“Want to play some pool?” I ask her, pausing at the fridge to dig out a beer. Blessedly, they’re still there untouched.
When I look over my shoulder at her she’s grinning. “Only if you want me to smoke your ass.”
I grin back, letting go of her hand so I can pop the cap. “I do love a challenge.”
“Oh, I know,” she laughs.
Over at the pool table I greet the guys there, William, a frat brother of Smithy’s, De’Andre a beefy football player, and Daire one of my good buddies who’s a hockey player.
“Hey, guys.” I greet all of them with a hand smack. “Mind if we join? My girl here says she can kick my ass.”
The guys chuckle in amusement, Daire the first one to speak. “Absolutely, this I’ve got to see.” He passes his pool cue to Van. “You guys go on and do a one-on-one. We’ll observe.”
If Vanessa is bothered by the idea of the three of them watching, she doesn’t show it.
Vanessa bites her lip, trying to tame her smile. “You’re going down, pretty boy.”
“Oh! She smoked you again!” Jude chortles, smacking me on my shoulder.
Him and some other guys showed up during our first game and have been hanging around ever since, watching me get my ass handed to me.
I don’t mind, because it means I get to check out Vanessa’s exquisite ass any time she bends over the pool table.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I chant, lining up my next shot.
The ball should go right in the pockets, it’s perfectly set up, but just as I’m about to hit the ball, Vanessa laughs at something one of the guys says and I’m distracted, completely missing it.
Her laugh deepens when she sees I flubbed again. “Looks like I need to give you some lessons.”
“Where did you learn to play so well?”
She bites her lip, wiggling her ass as she bends over the table. The worst part is I know she’s not doing it on purpose to entice me, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t working.
“Would you believe me if I told you there was a club at my high school? After…” She cuts herself off, but gives me a look and I know exactly what she was about to say. “I needed a distraction and the guys in the club were funny and never judged me. I still talk to a few of them even now.”
And now I’m fucking jealous over dudes I don’t even know the name of.
Cole told me once that when I fell, I’d fall hard and fast for a girl. I laughed in his face, but the joke is on me.
“Any of them attend school here?” I ask casually, and Jude shakes his head knowing there’s nothing innocent about my question.
“No.” She hits the ball, and it smacks another one, the two of them shooting in opposite directions and somehow both ending up in the pockets.
Cheers ring out among the guys gathered around. The girls sneer, irritated by the lack of attention for themselves.
Vanessa smirks at me. “Tired of having your ass whooped, pretty boy?”
I smirk, rubbing a hand over my jaw. “You think I’m pretty?”
She rolls her eyes, lining up her next shot and calls the net.
I’m not surprised when she beats me again easily.
“My turn,” Jude declares, stepping around me.
“That’s my girl,” I warn, my voice dropping.
He looks over his shoulder at me with a curious smile. “Dude, chill. It’s only pool.”
Except this is Jude, and he fucks practically anything that moves. He might be one of my closest friends after Mascen and Cole, but that doesn’t mean I won’t whoop his ass if he looks at Vanessa the wrong way.
“Jealousy is cute on you, sweetie.” She pats my stubbled jaw as she passes by me. I sigh. There’s no winning with this girl. “You can be my cheerleader.”
“Sure, where are my pom poms?”
“I don’t have any pom poms,” Daire pipes up, his eyes glazed from whatever is in his solo cup, “but I have this.” The idiot pulls a tissue out of his pocket.
“Ew, dude. I don’t want to wave around your used tissue. That shit is nasty.”
“Wave your dick around!” Someone else yells out from the crowd, a couple of girls chime in with agreement.
Vanessa suppresses her laughter but points at me in warning. “Don’t even think about shaking your dick in my face.”
I wet my lips with my tongue. “Babe, that’s not what you were saying the other night.”
She turns red as the crowd rings out in a chorus of ohs. “Get me a drink,” she demands.
“Yes, milady.” I bow deeply.
Melting into the crowd, I make my way over to the fridge, grabbing a fresh beer for myself and one for Van.
Getting back through the group takes a ridiculous amount of the time, since no one wants to give up precious space. Eventually I manage and approach the table to find Vanessa already beating Jude’s ass, which makes me feel infinitely better—not that I care about losing to a girl, I don’t, but what I don’t want is to deal with Jude’s ribbing if he wins.
Passing Vanessa the beer, she gives me a grateful smile and takes a sip before lining up for her next play.
Fuck, I love watching the way she concentrates. She’s taking this seriously, but then so is Jude. They’re game takes longer than the ones between Vanessa and me—probably because I kept fucking up checking out Vanessa’s ass every five seconds, not to mention her tits.
Her game with Jude wraps up, with her winning, and everyone groans when I announce we’re leaving. More than one person—all guys—stop Vanessa on her way out, making her promise to play them next time. I growl in annoyance. I can’t help that I’m a jealous fucker.
I keep my hand on hers all the way to my car, opening the passenger door so she can get in.
Once I’m behind the wheel she turns to me with a smile. “That was actually fun.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.” And I mean it. I don’t like the fact that most of the things I take Vanessa to are things she hates. I want her to want to do things with me. I’m treading in dangerous territory, I know.
As she’s buckling her seatbelt, she asks, “Do you mind stopping and getting something to eat? I’m starving.”
“Me too,” I admit, maneuvering around the badly parked vehicles. “What do you have in mind?”
“Anything but The Burger Palace,” she pleads.
I chuckle. “I’ve got an idea.”
“Mmm, pancakes,” she hums as the plate is set before her in the twenty-four-hour diner.
“I’ve never seen someone so excited about pancakes before,” I quip, nodding my head in thanks at the waitress when she sets my plate of eggs and sausage in front of me, along with a strawberry milkshake.
She stares at me, dumbfounded. “Pancakes are the superior breakfast food and one should always be excited when basking in their presence.” I shake my head at her, fighting a smile. She pulls her dark hair back and off her neck, securing it with an elastic band. “God, all this hair makes me so hot. I keep thinking about cutting it to my shoulders, but then never do.”
“Don’t cut it,” I blurt, practically begging.