Chapter 18
EIGHTEEN
“That was really nice of you both,” I say as Danny, Conrad, and I sit at a corner table in some tiny dive bar I’ve never heard of.
Danny and Conrad got the appropriate ogling when we first came in, but the crowd is young and just self-obsessed enough that no one is really paying us much attention now that we’re seated.
“It was fun,” Danny says, Conrad nodding along. “You should have heard him razzing me.”
“I wish I could get that sort of excitement from the boys at practice.” Or honestly, even a fraction of it. Landon looked so happy and carefree, and I saw him shoot from center line. It was good. He was better while he was loose and having fun.
“Why can’t you?” Danny asks.
“I don’t think Grady would go for it. He’s convinced the kids need more situational work. Now probably more than ever. We’re doing a lot of high-tempo small-area games.” I can’t believe how badly tonight’s game went. Emotions are high, and the number one feeling is disgust.
“Maybe there’s a way to do both,” Conrad suggests. “You spend the first part of practice doing whatever Grady has planned and then you take the last thirty minutes for some fun.”
“In college, we used to end every practice with a warm-up game. Fox hunt, pick up sticks, circle battles, shoot-outs, sharks and minnows . . .” Danny trails off, but my brain is spinning with more ideas.
“I used to love fox hunt,” Conrad says.
“That’s because you’re lightning fast.” Danny brings the bottle of beer up to his lips and takes a long drink.
This has me thinking about all the fun I had playing hockey. Games were exciting, when I got to play, but practice is where I really felt like part of the team.
“I liked relay games,” I say, then immediately go into analyzing mode. “It probably says something about my talents that my favorite games included relying on other people to win.”
Danny chuckles and Conrad moves his leg so it’s flush against mine under the table.
“Sounds like I would have been picking you for my team, Charming.” I lean into him, bumping my shoulder against his.
“Charming?” Danny asks.
“Because he looks like Prince Charming.” I scrunch up my face with a smile as I beam at an embarrassed Conrad.
I hear Danny’s laughter, but I keep my gaze on the guy next to me.
“He does. Ha! Charming. I love it. Wait until I tell the guys,” Danny says.
“Now you’ve done it.” Conrad playfully glares at me. “And just before a long road trip.”
“I can think of worse nicknames.”
“Can you?” Danny asks. “Because I’d love to hear them.”
Without taking his eyes off me, Conrad flips off Danny, then brings his mouth close.
“Trouble,” he mutters, before he presses his lips to mine.
I melt into him, feeling more relaxed than I have all day. Conrad moves one hand to rest on my thigh. It isn’t nearly high enough to have my pulse racing like it is. He pulls back with a nip of my bottom lip.
I sit back in my chair and blow out a breath. When I look across the table, Danny is smirking at us. Oops. Forgot we weren’t alone.
“You two are cute.” He raises his beer for another drink and waggles one finger between me and Conrad.
“Thanks,” I say, and scoot a little closer to Conrad. I want to soak up every bit of him before he travels with the team. “How long have you been seeing Erin?”
“A while now.”
“Is it serious?”
“Sure,” he answers.
“Well, that’s not convincing.” I laugh.
“Everything has the potential to be serious.” Danny shrugs, looking perfectly at ease with the attention on him. So different than Conrad. “Right now, we’re still getting to know each other, having fun, but I’m open to it being more.”
“Huh.” The word comes out unintentionally.
Danny’s brows lift in question.
“I guess I’m just surprised that after a couple months you wouldn’t already know if you wanted it to be more. Then again, I’ve never been in a serious relationship.”
“Really?” Conrad and Danny ask at the same time.
“I dated in college, but the guys were all sort of terrible, and then after I graduated and started working for Victor, I was busy and my life revolved around his schedule.” I wait for either of them to say something disparaging about my brother. Neither does. “Wow. Really? Nothing?”
“We’re not going to talk shit about your brother,” Conrad assures me.
“Not in front of you,” Danny adds with a teasing smile.
My phone rings and I pull it from my pocket. Victor’s name flashes on the screen almost like he knew I was talking about him.
I motion with my head away from them. “I need to answer this. I’ll be right back.”
I scoot out of the booth and walk over to a quieter corner of the bar before I answer. “Hey. I can’t really talk right now. Is everything okay?”
“Dad’s asking about your visit. He wants to know if you can come a day earlier. His new girlfriend wants to meet you.”
“When did he start dating someone?”
“A few weeks ago.”
“And you didn’t say anything?”
“I wasn’t sure it would last long enough to be important.”
I groan. “Why do I need to come in earlier to meet her?”
“She’s a commercial pilot and can’t get off work.”
“A pilot, huh?” Dad typically dates women with a more flexible schedule. He likes people to be available when it’s convenient for him. “Have you met her?”
“Yeah. I had dinner with them tonight. Which is why I’m calling you now.”
Conrad appears off to the side, approaching me slowly. I force a smile at him and pull the phone away from my mouth to whisper, “Sorry. This shouldn’t take much longer.”
