Page 58 of Hopeless Romantic
“You guys going to sit around gabbing like biddies at bingo, or are you ready to play?” Beckett asked, holding a bright, sparkly yellow ball.
But what had his blood pumping was Beckett’s lack of jacket. She’d gone to the counter zipped to the collarbone and come back sporting a red shirt that was silky, curve-hugging, with these tiny buttons than ran from neck to navel. Levi usually preferred the ease of a zipper, but the way those buttons gently tugged at the seams in silent challenge made his fingers itch to prove they were up to the task.
Oh, she’d unbuttoned enough to keep things interesting. And Levi wasn’t one to stare, but that shirt racked her pins up something special.
“That looks like a custom ball,” he said. “I thought you weren’t a ringer.”
“I said it wasn’t my strong suit. I used to play on a league, but it’s been a while. Charlie keeps it behind the counter for me, so I don’t have to lug it on my scooter.”
She handed it over for him to inspect, and that’s when he saw it. In big silvery letters, inlayed into the surface of the ball, were the words HOW BIG ISYOURS?
He smirked. “If you win, you can find out.”
“I am going to win. And why waste my bet on something I can learn from the stall in the lady’s room?” She gave a toothy grin. “Now who’s up?”
“Ladies first,” Levi said, stepping back to watch as she strutted to the line and,damn, she filled out those smarty pants spectacularly well.
She stepped onto the polished wood floor and gave a little wiggle of that heart-shaped ass. Her arm went down, and she glided forward, and . . .
“Shit,” Levi said, and all three guys stood to watch as the ball slid right down the middle of the lane, the spin too fast to be seen by the human eye. It arched right and back left, and before anyone could blink, Beckett was walking back, a loud resounding crack cutting through the air.
Gaze locked on Levi, she smiled as the pins flew every which way, one landing in the neighboring pit. Her smile wasn’t overtly sexy or even smug. She was smiling because she was enjoying herself, letting go and having fun. And it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
Levi stepped onto the polished wood floor to wait. Confidence lit her expression as she strutted toward him, not stopping until she was inches away.
“Girl Wonder, if bowling isn’t your strong suit, what is?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” she asked, and he had a hard time answering.
Her hair hung in loose waves, her brown eyes sparkled with humor, and she radiated this gentle sweetness that attracted people to her like bees to honey. Beckett looked carefree and happy. Two things he wanted to make sure she felt all the time.
“I’ve wanted to know for a few years.”
Chapter 12
Beckett thought about those words for the rest of the night. She hadn’t known how to respond when he’d said it, and she didn’t know how to respond now that they were heading home. She’d been so busy trying to decipher what he’d meant that she didn’t notice they’d pulled off the freeway until all the streetlights had vanished.
“Where are we going?” she asked, looking at the highway disappearing in the rear window.
“Surprise.”
“I don’t like surprises.”
He flashed her one of the easygoing grins that made her heart skip a few beats. “You’ll like this one.”
The tires spun beneath them, and Beckett yelped, jerking up straight to look out the side window, then down at the road. “We’re no longer on pavement.” The car bounced, and trees flew by. “We’re not even on a road.”
“If surprises were clearly marked, then everyone would know about them.” He placed a hand on her thigh, and a small spark ignited.
“What was that?”
“Chemistry. Something that shouldn’t come as a surprise. Now, hold on.” With a laugh, he gunned it, and they sped up a winding gravel track. The sky was black, the wind whistled past them, and Beckett took his hand and didn’t let go until they pulled through a clearing and stopped.
Beckett wasn’t sure where they were until he shut off the engine and she could hear waves crashing on the rocks below.
“Did you bring me to Make-Out Point?” she asked, a small thrill bubbling up like she was sixteen and about to sneak out to meet a cute boy.
“In Rome, it’s called the Cliffs,” he said. “But Make-Out Point is a little south of here.”
