Set-up: Just after Cutter kisses Natalie during the lights' out at Shelter. There will be no Jolie reunion in this fanfic. It's about Natalie getting some respect, some attention and some redemption. Since I haven't caught up on the show yet, everything that happens from that episode on is from my own imagination.
Natalie laid in her bed, her lips still tingling from the bruising kiss Cutter had given her outside of Shelter after the lights went out. Her brain had told her to resist but her body took over and she gave into his kiss, pressing against him and returning every ounce of passion he gave to her. Once they broke apart, she had smiled and smoothed her dress before excusing herself to help with the crowd. He smiled back, knowing that he had made a step toward proving that he was going to pursue her until he got at least a date.
Her phone lit up as she was drifting off to sleep. She thought about ignoring it but decided against it. "Thanks for a memorable night. That kiss will make for sweet dreams for me." Cutter had weaseled her number out of Blair after all.
She smiled and thought about whether or not to reply. She couldn't resist. "Dreams will never live up to the reality. But reality takes more effort than one lucky power outage."
She hit send and waited. His reply was swift and confident. "You're worth the effort. I'm willing to show you that."
She knew he was a con artist but the woman in her couldn't help but hope he meant what he said. She wanted to feel worth the effort again. It had been a while. "Prove it."
She plugged the power cord into her phone and closed her eyes. The screen lit up again. "I will." She smiled and put the phone back on her nightstand. She needed rest. Cutter could start proving his case tomorrow.
Cutter put his phone in his pocket and finished clearing the glasses from the bar. The kiss with Natalie had been more than he expected. He knew she was sexy, that was obvious to anyone who looked at her. But the spark that ignited between them tonight took him by surprise. He was used to having a short attention span when it came to women but something told him that Natalie was different. He was willing to work to get her attention and take her suspicion and her doubt in stride until she realized he meant what he said.
John stared at the restraining order for the hundredth time. He had done nothing to justify the piece of paper in his hand. How could Natalie have taken this action to keep him from Liam? He knew he had screwed up and caused Natalie pain but to take his child away, that's was going too far. He wasn't going to stand for it. Tomorrow morning he was going to call her, restraining order or not. He was going to see his son.
The next morning, Natalie dressed before waking Liam. She fed him breakfast and got him dressed, grabbing his diaper bag before her purse and keys, and then heading to the door. Her phone rang as she struggled with her load; she let it go to voicemail. She'd deal with whoever it was once she had Liam safely dropped off at daycare.
John slammed his phone on his desk after leaving Natalie an angry voice mail. She was not going to ignore him. If he had to go back to Llanview and face off with her in person he would. He wanted to see his son and he wouldn't be deterred any longer.
Natalie sat in her car outside of Liam's daycare and stared at her phone. John had called her. And left a voicemail according to the small icon in the upper left corner of her phone's screen. She pressed the button to dial voicemail and entered her password, bracing herself to hear John's voice for the first time in more than a year. "Natalie, it's John. I want to see Liam. I don't care about this restraining order. I've done nothing to deserve being kept from my son. If you're trying to punish me, find another way. You shouldn't be dragging our baby into this. Call me back."
Natalie saved the voicemail then put her phone on the seat beside her. Restraining order? What was he talking about? She called her boss's office number and left a message that she'd be late. She needed to talk to her parents. They'd know what to do.
Cutter opened his eyes and swore under his breath when he saw the time. He hadn't gotten home until 4am and he was wide awake at 7:30. Though his dreams of Natalie had been good, they hadn't been restful. He had tossed and turned as he imagined running his hands through her thick red hair and making love to her until neither of them could breathe.
He got out of bed and made a large pot of coffee. Caffeine was the only way he was going to get through the day. Maybe he could find a way to see Natalie before having to go to the club later. Time to get creative.
Natalie walked into Llanfair and called to her mother. "In here, dear," replied Viki from the library. Natalie rushed in and started talking in a rush. Viki held up her hands. "Slow down Natalie, I can't understand you."
Natalie took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the sofa. "John left me a voicemail about how he wanted to see Liam and didn't care about the restraining order. I've never kept him from seeing Liam and what is he talking about a restraining order?"
Clint came blustering in the library. "I don't want to hear that jackass' name in this house!"
"Dad, calm down. I'm not his biggest fan either but he is Liam's father. I know what it's like to not grow up with both of my parents and I would not do that to my son."
Clint looked at the floor, not meeting Natalie or Viki's eyes. They looked at each other and back at Clint. Viki spoke first. "Clint, what have you done?"
