Page 60 of Double Bucked

My dick is bruising itself on the zipper of my jeans.

A fly tickles the back of my neck. I swat it.

“Ow!” Jade pulls her hand back.

“God…dammit,” I fumble. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What do you think I’m doing?” She pouts and sucks her fingers. “I’m giving you a hand, darling.”

“Come again?”

She rolls her eyes. I can tell she’s drunk because she’s mindlessly picking at the remains of the fry basket on the table. “Please. Everyone can see the way you look at Claire.”

I buck up. “What about it?”

She waves a fry. “Don’t you know the way to a woman’s heart is jealousy? She sees you with me, she’ll lose her damn mind. You’re welcome.”

“You’re a pal,” I say dryly.

“Besides,” she nibbles her fry, “if you two pair up, that leaves James free. I’m always on the look-out for my next ex-husband.”

“What the hell does everyone see in him? He looks like he cuts the crusts off his PB&Js.”

“Look enamored, darling.”

I lift a fry. I let her eat it from my fingers.

When I glance back to the pool table, Claire’s gray eyes are on me.

She pulls her cue stick and scratches the ball.

There’s a light groan from the audience. The look she’s giving me could kill.

Her opponent sinks a couple of balls before he misses the shot. The next time Claire goes up, she clears the table.

There are a couple of feeble claps, but mostly people have gotten tired of her winning, and it’s stopped being impressive.

But when the Bear is on a rampage, she doesn’t know when to stop.

She’s beautiful, unkempt, the feral version of Claire that’s always gotten into my bloodstream, but…she’s in pain. I can see it. As clear as if she tipped a bottle of whiskey to her lips and started inhaling it.

Claire hides her tears behind her pride.

And it’s getting hard to watch.

She shoves her cue at James. He takes it. I watch as Claire takes a break, stepping off the platform and heading to the bathroom.

“Excuse me.” Jade climbs over my lap.

I get a bad feeling about this. “Jade.” My voice is a terse warning.

She gives me that Mona Lisa smile. “Relax. I know what I’m doing.”

But I can’t relax.

I feel downright rotten—but what the hell else is new?

18

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