Part 14
�Have you seen how many people are lined up outside and in the lobby area?� Jenna asked Kasey as he opened the door of his suite at the Waldorf for her.
�That many, huh?� he said.
�I can�t believe it,� she told him. �Thank god you got me cleared to come in the back entrance. Who would�ve thought that a bunch of guys who drive cars around in a circle would generate such a buzz in NYC?�
Kasey laughed. �Who would�ve thought that I�d win the Cup my second year in the series? It�s crazy. You look great, by the way.�
�Thanks,� she said. �My dress and jewelry and stuff are here already, right?�
�If that�s what�s in that big black bag hanging over there, then yeah.�
�Great,� she said. �I was just imagining it not getting here and I�d have to go in jeans or just go naked.�
�Now that would cause a buzz,� Kasey said.
�I don�t know about that, Kase, you look pretty damn good in that tux. I doubt people would have even noticed a naked girl standing there,� Jenna said looking him up and down.
�What can I say? I clean up well. Now go get dressed. We�re the last ones scheduled to arrive.�
Jenna grabbed her garment bag from where it was hanging and headed to the bathroom. �Guess they give champs better rooms than rookies, huh? This place is un-fucking-believeable.�
Kasey laughed as she shut the bathroom door behind her. He waked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer. Easy, Kahne, he thought to himself as he finished half the bottle in one gulp. Your speech will suck even more if you�re wasted for it. He turned on the TV and watched Sports Center while he waited for Jenna to get ready. He was nervous as hell and needed to stop thinking about talking in front of everyone before he really worked himself up, and sports always calmed him down. ESPN was doing a feature on the New York Giants and were interviewing Rick Scott. How fucking ironic, he thought as he listened to the guy that Jenna dated for three years talk about how hard he worked to get to the pros and how pumped he was that the Giants had a chance at making it to the Super Bowl this year.
�Ready to roll?�
Kasey turned around and his mouth dropped. He stood there taking in every inch of her. The red dress hugged her in all the right places and showed off her toned legs. Her green eyes were lined in a smoky black and her hair was fixed to perfection. He didn�t know what to say.
�I thought red might be a little too much at first,� she said, her earrings dancing as she spoke, �but it IS your signature color��
�Jenna, you look amazing. Tell Neil to give those dress people a raise or something because, shit, you look unbelievable.�
She walked over to grab her black clutch and he noticed the back of back of her dress. Or the lack of back of her dress to be more exact. �Can�t we just stay here instead of going?� he asked her.
�Now, Kasey,� she said turning to him with a smile, �I know you don�t want to make that speech, but it�ll be fine.�
That isn�t why I want to stay here, he thought.
�We�re going to be late for your big night,� she said. �Let�s go.�
As they stood in the elevator, he remembered the last time they rode in it together. And the night they�d spent in his suite afterwards. He reached over, grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. She looked into his eyes, startled at his movement.
�Tell me that I can do this,� he said.
�I told you, you�ll be fine. Now paste that beautiful grin on your face and get ready to talk to reporters.� She reached up and gave him a peck on the cheek. �It�s showtime.�
As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, flash bulbs went off.
�Kasey!�
�Kasey, how does it feel to win the Cup?�
�Kasey, what are looking forward to for next year?�
�Kasey, say hi to the people at WKZB Channel 23.�
�Kasey!�
His head swam as reporters fired questions at him. He looked down at Jenna and she was smiling at all the cameras. She linked her arm through his and gave him a slight push to get him moving.
�How are you feeling tonight?� the first reporter they stopped at asked him.
�I�m feeling great,� Kasey said relaxing a little. �It was an unbelievable year for the Number Nine team and I can�t believe it�s over.�
�Who is this you�re with?�
�This is my friend, Jenna DiBenedetto. Get familiar with her because she�s taking Broadway by storm,� he said smiling down at her.
He walked to the next reporter as the first one asked Jenna a few questions. He answered the reporter�s questions and watched Jenna pose for pictures and answer questions about who designed her dress. She was made for this, he thought. Last year, Mandy didn�t leave his side. Not that the press was interested in her, but still, he thought.
Jenna walked back over to Kasey. �You been hanging out with Paris Hilton?� he asked. �You have this down.�
She laughed and winked at him. �Paris has nothing on me.�
They made their way down the line of press. They had a million questions and were all interested in who Jenna was. She never offered any information on herself; he offered it for her, pleased to take the attention away from himself.
