Treat Me (One Night with Sole Regret #8)(12)

In his mind's eye, he could see her smile. See her eyes light up and the green flecks in their hazel depths brighten with mischief. Very soon he wouldn't have to imagine what she looked like as she thought of him. He would see for himself.

Her reply came quickly. I hope you have TWO swollen heads when you think of me.

He laughed out loud. No doubt. I'll see you soon.

Not soon enough.

She sure made it difficult to keep his head on his work. A pretty brunette stopped in front of him and smiled. "Can I get a picture with you?" she asked shyly.

"Sure." He stood and wrapped an arm around her slight shoulders, smiling for the camera phone. He did have the best job on the planet. Now if he could only create the perfect home life to match it. 





Chapter Two


Amanda waved at the pretty black-haired woman who walked through the front door of Jack's Bar and Grill. Leah was stretching every inch of her five-foot frame to try to spot Amanda through the crowd. Their favorite table had been occupied when Amanda had arrived, so she'd been forced to sit at a counter-high table in the corner.

"Leah!" Amanda shouted, waving more vigorously.

Leah smiled when her gaze landed on Amanda, and she pressed her way through the boisterous crowd. She hugged Amanda before climbing up on the tall stool across from her.

"The nachos should be out in a few minutes," Amanda said.

Amanda waved a hand at the cute Latino waiter who'd already brought her margarita and would know what Leah wanted to drink without asking. The chicken nachos, the margaritas-hers lime with salt on the rim, Leah's strawberry with sugar-the flirting with their regular server, and the dissuasion of inebriated cowboys were all part of their Friday night routine. They'd been coming to this bar since they'd turned twenty-one. Before that they'd hung out at a coffee shop every Saturday morning and studied together each night in the library. Before that, they spent almost every afternoon at the mall. And before that, they'd been together every waking moment playing with frogs in the Carmichael's backyard koi pond. Leah was no longer Amanda's next door neighbor, but they still saw each other regularly. They even worked in the same school district.

"I thought you might bail on me tonight," Leah said with a wry grin. "Isn't that new man of yours coming home for the weekend?"

"I'd never miss our girls' night." Amanda took a sip from her straw; the cold lime kick bathed her tongue and traced a frigid path down her throat as she swallowed. "Besides, he won't be home until after midnight."

Leah grinned knowingly. "Ah, so you'll need to leave here by eleven thirty."

Amanda wanted to leave early and meet Jacob at his house, but she wasn't sure that was a wise approach. She'd seen what had happened to the last woman who'd stripped off her clothes and surprised him-wet, naked, and gorgeous-in his hot tub. As the lead singer of a popular metal band, Jacob was used to women chasing him. Perhaps he'd like to do the chasing for a change. But Amanda wasn't sure she could keep herself from pursuing him; she'd had a crush on him for ages. Their one night together had turned into two when she'd surprised him backstage at his show in San Antonio. If she hadn't taken the initiative to hunt him down, he'd have likely forgotten about her by now. The man's attention span was more miniscule than most of her sophomore biology students' fascination with cellular mitosis. So she could hold the man's interest for five minutes. Tops.

"Maybe," Amanda said with a shrug. "I haven't decided yet."

Leah snorted. "Coward."

"I'm not a coward," Amanda insisted. She folded her arms on the table and leaned over to press her forehead into her forearm. "Just a little yellow."

"I don't get what the problem is. You've been lusting after the guy since he started dating your sister."

"Reprehensible behavior," Amanda muttered.

"You've always gotten along well with him-even when Tina was trying to destroy him in the divorce. Then he finally notices you as a woman, you have the best sex of your life with the guy, and now you're backing off? What your deal, Amanda?"

"I don't know." Amanda lifted her head from her folded arms and stared into Leah's dark brown eyes. "Do you think I'm a horrible person for having an affair with my sister's ex-husband?"



       
         
       
        

Leah lifted both eyebrows. "You know how I feel about your sister. How many times did she steal your boyfriends? Ones you actually wanted? Do you think she felt a twinge of remorse for causing you so much heartache over the years? And Tina hates Jacob now. Loathes him. You're not a horrible person, Amanda. You're incapable of being a horrible person."