“Love you, Kinsley.”
Chapter Sixteen
KINSLEY
Knock. Knock.
I glance up at the door as Herman lifts his head.
The game is on in the background, I have a bowl of popcorn in front of me, and a strawberry sparkling water waiting to be cracked open. I’m ready for my last night alone until Maddox gets home.
“Who do you think that is?” I ask Herman, as I stand and walk over to the door, expecting Joan. When I open the door, two women, who look vaguely familiar, are standing before me.
Where do I know them from?
“Kinsley?” one of them asks.
“Um, yes,” I say, hoping they’re not Maddox’s old flings or from “the brothel.” One does have dark hair and big boobs.
“It’s so great to meet you.” The dark hair girl swoops me into a hug. “I’m Dottie, Jason Orson’s wife. And this is Natalie, Cory’s fiancée.”
“Oh wow, hi,” I say, taking Natalie into a hug as well. “Please, come in.”
I right my tank top and make sure my shorts are straight as well.
“She is really hot,” Natalie says to Dottie who gives me a slow once-over. “I can see why the boys are saying Maddox is completely head over heels.”
My cheeks flame as I shut the door and pull on the hem of my tank. “Uh, thank you. If I knew you were coming over, I would have put something a little more appropriate on.”
“Please, if I had your boobs, I’d be wearing the same thing.” She turns to Natalie. “Can you imagine a life without a bra and not having your boobs feel like they’re sagging to the ground?”
Natalie looks at me and says, “You’re lucky, girl. Show off those ladies.”
I chuckle and motion to the living room. “I was just watching the game and eating some popcorn, can I get you guys a drink?”
“I would love whatever you’re having,” Dottie says, setting her purse on the ground near the entryway and then walking into the living room. Natalie follows suit.
“Same for me.” They both make themselves comfortable on the couch while I get their drinks, feeling a little awkward.
I mean . . . why are they here? Did Maddox send them here? I’m not complaining, because it would be great to make some new friends, someone who’s younger than fifty at least. I quickly grab them drinks and then take them into the living room where they’re discussing Lincoln, who is on the mound tonight.
“He is such an idiot when it comes to dating,” Dottie says, giving me a smile while I hand her the drink.
“Thank you,” Natalie says and then adds, “I’m just glad he stopped going after the cleat chasers. Cory said they were fucking with his head.”
“Cleat chasers?” I ask, jumping right into the conversation as if we’ve been doing this for a while.
“Yeah, real classy women,” Dottie says with a roll of her eyes. “They stalk out the hotel, find out what floor the guys are on and then roam the hallways, purses full of condoms, legs ready to be spread in any position asked.”
“Ew, really?”
Natalie nods. “Yeah. Easy access for the guys who want it. Frankly, it’s disgusting, if you ask me. Apparently, last year Lincoln had sex with a few of them until Maddox and Jason had a conversation with him about not indulging in cheap thrills, but to look for someone who’s going to make him happy. Which according to Jason, there is someone special in his life, but Maddox is the only one who knows about her.”
“Interesting.”
Dottie nods. “Rumor has it he’s been on again off again with a girl but something always goes wrong. Timing hasn’t ever worked out for them. I thought it was maybe too much pressure.”
“Pressure?” I ask, feeling like I’m getting smacked in the face with a load of information I wasn’t expecting. Hell, I was just going to eat popcorn with Herman—who is snoring by the way, great guard dog he is—and watch the boys play, hoping to catch glimpses of Maddox.
“The boys are gone a lot, as I think you’ve noticed already. There’s a lot of shady business that goes on in those hotels. If you find a good man, he tucks himself away at night. But it’s the guys who hang out in the lobby, the ones who go to the bar not just once, but every night. Those are the guys you have to look out for.”
“Like Marcus.” Natalie shakes her head.
“Wait.” I hold up my hand. “Marcus Gomez? The family man?”
Dottie nods. “Yeah. He’s apparently been cheating on his wife for a while now. The boys just found out; it’s why they don’t really hang out with him anymore.”
