“Want you so much, Tees, so much,” he pants, removing his mouth from mine to lick across my collarbone as I arch into his prominent erection. “I licked you. You’re mine.”
“I am. Whenever and wherever you want me. I’m yours.”
He takes my mouth again, pushing me into the door and making it rattle. I love the hard feeling of it behind me while I feel him hard beneath me. And then there’s no door, and we’re about to fall, but I drop my legs and stand.
“Oh!” I hear from behind me, and turn to see Waverly standing with her hand on the door.
“What are you doing here, Wave? Did something happen?” Kendrick asks, letting go of me to cup her face.
This isn’t awkward. I mean, we weren’t just making out against the door while his “best friend” was inside, wearing one of his shirts, and not much else. Yeah, it’s time for me to go.
I shrug out of his jacket, letting it fall to the floor as I turn and walk away. Kendrick remembers I’m there and grabs my arm. “I’m sorry, but Waverly needs me right now. Can I have a raincheck for tomorrow?”
“No, Kendrick,” I say, pulling my arm away, “you cannot.”
“Matisse, please.”
“I won’t be the other woman. Ever.” Again. I don’t say it, because he doesn’t need to know about my past, but I promise it to myself. I won’t be that woman again.
I walk away with my heart breaking, and like the last and only other time, it’s because the guy already has someone. I honestly didn’t know last time, and I did ask this time, but I still feel dirty. I need a few showers, and a good cry, and then I’ll move on, just like I did before.
Chapter 2
Kendrick
I close the door and lean my head against it, letting out a string of curses. Matisse isn’t the other woman, she’s the only woman. The only one I’ve wanted more than a few hours with, and the only one I was willing to risk myself for. I can’t risk Waverly, though, and I know that’s why she was in my shirt when she opened the door. She wanted to make sure I remembered when all I wanted to do was forget.
“I’m sorry,” Waverly says, letting her African accent out. She makes sure to sound American when we’re around other people, keeping up the illusion that we met when I moved to the U.S. for medical school.
“There’s no emergency, is there?” I ask, trying to control the rage I’m feeling now. She’s been my best friend since we were eleven, and no matter what, she’ll always hold that place in my life.
“No. I was just hanging out, waiting for you to be done studying. I figured you’d need a friend after spending time with Matisse. You never bring her here, so when I heard the door rattling, I thought you had your hands full or something.”
“I did have my hands full,” I practically growl at her.
“I know, and again, I’m sorry. I heard you when I reached the door, and I…I was scared. Scared you’d forget to be careful. You were in the hallway, Kendrick.”
“Dammit, Waverly. I made you a promise, and I’ll never break it, but I like her. I like her more than I ever planned on liking a woman. My life is too messed up to fall in love, but I could fall in love with Matisse. And to clarify, we were in the hallway of one of the most secure buildings on the planet. I sold my house and moved in here so I could ask Reina and Matt to let you do the same. You know that.”
“You could fall in love with her?” she asks, ignoring everything else I said.
I can understand why—we’ve both always been scared to find love. If we love, we might also have to trust, and up until I became the doctor for the Society, I didn’t trust anyone but Waverly. She still doesn’t trust anyone else, but I do. It’s been the source of many fights, with neither one of us winning any. Pretty soon, we’ll have to agree to trust Reina Corrigan, but that time hasn’t come yet.
“Yes. I could love her. I’m already on my way there,” I admit, rubbing the back of my neck as I pick up my jacket off the floor and head into my kitchen. I pull out a beer, because God knows I need it right now, and take a swig as I study Waverly.
“You won’t leave me? What if she asks you to?”
“I would never leave you, and she wouldn’t be someone I could fall in love with if she asked me to stop being friends with you. She’s hurt and pissed right now, and I don’t think she’ll want to see me again, so it doesn’t matter anyway.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“And say what?”
“Whatever I need to. You’ve always been there for me, and now it’s my turn to be there for you.”
“I don’t expect anything from you but your friendship.”
“Well, I let you down on that front tonight, didn’t I?”
We don’t lie to each other, so I tell her the truth. “Yeah, you did.”
“I’m going to talk to her tomorrow and explain.”
“Explain what?”
“That I made things look like something they’re not, and something they never will be. You’re like a brother to me. Nothing more.”
“You’re in one of my shirts. Are you going to pass that off as something my ‘sister’ would do?”
“If she had nothing else to wear, sure.”
“You live next door.”
“I’ll think of something. I’ll throw myself under a hundred buses, and even sing if she needs me to.”
“Don’t sing. You know you can’t sing.”
“Which is why I’ll do it. Embarrassing myself for you is the least I can do.”
“I don’t want you to embarrass yourself, Wave. I just want you to let me see if I can love Matisse. It won’t change anything for us.”
“It will,” she says, holding up a hand when I try to protest. “I’m gonna need to knock or call ahead before coming through that door from now on.”
“Oh, well, with any luck you definitely will.”
“I love you, Kenny.”
“Love you too, Wave. Now please go put your clothes on.”
