Page 93 of Chasing Lynda

I follow the guys, feeling safe with my hand engulfed in Carter’s big one and using his tall, muscular frame like a protective barrier to assess the scene without being seen.

The first thing I notice is a large table laden with solo cups; that’s where the cheering is coming from. It’s a beer pong table and a bunch of people congregate there to watch the games. I spot money changing hands when the ongoing match comes to an end.

“Ah, finally! You guys are here. Now the real party can start!” Skip greets us, tucking a wad of money in the back pocket of his jeans.

He slaps Dodge and Bennett on the shoulders in a camaraderie gesture but his amber colored eyes are skimming over my body, making me instinctively take a step closer to Carter.

Zane closes the ranks behind me and I’m grateful for the feeling of protection that gives me; there’s something in Skip’s gaze that really unsettles me.

The smile on his freckles smattered face doesn’t reach his eyes and the cold glint in them reminds me of another set of brown eyes. “How are you, Lynda?” He greets me with a jovial tone that is contradicted by that predatory gaze.

I force myself to smile back and answer. The man hasn’t done anything wrong aside from giving me creepy vibes, so not greeting him back would be rude. “I’m great, thank you. Where’s Arya?” I ask, just to make polite conversation.

Skip replies with a nervous chuckle, flicking his chin toward a hot tub that looks pretty crowded. “We went to that club last night and she got what she wanted,” he says with an obvious grudge in his tone.

His sister is in the hot tub straddling a guy who has his hands inside the cups of her black bikini.

I don’t judge her for getting busy during a party, God knows that if Kelley had ever given me the time of day, I wouldn’t have been against letting him feel me up in a hot tub; but then I remember how she was trying to get the guy to notice her at that fetish club and what she was prepared to do to win him over and it’s hard to suppress a shudder.

Skip must take my reaction the wrong way, because his sinister grin widens and I can’t resist the urge to look away.

“So guys,” he says with his eyes still settled on me, “I was about to play a match of beer pong and show everyone how it’s done. Dodge, care to see if you can still beat me?”

Dodge’s laugh is a warm, rumbling sound but his voice is laced with sadness when he declines. “I’m sorry, dude. I’ll have to pass. My shoulder has been giving me trouble and even throwing a ping pong ball is gonna hurt.”

Skip barks out a laugh. “Right. Our ongoing challenge will have to wait then. I don’t want you to be able to claim that I didn’t kick your ass fair and square. So, is any of you losers up to get your ass kicked at beer pong? Bets start at five-hundred a piece.”

That explains the wad of money I just saw him pocket.

“Carter,” Skip provokes him. “How about you? Think you can find someone to help you break my winning streak? So far tonight I’m up five grand.”

Carter reacts with a shrug, still keeping my hand in his. “I don’t know, man. I was planning to ask Lynda to dance and just chill out. Maybe another time?”

Obviously Skip is looking for some kind of fight and probably a beer pong match is just about the only way he could win against any of the guys. I don’t think he’d have a chance in hell with any other type of physical confrontation, since each of the guys has at least fifty pounds on him.

“Aww what, are you too chicken to play? Last I heard, the insurance isn’t giving you a dime and you could really do with some money if you ever wish to reopen your hotel. Of course I guess you can’t afford to lose.”

I feel Carter tense up next to me as he tightens his grip on my hand, but Dodge is faster to reply. “You must be more fucking drunk than I thought, dude. Carter could kick your ass any time. But if you’re teaming up with Donny, the match would be unfair since I’m out.”

Skip laughs again. “Ha! I could beat Carter by myself or with anyone here on my team. I could team up with a fucking girl and beat him.”

Bennett slaps Skip in the middle of his scrawny back, making him almost face plant on the tiled floor of his own backyard. “That sounds like a great idea! Why don’t we make it more interesting by doubling the bet and by letting each of you pick your opponent’s team mate?”

Skip regains his balance, throwing Bennett a pissed off glare. “You got it! Who do you choose to help me kick your ass?”

Before Carter can put a word in edgewise, Bennett grabs the hand of the first girl in his vicinity, part of the small crowd that gathered to witness what became an obvious confrontation.

“Here you go,” he says, smiling at the tall blonde in a white bikini. “What’s your name, sweetie?”

“Claire.” She giggles, swooning with her eyes fixed on Bennett’s ice blue gaze. “Am I playing with you or your blond friend?” she asks, batting her lashes at Carter.

Carter lets go of my hand and takes a step forward. “No, you’ll be playing with Skip here. Tonight’s undefeated champion, apparently.”

I almost laugh at the unmistakable disappointment etched all over Claire’s face. “Uhm, Sure.” She shrugs, taking a step away when Skip attempts to wrap one arm around her shoulders.

“All right, then.” Skip’s smirk is downright evil and I know he has something up his sleeve even before he opens his mouth to up the stakes. “Let’s make things more interesting. A grand to the winning couple and the winner between us gets a dance with the girl from the losing team.”

I know what he’s going to say even before he utters his next words. “I choose Lynda to play on your team!”

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