Delayed Call

by Toni Aleo

  Pulling away, he kissed her nose. “Did you have fun today?”

  She reached up, tracing her finger along his lips. “I always have fun with you.”

  He held her gaze as he nibbled on her fingers. “You aren’t sick of me?”

  “Never.” He wanted to believe that. He wanted to know that it wouldn’t happen, but still, the anxiety was there. He didn’t like feeling like that, like she would run out on him, but the wounds that whore caused were deep. He had to keep reminding himself that Brie wouldn’t go anywhere. Brie wasn’t Hazel.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m fucked in the head.”

  She tilted her head in question. “What do you mean?’

  “It’s nothing,”

  “Vaughn.”

  He felt stupid as he muttered, “I have to remind myself you’re not her.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah, it’s dumb.”

  “No, I mean it’s a real concern, something that has kept you from doing this for a while. I understand that. But, Vaughn, I would never—”

  “I know.”

  “Okay, but let me say it,” she said, reaching up and holding his jaw in her hand, her eyes burning into his. “I will never hurt you like that. I would never lie to you or leave you like that. But most of all, I will never steal money from you. Your heart, that’s up for grabs, and I will take it the first chance I get, but everything else is safe—even that heart.” Her breath caught as her own heart pounded hard in her chest. “Do you understand me?”

  “I do.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay.”

  “Wanna go?”

  “No, let’s stay in.”

  “No.” He laughed and she smiled. “They’re waiting on us.”

  “I know,” he noted, taking ahold of her ass. “But I like it here.”

  “As do I, but I want wine and dinner. I’m hungry.”

  He nodded. “Can I bring you back here for some naughty time?”

  She eyed him. “Will you be staying?”

  “I can’t,” he answered quickly. “You know that. Coach would kill us.”

  “Likely excuse.”

  He smirked. “You don’t want to sleep with me. I snore.”

  “I do. I want to be with you.”

  “You are with me.”

  Exhaling hard, she slid off him, rolling her eyes. “Let’s go.”

  “We’re taking our time.”

  “You banged me against a hockey door.”

  “I did, and it was wonderful.”

  Rolling her eyes again, she pressed her hands into her hips. “Fine, come on,” she called to him, reaching for the door. “They’re waiting.”

  “I mean, do you want to rush it and then we burn out?”

  “If you think we’re going to burn out, then why are we doing this?’

  “Why are you rushing this?’

  “Why are you pumping the brakes? I want to be with you. All the time.”

  “And I want to be with you, but I don’t want to rush this.”

  She motioned her hand as if she was done. “Fine. Listen, I’m not asking anymore.”

  He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad. “So, you’re pissed?”

  She threw her hands up. “No, I’m annoyed, but I feel like I’m just nagging all the fucking time, and I don’t want to be that person. Can we please go?”

  He knew he was letting her down by not sleeping with her, but something was holding him back. He knew if he slept with her, he had to be sure that he was in this for the long haul. He felt like he was, and he wanted to be, but as he had said, he was fucked in the head. He had been so set in his ways, but within a week, he had wanted nothing more than her. It scared him; he didn’t want to let her down. He didn’t want to let himself down, but above all, he didn’t want to rush this. They were good.

  Nodding his head, he scooted out of the bed and met her at the door. Kissing her cheek, he was glad when she leaned into him. “Yeah, let’s go.”

  But she stopped him. “I just…” She paused, shaking her head. “I just want this to work.”

  “I know, but I don’t want us to have to try so hard. We’ve got this because we’re awesome.”

  A grin pulled at her lips as she nodded. “We do.”

  “Stop pushing us.”

  “You’re right.”

  “I am. It happens a lot.”

  Shaking her head, she walked past him, and he smacked her ass playfully as she grinned back at him. As he watched her walk down the hall, he knew the moment he slept with her, let her into his personal space, was the moment he would fall for her.

  He wasn’t sure he was ready for that.

  Because he would be devastated if she left him.

  “I have to say, Vaughn, you picked your match.”

