“Yeah, I saw her trolling around a while ago,” Kelly laments. “I just wished I was bitchy enough to insist she not come.”

“Well, I can guarantee you I’ll blackball her from any future parties Zack and I have,” Gina says.

“Blackball who?” I hear from behind me and turn to see a ruggedly handsome man walk into the kitchen. He’s tall—but then again, all of the Cold Fury are—with amber eyes and warm brown hair that is worn fairly short. He’s looking straight at Gina with a look that says he wants to eat her for dinner, and a semi-licentious smile on his face.

I watch as he walks around the kitchen island counter, straight up to Gina, and bends her backward with a kiss. “Who you blackballing, baby?”

When Zack lets her up, Gina is all starry-eyed as she stares at her man, her fingertips gripping hard at the tremendously ugly sweater he’s wearing. It has a huge reindeer face with buckteeth, done in bright green.

“Talking about Cassie,” Kelly supplies, because Gina has apparently been struck stupid from Zack’s kiss.

“That woman is a mess,” Zack says good-naturedly, oblivious to the catty looks the rest of the women are giving as they all nod in agreement. Turning to Gina, he asks, “You ready to head home?”

“What? We just got here,” she says in surprise.

“I know,” he says with sexy charm oozing out of his pores. “But since we have a babysitter all night, I figured we could…you know, get some alone time.”

Gina’s face goes beet red but she doesn’t hesitate in turning back to the kitchen counter and grabbing her purse. “We’re out of here,” she says to all of us. Turning to me in particular, she says, “It was lovely to meet you, Sutton. Let’s plan on getting together soon, okay?”

“Sure,” I tell her with a smile, and think to myself that I wouldn’t mind if Alex came up right now to whisk me away. While I’m absolutely enjoying these women, nothing compares to alone time with Alex.

Speaking of which, I decide to go on the prowl for a black-haired, blue-eyed devil that I’m feeling the need to kiss. While the women all give hugs goodbye to Gina, I whisper to Kelly that I’m going to go find Alex and she gives me a wink before I walk away.

Leaving the sounds of soft Christmas music behind, I start heading toward a cacophony of loud male shouts and laughter, through a door off the main hallway and down a flight of stairs into the basement. In Mike Malone’s man cave, decorated with Cold Fury memorabilia from top to bottom, I find Alex sitting at a bar with Garrett and a few other players I recognize but whose names I can’t place. He’s laughing at something Garrett said, his eyes crinkled in genuine happiness and camaraderie. It makes my stomach flutter a bit to see him so loose and relaxed around his teammates because I know that has been a work in progress.

I wind my way through the crowd, eyes pinned on Alex. When I get within ten feet, it’s like he senses me because he turns three-quarters of the way around on the stool he’s sitting on and lasers his eyes onto me. One corner of his mouth tilts up and his gaze slides over me like a warm blanket.

We stare at each other as I walk his way, even as Garrett is trying to say something to Alex, who is completely ignoring him. I vaguely notice as Garrett actually punches Alex on the arm to get his attention, but he remains neglected.

Then Alex is on his feet and with one step meets me the rest of the way, and I’m in his arms. He leans down to give me a soft kiss on my lips and I can hear Garrett and the other guys making snide remarks in the background. Even as Alex’s lips start to pull back from mine, his hand comes up and he slides his fingers along to the side of my neck, his thumb grazing my jawline.

He looks at me with a smile. “Have enough female bonding time?”

“It was great,” I tell him in a teasing tone. “Not as much fun as bonding time with you, but still enjoyable.”

I didn’t mean for my remark to mean anything other than a lighthearted poke at our insatiable desire for each other. But Alex takes it in a different way and I know this because of the fevered look that he gives me.

“Bonding time,” he muses, his voice smoky and rich and full of promise, and I want nothing more than to leave with him right now to let him fulfill said avowal. His thumb continues to graze my jaw, and he’s lost in thought at what I’m assuming is a reverie of what we could do during some serious bonding time.

“I’d kill to know what’s going through that mind of yours right now,” I whisper so only he can hear me.

His eyes search mine, flicking back and forth as if pondering the very deepest mystery. “How about I show you instead?”

Without waiting for me to answer, Alex’s hand falls away from my face and grabs hold of my elbow. He spins me away from his cronies and pushes me gently, but quickly, back toward the staircase that leads up to the main level of the Malone house.

We pass other partiers, who give us smiles and nods of the head. One person tries to stop Alex to talk to us but he half growls, half utters an apology and propels me forward. Down a hallway, up another staircase to the second floor, and right into the bathroom at the top of the landing.

Flicking on the light, he pushes me in and closes the door behind him, turning the lock with a click. When he turns around, his gaze is practically lecherous and my blood begins to boil.

“Are we having some bonding time?” I tease, thinking surely he wants a quick and hot make-out session where we won’t be disturbed.