�Jenna!� a male voice boomed and Kasey turned around to see Junior.
�Junior,� she said and reached up to hug him.
�Damn, girl, you lookin� hot,� Junior said.
�No so bad yourself, � she laughed.
�I just wanted to say, hi,� Junior said. �Remember what I said last night, buddy,� he said to Kasey before walking back to his date.
�Kasey, stand back so we can get a picture of you and your date,� one photographer said.
Kasey put his arm around Jenna's and smiled at the camera. He left his hand on the small of her back as they continued down the line.
The feel of his hand on her skin made Jenna shiver. It�s just nerves at being in front of all these reporters, she thought, but she knew better. Kasey�s touch always affected he this way. She�d forgotten how he affected her until he grabbed her in the elevator, and the feeling of his thumb rubbing small circles on her skin as he spoke to the press was sending electricity up her spine.
�I think I�m gonna see spots for the next week,� Kasey whispered into her ear as he led her into the banquet hall. �Thanks so much for doing this for me, Jenna. I really appreciate it.�
�It�s no big deal, Kasey,� she said and looked straight into his blue eyes. �I wouldn�t leave you hangin�.�
Her words cut him, as he knew they were supposed to. She was referring to him not seeing her off when she left for New York.
�Kasey!�
Jenna looked in the direction Kasey name was being called from and saw Kale and Amy with a man and a woman she recognized as Kasey�s parents from different pictures she�d seen.
�Hey, Mom, Dad,� Kasey said, hugging his mother and father. �This is my friend Jenna DiBenedetto. Jenna, my parents, Tammy and Kelly Kahne�
Kasey�s mom hugged Jenna and stepped back to look at her dress. �Aren�t you just beautiful? Kale was right when he said you were a �hottie�.�
Jenna laughed. �It�s a pleasure to met you, Mr. and Mrs. Kahne.�
�Please, call us Kelly and Tammy,� Kasey's father said. �The kids� friends never called us �Mr. and Mrs.� we�re not that old.�
�Did you survive the shark pool outside okay, Honey?� Tammy asked Kasey.
�Yeah, I guess. Jenna�s a pro and having her there made me more comfortable than usual,� he smiled at Jenna and she patted his arm.
�Kasey, come here,� a sliver haired man called to him from across the room.
�I gotta go talk to Ray,� he told them. �I�ll be back.�
�You look marvelous,� Jenna said hugging Amy. �And you�re looking like quite a hottie, too, Kale.�
�Mom, why did you have to tell her I said that?� Kale said as a bush crept over his cheeks.
�So Kale tells us you�re an actress,� Kelly said to Jenna. �Been in anything we�d have seen?�
�She isn�t in movies, Dad. She�s a Broadway actress.�
�I�d like to get into movies eventually, though,� Jenna said. �I actually just started acting. Up until May, I was a kindergarten teacher.�
�A teacher?� Tammy asked. �Now that�s a big career change. How�d that happen?�
�Well, I�ve been a dancer my whole life and when I was a senior in high school, I made the choice to go to college instead of pursuing a career in it. Or rather, my parents decided for me. But anyway, I spent the summer after my freshman year as a back-up dancer on tour with a pop star but I still went back to school. Once I graduated, I got a job teaching kindergarten in Ohio for a year and moved down to Charlotte a year later with Amy and I got a job teaching kindergarten and dance at a performing arts school.�
�You have to see her dance, guys,� Kale said. �She�s great.�
�Thanks Kale,� Jenna said. �My manager called me about a year ago and I auditioned for a job with a dance company that performed up and down the East Coast and I realized that performing was what I wanted to do. So I packed up my stuff and moved to New York in May and here I am.�
�No wonder you and Kasey get along so well,� Tammy said. �Sounds like what he did. Only we let him go at nineteen. I still can�t believe we did.�
�He�s so amazingly talented,� Jenna said. �You both must be so proud.�
�We are,� Kelly said. �Who would have thought that building a dirt track in our back yard would lead to my son winning the Nextel Cup? If someone would have told me ten years ago that he�d be racing for a living, let alone racing stock cars, I�d have laughed in their face.�
�Are you a racing fan, Jenna?� Tammy asked.
