Alex (Cold Fury Hockey, #1)(61)

“Sure,” I say softly, watching as he walks out of the bedroom, gloriously naked, stunningly uninhibited in his nudity, yet completely closed off in most other respects.





Chapter 19


Alex


Looking in the mirror, I rake my fingers through my hair, not caring at all where the locks may fall, and give my appearance a quick once-over. I need to leave soon to pick Sutton up for dinner and I’m anxious to see her.

You wouldn’t think so, considering I made an unscheduled visit to the crisis center to see her about three hours ago, compliments of some plotting with Miss Minnie, the front desk receptionist. Yes, I had been on a road trip out west for the last five days and even though I had plans to spend the evening with Sutton, I had found my mid-afternoon to be sorely lacking and took it upon myself to go see her.

After I cleared it with Minnie, of course.

When I arrived at the center, I was rewarded with a brilliant smile from Minnie. “Hi, Alex,” she said warmly in that soft Southern voice that I’d quickly come to appreciate. Who would have thought that I’d be charmed by an old woman with blue hair who smells like magnolias most of the time?

Reaching into the large paper bag I’d carried in with me, I pulled out a small vase with an arrangement of red and gold flowers in them. I had no clue what type of flowers they were, nor did I care. I bought them spontaneously at the grocery store for Minnie, to show her my appreciation for having twice now helped me to see Sutton unannounced.

“These are for you,” I told her with a flourish as I handed them across the desk.

Her eyes lit up with joy as she reached out and took the vase. “Oh, Alex…you devil, you. How did you know mums were my favorite flower?”

I had no clue what a mum was, but I never missed a beat when I flashed my pearly whites and said, “You just seemed like a ‘mum’ type of woman. Elegant and classic.”

My compliment struck deep because Minnie flushed red and batted her eyelashes for a moment. Then her gaze hardened a bit as she stared at me directly. “And did you do as I suggested?”

Shaking the brown paper bag so the contents inside rustled, I said, “Yup. Just as you suggested.”

Smiling at me conspiratorially, Minnie stood from her desk and led me to the locked door that goes back to Sutton’s office. “That’s a good boy. You’ll steal her heart for sure.”

I already had her body. I suppose her heart was up for grabs too, but did I really want it? I never wanted anyone else’s before, but there’s no doubt…Sutton is different.

Minnie unlocked the door and ushered me through as I gave her a short goodbye. I practically ran down the hallway toward Sutton’s office, my long legs eating up the distance in my eagerness to see her. When I reached her office and looked in, my heart skipped a beat as she came into view. She was wearing her hair long and loose, coppery masses hanging over her shoulder and shining bright against the soft gray of her silk blouse. She had on a pair of glasses and I was momentarily shocked, because I didn’t know she wore them.

My presence in the doorway alerted her and she looked up at me, her eyes opening wide in delight. She stood up from her desk and gave me a stunning smile. “What are you doing here?”

I stepped inside her office, dropped the brown bag on a chair and closed the door. I wanted privacy for what I was about to do.

Within a few steps, she was in my arms and I first kissed her on top of her head. “I couldn’t wait until tonight to see you.”

“Well, now, that just makes my day,” she mumbled with her face in my chest before she pulled back to look at me, her smile just as radiant.

“Has anyone ever told you that you look smokin’ hot wearing glasses?”

She was utterly f*cking adorable when she blushed over my compliment and reached up to take them off. “Geez…I look like a dork with them. I only wear them when I’m doing a lot of computer work.”

“You look beautiful…with or without them,” I told her as I took the glasses from her hand and set them on her desk. Once my hands were free, I brought them up to place them on her face, relishing the silky softness of her skin. It had struck me clearly that I had never touched a woman like that before Sutton. It felt bold and intimate all at the same time, and I had never felt so proprietary toward something as I felt right then.

I couldn’t f*cking help myself—I bent down and claimed her mouth. We were in the broad light of day, in her place of work, where anyone could walk in at any time.

I couldn’t have cared less.

I plunged my tongue past her lips, seeking her wet warmth, and continued to probe against her. She answered me with equal passion, her fingertips sinking down into the front edge of my pants to pull our bodies closer. A tiny moan escaped her mouth and I sucked it down, kissing her harder.

The more I kissed her, the more I felt starved for her, almost as if my life depended upon that contact, and while it was the most amazing and unique feeling, a little kernel of fear took root.

I became fearful that Sutton was becoming necessary to me, and that could be translated into a weakness. I had been conditioned my entire existence to cut everything out of my life that could divert my attention…that could claim any part of my being.

And it’s not just my being that was at risk. Sutton could threaten to claim my very soul—this I knew to be true, and yet I still continued to kiss her, unwilling to let go of the perfectness that was lying against my tongue.