CHAPTER ELEVEN

He kissed her tenderly, not wanting to frighten her into changing her mind, tapped on the dividing glass and told the driver he would see that Miss Gilbert was taken care of, that he could go home.

They entered the block of flats holding hands, climbed the stairs to the second floor and went to the first door on the right. Urs used his key and let her precede him into the flat, followed and clicked the lounge lights on.

“It’s bigger than I guessed and much neater than I would expect for a bachelor.”

He just gave her a solemn stare and said “I’m a Swiss Bachelor,” and she laughed.

He took her hand and led her through the lounge to the bedroom. “I’ll just get you a shirt to sleep in and a new toothbrush. I always buy them in batches in case I leave mine on the road.”

He gave her both items and kissed her lightly, returning to the lounge and saying “the bathroom’s all yours.”

Cat changed into the shirt, many sizes too big for her but comfy and carrying the light woodsy Bulgari scent he wore. She brushed her teeth and was just hanging her gown when he tapped on the door and came back in.

For some reason she didn’t understand she wasn’t afraid to be alone with him in this half-dressed state. Even when he came across the room and took her hands she still felt only anticipation and the same stirring in her body that his touch and kisses always thrust upon her.

“I didn’t realize just how tiny you are. You almost look like a child in my clothes.”

He brought her hands to his mouth and kissed the fingertips, then let her go and left the room to brush his teeth and change.

Cat sat on the edge of the bed, not sure if she should get under the covers, not trusting the feelings she was having, a little frightened of her own urges. Perhaps it was time she cleared the air.

Her visit to the ashram to talk and meditate with the monks had given her an insight she had known all along but refused to admit. She had to be honest with Urs and if he left then it was never meant to be. This man was so dear to her, he deserved to know the truth before he got involved any deeper.

Urs came back wearing only his briefs, the tight style similar to bike shorts, dimmed the lights and bent over her where she sat hugging her knees, visibly trembling.

“Cat, please. Don’t be frightened. I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to….and you know I would never hurt you.”

She looked up at him and he could see that she had come to a decision, maybe one he wouldn’t like.

“I have to tell you something, something that I’ve never ever told anyone else but I think you deserve to know the truth. Afterwards, if you want me to leave, I will.”

He sat beside her on the bed and waited, not touching her, wanting to but aware that she was holding herself together by a thin thread of courage.

“Six years ago, when I was 20, I dated a man named Gerard. He was fun to be with, a musician, knew lots of people and introduced me to a social scene that I hadn’t been involved in while I was so busy studying and working. Uncle Claude didn’t like him and I thought that he was being over protective but it turned out he was right.

“I went to a party with Gerard one night. I was so impressed because it was at an estate outside of London, he said with some rich producers he knew. When we got there I should have realized something wasn’t right but I was so naïve, too trusting. All the other women, and there weren’t many, seemed cheap, like prostitutes and the men were older. There was so much drinking going on and I saw drugs on some of the tables. I should have left then but I didn’t know where I was, hadn’t paid any attention, and I didn’t have much cash on me, just my credit cards. I told Gerard I wanted to go and he said we would only stay for one drink then he would take me home. Gerard gave me a glass of something, encouraged me to drink it.

“Later I realized that it had something in it but by then it was too late. I knew everything that was going on around me but couldn’t move. He stripped my clothes off and laughed when he saw tears on my face, then invited anyone who wanted to, to buy the first time with a virgin. He knew I was, because only a few days before when he wanted sex I told him and said no, again.”

Her voice was low, almost a whisper and even though he didn’t touch her he could feel that she was shaking. She wouldn’t look at him and had to take a few cleansing breaths before she could go on.

“I don’t know how many men used me that night, only that I woke in the morning naked, groggy, sore, bleeding and still at the estate, lying on some pillows near a table where a bunch of men sat talking and drinking. A lot of the men seemed to be Arabs or some other Middle Eastern people, coarse and not too hygienic. They kept me there for 5 days, no more drugs, just rough handling and guards, choking me when I screamed……”as if remembering her hand went to her throat, dropped back to her knees and she continued.

“They kept having meetings, talking about drugs and arms and money and when they got bored with that would …….rape me again. Every day there would be a parade of men until I thought I would go mad. And they took pictures but by that time I didn’t care. I just wanted to die so it would be over.

“Early one morning I managed to steal some clothing from a houseboy when they were all still sleeping and almost got caught leaving the estate but I ran and hid in a drainage ditch, gradually made my way back to London and went to see an old friend of our family, Father Rene. I was so ashamed and confused, so afraid they would find me, track me down through my friends or family. I didn’t even tell Father Rene everything, just that I needed help and he sent me with two nuns to a cloistered convent in France to rest and recover.

“It took me a long time to recover enough to come home. I went to Nepal and lived in a women’s house at the lamasery for a while and studied with the monks, drifted, waiting for the fear and guilt to ease, waiting to see if the pictures would be published.

“Now except for the nightmares the only residue I have left of that time is the inability to make love. I tried dating a couple of times when I first came home but when a man touches me, even when I’m kissed, I freeze and can’t respond…..that is until I met you.”

She turned to meet his eyes and he could see that her face was awash with tears.

“I have all this passion bottled up inside me for you, and it keeps trying to get out, but I’m so afraid. I want to love you Urs, so much that it’s a physical pain inside me but I don’t want to hurt you and I couldn’t stand to have you look at me with disgust. If you can’t find it in your heart to forgive me….”

His hand came up and cupped her mouth, stopping her from speaking and she was amazed to see tears on his face.

“FORGIVE? My god, Cat, you bear no guilt for what happened to you. There is nothing to forgive!”

He tilted her mouth up to him, raining fluttery kisses across her eyes, her cheeks, her lips. “It’s too late, my beautiful Kitty. I already love you. It would kill me if you left me now. What they did to you wasn’t making love. Let me show you how an innocent like you should be treated. Let me give you pleasure beyond anything that you’ve ever dreamed. Share love with me, my darling Cat.”

Urs kissed her tenderly, thrilled when she responded with urgency, her body arching against his, her mouth ravenous as their tongues dueled for space, stroking, lips sucking and tasting, breaths hot against fevered skin. He lay her back on the bed and slid his hand under the shirt to touch her, moaning when his palm felt the evidence of how swollen with need she was. Gently he slid the shirt off, watching her eyes as she lay partly under his body, her breath ragged, both hands caressing his arms, his chest, any skin she could reach, her tongue wetting her flushed lips in eagerness.

He took an infinite amount of time, letting their desire build unbearably, letting her set the pace while he tried to maintain control. This time, of all the times they would love each other in the future, had to be perfect, he had to show her that sharing love with the right partner was not just sex. Tonight, at last, he had to convince her that he loved her.

She melted under his hands and he lay her back on the bed, continuing to kiss her softly, teasing her lips, trailing his mouth across her neck, easing his hands across her breasts. Slowly, one tender step at a time he explored her body with his mouth and hands, opening the buttons on the shirt, nudging the cloth aside to caress her skin with his mouth until she writhed under his hands and moaned his name.

He came back to her swollen mouth and gently caressed the depths, the sensitive inner lower lip, with his hot tongue, letting his hands skim over her skin, touching her waist, her flat stomach, shifting his mouth to her neck, lightly breathing in her ears then touching them with his tongue. He let his hands stray to her thighs to softly stroke first the outside then inside nearly to her mound but not quite touching, moving away when he felt a tiny resistance.

No part of her body was forgotten as he explored, tasted and caressed, carefully keeping himself in check, not exposing himself to her yet, not even letting her feel the way he had hardened with desire.

She trembled under his hands, not with fear this time, but passion, aroused by his slow gentle touch as she had never been before. His eager mouth found her breasts and drew the engorged nipples into his mouth, one then the other, nipping lightly with his strong teeth, caressing with his tongue, sucking until she cried out from the pleasure. He felt her nails dig into his shoulders, felt her breath quicken and let his hand brush against her mound, thrilled when she rose to meet his touch. She was wet and hot, nearly ready and he fought for control of his own body as it responded to her passion.

Urs moved down the bed and lay his mouth on her thigh, inching toward the goal, when she cried out in eagerness and want, burying his mouth in her sex, touching the wetness of her with his tongue, stroked her and entered, touched the nub of pleasure with his hand and felt the first wave of orgasm shake her. With long sure strokes he drove her up to the peak again, left her yearning for more and returned to her mouth, this time not quite so gentle. He had nearly reached the limit of his control but held off until he heard her whisper to him…. “Urs, please…Love me Now!” and he lay on her and slowly entered her body. She closed around him like a velvet glove, moist, hot, welcoming, where he belonged.

He rocked gently, more urgently as he felt the surge building in both of them now and she matched his rhythm, moaning softly, gripping him about the waist and pulling him closer, instinctively wrapping her legs around him and taking him deeper. Urs felt her reach the peak and felt the tremors as she exploded with pleasure, thrust once more and joined her, held tight inside her body by the spasms that rippled through her body in waves, thrust once more to finish, unable to breathe through the waves of pleasure that swamped him, forcing her name from his swollen lips as he collapsed on her sweat slick body with his face against her hair.

After a few minutes he started to move off of Cat but she held him and murmured…. “No, stay with me. I like how you feel against me.”

He laughed and tilted his head to look in her love heavy eyes. “I’m too heavy.”

“No, you’re perfect, worth waiting 26 years for. Urs, I didn’t know it would be like this.”

He raised himself up on his elbows and brushed his lips over hers.

“I knew we would be wonderful together. The first time you touched me, when you leaned my head against your breasts, all I could think was that I hoped I would get a headache every day.”

“All that time we wasted when I was afraid of letting myself go……I should have trusted you then. Is it always like this?”

Urs laughed and rolled over taking her with him. “No, it’s always different, but I can’t promise to always be so gentle.”

Cat sat up, her knees straddling his body and ran her hands over the damp hair on his chest. “The first time I saw the UBT I wondered what you would look like without a shirt, how far the hair went.”

“The what?”

“The UBT, Urs Bermuda Triangle….that’s what the fans online call it when you let them see a bit of chest hair. And now I know more than any of them ever will. You have an amazing body, Urs.”

“I kind of like yours too,” he said as she ran her hands over him and when she eased back felt that he was getting another erection.

He reached his hands up to cup her breasts, then sat up and stood with her wrapped tight to him.

“Thank you.”

The words were almost whispered but clear and he raised his head from beside hers to look at her love hazed eyes, and smile.

“Believe me, you are very welcome. I do love you, Cat, with my heart, my soul and my body.”

“And I love you, have from the moment I first touched you to heal your headache, though I fought it…. You know I fought it. Yes, I love you, my patient Swiss man, with every fiber of my being…. You make me whole.”

She lay her hands on each side of his face and laughed as she read the look of desire starting in his eyes again.

“I surrender, my Lord and Master,” she said and giggled.

He growled as he kissed the few freckles across her chest. “I can’t promise to always be so gentle.”

She giggled again and wriggled her hips under his making him moan.

“Looking forward to it.”

“Mein Gott!!! What have I created?” he said laughing and scooped her up with a murmured “Shower time!”

He adjusted the temperature and stood her in the shower, followed her in and lifted her up, holding her against the wall and plundering her mouth with an eager tongue. She shivered when he plunged into her, wrapped her legs around him and gave herself up to the feelings again. This time he was not gentle but the pleasure built rapidly and she came swiftly, the after shocks still rippling when he drove her up to the peak again, thrust hard and deep as he reached the summit with her and cried out her name.

They tenderly soaped and sponged each other when their bodies quieted and Urs dried her off with a fluffy towel, led her back into the bedroom where they slept clasped in each others arms until morning.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Cat woke early and lay for a few minutes watching him as he lay on his stomach, sleeping. He was dreaming, she could see that he was in REM sleep and she ached to touch him but was afraid of waking him. He had thrown the covers off in the night and now she could feast her eyes on his body as he lay fully exposed and quiet. He was long and sculpted, that was the only word she could think of that described him, the firm muscles of his arms and shoulders, the strong chest, narrow hips, firm butt and long, molded legs. His hands were big and long fingered, one laying on her shoulder that twitched as if he played guitar or piano in his dreams. His hair had curled from the shower and was tousled from sleep, a few strands across his face. He looked so young, virile and adorable…… she wanted to taste him, to touch his smooth skin, feel his muscles ripple as they had last night when they…. Enough!!! She chastised herself that if she didn’t stop she would wake him up.

Gently she eased out of bed, found the discarded shirt she would have worn as a night gown and tiptoed from the bedroom. In the lounge she used the telephone to call Celeste and Claude, something she should have done the night before but had forgotten, strangely distracted by more immediate concerns.

They weren’t up yet so she left a message on the machine, left Urs number and address and told them she would be home sometime later that morning, then added ‘or afternoon’ and as an after thought asked Celeste to courier her some clothes, her emerald gown not exactly suitable for day wear.

She returned to the bedroom, used the washroom, brushed her teeth and slipped back into bed, shedding the shirt again.

She found that she had very little will-power where Urs was concerned, not now that he had introduced her to a world she had never believed was possible for her. He had rolled to his back and she couldn’t hold back. Her hands began exploring, gently touching places that she hadn’t been able to see in the night and unable to resist, she leaned over to kiss the mouth that brought her so much pleasure. Even in his sleep he responded to her and she smiled as she sat back and watched him again. He was becoming aroused and she felt a surge of power knowing that she could cause it. She gently lay her mouth on his chest and tasted the salty taste of him, her fingers in his curly chest hair.

A little unsure of herself she gently touched his shaft, drew back when it jerked under her touch, then with a little more confidence lay her hand on it again. She remembered how he had used his mouth on her last night and timidly bent over to taste him, encouraged when he moaned, she closed her lips over the head and sucked gently, curling her fingers around him and stroking. He stirred and she looked up to find his eyes open and a smile on his face.

“What a wonderful way to wake up. Don’t stop.”

“I don’t know what to do….show me what you like.”

He wrapped his large hand around hers on his shaft and showed her how to stroke, moaned when she lowered her mouth to take him in again, thrust gently with his hand in her hair, while his other hand searched for and found her sex, touched her, entered with his clever fingers and drove her higher. It was almost too much to hold back and he lifted her body away from him.

“Sit on me, take me into you.”

She straddled him and lowered herself onto him, already wet with need he slid in easily and filled her. He reached up to take her hips and moved under her and she rode him like she would a horse, using her legs to lift and descend. He raised his knees so she could lean back on them and with the angle changed she felt an explosion of release, ground herself onto him as he thrust up to meet her and they achieved the peak together. Cat lay forward across his chest and he held her to him while the waves diminished and they calmed

**
She relaxed and he knew she had fallen asleep, carefully slid out from under her and flipped the sheet over her body while he used the washroom. He was just going to return to bed when the doorbell pealed. Cat stirred slightly but settled again and he threw on his jeans and rushed to the door before it could wake her.

It was David.

“Hey sorry man, didn’t mean to wake you. Just wondered what you had planned for the day.” David went around the table in the small dining area, sitting in the chair that was sort of hidden behind the large stereo unit. He looked closely at Urs as his friend zipped his jeans and lounged in the chair across from him, thinking that Urs had the content look of a man who had just been thoroughly loved, something that he didn’t remember ever seeing on his friend’s face before, not like this…… but he wisely said nothing.

