“Sorry. Just getting used to the clutch.” I start the car again and pull into the drive, ignoring the glares coming at me from the passenger seat.
“Don’t kill my transmission.”
“Oh, calm down. It’s just a car, right?” I bat my eyes at him and giggle when he twists my ear in his fingers. “Where are we going?”
“Bowling. The Alley not far from your place.”
“A couples date?” I ask incredulously.
“No, a family date,” Will clarifies.
I stare at his profile for a second and then look back to the road and can’t help but laugh. “Is this your plan to keep your hands off me until the official end of the third date?” I ask.
He smirks and then rubs his hand down his face. “Fuck.”
“We almost had sex with your family sitting twenty feet away before, Will.”
He glares at me and then smirks again. “You were hot for me even then.”
“Whatever, don’t flatter yourself.” I smother a happy smile and focus on the conversation at hand. “Why bowling?”
“Well, a few times a year we all like to get together and go.”
I gape at him, trying to wrap my head around Luke Williams, movie-star, bowling.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, I’ll show you how.”
This time I can’t stop my smug smile. I bowl quite well, thank you very much, but I choose to let him think he’ll be giving me instructions. Hmm… Will, pressed up against my back, showing me how to roll the ball down the lane… yes, this has possibilities.
“So, who’s going to be there?” I ask and purposely swerve on the two-lane side street, just to get a rise out of Will.
“Hey! Stay in your lane!”
“You have insurance,” I smirk at him, earning another glare. I laugh out loud, enjoying both him and the car.
This car is fucking amazing.
“Who’s going with us?” I ask again.
“Jules and Nate, Luke and Nat, Brynna, Isaac and Stacy, although she’ll just watch because she’s miserably pregnant at this point.” He offers me a wide smile. “And I think Matt and Caleb and Luke’s sister Sam are even coming tonight, so we’ll have everyone accounted for.”
“I’m going to need some drinks,” I mutter and Will scowls.
“No, no alcohol for either one of us tonight.” He shakes his head adamantly.
“Why ever not?”
“Because when I get you back to my bed later, I’m going to make love to you for hours, and you will not only be awake for it, you’ll have full use of your beautiful brain.” He takes my hand in his, links our fingers and kisses my knuckles. “I mean it, Meg, no alcohol. Please.”
How can I refuse that?
“Okay, no alcohol,” I agree and my stomach twists and turns nervously. He smiles softly and kisses my hand again before I pull into the bowling alley parking lot. I find a parking spot and kill the engine and take a deep, deep breath.
“Thank you for letting me drive your car,” I murmur over to him with a big smile on my face.
“You’re welcome. You look hot driving this car.”
“It’s the car. Anyone would look hot while driving it.”
“Can I have my keys back now?” he asks.
We find the whole gang already in the bowling alley, putting on their shoes and choosing balls. The alley is small, in an out-of-the-way neighborhood of Seattle, and I’m sure it was chosen on purpose to minimize the chance of Luke and Will being recognized. The lanes are dark, the pins and artwork lit up with black light and pop music is playing loudly. This is obviously techno-bowl night.
Will and I approach the counter.
“Rental shoes,” He smiles down at me, and I grimace.
“And rental foot-disease.”
He laughs loudly and kisses the top of my head. “They disinfect them, I think.”
“With what, Aquanet?” I eye the spray can on the countertop and the guy behind the counter gives me the stink eye.
“Size?” the big guy asks.
“Eight,” I mutter.
“Fourteen,” Will responds and I giggle.
“What?” he asks.
“You know what they say about men with big feet…” I giggle again as he glares at me, and if I’m not mistaken, actually blushes.
“Behave.”
“What did I say?” I ask innocently.
“Yeah, you’re not innocent, babe. You just had to wear that outfit, didn’t you?”
I look down at my red, thigh-length sun dress, and brown shrug and frown up at him.
“What’s wrong with my dress?”
“Are you wearing underwear?” he murmurs into my ear so only I can hear.
“Of course not.”
“That’s what’s wrong with your dress.”
“Hey, let’s get this game going!” Jules yells from our lane and we join them.
Natalie and Jules pull me into big hugs. I’m so excited to see them. I’ve really missed them over the past few years.
“Hey, guys.” Will shakes hands with his brothers, kisses the girls on the cheek and puts his shoes on.
“Hey, Meg, how are you?” Stacy asks from her chair by the ball chute. Will wasn’t kidding when he said she’s incredibly pregnant.
“I’m good, thanks. How are you feeling, little mama?”
Stacy laughs and rubs her belly. “Oh! He’s kicking! Here.” She grabs my hand, jerks me down to squat in front of her and lays my hand over her belly, and sure enough, the baby is pushing against my palm.
“He’s a strong little sucker.” I smile up at her and she chuckles.
“My ribs would agree. He’s going to be a soccer player.”
“Football,” all of the men correct her at once and we laugh.
“I’m Brynna,” a pretty, brown-haired woman with the darkest eyes I’ve ever seen smiles at me from her seat next to Stacy. “We met at the party, but I didn’t really get to talk to you.”
“Hi, Brynna. Meg.” I shake her hand and stand.
“Really? We just got here. God, you guys!” Jules exclaims. Nat and Luke are making out, again.
“Ignore them,” Nate murmurs in her ear and Jules grins up at him. Wow, she loves him. The Jules I used to know never would have looked at a man like that.
Of course, Nate is a fine specimen of man. That tattoo he’s sporting on his right arm is bad-ass.
“Stop ogling my soon-to-be brother-in-law,” Will growls in my ear.