“Yeah, Cory was close with him, but the moment he saw Marcus with another woman on one of their away trips, Cory took a step back. He didn’t want to be associated with him.”
“But they have kids,” I say, feeling horrified for his wife.
“Apparently that didn’t matter.” Natalie sighs. “I still feel sad about it. Marcus had a hand in getting Cory and me back together. And who knows, maybe there are two sides to every story, but all we know is the boys avoid him. Which by the way”—Natalie holds up her drink and Dottie’s holds hers up too. So I join—“to a new friendship.”
We all cheers and take a sip. “Not that I’m angry you guys are here, but . . . why are you here?”
They both laugh and Dottie takes the lead. “Ready for some gossip?”
“As if we haven’t already opened with that,” Natalie says.
“True.” Dottie turns toward me and says, “Jason told me that Maddox was talking to him about you the other day, how he worries when he’s gone because you don’t really have anyone in Chicago other than the people you work with. Maddox wondered if Natalie and I would make friends with you.”
I feel my cheeks flush and Natalie catches it because she quickly says, “Don’t be embarrassed. It’s really sweet. Maddox wants to make sure you’re taken care of. Trust me, it’s good to make some friends who know what you’re going through. Being a baseball spouse is not easy.”
“How long have you two been together?” Dottie asks. “When Jason told me Maddox had a girl, I was a little stunned to be honest. He’s always been a little darker, a little more closed off.”
“Yeah, the dark horse of the group.”
“Always a different girl—” Natalie knocks Dottie in the leg.
“Don’t say things like that to her.”
“Oh shit, I’m sorry.” Dottie clasps her hands over her mouth. “I swear, I’m not that mean girl who makes you worry about your man. Jason said Maddox is so lost in you. You have nothing to worry about.”
I feel like a pinball, being shoved around every which way. These two seem like a lot of fun, but also exhausting. Then again, this is how Maddox must feel around me, being tossed back and forth from topic to topic.
“Maddox and I are not technically together.”
The color in both their faces drain and Natalie is the first to speak. “Oh shit. Did we just expose Maddox?”
“Jason made it seem like you guys were together. He didn’t say that Maddox’s feelings were a secret. I am going to kill him.”
I chuckle and shake my head. “Please don’t kill Jason, he’s such a sweet man. And I do know about Maddox’s feelings. We’ve known each other since we were five. Best friends, neighbors, we grew up together. We know everything about one another. I got a job opportunity that I was going to turn down because I couldn’t afford the housing here, and he offered to let me stay with him. From there, things got intense quickly. Before they left for their away trip, he kissed me.” My heart sighs from remembering the moment. “He kissed me and left.”
“Oh, that devil of a man,” Natalie says, but both girls lean in to my story.
“Tell me about it. We talked that night once they got to the hotel and he basically laid it all out on the table.” I clasp my hands together, trying to contain the excitement I have over the prospect of Maddox coming back tomorrow and wanting to take things another step further.
“You guys are so
going to have sex tomorrow, aren’t you?” Dottie asks, a giant smirk on her face.
I shake my head. “No, he’s a sexual creature—”
“Ah, so he told you about all the women.” Natalie nods. “Yeah, Cory said he was a bit of a player.”
I swallow hard, knowing this is true. But he also had a long-term girlfriend . . . that broke his heart. He hasn’t had a relationship since then. Should I be concerned?
“Yes, we’re both sexual creatures actually,” I say, not wanting to show any insecurity. Dottie and Natalie are here on the best of intentions, I know this. They might be quite open, which in the long run is what I’m looking for in a friendship, but it’s also a lot at first, especially since I haven’t seen Maddox since he left the shelter. “I didn’t want the start of us to be all about sex, so he gave me control.”
“As in . . . he’s not going to try to fuck you until you give him the go ahead?” Dottie asks. I nod and she clasps her hand over her heart. “That’s really hot actually.”
