Page 58 of Playing to Win
Three games later, Kyle finally admitted defeat. Callie put an extreme whooping on him. Who knew she would be the best skeeball player in the state of Oklahoma? He always thought it was a game of luck. But obviously, watching his girl throw the ball, there was some strategy involved. And she knew it backward and forward.
“Okay, okay. You got me. I admit it. You’re definitely a better skeeball player than me.”
He was rewarded with the prettiest smile he had ever seen. His breath hitched in his throat and all he could think was how he could spend the rest of his life with the girl standing in front of him, which shocked his system. He never thought he could fall this hard, this fast. But Curly had weaved herself so far into his being that he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it. But he knew that was something she was not ready to hear.
“What is going on in that head of yours, Kyle? Are you really that upset that I beat you? It’s just skeeball, for crying out loud.”
Kyle gently cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes. “I don’t care about friggin’ skeeball, Curly. I was just thinking you have the prettiest smile I have ever seen.”
Kyle bent down and pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss. She tasted like sunlight and watermelon gum. He could kiss her forever. He groaned into her mouth, wanting nothing more than to crush her chest to his, run his fingers through her hair and show her how much he wanted her.
Sadly, they were in a kid’s pizzeria with her entire family. Not exactly the place to express just exactly what she did to him. And the last thing he wanted to do was have her get embarrassed and shutdown. “Sorry. My lips were getting lonely. They told me to do it. Now, would you like some pizza? Your dad told me pepperoni was your favorite.”
Callie looked up at him, her big hazel eyes staring at him with a look of need. “Yeah. I think I could go for some pizza,” she said breathlessly.
“Or we could go in the kitchen. Steam it up a little,” Kyle said with a wink.
“And have my dad storm in after us? No thanks.”
“Worth a shot. Are you at least willing to admit your lips were happy to see mine again?”
Callie smiled that beautiful smile he loved to coax out of her. “Maybe a little. Now let’s go eat and then play every game here. If you rented the whole dang place, I might as well make it worth the money. And I want enough tokens to get that big teddy bear up there on that wall.”
Kyle looked at the prize area. “Curly, that’s twenty-five thousand tickets! We’ll be here forever!”
“Hey, you’re the one who wanted to give me a birthday party. I’m just getting the full experience.”
Kyle laughed. It was probably going to be a long night if he had to win that stupid bear. And the thing was, he couldn’t think of a better way to spend it.
