Chapter 35
THIRTY-FIVE
HENRY
THE ONE.
“You’re going to be the death of me,” I said, almost breathless, when Kennedy stepped out of her room in a sleeveless light-pink dress, with a slit high enough to make my pulse spike and my cock twitch against my tuxedo pants.
“Is it too much?” she asked, eyes flicking down to the slit, a hint of worry in her tone.
“I’m obsessed with your fucking legs,” I said without hesitation.
“If it were up to me, I’d ask you to wear a mini dress so I can admire them all night long.
” I chuckled then leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips, doing my best to hold back a groan at the familiar taste of her strawberry lip gloss.
My hand slid down to her exposed thigh, fingers gliding over soft skin as I slowly traced up and down. “You look so goddamn beautiful, baby.”
She looped her arms around my shoulders, her smile small and a little bashful.
Her eyes darted away for half a second, like she was flustered.
The sight pulled a genuine smile out of me.
“Thanks.” She scrunched her nose in the way I loved so much when her gaze settled on my bow tie.
“I can’t believe you’re wearing a pink bow tie. ”
I grinned. “And it matches your dress perfectly. Weird, right?”
Her eyes did a full, dramatic roll. “Yeah. Soooo weird,” she drawled. “It’s not like I totally missed Valentina holding up bow ties to my dress the day we picked them up.”
“I told her to be subtle.”
“Subtle is not Valentina García’s MO,” she deadpanned.
“It’s the thought that counts,” I quipped.
“Yeah,” she whispered. “Thank you for always thinking of everything.” Her eyes shone brightly.
I brushed her cheek with my thumb, giving her a pointed look. “What did I say about thanking me for the bare minimum?”
“For you, everything is the bare minimum.”
I winked. “Glad you’re catching up.”
“You’re an idiot.”
“You like me just like this, though.”
She pursed her lips while she straightened my bow tie. “Yeah, I do.”
I chuckled as I leaned in and brushed my lips against her neck, slow and deliberate. “We can be a little late, right?”
She let out a low whimper. “I wish, but we only have fifteen minutes.”
Before she could react, I grabbed her by the waist, and she squealed as I hoisted her onto the island.
“Challenge accepted,” I murmured with a knowing smirk as I dropped to my knees, my eyes traveling slowly upward, admiring every bit of exposed skin and how the dress fit so perfectly against her body.
“Henry…” She tried to sound firm, but the heat in her eyes and the way her breath hitched gave her away.
“I only want a little taste,” I rasped as I unhurriedly opened her legs and scrunched her dress up a little. When I found her completely bare, I groaned. “Why aren’t you wearing anything?”
She gave me a nonchalant shrug. “Didn’t feel like it.”
I gripped her thighs and licked her outer labia, followed by a light suck. “You little brat.” My chuckle was barely audible. “You wanted me to find you like this, didn’t you? All bare, with this pretty little clit swollen and begging for my attention.”
She tried to close her legs to seek some friction as she let out a breathy moan, but I tightened my grip.
Without breaking eye contact, I latched my mouth around her clit, licking and sucking like the desperate fool I was.
I already knew Kennedy’s ins and outs. What tickled her body, what drove her wild, and what brought her to the brink of an orgasm.
I gripped and caressed one of her legs while I slid two fingers inside her and continued between sucking her clit and twirling my tongue around it.
“Come on my tongue, Kenny. I want to be able to taste you for the rest of the night.” My fingers found the spot that made her moan turn into a small cry.
“Because when we get home, I’m going to rip this dress off you and fuck this tight, pretty cunt.
Maybe even play with your ass a little.” Her pussy clenched around my fingers, and I couldn’t help the playful smirk that tugged at my lips.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. My girl wants to be used tonight like a little whore, doesn’t she?
” I didn’t give her a chance to give me a retort.
I started to finger her at a steady but fast rhythm.
When her moans became more desperate and she started chanting my name in that little high-pitched tone I liked, I ran my tongue up and down her center, then sucked her clit one more time, letting her orgasm completely detonate against my tongue.
She gripped the back of my head and kept me in place as she continued to ride her climax, and I drank every single ounce she was willing to give me.
When her post-orgasm high wore off, I stood to my full height, helped her down from the counter, and gently adjusted her dress back into place, smoothing the fabric and making sure she looked perfect.
