“Fuck, woman. You got me all mixed up.” With his finger, he gestured for her to come closer to him. When she leaned in, he kissed her lips, then swept her hair to the side and kissed her slender neck. “And I fuckin’ love it.” Brandy coughed loudly. “I gotta get this, sweetie. Tell me what you want to eat.”
“Nachos without meat but a ton of cheese. Oh, and a big dollop of guac. And another shot of Jack,” she said at his retreating back.
“Okay. Got it,” he said over his shoulder as he bent down and pulled out five bottles of beer.
A half hour later, Raven was munching on the nachos and Muerto was rushing around behind the bar. “Don’t you have any help? I thought Crow was supposed to come in.”
“He can’t. He’s got some drama goin’ on with his family. Zach said he’d be here over an hour ago. I need to fire his ass.” Muerto slammed the top of the ice machine.
“You say that every time he screws up and he’s still here,” Brandy chirped as she sat on one of the stools, took off her high heel, and rubbed her foot.
“’Cause it’s a pain in the ass to find a good bartender,” Muerto growled.Why the fuck’s Brandy giving me such an attitude? She better watch her mouth or I may fireherass.Ignoring her, he went over to Raven and smiled. “You look like you’re liking the nachos.”
“They’re super good. Who made them? I didn’t know you had a cook.”
“We don’t. I order it and it gets delivered. We have some frozen shit we nuke in order to comply with the fuckin’ state law, but no one really orders that shit except for Diablo.” Muerto laughed as he thought about Diablo looking forward to the soggy jalapeño poppers he ordered whenever he came in.
“State law? You have to have food in a pool hall?”
“If you serve booze you do. Just sandwiches and snacks, so it’s not that big of a deal. Like I said, we got a freezer full of shitty food.”
“Thanks for giving me the gourmet menu.” She bit down on a chip. “You know, I really don’t feel comfortable with you paying to send my artwork to the gallery.” She lifted her hand in front of her face. “I don’t want to see your pissed-off face or hear your arguments. Just listen to me. I thought I could play some pool and win the moneyfair and square.”
Shaking his head, he gripped one of her hands, brought it up to his mouth, and kissed it. “Sweetie, I can’t have you play in here even if you’re on the level. Steel would kick my ass and I’d deserve it. This is the club’s business, not just mine alone.”
“I know. I don’t want to play here.”
“Then where? You can’t go back to Silverado.”
“At your clubhouse.” She crunched on another chip.
What the fuck did she say? The Night Rebels’ clubhouse?“Are you fuckin’ insane?”
“Why not? It’d be a fair game. I mean, if one of your club members didn’t want to play me, then that’s fine. I’d be taking a chance too, because I’m sure you got some guys who play a mean pool game.”
He scrubbed his hands down over his face. “I could talk to them. I’ve seen you and you’re damn good. But it’d be fuckin’ classic watching the brothers lose to a chick.” He guffawed as the idea took hold in his head. Nodding, he said, “Okay, yeah. Let me talk to ’em and I’ll let you know.”
“Perfect.” She lifted her glass in a mock toast, brought it to her mouth, and threw it back.
As the crowd dwindled to just a few guys around a serious game of pool, Muerto told the waitresses that one of them could go home. He heard them going back and forth about it, and finally Brandy took Jaime up on her offer to stay until closing. She kicked off her shoes and padded barefoot to the back room to get her belongings.
The next hour dragged. All Muerto could think about was holding Raven in his arms, kissing her, and then peeling off her clothing, one piece at a time. She stood around the pool game, her eyes intent, her fingers twitching, and he knew she wished she was in the game.Pool’s in her blood. Just like her old man.For a split second, he hoped he could meet her dad someday.It’d be so cool to ride to Vegas with her on the back of my Harley. What the fuck’s come over me. This chick’s in my blood.
After the place was locked up, he followed Raven home. The crickets were out in full force, their music competing with his bike’s cams. The silver glow of the moon lit up squares of green in front of the houses that flashed by as he rode against the wind. At the stoplight, he looked up at the specks of light filling the inky night sky while a soft summer breeze swept over him.
Pulling in the driveway, he shut off the engine and got off his bike. Raven came over to him, her eyes sparkling. “Look at all the fireflies. They’re so beautiful. They look like tiny glimmers of light electrifying the darkness. This is so cool. When I get in I have to put it down on my sketch pad.”
He wrapped his arms around her and led her into the house. As she sketched, he watched her, trying to imagine what it was about some sparking bugs that enthralled her. He doubted he could, but he loved watching how fast her pencil flew on the paper while her face scrunched in concentration.
When she placed the pencil down and stretched her arms above her head, he got up and went over to her, bending down and kissing her neck. Soon the kissing was coupled with touching as he slipped his hand inside her bra, delight spreading through him when he felt her rigid nipples. “Is your pussy wet too?” He slid his hand down her pants and glided his finger under her panties and between her slick folds. “Oh yeah,” he said against her neck.
Twisting around, she pulled him down farther and kissed him hard. Then she stood up, took his hand and led him into the bedroom. In less than five minutes he had her stripped down and lying on the bed. Moonbeams streamed through the space in the curtains, making her skin glow. Naked and erect, he kneeled on the bed and came over to her, smiling when she opened her legs for him. Propped on one elbow, he touched her cheek, then let his hand glide down her satiny skin, fondling her breasts as it made its way downward.
She moaned in pleasure when he touched her smooth sex. “So beautiful,” he whispered, loving the way her soft skin became a field of goose bumps as his breath slipped over her. He moved his finger in small circles on her clit, a throaty moan falling from her lips.
“The sounds you make get to me,” he rasped in her ear, tracing the tip of his tongue across her collarbone as he sank his forefinger into her pussy.
As she squirmed and moaned under his touch, his desire grew and his pulse quickened. He pushed up and hovered over her, his stiff dick hitting her wetness. Sliding up a bit, he kissed her gently while his finger pumped in and out of her heat like a piston, withdrawing before she got too close; he had all night to tease and pleasure her, and he was just warming up.
As they kissed, the moonlight danced on their bodies.
