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“I didn’t say it would,” said Rafe. “I’m just pointing out she should capitalize on all opportunities.”
“I know, brother.” Max pounded him on the shoulder in an affectionate way.
“You take this stuff pretty seriously,” Gemma said.
“I guess we do,” said Rafe. “The way I see it, you don’t get out of life alive. Like most rides you go on, you can be a passenger or be in control. Being a passenger is easy, but being in control takes serious study. So I try to get all the skills I can because then I have the tools to have a lot more fun than most people do.”
“Work hard, play hard?” Simone asked.
Rafe considered the idea. “Something along that line, Simone, but maybe not as simple. I think the idea is to work hard and give yourself as many tools as you can to enjoy work and play. If you stay in control, then you are more likely to make the fun times what you want them to be.”
Gemma laughed. “Simone, he’s trying to sell an innocent kid, a post-millennial kid, on work ethic. Isn’t that child abuse?”
“Probably,” she said. “Seems to work for him, though.” She looked at Max and grinned. “And maybe for Max too.”
He shrugged a shoulder. “I’m not as philosophical as my brother here. I take it all one day at a time, evaluate the situation, and formulate a response.”
“As long as that response doesn’t require much verbiage,” said Rafe with a chuckle.
Simone laughed along, and Max took the ribbing good-naturedly. It was a moment of camaraderie, opening her eyes to the possibilities of a future with these guys. Seeing how they treated Gemma, it didn’t seem so farfetched to imagine it now.
Back at theapartment Gemma seemed excited. “I’m going upstairs to do my homework.” She giggled. “There must be some happiness tools in it somewhere.”
“Dig deep, girl,” Rafe said.
When Gemma had disappeared up the stairs, Simone came over to stand between Rafe and Max. “You guys really know how to talk to her. It’s amazing.”
“I find it easy to be a friend. I’m not an authority figure. The biker schtick helps, too. She doesn’t see me as part of the oppressive parent class,” said Rafe.
Max snorted. “I’m sure she gets the parent-class vibe from me.”
Simone laughed. “Is that how she sees us, as oppressors?”
“Sure. She’s a teen.” Max shrugged.
“Her world consists of humans, oppressors, and outsiders. The humans are the cool kids—the rest are an ignorable subspecies,” said Rafe. “Oppressors are the authority figures, which includes most adults. They can range in coolness to nearly tolerable but aren’t human. Outsiders are interesting adults that they seldom come in contact with. They are never held up as role models and are sometimes even rated as awesome, simply because the authorities don’t understand them and sometimes show their fear of them. The humans like seeing the oppressors showing fear and give the outsiders street cred for it whether they deserve it or not.” He tapped his chest. “And bikers, well, we’re a particularly enigmatic subspecies of outsider.”
Max whistled. “You’ve given this a lot of thought.”
Rafe shrugged. “I like to use my brain. You might try it sometime. You could get a taste for it.”
Max slapped him on the back, making Rafe take an unexpected half-step forward, but they were both laughing, so Simone relaxed. They weren’t arguing. It was just more of their dynamic at play.
She leaned forward, putting a hand on each of their chests, looking up at first Rafe and then Max. “Well, such classifications aside, I think you’re both awesome and not because you frighten anyone.”
Max pouted. “I’m scary.”
Simone moved her hand to his cheek. “Of course, you are,” she said in an indulgent tone. She could barely recall the time when she’d found him intimidating. He seemed like a big teddy bear now, though she knew he still had a protective biker inside, just like Rafe.
Rafe slipped his hands around her waist and tipped her chin so she faced him. Their lips touched, and he hesitated for a moment that seemed energized and intense, then he kissed her. Her body melted into his as Max curled up behind her, and she opened her mouth for Rafe’s tongue, tasted it as he explored her mouth.
Pressing against his hard body made her feel safe as Max’s muscles cradled her back, and feeling the hardness of their cocks through their jeans made her want them even more. That she wanted them so badly hit her hard—it had sneaked up on her, flowing naturally from enjoying their company to enjoying their masculine presence, to… to sheer desire.
Her face was flushed as they broke the kiss. Max rolled his eyes upwards. “Gemma,” he said.
“When her homework’s done and I’ve checked it, she’ll be in her room for the night.” Simone wished her voice didn’t tremble so. “She’ll be on her computer until she goes to sleep. We’ll be alone then.”
Max turned her head then to capture her lips in a long kiss. It was drugging and intense, just like the one she’d shared with Rafe, but somehow completely different too. It wasn’t just that he kissed with a different pace and level of firmness. The sensations were different too.