“Would you look at that?” I said with a wink. “We still have eight minutes to spare.”
“We didn’t even take care of you!” she exclaimed as we stepped out of our empty apartment.
Captain Sushi was being babysat by Donovan’s kid tonight.
We knew it was going to be a long day, and since we’d be home late, neither of us wanted him stuck alone for hours.
That damn cat had grown on me more than I ever expected.
I couldn’t imagine life without him now.
I almost got him a tuxedo and brought him with us to the gala, but I didn’t want to freak him out with the crowd and noise.
“Oh, don’t you worry.” I gave her ass a playful squeeze and pressed a quick, teasing kiss to her mouth. “The night’s still young.”
I was at a loss for words the moment I stepped into the venue. Everything screamed Strikers, but in a polished and sophisticated way.
The Strikers Unite yearly gala had been a tradition for decades, but in recent years, they’d been scaling it up, carefully curating each event to support different charities, always making sure they aligned with the values the organization believed in and wanted to represent.
One day—when I was brave enough—I wanted Willow House to be part of something like this.
I knew it could do so much good. I just couldn’t.
Not yet. I was still terrified, so I protected them with everything I had.
Maybe I went a little overboard sometimes, but we’d helped so many people, I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.
Because who knew what could happen if people found out I was behind it all?
The internet had been ruthless to me over the years, and it would kill me if it affected Willow House in any way.
“I’ll see you in a bit. I gotta talk to a few sponsors,” Kennedy said, dropping a kiss on my cheek.
Before she could completely turn around, I gripped her hand and brought her close to me. “Save me a dance?” I asked as I played with one of her curls.
She smiled with a soft nod. I matched her smile before colliding our lips in a kiss. I couldn’t get enough of her, of her presence, her intoxicating lips. Everything.
After a few seconds, she lightly pushed me. “Okay, now I really gotta go.”
I let out a wistful sigh as she walked away from me.
I strode to the open bar, where I ordered a diet soda.
This was technically our last night to have fun while working for a good cause, but my mind was already in the next game.
I couldn’t mess anything up. We had two months left to survive.
This was when it mattered, more than ever.
“Why are you late?” Olivia, my twin sister, asked as a greeting.
“Knowing lover boy, he was probably getting it on with his girl.” Hayes snickered as he swirled his scotch and took a sip.
“You’re disgusting, Wes,” Olivia deadpanned.
“Hello to you, too, dear sister. I’m not late.” I made a show of checking my watch. “I’m actually a whole minute early.”
She rolled her eyes but leaned in for a side hug. “Why’d you have this idiot pick me up from the airport? Do I not matter to you?” she groaned dramatically.
“I was busy. And you’re the one who insisted on coming to the gala at the last minute.”
“I would have rather taken an Uber if I had known.”
“I was basically your personal airport concierge. Except I charge nothing and have better hair,” Hayes said with a cock of his brow.
“See what you had me dealing with all day?” Olivia muttered with a weary shake of her head.
“Sounds to me like someone’s being ungrateful, Livvie,” Hayes sing-songed. “Be careful, or you’ll have to find a new place to live when you move here. And spoiler alert, you don’t want it to be your brother’s place. Unless you’re into listening to him fuck like a caffeinated rabbit.”
God, these two were fucking exhausting; it was making me dizzy. They’d been acting like this since we were kids, so you’d think I’d be used to it by now. But…nope.
“Who are you calling Livvie? Because it sure as hell isn’t me,” she snapped, crossing her arms. “I’m done with this conversation. Walk away from me before I smack your head.”
“You know I like my women feisty, Livvie. Be careful,” Hayes quipped.
“Watch it,” I warned. I knew he was joking, but still.
She shot Hayes a glare without a word then looked at me. “Where’s Kennedy? I want to meet her.”
“You’ve already met her.” Multiple times, actually. My sister was an athletic trainer for the New York Jaguars, and they’d crossed paths when Kennedy traveled there with us.
“Yeah, but I need you to reintroduce her as your girlfriend.” She stared at me like I was an idiot.
I looked around the room and found her speaking with Brad and Anthony. “Maybe later, she’s busy.”
“Fine, I’ll—” Olivia didn’t finish her thought. Her face paled, and her shoulders trembled lightly. With a confused frown, I looked over my shoulder. When my eyes landed on our father, I cursed under my breath.