Free Release: New Adult Sport Romance (Fire and Ice) by Violet Vaughn

arrives and we order. Because everyone orders their burger too, I go ahead and get a plain hamburger without looking at the menu. Kaleb looks over at me and tilts his head toward the pool tables. “Want a quick lesson?”
    “Sure.” I slide off my stool.
    We head over to the series of wooden tables. Balls clunk on the red felt as Kaleb removes them from pockets, and I follow his lead. Once they’re all on the table he gathers them together and traps them in a wooden triangle-shaped frame. He rolls it back and forth and lifts the frame to leave the triangle formation of balls on the table.
    Moments later he hits the white ball, and it smashes into the others with a loud crack. He proceeds to show me how to line up my shots and hit the balls to go in. I’m terrible but don’t care. Every time Kaleb moves my body into position, I revel in his touch.
    After my quick lesson, we return to the table. I take a sip of my beer, and its flavor rolls over my tongue. The hint of berry makes it go down smoothly.
    Megan says, “Don’t worry too much about the pool. We usually beg off after the first game. They just like to try to include us.”
    The odor of fried food and meat arrives as the waitress sets down our burgers. They’re huge, and I wonder how I’ll wrap my mouth around one to take a bite. Besides that, they look messy. I take the bread off the burger and unroll my silverware from a bandana print napkin. I’ll just eat the meat and vegetables because I’ll never finish all of it anyway.
    I listen to the friendly banter around the table. Jason is quick-witted, and he keeps us laughing. I watch in fascination as others try to keep up. So far Casey seems to be the one that does it best. I’ve haven’t spent much time in playful groups like this and don’t even try to add to the entertainment. I’m quite content to soak it all up instead.
    After everyone has finished eating, we move to the pool tables and commandeer a smaller bar table for our drinks. Megan, Casey, and I sit to watch while the guys play.
    Megan leans over to me. “Hey, I need to go the ladies’ room. Come with me?”
    “Sure,” I say and look over at Casey. She picks up the cue and gets up with us.
    When we’re all at the mirror, Megan asks, “Are you having fun, Lori? You’re so quiet.” Water runs as she washes her hands.
    “I am. My goodness, is Jason funny.” I push a lever, and slippery soap oozes into my hand.
    Casey swipes on lipstick and presses her lips together. “He keeps me on my toes,” she says. “Kaleb is spending a lot of time looking in your direction. Are things going well?”
    “I think so.” Heat rises in my cheeks as I think about Kaleb’s gaze. Megan smiles in the mirror at me as I check under my eyes for mascara flakes. We walk out of the restroom and back to the guys. The restaurant has filled up since we got here, and occasional bursts of laughter rise above the din of conversation.
    When we get to our table, I notice Nick nod his head toward the entrance for Megan to see. There’s a girl walking out the door, but I can’t see enough to recognize her. I glance at Megan and her mouth is tight.
    Looking back at the guys, Kaleb looks upset, too. His brow is furrowed, but the moment he catches my eye he breaks into a big grin. He walks over to me and leans in close. His breath tickles my ear. “You just about ready to get out of here?”
    An electric jolt travels down my spine, and I think about my legs wrapped around his waist earlier. I nod as I look into his eyes. A little something smolders in my belly, and I let my eyes drop to his mouth. I’m trying to send the signal that I’m anxious to pick up where we left off. When I glance back up at him, he smiles at my reaction.
    Nick and Jason return pool cues to the rack and join us at the table. Jason says, “We paid the bill and can leave any time, ladies.”
    A group of girls hover by us, and Casey says to them, “You can have our table.” One of them