First Thing I See, Page 7

  The pain coupled with his now pumping fingers inside me was almost too much to bare. I needed more. I purposefully circled my hips as I reached the edge and then his firm smack sent me over the edge. I moaned his name as I came hard.

  “Jesus, Hope. You are so fucking sexy, I almost came watching you come.” I heard his zipper go down and then he was inside me. He gripped my waist hard and he filled me with one hard stroke until I felt his balls slam against my clit. He pulled out and then another hard full stroke slamming inside me. I came again hard and pushed back and forth on him forcing him into and out of me as I screamed in ecstasy. I had never orgasmed that hard or that long in my life.

  My orgasm sent Kennedy into overdrive. He pumped into me hard and fast gripping my hips and pinning me into place. With one last deep thrust he emptied himself inside of me with a guttural moan and I felt him shiver.

  We both dropped to the floor and he held me, our labored breathing slowing together. “Jesus Hope, you have no idea what you do to me.”

  I smiled through my post orgasmic haze. “Well, I know what you just did to me and it was incredible.”

  ***

  Saturday morning we sat in bed reading the paper together and drinking coffee. It felt so simple and so right to start our day together. Kennedy asked if I could come to Chicago the following weekend to attend a charity event that his family supported. I asked about the charity and he told me that the charity provided funding for counseling for the siblings and parents of child crime victims. He explained that there are a lot of charities to help the victims, but few that helped get the families of victims counseling to learn to deal with their grief and the victim’s grief. I smiled and said it sounded like a very thoughtful and worthwhile cause and that I would love to attend with him.

  Charles picked us up for our afternoon of shopping and Kennedy wouldn’t tell me what we were shopping for. Our first stop was to a police supply store. I was confused but played along. Inside, he spoke with the sales clerk while I walked around and looked at some of the uniforms. When the clerk disappeared into the back, I approached Kennedy. “Handcuffs?” I smirked and looked up at him.

  “Nope.” His face amused at my guess.

  “Police uniform and burglar costume?”

  “Nope, but that’s not a bad idea…you see any sexy police woman skirts and tight shirts?”

  I smiled and shook my head.

  The sales clerk came back to where we were standing. “Do you know how to use it properly?”

  “No, she needs a lesson.” Kennedy motioned to me.

  The sales clerk proceeded to give me a robust lesson on the do’s and don’ts of using mace. When she was done and Kennedy had paid for three small cans of mace and a nice pink leather carrier, we exited the store. Outside, I stopped him and looked up with a serious face. “Thank you, it means a lot to me that you want to make sure I am safe.”

  “Beautiful, I’m not letting anything happen to you ever.”

  ***

  The next stop on our shopping trip was to the sporting goods store. Inside Kennedy picked out and purchased me five new gym outfits. They were pretty, but the tops covered my full front and some of my ass. I didn’t fight him on the new outfits because he told me he either bought me new exercise clothes or he bought my gym and turned it into a woman only gym. I laughed at his threat, but I wasn’t quite positive he wouldn’t go through with it if I hadn’t accepted the clothes.

  ***

  I’d started to dread waking up on Sunday mornings, knowing that we would only have a few hours left before he would be gone again. We had a great few days and I didn’t want it to end. I was starting to realize that I never wanted it to end. I stood quietly with my coffee thinking while I stared out the window.

  “What are you thinking about.” His voice startled me, I thought he was sleeping.

  “Ummm.” Crap, think of something fast Hope, you can’t tell him that you are falling madly in love with him and want to make little Kennedy dimpled babies…”

  He interrupted my thoughts. “Remember our deal Hope.”

  Damn it, I knew if I tried to lie now, my face would betray me. “I was thinking I hate when you leave.” There, that didn’t sound as scary.

  Deafening silence for a moment, then he came to stand behind me. He wrapped his arms around my waist and looked out the window with me for a moment. “I’ve wanted nothing but to be with you since the moment I saw you.” He turned me around to face him. Slowly he ran the tips of his fingers down my cheek, stopping to push an escaped lock of hair behind my ear. He kissed me gently. “I haven’t had a girlfriend since I was 15 Hope.”

  His words confused me. I had met his last girlfriend in person and Shauna had told me she read a lot about him being a playboy. He saw the confusion on my face. “I guess you could say I dated. I definitely had a lot of sex and went nice places with women. But they were more arrangements; there was never any emotional attachment. “

  I searched his beautiful pale eyes and saw truth. Then I threw myself at him. I couldn’t help myself and I really didn’t want to try. I jumped up and wrapped my arms and legs around him and squeezed as tight as I could. I never wanted to let go of this man. He laughed and hugged me back so tight I could barely breathe. I pulled my face back to kiss his face. I smiled and looked into his eyes. “That was everything I needed to hear.” I crinkled my nose. “Minus the “a lot of sex” part.”

  We both laughed hard and we wound up spending the rest of the morning in bed. I still hated when he had to leave, but the memory of the day left me better prepared for the week without him.

  Chapter 12

  Shauna and I went out for dinner on Tuesday night to our favorite Mexican restaurant and I filled her in on my weekend. She told me about a new player that joined her team in a trade, and how she was hoping to make a trade of her own with him soon.

