Kiss Me Cate Pt. 06

She left soon after giving us a quick run down on the appliances. "Wow this is small." I said chuckling.

"Actually it's not as small as I expected."

"They make them smaller than this?"

"Yes, space is a premium, the smaller it is the cheaper it is to heat and keep up. Doesn't do well for elbow room, like your place."

"Our place?" I said gingerly. She rolled her eyes and grabbed the key.

"Let's unload the luggage and explore a bit hmm?" She had a glint in her eye and I wasn't sure why. We unpacked and hung up our clothes.

We bumped and rubbed quite a few times in passing, and at one point I took her by the hips because I couldn't get past and leaned in and gave her a kiss. "You know, these tight quarters have some benefits."

"That they do." She said turning fully so she could kiss me back.

"Wait, did you call your parents to tell them we're here?"

"I texted Mum, she says we're to be round for tea at four, any later and she's sending Da after us."

"Well it's ten now. What shall we do to while away the time." I said looking over at the bed.

She rolled her eyes at me. "We'll have plenty of time for that later. If you lay down now you'll fall dead asleep, I know that much about you." We finished unpacking and Cate locked up and headed to the car. She drove east through Phoenix Park and followed the signs to the Dublin Zoo.

"You're taking me to the zoo? Aren't I a bit old for that Mum?"

"I can't help it, I love it." We entered the zoo and toured the exhibits, Cate laughed at me for exclaiming at the wolves. "They may be from America or Canada, the sign says they're North American Timber Wolves."

"They're probably from the US, that one looks like he's got a gang tattoo and a switchblade." I said sending Cate into gales of laughter.

We stopped in a local pub for some lunch. "What's this?" I pointed to an item on the menu.

"Boxty, they're like potato pancakes, good with a dollop of sour cream."

"Hardly a meal on their own now are they. I think it'll be the bangers 'n mash."

"Good choice." She said with a smug look.

"You're enjoying this too much."

"What, waiting for you to decide on lunch?" She laughed.

"The power has changed hands, now I'm on your turf and don't know which way to turn."

"I don't think it's a power issue, I think it's more about comfort. You don't look too uncomfortable, but you do seem a little more wary of the surroundings. You gape like a tourist." She said smiling.

We walked through the different areas not stopping at any one attraction throughout the afternoon. "We'd best get back and clean up. It's nearly showtime."

"Ugh." I said rubbing my chin.

"Are you alright?"

"Sure, what's the state of emergency medicine around here? I'm sure I'm going to need it once your father sees that smile on your face."

"Don't you think he'll be happy to see that I'm happy?" She said threading her arm into mine and laying her head on my shoulder as we walked slowly.

"I think he'll see that you're happy and want to throttle me for it!" I said. I thought a moment. "Are you happy Cate?"

She looked up quickly and stopped walking, turning me around by the arm. "Of course I am, don't I look it?"

"You do. I just wanted to be sure." I said with a wink and gave her a kiss. We continued on back to where the car was parked and drove back to the apartment. We stopped on the way to do a little grocery shopping, and get some things to have on hand for breakfast the next morning. After all Cate pointed out, what was the point of getting an apartment and eating out every meal.

Getting ready to meet a girls father is one thing, but this felt like I was suiting up to go to my own funeral, and I said as much to Cate.

"Relax, you'll be fine."

"I probably wouldn't mind half as much if you hadn't kept teasing me about his size and likelihood to choose fists over firearms." I said pouting.

"Heaven help me." She rolled her eyes, grabbed me by the cheeks and kissed me. "You've been teasing me forever. Surely you can tell I've been doing the same to you. We'd best get going. We've got a bit of a drive, they live on the other side of the airport in Swords."

"Swords? Even where they live is the name of a weapon!" I said, shock and humor blended into a scared look. Cate just rolled her eyes again and grabbed me by the arm propelling me towards the door. Traffic was moderate, and disorienting for it kept appearing from other directions than I was used to. We made it in one piece to a quiet road lined with townhouses. She pulled up in front of an end unit and parked on the street. It looked like a working class neighborhood a few cars here and there, though there wasn't one in the drive. I only just realized that Cate was watching me closely. "Is this where you grew up?"

