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Top of my class in law school.
Best in my karate class.
I don’t do second place.
“You look a little tense,” he comments casually, chalking up his cue. “Suddenly realizing that you might have bitten off more than you can chew?”
I’m pretty sure my eye twitches a little. “All I’d like is for you to stop talking and play your shot,” I reply, pursing my lips tightly.
“You think very highly of yourself, don’t you?” he comments, blue eyes locked on mine. “A little too high if you ask me.”
My eyes narrow. “What is that supposed to mean?”
He leans over the table to take a shot. “You know. You come in here in your fancy business suit. You make judgments about people based on the people they associate with without getting to know them. You, Natty, are a snob.” With that, he sinks another ball.
His judgment infuriates me. “I am not! How dare you say that to me? You don’t even know me.”
He stands and leans against the wall. Despite my annoyance with him, I can recognize how attractive he looks right now as his hand goes up and down the pool cue.Focus, Natalie, focus.
“You’re just upset because I called you out. The minute you heard I was a biker, you made judgments about me. You walk around here like you’re better than me, this life, yet your very being is ingrained in the biker world.” He takes a sip of his beer and waits for me to respond.
I contemplate walking away. From him, from the game, but my ego won’t allow it.
I want nothing more than to beat him.
I brace myself over the table, the green felt underneath my palms. “Why don’t you just take your shot, because all I hear is you babbling on.”
I move my hands as he takes his shot, getting another two balls in.
Shit.
He actually is good.
I raise my gaze from the pocket he just sank the balls in and catch him already watching me.
Decker, Cara and Aries come over to watch, leaving the comfort of the bar behind to have front-row seats to the action. With all eyes on me, I take my turn and don’t sink a ball, but I do line it up near a pocket.
“You play much?” he asks, sinking yet another ball. Asshole.
“Every now and again.” I shrug. We grew up having a pool table in the clubhouse, so we played all the time, but now it’s only times like this, when I’m out at a bar or catching up with a friend. “You?”
He also shrugs in return. “Whenever I’m out having a drink.”
“And how often is that?” I ask, arching my brow.
His brother laughs at our exchange. Atlas simply smirks, a little too arrogantly for my liking, and patiently waits for me to make my move.
I suddenly need another drink, and as if reading my mind, he says, “I’m going to get another drink—do you want one?”
“I’d love one,” I reply, finally accepting his damn offer because I’m parched, but also wondering what the hell is going on. This man annoys me, yet I want to continue to be around him.
As he walks away, I turn to Aries. “He’s going to win, isn’t he?”
Aries shrugs, but then nods.
I look to the right of him, at Cara. “He’s going to be fucking smug about it, too.”
She laughs and rests her cheek on Decker’s shoulder. “It’s okay to lose sometimes, Natty. Tell him good game, and we can go on with our night.”
