“Well now I’m thoroughly impressed!” His face burned with embarrassment, but his laughter showed that Chris was a man capable of laughing at himself, especially when he earned it.
“It’s my ass in these jeans making you say that, isn’t it?”
I held my thumb and forefinger less than an inch apart. “Maybe.” I sank and ball and missed the next, clearing the way for Chris to declare victory. And do a little dance.
“It wasn’t as easy as I was expected,” He admitted and led the way over to the dart board. “Drink?”
“Sure. I’ll have a gin and tonic with lime.”
“No more margaritas?”
I shrugged and flashed a smile. “You want to split a pitcher?”
“No,” he growled.
“Didn’t think so. What’s your game?”
“You pick,” he said absently as he prepared our drinks and I could hear the confidence in his voice. He thought he had this game in the bag too.
“Cricket is the perfect game for a show off,” I said and plucked all six darts from the board with a smile.
“Me, a show off? You must have me confused with someone else.”
As if that was even possible. “I guess we’ll see mister trick shot.”
The game started off pretty evenly, both of us closing out numbers easily between flirting and smack talking. “How’s the cocktail?”
“Good, but strong. Trying to give yourself an edge?”
“Ha! I don’t need an edge. We’re neck and neck.” His smile was crooked and lazy with a casual sex appeal that was even more appealing than his favorite smile, what I liked to call Mr. Charming.
I took another long slow slip and sighed. “For now.” Then I proceeded to close out number after number, while Chris was unable to close out a few.
“Wow. You were saying?”
His hazel eyes narrowed. “I’ve been hustled.”
I laughed and shook my head. “No, you just assumed you would win everything. But if it makes you feel better, you can buy me dinner tonight.”
“It ain’t over yet, Officer.”
Another laugh erupted out of me and I had to admit, that once again I was having good time with Chris Jacobs. Even when I claimed my victory, he didn’t take it badly. Well, not too badly.
“Still feel hustled?”
“Only a little. Mostly I’m impressed with your skills, even though I know I should be intimidated since I now know you’re skilled with a gun and sharp objects.”
“You should only be intimidated if you plan to do something that will make me use those skills.”
He made a dramatic effort at swallowing, hazel eyes wide with phoney worry. “I think I hear the dinner bell,” he said and motioned for me to follow him up the stairs. Which I did gladly, because Chris was right, those jeans did wonderful things for his ass.
“I don’t hear a thing.”
“Hmph, weird. Must be that tone that only young and vibrant people can hear,” he said, laughter and amusement ringing in his voice.
“He said to the woman capable of arresting him, shooting him, or making it look like a drunken darting accident.”
Chris laughed and my smile was stretched so wide my mouth started to ache. This was a good date so far. Really good. “Your casual threats are kind of a turn on, you know that?”
“And if I told you they were promises?”
His grin widened, but his gaze turned a deep shade of brown. “Even. Hotter.”
I felt the shiver rise up my body and did my level best to keep it from showing. “What’s for dinner?”
He laughed as if he knew what I was doing and found it funny. “Food.”
“Damn, I was hoping for shoes.”
“Well you’ll have to settle for steak and potatoes. And veggies, because we eat our veggies around here.”
“So you can grow up big and strong?”
Chris patted his flat belly and flexed a bicep. “It’s working, right?”
Hell yeah it was. “You are incorrigible, you know that?”
He shrugged. “It’s all part of my charm.”
“You have certain…charms, I suppose.”
Chris clutched his chest. “I hope you know CPR because that almost compliment just about stopped my heart.”
I laughed. “And just like that you ruined it.” We shared another laugh and I felt those unnamed tingles again, except this time they traveled over every surface of my body making me too aware of Chris and his damned charms.
Chris
“Well Chris, I have to say that you serve really good steak.” Tara had kicked her shoes off and crossed her ankles after dinner, fully relaxed as we enjoyed a beer under the dark Texas sky.
I chuckled at her words and I shook my head. “Thanks. I can’t say a woman has ever complimented me quite like that before.” And that was just fine with me, I appreciated that Tara said what was on her mind, even if half the time it was just giving me a hard time.
“You’re welcome, and hey, you earned it. That steak was thick and juicy, and most important of all, it was well seasoned.”