Jason stood outside the apartment door and ran a hand through his hair. Lucky had been over to his place before he’d left and had spent the whole time teasing Jason about tonight.

Nervous. He was actually freaking nervous. So what if he’d gone into Kelly’s at least four or five times a week just to see her? Purposely sat in her section so he’d have the excuse to talk to her? So what if after three months, he was finally going to talk to her face to face and take her out?

“You could have asked her out ages ago. She would have said yes.”

“Shut up, Lucky.”

“You just like punishing yourself.”

He reached out to knock but drew his hand back at the last minute. What if this didn’t turn out well? What if all they did was argue? Sure, he liked the flush of her skin, the fire in her eyes, and the sharp words, but he’d really rather they get along for at least part of the night.

He shook his head. This was a tiny petite girl for crying out loud. He could pick her up with three fingers more than likely. Why the hell was he so damn nervous?

Resolutely, he reached out and knocked on the door.

It swung open and he came face to face with the brunette terror and he managed a smile. “Hi. I’m–”

“I know,” Elizabeth said shortly. “I’ve only served you a hundred times–” she broke off and flushed. “I’m sorry. That wasn’t exactly a good first impression. Okay, finish what you were saying.”

This time the smile was genuine. “I’m Jason. Lucky’s told me a lot about you.”

“Elizabeth,” she replied. She stuck out her hand and instead of shaking it like she expected, he brought it to his lips and kissed it, bringing a deep flush to her cheeks.

“Good to meet you. You ready to go?” He released her hand and she nodded.

“Let me just grab my purse and we’ll head out.” She reached for the black leather bag and swung it over her shoulder. Locking the door, she pulled it shut behind her. “So, where we going?”

“I wasn’t sure what you’d want to do,” Jason told her as they headed towards the elevator. “What do you like?”

“Well, I’m up for anything other than Kelly’s,” Elizabeth said with a smile as she pushed the button to bring the car to her floor. “I just got off a shift from there an I probably still smell like burgers and fries.”

When she turned to see what floor the elevator was on, he leaned in a little–just to smell her. She smelled like vanilla but he didn’t think he’d mind the burger and fries smell either.

“What do you like?” she asked him instead. She flashed a smile at him. “This is your date too.

“I don’t really go out much,” Jason admitted. “I take a drive up the cliff roads on my bike sometimes–but mainly I just go home after work and play some pool.”

“Pool?” Elizabeth said. “How can you go home and play pool? What…do you have a pool table in your living room?”

“My dining room actually,” he replied. “I don’t have a lot of furniture but that was the first thing I bought.”

She blinked. “Wow. I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone who has a pool table in their house.” The doors slid open and they boarded.

“Do you play?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Nope. I’ve been after Lucky to teach me for ages but he won’t step foot in Jake’s after Gia caught him ogling some busty blonde last year.” She bit her lip and looked at him. “Speaking of blondes, um…I was under the impression you were dating one.”

He frowned. “Dating who?”

“Courtney Matthews,” Elizabeth clarified. “The one who’s always with you at Kelly’s.”

“No.” Jason shook his head almost vehemently. “She’s my boss’s sister and I’ve helped her out of a few situations but we’ve never dated.” He hesitated but decided bringing up that really bad drunken mistake from a some time ago wouldn’t be a good idea on what he was hoping would be the first of many dates. “I’ve never really seen her that way.”

“Almost like a job?” Elizabeth asked. “Looking out for her, I mean.”

“Yeah,” he allowed. “Kind of like that. Anyway…do you want to go to Jake’s then?”

“Sure,” Elizabeth said. “You can teach me to play.”

Thinking it would give him a good excuse to at least touch her, he nodded. So far, so good. Why had he been nervous?

—

Three hours and a lot of alcohol later, he remembered. The later it got and the more Elizabeth drank, the more clothing she took off. She’d started the night in a pair of jeans, some strappy sandal things and a long-sleeved maroon shirt of some stretchy material.

But apparently, underneath the shirt, she had a t-shirt of the same material and in a sky blue. And under that, a white tank top.

She’d tugged the t-shirt off twenty minutes ago and Jason scowled as he noticed the stares of some of the patrons centering on her breasts–of which they’d get a tiny glimpse of every time she’d lean over to make a shot.

She’d caught on quickly and he’d been sorry to see that happen–since in the beginning, he’d got to wrap his arms around her tiny frame and help her line up her shots. He’d liked that–liked the way she fitted against him and the way her hair smelled.

But now, they were on their fourth game and she was giving him a run for his money. If he’d been paying more attention to the game and not her and her many admirers, she never would have had a chance but well…he was paying almost no attention to the game.

