"Are you going to be able to go to any of the play-off games?" Vale asks Jules, thereby effectively ending that subject and starting another.
The play-offs will begin in two weeks, in mid-April, and things are going to get all kinds of crazy. At least the travel schedule is more stable, since it follows best-of-seven series in a two, two, one, one, one format. That means the team with home-ice advantage alternates two games home, two games away, then home, away, and then home again. Thus we know the travel schedule is set, but that doesn't lessen the tremendous stress the players will be under. Not only are we giving our all physically to every game, we're straining our emotional and mental capacities as well. Every single professional hockey player I know lives and breathes for only one thing, and that's to raise the Stanley Cup above their head. It's within my reach and I can almost taste it.
"I'm going to work out some kind of schedule with Kate where we can travel alternating rounds while the other watches all the kids," Jules tells her.
My neck twists to look in through the windows off the back deck and through the living room, and my eyes immediately catch on Stephanie's flaming curls. Looks like she hasn't made it to the bathroom because she's been waylaid by Cash.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Cash is heavily flirting with her. He's leaning in close, and the expression on his face is carnal. I know he's probably feeding her corny lines that would never work on a woman like Stephanie, but what I don't like is the fact that she seems to be enjoying it. She smiles and laughs at him, sometimes flipping her hair over her shoulders. She also leans in toward him as he tells her an animated story with his hands. When she laughs at him a second time, she playfully touches his forearm for a second.
What the fuck? Is she into this kid?
I push up from my chair mumbling something about using the bathroom and make my way across the back deck and into the house. By the time I get to where Stephanie and Cash were standing, they're both gone.
Simone walks by and I ask her, "Have you seen Stephanie?"
She indicates with a thumb over her shoulder, "Yeah. She just went into the bathroom."
"Alone?" I demand.
Simone's eyebrows rise but she quickly answers, "Of course alone. Why wouldn't she be alone?"
I shake my head as I brush past my sister toward the bathroom, instantly relieved that she and Cash aren't getting physical with each other in Garrett's guest bathroom, and even as I appreciate the relief, I know that was stupid to even think that would happen. If it did, though, I do believe I'd have to kill Cash.
Leaning up against the wall, I wait for Stephanie to come out. When she does she blinks at me in surprise but gives me a welcoming smile. "Hey, you."
"What's up with all the flirting?" I ask, then I immediately regret the words. I absolutely did not need to confront her with that because I have no right to.
Stephanie's expression darkens. "What do you mean?"
"It just seems to me that you and Cash were getting awful cozy together," I tell her with a nonchalant shrug.
"We were just talking," Stephanie says with her lips quirked up, and I can tell she is thoroughly amused with me. "He's a funny guy."
"Don't look at me like that," I snap at her.
She stifles a laugh then asks me, "Look at you like what?"
"That you think I'm jealous and you find it completely hilarious," I tell her with my chin lifted.
"Are you?" she asks me with mischief written all over her face.
"Absolutely not," I say with a casual smile. "No strings between us, right?"
"That's right," she says with a slightly teasing tone, but I can also see in her eyes that there is no room for jealousy.
That sort of irritates me. We may have a firm friends-with-benefits agreement, but I thought we had been pretty clear that this was exclusive.
"So you mean to tell me," I ask her as I lean in and murmur, "you would not be bothered if I flirt with other women in your presence?"
Stephanie swallows hard but her jaw stiffens with resolve. "That's right."
"Huh?" I say, sounding genuinely interested in this concept. "I'll keep that in mind."
Then I push past her into the bathroom with a satisfied smile on my face over the look of surprise and perhaps a little anger on hers.
Let her chew on that for a while.
Chapter 10
Stephanie
"Stephanie, are you even listening to me?" Jules asks as she shakes my shoulder lightly.
I twist my neck to look at her and distractedly ask, "What?"
She gives me a knowing smile and leans into me, murmuring, "You seem awfully interested in something else."
