Society Girls: Matisse (13 page)

“No, but I was rooting for the home
team.”

“I don’t know those guys, so why would I
cheer for them?”

“Sometimes your logic actually makes
sense.”

“It’s a gift.”

“So humble, too.”

“Kendrick loves me just the way I am.”

“I do,” I agree.

“I think we can leave now, which is good.
The two of you were way too cute during the game.”

We probably were. Matisse stayed in her own
seat after some parents complained when she was on my lap, but we
still ended up on the Kiss Cam more than once. It was, without a
doubt, once of the best afternoons of my life. This whole day has
been pretty perfect, and I can’t wait to get to the next part.

The wait for Joel to come out of the locker
room isn’t too long, and despite the angry vibe after the game,
there are still plenty of fans waiting with us. Most of them are
women, and Matisse is side-eyeing them hard.

“Teesy,” Joel yells when he comes out,
running over and picking her up as he hugs her.

“Hi Cruz,” she says with a laugh when he
puts her down. “This is my brother, Haring.”

“Nice to meet you, man,” he tells him.
Haring is freaking out a little, but Joel is doing his best to put
him at ease. He signs the shirt Haring’s been secretly wearing
under his Nationals jersey before turning to me. “Good to see you,
Kenny.”

“You too, Joel. You played a great
game.”

“Thanks, and tell Wave thanks again for me,
please.”

“Of course.”

“We should head out to dinner,” Matisse
says. “The bunnies are circling.”

“You know it doesn’t matter how much they
circle, I only have one Kitten.”

“Good answer, but seriously, where are we
going?”

“Haring and I are going to a local
steakhouse with the guys. You and Kendrick have other plans, I
believe.”

“We do?” she asks me.

“Yes.”

“Where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“You don’t mind?” she asks Joel and
Haring.

“We’re good,” her brother says.

“Totally. Go get your romance on,” Joel
tells her, giving her another hug and me a fist bump.

“Take me to my surprise, Doc.”

Matisse

Kendrick refuses to tell me
where we’re going, so I’m surprised when he parks in the
Adams-Morgan area. It’s too early for the bar scene, and frankly,
we’re both a little too old for
this
particular scene. Maybe we’re
getting dinner, because the restaurants here are
amazing.

“Are we eating?” I ask as we walk hand in
hand down the street.

“We don’t really have time, but we need to.
If I drop you off, can you get something for us to go while I pick
up some things I need from the shops?”

“Sure. What do you feel like?”

“Surprise me.”

He takes out his wallet, but I place my hand
over his. “I’d like to pay for dinner.”

“Okay.”

I love that he doesn’t try to dissuade me or
tell me the man should pay. “Should we meet back here in half an
hour?”

He looks at his watch, and nods. “That will
work.” He leans over to give me a quick kiss and then we
separate.

I survey all of my choices, and decide on
pizza. It will be easy to eat in the car, and I know what he likes,
since we’ve ordered it a bunch of times while studying. After
placing my order, I sit down to check my messages while I wait.
Sierra started a group message with all of us, including Waverly,
where she posted a pic of Kendrick and me on the Kiss Cam. Everyone
else has responded with kiss or heart emojis. I reply with both,
smiling because today has been great, and I can’t wait to see what
my man has planned for me.

Kendrick is already at out meeting place
when I walk up five minutes early. “That was fast. You got what you
needed?”

“I did. Pizza? That’s perfect,” he says,
grabbing the small box I hand him, and starting in on his giant
slice as we walk.

I take a bite out of mine, and try to get
more info. “How far are we from my surprise?”

“About a mile.”

There are a few places
around here, including my beloved zoo, but most everything’s
closing soon. I’m completely baffled, especially when it
is
the zoo parking lot we
pull into. “Um, I hate to break it to you, but the zoo’s about to
close.”

“Not for the sleepover participants, it
isn’t.”

Oh my God. I went to one when I was
young—Aiden’s dad set it up for me. I’ve always wanted to do the
adult ones, but I didn’t want to ask him to help me again. They
book months in advance.

