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“All right.” I crossed my arms over my chest before I could do something stupid like swatting her ass for being cute. “Let’s make a deal we can both live with. Guests in my home don’t clean up.”
She tried to protest, but I cut her off with a sharp shake of my head.
“My house, my rules, mama.” I filled her empty wineglass to the top. “Take this to the game room. While you’re in there getting the pool table warmed up and checking in with your nanny like I know you want to, I’ll get the dishes. Deal?”
Her brow furrowed, and her bottom lip pushed out like she wanted to pout. After what looked like a bloody internal battle, she finally relented. “All right, Jake. It’s a deal—so long as we continue staying professional.”
“Mmm. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be with you.” I twisted toward the sink and flipped on the water, getting busy.
If Clara noticed I didn’t agree with her, she didn’t call me on it.
That was a good thing.
I never made promises I couldn’t keep, and I didn’t plan to start now.
Chapter Eleven
Clara
I wasn’t as lousy at pool as I’d expected, given how long it had been since I’d played. If I thought about when I’d cut myself off from a game that had once been a favorite, the timing aligned with Miller entering my life.
Just another piece I’d whittled away to fit perfectly beside him.
Jake wandered behind me as I lined up my shot, and I glared at him over my shoulder, finding his eyes pinned to my ass. I should have told him off for ogling me, but his indecent perusal made me feel sexy and desired. Besides, there was no harm in looking, was there?
Except…with him standing behind me, I couldn’t concentrate.
“Go stand over there and wait your turn.”
His chuckle was deep, scuttling across my skin. “I’m just watching your game. Pretty sure I’ve been played.”
He stopped on the opposite side of the table, leaning on his stick. Devastating.
This version of Jake, comfortable in his home and skin, was otherworldly. His hair was unstyled, softly flopping over his forehead instead of slicked away from his face. The cotton of his shirt hugged his chest and skimmed his flat abdomen and narrow waist. And his worn jeans were slung low enough when he tucked a hand in his pocket, a slash of bare, golden skin emerged, and the deep grooves at his hips rippled when he moved.
Before tonight, I’d been incredibly attracted to Jake. Now that he was off-limits, it was as if his attractiveness had grown exponentially.
But I’d made so damn many smart decisions with Miller, and everything had still gone wrong. I could give myself tonight. I needed some kid-free fun, and Jake was offering that without any strings. All I had to do was lean into it and let go.
One night of fun.
Smirking at him, I bent over the table, my chest nearly skimming the felt, and lined up my shot. Muscle memory was saving me. My arms and hands remembered how to do this, where to stand, how hard to hit the cue. I wasn’t playing a perfect game, but Jake had been waiting a while for his turn.
“Boom,” I whispered, sinking a ball in the corner pocket.
“Yep. You’re a sly little shark.” He looked me up and down with obvious interest, his teeth digging into his plump bottom lip. “Never would have thought Miss Clara Rossi would take me for a ride playing pool.”
Spinning around, I grabbed my wine and raised the glass toward him before taking a long sip. With the drinks I’d had with dinner, I’d already resigned myself to ordering a rideshare, and since Marina was in charge of Nellie for the night, I didn’t have to be home anytime soon, so I decided to indulge a little more.
It seemed I did a lot of that in Jake’s presence.
“I’m no shark.” I wound my way around the table, looking for my next shot. He didn’t move when I had to pass him, so my ass brushed against him and one of his hands gave my hip a squeeze. “I didn’t think I’d be any good at this anymore.”
“I have a feeling you’re good at anything you put your mind to.”
“Maybe.” I lined up another shot. It went wide, the balls bouncing off the side. “Damn.”
Jake took over. Competent and confident, he sank shot after shot. Without gloating, he prowled around the table, looking for the best angle, and I leaned against the nearest wall, taking in the show.
