Page 10 of A Man for Amanda
“Keeping you from taking the same jump as your great-grandma.” He nodded toward the window at her back. “If you’d kept dancing backward, you might have gone right through the glass. Those panes don’t look very strong.”
“I wasn’t dancing anywhere.” But her heart was pounding as if she had just finished a fast rumba. “Let go.”
“You’re a real nice armful.” He leaned closer to take a sniff of her hair. “Even with all those thorns.” Enjoying himself, he kept his arm where it was. “You could’ve said thanks, Calhoun. I probably just saved your life.”
Her pulse might have been jumping, but she refused to let herself be intimidated by some slow-talking cowboy with an attitude. “If you don’t let me go, now, someone’s going to have to save yours.”
He laughed, delighted with her, and was tempted to scoop her up there and then. The next thing he knew, he was landing on his butt five feet away. With a smug smile, Amanda inclined her head.
“That concludes our tour for this evening. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” When she started by him, his hand snaked out and snagged her ankle. Amanda barely had time to shriek before she landed on the floor beside him. “Why, you—oaf,” she decided, and tossed the hair out of her eyes.
“What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” He tipped a fingertip under her chin. “More homespun philosophy. You’ve got quick moves, Calhoun, but you’ve got to remember to keep your eye on the target.”
“If I were a man—”
“This wouldn’t be half as much fun.” Chuckling, he gave her a quick, hard kiss, then tilted his head back to stare at her while she gaped. “Well, now,” he said softly while lightning bolts went off inside his chest. “I think we’d better try that again.”
She would have shoved him away. She knew she would have. Despite the heat trembling along her spine. Regardless of the thick syrupy longing that seemed to have replaced the blood churning in her veins. She would have shoved him away, had even lifted a hand to do so—certainly not to bring him closer—when footsteps clattered on the iron steps that led to the tower.
Sloan glanced up to see a tall, curvy woman in the doorway. She wore jeans that were ripped through at the knee with a plain white T-shirt tucked in the waist. Her hair was short and straight, offset by a fringe of sassy bangs. Below them her eyes registered surprise, then amusement.
“Hi.” She looked at Amanda, grinning as she noted her sister’s flushed face and tousled hair. The one place you didn’t expect to see business-first Amanda Calhoun was on the floor with a strange and very attractive man. “What’s going on?”
“We were going for the best two out of three,” Sloan told her. He rose, then hauled Amanda up by the arm. With what sounded like a snarl, Amanda jerked out of his hold, then busied herself brushing the dust from her slacks.
“This is my sister, C.C.”
“And you must be Sloan.” C.C. walked in, offering her hand. “Trent’s told me about you.” Green eyes dancing, she flicked a glance at her sister, then back again. “I guess he didn’t exaggerate.”
Sloan held the offered hand a moment. C.C. Calhoun was exactly the opposite of the kind of woman he’d expected his old friend to be involved with. And because Trent was his friend, Sloan couldn’t have been more delighted. “I can see why Trent’s got himself roped and corralled.”
“That’s one of Sloan’s whimsical compliments,” Amanda pointed out.
With a laugh, C.C. threw an arm around Amanda’s shoulders. “I think I figured that out. I’m glad to meet you, Sloan. Really glad. When I went up to Boston with Trent a couple of weeks ago, everyone I met was so...”
“Stuffy?” He grinned.
“Well.” A little embarrassed, she moved her shoulders. “I guess it’s hard for some of them to accept that Trent’s going to marry a mechanic who knows more about engines than opera.”
“Looks to me like Trent’s getting one hell of a deal.”
“We’ll see.” She knew with the least encouragement she would get mushy and embarrass herself. “Aunt Coco said you were staying for dinner. I was hoping you’d take one of the guest rooms here while you’re on the island.”
Sloan couldn’t see it, but he’d have bet the pot that Amanda bit her tongue. The idea of ruffling her feathers made it tempting to change his plans. “Thanks, but I’m all taken care of. Besides...” Now he grinned at Amanda. “I’m going to be underfoot enough as it is.”
“However you’re most comfortable,” C.C. told him. “Just so that you know you’re welcome here at The Towers.”
“I’ll go down and see if Aunt Coco needs any help.” Amanda sent Sloan a cool nod. “C.C. will show you down when you’re ready.”
He winked at her. “Thanks for the tour, honey.”
He could almost hear her grinding her teeth as she walked away.
“That’s some sister you’ve got there.”
“Yes, she is.” C.C.’s smile was warm, and warning. “Trent tells me you’re quite the ladies’ man.”
“He’s still mad because I stole a woman out from under his nose when we were both still young and foolish.” Sloan took C.C.’s hand as they walked through the doorway. “You sure you’re stuck on him?”
