suckled her nipple, and the heat of his mouth
infused her once again.
Amanda swallowed a groan of pleasure, yanked the
rest of his shirt out of his jeans, and along with the heat of his
mouth, was rewarded with the warmth of his belly against hers.
Outside, a car door banged and Dane jerked up,
pulling Amanda into a sitting position against his chest.
Heart pounding, she somehow found her voice. “We
should probably lock the door.”
But the moment she glanced up at his profile, the
moment he looked down at her, she knew they were done. Finished.
Back to being friends.
If that was even possible.
Pride swelled inside of her, quickly followed by an
ache that she knew would never go away. She took the easy way out,
gave him a shove out of the car and without meeting his eyes,
forced a smile. “Whew, saved by the parents.”
Sliding out after him, she turned her back on him,
the heat of his body against hers still fresh in her mind, the
woeful thought of the lost opportunity bringing tears to her eyes.
One by one, she refastened the buttons on her shirt.
He might never let down his guard again.
“Mandy, look at me.”
His rough voice sent a shiver of longing up her
spine. Closing the last button, she turned to face him, but
couldn’t quite meet his gaze. So she focused on his chest. His
shirt was wrinkled and still untucked, and everything in her body
wept for the feel of him against her. “What?”
“I can’t do this. To you. To us.”
She shrugged. Chose to make it simple for him.
“Absolutely. I totally understand.”
His gaze was intense, his frustration evident in the
clench of his jaw. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”
She looked into his eyes, deep into his eyes, and
knew the only way back to their friendship was to treat the
experience as nothing but an experiment. “You should probably get
straightened up before my parents or grandma decide to come out
here to check on our progress. Come on, let’s get this car
decorated.”
His expression was closed, distant.
In the silence between them, she could hear her
heart crack wide open.
Chapter Six
That evening, Amanda decided to walk downtown to the
Cranberry Cove Restaurant, where her mom and dad were hosting the
rehearsal dinner. As she maneuvered the slippery sidewalks, she
thought about her encounter with Dane.
It had been hot. Beyond hot. But there’d been
feelings involved too, emotions that weren’t just one sided. And
now it was obvious Dane was avoiding her. Even though she’d
considered that this might be his reaction, it still hurt.
He couldn’t avoid her forever. Tonight, she’d see
him at the restaurant, and again tomorrow at the Community Hall
when they both stood up beside their grandparents.
And after that, it would be up to him to make a move
because she was heading back to the city, where it might be lonely,
but at least her heart was safe.
Her cell phone rang, drawing her thoughts away from
how badly she might have screwed up. She glanced at the number on
the screen, saw it was her sister and thumbed the talk button.
“Hey, Steph. Where are you?”
“Still in Seattle. Work is crazy busy and I’m having
problems getting away. How’s everything there?”
“Mom is driving Dad nuts with the wedding
preparations, and Grandma is as nervous as a new bride.”
“Whether you’re twenty or eighty, getting married is
a big step.”
“I suppose.” She steadied herself over a patch of
ice on the sidewalk. “Are you bringing anyone to the wedding?”
“You’re kidding, right? You know Mom would start
clipping out pictures of engagement rings and wedding gowns and
baby strollers. How about you?”
“No way. She’s already given me the grandbaby
lecture. You’d think she would’ve given up by now.” Amanda
hesitated, wondered if she should mention her encounter with Dane
or wait till she saw her sister in person. But she might not have
another opportunity. Stephanie preferred to show up
infused her once again.
Amanda swallowed a groan of pleasure, yanked the
rest of his shirt out of his jeans, and along with the heat of his
mouth, was rewarded with the warmth of his belly against hers.
Outside, a car door banged and Dane jerked up,
pulling Amanda into a sitting position against his chest.
Heart pounding, she somehow found her voice. “We
should probably lock the door.”
But the moment she glanced up at his profile, the
moment he looked down at her, she knew they were done. Finished.
Back to being friends.
If that was even possible.
Pride swelled inside of her, quickly followed by an
ache that she knew would never go away. She took the easy way out,
gave him a shove out of the car and without meeting his eyes,
forced a smile. “Whew, saved by the parents.”
Sliding out after him, she turned her back on him,
the heat of his body against hers still fresh in her mind, the
woeful thought of the lost opportunity bringing tears to her eyes.
One by one, she refastened the buttons on her shirt.
He might never let down his guard again.
“Mandy, look at me.”
His rough voice sent a shiver of longing up her
spine. Closing the last button, she turned to face him, but
couldn’t quite meet his gaze. So she focused on his chest. His
shirt was wrinkled and still untucked, and everything in her body
wept for the feel of him against her. “What?”
“I can’t do this. To you. To us.”
She shrugged. Chose to make it simple for him.
“Absolutely. I totally understand.”
His gaze was intense, his frustration evident in the
clench of his jaw. “That’s it? That’s all you have to say?”
She looked into his eyes, deep into his eyes, and
knew the only way back to their friendship was to treat the
experience as nothing but an experiment. “You should probably get
straightened up before my parents or grandma decide to come out
here to check on our progress. Come on, let’s get this car
decorated.”
His expression was closed, distant.
In the silence between them, she could hear her
heart crack wide open.
Chapter Six
That evening, Amanda decided to walk downtown to the
Cranberry Cove Restaurant, where her mom and dad were hosting the
rehearsal dinner. As she maneuvered the slippery sidewalks, she
thought about her encounter with Dane.
It had been hot. Beyond hot. But there’d been
feelings involved too, emotions that weren’t just one sided. And
now it was obvious Dane was avoiding her. Even though she’d
considered that this might be his reaction, it still hurt.
He couldn’t avoid her forever. Tonight, she’d see
him at the restaurant, and again tomorrow at the Community Hall
when they both stood up beside their grandparents.
And after that, it would be up to him to make a move
because she was heading back to the city, where it might be lonely,
but at least her heart was safe.
Her cell phone rang, drawing her thoughts away from
how badly she might have screwed up. She glanced at the number on
the screen, saw it was her sister and thumbed the talk button.
“Hey, Steph. Where are you?”
“Still in Seattle. Work is crazy busy and I’m having
problems getting away. How’s everything there?”
“Mom is driving Dad nuts with the wedding
preparations, and Grandma is as nervous as a new bride.”
“Whether you’re twenty or eighty, getting married is
a big step.”
“I suppose.” She steadied herself over a patch of
ice on the sidewalk. “Are you bringing anyone to the wedding?”
“You’re kidding, right? You know Mom would start
clipping out pictures of engagement rings and wedding gowns and
baby strollers. How about you?”
“No way. She’s already given me the grandbaby
lecture. You’d think she would’ve given up by now.” Amanda
hesitated, wondered if she should mention her encounter with Dane
or wait till she saw her sister in person. But she might not have
another opportunity. Stephanie preferred to show up
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