I'm back at the table, chatting with Jules and Simone, the men talking about hockey. I'm all kinds of unsettled about that confrontation I had with Lucas about half an hour ago. Since then, I returned to the table and he has not. Jules and I have been talking about my idea, with Vale adding in her thoughts as well. Simone is off doing who knows what.
"Nope, not interested in anything else," I tell Jules, although my gaze moves to the window to peek in on Lucas again.
Which is a complete lie. I'm absolutely interested in the fact that Lucas is standing in the living room almost exactly where I had been talking to Cash. Except he is talking to a blonde with big boobs and a very little dress.
"I'm sure that doesn't mean anything," I hear Jules murmur near my ear. It surprises me enough I turn my head quickly look to at her. She nods at the window. "Lucas."
"I don't care what Lucas does," I tell her with vehemence. Too much vehemence, actually, because it sounds fake.
I know it sounds fake because Jules cocks an eyebrow at me. "I know exactly the nature of your relationship with Lucas. And while I don't know how you are treating it, I can tell you absolutely that if Lucas promises exclusivity, you'll get it."
I bristle at what she's saying, because it clearly means Lucas has talked about me. While Lucas may have no qualms about sharing personal details with other people, I'm not that way and never will be. So I shut down Jules as kindly as I can. "Lucas and I have a very clear agreement. I'm telling you right now I don't care if he is in there flirting with a porn star. It's none of my business."
"Well, that's good," Jules says with a smile. "Because that woman he's talking to in there actually has been in the adult entertainment business."
My head snaps back toward Lucas. "She has?"
"Stripper," Jules says. "She dates one of the players on and off again. I'm assuming on right now since she's here."
A weird sensation of anger and hurt wells up within me, something I've never felt before.
Jules merely leans over and pats me on my knee. "But no worries. I'm sure they're just chatting politics or something."
I give a disgruntled snort at the suggestion, and despite the fact I'm telling Jules a lot without saying a word at all, I push up from my chair. "I'll be back."
Ignoring Jules's snicker, I make my way into the living room without any clue as to why I would do something so foolish. When I reach Lucas and the stripper, she is standing very close to him and twirling her hair around her finger. He seems captivated by what she's saying.
Lucas sees me and smiles with sparkling eyes. "Hey, Stephy. Rona here was just telling me about a big party she's having tomorrow at the beach. It's only a few hours away, but she promises topless volleyball."
My jaw drops as I digest what Lucas is telling me and I honestly can't think of anything to say in return.
It doesn't matter, though, because he has more to say. "Doesn't that sound like fun?"
"Um, yeah," I mutter as I shift from foot to foot with unease. "I was just coming to tell you goodbye, since I'm leaving."
I totally wasn't leaving and was hoping to make another run at the barbecue, but I seriously don't think I can handle Lucas talking to this bimbo about naked volleyball.
"So, um, goodbye," I mumble as I start to turn toward the deck so I can get my pu
rse. "I'll see you around."
"Stephanie," Lucas calls out, and I stop to look over my shoulder. "There's no need to be jealous of Rona."
My face heats up with embarrassment as I notice a few people standing around look to Lucas since he was quite loud in his proclamation. My eyes flick to the blonde and I can see she's highly amused. My eyes then narrow, and I shoot a sinister glare at Lucas. "I am not jealous."
One eyebrow arcs upward. "Kind of looks like it."
I step back toward Lucas, and as I lean into him I growl, "I. Am. Not. Jealous."
"Perfect," Lucas says with a beaming smile. "Naked volleyball at the beach it is."
"We're going to have so much fun," Rona says as she bounces up and down a little, making her boobs jiggle. To Lucas's credit, he doesn't look at them, but keeps his smirking eyes leveled at me.
My face gets hotter as my head starts to buzz with anger.
I suddenly realize I am not just angry...I'm absolutely infuriated. Not at Rona, because I think she's doing what she usually does. But at Lucas, that he would even consider such a thing.