"No, they moved here after we moved out, well most of us, Shannon has been known to linger about here and there from the stories I've heard. Got into a row with a flat-mate and stayed for a few months while she got back on her feet." Cate knocked on the door and a moment later I heard the bolt click and the door open. Cate's mother was tall, though not quite as tall as her daughter, dark haired with only a few silvered streaks, and had the same pale blue eyes.

"Catelyn!" She shouted and grabbed her through the open door hugging her close.

"Hello Mum." Cate beamed.

"Come in, come in!" She ushered us in with excited swiftness. "You'll be Dylan I suppose." She said smiling up at me.

"I am. Thank you for inviting me Mrs. Murray."

"Oh, you were right Catelyn, he is a handsome one."

"He'll do well enough." Cate said with a smug look on her face. It was my turn to give her the raised eyebrow look she was known for, she grinned back at me.

"Come in and sit. Your Da will be home in a little bit I'm sure. There's been a rash of thefts going round keeping him busy. Shameless thugs preying on people, and at Christmas no less." She added disgusted.

"How is everyone? Is little Declan driving Sinead crazy yet?"

"Oh that boy's got a bit of the devil in him, but then don't all boys." Mrs. Murray rolled her eyes. Now I know where Cate got that trait. "Oh, present company excluded." She said smiling shyly towards me.

"I assure you that you're correct, as one of them myself, the amount of the devil in the boy varies with age, but never completely goes away."

"Shannon is away in Cork playing with friends at one of the local hotel pubs. I hope she gets an audition before long. She's been seeing some rascal down there." She added with a little scowl.

"Catelyn tells us you're a student at the university too."

"I am." I went into a short description of what I was studying and hoped to eventually do after graduating. "That's so exciting. I spent my years teaching literature and drama at secondary school."

"High school in the US." Cate added softly.

"Cate tells me you teach piano as well?"

Cate's mother beamed. "Yes. I love it too. Do you play Dylan?"

I shook my head. "I'm not musically inclined at all."

"Well you should take a lesson or two from Cate. She was my prize pupil." She said with a wink.

"He doesn't believe I know any more than Chopsticks."

"Has he not heard you play?" She asked incredulous.

"Well I don't have a piano in New York."

"Come, come, I need to see if you remember how." Her mother stood and began chivying us into another room, a small study or den by the looks of it. Along the wall stood a small Spinet piano. She pulled out the bench and bade Cate to sit. She rolled her eyes and sat and began stretching her fingers and lifted the keyboard cover. She began playing Chopsticks right away and her mother let out a laugh. She progressed into something classical that I didn't recognize.

"This may be more close to home." She said looking up at me with a grin and began playing Piano Man.

"I wonder if my Dad ever kept my harmonica." I said with a chuckle.

"We're all in the mood for a melody, and you've got us feeling alright." She sang sweetly. I knew she could sing but usually did so under her breath with the radio. She didn't finish the song and turned to look up and slightly past me.

"Da!" She leapt off the bench and charged past me towards the door of the room.

"Cat!" He responded open armed, she gave him a hug and got one in return. Cate's father was a tall man, taller than I was and broad shouldered as described. Even at his age of what I guessed was his early fifties, he was an imposing figure. He was slim but wiry like a boxer. I felt myself swallow carefully hoping he was in a good mood.

"So is this the young man you were telling us about?"

"This is Dylan Butler." She turned to me, "my father David Murray." She was still tucked under his left arm, his right hand held out to me. I took it shaking firmly. I'd need any benefit I could get, so I started there.

"Dylan Butler, your name sounds like you're from around here." He said smiling. I thought I saw a small light of approval appear in his eyes.

"We'll see. I've got the family history with me, and my father said he would like a little research into it since I'm here. As far back as he knows, it may be well over a century since we've been back here though."

"Well there's plenty of places to research it in the city. It's a popular pastime. Either way, welcome to the old country." He added with a wink. "Is there tea Maeve?"

"Oh, I forgot! Come give us a hand Catelyn." They disappeared through the door and I felt my heart sink.

"Come Dylan." He beckoned me back to the living room and had a seat. He looked towards the door and began softly. "Cate told me about her run in with a fellow at the university. I want to thank you for keeping an eye on her and doing what you did."

I swallowed hard and nodded. "I wouldn't do any less for anyone. Chad is a piece of work and I hope they throw the book at him." I paused. "Then pick it up and throw it again." Her father chuckled. I worried about how much she had said, but knew she wasn't about ready to tell him everything we'd been doing, other than the fact that we were dating.

