Chapter 7 #2
Damien chuckled. He would normally take the flight with the team.
That was typically mandatory, but he definitely had some perks since he had put his time in with the team.
He had only chartered a private jet a couple of times before, mostly when he took the family on vacation, but this seemed like a special occasion to him.
He would be lying if the thought of impressing Kenna didn’t cross his mind, but somehow, he figured throwing money around wouldn’t really impress her.
Still, he didn’t want to be hassled at the airport, and he wanted everything about this experience to be intimate.
“I am,” he confirmed.
Cam sat back and exhaled dreamily. “Kenna, you snagged one that can afford a damn private jet. You did that, girl.”
Kenna turned and her eyes narrowed at him, but Damien personally loved the manifestation Cam kept throwing out because there wasn’t a part of him that didn’t want Kenna to be his. He wanted her in the worst way since he laid eyes on her, so Cam’s vote of confidence on his behalf was heartwarming.
“Be clear, I don’t own the jet. I don’t really have a use to own one.”
“But you could,” Cam pointed out.
He wasn’t wrong, so Damien just shrugged, but this time, Kenna spoke up. “Camden Lewis, stop counting this man’s pockets. Sit back and chill. Damn.”
“Not the whole government,” Cam said, placing his hand on his heart as if he was offended.
Meanwhile, Damien’s dick hardened slightly when he heard the firm tone she took with her friend. It was like every new version of Kenna he saw, the more he liked her.
Damien drove and observed Kenna and Cam the rest of the way to the airstrip.
They went between bickering and talking about other things, like the trip or their families, and then right back to bickering.
It entertained him, and he was glad he decided to invite Kenna on this away game.
Traveling so often during the season could get really lonely.
Jendaya came to almost all of his home games, but since she met Grayson, she didn’t go to his away games unless it was a special occasion.
When Skylar had breaks from school, she would come sometimes, but she wasn’t a huge sports fan, so those trips were coming few and far between now that she was getting older. Having Kenna and Cam with him was refreshing.
After twenty minutes, they pulled up to the airstrip. He parked in one of the guest spots before getting out and helping Kenna and Cam out of the car. He juggled all their bags as they walked toward the private jet.
“I can grab my bag, Damien. You have your hands full,” Kenna offered as her short legs struggled to keep up with his long strides.
He slowed his stroll and smiled down at her. “You good, Ken Ken. Just get your pretty ass on the jet.”
She tilted her head down to hide her smile, but he still saw it. If complimenting her was what it took to see those cute ass dimples of hers, then she better get ready to hear his praises often.
Cam walked up the steps first, snapping pics and popping his hips as he walked.
Kenna shook her head and laughed at him as she timidly walked up the steps.
Damien didn’t even try to pry his eyes from her ass.
She was little, but damn, she was so sexy.
The thoughts he had about her were unholy, but he prayed he got the chance to act them out.
He knew he needed to practice patience, though, and he was cool with that.
The attendant on the plane helped him store the bags before he made his way toward Kenna. Damien smirked when he noticed Cam took the seat across the aisle from Kenna, leaving the spot next to her open. Discreetly, he held his fist out for Cam, who dapped him up with a big grin and winked.
Damien sat down and asked, “You didn’t want to sit next to the window?”
“No.” Kenna shook her head. “I’m not the biggest fan of flying.”
Damien nodded in understanding. Skylar hated to fly, too, even though she’d been doing it since she was a baby. He’d learned long ago that the best way to help someone out who didn’t like to fly was distraction, which worked out great in his favor.
He flagged down a flight attendant. “Can we get a throw blanket?” He turned to Kenna. “Do you want anything to drink?”
“Just water,” she responded sheepishly.
“You sure? Some wine or vodka might take the edge off,” he joked.
She giggled. “I’m not much of a drinker, so water is fine.”
“I’ll have a water too. Cam, you good?”
Cam batted his long lashes at the female flight attendant. “We gon’ be besties by the end of this flight. You can bring me tequila sunrises and keep ’em comin’, baby.”
The flight attendant grinned, but Kenna cut in. “Don’t keep ’em comin’.”
Cam waved her off. “Don’t listen to her. Keep ’em comin’.”
Damien cut in, careful not to take sides, and addressed the flight attendant. “That’ll be all for now.”
“I’ll grab those now. The pilot is gearing up for takeoff, but I’ll be sure to come back and check on you as soon as we’re at cruising altitude.”
“’Preciate it,” Damien replied.
“How did you know I was going to try to sleep during the flight?” Kenna asked, referring to the throw blanket as soon as the attendant walked away.