“It’s Okay….didn’t get much sleep last night…we were rather…busy.”

David started rise. “Hey if you’ve got company, I can leave, no problem,” but Urs laughed and softly said “Too late.”

The bedroom door was opening and a very disheveled Cat strolled into the room, pulling Urs partly buttoned shirt down over her body. She didn’t notice David and walked barefoot to Urs, straddled his lap and wound her arms around his neck.

“How can you be so chipper this morning…I can barely walk, but I want more.” and she took his mouth with a hunger that he responded to eagerly.

Behind her David grinned and said “Good morning, Cat” and she froze in place, giving Urs a scathing look when he drew back from her mouth and had the cheek to laugh.

She peeked under her arm and calmly said “Good Morning, David. Can I get you some coffee?”

They both roared with laughter and she stomped off to the kitchen, muttering ‘Men!’

She put the coffee on, took mugs, powdered cream and sugar and spoons back to the table and with as much grace as she could, parked herself on Urs’ lap, leaving no doubt about the distance between them being gone.

“All I can say is…it’s about time. You two have been playing cat and mouse for weeks. And if I’d known I would have left you alone this morning.”

“This wasn’t planned, Bro…just kind of …happened.”

“Urs, I hope you don’t mind, I phoned home this morning to let them know I’m alright. They worry. And I asked Celeste to send me my travel bag with some clothes. Yours don’t fit very well and my gown….well it kind of advertises that I didn’t make it home.”

He smiled at her and answered. “Of course I don’t mind, but I think you look cute in my shirt, kind of like a little girl playing dress up.”

David laughed and teased her. “Sorry, Cat. No midget sizes in those dress shirts.”

She pretended to pout and went to get them some coffee, poured a glass of juice for herself and looked in the fridge for yogurt.

“You have nothing fit to eat in the kitchen. How do you ever survive?”

“There’s lots of stuff out there…chocolate bars in the left top drawer, crisps in the cupboard, cookies over the counter…..”

“That’s what I mean. No cheese, crackers, yogurt, milk, fresh fruit, veggies…nothing fit to eat. I’ll starve if I stay here long.”

“Then I guess we need to shop, cause I’m not ready to boot you out yet.” Urs smiled at her as she poured him a coffee and she wished they were alone so she could jump on him.

David held his mug out to her and she blushed as she remembered to pour one for him too.

“Sorry Davey, got distracted,” she said blushing furiously and making him laugh.

While they were sitting chatting and the guys finished their second coffees the courier arrived. Urs signed and tipped him, gave Cat the bag and the note that came with it. She opened the envelope and read it and burst out laughing.

“Celeste is so good at saying so much in a few words.” She handed Urs the note and he smiled as he read it.

“Kitty: It’s about time!!”

She went off to the bedroom to change and for a moment there was silence between the two men. Then David looked at his friend and with a concerned gaze asked the all important question.

“Urs, are you happy?”

“Way beyond happy, David. We’re crazy in love. She’s my Sarah or Gerry and she’s mine, all mine.

**

They shopped and she put back on the shelves all the junk food that Urs chose, replacing it with healthy choices until she realized that he was playing games with her and kept putting things he didn’t really want in just to see her reaction. The poor state of his stores at home was because he was so seldom there the past year and only had things that wouldn’t go stale.

They walked to the little park near the flat after they put the shopping away and fed the birds, sat on the bench and watched the children playing and Urs started talking to her about what she had revealed to him last night.

“Cat, did you ever consider going to the police about what happened? I know it’s been a few years but the part you told me about some of them being Arabs and talking about drugs and arms, maybe you should tell the police about it.”

She looked alarmed for a minute then calmed and thought about what he had said. “I can’t tell them much really. The only name I know for sure is Gerard’s and that may not even really be his name. I don’t know where the estate is and was so fuzzy that I couldn’t even give decent descriptions of the men.”

“Are you sure that wasn’t really his name? If he was going to make you a sex slave, he may not have been concerned about you identifying him or knowing his real name.”

“I thought about that but I don’t think he ever tried to find me. The first time I’ve even heard his name for years is when Mark mentioned him.” She took his hand and held it very tight. “Until I met you I couldn’t even think about him without panic. For a long time I thought I saw him everywhere, on buses, in airports, walking into cinemas, restaurants. When I’m with you I feel safe, able to confront anyone, anything.”

“I wish I could protect you from everything bad in the world but you know I can’t even though I would die trying. You have to regain your own strength, have faith in yourself and I can help you but I can’t do it all for you. Have faith in yourself Cat, believe, the way I believe in you.”

“You say the same things to me that the monks did. When I went to the ashram the Lama told me I should love like I had never been hurt and I would find my inner peace. How did you get to be so wise?”

He laughed and hugged her. “I had a very wise mother.”

They went back to the flat and Cat packed up her belongings to go home. They had 4 days left of the time off and she needed to spend some time with her guardians but was torn since she also wanted to be with Urs.

Cat had letters to mail to Nepal so they walked to the post box on the next corner to drop them off. He came up behind her and held her with his arm across her chest. “When we go back on tour, will you share my suite? I doubt if we can keep our feelings a secret and I don’t see any reason to. Even before you gave yourself to me, I wanted to be with you as much as possible. Now I dread the minutes we’re apart.”

She looked at him with eyes so full of love it was hard not to grab her and kiss her right there in front of all the neighbors. As if she knew his thoughts she grinned and suggested they go back to the flat. He laughed and they held hands and raced back, took the stairs two at a time and made it inside to lean on the door and shed their clothes quickly, ending on the carpet in the hall.

When they could breath again Cat started to laugh and her giggle was so infectious Urs laughed and rolled her over on top of him, catching her giggles with his mouth until she pulled away and tucked her head in the curve of his neck.

“We’re like a couple of randy teens.”

“Not me. When I was a teen I didn’t even dream of some of the things we do. And I can’t get enough of you. Did you know that you have freckles?”

“I do not,” she said and retaliated by nipping his neck.

“Do so, just above your bosom,” he held her up a bit and raised his head to lick across her chest. “There and there.”

“Urs, don’t start something you don’t intend to finish.”

He rolled her over again to lay on her and grinned when she felt the evidence against her stomach. “Who says I don’t intend to finish?”

He pulled her up to her feet and threw her over his shoulder while she laughed and pinched his bare butt, stopping when he turned his head and lightly bit hers in payback, making her moan with desire.

He carried her into the bedroom and loved her slowly, thoroughly, taking his time, exploring, finding new places that craved attention, driving her up then slowing, almost to the top again, backing off until she was ready to scream with anticipation. She freed her hands and caressed him, nearly touching his engorged shaft, teasing with light movements across his abdomen that came close, until he rolled her over top of him and she moved down to taste him, her lips and mouth creating a hot cavern that sucked and teased until he was close to bursting.

He flipped her and buried his mouth in her wet sex, moving up to find the center of her pleasure and suck on the tiny swollen nub until she cried out, sliding his tongue down to enter her and nearly coming himself when he felt her climax the first time. Quickly he knelt and pulled her bottom onto his curled legs, lifted her legs over his shoulders and drove himself into the heat of her, going deeper than ever before, touching her with his clever fingers and moaning as her body spasmed and squeezed him over the top. The feeling was so intense they couldn’t breathe, could only feel the pain/pleasure of perfect release.

Much later Cat phoned and said she was coming home and asked could she bring Urs for dinner. Celeste seemed thrilled and soon after, they hopped in Urs Mini Martin and made the half hour trip to the house. It had started to rain and they made a dash to the house, stood on the front step under some of Claude’s prize roses and kissed with their usual passion before going in….and Celeste, who had been watching for them, opened the door. She laughed at the slight embarrassment on Cat’s face and the grin on Urs’.

“Shall I give you two a couple of minutes?” she said, teasing them and Cat laughed.

Claude called out to them from the lounge and they went in. Cat sat on his lap and kissed her guardian. He held her back from him and searched her face then smiled and gave her a hug, apparently liking what he saw. A few minutes later Cat and Celeste left, going to the kitchen to get dinner on the table and the two men visited alone. They could hear the sound of laughter coming from the kitchen as the two women collected dishes, set out the odds and ends to go to the table, Cat told her guardian about seeing Hayley after such a long time and they worked together with the ease of long practice.

“It’s nice to hear her laughing,” Claude said as he got them both a pre-dinner drink from a small, rolling bar-cart. “So how long before you have to get back to work, Warwick Castle isn’t it?”

“Four days and yes it’s in Warwick. Should be great if the weather turns dry again. We have a couple of picnic style concerts coming up and the rain could put a damper on that.”

“Kitty, don’t you dare dance when you’re carrying my best china!” they heard the shriek from the dining room and Cat’s answering laugh as she continued to hum and swirl around the table. “Claude get in here and control this child!”

“Some things never change,” he said laughing, as he uncurled himself from the deep chair and, trailed by Urs, entered the dining room. Cat timed it perfectly and was demurely walking about the table, looking incredibly innocent, putting the place settings on the crisp white cloth.

“Never mind the innocent eyes, child. I know you too well. Do your chores and stop annoying Celeste, or…..” She glanced up at him with a smile and waited for the rest.

He just laughed and hugged her. “Guess you’re too grown up to ground. Are you two nearly ready for us?”

Cat laughed and nodded to the kitchen. “Sure. Go make yourself useful. A. C. has prepared a feast, some of which you can carry in. You too, Uber Lord.”

Dinner was comfortable and casual, far too much food and was also a learning experience for Urs. He saw a small portion of chicken on the table and noticed that Cat took two pieces, smiled when she passed the succulent roast beef on to Claude without taking any and noticed Urs raised brows. “I don’t eat red meat, just chicken once in a while and fish. Surprised?”

He laughed and admitted that nothing about her surprised him anymore. Claude left the table and put on some music, a CD of classical, the London Philharmonic from 1996 he said and grinned when Cat shot him a look of annoyance.

“Kitty doesn’t like it when I tell people that this was her one and only public appearance, professionally, so I do it to annoy her. She was 16, the youngest violinist to ever sit first chair with them.”

“I was a baby, not at all sure which direction my life was going to go.”

Urs had an intent look on his face as he listened. He smiled at her at the end of the first track. “Difficult key change in the second movement. You handled it well. I thought guitar was your favourite instrument?”

“It is but I went through a period of learning anything that made music until I settled on guitar. I love piano too, but it’s hard to roller blade with one on your back.”

Everyone helped clear and load the dishwasher and they took their after dinner coffees to the lounge. Cat curled up on the sofa with Urs, nursing a bottle of water and listening to the flow of conversation around her. Claude got Urs to talk about his life in Switzerland, his family, not like an inquisition but more of an interest in a person he wanted to know better. During the conversation he discovered Urs’ love of motorcycles and dragged him out to the garage to see Cat’s vintage Indian. They spent an hour checking the bike out, listening to the engine, running again with the parts from San Diego, adjusting things, in general tinkering until they both had filthy hands.

Cat and Celeste finally wandered out to find them both dressed in the coveralls that Claude kept in the garage and with parts of the Indian spread on the work bench being cleaned.

“Carb dirty again? Haven’t you cleaned it since the last time I did it for you?” Cat glared at Claude and missed seeing Urs eyes light up and the grin he shot at her.

She squatted beside the bike and ran her eyes over it, shook her head as she stood.

“A.C. don’t let him take it out until he fixes the brake cables. They look stretched thin to me.”

Claude laughed at her and continued working on the piece he had in his hands. “She was always underfoot when she was tiny so in self defense I taught her how to help me. Now I think she can strip a motor quicker than I can.”

“Well, you boys can play with the bike all you want. I’m going down to the gym and work off some of dinner.”

“And I’m going to watch my tape of Coronation Street in peace,” Celeste said as the two women left.

“How far away is the gym?” Urs asked as they soaked and cleaned the points.

“Oh about 100 yards. We bought the old building next door, turned it into a sort of gym for Cat when she was in her early teens. You’ll have to go see it when we’re done here.”

After he had cleaned up Urs jogged through the rain to the large structure Claude had pointed out to him, could hear music before he got there, if he wasn’t mistaken a CD of Bond doing Victory. He opened the door and shook the water from his hair, looked around and did a double take.

It was a three storey building that had been more or less gutted, the beams still holding it together near the peaked roof but with metal scaffolding running up the walls on both sides and narrow metal beams across from side to side, 2 and a half storeys up. The end wall where he stood was a climbing wall with proturbences, handholds and a safety rope with harness. An ell to one side of the huge room held a Universal gym and a weight station, possibly a shower.

There were ropes hanging from the roof in a few places, some with loops for hands or feet. And now he realized that under foot the entire floor was deeply cushioned, and just as well for as he looked around he spotted Cat, high in the scaffolding, dancing across a narrow metal beam to the beat of the Samba music from Bond. She wore a dark green cat suit, had her hair in a high ponytail and wore some kind of soft slippers and he could feel the joy in her movements as she swayed, spun and slid across the beam, suddenly launching herself onto another one in a leap that landed sure and agile, not missing a beat.

Again she threw herself into the air and grasped a pole of the scaffolding, twirled over it and put her feet deftly on the next one down, fell forward to grasp another pole and with her body straight out spun in a circle around it, once, twice, the third time letting go and falling to the next level, grasped this bar and jackknifed up to a hand stand on top of it, lowered her body slowly until her feet and hands were close together on the bar, flipped backward out of that and landed flat footed on the floor. Only when she opened her eyes did Urs realize that she had kept her eyes closed the whole time.

Cat spotted him in the doorway and with a laugh sped across the room and launched herself into his arms, wrapped her legs around him and took his mouth in a deep kiss that left him breathless.

“Oh I’m so happy I could burst,” she cried and hugged him until he had to loosen her arms or die.

“I can see that. You wear your feelings like a cloak and this one is radiating happiness. Do you always work out on those bars with your eyes closed? It scared me silly just watching you.”

“Of course,” she said as she lowered her feet to the ground and led him into the gym. “Eyes open would be cheating; anyone could do it then.” She laughed at him and then admitted the real reason. “I designed this when I was about 15, have used it just this way so often I know exactly where everything is.”

“Cat, I’m beginning to understand you and that really scares me.”

She turned to look at him and gave him a slight smile and tilted her head on the side. “Does that mean you’re thinking about trading me in on a more placid, boring model? Let me warn you I love you madly and I won’t go quietly.”

Urs laughed and hugged her. “Then I guess I better keep you. Seriously, I love you, just the way you are. I don’t ever want you to leave me, my beautiful, unique Kitty.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Cat spent the last of the time off with Urs, talked to her guardians daily and on the last night they again had dinner together. Cat invited the other 3 members of the band and Celeste decided after the first half hour to adopt Sebastien. He was at his charming best as they ignored the others and talked about Paris, the people, the fashion, the cafes and the fact that Seb was at the moment a bachelor. Celeste had to be stopped from phoning her many friends with daughters the right age, Seb finally convincing her that he preferred it this way until the tour was over and he could concentrate on a woman the way he felt they should be treated.

The party went on until the wee hours. They left loaded down with baked goods that Celeste had packed for them to share and a standing invitation to come back anytime they were in town.