"Are you seriously making plans to do naked volleyball in front of the woman you are currently fucking?" I ask slowly so there is no mistaking what I want him to know. Unlike him, though, I say it in a low enough voice only he and Rona hear me.
Lucas grins at me and I'm stunned when he grabs me by the back of my head and pulls me to him for a hard, quick kiss. When he releases me he says, "God, you're fucking adorable when you're jealous."
"Aagh," I snarl at him in frustration. "You are impossible."
Spinning around, I bolt for the door that leads to the deck, intent on grabbing my purse and getting the hell home.
If you leave now, my subconscious says, you'll lose him to naked volleyball.
I don't give a shit, I hiss back at my subconscious.
Just before I reach the door, I feel a hand clamp down on my elbow and I am pulled to an abrupt stop.
"Oh no you don't, Stephy," Lucas says. "We need to talk."
I try to pull my arm away. "No, we don't."
"Yes, we do." And the next thing I know he is dragging me back through the living room into the hallway and straight into Garrett and Olivia's master bedroom. He shuts the door behind us and releases me.
I spin on him. "What are you doing? It's totally rude to be in their bedroom."
"You don't have to worry," he says with a sly smirk. "I don't plan on fucking you here."
"Don't plan on fucking me anywhere," I snap at him.
He just smiles placidly at me and I can tell he still thinks I'm freaking adorable.
"I am not jealous," I tell him again as I cross my arms over my chest.
He crosses his arms to match me. "I'm not jealous either."
"Fine," I retort.
"Fine."
"So where does that leave us?" Lucas asks.
"I'm going home," I reply primly.
Lucas's eyes grow dark and he gives me a mischievous grin. "Sounds good. I'll meet you there."
I ignore the thrilling sizzle that courses through me and stubbornly remain aloof. "No, you're not."
"Yes, I am."
"No, you're--"
Lucas is on me, hands in my hair, mouth crushed against mine, and my refusal to let him come to my house is swallowed down his throat. The minute his tongue touches mine, my entire body betrays me by melting into him.
When he ends the kiss, his eyes bore into mine and he asks, "Am I coming home with you?"
I nod dazedly at him.
He smirks back at me.
"I am not jealous, though," I reiterate.
"Neither am I," he murmurs, then touches his mouth to mine for a very brief, sweet kiss. "Let's make our goodbyes so we can get naked."
--
Lucas shoves his face in my neck as he plants himself deep inside of me and groans out his orgasm. My hands skim over his back, marveling at the way he shudders against me.
"God, that's good," Lucas mutters with hot breath against my skin.
I couldn't agree more. I had two orgasms to his one. The first he induced with his fingers, the rest with just his cock as he rode me. He is so beautiful when he's above me, my legs spread and knees pressed into his sides. The brown in his eyes is taking over the green, but they're still streaked with gold. I know this because he stares at me the entire time, refusing to break eye contact, and the connection is intense. Now that I think about it, that second orgasm may have been due in part to his eyes as well.
Lifting my head, I put my lips to Lucas's shoulders and kiss him softly. His breathing is ragged and he just rests his weight on me for a moment as if he's too exhausted to move.
"Would you have gone to naked volleyball tomorrow had I not let you come over tonight?" I ask suddenly, and if my hands weren't busy stroking his back, I'd clap one over my mouth in shock over that popping out.
Lucas lifts his head and he stares down at me with dancing eyes. "Who says I'm not?"
My hand slides to his ass and I pinch it. Lucas yelps as his torso bucks, and I didn't know men could make that type of noise. Then so fast I'm not even sure how it happens, Lucas rolls us and I'm straddling him with his half-hard dick still lodged inside me.
I balance myself with hands to his chest and he palms my thighs as we look at each other. His mischievous expression, though, is gone and I watch as his eyes slide down past my breasts to where we are still connected. My breath catches as I realize he's looking at where his dick disappears into my body with a measure of awe and hunger. I let my own eyes drop and I see what he sees. He brings a hand to my mound and touches me gently, but not without impact. My entire body jolts from that small touch.