"I just want you to know how much we appreciate that she has someone there to turn to if she needs help. I can't say I was keen on her globe trotting ways, but her field is pretty limited here yet and I knew she may find herself abroad the deeper she got into it. She makes us proud." He said smiling.

"She's an amazing girl." I said.

His eyebrow went up slightly. There's the origin of that trait.

"If we were meeting ten years ago, I'd be asking your intentions." He said smiling.

I wanted to say, "If we'd met ten years ago I would have been too young to date her." I just smiled. "She's wonderful, but we're just dating for now. We've only known each other a few months." The eyebrow went up. "My intentions are purely honorable. That you can be sure of." I glanced down and back up. "I won't say that I haven't thought of the future, but I don't want to scare her off. She seems," I thought how I wanted to say this, "afraid of the future."

Her father broke into a grin. "Despite the fact that I'm certain she's made a good choice in you, I had to ask. She told me that you were worried you'd be looking down the barrel of a gun when we met."

I laughed. "Well she did paint you as a rather large and daunting figure. She was right."

He looked up towards the door and looked back at me. "Truth is Cat is more like me than her sisters, they take after their mother. She's a thinker, and is smart and quick under pressure." I suddenly had flashback to the night someone, which I still think was Chad, pitched a rock through her apartment window. "I'm sure she would've have fixed that fool on her own, but I'm glad she didn't have to. I taught her a few things about protecting herself before she went abroad. I wasn't overly thrilled with her decision to move to New York. You've got a bit of a reputation over there in America. It seems to have been justified in this instance."

"I hope you don't think it's like that everywhere. We get a bad rap, New York isn't as bad as it's portrayed on TV or in the movies." I said with a chuckle.

"Thing is that she's also got my stubborn streak and won't give up on anything easily." He stopped and looked me in the eye and sighed. "I want to know..."

"Trust me."

"Can I?"

I nodded.

"Then bide your time. She's worth the wait." He said with a smile.

The noise from the other room rose as the ladies came back this way. Cate gave me a sharp look over the tray she was carrying. She looked quickly at her father as well. Cate's mother took over as soon as the tray was set down and began pouring.

"Do you like tea Dylan? If not I'm sure we can scare up something else for you."

"Yes, actually, it was a tea shop where Cate and I first met." I looked over casually and noticed Cate's eyes had gone wide. "I first saw her sitting at a table out front reading a book. I made a comment on the weather and we chatted for a few minutes and I foolishly went on my way without even making a pitch for her number. I was an idiot." I said smiling. "As fate would have it we bumped into one another a few months later at school."

"That's wonderful! It must have been fate." We continued to chit-chat about school and how I was enjoying the sights so far. Cate told them about the possibility of an assistant professorship becoming available and how she'd been mentioned to fill the role. Her mother was so excited I thought she would begin to bounce in her seat like a child.

"D'ye hear that Davy, Professor Murray. Has a nice ring to it, eh?"

Her father grinned at his wife's excitement. "Yes that does sound nice, though I'm not sure which goes first, doctor or professor."

"It would be Professor Catelyn Murray, PhD. One of our next courses is forensic investigation. We'll be learning how to wheedle all that info the police want out of peoples electronics." Cate said.

"Oh great, Professor Murray, Computer Hacker." He added laughing.

"Well, we need to learn how they do it so we can catch them at it." I nodded.

Cate's mother disappeared for a short while stating she needed to start supper. Cate smiled at me. "You're in for a treat, you're second authentic Irish meal. Shepherd's pie and soda bread."

"We have Shepherd's pie in America." I said laughing.

"Not like this you don't." She smiled back. "I've had the American version and it was sorely lacking."

"Don't tell me you make it from actual shepherds?" I asked with a gasp. "Does your mother need a hand?" I sat forward to get up. Cate held out a hand and patted me on the knee.

"She doesn't even want one from me. She must have heard about the strawberry and pickle omelettes." Her father gave us an odd look as we laughed. "This one," she said pointing a thumb at me, "told his parents I was a lousy cook and made him a strawberry and pickle omelette our last night before leaving. He bent the truth a bit, it was a cheese omelette with strawberries on the side. A few minutes after we ate he was fishing pickles out of a jar as if I he hadn't just eaten and suddenly the story is that I don't know which end of a spoon to hold."

