Because of Low (Sea Breeze #2)(10)

“Um, okay, good idea,” I forced a smile and then willed my legs to move until I was beside Preston. His arm slipped around my shoulders and he leaned his head down and sniffed me. “Mmmm... you even smell good.”

Marcus cleared his throat loudly causing Preston to chuckle.

“Go deal with Manda bro. I just gave y’all the privacy you need. Cage has a date with some girl from Monroeville down here for spring break. And I intend to keep this one out late.”

My face heated up at the insinuation in his voice. Surely Marcus knew I wasn’t going to be out doing what Preston made it sound like I would be doing. What was wrong with him anyway? He never laid his flirting on this thick.

“Good night Marcus, I hope you get things worked out.” I managed to say in a calm voice with no hint to the frenzy his attention had sent my pulse into.

He nodded and turned around without a word.





Marcus

Cowboy boots. Did she have to wear freaking cowboy boots with that tiny little skirt? I slammed the refrigerator door without getting a drink. A beer sounded really good after watching Preston walk out with Willow tucked against his side. But Amanda needed me. I couldn’t drink even if right now all I wanted to do was get really trashed and forget this crazy mess my dad had laid in my lap.

“Why’re you slamming things?” Amanda asked stepping out of my bedroom.

I shrugged not wanting to share with my sister how I was having a small melt down over a girl I’d just met while we had bigger issues to deal with.

“Does it have anything to do with the girl’s voice I just heard in here with Preston?”

Slumping into a kitchen chair I glanced up at her intending to tell her “no” and instead replied, “Yeah”.

Amanda frowned at me and pulled the chair across from me out from under the table before sitting in it.

“Is Preston dating her?”

“No, not if he doesn’t want a death wish.”

Amanda’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, “You mean you like her enough to fight Preston over her?”

“Not me. Cage. He thinks he’s going to marry Low.”

Amanda laughed, “Cage married? Has he gone from smoking pot to crack recently?”

It sounded ludicrous to me too but she hadn’t seen him with Willow. He was different with her. He actually gave a shit.

“It’s complicated.”

Amanda picked at the red fringe on the placemat in front of her. The placemats were just another one of those small touches around this place that Willow had a hand in. Preston was as bad as Cage when it came to women. I hated knowing he was out with Willow.

“I need to get home to Mom. I’d say you could come with me but the awful scowl on your face would frighten her. You need to go get changed into something sexy and go after the girl. Preston wouldn’t have taken her if he knew you liked her this much. Heck , he probably took her somewhere just to get her out of the apartment for our sake.”

She was right. At least I hoped she was right. I stood up and glanced down at the faded jeans and Alabama football t-shirt I had on.

“What’s wrong with the way I’m dressed?”

Amanda sighed and stood up. “Come on my clueless brother. I’ll make you look irresistible. Trust me, okay. I mean the last girl you liked you completely let slip through your fingers. I’d say you need my help.”

“I was up against a rock star Manda. It wasn’t exactly a fair game.”

Amanda shrugged, “Maybe so but Preston and Cage are no Jax Stone. This time you’re definitely the hottie in the group.”

“Did you just call me a hottie? And Jax isn’t better looking than me. He’s just famous.”

Amanda let out a loud cackle of laughter.

“No brother dear, Jax Stone is hotness incarnate with or without the guitar and sexy as hell singing voice. You never stood a chance. He was what you call playing with the big dogs. This time you’re definitely playing within your league.”

“Whatever, just tell me what to wear and get out of here. You’re pissing me off.”





Willow

“You want a beer?” Preston asked pushing us through the crowd of people toward a table with familiar faces.

“No thanks. But a Coke would be good,” I replied loudly so he could hear me over the music. Jackdown hadn’t taken the stage yet but the band on before them had the crowd on their feet. From the sound of the band it was probably the alcohol that had them all on their feet screaming and dancing. The band wasn’t that good. Jackdown was the reason the crowd was here tonight. They always drew a crowd from the locals.

“Okay, go on over there and sit with Rock, Trisha and Dewayne. I’ll get our drinks and meet you there.”

“Okay.”

Rock and Dewayne were friends of Preston’s I’d gotten to know through Cage over the past year. Trisha was Rock’s wife. They reminded me of Kid Rock, with a shaved head, and Pamela Anderson. Trisha wasn’t very natural but she could definitely find success as a centerfold if she ever wanted to. That or an exotic dancer. Dewayne noticed me first and a smile spread across his face. His long dredlocks were pulled back in a ponytail tonight and the shirt he was wearing was snug enough to show off his impressive chiseled body.

“Low!” Dewayne called out in greeting as I came up to their table. Trisha smiled brightly at me and gave me a small finger wiggling wave, “Hey girl. Didn’t know you were coming tonight. When we talked to Cage he said he had some date tonight with a girl and he doubted they’d be leaving her hotel room.”