Shrugging his shoulders, Alex reaches for the front door. He opens it and the kids dart in under his arm, and then he motions me forward. Just before I step past him, he lowers his arm and stops my progress. His other hand reaches up and takes a lock of my hair that's draping over my shoulder. Rubbing it between his fingers, he looks at my hair as if mesmerized, then slides his gaze to me. "That was my big plan, but trust me when I say I've thought of other ways too."

The tone of his voice is seductive, and a zap of electricity seems to course through my body, straight down to make my fingertips tingle. Alex even takes a step in closer to me, and bends down so we are almost nose-to-nose.

"Have you thought of ways? Ways I would put my hands on you?"

Swallowing hard, I can barely get the word out because my mouth has gone dry. "Yes."

"Good," he says as he steps back and raises his arm so I can pass. "We'll compare notes on that later."

My legs are so jelly-like from the words that Alex seduces me with, I have a feeling he's going to have his work cut out trying to hold me upright on the ice. Somehow that doesn't seem like a losing proposition to me.

I follow Alex up to a large counter where a teenage boy is working. When he sees Alex walking toward him, his eyes get as large as saucers and he swallows hard.

Alex pulls his wallet out of his jeans pocket and opens it up. "Two adults and three kids, and we're all going to need skates."

We tell the boy our skate sizes and he about trips over his feet in his haste to get everything as quickly as possible. He rings the total cost and Alex pays him, winking at me as the boys grab their skates and run off to the benches in the lobby area to put them on.

Taking his change, Alex turns away but the boy behind the counter says in a timid voice, "Um...Mr. Crossman? Could I...?"

His voice trails off as his eyes hit the floor. Alex is looking at him with his head cocked to the side curiously. "What's up, bud?"

The kid's eyes pop back up over the reassurance in Alex's voice and widen even farther. "Could I get your autograph?"

"Sure thing," he says as he steps back up to the counter and rewards the boy with a smile. Pushing paper and a pen to Alex, the kid is practically vibrating with energy as he waits for the autograph. When Alex pushes it back to him, the kid reverently holds it up and says, "Thanks, Mr. Crossman. You're a lot nicer than a lot of people make you out to be."

I watch as something flickers across Alex's face and I think it may be guilt...maybe even a bit of pain. His smile is a little dimmer when he nods at the kid, taking my hand and leading me over to the benches to put our skates on.

Squeezing his hand, I ask, "Did that bother you?"

"Nah," Alex says, releasing my hand and sitting down on a bench. I plop down beside him. "Kid has it backward. I'm actually a lot meaner than what he just saw."

My heart tears open a little over the bitterness in Alex's voice. "Don't do that."

He turns to look at me in surprise. "Do what?"

"Don't fall into the mold that people put you in. You are only what you want to be. If you want to be nice, be nice. If you want to be mean, be mean. But don't do it because anyone expects it of you. Do it for yourself."

Alex stares at me a long moment, then his hand comes up to grip me behind my neck. He squeezes gently but with enough effort to get my attention. "You're seeing a softer side to me, Sutton, and I like that you like it. But don't make the mistake of ever putting a coat of sugar on me. I'm a whole lot mean too. You've seen it once...I know you'll see it again. I'm built that way."

Reaching up, my fingers curl around his wrist as he holds me by the neck. I don't push him away but rather squeeze him to hold him in place. "Tell me, Alex, what exactly is this warning supposed to do? Scare me away? Provide me adequate notice so you don't have guilt when you hurt me at some point?"

Alex's hands quickly migrate to grab my face and he pulls me in before I can even protest. He crushes his lips against mine, giving me a hard, quick kiss before pulling back. Resting his forehead against mine, he says, "I don't want to scare you away. I'd come running after you. So yeah, I'm giving you warning so I can be the first to say aI told you so' and so you know I'm a man who lives up to the expectations placed upon him."

"That's a problem, then," I tell him softly as I squeeze harder onto his wrist so he understands the urgency of what I'm saying. "Because I don't have that expectation of you. In fact, I expect you to rise above it and prove yourself wrong."

Giving me a quick kiss on the forehead, Alex releases me and turns to start pulling on his skates. "You're like the good little angel that sits on my shoulder telling me positive things and acting as my conscience."

"And that's a bad thing?" I ask with a laugh as I kick my tennis shoes off.

"Well, the corrupting little devil is usually dressed in a really sexy outfit and that is so much nicer to imagine."

Snorting, I pull on the first skate and start to tighten the laces. "I can be corrupting too, you know. I have layers."

"I look forward to peeling them away, then," Alex says as he leans over, placing his lips near my ears. Those words come out in a low growl and cause goose bumps to break out all over my skin.

Whether I'm any good at ice-skating or not is irrelevant. I already plan to be clumsy and try to fall as many times as possible just so Alex can put his hands all over me.

Alex pulls into my driveway and kills the engine. It was a quiet ride from my parents' house where we had just dropped off Glenn and his friends.

