“Hey,” he slapped down a bill on the bar.
The bartender poured two beers and slid them down the length of the wooden bar before returning to his previous task.
“Thanks.” Cowboy turned to look directly at all three ladies. “Ya’ll new here?”
Anneke nodded, strands of hair falling in her face. She offered the man a smile before licking her lips. “Yup. First timers.”
“Cool. We don’t get many women in here on a Tuesday night. It’s entertaining to see three lovely ladies here at the bar.” He leaned in close to Amanda, resting his elbow on the bar. “Name’s Troy. My partner Bill is setting up a table for pool. Do you play?”
Jamie raised her hand and giggled. “Yeah, all three of us.”
Anneke remembered Jamie wasn’t a bad pool player at all. In fact, she was quite the shark in college.
“Care to join us?” Troy offered a seemingly genuine smile, but his stare seemed to laser in on Anneke.
“Why not? We’re just out having a drink. It’ll be fun, right Amanda?” She noted the little bit of annoyance that slipped into her tone.
Amanda slid off the bar. “Good idea, Anneke. I haven’t shot in awhile. I’m a little rusty.”
“Bill kinda sucks,” Troy chuckled, a rich masculine sound that seemed to emit from deep within his chest.
Up close, he seemed larger than he had at the door. Anneke decided he was probably well built beneath his workman’s shirt.
Grabbing her beer, she slid off her stool and joined Amanda, who still stood mesmerised by Troy ’s piercing gaze.
Unfortunately for Amanda, Troy seemed more focused on Anneke’s eyes, though she caught the slightest movement of his gaze roaming down the line of her body.
She bet his tongue would probably disappear between the valley of her breasts.
Hell, she knew it would. The thought hardened her nipples.
He tilted his hat and pointed towards the pool tables with an open palm… “After you, ladies.”
Anneke began walking, aware of the heated intensity in Troy ’s eyes. His burning stare ignited something low in her belly though she had her back to him. It wasn’t hard to tell when a man looked at her ass, especially since the jeans she wore hugged her perfectly and emphasised every movement of her legs.
Jamie had told her so the first time she’d seen Anneke in them.
The four of them found Bill setting up a table in the far corner by a TV on a platform mounted to the wall. Bill took the beer Troy offered and sipped long from the frosty mug.
“Damn, that’s good after a day on the ranch. I see you brought friends. My name’s Bill.” He extended a hand to Jamie, who was closest to him.
She took his hand and gripped it, shaking with each pump up and down. “Jamie,” she managed to get out the word after he let go.
“Anneke,” she offered her hand and was met with the same reaction as Jamie. The firm grip from his calloused hands lingered slightly longer than was correct for a handshake, followed by a smile that seemed to reach his perfect sea-green eyes. His face wasn’t as rugged as Troy ’s, but it held a charm of its own. Dimples formed when he smiled and took the edge off his rough appearance.
“Shall we?” Troy set the cue ball firmly on the table before reaching for a pool stick. “Ladies against gents?”
Anneke looked at Jamie and Amanda. Both women nodded. Anneke smirked. It wasn’t that she was against being led into the den of wolves. It was more or less how simply things seemed to line up.
Of course, if her friends had anything to do with it, it was for her own good.
“Sure. I’m game. Jamie can break.” Anneke retrieved a pool stick from the many on the wall then rolled it along the table to check its evenness. Satisfied, she glanced at Troy and Bill. “I like a straight stick.”
Troy smiled, his lips curving upwards in a wicked grin. “I appreciate a woman who likes them firm.”
Bill snickered and nodded.
Jamie picked up a stick and looked down the length of the wood. “It’s nice and hard.” She snickered, a blush reaching her face.
Bending over the table, she took careful aim, adjusted the stick between her fingers and punched the cue ball directly into the triangle formation, sending balls scattering everywhere.
“Balls on the table. Nice.” This came from Amanda.
Bill and Troy exchanged glances before Troy stepped forward to line up a shot. He sank a solid coloured ball into the corner pocket. “Girls are stripes, I guess.” He took aim on a ball near the side pocket.
Anneke waited for him to strike before she coughed.
As she planned, the ball just missed the side pocket, rebounding off the corner before slowing to a halt in the centre of the table.
“Now that’s not fair.” The grin on Troy ’s face seemed more devilish than innocent, Anneke decided. Still, the intensity of his gaze on her body radiated within her.
She snorted. “Like I’d cheat at a game I’m already good at. Besides, it’s not my fault that some men can’t handle their balls.”
“Oh babe, you’re mistaken there.” Troy gestured with his hips, a glint in his eyes.
Walking to Troy, Anneke licked her lips. She bent over the table, directly in front of him, giving him a view of her ass.
The moment his eyes roamed up the length of her body, the hairs stood on edge on the back of her neck. Still, she sank her shot with ease. Slowly straightening, she glided to another area of the table, bending over in front of Bill and giving him a great view of exposed cleavage.
He set a hand on his hip, and his tongue darted out over his bottom lip.
Anneke smiled and banked her shot against the opposing wall only to miss the corner pocket slightly.
“Aw, poor baby couldn’t handle the ball.” Troy snickered behind Anneke.
Anneke wiggled her ass and made a clucking noise before standing to face him. There was a note of humour in his tone that she found amusing. “No, I have great ball skills. Sometimes the stick’s not up to par.” She walked past him, running a hand over his well-muscled arm.
She swore Troy flexed his arm beneath the shirt for her benefit.
He lined up a shot, looking down the line of the stick. His lips turned upward in a little bow she found endearing until a wicked glint reached his eyes, and he sank his shot.
“Looks like I can handle my balls and stick.” He moved in for another shot.
“I like a man who can handle his stick.” Amanda chuckled in a low, throaty voice.
Anneke shot her a glare. Weren’t they supposed to be getting her that threesome?
For that matter, was Bill even interested?
Amanda smirked and waited for Troy to miss his third shot. She sauntered to the table and bent low enough that her breasts practically fell out of her top. She puckered her lips and kept her gaze on Anneke’s reaction.
Anneke snorted and pushed her own breasts upwards, adjusting them in the top she wore.
As if on purpose, Amanda missed her shot, a simple straight shot into the side pocket.
“Damn, I must be rusty.” She took a sip of her beer.
Jamie came around the table and wrapped a hand around Anneke, almost possessively. She stood on tiptoes and whispered into Anneke’s ear. “Are you interested in these two, honey?”
Anneke glanced at Bill, who was aiming his shot. The line of his body would fit perfectly against her if she backed up to the bulge in his pants. It also seemed that Troy had plans of his own with the way he stared at Anneke, but were the two of them friends enough to share a woman?
Anneke nodded and patted Jamie on the ass. “Yeah. We’ll see.”
Jamie shook her head and walked back towards Amanda.
“Another round?” Bill headed towards the bar.
Nodding, Anneke leaned against the wall and watched Troy take another shot. The man wasn’t bad at pool, she had to give him that. But his body was more interesting than his technique. She wondered just how well he handled himself in bed and grew aroused, the coil in her belly pooling heat between her thighs. Good thing she’d worn jeans tonight, otherwise she’d have wetness dripping from her pussy down her thighs.