Up until now.
Now, Lauren was playing dirty with a mischievous grin on her face, having shrugged off her cardigan so that she was just in a sleeveless top. She wasn’t wearing a bra underneath. Her nipples were poking through the thin cotton. To make matters worse, she was leaning forward, teasing me with a clear glimpse of her cleavage.
Damn it, woman. Didn’t anyone teach you to behave?
“Is something the matter?” she asked as she coiled some tendrils of her hair around her fingers. “You seem to be having ahardtime all of a sudden.”
And she was enjoying every second of it.
“I’m fine,” I told her, focusing my gaze on my next ball.
“Things are bound to get harder, though.”
Not if I could help it.
Focus, soldier.
I was about to move my cue stick when Lauren spoke again. “What do you think of my tattoo?”
In spite of myself, I glanced at her arm. “It’s good. Then again, Jake’s a great tattoo artist.”
“Can’t argue with that. Did he give you your tattoos?”
“Some.”
I turned my attention back to the seven ball, and hit the cue ball, sending the maroon ball into the top left pocket. Afterward, I pumped a fist. Two more balls and my victory would be secure.
Lauren clapped. “Woo-hoo! You are good at this, aren’t you?”
I couldn’t tell if she was being sarcastic or not, but I gave her a grin just the same. “I told you.”
“I have to say I find it quite…hot.”
Well, I wasn’t expecting that.
I snorted. “I know what you’re doing.”
She looked at me with innocently furrowed eyebrows. “What?”
“Distracting me.”
“Nonsense. It’s not my fault if you can’t focus. We both know you just like looking at me.”
I didn’t answer. I just averted my gaze at once, studying the pool table instead.
Lauren chuckled, then moved closer to me. The next thing I knew, she was right beside me, whispering in my ear.
“Did you like kissing me, too?”
I fought a blush and focused on my target, the eight ball, having found the right angle with which to attack it.
“I didn’t kiss you,” I told her calmly while keeping my eyes on the prize.
“Yes, you did.”
“You were drunk.”
“I still know you kissed me.”