Early the next morning they said good bye to Gerry who had business to attend to and would join them in a few days and were off to Warwick, the skies were clear and the weather warm. The rest had done them all good and now they were eager to get back to what they loved to do…perform for live audiences. Now that they were back in the U.K. Steve had decided to have the same orchestra for each of the venues and also to change the interlude at the insistence of most of the musicians, to a medley of Classical pieces done in the Waldo de Los Rios style. He wanted Cat to play with them, only for the interlude but she said she had enough to do and would fill in if someone was ill, nothing more.

Everyone of course noticed the difference in the relationship between Cat and Urs. The atmosphere was devoid of squabbles, laughter seemed to be the sound heard most often and everything went more smoothly because of it. The health of the band improved since Cat bullied them into eating properly and got Seb to exercise and as for herself she slept in Urs arms each night, without nightmares, so the color and glow came back to her skin.

On their off days the group spent time learning new languages, running over songs they had collected, a couple that Urs and Seb were working on composing off and on, saw some of the local sights, one day even rented bikes and toured the West Sussex countryside. They picnicked in a woods near a river bank, lost Urs and Cat for a while and had enough sense not to look for them until they came back, flushed and happy, both with bits of dried grass on their clothes and in Cat’s long hair.

It was in Liverpool that the idyllic period came to an abrupt end.

Cat had noticed an item on the forum about speculation as to the identity of the woman photographed on the red carpet with Urs. It didn’t worry her in particular, especially since mostly it was curiosity and the comments ranged from good natured envy to questions about their Uber Lord finally looking happy and relaxed with a date, not merely brotherly as he had on duty dates before. Not much got past the fans.

Urs laughed about it when she mentioned it to him.

“It used to bother me, when we first started out, but you know, I really believe that for all of us, the fans just want us to be happy. They can tell if we’re under the weather or if our smiles are real instead of just the acting we sometimes have to do for promotional shots. Look at the reaction they had when we were in the southern States and had to wear our winter weight Armani…. They were nearly screaming, wanting Wardrobe to get us some summer weight Armani suits…. I think that’s when Claude decided he didn’t feel well, when head office said it wasn’t in the budget.”

The concert was to be on the Waterfront at the Big Top Arena and early in the day Cat checked the wardrobe, was pleased to find everything perfect and put her blades back on to take a little tour of the town. She took Gertrude with her and the small back pack with her shoes, skirt and hairbrush, clipped her cell to her waist band and with the earplug dangling around her neck she left by the back entrance. Urs and the men had gone to a TV interview, wearing Civies this time since they had been asked to ‘dress down’ for the day, but Cat thought they all looked marvelous anyway. She ended up back at the Hotel for a quick bite to eat and left for the venue with lots of time, just under an hour until she had to be there.

**

She was late and they all were surprised; Cat was never late for work. Twenty minutes passed and the stylists arrived, the crew for the opening act came in noisily, and still no Cat. Half an hour and when there was no sign of her Urs began to worry He paced, kept going to the stage door and peering out, came back for the third time and his cell phone began to ring. The first ring hadn’t finished when he keyed it on and sighed with relief when he heard her voice.

“Urs….”

“Cat you had me so worried, where are you?”

“Almost there. I think I lost them. I was so scared, I’m still shak…….oh god, Urs they’re after me again.” She stopped talking to him but didn’t key off and he could hear her breathing change as she exerted herself. He knew she was roller blading, recognized the sound, and could tell by her breathing that she had her headset on, likely had her cell on her waist clip.

“Cat, listen to me, tell me where you are,” he said and the urgency in his voice brought the other men to their feet.

“Close…almost at the alley…Urs, I can’t shake them…HELP ME!” He heard her scream and groan, then the thud of a body falling as he raced down the hall and out into the parking lot. He could see her, far down the alley, saw her get to her feet and awkwardly skate towards the building.

He began to run towards her, saw her fly through the air as she jumped a flower bed and twisted to land on one blade, saw the car that sped towards her, the way she turned to face it and jumped the hood, whirling away in a fluid move in spite of the way she favored one arm, saw the car slide and end up pointed in the wrong direction to chase her. She crouched, trying for speed, went the nearest way, up the delivery ramp, flew 20 feet off the end, but couldn’t get enough speed, crashed flat onto the roof of the Il Divo bus and stayed there. All four of the singers reached the bus as the car that had been chasing Cat peeled away with a squeal of rubber.

David quickly made a ladder for Urs and he shinnied up on to the roof of the bus. Cat was laying stretched out, face down, totally spent, gulping for air and he could see a small pool of blood on the white roof of the bus.

He loosened her helmet, removed it and cleared the hair away from her face. She opened her eyes and tried to smile at him, tried to roll over but found it too painful and moaned as she sank back again.

“Urs, I think I’m hurt. They doored me and I fell under a car. I hung on but got dragged for a bit…... scared hell out of the driver. And Gertrude is gone.”

Urs leaned over the side and asked David to call an ambulance, heard him say he already had, then went back to Cat.

“Just lie still, Baby. I’ll stay with you. The medics are coming.”

“Promise me you’ll do the show tonight, and do your best. My spies will be watching you so don’t cheat.”

He laughed at her attempt at humour and took her hand. “I promise but only because you’re so sulky when I disobey. Cat, can you talk about it, tell me what happened?”

She was getting groggy, starting to tremble, probably going into shock, he thought and took his jacket off to lay it gently over her.

Once more he leaned over enough that he could see David. “Her face is bleeding, she’s getting shocky…I need blankets, coats, anything, maybe a towel for her face.”

He knelt beside her and tried to remain calm but his heart was racing and he wanted nothing more than to gather her into his arms and ease the pain he could see in her half closed eyes. He had to lean over to hear her as she tried speaking to him.

“I have to tell you now…it’s important. They followed me from the Hotel. I saw them but didn’t really panic until they cut me off. I tried to get past them, tried to go down narrow alleys, on sidewalks but they just stuck to me. I kept getting further and further from the venue, and was going to phone but they sped up and doored me. I slid under another car and the guy dragged me until he heard me screaming, then I wiggled out and tried to get away again.” She paused and her eyes closed and he could feel her whole body start to shake.

David called out and a wad of toweling shot up on the roof, followed by David’s long coat. He drew the coat over her and pressed the towel under her cheek in spite of her whimper of pain…he had to slow the bleeding. She opened her eyes and he groaned when he saw she was having difficulty focusing. Then she started speaking again, trying to tell him something she thought he had to know, her words soft and halting.

“I thought I lost them……called you but then they were back and I could see you and the guys but it was too far………… went up the ramp and tried to jump the van …………. no strength left.” She rallied a bit and clenched her hand almost frantically in his, her eyes wide and pain filled. “Urs, I recognized him, I wasn’t hallucinating, it wasn’t the old fear back again. It was Gerard, and Mark was with him. Why, Urs, why did they try so hard to hurt me?”

He could see that the pool of blood was growing, saw the broken strap from Gertrude still caught in her hair, saw some bleeding abrasions on her bare legs and arms, and now saw the pain flooding her eyes, the adrenal rush keeping it at bay until now.

“Cat, stay with me, look at me, Liebe. Don’t go to sleep, look at me, Luv.” ‘Please, God, don’t let me lose her, not now. Ease her suffering but don’t take her, don’t take her!!!’ His thoughts were like knives in his mind but he tried not to show her how frightened he was, speaking calmly and firmly holding her hand, trying to will her his strength.

The ambulance and fire/rescue unit arrived together and backed up to the van so the workers could get at the patient easily. Urs was in the way and he reluctantly slid off the roof and stood with the guys and the crew who had come out to watch.

He felt a strong hand on his shoulder and turned to nod at David, not able to talk, not now when his throat was choked with emotion and his eyes threatening to spill tears on his cheeks. He raised a hand in reflex to brush a strand of hair back off his face and saw that it was splattered with blood, Cat’s blood and it was the final torture. His eyes flooded and spilled, Seb clasped him around the waist and Carlos quietly passed him a folded handkerchief, neither of them speaking, just being there for their suffering friends.

Only once did he hear Cat cry out, then just the soothing sounds of the medics working on her, the fire men taking a cage stretcher onto the roof, fixing straps to it and lowering the whole thing onto a gurney.

She was lying quietly, her eyes closed, a thick, blood soaked pad of gauze on her cheek, a neck brace around her throat and her arms strapped down to her chest, a red blanket tucked around her. The medic inserted an IV in her arm, held it elevated while they rolled her to the ambulance but stopped when she quietly spoke to them.

The medic turned to the crowd and asked “Any of you guys named OOrs?”

He stepped forward and touched her hand. She opened her eyes and said “Come here,” and when he bent over her she whispered “I love you…remember your promise. I’ll be back soon to check on you.” He kissed her gently and the medics took her away.

The ambulance left, David collected the jacket, coat and towel off the transpo and everyone went back in the theatre. Urs found Steve and told him what had happened, saw him pale when he caught sight of Urs blood spattered hand, said that Cat insisted they continue with the show and that they had taken her to St. Anne’s Hospital to get checked out. He told Steve that Cat had said she recognized the men and saw a coldness come over the grim man’s face as he listened.

Of course everything was ready for them, Cat always made sure of that, so they went through their usual pre-show routine with the addition of a toast of champagne to their friend and with the arrival of some police officers to question them about the phone call and what they had seen. No one could explain why it happened, what the motive was. Everyone loved Cat, she never seemed to make enemies. Then Urs also told them what he knew of the two men Cat had named, privately relayed a little of what had happened so many years before and a couple of months back.

Steve came to them when the opener was just about over and said he was going to the hospital, Harry would be in charge and that he would be back or phone after the show to let them know. He grasped Urs shoulder in comfort and murmured…”Give a great show. Cat would expect it.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN


Yes, they all knew that Cat would expect them to do their jobs and give at least 100% to their fans…. And so they did. The audience was incredibly receptive as the singers soared to new heights, their timing right on, the harmonies note perfect, the banter fresh and inspired.

At half time there were still no calls from Steve but after the 2nd encore, when they went back stage the final time Steve was in the dressing room ……and Cat was with him.

The most visible sign of what had happened was a long plaster on her cheek, covering what they learned was 9 stitches, some blood that had run into her hair and down her neck onto her shirt, a cotton sling that her arm rested in and some smaller plasters on her legs, surrounded by massive bruises and scrapes from when she was dragged under the car.

She smiled at them but without the sparkle in her eyes they had become accustomed to the past few weeks.

“She wouldn’t stay in over night, signed herself out. She can be very stubborn.” Steve grinned at them as if he was imparting news.

“I didn’t need to spend a night in there, catching all sorts of exotic germs. Who knows what I would have come down with? Now before you all start yelling at me, I feel like I just went a few rounds with Mike Tyson, so back off. I have a few cuts and scrapes, 9 stitches in the one that bled like a geyser on my cheek, a dislocated scapula, shoulder blade for you non medical types and a smashed guitar. Poor Gertrude, I think she took most of the blow when they doored me. A good nights sleep and I’ll be fine so don’t go planning anything naughty.”

Steve laughed and started to leave, looked at Urs and smiled when he got the nod he wanted. As he passed, Urs quietly said “Don’t worry, I can handle her.”

He sat next to Cat on the sofa and wanted to hold her but was afraid of hurting her so he just took her hand in both of his and leaned forward to softly kiss her cheek. He was pale, his brow furrowed and his eyes glistening suspiciously when he looked at her bruises and scrapes, imagining her under a moving auto and screaming for the driver to stop.

“Urs, are you angry with me? I wanted to be home with you. I’ll feel safer near you.”

“No, I’m not angry. I’m relieved. I think a part of me almost died when you flew off that ramp. I could see how weak you were, knew you wouldn’t make the jump. And I want you near me. Let me get changed and we’ll head out.”

“You need to eat first.”

“We’ll pick up something on the way. No arguing, you’re hurt so I think I can take you.”

She laughed and leaned over to kiss him.

“God, I love a man with makeup on,” she said teasing him and he left her to remove it and change.

**

Urs waited until morning to have the serious talk he needed to be attempted with Cat. She was slightly out of it when they arrived back at the Hotel, in some pain and she showed him how to use acupressure points to relieve the worst of it. Her body was bruised and scraped from the falls, the door, being dragged and from hitting the roof of the van. She had stitches in her cheek and a few on her legs, only her excellent health and reflexes saving her from something more serious.

She was cold and he put an extra blanket on the bed then shared body heat with her, careful not to hug her many sore areas too hard. He lay with her until she slept, then drew his jeans on and sat in the easy chair in the lounge area of their suite for an hour, with the bedroom door open in case she needed him, trying to decide the best course of action. Finally he called Steve on his cell and they had a brief conversation, ending with Steve agreeing to travel on the bus with Urs and Cat in the morning and having the other passengers assigned to one of the other vehicles since what they needed to talk about had best be done in private. Steve asked if the other members of Il Divo could be there and Urs didn’t hesitate.

“They’re family, Steve. Of course. But no yelling or getting angry with Cat. She’s had enough hurt.”

Steve disconnected and for a moment, before he got lost in his many worries about his god-child he felt relief that this man he had come to respect as a performer was also showing his true strength now, taking charge when the situation needed some one levelheaded to do so.

Early in the morning Urs woke her with gentle kisses on the uninjured part of her face, happy when she claimed that her shoulder was much improved, happier when he observed that the swelling was indeed down. They showered and laughed at how awkward it was for her to do it one handed, he helped her dress, brushed her hair, opened her juice and yogurt, treated her like royalty.

Cat wasn’t much help packing but made a great supervisor and they arrived downstairs in the lobby before anyone else. Some of the crew were outside and called out to her, knowing of the ‘accident’, happy to see her up and about. Harry passed by in his usual rush and told Cat that he had personally seen that the wardrobe was packed and in the van.

The band met up with them and they all went out to load their things in the bus, got on board and just before the doors closed Steve stepped onto it and sat across the aisle from Urs and Cat. Urs clicked the switch that turned the two seats to face them and Steve moved over, took Cat’s hand as they left Liverpool and the rest of the band, the only other passengers, came to join them.

“What’s going on? Why does everyone look so serious? Urs?” Cat felt panic rising in her throat as she thought the worst. Claude and Celeste…were they alright…had someone died?

Urs took her hand in his and gently kissed her fingertips, and smiled as he looked in her eyes.

“Remember I told you that you had to find your own strength and that I would help you all I could? Well, we all feel that way and it’s time you opened the door and let us all in. Steve and your friends here need to know what happened to you so they can understand the danger you’re in.

“Cat, they weren’t trying to hurt you yesterday. I think they figured out where you were from the photo in the paper. They wanted to kidnap you or if that was impossible, kill you. You have to be strong and tell your friends the truth so we can help you deal with this.”

He moved the arm rest and forced her stiff body into his arms, leaning her back against his chest and wrapping his strong arms around her to create a zone of safety.

After the first few words it got easier…..he felt the rigid muscles relax and she leaned against him, more at ease. They saw no judgement on the dear faces before her, no pity, nothing but concern and the odd flash of anger that they were unable to hide.

