Page 5 of So in Love
The quarter landed on the pool table heads up.
Kelsey frowned.“Damn it.Sorry, girls.”
“No worries.We’ll still kick their asses,” Crystal said.
Jamie met her determined gaze.“You can try.”He leaned toward her, his hazel eyes sparking with mischief.“Although, I’ll admit there’s something sexy about a woman threatening to kick my ass in pool,” he murmured so that only she could hear.“Or whatever,” he added with a lazy smile.
Heat flared in Crystal’s gut, surprising her.He wanted to flirt?Oh, she could flirt.And she’d had just the right amount of alcohol to feel loose and…flirty.
“You’re damn right I will kick your ass inwhatever.”She blazed a grin at him, the kind she knew made men turn their heads.
His gaze swept over her and didn’t linger on her breasts, which was what typically happened.Too many times to count, she’d been told they were her best physical asset.That Jamie hadn’t focused on them impressed her.Score a point for the youngest Westcott.
“Mind if I go first?”Cam asked, racking the balls.
The guys shook their heads, and Cam prepared to take his first shot.
Rob and Emily Archer came in at that moment and the game was suspended for a few minutes as everyone thanked them for hosting a great party.
“It’s our pleasure,” Emily said, smiling warmly.“We love having so many people in the house—it’s far too big for the two of us.One of these days, we’re going to have to sell it.”
“Stop.”Tori stuck her fingers in her ears.“I refuse to listen to such nonsense.”
Emily chuckled before going to press a kiss to her daughter’s cheek.Tori hugged her fiercely.
“We’re heading to bed,” Rob said.“But stay as long as you like.Emily plans to cook up a great breakfast for anyone sleeping over.There are also a couple of cars outside ready to shuttle you home, if you prefer.”
“Very kind of you, Rob,” Luke said.
“As Emily said, it’s our pleasure.Behave yourselves!”He turned with a laugh.
Emily looked around at them, her eyes sparkling.“What he said.’Night!”
As they disappeared upstairs, the game started up.Jamie came and sat on the barstool next to where Crystal stood.“How long are you in town?”he asked before taking a drink of Scotch.
“Not sure.”She didn’t always book her return trip when she came for a visit, especially when she was doing research.“I’m researching the building that was excavated at the winery.”
“Right.I admit I don’t know too much about it.”
“It’s pretty interesting, actually.I’m trying to figure out why it became a brothel.”
“Yeah, I’d heard about that.Crazy to think tiny Ribbon Ridge, which was even tinier back then, had a brothel.”He chuckled.“I mean, how many customers could there have been?”
“It seems customers came from all around.A guy at the historical society in Mac is helping me with the research.He found some mentions of it in correspondence and even an advertisement in a newspaper, if you can believe that.”
He pivoted toward her, leaning his elbow on the bar.“Did it have a name?”
“Bird’s Nest Ranch.”
He laughed again.“Not terribly sexy.”
She arched a brow at him.“No, but then neither is ‘Mustang Ranch.’”
He lifted his glass.“Touché.”
“Argh!”Cam’s frustrated growl filled the room and was quickly followed by feminine laughter.
“My turn,” Brooke crowed, blowing her fiancé a kiss.
