“I won, Mommy,” he gushes.
“I saw that.” She smiles, running her hands through his hair and placing a kiss on the top of his head. “You are getting pretty good at this.”
“Pretty good,” he snorts. “I just took out Ember here.”
I have to laugh at that. “Fair and square,” I add, and she turns those pretty green eyes on me. They’re dark in this setting, and she bites her lower lip like she’s nervous.
“You should go greet everyone,” Shelby tells Brody, who runs off in the direction of the laughter. Shelby stands where she is, looking after his retreating form.
I want to strike up a conversation. I’m just not quite sure how. “He’s a good kid.” I set up the balls in the triangle.
“He is,” she agrees, picking up the stick her son just discarded.
I rub my hands at the back of my neck. I want to prolong this conversation, but I don’t know how.
“You could just ask me to play, you know.” She smiles, displaying the cutest dimple on her left cheek. She looks at me through those long lashes, batting them a bit, all innocent.
“I could. And would you take me up on it?” I voice, stepping closer to her. She rubs the chalk onto the tip of the cue, her hands wrapped around it, making my mind wander to places it shouldn’t. She is a stunner, those shorts show off muscular thighs, and the top button of her shirt is loose, giving me a glimpse of her cleavage.
“You won’t know until you try.” She glances up at me, mischief dancing in those eyes. Her lips are slightly parted, and the beer makes me want to reach out and run my hands over her waist and down her hips.
“Let’s play, firefly,” I whisper, looking down at her.
She smirks at that and takes to the head of the pool table, where she bends, lines her cue up, and strikes with such force she busts that pack of balls wide open, and I find myself having to think of anything but the way she looked doing that. She easily drops five balls.
“Like mother, like son.” I chuckle and let her take her second shot.
“Or maybe you just suck at this?” she retorts.
“Darlin’, I think I ought to show you how good I suck.” Her cheeks redden, and I grin when she misses a shot.
“That was so inappropriate.” She rolls her eyes, motioning for me to take my turn. I do and sink a ball. On the second shot, I use a cut and manage to get two in. She walks over to me, bending over to position her cue in front of the white ball. She is too fucking sexy to be this close. If I reach out a few inches, I’ll be able to pull that ass against my hard-on. I desist, stepping away, snorting when she misses her shot.
“I could teach you a few moves, you know.” I look up at her from my position before my white ball slams against the black, sinking both, white first.
She lets out a laugh, and I feel the back of my neck heat.
“Your game needs some work, player.” She sticks her tongue out and retrieves the balls. I watch as she drops her last two color balls, then sets her sight on the black. She looks up at me in a way that makes me want to do all kinds of filthy things to her right here on the table. The white ball cuts across the table, sinking the black.
“That’s how you do it, slick.” She grins, then does a little shimmy. Some of the guys return, but my gaze never wanders far from her. Amidst the crowd, I seem to only have eyes for her. But, I remind myself that she’s my boss’s friend, off-limits. I decide to head off, it’s still early evening, and I should drop by and see my nephew. Being around Brody reminds me of how much I actually miss the boy. After his parents separated, he’s had a tough time adjusting. It’s why I want to be around more, for Marcy, for her son.
I wave goodbye to everyone, fist-bumping Brody.
I’m in the driveway when Shelby calls after me, “Hey, slick, off so soon?”
“I don’t think I can handle anotherblowto my ego.” I use the words intentionally, causing her to laugh.
“You are full of it, aren’t ya?”
I lean against my truck, and my eyes travel over every inch of her. She’s even more stunning than she was a few minutes ago.
“Oh, you have no idea.” Before I can stop myself, the words are out. “We should do this again. A rematch. Doesn’t have to be here. We could—”
She walks up to me until the toes of my boots touch her sneakers. She’s so close, I can smell her cinnamon scent. I feel like leaning into it. I lick my lips, my eyes on her plump pink ones. She gets onto her tiptoes. “Yes. We should, but bring your game next time,” she whispers against my neck. Shelby steps back with a small smile, turning and walking into the house, leaving me standing there and wondering whether that just happened.
She was flirting. I did not just imagine that.
Chapter 9