“It was wrong of me to hold that in for so long. I spent a long time wallowing in self pity. My time in Nepal showed me that and it was there that I found the strength to try to turn my life around but the only solution I settled on didn’t help. Staying isolated from friends and feelings just kept the memory fresh and was making me ill, full of fears and nightmares that robbed me of sleep, a wall of solitude that I’m sure you remember. It wasn’t till I met Urs that he made me feel able to face my demons and to realize that I need to do something to stop Gerard and now Mark and those men they associate with. I just don’t know what to do.”
Urs hugged her even tighter against him and with his cheek against her hair said “I think the first thing is that you have to agree not to go anywhere alone for a while. One or more of us should be with you, as a precaution, wherever you go.”

Everyone agreed on this and then Steve spoke up. “I know some people. Let me set up a meeting, you’ll have to tell them everything you can remember, maybe even look at some photos but it’s a start. And your blades get retired until this is settled.”

Cat agreed to this too. “I’ll do whatever is necessary to find and punish these men, for myself, for other women they have undoubtedly used the same way, for the people enslaved by the drugs they sell. But, please, don’t worry Claude and Celeste with this for now. When it’s over I’ll tell them myself.” She relaxed completely in Urs arms and looked up at Steve as he took her hands in his.

“Don’t ever shut me out again, Kitty. Nothing is so bad that it can’t be faced with those who love you.”

Steve spent the next hour on the phone, talking to friends, being passed on to another, checking his agenda and finally came back to them again. All four of the men were playing poker to pass the time and Cat was napping with her head in Urs’ lap. They put the cards down as he related the little news he had.

“We have two dates left in the Summer Nights section of the tour then 10 days before we have to open in Lisbon. In three days we’ll be back in London and some friends from Interpol will come to see Cat at your place in Chelsea. They have a lot of pictures and also they have heard of Gerard. He has a long string of aliases but they’ve never been able to pin him down. There’s a few agencies who would love to get their hands on him and see what shakes out. So for now we make sure Cat is safe…Brian wanted to take her into protective custody but you can imagine her reaction to that.”

“Not a chance,” she said and sat up to glare at them. “I’m not going into hiding. I wasn’t asleep, just thinking. If they want so badly to kidnap or kill me then the most sensible thing to do is let them try and then grab them. We’ll play fox and hounds but this time the fox wins.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

By the time the last two concerts in Norfolk and Derbyshire had been completed they had developed a new routine. Steve kept Cat with him while the band was on stage, the rest of the time she always had one or more of the band with her.

Gerry was back with them now, had been told by Carlos exactly what was going on, cried herself out in his arms, privately, then proceeded to befriend Cat in a loving and unobtrusive manner. They spent a great deal of time together, sometimes with one or more of the men, sometimes just within sight of them, found that they had a great deal in common and began sharing clothing, just like sisters, teasing both Carlos and Urs mercilessly at times with secrets.

Cat’s injuries were mending well, she no longer used the sling on her arm, only had a small flesh colored bandage on her cheek and wore long skirts or jeans to cover the fading bruises and scrapes on her legs. Her roller blades had been packed away, ‘for now’, and she rode to the venues with the band, even accompanying them when they had to do a TV interview, sitting in the audience with Gerry so Urs could see her.

They rode back to London in the bus, a short trip and over soon. The driver dropped them at the block of flats and Steve promised to come by the next day with his friend Brian.

David vanished and they all knew he wouldn’t be seen again for a few hours, most likely not until morning since Sarah had arrived in London the day before and was waiting for him in the flat….. in bed, Carlos suggested, earning a rap on the arm from Gerry but merely an ’I sure hope so’ from David.

As usual there was nothing to eat in the house so they wandered down the street to the market, bought a few things and Cat found out that Urs was an excellent cook, something he had hidden from her before the tour but now was guilted in to doing. Seb came over in the evening and worked with Urs on the score they were writing, endlessly going over one area trying to figure out what didn’t sound right until Cat, who had been listening from the sofa in the lounge came to the piano and hesitantly suggested a variation.

“Did you ever think that this might be a good place for the baritone to do a counter melody?…like this,” and she played a few bars, right hand for the melody while the left did a deep rich baritone type of harmony. Urs picked up on it immediately, jotted down a few changes and grinned at her when they re-did it.

“Perfect…exactly what we were looking for, and then we can…” and he and Seb were off and running again.

She loved to watch them work, both with an inherent talent, both perfectionists, one with years of formal training and the other, though untrained, matching talent for talent. Seb brought a pure instinctive talent to the group, a softness that complimented the operatic qualities of all the others and Urs had the type of voice that is seldom found in tenors, a lyrical purity that could perform flawlessly in either the lower ranges or high. There were no ego struggles between them, each secure in their own strengths, each wanting only the best out of what they were doing.

Finally Cat could stand being idle no longer and stripped to a unitard, put on her headset stereo and toe shoes, and moving only the low coffee table danced around the flat. Urs looked up from the piano and watched for a few moments noticing that she was carefully favoring her injured arm and shoulder but seemed fine otherwise, tried to go back to work but found that Seb had never seen her dance and was fascinated. During a slow movement Urs gently removed her headphones, switched it to speaker and nodded as Brahms filled the flat. He knew that the Dvorak was next and that the start was fast, almost knew her routines by memory now.

Again she put no stress on her shoulder, performing one handed most of the moves she would normally do with two. During the soft Largo movement he put the headphones back on Cat and watched Seb come out of his trance, then laugh guiltily and they went back to work.

Later that night when they had readied for bed and Seb was gone, Cat posed a question he hadn’t expected while she sat on the edge of the bed brushing her hair.

“Urs, would you be upset if I did a bit of match making? Carlos has his Geraldine, David is mad about Sarah and we have each other. I’d like to know that Sebbie had someone in his life too. He’s such a sweet man but so lonely at times.”

He stretched out behind her on the bed, naked and still warm from his shower, curled his body around her hips and nibbled on her waist, playing his hands over her thighs.

She put the brush down and leaned back against him, purring like a contented cat, resting her arms on his shoulder and hip.

“Who did you have in mind?” he asked then continued to feast and stroke.

“Hmmmmm? Oh….You make it very difficult to concentrate. Millie, she’s second violin, don’t tell me you haven’t noticed her. Flaming red hair that she keeps in a fluffy cap, that bone white complexion that true red heads often have, a little taller than me, very trim and with lovely bright blue eyes. She nearly drools everytime she sees Seb so I know the attraction is there. She’s very quiet and gentle but I think with a nudge we could get something started.”

“We? When did I volunteer to play Cupid?”

She laughed and turned to kneel on the floor and lay the top of her body across his chest.

“I just want everyone to feel a bit of the happiness I have with you.” She dropped her mouth to his and was rewarded with a deep, passionate kiss that had her craving more.

“You do make me happy Urs, beyond anything I ever imagined possible. You treat me as if…as if I wasn’t used before I came to you and that makes me feel so special.”

Urs sat up and cradled her across his arm, against his body as he caressed her breasts and flat stomach.

“You are special. I was the first to bring you pleasure through love and will be the only man to ever have the feeling of your body trembling with passion under his. You belong to me now, I’ll never get enough of you if we are together forever.”

To prove his point he let his hand stray between her thighs and raided her mouth when she moaned. He pulled her up onto the bed and watched her face as his hands stroked her, touching her breasts, her mouth, always with one hand busily touching her between her heated thighs, his long fingers gently entering her, first one then two.

He smiled when he saw her eyes haze over with passion, felt the first tremors through her belly, drove his fingers in deeper and curled them to touch the front wall of her wet, velvety tunnel, his thumb rubbing the swollen nub. Her back arched as the pleasure consumed her and she cried out. Without stopping he leaned to her mouth and whispered “Again” before he savagely took her mouth with his, moved over her and plunged into the core of her, driving her up to the peak again before the first climax was finished. She responded, in a frenzy of desire, clasping him tight with her nails digging into his arms, her feet on the edge of the bed as he knelt on the floor and thrust rapidly, raising her bottom to go deeper. The elusive peak was just beyond their reach and they strained to reach it, craved the release until as one they swept away on the surge of pleasure that stretched endlessly, each crying out the others name. Urs collapsed on Cat holding her tight with his arms clasped against her sides, his head above hers as she gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders, snuggled her face into the curve of his neck and they tried to catch their breath.

**

They lay together quietly, exhausted and heated, the afterglow not something that needed words. A few minutes later Urs began to laugh softly and she opened her eyes to look at his flushed face when he raised it.

“We either have to get Seb a girlfriend or move the bed out from the wall.” He said as he picked her up to lay her on the bed with her head on the pillow. She raised her brows to him until he lay beside her and moved his body as if loving her. The headboard tapped against the wall and Cat laughed as she understood. She had heard the sound everytime they made love in this bed, soft at first, then loud and rapid as their rhythm increased, but had ignored it until now..

“Seb’s bedroom…”

He laughed and raised his arm up to touch the wall. “Right there,” he chuckled and laughed outright when she blushed scarlet.

They got ready for visitors in the morning, expecting them about 10 and had the guys, Sarah and Gerry join them at 9:30 for coffee.

Sarah was a bit hesitant about joining the group until Urs greeted her with a kiss on the cheek and chided her.

“We’ve all met you before and I’m sure Cat feels she knows you what with our tall Bro talking about you all the time. You’re family, Sarah, and family sticks together.”

Cat was a little shy around Seb at first but when he gave no indication of having heard them she relaxed.

Gerry came to Cat and hugged her, whispering in her ear.

“I am so proud of you for doing this. Be strong, Little Sister. You have all of us and a wonderful man to help you through this difficult time. Remember how much we love you and be strong.”

Promptly at 10 the door bell rang and Urs opened it to find Steve, carrying a guitar case, his friend Brian carrying some large books and another man who carried a large artist’s portfolio. He was introduced as Caleb, an artist who specialized in drawing sketches of subjects from descriptions given by victims.

The men were not what anyone had expected of Special agents, both the sort of guy you would pass on the street and never look twice at. Brian was about 40, tall but thin as a rake, thin hair also and mild pale blue eyes. Caleb looked like he had just finished or was still in, University, longish hair, a slight beer belly and thick, ‘Coke bottle’ glasses, someone you would mistake for a computer geek. They gave no last names and just shook hands all around and asked where they should set up.

Steve put the guitar case against the lounge wall and they congregated around the dining room table with some of the band on stools from the breakfast nook. Urs held Cat’s hand under the table as she went through the tale again, stopping a few times when Brian asked her questions. He was adept at drawing out things she had blocked or forgotten and they began to get a better picture of what had happened, started to put character traits to different people and substance to what she had overheard.

Urs was asked to describe Mark, as the only one who had seen him up close and had studied him for quite a while before following them into the house, he had a clear memory, fueled by his dislike of the man. He was amazed when the artist, who had listened quietly behind him handed a sketch pad forward and it was a perfect likeness of the man.

Cat looked through some books of known subversives, page after page until she froze as one page lay open and whispered….”The Saracen…He was first.” Her hand was trembling visibly as she pointed to the center photo of a group on the page, an older man, possibly in his 60’s, Middle Eastern, bald on top with a fringe of thinning hair, mustache and short trimmed beard, swarthy skin, thick lips and several chins that disappeared into a fleshy neck.

“Kamal Adjani…very rich, made his money in oil then a few years later was suspected of getting into the arms trade and sex slavery. We’ve managed to get a few of the lower echelon over the years but never were able to pin anything on him. You’re sure, Miss Gilbert?”

She couldn’t take her eyes off the page and Urs had to softly speak to her before she answered.

“Yes, I’m sure.” She looked at Brian then and repeated it firmly. “I’m sure. He was the first one, he outbid the others. Gerard called him The Saracen when he spoke of him.” With an effort she turned to look at the page again, they saw the blood leaving her face and her skin going deathly pale and her voice was shaky as she spoke.

“He was so heavy, sweaty…..his smell made me gag… I couldn’t breathe and …it hurt…I thought he was ripping me apart…...”

She gagged and put her hand on her mouth then with a strangled moan she bolted for the bathroom, slammed the door and threw up in the toilet.

Urs followed her, motioning to stay seated to Gerry and Sarah who had both left their seats to go to Cat. He found her on her knees, stayed with her, rubbing her back, until she finished, gave her some mouthwash to rinse her mouth and held her safely against his solid body until her breathing eased.

“You had enough for today?” he asked softly, brushing his hand over her hair and she shook her head.

“Let me brush my teeth and I’ll be back out. I’m sorry for being such a wimp. When I saw his picture I could almost feel his hands on me and the pain..…”

“Hush, my precious Kitty. They can’t hurt you again.” He bent to touch his forehead to hers and smiled. “I’m so proud of you. Brush your teeth and I’ll tell them you’ll be right out.”

She brushed her teeth and wiped her face with a cool cloth, returned to the lounge to find them all quietly talking.

Cat sat in the same seat again and noticed that the photo had been removed, calmly turned to the next page and resumed her search. Over the next half hour she found 7 more faces that she was sure of, a dozen that were maybe’s and a whole page of Gerard in his many guises and under several aliases. Brian then showed her an album of women and she found no-one she recognized until the second last page.

“She was in charge of me, I never knew her name. She took my watch and the emerald ring Steve gave me as a grad present, I saw them on her. It seemed to be her job to make me shower and dress… she picked out the clothes I was allowed to wear, mostly filmy, nightgown type things or skimpy bras and garter belts with long stockings and high heels. Sometimes she would watch….
and ….touch herself….and she liked to bite. Sometimes when there were two at once she would bite the one….the one who…had anal sex with the man on top of me.”

Cat stopped talking and Brian read the name under the photo….Rita Duval….she looked at the photo of the woman silently for a minute then continued.

“This isn’t a good picture of her. She has an evil smile that never reaches her eyes, and long canines. She’s very tall for a woman, about 5’10” I think, and always wears very high heels. She has a tiny bust but wears padded bras to look bigger and she speaks with an accent, I think Italian….and she’s very strong, muscular, as if she spends a great deal of time working out.”

“Excellent. I know how hard this is on you, Miss Gilbert…” Brian stopped when she held her hand up to him.

“Please, you must call me Cat. I would feel more comfortable airing such private things if you did. And don’t fool yourself, Brian. You can’t begin to imagine how painful this is. Perhaps only the women who have gone through it can really understand. But I’m going to do whatever it takes, so can the soft words and the pity and let’s just get on with it, Okay?”

Steve laughed and reached over to take her hand. “That’s my girl. Nice to see the old Cat coming back.”

She worked with the artist for a while, trying to remember details of the estate, the rooms where she was kept, what she remembered when she fled and after another hour they had a large dossier of sketches spread about the room. Brian and Caleb left and she promised to phone the number on the card he had given her if she thought of anything else. He promised to be in touch after speaking to his superiors, probably the next day.

Just before he left, Brian turned to Steve and was deadly serious as he spoke to him and to Cat and Urs.

“These are very bad, dangerous people and I can’t stress too much the importance of being very careful. For some reason they seem to think you have information that could lead to them and that puts you in great danger. I don’t understand the time lapse unless it was because you were out of the country so long and not very visible until you started touring with the band. Do not go anywhere alone or anyplace except where there are a lot of people. I know you intend to use yourself as bait but don’t be premature. Let us set up surveillance and a trap for whoever they send after you. Give me a few days to get everything in motion.”

Urs shut the door behind the men and turned to face the room full of concerned friends.

