He shrugged. “You’re my little brother. It’s impossible to be mad at you.”
“I don’t remember that being the case when we were young.”
He chuckled. “You were more annoying when we were young.”
I smiled slightly.
“For real, you and Cleo are great together. I’m glad it worked out…even if it took forever.”
“Thanks.”
He looked across the bar for a moment, letting the conversation settle before he turned back to me. “So…” He waggled his eyebrows.
“So?” My own eyebrows furrowed.
“How’s the sex?”
I dropped my gaze to the bottle. “Tucker.”
“Come on, we’re brothers.”
I shook my head.
“You know, Cleo and I never really did anything…except kiss a couple times…maybe some touching over the clothing…in case you didn’t know.”
I didn’t want to think about my brother kissing Cleo.
“Is she taking it slow with you too?”
She was just as eager to jump into bed as I was. Her response was a good memory, and it made my lip curl in a slight smile. I’d been a dick to her, but she forgave me instantly, took me to bed without a single reservation, let me come inside her without even asking for my paperwork.
Tucker smiled. “I see that grin.”
I drank from my beer to cover it.
“That’s a big fucking no.”
Tucker would figure out everything on his own or he would keep pestering me for answers, so I decided to fold and give him enough to fulfill his curiosity. “After the game, I went to her apartment to work things out… It happened then.”
“Damn. Definitely didn’t take it slow.” He chuckled and drank from his beer. “You were definitely the man she wanted…kinda romantic.”
I didn’t tell him she’d only dated him because I’d hurt her. That seemed cruel.
“You guys skip the condom too?”
“Tucker, come on.” I’d shared details of my sex life before, usually when he pestered me because I wasn’t vocal about my private life, but Cleo was different. And I felt like telling him anything was a violation of our connection, of our intimacy.
“I’m not asking how nice her tits are, man.”
“But you asked about her ass.”
“Well…” He shrugged. “Come on, that thing is—”
I stared at him.
“Sorry. Anyway, I’m not asking anything like that. This is guy talk, locker room talk, you know. I’m your brother. This is an important relationship to you. I guess I’ve never really felt like a part of your life in any other way since I’m incapable of understanding your research and I don’t live the billionaire lifestyle. But women, sex, relationships…that’s something I can be part of, that’s something I can relate to. Come on, who was the one who basically pushed you two together?”
I stared at him as I felt the condensation on my fingertips.
“She probably didn’t tell you this…but after we broke up, I went to her apartment and told her to be patient with you.”
My eyes narrowed on his face.
“We’d had that stupid conversation in the bar that pissed you off, when you said you would never do anything, regardless of how you felt about her. So, I told her about it, told her that it would be a bumpy road, but you did have feelings for her.”
Now I understood why she’d confronted me so unexpectedly.
“I’ve been cupid for the two of you, alright?”
“No…I didn’t know that.”
“So? Give me something.” He drank from his beer.
I was quiet for a long time, gathering my thoughts, trying to think of a way to describe my relationship with Cleo emotionally rather than physically.
Tucker continued to drink his beer, quiet.
“Cleo is the only person in the world who gets me. Or at least, the only one who’s tried. It’s always been easy with her. You know, the kind of relationship where you can say nothing for a really long time, and it doesn’t feel weird. Valerie used to get pissed off at me because I didn’t communicate enough, dragged me to therapy because I needed to change, because I was the problem. Being with Cleo proves that I was never the problem, that even though she’s not like me, she accepts me exactly as I am. And that feels…” I couldn’t find the right words to describe it. “Indescribable.”
Tucker’s eyes softened.
“The emotional connection between us has always been there. When we first met, I was a dick to her—like I always am. But she saw the good in me when other people didn’t, and she tried to help me, because that’s the kind of person she is. She saw past all my problems and saw me for who I really was. I found myself staring at her because her beautiful face hypnotized all the neurons in my brain. I found myself missing her when I didn’t see her. I found myself…a best friend. It’s real, it’s true, it’s…rare.” I stared at the table. “I’ve always been attracted to her. I’ve always thought she was beautiful. But this was the only relationship I’ve ever had that’s evolved backward, where we got to know each other first before we slept together. I didn’t know what our physical relationship would be like, if it wouldn’t be as strong as our emotional connection.” I remembered our first kiss, the way it made me feel, the way it made me burn white-hot. “But it’s just as strong…”