19. Kennedy
CHAPTER 19
Kennedy
“Why haven’t I seen you in these yet?” River says, tossing the skimpy lingerie at me, hoping to get me out of my sour mood.
River and I have been doing whatever River and I are doing for a few months now. I thought this casual sex of ours would have run its course by now, but here we are, still finding ways to get together whenever we can.
“Okay, crotchless panties? Are you fucking with me now?” he gripes, still sifting through my drawers.
“Do you mind, River? Why are you even going through my things?” I ask, not even remembering how we got to this point where he’s going through my things.
“Because you said you wanted to relax in the community hot tub. You pointed at your dresser to grab something for you to put on, and now I can’t even focus anymore. There’s lace everywhere in here. What the fuck, Skipper? You’re holding out on me!” He continues his complaints while I had already forgotten about the hot tub request.
Honestly, my mind is mush right now. My issues with Brett Henry have only gotten worse. I’ve held off, hoping those below me would take care of it, but now the more I see things unfolding, it will soon be my shit to clean up.
I rub my temples, hoping it dissolves some of the tension I’m feeling. River chooses that exact moment to look over and catches me trying to absolve myself of this stress.
“Hey, get out of your head. You’re supposed to be getting ready to go sit in a hot tub and let me rub your muscles… maybe rub a couple of other things.” He waggles his eyebrows, and I can’t help the chuckle that escapes.
“I know, I know. I’m shit company tonight though. I would need a million hot tubs to rid me of the crap mood that this player is putting me in right now. Ugh!”
I let my body fall back onto my bed, the frustration not dissipating even after so much work trying to make this problem go away. So far, no matter what I say to the people surrounding the great Brett Henry, no one is slapping this nonsense behavior out of him.
All of a sudden, I open my eyes and sit straight up. “I got it! Wanna get away?”
A gleam of mischief crosses his face, and I already know he’s down to do something outside the city with me.
* * *
River blasts the music in his truck as we make our way up to Maine. It’s my favorite impromptu getaway, and luckily, River was game to join me. We both have the weekend off; well, I’m never fully unplugged as the president of a baseball franchise, but I can do my work remotely for the next forty-eight hours. The team is on a string of away games, so I don’t need to be physically there to watch any games at the stadium.
This is exactly what I need. I let my hand move through the air as we speed down the highway. It reminds me of the summers I would spend with my aunt and uncle, driving our way up through the States, feeling like time was standing still and my heart was soaring.
I will admit that this happiness running through me is unexpected, especially after going back to New York a few weeks back. There is so much pain I buried there that risked resurfacing, yet I didn’t bolt in the opposite direction when he asked me on that trip with him.
If I’m being completely transparent, River is unexpected. I’ve always been aware that River is up for an adventure, but I’ve gotten a window into this softer side of him. And that side is finding ways of latching onto my heart, and it’s getting harder to turn a blind eye toward it.
We’ve been on opposite sides of the playing field for so long that for years, I thought that’s all I’d see of River. I thought that was the only side he would grant me. Obviously, I did the same, giving him the pieces of me that were tough and rigid. But when I spend more time with him, I see myself thawing that icy exterior just to let him get a little closer.
Part of me has to keep reminding myself that this isn’t forever. This isn’t part of the deal, where we move toward something deeper together.
But sometimes, much like the moments we are sharing together now, I feel like our connection runs deeper. But it feels like the lines are blurring, the pen bleeding through the paper, and I’m not too sure I’m upset about it. I sort of like whatever we’ve got going on.
I like feeling my smile grow as his brightens when we see one another in a room. I welcome the interaction, not just from being attracted to this man but because he brings out a side of me that feels good and free. I feel like I’m whole when he’s with me, and all the things that keep me prickly around the edges simply disappear the longer we keep finding ways to connect on this new level we’ve discovered together.
He moves his hand off the wheel to touch my knee. I feel myself react to his touch, and he squeezes my thigh, almost like he can sense his touch turns me on, even with such simplicity.
