Claimed.

Losing.

He stepped forward so his front was against my back and I felt his chuckle vibrate through his chest as he reached his hands around to grab the stick I was holding.

“First of all, you’re holding it wrong,” he said as he leaned forward, pushing me with his chest so I would bend over as well, “You have to hold it like this.”

He showed me how to hold it before he positioned the pool stick in my hand that way with the stick passed in between my thumb and forefinger, the end of it resting across the top of my middle finger.

He took my other hand and rested it towards the end of the stick, keeping his hand closed over mine. I struggled to focus on the pool game and not the butterflies in my stomach at having him touch me.

Fucking vampire.

“Alright, so you got the position down,” he said, his voice low in my ear, “Now practice moving it.”

I faltered for a moment, not sure what he meant by that. When I didn’t do anything his hand tightened over mine and pulled the stick back before pushing it forward. A mock play basically; moving the stick without actually hitting the ball.

Of course, I made the mistake of looking down at my hand and saw the stick practically going in and out of the space between my thumb and forefinger and flushed.

My head is so far down in the gutter I’m practically living in it.

“Why are you blushing?” Harry asked me, his hand pausing in moving the stick.

“Nothing,” I said breezily.

“Tell me,” he said.

“How about…if you win I’ll tell you why I’m blushing and if I win…if I win you have to promise not to kidnap me anymore,” I countered, turning my head slightly so I could see him out of the corner of my eye.

His lips brushed my cheek, “Deal.”

If anything I blushed deeper as I turned my head back to the game.

“Alright, so now all you have to do is aim,” he lined me up for the shot, “And hit it.”

His hand tightened over mine again and pushed the stick forward. It collided with the ball, knocking right into the seven ball and sending it right into a pocket.

“Yes!” I cried victoriously as I straightened up, turning around to face Harry with a wide grin. “You’re awesome!”

He pretended to brush dust off his shoulder as he shot me that signature smirk of his, “I know.”

I bent over the table again, fixing the stick so I was holding it the way he showed me and aimed. I knocked the white ball and hit another one of my balls into the pocket.