Still staring at our joining, Lucas murmurs, "Look at this. My cock in your pussy. That is so fucking hot to me, and I swear, Stephy...if you started moving on me right now, I'd get fully hard again. I'd be ready to go for another round."
I hold my breath and watch him, because I don't think that's the important thing he's trying to convey. I think it's something else.
He makes it clearer when his eyes move to mine, where they lock. "Why in the hell would I ever want to go to naked volleyball when I have this right here?"
I cough to clear my throat, ignoring the pure joy that filters through me at his words.
"Um...because it's naked volleyball with strippers?" I say tentatively, unsure why he would do such a thing.
Lucas presses his thumb against my clit, causing me to moan and rock my hips as he chides, "Trust me when I say nothing is better than this right here. Understood?"
"Yes," I say breathlessly, holding the urge to start bouncing up and down on him. I don't know if he can really go again so fast, but I'll let him make that call.
"This isn't casual, Stephanie," Lucas says soberly. My joy fizzles a tiny bit and is replaced by fear. "And there are strings, unfortunately. I didn't like the thought of you flirting with another guy. I don't know if it's just proprietary over what I've exclusively claimed as mine for right now, or what, but I didn't like it."
I'm shaking my head in denial because that's what I'm trained to do when I think someone might get too close. Lucas is getting too close, and his words affect me in two different ways. They make me want so much with him, and they make me want to shut the door firmly on the possibility.
"There aren't any strings," I lie outright to him. "Either of us can walk at any time."
He gives me a sad, knowing smile. He gets why I just said that, and he understands me better than perhaps I know myself at this moment. I don't know if I should like him or hate him for that.
"There are strings," Lucas says firmly. "I was jealous of you talking to Cash. That's a string. If you were honestly jealous of me talking to Rona, then that's a string. I'll let you discuss that with your conscience, but I've got no problem admitting it. Not when what we just shared in this bed is so beautiful and amazing."
Oh God.
Just...oh God. He really means that and
this is really happening.
"I don't think I'm ready for strings," I whisper fearfully to him, my heart now racing as fast as it was right before he brought me to the height of pleasure. My chest feels weighted with anxiety as I consider how very threatening this is to my way of life, and at the same time, I've got this undeniable excitement making me absolutely jittery.
Lucas's hands grab mine and he squeezes them gently. "Stephy...it's just a string. Not a commitment, not a proposal, not a declaration of emotion or feelings. It's just a string. Probably means nothing more than we are proprietary about each other's bodies."
He's lying to me to help put me at ease, damn him and his sweet ways. That's not what it means, but he sounds so earnest in his reasoning I think I'm going to accept that. No, I know I'm going to accept that, because even though I'm not ready to consider something that risks my heart with Lucas, I'm not ready to give him up either.
So I nod to him and exhale. "Okay."
"Okay," he says with a smile. "Now we need to talk about something else."
"Can we talk over Cherry Garcia?" I ask with a perky smile.
He rolls his eyes and then lifts me off him. He slips out and I hate how I hate losing that connection.
"Go get us some ice cream," he orders with a swat to my ass.
I scramble off the bed and run through my small apartment. In less than a minute, I'm back with a fresh pint. The one he and I started three days ago is long gone.
Lucas is in bed, sheet pulled up to his waist, watching me with appreciative eyes when I walk in. He's told me so many times how beautiful I am. How beautiful my body is, and yet...when he looks at me, he conveys something even deeper about how much he likes what he sees. His expression actually makes me giddy.
Crawling into bed, I hand over the ice cream. He opens it while I situate myself beside him against the headboard. I don't bother with bringing the sheet up to my breasts and instead keep it just over my lap like him. Our legs are pressed together and our shoulders touch. I watch as Lucas takes the first spoonful of ice cream before handing it over to me. "I have to stop joining you in your cravings. I'm going to turn into a cow at this rate."