Karen would do this. She''s vindictive and evil. Katherine didn''t promote her little business, so she has been salty for a while."


    "Can you believe it? She sent me texts that I looked amazing with Cage a few hours ago?" Katherine scoffed.


    "She''s just grabbing her minute of fame and hoping she gets something out of it. I''ll see how long she can talk," Angelina declared. Her eyes narrowed as she typed something. There was a buzz, indicating that Angelina had sent something.


    "What did you do?" Lily asked.


    "I told her parents where she keeps her drugs. She talks a lot when she drinks and she has a problem," Angelina growled.


    "Angelina..." Lily groaned. "You shouldn''t have..."


    Angelina continued to read. "Katherine has two friends. A famous model and a sidekick named Angelina and Lily respectively."


    Katherine waited for the reaction.


    Lily screamed. "I''ll show her!" Angelina and Lily started plotting. Katherine thought about stopping them but she didn''t have the kindness in her heart to do it.


    Cage smiled at her. "Your friends are really violent. I''m happy I never got on their bad side."


    "Now, I have so many people protecting me. I don''t know what to do!" she chuckled.


    Cage ran a finger down her cheek. "Are you okay?"


    "People really do turn against you when you are famous." She sulked. "She threw out some horrible things about my past but I am okay."


    "There''s nothing horrible about it. Being cheated on or being sad is not a bad thing. You''re human. It''s their fault for being so heartless."


    "I''m also happy that the whole world thinks Keira cheated on you and harassed you. Two victims coming together and living happily ever after," she joked.


    "It was embarrassing at first. Looking back, they are the ones who look bad."


    "True." Katherine leaned into him. "What else will they want to exploit? The rumors with Laurence? Nathaniel and his pursuit of me?"


    "Whatever they say, we''ll have Stephen handle them. You''re a pure little loli. You can''t possibly do anything wrong." He pinched her nose. "Your parents won''t talk to the reports and I have faith that they can handle those parasites very well," Cage assured, rubbing her back.


    "Talking about parents," Katherine thought out loud. "Angelina, did you speak to yours?" she asked, turning to the people on the screen. They stopped their plan and frowned.


    Angelina grinned finally. "I called them last night to talk about how they were. General stuff. My dad was asking me to come home because he keeps seeing me on covers and it embarrasses him. I just told him to look at my pictures online if he misses me."

 Chapter 322 - The Perfect Flower

    "He must not have been happy," Katherine sighed. "And your mother?"


    "She kept talking about what a disgrace I was. How I was ruining the family name." She shrugged. "I have enough so I told them I would be a Luther soon enough and that would be the name I would damage from then on. They weren''t thrilled that I was marrying someone in the entertainment industry but they can shove their disapproval up her tight asses." Angelina looked utterly thrilled with the whole thing. "Apparently, they want me to marry some politician''s son and get a job at his company or something. F.u.c.k that shit." She shook her head. "Maybe I should just marry Stephen and get it over with."


    Even Cage shook his head. "I don''t think that is a good idea," Cage whispered.


    Angelina sighed. "True. I scared myself a little by bringing that up, too."


    Before they could continue the discussion, Irene from Cage''s team called. She had all these questions.


    "We are yet to pinpoint who sent the pictures to the reporters, but we do know your friend Karen is a problem," Irene began.


    "Karen is not a friend. She frequents the bar we visit sometimes," Katherine replied sourly.


    "Good thing. She didn''t do you any favors while painting a picture of you. You weren''t depressed or doing anything illegal after your previous breakup, right?" Irene asked uncomfortably.


    "I wasn''t. It was a pretty normal breakup, despite the trauma associated with it." She sighed. "I was beyond embarrassed that everyone I knew also knew that he had knocked up another girl and that he was cheating. I was upset but I wasn''t crying over it every day."


    "So, your ex is a sc.u.mbag, will definitely lookout for that. What about the girls he has been with? Did you have any contact with them?"


    "He came in search of me about half a year ago and I quickly shooed him off. I haven''t spoken to any of his lovers." Katherine cooperated like a good girl.


    "Good. I''ll keep an eye out for everyone mentioned and hope nothing comes out," Irene said. She quickly hung up the phone and went about her work.


    Stephen appeared, looking more tired than before.


    "How did the talk with the director go?" Cage asked. Stephen looked at him with a quizzical brow.


    "Magical," he commented. "I knew I could get him handled. All it took was a reminder that this scandal was free publicity for his movie and he had no problem giving you another day off."


    Cage rolled his eyes. "He had a problem two days ago," he scoffed. One would think Cage had asked to sleep with the director''s wife by how he was acting. Cage knew the news was delaying shooting but the director didn''t have to overreact.


    "Nobody expected you to f.u.c.k around in public," Stephen said, giving Cage and Katherine the stink eye. "Remember, even if you get into trouble, you need to somehow make it have benefits for the producers and directors." This was directed towards Katherine.


    Katherine nodded even though she thought it was indecent.


    "Any publicity is good publicity... as long as you are in public eye and not ignored, you''re fine. Katherine and you are all over the place. You have mentioned the movie in the interview, as well, so all the news outlets are printing about it. That''s millions of dollars in free publicity for the movie. Now that they see how much the movie is saving and going to rake in, they won''t care if you strip n.a.k.e.d and run around the city holding hands." Stephen huffed.


    "So classy," Katherine grumbled as Cage snickered behind her.


    "Don''t forget, I can spin anything to your advantage. Your team can spin any situation to suit you." He winked.


    "And thank you for that. Your help has proven to be positive. Most of the public are fawning over our undying love for one another," Cage commented.


    "I don''t care what they think as long as they back off from us," Katherine interjected.


    Stephen raised an eyebrow. "It''s how you perceive your situation. These people don''t know how you live your life or how you managed to date a star, so they want to know every aspect of you. The fact that you are so happy with your life rubs off on them and they want the best for you. The media? They want to bite onto the news and show you off. Give them the dream."


    "So, attention is good?" Katherine grinned sarcastically.


    "Have you seen your views and follower count recently? You''ll understand when you do. There will always be haters but right now the tide is in your favor. Make use of it. And trust me." Stephen, always with his on-point analysis and tricks.


    "I trust you with my life and hers," Cage said softly.


    Stephen clutched at his chest, pretending to be touched. "The things you say. How am I supposed to keep myself from melting when you''re around? Good thing I am not attracted to you or I would have tried to steal you away from Katherine," he joked.


    Katherine cracked up. "He has the same effect on me, so I wouldn''t fault you for trying to steal him."


    "Best of all? Your video is making the world swoon. The reporters are gushing and asking for exclusive interviews and raunchy details. You have them eating out of your palms," Stephen informed. "How I hate them."


    "Do the reporters know how much you hate them?" Cage chuckled. "They''d throw a fit if they knew."


    "Well, it''s not reporters that I hate, but the scavengers in the entertainment industry. They have no couth or respect for others. And no, they have no clue because I manage an actor. I know how to put up a facade and act like the perfect flower."


    Now, this made the couple snort.


    "I''m sorry," Katherine sighed. "You just visited H City and Angelina and we pulled you away."

 Chapter 323 - Garner More Attention

    "I have to be here. It''s my job," he reassured. "I''ve spent countless hours around the two of you and the s.e.x.u.a.l vibes are killing me. I miss Angel but as you may remember she is also busy running around and preparing for runway shows. We have limited time."


    "Well, living apart might strengthen your love for one another. That way, even if you run away with someone else, you''ll miss Angelina terribly." Cage joked, trying to lighten the mood.


    "You''re right. I''d have to send postcards from the locations I visit just to remind her of me," Stephen grumbled. "She doesn''t miss me much, don''t worry."


    "That''s what you think. I got a scolding for holding you back," Katherine griped. "How much longer do you need to stay?"


    "As soon as I find a secure apartment for the two of you and some bodyguards to keep you company," Stephen informed her with a small smile.


    - - -


    Another day passed, this time on set. When he returned to the hotel, he found Katherine stretched out on the bed. Hearing his footsteps, she propped herself on her elbows and looked at him with a nonchalant grin.


    "Stephen sent us a mail. He did a risk assessment and indeed you are very easy to stalk." She snickered.


    Hands on his h.i.p.s, Cage looked down at her. "It might not be a stalker, we are just talking precautions. Moreover, no one gets into the shooting site without clearance."


    Katherine raised her brow. "You have limited imagination. You think it''s impossible that someone in the crew or with access to the site is doing this?" Cage squinted in suspicion.


    "I have a sneaking suspicion you are having a gala time with this. What if it is you who has the diabolical plan? Do you want me to cuddle with you all day long?" Cage joked. Katherine smacked his arm and huffed.


    He sat on the bed and leaned down, mirroring her position, but they were infinitely closer than before. "Nonsense!" she hissed. Her cheeks flushed and her eyes dilated. Cage couldn''t help himself, he positioned himself to straddle her, hovering over her without explicitly touching her.


    "What do you have to say for yourself, huh?" he asked, his tone purposefully light.


    "If I needed to keep you in bed all the time, I could wake you up with your c.o.c.k in my mouth or cry until you don''t go out. Why would I need to write you letters." She crinkled her nose in distaste. "What is with this friendly pose you have going on?" she sniffed. Her breath stuttered as she spoke.


    He didn''t move but a smile curled at the corner of his lips. "I''m not seducing you or keeping you in bed. I''m just teasing you... like a friend." He emphasized on the last word.


    She smirked. "Ah, yes, very friendly. Do you do the same to Stephen?" she taunted.


    "Wouldn''t you like to know," he hummed. After a moment of silence, he spoke again. "I prefer tickling him with feathers, instead. This is special treatment."


    She laughed, the sound draining the exhaustion off him. Having his woman under him like this, delighted and awaiting his touch was enticing. He wanted nothing more than to lower himself and taste her lips. He wanted to feel her body pressed up into every line of his.


    "I won''t be able to stop if I start now... so..." he pulled away quickly, plopping down on the bed immediately and taking in a cleansing breath.


    "You started it," she complained.


    "Me?" He cleared his throat. When he spoke his voice was a tab bit gravelly. "I found you on my bed, looking delicious. You have only yourself to blame."


    Katherine snorted and got up. Seeing her hair all messy and her lithe form moving across the room, Cage felt a pang in his heart. She looked so young when she was like this. No, it was not her youth that turned him on. Instead, it instilled in him a need to protect her at all cost. And that she looked extremely pretty that way.


    "Have you read through Stephen''s plan?" Katherine asked casually. Cage sat up and unbuttoned his shirt.


    He frowned. "Yeah, we are supposed to agitate the stalker with our relationship and make them slip up. We need to follow a pattern that the stalker can pick up on, give them what they are looking for. We start going out to the same places. Establishing consistency will draw them out sooner or later."


    "But the paps will come out, too," Katherine commented. This was the part she didn''t understand.


    "It''s actually easy to pinpoint people who are not paps. The bodyguards are trained to do that, so they can spot familiar faces in an instant." He reassured her. "At least, with the bodyguards, I can rest assured that no one will touch you."


    "And? When do we start the plan?" Katherine asked without much excitement. She wasn''t worried about harm to her. The accident at the set had left her shaken and fearing for his life, instead.


    "We start tonight. We are going out!" Cage claimed. "Stephen has taken care of everything, so don''t worry!"


    Cage managed to tell her exactly what to wear. When he looked at her in the car, he was stunned. She was wearing a lavender sundress, her skin glowing and her eyes shining in the light of the passing cars. The way she looked at him was nothing short of intoxicating.


    If they got photographed today, he would take the best photos and frame them for his home. He had gone through the forums and realized that a lot of men and women were l.u.s.ting after his girlfriend. It was uncanny how he turned into a caveman when he heard the comments. He really wanted to punch those people in the face.


    "The pictures taken today and earlier will satisfy the hunger that the people have for the two of you. The added bonus is the curiosity of the stalker." Stephen scrolled through his phone. He suddenly looked up, remembering something. "Katherine might garner more attention from the industry."

 Chapter 324 - The S.e.xy Hat

    "What does that mean?" Cage asked, sounding scared.


    "Katherine is beautiful, well-spoken, and charming. Over that, she is beyond funny. What do you think? People will want to bring her into the entertainment industry. I sense some gigs coming her way."


    Katherine groaned, dreading the possibility.


    "I feel the same way," Cage told her, squeezing her hand. "Though, I will support you if you want to join the industry."


    Katherine was handling the whole situation a lot better than Cage had hoped but he also knew that she preferred to lead a quiet life. She was already exposed to the public because of her channel and that was all she could handle.


    It was one of the things he loved about her. While other girls wanted to be with him for his popularity and fame, Katherine hated it. She wanted the banal life with the man she loved. Just another reason Katherine was the perfect woman for him.