She laughs, kissing my cheek before disappearing into my guest room. I don’t know if she’ll be able to convince Matisse that nothing’s going on with us, but I’ll let her try. There are things going on with us, but nothing romantic, and if she can’t convince Matisse of that, then I’ll have to pull out every stop I can think of to win her back. Good thing I have friends who have all groveled a time or two, because that front row seat I had to most of it has given me a wealth of knowledge. And if all else fails, I’m not too proud to beg.
* * *
Matisse
“Matisse, I need to speak to you,” Audrey says as I try to escape the lab.
I know I fucked up on my Periodic Table test. I had the answers down, even without Kendrick’s help. I made flashcards and passed them out among my friends here, and the guys at the shop. They flash the cards at me randomly, and I answer correctly most of the time. Not now, of course, because why would anything go right for me after last night?
Well, I look good, so there’s that. My cute pink dress that is A-line in the front, but drapes in the back to wrap forward, paired with my shark flats aren’t going to save me now, but at least I feel good about something.
“I failed, didn’t I?” I ask Audrey once everyone else has filed out.
“You did. You’ve been making progress, so I’m a little confused.”
“My mind wasn’t on it. I know all the answers, I swear I do,” I say, looking her in the eye before dropping my gaze to the floor.
“Kendrick?” she asks, and my head whips back up. “I thought so.”
“I know you’re going to tell me that no man should ever distract me from doing what I need to do.”
“Being distracted could get you—or someone else—killed. And you shouldn’t let anyone put you in that position, not just a man.”
“I won’t. I swear I won’t. Today was a blip, but it won’t happen again. I’m not going to let it. Being here means so much to me.”
“Then why did you fail?” Stella asks, coming in
the room, and hopping up on the work station in front of me. She picks up a beaker of liquid, but Audrey smacks her hand and takes it from her. “I know, I know. No touchy.”
“You’re a menace in here.”
“But I passed, Aud. Maybe not with flying colors, but a pass is a pass.”
“I can pass. I can. Please don’t kick me out.”
Stella and Audrey share a confused look. “No one’s kicking you out, Teesy. Reina told you there’s no time limit for all of this. We just need to make sure you’re okay.”
“Oh. I’m not really okay, but I will be. I’ll re-take the test whenever you want.”
“How about now?” Stella asks, a challenge in her eyes.
“Okay,” I tell her.
“Good,” Audrey says. “One thing we need you to understand is that all of us have made mistakes, and in some cases, let our personal lives distract us. It’s how you handle things when you mess up that defines you within this organization. That’s not to say you should go out and put lives in danger, but for something like a test, knowing you can immediately bounce back from failure is definitely a plus.”
“I’m going to pass. Do I take the same test?”
“Let’s do an oral exam,” she says, smiling at me.
Ten minutes later, I walk out the door after acing the oral test. I got hugs from Stella, and Audrey, and did an actual fist pump. I’m heading to the cafeteria to join my friends when I see the second to last person I want to see right now sitting in the Foundation lobby. Waverly.
I lengthen my stride, but she steps in front of me. “Can I talk to you, Matisse?”
“No.”
“Please.”
“I didn’t know he was yours, Waverly. I asked him point blank if you were his girlfriend, or his fuck buddy, and he said you weren’t. I wouldn’t have gone after him if I thought he was taken.”
“He’s not mine. I mean, he is, but not in a romantic way. He’s my brother in every way except blood. Nothing more.”
“You opened the door in his shirt.”
She looks down at her feet, and then glances to mine, laughing when she sees the sharks. “Nice shoes.”
“Nice evasion.”
“I wasn’t evading. Delaying yes, but not evading. Admitting I was a bitch isn’t easy for me, but that’s what I was last night. I was so scared of losing Kendrick, and I can’t lose him. I really, really can’t lose him.”
“I wasn’t trying to take him from you. I respect how close you are.”
“I know you weren’t. It was my own insecurities and fears that made me act the way I did. Kenny has been my world for so long, and I didn’t want to share.”
“You said you’re not together, but it sounds like you are.”
She shakes her head. “I’m explaining this all wrong. We are not now, haven’t been in the past, and never will be, romantically involved. It’s not something I even consider, and I know he doesn’t, either. He’s the most important person in my life, and I want him to be happy. You are the first person I’ve ever met who can make him happy. I know, he knows, and you’ll hopefully know it soon, if you don’t already.”
“I don’t know if I believe you, and like I said last night, I won’t be the other woman in this scenario.”
“There’s only you. I promise.”
“Thanks for coming to see me, Waverly. I-I need to think about all of this. It’s obvious to the world that I’m totally into Kendrick, but while I knew the two of you were a package deal, I’m not sure how I feel about you having an all-access pass to his apartment.”
“I’ve already told him I’ll be knocking or calling ahead before going over there from now on.”
“Are you going to stop wearing his clothes?”
“That was to get you to leave,” she says, looking me in the eye. “I’ve worn a t-shirt of his here and there over the years, usually because I’ve spilled something on myself, but I’ve never done what I did last night. He’s never been as angry at me, either.”
