Chapter 9 Austin #2
“Emi, we’re so happy you were able to come.
” Jane stands, and in true sweet-Janey fashion, gives the newcomer a hug.
Surprise flickers over Emi’s face, but she returns the embrace warmly, making me smile.
I knew she’d get along well with Chance’s girl.
Everyone loves Janey. “Honey, will you move down by Roman so us girls can sit together?”
“Sure, baby,” Chance says as he stands and unfolds to his full Thor-like massive height. “Emi, welcome to the P4H club. Lemme know if you need me to kick his ass for anything.” Then to Jane, he says, “I’ll be collecting for this favor later, sweet girl.”
Janey rolls her eyes, then promptly blushes at whatever Chance whispers in her ear before moving seats.
I can only imagine what plans he has for her later.
As far as kinks in our group go, Chance’s are the closest to mine.
He and Jane get off on rough D/s type sex with some humiliation thrown in for good measure.
Mine’s essentially the same but kicked up several notches.
“It’s so nice to finally meet all of you,” Emi says. “Austin’s told me so much about you.”
“Well then we need to level the playing field,” Addison says. “Say the word and we’ll give you all the dirt on Rowdy, here.”
“Addie, now don’t you go tellin’ all my secrets,” I say, half kidding and half serious. Lord only knows what’ll come out of that woman’s mouth.
Like the fact that she and I have had sex.
Roman’s kink used to be sharing his lovers. When he first started seeing Addie, he brought me into their bedroom as their third. It wasn’t every time, and it was never without Roman, but if I had to estimate, I’ve probably been with her around a dozen times.
Eventually Roman realized he wanted Addie all to himself, which was the best decision he’s ever made; she’s an amazing woman who is every bit his equal.
As for me and Addie, there’s never been any kind of awkwardness between us.
Only the deep bond of friendship and the love I have for both her and that big jerk she’s attached to.
But not many people would understand that, and I don’t feel like testing Emi on the subject in the middle of a Blackhawks game.
“Why do you call him Rowdy?” Emi asks as she takes her seat next to Jane.
“Oh, that’s his stripper name.” Of course, Addie completely ignores me, leaning forward to fill Emi in. “Roman’s is Ruthless, and Chance doesn’t dance for anyone but Janey here anymore, but he used to go by Romeo. The Triple Rs.”
Emi laughs, raising her eyebrows in doubt. “Seriously? He told me about the business but not about that. I guess female strippers aren’t the only ones with silly nicknames.”
“They’re not silly,” I say in defense.
“Mine isn’t,” Roman says with his trademark wolfish smile. “I can’t speak for the rest of you yahoos, though.”
Addison pats his thigh. “We know, baby, you’re big and bad and you don’t have a silly bone in your body.”
“Are you saying I’m not funny?”
The girls, Chance, and I exchange looks then all say, “Yes.” Roman scowls, which only serves to make us laugh at his expense.
This is how we operate. We give each other shit, damn near nonstop.
It’s been our way of expressing our brotherly bond from the time we were fifteen, and the girls have fit right in.
I’m hoping the same will happen with Emi.
Janey turns back and says, “So we hear this is your first time watching hockey live. You’re in for an amazing experience.”
Emi’s shoulders scrunch up a bit. “Actually, it’s my first time watching any kind of sport, live or otherwise.”
The guys’ jaws drop, rendered speechless. “Yeah, that was pretty much my reaction, too,” I say.
“That’s a damn shame,” Chance says, shaking his head.
“It’s downright cruel, is what it is,” Roman adds. “No one should be deprived of sports, especially not Blackhawk hockey.” Roman’s the biggest Hawks fan of us all. He’s the very definition of fanatic, with his home office like a shrine to the franchise.
Jane frowns. “Don’t be so dramatic. There’s nothing wrong with not having an interest in sports.”
Emi holds up her hands. “I wouldn’t say I’m not interested. I’ve just never had the opportunity to watch any.”
“Well, we’re changing that today,” I say, settling my arm around her shoulders on the back of her chair. “Today, you become a fan of the greatest team in the NHL.”
“I can’t wait.”
“You don’t have to,” Roman says. “Here they come.”
The gigantic jumbotron shows the players exiting the locker rooms, and the energy in the arena swells.
Music blares through the speakers, the rink lights up with the words “Our home ice,” and dozens of spotlights fly in wild patterns over the crowd.
