Page 14 of Batter Up!

“I’ve never played, but I’d love to try. Maybe you could teach me?”

“I’d love to teach you!” he said and reached over to take my hand. Our fingers intertwined as we walked over to the dart boards with our drinks in our other hands. I looked down at our linked hands and felt the electricity between us. I didn’t want to compare Stone to my only boyfriend, but it had taken Tim a long time just to hold my hand. It seemed so natural with Stone and me somehow. I wasn’t even sure if Stone was his first or last name, but I was too distracted by him squeezing my hand lightly as we approached the dartboard to ask him, and he began his instructions.

He showed me how to hold the darts and explained the rules of the game. Honestly, I wasn’t listening to the rules at all because I was mesmerized by the deep tone of his voice and the dimple that popped out of his left cheek.

“Are you ready to try, Red?” he asked.

I nodded and took the dart from his hand. I took a long sip of my liquid courage and placed my drink on the bar table. “I’m not really sure how to stand? Do you think you could help me?”

He grinned down at me and nodded. His big, callused hands fell on my shoulders and massaged them lightly as he positioned my body the correct way towards the dart board. His hands stroked down my arms, and when he lifted his hands from my arms, I already missed the contact. I grabbed the dart with my fingers the way he had explained. “Like this?”

“Good girl,” he said, and I melted at his praise. “Now, just relax and get ready to throw it. Pretend you’re throwing a paper airplane, and do not move your elbow. Release all your fingers at once.”

“Who knew throwing darts was so complicated?” I asked as I tried to relax my body.

He laughed, “I have been throwing forever. We have a dart board in my parents’ basement, and my brothers and I used to challenge each other all the time. Oh, and don’t forget to follow through. Go ahead now; give it a try.”

“My grandparents and I played Monopoly or card games,” I said as I relaxed my body, kept my elbow steady, and released the dart. I watched it as it hit the dart board near the edge, but it still hit the board. “It didn’t fall on the floor!” I exclaimed.

“Well done, Baby!” he said as he lifted me up and spun me around. I loved the feeling of being in his arms and still had my arms around his neck. He gently put me down but took my hand and began rubbing the back of it with his thumb. The connection between us was intense.

“So, what else do you do for fun other than teaching random girls how to play darts?” I asked.

“You aren’t just a random girl,” he said softly. “I know you feel this connection, too.”

I could feel my cheeks heat. “You know I do.”

He reached over and tucked a loose hair behind my ear. “I like to run, play video games, play sports, drink beer, and teach beautiful ladies to play darts.”

I laughed. “Oh, you’re a smooth talker.”

He let out a deep, sexy chuckle. “How about you? What do you do besides learn how to play darts from random guys who are so much taller than you?”

“Oh, nice; a short joke. I was waiting for that,” I said and shook my head. “I love to bake. My grandma taught me, and I love making up new recipes and trying them out on my friends.”

“I volunteer to be one of those friends,” he said while rubbing his belly.

I laughed, “I also love to read and watch sports and learn how to play darts from handsome strangers that are way too tall.”

“I love how you can spar with me and still be adorable.” He took a step closer to me and was leaning down like he might kiss me.

“How about a real game?” his friend from earlier came over and asked.

Another friend stood with him and gave an apologetic smile, “Sorry, Stone. I tried to keep Dixon away as long as possible.”

“Hi,” I said. “I’d love to play with you guys. I need all the practice and assistance I can get.” I looked at Stone when I said the word assistance, and he winked at me.

“Red, these are my roommates, Cooper and Hayden.”

“Nice to meet you guys,” I said.

We played for the next hour or so. I was by far the worst player, but I got it on the board every time and did get better with every throw. Stone was the best and very competitive, but he didn’t seem to be upset by not having the best partner. I wasn’t sure who was buying all the drinks, but I found myself with a never-ending glass of tequila sunrise. It helped my confidence, and I began flirting with Stone even more. Soon, we had a small crowd around us watching our game. Cooper seemed to like the attention the most.

“So, if I get this bullseye, you have to buy the next round,” Cooper said with confidence.

“Fine, but if you don’t get it, you have to do all the dishes in the apartment and leave me and Red alone the rest of the night.”

“I like that bet,” Hayden said, and I agreed wholeheartedly.

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