“It is.” Natalie leans back and says, “Cory held out on me.”
“Jason did the same.” Dottie sips her drink. “It was really annoying, being the one tortured.”
“Yeah, it got ridiculous.” Natalie points at me. “Make sure you make him wait for a while. If not for you, for us.” We all laugh. “These boys love to tease us and now we have a little power in our hands to tease back, if not our own guy, one of their own.”
“You could still tease them now.”
Dottie shakes her head. “Oh, the threats are there, but it’s all talk. Trust me when I say the day you get thoroughly fucked by a Rebel, is the day sex will never be the same.”
“She is so right,” Natalie says, sighing and looking to the ceiling. “I thought I knew what sex was until Cory came around.”
Leaning in, Dottie says, “She’s also soon to be married to the biggest penis on the team.”
Natalie smirks, still staring at the ceiling. “It’s so big.”
I flush, my mind going to Maddox, wondering how big he is. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t at least the biggest I’ve ever had. He’s tall, has large hands and feet, and is broad. He has all the signs for a big member.
Coming back to the group, Natalie says, “I heard Maddox is big though.” She winks at me.
“Cory told you that?”
“No, Jason,” Dottie cuts in. She rolls her eyes. “He is a man-child. Has mentioned many penises, especially Cory’s.”
Natalie nods. “My brother has an obsession with my fiancé. I’m okay with it.”
“He also mentioned Maddox has some . . . jewelry, if you know what I mean.”
“What?” I say, sitting taller. “Like . . . he has a piercing on his penis?”
Dottie quickly holds her hands up. “I’m not one hundred percent sure, but Jason mumbled something about it and how it’s badass and fits Maddox perfectly. Jason could never pull it off. He’s too sensitive.”
“Is it a Prince Albert?” I ask, getting far too excited. My legs clench together from the mere thought that Maddox is pierced.
Dottie and Natalie exchange glances and then look back at me. “Natalie, I think our new friend here is a freak in the sheets.”
Natalie motions her finger over me. “Oh yeah, total freak. Which will come in handy, because she can teach us some new things to surprise our men with.”
“Easily,” I say on a laugh. “Stick with me, ladies. I’ll teach you all the things.”
* * *
Maddox: On our way home tomorrow. Because of storms, we’re not flying out tonight.
Kinsley: Ugh, why does Mother Nature hate me? I’m so kind to Her.
Maddox: Missing me?
Kinsley: Like crazy. I was willing to get no sleep just so I could welcome you home.
Maddox: I’m disappointed too, babe.
Kinsley: Dottie and Natalie came over tonight. Heard you were worried about me.
Maddox: I don’t want you to be lonely.
Kinsley: I have Joan.
Maddox: I don’t want you to navigate this baseball world alone. Natalie and Dottie are great.
Kinsley: They are.
Maddox: What did you talk about?
Kinsley: We can talk about it tomorrow. I’m working from home, volunteers are managing the shelter tomorrow, so I don’t have to go in.
Maddox: So I don’t have to wait until you get off work to see you?
Kinsley: Nope. Kind of wish you came home after a day game, but I get it.
Maddox: Jason practically wept into Cory’s arms when he realized we weren’t headed out tonight. Are the storms bad?
I glance out the window where rain is pelting the glass, lightning flaring in the distance with a constant rumble of thunder. Yeah, they’re bad. Dottie and Natalie left just at the right time when it started to rain.
Kinsley: Let’s just say Herman is hiding under the table, not happy with what’s happening outside.
Maddox: Hell, that makes me feel for him.
Kinsley: Just admit it, you love him.
Maddox: Not so much, but I did find out there’s a dog pee area off the parking garage.
Kinsley: Oh, we use it. Don’t you worry.
Maddox: Good, didn’t want you having to go out in the storm.
Kinsley: So concerned all the time. You know I’m a big girl and can handle myself, right?
Maddox: And you know that I care about you more than anything in my life, and I’ll always try to protect you, right?