“Well, they were sure full of fun and laughter. I feel like we’re in a B movie and Bruce Willis will come crashing through the window any minute.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

As he had hoped, it cleared the air and everyone laughed, some a little nervously but at least they had cheerier looking faces.

“I think we all need to have a drop of Dutch courage,” Cat said and crossed the lounge to the little bar cart that had an assortment of liquors and glasses.

“What is this ’Dutch courage’?” Carlos asked not familiar with the slang term.

Urs came up behind her and lifted her slight body out of the way. “Let me, I know what everyone drinks.”

Steve wandered over to the stereo, slipped a CD case out of his pocket and put it on to play, his finger to his lips as Cat was about to ask what it was and as he came near her whispered “Humour me.”

She heard the first track start and frowned at him, then laughed.

They all went into the Lounge and sat, quietly talking about the first experience any of them had had with Interpol. By the third track on the CD Carlos and Urs were distracted by the music and Urs went to the stereo to turn the sound up, looked at the empty jewel box and when he didn’t find a label asked Steve who it was.

“A friend did it for me a few years back. She’s never gone commercial.”

The next track was one the band did, Nella Fantasia but done as a solo piece by a pure mezzo soprano with such purity of tone that no one spoke until it had completed. Urs looked at Cat and smiled. He knew but said nothing.

Then followed a Verdi track, Je Chante Avec Toi Liberte and by now they all just listened. They tried guessing who it was but failed utterly since everyone they could think of was a professional.

Finally Cat, stood and shook her head at them, laughing as the next track started. “He’s playing head games with you guys. Listen.”

She turned the sound down a bit as the track for Oh Happy Day came to the chorus and she sang the melody, singing the old gospel song the way it was meant to be treated, with joy.

They teased her unmercifully until Steve asked for quiet.

“This is my favourite,” he said with a wistful tone as Danny Boy started.

There was complete silence as the track ended then David broke it with “Oh my god. What I would give to have a top like that.”

Cat snuggled against Urs where she had returned and smiled at David.

“You leave yourself wide open for a bad joke with a line like that Davey.”

She jumped up out of her seat and headed for the kitchen as the men all roared with laughter. “I forgot to mention…you’re all staying for dinner and I’ve invited a friend. She should be here soon. Steve, will you stay?”

He rose, came and kissed her on the cheek and told her he had other plans.

“But I would like a rain check. Urs, that CD is yours. I kept the original. Cat,” he picked up the guitar case and handed it to her. “We tried to have Gertrude repaired but there just wasn’t enough left to do it. This one is Irish and her name is Maeve.”

She was thrilled with the gift and took Maeve out immediately, passed her around to the others when they admired the sleek lines and exclaimed over the signature of the Luthier who had designed and made it for her.

Not long after Steve left, the door bell rang and Cat answered it since the guys were all talking music and either didn’t hear it or chose to ignore the sound and Gerry and Sarah had gone to Gerry’s flat to pick up some fresh rolls that Carlos had brought home then forgot to bring with them.

Millie looked lovely, as always, wearing a short swirling print dress in shades of green and blue and carrying a large bouquet of flowers and a bag with two bottles of French wine.

Cat interrupted the men to introduce her and passed the wine to Seb, the un-official sommelier whenever they had wine. She saw the instant interest in his eyes as Millie smiled at him and they talked about her choice. When the girls returned, Cat and Gerry, much to Urs amusement, exchanged subtle ‘thumbs up’ and grins as they watched Seb and Millie discuss the wines.

The woman knew her wine and since it was a hobby of Seb’s he was hooked right from the start. Satisfied, Cat went back to the kitchen to play with food, giving Urs a grin of triumph as she patted him on the shoulder on the way.

Dinner was nearly ready to put on the table when Urs came in to see if he could help. She offered to let him set the table and he started to reach over her to get the plates out but changed his mind and pulled her against him, kissing her neck and running his hands under her shirt. She slipped out of his grasp, but he pinned her against the fridge door and trailed his mouth over her neck and chest. Cat resisted, but feebly, enjoying the sensations he created, murmuring…”Urs, we have company.”

“They’ve all got their own girls…you’re mine!” and he ran his hand up under her skirt while his mouth took her lips. Her hands were in his hair and their bodies were tight together when from behind Urs they heard a laugh

“Don’t you two ever get tired of making out?” David sauntered into the kitchen and sampled some of the salad on the counter.

Urs straightened and looked at his friend but didn’t let Cat go.

“She’s always like this until she’s had something to eat.” And he laughed as Cat dug her fist into his stomach.

Dinner was a little subdued because of the meeting in the morning but they made the best of it, cheered by the excellent paella and the Raspberry Flan Cat had started early in the morning. Seb and Millie contributed little to the conversation, lost together in a world they had just discovered, left early and Seb promised to see Millie safely home. He didn’t exactly keep his promise because when Urs and Cat first got into bed they could hear the unmistakable sounds of a bed in the next room rhythmically banging against the wall.

Cat started to giggle and couldn’t stop and Urs, holding his laughter in, was forced to drag her into the lounge where they both spent the night snuggled together on the soft sofa. First thing in the morning, even before breakfast, Urs re-arranged the bedroom furniture, placing their bed on the opposite wall.

**

Sarah and David just barely made it into their flat when Sarah came to him and wrapped her arms tight around his solid body. He could feel the tension in her and soothed it away with gentle kisses and murmured words of love as he slipped his arm under her legs and carried her to the sofa, holding her for a few minutes.

“Baby what is it? What upset you so?”

She nestled closer and shook her head.

“I didn’t really believe what you told me before but after I listened to Cat and saw her reaction…David, how can people be so cruel? Maybe I’ve been too sheltered but, my God, I’m a nurse…I’ve seen some of the things that happen, usually in anger, but nothing like this…to deliberately try to enslave someone, to treat a sensitive person like Cat in that way….. I just thank God I’ve found you.”

He tilted her face up and kissed her tenderly.

“Nothing like that will ever happen to you, Baby…not while I can still draw a breath.”

“I know…you’re my Gentle Bear…. And I’ve missed you so much. There hasn’t been anyone to play games with, at least no-one who gave me a challenge.” She grinned at him. He was relieved to see that the sadness was passing and knew just how to get her in a good mood.

“Well I haven’t had a chance to practice much lately. You might actually be able to take me out.”

“You’re on!” she said and jumped to her feet, never able to resist a chance to best him at one of his games.

Within minutes they were happily ensconced on the floor, leaning back on the front of the sofa, controllers in hand and the games began.

**

“I can’t get over the change in Cat,” Gerry said as they got ready for bed. “She has come so far since we were all in the States…. And it’s such a relief to see Urs taking charge, quietly, being the partner she needs.”

“Si, my little dove….. except for this trouble they are a very happy couple, very much in love, at last. So many times when we were on the tour I wanted to lock them both in a room and let them fight it out. I think our patient Swiss would have won.”

Gerry laughed.

“And I think our little ploy of getting Sebastien and Millie together worked. He spent the whole evening never taking his eyes off her. She’s perfect for him. Cat and I talked often about how lonely he seemed and picked Millie because she’s already been in love with Seb for months. And he kept looking at her but not making a move.”

Carlos came over to where Gerry sat on the end of the bed, gloating over the successful match making.

“You must promise not to interfere any further …..let what will be develop at it’s own pace. I promise you will have enough romance here in this flat to keep you very, very busy.”

“Why, Senor Marin, whatever do you mean?”

He leaned over her, his broad, tanned body and expressive eyes looming over her delicate, small boned figure.

“I mean we will be very busy practicing to make a baby, again and again until we succeed.”

Gerry reached for him, putting her arms around his ribs and tugging him so he fell forward on top of her on the bed and showed him how willing she was to practice.

**

There was no discussion or hesitation when Seb and Millie left Urs and Cat’s. They held hands and went immediately to Seb’s flat, entered and he turned the lights on before locking the door.

He crossed the floor and gently took Millie in his arms.

“I have wanted you for months, but Jonathan, the bass player, told me you were in a relationship, so I never tried to get close to you.”

Millie smiled and stared in his lovely eyes, feeling warm and loved although they had not even so much as kissed.

“How could I, Sebastien? I have been in love with you since January 10th, when I first played in the orchestra and heard your voice.

He rested his face against her cheek and murmured in her ear.

“How could this happen? My heart is so full of love for you, after only a few hours of being allowed to talk to you, to touch you.”

He drew back and she cupped his face in her tiny hands, leaning forward until her bust was crushed against his chest and her lips were open and eager, only a breath from his.

It took no further urging. He grasped her waist and pulled her closer, dipping his head down to meet her mouth and moaning at the sweet taste of her as they kissed for the first time.

Somehow clothing vanished and they explored each other, until the only barriers left were his boxers and her panties.

They stood in a circle of discarded clothing, unable and unwilling to break skin to skin contact.

“Permettre moi faire l’amour a vous, Cherie,” Sebastien murmured, his voice husky and full of longing and Millie tightened her arms around his neck and whispered against his neck.

“J’ai besoin vous….MAINTENANT! ….J’ai reveuse de cette soir.”

As Seb carried Millie into his bedroom he had one fleeting thought of the sounds he heard often coming from Urs’ flat, knew that he should move his bed but the thought left him when Millie kissed him again, her tongue stroking his lips and entering to tangle with his in a lovers duel.

He was hungry for her but tried to be gentle until she writhed under his body and begged him to touch her, enter her, take her now, so they let their reserve fly out the window and consumed each other with wild abandon that left them both breathless and slick with sweat.

Seb began to chortle with laughter when he finally managed to breath normally again.
Millie opened her eyes a slit and smiled at him.

“We were rather over eager ….I’ve waited so long to feel you inside of me…I just couldn’t wait any longer, my Seb.”

“Ag Cherie…then we must do some exploring this time and make the pleasure last.”

“This time?” she raised her head and glanced down, saw that he was erect and ready and she grinned.

“You do live up to your reputation, Monsieur Izambard.”

“Ah, Mon Petite…you have no idea…yet,” he said and leaned over to suck her firm breast into his mouth, letting his strong but gentle hand stray to gently cup her sex.

For the rest of the sleepless, rapturous night he didn’t spare one thought to the thin wall or whatever his friends could hear.

**

True to his word Brian came back the next day and had some news. One of the agents had recognized the estate and they were able to track it down but of course the owners were gone, the place had been sold. But at least now they had a name and could begin to search for any other mentions in dispatches.

He also told them that for now Cat would be watched discreetly by one of their agents, even on the tour since this was a multi organizational effort and the task would be passed on from country to country, agency to agency as they followed the schedule. He gave them a phone number that would connect them with their shepherd, should the need arise and wished them luck, again stressing that they should be careful.

Urs and Cat began going to the gym now that she was better and they found that they had another thing in common. Both had studied the Martial Art, Capoeira, though Urs was much better at it than Cat. Still, they honed old skills, just in case, and enjoyed the workout. They found that Cat was more flexible but Urs could always take her, being much stronger and faster. And she enjoyed losing to him since he always felt guilty and was incredibly sweet to her after.

The day after Cat got her stitches out they went to have dinner with Claude and Celeste. Cat used makeup to cover the unsightly scar but Celeste spotted it immediately and had to be told a bit of a lie.

“Rollerblading accident. I’ve put them away for a while.”

Nothing more was said and they got through the evening without incident, returning to the flat to get ready for the flight to Lisbon the next week.

**

Slowly the scar on Cat’s face faded until it was almost unnoticeable, thanks to the skill of the doctor who had carefully sewn her up. She got used to never being alone, such a change from her years of playing hermit that at first she was afraid she might feel smothered. Her friends made the time they spent together fun or soothing, giving her plenty of quiet time as well as lots to laugh about so it became a pleasure for her to always have someone around. The lessons with Seb went so well that sometimes they spoke only Spanish or tried to hold conversations in Chinese to the delight of the others. Still, they could be polite in the Asian language and that’s all that really mattered.

**

Having women friends was something that Cat hadn’t had since her school days and then it was limited to a few who had similar heavy study schedules. It was a new and wonderful experience for her and she reveled in it, spending a great deal of time while Urs was busy with the girls, talking about their men often, of course, quizzing Gerry on married life, wanting to know if was any different now that their relationship had been formalized, waiting patiently while the guys did their thing in the Studio or at the many Promos for the CD’s, discussing what they hoped to see on the tour.

Millie was at a bit of a disadvantage since she would often be tied up with her duties as violinst with the orchestra but as they promised she was never completely left out since the others caught her up on all the important stuff: annoying habits of their partners, romantic moments that they could share, hopes for the future.

“It’s so nice to finally see Sebastien happy,” Gerry commented one afternoon when the guys had gone with Cat for a wardrobe fitting of some new suits and left the others comfortably ensconced in the lounge area of one of the dressing rooms.

“I could easily strangle Jonathan for telling him that I was in a relationship said the pretty little red head with a scowl. We wasted so much time, pining for each other…if it hadn’t been for you and Cat giving us that push we might still be apart.”

“I’ll never forget the look on his face when you came in the flat that night,” Sarah said with a chuckle. “Monsieur Suave almost swallowed his tongue, then the rest of us became invisible for the remainder of the night. You two sure worked fast after that night though.”

Millie blushed a bit but then got a smug look on her face.

“Six hours and I had him naked and in bed, right where I had dreamed of so many times.”

Gerry and Sarah screamed with laughter.

“You aren’t quite the innocent that you look, Millie. Good for you!” Sarah chortled with laughter.

“He did the strangest thing the next day though…re-arranged the bedroom, even before breakfast…he was like a man on a mission and wouldn’t stop until it was all changed around.”

Gerry just smiled.

“He’s a man, love. They get funny ideas sometimes.”

Sarah decided to wait until after the tour to apply at any of the London hospitals for a nursing position. After such a long time of being constantly separated from David she was enjoying the increasing closeness between them and like Gerry hoped to start a family soon.

**

The men were all in dressing rooms trying on the finished products of their new outfits so Cat could make sure that everything was as it should be. She waited patiently on the leather sofa, thinking of her new friends and smiling at how different and yet compatabile they all were.

Cat found that she really liked the young American woman. A blonde, taller than Cat and with a face that always seemed to be smiling. She had a nice contralto voice, Cat found when they were fooling around one night, had no aspirations to do anything with it other than sometime in the future sing lullabies. Sarah had a wicked sense of humor, just like David, was always ready to pull a prank, often with poor David being the scapegoat while she smiled innocently and laughed as he was wound up by the victim of her humor. She was easy to talk to about anything but especially medical subjects and was fascinated by Cat’s holistic healing and her tales of working in the field as a medic. She was considering applying to Rapid UK after the tour, and they hoped to be able to work together.

Carlos’ wife, Geraldine was between contracts at the moment and decided to join the tour for a few weeks. An opera singer as well, she had performed a few times with him and they worked well together. She was tiny, tended to have a different color of hair every other month, depending on the role she was singing, ash blonde at the moment, and bubbled with energy. The four women, including Millie, who Seb was never far from now, hung out together when the men were busy and quickly bonded like sisters.

Venice, then Rome and they had a day off to explore the ancient city. The ladies of course wanted to explore the shopping, Cat was more interested in Italian food and they compromised by doing both. While they were in looking at and trying on shoes, Carlos and Urs went off on a secret mission, leaving poor Seb and David to help make decisions.