�Are you kidding me?� Amy piped up. �Her friends Val and Courtney are racing junkies and once they converted her, she was hooked. And she was a huge Kasey fan. His rookie year, Val and Court made her this calendar for her wall of pictures of him because she was ticked that there wasn�t going to be one of him until 2005.�
Jenna blushed. �Are you ever going to let me live that calendar down? The first time we met Kasey,� she said to Tammy and Kelly, �I�m trying to be cool, and this one, starts flipping out and saying �That�s that guy whose calendar you have on your wall.� Kasey, must have thought I was some psycho stalker because he didn�t even HAVE a calendar then.�
�Don�t let his shy act fool you, Jenna,� Tammy said. �Deep down inside, he loves the attention. Always has.�
�Are you talking about me?� Kasey said rejoining their group. �If you�ll excuse Jenna and I, Tommy hasn�t seen her in awhile and told me to get her over there.�
He put his hand on her back and led her over to where Tommy was standing.
�Now tell me again why they aren�t together?� Tammy said to Kale.
�It�s because your son is an idiot, Mom, and messed things up.�
�Kale,� Amy scolded. �Be nice.�
�It�s true,� Kale said. �He screwed up, big time, Mom. You have no idea. He was in love with that girl, but was too stupid to do anything about it.�
�He still is,� Tammy said. �In love with her, that is. I know my son. I can tell these things. The question is, is she in, love with him?�
�I don�t know, Mom. Why don�t we ask her Yalie boyfriend? I told you she was just here because Shannon couldn�t be. Just as Kasey�s friend.�
Tammy watched as her oldest son and Jenna talked with Tommy and some other guys. Kasey kept looking at Jenna and smiling. And she as doing the same to him �Boyfriend or not,� Tammy said, �there�s something still there between those two. An you know Kasey. He goes after what he wants.�
******************************************* *****************************************
Jenna felt Kasey�s leg bobbing up and down next t her as Brian France was giving his after dinner speech. �Kasey,� she whispered, putting her hand on his leg, �stop that. You�re going to start shaking the table soon and everyone will notice.�
�I�m nervous,� Kasey said looking out at the packed room from his seat at the head table.
�Don�t be,� Jenna said rubbing his knee. �You�ll be fine. Just relax and take deep breaths. When you give your speech, just look at the back of the room, over everyone�s heads. You know these people. You�ll do great.�
Kasey expected her to remove her hand, but her fingers were rubbing slow circles over his leg and her touch was calming him down. �Keep doing that,� he said. �It�s soothing.�
�Too bad we�re not laying down,� Jenna said. �Then I could rub your belly and you�d really relax.�
Kasey looked at her smiling at him and smiled back at her. �You have no idea how much I�ve missed that.�
Just then, Kasey heard applause as Ray stepped up to the podium. He turned his attention to what Ray was saying. He owed everything to this man. When Ray signed him, people questioned what it was he was doing, especially because of Kasey�s Ford contract, and the fact that Kasey was no Brian Vickers in the Busch series. But Ray took a chance on him, and Kasey proved himself by turning what was supposed to be a run away victory for Brian Vickers as Rookie of the Year into a run away victory by Kasey Kahne.
No one even expected Brian to blow away the competition the way Kasey had, and people were impressed. Kasey was disappointed when he didn�t make the chance last year, but was determined to make it this year. And win. He knew that the Dodge people were happy. Six of the top ten drivers were in Dodges. But Evernham Motorsports was the one that won. Kasey was honored to be the one to give Ray his first title as an owner.
�Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome your 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup Champion, driver of the Evernham Motorsports Number Nine UAW/ Dodge Dealers Dodge, Kasey Kahne!�
�Here goes nothin�,� Kasey said to Jenna and she squeezed his hand as he got up to go to the podium.
Jenna watched him as he delivered his speech. He really is beautiful, she thought to herself. It never ceased to amaze her that someone who was so confident and controlling most of the time came of as being so shy. Kasey was such a fun person to be around, but when he was in front of a camera or such a large group of people, he was so reserved. She was shocked at how different he was when she first met him, even telling him so when he made a comment about being the subject of her reoccurring dreams: �Well, Mr. Kahne, it was the shy rookie with the baby blue eyes who came into my dreams every night, but I�m beginning to think that it is the arrogant man right in front of with the mischievous glint in his eyes that I want in my bed tonight.�
And he was anything but shy when it came to sex. Jenna smiled, recalling how amazing he made her feel in bed. Her friends always got on her case because she never had an orgasm during sex unless there was �manual stimulation� involved. She�d accepted that she was one of the many women who just didn�t get off during sex, and she was fine with that. But then she met Kasey and he proved her wrong. He proved me wrong time and time again, she thought as chill went through her body just thinking about it.
