by Toni Aleo
Fallon was panicking. “Stay the night?”
“Yeah.”
“Where would he sleep?” Fallon asked, hoping like hell that Lucas didn’t have an extra bed in that big freaking house of his.
“I have a room for him.”
“Oh,” Fallon whispered.
“Yeah, so is it okay?”
Fallon had told Molly that she wouldn’t keep Aiden from her, so what was she supposed to say other than yes? She nodded her head slowly and begged her tears not to fall. “Yeah, that’s fine.”
“Awesome. Can you have a bag ready for him? I’ll come by and pick him up in an hour or so. I’m going to take Mom home and let her get settled before I come get him.”
Fallon nodded slowly. “That’s fine.”
“Good, thanks.”
Fallon nodded again, feeling like a damn bobble head. Lucas ran his hands down the thigh of his jeans, clearing his throat. “So, we’re good?”
Fallon looked up and shrugged her shoulders. “I guess.”
“If you don’t want him to come, tell me,” he said, and Fallon shook her head.
“I’m gonna miss him, is all.”
“You can come too, Fal. You can sleep over in my room.”
When Fallon looked up at his grinning face, she rolled her eyes. “You’re crazy.”
“Crazy about you and that dress. You look hot, babe.”
Fallon’s whole body warmed as a small grin pulled at her lips.
He noticed!
“Thanks,” she said, hoping that she wasn’t beaming on the outside like she was on the inside.
Lucas chuckled as he chucked her under her chin, bringing her face up so he could see her. He took a small step closer to her, and Fallon took in a jagged breath. What the hell was he doing? Their parents and Aiden were only a couple of yards away!
“You didn’t miss me while I was gone?” he whispered as his hand came up to her cheek, cupping it ever so lightly. She closed her eyes, leaning into his hand as he moved his thumb along her jaw.
Stupid thumb! Stupid body! Step away Fallon, step away!
“Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”
“I know. Luckily for me, I can read you like a book.”
Fallon opened her eyes to glare at him but before she could, his lips were on hers, kissing her softly. Fallon’s eyes drifted shut and she started to kiss back even though her brain yelled at her to stop.
But she couldn’t.
She had missed him. She had missed his lips, his body, everything. She just wanted him — she didn’t care where or when — she just wanted.
So bad.
Lucas slid his tongue along hers as his hand tightened around her neck. Fallon fisted his shirt in her hand, bringing him closer. Lucas pulled back way too soon and looked down into Fallon’s eyes.
“I missed you, and even though you don’t want to admit to it, I know you missed me. When are you going to stop this charade and just admit you want to be with me?”
Fallon rolled her eyes, moving out of his arms, hating that he had called her out and to top it off, that he was right. She glared as she put her hands on her hips. “I don’t want to be with you!”
“Liar,” he said with a cocky grin.
“I don’t! I’m just horny!” He gave her a cocky smirk that Fallon swore he perfected just to make her temper flare and girly parts come at the same damn time! Fallon took another step back. “But no worries, I don’t have my son for the next couple nights, I’ll go find an easy lay!” she spat before turning to walk away.
“I think Coach Chase is still available, want me to call him for you? Maybe he got a haircut, or grew some balls,” Lucas said as she stomped away.
Since Fallon knew if she said anything it would be like pouring fuel on the fire so she kept walking, only stopping to grab Aiden before going to her car. She knew that she would get a call from her parents about her rude actions later but she had to get out of there.
Because if she didn’t, she was either going to kill Lucas or get naked with him right there in front of God and everybody.
The bad thing was that she didn’t know which one was worse.
Chapter 23
A smirk stayed on Lucas’ face the whole way back to his house. He loved messing with Fallon. He got a kick out of making her mad, and watching her get hot from head to toe really did it for him. He loved the blush that would creep up her throat to her cheeks, and the way her eyes would fill with desire could bring him to his knees. All he could do as he drove was replay her words over and over again.
I don’t! I’m just horny!
