“Let go of him, Amanda,” he ordered as we approached him.
“No, Marcus. Listen to me. You don’t understand. You need to calm down and let me explain.”
“I don’t need an explanation. I’ve known Preston since we were kids. I’ve seen it all from him. Enough to know that he isn’t the kind of guy a girl like you needs to be hanging on to and defending. You don’t know him, Amanda. I do.”
“Yes, I do! I know a lot about him, and you have no idea what is going on here. I started this. He ran from me for months. He pushed me away, and I just kept on coming back. And he is not treating me the way you seem to think he is.”
“She didn’t chase me,” I said. I couldn’t stand to listen to her tell him she’d come after me so hard and I’d just given in. That wasn’t the way this had happened at all.
“I didn’t think she did,” Marcus replied in a deadly calm voice.
“Yes, I did! I even took advantage of him when he was drunk one night,” Amanda said, stepping in front of me.
“Manda, don’t—”
“He was completely drunk, and I came on to him. He doesn’t even remember it. He tried so hard to keep me at arm’s length. He was nice to me, but he kept telling me no. Then his sister got sick and I ran after him to his Jeep and went with him. She is so sweet and little, Marcus. We took care of her together, and then things just happened. I finally got past his walls. He let me in. Don’t ruin this for me. I’m in love with him.”
What?
Marcus reached for Amanda and jerked her away from in front of me. His fist was planted firmly in my face before I could wrap my head around the fact that she’d just said she loved me.
“You sorry-ass motherfucker!” Marcus roared, and jerked me up by my collar before his fist connected with my face again.
I could hear Amanda’s screams in the distance. But my eyesight was blurry and my head felt foggy. I shook it and raised my hands to block any more attacks while I tried to stop my world from spinning.
“Marcus, NO!” Amanda was crying. My head cleared up real fast. This was making her cry. I didn’t want her to cry.
When his fist came at me this time, I blocked it and shoved him hard in the chest to get him to back off me. Hitting him would upset Amanda more, but I couldn’t let him beat the shit out of me either.
“I trusted you. You’re my best friend. How could you screw around with my little sister? She thinks she loves you,” Marcus roared. “She doesn’t even know you. Tell her, Preston. Tell her the shit you’ve done.”
“Shut up!” I yelled. “You got your hits in. She’s upset. I’m not going to hit you and upset her more.” I reached up with my arm to wipe the blood that was trickling out of my nose. Amanda ran past her brother and barreled into my chest.
“Dammit!” Marcus growled.
“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” Amanda cried against my chest. Seeing her like this was making me crazy. Could he not see he was doing to her?
“Give me a minute,” I barked at him. “Let me calm her down first. She needs reassurance we aren’t gonna kill each other. Can’t you see that?”
I bent my head and cupped Amanda’s face so I could look down at her. My left eye was swelling closed, but I could still see her tear-streaked face. I hated seeing her like this. If it wouldn’t make things worse, I’d take a few swings at her stupid-ass brother for making her cry.
“I’m okay. I won’t let him hit me anymore. He caught me off guard.”
She loved me. Her words replayed in my head again. How could someone as f**king sweet as Amanda Hardy love me?
“I just want to go. I need to get you some ice, and you’re bleeding.” She hiccupped.
“I know. I’ll let you do both those things, but first let me deal with him, okay?”
She wrapped both her arms around my chest and held on tight. This was her way of protecting me. No one had ever protected me.
“Okay, I’ve seen enough,” came Rock’s voice from behind me. “Back off, Marcus.”
“It’s my sister he’s screwing with, Rock. Don’t tell me to back off.”
“Yeah, that’s why I let you beat his face in. I thought the same thing.” Rock stepped in between us. He looked back at me. His gaze dropped to Amanda, then lifted back up to my face. “This is different.”
“He doesn’t do different,” Marcus spat out. “She’s my little sister. I’m supposed to protect her. I’ve always protected her. I can’t let him near her. He isn’t good enough.”
