I’m going to kill him.

Running a hand over my hair, I take a second to catch my breath and right my clothes, which Trevor mostly already did. My clit is still throbbing, and no matter how I adjust my bra and shirt, I can still see my nipples protruding.

Fuck it, I think to myself. This can be his punishment.

My nipples poking out for all the world to see is his damn punishment.

With my shoulders squared and my head held high, I march out into the bar as if I didn’t just have an orgasm to end all orgasms.

“What took you so long?” Mo asks.

The only seat open is the one I vacated earlier, between Mo and Everett. Trevor is tucked in cozy between Everett and Tess, and maybe if I’m lucky I can get her to switch seats with me.

“Tess?”

“Yeah?”

“Want to switch seats? You can get to know Everett.”

“Oh, uh…” She looks about as uncomfortable as I feel, and Trevor answers for her.

“We were actually just thinking about playing a round of darts. You guys up for a few games?” he asks the table as a whole.

“I love throwing darts,” Everett says, a little too enthusiastically. “Claire, you can be on my team.”

“Perfect,” I mumble.

Everyone stands up and walks to the back room. I watch Rhett pull Trevor off to the side. They exchange some words, and when Rhett gives me a sympathetic look, I narrow my eyes.

Does he know about Trevor and me?

“You ready, partner?” Everett says, handing me a set of darts.

“Born ready.”

I lean against the wall while Tess sets up the board, and when Everett positions himself next to me, I glance at Trevor. He smiles and walks toward us, propping himself on the other side of me. I scoot as close to him as I can.

He laughs and wraps an arm around my shoulders. It’s not something he would’ve done before we got together, but our group has always been close knit, and the gesture goes mostly unnoticed.

I say mostly, because Everett gives us a curious glance. “Are you good at darts?” he asks me.

“She’s okay.” Trevor looks around me at Everett. “Don’t expect her to hit the bullseye every time.”

I elbow Trevor in the side and he laughs, rubbing his ribs. “I’m just kidding,” he whispers, kissing me on the cheek.

Tess turns around. “Trevor, you’re up first.”

“Let’s do this.”

The rest of our crew shoots pool while Trevor and Tess beat us at darts. And they keep beating us over and over and over again.

“I’m tired of this game,” I say, tossing my darts on the table.

“Come on, we’re having fun,” Trevor goads. “One more.”

“You said one more four games ago, and you’re having fun because you’ve won every time.”

“Hell yeah.” Tess holds her hand up, and Trevor gives her a high five. I roll my eyes and he hooks his arm around my neck, pulling me against his body.

“Don’t be a sore loser.”

“I’m not.” I try to push Trevor away, but he’s not having it. His grip tightens, and I eventually give up because his touch does things to me that no man’s touch should be able to do to a woman.

“Sorry, Claire. I’m not very good at darts,” Everett says.

“That’s okay.”

“We could try our hand at pool,” he suggests.

“I’m not very good at pool.”

“I can help you.”

I picture myself bent over the table with Everett trying to help me align a shot. I cringe. Trevor must be thinking the exact same thing, because his body goes stiff against mine and his eyes narrow.

He wanted to get me with anticipation. Maybe it’s time I get him with a little jealousy.

“Perfect.” Grabbing Trevor’s fingers, I remove his arms from my shoulder. “You break,” I say to Everett.

My body brushes past Trevor’s intimately when I reach around him for a stick on the wall.

Everett racks the balls, situating them on the table, and then rubs his stick with the blue chalk. “Ready?”

The game ensues. Everett sinks a solid and a stripe on the break, chooses to go with solids and lands a second ball before missing.

I’ve never been good at pool. Sure, I know the basics, but I’ve always sucked at lining up shots, which I’m going to use to my advantage. I walk around to the opposite side of the table, bend down low, and position the stick between my fingers.

“You trying to get this one?” Everett asks, pointing to the ball I’m aiming for.

“Yup. Why?”

“You’re a little too far to the left.” He’s kneeling down, his eyes level with the ball, and when he looks up at me his eyes drop. I know he has a clear view down the front of my shirt.

“How’s this?” I say, moving the stick a little to the side.

“Perfect. It’s, uh, perfect,” he stutters.

I glance at Trevor. He’s standing tall, his arms folded across his chest, staring daggers at Everett. I almost feel bad. But then I remember the way he walked out of Coop’s office and left me all hot and bothered.

I sink the ball, and Everett tosses his arms in the air. “You did it.”

I shimmy past Trevor, doing a little happy dance that ensures my ass rubs against his crotch.

“Tease,” he murmurs.

Shooting him a wink, I bend over the table for another shot.

“Nope. Too far to the left,” Everett says.

I shift the stick.

“Nope. Too far to the right. You know what? Let me come help you.”

“I’ve got it.” Trevor doesn’t even give Everett the chance to get close to me.

I’ve got the shot lined up, the stick between my fingers the way my daddy taught me. Trevor steps behind me, pressing his body against mine. He slides his arm alongside mine, his hand holding mine steady while he uses the other to line up the shot.

“Are you trying to make me jealous?” he whispers in my ear.

