Page 17 of Tiger Born

“Why? Are you in the market to get fucked?” he asked, tossing her an amused look.

“Well, I’m just saying I’m on birth control and that I’m super single. And you seem to be single, and oh my gosh.” She stopped in her tracks, locking her legs against any forward momentum. “Ignore everything I just said. That was not like me at all. I am so sorry.” And she absolutely meant that. Her cheeks were on fire right now with an embarrassing blush. She wished the world’s crust would open up and swallow her whole right now so she could escape from this mortifying moment.

“You do one-night stands?”

“Oh yeah. I told you. I’m a cool girl,” she said with an awkward snort. She crossed her arms, but it didn’t feel cool enough, so she rested her hands at her side and hunched over a little and forced a sexy smile. Her face twitched.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“It’s probably just the adrenaline dump,” she muttered as she passed him by, aiming for the barn where her car was parked.

“Your adrenaline dumped a dozen hours ago. And I can hear lies. Want to try that again?”

“Wait, what? You can hear lies? Come on.” She didn’t believe that for a minute.

“Tell me two truths and a lie then. Make it a good one.”

“Uh, okay.” She thought about it as she slid the barn door open. “Okay, I’m ready. I once bought—”

“Lie.”

“What? I didn’t even finish yet.”

“That’s going to be the lie. I can hear it.”

“Fart,” she cussed. Trying to trick him, she said, “I won—”

“Lie.”

“I didn’t get my first kiss until I was twenty!” she blurted out.

“Truth, and also whoa there. Details on that please.”

“I was a late bloomer.”

“Truth again.”

“My bra size is a thirty-four double D.”

“Lie. Thirty-four D?”

“I wish I was a double D.”

“D’s are big enough. Trust me. You’re perfect.”

“I’m…I’m perfect?”

“I could tell you were hot in your scrubs, back when I thought my brother was going to maul you.”

“Correction, when your brother did maul me. Look at this. I am maimed.” She pulled up the sleeve of her t-shirt and showed him the two jagged lines that had silvered with age. “I have to explain these to everyone, and do you know how many people believed me?”

“One. Uncle Tim.”

“Right. I already told you that,” she said, leading him into the dimly lit barn. She pulled the tarp off her car and opened the door while he went down the row of cars and lifted tarps on them to see what they were. Her uncle collected old Fords that had been refurbished.

“Your uncle is awesome,” he muttered, studying the front fender of one.

“He’s the best. Catch.” She tossed the phone she’d found on the floorboard, and he caught it without even looking. “Well, that’s a cool party trick.”