Play Room: A Society X Novel Read online

  It pays to have connections. I briefly explained to Parker what was going on. I left out the club part, telling him that I made a mistake and have to make amends. The only way to do that is to find out where Alex is working today. Thankfully, he has Sandy’s number and gave it to me.

  Sandy was very eager to help, giving me the address to where Alex and Dani were working. When she told me it was a baby shower, I thought I was stupid for even thinking about showing up there, but I’m a desperate man who wants his girlfriend back in his arms.

  With my arms full of flowers and chocolates, I enter the venue where the girls are working. Women squeal and start clapping, until someone blurts out that I’m not the mother-to-be’s husband. I wink at all of them as I make my way toward Alex who is standing there with a ladle in her hand and her mouth hanging wide open.

  Setting the flowers and candies down, I cup her cheeks between my hands and kiss her. I don’t care that her mouth is open or that she can beat me over my head with the large spoon. I kiss her because I’ve missed the hell out of her these past two days and she needs to know it.

  “Kai,” she says my name with a tone that dates back to our first outing. I should take note and step away, cut my losses, but she’s too damn important to me to give up.

  “These are for you,” I say, handing her the five-dozen roses I picked up. I look around for the pregnant woman and rush the box of chocolates to her.

  “Sorry for the interruption, but you see, I love that woman more than anything. I think maybe I was in love with her the first time I saw her, and I really need her to forgive me.”

  “What’d you do?” she asks.

  I look back at Alex whose eyes go wide. Smiling, I turn back toward the guest of honor. “Rushed to judgment. Typical man thing, right, ladies?”

  There’s a chorus of yeses, each making me feel about two feet tall.

  “Do you love him?” someone yells out. I glance back at Alex, who looks at the woman and then me.

  “I do.”

  “Sweetie, don’t waste love on feeling the hate. Go after your man.” I want to hug, kiss, and twirl that woman around to show her my gratitude, but my attention is trained right on Alex. She sets her serving spoon down and takes cautious steps toward me. Dani is there, watching this all play out. She leans into Alex and whispers something in her ear.

  It’s like everything moves in slow motion. Even the voices around sound distorted. Each step that Alex takes toward me, there seems to one step going in a different direction. She’s running at me or it’s a fast walk considering we’re only a few feet from each other.

  I catch her in my arms and crash my lips against hers. We’re spinning slowly and everyone around us is clapping. This has to be one of the best feelings in the world. I say one of because if I have my way, Alex and I are going to have many more to come.

  She slides down my body. Her cheeks are flushed and I know I’ve embarrassed her. Wrapping her in my arms, I shield her from the onlookers. “I love you, Alex. These past few days have been the worst I have ever experienced. I’m sorry for being a jerk and I promise you that it’ll happen again.”

  Alex pulls back and looks at me. “What?”

  “Oh, babe, you heard me. I’m going to mess up. I’m going to be an ass. I’ll come home moody, work late nights and forget things. I’ll leave dishes in the sink, dirty socks on the floor, and forget about the toilet seat. But the one thing that will never change is that I’m madly in love with you.”

  “Shit, if she doesn’t marry him, I will,” someone says. Alex smiles. Yeah, that’s coming next … I’m not sure when but I have every intention of asking her to marry me. I don’t care if we haven’t been together long. Being without her is not something I ever want to be.

  “I love you, too.”

  “Now, will you move in with me? I miss having all your stuff everywhere. Your side of the bed is cold and your scent is gone. I need it, Alexandria. I need you.”

  “Say yes!” they all yell.

  “Alex, if you don’t, I will,” Dani adds.

  “It seems that either I move in or you’ll have a harem of women living with you.”

  I smile down at her. “There’s only one woman for me, and that’s you.” Our lips meet much to the delight of everyone in the room. It’s hard to smile while kissing her, but I am. This is good practice for when we get married, and I make a mental note to get everyone’s names so we can invite them.

