“But what?” She tilted her head, looking at him with an innocent curiosity, completely unaware of the effect she had on him.
He cleared his throat to try to clear his thoughts. “But I can take or leave Zac Efron.”
“Why? Because he’s got a bigger fan base than you?” she challenged.
He chuckled. She’d challenged him several times tonight, and he loved her feistiness. “I don’t give a damn about fan bases. He’s just not a great singer.”
“Are you kidding? He’s got an amazing voice,” she said vehemently. “When he sang ‘Rewrite the Stars,’ I would have given anything to be the one he was singing to. It was so romantic. You know what that song’s about, don’t you?”
He did, but he loved her enthusiasm and egged her on. “Not really.”
“Seriously? It’s about how she thinks they’re not meant for each other, that their love isn’t in the cards. And he believes they are meant for each other. He says he’ll rewrite the stars for her. I think you’re just jealous.”
“Hardly, and you wouldn’t say that if you’d ever heard me sing in the shower.”
“Oh, I get it.” She lifted a forkful of cheesecake, with a tease in her eyes. “This is when I’m supposed to jump at the chance to hear you sing in the shower. Sorry, my dashing friend, but that’s not happening.”
“You wouldn’t say that, either, if you’d ever seen me in the shower.”
“Nice try. Did you like the movie or not?”
“It took me a minute to get used to all the singing, but yeah, I really liked it.”
“To get used to the singing? That’s the best part. Every song tells a story and brings the characters to life.”
“I agree with you about that. It was the first musical I’d ever seen, and I just had to get used to it. It’s a powerful movie, and the songs definitely drive the messages home.”
Her whole face lit up. “So, you did like it!”
“I’ll never admit this in front of my buddies, but I’ve watched it about a half dozen times.”
She let out a little squeal, leaning closer. “It’s so much bigger than a romance, isn’t it? It’s a love story about a man and his outrageous vision, and how that vision impacted the lives of everyone around him. That’s why it’s my absolute favorite movie.”
Her passion made him want to be one of her favorite things, too. “That’s what I like most about it, too. It makes you think.” Like you. You’re sweet and good, and you make me think about what I really want and what’s missing in my life.
“Exactly,” she said breathily. “It celebrates being different and inspires people not to give up on their dreams.”
It took everything he had to keep from sliding his hand to the nape of her neck and pulling her into the kiss he so desperately wanted. But he’d told her he was cool with being friends, and he didn’t want to screw this up by taking away her control, so he held still and let those feelings come out in words. “You inspire me, Amber, and I’m not giving up on the dream that one day you’ll go out with me.”
Her lips parted on a sigh, heat and emotions swelling between them. Her breathing shallowed, and her eyes said, Kiss me. It was torture not to lean in and take that kiss. A minute passed, three, maybe more, and neither said a word. Desire pulsed like thunder between them. He knew she needed control, but he also knew she might be too shy to close the tiny gap between them and take the kiss they both wanted. Just as he was about to lean closer, she sat back and her eyes darted anxiously around them, briefly meeting his. “It’s late. I should get home.”
Still stuck on the heat crackling around them, it took him a moment to react. “Okay. I’d like to follow you back and make sure you get home safely.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” she said softly.
“I’m not looking for anything in return, or expecting you to invite me in, but I’d never forgive myself if something happened to you on the way home and I wasn’t there to help.”
She let out a small, relieved sigh. “Okay.”
He paid the bill and followed her back to her place. Never in his life had he been so aware of the emotions coursing through him. Dash climbed from his car, taking in Amber’s simple yellow cottage with a peaked roof over a postage-stamp-size front porch and the white picket fence that bordered the front yard. A stone walkway cut through pretty gardens, flower boxes graced every window, and a cozy side porch with a hanging wooden bench swing was tucked between the house and the carport where Amber parked. It was the smallest house on the street, but it had the same unique charm as Amber, making it stand out from all the rest.
Amber climbed out of her car, gorgeous in a suede jacket over her short clingy sweaterdress, which showed off her curves, and those thigh-high boots that had been taunting him all night, telling him his secret sexy reader probably had more sexy secrets. He couldn’t wait to discover them.
“Go potty,” she said to Reno, and he trotted around to the back of the house.
“I don’t have to go right now, but if you insist.” Dash pretended to reach for his fly.
She laughed. “You’re not very well trained, are you?”
“I think the NFL might say otherwise. You must love your commute to work. What is it? Five minutes?”
“About that. I prefer to walk when I can.”
“Is that safe?” He put a hand on her back as they made their way to the front door.
“Yes, very. And I have Reno to protect me.”
“He’s not much of an attack dog, but he could probably lick someone to death.” He looked up at the house. “This is a cute place.”
“Thanks. It was poet Jandolyn Meyer’s house.”
“I’ve never heard of her.”
“Nobody has. She wrote poems for the Oak Falls newspaper in the early 1900s. I wrote a paper on her when I was in high school. I fell in love with her words long before I was ready to buy a house, and luckily, when it went on the market, it was in really bad shape. Nobody wanted it because it was so small and the lot is half the size of the others on the street. When I finally had the means to buy it, I didn’t care how much work it needed. I knew it was meant to be.”
As they stepped onto the porch, he said, “You’re loyal. I like that.”
“Loyal to a house?”
“To yourself, and the things that make you happy.” At least most of them.
Reno came around the side of the house and sat in the grass.
“Doesn’t everyone do that?” She gazed up at him, desire revealing itself again in the shimmering heat in her eyes, her shallow breathing, and the way she leaned in just a little.
If he wasn’t looking for her tells, he might have missed that last one. “That depends on the person and the part of themselves they’re being loyal to. Sometimes people hold back from the things that would make them happy because they’re afraid to feel something or of getting hurt or hurting others. Seeing you makes me happy, so I show up like I did tonight, and I had a great time.”
“I did, too,” she said breathily.
“But kissing you would also make me happy, and I’m afraid it might scare you off.” She breathed harder, her eyes never leaving his, giving him hope that he was getting through to her. “What are you afraid of, Amber?”