Fallon Brooks put on one hell of a party, and Karson was always impressed by her skills. The party was covered in purple and black, the Assassins’ colors. The Christmas tree that was so tall it reached the roof of the arena was covered in Assassins memorabilia. Each guy’s jersey adorned the tree and then pictures of the guys with their families brought something special to it. Before, it used to be a picture of just Karson with his family, but this year, it was a picture of him and Lacey in front of their tree, completely and utterly in love.

He loved these parties; he got to drink it up and shoot the shit with his brothers. Most of the guys were married to unbelievable women, and the guys who weren’t brought their little hot dates, trying to outdo each other in a friendly game. It blew his mind how, in such a short time, everything had changed for him. He used to be that guy, bringing the hottest chick he could in the hopes of outdoing all his other single teammates.

Now though, he was outdoing all the married guys because his wife was smoking.

Wrapping his arm around Lacey’s middle, he smiled as she gushed to Audrey and Tate Odder.

“I am so excited for you!”

Audrey’s eyes were misty as she smiled in thanks. “It’s insane and so amazing, but I am really freaking pregnant and so damn sick!”

“Do you know if it is just one or two or four?” Lacey asked, her eyes bright.

Audrey nodded. “The ultrasound showed only one. It’s our little fighter.”

“That’s so beautiful! Karson, isn’t that awesome?” she asked him and he nodded.

“So awesome, I’m not sure who I am more surprised by, you or Harper.”

Audrey nodded, throwing her hands up. “I know, right? I can’t believe it!”

“Everyone is pregnant. Do you remember Jordan Ryan?” Tate asked, and Karson thought for a second.

“He was the goalie before you took over, right? Over on Carolina now.”

“Yeah, his wife is pregnant with their second daughter. She’s due in a couple weeks.”

He didn’t know Jordan well, but he nodded his head as Audrey cried out, “So many babies are coming!”

“We are always having babies on this team though,” Karson laughed.

“Y’all are next!” she said with a promising grin, and Karson’s arm tightened around Lacey.

“If it happens, it does, if it doesn’t, then I’ll try harder,” he said and everyone laughed while Lacey beamed up at him. They talked for a little bit longer and then moved on to where Shea and Elli were.

“Baby, do you need a drink? You haven’t touched anything yet,” he asked before reaching his captain and his boss.

“I’m gonna let you drink tonight,” she said, waving him off. “My belly is a little upset all of a sudden.”

“You hungry?” he asked. “I know how you get when you don’t eat. I duck and hide.”

She rolled her eyes. “Shut up, and maybe I’ll go make a plate. Talk with Elli and Shea for a second. I’ll be back,” she said before pressing her lips to his and then heading for the buffet.

“Hey, get me a turkey leg!” he called after her, and she nodded as Elli grinned at him.

“Having fun, Karson?” she asked and he smiled as he kissed her cheek. She looked gorgeous in a floor-length green dress that made her eyes shine. He’d always had a soft spot for Elli. Or maybe he was deathly scared of Shea and wanted to stay in their good graces. He wasn’t sure, but they had been spending a lot of time with the Adlers. Lacey loved Elli and their kids, so did he, so it wasn’t a hardship to hang out. Especially with the way Elli cooked. She could fry the hell out of some chicken.

“Great time. How are you guys?”

“Good, my husband is getting drunk off eggnog,” she pointed out, and Shea laughed, holding up his cup to cheers with Karson.

Doing so, Karson laughed as Shea drained his cup.

“I’m living it up. We said bye to the kids, and after this, we are heading to the hotel for crazy monkey sex before leaving in the morning for Fiji,” Shea said with an unstoppable grin.

His captain was good and toasty drunk.

“What he means to say is we will have sloppy sex, and then he’ll oversleep and bitch the whole way to Fiji. I am so excited I can’t stand it,” she corrected and Karson laughed.

His boss might be a tad bit drunk too, but he wasn’t going to point that out.

“You guys are a riot,” he declared, and they both beamed at him.

“Where’s that wife of yours?” Shea asked.

“She’s getting food…oh, here she is,” he said when Lacey showed up beside him with no food. “Where’s the food?”

“I didn’t want anything.”

“Where’s my turkey leg?”

She shook her head. “No, it was gross.”

Karson glared as Shea said, “No, man, go get one. I’ve eaten like three of them.”

Lacey laughed as she pointed to him and asked Elli, “Is he drunk?”

Elli nodded. “Damn eggnog gets him every time.”

They all laughed and talked for a little longer before Karson found himself on the dance floor with his sexy wife. She had natural rhythm, and he loved moving against her as the lights glittered above them. Holding her close, he kissed her jaw as the music changed to a soft love song. Looking deep into Lacey’s eyes, he felt nothing but undying love for her. Things had been nuts with her family but they’d overcome it. He had his claws in her, and she wasn’t going anywhere without him. He loved her so much, and the thought of not having her honestly murdered him. She was his everything.