by Lane, Soraya
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. I didn't have some plan to seduce your little sister."
"I'm sorry for punching you. It was stupid."
"You were angry," Scott replied. "I get it."
Blake opened his door and leaned against it. "I still want you to stay the fuck away from her."
"Yeah, I know."
Scott watched as Blake drove away, before heading back to the tent. The builders would be back on site soon which meant he was never going to be able to spend all morning with Amanda, but it wasn't exactly the wake up call he'd imagined after the night they'd had.
Blake had managed to hit him where it hurt, and no matter how much he tried to forget what he'd said, he knew it would be impossible.
"Just forget all about him," Amanda said, brushing a kiss across Scott lips and staring up at him.
"I don't want to be responsible for hurting your family, not now."
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Scott, my mom and sisters love you. We're just talking about Blake here, and we both know he's the one being an idiot."
"Still," Scott replied, his chocolate brown eyes reflecting his mood. "He's your brother and we shouldn't have flaunted what we were doing."
Amanda laughed - she couldn't help it. "He found us in a tent on your property. We were hardly flaunting it."
Scott sighed and reached for her, running his hands down her shoulders and then her back. "I need you to know that I haven't been that one night stand asshole for a while now. Blake remembers the guy I used to be."
"I know who you are, Scott. You don't have to explain yourself to me."
"So what do you want from me? From this?"
She shrugged, trying to play it cool even though she couldn't stand the thought of going back to her apartment, walking away from Scott and knowing that nothing more could ever happen between them. The truth was, she didn’t need to be in New York all the time to do her work, even though her teenaged self had thought otherwise. Back then it had been everything she’d wanted, now she wasn’t so sure.
"We do whatever feels right for the next few days, then we say goodbye," she finally replied.
Scott stroked her hair, leaned forward and kissed her mouth. She willingly let him, parted her lips and touched her tongue to his, kissed him back with a hunger that seemed to take him by surprise.
"You're a bad influence on me," Scott muttered as he slipped her bra strap down and pushed the satin aside so he could cup her breast.
"What time are the builders coming?" she asked, ready to strip her underwear off and wrap her legs around Scott, let him take her again in the tent they'd spent the night in.
"Too soon," he groaned, pulling away and holding his hands up. "Which means I have to get away from you."
Amanda laughed, amused by how easily Scott could get her in the mood, make her want to strip her clothes off. She was usually a stickler for not letting a guy get too far under her skin so quickly, but Scott? Hell, she'd waited to be naked with him most of her life, so maybe he didn't count.
"You do know I don't usually, well, have sex without being in a relationship," she told him.
He grinned as he pulled his t-shirt over his head. "If you say so."
"Scott!" Amanda punched him in the arm, furious with him.
"You're usually a good girl, I get it," he said, his smile kind now instead of mocking. "And it just so happens that sex with a good girl is all the more fun."
"Oh yeah?"
His laugh made her grin. "Yeah. I'll be your booty call whenever you need it."
Scott had been so serious only minutes earlier, but now he was being the same smart ass, fun guy she was used to. She only hoped that he didn't take Blake too seriously, because she didn't have long left at home and she wanted to enjoy Scott while she could. She knew this was her only chance to be with him - next time she came back, he could be involved with someone else. The thought sent a pang directly through her heart, but she ignored it. She had no claim over him, and she never would, because moving back to Montana wasn't in her career plan. She had to remember that she was the one who'd proposed a no-strings romance.
"Hey, thanks for a fun night," she told Scott before he crawled out of the tent.
He turned back, gaze locking on hers. "Pity about the morning though, huh?"
She shook her head, suddenly wishing she was staying, that she hadn't ever told Scott that she only wanted fun.
"For the night we had? It was worth it."
Scott disappeared and she finished dressing, not wanting to be caught half-clothed when the guys turned up to work on the site. It was time to go back and face her brother, and figure out how long she had here before she had to go back and force herself into work mode.
"He's just lashing out," Maddie said, passing first Amanda and then Charley a coffee.
"You mean he's just being an idiot," Amanda grumbled.
Her sisters both exchanged looks and she waited for them to say whatever it was they were thinking.
"He's angry over dad, and he's taking it out on Scott," Charley said, blowing on her coffee then making a face when she sipped it and it was still too hot. "Some days I'm so angry I can hardly get my work done, but then I think of how calm dad was, how peaceful he was when he was out on the land, and I stop myself." Charley shrugged. "Maybe Blake hasn't figured out how to do that yet."
Amanda knew they were right, but it didn't make her any less annoyed. "So that's an excuse for slamming his fist into Scott's face?"
Maddie's grimace said it all. "No, but you need to talk to him."
"Talk to who?"
They all turned when Blake spoke from the doorway. Trust him to be listening in on what they were saying.
"I was just telling these two about our little disagreement this morning," she said, looking down at her coffee instead of at him.
She heard him let out a big breath. "Look, I was a jerk, I know I was, but you and Scott? It's just not right. You don’t belong together."
"You don't know what's right for me, Blake. I've been perfectly capable of looking after myself this past decade, and I still am. Haven't we already had this conversation? I think we’re done."
