Changing Course (Wrecked and Ruined #1)(23)

"Noooooo!" I scream, probably a little too dramatically as he turns with a smile bigger than I thought humanly possible. I stand stunned as I watch his ball slam into four pins on the right side.

"Well, that was fun." He winks. "So, pretty lady, tell me where you learned how to bowl?"

"College." I answer, shortly twirling one of my long brown locks around my finger.

"Oh no! You have to give me more than that. I just destroyed you in that frame. You owe me."

"Seriously? That was the only frame of the entire day you beat me. And honestly, I'm not sure you should be bragging about four pins. I saw the five-year-old in lane twelve knock down at least six," I snap at him.

"Oh my God! You're a sore loser. You have to know how adorable that is." He steps forward, now standing only inches away from me.

"I'm not adorable."

"Sweet Jess, you are definitely adorable." He reaches out and grabs my hips, pulling me into his perfectly muscled body.

"You're drunk?" I ask.

"I'm a little buzzed." Leaning down to reach my ear, he whispers, "Tell me where you learned to bowl, gorgeous."

I have no idea what he's doing, but it's messing with my head. A few hours ago he was preaching to me about being friends, but now he's holding my body and whispering sexy words into my ear. If my nipples weren't already hard before, they are now. When I'm finally able to catch my breath, I look up into his twinkling green eyes searching for some sort of answer. I need to know what’s going on before I do something stupid to embarrass myself again.

"What are you doing, Brett?"

"I'm trying to find out where you learned to bowl," he repeats as he rakes his teeth over my ear lobe, sending a shiver down my entire body. I drop my forehead to his chest and mumble the words I tried to avoid today.

"You're so hot," I blurt.

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you," he chuckles. Reaching around my hips he places a hand just above my butt, then a gentle kiss on my collar bone.

"What are you doing?" I ask one last time before losing all resolve to question this any longer. I reach around his waist, and return his embrace.

"I have no idea, but I don't want to stop."

"You don't have to."

We stand holding each other in the middle of a busy bowling alley, oblivious to all the noise surrounding us. Here in his arms, there is nothing but silence. My drunken mind is swirling at this turn of events. I'm not about to stop this, though. It feels right. It might be my only chance to enjoy something like this with Brett. Tomorrow, I can blame it on all on the beer. Hey, he can't think I'm any crazier than he probably already does.

Without another thought, I rise to my tip toes and place a gentle kiss to his lips. Just as I'm about to pull away, he grabs the back of my head thrusting his tongue into my mouth. I instantly match his movements. This kiss is even better than I ever imagined. And sad as it may sound, I have imagined kissing Brett Sharp since the first moment I laid eyes on him.

Our tongues dance together in a perfect smooth rhythm. His hands are in my hair, and mine are wrapped around his waist. I boldly pull him tighter against my body, forcing my chest against his, causing him to groan in appreciation. Suddenly, I snap out of my Brett trance, becoming very aware that we are making out in the middle of a bowling alley. I reluctantly pull away, taking a step back out of his reach and looking down at the ground.

"Babe, don't do that. I need to see your beautiful eyes," he says, lifting my chin, forcing me to look back up.

"Sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"For kissing you. For looking down. For kicking your butt in bowling today. I don't know. Everything?"

"First of all, stop apologizing. I believe I kissed you just now, and for your information, it was amazing." I blush at his words. "Secondly, you didn't kick my butt in bowling today, you wiped the floor with me. Is there anything else you are good at that I should steer clear from? I would really like to avoid this kind of humiliation again." Reaching out, he places one hand on my face and rubs his thumb back and forth over my pink cheek.

"You're gorgeous, Jess. I'm not just talking about this sexy dress either. Even in that hideous apron Nell makes you wear, you're beautiful." With his words, my cheeks flash bright red. I know because I feel them warm up. It's confirmed when Brett leans down, kissing where his thumb was just stroking me. "And the fact that you respond like this, babe I have to warn you, only makes you hotter." I stare at him, blinking rapidly, not sure how to respond.

"You want to get out of here?"

"No," I answer, pulling my head out of the sexual fog.

"No?"

"I'm not ready to go home yet." I respond a little too honestly, and probably a little too needy.

"Okay, what if we head back to my place? I'll cook you some dinner."

"Oh, okay. Sure," I say shocked by his offer and my immediate excitement about going back to his house.

"When I say, ‘cook you some dinner,’ I really mean, I'll use my phone to order take out." He smirks.

"I don't like pizza," I respond awkwardly. Darn alcohol. This comment lightens our serious mood, and causes Brett to laugh.