Playing With Fire (Tangled in Texas #2) - Alison Bliss Page 0,2
soft cheek. “By the way, thanks again for helping me get this job. I can’t believe your mom is friends with the library director.”
She waved me off. “Mom has been friends with Mary Duncan since kindergarten, but we didn’t have anything to do with it. You were perfect for the job. Even Mary said so. Just yesterday, she told my mom she could see you taking over the director position when she retires next year. Wouldn’t that be cool?”
Sure. If I planned to stick around. But I didn’t. Actually, couldn’t was more like it. In six months, he’d be coming for me. So I had to make the most of my time here…while it lasted.
Alert and wide-eyed, the baby cooed at me, blowing spit bubbles and increasing his vocalizations as I made funny faces at him. Five-month-olds are so easily amused.
Then a shiver ran down my spine, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Someone else watched me. Only his eyes were like lasers searing into my skin.
I glanced at Cowboy and caught him grinning. My stomach dropped and my posture stiffened. I didn’t know why it happened, but my wires had always crossed around him. My normal friendly, chipper demeanor was now anxiety-ridden and laced with nervous energy.
The little guy in my arms must’ve sensed how frazzled I’d become because, although I tried to focus my attention on Austin, he whimpered and poked out his bottom lip. I spoke softly and rocked him back and forth, hoping to soothe away his tension, as well as my own, but it wasn’t working. “Sorry, Bobbie Jo. I didn’t mean to upset him.”
“Oh, Anna, don’t worry about it. It’s not your fault. He’s been fussy since he started teething last week.” She rooted through the diaper bag and handed the baby a liquid-filled plastic teething ring to chew on. He grasped it in his tiny hand, took it straight to his slobbery mouth, and chomped on it.
The teething ring seemed to be working until Austin hiccupped—hard enough to jolt his entire body—and startled himself. The surprise on his cute little face tickled me, and I forgot all about my nervousness…and my voyeur. I threw back my head and laughed.
Only after did I realize Cowboy still eyed me from across the room. And maybe it was the moronic way I always overanalyzed everything, but he seemed to be staring at me rather strangely. His eyes glazed over and the corner of his mouth twitched into a smirk, as if he were observing me with some sort of curious fascination or…interest?
For a brief second, I may have considered stealing the baby’s soothing ring for myself. “Um, Bobbie Jo, why is Cowboy looking at me like that?”
She peered in his direction and shrugged. “Who knows why that man does anything. Wouldn’t surprise me if he’s over there imagining you naked.”
My mouth fell open. “What? That’s ridiculous,” I said as my face burned with the heat of embarrassment. “I’m not the kind of woman men like him go for.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Simple reasoning. Don’t strapping young cowboys usually prefer their women how they like their horses—sleek, fast, and with a touch of wild?”
She laughed. A lot. “You’ve been reading too many of those romance books of yours. Sweetie, you’re female and breathing. I’m pretty sure those are his only requirements.”
I grinned at that, remembering my earlier thought about Cowboy’s most recent conquest. “Well, he’s not my type.”
“What, you don’t like hot, well-built men?”
“No. Um, yes. I mean…” I shook my head to clear the confusion I was feeling. “It’s not that. I just don’t like men who regard women as sheep. And knowing Cowboy, I bet he probably lines them up and shears the clothes right off them.”
“Can’t argue with that,” she said, nodding in agreement. “In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already imagined you naked twenty different ways by now.” My stomach clenched tightly, and I frowned at the unwelcome sensation, making her laugh.
I shook my head adamantly. “Well, it’s not going to happen. Not with me, anyway.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you’re immune to Cowboy. That would be a first. Most girls have to claw through the hoards of women just to get him to notice them. After all, he’s in the bachelor calendar, you know.” She giggled at that.
“Bachelor calendar?”
“The local newspaper runs a contest where men from Liberty County compete to be in next year’s calendar. Cowboy won a spot as May’s bachelor.”