By the time he lowered his beer, he'd schooled his face. She walked straight to him, turned, and put her back against the wall to stand beside him.
As she kept her gaze on the pool table, she said, "What are you doing?"
"Having a beer." He rested the glass on his thigh. "I figured with the kids at my mom's house for the night, I'd come and see if you're any good at pool."
"I am." She walked away, took her shot at the table, and returned to his side. "Don't think because you're here, I'm going home with you."
"Do I stand a chance at changing your mind?"
"You'd have to work harder than showing up at the end of the game and assuming I'd be grateful for the invite." She swung her ass side to side as she returned to play.
Amused at the bite of her comeback, he settled in and enjoyed the remainder of the game. For once, he couldn't peg Joey's personality. She was sex on legs one minute, the girl next door the next, and he had a feeling her tongue could bite as well as bring him pleasure.
The game ended and he couldn't tell who'd won. Fascinated by Joey, he ignored the play by play.
She planted the end of the pool cue on the floor between her feet and held on to the stick like a stripper getting ready to dance around a pole. He drained the last of his beer that'd grown warm with all the distractions.
Her interactions with her opponents were faker than a Hollywood movie star's breasts. Her bending, looking, hair flinging was an act. He'd seen her moves, heard her moans, felt her body against his. Drunk or not, he'd had the real thing, not the poser act she played tonight.
Another man joined the group. An intense session of beeping went off in the room like an alarm, and the man beside her pulled off a pager from his belt.
Joey's pose changed to concern, and she leaned forward, nodding insistently at the man before he left, hurrying across the room. Wyatt brought his attention back to Joey. She held up her hand and shook her head.
Nobody had to tell him she was unhappy with whatever was happening.
She walked away from the other players, unscrewing the cue stick, and arrived at the table beside him. He dropped the chair to all four legs.
"Done?" he asked.
She glanced at him. "I was supposed to finish the tournament with Sam, and it turned out he is a volunteer fireman and had to go on a fire call. Without a partner, I'm eliminated."
"Do you get your money back?"
She shook her head.
"How much was it to play?" He took out his wallet.
She put her hand on his wrist. "Don't."
"I'm not paying you." He handed her two hundred dollars. "I'll be your partner."
"Do you know how to play?"
"I wouldn't offer if I couldn't." He put the cash in her hand. "Go ask if you can substitute a player."
"Are you serious?"
He curled her fingers around the money. "Go, put us back in."
She shoved them back into his hand. "I'll ask. You don't have to pay since I already did."
Joey walked over to the group. He stayed back, letting her deal with the business side of the Friday night tournament. Besides playing pool for twenty bucks here and there, he had no idea how the rules for higher stake games were conducted.
Wyatt put the money back in his pocket. If he lost the game for her, he'd give her the money she more than likely would have won without him as her partner.
Joey strutted back to him, leaned in, and whispered. "Game's on. Do you know what to do?"
"Win." He hooked the back of her neck and brought her forward again when she moved back. "Just don't play me like you're playing those other guys."
Her body stiffened. He kissed her cheek. "If you want to swish that ass of yours, you do it for me."
She quivered. He let his fingers slide off her neck. She stayed closed to him.
"Let's play, tiger." He walked over and grabbed one of the pool sticks off the rack.
As he chalked the tip, Joey gawked at him. He cocked his brow. Yeah, she was going home with him tonight.
The other team, Charlie and Rabbit, won the toss and started the game with a solid break. He wasn't worried about holding up his part of the game because he had all the faith that Joey could wipe the table with every opponent that faced her.
A skill he admired and found sexier than hell.
Joey walked over to him. "You'll go after Rabbit."
He put his hand around her back and palmed her hip through her tight dress. "How about we make a side bet?"
"I've already spent the money I brought with me."
He patted her hip. "I never said anything about money."
Her gaze narrowed, and she turned, curling against the front of him. "I don't know all the laws in Montana, but I'm pretty sure you could get arrested for propositioning me."
"Then, we better keep this agreement between ourselves." He gazed at her lips. "Are you in?"
She pulled away from him and stepped forward. After making half a lap around the table, she lined up her shot. She was going for solids.
Three shots later, she missed. It was Rabbit's turn.
And he got her back by his side.
He put his arm behind her and slid his hand underneath her hair to caress her neck. She remained tense as she played. He couldn't figure out if it was her competitive spirit or if the winning pot was that important to her.
"They're one shot ahead," she muttered.
He couldn't promise her he'd sink a ball the next turn. For him, he