Without a word he gets out of the driver's seat and walks around to my side. My heart is thrumming wildly within my chest because I'm thinking Alex is going to make good on his threat to put his hands all over me some more. He certainly did so at the ice rink, but his touches were gentle and chaste, suitable for public display. It may have been just holding my elbow to guide me around the ice, or swiftly grabbing me around my waist if I started to fall. Once, he even took both my hands in his and skated backward, leading me around the ice. I made the mistake of getting sucked into his cobalt gaze and lost my footing more than once, so he needed to wrap his arms around me to prevent a spill to the ice.

But those touches left me aching and needful because I knew that whatever it was that Alex was showing me now would be only a fraction of what he could show me when we were alone.

My door opens and Alex holds his hand out and I take it. He walks me across my sidewalk and up my porch, where I notice that my light to the right of my door is burned out. It causes the light on the left to cast dark shadows across half the doorway. As I reach the top step, Alex releases my hand and I move in front of him to unlock my door.

I'm so nervous now my hands are shaking, and it's a miracle I pull my keys out of my purse on the first attempt. Just as I'm about to insert my key into the lock, I feel Alex step up right behind me, and my hand shakes harder. He steps in even closer and places his hands on the door, palms flat and just to either side of my head, effectively caging me in.

We're not touching anywhere but I'm profoundly aware of everything. Heat radiates off of him and the subtle smell of freshness from his body wash hits my nose. I can practically feel the planes of his chest and abdomen touching my back, even though there is still a void between us. Alex doesn't move, doesn't say a word, and his stillness causes my pulse to slam harder, my imagination to kick into overdrive.

Will he be soft or demanding of me?

As if sensing my need for some type of answer, he steps in closer until his chest is whispering against my shoulder blades. The contact causes a shiver to run through me, and I know he can feel my reaction because he lets out a gust of breath against the back of my head.

Ever so softly and still so very silently, he drops his right hand from the doorway. With utter assurance and no second-guessing how much I'm willing to give him, he slips his fingers up under the hem of my shirt, skimming over the waistband of my jeans until his palm rests flat and so very hot against my stomach.

Another shiver runs through me, and my breath releases through my teeth in a shaky pant.

Alex gently pushes against my stomach, forcing me backward until my entire backside rests against the front of him. Now I can feel every single detail of his body, from the thick cut of his pectoral muscles, to his iron-hard stomach, all the way down to the erection that is now pressing into my lower back. Alex lets out a soft groan when our bodies touch.

The minute I feel his hardness and I understand just how much this magnificent man wants me, I become completely overwhelmed with lust and desire. My head falls back against his chest and I whisper, "Oh God."

I wait...poised for Alex to make a sudden move. The sexual tension between us is so thick, it's almost suffocating. I feel tight like a stretched rubber band, poised to snap at the first movement he makes. It's a moment when two people might launch themselves at each other in a fury of lust and pulsing need.

But rather than a frenzied attack to release the pressure that seems to have built to straining proportions, Alex leans his head down to the side of my own, placing his lips just near my chin. He then does nothing more than pull backward, running his lips and the stubble of his own chin along my jawline, deliciously scratching my skin.

When his lips reach just below my ear, he presses a light kiss there. Left palm still lying flat against my door, he presses on my stomach lightly with his other hand, pushing me back just a fraction harder onto his erection. Pressing another kiss to my jaw, he moves his lips to my ear and says softly, "Good night, Sutton. I had a great time with you today."

Before I can even process his words, Alex releases his hold on me and steps back. I turn quickly to face him, almost reaching out with my hands to grab hold and draw him back. He's staring at me with heated eyes but a soft smile.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he says, taking one step down off my porch while keeping his eyes pinned to mine. "Now get inside and lock the door behind you."

"But...I don't..." I falter for the right words, because I'm so completely stunned that he's leaving after practically giving me an orgasm with just his hand on my belly. "Did I do something wrong?"

Alex's body actually jerks and his eyebrows shoot up quickly. With a soft smile, he steps back onto the porch and walks up to me, taking my face in his hands. Focusing on my gaze, he stares hard at me, making sure I'm looking at him and listening to what he's getting ready to say.

"You are doing everything right, baby," he tells me and plants a soft kiss on my forehead.

"But why are you leaving...I thought you wanted...I mean, I just assumed you felt the same..." My words stutter and falter, and I have never been so confused or tongue-tied in my life.

Bending down and holding my face firmly, Alex pulls my face to his and he gives me a swift kiss with an open mouth, pushing his tongue roughly against mine. He kisses me deeply, darkly, and my muscles clench across my entire body. When he pulls back, his eyes are dark, appearing almost black in the shadows. "I want to fuck you so bad I physically ache, Sutton. It actually hurts. But I've always given in to my base desires, and slaked my lust without a care in the world as to who I was with or how fast and hard I'd give it to her. I don't want that with you. I want something more."

"And what's that?" I murmur.

"I want a connection," he tells me, and his voice holds such longing, I know that when I look back on this moment later in life, it will be a defining moment because it's when I decided that my heart had already become deeply involved with Alex Crossman.

