Shane (Remington Ranch Book 2) (5 page)

Shane grinned. “No thanks, but I’ll be happy to kick yours.” He looked at the others. “Want to make it doubles?”

“Go ahead, I’ll watch,” said Cassidy.

Shane grinned, she’d probably never played before. “You can play with me if you want to.” He said with a wink. “I’ll teach you.”

She smirked at him. Maybe he was getting through to her? “Maybe later. I’d like to just watch first.”

“Okay later.” He looked at Carter. “You and me?”

Carter nodded. “Sure.”

~ ~ ~

Cassidy smiled to herself as she followed the others over to the pool tables. She wanted to sit back and watch, figure out how good they were before she played.

As she perched herself on one of the stools to watch, Gina shot her a knowing smile. This was going to be fun. She’d played pool for years and loved it. It was funny how guys always seemed to think they had a natural prowess and would automatically beat women. She loved proving them wrong!

She watched Mason break, putting down two colors straight away. Carter went next, but didn’t put anything down. Gina looked as though she’d played a lot when she took her turn. Shane came to stand beside Cassidy as he chalked his cue. “I’ll show you how it’s done,” he said with a grin. “When I finish these guys off you can play with me if you want to.”

She met his gaze. “I have no intention of playing with you, Shane. In any sense of the word.”

He grinned. “You’ll change your mind once you know how good I am.”

“Don’t bet on it, Mister.”

He grinned. “Maybe that’s what we should do?”

“What is?” she asked.

“Come on, Shane,” called Mason. “Take your shot!”

“Bet on it,” said Shane with a wink as he walked away.

Cassidy watched him put three stripes down before missing and coming back to stand beside her. “I really am that good,” he said, keeping his voice low so the others couldn’t hear.

“You don’t know how good
I
am.” Cassidy couldn’t resist replying.

“I told you on the day I met you that I wanted to find out.”

“At pool, Shane. I’m talking about pool.”

He feigned innocence. “So am I, sweet Cassidy. What did you think I was talking about?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “Oh, sorry. I thought
you
meant something else when you said you wanted to play with me. My bad.” She knew she’d scored points when his eyes widened in surprise. “And here I was ready to bet on it.” She had to hold back a laugh at the gleeful look on his face.

“What do you want to bet on?”

She shrugged. “Never mind. I had the wrong end of the stick, sorry.”

“No, go on. What are we betting?”

She shrugged. “We should probably play each other.”

He grinned. “Want to get out of here then?”

“Play pool, Shane!”

He gave an exaggerated sigh. “Okay, we play pool, we make a bet. I win, I get you.”

She laughed. There was no way he was going to win and she knew it. “You get me? Get me how?”

He looked over his shoulders at the others then looked back at her. “Get you naked,” he said in a low voice. “We’ve spent enough time teasing each other.”

She nodded slowly, then laughed out loud as an idea struck her. “And if I win?”

Shane shrugged. “You’re not going to, but I’ll humor you. What do you want?”

She held his gaze and slowly ran her tongue over her lips. “I get you naked and doing whatever I tell you to.” The goose bumps ran down her spine under the heat of the look he gave her.

“Seriously?”

She nodded. “Seriously.”

He held out his big hand and sent a tingly current of excitement zapping through her when she shook with him. “You’ve got yourself a bet. And I win either way.”

Cassidy smiled inwardly. He was too cocky for his own good, and she was about to prove it.

Chapter Five

Cassidy couldn’t help smiling to herself as she watched them finish playing doubles. The game went all the way to the eight ball. She watched as Shane stepped up to take what should be an easy shot to win. She shook her head when he named the most difficult pocket to get to.

“Thanks,” said Mason. “I thought it was over, but you just gave us another chance.”

Shane gave him that cocky grin of his. “Oh, you of little faith. Don’t count your chickens, big brother.” He caught Cassidy’s eye. “I’m going to win, and I’m going to enjoy every second of my victory.” He took the shot and bounced the white ball off two cushions before it hit the eight ball and sent it straight into the pocket he’d named. He straightened up with a grin and high fived Carter.

Gina laughed. “You’re good when you want to be, Shane.”

He turned to Cassidy. “I’m
great
when I want to be. So, what do you say, Cassidy? Do you want to play me?”

She laughed. And slid down from her stool. “I’m pretty damned sure you want to play me!”

Carter looked at her. “Do you want to play doubles? I can help you beat him.”

He was so sweet. She touched his arm, and said, “Thanks Carter, but this is something of a grudge match. I think I can kick his butt all by myself.”

Mason laughed and looked at Shane. “Sounds like you might have met your match and you don’t even know it.”

Shane eyed her suspiciously. “She may think she can take me, but she doesn’t know what she’s in for.” He raised an eyebrow suggestively. “She can’t even imagine how good I am.”