He sputtered. "What do you mean, what have I done? John is the one who treated our Natalie like like…"
Natalie put her head in her hands. "Dad, did you have John served with a restraining order?"
Clint held his head up and replied, "What if I did? He deserved to lose all of his rights to be around you and my grandson."
Natalie shook her head. "No, Dad, he didn't. Liam is HIS son and MY son. You don't get to make that decision. And now you've made my life more complicated because he thinks I'm the one trying to keep him away."
Clint had the decency to look abashed. "I only wanted to protect you and Liam, sweetheart."
Natalie sighed. "I understand that. Please stay out of it and let me handle it from here, okay?"
Viki nodded. "He will. And I will too. If you need us, let us know sweetie."
She kissed both of her parents' cheeks. "I will, Mom." She walked out, dialing Nora's number on her way to her car. She was going to take control of this situation and protect her son.
John stopped and got gas just after crossing the state line into Pennsylvania. Natalie still hadn't returned his call and he was tired of waiting. He was going to see his son today whether she liked it or not.
Natalie sat in Nora's office as she made some phone calls to the courthouse in Port Charles and had the restraining order rescinded with the help of judges there and in Llanview. "Okay Natalie, the restraining order is no more. One problem though."
"What?" Natalie wasn't sure she could handle more problems.
"It appears John didn't come to work today. His boss thinks he may be headed here."
Natalie look a deep breath. "Might as well get this confrontation out of the way. Would you go with me to pick up Liam and take him home with you and Uncle Bo until I can talk to John?"
Nora smiled. "Of course! We'd love some time with Liam. We have Drew tonight so they can play."
Natalie hugged her aunt. "Thank you so much. I'm ready to face this and get it done. It's long overdue."
Nora nodded. "You'll do great. Just keep your head up and remember we have your back."
Natalie's smile lit up her face. "Thanks Nora. You have no idea how much that means to me."
They walked out of Nora's office and drove separately to Liam's daycare.
Natalie sat on her couch trying to concentrate on the book she had started the week before. She had already tried television, music, her favorite movie and just laying down. Nothing was calming her nerves. She wanted wine. Or beer. Or a shot of tequila. But she needed a clear head if John showed up tonight.
There was a knock on her door and she jumped. 'Here we go,' she thought. She smoothed her shirt and shifted her hair from her shoulders, down her back. She opened the door with a determined set to her jaw.
Cutter saw the look on her face and hesitated. When her eyes softened and she smiled slightly, he smiled back and brought the bouquet of daisies from behind his back. "Hey beautiful."
She smiled brightly and the tension left her gorgeous face. "Hey yourself. What are you doing here?"
"I've been trying to find you all day. This was my last resort."
"Find me?" Natalie wasn't following.
"I wanted to see you. Start proving that I meant what I said last night."
She opened the door more and invited him in. "It's been an interesting day. Sorry to make you work so hard."
He smiled as she took the flowers and put them in a vase with water. "Don't apologize. Like I said, you're worth it. Are you okay? You seemed tense when you opened the door."
She sat on the couch and motioned for him to join her. "Liam's father decided to call me today and start making demands to see him."
"After all this time? Why now?"
She laughed. "Thank you! That's my exact question." She proceeded to tell Cutter what had happened through the day and a bit about their past, not sure why she felt comfortable confiding her personal drama in this man she barely knew but thankful to have someone to talk to. "So I'm sitting here waiting on him to show up at any moment."
Cutter felt anger boiling through him. He barely knew Natalie but to think about someone treating her like this infuriated him. "So let me get this straight. He was engaged to you and was kissing some other chick? Is he an idiot? Never mind, he's obviously an idiot. And he actually thinks you'd try to keep him from your son? I barely know you and I can't imagine you doing that no matter what a jackass he is."
Natalie laughed again. She had not expected to smile tonight, let alone laugh. Twice. "Thank you again! And he's known me for close to a decade. Anyway, that's my sob story. I appreciate the flowers. And you tracking me down. Things might get uncomfortable here if he shows up so I'll understand if you want to bail."
Cutter shook his head. "Nope, I'd like to keep you company if it's okay with you. I don't have to be at the club until 10 and I was hoping to get some time with you before that."
Natalie smiled and nodded. "I'd like that. Want to watch a movie?"
"Whatever you want to do, beautiful."
She offered him a beer but he declined since he had to go to work later. He agreed to a glass of water instead so she fixed two glasses while he searched the television listings for a movie. He got to the classics channels and found two options.
