Page 60 of Truck Off
“He’s right.” Jayla chuckles. “Grumps is the perfect nickname for you.”
“Don’t you start too.” Lina glares at her friend.
“Are we going to play or what?” I interrupt their exchange. I lift my grin to the grumpiest of grumpy faces I’ve ever seen. It makes my smile grow.
She narrows her eyes and shakes her head. “Prepare to have your ass handed to you, Pollyanna.”
I lift the rack off the balls and wink. “I’m looking forward to it.”
She rolls her eyes and heads to the table to get her drink. Then she casually leans against the table and rests one hand on the edge while lifting her beer to mouth.
She’s purposely moving slowly and never once breaks eye contact with me. When her mug reaches her lips, she licks the rim before taking a slow, seductive drink. I watch her every move with rapt attention.
My body heats and I shift on my feet, subtly attempting to adjust myself without drawing attention to my growing problem south of my waist.
Unfortunately, she notices.
The smile that spreads across her face cuts off all blood flow to my brain, and I can’t think. Hell, I can’t even breathe.
“Problem?” she teases, and fuck me, I like it.
I shake my head and speak at the same time. “Nope, I’m just fine.”
She chuckles, and damn, her laugh is better than her smile. They both do things to me I’ve never felt before. If she refuses to give me another chance, I’m screwed. All I want is her—grumpy, smiling, or laughing. I’ll take it all.
Our eyes lock, and something shifts in her gaze. It’s still playful, but I see the same heat that’s coursing through my veins looking back at me.
She clears her throat and hides her face behind her mug. “I’ll let you go first. Something tells me you need a head start.”
Now it’s my turn to give her a teasing smile. “Not until we establish the rules of the challenge.”
She stiffens, all humor vanishes from her expression, and I’m graced with a glare. “Rules? You’re pushing your luck, Pollyanna.”
Making my way around the pool table, I stop when I’m right next to her. I mimic her lean against the edge, and then I drop my voice to a whisper. “I didn’t challenge you for fun. I want answers, Grumps.”
Her eyes widen. “Answers to what?”
I lean down close until I’m eye level with her. “I want to know more about you.”
“Like what?”
“Well, for starters, I want to know why Charlie Fisher threatened you.”
A gasp sounds beside us, dragging our attention to the small table next to us. Clara is staring at Lina with wide eyes. “Charlie threatened you?”
She says this loud enough that it draws the attention of my brothers, and the next thing I know, we’re surrounded by an angry wall of testosterone.
“Fuck,” Lina whispers as she covers her face.
I’d been so wrapped up in our exchange that I forgot we weren’t alone. I wince and squeeze my eyes closed, knowing I need to make this right and get my brothers to back down.
“Back off, bros,” I say, meeting each of their angry glares. We all despise Charlie and will do whatever it takes to protect those we care about from assholes like him. “Who doesn’t Charlie threaten? No need to get all worked up. I’ve got this covered.”
One by one, my brothers nod and back off. When I turn back to Lina, she lifts her eyes to me in a questioning look. “You do?”
All I see is surprise within her blue depths. No anger or frustration. Just genuine surprise mixed with a healthy dose of curiosity. It puts my smile back on my face. I lean down close so only she can hear me. “You bet your hot ass I do.”
She sucks in a breath, and I relish how good it makes me feel that I have this effect on her. She turns her face toward me, so her lips are close to my cheek. Now I’m the one who can’t breathe.