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“So you’re saying fuck the show…” I said, catching his hand just as it made its way between my jean-clad thighs. “And the meet-and-greet—”
Panther’s mouth stilled on my neck. “Can’t it be fuck, then the show?”
I chuckled, not about to complain, but as I let go of his hand and reached for his neck to steal a kiss, the driver came over the intercom.
“Arrival at the arena is in two minutes.”
I cursed. “Even I’m not that fast.”
Panther pulled away, tucking in his shirt and then running a hand over his close-cropped hair. He’d paired a blue collared shirt that matched his eyes with black slacks, looking every bit the sexy, put-together Navy pilot I knew him to be. Me, on the other hand? A new pair of jeans was as far as I wanted to go if I didn’t have to put on my dress whites.
“Have I told you that you look sexy as fuck tonight?” I said.
“You might’ve mentioned it a few times.”
“Just making sure you know so when Ace Locke undresses you with his eyes, you know I did it first.”
Panther snorted, his head falling back as he laughed. “You’re delusional.”
“Yet the Navy lets me fly a fifty-two-million-dollar jet.”
“Like I said: delusional.” With a twinkle in his eye, Panther brought our joined hands up to his mouth and pressed a kiss to the back of mine. “Don’t worry. I don’t plan to leave you for anyone tonight.”
“Mhmm. Just so you know, if you do run out on me, I’m taking your Christmas present back. And trust me, you want it.”
“I thought this was my present?”
“It’s the cherry on top.”
“Gentlemen,” the driver said over the intercom. “We’ve arrived.”
I looked out the window to see the massive arena looming overhead, red and green spotlights flashing across it and up into the sky. Ornamental balls that were probably bigger than the limo hung at intervals across the front, along with an oversized Christmas tree framing the entrance.
There were people everywhere, long lines out of at least half a dozen doors for those trying to get inside, while others wrapped around the hot chocolate and cider stands set up every few feet. Others milled around in their ugly Christmas sweaters, watching the already crowded ice rink that had been set up for the occasion.
Panther let out a low whistle. “L.A. doesn’t know how to do things on a small scale, huh?”
“Those are the biggest fucking balls I’ve ever seen. Where the hell do people find shit like that?”
“Jealous?” Panther teased, as my door popped open. I downed the rest of my champagne and stepped out of the limo to see a gorgeous blond woman standing on the curb waiting for us. She wore a red long-sleeved reindeer-print dress that looked like one of the ugly Christmas sweaters I’d seen others wear, only it barely covered her ass and hugged her fit body tight. Paired with thigh-high boots, she looked like there should be a whip in her hand, not a clipboard.
“You must be Mateo and Grant,” she said, giving us a brilliant smile as she stepped forward to shake our hands. “I’m Paige, and I’m here to show you fellas a good time.”
When I raised my brows and heard Panther choke behind me, she laughed.
“And by that, I mean bypass the line and show you inside.” She inclined her head for us to follow her through the crowd, dodging the already-buzzed guests holding their drinks precariously. Guess those hot chocolate stands had a vodka option.
Paige led us past the long lines to an unmarked door, flashed a badge across the scanner, and ushered us inside. The Christmas tunes that had been blaring outside followed us down a long hallway that opened up to the main floor of the arena, and once I got a good look inside…holy hell. It was something out of a Griswold fantasy. There were trees encased in fairy lights from top to bottom lining the perimeter of the arena, with clouds of snow gathered around the trunks. Icicle lights dripped off the tree branches, and even more hung down from the ceiling, like we were in a snow globe or some kind of winter wonderland.
“Wow,” Panther said, and I had to agree. It was all you could do to just stare at the transformation of a place that usually hosted basketball games.
Paige beamed. “Thank you.”
I did a double take. “You did this?”
“Well, I’m not just a pretty face,” she said with a wink. “Now, the two of you will have your meet-and-greets later on this evening, but I think the plan is to get you all liquored up first and enjoying the party. And, if I may so say myself, it is a pretty fabulous shindig.”
“I don’t even know where to go first,” Panther said, sounding utterly entranced. I laced my fingers through his and squeezed, and the smile that lit his face was worth every second of stalking the radio station.
