Sea Breeze 04 - Just for Now

Preston over the years kept flashing through my mind. When I’d met him, he’d been a skinny kid with hair so long he kept it in a ponytail. Even in his faded jeans and worn-out T-shirt I couldn’t help but think he was beautiful. But I’d wondered why his mother let him look like that.
    “Thank you for telling me. For letting me help today. I know I’m reacting to this like the spoiled brat that I am, but I’m trying to process it. I want to go take them all away from your mom and keep them close. Take care of them. Make sure they have proper haircuts and clean clothes.”
    Preston’s chest rumbled with laughter, and I looked up at him.
    “Proper haircuts and clean clothes?” he asked, grinning down at me.
    “I keep remembering the first time I saw you. Your hair was ridiculously long, and your clothes were so worn out. It didn’t take away from the fact that you were the most gorgeous boy I’d ever seen, but still. . . .” Oh, crap. Had I really just said that?
    Preston titled his head to the side and studied me a moment. “You thought I was gorgeous?”
    Sighing, I started to pull back from his arms, but he held me firmly in place. “Answer me,” he whispered, lowering his head so that his mouth was very close to my ear.
    “Yes. You know you’re gorgeous.”
    Preston slid a hand down my back until he had a firm grip on my waist, and then he pulled me up higher against his chest. “Maybe I don’t know that,” he replied, reaching with his other hand to cup my face and brush his thumb over my cheekbone. “Maybe I’m trying to figure out why you want anything to do with me.”
    Was he serious?
    “I’ve had a crush on you since I was sixteen. Surely you know this. I wasn’t very secretive about it. I’ve never missed one of your baseball games, not even the away ones. I found any reason I could think of to throw myself in your path. Then when I did get your attention, you were drunk, but I didn’t care. I was willing to take what I could get. Maybe I didn’t know you were as drunk as you were, but I was just glad you weren’t treating me like a little girl anymore. I was tired of having to fantasize about you. I wanted the real thing.”
    Preston went very still. Dang it. I’d opened my mouth and said too much. He was going to shove me toward the bathroom now and go hide in his bedroom.
    “You fantasized about me?”
    Really? Was that all he got out of what I’d just said?
    “Yes,” I replied, rolling my eyes and trying to move away, only to be held in place with a tight squeeze of my waist from his hand.
    Preston lowered his mouth until it was against my cheek. “Why don’t you tell me about these fantasies? You know, so I understand better.” His warm breath tickled my skin, and I shivered.
    “That’s a bad idea,” I replied.
    Preston’s hand slipped under the hem of my shirt until his fingers were brushing up against my bare stomach. “I disagree. I’m thinking it’s a real good idea,” he said before trailing kisses against the tender skin behind my ear down to my neck.
    Forming thoughts while Preston’s hand was slowly moving up my stomach and his mouth was nuzzling and taking small nips at my neck wasn’t exactly easy. I couldn’t remember what it was we were talking about.
    “See, Manda, it’s a really good idea. So damn good,” he said just before his hand cupped one of my breasts.
    Focus. I needed to focus. There was a reason this was a bad idea. I just had to think really hard.
    “Take this shirt off for me,” Preston said in a harsh whisper. Then he pulled my shirt over my head and dropped it somewhere to the side of us. His eyelids were lowered, and it only made him sexier. I hadn’t realized that was possible.
    With one hand Preston reached around me and undid the hooks on my bra, then pulled it away. I’d been with him like this before, but it had been dark outside. We weren’t in the dark now, and Preston’s words “I know your boobs aren’t that big” came back to haunt me. I didn’t have the cup size most of the girls he dated did. He liked big boobs. Mine were nowhere near what he was used to. I glanced around frantically for my shirt.
    “Manda, don’t.” Preston ran his hand through my hair and turned my head back toward him. Then his mouth covered mine. The soft warmth of his lips as they nipped and tasted me made my insides turn to butter. I slipped both my hands around his neck and held him there, afraid he’d realize I had small