Split(62)

“Never expected to see you either.” My fingers burn to pull her to me, to bury my face in her neck and beg for forgiveness, promise I’ll do better, try harder, all while drowning in her scent.

“Bring us beers so we can play!” Cody’s harsh demand comes from across the table where he’s picking out sticks and scowling. “And pull your f*cking skirt down! Shit!”

She throws her brother the middle finger and I can’t fight the laughter that bubbles up from my chest. She’s speaking to me, which is more than I expected after Gage terrorized her last night. I haven’t been arrested and Cody hasn’t taken a swing at me, so she must’ve kept what happened a secret. My muscles relax and the knot in my gut unfurls.

Her friendship, her smile, the way I catch her looking at me like I’m not something nightmares are made of? It’s more than I ever expected and enough to keep me going.

“Corner pocket.” I point with my pool cue to the pocket I’m readying to drop the eight ball in to win the fourth out of six games we’ve played.

Cody seems to know every single person in this place; he’s been cool enough to introduce me to them when they come say hi. It’s a little awkward, bombarded with so many new faces, some I’ve seen before around town, but most are total strangers.

I’ve kept to our small corner of the bar, kept my hat low and my head down, and managed to have a pretty good time. I haven’t had beer in a while and never really enjoyed the act of drinking or losing control of myself—God knows I have enough of that without the help—but with the promise of Shyann coming and going, I’ve drunk more than I should.

Leaning over the pool table, I blink in an attempt to clear my fuzzy vision and try to focus on the corner pocket. My body sways, as if someone tilted the floor without warning me first. I line up my shot, close one eye, and shoot.

“I give.” Cody groans and drops his cue stick. “You win. Again.”

I tuck my smile and drop to a high barstool that lines the wall around the pool table. My beer bottle is empty and adrenaline makes my stomach tumble with the knowledge of what that means. I get to order another drink.

I scour the room for Shyann, a fiend looking for my fix. As the night has worn on and the bottles have been replaced with fresh ones, my inhibitions dissolved. I’ve managed to steal a few touches. When she leans against the pool table talking to Cody, I may have picked my next shot based on where she was so that I’d get to hook her around the waist and scoot her down the table. The first time she startled, but those light eyes conveyed something opposite of surprise. Relief. From then on it got easier. I’ve asked her questions about the band, questions I couldn’t care less about but needed an excuse to pull her close and whisper in her ear. At one point Cody went to the bathroom and she must’ve seen me alone, as she came to sit with me. She talked about something I didn’t hear because she sat directly across from me on a stool, close so that our knees were intertwined; her legs were slightly parted and for the briefest of moments I got a flash of black lace between her thighs.

My heart pounded so hard in my chest I’d have sworn she could see it through my shirt.

“Last call, guys.”

My eyelids drop closed at the sound of her voice.

“Hey, you okay?”

I blink open heavy lids and smile. “I’m great.”

She grins and shakes her head. “You’re drunk.”

With one eye closed to bring her beautiful face into focus, I nod. “I am.”

Cody throws an arm around my shoulders, nearly knocking me off my stool. “Come on, lightweight. I’ll take you home.”

I shove his arm off me. “I don’t put out on the first date.”

A laugh that’s half snort, half giggle falls from Shyann’s lips and seems to catch her by surprise.

“After all those beers I bought you?” Cody feigns insult. “You’re a lousy date.”

I laugh, and damn, but it feels so good to just . . . laugh. How long has it been since I’ve been so at ease?

“Hey, baby,” a female voice purrs in my ear.

Shyann’s eyes go wide and move between me and the unknown female.

The heat and softness of a body presses to my side. Arms go around my neck like a python and the pungent scent of her perfume burns my nose. The scent is familiar but my booze-addled mind can’t sort it out. I study the woman’s face as she gazes at me with familiarity. Lust. Yeah, lots of lust, and a greedy need that makes me lean away from her touch. But she straddles my thigh, locking herself to me.

“Sam, back off. He’s drunk.” Shyann’s on my other side, her lips pulled into a tight line as she shoots daggers from her eyes.

So this is Sam.

The woman with overly done eye makeup and bright red lips glares at Shy. “Think I can handle a man who’s had a few drinks.” Her gaze swings to mine and she rubs herself against me. “Handled him just fine the last time we were together.”

“Damn, Lucas.” Cody laughs and smacks my back in manly pride. “Not bad for a guy who never goes out.”

Everything seems to move in slow motion, and my body is heavy along with my mind.

“Did you miss me?” Sam’s hands move up my shirt to my bare chest.

Her fingers feel like bugs against my skin. I go to pull them away, but she’s so close I end up gripping at her waist. “Miss you?” I don’t even know you.