“If I make this shot, I win the game right?” Elizabeth asked, eyeing the remaining pool balls. She set the pool cue on the table and raised her arms over her head, stretching out the cramped muscles in her back. However, the position emphasized her chest and Jason found himself trying to step in front of her to block everyone else’s view.

“Yeah,” Jason told her. He glanced at the arrangement on the table. “But you’ll never make it.”

She pouted and looked up at him. “I bet if you were helping me…I could make it.”

He took a deep breath and steeled himself for this. First date. He could do this. Just because she was now wearing next to nothing, it didn’t make him one of the horny bastards ogling her.

He stepped behind her and she tilted her face up to look at him. “I’m having a really good time,” she told him in a soft voice.

“I’m glad,” he told her. “I really…I wanted you to.”

“I know you were just doing a favor for Lucky,” she began, “but–”

“I think Lucky did me the favor,” Jason told did her. He slid his hands around her waist, spanning it. She was so tiny…”You wanna make this shot or not?”

She grinned, twisted her body back towards the table and leaned down, thrusting her ass right into his groin. Good God, she was going to kill him.

—

She won the game.

After the last game, he ordered some black coffee from Jake, the bartender and even though he wasn’t really that drunk, he had three cups of it after she only had one. He wasn’t about to drive her home with even a smidgen of alcohol in his system.

The coffee didn’t do a lot for her, but she was still pretty alert. He’d convinced her to at least put one of the shirts back on and now, most of the horny bastards looking at her had realized she was taken and had wisely moved away.

“I can’t believe I beat you on my first night,” Elizabeth said with a wide grin on her face. “Lucky is never going to believe me.”

“Oh, he will — if only to tease me about it later,” Jason assured her.

She studied him carefully. “Did you let me win?” she asked suspiciously.

“No,” Jason said honestly. “I just wasn’t paying attention during the last game.”

“Uh huh…” Elizabeth frowned. “What were you looking at?” Her eyes darted around the bar quickly, trying to zone in any kind of woman who might have been competing for Jason’s attention.

The quick action both amused him and reassured him that she was definitely having a good time–that maybe if he attempted to kiss her goodnight and ask to see her again, he wouldn’t get a smack in the face.

“You.”

His answer snapped her attention back to him and her cheeks reddened. “Really?” she asked shyly.

“Really,” he echoed. He finished off the last of his coffee. “It’s after midnight, you ready to go?”

She sighed. “No, not really but I have a shift at Kelly’s tomorrow and I guess I should at least attempt to get some sleep right?” She stood and tugged on her third shirt and swung her bag over her shoulder.

—

She pushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled up at him. “I had a really good time tonight. Even if you did let me win that last game.”

“I didn’t let you win,” Jason protested. “I just…wasn’t paying attention, remember?”

“Uh huh.” She hesitated, opened her mouth to speak but closed it quickly.

“I want to see you again,” Jason blurted out quickly.

She blinked you. “You do?”

He nodded. “Yeah. Is that…is that a problem?”

“Wow…no…” Elizabeth flushed. “I mean, I’d like to see you again, too.”

He took a step towards her and licked his lips nervously. Damn it, there it was again. Why was her nervous? She’d paraded around most of the night in a thin skimpy tank top–did he reallythink she was going to smack him if he tried to kiss her?

Yeah, definitely.

She tilted her face up to his and drew her bottom lip between her teeth. Was he going to kiss her or not?

He hesitated a few inches from her lips and she frowned, reached for his shirt and twisted her fingers in it to close the distance.

When Lucky had told her that she’d never been kissed properly, boy was he right–because noone’s lips tasted like Jason’s. A mixture of coffee and alcohol, she wound her arms around his neck and sank into the kiss, opening her mouth to the tongue that was tracing her lower lip at that moment.

Jason rested his hands on her hips, spanning her waist and pulling her right up against his body. When he’d tasted her long enough to get him through the next day, he eased back.

She didn’t open her eyes right away, just licked her lips slowly. Her eyes were a bit dazed and unfocused when she slowly opened them.

“So…when are you free?” he asked, a little pleased with himself.

“Um…” she frowned and tried to picture her schedule but right now the only thing she could picture of a naked Jason and that probably wasn’t a good idea right now. “I’d have to check the schedule at Kelly’s.”

“Well, then I’ll come in tomorrow and ask again,” he told her. He kissed her forehead. “Night.”

“‘Night,” she echoed, watching him walk down the hall towards the elevator. He looked back and smiled at her before the doors slid closed.

She made a mental note to thank Lucky.

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