"Would you prefer 'Casablanca' or 'The Godfather'?" he asked.
"Definitely 'The Godfather'. Love Marlon Brando," she replied. "Besides, I'm not really in a love story kinda mood."
He laughed. "Fair enough. We'll save that for another time when you are."
She looked at him and saw that though he was smiling, he was serious. "I may never be ready for that."
He nodded. "I'm nothing if not patient."
She tilted her head. "Oh really?"
He laughed again. "Okay, not really. But I'm willing to try."
"Somehow I don't think love is what you're looking for from me."
He leaned closer. "If I just wanted sex, I wouldn't be bringing you flowers or offering to keep you company while you wait for your ex to come knocking. I've been there, done that and it's fun for a while but it gets old. I want more than a fling, Natalie."
She watched his eyes, they never left hers and he didn't blink. She knew he had a con artist past but so did she. And she'd be damned if she could see an ounce of deception in those gorgeous eyes of his. "Fair enough, Mr. Wentworth." She smiled and leaned back against the couch as he switched the channel.
The movie was in its second hour when a loud knock startled them both. They had been leaning close to each other, barely touching but jumped like teenagers caught rounding second base by the girl's parents. Natalie smiled though her expression was guarded.
"Natalie! Let me in! I want to see Liam. Now!"
Cutter stood as Natalie did. She wasn't going to face that angry asshole by herself.
She opened the door and John pushed his way in. "Where is my son?"
Natalie closed the door behind him. "My son is with Uncle Bo and Nora tonight while I waited for you to do this exact thing. Storm in like a bully and yell. He will not be exposed to that."
John regarded Cutter with suspicion. "So your boyfriend is here instead of your son. Nice, Natalie." John suddenly felt every bit of his 48 years as he stared at the young man before him. He was much closer to Natalie's age and looked like he kept in shape. He also looked like a guard dog who was ready to take on a fight if necessary.
Natalie stood between Cutter and her angry ex. "John, what I do with my personal life ceased to be your business the moment you kissed another woman."
John fumed. "It is my business when it impacts my son!"
Natalie rolled her eyes. "Our son isn't here. And considering our son hasn't seen you in more than a year, I don't think you have any right to tell me how to conduct my life."
"You filed a restraining order against me. You kept me from Liam. How could you do that to me Natalie? After all we've been through."
Natalie laughed incredulously. "First of all, don't you dare throw all we've been through in my face John McBain! I didn't throw us away over a fling in Port Charles. Second of all, how could you think I would file a restraining order against you? After being kept away from my parents, do you really think I would do that to Liam? And third of all, super cop, did you ever think about getting a lawyer to fight the supposed restraining order?"
Cutter had to hand it to Natalie. She kept her cool a lot better than he was managing. However, the look on the older man's face was priceless as the logic of her argument washed over him. He sat on the couch and stared at his hands. "You didn't file the restraining order?"
"No!"
"You didn't try to keep me from Liam?"
"Hell no! You should know me better than that. And the fact that you don't shows exactly why we would never work. Nora got the restraining order lifted today so you can see Liam. Tomorrow under my supervision. He doesn't know you anymore and I will not put him in a position to be scared. We will work out a visitation arrangement but it will be on my terms, not yours. Is that clear?"
John looked at the confident woman standing above him. He had kept her feeling insecure for the better part of a decade. One year away from him and she was confident and self-assured. She was better off without him and even he was smart enough to see it. "Yeah, I got it. Where and when tomorrow?"
Natalie watched the fire drain out of the man she had loved for so long. Now he just looked old and defeated. "6pm at the park next to the police station. You can start getting to know your son and he can get to know you too. You get an hour and a half and then I bring him home alone for bedtime."
He nodded and walked to the door. "I'll be there." He walked out and shut the door behind him.
Natalie turned to Cutter and let the tears that had been just under the surface flow. He put his arms around her and held her close. "Shhhh, it's ok beautiful. You were amazing."
She snuggled against his chest and cried. "I hate him, Cutter."
"For good reason baby. He's an ass."
She pulled away and smiled at him. "Yes he is. The look on his face when he saw you was pretty priceless."
Cutter smiled. "Why do you say that?"
"In case you didn't notice, he's a bit older than us."
That caused Cutter to laugh. "Uh, yeah I noticed that."
"Having him see you here alone with me is a nice little piece of revenge on my part."
He pulled her close. "Oh so I'm your piece of meat to make the ex jealous now?"
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm glad you were here to keep me company. Having him see me with a younger hot guy is just a bonus."