    "If it gets overwhelming, just let me know. I''ll get us out of there. You''re my priority," he told her. She smiled at him softly and patted his shoulder.


    "It''ll be fine." He loved her confidence. "We''ll run away and have some alone time soon, I promise," he mumbled.


    "Absolutely." With that, the car came to a stop and Cage begrudgingly took in a breath before opening the door.


    When they stepped out, even Cage was shocked. The bodyguards flanked them and a moment of silence erupted before the reporters exploded into shouts and the cameras flashed. Stephen had intentionally leaked their whereabouts for the night so it was not uncommon, but this grand reception was something else.


    For a moment, Cage wished they had more than three bodyguards surrounding them. People surged around them but the bodyguards acted as effective blockers, they were huge. The silent one, Cory, pushed back the bodies that tried to reach Katherine, who held onto Cage''s hand tightly.


    Sam, who was next to Katherine as well, remained static as per Cage''s order. His eyes sharply looked at the crowd as he tried to see anyone suspicious.


    The mass of people was crazy. No wonder it scared Katherine so much. It scared him, too, and he was used to it. Katherine kept her head high and a smile on her face as they made it to the entrance of the restaurant.


    Questions flew about if they had gotten married, if Katherine was pregnant, and other scandalous things were shouted at them. They came so quickly that they jumbled together; Cage wouldn''t have been able to answer them even if he wanted.


    "Are you okay?" Cage asked once they were inside the restaurant. He studied her closely. He could see she looked fine, not a hair out of place and her eyes were clear and confident.


    "Much better." She turned to thank the bodyguards.


    These men were so silent that Cage had to wonder if they acted just as coldly with their wives at home. Maybe it was just a thing on the clock. While the others still spoke to Stephen, Corey kept his mouth shut at all times. All in all, they had a wonderful team protecting them.


    Stephen and Cage had to pick something outdoors with plenty of things to do for their night out so that the media could get as many pictures as they wanted.


    "I''m so happy you get to see a little of the city beyond your filming locations," Katherine chuckled.


    Cage pulled her along as she mulled over her words. People in the restaurant gawked at us, aiming their cameras in their direction but Cage and Katherine only had eyes for each other. The bodyguards cooperated, giving the public a chance to get wonderful pictures without compromising their safety.


    Before a little dinner, Katherine pulled him out and walked him out of the back door of the restaurant into the roads of the city. The buildings were old and people were still turning to look. Katherine tugged onto him and made a stop in front of the window of a clothing shop. She giggled as she pointed at a particular hat.


    "I want to get you one of these." The thing looked hideous, to be fair.


    Cage grinned. "Don''t even think about it. I''m not going to wear it."


    Katherine pouted, throwing him off. "I put in all this effort to dress up for you," she reminded him quietly.


    As if Cage could forget. "But there''s nothing s.e.xy about this hat!" he protested.


    "I think it is," Katherine retorted, giggling. "Come in," she tugged him into the stare and plucked the hat from the display. It even had feathers adorning it. Cage didn''t protest when she put the hat on his head and madly laughed at the scene. Some customers snapped photographs before he could take the thing off but Katherine''s laughter made it all okay. They were having fun, he need not be embarrassed about anything they did tonight.


    Katherine pulled him towards the cash register and before he could pull out his wallet, she had already handed over some money to the cashier. "It''s a present," she informed him when Cage frowned.


    Katherine didn''t want him to wear the hat after the purchase, so he heaved a sigh of relief as he scurried out of the store with the shopping bag in hand. Cage stopped in front of a lingerie store and looked at her with pleading eyes.


    "You''re on your own if my parents see pictures of us in the store." She didn''t even finish her sentence before Cage had pulled her towards the next shop.


    "I value my life, thank you very much." He responded by kissing her cheeks.


    The city was abuzz with the festival, the night markets littered with people looking at shops and buying street food. Cage and Katherine walked hand in hand, soon blending into the crowd.


    "Are you hungry?" Cage asked when he noticed Katherine staring at a food stall. The only thing remaining was the growl of her stomach.

 Chapter 325 - Wedding Bells

    She looked a bit apprehensive but nodded. "I don''t want to eat anything big, just snacks... from there." She pointed towards the stall. "Is that okay?" she asked meekly.


    "We don''t need to have fancy dinners. Weird rich people food is out of the question for the two of us." They walked over to the little stall with tables beside it. "You''re really happy here," Cage chuckled.


    "What can I say, I am a simple girl." She shrugged.


    "Nothing simple about you... except how lovable you are."


    "What a glib tongue." The man behind the stall walked over to them. The bodyguards had occupied another table right next to them. They were alert as they looked around. Katherine and Cage were making their jobs a little hard but seeing people go on with their lives so simply was also refreshing for the guards.


    "What will you be having?" the man asked. Katherine looked down at the worn-out menu and picked out what she wanted. Cage followed, ordering a glass of the local alcohol before smiling at the man.


    "Do any of you want to order?" he asked the guards. They respectively shook their heads.


    Katherine sighed, feeling horrible. "Please give them the best non-alcoholic beverage you have," she objected before the man could leave. "That''s okay, right?" she asked, referring to the guards. They nodded but said nothing.


    The food was placed by a younger girl. As she placed their food, she kept staring at Cage. "You''re Cage Cavanaugh, right?" she asked, her tone thick with an accent.


    Cage braced himself and smiled. "Yes."


    "I''m a big fan," she told him. She glanced at the other man who had seated them and asked for his approval. The man nodded much to the girl''s relief.


    "Thank you for your support," he responded, wondering what the girl would say next.


    "Can I get an autograph?" she wondered softly.


    "Sure. Do you have a pen that I can use?" She looked up, confused but Katherine was quick to respond, digging into her purse and finding a pen quickly. The girl had a notepad on her, so she passed it to him in understanding. "What''s your name?"


    "Katherine." Cage grinned and scribbled his signature.


    "Well, Katherine. I''ll have to ask you to take good care of me and my Katherine, then." The girl pocketed the paper with a bright smile and walked away.


    The glasses of alcohol came soon and they thanked her profusely.


    "You''re very beautiful," the girl said shyly, looking at Katherine. Katherine chuckled and nodded.


    "You''re very beautiful, too. Maybe, it is our name," she suggested, making the girl blush.


    "There are so many people staring at us," Katherine said consciously.


    "It''ll die down after tonight. Maybe not fully, but enough to give us breathing space. We''re a very boring couple to cover. They want the salacious and the scandal. We''re pretty much the average couple on a date."


    Katherine giggled at the prospect of drama. "That will weed out a lot of potential suspects," she said softly. "I got a lot of emails from boutiques offering dresses, though." She looked surprised.


    "Wait for award season. They''ll be scrambling to put their dress on you," Cage told her.


    "But I''m not famous." She scrunched her nose in distaste.


    "Well, you''re not a celebrity but all eyes will be on you. So, boutiques and designers will try to get you to wear dresses. You could also become famous and do reality shows..."


    She stuffed some food in her mouth. "Shut up. I have no intention of being famous."


    The food was amazing. Rarely did Cage get to eat street food, so this was a rare delight.


    "Back off," they heard Corey growl. They turned to see him towering over a guy who had come closer than the others and was trying to take pictures. The camera he was using was professional, so the other reporters would be following soon.


    "Sir?" Corey asked them.


    "Ready to go?" Cage asked her.


    "Yeah," she agreed. Their food was almost finished and they could carry the rest in their hands for the time being. Better be on the move. Cage leaped to the stall to pay before Katherine could think about it. Much to her dismay.


    Cage missed H city a tiny bit because celebrities always walked the streets there. People weren''t that enthusiastic about meeting them.


    They walked around for a bit before spotting an old church. The architecture was huge and imposing, seeming to stretch to the skies.


    Katherine looked around, knowing that people were staring at them. "They probably think we''re sneaking in to get married or something," she snickered.


    Cage laughed, looping his hand around her waist. "Do you want to?"


    She turned to him, her eyes wide in shock. "Now?" she squeaked.


    "Not now. I was wondering if you''d like to marry in a place like this." The look on her face was priceless. As if someone had offered her a million dollars and then said that a strip show was complementary.


    "Oh." Cage heard the disappointment in her voice. He looked at her carefully, wondering if she wanted him to propose. If that was what she wanted, he would do it in a heartbeat. The only thing that was stopping him was her thinking they were moving too quickly. It hadn''t been long since he asked her to move in. "No," she said firmly.


    "I don''t want to marry in a place where a lot of people will see us. Instead, I want a small wedding with only close family and friends. That way, we can spend our special day together."


    They were on the same page.


    "I''ll keep that in mind." They looked at the church for a few more moments before turning to each other. "Let''s go home." The home they would live in for the next few months.


    The bodyguards fell into step again. Soon, they spotted a car waiting for them. Once inside, Katherine curled into him. They were to return to the hotel and then leave for their new apartment secretly.


    "Ah, we need to buy groceries." No more room service meant cooking food.

 Chapter 326 - Creeping Closer

    "Oh, yeah. Should we hire someone?" he asked thoughtfully.


    "Not at all. I''ll take care of it. I love to cook so I''ll ask Stephen to get us all the produce."


    "You''ll be my nutritionist from now on?" he teased.


    "I need to cook for my videos, so I''d do it anyway." She poked her tongue out.


    "You shouldn''t cook on vacation." He grumbled.


    "I''m not on vacation. I''m accompanying you and working while I am at it," she reminded him. "If it does you any good, we''ll eat out sometimes. I saw the pictures of the fancy kitchen, so I can''t wait to get my hands on it."


    "We''ll be living together... finally." He breathed in relief.


    "It is exciting," she commented. "There will be people around, but it will be like living alone. A taste of our future life." Her smile was sweet, filling him with hope for an equally sweet and bright future together. "You guys may not eat outside, but when you are in my home, you will bloody well eat what I cook, understood?" Katherine threatened.


    The bodyguards looked over, stoic and emotionless, but they nodded nonetheless. Cage chuckled as he stroked her hair. This girl... she really knew how to scare these burly men.


    - - -


    Two weeks had gone by. Not a single threat was caught by the bodyguards. Stephen was on the edge of his seat.


    "I''m starting to think we are on a wild goose chase," Cage sighed.


    "Have you read the new letters? There are more." Stephen frowned as he threw the letters in front of Cage. Cage looked at them before staring in the direction of the kitchen where Katherine was preparing dinner.


    "Keep the security on alert. I don''t think anything is going to happen." Stephen looked solemn. "They are words. Delusions of an obsessed mind. Maybe those pictures were sent by someone else." He really wanted to dismiss it. Everything on set had been going great and Katherine and Cage had been frequenting the same places religiously. Nothing had come from it.


    "Seriously?" Stephen rolled his eye. "These letters weren''t sent to H City or to your post box. These were sent to the hotel with my room number written in particular," Stephen huffed. "They didn''t find out where you are living yet, but they are on the move. They aren''t in H city or across the country, there are right here, waiting for you."


    "You''re assuming that they are the same person."


    "You would know it is the same person if you looked inside. It''s still the same grand narrative. Only, this time, Giselle isn''t mentioned. At all. It''s Katherine they keep mentioning. Nothing too threatening but these letters? I don''t like them."


    The letters were lightly powdered, showing that Stephen had tried to get fingerprints.


    "No trace?"


    "None. They didn''t even touch the envelope. It''s very... particular."


    Cage felt his heartbeat stutter. He opened the letters and inspected them. The letter was written on the computer and printed out. Same font, same spacing... even the peculiarities in grammar were the same. Cage read.


    The person writing sounded concerned. It spoke about a grand plot that Katherine had hatched to get close to him... to break his heart and whatnot. They lamented how it was a pity they had met and she was using him to get famous.


    All conspiracy theories. But it was the ending words of the latest letter that sent chills down Cage''s spine.


    [I understand why you are doing this. Your hands are tied. It''s okay. I''ll help you.]


    He mulled over the words in his head.


    He cursed under his breath, rubbing his temples as he tried to get his head around the meaning of the words. "I''m exposing Katherine to... this?"


    "We have security. We just... don''t know how to lure them out. Work with me here."


    "We can''t take this to the police?" Cage asked, sounding desperate.


    "There are no direct threats to Katherine and your safety. There is no information to identify the person. Unless you are in physical danger, the police can''t do anything."


    "So... we can just lay in wait for this person to reveal themself or live the rest of our lives in fear?"


    "Pretty much," Stephen sighed. The conversation ended when Katherine entered. She would have to be informed of this development. The worst thing they could do was keep her out of the loop.