That night they all went to dinner at a famous night spot, enjoyed the floor show after and danced until the place closed down. Urs actually danced a samba with Cat, very well in fact, to her delight. Carlos and Geraldine took over the floor when they tangoed, doing an inspired intricate routine that was obviously something they had done often. He was so madly taken with his Geraldine that when she was around he never bothered to even look at other women, an unusual occurrence for this typical Latin man.

After a few weeks of nothing terrible happening they all began to relax. Not to the point that Cat was left to do things on her own, but the atmosphere was clearly easier, they joked sometimes about not being able to spot the shepherd who shadowed them as they crossed the continent. All that is except Urs.

He displayed no tension but took care to always put himself between Cat and the crowd, the traffic, the outside edges of cars, seats, lineups, any place where she might be vulnerable. He seemed always to be aware of what was happening around them and reacted quickly when there was danger, real or perceived. On one occasion when a skate boarder lost control and would have taken Cat down with him, Urs quickly pushed her behind him and acted as a buffer, receiving a large bruise on his leg from the board.

Urs habitual trips to the gym to work-out changed a bit, concentrating more on honing his Capoiera skills, sometimes with Cat, sometimes with an instructor or another proponent of the difficult martial art, always with an intensity that was rather intimidating to watch. The quiet, sensitive Swiss man would vanish when he began his routine, the music that was played during practice throbbing and accompanied by the deep cries that were part of the regimen, with his operatic trained voice nearly as frightening as the actual kicks and blows.

Yet, like a chameleon he would become himself when the practice was done, gentle, loving, tender with Cat, quiet and soft spoken with their friends, teasing and doing his best to wind up the others every chance he got, in a subtle, foxy way that never failed to catch them off guard.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Cat decided that Istanbul was not someplace where she wanted to spend a lot of time. It was an old city but not as well maintained as Rome or Paris and she found the large proportion of Arabs a little disturbing. She was relieved when they moved on to New Delhi.

They reached Manila a few days before her birthday. Urs had asked her a number of times to suggest something for her present but she just smiled and said she had everything she needed. The night before her natal day was a very formal concert night and it was late when they had all grabbed a quick dinner and returned to the hotel. Urs sat on the end of the bed undoing the studs on his shirt and watching Cat as she took off her floor length satin gown and carefully packed it in a long leather case.

He finished the studs and slipped out of the shirt, smiling at her when she turned to look at him.

“Do you have any idea how sexy you look like that?” He stood and came toward her as she stood waiting for him, her high heels still on but wearing only stockings, bra and panties.

“I was hoping you would notice,” she said as he neared her and she could run her hands over his bare chest.

It took him a while to finish undressing both of them, the distraction of her mouth on his and hands that eagerly sought to touch, stroke and caress, slowing him down. At last they both were stripped naked and lay on the big soft bed, building the anticipation of what was to come.

Cat arched her back as his clever fingers touched her gently,
went inside and found the spot on the front wall that drove her insane.

When he let her come back down again, not all the way, just ready to climb again, she was shaking when she gasped “How did you learn to do that? It’s so incredible…I feel like I’m exploding.”

He smiled and nipped at her chest and neck, answering between bites. “Eight years in Amsterdam……I studied in the brothels…”

Cat laughed and then moaned when his mouth found the soft flesh at the junction of her shoulder and chest. He nibbled and sucked on her skin until she felt the burn of a mark forming and he drew away to caress her lips with his tongue.

“I was 24 when I went to Amsterdam…..knew nothing except how to please myself,….” He moved on to softly lick the outside of her mouth, ending at her ear and nibbling on the lobe, making her shiver. “There are women who specialize in teaching young men…..I was a very eager student.” He smiled when he heard her moan and came back to her swollen mouth.

She opened her mouth and bit his lower lip gently, entered and caressed the soft inner lip with her hot tongue. When they parted again she whispered “Show me more of the things you learned.”

It was nearly morning when they fell asleep, exhausted, sated, wrapped closely in each others arms.

**

On Cat’s birthday Urs woke first and watched her while she slept. She lay on her side, facing him and wore a slight smile on her lips. He felt a surge of love and knew that he had never in his life been happier. She stirred and reached out her hand, felt his solid chest under her fingers and sighed, drifting back into whatever dream she was having.

As soon as the tour was over he wanted them to settle down, perhaps buy a house or condo in London since he would be based there when not on tour. And he was looking forward to taking Cat to Switzerland to meet his family. He had used the web-cam and introduced them and as he had hoped Cat and his Mama were kindred spirits, and talked via IM’s every few days.

Cat stirred again and stretched, then opened her eyes and smiled at him.

“Good morning,” she said and wiggled closer to snuggle her face into his chest.

“Good morning, Little One. You had another good night didn’t you?”

Cat laughed against his chest then looked up at him with a grin. “Bragging, Herr Buhler? Yes, I had a wonderful night…and slept well too.”

Urs laughed and nuzzled her hair with his chin. “Good. I do love to keep my skills honed with you.” He sat up and put his feet on the floor, not surprised when she moved to kneel and press her body against his back and wrap her arms around him.

“Are we still going out to dinner with everyone tonight?”

“Don’t you want to?”

“Of course I want to. We always have such a good time when we go out with the girls and the other guys. Urs, I can’t think of any other way I’d want to celebrate my birthday.”

He laughed and turned to face her. “Was that a hint, just in case I forgot? I remembered, trust me.”

“Of course you did, Seb has been counting down the days for the past week, David marked all the calendars and I think it was Millie and Sarah that put that banner online. You didn’t have a chance to forget.”

“C’mon lazy woman, let’s get showered and go downstairs for some breakfast.”

“I’ll put the kettle on for your fix of coffee. The bathroom’s yours for a couple of minutes.” Cat pulled his discarded Tee shirt over her head, held it up to cover her nose and breathed deep. Urs laughed at her and she ignored him, humming as she went out of the bedroom.

She was a few minutes and he had used the facilities, brushed his teeth and considered shaving when she came back after making a quick side trip to the powder room in the hall.

“You think I should shave?” he asked and she laughed at him. “No, I like that scruffy look…that and a leather jacket and you look like a tough biker. It’s very sexy.”

They showered and made it back to the little kitchenette before the kettle boiled dry, then Cat dressed while Urs nursed his coffee and went over the day’s schedule. He came through the bedroom while she was dressing and said he had to shave…they had a photo op in the afternoon and he didn’t want to look sexy for anyone except her.

They had breakfast with the band and their ladies, all of them already in the restaurant when Cat and Urs strolled in. Carlos, David and Seb, had Cat laughing and red faced by jumping to their feet and bursting into a rendition of Happy Birthday when she walked in.

The waitress joined in the teasing when she delivered Cat’s French toast by putting a small lit candle in the center, thereby earning herself an extra large tip. Cat spoke to her quietly in Malay, the woman bowed to her with her hands together in front of her face and Cat said, “Salamat” and did the same.

Urs smiled at her and took her hand. “Now why doesn’t it surprise me that you can speak Malay? What did you say to her? She looked happy enough to burst.”

Cat laughed a bit and told him. “She was wearing a medal of the Black Nazarene and I told her that I was sure that he would recognize the purity of her heart. And I thanked her for the gesture on my natal day.”

“How do you always know just what to say to people Cat? I saw the medal but didn’t know what it was,” Millie said with wonder.

Cat was embarrassed but answered. “When I lived in the Women’s House in Nepal there was a Malaysian woman staying there as well. She taught me a bit of Malay and some of the history. Ina was a lovely woman, very peaceful to be around. She had been there for 9 years and for a time I thought about staying as well, but Ina said I should go back into the world, she sensed that what my heart needed to heal itself was in the world, that I had to search for it.”

They finished breakfast and decided to do the tourist thing, sightsee the local points of interest including the churches Cat had mentioned, the Malate Church and the Quiapo church that housed the Black Nazarene.

Cat reminded the women that it was not allowed for ladies to enter a church without a head covering and Millie laughed, said that it was a great excuse to buy some of the lovely scarves the street vendors were hawking.

The last place they visited that afternoon was the Quiapo Church. It was ornate and lovely but the thing that drew Cat was the life-sized statue of the Black Nazarene. The feet were worn from the years of penitents touching them, the legend being that if you touched the feet of the Black Nazarene you would be forgiven of all your sins. The others had gone on to look at some of the reliquaries under glass in the museum next door, leaving Urs and Cat in the church.

She looked ethereal, her hair covered with a white lace mantilla, her eyes glistening as she thought of her friend, Ina,

“I sort of lied to Millie…what Ina said was that I would find the love my heart needed to heal itself. And she was right.” She looked at Urs with such love in her eyes that he knew the moment had come. He took her hand and together they touched the feet of the Black Nazarene and as they withdrew their joined hands Urs held his right hand out to her.

It held a ring that sparkled in the soft light of the candles, diamonds surrounding a square cut emerald, set in a platinum circle, the result of the secret mission he and Carlos had gone on when they were in Rome.

“Before I met you my life was coasting, not unhappy but not fulfilled. Knowing you, loving you the way I do has changed me in small ways, made me more aware of the possibilities in this life. The love we have for one another has made me a better man and I can’t conceive of my life without you in it. I love you, Cat. Will you marry me, stay with me, love me, make my life complete?”

She stared at him for a very brief moment then a radiant smile lit up her face. “Urs, I love you so much. You have brought light into my life where before there was only shadow. Yes, oh yes. I am yours….Forever!”

He slipped the ring on her finger and breathed a sigh of relief. She said yes and the ring fit. Life was good. They kissed rather sedately since it was after all a church, remedied that when they got back outside then ran hand in hand to join the others.

Cat shyly held her hand out so all could see the ring and both of them were nearly hugged and kissed to pieces by everyone for a few minutes.

“When, when will you get married?” Geraldine asked and Cat laughed.

“We’ve only been engaged for 10 minutes, give us some time. Something small I think, no fuss, but all of you have to be there.” Cat smiled as she watched Urs. He looked so happy. He hadn’t stopped smiling since she said yes. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the dimple that formed in his cheek when he really smiled. He turned his head to grin at her and without hesitation, lowered his mouth to hers and gave her a real kiss, the first time ever in front of their friends. They were both shaken by their feelings when they drew apart, not sexual but happiness that overwhelmed them.

“Wow!!” David said. “Behave you two, what you have could be contagious.”

They laughed and everyone loaded into a couple of jitneys and headed back to the hotel. Their reservations for dinner were for 8 so they had time to get ready and relax a bit. Now it would be a double celebration.

The girls had all decided on cocktail dresses, Cat in her favourite emerald green, the men dressy but casual, no jackets because of the heat and definitely no ties. They had booked a limo because of the size of their group and met in the lobby at the appointed time, got in the limo and arrived at the restaurant right on time. Their table was ready and perfect, a great view of the stage for the floor show, not anywhere near the kitchen, round and roomy enough that they weren’t cramped.

The pre-ordered meal was superbly done and just before the floor show was to start, the ladies all went to the washroom, adding fuel to that theory that women only peed in groups. Geraldine and Sarah came back full of humor about the ladies room which was apparently done up like a bordello. They explained in detail what it looked like and Sarah laughed so hard David had to slap her on the back to stop the hiccups that she started.

“Something’s wrong!” Seb said, and jumped to his feet as he spotted Millie running towards their table, waving at him frantically.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN


Just as the men were rising she reached the table and grasped Urs by the shirt. She was messy as if she had been in a struggle or had fallen and in fact they could see a large red mark on her arm and a slight scrape on her cheek.

“A big woman took Cat. She did something to her, Cat let out a little moan and then went kind of limp…. The woman tried to tell me she was Cat’s friend and that she was taking her home. I tried to stop her but she was too strong and she knocked me down. They went out the side door.”

Urs bolted for the exit, hitting speed dial on his phone to call their shepherd and arrived just in time to see a black car pull away from the lot, moving quickly. Seconds later another vehicle followed and when the agent answered he just said. “On it, 2 cars, following the one with our girl…..clear the line.”

Urs disconnected, helplessly watching the tail-lights of the agent’s vehicle rapidly follow the first one.

Within seconds all of their party was outside, Seb last of all for he had been stopped by a waiter and had to thrust his credit card at the man to cover the cheque. Millie was crying and angry that she hadn’t been strong enough, then remembered something and held it out to Urs.

“I saw Cat drop this as the Amazon dragged her out the door.”

It was her engagement ring. If there had been any doubt about who was responsible before, now there was none. Cat had purposely dropped her ring to tell them who it was and so Rita, or whatever her real name was, wouldn’t be able to steal it. Urs grimly slipped the ring in his pocket just as a vehicle pulled up with a squeal and Brian stepped out.

“We picked up Mark about an hour ago and he’s singing like a lark. They seem to be heading for the harbour…hang on…” He broke off as the agent in the car called out to him, ran back, listened, then they heard him on a radio yelling “man down, all agents, man down” and giving the location..

When Brian stepped back out of the vehicle all of the men were right next to him, the three ladies just behind them, all waiting to hear what news he had.

“They spotted our agent, shot him before he could get away. He said Cat got away but one man is chasing her, the driver took off. I’m going to the site and try to catch up.”

“I’m going with you,” Urs said and Brian could tell there was no use arguing.

“I’ll call the Hotel,” he yelled back at the others and piled into the back seat behind Brian.

They drove like they had a race car, with lights flashing and the driver hunched over the wheel, tires squealing, soon came on the agent’s vehicle, slewed sideways in the road and with the driver slumped over the wheel, his cell phone still in his hand. The other car was gone.

He rallied when Brian spoke to him, made a feeble gesture back toward the restaurant and passed out again. For a minute there was dead silence until Urs heard a sound he knew….the cry of someone doing the moves of Capoeira…he knew it was Cat and began to run toward the sound, down an alley, around a corner and saw her part way down the block. A man who could only be Gerard was fighting her and doing rather well since she seemed to either be injured or groggy.

Her eyes caught the movement as Urs raced toward them, coming swiftly up behind Gerard and she moved away from the man as if about to run, trying to give Urs time to reach her. She did manage to do a backward flip and kick Gerard in the chest, driving him back a few feet but she was slow getting back up and he was on her in a flash, curling his arm around her neck. He reached in his pocket for something, and Cat went limp, transferring all her weight to him so that he was momentarily off balance.

Urs spun on his hands and drove his feet into the man’s back, thrusting him forward and loosening his grip on Cat who fell to the pavement. Urs could hear Brian running up behind him and yelled out “Stay back…He’s mine!” as he spun on his left foot and kicked Gerard in the face with his right, once, twice, holding off on the third as the man went down. He didn’t think, just reacted, so filled with anger that his vision was tinged with red. For the first time in his life he was filled with an urge to kill.

Gerard lay gasping for breath on the street but Urs dragged him up by the shirt front and disarmed him, calmly snapping the arm that had held a wicked looking knife, one blow and the limb dangled, useless.

Urs back- handed him so hard that Gerard spun, blood spurting from his mouth and nose and he lay in a whimpering heap partly on the sidewalk, trying to crawl away from the madman that seemed eager to beat him to death.

Urs dragged him up again and locked his strong arms around Gerard’s neck, positioned to snap it like a piece of straw but hesitated and with an oath of disgust threw him down again with a vicious shove and a kick to the back of the knees that made Gerard fall face forward on the street, impacting the pavement with a satisfying crunch of bone as his chin hit first.