"Amanda," Maddie said, touching her arm at the same time as giving her a stare that replicated their mom to a tee.
"So you want me to back off and stop looking out for you?" he asked, coming closer so he was standing at the counter where they all sat.
Amanda looked up and met his gaze, seeing hurt there that immediately made her anger disappear. Maybe her sisters were right. Maybe he was just hurt beyond belief and was trying to look after his family.
"I don't want to fight with you, Blake," she said, reaching out for him until she had his hand in hers. "I like Scott a lot, but you're my brother and I don't want anything to come between us. Can we just drop it?"
Blake let go of her hand and pulled up a stool next to hers, slinging his arm around her shoulder. "Yeah, we can drop it. I've said my piece. How about we all just hang out a bit today, do something out on the ranch? Something Dad and Charley would have done together."
Amanda groaned and so did Maddie, but then they all burst out laughing.
"You sure you're not trying to punish me?" Amanda asked, giving her brother a shove.
"Or we could just crack a bottle of dad's favorite wine and enjoy the sunshine. Get mom a bit tipsy."
"I might even have a sip or two," Maddie said, hand on her belly. "I've been sober as a judge for eight months, but surely one sip of red wine won't do me any harm. Not if we're toasting dad."
"I need you to promise not to lay into Scott again," Amanda said, her words only for her brother. "Please."
He stared at her for a moment and then nodded. "If it means that much to you, I'll stop making it my business. Just…" he paused and shook his head. "Nothing."
"Thank you," she said, pleased they'd finally cleared the air.
She doubted her brother would ever be happy about her seeing Scott, but
it was only for a few more days, and then everything would go back to normal. Or as normal as things could be. She'd be flying back to New York, Scott would be launching his new business venture, and they were all going to have to learn how to deal with life without her dad.
"Hey," she said, grabbing Blake's hand as he stood and giving him her sweetest smile when he looked down at her. "Will you apologize to Scott?"
"Hell no."
Amanda laughed. So maybe that was asking just a little too much.
CHAPTER TWELVE
"Hey handsome."
Scott put down his hammer and turned, shielding his eyes from the sun so he could see Amanda. "Hey yourself."
She was standing a few yards away, hands on her hips as she watched him, wearing tight jeans, boots and a checked shirt with the sleeves rolled up. She looked like a model for a ranching magazine.
"You decide to dress the part of the pretty rancher?" he asked, walking over and dropping a kiss to her cheek.
Amanda laughed. "The outfits are one of the only things I like about actual ranching," she said, sticking her fingers through the loops of her jeans.
"Well it suits you, even if your shirt is buttoned way too low to be safe on a construction site."
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" she asked, eyebrows raised.
"That my men could whack the end of their thumbs off from checking you out instead of watching what they're doing. So any accidents are strictly your fault."
Scott stared down at Amanda, watching the way she moistened her lips, like she was waiting to be kissed - or maybe he just had a vivid imagination.
"Are we okay, after what happened yesterday?" she asked.
"Yeah, we're okay."
"If it helps, Blake's promised to back down. He as good as admitted he was a dickhead."
Scott looked over his shoulder, didn't want anyone else to hear their conversation. "Can we take a walk?"
Amanda nodded and he took her hand, knowing that no matter what he was feeling he owed it to her to just be himself instead of shutting off that part of him that he usually kept closed. She deserved better than that, and he knew it.
"You're about to give me the it's you not me speech, aren't you," Amanda said, her brown eyes swimming with uncertainty as she watched him.
Scott kept walking, didn't let go of her hand until they reached the clearing at the top of the incline they were on. He sat down and pulled her with him, one leg stretched out in front of him, the other bent so he could rest one arm on his knee.
"I've been thinking about what Blake said."
Amanda shook her head. "No. Don't let him get to you."
"But he's right," Scott said. "The last thing your family needs is for anything to cause conflict, to pull you apart, not now."
"So what are you saying?"
He didn't really know. "I guess I just think we maybe should have thought this through a bit better. I was so desperate to…"
"Get in my pants?" Amanda teased.
Scott couldn't help but grin. "In more polite words, yeah. But I'm serious, a holiday romance is not worth you and your brother fighting, even if he is the one making a mountain out of a molehill."
Amanda rested her hand on his thigh and looked out over the land. "You know, I sit here and wonder what kind of work I'd create if I stayed. Whether I'd find my groove again, become energized again, fall in love all over again with what I'm doing."
"You're thinking of staying?" That was a curve ball he hadn't even considered when they'd started spending time together. He'd told her all along that he couldn't commit, that he wasn't capable of it and she'd said the same, but if she stayed…
"No," she said with a sigh. "I can't, but it's a nice fantasy to have while I'm here."
"Maybe you should go back to basics while you're here, do some sketching or something. You still carry a little book around with you?"
She turned back to him, her surprise obvious. "You remember that?"
"You carted that book around everywhere, of course I remember." He'd always wanted to look inside it, but she'd never let go of it even once when he'd been around. He doubted she'd ever shared it with anyone.