“How did you get us in?”

“There was a last minute cancellation.”

He looks conflicted, so I push. “Did someone
we know make that cancellation happen?”

“No, but I was going to ask her if I had to.
I know it’s hypocritical, but for you, I’d do anything.”

“I don’t ever want you to go against what
you believe in for me,” I tell him, putting my arms around his
neck.

“I know, but I needed to win you back.”

“You did that way before we got here
today.”

“I didn’t know that last night, or even this
morning. I just emailed, and hoped for the best. I got lucky.”

“Not tonight,” I remind him, “but tomorrow,
you are definitely getting lucky, Doc.”

“Don’t downplay my luck in getting to be
with you in any way,” he says, giving me a kiss as we reach the
entrance.

“Stop making me swoon when I’m in flat
shoes. Wait until I have some of my boots or heels on so I can tip
over, and you can catch me in those nice arms of yours.”

He grabs me around the waist, and dips me
down. “I can still catch you.”

I laugh as he sets me back up on my feet. He
takes my hand once again, and we walk inside to check-in. We’re
shown to our tent, and Kendrick stashes the bags he brought there.
I’m not sure what I’m going to sleep in, or wear tomorrow, but I’m
guessing he has that covered. If not, I’ll do a walk of non-shame
in what I have on now. No biggie.

The tour is awesome, and it’s of the Asian
Trail, which is my favorite. We get to see all of the animals, who
seem to be putting on an evening show for us as they parade around.
The pandas are my favorite, and I squeal at both the red ones, and
the traditional black and white ones, too. The sloth bears are so
adorable, and the leopards look proud and fierce. This is the best
date I’ve ever been on, hands down.

When we get back to “camp” there is wine and
cheese waiting for us. We mingle with the other guests, and I can
admit that it feels good to have Kendrick’s hands on me the whole
time. When his hand isn’t on the small of my back, he’s got it on
my shoulder or waist. It’s a subtle claiming, which isn’t
necessary, and I shouldn’t love it, but I do.

After an hour of small talk, we’re all ready
to go our separate ways. Kendrick hands me a bag, and we go into
the restrooms to change. I pull out the pajamas he got me, and
smile. The top is a panda face, complete with little ears. The
sleeves fall off the shoulders, but there are little straps as
well, holding it in place. The shorts are plain black with white
piping. There are also black and white slippers with kitten heels,
along with all of the toiletries I’ll need for the night. The
clothes and shoes are my size and the products are my brands, which
tells me he’s been paying attention when he comes over to my place.
He’s definitely getting at least a little something tonight.

“Excuse me, but have you been taken yet?”
one of the women asks me as the others look on.

“Taken?”

“I’m not usually into chocolate, but your
man is hot. My husband is totally into you, and we’d love to swap
with you.”

Swap? Holy shit! Kendrick booked us into a
swingers group. And hell no. “Sorry, but we don’t swing,” I tell
her, and practically run out the door.

“I’m so sorry,” Kendrick tells me, taking my
hand as he leads me quickly to our tent. “I had no idea.”

“So you got propositioned, too?”

“Yeah,” he says. “Does this tent have a
lock?”

I laugh as he zips it up. “No, but I’ll
protect you if the women—or men—come for you.”

“I noticed the others watching us, but I
just thought it was normal curiosity.”

“Nope. They want that glorious chocolate
cock of yours.”

“Dear God. They said that?”

“Relax, Doc. The woman only mentioned the
chocolate part. Only I know what you’re packing in those pants,” I
tell him, gesturing to his light blue pajama bottoms. He has a tank
top over it, showing off that little shock of hair on his chest,
and displaying his sexy muscles. We might just need a lock, after
all.

“What’s in my pants is all yours.”

“That’s one of the things I love about
you.”

“I’d like to know about the couple last
night. If you’re ready to tell me.”

I’m not, but he needs to know if we’re going
to move forward. “I could go my whole life without ever talking
about it again, but you deserve to know.”

