I laughed, for once not getting annoyed with his over the top remarks. I quickly drank one of the vodka shots, motioning for him to do the same. Then I picked up the other two glasses and walked toward the pool tables. “Come on, Wyatt. Let’s hit some balls.”
“Ouch. That sounds painful,” he said, following after me.
I pulled four quarters out of my wallet and put them on the side of the pool table. “It might be. For you. Let’s rack up.”
Jeremy took two pool cues down from the wall and handed one to me. I chalked up the tip while he placed the balls in the rack. “I’m not much of a pool player,” he admitted when he was finished.
I leaned against the cue, giving him a saucy smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll take it easy on you.”
Jeremy’s look was positively smoldering. It made my toes curl and my insides hum. “Please, don’t,” he said, his voice husky.
Shit. I drank my last shot, feeling the alcohol rush through my system. I was feeling happy and warm. And the company wasn’t too bad either.
“Ladies first.” Jeremy swept his hand and I bent over the pool cue to line up the shot.
I heard Jeremy let out a low groan behind me. I looked over my shoulder to find him staring at my ass. I raised an eyebrow. “See something you like?” What the hell was going on with me? I was feeling a little reckless... and I liked it.
Jeremy’s eyes lifted to meet mine and I thought I’d burn up in his gaze. “You have no idea,” he murmured. My legs almost buckled, and my lady bits started to tingle.
This was bad. This was so, so bad…
I turned back around, sticking my ass out, my pencil skirt riding up my thighs, and hit the white ball as hard as I could. Three-striped balls sank into the pockets. I stood up slowly, taking my time, letting him get an eyeful before making my way around the side to line up another shot.
“Let me guess, you’re also a pool shark in your spare time,” Jeremy smirked, his cheeks flushed and his normally well-groomed hair slightly mussed. He had taken off his tie and his top two buttons were open. He was literally the hottest man I had ever laid eyes on. And normally I loathed him.
But not tonight.
Tonight felt like something different.
I knocked another ball into a corner pocket and downed Jeremy’s second vodka shot, quickly ordering two more from the waitress as she walked by. “Not even close. But Adam and I used to play pool on the weekends when we were younger. There used to be a teen center at the old Wrangler plant on the far side of town. It closed down years ago but when I was in my teens, it’s where everyone hung out. Adam and Kyle were the pool sharks and they made sure to teach me everything they knew.”
Jeremy cocked his head to the side, a goofy smile on his face.
“What?” I asked.
“I like hearing stories about you from when you were young,” he said, sipping on the vodka Brad brought over.
“Why? It’s not as if my childhood was that interesting.” I felt strangely vulnerable.
Jeremy laughed, mostly to himself, shaking his head.
“What is it?” I demanded with a smile.
He let out a breath. “Everything about you interests me, Lena.”
Well, damn...
Feeling frazzled, I missed my next shot. Jeremy picked up the cue ball and tossed it in the air, catching it. “My turn.” He bent over and hit the yellow ball. It rolled across the felt, neatly falling into the far pocket.
I slow clapped in appreciation. “Nicely done, Mr. Wyatt. We might just have a game on our hands.”
Jeremy gave me a bow before lining up his next shot. When the next one sank easily, I gazed at him suspiciously. “Why do I feel as if I’m being punked? Otherwise, that’s some serious beginner’s luck.”
The look Jeremy threw my way was sexy and coy and just a tiny bit dangerous. “I may have played more than once.”
I stood back and watch him expertly work his way around the table. I couldn’t even be annoyed. I was enjoying the sight of his well-formed ass every time he bent over. He stood up, looking over his shoulder to where I sat perched on a stool sipping on a beer. I was well past buzzed and on the fast train to drunk and I wasn’t trying to hide it. But Jeremy was right there with me. I could tell by the brightness of his eyes and the two red patches on his cheeks. “I get the feeling you’re looking at my ass, ma’am,” he drawled slowly.
“What makes you say that?” I demurred, staring pointedly at his bum. He laughed, joining me to drink his lager.