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I stare at her a moment more, while she bends her head toward the other woman and they whisper to each other They look sothem as sisters

Scraping-swishing noises cause my head to turn back toward the ice, and I see the players have arrived They’re not wearing the jerseys they had on the other night, but rather so yellow, and a few of the players have on red jerseys

One player steps out onto the ice, and I recognize Alex inize his build, his grace, his swagger His eyes coht to e loop around the arena I watch hiainst the ice When he turns the corner and heads toward the area where I’aze slides over to nize the blue of his eyes from so far away As he skates closer, I can feelAs he draws even with ht in front ofbackward, shooting me a wink as he pulls farther away

Yeah, I’ht now I so wish I could take a picture in here, because I would have killed a kitten to immortalize the look of happiness on his face as he went past I’d then show it to hiame inside of you ”

“How do you know Alex?” I hear froht, and turn ht next to ht

The question wasn’t asked in id tone of her voice tells me to tread carefully

“He’s a business colleague,” I tell her smoothly, because that’s absolutely true

She runs her eyes down ht be disdain I can’t help it whena quick check ofthat clashed

Nope Dark washed jeans, a light gray, long-sleeved T-shirt and my black Converse Chuck-T’s I’ sex and pink fluffy angora from my pores, I think I look okay

“Business colleague? You’re with the Cold Fury?” she asks

“No Alex and I are working together on a project for the Cold Fury ”

“How did you get a ticket to this session?”

I want to tell her, Just down the street at a little store that’s called “None of Your Freakin’ Business,” but I resist the very strong temptation

Instead, and for soive her a sweet s it to my office for me last week ”

The woman’s blue eyes narrow at me and I can tell in that split instant that she has some type of proprietary interest in Alex I’m not sure if she wants hi there and daht doesn’t rankle me

I am here on a business-related matter, I tell myself firmly

I have no personal interest in Alex, I reain

I need to stop fantasizing about Alex and ina

After repeating these words of ive the woman a warm smile and say, “I assure you This is just business We’re putting together an anti-drug can the Cold Fury wants to sponsor, and Alex will be the spokesperson ”

A crack against the glass causes all three of us to jularing at the wo down the aisle of chairs He’s actually pointing for the wouess He looks furious and it aze flicks tosmile before he skates off

“I’d get out of here, if I were you, Cassie Alex doesn’t look happy He could have you thrown out of here in a heartbeat ”

Turning around, I see a woth, curly brown hair and her dark brown eyes are focused on the wo next to me

“It’s a free country,” Blondie seethes, causing me to whip my head back around to her “I can sit wherever I want ”

The woman behindlike a brat No wonder Alex kicked you to the curb ”

I don’t bother turning to look back at her—my poor neck can’t handle the whiplash, but I see Blondie’s eyes go wide and then fill with rage “Where did you hear that? It’s a lie ”

This is interesting…in a soap opera sort of way

The brown-haired woman snickers and that causes me to look back at her “What do you mean, where did I hear that from? I heard it fro quietly next to Blondie “And of course, she heard it straight from you ”

Okay, I want to see this reaction, because that was shocking My head spins supreht, and I’m just in time to see the red flush creep up Blondie’s neck, over her cheeks and straight into her hairline She opens her , sla is her sister

“I can’t believe you told her that!” she accuses

“I’m sorry, Cass I didn’t knoas a secret,” the other woman whines

While the sisters start bickering, a soft hand squeezes my shoulder and I turn back to the woo sit down a few seats away from this spectacle ”

I irab my purse and nod a sher and away from the fans We sit down side by side and she turns to offer me her hand “I’m Kelly Malone My husband Mike is on the second line—left winger ”