Kasey glanced over at her and she flashed him a big smile. He was doing a great job and didn�t seem that nervous. Brian France presented him the Cup and the place went crazy. Flashbulbs popped all over the place and Kasey was smiling from ear to ear.
�You were wonderful,� Jenna said in his ear as he sat back down.
�Thanks,� he said and kissed her on the cheek.
Jenna�s body froze when his lips made contact with her skin and David�s face flashed in her mind. I really hope none of the press got a picture of that, she thought.
When the ceremonies were over, Jenna joined Amy, Kale, and Kasey�s parents while Kasey posed for pictures with everyone imaginable.
�I can�t believe that�s my baby boy,� Tammy said with tears in her eyes. �I�m so proud of all my children,� she said pulling Kale close to her kissing him on the cheek.
�Mom!� Kale whined and pulled away from her.
Jenna and Amy laughed.
�You girls will see when you have children of your own,� Tammy said.
�Not for a long time,� Jenna said.
Amy looked at her. �But you always said you wanted to be a young mom, Jenna. You wanted kids by the time you were thirty.�
�Things change, A,� Jenna told her. �That�s only five years from now. Thirty is so young and I have my career to think about now. Does anyone want a drink?�
Jenna walked over to the bar and Amy followed her. �What was that all about?� Amy asked.
�What?� Jenna said. �You mean about having children? I told you, things change.�
�I was just surprised that changed, is all,� Amy said. �That was something you always felt so strongly about.�
�Look, A, thirty is just so young. I mean, David will be thirty in January. And I feel like my life is just starting. Like everything up until I moved was just filler until my real life began.�
�Even Kasey?� Amy asked.
Jenna watched Kasey across the room as he posed for pictures, smiling his lopsided grin. �It�s obvious that he still loves you, Jen.�
�That a shock,� Jenna said taking a sip of her champagne, �considering I didn�t know he loved me in the first place.�
�If you two weren�t so damn stubborn,� Amy said, �you�d realize that you�re perfect for each other.�
�I wasn�t the one who put an end to things, Amy. He was. And I held out hopes for all those months that things would work out for Kasey and I. But when he didn't show up the night before I left for New York, I gave up that hope and moved on.�
�You wanna know why he didn�t show up that night? Mandy deleted the email you sent him. He didn�t know you were leaving.�
�Please,� Jenna said, �you want me to believe that? This isn�t some Meg Ryan romantic comedy where the two main characters never get together because of all sorts of wacky circumstances. I�m fine with the fact that he just didn�t care.�
�I know it�s kind of far fetched, but I swear it�s the truth,� Amy said. �He didn�t even know until June that you were gone when Kale finally asked him why he didn�t come say goodbye to you. And Kasey said he never got your email. So he went through his inbox and it wasn�t there. But he found it in his deleted mail folder and Mandy was there and he realized that she saw it and deleted it. Kale said he flipped on her and called her a fucking cunt and ordered her out of his house. That was the day he called you. Your birthday.�
�Well, too little too late,� Jenna said. �It�s his own damn fault for going back to Mandy in the first place. She did me a favor. I like my life the way it is now and I�m happy. I wouldn�t have been able to do this if I were with Kasey. I never would have left him.�
�Hey, beautiful,� Junior said walking up next to Jenna at the bar. �You�re causing quite the stir tonight. There�s a whole slew of guys who keep talkin� bout you. Truex is goin� ape shit watchin� you walk around this place.�
Jenna laughed. �Too bad I�m taken, because Martin Truex, Jr. is my kind of guy. Believe it or not, I always went for the dark haired bad asses.�
�That�s true,� Amy added. �Up until she discovered Kasey Kahne, I don�t think Jenna ever looked at a guy who wasn�t �tall, dark and handsome.� Rick Scott was the poster boy for Jenna's type, and you�ve seen him.�
�That I have,� Junior laughed. �But I thought maybe she�d changed her ways.�
�Old habits die hard, Junior,� Jenna said.