    - - -


    Their pleasant time in the house was shrouded by the time outside. They had a blissful time out, but at the back of their mind, they thought about the people surrounding them. There was someone close enough and the bodyguards hadn''t found them yet.


    Katherine had dared to drag Cage to another filled street. Numerous people, some reporters. Their pictures were making the rounds in the papers. A week had gone by, the media was dying down about the situation.


    But another letter had arrived. This time at the house they were renting.


    The edges of the letter were bruised like the person had thought about sending it. But it remained clean of fingerprints.


    [I''m close. I''m watching.] It said.


    The team sat together to plan their next move.


    "They''re not lying," Katherine said. Cage was disturbed to hear a slight tremor in her voice. Her hands were crossed over her chest in a defensive manner.


    "What do you mean?" Stephen asked.


    "He or she was very close to us," she said loudly.


    The bodyguards sat up. "What do you mean?" They had been there, explicitly watching everyone in the crowd that surrounded them.


    "In the letter, she referenced what I was wearing. If it had been that, I wouldn''t have said anything, but she referenced the bracelet I have been wearing the past week. See here." She pointed at a sentence. "''The bracelet matches the necklace, too. So ugly.''"


    "In all the pictures since I bought the bracelet and wore it, I had jackets on. None of the pictures taken had captured it, so he or she was definitely at the scene... and close enough to have seen the bracelet." She pulled out her hand and showed it to everyone.

 Chapter 327 - Been Watching Her

    The chain of the bracelet was slick, camouflaging into her skin, except for the small flower that matched the necklace Cage''s parents gave her. If one didn''t look closely, they would not be able to see it.


    Stephen was rubbing his scrappy beard as he cursed.


    "This is exactly what we wanted," Corey spoke out. "We want them to show up so we can figure out who it is." Corey patted Katherine''s shoulder, surprising everyone in the room. "Don''t worry ma''am. We''re here to protect you."


    "We weren''t going to get them on the first night," another one spoke.


    "It really is serious, isn''t it?" Katherine sighed.


    "Serious, but not dangerous." Corey kept out the part that there was a potential for that. "You have been forewarned. That is the greatest trump card in our hands. They know the location of this property so there might be attempted break-ins. There will be no physical harm done, so please don''t worry."


    Cage put his hand on the small of her back. "Are you okay?"


    "It''s fine. They can try tearing me away from you. I won''t let it happen." She smiled reassuringly even though she was the one threatened with bodily harm. "We''ll be fine."


    Cage dearly hoped that what she said was true.


    - - -


    It was a ruthless day on the set. The director was driving Cage insane with his nitpicking. He kept changing his mind about how he wanted to shoot a particular scene. Cage was usually very patient with such things. The movie would be the director''s child and any fault in cinematography would be blamed on him, so Cage understood.


    The scene was physically taxing, that was all. It was a single shot where Cage had to run for a long period of time. He was in shape, even on set, he would not forget his morning workout. By afternoon, he was exhausted.


    Cage bit the inside of his cheek as the director asked to change the angle of the shot yet again. It took all his willpower not to huff and puff at every turn. Instead, he dragged himself to his chair and slumped down in hopes of getting some rest. He groped for his phone to distract himself from his aching muscles.


    "Tired?" Giselle asked, plopping down the chair beside him.


    "Obviously," Cage grumbled.


    "I have a personal opinion that I am wondering if I should tell you."


    "What''s that?" Cage leaned down to grab a bottle of water and unscrewed it. He looked at her in confusion and took the first sip. The cold water went down his throat, giving him a shred of relief.


    Giselle leaned over the chair, setting aside her courtesy of keeping away to stop people from speculating something disastrous. "The director is a little fickle."


    Cage couldn''t agree more. Yet, he also couldn''t stop himself from joking with his newbie. "If the newspaper reports you to be an uncooperative diva in the news, don''t think I gave the tip, okay?"


    Her eyes widened comically before she realized that he was teasing her. "I won''t blame you," she said confidently. She looked on either side of her to see if someone was listening in on them. "I haven''t acted in as many sets as you but don''t directors have a plan for the scenes beforehand? Mr Director keeps changing his mind... seems like a waste of money and resources." She shrugged.


    "Yeah. He is an artist. He second guesses himself and can''t contain the many ways the same scene can play out. He also demands perfection. That''s why he wins awards." He gave her a pointed look. "You''ll soon realize that this set is better than a lot of others. Some have horrible planning for outdoor shoots. Some have lax security while others may have people who don''t know what they are doing." He shrugged. "Imagine having to scrap a perfect scene because no one informed the director there was a train scheduled. A whistle in the distance ruined the whole thing."


    Giselle huffed. "No kidding. Though, it is upsetting that someone keeps watching us." She paused. "Which reminds me, I haven''t been getting any letter recently. I still feel like someone is watching me, but... is there something on your end?" She looked concerned.


    "I can''t divulge a lot but I have been receiving a lot of letters. Especially about Katherine." His eyes hardened as he thought about it.


    A small team of people approached them, engulfing the two actors who needed their makeup retouched. Cage watched with attention every face in the crew, trying to figure out who it could be. They were somewhere close. When he looked at Giselle, he could feel how uncomfortable she was. She must have been looking at every member of the crew with suspicion as well.


    None of the makeup crew were really looking at them. Cage could also feel that the artists were tired of touching up makeup every fifteen minutes. Cage and Giselle were just a job to them. Get it done. Get out of the way. Finish as soon as possible.


    "I can''t stand the paranoia," Giselle admitted in a small voice after the team had left.


    "Do you regret it?" he asked.


    "Regret what?"


    "Taking the job. I mean, I promised you that you would be safe, but you are in constant fear for your life. If you were in danger, your bodyguards will protect you at all costs." He smiled at her reassuringly.


    "I''ve been thinking about it..." she trailed off.


    "Don''t think about it. Focus on your job and you''ll find yourself more confident."


    "How is Katherine, though?" Giselle asked. "I''ve been getting on video chats with her a lot. I like watching her," she said with a shy smile. Cage''s stomach turned.


    This was a possibility Stephen had produced. What if Giselle was the one sending all the letters, making the rumors go around that she was receiving letters, getting into a scandal with Cage... things of that nature. It surely would have explained why the stalker knew little details about Cage''s day and what Katherine was wearing.


    "You''ve been watching her?"


    "Yeah. I like talking to her and watching her videos. They are so entertaining." And that was a great reason to watch someone.


    Cage had to stop himself.

 Chapter 328 - Line Of Sight

    That very day, a news article was published in a well-read online portal about Cage being flirty with Giselle on the set. The post had no pictures but the tone suggested that Giselle was cozying up to Cage. It made it sound like Cage was thinking about leaving Katherine and pursuing Giselle.


    Cage was in the shower when Stephen called to inform him. Katherine remained silent throughout, not believing a word of what was written and thought about what could be wrong.


    "This one is definitely not from the stalker. There are no photographs involved, but we are pretty sure that they are on the set. I just don''t know how to lure them out." Stephen was at the end of his wits.


    When Cage came out of the shower, Katherine told him everything that had transpired. He sulked for a bit, apologizing profusely to Katherine about the mess he had caused before becoming calm.


    "That''s not all," Stephen said. There was silence in the room.


    "Is there anything else?" Cage asked, sounding on edge.


    "I''m coming over," Stephen informed them. "One of the bodyguards found a letter stuffed in the mailbox. It''s another threatening letter."


    "What does it say?" Katherine calmly asked, placing a hand on Cage''s shoulder.


    "Graphic threats. Intimate knowledge of your actions. He accused Giselle of spreading false rumors and Katherine of using you for hype. Something about you being hoodwinked by two women." Stephen sighed. The whole mess was taking a toll on his sanity.


    Cage frowned. "That means they read the news article and rushed to deliver the letter."


    Katherine''s eyes lit up with eagerness. "Then they must have been caught on the camera!" she whispered.


    - - -


    An hour passed and everyone was sitting in their living room. The room was not meant for so many people to be stuffed in, so the air was awkward.


    "I reviewed the footage," Corey began, pressing the remote so that the footage could be replayed. "The person who delivered was from an instant delivery agency. I called to ask about it, and they did indeed get an order for it to be picked up. They need time to track down who had made the order." He reviewed. He looked around the room to read the expressions.


    "It seems that our plan failed, then," Stephen commented. "Or it worked very well. We couldn''t make them act out in public yet but there is a chance they are slowly losing control of their actions. By how fast the letter was sent, they must have been in a panic and ordered the delivery without thinking that it could be traced back to them."


    "That is good news," Katherine said under her breath. She had seen how Cage kept looking at Giselle with some level of suspicion. He hadn''t spoken to her about this yet, but when she thought about the clues, Katherine could guess what was going through Cage''s mind.


    He probably thought Giselle was trying to use his previous encounter and stalking incident with Kiera to frighten him and make herself more interesting to the public. But Katherine thought differently.


    "It''s definitely someone on the set," she spoke out loudly. "They saw the two of you interacting but they weren''t close enough to figure out that there was no flirting going on. They are genuinely outraged by what is happening." She clicked her fingers on Cage''s thigh, wondering if he read between the lines.


    Cage breathed out and looked at her, a small, guilty smile playing on his lips. Finally, he looked down and didn''t continue with this thought.


    It was one of Giselle''s bodyguards who spoke out next. "Actually, we found a knife stuck to the cough in Giselle''s trailer before we came back. The news broke out shortly before so we believe that it is someone who has easy access into all trailers without anyone noticing."


    "This kind of behavior will only get worse," Stephen murmured. "At least we have new information. That''s all we can hope for right now."


    So they planned on baiting the person out. Katherine didn''t agree with the method but it seemed to be the only way to propel everything forward.


    Therefore, in the following days, Katherine found herself on set constantly. This way the bodyguards could keep an eye on her and at the same time keep an eye on who was lurking around. It was all hands on deck.


    "There is going to be a bodyguard with you at all times," Corey told her in a firm voice the minute she entered Cage''s trailer. "If not me, I will have one of the others look after you. If you want privacy, we will station outside the trailer but wherever you go, we will follow." The words said were harsh but practical.


    "So I have to stay within your line of sight at all times." She couldn''t help but glare at her hands. "Does Cage get the same treatment?"


    "We have someone watching him," he said passively. "It''s under the set''s insurance policy so we can''t do a lot about it. Please don''t fight it."


    "I don''t intend on fighting any of your plans. It''s just that the media is having a field day with all this protection, they think we are under siege or something." She had to say, it was not fun being followed by a mass of people at all times, especially on set where one is supposed to be safe.


    Despite the paranoia, Katherine managed to work most of the day. In the evening, she filmed videos as usual. The setting was a little off and the audience sometimes asked about it but she didn''t make any comment.


    One never knew who was looking at her social media.


    On her third day on set, Katherine fell asleep while she worked. The workload was less that day, so she decided to take a nap. Cage found her on the recliner when he got a longer break. She was slumped, her hair falling messily over her face, obstructing his view of her face. Her shoulders rose and fell in rhythm, letting him know that she was sound asleep.

 Chapter 329 - You Want Me

    Katherine was more exhausted than he was. She had been waking up earlier than him to prepare breakfast and lunch boxes for both of them. She would then dress up and put on her makeup because the media would have a field day if he didn''t look top-notch all the time. The time in the set was no better.


    She was working in a foreign location, the crew was noisy and she barely got time to finish before they were headed back to their house. There she would cook dinner for them and the bodyguards. There was also grocery shopping, making videos, and editing them. All in all, she was getting little to no sleep.


    Worst of all, she wouldn''t let him cook, saying that he was tired from working all day. Like she had not been working all day as well. He had tried to talk her out of everything but she mumbled something about the stalker poisoning them. Cage had to retreat and think about what he should tell her to settle her about the whole fiasco.


    If the stalker didn''t get caught soon, Katherine has going to collapse from overwork.


    He rarely got to see her look so vulnerable. Cage reached out, brushing her hair back and calling her name.


    She m.o.a.ned, the sound soft. Her eyes opened and she blinked, waking up slowly. Cage felt a rush of warmth in his heart and impulsively took her cheeks into his palm. Her eyes found his and she smiled sleepily. She hummed in question as if asking why he was back.


    "Wake up. I have some time to spare," he said. She looked too adorable so he pressed his lips to her forehead. "You''re going to hurt your neck."


    She breathed in deeply and in her half-sleeping state, raised her hand to trace the lines of his face. His breath caught in his throat as he felt the gentle touch causing a stir in his blood. He hadn''t been prepared for it at all, causing a greater reaction.


    "Sleepy," she groaned, closing her eyes again.


    He cleared his throat, pulling back slightly to catch his breath. "I need a nap, too. Do you want to join me in bed?" he enticed.


