Just for Now (21 page)

“Oh, Preston. I’m so glad you’re here. The uh, toilet that is broken is upstairs to the left. It just keeps running over.” Janice’s forced smile and high-pitched voice weren’t very convincing. “Run along now and get it fixed.” She waved her hand and smiled back at Amanda’s mom.

Mrs. Hardy’s eyes were still locked on mine. She was connecting the dots, dammit.

“Yes, ma’am. I thought you mentioned that your washing machine was broken too.” I was a hell of a lot more convincing.

She nodded nervously. “Yes, yes it is. But go on and get that toilet fixed.”

I nodded and headed up the stairs, praying Mrs. Hardy believed this bullshit.

“Sweet kid. He can fix anything,” Janice said in the same nervous, high-pitched tone.

“Is that so?” Mrs. Hardy asked. The tone of her voice made my stomach knot up. She knew.

Fuck it all to hell. She knew.

Amanda

Preston had gone to work out again today. He got a call from his coach and had to leave unexpectedly. I’d been on my way over here. We were going to go down to the beach. We only had a few weeks of heat left before the fall air started making it impossible to enjoy the beach.

I scrolled through my text messages to kill time, and I saw Jason’s unanswered one. It had been two weeks since he’d sent it. He hadn’t sent another one. I’d been so wrapped up in Preston I’d forgotten about it.

Me: I am so sorry I haven’t responded. With school starting back up and everything, I’ve been busy.

I might need to call him. Two weeks was beyond rude. Jason’s response popped up on the screen.

Jason: That’s okay. I’ve talked to Sadie. I know you are seeing someone. Lucky guy.

Sadie hadn’t mentioned Jason when we’d talked the other day. She was happy for me, but she’d sounded worried too.

Me: Yeah. That too. I should have responded, though. I’m really sorry.

Jason: Don’t worry about it. Just promise me if things don’t work out that you will give me a call. Keep this number.

He was really sweet. If things didn’t work out, I’d be crushed. There would be no calling someone else.

Me: I’ll remember that. Thank you again for the offer. Flying to NYC for dinner would be amazing.

Jason: Offer stands. Just say the word.

The door to the apartment opened, and Preston walked in with a scowl on his face. He’d only been gone an hour and a half. He wasn’t very sweaty, either.

“Hey,” I said, laying my phone down to get up and go to him.

He held up his hands to hold me off. “I’m nasty. Let me get a shower first.” He didn’t say anything else. He just stalked to the bathroom and closed the door. Loudly.

Was he mad that I was still here?

My phone played the text song, and I reached down to get it.

Jason: I got an invitation to your brother’s wedding.

Willow must have sent it when she’d thought there was something going on between us.

Me: Are you going to come?

Please, God, no. Preston wouldn’t be nice to him. I wouldn’t be able to talk to him if I wanted to keep Preston calm.

Jason: I want to.

What did I say to that? I couldn’t be rude. Sadie and Jax were coming.

The bathroom door swung open.

“I’m sorry I was in such a bad mood when I got back,” Preston said, walking out of the bathroom.

I looked up from my phone. “It’s okay. I was worried you wanted me to leave. I can if you have things to do.”

Preston frowned and closed the distance between us. “God, no. I want you with me. I just had a bad afternoon. I hated having to leave you.”

“You weren’t gone that long. We have plenty of time to spend on the beach before the sun goes down.”

Preston bent down and kissed me.

My text alert went off.

Oh, crap.

Preston pulled back and looked down at my phone.

Jason: You didn’t tell me no. I’m taking that as your approval.

I didn’t move. Preston had read it. Trashing it now wouldn’t change that. I wasn’t even sure if this was going to be a big deal. So I waited for a reaction.

“Jason? Jason Stone?”

I nodded. The angry snarl in his voice told me this would be a very big deal.

He took the phone out of my hands, and I let him. I hadn’t said anything wrong.

He scrolled up and read through our texts. When he got back to the last one, he lifted his eyes to meet mine.

“That’s what you want, Manda? Private jet rides to NYC?” He threw my phone onto the table and stormed into his room. I jumped when his door slammed behind him.