She was a liar and he knew it. She wanted Lucas just as much as he wanted her, if not more. Every time Lucas was around her, he felt like an electric current was running just through them. His body screamed for hers and he couldn’t stand not to touch her. Even if it was just a simple touch, he had to. Anything, he just needed to connect with her.
Man, she was hot.
Lucas shifted in his seat, hoping like hell that his mom didn’t notice the hard-on he was sporting, before turning off the interstate. He had finally figured out his way through Nashville and now knew all the short cuts that got him to his house and Fallon’s quicker. Molly took in a deep breath and Lucas looked over at her. She had been quiet ever since talking to Fallon. Since he didn’t want to discuss whatever it was they talked about while they were at the party, he decided now was the perfect time.
“Everything okay?”
Molly shrugged her shoulders. “I had it out with Fallon.”
Lucas bit his lip. “You did?”
“I did. I told her I was very upset with her, but I think I might have been a little harsh,” Molly said sadly as she moved her hands together. Even with Molly being extremely protective over Lucas, she still felt bad when she was mean to someone after the fact. Molly was a good person and Lucas could tell she was embarrassed, but Fallon probably needed the harshness. He loved her too much and still felt guilty about everything that had happened to give her the harshness she needed.
“What did you say?” he asked as he pulled onto his road.
“I told her she should feel like the scum of the earth and that she was a coward. Or something like that.”
Lucas cringed. “Scum of the earth?”
“Yes! She kept my baby away from me for seven years!”
Lucas shrugged his shoulders, pulling into his driveway. “True.”
Nothing was said as Lucas parked the car and they got out. They made their way through the back door and up the stairs to the kitchen. When they reached the kitchen, Molly stood in awe, her mouth wide open as she looked around the kitchen and through to the living room.
“Lucas honey, is it big enough?”
Lucas chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders. “It’s a good size for a family.”
Molly nodded with a small smile on her face. “It is. All you need is that family.”
Lucas smiled. “I got point five of it, just need that one.”
Molly and Lucas shared a loving look just as Levi came into the room. “Mom!” Molly let out a cry of happiness before wrapping Levi up in her arms.
“How’s my second son? You are handsome as ever!” she gushed, kissing him loudly on the cheek.
“Thanks, Mom. I’m fine, how are you? Plane ride okay?”
“Yes, it was fine.”
“Good,” Levi said as he hugged her tightly once more. They parted and Levi turned to look at Lucas. “Hey, did you hear from Shea?”
“I saw him, but I didn’t talk to him much,” Lucas said, pouring two glasses of water for him and Molly. “Do you want some water?”
“No, thanks. Listen, Ryan is out.”
“Huh? Jordyn Ryan?” Lucas asked. Jordyn Ryan was the Assassins’ goalie, and the best damn goalie in the league. What did Levi mean, he was out?
“Yeah, he tore his meniscus in his left leg. He’s out for the rest of the season,” Levi said, his voice full of apprehension.
&
nbsp; Lucas shook his head. “Fuck! Sorry mom,” he said quickly when he felt Molly’s eyes on him.
“Thank you,” she said before sipping her water.
“I know. Haksson starts tomorrow. They aren’t sure who they are calling up from the Rays.”
Oh, this was bad. The Assassins were about to start the playoffs in a couple of weeks. They needed wins and Haksson wasn’t the goalie to get them those wins. They were first in the league and ahead of all the other teams in points, but they needed to keep winning. What was going to happen when they made the playoffs? They definitely couldn’t afford to lose then and who could they bring from their AHL team, the Florida Rays? Lucas hadn’t heard of any good goalies from that team — not that he really followed the team much — but still, if there was someone good, he would know.
Shit, this was bad.
“Crap-o-la,” Lucas said shaking his head.
“This is bad dude, but anyways, you need to call Ryan, wish him well. You have a team meeting first thing in the morning.”
“Okay,” Lucas said with a nod. “I’m going to go get Aiden; I’ll call Ryan on the way.”
“Okay,” Levi said with a shrug of his shoulders. Levi left the room, leaving Molly and Lucas alone.