�Glad to see ya here with Kahne,� he told her. �Boy deserves to have the hottest chic here by his side tonight.�
�Do you ever turn off the charm?� Jenna asked him. �No wonder just about every female NASCAR follower is a Dale Junior fan.�
�Except for the ones that�re Kasey Kahne fans,� Junior said. �Those Kahney-boppers are gonna flip when they see that you�re his date instead of his sister. You�d better watch it because some of them will be camped out at your show trying to pull a Tanya Harding and take out your knees for messin� with their man.�
�I�m not �messin� with their man�,� Jenna said. �I have a boyfriend, remember?�
�I forgot to ask you,� Amy said, �what did David have to say when you told him you were coming tonight.�
�Nothing much,� Jenna said. �He told me to have a good time.� She didn�t want Amy and Junior to know that her boyfriend threw a fit about her being Kasey�s date. It was a subject she just didn�t feel like getting into at that moment.
�Then he�s a bigger man than I am,� Junior said, �because I�d have flipped the fuck out.�
�Maybe that�s why you�re still single, Junior,� Jenna joked. �Now if you�ll both excuse me, I see that Kasey is alone and I want to make sure I get a picture of the two of us together.�
Junior watched Jenna as she walked away. �A hundred bucks says the two of them fuck like dogs later tonight,� he said to Amy as he drank his beer.
�Only a fool would take that bet, Junior,� Amy said. �I know my best friend better than she knows herself and the more she denies it, the more I know that she still has feelings for him. And her anger about still feeling for him is going to lead to hot sex if she isn�t careful. And Jenna doesn�t do careful.�
*********************** *******************************************
�Hey, you�re Jenna, right?� Martin Truex, Jr. said walking up to her as she made her way over to Kasey. �I�m Martin Truex, Jr. I�m driving for DEI next year.�
�I know who you are,� she said. �As a matter of fact, I was just talking about you.�
�Really?� he said. �I saw your show with Junior the other night. You were great.�
�Junior didn�t come to my show.�
�Yeah he did. And I went with him. We went two nights ago. He wanted to make sure Kasey went the next night with Kale and his girlfriend, but he didn�t want to miss it, so we went the night before.�
�Did he now?� Jenna asked angrily. �I�m glad everyone seems to think that they know what�s best for me by trying to get me and Kasey together.�
�Hey,� Martin said, stepping back, �I was just along for the ride. You are a little firecracker. Junior was right.�
�Sorry,� Jenna said. �I didn�t mean to go all bitchy on you. It�s been a crazy two days.�
�No problem,� he said. �But ah, if things don�t work out with Kahne or this guy you�re seein�, I�m single.�
Jenna laughed. �I just told Junior that if I wasn�t seeing someone, you�d better watch out. I�ll keep that in mind if something goes wrong with David and me. But I doubt you�ll be single for long, Martin. It was nice meeting you.�
�I think Martin Truex, Jr. may just end up replacing you as my favorite NASCAR driver, Kahne,� Jenna said when she finally got to Kasey.
�Truex? He�s just a rookie!�
�You know I love those rookies. After all, last year at this time you were �just a rookie� too and just because you won the Cup, doesn�t mean you get to dump on rookies.�
�The hell it doesn�t,� he said. �Do you know the shit I got put through as a rookie?�
�I was in a sorority, Kase, I know all about hazing. Whatta ya say to a picture with me? I want to make sure we get one.�
�Sure. Yo, man,� Kasey said to the photographer taking the official pictures for NASCAR. �Can you get a picture of my friend and I?�
�Of course.�
Kasey put his arm around Jenna�s waist and pulled her close to his side.
�Smile!�
�Thanks, man,� Kasey said. �I�ll make sure to get a copy of that and send it to you, Jenna. Now let�s go drink. This is a party!�
Jenna and Kasey walked over to the bar where a lot of the drivers were standing. �Shots for everyone!� Kasey yelled and the people around the bar cheered.
�Kasey,� Tammy said walking up to him. �Your dad and I are going to leave now. We don�t need to see you and Kale get hammered, and we want to enjoy that Jacuzzi in our room. Maybe I can convince your dad to put on in at the house.�
�Ew, Mom. I didn�t need to hear that.�
�Like you aren�t going to be doing the same thing later,� Kelly said nodding his head toward Jenna who was standing with Kale and Amy.