"We have a connection already," I point out, still wanting him to come inside my house with me so we can make love. And the hard and fast thing he mentioned before also sounds quite good to me. I'm sure we have time for both.

Pressing a kiss to my forehead one more time, Alex releases me and trots down my porch steps. When he gets to the bottom, he shoots me a grin. "Yes, we do have a connection. And after tonight...it got even deeper."

A feeling close to euphoria flutters through me over his proclamation and I can't help but return his smile. "It did, didn't it?"

"Yup. Call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

I just stand there staring at him, and he returns my gaze. Then he points at my door. "Inside. Now. Lock the doors."

Rolling my eyes, I turn away from him and unlock my door. I give him a brief glance before shutting my door, but not before I see him give me a wink.

Then he's gone.

Chapter 15.

Alex

Twelve...thirteen...fourteen...fifteen.

I mentally count my reps, pushing out a harsh breath every time I complete one. I increased my weight today for the bench press and I strain mightily to get the last one finished.

Garrett's face leans over into my field of vision and he gives me a toothy grin. "Nice job," he says as he helps to guide the weighted bar up the last few inches and back onto the cradle.

Sitting up to straddle the bench, I reach down to the side and grab my towel and water bottle. "Thanks. That last one about killed me. Good thing you were standing there or I probably would have strangled myself."

"Plenty of people would pay to see that," he jokes, and I can't help but snicker. Garrett's new mission in life is to bust my chops over my bad attitude, telling me once that he just didn't understand it. He found me to be as warm and fuzzy as a baby bunny.

Standing from the bench, I take a large swig of water and wipe my face. Today's workout was brutally long, and what made it even worse was that all I could think about was the fact I was taking Sutton out to lunch today and I'd be seeing her in about two hours. A grown man, especially one as cynical as me, shouldn't feel this giddy over a woman, but there you have it. I'm turning into a pussy.

Garrett follows me back to the locker room. "What are your plans the rest of the day? Want to go grab a few beers and pick up some women?"

Arching an eyebrow at him, I say, "Don't you ever do anything but party and chase women? It's freaking only ten in the morning."

"I'm a simple man," Garrett says with a shrug of his shoulders. "It doesn't take much to amuse me."

I laugh, because he's not joking. He is simple in his tastes and pursuits, and sometimes I envy the ease with which he confronts life. "Well, I have to pass. I've got lunch plans."

"With?" he asks in a long-drawn-out sort of way.

I don't answer but open my locker and pull out my shower gear.

"Man...you're going out with Sutton again. Didn't you just see her yesterday after the game?"

"Yup. Getting ready to see her again for lunch. Got a problem with it?"

Garrett knows about Sutton. He started pumping me for information after that practice session she came to, because he all too clearly noticed me noticing her. Much to my surprise, I've told him a little bit about her. He's teased me about it relentlessly, mainly because he doesn't understand the concept of developing a bond with someone.

Neither do I for that matter, and while I have no misconceptions that Garrett is going to provide me with sound adviceabecause let's face it, he knows dick about relationshipsait's nice to at least give a voice to my feelings.

"No problem, dude," Garrett says with a laugh as he pulls his own shower gear out of his locker. "She's smokin' hot. I'd try to tap that too. You are trying to tap that, right?"

"Fuck off," I growl at him, which is basically admitting that yeah, I am so trying to tap that. Why in the hell I walked away from her last night is beyond me, and my perpetual case of blue balls has me questioning my sanity. And while I wanted nothing more than to take her up against the door last night, there was something about having her shiver in my arms just from grazing my lips along her jaw that had me backing off. It made me want to prolong the way this seduction is playing out.

It's not just me seducing her, though. She's completely seducing me, and she has no fucking clue she's even doing it. Since this is the first time in my life I've ever experienced something like this, I want to savor the feeling. I want to commit it to memory, because I'm bound and determined to fuck it up somehow. This is all probably too good to be a long-term reality for someone like me.

Taking my iPhone out, I turn it on to do a quick check of my messages. I immediately see a text from Sutton and my heart sinks a little.

Have to cancel lunch. Emergency with one of my kids. OD. Have to go to hospital.

I stare at the message, contemplating how to respond. A terrible feeling of worry for Sutton rolls through me and I feel lost. I have no clue what to do, what to say. The way I've come to know Sutton over the last few weeks, I know that she is probably overwhelmed with concern for this kid and probably scared shitless.

And there's probably not a damn thing I can do about it.

"Something wrong?" Garrett asks.

Turning to look at him, I say, "Sutton had to cancel. Looks like one of her kids overdosed so she has to go to the hospital."

"Damn. That sucks. She has a tough job," he commiserates over his shoulder as he heads into the nearest shower stall.

I absently nod and send her back a text.

What hospital? I can come there.

I wait a few moments for a response but nothing comes through. I see her original text was sent not long ago so she's probably driving. Putting my iPhone back, I decide not to worry about it for the moment and head into a shower.