Page 163 of Charlie

I swig the rest of my beer, my belly pleasantly warm. The light in here is dim, making everything hazy and muted. The guys look like models as they pick out their cues, their sweatsuits hugging areas of their bodies in a way that makes it impossible not to look.

A little less than two hours left.

"Who wants to break?" Lach asks.

"I will," I offer sweetly, sidling up to the table. I pause, sliding my hand up and down the cue, aiming for as much distraction as possible.

"Fucking hell, Charlotte. Take the damn shot." Jack covers my hand with his, squeezing it around the shaft. I shoo him away and bend over the table, lining up my shot, letting it rip, and pocketing two balls.

I glance over at Lach, biting my lip to keep in my grin. His mouth is hanging open like a fish, his eyebrows almost up to his hairline. Jack raises one eyebrow, the muscle in his jaw twitching. He's already figured me out.

"Solids," I say blithely, walking around the table to line up my next shot. Three balls later, I'm out of options, so I do my best to block their best chance at a shot.

"This is either beginner's luck or you pulled a fast one on us," Lach mutters as he walks in front of me, studying the table.

"I guess you'll never know." I smirk, biting my lip.

"Fess up," Jack grumbles, wincing when Lach misses his shot.

"I got sick of spending hours in bars watching Rob play, so I taught myself, and the rest is history."

"If I ever see that guy?—"

"You're going to tell him how good I am in bed," I finish for him, unable to get all the words out before snorting with laughter.

"Hello, gentleman." A woman in tight jeans and a crop top saunters up, her gaze flitting between the guys. She either doesn't see me or is completely ignoring me. "Can I play?"

"No, thank you," Jack says, motioning for Cam to take his turn.

"Maybe a drink then?" she asks, turning the sultriness in her voice up to ten.

"No, thank you," Cam and Lach say in unison, eyes on the table.

"Not even one little?—"

"We're taken," Jack says, cutting her off. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me against his side.

She turns toward Cam and Lach. Before she can make her offer to them, they walk over to me, Lach slinging an arm over my shoulder and Cam linking his fingers through mine.

"We're all taken," Lach says firmly, his baritone vibrating through me.

She pouts for a second, spins on her heel, and stalks back toward the bar.

A laugh bubbles up, and I don't stop it.

"You liked that, didn't you?" Lach chuckles.

"Do you know how many times I've imagined that exact scenario? I'm glad it finally happened so I can stop worrying about it."

"And what happens when a guy comes up next time asking if you want to play a game with him?" he asks, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth.

"I ask him to join my harem, of course." Lach's guffaw sends me into a fit of laughter – bent over, holding my stomach, tears leaking from my eyes. When I can finally breathe, I take several deep breaths and wipe under my eyes, trying to collect myself.

"Your turn Charlotte," Jack says, "Why don't you finish it off so we can leave?"

"You have that much confidence in me?" I ask, eyeing the table.

"Always." He says it with complete certainty, making my heart thump painfully in my chest.

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