�Not that it�s any of your business or that I really want to share with you, Dad, but Jenna has a boyfriend. And it ain�t me.�
�From what your brother tells us, it could have been,� Tammy said. �And I like her a lot, Kase. Just have fun, okay?�
�Okay. Love you.�
�We love you too, Kasey and we�re so proud of you,� Tammy said.
Kasey watched as his parents said good bye to Kale, Amy and Jenna. Seeing his mother hug Jenna made his heart hurt. He knew the two of them would get along amazingly well. Tammy was extremely critical of anyone her boys brought home, and her instincts were always right on. He was so mad when he brought home his first girlfriend and Tammy told him that she was going to cheat on him, so he�d better be careful. She ended up being right. And she barley said �hello� to Mandy when Kasey was dating her. Anytime he brought Mandy to a race, Tammy would try really hard to be civil to her, but Kasey knew his mother didn't care for Mandy at all.
�Your mom is the sweetest lady,� Jenna said as Kasey approached them.
�She thinks you�re pretty great, too, Jenna,� Kasey said, meeting Kale�s eyes over her head.
�Get this man another drink,� Kale said to the bartender.
Kasey enjoyed hanging out with all the other drivers in this type of setting. It was nice to know that they all got along so well off the track no matter what happened on. Everyone was having a good time and making the most of the open bar as usual. Kasey had a buzz going, but was no where near his drunken stupor of last year. He could tell Jenna was having a good time and was pretty sure she was working with a buzz too.
�Yo, let�s blow this joint and go out!� Junior exclaimed. �Y�all in?�
A lot of the guys said they were in. Kale and Amy were going to go and looked at Kasey to see what he was doing. �Whatta ya say, Jenna?� Kasey asked. �Wanna go?�
�Yeah, it�ll be fun.�
�I�ll go tell Junior.�
Kasey walked over to where Junior was with his arm around some tall blonde girl. �You in, little buddy?� Junior asked.
�Yeah, me and Jenna are going to come.�
�Naw, you ain�t,� Junior said. �At least not that anyone else�ll see. If I see your ass there, I�ll be pissed. You need to get yourself back up to that room and take care of business.�
�Junior, you�re wrecked,� Kasey said.
�Yes, sir, I am,� he said. �But I�m bein� serious. Now�s your chance. Get Jenna up to your room and do what you gotta do to convince her she should be with you and not that fag David. If it bombs, then I�ll see you out. But I don�t think it will.�
�I�ll see you there,� Kasey said.
�Ain�t to late, Kahne, remember that.�
Kasey walked back over to where Amy, Jenna and Kale were. �Junior is fucked up,� he said.
�What gave you that impression?� Kale asked. �The rebel yell, or the fact that he told everyone that the Nextel Cup wasn�t a cup because it didn�t hold beer?�
�C�mon, let�s go,� Amy said.
�I gotta run back to my room and grab my wallet,� Kasey said, shooting Kale a look he hoped his brother would catch on to. �I didn�t want it to make a lump in my jacket when I was giving a speech.�
�Okay, we�ll wait here for you,� Amy said.
�Why don�t we just go now, Amy. Kasey�s a slow poke and Jenna knows her way around the city, we don�t. And I wanna get there soon so they can just meet us there,� Kale said, indicating to Kasey that he got his point.
�Why would we do that?� Amy asked. �Why not just wait-�
�Because I want to go now,� Kale cut her off. �Kasey takes forever to do anything and those elevators are crowded. We�ll meet them there. See ya guys.�
Kale led Amy toward the front door of the hotel before she could say anything else.
�I can�t believe my best friend is dating your little brother,� Jenna said to Kasey as they waited for the elevator.
�They�re quite the couple,� Kasey said. �She�s good for him. Keeps him in line.�
�Well, now that I�m gone, she needs someone to keep her from working herself too hard. And I think Kale is just the person to do it.�
�Did you really tell him you�d cut his dick off if he hurt her?� Kasey asked when they stepped into the elevator.