He grinned and kissed her softly. "You think I'm hot?"
She pressed her body against him and moaned into his kiss. "Definitely hot."
He kissed her again, deeper this time, his tongue begging entry to her mouth. When their tongues met, heat coursed through both of them. He pulled her against him, showing her proof of how much he wanted her. She moaned again and started pushing him toward her bedroom. He groaned in disappointment as he heard his phone ring. "Dammit," he growled.
"What?" she asked, her voice raspy.
"Work. I have to go to the damn club."
She giggled at his irritation. His scowl only made her laugh harder. "I'm sorry, I can't help it. It's funny."
He couldn't help but laugh with her even though other parts of him were still less than thrilled at the interruption. "Hey, you have a babysitter, come to the club with me tonight."
She looked at him and thought for a second. "Come home with me afterwards?"
He smiled. "Oh yeah. You've got yourself a deal beautiful. Take a cab to the club and I'll drive you home."
She nodded and let him out, locking the door behind him before heading to her bedroom to get ready. She deserved fun. She deserved attention. And tonight, Cutter was going to give her some of each.
Cutter looked around the club. It had been an hour and a half since he left Natalie's apartment. He hoped she hadn't changed her mind about tonight. Just as he was ready to text her, he saw a flash of her red hair at the top of the steps. He smiled as she walked down them. He heard Nikki make a smart comment about his mood improving now that the girl was here but ignored her and walked to the bottom of the steps and took her hand. "You were starting to worry me, Red."
She smiled. "Beauty takes time, Cutter."
He shook his head. "You're always beautiful."
She blushed as she squeezed his hand. "Thanks. I need a drink."
He kissed her cheek and led her to the bar. Nikki was giving him a hard time but she was a smart enough employee to know not to mess around with taking care of the boss' favorite customer. She put a Cosmo on the bar in front of where Cutter led Natalie.
"Thanks Nikki," the redhead said sincerely.
As much as Nikki wanted to hate Natalie, she couldn't. "You're welcome, Natalie. Let me know when you're ready for another."
Cutter let her take a few sips of her drink then motioned for Nikki to keep it safe behind the bar. He led Natalie onto the dance floor as the first slow song of the night came on. He pulled her against him and rested his hands on the small of her back. She put her arms around his neck and let him lead her in a slow sway to the music.
Cutter couldn't believe he was getting ready to ask her this question, to give you a way out if she wanted to take it. But she'd had an emotional day and despite his desire for her, he honestly had begun to care about her and didn't want to take advantage of her. "Hey. Are you sure about tonight? About me coming home with you?"
Natalie looked at him carefully. In the past her first reaction would be to assume he had lost interest. But what she saw in his eyes was caring and concern. "I'm 100% positive. I've had enough drama and anger and pain to last a lifetime. I want to have some fun and I want to feel sexy. I want to feel wanted by somebody who isn't afraid to say they want me and to show me."
He smiled and pulled her closer. "Oh I want you and I have no problem saying so. And in a few hours, I will show you as long as you will let me."
She smiled and pressed against him. "You can spend the whole night showing me if you're up to it."
He chuckled as he whispered in her ear, "Oh I'm up to it. Remember I'm much younger than you're used to."
Natalie laughed as a shiver ran through her. "I knew that was going to come in handy."
Natalie led Cutter to her front door. She wasn't sure which of them seemed more nervous. She hadn't been with anyone in longer than she cared to admit. He, on the other hand, was known as a playboy so she could only assume he was nervous because he was looking for more than a one night stand this time around.
She locked the door behind them and turned to look at Cutter. The look in his eyes took her breath away. She couldn't remember the last time a man had looked at her with that kind of hunger in his eyes. She smiled and motioned him closer.
He smiled back and pulled her against him. He ran his hands through her hair and tugged at it gently to bare her neck to his mouth. He kissed her neck and down to her bare shoulders. She moaned as she pulled his head closer. He found the zipper at the back of her dress and began to tug it down slowly. She pulled away slightly, causing his hands to freeze. Was she going to stop him now?
She smiled up at him and he breathed a sigh of relief. She giggled at his reaction. "Do you really think I want you to stop now?"
He laughed. "I sure hope not. I would. But I don't want to.
"Good. I don't want you to. I just want to make sure I don't have any messages since Liam is with Bo and Nora."
"Fair enough. I'm not going anywhere."