“No, I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable,” he says, keeping his voice low too.
“What—?” I start to ask what he’s talking about, but Victor says something in my ear.
“Hang on one second,” I say to him, then place a hand at the bottom of my phone, hopefully covering the mic and giving Conrad my attention.
“We won’t talk about your brother. I promise. Our shit with him has nothing to do with you,” Conrad says.
Whatever he sees in my expression must give me away because his face scrunches up in a wince. “It’s him on the phone, isn’t it?”
I fight a smile as I nod.
“Did he hear me?” Conrad steps closer.
“I’m back,” I say into the phone.
When Victor continues on like nothing happened, I shake my head to Conrad.
His smile inches higher, and his eyes glint with mischief. Conrad hums as his fingers clasp my hips on either side, and he tugs my lower body closer. He leans in and whispers in the ear not currently plastered to my phone, “Tell him I said hi.”
“I will not,” I say back with a small laugh.
“What’s that?” Victor asks.
“Nothing,” I answer, then give Conrad a warning glare that has absolutely no real threat behind it.
“So can you take a day off work to fly in Thursday instead of Friday?” My brother’s voice is laced with a hint of impatience. I’m sure it has more to do with being the messenger for Dad than anything else, but would it kill him to be a little nicer?
“I’m not sure,” I say as Conrad sweeps his hands under my T-shirt. I suck in a breath as his warm, calloused hands drag up my stomach. “I’ll need to let the school know so they can find a sub for my classes and . . .”
He brushes a thumb over the cup of my bra, and my thoughts trail off with my words. The way he stands in front of me, Conrad’s body blocks me from view of anyone else at the bar. Not that I have the wherewithal to be very concerned with that right now.
“And?” Victor’s impatience ramps up another notch.
“Hockey practice,” I sputter. “I’ll need to make sure Grady can cover for me.”
Conrad chuckles softly at my inability to string together words while his hands are on me. “Want me to stop?”
“What is there to cover? Don’t you coach JV kids?” Victor asks.
I’d be more annoyed at his dismissal of my job if Conrad weren’t sliding one big hand down the front of my pants. He nudges my foot with his until I widen my stance.
“Don’t be a jerk,” I say to my brother.
Conrad’s hand stills, and his jaw tightens. I tilt my head back and lift onto my toes to press my lips to his. That is all the distraction he needs before his fingers move lower. My pants aren’t giving him a lot of room to work, but he manages just fine.
“Fuck. You’re soaked,” Conrad mutters to himself as his middle finger glides between my folds.
I’m not sure what he expects when I’ve spent the past hour with him. I can’t seem to get enough.
“Whatever. Give them a day off.” Victor’s voice in my ear reminds me I’m still on the phone.
“I’ll have to let you know later once I check with the school.”
Conrad’s touch sends a wave of pleasure through me. His finger hooks inside me and pushes in to the knuckle while his palm rubs against my clit. I pull the phone away and close my eyes as I fight off a moan.
The noise of the bar is background to the pounding of my heart against my rib cage and the short, shallow breaths as I drag in air to my lungs.
Somewhere, someone is calling my name.
“One second,” I say to them. “I’m almost there.”
“Already?” Conrad asks. His smile pulls into a smirk.
“Says the guy who came in his pants not so long ago,” I fire back as he adds another finger and spots dot my vision.
“I’m feeling dangerously close to it again.” He takes my mouth again in a quick, hard kiss, nipping my bottom lip as he pulls back. His gaze drops to the forgotten phone in my right hand. “I think he’s getting impatient.”
“Oh shit,” I whisper as I bring the phone back to my ear.
“Whitney? Can you hear me?” My brother sounds like he’s seconds from hanging up.
“Yes.” The one word is nearly impossible to get out as Conrad doubles down on his efforts to get me off.
“What should I tell Dad?” he asks.
Conrad’s fingers move from my pussy to my clit, circling the sensitive bud with just the right amount of pressure.
“Tell him . . .” I bite back a cry as my body tightens.
I need to get off this call so I can get off without my brother listening in, but Conrad’s skilled fingers are too good.
“I’m . . .” I swallow and take another steadying breath.
“I’m coming.” I pull the phone away and press mute. “Oh god, I’m coming.”
Conrad’s mouth finds mine again as my body trembles and shakes. He doesn’t stop until he’s wrung out every bit of my orgasm. I slump against the wall behind me as he adjusts my panties and then pulls his hand out of my pants.
He still has that cocky grin aimed at me as he leans in and kisses me once more. “See you back at the table.”
Then Conrad steps away and brings his fingers to his lips, the same ones that were just inside me, and sucks them into his mouth.
“Holy shit,” I mutter. I watch him walk back across the bar, stunned and somehow more turned on. I blink out of my daze, unmute my phone, and put it back up to my ear.
“What the fuck?” Victor mutters, presumably at me ignoring him.
“Tell Dad I will do my best to be there.” Then I hang up.