I just wanna see you at night

Don’t come round my house in the day

I love it when we start up a fight

And I love it when the fight ends your way

I love it when you call me names

-Call Me Names – Joan Armatrading–

---

Kate’s parents are conspicuously absent when we finally leave our room. As is Ethan. Since it is almost 6pm we forgo the trip to the beach in favor of an early romantic dinner. On our return the others are finishing their own meal and we join them in the al fresco for a drink. I love how the Kavanaghs engage with each other. They have intelligent and feisty debates, full of humor that remind me of my own family and I am reminded that I need to call in. Just as I have that thought my phone rings. Excusing myself I move out to the poolside to take my call.

“Hey.”

“Elliot, how is the holiday going, darling?” My mother’s voice has that instant effect of calming me and making me feel loved. I miss her. Christian always used to rev me up by calling me a mama’s boy but I can tell she has the same effect on him. That’s why it breaks her heart that he has never hugged her and its why I keep her even closer to try to make up for what he isn’t able to give.

“Hey, beautiful. I’m great, having fun in the sun, missing my favorite girl.” I can’t keep the wistful smile out of my voice now that Kate has admitted she loves me.

“That’s wonderful, sweetheart. How is Kate?”

“Great.”

“Just great?”

“I can’t really talk right now. There is so much I want to tell you but…”

“That’s okay sweetheart. I am glad things are going well. Are you getting along with her family? How do you like Julie?”

“Oh, I love her, she’s amazing t but you know she will never hold a candle to you. You will always be my best girl.”

“That is very sweet. I know your father wanted to talk to you but he isn’t here right now. He had to fly out to Chicago but he will be back tomorrow.”

“That’s okay I would much rather talk to you anyway. How is our baby, girl?”

“Oh, settling in, taking over the kitchen, making her mark. You know how she is.”

“Growing up too fast, huh?”

Mom laughs, “Don’t let her hear you say things like that. She’ll have your hide.”

“Oh, yeah, well remember she’s not too big to be sent to her room.”

“Darling, stop.”

“Hey, I better go before I get myself in any more trouble. Give her my love.”

“Okay sweetheart, call me in a couple of days, please. You know how I worry.”

“I know and I will. I love you.”

“Love you too Elliot. Goodnight.”

“Laters.”

I turn around to see Kate standing on the other side of the pool with a thunderous look on her face. She storms over to me and without saying a word she continues down the beach path looking like she wants to murder someone. For a moment all I can do is watch the space where she has disappeared. My first thought is what the hell has happened? Second is that a woman alone on the tourist beach at night might not be terribly safe. I take off at a run, down the path after her, finally catching her as we emerge onto the beach.

“Babe, wait up. Where are you going?”

“As far away from you as I can possibly get.” The venom in her voice strikes at me in the darkness. What the hell have I done now? I reach for her arm and she shakes me off.

“Just keep your fucking hands off me.”

“Babe, just tell me. What did I do?” Rather than try to touch her again, which is getting me nowhere, I move around to block her path. She side steps me with an angry groan. I stop in my tracks and watch her building up a head of steam as she stomps through the sand. Then she turns around and stomps back to me smacking her hands on my chest repeatedly.

“You two timing, philandering, lying, two-faced, cheating, disloyal, deceptive… unfaithful… betraying…argh! You lied to me. You waited for me to fall for you so you could rip my heart out, just like I knew you would.” She is too angry to even cry. Fuck. What does she think I have done? I have been with her almost every moment since I met her and if I wasn’t with her I was thinking of her. How can she think anything different?

“Kate, this is irrational. What…”

“Don’t you call me fucking irrational, you prick. I heard you. I heard you talking to her on the phone.”

I am so confused. “Who? When? What the hell are you talking about?”

“Jesus, Elliot. Why can’t you just be honest for once in your life? I knew this would happen. I knew that as soon as I let you in, as soon as I let my guard down, you would decide that I wasn’t enough. I just hoped that you might at least hold out until we got back to Seattle before you got bored with me.”

Her hands come up to hit me again and I step in to wrap my arms around her, lifting her off her feet. Kicking and struggling she very nearly gets me in the balls which really pisses me off. I carry her over to one of the abandoned wooden loungers and sit down with her across my lap.

“Let me go, you arrogant son of a bitch.”

That does it. My hand draws back and I smack her across the behind. She lets out a little squeal and kicks out again so I let her have it again.

“Stop, kicking.” I rub her backside and keep my voice low and calm in an effort to calm her down. And to stop any passers by from getting curious at the shrewing spitfire I am manhandling.

“No!” She kicks out again. Smack!

“Are you going to stop.”

“No!” Smack!

“Wrong answer, Kate.” Smack!