  Shaking his head, Vaughn looked over at Wells Lemiere from his seat in the fancy Colorado restaurant. Wells, mirroring his sister, had dark hair and even darker green eyes with big, thick lashes. He was huge. Not fat, but big, like a mountain man. You didn’t mess with Wells, and everyone knew that, which was why he was the only openly gay player in the league. But when Vaughn looked at him, all he saw was his brother. With a chuckle, he looked at Brie. “Don’t give her a big head.”

  Brie laughed out loud as Wells’s face was big and bright with a huge grin. “Did you guys know his nickname was ‘The Legend’?”

  As Vaughn rolled his eyes, the whole table was in stitches. Even Wren was laughing hard, her face radiant as she leaned over, smacking the table. “We, no joke, gave him shit for-like-ever.”

  “Yeah, when they named him that, everyone who knew him wouldn’t let off it,” Jensen added and Brie snorted.

  “I gave him shit the whole time we were at the rink.”

  “Why did they call you that?” Alex asked.

  Looking up at Wells’s new boyfriend, Alex Rahim, Vaughn wanted to like the guy, but he didn’t. The guy was too soft, kind of vanilla, and that’s not who Vaughn saw Wells with. He liked his dudes hard and rough, and Alex wasn’t like that. Wells had always dated hockey players, so seeing him with this yoga instructor was a little hard to swallow. Vaughn knew the guy was gay, but Alex just seemed too mild-mannered for Wells’s driven personality.

  With a shrug, Vaughn said, “I was badass, the best fucking player on the ice. I made that guy right there cry daily, I was a—”

  “He’s gonna say legend. He’s secretly proud of it,” Brie said, cutting him off as she shot him a grin. He glared at her, and she just kept grinning.

  Wells laughed, shaking his head. “For one, he didn’t make me cry. Also, babe, he’s completely full of himself.”

  “Big time,” Wren agreed.

  “I think he loves himself more than anything else,” Jensen said with a roll of his eyes, and Vaughn scoffed.

  “Hell of a lot more than you dumbasses.”

  Jensen flipped him off as Wells leaned on the table, pointing to Brie. “But Vaughn, for real, I love her. Completely love her,” Wells decided, and that really had Brie beaming. “Don’t fuck this up.”

  Toasting her glass to him, she nodded as Vaughn met her gaze. Her lips were curved in a delectable way. Her cheeks were flushed, and she looked…fucking perfect. Exhaling hard, he felt his heart swell a little more for her as she looked away, over to Wells. “And I love you. Are you sure you’re gay?”

  Wren snorted as she nodded. “Since he was like two.”

  “Darn,” Brie said, snapping her fingers playfully. “I’d date you in a heartbeat—”

  “Hey, what the fuck?” Vaughn hollered, and she giggled as she leaned into him.

  “If I wasn’t completely enraptured by this badass, gorgeous, amazing—” She paused, beaming up at him as he just shook his head.

  He knew what she was going to say and he wanted to smother her words with a kiss, but before he could, and to her complete delight, Wren, Jensen, and Wells all said,
together, “Legend.”

  “I hate all of you. Every single one of you,” Vaughn said, pointing his fork around the table. “Minus you. I don’t know you well enough yet.”

  Alex smiled a little, but he seemed out place while Wells was just his chatty self. Leaning on the table, Wells was smiling at Vaughn like he had won the lottery. And in a way, this little bundle of sass was his lottery. Not that he was telling any of these fuckers that. “I just can’t believe it.”

  “Shut up, nerd.”

  “No, really. Wren, come on. Vaughn with someone like her? She’s amazing.”

  Wren rolled her eyes. “She is. I’ve always liked her, told him to get after her.”

  “Did you?” Brie laughed, and Wren nodded.

  “Yeah, he was all with that, ‘I hate her shit,’ and Jenny and I both knew he didn’t. But he was on that kick for a while.”

  “We did hate each other,” she said with a nod.

  Vaughn met her gaze. “I despised you.”

