Page 79 of Keeping Amanda
“What do you want for dinner?”
Buck shook his head. He wasn’t going to let her shy away from her feelings. “Screw dinner. What do you need from me right now?”
“This. You being here. Touching me. That’s what I need.”
“Then that’s what you’ll get. Come ’ere.” Buck pulled Mandy into his arms and fell backward onto the couch. Rain grumbled, but jumped down onto the floor and went over to his bed. He didn’t sleep though. Just kept his eyes on Mandy as Buck got them comfortable on the couch.
He rolled her until her back was against the cushions and he was lying on his side in front of her. They were face-to-face and her hands were between them, resting on his chest.
“This is nice,” she said with a small smile. “Usually I don’t get to look at you when we’re cuddling.”
Buck made a mental note to lie like this more often. Anything this woman wanted, he’d move heaven and earth to give her.
They talked for at least an hour. He asked her to tell him more about Bibi, about the other kids she worked with in Guyana. About Desmond. Then he wanted to know more about her parents, about what she was like as a child. Many of the stories she told him, he’d heard before, when they were in the jungle, but they felt different now that deeper feelings were involved. Now that she was far more than a “mission.”
He did his fair share of talking too. About his sister, his niece and nephew, his parents. Growing up in Kansas. It felt good to be “normal” for a little while, to not talk about anyone hating this woman enough that they’d arranged to have her kidnapped…a person who, even now, could be on their way to cause more havoc in Mandy’s life.
It wasn’t until his stomach growled that Mandy insisted they get up and find something to eat. Buck agreed, but only because he felt as if she was truly on a more stable footing. That the time to decompress and simply enjoy being next to another human being who wanted nothing but good things for her had done her some good.
They got up, made a quick meal of ramen with a fried egg, then decided to relax in bed. Buck took Rain outside—there was no question that he would be the one doing that chore for the foreseeable future—then headed to the bedroom.
Mandy was already in bed waiting for him.
Buck paused at the doorway, watching Mandy as she read from her e-reader without noticing him. Seeing her there seemed so natural. So right. It was as if she’d always been with him, which was weird considering how short a time it had actually been. But the circumstances of them meeting and getting to know each other in such a stressful situation hadn’t been normal. Had fast-forwarded their relationship in a way that had brought them closer together. Buck couldn’t imagine not having her in his life, which was an intense feeling. But right, nonetheless.
He quickly joined her in the bed and snuggled up next to her on his side. She was on her back and started to put her e-reader down, but he stopped her. “No, keep reading. I’m just going to lie here.” His head was on her shoulder, his arm around her stomach, one of his legs over hers. Her scent was in his nostrils and the warmth of her body seeped into his own. He felt content and happy. Even lying with her quietly felt intimate in a way he’d never known.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.” She needed to lose herself in the fictional world of the stories she loved so much. Where there was always a happily ever after and the bad guy always got what he, or she, deserved.
Buck could only hope they had a similar ending…or beginning, as the case may be. That they’d find Blair, and the older woman would get the mental help she needed, and Bibi would be cared for properly. And, of course, that he and Mandy would live happily ever after.
But deep down, Buck was more than aware that life didn’t always turn out the way you wanted. It wasn’t a romance novel. All he could do was make sure Mandy was safe while Tex did his thing. He’d do whatever it took to protect the woman in his bed, because he was pretty sure life without her in it would be a dark, cold, and miserable place.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The next few days were hard. Not spending time with Laryn and her fellow mechanics in the hangar on the naval base, but the not knowing. The waiting. Every day that went by felt like an eternity. Where was Blair? What was she doing? How was Bibi? Amanda had more questions than answers, and it was maddening.
Last night, she’d been so on edge, Nash decided she needed several orgasms to let out some of the tension she carried. By the time he was through with her, she was a limp noodle and didn’t have any thoughts in her head except for the man who’d brought her such pleasure.
She was able to rouse enough to return the favor though, going down on him for the first time. Amanda loved the feeling of power it had given her, especially now, when she felt as if she had no control over her life. Watching Nash put his pleasure in her hands—and mouth—had given her back a sense of control she hadn’t felt for quite a while. She loved him for that.
No, that wasn’t true…she loved Nash because of the man he was. He’d proven to her time and time again that she could count on him. That he wouldn’t let her down. That he was there for her. How could shenotlove him?
But she wasn’t ready to say the words out loud, afraid she’d jinx things.
After all, they were still in the middle of a crisis. Maybe it wasn’t as intense as when they were in the jungle, but there was no clear end to whatever was happening. And until she didn’t have to have abodyguard, as Tex had put it, she wasn’t going to put any more pressure on Nash than he already had on his wide, capable shoulders.
This morning, however, her stress returned, since they had no more information about Blair’s whereabouts than they did a few days ago. It didn’t help that there was tension in the hangar. Currently, Amanda was watching Laryn argue with one of her mechanics over something they were doing to the helicopter she was retrofitting for Casper. Apparently it wasn’t the first time she’d had to do it in a very short amount of time, and she had no patience for the newer mechanics who thought they knew better than her.
Rain was lying at Amanda’s feet as she sat on a surprisingly comfortable easy chair someone had brought into the hangar the second day she was there. She had no idea where it came from, but she assumed Nash had made arrangements for the more comfortable place for her to hang out all day.
The dog had been as good as gold. Not making a peep and not leaving her side. He didn’t sleep, but kept his gaze locked on everyone who made their way close to her. For a dog who’d had a horrible life, he’d turned into an amazingly well-behaved animal who adored Amanda, and who was loved just as much in return.
As she was sitting there, bored out of her mind but determined not to let on—because after all, everyone was doing her a favor by letting her hang out in the first place—Amanda was surprised to see Nash enter the hangar and make his way toward her.
But he wasn’t smiling. He had a serious look on his face that didn’t bode well for whatever reason was behind his visit.
