Play Along(52)

God I’m going to lose it. I’m going to fucking come from a kiss and a leg slung over my lap. But the way her mouth moves, the way her tongue glides, she doesn’t need to be taught anything about kissing, that’s for goddamn sure.

It feels far too sexual for this to simply be a kiss. It feels like we’re fucking each other with our mouths and when Kennedy’s nails scrape against the nape of my neck, when she tugs at the ends of my hair, I have to pull away.

“Fuck, Kenny,” I breathe, forehead falling to hers.

“Was that okay?”

I can’t help but laugh in disbelief. “Shut up.” Pulling her hips into me, I make sure she feels just how hard I am. “You know that was more than fucking okay. It was goddamn perfect.”

“I like kissing you.”

“Mmm, how did those words feel coming off your tongue?”

She smiles against my lips. “Like acid.”

I’m so fucked.

In what world does she think she’s going to start seeing anyone else after this? After me?

Not a chance in hell.

To make sure of it, I lean in, taking her mouth once again. It’s softer this time as my palm runs the column of her spine, up and over her shoulder to glide along her left arm. I stop when I find her hand holding onto the back of my neck.

I cover hers with mine, toying with the ring on her left hand as we kiss in the back corner of the dark nightclub.

She wants intimacy? This feels intimate as fuck.

Someone clears their throat next to us, loud enough for us to stop, but Kennedy is still half on top of me, leg still slung over my hip. I’ve got one arm wrapped around her waist, my other hand still bent back to hold hers.

Her forehead is pressed to mine when we look over to find Kai, Miller, Cody, and Travis watching us with a range of expressions. Kai and Travis have wide, disbelieving eyes. Miller is laughing and the birthday boy is shooting us two thumbs up from the back of the group.

Kennedy straightens, fixing her cropped sweater and readjusting her leather pants.

“Cars are here to take us back to the hotel,” is all Kai says.

Kennedy clears her throat. “Okay.”

My brother looks to me for a response.

“I’ll uh . . . yeah, just give me a couple minutes.”

“Jesus, fuck,” he mutters with a laugh before slinging an arm over Miller and heading towards the exit.

Travis and Cody follow behind, but not before Cody turns back to us with his hand over his heart. “Love this for you guys.”

Kennedy takes a step to follow them, but I hook a hand over her hip to stop her.

“Hey.” I pull her back between my legs, placing another kiss on my wife’s mouth, making sure she knows this doesn’t have to end right now, in this club, confined to a dark corner.

Without thinking about it, she wraps her arms around my shoulders again, eyes bouncing between mine. “Thanks for my first lesson.”

I huff a laugh until she shuts me up with another quick kiss.

I didn’t teach her shit tonight. That was all her. I, on the other hand, have quickly learned that I’m going to be entirely fucked if she’s serious about this thing between us having an expiration date.





Chapter 16


Kennedy


It wasn’t supposed to be like that.

I didn’t know it could be like that. I wasn’t aware my brain could quiet itself, or that my body knew exactly what to do when the moment presented itself.

Kissing Isaiah wasn’t supposed to be like that.

He was supposed to teach me how to be comfortable dating other people, not ruin my every waking thought because all I can do is replay that moment. How good his hands felt in my hair. How eager I was to have my leg slung over his lap.

This was supposed to be an innocent experiment. Get the awkwardness out of the way with someone I don’t see a future with. We’re technically married so what’s the harm in adding a little physical contact into the equation? A little kissing. A little hand holding.

Well, I’ll tell you what the problem is. The problem is I want more, and that can’t happen. It shouldn’t. After all these years of him blatantly hitting on me, I can’t crumble because of one freaking kiss.

It’s been days. Days since we’ve been back in Chicago, and I can’t get him out of my head. That night in St. Louis, for the first time, I didn’t invite Isaiah to sleep in the bed. He’s refused every night prior, most likely realizing my offer is made purely out of guilt. But after that kiss, I didn’t even give him the option.

I needed space to organize my thoughts.

Rationally thinking, he’s just the first. Not my first kiss, by any means. Just the first time a kiss felt intimate. That’s all it is. He’s the first guy I’ve allowed myself to be open with, and I’m sure it’ll feel just as good when I open myself up to other people.

So, yeah, things are fine. I’m fine, and this experiment is working exactly how I need it to. Sure, I’ve completely avoided him since we’ve been home, but yeah, things are going just fine.

The training room has been busy all morning thanks to our afternoon game today. My thumbs throb in pain from rubbing sore muscles and ripping athletic tape to secure uneasy joints. I haven’t had a spare moment for food or even a sip of water, but I couldn’t care less.