Urs was still tensed, ready to fight, to kill, wanting something to break, needing release for the rage that hadn’t quite been extinguished. He picked up the razor-sharp knife and handed it to Brian as he left Gerard and went to Cat.

She was only half awake, drugged he thought but not wounded, leaning against the wall of a building where she had crawled to keep out of the way, disheveled, her lovely dress torn and not covering much anymore, but she smiled at him as he knelt and touched her gently, removing his shirt and draping it over her to cover her exposed breast

“Did you find my ring?” she asked and he laughed and took it out of his pocket to place it on her finger. She sighed with relief.

“Nice moves,” she said and stroked his face, then burst into tears.

Urs picked her up, glanced at Brian who had put handcuffs, none too gently, on Gerard. Brian nodded agreement when Urs indicated he was taking Cat further down the alley. She snuggled her face into his chest, wetting his undershirt with her tears.

Urs felt his rage dissipating as he held her tight, his adrenal rush leaving him now and he began to shiver. The fury he had felt when he saw Gerard attacking Cat, his Cat, HIS woman, slowly seeped away and he felt slightly nauseous. For a moment during the brief fight, he had wanted more than anything to kill the man. It was a feeling so foreign to him that he could scarcely believe what he had done…and would do again if anyone dared touch her.

The chase car had arrived and he took Cat to it, climbed in the back with her and held her while she cried herself out, trying to be strong for her but shaking as he thought of the wicked switch-blade knife that Gerard had dropped when Urs broke his arm. He had been prepared to use it on Cat…. If Urs had been seconds slower, had not reached her in time…… It was too horrible to even consider and he pressed his lips against her temple fiercely, needing the feeling of her warm skin and her subtle scent to distract him from his thoughts.

Before many more minutes had passed there were a number of police cars and an ambulance on the scene which took Gerard away under police escort, another had taken the injured agent away and Brian seemed to be handling the investigation. He spoke to the senior police officer and after a quick phone call and showing of Identification was treated with respect. Without any more red tape he got back in the chase car, asked Cat if she needed medical attention and when she said no, told the driver to head for the Hotel.

On the way there he quizzed Cat as to whether Gerard had mentioned which boat they were going to, disappointed when she said no.

“He just kept saying how I owed him, he lost a lot of money on me before and the “Boss’ was angry with him. The ‘Boss’ either wanted me or my body and he, Gerard, didn’t care which. He said ‘You caused me a lot of trouble, Bitch’ and slapped me in the face, then the driver said something about being followed and he swerved the car sideways in the road, Gerard jumped out and shot at the other car and I saw my chance so I kicked my shoes off, opened the door on the other side, and ran. Everything was a bit hazy from the injection Rita had given me and he caught me, so I faced him, tried to take him down but I couldn’t do the moves fast or strong enough. I knew he had a knife in his pocket, he showed it to me when I first was thrown in the car but I caught a quick glimpse of Urs coming down the alley and went limp to throw Gerard off balance, left the rest up to Urs.”

“Yeah I saw that part of the fight. For a minute there I thought you were going to kill him, Urs.”

“I wanted to, but he disgusted me. He’s more valuable to us alive and this way he’ll suffer.”

“Capoeira?” When Urs nodded Brian smiled. “Too bad you have a steady job. I could use someone like you on my team.’

“Don’t be offended Brian, but when this is over we don’t ever want to see you again …except socially.” Urs smiled as he said it and changed his hold on Cat who was drifting off to drug induced sleep.

“Is she really all right?”

Urs smiled down at his sleepy lifemate, stroked some stray waves out of her face and looked at Brian. “She’s tougher and smarter than most people think and I think that’s one reason why they drugged her. It’s also why she’s a danger to them. And I’ll be there for her if she feels weak.”

“I’m going to have Gerard taken to Brussels tonight. The team there are the best at interrogation and the security is tight. Go on with the tour but be extra careful. After two attempts at kidnapping her I don’t think they’ll try again. I think now their only option is elimination.”

Urs felt a cold chill run through him as he thought of that, of the chance that he could lose Cat. “Then we’ll just have to see that they don’t get the chance.”

He phoned David at the Hotel and told him that they were nearly back, that he would be coming upstairs with Cat and that she wasn’t hurt, just doped. When they arrived, David and Sarah met them at the lobby and took them upstairs, Sarah and Geraldine took Cat to the bedroom of the suite to clean up and change to her nightclothes and Millie made coffee for everyone. Cat insisted on coming back out and they made her drink lots of orange juice to combat the drugs, hoping to flush them out of her system.

Of course they had to tell what had happened and to fill in all the blanks. Urs down played his part in it but Cat wouldn’t let him off so easily and told the others about the fight. She told them how Urs had broken Gerard’s arm so he couldn’t use the knife and that he had left the man alive so he could be questioned.

“I didn’t want to. I’ve never lost it like that before. I was so angry everything looked red and I just wanted to beat him until he stopped breathing. I really don’t ever want to lose control like that again.”

They could all see that Cat was fading and needed to sleep the drugs off so they tidied up and each couple headed to their own suites. Urs took Cat’s hand and led her into the bedroom, helped her out of her nightclothes, since neither of them ever wore them and tucked her into bed. She was almost asleep when he returned from the bathroom and slid under the covers beside her, grateful that the next day was partly off, their flight not leaving until late afternoon. He touched her shoulder as she lay with her back to him and she rolled over into his arms with a contented sigh, snuggled her head under his chin and kissed his chest.

It was a while before Urs could sleep, the events of the evening playing out again and again in his head, the possible endings making him want to be even closer to Cat. He ran his hands over her body, more to assure himself that she was whole than a quest for pleasure but even in her sleep he stirred her and she wriggled up to find his mouth and take his mind off of the what if’s.

Suddenly sleep was not an option for either of them and they came together in a reaffirmation of their love and the life they had chosen to share. Their loving was fast and furious, neither able to get enough of the other, neither willing to wait and the heights they reached were almost painful, the ecstasy had built so rapidly and with such intensity.

In the morning Urs left the dreams he had been enjoying and slowly came awake, relishing the warmth he could feel of Cat’s body next to his, the chocolate and sage scent of her and the softness of her arm that lay over his chest. He opened his eyes, turned his head toward her and found her awake and smiling as she watched him surface.

He was over come with happiness and caressed her face without speaking for a moment.

“Good morning,” she said and turned her head to kiss his palm gently.

“Good morning. What a perfect way to wake up, to see your smile first when I open my eyes.”

Cat smiled at him and admitted that she had been awake for a while. “I love to watch you while you sleep, your beard all bristly and dark, your eyes moving under the lids as you dream and sometimes a little half smile on your lips. Did you know that you don’t snore, just soft breaths that sometimes stir my hair. You do, however, talk in your sleep, and you’ll be happy to know that the only name you ever mention is mine, so there’s no danger of me poisoning your coffee.”

“There’s no room for another woman in my life. You totally consume me and I love it.”

“Why, Urs? Why do you continue to love me when I seem to have brought so much baggage with me in to your life?”

He cuddled her close to him and tried to explain.

“I don’t know if I have the right words. Sure sharing love with you is…..it’s beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before but it’s more than that. We think alike, love most of the same things, want the same things in our lives. When you walk in a room I sense it right away, my heart skips and just the sight of you makes my pulse race. I love to hear you sing, to watch you work out, the way you brush the hair from my face with such gentle hands, that subtle chocolate and sage scent you wear. You make me feel big and powerful, strong enough to do anything. And I’m so proud of you, of the way you are inside, as a person, a friend, a musician. You make me want to excel in the things I do, to make you proud, to bring some of our joy to the world. My precious Kitty, I love you beyond life, my soul mate, my lover….you are mine.”

She had tears in her eyes as she pulled his head down to touch his mouth with hers, kissed him gently and whispered “And you are mine.”

The intrusive ringing of the telephone beside the bed stopped them from going any further. Urs answered it and reluctantly let Cat leave the bed and pull her robe on before going into the bathroom. It was Steve and he spoke to Urs for a few minutes then Urs hung up and began to dress.

“That was Steve. He heard about last night from Brian and is coming by in a few minutes.”

Cat came to the bathroom door, brushing her teeth, looking like a child in the baggy robe and with toothpaste foaming around her lips.

She managed to say something about Coffee and Urs laughed as he translated her foamy mumble and answered. “Yes, I’ll put some coffee on in the Kitchenette. Get dressed.”

As promised, Steve arrived about 5 minutes later, swept Cat into his arms and hugged her, gripped Urs hand and sat at the small table in the suite while Cat poured coffee for both of the men.

“I think you should go home, Cat. Go home, tell Claude what has been happening and I’ll hire some security people to watch over you. This is getting serious. No more fooling around.” Suddenly his eyes lit up and he grabbed her hand.

“What’s this? Well I know what it is but when…”

Urs laughed and slipped his arm around Cat’s waist.

“Yesterday. I asked her and she foolishly said yes. I have witnesses so she can’t back out now.”

“I’m not your little girl anymore Steve. I’m a woman in love. Urs makes me unbelievably happy.”

Steve stood and hugged her and laughed. “Kitty, you’ll always be my little girl, even now. I’m happy for you both….but I still think you should go home.”

Urs looked like he was thinking about it, weighing the pros and cons but Cat was firm.

“I am home Steve. Where-ever Urs is, that’s were I belong. And I can’t stop now, not when we’re so close. We have to finish this.”

It took a while to convince him but after a half hour of arguing, then begging, he gave up and, warning them to be extra careful he went off to work.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

There were three weeks left in the tour and then they would return to the U.K. It had been a long and grueling run, very successful but after nearly a year of moving to new venues almost daily they all were looking forward to being in one place. The upcoming months would be full of work since they had to do voice overs for the tour videos and record the tracks for their next CD.

The ladies all were staying with the tour right to the end, even Geraldine whose contract had been put on hold due to lack of funding. She was happy about the delay since it meant more time with Carlos and of course he was overjoyed.

Cat was happy about the girls staying. Over the past few weeks she had grown very fond of them all, felt like they were the sisters she had never been privileged to have.

Since Christmas was fast approaching they went shopping in a huge mall in Tokyo, accompanied by all four of the men who seemed nervous the whole time though Sarah and Gerry insisted that nothing would happen in such a crowded place. Still they insisted and as Millie said ‘at least this way there’s someone to carry the parcels’.

One night in Hong Kong they all went to a club that advertised music from the 60’s and got enough wine into Urs to get him dancing. He surprised them all by doing the Twist as if he had been born to it, then taking Cat to the floor again to do an old fashioned jive/jitterbug that left her breathless.

It seemed that once he got started Urs couldn’t quit and they danced until Cat had to call for a breather. The other members of their party gave them a good natured standing ovation and teased him.

“You realize that you’ll never get any peace now, don’t you? Cat will have you dancing with her everywhere now that she knows how good you are.” David laughed at the grin on his friend’s face.

“No problem. There’s lots of things I can do with Cat that I wasn’t willing to do in more casual relationships.”

A lady came to the table to politely ask for autographs so Urs was saved anymore teasing. They all signed a menu she had brought to the table and then posed while her husband took pictures.

Over the past few weeks they had developed a routine for bathroom breaks. The girls all went together and held the door open for the seconds it took to check the occupancy, then one of the men, usually Urs would stand blocking the door and with a polite smile ask any other ladies to wait for just a moment. The natural charm and good looks of all the men seemed to work wonders for not once did they ever have a problem with angry women.

Several times Urs and Cat talked about when they would get married, but hadn’t set any plans, except that it would be small and private, only the band, Steve, Claude and Celeste and Urs parents, Peter and Anya. There were religious differences between them but not insurmountable. Urs was a non-practicing Catholic while Cat, though she had strong beliefs, was a mixture of Buddhist, Catholic and Wiccan. They finally decided to write their own ceremony and have the event officiated by a Notary who specialized in marriages.

The first days back in the U.K. all of the group caught up on friendships long ignored, made plans to work and more importantly to play. Urs and Cat were going to Switzerland to visit his parents and siblings and to get in some skiing, Seb and Millie were going to spend it in Paris, David and Sarah jetted off immediately to Denver and Carlos and Geraldine, since they had seen relatives on the tour, were off to the beaches of Nice.

Urs and Cat landed in Lucerne early in the morning and after the usual wait for luggage and customs check he loaded their luggage on a cart and led her toward the waiting area. Urs could tell that she was nervous even though she had logged in hundreds of hours chatting to Mama online. He took one hand off the cart and pulled her close to drop a kiss on her head.

“Just remember to breathe, Cat,” he teased when she turned her face up to him and tried to smile.

“I want so much for them to like me, Urs. What if they don’t?”

He laughed and at that moment spotted his father, head and shoulders above the crowd, at 6’5” Peter was easy to spot.

“No chance of that. I love you and they will too.” He took his arm from her shoulder and raised it in the air, booming out in his operatic voice, “Papa, over here!!”

Seconds after they met face to face Cat and Anya were talking non-stop, ignoring the men and leading the way out of the airport.

They reached the car and after Peter and Urs loaded in the luggage they came over to the two women and each man put a hand over their lady’s mouth.

“We hate to interrupt you but this is my father, Peter, the quiet one in the family,” Urs said, laughing as Cat blushed.

She apologized but Peter took her hand and kissed the fingertips much like Urs always did and smiled at her.

“No problem, Child. After nearly 40 years with this woman, I’m used to not being allowed to speak.”

He reminded Cat so much of Claude, not physically since Peter was very tall and had a wealth of thick, dark hair, his body wiry and his eyes the same hazel/grey as Urs, the same dimples when he smiled. No, it was his gentle caring attitude and the glint of laughter she could see in his eyes, the aura of inner strength that let you know this was a person you could count on. He seated Anya and Cat in the back with a comment to Urs that they would talk all the way home so they might as well sit together.

It wasn’t a long trip but by the time they arrived Anya and Cat were eagerly making plans for Christmas and the wedding. Cat and Urs had decided on New Years Day, starting a New Year and a new life seemed appropriate. They would hold the service at Claude and Celeste’s and Peter and Anya would stay there for a few nights. Cat and Urs were going to disappear for a couple of days, they wouldn’t say where.

They arrived at the house outside of Willisau just after noon. It was large and chalet style, a balcony running around the upper floor, a driveway that curved around to the side and a wonderful view of the mountains behind and Willisau in the valley below them.

Cat loved the casual comfort of the home, the overstuffed furnishing, the polished wood everywhere, a huge natural stone fireplace and the openness of the place, one room flowing into the other. On the far side of the lounge an area had been set up with musical instruments on wall mounts or stands, surrounding a grand piano…a harp, several violins and violas, a cello, a couple of guitars and a stand that held a clarinet and oboe. The kitchen was open to the lounge, divided by a counter with padded stools and was a dream for someone who loved to cook, containing every appliance necessary as well as a dishwasher for clean-up, a walk-in pantry, double oven and grill, and huge frig-freezer.

Urs and Peter brought the luggage in and left it at the bottom of the stairs to the second floor, hung up their coats and joined their ladies in the kitchen where Anya was making coffee and setting out a light lunch she had put together before they left for the airport.