    It had been his plan to tease her awake so that they could enjoy each other''s company for a while. Instead, she stood up, swaying, and then stumbled onto the bed in the trailer. She caught his hand and pulled his down beside her. Then she curled up against his side like the little kitten she was. Slinging an arm over his waist, she fell back into a deep sleep.


    Cage remained frozen in the spot for a long time. Looking at her so closely, Cage could see the smudges under her eye. He could see just how tired she was. And he wondered. She always pretended to fall asleep with him but had she been staying awake for longer?


    He could faintly guess the thoughts that were passing through her mind all the time.


    A sense of comfort invaded the room and Cage found himself unable to keep his eyes open. After only a few minutes of watching her, his eyes were closed and he slipped into a state of deep sleep.


    When he awoke, he felt like he had just blinked. Despite this, he didn''t open his eyes. He could feel her breath close to his face but at a distance which caused his nose to itch. Something tickled his skin and he instinctively raised his hand to itch it.


    He heard her giggle and his eyes flew open. His eyes trailed to what she was holding.


    A sharpie.


    "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice husky from sleep.


    "Just drawing on your cheeks," she teased with a look of innocence.


    His eyes widened as the words sunk in. He sat up in fright and looked towards the mirror that would reveal his face. And then he blinked. There were no marks on his skin and Katherine was rolling on the bed, laughing her ass off.


    "Amused?" he asked, mock glaring at her.


    "The look on your face!" she explained between her peals of laughter. "You should know I would never do that." The laughter threw his embarrassment out of the window. "I don''t know. You''re quite the troublemaker."


    She sat up on the bed and smiled slyly at him. "Want to punish me for fooling you?" she taunted.


    "Sure." As he spoke, he took a step towards her. Soon they were face to face. His eyes went to her lips and he watched as her teasing smile fell. Her breath stuttered and he knew that she needed the kiss as much as he did.


    He leaned in.


    She ducked down and traveled to the side, placing herself on the recliner again. He pounced, knowing that she wanted to play catch. He caught her around the waist and heard her give a squeak of surprise, but in a heartbeat, he had pulled her up and pinned her down on the bed, climbing over her. He grabbed her hand and raised them over her head, her feet remained dangling from the edge of the bed.


    It all happened in a second and they were face to face, nose pressed to the others, and lips almost touching. They breathed hard, unable to concentrate on anything else. She didn''t struggle or try to get away from him. The game of catch ended as soon as it had begun.


    For the next few seconds, they simply breathed in each other''s hot breaths. Cage licked his lips and tilted his head and shuddered as a rush of excitement shot through his spine. He felt the brush of her soft mouth against his. The warmth of her body felt incredible under him. Like every night.


    Cage struggled to control the need to grind against her. "You want me?" he asked.


    Like that was even a question. He knew the answer but waited for confirmation from her.


    "All the time," she said, kissing him properly.

 Chapter 330 - Black Smoke

    He groaned her name but was stopped short by the knock at the door.


    "Mr Cavanaugh, you are wanted on set."


    He cursed and tilted his forehead against hers and laughed. He could feel her shaking beneath him, her silent laughter taunting him. His wry chuckle turned into a groan and she understood what she had done. She froze, trying not to m.o.a.n and tickle the beast on top of her.


    In appreciation, he gave her a quick peck on the lips.


    "Give me a few minutes!" he shouted towards the door. He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. The vixen took the opportunity to sprawl on top of him and cupping his cheeks.


    "We do have a couple of minutes. Time for a quickie?" she teased. He cupped the back of her head, pulling her closer for a much slower and deeper kiss.


    "I''m not fond of quickies," he told her when he pulled away.


    "You''ll just have to get to work with a bad case of blue balls then," she whispered softly.


    He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed the top of her hair, chuckling. He knew that was exactly going to be the case. A quick run to the washroom was inevitable.


    With that, he quickly put her down on the bed and stood up. His pants had ridden down his waist, so he pulled it up, wriggling his ass in front of her. She slyly inched forward, her arm eerily close to his butt.


    The sudden smack made him jump. He looked at her with shock and saw her start to laugh. He shook his head, wagging his finger in warning as he left.


    He would have to punish her for that later.


    - - -


    Stephen stood at the side of the shooting, watching as Giselle and Cage practiced their scenes on the set. It was something to do with a bomb going off. Usually, when such scenes happened, the explosion happened without the talent on the scene, it was added later on. Otherwise, they were put at a distance from it and given all the security measures so that they do not hurt. This time, they were doing the whole thing separately. The stunts team was checking everything and the young member of the safety crew was teaching them how to act like there would be a bomb going off.


    Giselle and Cage listened with rapt attention because they would need to enact the emotions without the explosion in the background. It had to be perfect so that it looked real.


    The director and assistant director were excitedly chatting with Katherine, who had made her way out of the trailer and planted herself among the people of the set.


    "Don''t worry, the bomb won''t go off, it happens separately," the assistant director told her. Katherine nodded in understanding. Stephen walked up to them and wrapped his hand around Katherine''s shoulder.


    "Hey, aren''t you going live on your channel in half an hour?" he asked.


    "Yeah," Katherine replied, looking at Stephen suspiciously. "I know that you have a lot of eyes on you and everything, how about Katherine shows her followers around the set, meeting people and chatting with them? Good publicity, don''t you think?"


    Katherine didn''t know what the plan was so she kept silent and listened.


    The director wasn''t up for it but somehow, the assistant director persuaded him to do it.


    "Don''t shoot the scenes we are doing, but everything else is game. Young people call it spoilers, right?"


    "Yeah, they go crazy over behind the scenes content," Katherine replied nonchalantly. When the crowd dispersed, Katherine took Stephen to the side. She crossed her hand over her chest and gave him a pointed look.


    "What was that about?" she asked.


    "We need eyes in the crew. Propel the stalker on to take action," Stephen shrugged.


    Katherine groaned. "I don''t like doing this," she protested.


    "It''s just a couple of days. Your channel will go back to normal. You''ll just get more people on your channel." He placed his palm together and bowed, pleading with her. She huffed.


    "I''m doing this as a favor, you have to pay me back somehow." Stephen grinned.


    "I''ll ensure Cage gets some valuable time off and sponsor a trip, okay? Treat it as your honeymoon," he teased. Katherine snorted and shook her head as she walked away. Getting loads of alone time with Cage sounded good after the months that had been spent apart and constantly working.


    It would do their mental health a lot of good.


    - - -


    Bella had brought her camera out of the trailer and set it up for the live stream. There were a few minutes left to go, so she prepped everything. She had asked the bodyguards to stay out of the frame if they didn''t want to get internet famous. But they seemed planted in their spot.


    As the stream began, she showed her surroundings and started to talk about how her life was.


    "Okay, my aliens. By popular request, I have finally decided to take you around the set. Maybe we can get a little sneak peek of what is happening in the movie." She gave a wink. "So, if you don''t want to watch the crew and my lovely bodyguards be irritated with me throughout my rampage around the set, please log off!"


    Unexpectedly, more people were coming to watch than expected. Something around four hundred thousand people were watching within the first ten minutes.


    She pranced around the set, talking to the crew members and asking questions raised by her audience.


    "Ah. What do you think about Cage Cavanaugh? Do you think he is an absolute diva on the set?" she asked a poor female crew member. The girl blushed and shook her head profusely. "Oh, come on-"


    Whatever she was going to follow up with cut off as the ground shook. The sound that followed was a large explosion. "Are they already shooting that scene?" she turned to ask no one in particular.


    Everyone was bewildered.


    No, that wasn''t the case. There had been a boom. A very big boom. "Hold on," she told her audience.


    Her heart was pounding. Something was wrong; she could feel it in her bones. She looked up in the distance, towards the source of the noise and her stomach churned.


    There was black smoke rising up in the distance. The sound of panicked shouts and sirens could be heard in the distance.


    Cage was practicing the scene himself. Her heart leaped to her throat, her eyes prickling as she tried to calm herself.


    "Oh god," she kept repeating. "I have to go. I''m sorry," she stuttered, not even looking at the camera. Her voice shook, almost breaking. "I have to go," she repeated.


    She switched off the steam and ran towards the black smoke. Her hand was on her phone, dialing Stephen''s number.

 Chapter 331 - Sorry Youre Hurting

    Stephen had informed Cage of his plans to film the set. Cage scrunched up his brow.


    "Why would you do that?" he asked, sounding mildly angry.


    "I''ve spoken to the security team. While we are on set, they get an opportunity to go out and see everyone first-hand. For the most part, Katherine has been staying in the trailer and only coming out for toilet breaks. Without any movement from her, we can''t catch the stalker."


    "So you''re publicizing her walk around set in hopes of enraging them?" Cage squinted.


    "Because it is done in short notice, they will react poorly. The more people that come on, the likelier that they will act." Stephen sounded confident.


    "Sometimes I wonder why you aren''t the bad guy." Cage shook his head. "How do you turn every situation into something worth publicizing?" He sighed. Stephen and Cage watched Giselle practice on the site. It was only a secluded setting and Giselle was planted on a small stretch of higher ground. The camera tracks were placed without hitch and the only thing they would be doing was moving forward, resetting, and then repeating.


    It was a crazy amount of work for a scene that would last a few minutes.


    Stephen looked like he wanted to enjoy the show but couldn''t relax. He kept a watchful eye on the perimeter and gave anyone who got near Cage thorough scrutiny.


    "Stop. You''re antagonizing the staff," Cage complained when an assistant scurried away.


    "I''m just trying to look intimidating. No one f.u.c.ks with my artist." He snorted.


    Stephen''s phone chirped and he glanced at it, connecting the call. "Hey, Corey." He listened for a while before craning his neck and looking around. "I''ll come right now."


    Cage had turned to stare at Stephen with worry.


    "Don''t worry!" Stephen slapped Cage''s back. "They''ve started the live stream and need me to come over for some overseeing."


    "What overseeing is required? Is there anyone suspicious?" Cage was super skeptical about the whole charade.


    "There are some people watching from the sidelines. Some media, too. I''ll just scope out the content and then come back." He shrugged. "Katherine is asking some interesting questions, so I need to monitor the replies from the staff."


    "They already know not to spill stuff."


    "They are also within inches of Katherine at the moment, so you never know what they might say. Better safe than sorry." Stephen put his phone back into his pocket.


    Cage watched Giselle run and flinched. "Make sure she''s safe. I''ll handle it here." He pointed towards the two bodyguards who were waiting in a little distance.


    "You really should let them stand closer to you." Cage rolled his eyes.


    "The makeup staff is already scared with you hovering over me like a mama bear, I don''t need those buff men glaring them down and making them cry. I like to look amazing on camera." This joke made Stephen laugh.


    "Call me if you need anything."


    Things were calm for a moment. The crew was setting the cameras and talking to Giselle explaining everything to her in detail once again. Cage remained distracted, staring at the scene while he thought about Katherine, so he didn''t take notice when someone came to stand beside him.


    He noticed someone from the corner of his eyes and turned to look at them. It was actually a younger member of the stunt team. His name was Mark, Cage remembered. He was usually an overexcited bunny, talking Cage''s ear off about the set and asking Cage questions about his work. It was rare for Cage to talk to someone who wasn''t interested in him as a star but in his body of work, so he had humored the boy for the most part.


    Cage turned to him. "Are you okay?" he asked, noticing that he was staring towards Giselle as well. Made sense, he was the one who had taught Giselle the actions for most of the morning.


    "I have a lot on my mind," he admitted without missing a beat.


    He sounded troubled. Cage paused for a bit and looked towards his guards. The guards had a closer relationship with the stunt crew because of the nature of their work and had, at many times, had lunch with the team. While they remained alert, speaking into their earpiece, they didn''t place much emphasis on the man beside him. Cage scooted a little away despite a part of his brain telling him that the bodyguards must know Mark better.


    Cage turned to Mark, offering him a smile. He tried to be understanding of the person and tried not to probe or come off as rude. But his gut said that it would be better to keep his distance. Politely, of course.


    There was a commotion in the distance and the guards looked towards the direction. "Sir, more people are flocking towards Miss Austen." They had gotten his attention. "We''ll monitor the situation from here. But please remain within our sight at all times."


    Cage made a face. "Is something wrong with her live stream?"


    "Livestream?" Mark perked up. "Is Miss Austen filming inside set?" he asked softly. "Are you okay?" Mark asked suddenly.


    "Yeah, of course. I''m irritated by all the security. I know this is serious but I hate it that I dragged Katherine into this mess."


    "I''m sorry you''re hurting," Mark said, lower than his usual range of voice.


    Cage raised his eyebrow, suddenly not understanding what the other meant. "It''s not a huge deal. As long as she is safe."


