His voice animated with excitement, and while Kendall wanted her son to achieve all his dreams, she remembered what Beck said about facing 106 mile per hour shots from Shea Weber. Granted, Weber, whoever he was, would be long retired by the time Tristan played in the NHL, but by then someone would probably have an even faster and harder shot. Great. Lovely. She had that to look forward to? “I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Kendall said, trying to muster some enthusiasm.
“You know what would be really cool?” Tristan asked.
No, but I bet I’m about to find out. “What’s that?”
“If you keep dating Beck and I can take him to show and tell or career day at school.”
Show and tell. Career day. Was this going too far? “Let’s just see what happens, okay?” Kendall suggested. “Let’s have a good time at the zoo and take it from there.” After all, that might prove to be more than what Becker could handle.
“Sure, I guess,” Tristan said. “Can we ride the train today? I bet Ali would like it.”
He was a good kid, always looking out for his baby sister. “I bet she would, too. We’ll definitely plan on the train.” It could be another good test for Beck. “Do you want to help me finish getting her stuff ready? Becker will be here soon.”
***
Becker arrived a few minutes before eleven, and was greeted by Kendall, dressed in white jeans and a sleeveless green shirt that accentuated her eyes. Her luscious auburn hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and sunglasses rested on her forehead. Gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.
“Are you ready?”
“We’re ready.” Tristan popped up behind her, sporting a Generals ball cap and a Spurs T-shirt. Becker stifled a laugh. The kid sure seemed to love his San Antonio sports teams.
“If you don’t mind, I think I better drive,” Kendall said. “I’m not sure Ali’s chair will fit in that sports car of yours.”
“Oh, sure.” It was something Becker hadn’t even thought of. He was happy to let her drive, though. Whatever was easier. He had no idea what it was like to transport a special needs child, but he was about to find out.
Kendall was a pro, that was fore sure, easily getting her daughter situated in the minivan. She pulled her sunglasses down over her eyes as she got behind the wheel. “You’re brave for doing this,” she said, backing out of her driveway. “I’m guessing you’ve never spent a day at the zoo with an eight-year-old and a wheelchair confined six-year-old.”
“Nope. This is a first.” Becker settled back in his seat. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Ali wants to ride the train,” Tristan announced. “And I want to see the snakes.”
“No snakes.” Kendall visibly shuddered. “We’ll go see the frogs, for sure, but we’re not looking at any snakes.”
Becker considered saying he didn’t think snakes were so bad, but decided it probably wouldn’t earn him any points. Judging from Kendall’s reaction, she wasn’t a snake lover. He could live with that.
Traffic was fairly light, and it didn’t take long to arrive at the zoo. Kendall reached into her purse to pay the entrance charges, and Becker shook his head. “I’ve got this. I invited you, remember?”
“Fine, but I’ll pay for the train when we do that.”
Becker didn’t argue. He didn’t mind paying for everything. It was a date, after all. But the fact that Kendall wanted to pay her own way for herself and her kids, and not take advantage of his NHL salary, made him respect her even more. He’d dated a few women that only seemed interested in his money and his status. It was refreshing to spend time with someone who wasn’t.
Once inside, they visited the lions and the monkeys, then neared the reptile house. Becker wondered if Tristan might push the snake issue, and decided he would volunteer to go in with the boy and spare his mother from look at cobras and rattlers. Instead, Tristan pointed excitedly at something else.
“Butterflies. Ali wants to see the butterflies.”
Indeed, the little girl seemed to be bobbing her head in anticipation.
“Then let’s go see the butterflies,” Becker said, and they headed toward the butterfly exhibit.
Once there, Tristan took control of his sister’s chair, allowing Beck and Kendall to trail a little behind them. He reached for Kendall’s hand as they walked. “He’s a good kid.”
“Yes, he is, and he adores his sister.”
“Does she really love the butterflies?” Becker asked.
“Good question,” Kendall said. “Ali’s mind is sharp. There’s nothing wrong with it. She just doesn’t communicate with words like we do. I think I’ve gotten pretty good at reading her expressions and knowing what she likes, but Tristan seems to have an even better connection with her. Either that, or he thinks he does. It’s hard to tell sometimes.”