  “Loathed you.”

  “You were insufferable.”

  “And you were a douche.”

  “While you were a bitch.”

  Wells and Wren gasped along with Alex, while Jensen just rolled his eyes, always a victim to their playful banter. Well, now, it was playful. Back then, it was borderline assholey. Meanwhile, Brie was beaming. “You loved it.”

  “More than you know,” he said, leaning forward and kissing her softly on the lips.

  Pulling back, he winked as she looked up, and Wells threw his hands up. “I demand you two get married and have babies. Now.”

  “Shut it, Welly.”

  “No, really, before you remember your whoring ways.”

  The table laughed, but chancing a glance at Brie, Vaughn saw her lips press together as she moved her broccoli around the plate. “Fuck off, Wells.”

  He laughed while Wren scoffed. “You guys act like he was bad.”

  “He was,” Jensen supplied. “Like bad, bad.”

  Wren nodded. “When he was here or while he was in New York. But since I’ve been here, he’s been kinda mellow. He’s focused on his career, and I think the last time he had a crazy one-night stand was like nine months ago.”

  Vaughn’s jaw dropped. “What the hell, Wren? That was in therapy! I can sue. Can’t I sue?” he asked Brie, but her eyes were wide, her mouth open. Unable to handle the way she was looking at him, he pointed to Wren. “She has money, I’m suing.”

  “Please, you ain’t suing shit,” Wren laughed and shook her head. “He was ready for this. He was just holding back like a dumbass, but really, only Brie could do this. She’s a great girl.”

  Still shocked, Brie murmured, “Thanks, Wren.”

  She toasted her cup to Brie and met Vaughn’s shocked gaze as he spoke. “I can’t believe you just ruined my image like that. And revealed private conversations. I’m pretty sure I can sue.”

  “Hold on. You hadn’t fucked anyone in nine months before her?” Jensen asked, his eyes full of confusion. “That’s so unlike you. Did you have an STD?”

  “Shut the fuck up now,” Vaughn demanded as he shook his head. “I hate you.”

  Wren just giggled. “Come to therapy more, and I would consider you a client instead of a brother.”

  “I’m blown away by that, more than I am about her, because she’s cool. But you lived for sex,” Wells said, his face scrunched up as his green eyes blazed. “Like, it was your favorite hobby.”

  “I’m done with this, and I’m calling my lawyer.”

  “I’ll deny it, and they love me more than you, so there is that.”

  “She’ll vouch for me!” he said, pointing to Brie, but when he looked at her, she still had a confused look on her face.

  “Why didn’t you tell me that?”

  “Because it didn’t matter! I fucked you right, you liked it, so there,” he said, making a throat-cutting motion. “My sex life is now off the table.”

  But no one was listening. “I think he lied to you,” Jensen said, but Wren shook her head.

  “Nope, he didn’t even want to tell me.”

  Vaughn groaned loudly, and then it dawned on him how to get back at Wren. “She’s acting weird, Welly. I think she was in love. So does Jensen.”

  Wren’s grin dropped, and she glared over at him. “You’re an asshole.”

  “Yeah, right back at you.”

  Turning to his sister, Wells nodded. “You are acting weird. Were you in love? We are here for you.”

  Picking up a knife, she held it out. “I will cut all of you.”

  “But, really, we will kill him,” Vaughn added with a nod.

  “There is no one to kill. I’m fine. I just hate you guys.”

  “You do not,” Wells said, leaning over and kissing her head, to which she pushed him away. “I’m worried. You don’t talk to us.”

  “Because I don’t like any of you.” Brie chuckled as Wren shot her a grin. “You’re just boarding this crazy train. Wait, you’ll hate them too.”

  “You guys’ dynamics are really cool. Have you known each other for a while?”

  Everyone paused and looked across the table beside Wells. The Alex guy didn’t speak much, and when he did, Vaughn figured he was an idiot. Of course, they’d known each other for a while. They were family. At least Matty knew that.

