More Than Protect You (More Than Words #6.5) - Shayla Black Page 0,14
especially in case you need to defend yourself.”
“Well, a twelve-month-old can’t exactly be left to his own devices. Are you going to babysit him?” she asks, pale brow raised in challenge.
“If I need to.”
“Absolutely not.”
This argument is going nowhere. She might hate me being as “overbearing” as my ex-wife, but Amanda isn’t calling the shots while her safety is on the line.
“Let’s go.” I nudge her toward the door.
If I don’t, if I stand here with her face under mine, with her lush mouth just inches away, I’ll keep thinking things I shouldn’t. I’ll stop remembering that doing them isn’t smart and start wondering if doing them is possible. I might even convince myself she wants me to.
Don’t be a dumb ass. Step back, pick up the kid, and act like a professional.
Scooping up Oliver, I peek out the door and scan the parking lot. I still don’t see anyone. There’s a couple with two little kids walking toward the beach a block away. I see an old guy drinking his morning coffee on his balcony across the street. A pair of women are talking a few yards down as one’s antsy dog runs in circles on its leash. I can’t be one hundred percent certain that none of them pose a threat, but my senses tell me they mean Amanda no harm.
I step aside and let her ease out the door. Her body brushes me as she passes, and I wish I wasn’t so aware of her.
“Wait.” I block those nearby from spotting her with my body as I lock the door, escort her to the car, then hastily set Oliver in his car seat.
She taps me on the shoulder. “Do you need help?”
I could probably figure out the buckles and straps of this contraption eventually, but I’d hate to do something wrong in my ignorance. “Sure.”
As I step back, she leans in. I try not to leer at her ass. Or any of her, really. Ellie did her best to enlighten me, and I understand how unwarranted staring could be unwelcome. Besides, Amanda isn’t looking for a lover. And when I’m with her, I shouldn’t be, either.
Moments later, she straightens. I escort her to the passenger’s side and open the door. I’m not sure what reaction I expected. I didn’t foresee her eyes zipping up to mine.
“Trying to be a gentleman?”
I’d suspect she was being snide if her face didn’t seem so wary. “No. My ex-wife hated gestures like this. But there are seven visible people nearby, any of whom could see you if I wasn’t blocking their view.”
She tries to peek around my shoulder. “I only saw the family heading to the beach. Who else?”
I grasp her face and hold her in place. “There are others. You’re going to have to trust me on this or we don’t have any business continuing this arrangement.”
“Fine.” She stops trying to peep behind me and slides into the car.
I shut the door and slip into the driver’s seat. When I turn the Mustang over, the engine roars. “What do you want for breakfast?”
We settle on donuts because Oliver isn’t awake yet, and his food would only get cold before he ate it. When we pull away from the drive-through, I notice she only drinks her coffee.
GPS tells me we have twelve minutes before we arrive at Trace’s location. I turned off the music as soon as I started up the car since it’s obvious we’re not going to agree on tunes. And as we stop at a light, Amanda glances out her window at the row of houses beyond a tall fence.
The golden sun illuminates her profile and makes her all but glow. I shift in my seat, but there’s no ignoring her effect on me.
“Would five thousand be enough to make you stay for the week?” she asks suddenly.
That’s more than I expected. It would certainly help me secure a lease and start acquiring equipment I need to open my doors. But we have to be real. “Do you really have that kind of money?”
“Now? No. But I can get it in a couple of days. If I promised you that, would you stay a whole week?”
Grilling her doesn’t seem right after the night she’s had. Besides, I’m dangerously reluctant to leave her side. “Yeah.”
“Would you stay another week for an additional five thousand?”
“Let’s see if you even need me beyond a few days. You may decide that you’re safer after some firearms and self-defense training, then use that