A Man for Amanda Page 0,38
Pride won. "I merely came by this morning to apologize."
He bit off another piece of toast. It did soothing things to the rocky sea of his belly. "What for?"
"For what I said, and the way I acted yesterday." Unable to stand still, she walked over to the window and pulled the shades open, ignoring Sloan's quick hiss of pain. "Although I still think I was perfectly justified. After all, I only knew that you'd said something to hurt Suzanna badly." But there was regret in her eyes when she turned back. "When she told me about your sister - about Bax - I realized how you must have been feeling. Damn it, Sloan, you could have told me yourself."
"Maybe. Maybe you could have trusted me."
She took her glasses out again, playing with the earpieces to keep her hands busy. "It wasn't really a matter of trust, but of automatic reflex. You don't know what Suzanna went through, how deeply she was hurt. Or if you do, because of your own sister, then you should understand why I couldn't bear to see her look like that again." She shoved the glasses away. When she looked at him, her eyes were damp. "And it was worse, because I have feelings for you."
If there was one thing he had no defense against, it was tears. Wanting to
ward them off as much as he wanted to make peace, he rose to take her hands. "I made my share of mistakes yesterday." Smiling, he rubbed her knuckles over his cheek. It felt good - damn good. "I guess it's as hard for you to apologize as it is for me."
"If you mean it's like swallowing a lump of coal, then you're right."
"Why don't we call it even, all around?" But when he lowered his head to kiss her, she stepped back.
"I really need to think straight for a while."
He caught her hand again. "I really need to make love with you."
Her heart took a quick leap into her throat. For someone who moved so slowly, how did he get from one point to the next so fast? "I'm, ah, on duty. I'm already over my break, and Stenerson - "
"Why don't I give him a call?" Still smiling, he began to kiss her fingers. The hangover was down to a dull ache, not nearly as noticeable as another, more pleasant one in the pit of his stomach. "Tell him I need the assistant manager for a couple hours."
"I think - "
"There you go again," he murmured, brushing his lips lightly over hers.
"No, really, I have to..." Her mind clouded as he trailed those lips down her throat. "I really have to get back to my desk. And I - " She took a big, shuddering gasp of air. "I need to be sure." Scrambling for survival, she pulled away. "I have to know what I'm doing."
Sloan pressed a hand to the familiar bum that spread inside his gut. He had a feeling he was just going to have to live with it for a while longer. "Tell you what, Calhoun. You think about it, and think hard, until after the wedding. Like we said before." Before she could relax, he had her chin cupped firmly in his hand. "And after the wedding, if you don't come to me, you'd better run fast."
The line appeared between her brows. "That sounds like an ultimatum."
"No, that's a fact. If I were you, I'd get out that door now, while I still had the chance."
All dignity, she marched to it before turning back with a smile that should have tipped him off. "Enjoy your breakfast," she told him, then slammed the door with a vengeance. She could almost see him holding his battered head.
"I didn't think I'd be nervous." C.C. stared at the wedding dress of snowy silk and lace that hung on the back of her closet door. "Maybe it'd be better if I just wore regular clothes."
"Don't be ridiculous. And stop fidgeting." Amanda bent close to her sister to add a bit more blusher to her cheeks. "You're supposed to be nervous."
"Why?" Annoyed with herself, C.C. pressed a hand to her fluttery stomach. "I love Trent and want to get married. Why should I be nervous now that it's going to happen?" She looked back at the dress and swallowed. "Less than an hour from now."
Amanda grinned. "Maybe I should call Aunt Coco and have her give you a booster-shot course on the birds and the bees."
"Very