“So this is bad?” Molly asked.
“Yeah, Ryan is the best goalie in the league. I bet the media is having a field day with this. It’s horrible,” Lucas said with a shake of his head. He came to the Assassins’ for two reasons: to win a Stanley Cup and to see Fallon again. He had done one of those things, and he was still going to do the other. Or he was going to die trying.
“Everything will be fine. If it’s meant to be then it will happen.”
Lucas looked over at Molly. “Are you talking about the Cup or Fallon?” he asked with a grin.
“Both. Your coach knows what he is doing; everything will be fine with that. With Fallon,” Molly shook her head, “she is still broken from what you did to her. I don’t know if she will ever let it go.”
“Me neither,” Lucas said sadly as he shook his head. “I wish she could.”
“I know, honey,” Molly took Lucas’ hand in hers. “Go get your point five, bring him home, that will make both of us happy,” Molly said with a grin. Lucas flashed her a grin before wrapping his arms around her and kissing her cheek.
“It sure will,” he said, standing up and walking to the backdoor. Maybe with some luck he could convince the one to come too.
Wouldn’t that be perfect?
**********************************
Fallon stood in front of Aiden’s dresser, folding little t-shirts and jeans before putting them in Aiden’s Spiderman bag. Aiden bounced around the room, collecting things he would need and talking constantly about how this was the best birthday ever.
Fallon didn’t feel the same.
Not only was her favorite little boy getting older, but she had gotten verbally slapped by Molly, her dad had left her a nasty voicemail about how rude she was, Aiden was staying the weekend with Lucas, and Lucas had gotten under her skin. Again. She had thought nonstop about Lucas and his seductive mouth. What was she thinking, putting her mouth to his!? She was insane! Ah!
She started to slam Aiden’s clothes into his suitcase, hating that she let Lucas get to her like this. Why couldn’t she be immune to him? Yes, he was positively sexy, gorgeous, kissed like a God, and could fuck her like no other man, but still! She had to let him go!
Tears sprung to her eyes as she took in a shuttering deep breath because no matter what, she knew she couldn’t let him go. It was always going to be a battle within her when it came to him. Until Aiden was 18, she would always have to see him; always have to talk to him. She needed to let it go, but how?
“Mom! Where are my Spiderman PJs?”
Fallon turned to look at Aiden, who stood in the doorway, his arms above his head. “I packed them.”
“Oh, okay! Dad will be here soon right?”
“Yes honey,” Fallon mumbled.
“Awesome!”
As Aiden ran off, Fallon zipped up his suitcase. Was she really doing this? Letting her baby go stay the night with someone else? He hadn’t even had a sleep over with a friend yet, and she was letting him go somewhere for a weekend? Oh God, was she going to make it?
Fallon picked up his suitcase and the bag of toys Aiden had packed before heading out the room. As she reached the stairs, she heard the doorbell ring.
Great, Lucas was there to take her baby away.
Fallon slowly walked down the stairs, listening to Aiden greet Lucas. Lucas’ low, velvet-smooth voice ran up Fallon’s spine and she had to take a deep breath to compose herself before reaching the bottom of the stairs. It was ridiculous how much she wanted to get naked with him and kill him all in one.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs and he glanced up at her with a smirk on his face, she had to look away. She bitched and moaned about him hurting her, and how that was the reason she kept her son from him, so why did she still want him? Even knowing that he was wrong for her, she still wanted him. Was it because she had noticed a change? Or was it really that she was beyond horny?
Blah, she was a mess.
Fallon placed Aiden’s things by the door just as he said, “Dad, I made you something at school. Come on.” Aiden took a hold of Lucas’ hand and dragged him to the kitchen. She had almost forgotten! Fallon followed, a little excited to see what Lucas thought of the arts and crafts Aiden had made. Fallon went into the kitchen and saw Lucas holding himself in a toilet paper form.
“It’s you!” Aiden gushed while bouncing beside him.
“Me, huh?”
“Yup! Isn’t it awesome? Look, here is me and Mom, too.”