  Thirty

  Alexandria

  Today is the big day. Dani’s and mine renovations have been done on the kitchen and Let’s Get Baked is officially ours. It’s a dream come true. Dani and I worked all night to prepare our favorite foods for our guests. The place smells heavenly, but I’m too nervous to eat.

  I look out the window and the parking lot is filled with people, waiting for us to cut the ribbon. My parents are there along with their friends from the church. However, my main focus is on all the news station vans and cameras. Kai said he was going to make sure it was the biggest event in Portland on this sunny Saturday morning and he was absolutely right.

  “I can’t believe this is happening,” Dani whispers, coming up beside me. She peeks out the window and smiles. “Thank you for being patient with me. I didn’t expect this to happen so fast. I don’t know how to thank Kai for helping us as much as he has.”

  I slide my arm around her shoulders. “You’ve already thanked him a gazillion times.” Glancing outside, I blow out a nervous breath. “It’s a little overwhelming, especially with that crowd, isn’t it?”

  She snickers. “Just a little. If this exposure brings in a shit ton more people, we’ll have to hire more workers.”

  “That’s a good problem to have.”

  Dani nudges me in the arm. “Hey, aren’t you officially moving in with Kai tomorrow?”

  My heart flutters as I watch him through the window. “Yep. Everything is packed up and ready to go. My house will be on the market in a few days.”

  “What does your dad say about that? I know he’s against people moving in with each other before marriage.”

  I shrug. “He is, but he’s finally got it through his head that I’m an adult and I can make my own decisions. Besides, he loves Kai to death. They get along great.”

  “That’s good. Maybe one day I’ll find someone like Kai.”

  “There’s a lot of single, handsome men at Ward Enterprises. I can see if Kai can introduce you to some.”

  She snorts. “Hell yeah. I’m down for that.”

  “Good, I’ll see what he can do.” More people pull into the parking lot. “We should probably get out there.”

  She nods nervously. “Okay, let’s do this.”

  We walk out the back door and around to the front where everyone waits on us. Cameras flash and I wave, hoping like hell I don’t appear as nervous as I feel. Kai waves us over to a woman in a red business suit with long, blonde hair, holding a microphone. I recognize her from one of the TV stations.

  Reaching for my hand, Kai pulls me closer. “Alex, this is Samantha Crane with WVTV Channel 3. They’re going to report live as they walk through the kitchen.”

  I shake Samantha’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Dani and I are happy you’re here.”

  Samantha’s eyes twinkle. “Me too. I keep hearing wonderful things about your place. I’m excited to eat some of the food.”

  “There’s a ton of it,” Dani laughs. “Alex’s miniature quiches are the best.”

  “So are Dani’s apple pies,” Kai adds. “They’re amazing.”

  Dani blushes and I can’t help but smile. Kai hands me the scissors and I turn to Dani. “Ready to cut the ribbon?”

  Her eyes glisten. “If you are.”

  We walk over to the ribbon and face the crowd. Everyone goes silent. I look out at the crowd and wave. “Thank you, everyone, for coming out to see us on this special day. Dani and I are super excited to venture on this amazing journey together. We’re thankful an
d extremely grateful to be able to share this day with you.”

  Holding the scissors in my hand, Dani places hers on top of mine. “Here we go,” I whisper.

  We cut the ribbon and the crowd whistles and shouts for joy. Dani steps to the other side of the walkway and we greet everyone as they walk inside. Once everyone enters, Dani joins while I stand in the doorway with Kai. Grinning wide, he glances around the kitchen. “Your parents are so proud of you,” he murmurs. “You should’ve heard your father talking about you.”

  I look over at my parents who are busy tasting the food. “It feels good to be close to them again. I’m glad I finally made him proud.”

  He slides his arm around my waist. “He was always proud of you, Alex. I know I am. You’ve worked so hard getting this place ready.” He turns me to face him. “If you’re tired tomorrow, we can postpone moving your stuff into my apartment.”

  Wrapping my arms around his neck, I squeeze him hard. “Nothing is going to keep me from moving in with you.”

