Bare Skin (Skin Deep 5)

Buffy was protesting still, trying to move closer and closer to me no matter how far I moved her away. Finally I looked down and caught her attention.

“Buffy. You and me. We’re friends, right?” I asked softly.

She nodded, her bottom lip poking out in a little pout. An actual one that I used to think was cute.

“But we tried that whole thing, didn’t we? And it didn’t work out, so we’re friends still. Just friends. Right?”

She nodded again, but I could tell she was getting a little pissy. Especially when she stomped her foot and turned to leave. She couldn’t resist having the last word, though.

“I should have known better. I should never have come here, thinking that maybe I could make you feel a little better since that troll over there turned you down. But you’re still the same old Calland, aren’t you?” She glanced over at Dani. “Good luck with that. He never stays with one for long before he’s on to the next. But don’t worry. He’s nice about it. I think that’s the worst part.”

She stomped off, leaving me shaking my head and Dani laughing softly.

I looked over at her. “Did you really threaten to have her fired?” I asked, curious to see what had happened. Honestly, I hadn’t meant for anything bad to happen with that whole situation, and I would feel like a total ass if Buffy really did lose her job over something I had asked her to do.

Griff appeared in front of her, so she ordered a soft drink and an order of pizza rollers before she answered me.

“Nah. I just insinuated that she’d be looking for new employment if she ever gave out my information again.” She said it with a sweet smile.

“Uh, isn’t that pretty much the same thing?” I asked, cautiously.

“Tomato, tomahto,” she replied, waving her hand, but didn’t offer anything else. Silence stretched between us as she spun around on her stool and took in the other bar patrons.

“Didn’t think I’d see you again so soon,” I stated, then thanked Griff as he plunked my order down in front of me.

She glanced over her shoulder to see the pizza rollers and spun back around, reaching for one.

I moved them back away from her.

“Hey!” she cried. “I ordered those.”

I nodded, taking one out of the basket and biting into it, then immediately cursing as molten hot lava in the form of melted cheese oozed out onto my tongue, burning like hell. I pulled it out of my mouth, huffing and blowing to try to cool the sting, finally reaching for my beer and taking a swig.

I snuck a peek at her out of the corner of my eye to see her watching me, eyebrow raised, smirk tilting the corner of her perfect lips.

“Karma.”

I laughed, giving in. “Here, you can have one,” I said, presenting the basket to her.

She made to grab for the basket but I pulled it back again. “You do realize that I ordered these before you got here, right?” I asked playfully.

I watched as her cheeks flushed and she actually apologized. “I’m sorry. I just…that was stupid of me. I should have known that my order wouldn’t have come out that quick.”

I tilted my head, accepting her apology, and moved the basket closer to her again. “You can share mine, though, until yours come.”

“Thanks,” she replied, taking one and biting into it, only she did it a helluva lot more gracefully than I did.

“Mmmm,” she hummed appreciatively as she chewed and then swallowed.

My eyes watched every movement of her mouth, the graceful curve of her throat. The throaty tenor of her voice as she said, “God, these things are so good.”

It all did nothing to lessen the swelling going on in my jeans.

Especially when she licked her lips-

“Calland!”

I jerked, blinking and then smiling sheepishly as I realized she’d been talking and I had blanked out. “I’m sorry, what?”

She rolled her eyes at me and reached for another one of my pizza rollers, then changed her mind as Griff sweetly slid her own order in front of her. She beamed at him and slid them closer to her, apparently forgetting that she’d been saying something to me.

So I took advantage of it.

“Is this a happy coincidence or did you come here looking for me?” I asked with a quick grin.

She snorted, but didn’t say anything.

I tried again. “Okay, so you were telling Cara, whoever that is, that you didn’t need her tonight. Why’d you change your mind? And who the hell is Cara?”

She still ignored me, picking up another pizza roller and digging in, still refusing to answer. I started eating my own rollers, shrugging a shoulder like it was no big deal that she wasn’t talking to me.

So I guess it only made sense that she’d wait to talk to me when my mouth was full.

“Cara’s my babysitter. She’s the daughter of one of the housekeepers. She’s a senior in high school, almost 18, and she’s an absolute God-send when it comes to kids. Well, to Kaden, anyway. The second day I was here, I was going down to get some breakfast and the housekeeper was in the hall with Cara, who had stopped by to talk to her for some reason. We got to talking and…the rest is history, complete with background check. And references.”

Dani’s look dared me to comment.

“Sounds like it all worked out perfectly,” I told her.

She blew out a breath and her features softened. “Sorry if that came out defensively. I’m sort of new at the whole parenting thing and always feel so guilty for leaving him with a sitter. Especially since I’m in a new town and don’t really know anyone.”

I reached out and gently grabbed her hand, ignoring her raised brow as I did it and replied, “I think that’s to be expected. But at least you were careful about it and checked in to her before just leaving Kade with her, you know?”

She nodded, carefully slipping her hand out from under mine and returned to eating. Silence stretched between us again, but I found it to be comfortable, surprisingly enough.

She broke it this time. “So, why are YOU out again tonight? Trolling the bars for new bimbos to take home for the week?”

“Smart ass,” I mumbled, taking a healthy swig of my beer. “I was supposed to meet my brothers-in-law here, and a couple friends.”

She inhaled dramatically through clenched teeth, wincing and making a hissing sound, completely mocking me in do so. “Ouch. Can’t even get your boys to go out with you? Damn.”

I laughed sarcastically, but then grinned as she actually smiled at me. A full on smile. And Goddamn it was hot.