    "Always so giving to others," Mark said with a shake of his head.


    Cage wanted to let that go without thinking about it, but his spider senses were tinkling. He turned to his bodyguards with a slight look of alarm. They saw it and inches closer, not making any sound.


    Cage thanked that they had the good sense and intimidating auras that would ward off people.


    On the scene, Giselle had finally prepared to shoot the scene. She looked over towards Cage and gave him a friendly smile. Cage too smiled back at her, hoping that his shoulders weren''t too stiff.

 Chapter 332 - Not Allowed In

    "So, you and Giselle..." Mark said, drawing the attention back to himself. "I thought you were with Katherine, but rumors are flying around about you and... Giselle."


    His voice was tight. Not mad, just forced.


    "No, Giselle and I are friends," Cage tried to remain casual. So far, Mark had done nothing threatening, so Cage was unsure why he felt so scared.


    "Why her, though? You could act with so many other people who could help you grow, but you brought her back instead." Mark shook his head. "And Katherine, she''s so plain and... I mean, Keira wasn''t the best person for you either but at least she was beautiful and famous. She could have helped you out in your career."


    Cage checked himself. There was a flare of irritation running through him. He was used to such questions being thrown around but he had to be particularly careful when talking to crew members.


    "They''re both highly talented and ambitious people. In my personal and professional life, I intend for people with such qualities to accompany me." Cage could see that Mark was distressed by that. He looked bewildered.


    "They are making a joke out of you. Undermining your true worth and laughing at you. They''ve done nothing but use you to meet their ends. Giselle poked the public into publishing false rumors about you and Katherine... I don''t even know how she found you in the first place." He huffed. "Positively villainous."


    The guards had made their way towards Cage, surrounding Mark and Cage without the other noticing.


    "I don''t understand what you mean," Cage said, his eyes flickering from Mark to the bodyguards.


    "It''s all a ruse, I tell you. They''re using you. Giselle is hellbent on ruining your career and image. And that Katherine, I have a few choice words for her, as well."


    Nothing more was done than the spewing of words. The bodyguards who had body cameras on them couldn''t take down Mark because he posed no bodily threat to Cage. And Cage hadn''t signaled for them to make him step aside.


    That meant, Cage wanted to hear this. He had a purpose behind doing all of this.


    "What the f.u.c.k are you talking about?"


    Mark looked at him them. Looked at him right in the eye with a weird gleam. The expression made Cage''s blood run cold. "Don''t worry. I couldn''t get close enough to Katherine, but I can take care of this. I can do that for you."


    The smile that followed was horrifying.


    He pulled something out of his pocket and the bodyguards leaped.


    It happened so quickly that Cage couldn''t process it. He instinctively ducked away, letting the bodyguards subdue the man. He couldn''t really understand what it was in Mark''s hand but the struggle to reach for it showed that it was an invaluable part of the plans he had made for Giselle.


    Something went off before the guards to wrench the object out of his arm. Behind them, a loud boom went off. Cage swiveled towards the direction just in time to see Giselle ducking down in hopes of getting away. The flames licked upward and Giselle crawled towards the outside.


    On her way out, an object hit her side and she fell on her side. Motionless.


    There was nothing to be done about it. The crew was recoiling from shock and among them, the safety team was scrambling to get the fire in control. For some reason, none of the efforts worked.


    He wanted to go badly but he didn''t have the training to handle this.


    In the back of his mind, he wondered if people were going to die because of him because he was a coward and couldn''t save them himself.


    "Mr. Cavanaugh," one of his bodyguards shook him out of his trance. He looked over at them, dazed. "Mr. Cavanaugh, they''ve pulled Giselle out. We need to get out of here," they said. Someone was shaking his shoulders, but for the life of him, he couldn''t control his body and life.


    He was dragged out as were the other crew members.


    He could see that the police were already barricading the area and Mark, the perpetrator was in cuffs, but he couldn''t help but turn back. He was led away and he couldn''t remember much else.


    - - -


    Katherine ran. The people on set were scrambling to get away while she, ran towards it. When she got closer, she could see how thick the black smoke was. Her lungs burned at the sight.


    The policemen wouldn''t let her through. It had happened so quickly and they were still trying to contain the damage. But she was on a mission. Her bodyguards tried to pull her back and drag her away, but she was a woman on a mission.


    A ridiculous thought passed her head. What if she was a superhero or one of the characters from the games she played. It would be so easy. She would have been inside within seconds. But she wasn''t.


    She was so sure that he was still inside and she couldn''t shake the thought from her mind.


    The argument she was having with the police officer was turning heads.


    "Ma''am no one is allowed in." They told her. "An actor got hurt." They said. What was she to make of that? She needed to know. There were still people inside the barricade and they were looking for additional people stuck inside.


    The conversation was cut short when another round of flames flared up. She could feel the heat of it from where she stood. She sank to her knees right there, her hands clasped over her mouth. She couldn''t breathe. She couldn''t do anything but stare. A cloud of smoke and ash came towards them and she ducked her head against it. Wrapping her arms around her stomach as she waited.


    She wanted to scream.


    She wanted to call for him.


    Cage.


    Cage.


    ''Where are you?''


    ''Just wait for me.''


    "Miss Austen!" A familiar voice shouted. She turned her head, tears streaming down her face as she did. "Miss Austen," they called her again. "Mr Cavanaugh is safe. He''s farther away." She was picked up by strong arms.


    She stumbled as she followed them.


    But she did not believe them.

 Chapter 333 - Not My Fault

    Cage wasn''t sure that he was alive.


    For a long time, all he could see was the black smoke pluming in the distance. He could see the sky, too. It was beautiful, clear blue with a speck of white where the clouds glided through the blank canvas. He hadn''t seen a sky this beautiful in years.


    He stared and stared until his eyes closed. When he opened them again, he wasn''t exactly sure what was happening. Indeed, he must have been dead. There was an angel hovering over him. His own personal angel. Except, something was gravely wrong. She didn''t have a smile on her face as usual. Her face was ashen, literally covered in smudges with streaks of her skin flashing through the tracks where her tears had rolled down.


    She was so upset that he wanted to pull her into his arms. Her lips moved like she was yelling but he couldn''t hear a thing.


    He raised his hand and cupped her cheek, his eyes slightly glazed over.


    "What are you saying?" he whispered.


    Katherine choked when she heard how scratchy his voice was.


    "I was so worried," she sobbed.


    Stephen was standing behind them, watching over with an expression of terror in his eyes. His phone was plastered to his ears as he fired off commands into it. He was shouting at security, talking to the media, and replying to texts all at the same time as he tried to push back the undeterred terror that would seize him if he stopped working.


    Katherine was hugging Cage. He winced slightly, making her freeze up. "I''ll call the medic!"


    His fingers tightened around her and his slightly glazed eyes seemed to focus a little more.


    "No," he croaked. "Stay. Please don''t go."


    Katherine didn''t need to be convinced. She slumped against him and let him hold her. Tears escaped her eyes, and he blinked. "Don''t cry."


    "I''m not crying," she protested, wiping her tears away. She pulled away and saw the look he was giving her. She even sniffled as she admitted to it. "Fine, I am crying. But I am not going to stop because you said so. Stop ordering me around. Who do you think you are?"


    His lips twitched. This was not how he envisioned the time after his death. "This isn''t how it''s supposed to be," he grumbled.


    "What?" she asked, confused.


    "Am I not dead?" he breathed.


    She wanted to smack him and she did. He grabbed onto the location of the sting, his eyes wide. "It wouldn''t have hurt if you were dead."


    She was too scared to even think about what he was saying. Thank god, he was not dead. She had to admit, she might have followed after him if that was the case.


    "How long was I out for?" he asked.


    "You were in shock. We have a doctor check on you. You just wouldn''t respond." Katherine sighed when he gave a nod. "Stephen called your parents already, don''t worry. You were dazed for an hour or so."


    "I''m not hurt. Then why are you crying?" he asked, stroking her cheek.


    "Miscommunication. Nothing much," she sighed. "Giselle was taken to the hospital. She has burns but the medic said she would be okay."


    "When I saw her fall... man, I really wanted to run to her. It was all my fault." His eyes never wavered from her face.


    "It''s not your fault. It was someone else." Her voice cracked.


    He took a deep breath. "I know. I remember the conversation clearly. But... was anyone else hurt?" The bodyguards gave him a brief about the situation and Katherine for the first time heard that Cage had tried to rush into the fire.


    "Do you think you are Batman? How could you go in? You must think you have superpowers." She was crying again.


    "Batman didn''t have superpowers," he commented.


    Katherine glared at him. "He has gadgets that supplement him. He doesn''t need superpowers. What do you have?" she hissed.


    "A handsome face?" he replied apprehensively, trying to joke it off.


    Katherine pressed her lips together into a think line. She was very close to losing it and she didn''t want to.


    "Katherine..."


    "I''m sorry. I just..." she didn''t say anymore.


    Cage turned to Stephen. "What''s the bad news?" he asked his friend.


    Stephen knew what he wanted to talk about. What was going to happen on the set.


    "It''s pretty bad." Cage grimaced but put on a stoic face. "Katherine was on live stream when it happened. Hundreds of thousands of people saw it in the background. The media knew immediately. It''s all over the news. Speculation is running wild and fingers are being pointed."


    Cage nodded. "How much do they know?"


    "Not much. That is what is causing chaos. There is speculation about deaths on the set. I''ve cleared up that you are alive. Giselle''s agency has done the same. I''m talking to the director and the police about how much to reveal. We''ll probably have a press conference."


    That was all fine. Cage sighed in relief.


    "There is something else," Stephen said tentatively. "It''s not Katherine or my fault..." he trailed off.


    "What?" Cage wrinkled his brow in confusion.


    Stephen pulled his phone out and pulled up images and handed him the phone. "Media got some pretty good shots of the scene. The one most circulated include Katherine. It''s splashed all over the internet at this point."


    Cage finally took a look. Katherine was peering at the screen too.


    "Holy hell," they muttered at the same time. It was Katherine. She was at the barricade, arguing with the police while tears streamed down her face.


    "And there is the video," Stephen added. He swiped right and showed it. It was Katherine slowly panicking when she realized that something was wrong. "This wasn''t my idea. I had nothing to do with it. But Katherine''s numbers are going through the roof." Neither of them reacted.


    Cage groaned and looked up at the sky once again. "Oh god."


    They settled down slowly and Cage fell asleep. His eyelids closed and he drifted off. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart beating.

 Chapter 334 - Their Messy Affairs

    The next four days went by in a flash. Cage ended up in the hospital for inhaling all that smoke as did many of the others. They also had to do a psychological evaluation on him considering he flew into a panic attack every time Katherine moved away from his side.


    Cage had tried to see Giselle, too. Though he was part of the reason why all of this had happened, no one seemed to let him in. Katherine explained to him that he was not in a condition to see her. He had to give up finally and get all his information from other people.


    So, according to all the information he had received, the scene happened because of this. Mark had worked on the same set as Cage and Keira before but had never been in the forefront. This meant that Cage had taken no notice of him. While they were on set, Mark had heard all the rumors about them dating and believed that was the best-case scenario for Cage to gain new heights of fame.


    When their messy affairs came out in the open, Mark was furious. He wanted to get back at Keira for trying to ruin Cage but ended up being influenced by the woman instead. What a turn of events. She''d somehow convinced him that she was the victim in all of this and she wanted what was best for Cage. What she had done was for her own survival, but it ended up hurting everyone around Cage.


    That''s when the letters started. Cage just hadn''t noticed. He had only noticed when it was too late. There was also the whole thing about Mark confronting Giselle and her manager. Neither Giselle nor her manager had mentioned this. Indeed, they had been using the whole Cage thing to boost her popularity.


    Gossip had it that Giselle wanted no part of it, but her manager convinced her into it. Little more probing showed that it was Giselle''s manager who had been feeding information to the news outlets. Not the worst Stephen and Cage had seen but considering how dire the effect of their action was, the manager must want to kill himself.


    Giselle had hit her head pretty hard in all the chaos and remained unconscious for a day. The burns on her had been treated immediately but would take a lot of time to heal properly. A lot of money and time would take to heal her completely, not to mention the psychological trauma of the whole event putting a shadow in her mind.


    Cage wanted to apologize but he was also furious that such a big thing had been kept from him. Katherine wouldn''t have been put in danger if they had been more forthcoming. Giselle wouldn''t have ended up like this either.


    Stephen was trying his best to control the news. The story was spinning out of control, well beyond the scope of the tabloids. It was in the mainstream media, Cage''s past now splashed all over the news once again. In the beginning, no one could put the pieces together. But it all came into the picture when Stephen tipped of the media outlets about suing Keira Higgins and Giselle''s manager. The pieces as it happened, the injury from the first day, the threatening letters, the need for security, and finally the explosion finally made sense to the public.


