Man of Honor (Battle Scars #3) - Diana Gardin Page 0,28
go, Mikah.”
His mouth clenches tight, but he follows me to the front door and out to his souped-up Tiburon.
“That’s it?” he asks as he slides behind the wheel. “I mean… I’m with you, Mea. Whatever you want to do. But don’t you have more to say?”
I stare out the window as he begins the drive down the country roads back toward the shore that I’ve grown to love.
I have no words.
11
Drake
January flies by in a blur, with me working at the garage, fixing up my Yamaha, and then sliding into See Food every night for a drink. Or more than a drink.
But one morning, I wake up to a phone call from Mea.
“Hey.” My scratchy morning voice is in full effect. “What’s up?”
The sexy rasp of her sleepy morning voice lights a red-hot flame inside me. I’m instantly awake.
“We have things to do today. You’re not working today, right? I’ll swing by in a half hour.”
Sitting straight up in bed, I squint at the phone, like that’s gonna help me understand what she’s talking about. “What do we have to do?”
The smile in her voice reaches out and hugs me. “Our best friends are getting married in a couple of months. We have a party to plan.”
Sinking back down into the softness of my pillows, I sigh. “Oh, right.”
“Drake? You just laid back down, didn’t you?”
Chuckling, I swing my legs around and stretch. “I’m up, Mea. See you in thirty.”
I’ve just walked into the kitchen, freshly showered and dressed, when she knocks at my front door. When I open it, she waltzes in with two large cups in her hands.
She thrusts one in my hands. “Coffee for you, green tea latte for me.”
She settles in at the kitchen table. Sipping the bitter black liquid, just the way I like it, I follow.
“Good morning to you, too. Thanks for the coffee.” I take the seat beside her.
And the she pulls out a fucking binder. A binder.
“This,” she says, her voice full of pride, “is full of possible bachelor/bachelorette party activities.” Her voice is pumped.
Not sure what it is with women and weddings. It’s like candy or something. They all get high just thinking about them. Trying to bite back my groan, I slide the binder toward me.
She starts chattering away, talking through the ideas she has for the event, and I get lost. In her excitement, in her energy, in the way her teeth sink into her soft lips as she scans her notes.
“See?” Her voice is all bubbles and giddiness. “They have this code-breaking place in Savannah. Wouldn’t that be fun if we had to break out of this scary room by solving clues and stuff?”
I just stare at her. “Pretty sure we’re gonna be drunk most of the weekend. Breaking codes is like work for the security guys. So I veto that idea.”
Her dark eyes narrow on me. “Pretty sure I didn’t give you veto power.”
I lean in, dropping my voice to a whisper. “Pretty sure you’re not the boss of me.”
Her eyes dart down to my lips before flashing back up to my eyes. Her small, pink tongue darts out to lick her lips, and I can’t stop the reaction my body makes. “Fuck.”
“Bar crawl.” I grind the words out, my teeth clenched tightly together just like the rest of my muscles. Her looking at my lips isn’t exactly an invitation for more.
But damn do I want that invitation.
“What?” She looks confused.
“Bar crawl. It’s what we should do one of the nights we’re in Savannah. Laid-back and fun. Split up the guys and the girls for the night, then meet up at the end of it.”
Her eyes light up as she turns a page in the binder and jots something down. “That’s a good idea.” Looking up at me, her bottom lip juts out just a bit.
She’s trying to kill me right here in my kitchen.
“But I still like the code-breaking idea.”
I lean in, studying her gorgeous face, taking advantage of the closer distance. “How about we save that for another weekend? One where we’re not all likely to be three sheets?”
With a smirk, she taps the end of her pen against her lips. “I might be willing to take that deal.”
“Let’s talk to Dare and Berkeley about what activities they want to do while we’re there, and next time we get together we’ll book some stuff. Sound like a plan?”
She nods.
I reach over and close her binder. “Good, because I’m hungry. Let me take you to breakfast.”