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Hmm… she knows something, but what.
I tilt my head, my tone evasive. “What do you think I’m up to?”
Brienne rolls her eyes and sweeps a hand toward the door. “You know you were less than obvious when you followed Bain out of the ballroom a few minutes ago. And now you’re back and your lipstick’s smudged and your cheeks are flushed. And I just saw Danica calling you on the carpet about something, so spill it… Is there something going on between you and Bain?”
I can’t lie to Brienne. I’d never think to. “Bain and I are… well, we’re having sex. Lots and lots of it.”
Brienne’s eyebrows shoot up. “Just sex?”
“I mean… we hang out some. He’s been staying at my house the last few nights. We’re friends, you know.”
Shaking her head as if she can’t understand, she asks, “Are you two dating?”
“No way,” I exclaim, holding out my hands. “Just sex.” Brienne looks confounded, so I lean in and add in a low voice, “Really, really good sex. Like, the most amazing sex ever.”
“All right, I get it,” she mutters and then looks around before bringing her gaze back to me. “You need to tell your brother.”
I step back and glare at her. “I most certainly do not. It’s not any of his business and I don’t feel like him getting all wigged out over this. I certainly don’t want him going after Bain. You can’t tell him.”
Brienne huffs out a breath. “Of course I won’t tell him if you ask me not to. But if he finds out, it’s going to be worse that you’re hiding it.”
“You’re not telling me anything I don’t already know. But honestly… this is just so casual, it’s not even worth telling Drake. It will probably fizzle sooner rather than later.”
Mouth drawing downward, Brienne’s eyes turn soft. “So you two don’t have any feelings for each other?”
“Sure,” I say breezily, not liking her pitying look. “We’re friends. We like to hang. We have a good time.”
Her head tilts as if she’s confused. “And that’s it?”
“Why does it have to be anything more if we both like what we’re doing and it makes us happy?”
Brienne blinks a few times, shakes her head and almost sounds apologetic. “You’re right… as long as you’re both happy, that’s all that matters.”
I’m glad she sees it our way, but I still get the impression she feels sorry for me. That doesn’t sit well because Brienne is one of the smartest, most intuitive people I know. Her having concern for me is a little disconcerting, but I blow it off.
Everything is just perfect the way it is.
CHAPTER 17
Bain
Kiera leans acrossthe console of my car, fists my sweater and pulls me to her for a kiss. It’s soft and replete. Probably because we came straight from her house where we had some incredibly hot sex in her outdoor hot tub, which is quite draining when you add the heat of the water and the physical exertion.
Worth it.
We’re late to Tillie and Coen’s housewarming party and no, we’re not here together “as a couple.” I intend to go back to her house after the party, so we decided to ride together.
My idea, not hers, but she had no hesitation. We agreed we had to enter separately and I parked down the street so no one would see us. It’s stupid, really. I’m leaving tomorrow for back-to-back games in New York, then on to Boston. We’ll come back to Pittsburgh for one day, then an out-and-back trip to play the Cold Fury again. It’s a solid four days before I’ll see Kiera, then another away trip the day after.
I’m already missing her and I’m not even gone yet.
“You good to walk to the house by yourself?” I ask as she pulls away. It’s about a block and a half, but still… gentleman and all that, I offer.
“I’m good. See you in there.”
And then she’s gone, exiting the car, leaving behind a swirl of cold wind and my lips still tingle from her kiss. I contemplate why it unsettles me to let her walk in by herself. Deep down, I know it’s because it signifies that I view this as something more and that scares the hell out of me. I never planned on settling down with one woman for the long term. At least, not this early.
In fact, I never saw myself doing it before I retired from hockey. The game is what’s most important, and with that, my freedom to do what I want, when I want it. When you commit to someone, you have to put their needs right up there with your own and I’m smart enough to know that. My parents didn’t marry until they were in their early thirties and kids came a few years after that.
