Page 19 of Chasing Sunrise

“I wouldn’t know.” Her lips made a straight line.

His gaze intensified. “You’ve never drank a drop?”

She shook her head. “Never. I’ve always been the designated driver.”

“Well, I may be one of those guys who thinks women look better after I’ve had a few, or in tonight’s case, a lot, but I thought you were beautiful before I started drinking.”

A precious pink blush flooded her face.

He grinned. “And even if my mind was in the right headspace to pursue a woman, it wouldn’t be you. You’re too high maintenance for me.”

“Why do you say that?” A spike of anger rang in her tone. “You don’t know me.”

His eyes studied her from her head to her toes. “Your hair, you obviously change it on a whim. Your nails—” He pointed at her glossy-red fingernails. “Are too perfect to be real. I know how much your purse cost. I bought my girlfriend one exactly like it a couple of years ago.”

“Ex-girlfriend,” she corrected.

“Yes, thank you, ex-girlfriend. She’s a high maintenance woman as well.”

“I’d like to mention, I didn’t jump to conclusions about you at seeing you in that shirt. It costs more than I make in a week.”

“Does it? I didn’t buy these clothes. I receive clothing from show sponsors and rarely buy my own. I spend twenty dollars on haircuts, and use sunblock or bug repellant for cologne.”

“I call bullshit on that. You smell too good for it to be sunblock or bug spray.”

She’d noticed his cologne. Why did that please him? “You got me there. I do wear cologne sometimes. Another gift from sponsors.”

“Well...” She held up her hands in surrender. “Since you’ve already judged me, I guess there’s no hope for us.”

“It’s better if we understand we’re just going to be friends.”

“Why would you think I want to be friends with you?” she asked.

“You’ve been extremely helpful tonight, and you didn’t have to be. You must like me.”

“Or I feel sorry for you.”

“I’ll take either one. Plus, I can’t tell the world I’m celibate, so I’ll have to moan to you about that.” He teasingly exaggerated the wordmoan.

She snickered.

“Friends?” He held out his hand.

Amanda shook it.

It took everything in him not to pull her close and seal their friendship with a kiss.

A friendly peck.

Probably.

Maybe.

It’d depend. If her lips tasted of the strawberry daiquiri she’d been drinking, he might need to deepen the kiss.

“If you’re sure you don’t mind dropping me off, that would be great.” He placed a hand on the small of her back. “Let’s go.”

They said goodbye to Dre and Quinn, who stood at the door thanking their friends for coming.

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