“He didn’t look mad when I left,” I say, trying to hold onto my hurt and anger, but failing in the face of raw honesty she’s showing me on her face.
Her stunningly gorgeous face. Waverly literally looks like she walked out of a painting by Raphael. She’s sturdy, but sexy at the same time—she needs to be strong to be a physical therapist, and her curves could put even Stella’s to shame. Her grey eyes change from innocent to stormy in seconds when she’s angry, and her lush red curls make everyone jealous. She’s hot, scorching hot, and I don’t know any woman who wouldn’t be worried about her being so close to the man they want. Her insistence that they aren’t ever going to be hitting the sheets isn’t ringing false, and I desperately want to believe her.
“He thought something was wrong. Kendrick will always protect me, and yeah, I guess you need to accept that, but that’s all it is; him being protective of me.”
“I want to trust what you’re saying is true, but like I said, I need to think about it.”
I walk past her, but she calls out to me. “Will you at least call him? Or just text? He’s a mess.”
I stop at the elevator, and close my eyes. I should not be asking what I’m about to ask, but here I go. “Is he in his office?”
“Yes,” she says rushing to my side. “He checked Faith out after her mission earlier today, but it’s quiet down there right now.”
“Okay. I’ll go see him.”
She pulls me into a hug, which surprises me. My friends and I have invited her out with us, but I’d never classify her as a “hugger.” I hug her back, because not doing it would be weird, but also because I’m honestly a little freaked out.
Chapter 3
Kendrick
This day is too quiet. Being the doctor for a bunch of injury-prone spies and their husbands should make me glad for the quiet, but today I’m feeling the silence. The quiet gives me way too much time to keep seeing the look on Matisse’s face when she saw Waverly standing there in my shirt. I should’ve gone after her. If it happened again…I wouldn’t go after her right away. Despite everything, I would stay and make sure Waverly was okay first—and then I would go. Which is what I should’ve done last night instead of moping through an action movie and drinking a few more beers.
I run my hands over my closely shorn hair and then down the scruff I didn’t shave off this morning, before leaning back and covering my face with them. Why did I ever think I could find happiness? I have too many responsibilities—to myself, and to Waverly—for happiness to be a part of my life right now.
“Hi,” I hear from my doorway and nearly fall out of my chair when I see Matisse standing there. She’s got on a short pink sleeveless dress that allows me to see a hint of her breasts at the sides, and I have to hold onto my chair so I don’t jump up and grab her.
“What are you doing here?” I blurt out, and she takes a step back. “No. I mean, I want you here, but I didn’t think you’d give me another chance.”
“Waverly says you’re not going to ever be together. At least not romantically.”
“Never,” I agree without hesitation.
“I’m not sure how I feel about coming second to her. I’ve never been first to anyone but my brother, and I wanted to be first when I fell in love.”
“I won’t lie to you. For now, Waverly will come first to me. One day, maybe she won’t, but I can’t promise that. I can promise to make you feel special and cared for whenever we’re together.”
She takes over a minute to answer, and I’d be lying if I said it didn’t scare me. Finally, she speaks and gives me a little bit of hope. “I want to try.”
I do go to her then, pulling her into my arms and kissing her lightly on the mouth. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I may not be able to do this.”
“You’re willing to try, and I can’t ask for more than that.”
“You realize this is all kind of surreal for me, right? Two days ago, I was practically begging you to s
tudy with me, and now you’re kissing me.”
“You’re my dream come true, literally. I just needed a little bit of courage to let myself have you,” I tell her, stepping back to look her up and down. When I get to her feet, I can’t help but chuckle. “Were your shoes planning on biting me?”
“No, but I might.”
I tilt my head to the side and pull down the collar of my shirt. “Go ahead.”
“Who said anything about your neck, Doc?”
I’m reaching for her when the alarm starts going off, telling me there’s a medical emergency. “Dammit! I have to go, Tees. It’s an emergency.”
“I know. Go! I’ll wait.”
“It could be hours,” I yell back to her.
“I’ll be here.”
I run down the hall, and stop short when I see Tegan in Caleb’s arms as they exit the elevator. “She’s having the baby, Kenny,” he tells me, panic in his voice.
“Put me down, Cal. I’m not going to fall apart. I’ve done this before.”
“I know,” he says, holding her tighter. “I wasn’t there last time, but I’m here now, and I want you in my arms.”
“Carry her into the room,” I tell him, motioning to the state of the art birthing room that wasn’t necessary until the Society women started getting pregnant. Audrey used it first, and after Tegan, Reina will be using it next. I never thought I’d be performing births in this job, but then again, nothing is what I expected when it comes to my job.
“Seriously, Cowboy, you have to put me down. I can’t give birth in your arms.”
I nod to Caleb, and he lays her gently onto the bed, kissing her forehead as he takes her hand. My nurses surround her and start getting everything prepared as I ask her what I need to know. Once we’ve determined that we have little time, I get ready for my exam.
“Wait, we need Ethan! We can’t have the baby without Ethan!”
“I’m not leaving you, Teeg,” Caleb insists.
“I need my girls—they can’t go.”
Society Girls: Matisse Page 3