“Where’s your mind at, Skip?” He turns to me and throws that sexy smile my way.
“It’s at peace, that’s where it is, Riv.” I continue to move my hand through the air, making waves with the way my hand glides with the force.
“I get that. I truly get that, Kennedy,” he says, and right then, it feels like we have this force bringing us together that’s deeper than anything we ever expected.
We arrive at our destination; one I’ve visited many times in the years prior: a quaint bed and breakfast right on the water. I used to stay here years ago, and I was surprised it was still functioning at the same capacity as a bed and breakfast. They had one cancellation, and I felt like it was meant to be that we came up here today.
I think I needed the getaway, not only to detach from this Brett situation, but to also feel like I wasn’t hiding whatever I was doing with River. We can’t really go out together in the city. Even if what we’re doing is for fun and between one another, it’s something we have chosen to keep secret. Walking freely in our neighborhoods, getting a bite to eat, showing any type of affection, isn’t something we can do without running the risk of getting caught. Being here gives us some openness to our behavior and I can’t help but feel a little more free.
We get out of the car, and I’m immediately engulfed in memories of my childhood. The way my feet crunch under the pebbles on the ground, the view of the sun reflecting off the water, and the wrap-around porch that feels the same yet so different from when we stayed here so many years ago.
River comes around and pulls me to him. He moves his lips to my temple, then brings his lips to the shell of my ear. “I can’t wait to fuck you against the window so this whole place knows you’re mine.”
My cheeks flame even as I elbow him, but somewhere deep down, the fact he’s so adamant that I turn him on makes my stomach flip a bit. I know his words have an expiration date, but there’s a part deep inside me, that wants a little part of those words to hold some truth. That thought scares yet thrills me at the same time.
We’ve spent months secretly touching one another, hoping to keep this a secret between us. But out here, we don’t have the threat of running into someone we know, opening up the possibility of us being ourselves on a whole new level.
I pull his hand into mine as I march us up the steps and into the cottage. We walk into the lobby, and it’s all so serene. I instantly feel better from the stress of the city being left behind. The woman behind the desk has a welcoming smile on her face, and I give her our information to check in.
I’m lucky I could get out of Boston this weekend. This break is a must right now with the chaos of the team and the stress off the field. The job is still something I love, but these last few weeks have been absolute hell. As much as I knew the uphill battle my job would be because I’m a female in a male-dominated industry, it doesn’t mean the stress weighs any less with that expectation. Hopefully, this getaway is the recharge I need to mentally attack whatever comes next.
“Room 202, which is up the stairs and to the left. You’ll have a view of the water from your balcony, along with an en-suite restroom that has bay windows as well. The best room in the house.”
The older woman smiles as we make our way through the lobby, and I nod my appreciation. We begin our ascent toward the room, our bags minimal for such a short stay. The moment we open the door, we’re both taken aback. This room is breathtaking. It’s what Hallmark movies base their storylines on with the floral wallpaper, along with the accents of beach decor sprinkled throughout the bedding and furniture.
We step further in and within seconds, River is jumping onto the bed.
“Holy fuck, this bed is like a cloud!” he declares, then starts rolling around.
“You act like you don’t have a bed at home, Riv.” I can’t help the eye roll.
“Try it, Kennedy. I swear this thing is what dreams are made of.” He pats the spot next to him. I pretend I’m going to walk off, but then I throw my bags to the side and take a leap onto the fluffy bedding.
The moment my body connects to the mattress, I realize River wasn’t exaggerating.
“Damn, that’s nice.” I move my arms and legs as if there’s a potential of forming a snow angel. My mattress at home is comfortable, but this one is next level.
“It really is,” he says, and when I turn my head, I see he’s looking right at me. More like devouring me with his gaze.
I smile at him, and he inches closer.
“You know what I kept thinking while we were driving up here?” he asks, moving his hand onto my bare legs.
“What’s that?” I mutter, my focus being pulled to the circles he’s drawing up my thigh.
