Just for Now (Sea Breeze #4)(20)

“Who’re they?” Brent asked, looking at me curiously, then back at the booth where Amanda was now studying her drink and twisting her straw nervously.

“Uh, no one,” I replied, opening my menu.

“That pretty blond girl keeps looking at you,” Brent said, a little too loudly.

I couldn’t help myself. I glanced over at her again. Brent was right. She was looking at me. A small smile tugged at the corner of her very full lips. I hadn’t kissed those lips. She didn’t understand why, but I did. Even drunk, I’d known some things were too good for me. Those perfect lips were off-limits to someone like me. I didn’t deserve to get a taste. I wished to God I’d been that smart about the rest of her body. Instead, I’d taken her completely. I had dreams to prove it.

“She’s a friend’s sister,” I explained, and shifted my attention back to my menu.

“Which friend?” Brent asked curiously. I wanted to tell him to drop it, but I didn’t want to upset him. He was sensitive about things like that. Our mother being an uninvolved parent made him careful who he trusted. Normally, he was quiet. With me he talked. I liked that.

“Marcus Hardy. You haven’t met him.”

Brent nodded. “I’ve heard you talk about Marcus before. Momma says he has lots of money. Does that mean she has lots of money too? ’Cause she’s really pretty, and I think she likes you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. Kids were way too observant. “Yeah. She has money, but you’re wrong about liking me. She actually doesn’t care for me that much.”

Brent let out a sigh. “It stinks being poor. The pretty girls never like you.”

Dammit. I hated hearing him say something like that.

“When you get older, it won’t be about money. Right now girls listen to what their mommas tell them. That won’t always be the case.”

Brent frowned, then looked back over to the table where Amanda was sitting. “She’s gonna leave with that guy. He’s whispering in her ear, but she’s still watching you.”

It was real hard to ignore her when Brent was giving me a detailed description of what she was doing now. I looked over at her, and she was standing up with the group she’d been sitting with. The guy’s head was bent and he was saying something awfully close to her ear, but Brent was right. Her attention was focused on me. And I liked it. No use in denying it. I loved the hell out of it. I wanted her attention. I wanted her to want me, because I sure as hell wanted her.

She shook her head to whatever the guy said, and then told him bye. I was relieved. The idea of her going anywhere with some guy alone made me ill. I knew what he was wanting. I didn’t blame him, but I sure as hell didn’t like it.

Amanda started toward us. Shit.

“She’s coming over here,” Brent announced in awe.

I was a little surprised too. I hadn’t expected her to actually acknowledge me. She wasn’t wearing shorts tonight. All those legs were covered up by a pair of very snug jeans. Didn’t help. It only fueled my imagination.

“Hello, Preston,” she said, smiling at me. The nervous look in her eyes was the only thing that gave away the fact that this hadn’t been an easy decision. She looked over at Brent. “Hello. I’m Amanda.”

Brent beamed up at her. “Hi. I’m Brent. Preston is my big brother.”

A softness touched Amanda’s smile. The tightness from her nerves was now gone. Well, damn. Having her see anything redeeming about me was not a good thing. I needed her to want to stay away from me, because God knew I wasn’t strong enough to tell her no.

“It’s nice to meet you, Brent. I can see the resemblance.”

“Really?” Brent asked, surprised.

Amanda laughed, and it made my heart rate pick up. “Yes, really.”

“You wanna sit with us?” Brent asked, scooting over to give her some room to sit down.

Amanda shifted her eyes to me, and I could see the uncertainty there. “I . . . um . . .”

“We’d both like you to join us if you want to,” I assured her.

She smiled and slid into the booth beside Brent.

“Have you already eaten?” Brent asked, shoving the menu into her hands. He was anxious to get her to stay. It was pretty damn funny. The kid had good taste.

“I might eat a dessert. I’ve already had a burger and fries,” she replied, smiling over at him.

“Okay. Cool,” Brent said, taking the menu back to look at it.

I couldn’t stop looking at her. She was so close. I’d had three days to let it sink in that the hot, intense dream I kept having about Amanda was very real. I’d touched her. I’d been inside her. All I could think about now was how I wanted to do it again sober. I wanted to kiss her and make sure she knew just how much I wanted her. I wanted to hear those sexy sounds that had been haunting my dreams clearly so I could remember them when I was alone.

“How are you?” she asked, breaking into my thoughts about how much I wanted her naked and under me again.

“Good. I guess. I’ve been thinking about things.”

I stopped and shifted my eyes to Brent, who was reading the menu, before looking back at her.

“Me too. I’m sorry about how things came out.”

Why was she sorry? I was the only one who should be sorry. “Manda, you have nothing to be sorry about. That was all on me.”