My eyes filled with tears. He hadn’t even let me explain. He’d just stormed off. I hadn’t said that was what I wanted. I was being polite.

The door opened, and I backed up, not sure if I should leave or if I should plead my case. I wasn’t used to having a man mad at me. It was scary. My dad had never yelled at me, and until the night Marcus found out about Preston and me, neither had Marcus. My heart was racing in my chest, and I felt like I was going to throw up.

Preston pointed at my phone. “You talk to him often? Hmm?”

I shook my head. “No-o-o,” I stammered.

“Sure as hell sounds like it. He’s got money. Your brother sure as hell approves if he’s sending him a wedding invitation.”

“I didn’t know about the invitation until just now.”

Preston let out a hard, angry laugh. “You knew about the jet ride to New York City, though, didn’t you? Looks like you were the one texting him today too.”

“I had forgotten to text him back the last time he texted me. I was trying to be polite. He’s Jax’s brother,” I explained.

Preston turned around and slammed his fist into the wall. “Fuck that, Manda. You texted him. You wanted to talk to him.”

A tear trickled down my face, and I couldn’t think of the right thing to say to make him understand. He was so angry. For the first time ever, I wanted to leave his apartment. I wanted to go somewhere alone and cry.

I walked over and got my phone off the couch, then picked up my beach bag and headed for the door. I didn’t look back at him. I couldn’t or I’d break down crying right now.

I didn’t want him to see me cry. I wanted to be mad at him and yell at him and tell him how stupid he was being, but the lump in my throat was stopping me.

I hurried out the door and down the steps. When my foot hit the bottom step, I burst into tears. I hadn’t been able to make it to my car. Wiping at my face, I slipped on my sunglasses, which had been on top of my head, and started out toward my car.

The sound of heavy steps running down the stairs startled me, and I turned around to see Preston running after me.

“Manda, wait. I’m sorry. Please don’t leave.”

A smart person would’ve kept walking. I wasn’t a smart person.

Preston’s panicked face as he begged me not to leave was more powerful than common sense.

“I’m an asshole. God, baby. I’m so sorry. I was upset when I came in, and then I saw the text and it set me off. I’m not going to lie, I’m jealous as hell. You’re mine, and he’s after you. He has money and your family’s approval. Two things I don’t have. I want to be able to fly you to New York City on a damn jet, and anywhere else you want to go, but I can’t.”

That was the only explanation I needed. I understood. I took the few steps separating us, and I grabbed his face and kissed him fiercely on the mouth. I was possessive with it. I wanted him to understand that all I wanted was him. Not a ride in a jet and a fancy dinner. He moaned and ran his hands through my hair and pulled me closer to him. I controlled the kiss. I bit his lip and pulled his tongue into my mouth, and I sucked hard before plunging back into the warmth of his. When I finally broke the kiss, we were both breathing heavily.

“Day-um,” he whispered.

“No one compares to you. No one. Get that through your head,” I told him, and slipped my hand up his chest. “I don’t need jets and fancy locations. I just need you.”

Chapter Twenty

Preston

Amanda had fallen asleep on her stomach. After we’d played around in the water until we were both very satisfied, we’d come back up to lay out on the towels she’d brought with us. I’d coated her back with sunscreen, and she’d dozed off while I was rubbing it in.

I’d lain here and watched her sleep for the past thirty minutes. I’d also fought the urge to throw a towel over her ass. Every time I felt eyes directed this way, I made sure to stare them down until they looked away.

After having to leave her to go work, I’d come back pissed off. I was still looking for a job that could pay me what I needed. I was even looking into working night shifts somewhere. Anything to get me out of this hell I was in.

Seeing the text from Jason Stone had been all I’d needed to push home the fact that Amanda deserved more than what she was getting. I couldn’t even tell her I loved her. She hadn’t said those three words to me again. That one time she’d told her brother, and that was it.

I knew she was waiting on me to say them, but how could I? Did I want her? Yes. Did I need her to breathe? Yes. Could I imagine life without her? No. But could I be in love with her, truly in love with her, and deceive her at the same time? I wasn’t sure. Love was honest. It was pure. I was neither of those things. So how could I love?

