Page 66 of The Dark Side

Jolie joked, "Why not get rid of him?"

Adrik snapped his head toward her, but seeing her smile, he realized she was playing around. Little did she know that he thought about it more than he wanted to admit. "Funny."

She shrugged. "I told you I have many skills."

"I would love to learn more of these 'skills.' Can I have a breakdown of your talents?"

Jolie loved the banter and fell into it naturally. "Well, we've covered a sense of humor and how to dress."

"And an excessive reader."

"Excessive sounds negative."

"But accurate."

Jolie shrugged. There was no denying that.

Their witty back-and-forth continued as they got to the bowling alley. Jolie wasn't used to someone opening her door, and he sat her back in the car to make her wait for him to do it for her. It was another addition to her attraction. He was checking every box, and she hated it.

Adrik tried to get her to drink, but she refused again, so he bought her a Coke instead, setting it on the table. He hooked up the bowling lanes as she tied on her shoes. She wasn't blind to the two men in the back against the wall. They stood out like sore thumbs, and people passed them with skeptical gazes. "Do you always need protection?"

Adrik glanced behind him. "I don't even know they are there most of the time. You'll get used to them. Dima" —he pointed to the one on the right—"has been with me since we were kids."

Jolie met Dima's cold, empty stare. Though he was a beefy guy, he didn't bring her any sense of relief. "But why do you need them?"

Adrik shrugged, fitting his fingers into the ball. "Never know. Now, I should warn you. I'm good."

"Is it possible for you to be bad at something?"

Adrik thought for a moment. "No."

She giggled as he grinned.

Wings and pizza were put on the table, and Adrik's vodka and soda never went empty for long. Jolie was sure there was no waiter here, yet whatever she wanted was provided without her having to go up to the counter.

Jolie went for a ball, and Adrik stepped behind her. She tried to suppress her smile. "What are you doing?"

He leaned over her shoulder, his lips near his skin. "I said I had things to teach you." He took her hand in his. "Now your fingers," he whispered as he slipped them slowly into the hole, "should go in like this."

Jolie giggled, full of embarrassment, the insinuation too obvious to be ignored. "Oh, my God."

"Don't be ashamed. Everyone does it." He positioned her finger and poked it into the hole till she was laughing so badly she fell against him. He chuckled, watching how she hid her face. "It's better when it's wet."

She dived away from him, collapsing into a chair.

"What?" He called after her, joining her at the table. "I was helping."

Jolie kept giggling, her face as red as a tomato. Her stomach twisted, and she couldn't will herself to eat another bite, so she sucked on her straw.

"Is that a skill?" Adrik wondered. "Sucking?"

Jolie choked and spat, slapping a hand over her mouth too late. The spit had flown.

Adrik took a napkin and wiped a few sprinkles off his face.

"Can you stop with this?"

"With what?" he asked innocently.