The pain at hearing words I already knew were true thrown in my face by one of the only people who I had thought accepted me, flaws and all, was hard.
Amanda turned her head around to face her brother. “Don’t you dare say that. Just SHUT UP, Marcus.”
Rock waved his hand in our direction. “You see that? You ever seen him hold on to someone like that? He didn’t fight back—not because he couldn’t, because if it was a real fight between the two of you, my money’d be on Preston. He’s been fighting his whole life. He didn’t hit you because he didn’t like upsetting your sister. He was protecting her.”
Marcus took fast, angry breaths as he looked down at Amanda holding on to me, then back up at me. He ran his hands through his hair. “Shit.”
“But she said she loves him,” Marcus told Rock. Then he looked back at me. “She loves you. Do you even know what to do with that?”
I kissed the top of her head. “Cherish it like it’s the most precious thing on the face of the earth,” I replied with all sincerity.
“Well, hell. He’s gone and got all poetic,” Rock said, grinning and shaking his head. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
Marcus leaned back on the hood of his truck and crossed his arms over his chest, then hung his head. We’d won. He was conceding.
“Your eye’s gonna completely close up if you don’t go get ice on it. Y’all go on. I’ll deal with Marcus,” Rock said, nodding toward my Jeep for us to leave.
I wanted to promise Marcus I’d never hurt her, or to tell him I loved her too. But I couldn’t do those things. If she ever found out about what I did to take care of my family, she’d be hurt. I wanted her. I needed her. But did I love her? Could I love her if I couldn’t be completely honest with her?
Amanda
I fixed an ice pack while Preston took a shower and cleaned all the blood off his face. I cringed thinking about his beat-up face. It was going to be hard to forgive Marcus. He’d just kept hitting Preston, who wasn’t even defending himself. I’d known Marcus would be upset, but I didn’t know he would be so violent. I’d never seen Marcus fight anyone, and I’d hardly ever heard him curse. He’d done both tonight.
Why he couldn’t have just listened to me and let me explain, I didn’t understand. He just lost it. If I hadn’t let go of Preston’s arm, he wouldn’t have hit him. It was my fault. The only thing I could have done to protect him was stay in the line of fire, and I’d moved thinking I could get Marcus to talk about it. To listen to me.
The bathroom door opened, and Preston came walking out in nothing but a towel again. I could get used to that. The bruises on his face and his swollen eye, however, had my complete attention at the moment.
“Sit down. We need to put ice on your eye,” I informed him before pushing him toward the couch.
“You not gonna let me put on clothes first?” he asked in an amused tone.
“Nope. We’ve waited too long already to ice your eye. Sit.”
He didn’t argue. He adjusted the towel to keep it from gaping open when he sat down, and leaned back. I handed him the ice pack. “You do it. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Wish I had a steak. It would work better,” he said, taking the pack and holding it to his eye and wincing.
“I’m so sorry,” I said again. I couldn’t help it. Every time I looked at his face, I felt guilty.
“Stop it, Manda.” He reached for me. “Come here.”
I went willingly. I needed to feel him and know he was okay. Besides, his chest was naked, and snuggling up to it was something I wanted to do very much.
“I expected Marcus to come at me. He was mad. I can’t blame him.”
I ran my fingers over the ripples in his stomach. “He was an ass**le. I can’t believe he acted that way.”
Preston chuckled. “Yeah, well, baby, there’s a lot about me you don’t know. Marcus knows most of it. He knows enough to not want his little sister anywhere near me.”
What did that mean? Was he now saying I was an idiot too?
I started to pull away, and Preston’s arms tightened on me. “Where are you going?” he asked.
I’d told my brother I loved Preston tonight. Heck, I’d told anyone in the parking lot who was around to hear me yell it. But Preston hadn’t said the same. I hadn’t really expected him to. I knew he didn’t love me. But I guess I expected more of an affirmation from him. Something more than him agreeing that Marcus being mad was warranted. It was like he was agreeing that I was making a mistake.
