Indelibly Intimate by Regina Cole Page B

into the lane. Quinn’s name was first. That wasn’t the surprise.
    “Who exactly is Asshat ?”
    She smiled tightly, putting her beer and basket aside to go select a ball. “I’ll let you figure that out for yourself, cowboy.”
    She twitched her ass as she walked over to the rack. It was even worse when she bent over to examine a ball on the bottom row, her pert ass waving like clean laundry on a line. He could have sworn she was doing it to make him crazy.
    He nodded slowly. She could have her fun right now. She’d figure out soon enough that she wouldn’t be able to manipulate him like she thought she could.
    Bowling lefty, he took it easy on her for the first few frames. It wasn’t hard to tell she hadn’t done a lot of bowling in her life. Her throws were awkward, curving back toward the left end of the lane every time. She was lucky enough to get a spare on the third frame and she whooped like she’d just won the lottery.
    “Top that , asshat.” She giggled as she passed him and then flopped into the chair behind him.
    He stared down the lane where the pins had been reset. “Hmm. It’s gonna be tough. What do you say to a friendly wager on the outcome of this game?” He didn’t miss the way she glanced up at the scoreboard, nor the little glint in her eye when she realized how far ahead she was now.
    Stretching her arm out on the back of the chair beside her, she crossed her legs. The sight of her thigh presented to him so nicely sent a surge of heated blood to his groin. “Sounds reasonable. Terms?”
    He coughed slightly before continuing. “If you win, I’ll give you a hundred bucks.”
    She wasn’t greedy, he knew that already, but he also knew what a bad financial situation she was in. She wouldn’t turn him down. The light of hope in her expression assured him of that.
    “And if you win?”
    He didn’t stop the slow curl of his lips. “You sleep in the bed on the right. The one I’m sleeping in. All weekend long.”
    She bit her lip and her foot started a nervous twitch. He’d definitely stomped a hole in her comfort zone there. “Make it two hundred and you’ve got a deal.”
    He nodded solemnly and shook the hand she held out to him. She didn’t have a chance.
    He went easy on her for another two frames. Just long enough for her nervousness to fade and her triumph to return. He almost wished he could throw the game to see her crow when she won. Unfortunately, the prize he stood to gain was too damn important. Having her that close for three nights in a row? Priceless.
    “You really shouldn’t have bet me, you know,” Quinn said as he held the ball in his left hand, lining it up with the pins at the end of the lane. He didn’t look over at her. “Especially with the lead I’ve got now. You’ll have to get almost nothing but strikes for the rest of the game.”
    “I think I’ll be all right, Sparky. Don’t you worry about a thing.”
    He switched the ball from his left side to his right. She squeaked in protest but he was already starting his three-step approach. Bend, release, follow through, hold and…
    “How the hell did you do that? You haven’t hit a strike the whole game! Were you bowling left before? Why?”
    He didn’t answer, just nodded back toward the lane. “Your go, Sparky.”
    She scowled but jerked her red ball from the return and flounced past him.
    He allowed himself a brief pat on her bum as she went. “It’s going to be a nice weekend.”
    Her glare was so worth it.
    Her throws got worse and worse as he continued to hit strikes. As his grin got wider, her jaw got tighter. By the last two frames, she seemed ready to chuck her bowling ball at him.
    “This is completely unfair. You set me up. You’re a damn ringer!” She shook her finger in his face, rage purpling her cheeks. He laughed.
    “Would you be as pissed if I bowled the rest of the game with my left hand?”
    She stopped. Her tongue darted out before she bit her lip in thought. Damn, he