Seven Days

Chapter Eleven

Darcy's wasn't quite as crowded at it had been the other night, and Frerin smiled at the bank of empty pool tables. "What do you want to drink?"

"A soda is fine."

"You sure? It's five o'clock somewhere."

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"Okay. Coke it is." He leaned over and brushed her lips with his, then said, "Go claim a table and I'll be right back."

He watched her cross the taproom to the alcove where to pool tables were. He couldn't help it.  She wore her jeans and a Cranford Falls Fire Department hoodie of his and he couldn't take his eyes off her. She was hot as fuck and he was not blind. Then, he went up to the bar and order a Coke for her, a Sam Adams Winter Lager for himself and then joined her back at the tables. She'd already racked the balls and smiled as she handed him a cue.

"Feeling confident, are you?"

She chuckled. "Not at all. But I fake it real well."

"You're not a half-bad player, Syd. You just try to force it. You can't. Like I told you the last time, use physics. Science is your friend." He set his beer on the high top table and handed her the soda. "You want to break?"

"Not especially."

He grinned, reaching over to slip his arm about her waist. He couldn't help himself. If she could reach her, he wanted to touch her. It was that simple. "Syd..."

"Okay, okay," she sighed, bringing the glass to her lips for a sip. "You win. I'll break."

"Good." He winked and stepped back to reach for his beer while she took her cue, chalked it, and then studied the table for a minute. Then, she bent, brought the cue back, and took her shot.

Clack! The cue hit the cue ball full on and the balls split into all different directions. Two solids—the two and the seven—rolled into opposite corners pockets and he bit back a grin as Syd looked up and said, "Solids, I guess?"

"Go for it."

This time, it was her turn to wink and as she did, heat swept through him. Christ, everything about her turned him on. It didn't matter that they'd only gotten out of bed a little over an hour earlier. It didn't matter how many times they were together, it only made him want her more.

She moved to take aim at the one ball, then paused to shove up the sleeves of the navy blue hoodie he'd loaned her. It was, of course, far too big on her and the cuffs were probably too stretched out from behind pushed over his own forearms on a regular basis. Still, he didn't care if she ever gave it back, as long as she promised to keep wearing it.

The one hit the bumper, then rolled back to clack softly against the ten ball. He reached for the chalk cube. "You're hitting with more confidence."

"I'm more comfortable now," she told him, coming around to where he stood. "I was a little nervous the last time we were here."

"Why?"

"You."

"Me? I made you nervous?"

"A little, yeah."

He chuckled. "Honey, you're perfectly safe with me."

"Frerin, no woman is safe with you."

"Sure they are." He looked over the table to see which shot he could probably make. "Why did I make you nervous?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I'm serious. I mean, were you nervous in the I'm afraid he'll jump on me the moment we're alone way or the oh my God, this Adonis makes me so weak in the knees I'm afraid I'll do something crazy like agree to run away with him way?"