“Manda, tell me what’s wrong.” I could hear the concern in his voice.
Tears stung my eyes, and I blinked them away. I was not going to cry. I was tired of crying about everything. No wonder Marcus treated me like a baby. I acted like one.
“You just sound like you’re agreeing with Marcus. Like you think my wanting to be with you is a bad thing.”
Preston’s body stiffened, and then the ice bag dropped beside him. His hands were on my waist, pulling me into his lap.
“Look at me, Manda,” he said gently.
I did as he asked, and the emotions I could see in his eyes were enough. He might not love me, but he felt something really close. I could see it.
“Nothing about this thing we have is a bad thing. I’m not gonna lie about it: I don’t deserve you. I’m sure as hell not good enough for you, but as long as you want me, I’m all yours.”
That wasn’t a proclamation of love, but it was as close as I would ever get with Preston. I knew enough about his past to know he’d never been serious about any girl.
“Is this thing with us going to be exclusive? Or is it just a thing . . .” I trailed off, not sure how to word this. I didn’t want to say “just sex,” because it wasn’t about the sex. We were more than that, or at least I thought so.
“Hell yes, it’s exclusive. You can’t date anyone else, Manda. I can’t deal with it. I was ready to rip a guy’s arms off for talking to you tonight.”
This was a two way street.
“Um, and you . . . is it exclusive for you?” I asked tentatively. I knew if he couldn’t tell me yes, I wouldn’t be able to do this. I was in too deep emotionally.
Preston grinned. He ran his hand through my hair and cupped the back of my head. “Baby, all I see is you. It’s something I’ve never experienced, but I can’t see anyone else anymore. Just you.”
My heart slammed against my chest. Preston pulled my head close enough that his lips could touch mine. I knew his face was sore, so I kissed him back softly. I didn’t want to hurt him.
“Manda, I want you,” he whispered against my lips.
Those weren’t the three words I wanted to hear from him. but they were a very close second. I eased off his lap and stood in front of him while I reached back and unzipped my sundress and let it fall to the floor.
“Sweet Jesus,” Preston whispered.
I hadn’t worn a bra with my sundress, and I’d worn a pair of the skimpiest panties I had. I was bending down to take off my boots when Preston leaned forward and grabbed my arm.
“Leave the boots on.”
“How am I going to get my panties off?”
He flashed me a wicked grin, then grabbed both my legs and pulled me in between his. Running his hands up my legs, he slipped both hands under the thin strings holding my panties up, and with one hard jerk they fell off me.
“I don’t even want to know how you knew how to do that.”
“I’ll replace them. I’ll buy you a bunch just like them,” he promised, pulling me down onto his lap as he removed the towel he was wearing.
Chapter Eighteen
Preston
“Can we do it this way?” Amanda asked nervously as she straddled my lap.
God, she was so damn innocent. Knowing I’d been the only one ever to touch her, to be inside her, to taste her, made my insane possessiveness worse. I wanted to keep her close. Away from everyone else.
“Yes, sweetheart, it feels real good this way,” I assured her as I held her hips. “You’ll have all the control.”
I leaned forward and pulled one of her ni**les into my mouth. They were right there, teasing me. I couldn’t ignore them. I was pretty damn sure I was addicted to them. She arched her back and let out a soft moan.
“I want it in,” she pleaded.
I smiled up at her. “Then put it in.”
Her eyes went wide with surprise, and then she slowly lowered her body until the tip of my erection touched the entrance we both wanted it in so badly.
“Do I just go down?” she asked, looking back up at me.
If I wasn’t so incredibly turned on, I would have laughed. “Yeah, just go down on it.” I liked the way that sounded.
She bit her bottom lip as she eased down on it.
“Ah, that’s so good,” I groaned as she teased us both by going slow.