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Not that he would have made a move on Vivian, for the very reasons he’d previously considered. She had been too young and innocent for him at the time. Hell, she probably still was…but that wasn’t helping him keep his thoughts PG tonight. Because Vivian was—and always had been—an incredibly beautiful woman.

She had the same features as her brother—black hair and dark eyes, with long, curly lashes, high cheekbones, and golden skin that remained tanned year-round, so she always had a healthy glow about her.

“Guess that night must have been a bit of a letdown,” Dean mused.

Vivian lifted one shoulder casually. “It would have been more fun if I’d been drinking age,” she mused. “And if I could have shaken my six-foot-two shadow of a brother.”

“I’m assuming he’s always had overdeveloped protective instincts.”

“You don’t know the half of it,” she said, without a hint of complaint in her voice. Whenever she spoke of her brother, it was always with a fondness in her eyes that even a blind man couldn’t miss.

“Sorry I was such shitty company that night.”

“Oh no. Don’t apologize for that. I had a good time, and you were nicer than I expected.”

“You weren’t expecting that?” Dean wasn’t as surprised by her admission as he wished. Back then, he’d been one of the veterans on the Stingrays—a cocky showboat who loved attention, winning, and the extracurricular perks—women—that came with professional hockey. It was one of the reasons he’d been worried as shit about Tank dating his daughter. Dean knew exactly what kind of man Tank was because he’d been the same…an arrogant, grade A jackass. Of course, he’d been blind to that fact. So sure he’d had his whole future mapped out.

She gave him an amused look and a casual shrug.

“You know you can say it, Viv. I had a reputation,” he added.

“You were…” She searched for a diplomatic word.

“I was an ass,” he finished for her.

Vivian shook her head. “I wasn’t going to say that.”

“You were thinking it,” he grumbled.

She laughed without denying it.

“I was thirty-two and thought I had the world by the balls, thought I knew everything,” he admitted.

“You didn’t?”

He grunted. “I knew absolutely nothing.”

Their entrees arrived, temporarily interrupting the conversation. For several minutes, neither of them spoke, too hungry to do anything except eat.

Dean cut into his steak, took a bite, and let out a groan.

Vivian mimicked the sound after shoveling in a large bite of her pasta. “I may actually cry,” she said.

“That good?”

She closed her eyes briefly, sighing with obvious bliss. “So good.”

Her expression, paired with her breathy response, sent Dean’s thoughts past the R-rated range and straight into X-rated category. Which was not good. Regardless of the fact Vivian was all grown up, Victor still protected her like he was a dragon and she was the gold he was hoarding.

Dean supposed that made sense. After all, Victor and Vivian lost their parents when they were both just young adults. Following their passing, Victor’s home became Vivian’s, as well, and following such a tragic loss, they had grown closer than most siblings.

Only after they’d taken the edge off their hunger did the conversation resume.

“So, how do you like coaching?” she asked. “Ready for year two?”

Dean didn’t even have to think about the answer. “I love it.”

“Really?”