He gave Alex a second to let that sink in.
The fucker had taken Charley’s virginity. That fact was pissing Alex off a lot more than he would have expected.
“All I’m saying is she doesn’t have a whole lot of experience with dating. And none with guys like you.”
Like him.
Alex knew exactly what Ben was insinuating and he didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
His fists clenched, but he kept them by his side, fighting to remind himself this was a wedding. That Roger was a good friend and he didn’t want to fuck it up by beating the shit out of this asshole.
He counted to five, and when that didn’t work, he headed for ten.
Ben mistook his silence, assuming he was an interested listener. “You’re way out of her league. Trust me, there are a lot better options around here tonight for what you have in mind.”
“What I have in mind?”
Alex was starting to get this asshole’s number. Ben didn’t want Charley, but he didn’t want anyone else to have her either.
“Have you taken a look around tonight?” Ben said, smiling, somewhere along the line getting the impression that they were friends. “Lindsey’s bridesmaids are off the chain. Makes me sorry I brought a date.”
“I’m sure Beverly would love to hear that.”
Ben sobered up quickly. “Listen, man. I’m just trying to do you a favor. Charley’s okay in bed, but you can do better, you know?”
Ben Jerome was a fucking dead man.
“Hey, Alex.” Alex felt a firm hand on his upper arm and he realized he had raised his fist, ready to lay Ben out flat.
Ben had noticed too. The man had lost all color in his face, and he’d taken a big step away from Alex.
Alex started to close the gap, but Charley had a strong grip on him, holding him back.
That was the only thing about her that let Alex know she was aware of his current state. The rest of her appeared calm, carefree.
“Are those our drinks? Need a hand?” She used that opening to step between him and Ben.
“Charley. Get out of the way, sweetheart.” Alex was intent on finishing what he started. No one was going to put Charley down and live to tell about it.
Even worse, Charley had to have heard the insult.
“You get five for fighting,” she murmured to him, in a placating tone. “Besides, I thought you were playing defense tonight?”
Alex was struggling to shake off his anger. Ben deserved to have his ass handed to him, and he was more than man enough to do it.
When he didn’t reply, Charley stepped even closer to him. “Please,” she whispered. “He’s not worth it.”
As much as he wanted to take Ben down, there was no way he could refuse Charley.
Not when she lifted those pretty green eyes to his and gave him a genuine, sweet—fuck him—grateful smile.
“Though I do like this whole defend-my-honor thing you’ve got going on.” The little minx winked at him.
Alex grinned, despite his anger. “You gonna bench me, coach?” he asked, letting her know he was trying to pull his shit together.
She lifted up on her toes and gave him a too-chaste kiss on the cheek. “Nope. I’ve never known you not to take a swing or two for a wronged teammate. It’s why you’re the best captain in the NHL.”
Charley Matthews knew exactly how to speak his language.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and placed his lips at her ear, so only she could hear him. “You didn’t let me swing. I really need to swing.”
She twisted slightly so her cheek was pressed against his. “I’ll make it up to you later.”
With that, Charley stepped away from him, picking up both of their drinks from the bar, handing them to him so his hands were full and he couldn’t throw the punch. Then she wrapped one arm around his waist and guided him away.
Adrenaline coursed through his veins.
She wasn’t wrong.
He didn’t walk away from fights on the ice.
Doing so now was rubbing against the grain.
Hard.
“You’re going to make it up to me now. It’s taking everything I have not to rip that guy to pieces.”
The rage in his tone must have penetrated because she took the drinks from him and put them on a nearby table that was vacant—the partiers on the dance floor.
Charley grasped his hand and led him out of the ballroom to a door with the sign that read Family Bathroom.
Glancing around, she confirmed no one was around, then she pulled him inside with her, locking the door behind them.
“Listen,” she started, intent on trying to talk him down. “I apprec—”
He didn’t give her the chance.
The second they were alone, the pent-up aggression exploded as he pushed her against the closed door and kissed her hard. Charley’s hands wrapped around his neck, her fingers curling in his hair, pulling it until his scalp stung.
God.
She was as fired up as he was.
Her dress wrapped around her, leaving a slit up one side that had been giving him generous peeks of her long, tanned leg all night. He used that slit to his advantage now, as it gave him easy access to her pussy.
Dipping his fingers beneath her panties, he found her clit, stroking it.
It was like touching an electric wire.
Charley gasped and jerked, her head falling back against the door.
“God,” she breathed. “Yes.”
She was soaking wet, her panties way more than damp.
“You’re wet.” He grinned. “You’re welcome.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Cocky bastard,” she murmured. “You weren’t leaving much to the imagination out there on the dance floor. Those moves of yours could make the Sahara Desert wet. My whole body…God…it aches.”
He gripped her hand and ran it over the front of his dress pants, showing her what kind of impact she was having on him as well. “You’re not the only one in pain.”
He regretted pointing his hard-on out to her when she attempted to unfasten his pants.
He shook his head.
He wanted Charley more than anything at the moment, but he’d be damned if he’d take her in a hotel bathroom.
Gripping her wrists, he pulled her hands away.
Because it was Charley, she put up a pretty decent fight.
“I’m not fucking you here, Charley.”
That pulled her up short. “But you are going to fuck me, right?”
He chuckled, pressing his forehead against hers. “Jesus. You’re killing me. Bella told me to keep my hands to myself.”
She rolled her eyes. “You gotta stop giving your sister her way all the time. She’s spoiled.” Then she gave him a smile that was way too sexy for her lack of experience. “I want you. Maybe I could get my way this time.” She started to reach for his dick again.
Time for him to grab the reins, take control.
“No. Right now is all about me. You’re forgetting something. You owe me.”
Charley tilted her head, and he could see she was confused.
“You pulled me out of there before I could teach Ben Jerome a lesson about dicks who mess with my friends.”
She smiled when he called her a friend.
Funny how that word felt wrong.
“What do you want?” she asked.