Fallon smiled as Lucas took in all three of them in the form of toilet paper rolls. Fallon thought they were the cutest craft ever, and she was sure that Lucas would get a kick out of them. Each of the little toilet paper people held something important. Fallon’s held a cell phone; Aiden’s was painted as Spiderman and Lucas’ held a hockey stick. Aiden had brought them home on Tuesday, and they had sat on her window sill all week. She loved them, so when Lucas said, “I love them, can I have them?” her heart broke, because she knew Aiden was going to say yes.
“Of course! Mommy you don’t mind, do you?” Aiden asked, looking back at her.
Fallon shook her head, knowing that she had years of crafts while Lucas had none. She smiled and said, “No baby, it’s fine.”
“Cool!” Aiden gushed, looking up at Lucas.
“Thanks, I love them,” Lucas said again, looking at each one. “You made your mom perfect.”
Aiden giggled as he nodded. “She was the prettiest tube in the room.”
“I bet she was,” Lucas said with a grin just for her.
Fallon’s face warmed at the kind words. Fallon loved times like this, when there was no drama — no thoughts of what Lucas fucked up — just the three of them. Almost like a family, but then the past would poke its nasty head into Fallon’s brain and she would get mad all over again. She wished that she could forget it all, but she knew she couldn’t.
“You ready to go? I know Molly is probably waiting on y’all,” Fallon said, running her hand through Aiden’s hair. She looked up at Lucas and he was looking down at the table. His eyes were focused on something, probably on his name, and he looked up at her.
“What’s that?”
Fallon paused before saying, “It’s the check from your lawyer.”
“Okay? Why’s it laying here and not in your bank?” Lucas asked and Fallon rolled her eyes.
“Aiden, go to your room please,” Fallon said because she knew that she and Lucas weren’t going to see eye to eye on this.
“Why?” Aiden asked.
“’Cause me and your father need to talk about something,” Fallon said, pointing to the stairs. “Now go.”
“Are y’all gonna fight?” Aiden asked, inching his way to the stairs.
Fallon shook her h
ead. “No,” she said before looking over at Lucas, “we are going to talk about this like sane adults.”
“Sure,” Lucas scoffed.
“Are y’all gonna kiss again?”
For the love of God!
Fallon let out a frustrated breath as Lucas chuckled. “AJ, go to your room please. We will be leaving in few. Let Mommy yell at me for a minute.”
Fallon glared over at Lucas as Aiden ran out the room. When he reached the stairs, he leaned over the banister and smiled at them both before saying, “I think y’all should kiss again, and then get married and make me a brother!” He disappeared before Fallon could even form a thought.
Smart kid.
Lucas chuckled as he smirked over at Fallon. “I think the kid has a point.”
“I think you need to keep your lips to yourself. You are confusing my kid.”
Lucas rolled his eyes. “You want it just as much as I do, so why do you keep fighting it?”
“We’ve went over this,” Fallon warned. “I don’t want you.”
“Sure you don’t,” Lucas grinned. “So anyways, why isn’t this check cashed?”
“It’s too damn much. I ain’t cashing it,” she said, her southern accent getting more pronounced because she was beyond mad at him.
“So? Cash it.”
“I don’t need it.”
“It doesn’t matter, it’s for Aiden.”
“Fine then, take it and put it in a savings account for him because I’m not cashing it.”
“Yes you are. Cash the check, Fallon.”
“No, I don’t want it,” Fallon snapped.
“I don’t care. You’ve paid for everything for the past seven years, let me compensate you.”
“Why? So you can have a clear conscience?”
“For God’s sakes! Cash the fucking check, Fallon. Stop being so damn proud!” Lucas yelled, taking a step towards her.
“No!” she yelled back, taking a step towards him.
“Ah! You drive me insane,” he said, his arms moving with every word. “If you won’t cash the check, I will bring the cash to your house and dump it on your table! Your choice!”
“You drive me insane! Why can’t you just keep the money?”
“Why can’t you just cash the check?!” Lucas shot back.