Something Wicked: HarperImpulse Romantic Suspense Read Free

remorseful.
    “I was hoping if you drank enough, I’d start looking good enough for you to come talk to me. Since you didn’t even take a sip before rushing right over, I’m flattered.”
    She snorted, but yeah, she was as embarrassed as heck about the way that must have looked. “Maybe I thought you were someone else.”
    “Who?”
    She said the first name that came to mind. “Robert Pattinson.” And then winced.
    His eyebrows squeezed together. He looked almost offended. “Really?”
    No, not at all, but what was she supposed to say—oh, there was a ghost coming to play with your balls? She shrugged.
    “I won’t hold that against you.” He winked. “And I should probably warn you.” He leaned in close, the tantalizing scent of raw masculine energy exciting her nostrils and causing her inner siren to sit up and sing. “The guy I’ve been playing against tonight is pretty tough. He might not go easy on you.”
    “You mean, the guy you were playing pool with earlier?” She glanced around, spotted only Derby Hat Guy leaning against the table, drumming his fingers impatiently, sending her a bored look. “Who is he, Casper the friendly pool player?”
    He grinned. “He’s the guy who sent you the beer—the one who thought to himself, ‘I think the most beautiful woman in the world is in this room, and I’d like to talk to her.’”
    Oh, mercy, that was both the best and the worst pickup line she’d ever heard. He had a sense of humor as well as being sexy. She liked that.
    She tilted her head and feigned concern. “Have you seen a doctor?”
    His eyes widened. “For what?”
    “Multiple personality disorder. I think you have it.” She smiled to let him know she was only teasing. And she gripped the cue tighter to keep from doing something ridiculous like ripping his shirt off. “Here’s a hint, Casanova. Guys who talk about themselves in third person tend to come off as a little bit crazy.”
    He leaned so close his hot breath teased her face as he tried to stifle a laugh. “Good point. And I’m a jackass. I haven’t even asked your name.”
    “Alexandra.” She held out her hand. “And who will I be crushing in this game tonight?”
    The warmth of his fingers against hers was stimulating. “Name’s—”
    The sound of wood knocking against wood startled them both, and Alexandra sprang away. Derby Hat Guy had moved to the cue rack and was purposefully knocking the sticks against one another. He stopped when Mr. Delicious turned around to inspect the noise.
    “I thought we were gonna have some fun with the rascal!” complained her newest dead friend. “Come on, already. Let’s play!”
    Ghosts. They could be so annoying.
    ***
    “You know, they claim this place is haunted.”
    Dylan Collins leaned against his pool cue and watched as his enticing opponent lined up her shot perfectly—and abruptly banged the white ball against the left side when the words left his mouth.
    She swore softly and sighed. “You don’t say.”
    He shrugged and moved to take his first shot, regretful he no longer had a good view of her cleavage as she bent over the table. She’d already sunk a number of the balls. The woman knew her way around a billiard table. “I don’t believe in that stuff, personally. If that’s your thing, Charleston has a ton of ghost tours.”
    “Hmm.” Her concentration seemed off as she frowned slightly, gazing toward the wall. Maybe she was like him and thought the whole Haunted Charleston spiel was just a gimmick to attract tourists.
    Change the topic, dumbass. He didn’t want to scare her away or make her think he was a paranormal freak when he wasn’t.
    He couldn’t believe his luck in luring a beauty like her over here. He circled the pool table and lined up his cue with the ball.
    His favorite way to unwind from a bad day at work was to come to the Southend Brewery for a beer, a game of pool, and a game on one of the TVs above the third-floor bar, but he’d never seen