“I didn’t. I just wanted you to be comfortable.” Damien was disappointed that she was going to catch a nap. He hoped they could talk and get to know each other more, but he told himself there would be time for that.
“Thank you,” she muttered, and then she repeated the sentiment to the attendant as she dropped off a fluffy throw blanket before rushing away to grab their drinks.
Damien watched as she tried to get comfortable, and when it was clear she couldn’t, he lifted his arm and pulled her into him, hoping he wasn’t being too forward. She had, after all, sat in his lap a few days ago, so this was light work.
“Better?”
“Better,” she muttered as she relaxed into him.
Cam leaned over and whispered loudly. “She’ll be snoring before we take off. She falls asleep so quick and is a hard ass sleeper. Watch.”
Kenna kicked her foot out and connected with Cam’s ankle.
He yelped and cursed her out under his breath, but she ignored him as she settled back into Damien, who breathed the jasmine scent of her in as he listened to her breathing even out.
This was exactly what he needed before practice to get his mind right.
Kenna in his arms was a newfound form of peace for him, and he hoped this wouldn’t be the last time he experienced it.
The last thing Damien wanted to do right now was practice. Admittedly, this entire season, his head had been in the clouds filled with thoughts of retirement. That hadn’t always been how he conducted himself when it came to his career, but it was fair to say he was burned out.
Since meeting Kenna, his focus had gotten even worse, but even his coaches had to admit that as distracted as he was, he’d been playing better than ever, and his team was looking really good for the playoffs.
While he ran drills with his team, his thoughts wandered back to Kenna.
She’d slept the entire flight right in his arms, which was probably why they were a little stiff now as he passed the ball to Lenny, one of his teammates, and then turned to catch the ball Dax passed him.
He shot it at the net, still sinking it, though his muscles were tight.
When they landed, he gently woke Kenna, only for her to fall right back asleep when they got into the car.
On the way to the hotel, Cam explained that when she was anxious, Kenna slept a lot.
That only made Damien feel bad. He didn’t want her feeling anxious in his presence, and now he made it his mission to figure out how to prevent that.
He figured it had a lot to do with traveling and being in the public eye.
It didn’t help that when they arrived at the hotel, paparazzi waited for them.
The problem was that, at least for the next few months, this was his life.
Because he was considered such a legend in the NBA, there were some aspects of this lifestyle that would follow him, like the paparazzi or fans, whenever he stepped foot outside.
“Aight, wrap it up,” Coach Lexington shouted, much to Damien’s relief.
They had been at it for almost two hours, and he was more than ready to get back to the hotel and ask Kenna to dinner.
He would invite Cam, too, but his focus was solely on the pretty eyed, shy beauty who felt like a mystery yet so comfortable to him.
His teammates stopped their drills and tossed balls to the ball boys scattered around the court before heading toward the locker room.
Since this was an away game, Damien would opt to take a shower at the hotel instead of in the locker room.
Back in Ellwood, they had private showers at their arena for their team, and Damien didn’t mind using those, but he never used the guest showers when they were away.
“What you on for the night, my guy?” Dax asked as he jogged up to Damien while wiping sweat from his forehead.
Damien hadn’t told anyone he invited Kenna and Cam to Atlanta. Normally, he and a few teammates would go grab some dinner and shoot the shit before curfew, but tonight, he had plans far better than that.
With a crooked grin, Damien entered the locker room with Dax by his side as he dapped up a couple of his teammates before making a beeline to the locker he was using. “I’m tryna secure a date.”
When he finally spoke, Dax had to do a double take, making him mess up his combination to the lock on his locker. “Say what now?”
Damien chuckled as he pulled his duffel bag out and reached for his phone. “I invited Kenna here. She’s at the hotel.”
Dax’s eyes widened and a smile spread across his face. “I ain’t think you had it in you, my boy.”
Damien waved him off as he sent Skylar a response to the Tik Tok she sent him. When he finished, he looked his friend in the eye with a grin and then moved past him, patting him on the shoulder. “I’ll see you on the court tomorrow.”
“Hell nah,” Dax shouted from behind Damien. “Be here early so we can talk about your date with Ms. Pretty.”
Damien turned and mugged Dax before sticking his middle finger up and rushing out of the locker room.
He knew Dax was all talk and harmless, but he didn’t like him referring to Kenna as pretty, even though she was.
Actually, she was much more than that. She was breathtaking, and that thought only pushed him to get back to the hotel quicker so he could take a shower and then go see about the new woman in his life who had stolen all his focus.