“I hate you.” Smack! Smack!

“I can see that, but you also love me so I want you to stop this and tell me what I have done.”

Once again I rub gently and I can feel her respond to me, pushing her cute little ass against my hand. This is turning her on but she hasn’t lost her fire yet.

“You know what you have done, asshole!” Smack!

“Don’t!” Smack! “Call!” Smack! “Me!” Smack! “Names!” Smack!

“Asshole!” Smack! “Ow, stop Elliot, it hurts.”

My hand returns to rubbing and this time I work my way to the apex of her thighs, feeling her dampness through her shorts. She moans and wriggles against my erection. I deliberately rub her through her shorts reminding her how much she wants me. And how much I want her.

“Please!” There is a sensual desperation to her plea. One hand continues to rub her sweet spot as I hold her hair with the other to check if she is crying. I don’t want to hurt her but this treatment seems to be working wonders on her foul mood. Once more I wonder if Christian isn’t on to something with all of this.

“Please, what, baby. Tell me.” I whisper into her ear before I suck on her earlobe. She moans and writhes in my arms and my erection strains against her sweet pussy.

“Please don’t fuck me to distract me. You can’t screw your way out of this.”

Instant libido crusher. I fuck her to distract her? The fire has gone out of her body and she sounds so sad and resigned. Well, maybe now maybe we can get to the bottom of this. I turn her over and bring her body up to cuddle against me. She complies but it feels far from willing.

“Baby, please tell me, what did I do?” I am determined to make this about her concerns and not about sex but it is taking a while for the message to get to my cock. I try to keep her very still so that she doesn’t get any further rise out of me and we can concentrate on her doubts.

“I heard you on the phone. Anyone with ears could tell you were talking to another woman. I heard what you said.”

Talk about a great reason not to eavesdrop. She is worried about my mother? I am curious how she arrived at this point after overhearing a conversation with my mother. “What did I say?”

The tears start and she sniffs through her accusation. “You…you told her that you love her? You said she was your best girl? And then there was all that talk about your baby? Do you have a child, Elliot? With another woman?”

I try desperately not to laugh but a chuckle starts deep in my chest and she feels it. Her small hands try to push away from me but I hold her steady.

“Kate, that was my mother, who yes…I love…and she is my best girl, or has been up until now. Of course, when I tell her the news that she has been usurped I have a feeling that she will be dancing with joy rather than trying to kick me in the nuts. As for baby, well, I guess my 21 year old sister is technically no longer a baby and she would prefer if I stopped calling her that but she will always be baby to me.”

“Your mother? Oh God, I am so stupid. I’m sorry.” Kate’s voice is a small squeaky whisper into my chest. I can almost feel the heat of her embarrassment so I guess her face might be the same color as her ass right now.

“Am I forgiven now?”

“Yes!” A quieter, squeakier whisper that grabs me by the heart and the balls at the same time.

“Will you please try not to be so insecure? I promise you that from the moment I met you there hasn’t been and never will be anyone else. You mean everything to me, baby. I love you.”

Sniffle. “I…I know. I love you too. Its just…”

“Sweetheart, I know that this is new. Hell, this morning you were still holding on to this insane idea that we were not going to last past this holiday. I get that. And I don’t expect you to be able to just let go of that fear straight away. But you have to talk to me. Please. I promise I won’t keep anything from you.” I kiss her hair and gently stroke her back as I hold her. There is a pause in her breathing.

“Does that mean that you will tell me about Sirens?”

My hands go still. Big fucking open door there, Grey, you idiot. She pulls away slightly to look at me. She absolutely has me over a barrel here and she knows it. Clever girl, Katie.

“Honey, I will tell you about Sirens. But first I need to talk to your Dad.”

“About the stalker?”

“Yeah, and I really need to do that privately. Not because I want to keep secrets from you but because I suspect that he knows things about other members of my family that they might want to keep private.”

“Like Christian?”

“Yeah, but I think there is something about my dad as well. I don’t know but it wouldn’t be fair to him if I didn’t check in with him first. Do you trust me?”

There is a small pause. I know that she is disappointed.

“Yeah, I understand. And I do trust you?” My lips join hers briefly.

“Thanks, babe. Now tell me. Did that little spanking turn you on, Miss K?” Her little gasp says it all.

“Yes.” Back to that fucking sweet, sexy little squeak.

“Mmm…I thought so. Very hot, Miss K. Can I suggest we continue this conversation up in our room later? Right now I want to talk with your Dad.”

“It could wait until tomorrow.”

“It could, but the sooner I find out what he knows, the sooner I can be completely honest with you. And I want that more than anything.”

She nods then stands up allowing me to stand. We walk back through the path to the villa towards the conversation I am not sure I want to have.