"Of what?" she asks. "You and I are just having sex. That's all there is to it."
My smile goes from tense to amused. Leaning in, I kiss her. When I pull back, I say, "You and I both know that after last night it's not just about sex."
Color blooms back over her face, and her eyes go so soft on me that my chest gets tight. Her voice a hesitant whisper, she says, "I didn't want to assume anything."
"That's right. Don't assume," I tell her. "Ask if you're confused. But Simone...you know the worst about me. You took my cock bare. I'm man enough to admit that I've got my feelings tied up now too. I sure as fuck don't know what any of it means, and I'm totally out of my element here. I don't know what we are, but you are anything but a lay to me."
To my horror, Simone's eyes get misty, and I immediately shoot off the bed. Pointing an accusing finger at her, I give her a mock glare. "Stop that shit right now. I can't handle tears."
She grins at me and blinks her eyes, clearing the moisture away. "Fine. No crying. Except if we watch Old Yeller together. There's no stopping the tears."
I chuckle as I walk to the door. I'm never watching Old Yeller with her because that fucking movie chokes me up big time. No way I'm letting her see that side of me just yet.
When I get to the door, I turn back to look at her. "Get dressed. Give me about fifteen minutes, though. If you don't hear gunshots or one of us screaming in pain, it should be good."
Simone nods at me with a grateful smile that I'm going to make it right with her brother.
"And Simone?" I say softly.
"Yes?"
"It's still a secret." I don't need to spell it out to her. She understands what I'm asking.
"Always," she says with conviction, and that's all I need to know. I open the door and step out to go talk to Lucas.
This should be fun.
His bedroom door is open, and I find him pulling out the last of his clothes from his closet. This is not unexpected. He's obviously been staying at Stephanie's apartment each night, and I figured it was a matter of time before they moved in together officially.
"Need some help?" I ask him, and his head snaps to look at me.
His voice is curt and stiff when he says, "No, thanks."
"We good?" I ask, cutting to the chase.
Lucas's eyes shoot past my shoulder to the door, and then he steps closer to me. Lowering his voice, he says, "Fuck no, we're not good. You're doing kinky shit with my sister and I don't like that one bit."
"Saw the butt plug, huh?" I ask him, deciding to slap him in the face with this so we can get to the root of his concerns.
Lucas's face flames red and a vein pops on his temple. "No brother wants to know that shit about their sister."
"Then forget about it, dude," I advise him. "Keep the fuck out of my bedroom when you come over and we should be good. But don't think for one minute I'm backing away from your sister because it makes you uncomfortable."
All of the fury drains from Lucas's expression. He scrubs his hand over his face and sighs as he looks to me. "That's not it. I know she's independent and stubborn and strong, but she's also sweet and caring. She's got the biggest heart out of all us Fourniers. I just don't want her to get hurt."
"I don't intend to hurt her," I promise him.
"No, I don't suppose you do," he says glumly. "But while I can't say I know you all that great, Van, I can say what I do know I don't like. Not for my sister. You're closed off and emotionally withdrawn. I want her to have love and marriage and babies."
Christ, those words give me the willies, but I put that aside. "Simone told you I promised her nothing. You heard that, right?"
Lucas nods.
"That was how it started. But, man, I'm telling you straight up...that's not how it is now. It's changed for both of us. You can't possibly know this, but your sister breached whatever fucking walls I had up, and she's inside now. I don't know what to do with it, but I promise you, I don't want to hurt her and I have no intention of doing so. I think I could really have something with her."
And just like that, Lucas's entire body relaxes. He lets out a long gust of relief, and his eyes are filled with hope. "You swear it?"
"I swear it," I tell him, but I feel the need to add a caveat. "I'm going to move slow, though, dude. I have my reasons, and Simone knows what they are. As long as she's secure and not getting hurt, it's just going to take time for me to figure some shit out. If she's on board with that, you need to be too."
"Yeah...okay," Lucas says with a nod of his head. He stares at me a moment more, and adds, "I guess that means you're coming to the cookout today?"
"Cookout?" I ask, not sure what he's talking about.
"Yeah...it's Memorial Day. Max and Jules are doing a family cookout. Didn't Simone tell you?"
I shake my head and mutter. "We tend to make our plans day by day."
"Well, I know she's going, so I expect you are now, so--"
"I'm not going," I say curtly, and then immediately regret it.
Lucas's eyes narrow on me and I can tell I've lost all brownie points. "If you are going to have more with my sister, you've got to act like you want that. You can't just keep her locked in your bedroom."
I suck in a breath and let it out, forming my words a little more carefully. "All I meant was that Simone hasn't mentioned it to me, and therefore I don't want to presuppose that I'd be invited."
"Simone," Lucas yells, and it catches me so off guard I actually cringe.
She opens the door to my bedroom, still wrapped in a sheet, and steps across the hall. Coming to stand beside me, she asks, "What's up?"
"You're bringing Van to the cookout tonight, right?" Lucas asks.
Simone blushes, and I can tell that she hadn't really intended to ask me. But I get it...things changed really fast in the last twenty-four hours. She's got to be as unsure of my feelings as I am.
"Um...yeah, well...if he wants," she stammers, looking up to me with uncertainty.
"Yeah, I'd like that," I tell her gruffly, and then I just bask in the happiness that overtakes her expression. It feels fucking great.
So yeah...hanging out with Simone and her family tonight. Either I'll be able to smooth things over completely with her brothers, or we'll end up killing each other.
Good times.
Chapter 22
Simone
There is nothing, and I mean nothing--well, except sex with Van--that is more exciting than the final round of the Stanley Cup.
Strike that.
Winning the Cup is more exciting.
I'm an old pro at Stanley Cup games. Even though Max was the backup goalie behind Ryker Evans when the Cold Fury won the Cup last year, my mom, dad, Lucas, and I went to every single game. Malik was on his second deployment to Afghanistan with the Marine Corps and he was sorely missed. Lucas was able to go to all the games because his season with the New Jersey Wildcats was over.
It sucked Max was the backup and didn't see as much play as Ryker, but truth be told, Ryker deserved the primary slot. When Max injured his groin near the beginning of the season, Ryker came in and played the best hockey of his life. It's true this is a team sport, but honestly, it was his goal tending that really won the Cup.
Now this year is Max's turn as the starting goalie. Lucas is getting his shot at the Cup, and my personal favorite, the beast of a man known as Van Turner, is cleaning up the ice tonight. Jules and Stephanie are beside themselves with excitement and nerves. I'm not sure if it was Max or Lucas who scored the great tickets, but they got three in the first row behind the net where Max will defend twice. Thus, I'm thinking it was Max, as he'll say he wanted Jules back there staring at his ass.
My parents and Malik are in the bottom section of the arena, but to our right and several rows up. They graciously gave us the seats on the ice because...well, Jules is going to marry Max and Stephanie is going to marry Lucas. I guess it was only natural that I got to sit down there too since I was dating Van.
We've just come back from the restroom during the first intermission and have a few minutes before the second period starts. The Cold Fury are up 1-0. I'm enjoying a few beers tonight, since I'll be riding home with a very sober Van Turner. Jules is also partaking, but Stephanie is deliriously happy to stick with water as she keeps her hand resting on her baby bump that you can't even see beneath Lucas's jersey she's wearing.