“
You’re
the one who doesn’t know what he’s in for, Shane,” she said with a laugh, knowing he would interpret her words in a whole different way than she meant them. “You have no idea, but I cannot wait for you to find out.” She chuckled to herself at the look on his face. He totally believed that she meant the same thing he did. That she was going along with his innuendo. Yet, she had something else in mind completely.

“Me neither,” he said. “So let’s get on with it. Ladies first, you can break.”

She selected a cue from the rack and smiled at him as she chalked it. “Are you sure?”

“It wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of me to beat you before you even get to take a shot, now, would it?”

She laughed. “No. That’s not something a gentleman would do, but you’re not one anyway.” She held his gaze as she blew the excess chalk off the tip of her cue. This was going to be fun.

She stepped up to the table and broke. She didn’t put anything down, but spread the balls well.

“Nice shot,” said Shane.

Cassidy turned and rolled her eyes at the others. “He’s going to patronize me?”

Mason laughed. “He’s going to try, but I have the feeling you’re going to be able to shut him up?”

She grinned at them and nodded.

Shane smiled as he lined up his shot. “I’m not patronizing, I’m encouraging. I want you to relax and enjoy yourself.”

He put down two striped balls and then missed an easy shot on the third. Cassidy was pretty sure it was a deliberate miss. She smirked at him as she walked around the table weighing up her options. “You can go straight at it you know. You don’t have to go slow and take it easy on me.”

He smirked back. “I’d rather we take our time and make it last. I don’t want it to be over too soon. Especially if I get there before you even get warmed up.”

She laughed out loud. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head, Shane. I’m all warmed up.” She bent over the table right beside him and wiggled her ass to nudge him out of her way. She put down three colored balls before looking up. She smiled at him and deliberately missed the next, leaving the white tucked against the cushion behind the eight ball. “Oops!” she grinned at him. “Sorry.”

He shook his head at her. “No problem.” He managed to get the white ball out and at least hit one of his stripes.

“Nice shot,” she said and couldn’t resist patting his shoulder in as motherly fashion as she could manage. “Well done, you.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Now who’s patronizing?”

She laughed. “I thought it was encouraging!”

“Okay. You made your point. Game on.”

She rolled her sleeves up as she eyed the lay of the balls, weighing up her next shot. Shane followed her and she shot a look back over her shoulder at him. “You wouldn’t be trying to put me off, would you?”

“Not at all.”

She bent over the table and looked down her cue, making sure she could get the angle she wanted. She bit the inside of her lip when Shane came to stand right behind her and leaned in a little closer. She turned her head to meet his gaze. The laughter was gone from his eyes, replaced by an intensity she wouldn’t have thought him capable of. He placed a hand on the small of her back sending the tingly shivers racing through her. All she could do for a moment was stare back into his eyes. He dropped his gaze to her lips, making her think he was going to kiss her. Her eyelids lowered, and her breath was coming low and shallow. She wasn’t going to be able to resist. The feel of his hand on her back was making her want to throw the game and let him take his prize right here on the pool table. The moment seemed to last for minutes until he broke it by standing abruptly.

“It’ll be a tough one to pull off, but I reckon if anyone can make it, you can.”

She continued to hold his gaze. She had the crazy feeling he was talking about something more than the shot she was about to make. She shook her head. She was getting carried away. Her body was reacting to him and her brain was getting fuddled in the process. She turned back to take her shot. Cutting a sharp angle she sliced the ball into the middle pocket. “You’d better believe it,” she said over her shoulder as she lined up the next shot.

He went to stand at the other side of the table. As the next ball rolled into the pocket she could have sworn she heard him say, “I’m afraid I’m starting to.” Whatever the hell
that
might mean.

~ ~ ~

Shane watched the last colored ball roll into the pocket. Only the eight ball remained. Cassidy gave him a victorious grin as she walked around the table toward the white.

“Can you handle losing?”

He nodded. He didn’t like the idea of losing, but given that she’d said that if she won she wanted him naked and doing whatever she said… He held her gaze for a moment.

“Be warned, Cassidy. He’s a sore loser,” called Mason.

She nodded without looking away from Shane. “I imagine he is. But you’re also a man of your word, right, Shane? If you lose, you’ll honor the bet?”

He nodded, relieved that
she
wasn’t wanting to change the terms. “Yep. Whatever you say.”

She pointed to the far corner pocket with her cue.

“Okay,” he said.

She made pretty much the same shot he’d made to win the game of doubles. The white bounced off two cushions before hitting the eight ball squarely and sending it neatly into the pocket. She straightened up with what he could only describe as an evil grin on her face.

“Good game,” he said.

She nodded. “It was.”

“So, do you want to collect your winnings now?”

She shook her head. “Not yet. I was thinking of Thursday night. You can come to the gallery when I close up.”

Shane knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he couldn’t help it. “Great. I’ll take you to the Valley Lodge for dinner if you like?”

