Page 85 of Keeping Amanda
Two and a half hours later, Buck couldn’t stop smiling. Mandy was beautiful and kind all the time, but drunk? She was fucking amazing. Laughing, happy, and extremely eager to make sure everyone around her was feeling the exact same way.
She complimented all the waitresses every time they walked by. Telling them she loved their shoes, their hair, the way they effortlessly carried their trays. She thanked men in the bar who were wearing uniforms for their service. She insisted on tipping the bartender very well, every time Buck went to get her another drink.
In short, she was the kind of drunk everyone wanted to be around. Fun and carefree. Seeing her smile and having the time of her life was awesome, especially after the tough few weeks she’d had. Buck wasn’t a fan of using alcohol to numb pain or to escape bad experiences, because that shit didn’t work for long—those memories always came back tenfold—but seeing Mandy completely relaxed and not thinking about Blair, or the loss of the little girl she’d hoped to adopt, was worth the headache she’d likely have in the morning.
“You know what would’ve made tonight better?” she asked, leaning against Buck and smiling up at him.
“What, Rebel?”
“Having everyone else here too. Your friends.”
“Ourfriends,” Buck corrected.
Mandy beamed at that. “Yeah,ourfriends. They’re awesome. And not just because they keep you safe when you’re flying. Laryn included. Because they’renice. And they make you happy.”
“Youmake me happy,” Buck corrected.
“I’m glad. Because you make me feel like a completely different woman than I used to be. I feel as if I can do anything.”
“You can.”
“See? That right there. You’re so good to me. Why are you so good to me? I’m a mess, Nash. My life is a mess.”
“Because you’re you,” Buck told her. “Because in your eyes, I see my future. A future I had no idea I wanted until you burst into my life.”
“You hated me at first. Were irritated that you had to come after me.”
She wasn’t completely wrong. “I didn’t hate you,” he corrected.
She grinned. “But youwereirritated.”
Buck shrugged. “Maybe a little.”
Mandy giggled again. “Understatement,” she muttered, taking a sip of her margarita. It was her third, and while Buck loved tipsy Mandy, he didn’t want her incoherent when they got home. He had plans for her. He wanted to see her ride him. Hard and fast. And after she came, he was going to carry her out to the kitchen table and lay her down and feast.
He’d fantasized about that the other morning, while they were eating breakfast. It had popped into his brain out of the blue, and now he couldn’t think about anything else. After she’d orgasmed again, he was going to fuck her right there on the table. From behind. It was the perfect height to bend her over and take her. And she’d love every second, take what he had to give her, just like she always did.
“Do I want to know what you’re thinking?” she asked with a grin. “You’re thinking about sex, aren’t you?”
“I’m always thinking about sex when I’m with you,” Buck said honestly.
“Not when we were in the jungle. That’s gross.”
He shrugged.
“You were?” she practically screeched. “Nash! We were disgusting! Dirty and sweaty and tired…”
“You’re fucking beautiful, Mandy. How could Inotthink about it?”
“You’re so weird,” she said with a shake of her head.
It was Buck’s turn to laugh. He pulled on her arm and she fell against him, laughing.
“Don’t spill my drink!”
He took it out of her hand and placed it on a nearby table. They’d been watching two sailors battle over a billiards table, but all interest in the game had waned.
“I think about you all the time,” he admitted. “When I’m flying, when I’m in meetings, when I’m in the car, when I’m in the shower.Especiallywhen I’m in the shower. I’m a lucky son-of-a-bitch and I know it, and I can’t get you off my mind.”