“They seem to have fun, though.” Becker watched as a butterfly land on Ali’s shoulder, and the little girl laughed. Maybe there was something to the siblings’ communication skills, because Ali seemed even more animated in the presence of the butterflies.
“Yes, they do.”
“I’m having fun, too.” Noticing the kids were a few steps ahead of them, Becker used the opportunity to steal a kiss with Kendall, taking in her scent as his lips brushed softly across hers.
“What was that for?” she asked.
Becker shrugged. “I just wanted to, because I think you’re beautiful. Is that okay?”
***
Okay? It was definitely okay. And probably appropriate they were standing in the butterfly exhibit, because Kendall’s heart fluttered when Beck kissed her. It was a single kiss, a soft peck on the lips, yet left her wanting more. “It’s fine,” she managed to say. Do it again, please, a voice inside her begged.
He didn’t, though, apparently recognizing they were in a very public place and surrounding by children, including her own, and settled for holding her hand as they finished looking at butterflies, before moving on to elephants, giraffes and zebras, which proved to be a big hit with Ali.
They stopped for lunch at a restaurant on the zoo grounds, and Kendall watched in quiet amazement as Becker sliced up pieces of hot dog for Ali. The last time she’d been here, with Carter, he’d complained about the crowds and looked the other direction when Kendall had to help Ali eat her food. They’d skipped the train that day because Carter was anxious to leave, and looking back, it was probably the beginning of the end. Family time didn’t interest Carter anymore. He wanted out. It didn’t come as any great shock to Kendall when, three weeks later, he moved out and announced his intention to file for divorce.
Kendall had cried herself to sleep that night, and a few more after that, wondering what she’d done wrong, how she’d failed. On bad days, she still wondered. On the good days, though, she recognized that perhaps Lori was right. That it was for the best.
Today was definitely one of the good days, and there would be no skipping the train. Ali would have pitched a fit, but Kendall needn’t have worried.
“I’ve been looking forward to the train all day,” Becker said, and when he helped Kendall get Ali situated in a seat and strapped in, she actually believed him.
“Did you know it was even robbed once?” Tristan asked.
“No, I didn’t,” Becker said.
“Back in 1970. That’s before I was born,” the boy said matter-of-factly.
“Me too,” Becker said with a chuckle. “I doubt it will be robbed today.” He settled back in his seat and put his arm around Kendall’s shoulders.
I could get used to this, she thought. I could definitely get used to this. The feeling was only repeated when he stole another kiss as the train stopped near the Japanese Tea Gardens.
The kids were exhausted by the time they arrived home, but it had been a great day. Kendall hated to see it end, but at the same time knew it had to. At least for tonight. “Thank you,” she said, as she stood in the doorway with Becker. He’d helped her get Ali safely inside the house and now prepared to leave, though K
endall didn’t want him to go. “I’d ask you to stay, but I really can’t today. The kids...”
Becker nodded. “I get it. No problem.”
“They’re with Carter again on Wednesday. You know, if you want to...” Kendall let her voice trail off. Great. She’d essentially just invited him over for sex.
Amusement flickered in Becker’s eyes. “Oh, I want to. No doubt about that.” He leaned in and kissed her again. “I look forward to it. Good night, beautiful.”
Chapter Eight
“Mom? Are you doing anything tonight?” Tristan asked as Kendall drove him and Alison to Carter’s on Wednesday afternoon.
“I’m not sure yet.” Kendall tried her best to deflect Tristan’s questions, although she had a pretty good idea what he was getting at.
“So you’re not seeing Beck?”
Sure enough, the kid didn’t miss a trick. While she and Becker had exchanged a few words at the rice rink after camp over the past few days, it was limited to casual conversation, and none of it about their plans for the night. Becker seemed to respect that Kendall wanted to keep things discreet in the presence of her kids. Still, Tristan seemed to have an idea something was up.
