Grab the bull by the balls.
With one last look at her reflection, Krista was ready forMeet Ryan at the Bar, Take 2. And she had to admit she looked pretty good in skin-tight capris—even if she couldn’t breathe in them. The low-rise waist barely reached her hips and didn’t cover the lacy top of her panties. Neither did the hem of her black top, which left an inch of bare skin around her waist. Butterflies pounded in her stomach. She didn’t look like herself, but she was on vacation now and it was party time. The whole point was to look different.
Boosted by her little pep talk, she headed across the lobby, her heels clicking on the shiny wooden floor as she followed the music and laughter to the bar.
Ryan was the first person she saw. Her heart raced.
“There you are,” he said. His even white teeth flashed and his eyes sparkled as his gaze traveled up and down her body. “You look great!”
“Thanks.” When he kissed her cheek, the scent of his newly shaven skin shot straight to her stomach. “You’re looking pretty good too.”
“It’s a nice change not wearing sweaty sports gear, eh?” Ryan ordered a round of drinks, and together they carried everything toward the pool table, where the rest of their co-workers were racking up for another game.
Krista said Hi to everyone, and they talked about the day’s race and bantered about the skill level of whoever was taking the next shot at the table.
When it was Krista’s turn to play the winner, she reached for the cue and her gaze caught on Shane McDermit. In a clean shirt, he was talking to Zoey and Michael Adams at the bar. The tips of Krista’s ears burned, but she ignored Shane’s presence and took her shot at the table. Angling her cue, she pulled back her arm, andwhack, the triangle of balls dispersed and one dropped into the top right pocket with a clunk. Her friends whooped and Ryan high-fived her as she walked past him to take the next shot. Feeling better, she bent over the table, positioning her cue, and—gotcha!—Ryan’s gaze hooked on her cleavage.
Lisa was right!
A bit of skin really was the way to go. Ryan sidled closer.
“You’ve got this, Kris,” he said.
Melting with delight, Krista took her shot and potted another ball.
“Hustler!” Darren, her opponent and fellow sports therapist, called out.
But she missed the next shot, and when Darren took his go, she took a swig of her beer. The alcohol tingled her senses and increased her confidence. Enjoying herself, she smiled at Ryan. He smiled back, and as he cheered her on throughout the game, she knew they would be together.
“Okay,hustler,” Ryan said when she had one last shot on the eight ball. “You can finish this.”
All she needed now was for him to stand behind her, because this last shot required her to really bend over, but he was hanging out by the pocket she was aiming for. Never mind. She’d get this ball in, win the game, and jump into his arms for a celebratory hug. Aiming her cue, Krista stretched back into her right hip, and—
Crrriiiickkkk!
A waft of cool air hit her bare ass. Her pants had ripped. Shooting up straight in sheer horror, she thwacked the cue against the white ball, which sent it flying across the table and knocking the eight ball into the top right pocket.
As everyone cheered—thank god all eyes had been on the ball!—Krista edged backward to the door, whooping and high-fiving as best she could with one hand behind her holding her pants together.
“Okay!” she said, plastering on a smile. “Now that I’ve beaten y’all, I’m just...um...gonna head upstairs. I’ve...er....gotta call my...my sister! I’ll be right back.”
Backing out into the lobby, she tripped and stumbled against the doorframe.
A pair of warm hands shot to her hips, steadying her.
Nope. Not a doorframe.
Twisting her neck, she looked up, and the blood drained from her already shriveling body.
Shane McDermit.
He must’ve seeneverything!
Instinct had her desperate to jump away, but if she did, everyone would see her ass. So without a word, she clamped her hands over Shane’s to keep them in place on her hips and pushed back into his groin.
“What the—”
“Keep moving,” she squeaked, nudging him backward across the lobby until they were at the foot of the stairs.
