Sea Breeze 04 - Just for Now by Abbi Glines Read Free Book Online

I’d just think about all I couldn’t have. I placed the bear back in its spot and stood up.
    Marcus was my best friend. Sure, there was a group of us, but Marcus was the one I loved the most. He’d always seemed to know more than I wanted him to, but he never said anything. Instead of asking me questions like Rock had when we were kids, Marcus had brought me an extra lunch every day. He never mentioned it. He just did it. When I’d been bruised from one of my mom’s boyfriends’ drunken fits, Dewayne and Rock had asked why. Marcus had changed the subject and then slipped into the school office to get me an aspirin that he’d casually placed in my hands without explanation.
    The guys were my family, but Marcus was my brother. Blood didn’t matter. He’d cared when no one else had known there was something to care about. I had to let this fascination I had with his sister go. I also needed to get downstairs and celebrate with him. He’d found someone worthy of him. Being locked away and sulking over Jason Stone showing up with Amanda was unfair. Marcus didn’t deserve this.
    I walked down the stairs and into the living room. As I entered the room, Willow smiled at me and motioned me over. She was surrounded by guests, but her attention was on me. I could see the concern in her eyes. If anyone understood my life even a little, it would be Willow. She’d had a suck-ass family tree too.
    “You’re back,” she replied, with a smile to let me know she was glad I’d returned.
    “Yeah, I figured things had time to cool off. I didn’t want to miss tonight. I’m sorry about earlier.” I stopped at that. I couldn’t explain any more to her.
    Willow shrugged one shoulder. “No worries. I think the guys were just worried about that guy causing a stir. He was a friend of a guest. He’s been escorted out.”
    I reached behind her to the bartender and grabbed a beer. It was safer than the tequila shots.
    Willow raised an eyebrow. “Ever heard the saying ‘Liquor before beer, never sicker’?”
    I tipped the bottle to my lips, took a swig, and grinned. “Sweetheart, it’s liquor before beer, never fear.”
    Willow laughed. “Guess you’d know this better than anyone.”
    “He’s been drinking before he was old enough to shave,” Marcus drawled as he came up behind Willow and wrapped his arms around her waist.
    Willow tilted her head back, and I watched as Marcus bent his head to capture her mouth with his. They were so fucking sweet it made me sick. It also made me jealous as hell. I would never get that. I could never love like that. Ever.
    “Glad you came back down to the party. I knew you weren’t drunk when Amanda took you up there,” Marcus said, once he’d released his fiancée’s lips.
    “Yeah, I figured I’d given the guy time to leave or calm down.”
    Marcus nodded. “I walked him to the door. Trisha said she was sorry. She told Krit he could bring a few friends. That was one of them.”
    Krit was Trisha’s brother and the lead singer in a band. He didn’t normally have the best crowd surrounding him, and he traveled with a posse.
    “Well, Krit’s friends have gotten classier. That guy was the son of a neurosurgeon in Mobile.”
    Women always talked. They told me about their husbands and how they were neglected. I didn’t need to hear an excuse as to why they hired me, but they always felt like they had to give me one. It had been my first time with that woman. Normally, I kept my client list small. I had the usuals, but she’d been a friend of a client, so I’d agreed.
    “So you did sleep with his mom?” Marcus asked. The disbelief wasn’t there. He knew. He always knew.
    I sighed and took another drink of my beer. Of course I did. I wasn’t going to answer this, though. Not tonight.
    “Listen, either you dance with your girl, or I’m going to,” I said, shooting Willow a grin. She knew I was kidding, but I loved getting Marcus all riled up.
    “Back off, lover boy, or I’ll be