“What are we betting?” I wink at Karsyn.
He reaches into his jeans pocket, pulling out a single bill. “One hundred bucks.” He slams it down on the side of the pool table.
“Didn’t bring my purse inside, but if you win, I’ll run out and get it.”
“What do you mean if I win?”
I shrug. “Maybe I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”
He chuckles. “I’d love to see them.”
Going over to the wall, I grab a pool cue off and chalk the tip. “Can I go first?”
“Of course, you’re a lady.”
Many people have underestimated me in my life, and it looks like this guy will be added to the long list. Leaning down I give the cue a hard push and break. Nothing goes in, but I set up my first shot beautifully. “I call stripes. Number one in the left side pocket.” I point to the one I’m going to make.
It goes in with an ease I’m sure this guy didn’t expect.
“Good shot.” His eyes show suspicion he’s been had.
“Was it really?” I reach down to take a drink of my beer.
Karsyn snickers as her eyes meet mine. She had no idea about what I can do with a pool cue, but it’s obvious she’s enjoying herself.
“Three ball right there.” I nod to indicate the corner pocket, before smacking the ball hard.
“Go, Shelby!” Karsyn yells in excitement.
Ten minutes later, I miss my first shot. It’s one I didn’t mean to; I took my eyes off the ball for a split second when Sullivan walked through the door.
“What’s he doing here?” I ask Karsyn after I stand up and move back from the pool table.
She makes a noise that says she doesn’t know either. I do my best to pay attention to what’s happening on the table, but instead I’m watching Sullivan as he walks across the room.
It’s nice observing him when he doesn’t know I’m looking.
The man walks into a room like he owns it. His long legs eat up the floor, and while part of me wishes he’d look over and see me, the other part just wants to keep watching.
He slides up to a table full of guys, and I notice a few local first responders. A waitress comes over, and even from where I stand, I can see the way she runs her eyes up and down his body. She’s definitely interested.
“Would it be awful if I went down there and gouged her eyes out?” I ask Karsyn before I take another drink of my beer.
“No, girl, I’d think the same thing.”
“Shit, it’s your turn,” the guy sighs as he back pedals from the pool table.
Since I wasn’t paying attention, him cursing causes me to look at what’s going on back at the pool table. Before I was all about trash-talking and doing the best I could to get his mind out of the game. Now I wanna get done, go down there, and claim my man.
Doesn’t matter that we haven’t claimed each other before. Right now I’m ready to tell the entire world he’s mine, even if the entire world is Laurel Springs, Alabama.
Sullivan
“What’s going on up there at the pool tables?” Caleb asks as he leans over so he can be heard.
This bar is loud, which I’m not entirely used to. In Paradise Lost the bar I liked to go to was mostly outdoors. The live music reverberates off the walls, along with the voices of the patrons.
It’s a scientific fact that drunk people talk louder than they need to. Those of us who aren’t toasted have to try extra hard to hold a conversation. Looking over to where he’s pointed, I crane my head up and around. It’s then that I see a woman bent over the pool table.
I would know the curve of that ass anywhere.
“I’ll be right back, I think I know who that is.” I push away from the table, reach down to grab my glass of beer, then walk to where the crowd has gathered.
“Fancy meeting you here.”
Turning to my right, I see Karsyn.
“Hey.” I reach out, giving her a one-armed hug. “That’s Shelby, isn’t it?” Her back is still to me.
“Yeah, she’s wiping the floor with this guy who greatly underestimated her.”
My eyes eat her up as she walks to the other side of the table. With her pool cue, she points. “Eight ball in the left pocket.”
“You’ll never make it.” One of the guys standing around laughs at her.
It’s going to be a difficult shot. She has to hit it off the opposite side and ricochet it into the pocket.
“Bet you I do.” She grins.
Her eyes meet mine and I flash her a smile. She gives me a slight finger wave, as if to tell me when she’s done handing this guy his ass, she’ll be able to get with me.
Leaning over, she eyes up her shot, and I do my best not to let my gaze drift down to the cleavage sticking out of her shirt. I’m sure every other guy is checking her out to, but this woman? She’s mine.
Mind. Body. Soul.
She’s mine.
Right before she takes her shot, her gaze flits up to mine and she fucking winks. Which goes straight to dick. I swear when the crack of the balls knocking against each other rings out, there’s a jolt that goes through my body. Everybody waits to see if it goes into the pocket, and when it does, the whole crowd erupts.
I can’t help it, I run over to where she’s standing and grab her up at the waist, swinging her around.
“You don’t even know what I won,” she giggles, wrapping her arms around my neck, her legs around my waist.
“Doesn’t matter.” I shake my head. “Any win for you is a win for us, babe.”
Her eyes soften before she leans in to fuse our mouths together. We haven’t been public yet, but that’s all changing in this instant. Her fingers dive into the back of my hair, holding the kiss longer.
There’s wolf whistles and shouts of encouragement before we break apart.
“Here’s your winnings. Good game.” A man hands her a hundred dollar bill.
“Thanks for being a great opponent. It was fun playing against you.”
I let her down, twirling her around once or twice before allowing her feet to hit the floor.
“Where’d you learn how to play like that?”
She grins, looking up at me, her eyes dancing in the dim light. “It’s how I paid for law school.”
I throw back my head, laughing loudly. “You were a pool shark?”
“A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.”
Easing my hands into the back pockets of her jeans, I pull her close again. Leaning in, I speak in her ear. “Come on down where I am and join us.”
“Are you sure? We haven’t exactly been open to everyone about what’s going on between us. We haven’t told anyone really. Are you okay with going down there and being the talk of the town?”
“As long as I’m being linked with you, I’m completely okay with that.”
“Same here.”
I grab her hand, leading her down to where I had been sitting before. Pulling an extra couple of chairs over, we rearrange ourselves so Shelby and Karsyn can sit with us. It’s hard not to notice everyone looking at us from their seats at the table, especially when I put my arm around her neck, pulling her in closer.