Kinsley: Don’t make me sigh over you. You’re giving me heart eyes.
Maddox: Good.
* * *
“What is taking him so damn long?” I ask Herman who is resting on the couch, wearing a Rebels shirt that I got for him, in the hopes of winning Maddox over even more. If I do say so myself, he looks adorable in it.
Just at that moment, I hear footsteps fall down the hallway and my heart stills as keys fall into the lock and the door opens.
A wave of lust hits me when Maddox steps through the door in pair of black jeans, a white shirt, and his hair styled in that messy, sexy way only he can pull off. His scruff is thick and his eyes are clear as ever, as he shuts the door behind him and sets his bag on the ground in the entryway.
“Get the fuck over here,” he says, his voice piercing me as I stand and rush over to him.
I fling my body at his and he catches me in the air, only to spin us both around and pin me against the door. His hands fly up to my cheeks where he grips me tightly and presses his mouth against mine, as if I’m the one giving him air and he needs it immediately.
Hungry and demanding, his mouth works over mine, pulling and teasing, pressing and prodding. His tongue sweeps across my lips, asking for entry. I don’t give it right away, giving him short, tight kisses and when he growls against me, his hand flying to the door in frustration, I smile and open my mouth, granting him access.
When my tongue caresses his, he moans out loud and shifts both of us, while one of his hands falls to my backside, holding me tightly. At first, his grip is so tight that it shoots a piercing pain through my side but it quickly subsides when I realize just how amazing it feels to have a man claim me the way Maddox is.
A heady sensation takes over as Maddox moves his lips across mine, to my jaw and then down my neck for a few brief seconds before he moves back up, ravishing my mouth like a man unhinged. The hunger in his kisses starts to slow down and instead of the fury from moments ago, his kisses turn slow, languid, purposeful with every swipe.
It’s drugging. That’s the only way to describe it. I feel like I’m floating away with every swipe, every press of his mouth to mine. Soft, featherlight, I can’t feel anything but the way his mouth intimately connects with mine.
I moan into his mouth, as my hands tangle in the short strands of his hair as I try to dig in deeper, glue my body to his, become one. And just as I feel like I might not be able to get any closer to him, Maddox pulls away and takes a deep breath.
His eyes are heavy, his smile lazy, and he looks completely satisfied . . . just from a kiss.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” I smile and then chuckle, burying my head in his shoulder.
He carries me to the couch where he sits down, keeping me on his lap. Hands on my thighs, he says, “Why are you laughing?”
“This just seems so surreal.” I lift up from his shoulder and caress his jaw. “I get to touch you, kiss you and not worry that I’m crossing a line.” I study the curve of his jaw. “I was so worried.”
“Worried?” His brow creases. “About?”
“That I was . . . you know, letting all my cards show. That you weren’t feeling the same way.”
“Seriously?” He laughs and pushes his hand through his hair. “Kinsley, I was practically dying every time you walked into a room. I couldn’t take it anymore, not being able to be with you the way I wanted, but I thought I should ease into it. So I touched you more, hoping you didn’t push me away.”
I sit back and consider the change in how we interacted: him pulling me onto his lap; him standing between my legs, touching me, holding me. He had been more intimate than normal.
“I thought maybe I was looking too far into things, because of my feelings.” I chuckle and place my hands on his chest, running my fingers along his pecs. “Apparently, I was reading you just right.”
“You were.” He rubs my thighs. “Fuck, I’m happy, Kin.”
“Me too.” I smile, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. “This doesn’t feel weird?”
He shakes his head. “No, babe, this feels right.”
* * *
“You’re fucking cute, you know that?” Maddox asks as he leans against the bathroom counter, while I finish brushing my teeth.
We spent the rest of the day cuddling, making out, eating, working, making out some more. Flirting . . . and of course so much making out. My stomach has tumbled so much from his touch today that I actually feel slightly queasy from all the tossing and turning. But not queasy enough to stop from making out with him some more.
The Change Up Page 20
