“Can we be friends? Will you forgive me for that night?”
The word “friends” was back again. I hated that word. I had never been friends with anyone who made my heart race and my body tingle. How could I even manage that kind of relationship?
“We can try,” I choked out.
His hand slid behind my back and settled on the curve above my bottom. Friends didn’t stand like this. He wasn’t doing a very good job with this friends thing.
“I’ll be good. I promise. I’ll be the best damn friend you’ve ever had.” His voice had lowered into a husky whisper. I shivered from the sexy sound.
“Mmmm, I’m gonna have to work on that,” Preston added. “Feeling you shiver. I like it. I’m gonna want to feel it more.”
I swallowed hard and tried to control the emotion in my voice. “Friends don’t get this close, Preston,” I said, and I started to take a step back when he pulled me tightly against him.
“No, Manda, they don’t. But I can’t stop wanting you close. Can we be close friends?” He asked, lowering his head until his warm breath tickled my ear. Closing my eyes tightly, I grabbed his arms to keep myself steady. What was he doing? “I like you close. Real close.”
“Have you lost your f**king mind?” Cage York’s voice broke the spell I’d fallen under, and I found the power to shove away from Preston.
“Stay out of this, Cage,” Preston snarled, turning his heavy-lidded eyes from me to Cage.
“And let you get the shit beat out of you? ’Cause if you touch her, not one of those buddies of yours is gonna have your back when Marcus kills you.”
“I said to back the hell off.”
Cage smirked and shook his head. “I ain’t gonna do that. You can go find another f**k buddy. Amanda is off-limits. You hurt her, then you hurt Low. I can’t let that happen. So you see, this gets personal.”
Cage had always been protective of Willow. They’d grown up together and were best friends. Marcus had issues with it sometimes, but over time he had started accepting it more and more. Especially since Cage had fallen in love with Eva.
“We’re friends. Leave this alone.” Preston turned to face Cage. This wasn’t looking good.
“Cage, he’s right. We are just friends. Let it go. We aren’t and will never be anything more than friends. I promise.”
Cage shifted his eyes from Preston to me. The concern and disbelief in his eyes as he met my pleading gaze was hard to miss. He didn’t believe either of us. But this really wasn’t his business.
“Fine,” Cage drawled. “But I’d make sure it stays that way.”
Preston’s hands fisted at his sides.
“It will,” I assured him.
Cage gave me one last nod, then turned and headed for the math building we’d just exited.
“And that is one of the many reasons our being friends might be a problem. Everyone knows you aren’t friends with girls.” It wasn’t like we could tell them that he’d already bagged me and was over it.
“Cage York is the last person on earth either of us needs to take advice from. Sure, I’ve never been friends with a girl before, but there has never been anyone I wanted to be friends with. You’re different. I want to keep you close.”
I wasn’t going to do the right thing here. I was going to do the stupid thing.
“Okay. Friends it is, then.”
Preston’s face broke into a big grin that made my stupid decision seem brilliant in the moment.
“Can we go get that coffee now?” he asked.
“Sure. Lead the way,” I replied.
* * *
Several girls looked our way as we walked across the street to the campus coffee shop. Preston did a real good job of ignoring them. I’d known him long enough to know he normally didn’t ignore it at all. He typically measured them up with one quick glance and decided he was interested or not.