She gave him a deadpan look.
He threw open his door. “Get your beautiful and spankable ass out of the truck, Mancini. You’re my girl, and I want you with me.”
“Well, if you put it that way.” She pushed open the door and climbed out.
He came around to her side and slung an arm over her shoulder, pulling her into a kiss. “I’m glad you have tonight off.”
“Me too. I hope Dwight has leftovers. I’m starved.”
Little did she know, she was having something better than leftovers tonight.
All the teens were in the great room, and Dare was glad to see Kenny playing a video game with another boy. Dwight was sitting at a table, deep in conversation with two other teens. He nodded at Dare.
Dare took Billie’s hand and headed into the kitchen, where they found Birdie leaning over a counter, wearing shiny black above-the-knee boots and a too-damn-short miniskirt attached with a silver hoop to a skintight white cropped tank top. “What the hell are you wearing?”
Birdie spun around with her cheeks full, a half-eaten hunk of pie on the counter. Her eyes filled with surprise, and she swallowed with a dramatic gulp. “Billie? What are you two—” Her gaze moved to their joined hands, and she gasped. “You’re together? Please tell me you’re together.” She looked at Billie. “I mean, if I were you, I’d have gone for Kellan, with those dreamy dimples and bedroom eyes, but he’s totally not your type, so I get it.”
“Birdie,” Dare warned.
“I’m kidding! I’m so happy!” She squealed and ran over, throwing her arms around both of them. “More Kellan for me. Yay!”
He glowered at her.
“Why are you guys wet?” Birdie raised her brows. “Ohhhh. I don’t want to know about that.” She took Billie’s hand, dragging her toward the counter. “But I want all the details of how you two went from frenemies to getting wet together.” She pushed the rest of the pie toward Billie. “You have to try Dwight’s Oreo mud pie. It’s so good!” She handed Billie a fork, then shoveled a ridiculously big forkful of pie into her mouth.
Dare walked over to them. “You mean the pie he made me and Billie?”
Birdie’s brow knitted, and she hunched sheepishly. “Oops.” She wiped her mouth. “Sorry.”
“He made it for us?” Billie asked.
“Yeah. I wanted to surprise you with your favorite dinner and dessert, and he’s a hell of a lot better of a cook than I am. He made chili, too. I thought we’d light the fire pit and eat on my patio.”
Billie’s eyes softened in a way he hadn’t seen before, but before she could get a word out, Birdie said, “Aw. That’s so romantic. The love potions finally worked!”
“Love potions?” Dare asked.
“The body wash and lotion I got you from Roxie Dalton,” Birdie said. “She puts love potions in them. Everyone in Sugar Lake, New York, swears by them. Just don’t tell Cowboy and Doc.” She put her finger over her mouth, nodding.
He wondered if his sister was going off the deep end.
“You picked the right guy after all, Billie.” Birdie leaned on her palm. “Tell me everything.”
Billie was still looking at Dare. “I don’t know, Birdie. He dropped out of the sky and into my life, and now I can’t get rid of him.”
Damn, he adored that love-drunk look in her eyes, like getting rid of him was the last thing she wanted to do.
As if she caught herself going soft, she cleared her throat and dug the fork into the pie. “With pie like this, I’m not complaining.” She shoved the forkful into her mouth, eyeing him teasingly.
I love you too, Mancini.
“Sasha told me about his skydiving mission,” Birdie said. “I want somebody to do a grand gesture like that for me. Heck, I’d take a guy doing a tiny gesture.”
“No one’s going to be doing anything for you, because you’re not leaving the house in that getup.” Dare waved a hand at her outfit.
She planted her hands on her hips. “I’ll have you know this is an iconic outfit from Pretty Woman, and I am leaving the house in it because you are not the boss of me, and I’m meeting Sasha and Quinn at Bar None for ladies’ night.” Bar None was a hot pickup spot in Allure.
“The hell you are,” he growled. “The woman in that movie was a hooker.”
Birdie patted his arm like he was a child. “But I’m not a hooker, so who cares? Right, Billie?”
“Don’t put me in the middle of this.” Billie ate another bite of pie.
Dare pulled out his phone and thumbed out a text to Cowboy and Doc. Birdie’s heading to Bar None dressed like a hooker.
“What are you doing?” Birdie peered over his shoulder as he typed out, Can one of you get there? “God, you’re a pain in my ass.” She looked at Billie. “He’s making my brothers show up at the bar. I changed my mind. You should go for Kellan.”
“This girl does not need a bodyguard, whether she’s wearing a hooker outfit or not,” Billie said. “All she’s got to do is start rambling in ten different directions, and the guys who are just looking to hook up will walk away.”
She was right, but guys could be persistent assholes. He was pocketing his phone when Dwight walked in.
Dwight eyed the pie, Birdie’s angry face, and Billie’s amused expression. “Let me guess.” He pointed at Dare. “You pissed off Birdie, so she ate the pie?”
“No. I ate the pie not knowing it was for him,” Birdie insisted. “But now I wish I’d eaten the whole thing.”
Billie put her arm around the pie, pulling it closer, and Dare chuckled.
Dwight waggled a finger at Billie. “You, young lady, are a welcome sight in this kitchen. It’s been far too long since you’ve been in here poking around. Now get over here and give me a hug.”
Billie picked up the pie, watching Birdie out of the corner of her eye, and handed it to Dare. “Protect this. She’s a vengeful little bird.”
They all laughed.
Billie hugged Dwight. “Thank you for cooking for us.”
“Don’t thank me. Thank the big guy over there.” He nodded to Dare as Birdie finished her slice of pie.
“I guess I’ll have to think of a worthy way to thank him.” She sauntered over to Dare with a challenging and vixenish look in her eyes, and he slid an arm around her waist, leaning in for a kiss.
“Keep those details to yourself. I’m heading out.” Birdie put her plate in the dishwasher and snagged her bag from another counter, glowering at Dare. “I’m mad at you, but I want to hang out with Billie. Why don’t you cancel my other bodyguards and come with me? It’ll be fun.”
“I’ll keep dinner warm for you, and if Birdie’s not here, the pie will be safe.” Dwight winked at Birdie.
“I haven’t been in a bar other than the Roadhouse in years.” Billie looked hopefully at Dare, and he turned their backs to the others so they could talk.
“Don’t let her pressure you.”
“I’m not. I know you and Dwight went to a lot of trouble to give us a special night, and I’m excited for that. But I’d also really like to dance with you someplace other than where I work. I know it sounds weird, but…”