  His lips pull back in a sly grin. “Good, because we have a lot of celebrating to do.”

  “I think that’s the last of it,” Kai says, hauling in the last two boxes.

  His living room is filled with boxes, not to mention, the kitchen. It’s fully stocked now that I have all of my appliances in there. The kitchen is my domain. I have everything set where I want it.

  Kai sets the boxes down on the floor, and then flops down on the couch. “Want to know one of the things I’m going to like with you being here every night?” he calls out.

  I glance over at him from the kitchen, but I can only see the back of his head. “What is that?”

  He winks back at me. “I don’t ever have to cook or clean again. I have you to do it for me.”

  “Oh no you didn’t.” Grabbing my empty bottle of water, I throw it at his head. He dodges it and bursts out laughing. I know he’s kidding. “I am not here to be your maid, asshole.”

  His smile slowly transforms to a sly grin as he makes his way into the kitchen. Gaze narrowed, I step away and he follows me. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  He shrugs, continuing to stalk me as my heart races and excitement rushes through my veins. I love it when he stares at me with those raw, passion-filled eyes of his. It makes everything inside of me tighten in anticipation.

  “Instead of a maid, you could always be my sex slave. How does that sound?”

  “Sounds pretty kinky, Mr. Robicheau. Didn’t think you were still into the Society X stuff.”

  His eyes darken. “This has nothing to do with that place. Now that you’re here, we can do whatever we want together and when we want it.”

  I bite my lip. “What do you have in mind?”

  Closing the distance, he picks me up in his arms. “It’s time to officially christen this place as ours. I want to make love to you in our bed, in the kitchen, on the floor, and even on the dining room table.” He licks his lips. “I bet some chocolate syrup would taste fucking incredible on your skin.”

  This time, I lick my lips. I’d love to drizzle some chocolate on his. “What are we waiting for?”

  He carries me into the bedroom and sets me down, but he doesn’t let me out of his arms.

  Nuzzling my neck, he pushes my hair out of the way so he can kiss his way up my jaw. Tilting my head to the side, I moan and close my eyes. Chill bumps race across my skin and I shiver, leaning against him to steal some of his warmth. He chuckles in my ear and presses his hard cock against my stomach, lightly thrusting it up and down. I hold him tight.

  “I want more,” I breathe.

  The words spark the need inside of him. Kissing me feverishly, he picks me up in his arms and gently sets me on the bed.

  “I’m going to give you more, baby. Don’t worry,” he promises. Sliding his fingers under my shirt, he lifts it up over my head and throws it on the floor. He moans deep in his chest when he gazes down at me with his sexy blue eyes, licking his lips. Kissing the mounds of my breasts, he lowers the fabric over one and begins to suck on my taut, sensitive nipple while reaching behind me to unclasp my bra. He shoves it away, still keeping his lips enclosed over my breast. I want to feel him inside of me, to satiate the craving between my legs.

  Already, my body responds to his touch and I’m achingly wet, so close to letting go. Fumbling with his jeans, I try desperately to get them undone so I can wrap my fingers around his cock and feel it pulsate with my touch. Kai helps me out, kicking off his jeans when I finally have them undone. Once he’s free, I take him in my hands and squeeze, pumping him up and down.

  “Fuck, that feels good,” he groans. “Don’t stop.”

  Harder and faster I stroke his length, enjoying the satisfied rumble in his chest. His fingers deftly unbutton my shorts and he slides them down my legs. With his arm around my waist, he moves up the bed and spreads my legs wide with his knee. Keeping his gaze on mine, he kisses me gently at first and then harder as he pushes his fingers inside of me. Gasping from the sensations, I open wider for him, loving the sound of his satisfied moans.

  “Harder, Kai,” I beg, spreading my legs wider.