“The fact that those tiny shorts you’re wearing are leaving little to the imagination,” he says, and I turn toward him, letting the roaming hand cover my ass as I move my thigh over his hip. I feel a zap of energy move through me as he grabs my butt through my denim shorts.
“What exactly were you thinking of doing about it?” I tease, loving this surge of electricity I get right before he strips me out of my clothes.
“I was thinking about this top.” He moves his hand up my side and pulls a strap down. “I was thinking about these tits and how I want to devour them one by one,” he adds, bringing his lips to my breast and nibbling each of my nipples.
“Mmmm.” My words are failing to form, and he hasn’t done much yet.
“Feeling your skin against my lips feels like the ultimate dream, Kennedy,” he says as he trails kisses down my abdomen and nears my center.
I look down to see him unfastening the button to my shorts and slowly inching the material past my hips and down my legs. He leaves my underwear on and returns all his focus to my center, his gaze trailing up my body until our eyes connect.
It’s then I feel it—that attention he gives me in a way that makes the rest of the world melt away. It feels like time stops, and all my synapses are firing at the same time.
He begins to trail kisses along my chest, down my navel until his nose reaches the fabric of the lace thong I’m wearing. The wetness seeps through my underwear, and his nose grazes my clit.
I can’t help my reaction, pushing my chest out and letting my head fall back. My knees fall open a little wider, hoping he’ll ease that tension I’m feeling.
“Where do you want me first, Kennedy?” he asks as he moves his nose back down and then up again along the fabric, grazing that sensitive bud for a second time.
“You want me here?” He licks me over the fabric, and I’m so turned on that even with the thin layer of my panties in the way, it feels like enough to set me off.
He moves his body up mine, then brings his lips back to my nipples. “Or should I focus on this here?” he asks, trailing his fingers up my abdomen and grabbing my breasts.
His body comes up, caging me in and hovering over me, his face inches away from mine.
“Or should I really slow things down and just kiss you until you are writhing beneath me to fuck you?” His words push me a little further into this euphoric abyss.
“I want you everywhere,” I say because I do. I want a piece of him in all the places he’s touched.
“Mmm, I like that answer,” he says before he slams his lips against mine, stealing my next breath.
I move my hands under his shirt and up his back, feeling his ripped muscles beneath my touch. His hard body tightens under my palm, and I know he feels this connection between us beyond just the physical. He feels my touch the same way I react to his.
He takes the back of his shirt and moves it over his head. I make quick work of his belt and start to unbuckle his jeans. I use my feet to push the material further down his legs until he pulls away and stands facing me.
He pushes the pants all the way down and kicks them to the side. I look at him, his erection trying to force itself out of his boxers, while the V leading down to heaven is causing me to salivate.
I can’t stop staring; his erection, even behind that stretch of fabric, is still intimidating each time I see it. He’s fucking hung, and he knows how to use every inch of that beast.
“Hey, Skip, my eyes are up here,” he snaps, but I keep my focus where it was.
Without saying a word, I move myself off the bed and down onto my knees. The minute he registers what I’m about to do, he pulls me up and tosses me back on the bed.
“I have a better idea,” he says with a gleam of mischief crossing his face.
Before I know what’s coming, he jumps onto the bed, lying prone, and brings me on top of him. But this time, he turns me so that my face is in line with his dick, and my center is in his face.
Just the thought of being in such a promiscuous position with him is dirty and enticing all in one.
We’re both still wearing our underwear, but that doesn’t seem like a deterrent.
“Take my cock, Kennedy,” he demands, and something about that is beyond sexy.
I move his boxers down slightly and grasp his dick in my hand. Then I stick my tongue out and lick from base to tip. Without warning, I take him into my mouth and let his tip hit the back of my throat.
I gag, and my eyes instantly water. I begin to move, and I hear a moan slip out of his mouth.
“Fuck, that mouth of yours is perfect,” he says as he kneads my ass. He gives me a little tap, and then he’s ripping yet another pair of my underwear and brings his lips to my center.
I pop off him with a moan. Shit, that feels better knowing we’re in this dirty position right now.
