Cursed (Enchanted Gods #1) - K.K. Allen Page 0,38

head to toe, he’s a dream. “I think you’re a charmer, Alec Stone.” The smile that reaches his eyes tells me he knows it’s true.

“Only when I want to be.” He winks again, causing my insides to heat, then he wraps his hand around mine and squeezes. “What do you say? Think we’ve stalled enough?”

My eyes go straight to where our hands connect, and I wonder what his friends will think when they see us like this. He must sense my nervousness because he gives a gentle squeeze. “Or we can stay here and talk.”

A loud crunch of gravel jerks my attention back to the parking lot, where a figure is crossing near us. Crunch, crunch, crunch. The man doesn’t look in our direction, but I know it’s Johnny. I get the odd sense that he’s already spotted us. Maybe it’s the tension in his broad back or the hard lock he holds on his jaw beneath the faint scruff. Or maybe it’s the way he’s walking so close to Alec’s truck rather than on the dirt pathway that leads directly to the restaurant, where he should be about to start his shift.

I swallow and watch him gain distance.

“Kat? What do you want to do?”

“Um.” I’m jostled back to my conversation with Alec, and I quickly try to remember the question. “We can go in. I need to know if you’re really as good at pool as you say you are.”

He grins like he’s accepting a challenge, then we start walking. A group of Alec’s friends are already standing around one of the pool tables. I recognize some of them from the beach volleyball game. Iris and Ava are there, their eyes on us—specifically on where Alec’s hand is releasing mine.

“Kat, hey!” Trisha’s arms are around my neck before I’ve even looked at her. “I’m so glad you’re here. What did you decide? Are you coming in on Monday or what?”

I open my mouth to respond then catch Johnny stepping behind the bar, tossing a towel over his shoulder. Does he ever smile? Annoyance shakes through me. “I haven’t decided yet,” I finally tell her.

The corners of her mouth push down in a dramatic pout. “Anything I can do to change your mind?”

I laugh. “I need to give it to everyone in this town. You all are a persistent bunch.”

Before Trisha can respond, Alec tugs me away and introduces me to Brett, along with a bunch of others whose names I know I won’t remember tomorrow.

“We’re about to play a game,” Brett says with an uptick of his head. “You two want in? We need a fourth.” He’s standing beside Iris when he says it.

“Yeah, we’ll play. Right, Kat? This can be practice for when we play each other later.”

He winks, and I make a cringe face at Alec, suddenly feeling put on the spot. “I’ve never played pool before.”

Iris rolls her eyes. “Perfect.” She leans her pool stick toward Alec. “You brought her here. She’s on your team.”

That fiery sensation that never leads to anything good is already building deep in my chest.

“Sounds like a good plan,” Alec answers easily, then he’s pulling me to the wall to help me find my own stick. “Don’t worry. I’ll teach you everything you need to know. We’ll beat ’em.” He chuckles, cooling the sparks that came alive moments ago.

When we walk back over to the table, Brent is racking the balls in a triangular shape while Iris and Ava huddle together, looking annoyed. The whole mean-girl act is already getting old, so I have no problem ignoring it for as long as I have to.

Alec insists I go first. He helps me position the cue in my hands. His body is close to mine. His warm breath floats over my shoulder, creating a wave of goosebumps on my skin. Once I have the positioning right, he takes a step back. “Now pull back a little and then tap the white ball so that it hits that solid blue ball. That’s your best shot.”

I do as he says, pulling back the stick then pushing it forward to hit the white ball. The white ball flies toward the blue one and smacks it dead in the center. I must have pushed too hard, though, because the blue ball leaps off the table, soars across the room, and lands somewhere on the floor.

Humiliated, I clutch my hot cheek with one hand and look toward Alec. He’s doubled over in a fit of laughter, and