Kiss Me at Midnight(11)
Author: Diane Alberts

She put a hand on her hip. “Keep up that attitude, and your balls will be as blue as that ball by the end of the night.”

“Touché.” He lined up with perfect form and rolled the ball…right into the gutter. “Well, shit.”

She covered her mouth and laughed. “I can barely stand from all that stud-li-ness, let me tell you.” She fanned her cheeks. “Whew. Hawt.”

He shot her a mock glare then walked behind her. As he waited for his ball to return, he traced the line of her butt, slipping inside of her legs for the barest of seconds. Holy crap, the man was good. He managed to do with one simple touch what most men couldn’t do with a compass and a flashlight. “You just wait. It’s all part of my plan. You’ll see.”

“Hmm. A plan, huh?”

He didn’t say anything. Just grinned at her and took his next turn. He knocked down four pins then frowned at the scoreboard.

She shook her head and walked up to the lane. “So, when did you start paddle boarding?”

His brow wrinkled. “How did you know about that?” He leaned against the scorekeeper. “Wait a second. Were you Facebook stalking me?”

She grinned up at him. “Yeah. What of it?”

“Hmm. It’s kind of cute you care enough to look.” He reached out and ran a finger down her cheek. “And I started in college. Kept up with it for fun. I’m hardly a professional, but I’m pretty good at it, I guess.”

“I saw that.”

He ran his finger down her jaw and over her shoulder. “So, stalking, huh? Should I be flattered or scared?”

“Flattered, of course.” She gripped his waistband and hauled him closer. “I had to check you out before I decided whether or not to show up tonight.”

“Ah, I see.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over her cheekbone.

“Guilty.” Her cheeks heated because he was pretty darn close to home with that guess. “Can you blame me?”

“Mm.” He grinned and moved out of her reach. “I bet you’re wondering who took the picture of me on the paddle board, aren’t you?”

She hadn’t been. But now she was. “Nope.”

“Not curious at all?”

“Nope.” She shooed him out of the way so she could get her ball. “I’m not the jealous type. Besides, it’s not like we’re a real couple or something.”

He came up behind her and hauled her against his chest, his hands on her thighs. “I like the way you think. It’s refreshing.”

“That’s me. A glass of ice-cold water.” She peeked over her shoulder, toward the direction of Todd and the front door. This was all fun and games, but if someone saw them groping each other in the bowling alley, she’d never hear the end of it. “Watch those hands. Someone might see us, you know.”

Ethan shrugged. “I think we’re okay.” He nibbled on her neck. “But if you’re that worried about it…you ready to blow this joint and head home yet?”

Hell yeah, she was. “Nope. I want to win.” Holding her ball up at chest level, she moved out of his arms. “Watch and learn, boy.”

“Cocky words from a cocky girl,” he called out, crossing his arms. “Show me what you’ve got.”

“Oh, I will.” She centered herself and let it fly. Strike. Grinning, she held her hands out and said. “Now that’s skills, my friend.”

He scowled at her. “Maybe I need some of that luck.”

“It’s not luck. It’s—”

“—Luck.” He grabbed her and bent her back in a dancer’s dip, her hair spilling over his arm and onto the floor. She clung to his shoulders and let out a little squeal. “It’s luck, and you need to share some of it.”

He slammed his mouth down on hers, taking her breath away with one swoop of his tongue. As he kissed her, she forgot all about the game and wanted nothing more than to throw him against the wall and f**k him senseless.

When he pulled away, his brown eyes looked more like molten fire than the chocolate color she’d gotten accustomed to. His breath came out a little unevenly. “Now let me try again.”

He set her on her feet and picked up his ball, walked up to the lane, and threw it. He knocked down one pin. One. Back in school, he’d kicked her ass repeatedly. She shook her head at him. “You lost your touch, Pierce.”

He cocked a brow and retrieved his ball. “It didn’t look like I lost my touch when you were in my arms a minute ago.”

“Oh you’ve got that going for you, all right.” She crossed her arms and watched him knock down one more pin. “You just suck at bowling.”

But the kiss? Ah, now that had been phenomenal.

“Ow.” He held a hand to his chest. “That hurts. Truly, it does.”

She smiled in what she hoped was an innocent manner. “If the shoe fits…”

“I used to be good at this.” He sighed dramatically and sat down, motioning her forward.

“I see that.”

“Well, what have you spent all these years doing?” He crossed his ankle over his knee. “I didn’t have the foresight to Facebook stalk you, so I don’t know what you do in your spare time.”

“I don’t do anything in my spare time because I haven’t really had any.” She shrugged. “Med school takes up a hell of a lot of time, and I basically slept enough hours to stay alive and spent the rest of them studying.”

“Sounds boring.”

“It was.” She grinned at him. “But now I’m a doctor, and it was worth it. What about you? What kinds of things do you do in your spare time, besides the beach?”

“Not a whole hell of a lot. I go to a lot of games, hang out with the guys.” He lifted a shoulder. “Normal single dude shit.”

She shot him a look. “Pick up a few ladies here and there…”

“Well, yeah.” He shot her a cocky grin. “No big shocker there, though, right?”

“None at all.” She looked up at the scoreboard and sighed. “You basically sound like me, minus the games and chicks. I don’t go to sporting events.”

“What do you do?”

“Concerts. Coffee. Bars.” She laughed and tucked her hair behind her ear. “You know, normal single girl stuff.”

His lips twitched, and he motioned her forward. “Go on. You’re up.”