“I don’t know. Maybe,” she said as she parked in front of Carter’s apartment. “Why?”
Tristan shrugged. “I just wanted to know if you had a date.”
“What’s that about a date?” It was Carter, coming to the car to meet them. Lovely.
“Mom might have one with Beck,” Tristan announced with a grin. “But she doesn’t want to say.”
“Do you?” Carter asked.
Kendall shot him a glare. “That’s none of your business. It stopped being your business when you moved out of the house, told me your lawyer would be in contact with me, and changed your Facebook status to ‘single,’ all within a twenty-four period.” Was she being too harsh? She didn’t think so. The hurt she’d felt that day wasn’t likely to ever go away. “Where should I pick them up tomorrow? Here, or at your parents’ house?” She realized she had indirectly asked Carter whether he had a date. It never ceased to amaze her how quickly their conversations descended into pettiness. Hopefully, as more time passed, they’d find a way to get past that. While Kendall doubted they would ever be on a friendly basis, it would at least be nice to get back to something resembling civility.
“Here,” Carter said. “Here’s fine.”
His response was simple, straightforward, not at all snarky or petty, and Kendall felt twinge of guilt about her remark. “Perfect. I’ll help you get everything inside.” Maybe as time passed, Carter would try to actually be a father to Alison, too. It would be nice.
Kendall had just gotten back home when Lori called. “Are you ready for this?” she wanted to know.
“For what?” Kendall asked innocently, making Lori laugh.
“Um, the fact you invited a professional hockey player to your house for sex.”
When put like that, it all sounded rather cheap. “Must you be so... honest?” Kendall chided. “You make me sound cheap.” Was she? She preferred to think of it as, well, horny. After all, it had been five months since Carter moved out, and their sex hadn’t exactly been exciting or fulfilling in the weeks and months leading up to the bitter end. “Oh my God, Lor, what if he thinks I’m a slut?”
More laughter sounded over the line. “I doubt he thinks you’re a slut. In fact, I’m pretty certain he doesn’t,” Lori tried to reassure her. “He’s a guy. He’s probably anxious to get past first base.”
Kendall groaned. “You and your sports references.”
“Hey, you love my corny sense of humor,” Lori said. “Relax, Kendall. Give yourself permission to enjoy yourself, and maybe even get a little wild. You’ve had to deal with a lot of crap lately, and you deserve a fun, sexy night with a hot guy.”
“That’s what I keep trying to tell myself,” Kendall said. Wild, though? She was less sure about that. Did she even know how to get wild anymore? “I need to change clothes.”
“Wear something sexy,” Lori said. “At least sexy underwear. You do have some, right?”
Kendall rolled her eyes. “Yes, I have sexy underwear. I’m not quite that pathetic. Yet.”
“I never said you were. Have fun,” Lori told her. “I’d tell you to call me later, but hopefully you’ll be way too busy, so I’ll just plan to see you tomorrow.”
The line went dead before Kendall could reply, so she headed upstairs to find something to wear. Sexy. Right. What had she gotten herself into?
***
Becker felt like he was sixteen again when he stopped at the store on his way to Kendall’s house to stock up on condoms. Well, except this time he bought a bottle of wine, too. Back when he was hoping to score with Milly Jacobs after the Homecoming dance, he’d been too young to buy wine. Now he could, and he wanted to show up at her house with something other than condoms. While he figured he knew what Kendall meant when she told him he couldn’t stay on Saturday, but invited him over for tonight, they hadn’t specifically discussed it. It was better to least look like he had a clue about romance and have a good bottle of wine handy, in case she’d prepared a fancy meal.
Kendall answered the door looking all sorts of hot in black leggings and a lacy top that offered just enough of a glimpse of cleavage to make him want more. Preferably a lot more. “Hi,” she said, resting a hand on the door frame.
“Hi,” he answered and held up the bottle. “I brought some wine.”
“Wine?” She looked momentarily flustered, but recovered quickly enough. “Great. Thanks. I can chill that,” Kendall said, taking the bottle from him. “I confess, I haven’t cooked anything.”