An air horn sounds off in three long blasts as a spray of pucks shoot onto the ice, followed by the players, who start skating in figure eights to warm up.
Sam gives us a quick nod and salute as he skates by us, and I lean into Emi to point him out. “That’s Addie’s cousin, Sam Larsen. He’s one of the best enforcers in the league. They call him the Reaper.”
She smiles up at me. “Yet another profession with silly nicknames?”
“Yeah, another profession with silly nicknames.” Laughing, I draw her in for a quick kiss.
When I pull away, her attention returns to the rink, and I catch Addie creeping on us.
Shit, I know that look. Her wheels are turning inside that scheming mind of hers.
I can practically see the smoke pouring out of her ears.
I arch a brow, warning her to shut down whatever she’s plotting.
She knows I have no qualms about telling Roman he needs to put a leash on his little blond wildcat.
Addie returns my arched brow with one of her own, letting me know she’s not the least bit intimidated, which I already knew.
She’s every bit as ruthless as her boyfriend; they’re a perfect match.
Finally the game starts, and for the entire first period, I watch as my friends explain the higher points of the game to Emi, who barely acknowledges my existence because she’s so into the action on the rink.
It’s awesome. When she isn’t on the edge of her seat, she’s jumping up with the rest of us, hands against the Plexi as she shouts at the players.
At one point, Sam gets into a fight with the other team’s enforcer, and Emi yells, “Rip his fucking head off!” There’s this record scratch moment where she claps a hand over her mouth, and we all stare at her in shock.
But a heartbeat later we’re all shouting obscenities along with her and egging Emi on.
I told her I’d make a fan out of her, but I never thought it would be so easy.
I took one sports-deprived Emi DeLuca, added a couple of front row seats to the Chicago Blackhawks, and boom!
Instant rabid hockey fan. Couldn’t have turned out any better.
The second period ends tied up at three goals each. The guys and I start our analyzing thing where we discuss certain plays and argue over what should’ve happened or what we would’ve done, as though any of us are good enough to be on NHL ice.
“Blah blah blah,” Addison says, mocking us. “Time for a girls’ trip to the restroom. Come on, ladies, chop-chop.”
Emi seems a bit flustered by the sudden demand at first, like she’s not sure what to make of a new acquaintance herding her in the age-old ritual of female bathroom bonding. But no one really gets to say no to Addison. Even Janey tends to go with whatever flow her friend drags her into.
Chuckling, Emi looks at me. “I guess I’m going to the restroom.”
“So I hear.” I smile and tweak a piece of her hair. “I’ll be right here.”
As soon as the girls are gone, I turn to my best friends.
Roman stands up and leans against the Plexi while Chance moves into Emi’s seat next to me.
I’m curious to know what they think about her.
I want them to like her. If I can manage to make this into something more permanent, a good relationship between her and my friends is extremely important to me. “All right, lay it on me.”
Chance kicks his long legs out and crosses them at the ankles, folding his arms over his chest. “I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure about her at first. She was nice enough, but she seemed to hold herself apart.”
“She was really nervous. I don’t think she’s ever had a close group of friends before, and she’s an only child. What we have isn’t something she’s used to.”
Roman shrugs. “Didn’t take her long to adjust. She sounds like a seasoned hockey fan and eventually stopped wincing every time we told each other off.”
I can’t stop the smile spreading from ear to ear. “Yeah, she’s awfully cute when she’s slamming the other team for being ‘common toothless thugs with sticks.’”
“Don’t worry, I’ll teach her how to smack-talk like a pro,” Addison says, suddenly showing up without Emi and Janey.
Roman lifts his arm as she tucks herself into his side, their movements fluid like a dance they’ve done a thousand times, and likely they have in the few months they’ve been back together.
I never thought I’d see the day Roman Reeves settled into a relationship, but just like Chance is with Jane, his whole world revolves around that tiny spitfire.
I wish I could say I wasn’t jealous of my best friends and the happiness they’ve found, but I’d be lying.
I didn’t set out to find it, but every day I spend with Emi, the voice in my head telling me to hold on to her gets louder.
“Wildcat,” Roman says, “why aren’t you with the girls?”
Addie waves her red-manicured hand dismissively.
“I remembered that I have a bladder of steel and don’t have to go.
” Roman arches a dubious brow at her, while I furrow mine and Chance laughs.
