From the look on Amber’s mom’s face—the way she was sizing me up, threatening me, and inviting me into her home all at the same time—she hated him, too.

“Where are you kids heading tonight?” she asked.

I rubbed my palms together, scanning the area for Amber.

“She’s upstairs.”

“TimeWarp,” I said, my voice lowered. “It’s this retro arcade place that’s set up next to Food Truck Lane.”

Amber’s dad furrowed his brow. “Amber will hate that.”

My stomach dropped.

Amber’s mom smacked his chest. He burst out laughing.

“She’ll love that,” she assured me, and I breathed normally again. “Forgive him,” she continued. “Amber is his only child, only girl, only everything.”

“That’s right,” he said, pointing a finger at me. “And I would kill for her.”

I swallowed hard.

“Like total Texas Chainsaw on Friday the 13th in your worst Freddy Krueger nightmares kill for her.”

My gaze widened as I darted focus between the two of them.

Humor seems like the key to winning them over.

“I pegged you for a Michael Myers on a Night of the Living Dead kind of killer,” I said.

Stone silence.

Maybe I only thought I was funny.

Laughter rumbled from them both a few breaths later. Damn, they’d keep me on my toes.

Her dad pulled her mom in close, kissing her on the forehead. “I like him.”

“Me, too,” Amber’s mom said. “Amber!” she shouted, causing Amber’s dad to jump.

“Coming!” Amber yelled right back from somewhere upstairs. A few seconds later she was bounding down them, her long legs sheathed in tight light denim, tucked into a pair of purple Converse, and a shirt to match. The deep V of the shirt showed off the smooth skin of her chest, and I immediately snapped my eyes up to hers.

Friends.

Friends can think their friends are sexy.

Right?

I silenced the battle in myself, fastening what I hoped was a natural grin as she skidded to a stop before me.

“Where we going?” she asked by way of greeting.

I looked down at her, shaking my head. “Told you it’s a surprise.”

She rolled her eyes, but I could see the spark behind them. She was pumped for tonight. For spending time with me and not even a computer in sight.

Win.

She headed toward the front door, waving to her parents over her shoulder.

“Have her back by two a.m.,” her dad said, and I did a double take.

“Have fun,” Amber’s mom said.

I nodded and turned to catch up with Amber. Opening the passenger side door of my car for her, I arched a brow. “Is your curfew really two a.m.?”

She laughed. “No. It’s midnight.”

“Noted.”

With her hand on the car to step inside, she paused, her eyes widening at my shirt.