"Sounds like something your Mum would have made when we were first together." He said softly, checking to see if he'd been heard. Before long the house began to smell wonderful, and I had to admit I was surprisingly hungry again considering the lunch I'd eaten.

We had a wonderful dinner, it was incredibly heart-warming to see Cate so happy. I thought her cheeks must hurt from smiling so much. It was obvious she was homesick, and missed her family. I wondered if I looked that way when we were at my parents home. We had been invited back on the weekend when the girls would be home, ostensibly to meet me. We hadn't discussed it much beyond visiting Dublin but Cate stated a desire to take a tour maybe to Cork while we were here to see the countryside and her sister a bit more. We had time obviously as we were here for nearly two weeks. After dinner, over coffee, we got to know each other better. I don't know if I impressed or not but Cate's parents were still smiling as we left them early to get some rest after the travel and long day.

I stretched out in the car. "Okay, how did I do." I was very curious myself, but no longer concerned.

Cate looked over at me, a lop-sided smile on her face in the lights from the dash. "I don't think you could have done better." She said gripping my leg before throwing the car in gear and driving off. I chuckled. She concentrated on her driving, it had been a while since she'd been here, I didn't want to distract her. "Mum gave me the third degree while I was in the kitchen with her. I bet you faired about as well with my father?"

"That's a leading question if I ever heard one." I said chuckling.

"Well you didn't have any bruises or a bloody nose when I came back, so you must have got along."

"I was surprised that you told him about Chad."

She let her breath out slowly. "I didn't give him details. I just told him I had an ill set student who thought more of himself than he should, and it went awry."

"You told him that I was your knight in shining armor?"

"Denim and flannel is more like it." She laughed. "You look good in jeans." She said with a little wolf whistle.

"You should see me out of them." I said laughing.

"Give me time to get us back to the apartment and I hope to!"

We got back and fumbled for light switches and divested ourselves of our coats. Cate fell into my arms without delay. When we came up for air. "Okay, out with it. What did Dad say?"

I leaned back laughing. "He said you were the family trouble-maker and wished me good luck with you."

"He did not!" She said thumping her forehead into my shoulder laughing.

"Why does he call you Cat?"

She giggled. "Well it has to do with my quiet nature. I used to sneak up behind him all the time and watch what he was doing and was often startled when he'd turn and see me. He said I was quiet footed as a cat."

"I'll have to keep that in mind. Cate is sneaky."

"Mmm hmm, don't let me catch you doing anything you shouldn't be." She said grinning.

"Perish the thought." My hands slid slower cupping her backside and kissed her again. "You look tired, maybe we should get to bed.

"I think you have ulterior motives." She said as I kissed my way down her neck.

"Maybe?"

We got ready for bed, both standing over the tiny sink brushing our teeth. "I'm impressed we can both be in here at the same time without one of us standing in the tub."

She spit and nearly choked laughing. "Well she has a tub, so that's a big upgrade."

"I looked for one specifically in case you wanted to relax in the bath."

Cate looked up at me and toweled off her chin. Her eyes opened a little wider. "You did that for me?" I just nodded. I spat into the sink and looked up again and her eyes were watering.

"What?"

She leaned in and kissed me hard, toothpaste and all. When she pulled away she was smeared with foam around a big smile. "Seriously, what?"

"The things you do for me, even the smallest details, are so carefully thought out. I sometimes wonder if you're real." Since she'd tossed the towel over my shoulder, I wiped her face off again and wiped mine as well.

"I think about you every moment of every day."

She let out a low growl in her throat and wrapped her arms around my neck. Somehow we made it to the bed, our clothes did not.

Cate laid squarely on top of me, one of her legs between mine as we kissed, the taste of mint on her lips. I ran my hands down her back taking her ass in my hands and pulling her down pressing her against me. She shifted her hips slightly grinding my hard cock between us.

"I could do this all night." She said running her hands through my hair pulling my head up to meet her mouth. I ran my hands up the smooth skin sliding them around to her sides, her body lifted ever so slightly. She knew where I was going and was enabling me. Her breasts filled my hands, the nipples stuck out hard and my thumbs grazed them both. She let out another low growl and bit my lip. "You are the most obnoxiously gentle lover, ever." I smiled up at her, and held her as I rolled her over onto her back.