    While nothing was explicitly said, it didn''t take a genius to figure everything out.


    "I never want to hear about Keira ever again," Katherine said when she saw the news.


    "On a positive note," Stephen interjected. "Keira is only getting negative press and a lot of people want to meet the two of you. Everybody wants to see you."


    "Well, not a surprise. My girlfriend is beautiful," Cage boasted.


    "No, because nerdy gamer girls make for cute content," Stephen snorted. "You even have a theme song for your love story."


    "And you''ve listened to it a hundred times," Katherine groaned.


    "What, it''s good!" Stephen whined.


    When Stephen left, Katherine sat in her chair beside Cage.


    "A theme song, huh?" he asked.


    "It''s actually good," she commented. "Don''t tell Stephen I said that."


    "It seems we are in the news a lot." He fought a smile.


    "And you''re not helping matters, either. You instructed the hospital staff to distribute the flowers to the other patients and the game figurines were given to the children''s wing." She shook her head. "You''re too good for your own good."


    "Where did you think all those gifts would go?" His room had been flooded by things and it looked like a unicorn had puked all over it.


    "Stephen told the media all about it. He''s milking the situation for all it is worth." Katherine became grim at that.


    "It''s his job. He needs to earn the money I pay him and we need to recover the money we spent on hospitalization. How will I do that without marketing myself to the public as an angel?" He smirked.


    "I kept some figurines, though. Didn''t let Stephen mention that to the press." Cage burst out into laughter. "What? They were really good quality. Limited edition, too. I was saving up to buy some of them." Katherine pouted.


    "I''m beginning to think that you need a change of career. You''ve not gotten a break from disaster this year. Are you sure it is safe to be an actor?" Katherine mumbled.


    "Well, I could leave if you want-"


    "Don''t you dare. You shine when you act. I wouldn''t take that away from you." She paused and gave him a meaningful look. "You''ll be up and out of the hospital soon."


    Cage shook his head. "I''m trying to take advantage of my bedridden state. Can''t you see?"


    Katherine wrinkled her nose but raised her hand. "Okay. Hit me. You can get anything you want out of me. And everyone else on the planet. Personally, I think you should just ask for a superhero role. It suits your personality," she said, her voice filling with sarcasm.


    "There is only one thing I want." His voice was serious. Katherine hadn''t expected that.


    "And what is that?"


    "You." He licked his chapped lips. "Marry me, Katherine."


    Her eyes popped wide open. "What?" she whispered in disbelief.


    "Marry me."

 Chapter 335 - Greatest Fear

    She looked at the saline channel and frowned. "How high are you right now?"


    "Not enough to lie." He took her hand in his. "When I thought I was dead, I regretted only one thing."


    Katherine''s expression twisted into one of pain. He shook his head, squeezing her hand. "I regretted that I hadn''t done enough for you. But then I realized that nothing I did would be enough. A hundred years won''t be enough." He sucked in a breath. "So, I want to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Making sure I am doing enough. So, marry me."


    For a long twenty seconds, Katherine stared. Then she burst out into laughter. "You''re a jerk. How can I possibly say no?"


    "Do you want to say no?" he asked, wrinkling his nose in displeasure.


    "No!" Her eyes brimmed over with tears and she giggled. "We already talked about how our wedding will look. Of course, I''ll marry you. I''d have it no other way."


    She leaned in and then kissed him. She peppered his face with kisses, cradling his face in her hands.


    And that was all he needed. Her glowing, happy face was enough for him.


    He was going to stand beside her on their wedding day, surrounded by their family and friends, and let everyone know.


    - - -


    There were a lot of talk shows asking for their interview. Stephen always jumped at the opportunity.


    "Just a few more days," he kept saying. Both Cage and Katherine conceded.


    The talkshows were fun. They played games, traded jokes. The hosts were nerds and went head-on-head in gaming trivia. Katherine even let them tie with her. They seemed to be okay with that.


    Primetime news was different. It was serious. The questions, this time, was dedicated to Cage alone. Katherine didn''t even go to the interview.


    They started out easy.


    "You received a lot of gifts when you were in the hospital," the anchor prompted.


    "I did. I gained a lot of ''followers'' as Katherine would call it. We got visited by a lot of celebrities, too." No issue with that.


    The anchor smiled at him, albeit patronizingly. "Who was your favorite visitor?"


    Cage thought about this. He could answer it casually or make a statement about it.


    "Giselle," he said confidently. A flicker of surprise flashed through the reporter''s face and Cage explained. "She was hurt. It was a relief to see her awake and smiling. I wasn''t allowed out of my ward at that point because of my overprotective manager but Giselle actually visited."


    "She came to visit you?" the anchor asked.


    ''No shit sherlock,'' Cage thought.


    Most of the other questions weren''t easy.


    "Has there been any lasting effect of the incident on you? Post-traumatic stress? Nightmares?"


    Cage was quiet for a long moment. He had no idea why he did it, but he ended up answering honestly. "Nightmares," he admitted.


    The anchor''s eyes turned soft. "About the explosion?"


    He pressed his lips together. "About Katherine, actually."


    "But she wasn''t at the scene," the reporter said, surprised and confused. Behind the cameraman, Cage could see Katherine staring at him in shock.


    "I dreamt that it was Katherine there in place of Giselle. That it was her that I couldn''t save and they kept holding me back."


    He almost choked.


    "Oh, Cage," Katherine whispered so low that no one else heard.


    "But she wasn''t there. You were. Giselle was." Of course, his nightmare wasn''t very rational.


    "I believe it''s because my greatest fear is to lose her." His throat tightened and he cleared it to appear calm.


    Damn reporters.


    Katherine had suffered from major anxiety since the incident. At random times during the day, she would call him or wake up to look at his face to ensure that he was okay. She had to see him with her own eyes.


    Later that evening, they were resting in bed and she had placed her head on his chest. She had ended up addicted to the sound of his heartbeat.


    "You''re very quiet," Cage whispered, unwilling to break the peace in the room.


    "I''m thinking..."


    "That''s a surprise," Cage teased as he caressed her air. She smacked his arm and chuckled. "What about?" he asked finally.


    "About everything. About how your life has turned upside down since I came."


    Cage thought he had misheard.


    "None of this is your fault, Katherine." He was shocked that she would think that way.


    "No, you were fine until I appeared. I might just be a jinx. You got in trouble with Keira. Then you got into scandal after scandal, and the accidents!" she whisper-yelled.


    "None of those had to do with you. You were the best thing that happened. Your presence was the only thing that kept me sane."


    "Mark wouldn''t have..." Cage interjected her.


    "Mark would have found some excuse or the other to do what he did. If not now, later." He paused. "I don''t want to think about my life without you. Living in a hole, just doing my job, and never making real connections with people because it scared me that they would use me. What would happen if I died a lonely death?"


    "After living a very long life!" Katherine debated.


    "I am going to live a long life, Katherine. A very long and happy life with you." That appeased her a little. "Without you, I would be sixty, playing the role of someone''s grandfather."


    He hated to imagine. What would his life look like then? He would never fall in love, but she might have found someone. Maybe Nathaniel or Barry would wriggle their way into her life. Or worse, maybe she would remain alone all her life.


    Wouldn''t that be a waste?


    "I''m happy with my life. I wouldn''t want it any other way." He kissed the top of her head and wrapped his arm around her tighter.


    "Don''t you dare think about such things!" Especially when he was almost done with planning their wedding.


    He hadn''t told her yet, though. It was supposed to be a surprise. Well, as surprising as it could be when he was sneaking into the bathroom and calling everyone to RSVP.


    She must have overheard. She just didn''t let him know that she did.


    Which reminded him. He needed to get her size right for the wedding ring.

 Chapter 336 - Lets Get Married

    "Are you ready?" Cage called. He was nervous. Which was unusual for him. But that day was the exception to the rule. He wanted everything to be perfect. He glanced at his phone and tried to control the urge to check it for the hundredth time. It was time and he was freaking out.


    He had to get it together. He should have given her more warning but he hadn''t. This felt so much more than the first red carpet he had walked on.


    Katherine was in the bathroom, getting ready. He had bought a dress he thought would look lovely on her and taken Angelina and Lily''s help to get the measurements perfect. It wasn''t a grand dress that cost a fortune. Instead, he bought something Katherine could wear later if she wanted. They had talked about the wedding and she had raised the concern about how expensive and wasteful wedding dresses were. In that light, he went with her wishes and bought a pleasant, flowy dress in a style she liked.


    The bouquet was chosen by Lily, too, as she knew what Katherine liked. Henrick was in charge of everything else. Everyone had flown into the city and booked the small venue promptly without Katherine noticing anything.


    "Done!" she screamed as she came out. She turned to him, showing him the back. "Zip me up," she said with a coy smile.


    "Are you trying to rouse the beast in me?" he asked, gulping. They didn''t have time for that. And he looked so beautiful that it would be blasphemous to ruin it.


    "The zipper goes down to my butt. I can''t reach all of it," she admitted. She wriggled her butt to make a point and laughed. Cage chuckled and zipped the dress up slowly, suddenly realizing that it was happening.


    The dress fit perfectly.


    "You didn''t specify the accessories, so I improvised." She bit her lip and looked in the mirror. "I look like I will walk down the aisle at any moment."


    Cage pressed back the laugh and patted her back. "What accessories did you wear?" he asked. He had arranged for his mother to bring all the necessary things but didn''t give them to Katherine lest she caught wind of his plan.


    "I wore this old earring that was passed down from my grandmother, This hairpin that I borrowed from Angelina, the ring I bought off the internet, and this hairpin, too. They look good together and go with the dress. What do you think?"


    Cage looked her over, not noticing the main point.


    "You look amazing," he complicated. "Now, let''s go!" he said, pulling on her hand. She smirked behind his back.


    "Hold your horses. Are we catching a train or is your pant on fire?" she teased. She didn''t protest as he pulled her along.


    "My pant is on fire," he admitted. They drove in silence. After months, Cage drove himself. Stephen was at the venue making sure no paparazzi or reporters had caught wind of the situation.


    Katherine didn''t ask questions and let Cage have his moment. She rolled her eyes internally when he opened the door for her and extended his hand. She grabbed it and was pulled out immediately.


    They went through the front door of a cozy home and exited through the backyard. At this point, Katherine was slightly confused.


    ''Where is the venue?'' she thought. But when she saw the backyard, she gasped. No, it was not the people present who surprised her... she had expected that... but the decoration.


    On one side, a long table was placed. It was covered by white sheets and the chairs looked rustic and so on point with the house. The fairy lights placed overhead caught her attention and she felt tears prickle.


    She felt like a teenage girl who had the dream room come to life.


    On the other side, a little stage was made and chairs of the same rustic variety placed for their benefit.


    "Surprise!" Angelina shouted.


    Katherine looked at them meaningfully. "You didn''t do a good job of hiding this from me. I am shocked by how beautiful everything is, though!" She really was.


    "You knew?" Cage yelled.


    Katherine turned to him with a sheepish expression. "Yes. Angelina and Lily asking me about any changes in size. Dad creepily grumbling about an upcoming plane trip that I wasn''t invited to. And you and Stephen running around and evading my questions. I figured."


    "It could have been a number of things, you know?" Lily countered.


    "The white dress was a giveaway," she shrugged. "And do you really think this would be a good idea if I wasn''t informed that I was getting married? What would you guys do if I turned into a bridezilla?" Cage''s face went pale.


    "I love everything," she reassured. "Now, let''s get married."


    The others found out that she had followed tradition in picking out her accessories. Some were pleased, others shook their head at how stupid Cage was.


    The small wedding was full of tears and joyful laughter.


    Her father even made some comments about how Cage hadn''t asked for his permission first. If he weren''t afraid that Katherine would elope, he would have fought tooth and nail to keep her unmarried.


    At the end of the day, Katherine looked around and saw the people she loved most. She danced and sang. She drank wine. She had just gained a new family. A wonderful new family.


    And a man she would hold hands with until her hair turned grey and her bones disintegrated to ash.


    - - -


    The following announcement made headlines all over the world.


    [Actor Cage Cavanaugh and his fiance, Miss Katherine Austen, were wed today in a ceremony at an undisclosed location. In attendance were the groom''s parents as well as his close friends followed by the bride''s family and closest friends. The bride was given away by her father.]


    The announcement followed up with a solitary picture of the groom and bride and information on Cage''s next projects and break from filming.