"Now I have a few different ones, but yeah, I usually always carry one in my bag in case inspiration hits."
They sat in silence awhile, both just staring out over the fields. Scott felt more at peace than he had since his mom had died, more comfortable with who he was and what he was doing, but the way he felt about Amanda had sure made him question everything all over again. Truth was, he wanted to see more of her, be with her, because everything felt right with her around. For the first time in his life, he felt like someone actually gave a damn about him, and it wasn’t a feeling he was used to. Which made the fact she was leaving even harder to deal with.
"Amanda, what do you want from your life?" he asked, plucking at the blades of grass between them.
"I want to make my dad proud. I want to be the best artist I can be. I want…" her voice trailed off. "I want to follow my dreams."
He nodded, knowing that he didn't need to think about what if. Amanda had no intention of not pursuing her dreams, and he admired her because of it. Which meant they had a few days before she was gone, and then he could forget all about how tempted he was when she was around. Tempted to see if he was capable of being the man she deserved to have in her life.
"Then live your dreams. Do everything you've ever wanted to do and don't let anyone stand in your way and tell you otherwise."
Scott cleared his throat, fighting the urge to ask Amanda to stay. He knew it was wrong, for both of them, but it would have been so easy to do.
"Can you come over for dinner tomorrow night?" she asked, squeezing his hand and looking at him, bravely showing the tears that were flooding her eyes ready to spill over.
"You're sure that's wise?"
She nodded, folding her arms across her chest. "You've just made me realize that I need to get on a plane. If I don't get back to my studio soon, I'm going to blow the biggest opportunity of my life."
Scott stroked Amanda's hair, ran his hand down until he reached the small of her back, before cupping her head and gently nudging her forward. He looked at her face, took in her bright hazel-brown eyes, her smile, the fullness of her lips as they parted.
He didn't say anything else and neither did he. They both knew this was goodbye, that it was bittersweet, that what they had wasn't made to last.
Amanda reached for him, clutching a fistful of his t-shirt as he dipped his head and brushed his mouth to hers, tried to be gentle, soft, even though the urge to be a whole lot rougher was almost impossible to fight. His only saving grace was the fact they were still within view of his construction site.
Her lips were so soft beneath his and he didn't stop kissing her, didn't stop stroking her hair and skimming his hand down her back and around her waist until she pulled back, breathless. She reached up to touch his cheek.
"You're a good man, Scott," she said.
He raised his eyebrows, still looking at her pillowy mouth, even plumper since he'd kissed her.
"Why's that?"
"Because you're the first man I've ever been with who's told me to follow my dreams. Who's wanted me to just be me."
He liked that she thought so highly of him, but the truth was that he would have loved to have told her to stay here and have fun with him instead. Only he'd known her too long, known her dreams too long, to do anything other than encourage her.
"There's nothing good going through my head right now," he muttered.
"Then shut up and kiss me some more," she murmured straight back, palm to the back of his skull as she forced him forward.
Scott didn't give a shit who was watching them now - this could be his last moment alone with Amanda, and he no longer wanted to keep the PG rating. He pushed her back onto the grass so she was lying on her back and leaned over her, stroking her thigh, teasing her tongue with his. She giggled but never protested, and
it only spurred him on all the more.
"So was that a yes to dinner tomorrow night?" she whispered, pushing him back and breathing heavy.
"If I say yes will you let me keep doing this?" he asked, stroking one finger down her chest, loving the fact her shirt was buttoned just a touch too low, showing the round curve of her breasts.
"So long as you keep my clothes on so those guys don't cop an eyeful, you can kiss me all you like."
Scott chuckled and propped himself on one elbow, looking down at her, blonde hair splayed across the grass. She was one hell of a woman, and he wasn't going to waste a second of having her to himself. So much for telling her they needed to cool things for the sake of her family.
Amanda caught her bottom lip beneath her teeth like he'd seen her do countless times before, and as usual it only spurred him on more. Made him want to dominate those lips and tell her how god damn sexy she was. He took it slow, tilted her chin up and brought his mouth to hers, drinking in the scent of her perfume, the feel of her curves beneath his hand.
He'd miss this for sure.
"If you ever come to New York," she whispered just before his mouth covered hers.
Scott paused. "We'll be on for round two, for sure."
Amanda fought the emotion that was making her eyes prick with tears and her throat thicken. Seeing all her family gathered around their table, knowing this was the last time they'd all be together for awhile, combined with her dad no longer sitting in his chair - it was all a lot to digest.
"I'd like to propose a toast."
Scott stood across from her, his glass in one hand as he first looked at her then at the rest of her family.
"To Gus Jones, a man who'll never be forgotten, and to the family he leaves behind." Scott raised his glass and they all followed his lead. "And I'd also like to toast Amanda, and wish her luck for her big exhibition." His gaze met hers and she felt the tears start to build all over again. "Don't ever let anyone stop you from following your dreams, Mandy. Not ever."
Everyone around them clinked glasses and said words that she didn't hear, because for her, it felt like it was just her and Scott in the room. That he was speaking only for her.
