Page 51 of Overexposed

“Ollie, please make sure Slick gets home safe,” he ordered with a serious growl underscoring his words before turning his attention to the gorgeous woman in question. “I’ll text you,” he murmured, then wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and dragged her into what could only be described as an Oscar-worthy kiss.

Fucking hell, it was sometimes easy to forget he could turn up the heat just as well as Seven and I onscreen. He just preferred to wield his powers in private…lucky bastard.

When he broke away, dropping a kiss on the tip of her nose, he was oozing smug satisfaction. Fucker knew exactly what he’d done, and the dizzy little stumble Stella did as he released her neck said he’d done itwell.

“So, Snow, just you and me,” I said as Gem exited the house once more. “I hear you’re not bad at pool. Want to play?”

She turned to face me with cheeks flushed and lips wet, and my brain short-circuited for a moment.Would it be sleazy of me to try and kiss her now? Yes. Okay, cut it out, Ollie.

“Not bad?” she repeated, wrinkling her nose as she grinned. “You’re kidding. That’s what Gem said? I’mnot badat pool? What a dick. Come on, then, Olivier Griffiths. One game, and there needs to be a bet. I work better under pressure.”

My dick instantly hardened at the implications of that statement. “Good to know,” I coughed, attempting to subtly fix my issue before moving out from behind the bar. Now to think of a worthy bet—Gem’s had ended up with the best night of his life.

chapter

twenty

Stella

Ollie was a hustler. He may not have had time for minimum wage jobs like waiting tables or tending bar, but he certainly had time to learn pool like a pro. That and he had the audacity to act like he wasn’t very good. Okay, in hindsight, I really shouldn’t have been so shocked. Particularly after Gem ran the table to win our bet.

When Ollie beat me before I’d even drank half my glass, I demanded a rematch for best out of three games. It was a reasonable request since his bet was to go skinny dipping with him in their outdoor pool.

“You trying to back out on our bet, Snow?” Amusement filtered through his words as he studied me from those dark eyes.

“As if,” I said with a snort while gathering the balls back together and racking them. “Considering you and Gem play with the same cutthroat technique, I’m sure you can handle it.”

“Didn’t say I couldn’t,” he said, raising his own glass and downing the rest with one swallow. “Just making sure you were still up for it.”

“Absolutely.” I drew a finger along the edge of the bumper as I circled the table to reclaim my cue. “Want to make it interesting?”

“Pretty sure we already did,” he murmured when I was right in front of him. “But I love the way your lips move when you’re talking, so tell me what you had in mind.”

The liquid smoothness in his statement sent a flutter right through me. Damn, as lines went, that was…excellent. “Flirting will get you nowhere.”

“Then there’s no harm in it.” He punctuated the sentiment with a wink. “Are you going to tell me what you have in mind?”

Already rethinking the idea, I slanted a look at the table and kept my attention on him via my periphery. “How do you feel about strip pool?”

“Probably a safe bet to say that I’m on board, since we were betting for going skinny-dipping.”

I grinned before I could suppress the reaction. “Fine, then let’s do it this way…for every ball I sink, you lose an article of clothing.”

“And for every ball I sink, you do,” he countered, a heated look dancing with the playfulness in his eyes. Seriously, the man just oozed sex appeal and charisma. It wasn’t fair ’cause it didn’t even seem like he had to try.

“The winner?”

“Well, you’re already down one out of three to me, so if I win round two, we head right out to the pool and you’ll be ready to dive in. Don’t worry, it’s heated and cleaned regularly.” He swirled the last bit of wine in his glass before he downed it.

“If I win, then we have to keep playing…”

“And keep losing clothes,” Ollie murmured. “Not really feeling a downside here, Snow.”

“Not trying for one, but I like knowing what’s on the table. Real stakes and all that.” Pivoting, I faced the table. “Winner breaks.”

Here was hoping he left me an opening because I’d learned that giving him or Gem one was a recipe for a loss.

“Want to add a little more spice to the game?” He shifted to stand right behind me, so close I couldn’t miss the heat rising off of him or the tickle of his cologne in my nostrils. It was sandalwood and musk. It could be body wash or shampoo.

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