I begin to move my hips uncontrollably, and somehow find it in me to continue pushing his dick in my mouth and start moving.
I feel my orgasm pushing to the forefront of my mind as I’m riding his face, feeling myself lose control while my body falls so deep down that orgasmic abyss, my body goes limp once I climax.
He moves from under me and then gets behind me. I feel him removing his boxers and then grabbing a condom and slipping it on.
Before I have time to recover from my first orgasm, he’s slamming into me, pushing me closer to another release.
“You grip my cock so well, baby. Fuck, feel how hard you make me. Your body is constantly on my mind, and fucking you is not ever enough of a release.” His words alone are getting me back to my breaking point.
I start to moan louder, moving my hand to touch myself.
“Right there, Kennedy. Yes, get yourself off and let me feel you strangle me,” he says, and I swear it takes one soft touch to my center to feel myself completely let go again.
I start to feel him move faster while I let go, his thrusts getting stronger, and his movements reach that punishing pace.
Soon, he’s yelling my name, and I feel the moment his body lets go.
His movements slow as he starts to come down off that high, and we both collapse onto the bed.
He pulls my back against his chest, the sweat intermixed as we both catch our breath.
“Shit, Kennedy, how is this even possible? All these years and we missed out on this fun. We’re fucking idiots.” He laughs, and I smile to myself.
He’s right, we were idiots. But right now, I’m feeling like the biggest idiot to think this is going to lead to me not catching feelings because I can already tell my part of the deal is starting to dissolve. But with that comes fear that this will soon be coming to an end.
River
After grabbing lunch, we’re enjoying some ice cream while the sun is still shining. The warmth is sticking around a bit longer, but the bite of cold hits the moment the sun sets. With each lick of her cone, Kennedy closes her eyes, truly enjoying her treat as we walk hand in hand. She looks adorable, even with a smear of chocolate on her nose.
“You’ve got?—”
“Oh my gosh, River, they’ve got face painting! Remember when Samara guilted you to get yours painted that year at the fair, and you had that massive dragon from Mulan painted across your entire face?” She starts laughing as she points ahead of us to the kids with butterflies on their cheeks.
“Yeah, she cried her eyes out. How was I supposed to know she could cry on demand!” Samara apparently knows how to turn on the waterworks, and that happened the summer after I had met her, so I wasn’t quite aware she was so devious. She conned me, and I spent the better part of four hours walking around the fair with a cartoon dragon painted on my face. Some kids even asked to take their picture with me because it was so detailed.
“I should have had them paint something on your face so you could have been as embarrassed as me,” I toss back at Kennedy.
She takes another lick of her ice cream. “Oh, please. I don’t embarrass that easily.” As she says this, she gets even more chocolate on her face, this time landing on the right side of her cheek. How does she not feel it on her face?
“Oh really? You’re telling me you wouldn’t get even a bit red in the face with kids pointing at you and laughing?” I find that absolutely hard to believe.
“No, River. I have no problem with a little attention. My ego can take it. It’s not a big deal.”
She’s so full of shit. I have no problem proving my point, so instead of being the bigger person right now, I decide to play the long game on this. We continue our walk, and sure enough, she keeps licking that ice cream like a four-year-old. It’s sort of a miracle to watch how sophisticated she can be in so many areas of life, yet she’s simply a mess when it comes to this moment. But it’s working in my favor.
I’m mesmerized yet flabbergasted all at once.
People are staring as we walk by, and I see Kennedy take note of the glances she’s getting. At first, I think she’s flattered, but with each added stare, she’s starting to grow self-conscious, and it’s hard to hold the laughter.
Luckily, the bed and breakfast isn’t like a hotel lobby with mirrors everywhere, and we get back to our room without Kennedy catching a glimpse of herself in a reflection throughout the lobby or corridor leading up to our room.
The moment we walk in, she rushes to the restroom to wash her hands, needing to get the stickiness washed off.
She closes the door, and the moment she turns the light on, all I hear on the other side of the door causes me to roar with laughter.
“You’re a motherfucker, River!”