Catch Your Breath (35 page)

He tilted his head toward her bottle. “Whatever you’re having is fine.”

She grabbed her backpack and went back to the bar to buy a couple more beers. When
she returned, he had the balls racked and ready to go. She placed her backpack on
her chair and grabbed a cue stick. Layla handed him a bottle and said, “I’m Layla.”

He took the bottle from her, allowing his thumb to brush over her fingers. “Thanks,
Layla. I’m Phin.”

The simple touch sent a jolt of pleasure up her arm and down her center. He took a
swig of beer, and she watched his throat work as he swallowed. She licked her lips,
and when he reached past her to put his bottle on the table, her mouth went dry. This
man was like a walking orgasm. He didn’t have to say anything, and she wanted to go
for a test run.

“Let’s get started.” He moved back to the table. “Do you want to break, or should
I?”

“Go ahead.” She stood to the side, gripping her cue stick.

He leaned forward, and the roped muscles of his forearms flexed as he made his shot.
He sank a solid colored ball, but because she was too busy watching him and not the
table, she didn’t see which one.

“Do you know the rules?”

She nodded. “You sank a solid, so I have stripes. Call what pocket I’m aiming for
and get the balls in. Don’t sink the eight until the end.”

“First rule, watch the table.” He followed this with a warm grin that told her he
liked to tease.

Two could play at that. He leaned over for his next shot, and she shifted closer to
him and leaned on the edge. The muscle in his jaw twitched and he straightened.

He carefully set down his stick and walked behind her. Before she could register what
was happening, Phin had picked her up by her hips and a squeal popped from her throat.
He set her down a couple of feet back.

When she had her balance, she crossed her arms and looked up at him. “What are you
doing?”

He cleared his throat before answering. “You can’t lean on the table during another
player’s shot.”

She gave him a wide-eyed look. “How else am I supposed to learn? I paid for a lesson,
and if you think that watching you win is going to teach me, you’re wrong. I might
not look like much, but I’m pretty competitive. You’ll beat me, but I’m a quick study.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Now stay back.” He pointed his stick in her direction. “Seven,
side pocket.” He tapped the pocket he aimed for as if she couldn’t figure it out.
It thunked in and he continued. “Three, corner pocket.”

This time, as he leaned over, Layla strolled to the other side of the table. He didn’t
move his head, but she felt him staring at her. He struck the cue ball, but it angled
and glanced off the three, missing his intended target. “Your shot.”

Layla stared at the table, trying to decide what would be her easiest shot, instead
of taking another peek at his ass. She walked around the corner to get a full picture
of where the balls sat and where they should go. When she returned to Phin’s side,
she asked, “Fifteen in the corner. That’s my best bet, right?”

When a lonely teacher teams up with a handsome bartender for some outrageous acts,
they both get more than they bargained for. . . .

Learning her ex-husband is going to be a father, Quinn Adams is determined to have
a baby of her own—without the partnership of a man. But her sister and friends believe
she needs to focus on herself first and step out of her comfort zone by completing
a list of adventures. Challenge number one is to go on five dates within two weeks.
After a few disastrous attempts, Quinn’s ready to give up—until sexy bartender Ryan
O’Leary offers his assistance.

Ryan has always been the dependable one in his family, often at his expense. But lately,
he’s been longing for a life—and a woman—of his own. Though it seems all Quinn wants
is friendship, Ryan can’t ignore the explosive chemistry he feels between them. In
the hopes of becoming closer, Ryan offers to help out with Quinn’s list. But when
she asks him for a serious favor, he’s afraid it will jeopardize his chance to become
more than friends.

A passionate free spirit and a sweet-talking playboy sound like a matchmade in heaven—until
life gets in the way of all the fun and games. . . .

Indy Adams values her freedom above all else. She works hard to support herself, moonlighting
as a waitress while she fights for her first big sale in the Chicago real estate market.
The last thing she needs is to be tied down, so she doesn’t think twice about declining
her philandering boyfriend’s marriage proposal. Besides, she just landed a new client,
a wealthy lothario—exactly the kind of guy who would understand her no-strings approach....

Handsome, rich, and charitable, most women jump at the chance to even talk to video
game developer Griffin Walker, let alone date him. So he can’t understand why Indy
wants nothing more than a few steamy nights together. Despite his romantic track record,
Griffin longs for real love—complete with a home and family—and he wants it with Indy.
But a blessing in disguise may lead them both to a life they never expected and give
Griffin a chance to show Indy that it’s okay to want more than a good time....

Two ambitious people team up to prove themselves to their families—and find there
may be more to their partnership than just business. . . .

Elizabeth Brannigan is determined to show her father she’s capable of running the
family business. Saving his struggling Chicago bar seems like the perfect project.
But she’ll need a little help dealing with the rough crowd. Who better to assist her
than the handsome co-owner of a thriving Irish pub? Of course, with so much work to
do, there are bound to be a few late nights....

Colin O’Leary’s father passed away before he could prove to him that he wasn’t a screw-up.
Now he wants to show his brother he’s responsible enough to own a bar of his own—and
Elizabeth may be able to help him. But when their professional aspirations clash,
tempers—and passions—flare. Are they mature enough to mix business with pleasure—or
will they have to choose between the two?