  “So are you going to invite Mr. Wonderful to piss-ant Oregon to meet Mr. Hotty and his nasty ass bride?” Shauna had named my dad Mr. Hotty ten years ago when we got drunk for the first time down at the lake and she grossly admitted to me that she thought my FATHER was cute. As for his bride, nasty ass was one of the tamer names she had for the woman.

  “I don’t know, I’m afraid if I go back with him to Oregon, I’ll turn into Old Hope and he will realize that I am not the person he thinks I am and take off running for the hills.”

  “That statement requires another margarita.” She gulped down what was left in her glass and literally grabbed our waiter as he passed by. “We need two more margaritas quick.” She batted her eyelashes to the poor nineteen year old waiter who was putty in her hands. Then she released her grip on his waist to go fetch them for her.

  I felt my phone vibrate and looked down to check my texts. Kennedy wasn’t a big texter, but if I was at work or out with Shauna he would send a text, rather than call. It was one of the things that I adored about him. Charles will be outside in an hour and will wait until whenever you are ready. I don’t want you ladies walking home in the dark after drinks. K.

  “Now, where were we? I’m going to say this once and for all Hope Marie York. And you better get it through that thick skull of yours. You are gorgeous, inside and out. That piece of shit step monster of yours was jealous of you all those years, that’s why she always put you down. Do NOT let that little lying cheating bitch win. Kennedy wants you, not Old Hope or New Hope – just you!”

  We looked at each other seriously for a moment, and then proceeded to crack up for the next five minutes. The combination of margaritas and Shauna trying to be the adult in our twosome made her lecture seem hysterical.

  ***

  Charles pulled up outside of Shauna’s apartment and she gave me a hug. “I could really get used to having a limo drive us around after a night of drinking.” She winked and I watched as Charles walked her to the door. I saw Charles watching her swaying ass as it disappeared into the elevator.

  Chapter 13

  “So how are thing
s between you and Hope going?” Franklin asked almost as soon as dinner was on the table.

  “Hope? Is she cute? Does she have a friend for me?” Garrett was the youngest of the three Jenner brothers and made no attempt to hide his confirmed bachelorhood. At twenty seven he was named number two on Chicago’s most eligible bachelor list this year. The notoriety caused a lot of family teasing but Garrett didn’t care. He bragged he kept extra copies around and let them slip on the floor if a woman was initially resistant to his boyish charms.

  Kennedy deadpanned to his brother. “You will go nowhere near Hope or any of her friends.”

  Garrett whistled. “Oh boy, big brother’s got it bad, doesn’t he?” He smiled to Franklin.

  Franklin smiled back. “If you met this one Garrett, you’d understand. As beautiful on the inside as on the out.”

  Garrett pushed his luck. “I don’t care what they look like on the inside, but I do care what they taste like on the inside.” He raised and lowered his eyebrows a few times and smiled widely revealing smaller versions of his big brother’s sexy dimples.

  Kennedy ran his fingers through his hair and looked to Franklin for support, completely ignoring Garrett. “It’s driving me crazy that she is so far away. Last week I watched some drunk asshole put his hands on her and I nearly lost my mind. “

  “So move her out here.” Franklin shrugged his shoulders like it was a simple solution.

  Garrett arched an eyebrow at his brother. “Are you in love with her?”

  Words weren’t necessary. Garrett and Franklin smiled and watched Kennedy toss his drink back and blow out a deep breath. How had he not realized that he had fallen in love with Hope until now?

  Chapter 14

  Wednesday morning I was halfway to work when I started to have the feeling that someone was watching me. It wasn’t the first time that I had felt it lately. Today it just seemed closer. I looked around as I quickened my pace and saw a typical New York City morning. Masses of people walking in all directions at twice the speed that people moved back in Oregon. People alone with headphones, people talking on the phone, cars trying to turn while people filled the walkway. I scanned the crowd again when I reached the final block to work and slowed to really look at the people around me. No one in particular seemed to be watching me.

  Now that I was done training on the general hotel positions, my days were caught up in event planning. Most days I spent half the day meeting with potential new clients who were interested in planning an event at The Monet, and the other half working on planning events that had been booked. Today I spent the morning with a woman that I had vaguely recognized from the society pages, who was interested in booking her daughter’s first birthday in the Grand Ballroom. While it was great for business, I had to wonder what the woman would do for the little girl’s second or third birthday to top such an exaggerated first party. Lunchtime came quickly and I decided to have lunch in the park before making my way over to Park Avenue for an afternoon meeting with a party planner I would be working with on an upcoming charity event held at The Monet.

  The leaves in the park were almost all on the ground and the ground was filled with vibrant autumn color. Deep orange and reds lined the path though the park and I decided to sit on a park bench close to the dog park. I loved to watch the owners interact with their dogs when they thought no one was looking. I wasn’t sure if it was the feeling of being watched this morning, seeing dogs run around in an open area, or the beautiful fall colors that made me want to call my dad to check in. We hadn’t spoken in a while and I knew that he was expecting me home for Thanksgiving.