�Yep,� Jenna said. �And I meant it. Amy�s had her heart broken one too many times, and I don�t care how much I like Kale, I�ll fuck him up if her fucks her over.�
�Oh, feisty,� Kasey said laughing. �Must be the champagne. It always did get you all riled up.�
�I�m not �riled up�,� Jenna said. �You sound like Neil. And I�m just a little buzzed, that�s all.�
�Okay, I gotta grab my wallet and pee,� Kasey said sliding his keycard in the door.
�I�m gonna make a phone call,� Jenna said.
She listened to her voicemail earlier. David had called and she wanted to make sure she called him back.
�Hey, Baby,� she said when he answered the phone.
�Hey,� he said sleepily. �I was wondering when you�d call me. You have a good time?�
�It was great. Really nice.�
�That�s good. I�m sorry for being a dick earlier. I just know how things ended with you and Kasey and I got a little scared, I guess.�
�I told you, David, Kasey and I are just friends.�
�I know, but I�m a guy and we get jealous.�
�Don�t worry about it.�
�So, you at home now?�
�Actually, I�m standing in the lobby with Amy and Kale and we�re deciding whether or not to go out to a couple of clubs with everyone,� Jenna said as Kasey came out of the bathroom.
�Well, be careful if you go anywhere. And don�t drink too much. I�ll call you tomorrow. I love you.�
�Love you, too,� Jenna said. �Bye.�
��Standing in the lobby�, huh?� Kasey said with a smirk as Jenna closed her phone.
�Do you always listen to people�s phone calls?� she asked him.
�When they�re having them right in front of me, I can�t help but hear. Didn�t want David to know that you were up in my suite?�
�No,� Jenna said angrily, �that�s not it. I just didn�t want him to get worked up. I woke him up when I called and he needs his sleep.�
�Uh huh,� Kasey said looking at her. �David�s not too pleased you came with me tonight, huh?�
�He�s fine with it,� Jenna snapped. �Can we go now?�
�What are you doing with him, Jenna?�
�What? How dare you ask me what I�m doing with him! You don�t even know him.�
�Settle down. I was just asking how serious things were between the two of you.�
�Pretty damn serious,� she said.
�I thought you didn�t want to get tied down?� Kasey asked.
�I guess I just needed to find the right guy,� she said, anger in her eyes. �Why the fuck do you care, anyway, Kasey?�
�Because I love you,� he said.
Jenna started to laugh. �You love me? Please! I haven�t talked to you in almost a year and you surely didn�t care enough to even say goodbye to me before I left. And before you say anything Amy told me about Mandy deleting my email. Whatever, Kasey. You were the one that dated her. Bitch did me a favor. You think you can just stand here and tell me you love me now after everything that happened, or better yet, didn�t happen between us? I�ve moved on Kasey. And by the way, I fucked Dale Junior, too.�
�I know you fucked Dale Junior, Jenna. I�m not gonna say that it doesn�t piss me off, but only because I can�t stand the thought of you being with someone who isn�t me. No matter who it is. And I know you�ve moved on. I just wanted to let you know that I love you,� Kasey said calmly. �Do you know how much I think about you? And I think about how different things would have been if I would have just opened my eyes and accepted the fact that I was in love with you instead of running away?�
�Kasey, you�re only saying this now because I�m with someone else. We had a fling that lasted for about two months almost a year ago.�
�A fling?� he said, stepping closer to her. �Is that what it was to you? A fling?�
�No, Kasey, that wasn�t all it was to me. But that�s all in the past. We�re different people now. Maybe I just better leave,�
Jenna walked past him to where her bag was, but Kasey came up behind her and put his arms round her. �If you can look me in the eye and tell me that you don�t love me too,� he whispered in her ear, his hands pulling her against his body, �then I�ll let you walk out of here right now.�
Jenna body was rigid in his arms. �Do you know how many nights I spent thinking about how good your body felt up against mine?� Kasey said, running his hands over the silky material of her dress and breathing the words onto her neck. �How many nights I lay in my bed jacking off wishing it were your hands on me instead? You can�t tell me you didn�t do the same, lay in your bed and touch yourself thinking about my hands, my mouth on you.�
He planted hot kisses on her neck. His hand came up and stroked her hard nipple through the fabric of her dress. �Mhhmmm,� he purred in her ear, his other hand moving up her thigh to where her hem hit her leg but going no farther. �I can feel how hot you are already, Jenna. Just tell me you want me.�
Jenna didn�t move as his hand inched further up her thigh. Kasey sucked in his breath when he realized she wasn�t wearing any underwear. �So smooth,� he whispered in her ear, stroking the area right above her clit. �You�re the only woman I�ve ever been with who�s completely bare, Jenna. And I love it. I love running my tongue along your soft skin. I love how close I am to you when I�m inside of you.� He pressed himself harder up against her and she shivered. �That�s it, Jenna,� he said. �Don�t fight it.�
Jenna�s chest rose up and down as her breathing quickened, Kasey lightly grazing his fingers across her sensitive flesh. She braced her hands on the sides of his thighs and her head fell back against his chest. �Tell me you want me, Jenna,� he said, becoming completely still. �Tell me.�
�I want you, Kasey,� she whispered.
