Rob Sutter asked her to dance and she left Marie in the care of the Miner twins. The Hammer led her to the middle of the floor and surprised her with how well he moved. His hand on her side, he led her around the dance floor. If it hadn’t been for his black eye, he would have looked utterly respectable in his black tux.

After Rob, she danced with the Stromster, who’d dyed his Mohawk a light blue to match his tuxedo. At first conversation with the young Swede was difficult, but the longer she listened to him, the better she understood his heavy accent. When the band paused between songs, she thanked Daniel and made her way to Darby, who waited for her on the edge of the dance floor.

“I’m sorry, Jane,” he began as she approached him, “but I have to take you home now. An acquisition we’ve been working on is finally taking place tonight. Clark has already left for the office. I have to meet him there.”

The Space Needle was a stone’s throw from the Key Arena and, depending on the time of day, about half an hour from her apartment. “Go ahead. I’ll take a taxi.”

He shook his head. “I want to make sure you get home.”

“I’ll make sure she gets home.” Jane turned at the sound of Luc’s voice. “Marie’s up on the observation deck with the Miner twins. When she comes back down, we’ll take you home.”

“That would help me out a lot,” Darby said.

Jane glanced behind Luc for the blonde, but he was alone. “Are you sure?”

“Sure.” He looked at the assistant general manager. “Who’s involved in the acquisition?”

“Keep it under your hat until morning.”

“Of course.”

“Dion.”

Luc smiled. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.” Darby turned to Jane. “Thanks for coming with me tonight.”

“Thank you for inviting me. The ride in the limo was wild.”

“See you two at the airport in the morning,” Darby said and headed for the elevator.

As Jane watched him go, she asked, “Who’s Dion?”

“Boy, you really don’t know much about the game.” Luc took her elbow and, without bothering to ask, pulled her out onto the crowded dance floor. Luc took her small purse and stuffed it in the pocket of his jacket. He folded one of her hands in his and placed his warm palm on her side.

In her new heels, her eyes were level with his mouth, and she set her hand on his shoulder. The light on the dance floor cast a diagonal shadow across his face, and she watched his lips while he spoke. “Pierre Dion is a veteran sniper,” he said. “He knows the ice. When he shoots from his sweet spot, the puck stings like a son of a bitch.”

Watching his mouth did funny things to Jane’s nerve endings, and she raised her gaze to his. It was probably best not to talk about sweet spots. “Your sister seems like a very nice girl.”

“Really?”

“You sound surprised.”

“No.” He looked over her head. “It’s just that she’s moody and unpredictable, and tonight hasn’t been a real good night for her. She was asked to a high school dance, but the boy decided to take someone else at the last minute.”

“That’s horrible. What a little bastard.”

His gaze returned to hers. “I offered to kick the kid’s ass, but Marie thought it would embarrass her.”

For some bizarre reason, Jane felt herself fall deeper into infatuation with him. She couldn’t help it, and all because he’d offered to kick some ass on his sister’s behalf. “You’re a good brother.”

“Actually, I’m not.” His thumb brushed the back of her hand and he pulled her a little closer. “She cries a lot, and I don’t know what to do about it.”

“She just lost her mother. There’s nothing you can do.”

His knee bumped hers. “She told you that?”

“Yes, and I know how she feels. I lost my mother too. I told her if she needed to talk to someone, to give me a call. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all. I think she really needs a woman to talk to. I’ve hired someone to stay with Marie while I’m on the road, but she doesn’t seem to like her.” He thought a moment, then said, “What she really needs is someone to take her clothes-shopping. Every time I give her my credit card, she comes back with a bag of candy and something two sizes too small.”

That would explain the tight dress. “I could hook her up with my friend Caroline. She’s really good at making people over.”

“That would be great, Jane. I don’t know anything about girls.”

Even if she hadn’t read up on him, she would have known within five seconds of meeting him that Luc knew a lot about girls. It was the look in his eye and the confident curve of his smile. “You mean you don’t know anything about sisters.”

“I don’t know anything about my little sister,” he said through a wicked grin. “But I did date twins once.”

“Yes.” She frowned. “You and Hef.”

He laughed, deeply amused with himself. “You’re so gullible,” he said as the music ended and she stepped back. Instead of releasing her, he pulled her against his chest. The band struck up another number. “What did you and Hogue do in the limo?” he asked next to her hair.