  “Hi Candace, is my dad around?” I knew she hated it when I called her Candace. Everyone else called her Candy. To me, Candy was a woman in five inch stilettos wearing blue tassels on her nipples as she danced around the stripper pole. I thought Candace was a beautiful name, but I had once overheard her tell someone that Candace made her sound old. Ever since that day, she was Candace to me. I couldn’t overtly disparage her without hurting daddy, so I had come to enjoy the little things I could silently do to bother her.

  He must have been sitting within hearing distance, because her feigned excitement and bubbly questions were certainly not a performance she would put on for just me. Dad and I talked about Thanksgiving, one of his service buddies retiring and Coy, my golden retriever. I told Dad that I met someone and was considering asking him to come home with me for Thanksgiving, and he gave me the third degree, but sounded pleased. I didn’t mention that he lived in Chicago and we had been traveling back and forth, I knew it would only make him worry more.

  Dad and I had been through a lot together since my mom died in a car accident so many years ago. We both protected each other from things that would worry the other as much as we could. That was why I never told him about how Candace treated me after he found about her affair.

  I was 15 the day that I saw Candace walking with the young football coach from his car into a house on Maiden Lane. She saw me too, but I didn’t realize it at the time. I was young, innocent and trusting, so the thought never crossed my mind that she could be doing anything wrong. I guess I just assumed she was discussing something about cheerleading, since both of her girls were hoping to make the cheer squad and follow in their mother’s footsteps from cheer captain to beauty queen.

  Dad didn’t flinch when I mentioned I saw Candace with Coach Fitzsimmons that afternoon, and it wouldn’t be until two months later that I’d learn the truth while I eavesdropped on their argument one night. All of the years in the service had trained Dad well. He knew when to dig around when something didn’t sit right with him. After my innocent comment, Dad had begun to follow Candace and found out she was having an affair with the young high school football coach.

  For months after that, they fought a lot. But in the end, they decided to stay together and work it out. She blamed him for working too much and not giving her the attention she needed. He blamed her for breaking their vows and climbing into another man’s bed. I didn’t think any one man had the time or strength to give Candace the attention she thought she needed. But Dad had been through enough and who was I to judge.

  After a year or so, they went back to normal and the fights about Coach seemed fewer and further between. Dad had begun to forgive her, but I’d already realized that Candace would never forgive me. I know down deep he forgave Candace because he didn’t want to be alone again. He didn’t want to experience the loss he felt when mom died. But Candace blamed me for their problems, because I was the one who first told Dad about the affair. She never believed that I acted innocently; she thought I wanted to sabotage her marriage. Life became hell for me at home at 15.

  Candace had always favored her two daughters, but she was polite and friendly before. After the Coach incident, she began her verbal assaults on me. Her brand of cruelty may not have been physical, but it was no less scaring. At a time when girls needed their mother most, I was inflicted with relentless assaults of how ugly and unwanted I was and that I would never find a man.

  I didn’t tell dad and she didn’t do it in front of him. At least not overtly. By the time it was unbearable to be in my own house with her, Dad was starting to heal from the torture she had put him through and I couldn’t bear to see him hurt again. So I took it all, and after a while, she convinced me her words were true. If it weren’t for Shauna, I don’t know how I would have gotten through those years. She was my light in the darkness and the best friend anyone could have.

  “So does this Kennedy have a last name?” I thought about making one up, because I knew he would be calling a buddy to run a background check that afternoon if I didn’t.

  “His last name is Jenner Dad, but please don’t send all your buddies on a mission to find dirt.”

  “Now would I do that baby girl?” Yes, dad you most certainly would.

  “Okay dad, I have to get going back to work now. Be good and I’ll see you on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.”

  �
��I love you baby girl.” I could hear him sigh through the phone. He missed me and I knew it.

  “I love you too Dad.”

  Chapter 15

  Kennedy surprised me with a new dress for the Charity event we were going to Saturday night. “Did you really pick this out all by yourself? It is the most beautiful dress I have ever seen.” The dress was obviously antique couture. The style was far removed from the harsh angles and lines of the current art deco fashion and was instead designed to show beauty and grace. The entire dress was decorated in light shades of pearls and iridescent beads. It looked like something out of a 1920’s flapper movie, without the over the top flapper fringe. The pearls were set in a way to give the appearance of lace and then the dark beading appeared to shadow the lace. It was dusty rose and something I would have never picked out for myself. The neckline was low, but had layers of sheer fabric that made it appear romantic instead of overly sexy.

  “You are killing me Hope, do you think I can’t pick out something beautiful?” He arched one eyebrow and I saw the hint of a smile beneath the pretense of his hurt feelings.

  “I didn’t mean that, it’s just so unique and beautiful, you must have had to spend a lot of time looking.”

  He took a sip of his wine with that sexy mouth. “You are right, I did. You really have to keep your eyes open for something that unique and beautiful.” I could tell he wasn’t talking about the dress anymore and I flushed. This man has seen me naked and in some pretty compromising positions, yet his words could still make me blush like a school girl.