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I choke on"I’ "I could have used you a few days ago" I mutter undertable

I guess I said it too loud Recognition flashes across Amber’s face, followed quickly by a wince

I brush her worries off with a s"

"Sowhat’s with the lady’s outfit?" Ivy asks, tothe topic

I se It was either this or shirtless"

"Shirtless That would have been unfortunate Right, Amber?" Ivysip of her water Liquid courage or not, I still seem to make this bird nervous, and I don’t want her to be So I drapemy hand on her bare shoulder Her skin is so soft, her body so slender "What are you ioods to pull this look off?"

A on in that pretty little head of yours?

Angry voices rise over Collin’s

"River!" Rowen is already rounding the bar Brennan, the hulk of a bouncer who guards our door on weekends, has his giant paw on one of the offenders’ forear over his shoulders like a trunk Ready to drag hily, no doubt Most tih to leave Sometimes they’re not

"I’ll be back in a ht "You’re not going to get into a fight, are you?" There’s noto stop one," I pro

She drops her eyes to where her hand rests, and they widen At least she slides rather than yanks it away I know she’s attracted tobecause I don’t think I can handle it tonight My back is still killing uitars haven’t stopped stru Collin has sat on that stool and watched this happen so many times over the years that it doesn’t even faze him In fact, he usually breaks into one of a few tunes he refers to as "fight songs"

"Have they paid the bill?" I ask Nuala on rabbed my tit," she snaps back "If you don’t hit him, I will" And she will, too That’s the difference between the birds I’irl like Amber, who I can already tell wouldn’t raise a hand to anyone, no matter how much that person may deserve it She’s so much more refined and even-tempered I’ether A cheeks But, plans for a torrid affair or not, I’ht and expected nothing the next day She seems too proper for that

She definitely isn’t the kind of bird to hit the lights on the bar and then grabshe’s in the e at the table and the telltale first notes of Collin’s favorite brawling song fill the pub Norht now

My brother pushes in front of me He’s always the e, fellas Let us help you on your way out"

Brennan’s already guiding the loudh the door The rest of his friends cli like they’re five steps froht turns and spits on the floor

Spits on the floor of my family’s property