  Before Vaughn could say anything, though, Jensen said, “We’re family.”

  “But not really, right?” Alex asked, looking to Wells, and he shook his head.

  “Those two are my brothers as much as she is my sister. I’ve told you that.”

  “I know, but it’s weird. Like, they aren’t blood.”

  “You don’t need blood to love someone as they do,” Brie added. “When Vaughn speaks of Jensen, Wells, or Wren, I know he loves them. They are his family, and sitting here, it’s refreshing. It’s beautiful, and they are lucky to be so close-knit.”

  Vaughn leaned into her. “Well said, girlfriend.”

  “Thanks, boyfriend.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Alex said simply and then he stood. “I’ll be back.”

  When he walked away, the table was silent. As soon as he was out of earshot, Jensen shook his head as Vaughn leaned into the table. “Dude.”

  Wells’s brows shot up. “What?”

  “He sucks,” Wren said simply. “Please tell me it’s not that serious?”

  Wells laughed, rolling his eyes. “He’s great.”

  “He’s quiet and weird, and it’s obvious he doesn’t care for us,” Jensen said with a shrug. “Can’t we push Matty out of the closet?”

  Wells’s face changed as he shook his head. “I love Alex.”

  “Ew, why?” Vaughn groaned, and Brie smacked him.

  “Leave him alone. As long as he is happy, you guys should support him,” she said, and Wells shot her a wink.

  “I don’t like her anymore,” Wren decided and Jensen nodded.

  “Yeah, me either.”

  Vaughn scoffed as Wells beamed. “I still love her.”

  As Brie looked up at him, her face bright with happiness, Vaughn decided he liked her a little more than he did when they got there. When he realized that didn’t scare him, he leaned forward, kissing her lips as his eyes drifted shut. When he pulled back, smiling down at her, he whispered, “I like her just fine.”

  “Just fine, huh?” she asked.

  He nuzzled his nose to her. “Just fine.”

  Exhaling hard, she rolled her eyes. “I guess that’s good.”

  “It is.”

  “And don’t think I’m letting go of what I just learned.”

  He groaned loudly as the table snickered at his expense.

  “I’m so suing you, Wren Lemiere.”

  But they all knew he wouldn’t.

  What they didn’t know was that Vaughn didn’t give two shits about what they thought about his secretive dry spell. Because, in the end, he was getting enough sex to make up for that dry spell and then some with the
beautiful woman sitting beside him.

  And that was all that mattered.

  “So.”

  Rolling his eyes, Vaughn knew what was coming as he looked over at Brie while they drove to the gay club where they were meeting everyone. “Yes, Ms. Soledad?”

  She snickered. She knew that he knew what she was about to ask, and she was a bit drunk, while he was stone-cold sober. He had a game the following afternoon, and because of that, he only had about two hours at the club before curfew. Not that he was letting that spoil his night. Dinner was a blast. He had missed Wells, and while Wells was dating a dud when it came to Alex, Brie was right. Wells was happy, so whatever. At least Vaughn wasn’t dating a dud. Even if she was a pain in his ass.

  “So nine months is a long time not using that cock you speak of daily.”

  He chuckled as he turned, heading toward the club he didn’t frequent unless he was with Wells. “I was busy. Didn’t need to use it.”

  “Busy?”

  “Yeah, with NateWay Two and I got a dog and Jensen came to live with me. I had things going on.”

  “Oh.”

  “Yeah.”

  “So would you really be considered a true playboy, then?”

  Shaking his head, he laughed. “I mean, yeah.”

  “Or maybe someone who was holding out for the right one.”

  He scoffed at that. “See, the problem with that is that I was never looking. I was good. I didn’t want anyone.”

  “And now?”

  He reached over, taking her hand in his, kissing the back of it. “Now, I can’t imagine my life without you.”

  “Well, isn’t that the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

  He pursed his lips at her. “I tell you that your pussy is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, daily. So hush.”

  She giggled. “You know what I mean.”

  He kissed the back of her hand again. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”