“What?”

“You thanked Darby for a wild limo ride.”

She and Darby had drunk champagne and played with the television, as the driver drove them around the city as if they were Bill and Melinda Gates. But she figured that wasn’t really what Luc wanted to know. His mind was in the gutter, and she decided to give him something to think about. “We got freaky.”

He stopped. “You got freaky with Hogue?”

She almost laughed, and looked up into his face. The only thing freaky about her was her imagination. “Beneath that hair gel, he’s a wild man.”

He started to move once more. “Tell me about it.” His breath whispered across her temple and her fingers curled into his shoulder.

“You want the details?”

“Yes, please.”

She did laugh then. He’d probably done things that even Honey Pie hadn’t thought up. She doubted she could shock him if she tried. “Unless I make something up, I’m afraid you’re doomed to disappointment.”

“Then make something up.”

Could she? Right here on the dance floor? If she closed her eyes, could she become Honey Pie? The woman who made men want her with a smile. Men like Luc.

“Something good,” he added. “No whips, though. I’m not into pain.”

It was tempting. Tempting to sink into his chest and pretend she was the kind of woman to satisfy a man like Luc. The kind who whispered naughty suggestions and made men beg. For her next article in Him, she’d been thinking of writing Honey into a co-ed fantasy. Men loved co-ed fantasies. “Do you like to watch?”

“I’m more of a doer,” he said close to her ear. “It’s more interesting that way.”

But she couldn’t do it. Alone in her own apartment was one thing, but standing within Luc’s arms in the SkyLine was entirely different. She couldn’t take it any further and the best she could come up with was, “Darby is an animal. Neither of us may ever recover. In fact, I better go sit down now. I’m exhausted.”

Luc pulled back and looked into her face. “Don’t tell me that’s the best you can do. You’re better at trash-talking. And you pretty much suck at that.”

“Let’s talk about something else.” Something safe.

He was quiet for a moment, then said, “You look good tonight.”

“Thank you. You’re looking pretty good yourself.” He pulled her close once more, and she brushed her fingers across his shoulder, feeling the texture of his jacket. If she leaned in just a fraction, the smell of his cologne and the starch of his shirt filled her nose. “Very nice.”

“I like your hair.”

“I got it cut this morning. It looks good now, but the real test will come in the morning when I have to wash it.”

When he spoke again, his voice was a smooth rumble next to her ear. “I just wash mine and go.”

She closed her eyes. Good, a nice safe boring subject. Hair care.

“I like your dress.”

Another safe subject. “Thanks. It’s not black.”

“I noticed.” He slid his hand from her side to the small of her back, his warm palm and fingers against her bare skin. “Do you think you might ever wear it backward?”

His touch seemed to warm her up from the inside out, and startled laughter escaped her lips. “No. I don’t think so.”

“Too bad. I wouldn’t mind seeing it on backward.”

The music flowed around Jane as everything within her stilled. Luc Martineau, with his wicked grin and horseshoe tattoo, wanted to see her naked. Impossible. Just beneath the surface, her skin tingled, hot and alive with sensation. Want and need pooled low in her abdomen and she wondered if he’d notice if she leaned into him. Just enough to smell the side of his neck. Right above the black band of his tie and starched collar.

“Jane?”

“Hmm?”

“Marie is back. We have an early flight and better get going.”

Jane looked up into the shadows caressing his face. While impure thoughts sullied her mind, he appeared unaffected. I wouldn’t mind seeing it on backward, he’d said. No doubt he was pulling her chain again. “I’ll get my coat.”

He removed his hand from her back, and cool air replaced his warm touch. He took her arm, and as they walked from the dance floor, he handed her Caroline’s little bag. “Give me your ticket. I’ll get your coat when I get Marie’s.”

Jane fished around in the purse and pulled out the piece of paper. While he retrieved the coats, she talked to Marie, but her mind was on Luc, and there was no denying it. She lusted after him. Bad. She wondered if he’d noticed. She sincerely hoped not. She hoped he would never find out. She could happily live her entire life without anyone knowing that Jane Alcott wanted to jump bad boy hockey player Luc Martineau. If he suspected, he’d no doubt run long and hard in the opposite direction.