“That’s okay,” Becker said. “I wasn’t expecting you to.”
“Good.” She let out a nervous laugh. “I’ll be real blunt here. I invited you here with the thought that we could... well, you know. At least I think you know.”
Her embarrassment was totally sexy, and already he felt a stirring in his groin. “That’s good, because I accepted the invitation with the hope that we would... well, you know.” Becker smiled, hoping to put her at ease.
“Okay, so we’re on the same page.”
“It appears so, yes.”
“Whew.” Kendall put the wine in the refrigerator. “I apologize for the nerves. I, um, don’t do this very often... you know.”
“Invite men over sex?” Becker couldn’t keep the amusement from his voice. This woman was something else, and man, did he want her. “I didn’t think you did. But today, I am very, very glad you did.” He wondered if she could tell that he was already getting hard simply by thinking about where things were headed.
“You are?” Her eyes cast downward. “You are.” The second one wasn’t a question. She noticed, all right. “Why don’t we go upstairs?”
Becker followed her, hoping the initial nervousness had passed. It seemed like it, anyway, and as soon as they reached the bedroom, he pulled her close to him and stroked her butt. “Just so you know, I’ve been waiting all week for this.” No doubt she could feel his erection pressing against her now.
“Me, too.” Her voice was a breathless whisper against his neck.
Nothing like putting pressure on a guy to perform, and perform well, but Becker liked a good a challenge, and his cock seemed to be up to the task, straining against his pants. He didn’t want to rush anything, though. No, he wanted to savor every minute and every part of her.
He undid her blouse first, revealing more lace underneath, in the form of her bra, and quickly dismissed of it, too, letting her breasts be free of their confines. Were they happy? Beck wondered. He sure was, and took one into his mouth, teasing her nipple with his tongue.
Kendall thrust her pelvis against him, and Becker took it to mean she was ready. Wet and ready. He backed away and flipped on the light switch.
“What are you doing? There’s plenty of light in here.”
“I want to be able to see you,” he said. “All
of you. In the light.”
“I’ve had kids,” she told him. “I have stretched marks.”
Becker bit his lip to keep from chuckling. He didn’t want to make her any more self-conscious. He just wanted to look at her. “And I’m sure they’re sexy, so I want to see them.” He slipped her pants off her, leaving only a lace thong, and sucked in a sharp breath. “Yep, you’re perfect.”
“No, I’m not.”
“We’re really going to have to work on this confidence problem you have,” Becker said. “But you’re right. You’re not perfect. Yet.” He pulled her lacy thong down her legs, finally leaving her completely nude in front of them. “Now you’re perfect.”
As he backed her gently to the bed, Becker was torn between wanting to pleasure her with his tongue, tasting every bit of her, especially her core, and wanting to be inside her as soon as possible. He didn’t think he could wait much longer, though, which made the decision for him, and he quickly discarded his clothes. He sheathed his erection and moved between Kendall’s spread legs.
“Wait,” she said. Wait? What the hell? She was wet and ready for him. “Can I be on top?” she asked. “I like to be on top.”
Yes. She was perfect. If there had any doubt before, it was all erased now. “You can be wherever you want, honey, as long as I can be inside you.” Becker leaned back on the bed, allowing her to straddle him, and with a slight adjustment, Kendall took his penis inside her and began to ride him, cowgirl style. It gave him a perfect view of her luscious breasts, bouncing freely as her hips gyrated on his staff. Becker arched his hips upward as he thrust further harder until he couldn’t go any further, and then used his hand to rub her clit while she moved faster and faster until they both cried out in pleasure.
***
‘I like to be on top.’ Had she really said that? Yes, she had, and judging from Becker’s shallow breathing, he didn’t mind Kendall taking control, as where Carter never seemed to like it. Making it was Lori’s advice to give herself permission to be a little wild, but Kendall had wanted—needed—to be a little more take charge than she usually was. The result was one mind-blowing orgasm, the likes of which she hadn’t experienced since, well... never.
Scoring at Love (Men of the Ice Book 4) Page 5