at kicking Nick’s butt at pool. “Want to play?”
Her college apartment had been over a bar, and she and Spencer had spent every single morning playing pool while quizzing each other in chemistry and biology. Like everything she put her mind to, she wasn’t just good, she was great.
“Come on,” he said at her hesitation. “I’ll give you some pointers.”
“If you want pointers,” TJ told Emma, “play me, seeing as I kicked his ass last week. We bet all the paperwork at the lodge for a week, and he’s still at it.”
“I do all the paperwork anyway, you ass.” Stone smiled, quite full of himself. “Besides, I let you win.”
“Then maybe you’d like to make another bet.”
“Sure.”
“Okay, think about this, Stone,” Annie said. “Remember, you’re already zero for ten this week alone.”
Stone shook his head as everyone laughed. “It’s a good thing I’m not trying to impress the girl,” he muttered.
The “girl” was looking at him, looking at the guy who ran the business for his brothers, worked with foster kids, kept his family together. Yeah, she was looking, and thinking there went another layer off the mountain bum image. Even though he looked the part; tall and built with that sun-kissed hair and California surfer good looks, appearances were apparently deceiving because he wasn’t a slacker at all. Inside him beat the fierce, loyal heart that would go to the ends of the earth for those he loved.
“Aw.” Annie patted Stone on the back. “If that’s what you were trying to do, honey, you probably shouldn’t have brought her here.”
“True enough.” He set down his drink, stood up and took Emma’s hand. “A game?”
“Do it, Emma,” Annie said. “Show ‘em who’s boss.”
Everyone hooted and hollered at that, cheering for her. No one was looking at her like she was an alien, or politely but distantly calling her Dr. Sinclair. They were cheering, for her. She turned to look at Stone. “What would we play for?”
He arched a surprised brow. “You want to bet?”
Oh, yeah. She wanted to bet. “Unless you’re afraid.”
“Name it,” he said, eyes lit with promised retribution as everyone let out a collective “oooh…”
“Well,” Emma said. “If you’re so good at paperwork, you could do all mine at the Urgent Care. I’d love to have a secretary.” The crowd went nuts at this. “If I win,” she added demurely. And she was going to win.
Still laughing, Annie started to say something to her but Stone put a hand in front of his aunt’s face. Eyes still on Emma, he let out another slow smile. “And if I win?”
Everyone leaned forward eagerly to hear what he planned on claiming as his spoils.
“Maybe she could do
Nick snorted and hugged his wife. “I’m pretty sure he could come up with something better than that, babe.” He winked at Stone. “Maybe you ought to ask for free medical care for all your various injuries.”
“Yes,” Serena said slyly. “You can play doctor.”
TJ chuckled and slung an arm over Stone’s shoulders. “I’m not sure the boy knows how to play doctor.”
Stone shoved him off and smiled at the good-natured ribbing. “I can pick my own winnings, thank you very much,” and when everyone looked at him, waiting, he shook his head. “In private.”
“Yes,” Serena said. “Because nothing says romantic like kicking a woman’s ass in pool and then demanding payment.”
Harley took Serena’s drink away. “Honey, your bitch is showing again.”
“Whoops. Hate it when that happens. Especially since you’re the one who has the right to be a bitch right now.” She gave TJ a pointed look.
TJ’s left eye twitched but he said nothing.
Harley said a loaded nothing as well, tossing back another shot, gesturing to the bartender for yet another.
Stone picked out a cue stick and turned to Emma.
Gorgeous.
And just a little cocky.
“Oh, yes.”
Finally, something she could be better at than him.
Chapter 12
Stone racked the balls and gestured for Emma to take the break shot.
She gave him a slight bow and bent over the pool table, and he thought, oh yeah. Right there.
She hit, hard and accurately, and three solid balls went in, the one, two and three balls consecutively.
A beautiful combo shot.
All eyes swiveled to him, accompanied by the low chorus of “oooooh.”
Like he didn’t know he was in trouble. He met her amused gaze.
“I’m solids,” she said sweetly.
“You’ve played. A lot.”
“I’ve played,” she agreed. “A lot.”
Oh, Christ, look at her, all cool and confident. It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. As was that fitted shirt she wore, only two buttons undone. Cerebral and hot at the same time, which was blowing the synapses in his mind at the speed of light.
Not good.
She bent over the table again and blew the rest of his brain completely out.
“But it’s been awhile,” she muttered demurely, rocketing the seven ball in the corner pocket before casually aiming at the five. And making it. She got the four ball in before she missed her last, the six, and he knew he should be at least worried, but goddamn if he wasn’t smiling from ear to ear.
“You look like an idiot,” Harley told him ever-so-helpfully. “Stop grinning and get in the game.”
Right. He tore his gaze off Emma with much difficulty and did as Harley demanded. Luckily he really was good.
And lucky.
He hit every single striped ball in, until all he had left was the eight ball.
Emma was standing there, not so smug anymore. In fact, she now wore an “oh shit” expression. Yeah. She wasn’t always the best at everything, which must be new for her. Plus he could practically read her thoughts. She was wondering what he was going to want. Good, let her worry, because he decided he liked her a little off her game, a little uncertain.
He finessed the shot and the eight ball sank right in, winning him the game and hopefully the girl.
Annie sighed. “I thought I taught you to always let the woman win.”
“He can’t,” Nick told her. “He wants his spoils.”
Stone looked at TJ, waiting for his smartass comment. He was certain his brother had one, his brother always had one. But TJ wasn’t paying him the slightest bit of attention. He was leaning against the bar staring at Harley with a naked, love struck look on his face.
Great. So two out of three Wilder brothers were looking to get their hearts bashed in.
He tugged the cue stick out of Emma’s hand.
She raised a brow.
He raised one back.
“Now?” she asked. “You’re collecting your winnings now?”