“Hey, Thor, you should go check on them, though. There was some creeper ogling Janey as they walked into the bathroom.”
Fury worthy of the god of thunder himself replaced the humor on Chance’s face as he shoved out of his chair. “The fuck he is,” he growled, his legs eating up the stairs in seconds.
Since Emi’s name wasn’t the one mentioned, I still have the benefit of logic on my side. Crossing my arms, I look at Addie. “There is no creeper, is there?”
She beams at me and takes Chance’s place next to me. “No, but I wanted to talk to you alone for a sec.”
There’s no use in pointing out that her boyfriend is still here because she’d just argue that he doesn’t count, since she’ll be telling him about the conversation later anyway.
“Fine, spill it.”
“You’re really into her.” Addison doesn’t prevaricate. Like the ballsy lawyer she is, she cuts through the bullshit and gets to the point.
“She doesn’t want anything serious right now. We’re keeping it casual.”
“I don’t buy that for a second, but I’m not talking about her, I’m talking about you.”
I release a heavy breath and relent. “Yeah, I’m really into her. We have fun together, and we have a lot in common.”
Leaning in closer and lowering her voice, her blue eyes turn unnaturally serious. “Are you using the contracts with her?”
Addison’s the one who drafted the legal paperwork for me last year.
I chose to go to her instead of Roman because he didn’t know about my forced fantasy kink.
His older sister had been raped when we were still in high school, and I never wanted him to think I was anything like the fucker who assaulted Rhona.
I ended up having to tell him to clear up a misunderstanding of why I was secretly meeting with Addie.
Long story short, Roman accepted my apology and my kink, and our brotherly bond is as strong as ever.
“Yes,” I say. “Everything’s good, I promise, Addie-girl.”
She arches a blond brow. “Then you also told her about our past?”
I freeze, my eyes darting to Roman for help, but he just shakes his head. He has no intention to interrupt whatever crusade she’s on. I narrow my gaze on her. “I don’t see how that’s relevant.”
“If you’re just fucking her for funsies, then it’s not.
But that’s not what this is, at least not for you.
We occasionally joke about it to get under Roman’s skin, but obviously it’s not something we’ll throw around in front of a girlfriend.
But there’s always a chance someone will slip.
It would suck for her to find out that way.
And I really like her, so I’d prefer it if she didn’t hate my guts if you plan on keeping her around, which you totally should. ”
“She’s right, brother,” Roman says. “If you really like her, you need to be honest with her, the sooner the better. Maybe telling her now that she’s already had the chance to see you guys interact as strictly friends, it’ll help soften the news.
Before she might’ve wondered if there’s still anything between you.
Now she’ll have seen with her own eyes that there’s not. ”
I scrub a hand over my face. “She probably won’t even care because this isn’t serious for her.”
“Oh, Pookie, if you honestly believe that, you’re more clueless than the average Cowboys fan.”
“Hey,” I say.
“Good one, wildcat.” Roman extends his fist, which Addison bumps without even having to look.
“Don’t be stupid, Austin,” Addison continues. “That means don’t be a guy. Be a man. Own up to your feelings, and if she doesn’t realize her own yet, then fight for them. She’s not immune to your charms, that much is obvious.”
As strange as it probably sounds, the fact that I’ve been intimate with Addie has bonded us in a way I’ll never be with Jane.
Not that Chance has a problem with that.
He’s extremely caveman when it comes to his pretty Janey, and I don’t blame him.
Roman’s the same way with Addison now, but because he shared her with me before he got all proprietary, he accepts that we have that little something extra to our friendship.
“Okay, Addie-girl, I hear you. Thanks,” I say, reaching over to give her hand a squeeze.
“I love you, you big dumb animal. Don’t screw this up.”
“Love you, too.”
With that, she hops up and launches herself at her boyfriend, who catches her around the waist and pulls her into a chair for a quickie makeout session.
They both have a serious exhibitionist streak, so it’s pretty common with them.
Luckily, they keep the PDA fairly PG, since this is a family event.
Chance returns with the girls, and the third period keeps us all on our feet as the Blackhawks battle for the lead.
Except the nail-biter of a game isn’t the only thing making me anxious.
I know my friends are right, but I’m worried about how Emi will react.
I’m lucky she accepts one extreme kink of mine.
Am I pushing my luck hoping that she can accept that I used to share my best friend’s girl with him?
I don’t know, but I guess there’s only one way to find out.