“Your room is all ready for you Urs, and I put extra towels in for Kitty….or if you prefer…”

Urs laughed and hugged his mother as she stopped, a little confused as to what they would want.

“Mama, Cat and I share my flat. You knew that. We don’t hide our love from anyone and it would be false to do it here.”

Anya said something to him in Swiss German, the first time she had spoken in their Mother Tongue since they arrived. She said she was just trying to be respectful of Cat’s feelings, didn’t mean to offend.

“Anya, I’m not offended. It was nice of you to care but not necessary. Thank you,” Cat answered her softly in Swiss German and smiled warmly.

Urs took the luggage upstairs and Cat offered to help set the places for their lunch. A few minutes later when he returned they were laughing over the shopping episode when he kept trying to buy junk food.

After lunch they took their coffees and Cat’s fruit juice to the lounge and caught up. Peter and Urs got talking about old friends and what they were doing now and Cat rose to look at the instruments on the wall, lightly touched the harp and leafed through the sheet music on the piano.

Anya came to join her and pointed out Urs first violin, the clarinet he had practiced for endless hours on, the harp that hadn’t been touched since their youngest daughter left home nearly a year ago.

“May I?” Cat asked indicating the harp and when Anya nodded she ran her hands over the strings, lightly, found only two strings that needed adjusting and fixed them. Urs had moved to the piano and was starting Debussy’s Claire De Lune, smiled at her to join him and she pulled the stool forward and embraced the harp to run a soft glissando and then softly play along with his melody. It was a long time since she had done much with a harp but it came back to her and as always she was lost to the music within a few bars.

“Ahh, Pure heaven. Do you still remember your Bach Double Concerto, Urs? I know Cat plays violin and there must be some sheets there somewhere….”

Urs took a violin down from the wall and tuned it, handed it to Cat, took one for himself and tuned it and then grinned at them. “C’mon, Papa. We need a cello for this. Cat, do you need the music?”

She grinned and shook her head ‘No’ pointed her bow to him indicating that he should be ‘first chair’ and they began. She had never heard Urs play violin before and was thrilled to find him very good. It was fun to play with him and Peter and the smile on Anya’s face was worth the effort. When they finished she clapped enthusiastically and begged for more but Urs was anxious to get outside for a while so they put the instruments away and donned coats and boots, took skis and went to the nearest ski hills for a few hours. Neither of them had skied in a while but it soon came back and they had a wonderful, but tiring afternoon, arriving back at the house just as Anya was putting dinner on the table.

Cat was surprised to find the house bursting with people but Urs had expected it. Word had spread that he was home after so long and relatives from the surrounding area had dropped in, everyone bringing a pot luck dish or dessert, wine or beer. She was overwhelmed. Her family was so small that Claude often joked that they could have a reunion in a phone booth. It was completely the opposite here.

Urs kept introducing people to Cat, giving their names and relationship. He had many cousins and uncles, aunts, all the children playing underfoot were nieces or nephews and a few of those she met were just old friends from his boyhood, almost like family.

“I feel like I should go around with a marker and write their name and relationship on their forehead. I’ll never remember so many names and put them with the right faces.”

Urs laughed at her and gave her a hug. “You’ll get used to them after a while. When we played Zurich a few months back they all, well 43 of them came to the concert. It was especially emotional for me since it was near Mothers Day and Mami was in the audience so when we did Mama I nearly lost it.”

Dinner was buffet style and they mingled, carrying their plates, Urs answering questions about future plans, Cat learning all sorts of anecdotes from his childhood. After a while they got separated and half an hour later when Urs looked for her she had joined a couple of the younger children at the grand piano. She was patiently teaching them an easy section of a Strauss waltz that they could play as a duet. He watched for a few minutes, felt an arm slip around his waist and looked down to find his tiny mother with him.

“I like her, your Kitty, Urs. She’s very natural, nothing contrived about her. And she seems to like children, that’s good.”

Urs laughed and hugged her. “Mami give us some time. We haven’t even talked about a family yet.”

One of the babies had toddled over to the group at the piano and was standing pulling on Cat’s shirt. She looked down and spoke softly as she picked the child up, letting her play with her face for a moment, then, resting her head on Cat’s shoulder to sleepily suck her thumb and drift to sleep.

Cat spoke to the two boys at the piano, said something that made them laugh, stood and still smiling walked away carrying the sleeping child. She spotted Urs and Anya and came to them, turned her head to inhale the sweet baby scent and stopped in front of them.

“I think it’s nap time for this little treasure. Is there someplace safe I can put her?”

Anya took the little girl from Cat. “Come to Oma, Stasi. I’ll put her in the nursery. There’s so many babies in the family we kept it furnished.”

Urs put his hands on Cat’s shoulders and smiled into her happy face. “Still over whelmed?”

Cat turned and leaned back against him and looked around the room. There were clusters of people everywhere, some standing, some sitting, talking, listening, laughing, while youngsters of all ages crawled, ran, lounged or played happily in any unused space. She could hear Swiss German, German, occasionally French or English and above it the high pitched laughter of children.

“It’s wonderful. An instant family. You come with some serious bonuses, Herr Buhler.”

“Cat, Cat, can you teach us another one, Please!” The boys ran at her and clutched her hands, this time joined by two girls in their early teens, one with a mouth full of braces.

“Adie why don’t you get Cat to lead you in Eine Kleine Natchmusik, the way the orchestra did it for the tour? I’ll help.” Urs tousled the hair of the girl with braces and waved towards the violins on the wall, gave the boys the blocks and sat himself at the piano.

“Essa will you do the cello? Okay. Cat is first chair, watch her for your cues.”

Cat gave them the beat and bow directions and she and Adie began. The young girl was good, as was Essa who came in on the cello right on cue. Part way through they were joined by two older boys who helped their young cousins out with the blocks and drums.

That was so much fun that they found the older boys went for their own guitars and joined them to play Mozart’s Sinfonia 40, in the same style and by now everyone in the house was listening and watching. Adie followed Cat’s lead of duelling with the Cello and they were rewarded with a huge grin from Essa as she met their challenge.

They all started laughing when it was done, wanted to do more but Urs and Cat withdrew and left them to make music themselves. It seemed that many of the family were musically talented to one degree or another. All through the afternoon the musicians changed as one left and another took his place.

Anya dragged out a photo album of the days when Urs was in the rock band ‘Conspiracy’ and Cat had to laugh at the changes. The long haired hippie musician had evolved into the elegant, often playful, but sophisticated man she loved. She also saw baby pictures of him and decided that he was adorable, a fact that Anya agreed with but added the proviso that he was also a little devil.

The next few days were quieter as the time until Christmas melted away. They spent it skiing and visiting friends, shopping in Lucerne, one whole day of Urs going off with his friends while Cat and Anya baked a mountain of goodies for the feasting over the holidays. The cares of the outside world were forgotten, even the danger that had dogged them for the last part of the tour. Urs felt confident that no one would be able to track them down here in the Swiss countryside, though he did quietly mention to Peter that there had been a kidnap attempt and he should keep an eye out for strangers. Peter solved the problem by inviting a couple of friends over to play pool while Urs was out and they told Cat nothing, not wanting to worry her.

Christmas was wonderful: church services at midnight then in the morning presents and visitors, then returning visits and delivering small presents to friends and relatives. Their habit was to take turns hosting dinner and this year it was held at the home of Stephanie, Urs eldest sister.

After a huge dinner Urs and Cat walked it off with a tour of the town. Willisau wasn’t huge but it was situated on a hillside and valley that overlooked Lake Lucerne. The view was breathtaking…at least it was until Urs stuffed snow down Cat’s jacket and tried to get away before she retaliated. They ended up in a snowbank, laughing, making snow-angels and kissing until the snow melted and ran down Cat’s back.

The next day they returned to London to prepare for their wedding.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Since it was going to be a very small affair and private they composed an invitation, paraphrasing an old Irish blessing and hand delivered them to those in London, e.mailing a copy to Anya and Peter. It was 2 pages entreating them to come to the wedding of Urs Toni Buhler and Cat Elena Gilbert, gave the time and address and on the second page the blessing on the ceremony and guests.

Dearest Friends:
We entreat you to warm this Site
With the Sunlight of your Blessings,
Inspiring us to Shape the Words of Love
Eloquently, and with Heart-Deep Meaning.
May all who visit be Gifted to Be:
Healthy and Exultant.
Wise in their Vows,
Joyous in their Passions,
Generous of Spirit,
Tender in their Affections,
Accepted by All Those They Love
No matter what Faiths and Traditions
May Meet and Mingle.

We pray that all will Gather on common Ground
Recognizing the Universal Spirit of Love and Creation
To Share in the Human Rituals that Celebrate the Delights
In Choosing those Who will Become Our Family.


{Borrowed from an ancient Irish ritual of Handfasting.}


New Years Eve Steve hosted a party at his condo and they all attended. Urs and Cat had decided to spend the night apart to honor some of the newer customs, but only after midnight so they attended the party and along with their friends welcomed in the New Year. Minutes later Cat was whisked away to spend the remainder of the night at her guardians home. Urs would stay at Steve’s.

After everyone had gone home Steve and Urs sat in the lounge for a while quietly talking while the caterers cleaned up and packed the last of the dinner.

“Nervous?” Steve asked as the younger man sat leaning back in the chair, his head resting on the back.

Urs laughed and sat up. “Not really. I love Cat, want to be married to her, have a life with her….I just wish we had eloped. How do people ever live through those big splashy do’s that take months of planning?”

Steve agreed with him. “I don’t know. It seems to be really important to some women to have the gown and the flowers and all that. Cat told me that she would rather have just gone to a J.P. with a couple of friends, but she knew how disappointed Celeste would be. This is the best compromise.”

The manager and assistant of the catering team came to say good night. Urs and Steve shook their hands.

“We’re all done Mr. Martin. It was a pleasure spending the evening with you.”

“Thanks so much Trudy. Everything was wonderful, even better than I expected.”

Steve walked them to the door and bid them good night then sighed and turned off most the lights in the condo.

“Well I’m off to bed. Don’t want to look like I partied all night on my girl’s big day. Good night. Urs.” He turned to go down the hall, paused and turned around. “I probably won’t get a chance to tell you tomorrow, not privately. I’m glad it’s you she chose. I don’t think I could have easily given her up to a lesser man.”

Urs sat for a while thinking about the past months since he had met Cat. He smiled in the darkened light of the lounge as he thought of how they had grated on each other at first, how gradually the attraction they had, each for the other, won out and they began to become friends and then lovers and how now he couldn’t envision a life without her in it. She completed a part of him that he hadn’t known was lacking, was so attuned to his thinking and feelings that she could anticipate his words or desires as he could with her.

Urs knew that Cat wouldn’t be sleeping yet either and dug his cell phone out of his jacket pocket, hit the number 1 on Speed Dial and she answered on the first ring.

“Urs. I hoped you would phone.”

“I can’t sleep either, at least not until I tell you once more how much I love you.”

“And I love you, my Swiss Lord. I don’t know if I can sleep alone, I’m so used to being able to feel your warmth against me.”

He could hear a tremor in her voice. “Don’t Baby….don’t cry. I’m there with you, I’ll always be with you no matter how many miles separate us. Are you in bed?”

“Yes. I even stole one of your tee shirts to sleep in. The scent of you has lingered and it’s comforting.”

“Snuggle down and I’ll talk to you until you fall asleep. I’m just heading down the hall to the guest room.”

He could hear her moving around, the soft sounds of her plumping up the pillows and as he shut the door to the guest room she came back on.

“Urs, tell me about the house you want one day, the one with our own forest.”

He laughed and remarked that he was surprised she had remembered that comment. It had been made during an interview long before he met Cat.

“I remember everything about you. Even when I wouldn’t allow myself to get close to you, I already was obsessed with your photos, your voice, every interview you ever did. I went to every concert I could manage, even the one in Zurich were you cried when you sang Mama to your mother.”

Urs had slipped out of his shoes and pants and pulled his shirt over his head rather than struggle with the buttons. He drew the covers back on his bed, detoured to the washroom to brush his teeth and listened while Cat told him about going to concerts and going on the internet on the Official Site to copy photos, download videos and read what the other fans had to say.

“By the time you kissed me that first time I was so eager that I had staved off the worst of the nerves….and then it was so much better in real life than I had ever imagined.”

“I never felt like that before from just kissing a girl. My whole body was aching to get close to you, to kiss you and touch you. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, to walk away from you that night.”

He crept under the covers and lay on his back with the phone against his head and they continued to talk far into the night until nearly 3 a.m. Cat confessed that she could probably sleep now and Urs, sleepily said he could too. Still, neither wanted to be first to disconnect and they ended up with the line still open and woke to the gentle beeping of phones that had run down batteries.

Carlos, David and Seb came over for lunch and tried to keep Urs amused. The ceremony was to be at 4, the flowers for their medieval looking shirts had already arrived and at first the time dragged until suddenly there was only an hour to go. It was a half hour drive to Claude’s so they finished dressing, no ties because the tight dress pants with wide leather belts and boots and beautiful silk shirts with an air of knights or pirates didn’t call for them, {bloused with long full sleeves, wide collars and open vee to mid chest}donned their red roses, long coats because of the cold and went down to the waiting limo.

Claude met them at the door and went with Steve and the members of the band into the large reception room, leaving Urs to wait alone for Cat. They had decided to enter together, when everyone else was present and he paced a bit as he waited nervously. There was movement at the top of the stairs and his breath caught but it was Celeste, Gerry, Sarah and Millie sedately coming down the stairs, all beaming at him, all dressed in long gowns that had a medieval look, Celeste’s a soft dove grey, the others in emerald, sky blue and dusty gold. They each in turn kissed his cheek and went in to join their men.

From the reception room he could hear the opening notes of Beethoven’s Pathetique and held his breath as he looked up the stairs.

“Breathe, fool,” he told himself and at that moment Cat came into sight at the top of the stairs and his breath left him again.

She was so beautiful his heart ached to think she had chosen to give herself to him. Her gown was also medieval looking, long and white with delicate silver lace and embroidery, the neckline wide and low, the sleeves long, to her wrists, the bodice fitting snuggly and flaring to a full skirt, the toes of shiny silver slippers peering out from under the hem when she came down the stairs. He noticed none of that, only that her face radiated with happiness as she came to meet him, her hands out to touch his. He felt a tremble in her hands and pulled her close to him, breathing in the sage and chocolate scent of her, like a drowning man.

He looked so gorgeous, handsome and slightly dangerous but warm and inviting at the same time, her hero, her love, her pirate and shining knight, all rolled into one lovely package from the hair he had left in riotous curls to please her down his sculpted body to the shiny boots that stepped eagerly toward her….. for a moment she wanted only to be wrapped in his arms and stay there forever.

“Ready?” she asked from the safety of his arms.

Urs kissed the top of her head and smiled as he put her away from him.

“And eager.”

He reached over to pick up a spray of red roses from the nearby table, gave them to Cat and offered his arm. They entered the reception room together both smiling at the friends who awaited them, both mildly surprised at how many people were in attendance at this affair that had originally been planned as small. They walked along the centre aisle while the chorus of Without You wafted over the witnesses, to the woman who would perform the ceremony. Cat handed her flowers to Celeste as they passed and they stood quietly before Justina, the Notary, who would legally marry them.