Van (Cold Fury Hockey 9)

With a sigh, I stir my cup of coffee and just stare at the happiness sitting across from me. We hit a local diner within easy walking distance of Stephanie's apartment, and she ate a hearty breakfast. She gave me a play-by-play of what happened yesterday when Lucas showed up at her apartment. She also admitted to me with red cheeks that she had been acting pretty foolish and she was more than grateful that he came.

"You two are great together," I say with a dopey smile on my face. "And just so you know, I plan on spoiling my niece or nephew ridiculously, so get used to it."

"Noted," Stephanie says with a sharp nod of her head. She picks up her tea and holds it in front of her mouth, both elbows resting on the table as she peers at me over the rim. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Sure," I say with a shrug and a smile.

"Is there something going on between you and Van?" she asks hesitantly.

The smile slides off my face and I can feel my cheeks heat up.

"Never mind," she says with a smirk. "Your face says it all."

"Oh God," I say as I put my forehead in my palm and groan. When I look back up at her with wide eyes, I ask, "How could you possibly know?"

Stephanie takes a sip of her tea and then sets the cup down to the side. She leans forward, putting her good arm on the table, the other resting over it lightly. "Lucas told me about you kissing Van in that bar to stop him from sleeping with some chick."

My mouth drops open in astonishment. "He told you about that?"

"Oh, don't worry," Stephanie says. "He doesn't think there's anything going on between you two. In fact, he said you only did it to shock him. A deterrent so to speak."

I shake my head hard. "No, not about the kiss...he told you about why he was in that bar? Um...you know...to um..."

"Hook up with a woman?" she asks as she wrinkles her nose. "Yes, your brother believes in transparency, I guess."

"He didn't," I say as I stare her dead in the eye. "Hook up with that woman. Any woman. I know you two were broken up, but he remained faithful."

"Well, he did go to that woman's house," she says wryly.

"Holy fuck," I gasp. "He did? He didn't tell me that. Only that nothing happened."

Stephanie gives me a wan smile. "I could have done without the details, but there may have been some groping going on, but he just couldn't go through with it. I'm cool with it."

"Are you really?" I ask, narrowing my eyes at her. Studying her carefully to make sure that there is nothing that's going to mar their beautiful relationship.

"Really," she says with a firm nod, and then turns the tables back on me. "Now tell me about Van. Lucas is convinced that kiss was just a ploy you used, but I saw something on your face that night we grilled out steaks. You have feelings for him."

"No," I say adamantly with another shake of my head. "I lust for him. I don't have feelings."

Stephanie cocks an eyebrow at me with skepticism.

"Seriously," I tell her. "It's just sex. Dirty, secret sex, and honestly, I can't get enough of him. He's so damn good too. I've never been with someone like him. He's so demanding, and alpha, and he does things to me that have me seeing stars, and--"

Stephanie holds up her right hand, palm out, and my mouth snaps shut.

"Okay," she says carefully. "You're telling me more than I needed to know, and that's cool. I like sex a lot too."

"Well, I don't want to hear about your sexcapades with my brother," I interject hastily.

"Yeah, wasn't going to tell you that," she deadpans. "But seriously...it's just sex with you and Van?"

"Well, I mean...he's such a mystery, and yeah, I'd like to crack him open and analyze what makes him tick."

"He's totally antisocial," Stephanie muses.

"Not really." I feel the need to defend him. "I mean...once you get to know him."

"And exactly how well do you know him?" she asks, and my stomach flips over.

I don't know him at all. I know what he tastes like, and that he loves it when I scrape my teeth on the underside of his cock, but I really don't know him at all.

"It's just sex," I reaffirm. "And I'm fine with just that."

Stephanie picks up her teacup, takes another delicate sip, and puts it back down. When she looks at me, she says, "I'm going to give you some unsolicited advice."

I struggle not to roll my eyes, but honestly...it's so cute her playing concerned family member now that she has a ring on her finger. My tone is droll. "Well, you are practically my sister, so give it to me."

"You need to tread carefully with Van," she says slowly. "I think he might actually be a lot like me. With your brother, it was only sex between us to start. But feelings do get involved. You can't be intimate with someone and it not have it happen to some extent. And I can tell you have a heart of gold, just like your brothers. But Van may not ever have the ability to give you more. I don't want you to get hurt, so all I'm saying is to be careful. Protect yourself."

Her words weren't needed. I knew this myself, but they do add validation that what I'm doing with Van is a slippery slope. Still, I put on a brave face. "I appreciate that, and yes...I think I know that. Van made it clear that he has nothing to give other than just some amazing sex, and I'm cool with that."

"Do you think it's a good idea to keep it secret?" Stephanie asks.

I shrug. "That's Van's doing. He thinks if Lucas and Max knew, and they saw how little he has to give me, it wouldn't be good at all. Could ruin the team camaraderie."

Stephanie nods. "I understand that. But the truth has a way of coming out."

"You think I should tell Lucas and Max?" I ask her curiously.

She shakes her head. "On the contrary, your sex life is your business. I don't think Lucas or Max have any right to know that about you. I'm just saying...be careful is all."

"Okay," I murmur, and she reaches a hand across the table to squeeze mine in solidarity.

"I'm always here for you to talk to," she whispers. "So weird...I've never been a confidant to someone, but I think I'd like that."

Laughing, I pull my hand back. "Okay, confidant...I need to tell you something else."

"What?"

"Well, I've been working at a bar/restaurant called Lulu's," I tell her.

Her eyebrows furrow inward. "I though Lucas said you were working at a call center."

"Yeah...I lied. I can't really tell them, because Lulu's is a lot like Hooters. Except the uniforms are sluttier and the wings aren't as good."

"Oh," she says in surprise as she picks up her cu

p to take a sip. "Again...I don't think that's any of their business."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, because I'm thinking about taking on a job stripping on the weekend--"

Stephanie sucks in air and then starts choking on tea. I become immediately alarmed, but she holds her casted hand up as she coughs, beating on her chest with her good hand. I wait for a few moments, and she finally gets it under control. I watch as she goes for her water glass, takes a tiny sip, and then looks at me like I'm crazy. "Stripping?"

"It's respectable," I mutter.

"No, it's really not," she says.

My head jerks back. "I didn't take you for a prude."

Stephanie rolls her eyes at me. "I'm not a prude and there's inherently nothing wrong with it, but what I mean is that your brothers won't think that. They will go absolutely apeshit if they find out. This is not a good idea."

"So let me get this straight," I ask her with a cocked eyebrow. "You have no problem with me having a secret, illicit affair with Van, or working at a job where I dress slutty...you just don't want me taking my top off?"

Stephanie actually snickers at me as she shakes her head. "No. I think if they found out about Van, they'd wonder if you were okay, but they'd stay out of it. I think they'd be pissed if they knew you worked at Lulu's, but again...you're dressed for the most part. But they absolutely would blow a gasket if they knew you were stripping. Bad, bad idea."

With a sigh, I cross my arms over my chest and give her a tiny glare. "You're really hampering my plans."

My coworker at Lulu's got me an interview with the owner of the strip joint she dances at. All I had to do was give him about a two-minute, fully clothed dance so he could see if I could actually dance. I thought it weird he didn't want me to take my clothes off, but he came across as a pure professional, so I was glad about that. Not that I'm averse to taking off my clothes when there's sexy music playing and the mood is right.

"Seriously, why do you want to strip?" she asks.

"Because I have no clue what to do with my life, and I have bills to pay. I take that responsibility seriously."

"I'd just caution you to think about it," Stephanie says, telling me something I already know.