all people! The man was a lean, muscled super-ninja fighter. And Bare…she glanced over at his scowling face, his wrinkled shirt, and khakis. Bare was an Irish-jig-dancing cow.
“Bare, I don’t think this is going to work out between us,” she said gently. “We’re too different. We should just stay—”
“Friends,” he bit out. “I know.”
“I mean, we just don’t fit in each other’s lives.”
His jaw clenched. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Okay, then. They walked down the street to where the cow car was parked. Tension radiated off her usually good-natured friend. She couldn’t take the silent treatment.
“Are you mad?” she asked.
He stopped and pinned her with a hard look. “No, Amber, I love watching you have sex on the dance floor in front of me.”
She jolted at the harsh words. “I wasn’t having sex with Carlos.”
“You did everything you could with your clothes on,” he sneered. “What do you call it?”
“I call it dancing, you jerk! And I would’ve danced like that with you if you weren’t so busy doing that crazy Irish jig.”
He laughed mirthlessly. “Well, I’m real glad you got to dance with Carlos. Really made my night.”
“Don’t talk to me like that you judgmental, uptight…bird-cow man.”
“Amber…” His voice came out in a deep growl that had her heart thumping like crazy. “I won’t share you.”
She recovered fast. “ Share me? I’m not with him. I’m not with you either!”
“Obviously not, or we wouldn’t have had a scene like that.”
He strode toward the car and opened her door for her. She got in and slammed it closed herself.
They drove home in silence.
Chapter Four
Three weeks later…
Barry was still stuck in involuntary celibacy and missing Amber like crazy. Sure, he’d known he wasn’t Amber’s usual type, but he’d made an effort. Did he or did he not have six-pack abs and a two-pack butt now? And they always had fun hanging out together. At least they did before they’d gone out on a date. She’d hated his date, and he’d hated hers. Any red-blooded guy would’ve hated watching their date all over another guy. She couldn’t blame him for that. He still didn’t know what went wrong with his idea for a date. Okay, she wasn’t crazy about birds, but she’d liked the beach. And then later at his shop, well, he’d wanted her to see his successful business and see him with all the kids. The kids loved the cow. He had to admit his spectacular fall with fro-yo splashed all over him hadn’t helped his cause. That didn’t exactly scream sexy.
He blew out a breath. Maybe he just wasn’t cool enough for her. She’d called him a bird-cow man. Birds weren’t cool, he supposed. Neither was dancing in a cow costume, no matter how much the kids loved it. He probably shouldn’t have done that. Sometimes he went overboard, not realizing it until it was too late. Still, there was that amazing kiss in the laundry room. The way she’d made little moaning sounds in her throat had him about to lose it right there. How could he make things right?
He fiddled around with his new Bird Bonanza app on his laptop, trying to fix a glitch in the program that kept mixing up the plumage of the birds. Maybe he should’ve just stuck to hanging out with Amber, watching that nightmare-inducing show Zombie Bonanza ;then he would’ve gotten the chance to kiss her again. He hated zombies, but he loved cuddling with Amber on her sofa.
But now Amber seemed to have moved on. He’d stopped by her place twice, and she’d said she was too busy with end-of-the-school-year stuff to hang out with him. He knew that wasn’t it. The problem was him. He should’ve kissed her when he had a chance, all those nights when she’d curled up against his side watching TV. He’d been afraid she’d kick him out if he did. He shoved a hand through his shaggy hair. What was wrong with him? Why could he not seem to get his footing with Amber?
Someone knocked
“Bare, I don’t think this is going to work out between us,” she said gently. “We’re too different. We should just stay—”
“Friends,” he bit out. “I know.”
“I mean, we just don’t fit in each other’s lives.”
His jaw clenched. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Okay, then. They walked down the street to where the cow car was parked. Tension radiated off her usually good-natured friend. She couldn’t take the silent treatment.
“Are you mad?” she asked.
He stopped and pinned her with a hard look. “No, Amber, I love watching you have sex on the dance floor in front of me.”
She jolted at the harsh words. “I wasn’t having sex with Carlos.”
“You did everything you could with your clothes on,” he sneered. “What do you call it?”
“I call it dancing, you jerk! And I would’ve danced like that with you if you weren’t so busy doing that crazy Irish jig.”
He laughed mirthlessly. “Well, I’m real glad you got to dance with Carlos. Really made my night.”
“Don’t talk to me like that you judgmental, uptight…bird-cow man.”
“Amber…” His voice came out in a deep growl that had her heart thumping like crazy. “I won’t share you.”
She recovered fast. “ Share me? I’m not with him. I’m not with you either!”
“Obviously not, or we wouldn’t have had a scene like that.”
He strode toward the car and opened her door for her. She got in and slammed it closed herself.
They drove home in silence.
Chapter Four
Three weeks later…
Barry was still stuck in involuntary celibacy and missing Amber like crazy. Sure, he’d known he wasn’t Amber’s usual type, but he’d made an effort. Did he or did he not have six-pack abs and a two-pack butt now? And they always had fun hanging out together. At least they did before they’d gone out on a date. She’d hated his date, and he’d hated hers. Any red-blooded guy would’ve hated watching their date all over another guy. She couldn’t blame him for that. He still didn’t know what went wrong with his idea for a date. Okay, she wasn’t crazy about birds, but she’d liked the beach. And then later at his shop, well, he’d wanted her to see his successful business and see him with all the kids. The kids loved the cow. He had to admit his spectacular fall with fro-yo splashed all over him hadn’t helped his cause. That didn’t exactly scream sexy.
He blew out a breath. Maybe he just wasn’t cool enough for her. She’d called him a bird-cow man. Birds weren’t cool, he supposed. Neither was dancing in a cow costume, no matter how much the kids loved it. He probably shouldn’t have done that. Sometimes he went overboard, not realizing it until it was too late. Still, there was that amazing kiss in the laundry room. The way she’d made little moaning sounds in her throat had him about to lose it right there. How could he make things right?
He fiddled around with his new Bird Bonanza app on his laptop, trying to fix a glitch in the program that kept mixing up the plumage of the birds. Maybe he should’ve just stuck to hanging out with Amber, watching that nightmare-inducing show Zombie Bonanza ;then he would’ve gotten the chance to kiss her again. He hated zombies, but he loved cuddling with Amber on her sofa.
But now Amber seemed to have moved on. He’d stopped by her place twice, and she’d said she was too busy with end-of-the-school-year stuff to hang out with him. He knew that wasn’t it. The problem was him. He should’ve kissed her when he had a chance, all those nights when she’d curled up against his side watching TV. He’d been afraid she’d kick him out if he did. He shoved a hand through his shaggy hair. What was wrong with him? Why could he not seem to get his footing with Amber?
Someone knocked
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