Chapter Five

“I got it, Stud," Sarah said. "You just go on over there with your buddies and relax.”

“Uh-huh,” Jax said, certain that she’d be the one cooling her heels in mere seconds. “If you say so.”

Sarah stood at the top of the table, eyeing the balls. She turned to the men. “You want to call solids or stripes?”

“Ladies’ choice,” Mac said before Jax could say anything. Jax shrugged, knowing that Mac was trying to give her some semblance of a snowball’s chance in hell. Not that she had one.

“OK.” She narrowed her eyes at the balls. “I’m stripes.”

“Knock yourself out,” Jax said, barely containing his amusement.

The force and volume of the crack when she connected with the cue ball made almost everyone on their side of the room turn around to look at her. Jax blinked, astonished, as two striped balls shot into the side pockets like bullets. She prowled around the table, intent and focused, and the three men watched her, fascinated.

Jax felt his eyes widen as she leaned over now, giving him a nice deep glimpse of cleavage. A gold necklace with a circular pendant dangled warm and snug between her breasts, and Jax had the sudden wild urge to bury his face in there, to lick those pouty rose nipples with his tongue. He barely noticed her sink two more balls in rapid succession, before standing up and coming around to his side of the table.

She bent over again, her curved ass now raised to him, and it was all he could do not to groan as he imagined himself between her spread thighs, driving into her from behind. He’d grab handfuls of that hair, pull her head back and up as he thrust into her quivering body, his other hand rubbing her hard little clit until she came for him. She’d come screaming; he’d make damn sure of it.

Sarah shot the last three striped balls so fast, it took Jax’s breath away. She stood up to face him, and that was when he realized that she’d kicked his ass. He stared at her, torn between incredulity and lust.

Mac recovered first. He burst into laughter, and King followed suit. Sarah grinned at both of them before turning back to the table and clearing the solids within a minute. The last shot she made while staring at Jax, holding his eyes. As the final ball hit the corner pocket, she winked at him.

Goddammit. I’ve been fucking hustled in my own bar. Huh. That’s kind of hot, actually.

Sarah walked over to the men, her hips swinging.

“Goddamn, girl,” King said. “Where the hell did you learn to do that?”

“My high school had a pool table in one of the common rooms,” she said. “I’d play for money, and good thing, ‘cause I never had an after-school job.”

King laughed again, the sound rolling out of his chest like thunder.

Sarah turned to Jax. “So, I’ll take my drink now, Stud.”

Jax gaped at her. “Uh. Uh, well… we don’t… that is…” He swallowed. “We don’t actually have any of the ingredients.”

She examined him, and then she smiled, a stunning, shining smile that kicked him smack in the heart and the balls. “Yeah, I knew that when we made the bet.”

“You did?”

“Of course. This isn’t the kind of place that has stuff like that to-hand. Triple-sec and cranberry juice? Lime juice, for God’s sake?”

Jax blinked. “So, if you knew that, why’d you agree to it?”

She shrugged. “I wanted to see you squirm when I kicked your ass, and then you couldn't pay up.”

At the dumbfounded look on Jax’s face, the other men broke into laughter yet again.

Sarah put the cue in its wall rack and smiled. “OK, so. It was good to meet you all…”

“Wait,” Jax said. “You’re not leaving?”

“Yep, I am. I have to be up early in the morning.” She pulled on her jean jacket, picked up her purse.

“Hold on a sec, OK?” He walked over to her. “Can I talk to you alone?”

“Sure.” She waved at the guys, and they nodded back. “Goodnight.”

“Bye, hon,” Mac said. “It was a real pleasure to meet you – and watch you hand Jax his ass. Drop on by again anytime, and give us a repeat performance, now.”

Jax scowled, and the other man grinned, looking totally unrepentant.

They walked out into the early-June night. Jax took a deep breath, and looked down at her.

“So… you really going home?”

She blinked up at him. “Yes. Where else would I be going?”

“Well,” he said. “That’s what we need to talk about.”

“We do?”

“Mmmm-hmmm.” He reached out now and gently touched her curls, finally touching that fucking gorgeous hair. “We do.”