�What was that?� he said, kissing her neck.
�I want you more than I�ve ever wanted anything in my life,� she said, turning around in his arms, looking into his eyes. �I want you.�
He pulled her up against him and kissed her hard. She gave her mouth completely to him as his tongue plunged between her lips, her hands working his jacket off his shoulders. Jenna�s fingers flew as she undid the buttons on his shirt and loosed the tie around his neck and pulled it off. She peeled his shirt off his shoulders and tugged at the white T-shirt he wore underneath.
Kasey pulled his shirt over his head and reached down to rid himself of his shoes, Jenna doing the same. She started to shrug out of her dress, but he stopped her. �Let me take care of that,� he said.
Jenna ran her fingers through his hair as she kissed him, his hands running up and down her thighs, cupping her ass in his hands. She kissed his bare chest and shoulders, running her fingernails across his bare skin. He moaned when she flicked her tongue around his nipple as he�d done to her so many times before. When her hands reached down to unfasten his pants, Kasey stopped her. �Not yet,� he said. �I�ve been waiting too long for this.�
Kasey trailed kisses across her jaw and down her neck, nipping at her collarbone because he knew that drove her wild. He slipped one strap off Jenna�s shoulder and kissed where it had been before doing the same to the other. He ran one finger from the top of her neck down to the bottom of her spine and back up.
He smiled at her as eased her dress all the way off her arms and let it fall to the floor. Kasey stepped back and looked at her naked body, lacing his fingers through hers. �I�ll never get over how amazing you look naked, Jenna,� he said and brought her hands up around his neck.
She closed her eyes and parted her lips as he lightly, slowly ran his fingers down her arms. Kasey kissed her softly on her neck, her cheek, each one of her eyelids, before leaning in slowly and kissing her mouth again. Gone was the fever with which their encounter had begun. In its place was tenderness, a sense of eternity each of them felt.
Kasey�s body was hot under Jenna's hands as she kissed him, her fingers and palms feeling the muscles flex in his back, his arms, as he held her tighter, deepened their kiss. She looked into his blue eyes as she pulled away from him, both scared and excited by what she saw there.
Without speaking, Kasey put one hand under Jenna�s knees and picked her up into his arms. �Just like last time,� she said as he carried her over to the bed, laying her down on the plush white duvet.
She watched as he reached for the clasp on his pants and undid it, slid them of so that he was naked as well. It was in almost slow motion that their bodies came together. The feel of skin on skin reminding them both of what they�d once shared.
Jenna whimpered as Kasey lifted his body from hers, kneeling over her. She cupped his face in her hands as she stared into his eyes, the only sound in the room that of their breathing. He closed his eyes and tilted his head to kiss her palm.
Kasey parted Jenna�s thighs with his knee and lay down on her, positioning himself at her entrance. �Look at me,� he said, his voice hoarse with desire, but Jenna didn�t open her eyes. �Jenna,� he said, brushing her cheek with his fingertips, �look at me, please.�
When she looked at him, there were tears in her emerald colored eyes. �I love you,� he said.
Her breath caught in her chest, hot tears threatening to spill over. �I love you, too, Kasey,� she told him, looking deep into his blue eyes and seeing tears reflected there as well.
They both gasped as he entered her, their bodies joining together. There was nothing between their bodies, their souls.
For that moment in time, neither of them looked forward or backward, they only looked into each other�s eyes. For those moments, theirs was a match of wills that ceased to exist as they gave themselves completely to each other for what they both knew in their hearts to be the very last time.
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