 Chapter 337 - Ganging Up On Him

    Cage was ready for the awards... the Golden Globes. Katherine was thrilled at the news and a tad bit scared because of the increase in the number of eyes on them. He wasn''t worried about that in the slightest though.


    Katherine had won over hearts through her videos and the interviews they had done post the incident. Cage''s claim that interest in them would diminish hadn''t been correct. While they didn''t face huge crowds of reporters everywhere they went, there were still people posting pictures of them all the time. Sometimes it was of them holding hands in the grocery store, or him at the gym.


    Every aspect of their life was well doc.u.mented. They were slowly getting used to it.


    Cage studied himself in the mirror and chuckled. They now lived in his house in City H. Together. No one could tell them that it was immoral because he had legal papers to show that she was his lawfully wedded wife. There would be no speculation about her identity. Cage had given her space to change everything and go crazy with the decorations.


    So far, he really loved what Katherine had done with the whole place. It had life and warmth. It felt like a home that was theirs.


    Living with Katherine was easy, too.


    Stephen had finally asked Angelina to move in with him and they were living in his apartment, fifteen minutes from Cage''s house. He had yet to pop the question, but he was contemplating skydiving or plastering banners all over the city for her to see. Cage had tried to dissuade him from those ideas to no avail.


    Somehow, Katherine had struck a friendship with Giselle. And the most surprising part? Giselle had met Barry and fallen in love with him at first sight. It was all surreal. Cage kept thinking about how it was possible. In the end, he shrugged and resigned to the plans of the universe.


    Cage hadn''t come to terms with the whole situation and Giselle''s negligence, though. They weren''t on the greatest terms, but Cage respected her when she came around to drag Katherine out and go shopping.


    Katherine had booked tickets for Cage and his parents and taken them to her hometown for Christmas. Their first Christmas together was spent amongst family. They''d known each other for a year and a couple of months, but sometimes, Cage felt like he knew her forever. Other times, he couldn''t believe how little of his life he had spent with Katherine so far.


    It was in those moments he promised to spend every moment with her.


    Their love for one another seemed to grow every day and they couldn''t remember a life before they knew each other. Thank god, they didn''t have to.


    While these thoughts passed his mind, Katherine walked out. Beautiful as always. She had perfected her makeup and dresses over the premiers she visited.


    "You like?" she asked, smiling at his reaction. Cage was pretty sure he was drooling.


    "You look ravishing. I''m not sure you should go out like this." He finally found the words.


    She laughed, tossing her head back. Dangerous woman.


    His heart was pounding just looking at her. For the first time, he wondered if he had to beat down people on the red carpet.


    "I spent hours getting ready. If I don''t go out, I will take it up with you."


    He walked over to her and took her hand in his. "I was thinking of slumming it at home. Call for some pizza and sit in our formal wear."


    "You were complaining about gaining weight, but the suit fits you so well!" she said.


    "I gained three pounds," he informed her.


    "Not enough. You need enough calories to keep your muscles in place. I''ll make more food tomorrow." The best thing about gaining food was that Katherine was making food. A lot of delicious food. His trainer kept asking Katherine to do this and that, give him protein and whatnot. They were all ganging up on him.


    He conceded.


    Once in the limo, Cage didn''t pretend he was decent. He couldn''t keep his hands off her. And she knew it.


    "I know what you are doing." He pulled her close to him and nibbled on her ear. She giggled and put space between them.


    Cage gave her an innocent look. "What? I am lawfully allowed to kill you in the back of the fancy limo."


    Katherine rolled her eyes. "Kissing me... even legally will lead to limo s.e.x. I don''t mind, I''ve always wondered how it would feel."


    Cage squinted. Evil woman. "You can''t say things like that. I may attack you."


    She shook her head, smiling brightly. "After the ceremony. I am not emerging out of this limo rumpled."


    He imagined the situation.


    "But, if you win the award, I''ll ensure the limo ride back is the best you''ve ever had."


    He palmed his face and groaned.


    - - -


    Katherine threw her arms around his neck when they announced his name. He ended up winning the award for Best Actor. He clutched at her, praising the heavens that his first award with her in attendance ended in him winning an award.


    The speech was eloquent. He spoke about the story and the hard work everyone had put in. The number of sacrifices everyone had to put in. He ended up choking when he spoke about his family and Katherine.


    "I''m so grateful they are behind me," he claimed.


    Katherine didn''t know why he was tearing up. When he returned to his seat, she leaned in and asked him exactly that.


    "At first, I cried because I was happy I got an award. Then I was ecstatic that I would get some action in the limo. But... I remembered that we''ll have to delay going home. Now I need to attend the afterparty."


    Katherine pressed her palm to her lips to stop the burst of laughter that was about to escape.


    "I''ll make it up to you," she said finally. Under the table, she entwined her fingers with his. Under the darkness, they sat in their own little bubble, watching the world go by.

 Chapter 338 - Side Story: Angelina and Stephen

    Stephen had managed all sorts of celebrity scandals and fought with paparazzi and reporters to get his agenda to the crowd. He had even jumped off buildings and planes in his quest to find the greatest rush on the planet. But right at that time, he was scared out of his mind.


    He had no choice, though. He had put off the plan for as long as it was humanly possible. If he didn''t do it this weekend, he would bang his head against a rock until he had brain damage. Thank God Cage had lied through his teeth to convince Angelina to go with Stephen. The help was all he needed to shake from head to toe in fright.


    After all the years of service, he had provided Cage, that was the least he could do.


    Angelina''s parents weren''t interested in her life particularly, so he didn''t need to take their permission to marry their daughter. He had considered doing it, but Angelina would be pissed. She would also face trouble from her parents, so Stephen chucked that idea out.


    It was really sad that Angelina''s parents didn''t want to be part of her life. Didn''t they know what an amazing and talented daughter they had?


    And what was so bad about marrying him? Most families would stumble over their feet to make a connection to him. His mother was a respectable woman who ran her own business. He was well respected in the industry and had a clean reputation. He also earned a good amount of money every month. Just because he was in the entertainment industry, Angelina''s parents would give her a hard time.


    All being said, he needed Cage''s help so that he could propose the next day. He could do this.


    - - -


    "This is the stupidest idea ever," Cage grumbled as he dragged sacks of sand from Stephen''s truck.


    "Don''t hate on my idea. It''s not stupid. You used your hospitalization to soften Katherine''s heart. I don''t have that luxury, so I need to do something amazing that no one could ever think about. It''s the novelty that will make her say yes." Stephen glared at Cage.


    Cage had a goofy smile on his face every time someone mentioned his life and their proposal. For single people, it was hell. They showed off to their near and dear people too much.


    The plan was to bring two cars over so that they had enough bags to spell out the ''Marry Me, Angel'' on the field. Post that, Stephen had pled with his friend to take his plan to a ride and drop Stephen and Angelina over the designated spot. She would see the words when she looked down and the experience would never be replicated by anyone ever again.


    "Have you considered that she would say yes if you asked her in a normal fashion?" Cage argued. "Because she loves you?" He rolled his eyes.


    "What''s the fun in that? Katherine got the s.e.xiest man alive, Lily got her dream of a normal person but Angelina didn''t get to show off! I''ll fulfill this wish for her." Stephen puffed up his face.


    "But why do I have to put in physical labor for this?" Cage whined.


    "Because I helped plan your whole wedding, you asshole. Stop protesting or I will send a picture of your n.a.k.e.d butt to the media." The threat seemed to work.


    "I didn''t put in any physical labor in mine." And now he was regretting.


    "Your loss that you had drips connected to you. You couldn''t even enjoy some post-proposal s.e.x." Way to rub it in, Stephen.


    "Help me finish so we can go back home to our girls, asshole."


    That got Cage working faster than before. Threats to expose him were less effective than this. Stephen grunted something about using that trick from the beginning.


    When they were done, they slumped against their cars. "Good luck for your proposal tomorrow. We''ll be waiting for the call to come."


    "You would require a bodyguard when Angelina realizes you duped her into sky diving," Stephen laughed.


    "You''d be responsible because I did it for you. If you do it right, Angelina won''t remember the lie. If your proposal sucks, I''ll hire someone." Smug bastard.


    "Attacking me will be the first thing on her mind." Stephen wiggled his brows lewdly.


    "Didn''t want to know that! Just get engaged."


    Stephen couldn''t wait. His Angel would be officially his soon. Angelina Luther. That had a nice ring to it.


    - - -


    Stephen finally realized the meaning of fear when he was sitting across from Angelina in the little plane. She was glaring at him. Maybe he shouldn''t have exposed Cage''s lie so early into the game and waited for the revelations until she said yes to his proposal. Like a few decades later. While he was on his deathbed.


    "It''s going to be fun!" he promised, trying to muster up some enthusiasm in his voice.


    Her eyes were shooting flames at him. Stephen considered himself a perverse man because he was terribly aroused. That shout of hers was what had attracted him in the first place.


    Angelina had already pulled out her cellphone.


    "What are you doing?" He was visibly nervous.


    "Typing an email sending my condolences to your mother and Bella for the death of their son and husband respectively."


    Stephen took the phone away from her and tossed it into her bag. She could use it later to send excited messages to everyone. Maybe when she was not so pissed.


    The words that followed were dirty. She was cursing him for all he was worth and if not for his friend who was flying the plane, Stephen would have pulled her in for a kiss. And it could only lead to other things.


    Which couldn''t happen. His friend wasn''t getting the privilege of watching Angelina ride him. And his proposal couldn''t wait.


    "Well, if you do kill me, remember to wear only black for the next five years."


    Angelina scoffed. "That''s the best of my years. I am a model. No way in hell I am mourning you for that long. I''ll give it a couple of months tops."


    "I''m not dying, so you don''t need to worry about that."


    She took it as a challenge.


    "We''re almost there!" his friend called.


    "Ready?" He was so excited. He wanted to put a ring on her finger midair but his mom and Cage had warned him about the ring dropping. That wouldn''t do. He had even offered to put a mini parachute on it but again, his idea was protested again.


    Losing an expensive ring would be too much.


    She stood up and sighed. She was adjusting her pack when Stephen started to go over the plan again. Angelina batted his hand away. "I know how to do it. I''m set, okay?"


    Stephen chuckled. He''d see if she wanted to kill him after she saw the proposal.


    They got to the drop site and he watched Angelina standing in the doorframe looking like those women in action movies. Seriously, she even made the jumpsuit look s.e.xy.


    "Hey, Angelina?" She turned to him with a nonchalant expression. "I love you."


    The look in her eyes softened just a bit. "I love you, too." She jumped backward out of the plane without hesitation.


    Stephen laughed as he leaped after her, spreading his arms and letting the wind whip him around. It stung just like Angelina. She was right below him and he could see the grin on her face as she fell freely.


    Stephen felt a bubble of anxiety take place in his heart as the world below came into focus. She finally pulled the chord and the parachute emerged. He waited until he got even with her before pulling the chord and letting his fall slow. Quickly, he settled to hold her hand.


    She took it without hesitation and they fell down together. It was nearly time. His heart pounded in anticipation. She''d say yes, right?


    He could finally see the field and he could sort of see the message but it hadn''t come into focus yet. Just a few more seconds. When he looked at her, he saw her head tilted upwards, seemingly enjoying herself.


    He could finally see it. He tugged on her hand. She glanced his way instinctively. The moment had finally come. He pointed towards the ground and she followed his gaze. Her hand pulled out of his and she pressed it against her mouth.


    For a second, he was sure that she was going to get sick. He panicked and shouted her name only to see her nod.


    Did that mean yes? Before he could be sure, they were already near the ground. He tried to land on his feet but his momentum had pitched him forward, right into the ground. He didn''t care. He yanked at the parachute, trying to get it off me, and run to Angelina.


    It was taking too long. He got up on his feet and dragged it along with him as he fumbled. Finally, he was free from it. He pulled the ring out of his pocket.


    "Did you say yes?"


    "Of course I said yes, you douche. This is why you kept begging me to skydive? Why didn''t you just propose like a normal person?" She shook her head in disbelief.


    "Because you''re not just a normal person to me, Angel." He dropped down on one knee and opened the box in anticipation.


    "What happened to not being normal?" she smiled.


    He grinned. It was the best day of his life. "You''re the most beautiful woman on the planet. The only one who can sway my heart. You''re my family and I want nothing more than to be yours. So, will you marry me?"


    "I''m going to cry!" she whined. "Damn you. Yes, I will marry you."


    Complete with name-calling, it was the best proposal she could have.


    "I need to call Katherine and rub the proposal in her face. And my parents. Damn, they are going to be so offended." She snickered in glee.


    Stephen shook his head. Of course, she would use it to spite everyone. This was the woman he loved. He shrugged and went along with her plan. Time to let the world know Angelina was his fiance.