  He does as I ask, and as soon as he does it’s my undoing. Tightening around his fingers, he bites down on my lip and sucks as I cry out in pleasure, riding the waves of my orgasm. Slowly, he rubs my sensitive clit with his thumb and swirls his fingers in the wetness between my legs. Keeping his gaze on mine, he traces my nipples with my desire, leaving wet trails in his wake, and sucks them both greedily. My body craves him. I can feel his cock pressing closer to my opening, and as soon as he pushes in just a tiny bit, I gasp.

  “I love the noises you make. It’s so fucking hot,” he growls low.

  Almost instantly, he pushes inside of me … hard. Not only do I gasp, I cry out so loud I can barely recognize the sound of my own voice. Wrapping my legs around his waist, I rock my hips along with his and hold on tight, crying out with each thrust. The muscles in his back tighten and flex as he works his body into mine. I rake my nails down his back to his ass, loving the way it hardens with each thrust.

  I’m so close to losing it again, my body clenching tight around his cock.

  My breaths start coming out as pants as the ache between my legs gets stronger, wilder. We’re both so close, and the moment I tip over the edge I dig my nails into his back just as he grips onto me tighter, plunging in as deep as he can and filling me with his release. Breathing hard, he takes my face in his hands.

  “We made love on the bed. I think it’s time we move to the shower. Then afterwards, the kitchen table.” He slides a hand down my cheek to my breasts. “That way we’ll be clean for the chocolate.”

  “You were serious about that?”

  His eyes twinkle. “Oh yeah, baby. After I lick it off your entire body, we can get back in the water. I know shower sex is your favorite.”

  He’s right, it is. There’s something about hot, running water cascading all over my body and having him inside of me that turns me on like never before. I press my lips to his, nipping him with my teeth. “I’m ready.”

  Thirty-One

  Epilogue

  The sun is barely up as I walk the grounds of the newly built apartment complex. In a few short hours, this area will be bustling with news reporters, community members, Ward Enterprises, and new families moving into their brand new, energy efficient homes. Children will play on the jungle gyms, teenagers will swim in the pool, and the thousands of volunteers will carry boxes up as many as four flights of stairs to help people move in, while I’m sure Stan the mayor stands by and directs people on what to do.

  I had hoped over the past eighteen months that he would slowly slip away, but unfortunately, he has been nothing but a thorn in my side and I don’t see him going away anytime soon. I try to put myself in his shoes, but I can’t. His vision of self-importance leaves something to be desired.

  This revitalization project went a lot faster than I thought. I expected two years, if not
two and a half to finish the apartments, but the crew was determined. Not only did they receive a hefty bonus from Parker, but also, I think with Dani and Alex coming around a few times a week with a buffet of food helped them work a lot faster. I may have threatened to cut them off with the food supply a time or two.

  One thing that the Sweet Briar project has done was bring Alex and I a lot closer. Through her stories, I have been able to really bring Sweet Briar back to life. With the help of Parker, we contacted all the business owners in the “downtown” portion of town and remodeled, fixed, or repainted all the existing buildings to look similar. The conformity really makes the town look “old fashioned” but modern. Plus, it brings everyone up to code.

  Once the cosmetic stuff was done, tourism started picking up. With the strip mall at capacity, the stores started seeing an increase in daily visitors. The city council began organizing events to draw more people to town. The sand castle building competition was intense, and I got to be one of the judges. Alex also saw this as an opportunity and purchased a food truck, which operates on the weekends near the newly constructed boardwalk. And Parker is currently in talks to develop a hotel along the beach.

  It’s easy to see why people love Sweet Briar now that I’ve spent a considerable amount of time here. I’m tempted to ask Alex if she wants to buy a house here, but I think she enjoys the distance that we have with her parents. We visit them on Sundays for dinner, and while Alex and Larry have a better relationship, there are still moments when they frustrate each other.

  Now that the Sweet Briar project is over, Alex and I are flying to Arizona so she can finally meet my parents. It’s been a long time coming, and while I could’ve easily taken her for a weekend, it wouldn’t be enough for my mother. She and Alex already spend hours on Sunday mornings talking or video chatting.