* * *

Kendrick

I lead her to one of the sleeping bags, and
we sit across from each other. When she doesn’t start speaking
right away, I reach out and take her hands in mine. She squeezes my
hands and looks away.

“I slept with him. While he was
married.”

I squeeze her hands this time, pulling on
them a little until she looks at me. “Did you know he was married?”
I’m pretty sure I already know the answer, but I want to hear her
say it.

“No. I had no clue until she walked into the
rink and started attacking me.”

“Do you want to start at the beginning?”

“No, but I will,” she says with a shake of
her head. “He came into the shop I was working at. I was just
learning how to tattoo, so I watched the front desk most of the
time. He was coming in to see one of the guys for a full sleeve. It
took a bunch of sessions, and every time he came in, he would bring
me a treat—or later flowers—and flirt with me. I asked him why he
wasn’t taken and he just shrugged it off, saying he was picky.”

“Bastard.”

“Definitely. Anyway, after
about a month, he asked me out. I said yes, and we started
‘dating.’ He took me out, we walked hand in hand, and then we
fucked. I thought it was making love at the time, because he was so
sweet and attentive to me. We went out all over the city in public,
and it never phased him. He had me in his house, in his bed.
Their
bed.”

“Where was the wife?”

“Back home in the city they were moving
from. She’d had a miscarriage, and wasn’t dealing well with it, so
she stayed back with her family while he moved here for work. I
found all of this out after, of course. I can still remember how it
felt when she walked in and started screaming at me. He ran in
behind her, and kept telling her he was sorry. He said I took
advantage of him during his time of grief.”

“I hope to God I see him again before we
leave.”

“He’s not worth it, Doc.”

“No, but you are.”

She launches herself at me before I even
know what’s happening. “That’s what Haring and Aiden said, but I
wouldn’t let them do anything.”

“I’m going to punch him.” I’m going to do
more if I get the chance, but we don’t need to go into that right
now. “You loved him.”

“I thought I did.”

“Did you come here with him? I mean, during
the day?” I hate to ask, but I have to.

“No. He said he was allergic to
animals.”

“Is it bad that I like your answer?”

“You’re so much more than him, Kendrick. It
doesn’t matter where we go, or if I’ve been there with someone
before; it’s only you I see.”

I kiss her, because I have to. My mouth is
closed as I cover her lips with mine, over and over until she licks
me. We both open up at the same time, our tongues playing with each
other. “Kendrick,” she pleads as I suck on her tongue, grazing my
teeth over it.

I lay her back and nestle myself between her
thighs. I’m going to honor her wishes to not have intercourse
tonight, but there’s something I’ve needed since our first night
together, and I’m determined to have it tonight.

“I need my mouth on you,” I tell her,
trailing kisses from her jaw to her neck. “Let me properly taste
you.”

“Yes. Please,” she whispers, knowing that we
need to be quiet.

I trail my lips down her throat as I push
her shirt up. She kept her bra on, but I undo the front clasp, and
push it aside. Leaning forward, I dart my tongue out to give her
right nipple a small lick. She arches her back, offering herself up
for me, and I happily comply.

I spend a good deal of time, kissing
licking, sucking, and God help me, biting her breasts as she
scratches my shoulders through my shirt. When she starts to slide
her hand down her body, I cover it with my own.

“Please. I need to,” she says.

“I’m helping, not stopping,” I reply.

As I continue to worship the top half of her
body, both of our hands slide into her shorts and panties. Our
fingers move over her clit in tandem, and she digs her nails into
my forearm as she comes.

I lean back to look at her. Her eyes are
closed; she’s covered in beard burn, bite marks, and hickeys. If I
didn’t know how much she loved it, I’d feel bad for the way I’ve
marked her with my face, mouth, and teeth.

“Look what I’ve done to you,” I tell
her.

She opens her eyes and looks down, smiling
when she sees how red her skin is. “Are you going to make my pussy
red too, Doc?”

I answer her with a growl, kissing and
nibbling my way down her body as I remove her shorts and panties.
“You’re already red…and wet,” I say as I swipe my finger through
her folds again. “Maybe you don’t need me.”