As expected, Lily had become good friends with Penni. Hell, a rabid dog wouldn’t be able to resist Penni. He had been relieved when Penni and Lily had become friends, because there was no way he could have stayed away if she had returned to Treepoint.

Razer’s face twitched at Beth’s words. The brother didn’t like misleading his woman. However, Shade remained expressionless, continuing to eat his meal under Winter’s scrutiny.

“I would wait a while. Finals will be coming up then Christmas. Besides, you have a wedding to plan after Christmas. I’m sure Lily can explain that it will be several months before you can return the favor.” Her response drew his eyes, having no doubt Winter knew something wasn’t as it seemed with Lily’s new friendship. She somehow knew Razer and Shade were involved, proving the woman saw entirely too much.

“Perhaps you’re right. I’m going dress shopping in Lexington after Christmas. We could make a weekend of it, just us girls.”

“That sounds like a good plan.”

Neither Razer nor Shade hid their relief.

The food was gone in a fourth of the time it had taken the members to cook it. Afterward, Shade helped clean the table, handing Bliss the dirty dishes to load in the dishwasher, brushing her body with his when he was sure Beth and Winter weren’t watching.

Shade grabbed himself a beer when he saw her nipples peak before going to find himself a seat on the crowded couch. While the men easily eavesdropped as they watched the game, the women sat at the kitchen table, planning Beth’s bachelorette party.

It wasn’t long before Razer and Train began yelling at the game, and Shade relaxed back with his team winning.

“That’s settled then,” Shade overheard next. “Winter, I bought an outfit for you to wear to tomorrow’s party. I hung it in your closet before coming downstairs.”

Shade decided it would be one Friday night he would miss. He was smart enough not to let Beth and Winter see anything that could come back to bite him in the ass.

“That was sweet of you, but I’m sure I had something that would have been fine,” Winter voiced her thanks.

“I seriously doubt that,” Beth deadpanned. “I want to explain about the parties, Winter. The first one was a shock for me.”

“I have been to several parties, Beth. I am not a social butterfly, but I don’t think I’ll embarrass myself.”

Shade was willing to bet Winter had never been to anything like the one she would be attending the following night.

“That’s not what I mean, Winter. What I meant is that the parties can get a little carried away; you may see some things that will shock you.”

The brothers began to lower their voices, amused at Beth’s attempt to warn Winter about their parties. They were hiding their laughter as nothing was going to prepare Winter. It was like being a virgin; until you fucked, there was no way to describe how good it was.

“For Heaven’s sake, Beth, I think she’s seen a naked man before. Hell, she dated Viper for two years,” Jewell interrupted, exasperated.

“I never saw Viper naked when we dated. We never had sex,” Winter confessed to the women.

Shade lifted a brow at his president, who actually turned red at Winter’s admission.

Rider yelled out at a touchdown, and Knox elbowed him in the ribs so they could hear.

“You dated Viper for two years and never fucked him?” Evie asked, just as surprised as the rest of them.

Rider and Train were giving Viper pitying looks.

“No. At first, my mom was sick, so I thought he was being understanding. Then Mom died, and I still thought the same thing. That excuse lasted about a year,” she said, opening another beer. All the women at the table watched the movement.

“What about the other year?” Bliss asked.

“We went to church together,” Winter said.

“Yeah, so?” Jewell asked what everyone was thinking.

“Oh, I understand,” Beth stated.

Shade was glad someone did because he sure as fuck didn’t.

“Well, fucking explain it to us,” Jewell demanded.

“It’s our Christian belief not to share sex before marriage. Many couples in our church don’t even kiss before their wedding day.” By that point, Beth was as red as Winter.

“So you thought,” Jewell started in a strangled voice, “that Viper shared your Christian values?”

Shade nearly dropped his beer at that answer. Lily belonged to the same church her sister and Winter did. Who in the hell waited for marriage to fuck? Nobody waited. They might pretend to wait, but they fucked. Everyone fucks, Shade tried to convince himself.

As the women burst out laughing, only Viper’s glare at the brothers prevented them from joining in.

“What about the last months you were together?” Stori asked.

“I thought he was gay.”

Viper choked on his beer and started to jump off the couch, but Knox and Shade held him down. The women turned at the sounds of the scuffle.

“What happened?” Winter asked.

“I think the other team got the ball,” Evie said, laughing.

“Oh, then I was at a football game and saw you guys walk by, and I realized he wasn’t gay,” Winter went on explaining.

“How did that make you realize he wasn’t gay?” Bliss asked.

“I saw him look at you. No man who is gay looks at a woman’s ass like that.”

The whole table got quiet, and Shade watched Viper’s face pale at Winter’s words.

“That’s when I realized he just saw me as a friend.”

“Ouch,” Shade muttered. Viper didn’t appreciate his snide remark and elbowed him in the ribs.

“Damn.” Jewell’s voice let the brothers know the women didn’t appreciate the way Winter had been used to gather information on her relative.

“Back to tomorrow’s party. I am sure I am a big girl, and if I see anything I can’t handle, I can get Viper to take me to my room.”

“I am sure that won’t be a problem. Uh, maybe you should stay away from Rider and Knox tomorrow night, to be on the safe side.”

Knox and Rider both looked disappointed at Beth’s advice.

“Why? Do they drink too much?” Winter’s innocent question had Viper smiling.

The woman was good for Viper. Shade hadn’t seen him smile so much since before Gavin had disappeared.

Shade saw Viper looking over his shoulder to where Winter sat rubbing her back. He rose from the couch. “Time for bed.” He said taking Winter into his arms, carrying her out of the room.

Silence filled the room as the swinging door closed behind them.

“I can’t believe she thought Viper wasn’t fucking her because she’s a Christian,” Jewell muttered.

“I can’t believe she thought he was gay,” Evie said.

“There are still women out there who are innocent,” Beth said, taking up for her friend. “Winter is one, and my sister is another.”

Shade disagreed. Those shadows in Lily’s eyes didn’t come from being innocent; they came from seeing too much.

Shaking off his thoughts of Lily, he thought Winter had to have known Viper wasn’t interested in her sexually. That was why she had made up so many excuses. Women saw only what they wanted to see. Shade was counting on it.