There was something a little worrying about the mysterious smile she gave him, but her words were enough to make him ignore it. “Oh, that’s okay. You don’t need to buy me dinner. The gallery will do just fine for what I have in mind.”

Shane swallowed and adjusted his pants. She wanted him naked, doing whatever she said—in the gallery? And she didn’t want to bother with the niceties of dinner or a date first? He grinned. “Sounds great.”

She chuckled. “It does, doesn’t it?”

Carter came over and slapped him on the back. “It’s nice to see you’ve learned how to lose graciously.”

Shane laughed. He could hardly explain why he wasn’t the least bit sorry to lose. “This may be a one off, bro. Don’t expect me to be like this next time
you
beat me.”

“Do you want to play again? I can give you a chance to practice being a good loser?”

Shane shook his head. “I need to get back to the ranch. I wasn’t planning on staying out late tonight.”

“Fair enough,” said Carter. He looked at Cassidy. “How about you? Do you want to help me beat Mason and Gina?”

Shane scowled to himself. He’d said he didn’t want to play because he was hoping to get Cassidy alone for a while. He was relieved when she shook her head. It seemed she had the same idea he did. “I should really get going, too. But give me a call? I want to go over the landscaping design with you before the weekend.”

“Sure thing. I’ll be down your way working on one of Beau’s rental houses. I could stop by when I get finished?”

“That’ll be great. Is the house available for rent?”

“Yeah, he had a lot of work done on it the last few months and didn’t want to put it on the market until he was sure it would be ready.”

“In that case would you give me a call before you leave there? I have a friend looking for a place. I’d love to come over and see it.”

“Of course. In fact I can show you what I’m doing over there. You might want to use something similar at your place.”

“Which place is it?” asked Shane.

It’s the old Handler place, the big cabin on the river, just a little further down from Cassidy.”

Shane nodded. “It’s a great house,” he told Cassidy. “The perfect vacation spot.”

She shook her head. “She’s not coming on vacation. It’ll be a few months at least by the sounds of it.”

“Oh, how come?”

She looked a little uncomfortable.

“We’re going to get going,” interrupted Gina. It seemed to Shane as though she was covering for Cassidy for some reason. The surprised look on Mason’s face confirmed it.

“Okay, thanks for a great night, guys.” Carter tipped his hat and was gone.

Gina hugged Cassidy and then Shane. “See you tomorrow. We need to do this again soon. This was fun.”

Shane hugged her and Mason punched his arm. “G’night, bro.”

And then they were gone. He smiled at Cassidy. “Are you sure you don’t want to collect your winnings tonight? We could go to the gallery now, if that’s what you want?”

She shook her head. “No, I want to enjoy the anticipation.”

Wow! She really was up for it.

“At least stay and have a quiet drink with me?”

He held his breath—she was considering it!

“Shane!”

He cursed under his breath and pretended not to hear or to see Katie Bell frantically waving at him from the bar.

“Shay-ane!”

Cassidy laughed and shook her head. “It doesn’t look like it would be too quiet. Good night, Shane.” She walked toward the door.

He started after her, but Katie stepped in front of him before he could catch up. “Where do you think you’re going? Come buy me a drink.”

“Not tonight.”

“You keep saying that! I’m getting tired of waiting, Shane.”

He looked her over. He used to think she was pretty and fun. Now he noticed the meanness around her eyes and the stubborn set of her jaw. “Then don’t wait, Katie. Go find someone else.” He shook her hand off his arm and hurried to the door. He opened it just in time to see Cassidy’s little Beetle pull away. Dammit!

He walked down the block back to his truck, running the events of the evening through his head. He couldn’t quite believe the way Cassidy had changed tack. She’d given him the brush-off in no uncertain terms since the very first time he’d met her. He had to wonder what had changed her mind. He reached his truck and climbed in with a grin. Had he finally worn down her resistance? He had to believe that was it. No woman had ever resisted him for this long, not when he set his mind to it. He was relieved that he’d had it all wrong about her and Carter, and thrilled to think that she’d made damned sure she won that game of pool—so she could get him naked no less! He was still grinning to himself as he left town and turned south, heading back down the valley. He couldn’t wait for Thursday night.

~ ~ ~

Cassidy parked the Beetle in the garage and climbed the stairs into the house. She stopped in front of the mirror in the hallway and smiled. “You’re not really going to, are you?” she asked herself. She laughed. Like hell she wasn’t! He deserved it! He was a big boy. He could handle it. And if he couldn’t, well that would just prove her point—that men’s egos grew more brittle in proportion to their size!

She wandered into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of wine. Taking it through to the den she curled up on the sofa with her laptop. She had a reply from Summer.

Hey Chica!

Can’t wait to see you either. It’s been waaay too long. I need to hole up and hunker down. Your Paradise Valley sounds like, well… Paradise! Don’t worry, I won’t be a nuisance, I’ll just be glad to see you now and then, when you have an hour to spare.