Page 20 of Wolf Fated
"Yes. Get the pilot on standby for tomorrow," Axel said to someone on his cell phone as he remained downstairs from what I could see from the landing.
We turned a corner, and the double doors were opened wide. Inside a room the size of a small grocery store sat a full-size pool table. There was also a foosball table, chessboard in the corner, air hockey and ping-pong tables spread out across the space.
"Wow." I stepped in deeper, running my fingers along the edge of the rosewood pool table. Then I spotted a Dungeons and Dragons' set complete with several pairs of different colored D20 dice and I couldn't help myself from going over and staring at the different figurines on a handcrafted table with two castles, carved mountains, rivers, lakes, and even the edge of a fantasy ocean along two sides. "When you said game room, I imagined something completely different."
"Like video games?" Drake leaned against the Foosball table. "We have a room for those too, but sometimes we like to go old school."
I nodded rather than admit my dirty mind had gone to much darker places. "Right. Exactly."
"Do you want to play a round of something?" Nathan asked, pushing his cowboy hat higher on his forehead a bit.
"Sure."
"Just don't play pool with Axel." Drake walked over to me. "That guy is a pool shark. Must be from growing up in New York in the part of a city you couldn't throw a stick without hitting a billiard table."
"Good to know. Thanks." I went over and took one of the poles from the wall. "How about we three play a game then?"
"Now you're talking." Nathan grabbed a pole. "Though I'm better at Foosball and Ping Pong."
"So, I guess I shouldn't take any bets on those games with you?" I asked in a teasing tone. The truth was I loved all kinds of games, but never had much time between work and school when I was a teenager.
"What's your favorite?" Drake said, chalking up his pole.
I shrugged. "Mom kept me busy cleaning the house and taking care of Dawn while she went to work during the summer. We snuck off all the time to go swim at the apartment's pool next door or play with the neighborhood kids whenever we got the chance. Even now, I can tell you instinctively when its five twenty-three in the evening because that gave us ten minutes to get our asses home and cleaned up before our mom came home." I lined up the white ball on the table while Nathan removed the triangle corralling the balls. "She never once asked why we always took a shower and had wet hair every time she came home unless it was raining."
"Sounds like she knew but wanted to feign ignorance." Drake stepped back so I could take my shot.
"Maybe." I struck the white ball with the cube stick and broke through the pile of billiard balls. Each of them went rolling away from the center with a purple stripped one sinking into the corner pocket and a green stripped one in the side pocket and my next shot perfectly lined up to take the next one.
"Damn," Nathan said in his drawl. "Guess me and Drake might need to take solids against you, hustler."
I smiled slyly. "Oh, did I forget to mention one of my best friends had a pool table and we played for hours?"
"Good thing we didn't put money on this game." Drake shook his head, but his voice was light.
"We still can." I leaned over the table, feeling powerful and sexy, and knowing they were both staring at my ass, and sunk my next ball.
"You gonna let us play at all?" Nathan laughed. "Might as well get us some beers. You want one?"
"Sure." If they thought getting me tipsy was going to help them win, they were sadly mistaken. My friend from school and I had played for years. I visited him for an all-day pool session once a week until he got married and moved to Australia with his new wife. I wondered if I could squeeze in a gamble for free tickets to down under and see Brian again.
Axel entered the room and took one of the bar-style-looking stools, sitting on it. "I'm playing the winner."
This was my time to be daring before either Drake or Nathan ruined it for me. "Want to take a bet?"
"What do you have in mind?" His gaze raked over me, and prickles of heat skated all over my body before he met my eyes. "Though you won't like it if I win."
I lifted my chin, figuring I might as well gamble everything. "If I win, then I get a free ticket to Australia."
"What's in Australia?"
"An old friend." I blow out a puff of air as though I'm impatient, which I was.
Axel's face darkened. "And if I win, you will go on a date with me."
That didn't sound too bad, and no way was I going to lose. "Deal."
“And I get to kiss you,” Axel added.
