Page 146 of Cold as Ice

“True,” Nina said seriously, like she was actually considering this suggestion.

“They do switch, you know,” Connie said.

Mal wanted to drop through the floor and die.

“See, now you’re not worrying about how far away Elliott’s going to end up, you’re worried about what Macey or Connie are going to say next about your sex life,” Nina said with a chuckle.

“Is that better? I’m not sure it’s better,” Mal said bluntly.

“It’s better,” Connie said with certainty.

“Oh, is that Ramsey over there?” Macey asked, brightening.

“Macey—” But before Malcolm could stop her, she was heading in his direction.

A few minutes later, Elliott returned, glancing over at where his sister was talking animatedly with Ramsey.

“You didn’t stop her,” Elliott said, but he was smiling.

“A natural disaster couldn’t have stopped her,” Mal grumbled. “And on top of that, I wasn’t particularly inclined, because she wouldn’t stop speculating about which of us would end up pregnant.”

Elliott grinned. “Twins!”

Mal shook his head. “I don’t want to know.”

But Elliott leaned in, and he looked and smelled andwasso good, Mal felt a little lightheaded. Even nine months in, he was still figuring out how deep in love he was. How lucky he truly was. How lucky he hoped he’d be for the rest of his goddamn life. “Hey,” he murmured, “I bet you that you’d want to know, later tonight, after we get back to the room . . .”

Mal swallowed hard. “Don’t do it, Ell,” he warned, under his breath.

“Aw, but it’s so fun to work you up,” Elliott teased.

“Yeah, but not when I’m probably going to have to talk to someone who has a camera trained on us.”

Elliott shrugged. Like he’d done worse, likethey’ddone worse, and that was probably true.

He’d never tell Coach Blackburn the truth about what they’d done in one of the empty treatment rooms after their last game.

Even after the draft, there was a chance that Elliott would don an Evergreens jersey again, next season, but it was Mal’s last game.

They’d celebrated, in what Elliott claimed was an appropriate way, but Mal knew, without question, that if Coach ever found out about it—and God, Mal hoped he wouldn’t ever—he’d have averydifferent opinion.

“You guys ready?” Nina asked, arriving back at the table, her hand wrapped around Macey’s arm. Macey was pouting, probably because she’d been forcibly dragged away from Ramsey.

“You two are abadidea,” Connie said to Macey. “You’re too much alike.”

“No?” Macey said and huffed. “Okay. Well, maybe. A little.”

“A lot too much alike,” Elliott said. “And yeah, we’re set. We’re good.” He looked over at Mal. “Right?”

Mal nodded.

“The parents are about to come over,” Nina said. She nudged Elliott. “If there’s anything you want to say out of their earshot.”

Elliott turned to Mal. He looked so fucking gorgeous like this, dressed up in the slate gray suit that fit him like a glove, green shirt that brought out the color of his eyes, hair styled like he’d just rolled out of Mal’s bed.

He was flawless, just fucking perfect, and he was all Mal’s.

“Listen,” Mal said, because even though he’d said this probably a thousand times since they’d gotten together last November, heneededElliott to understand it. To believe it. “Listen, it doesn’t matter what happens in the next hour. I love you, no matter what. You’ve got me, no matter what.”

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