“It’s an aphrodisiac, remember?”

“You’re damn right it is, but I want to pound you, not his face, which is what’s going to happen if he looks down the front of your shirt one more time.”

In one smooth motion, Trevor guides the stick toward the cue ball. It bumps into the number ten ball, sending it into the corner pocket.

Setting my stick down, I laugh and turn around in Trevor’s arms. Gripping the front of his shirt, I pull him toward me. “You’re the one who started this game.”

“And now I’m ending it.”

Gripping my face in his hands, Trevor tilts his head and draws me in for a deep kiss. I don’t hear much over the sound of my heart beating in my ears, but I manage to catch a gasp, probably from Mo, and then another gasp—Everett, I’m guessing. And then come the catcalls.

“I did not see this coming,” Coop deadpans.

“I did,” Adley chirps.

“About damn time. I was wondering how long it was going to take you,” Rhett hollers.

“You knew about this?” Mo says.

Trevor smiles against my lips. He pulls back and rests his forehead against mine.

“Well…I didn’t really know until tonight,” Rhett explains.

“What do you mean you didn’t really know? You kind of knew? How do you kind of know, and why didn’t you tell me?” Mo argues.

“Shit, woman, give it a rest. Does it really matter how or when I found out? You’re finding out now.”

“Claire.” Mo says my name, and I squeeze my eyes shut.

“Busted,” Trevor whispers. He brushes his lips against mine, laces our fingers together, and faces our friends. “So, everyone, Claire and I are together. It’s been brewing since Peanut had her baby and we spent the day together at Animal Haven.”

Mo’s eyes grow as wide as saucers. “What?”

“I said brewing,” Trevor clarifies. “Calm down. Nothing happened until the night Claire ran out of the bar and you all sent me to go after her.”

“I didn’t run out,” I say.

Trevor looks down at me. “You totally ran, but that’s okay because I’m finding that I really love the chase.”

“Awww.” Adley cuddles in close to Lincoln. His hand sits low on her hip, but when he sees me looking at them, he quickly removes it, leaving me wondering if I haven’t been the only one keeping a secret from the group.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” Mo says, sounding a little hurt.

I step away from Trevor. “Yes.”

“When? It’s not hard, Claire. In fact, it’s really quite simple. Hey, Mo, I’m screwing around with Trevor.”

“We’re not screwing around,” I say softly.

“You mean…” Her eyes light up. They bounce to Trevor and back to me.

“We’re in a committed relationship,” I answer.

“Trevor has never been in a committed relationship.”

“Hey,” he scoffs. “I resent that.”

“Well, you haven’t,” she says.

Trevor wraps his arms around me from behind and kisses the side of my head. “There’s a first time for everything, and I was just waiting on this girl.”

“We were waiting on each other.”

“Look,” Adley says. “They’re as disgustingly cute as Rhett and Mo.”

“If I ever get like that with a woman, knock me upside the head,” Coop says.

Linc holds out his fist, and Coop bumps it. “I’ve got ya covered.”

Trevor laughs at his brother, but I can’t take my eyes off of Mo. She’s just staring at us.

“Well, aren’t you going to say something?”

She sighs and picks at the hem of her shirt. “I’m thrilled for you, but I’m a little disappointed I’m just now finding out.”

I take a step toward her. “I’m sorry, Mo. Everything just happened so fast, and I wanted to give us a few minutes to settle down and get used to the idea of being together before we announced it to everyone.”

“She’s right, but we weren’t trying to hide it,” Trevor adds. “I took her to the pier and tons of people saw us together. I’m surprised you didn’t find out about it sooner.”

“Don’t be mad,” I say, hugging Mo.

She hugs me back. “I’m not mad.”

“Thank God. Now I can tell you all the juicy details. How about tomorrow I bring pizza out to Animal Haven? We’ll have lunch and spend the day together.”

“I’d love that.” She pulls me in for another hug and finally lets loose a squeal. “Oh my gosh, you’re dating Trevor!”

“Excuse me.”

Mo and I look at Everett. He seems a little unsure of himself. “Does this mean there’s no chance of—”

Trevor takes a menacing step toward Everett, who snaps his mouth shut and takes a giant step back.

“Sorry, Everett,” Mo says. “I didn’t realize they were together.”

“I see that.”

“But I’m sure I can find someone else to set you up with.”

“Or not,” Rhett says, pulling her to his side. “Maybe we should put your matchmaking skills on the back burner for a little while.”

“I have mad matchmaking skills.”

“If we’re all done here, Claire and I will be leaving,” Trevor announces.

“We will? I sort of thought we’d stick around and play another game of pool.

“You thought wrong.” Trevor tosses me over his shoulder in one of those fireman holds he demonstrated to my class. With his arm tight across the back of my thighs, he makes it so no one can look up my skirt.

“You can’t leave already,” Mo whines. “We have to celebrate.”

“Trust me, that’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Trevor says.

“Let’s go, Trevor.” I squirm on his shoulder. “The anticipation is killing me.”

With a boisterous laugh and more than a few awkward stares, Trevor carries me out of Dirty Dicks.