 Chapter 339 - Epilogue (Part I)

    Katherine hung up the phone yet again. Lily rolled her eyes. "Was that Cage? I swear if he calls one more time..." she trailed off in frustration. "This man just cannot stop checking on you."


    Katherine rolled her eyes. Cage was a tad bit overprotective the past few days but she was enjoying it thoroughly. He had been attentive since the beginning but since the moment he found out that they were pregnant, he''d become something of a worrywart. Not one person on the planet was as spoiled as her.


    "Cage is overprotective? Have you considered yourself? Jared is crying at home because you won''t leave my side. You even shortened your trips to the bathroom in case I need something. And Anna, she has stopped by more times to see me than she has in the past few years of our marriage." On cue, the doorbell rang. "I wonder if that is the delivery. Angelina has been sending me every piece of clothing and toy she can find for the baby. She has sent a toy train, what newborn plays with a toy train?" Katherine''s dad snorted as he went to answer the phone.


    "Even Giselle has been texting from her movie set to know if I have gone into labor. I am surrounded by overprotective people." Katherine shifted and tried to get more comfortable but these last few months, that seemed to be an impossible task. Little Miss Cavanaugh was the stubbornest kid on the planet.


    "Don''t blame me. I am trying to keep these crazy people in check so that you''re not too stressed. They want to haul you to the hospital every time the kid moves inside you." She glanced at Katherine''s stomach.


    Katherine smirked as she thought about the bullshit Lily was spouting. The woman was just as excited to have a nephew. "Wait until it''s your turn. I will remind you how you treated me," she threatened.


    Lily looked wistful for a moment before shaking her head. "I don''t have time, okay? And Jared hasn''t proposed yet." She pouted.


    "Well, you could be the one who proposes," Katherine suggested. "You live together. If you want to put a ring on it, do it."


    Lily shook her head. "I''ll spoil your spawn for now."


    Anna hopped into the room wearing one of her recital clothes. "Katherine, I found the cutest onesie." She held up a white yellow onesie that had ''Grandma''s Favorite'' written on it.


    "It''s perfect," I said, imagining Anna holding her daughter. It made her heart clench. She was getting anxious to see her baby but she also wanted to see the baby with her family. Cage was beyond impatient to meet his daughter and hold her. He was pumped to be a dad.


    Katherine had no doubt that he would be an excellent one.


    It seemed that everyone was shopping at the same time. They would sit beside her and keep shopping online. The baby had more clothes than Katherine and Cage combined and the nursery was pretty much looking like a storeroom with the number of toys everyone had dropped.


    Fortunately, only her family and friends were obsessed with the pregnancy. It had been a well-kept secret from Cage and her fans. She had barely left the house since she started to show and while there was speculation that they had broken up or she was pregnant. No one was sure what had actually happened. She was happy with that.


    As long as she only filmed her face, no one would find out.


    It had been collectively decided that the news of the birth would be given exclusively to GC, yet again. Other than that, no pictures or stories would be allowed to spread. Their baby girl would be kept protected from the world until she was of age and could decide for herself what she wanted.


    At how good Miss Cavanaugh kicked, she was expected to be a soccer player. If her father was any evidence, she would be someone full of excitement. Nothing beat his reaction to the news of her pregnancy.


    They had been married a couple of years and Cage was taking lesser projects to enjoy their time together. Just as he booked his year back to back, she found out she was pregnant. The break months were spent mostly in bed going over their favorite activity... s.e.x. She had been on birth control but it clashed with her stomach flu medication and well... it seemed she had gotten pregnant. She actually thought the flu was back when she started feeling nauseous again.


    After a couple of days of this and she finally took the test. She threw the positive test in the dustbin and went about her day trying to plan the big reveal. All was vain because Cage wanted to go to the bathroom as she cooked.


    "Katherine?" he shouted.


    The way he was shouting scared the hell out of her. She imagined that he had fallen in the shower or hurt himself so she rushed up the stairs only to find Cage running towards her n.a.k.e.d.


    "What''s wrong?" she asked. Not that anything was wrong if her husband ran towards her n.a.k.e.d. That was good news. Just that she really wanted to cook a nice meal and tell him she was pregnant.


    "We''re having a baby?" She felt her heart starting to beat again. Of course, he had run out of the shower the moment he saw it. Katherine frowned because she had wanted to see his expression when she revealed the news to him, but if this was how it was panning out, she would take it.


    She looked at the awe on his face and felt a smile spread across her face. Though unplanned, she was really happy. In her heart, she wanted their baby.


    "I know it''s sudden but..." she could say no more.


    "I don''t care... I don''t care. We''ll go to the hospital to confirm and get all the tests done. Then I''ll call Stephen and ask him to cancel all my movies for the next year and a half." He jumped about, plotting and planning without her input.


    "Okay, stop overthinking!" she pressed, laying a hand on his shoulder. "We''ll find out soon. I won''t be traveling with you but you can''t break contracts."


    "Well, I''m rich. I can break contracts and pay the fee," he claimed. He was looking around like their unborn baby would pop out from somewhere.


    She laughed. "Raising a baby takes a lot of money, if you give it all away for breaking your contracts, what are we supposed to do?" She brushed her fingers over his hair to calm him down.


    As the memory ended, Katherine found Lily stare at her.


    "What?" she asked.


    "You''re thinking about s.e.x with Cage, aren''t you? I know that look on your face." Katherine glared at Lily. This woman really has no filter.


    "I was just thinking about when Cage found out."


    "Don''t tell me there was congratulatory s.e.x involved," Lily snorted. Well, there was, but Katherine wouldn''t admit to it.


    "Okay. I don''t need to know about my son''s personal life." Anna made a show of covering her ears. "I''m happy that my son''s libido has resulted in me getting a granddaughter, but I don''t want to know."


    Katherine''s cheeks glowed bright red as she glanced at Anna. She laughed and leaned in to touch my stomach.


    "I must warn you, though. Cavanaugh''s are stubborn and intelligent. Cage was a handful when he was young. You try raising a son like him and I guarantee you will get grey hairs prematurely." Katherine cracked up and everyone joined her. It was until she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. The bedding under her wetted and she looked down.


    "I think my water just broke," she murmured. There was a moment of silence and then everyone was up and moving about.


    Henrick became the voice of reason. "Anna, you''re driving. Katherine''s bag is in the car already, so you take it out of the garage. Lily, help her change into something comfortable. Luna and Jareth, you guys call Cage and other important people and tell them we are heading to the hospital."


    Henrick had the phone pressed to his ear and he was explaining that they were coming over shortly. Katherine stared.


    "I''ve spoken to your doctor. They have arranged for a private room for you. The hospital staff will be waiting at the back entrance for us. Tell me when you have another contraction, I''ll be timing it." Somehow, Henrick was timing everything and still giving orders. That was Henrick for you.


    Within a few minutes, everything was set.


    Katherine''s mom sat on one side while her dad on the other. "Cage and Stephen are on the way," her mom told her, holding her hand as another contraction hit.


    Katherine belatedly realized that giving birth was even less pleasant than the pregnancy.

 Chapter 340: Epilogue (II)

    "Stop staring at the phone," Stephen commented in monotone. Cage was on set, doing some stunts and all he could think about was his wife and the impending birth. ;


    The assistant director called him to tell him he was needed at the scene. He scampered off, ready to be hung from a wire. He gave one last glance at the phone and shrugged. Maybe it wasn''t going to be today. ;


    They were a week over the estimated date of delivery and there was no sign of Little Miss Cavanaugh appearing. If he guessed, this little girl would be a tornado. ;


    He had to smile as he imagined raising their little girl and spoiling her. ;


    He was in the middle of ducking a punch when he heard Stephen yell his name. He failed to duck, the punch landing square on his jaw. His head rang as he fell to the floor and remained there motionless. ;


    He shook his head, dazed as people clamored to get to him. Someone grabbed his hand and pulled him up when he suddenly realized why Stephen had yelled. ;


    He pushed through the throng of people and made his way to Stephen. "Is it time?" he yelled, half-way there.


    "Yeah, it''s time!" Stephen assured. Cage was running past the director who begged Cage to stay and finish the scene. The medic who was trying to check if he was okay was shooed away along with everyone else that was hindering him. ;


    "My wife is giving birth," he rushed the words and the people quietened down. If they spilled the news before the official press release, there would be hell to pay. In no time, Cage had hopped into Stephen''s fancy sports car and they were riding through traffic like there was a fire on their asses.


    "Faster!" he commanded. Rather than being irritated, Stephen cackled and slammed the accelerator. Even though it felt like forever to get to the hospital, the clock said a different story. Stephen parked while Cage ran into the hospital and was escorted to the private room. ;


    He scoffed. Private? Everyone in their circle was standing in the room, surround Katherine who lay on the bed. ;


    "Cage!" Anna called. "Angelina is still in a shoot so she won''t make it. Everyone else is here." He nodded but all he wanted was to see his wife. He moved to her side and grabbed her hand. She frowned as the pain hit again. ;


    "Are you okay? Did they give you drugs yet? Where''s the doctor? Is it time to breathe?" He had read up all about the breathing. It looked scary but Cage could do it! ;


    "You need to breathe," Katherine told him, chuckling when the contraction passed. "It just started. We have a long road ahead of us."


    "Seriously, you should have paid attention in class," Stephen commented. Cage threw him a withering look before turning back to Katherine.


    "He went to class and paid attention. Don''t tease my husband," Katherine warned. ;


    "Yes, and every appointment. The directors ate my head every time he cut the scenes short." That was true. Cage refused to miss a single moment. He was right beside her throughout the journey. When he first heard the thudding of his baby girl''s heart and found out she was a girl... he would never exchange that for anything.


    "I can finally call you a DILF now," Lily joked. ;


    "Stop, I''m not a DILF," he smirked. Katherine didn''t say a word. Well, only for her. ;


    She giggled and then grimaced again. "Damn, it hurts to laugh."


    "Stop making her laugh!" Cage shouted. ;


    "It''s fine. I need something else to concentrate on." She touched his cheek, tracing the bruise that had formed. ;


    "I just..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say.


    "I''m nervous too... She''ll be here soon. It''s okay. We''re going to be fine."


    But Cage wasn''t fine. It took hours and hours. Each hour was longer than the previous and Cage grew more anxious as the pain on Katherine''s face grew. Katherine dozed off for a while but not for long. Cage, on the other hand, couldn''t sleep at all. He got her ice ch.i.p.s to wet her lips, caressed her hand, and rubbed her back to soothe the pain. ;


    He did everything he could to make it easy for her. ;


    It was three in the morning when the time to push finally came. ;


    Even though Cage was exhausted, everything seemed sharp and in focus. He focused on her death grip on his hand and the doctor''s firm order to push. It was like watching a movie and tunneling into the important bits. ;


    He was terrified. Katherine was fighting to bring their daughter into the world and he could only stand by and watch. He could only tell her he loved her and how beautiful she was. ;


    She even laughed through her pain and called him a liar. ;


    Katherine wasn''t overdramatic. She didn''t blame him or the world, she cursed under her breath and yelled for strength. Her focus was purely on what she was doing. It took everything in him not to rush the doctors. ;


    After what seemed like a century, the doctor announced the birth of their healthy daughter. His precious little girl was handed to him and he cuddled closer to Katherine. They cried together as they counted all ten little fingers and toes. ;


    Katherine looked down at the red and wrinkled crying face and started to cry another round. "Oh god, she is so beautiful." She paused. "Even though she looks like an alien potato... it must be the hormones." The doctors and nurses laughed. Cage remained silent, agreeing with her. ;


    Cage knew at that moment that he would never love anything more than these two people. It wasn''t possible.


    "Shouldn''t we call her by her name?" he asked, wrapping his arms around Katherine and his daughter. ;


    "Did we ever decide?" she replied. ;


    Well, they had never come to the conclusion. ;


    "You name her," Katherine coxed. He looked down and felt his eyes moisten with a fresh batch of tears. ;


    "Kate Cavanaugh," he said proudly. Big eyes looked up at him. "I think she approves," he said softly. ;


    "Of course, she does. She has the best father in the world." Cage kissed her softly. ;


    "I just realized that we have alliterating names." Katherine gave him a curious look. "Katherine Cavanaugh. Cage Cavanaugh. Kate Cavanaugh." They laughed. "You know what? I''m going to do my best to be the best husband and father in the world." ;


    "We have faith in you," she said. ;


    He promised himself that he saw to it. All the money, the fame, and the awards, none of them compared to his family. His wife and child (hopefully more to come) would be the miracle of the universe. The product of a chance encounter that was never supposed to happen. Now that he had happiness, he was never letting it go. That was all that mattered. ;