Her eyelashes fluttered, and opened slowly. Sleeping beauty was waking up. My chest hurt just looking at her. She was amazing. Everything about her.

“Are you watching me sleep?” she asked, smiling up at me.

“It’s fascinating,” I replied.

She buried her face into the towel, but I could see the pleased grin on her face. She never asked for affirmation, but she needed it. That surprised me. I’d have thought she’d had enough of it growing up and didn’t need it, but now I wondered if she had gone without it. She had a dad who worked all the time and mother who was on every committee in town. Had she been the rich little girl in the big house with no one around but her brother to tell her that she was beautiful, that she was smart, that she deserved more than a sorry-ass loser like me?

She sat up and stretched. Almost every golden inch of her body was on display.

“I have another family dinner tonight. So I’m going to have to head home soon,” she said with a frown on her face.

She had family dinner every week. Since her dad had left them, she never missed it. I could tell it was important to her mother and she didn’t want her mother upset.

“Okay. I’ll stay home and do homework and wait on you to crawl into bed and send me a naughty text message.”

She giggled and pulled her hair up into a knot on her head. I loved watching her do little things like that. I could sit and watch her all damn day and never get bored.

“Naughty text message, huh? I thought that was called sexting,” she replied.

I reached over, grabbed her arm, and pulled her on top of me. “Oh yeah, we can sext all you want to. You can tell me all the things you want me to do to you, and I’ll tell you just how I’m gonna do it,” I whispered in her ear, then took a nibble.

“Mmmm, okay. I like that idea,” she replied.

Smiling, I slipped my knee up between her legs. “You just have to promise to play with that pretty little pussy for me.”

Amanda gasped and slapped at my arm. “You are so bad, Preston Drake.”

“Only with you, baby. Only with you.”

Her phone started playing that country song about cowboys and angels. It was her ringtone. She needed a new one. I was beginning to get jealous of any guy in a cowboy hat.

“It’s Willow,” she said, looking over at me. “She doesn’t know about us. Marcus isn’t telling her because he’s afraid she’ll make him tell Mom, and he wants to wait and tell Mom after the wedding. No more added drama and all.”

Shit. I’d assumed he’d never tell their mother. Or at least I’d hoped by the time he did I’d have another job and I’d be able to deny it. Mrs. Hardy didn’t really have any proof. As far as she was told, I was there to do the plumbing. I had to find another job. Before this damn wedding.

“Hello,” she said, pressing the phone to her ear. “Yep. I’ll be there. Did you bring the dress home? . . . Yay! Now let’s hope it fits. I feel like I’ve gained five pounds lately. . . . If it doesn’t, I’ll go on a diet. Promise. . . . See ya in a little bit.”

Amanda clicked her phone off and smiled before crawling off me and standing up. “I’ve got to get home and take a shower before dinner. Low is bringing my bridesmaid dress over.”

I didn’t want her to leave me, but I also needed to spend some time finding a job.

“I’ll be waiting on my sext.”

Amanda

Mom had been acting weird all night. She was normally very happy on family dinner night. She adored Willow and getting to assist in planning the wedding—which was now on the beach instead of the church where Mom had wanted it— something she looked forward to when we were all together.

She’d said very little about my dress, which fit perfectly, much to my relief. While we’d all discussed the wedding cake colors and if the groom’s cake should be cheesecake or chocolate cake, Mom had stared out the window.

When the door closed behind Marcus and Willow, I turned to go up the stairs.

“We need to talk.”

I stopped and looked back at Mom. She was standing at the bottom of the stairs with her arms crossed, staring up at me. Something was definitely wrong.

“Okay,” I said, walking back down the steps and following her as she made her way into the living room.

“Sit down, Amanda.”

I was suddenly very nervous. The serious tone of her voice wasn’t something I was used to hearing. I couldn’t figure out what in the world this could be about. Unless . . . she knew about Preston. That could be bad, but at least we were about to clear the air and I wouldn’t have to hide it from her anymore. Besides, I was positive once she got to know him she’d like him. She’d just never really spent any time with him.