Chapter Sixteen

“Are all the balls supposed to be heavy?”

Crew searched her face to see if she was joking, but he couldn’t see any guile in her expression. Emmie was an enigma he couldn’t figure out. Her brother’s name sounded familiar but he couldn’t remember why. Hell, he didn’t even know her last name. Then again, she didn’t know his, so he guessed they were even. Once that can of worms opened, he was afraid she’d turn into some damn groupie or something.

“You, uh, find the weight that isn’t too heavy for you to roll.”

Understanding dawned in her eyes. “Gotcha.”

She left, picking up various bowling balls until she brought back a six-pounder that was really made for kids. Her fingers were so slender, however, that they fit perfectly in the holes.

“Now what?”

“Put it on the turnstile and put on your shoes.”

A look of disgust crossed her features. “Are they sanitary?”

“They’re cleaned with disinfecting spray. They’re safe. I promise.”

Clearly unsure, she sat down to swap shoes. Curbing a smile, he quickly put on his shoes and grabbed one of the heavier balls.

“Want me to go first?” he asked.

“Sure.”

He sat down at the scoreboard table and plugged in their names. Then he rose and grabbed his ball, focusing on where to place it when he had to let go. It rolled quickly down the lane, slightly off from center, and all the pins scattered.

“Oh, wow,” she breathed. “You knocked them all down.”

“It’s called a strike,” he said. “Your turn now.”

“Aren’t you supposed to go again?”

“Not on a strike.”

“It’s going to be a minute before I understand the rules.” She grabbed her ball and walked up the line, then practically threw it. The ball landed with a thud and rolled right into the gutter. “That’s not what it’s supposed to do, right?”

Trying to contain his laughter, he shook his head. She was so damn cute.

“I’ve got an idea,” he said. On the scoreboard panel, he activated the bumpers for her, and they immediately came up for her second roll.

“That’s awesome,” she said happily. She rolled the ball, and it bumped slowly down the lane. She managed to knock a few down and the joy on her face was contagious. “I did it!”

He held up his hand. “High five.”

She slapped his hand and practically skipped to her seat. Smiling, he took his turn and came up with a spare. Then it was her turn again, and when the bumpers came up, she relaxed into the game. He got a big kick watching how happy she was, and obviously having fun. Little things didn’t add up with her, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on what.

He won the two games they played, but she didn’t seem to mind. The smile never left her face. He’d never encountered someone so open to joy that even the most trivial thing made her happy. It made him want to make her smile all the damn time. They returned their rented shoes and he held her hand as they made their way out of the bowling center.

They barely made it through the door of her house before they were pulling each other’s clothes off. Crew picked her up by her thighs and pinned her against the wall. She wrapped her legs around him as he found a condom in his pocket, sheathed himself, and sank into her hot depths. Their lovemaking was fast, furious, and so intense he swore he felt her touch on his soul.

The next night, he took her to play indoor mini-golf. The area was dark with glow paint designs all over the place. Rock-n-roll music pumped through the speakers. The sets weren’t too elaborate, so she was able to pick up on how to play quickly. By the end of their game, she edged him out by one point.

That night, he joined her in the shower, kissing his way down her beautiful body until he fell to his knees. Worshipping as she was meant to be worshipped. The water beat down on top of his head as he sucked her little clit into his mouth to drive her crazy. By the time he got back onto his feet, she had a condom ready. He spun her around, placed her hands on the tile, and popped her ass out so he could sink into her from behind. It didn’t take her long to climax, and he followed her into mindless pleasure.

As he watched her sleep, he realized he was quickly concluding that he didn’t want this to end when summer was over.