She smiled at him. As much as she had fought it and wanted to assume the worst about him, he was solid. He had plenty of reason to run for the hills tonight after John's intrusion but he was still here. She quickly checked her messages and found nothing so she pulled Cutter into her bedroom. "Okay, I'm all yours now."
His eyes flashed again, the desire in them making her knees weak. "Come here to me, beautiful." She moved closer to him and his arms wrapped around her again, his fingers finding her zipper and easing it down. He slowly tugged her royal blue dress down her arms, revealing a soft pink bra. His eyes drank her in, looking at her body as he carefully undressed her.
Natalie watched his eyes roam her body. She felt beautiful. He wasn't rushing anything. He was taking his time and showing her that this wasn't something he wanted to hurry through. He was all hers tonight and was going to take his time showing her exactly how much he wanted her. As much as she appreciated his desire to go slow, her body was aching and needed more contact.
She reached behind her and unhooked her bra as he slid her dress the rest of the way to the floor. He smiled as she released the hook and waited for him to remove it. He eased the straps off her shoulders and watched as her breasts came into view. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. He ran his thumbs over her taut nipples and smiled as she shivered under his touch. He kissed her deeply as he ran his hands down her waist to slip off her matching panties. She was naked in front of him and he couldn't take his eyes off her.
She smiled as he looked over every inch of her body. She loosened his tie and slipped it from his neck. His hands were all over her stomach, her back, and her breasts as she started to unbutton his shirt. He looked in her eyes as she unbuttoned the last one and slipped it from his shoulders. She stepped closer and pressed her lips to his bare chest and was rewarded when he inhaled sharply and moaned her name. She ran her tongue along his left nipple as she removed his belt. She moved to the right as she unbuttoned his pants. He wrapped his hands in her hair and pulled her mouth to his as she unzipped his pants and slid them and his boxers over his painfully hard erection.
His knees buckled as her hand closed around his hard on. She smiled into his kiss at feeling his reaction to her touch. He pushed her toward the bed and laid her down gently. He kissed her again, then trailed his tongue down her neck to each of her breasts, lavishing attention on each one until she was whimpering with desire.
He moved above her and held himself just out of reach as he looked at her blue eyes, blazing with desire. He lowered himself so that his mouth was above her belly button, licking lower until he spread her legs apart and touched his tongue to her sensitive bud, wrapping his lips around it and licking until she gasped and arched her back. Her climax took them both by surprise. He held her to him as she rode the waves of pleasure. When she began to relax he raised himself above her again. As she watched, he unrolled a condom over his erection. Her eyes were still blazing and as he stared into them, he slid himself deep inside her hot core. She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper inside her as she clenched around him. He held still, sure if he moved now it would be all over and he wanted this to last for both of them.
She pulled his head down to kiss him deeply, her tongue swirling around his as she held him deep inside her. "Oh god Cutter, you feel so good."
He ran his hand down her cheek and smiled. "So do you, baby. I think we're going to have a lot of fun together."
She giggled and nodded. "Oh yeah. Lots and lots of fun." She wiggled against him and caused him to moan loudly.
"Okay now, slow down girl. You're got me a little on the edge here."
She raked her nails down his back, the slight edge of pain taking the edge off his urge to explode inside her. "Damn, Natalie." She grabbed his butt and pulled him closer to her, her hips moving in a slow circle. As she moved, she ran her nails down his back again.
As he started to move inside her, he kissed her neck then let his teeth nip gently at the tender spot between her neck and shoulder. Natalie moaned against his shoulder as she raced over the edge again. This time there was no stopping either of them, pleasure cascading in mutual explosions. Cutter felt himself shudder as he came inside her, her body's spasms more than he could withstand.
They laid quietly next to each other, neither wanting to break the perfect moment. Cutter reached for Natalie's hand and laced his fingers with hers. She reached for the blanket that was crumpled beside her and put it over her hip. He put his hand on her hip then pulled the blanket over him too. Natalie propped herself up on her elbow and looked at him. "Hey."
He looked back at her, smiling. "Hey yourself."
"That was intense." She smiled.
"Yeah that's one word for it." He leaned up and kissed her softly.
"What word would you use?"
"Amazing."
"I like that word."
He ran his hands down her shoulders and under the blankets. "There's a lot here that I like."
She moved closer to him and wrapped her leg around his. "Me too. Show me and I'll show you."
He chuckled softly. "I'll show you all you want, baby."
She kissed him again. "Prove it."
The End.
I'm not saying Cutter is Natalie's soul mate but in the meantime, she can have some fun. You just know that man is good in bed. Hope you enjoyed!