Page 38 of Moonshine and Magnolias
Rob cleared his throat. “So, this isn’t an alien invasion?”
Wendy spun to him and nearly toppled over. She used the bat for balance. “Wouldn’t that be the highlight of my evening. But no. Just me. Alone. With the peaches. And now you. Hi.”
“Hi to you, too.” Rob glanced around the orchard. “I wanted to assure Hal with authority that if there was an attack in Georgia, it wouldn’t be in Claremont.”
“This town is too dull for aliens. They’d head to Savannah.”
He nodded as if it was the most natural answer in the world. “I thought you went out tonight.”
“I got bored. Sebastien’s guy drove me home. He wanted me to stay inside, but I didn’t want to. So here I am.” Wendy held the bat like a golf club and swung at the ground. The bat sailed behind her when she raised it to swing. “Oops. I mean, fore!”
If that hadn’t given Rob the hint that she had at least one too many drinks, the sloppy, overexaggerated strut when she approached him was a dead giveaway. She tucked a loose lock of hair behind her ear and pinched her cheeks, giving herself a lopsided flush, evident even in the dim moonlight. “Do you think I’m pretty?” she asked.
“Yes.” He answered without hesitation, though it was too vague a word. Pretty didn’t describe her eyes that hid so much or her tantalizing summery scent. Pretty didn’t cover her hidden sense of humor. Pretty didn’t begin to touch on her soul.
“Hmmmm.” She squinted up at him, her nose almost touching his, enveloping him in a cloud of beer and stale cigarettes. Less than an inch separated their lips. “Smart doesn’t matter if there’s pretty.”
She shrugged, then grabbed him to steady herself, her capable hands pressinginto his shoulders. Rob could wrap his arm around her waist and pull her against him, feel the slide of her body over his if he wanted. Which he did. Very, very badly.
“The real question is.” Wendy swallowed and a frown marred her face. “Am I prettier than Brandi. Everyone thinks Brandi is prettier and funner to be with. That’s why they ask me for an introduction to her and Jordan. But I can be fun, too. See? Wheeee!” She whirled in a circle, hands in the air. “If I’m fun and pretty, then you should want to kiss me.” She pointed a finger at Rob. “You already tried. Or would have if I didn’t stop you. I shouldn’t have stopped you. Men want to kiss Brandi. I know because they tell me. They hope I’ll help them. I never do. You should kiss me.” She stopped in front of him, her breath coming in short bursts. She lifted her chin and puckered her lips.
The thought of kissing her had crossed Rob’s mind more than a few times since the library. The one thing that stopped him from trying was knowing how much she was going to hate him when she found out the truth. And he would have to tell her, if he wanted to put his thoughts of them in tangled sheets into reality.
God, he wanted to kiss her. But he couldn’t tell her now. Not when she was seventeen sheets to the wind and needed an escort to walk in a straight line. “Wendy…”
“I like when you say my name, Rob. All low and sexy and hot. Pucker up.” The words came out garbled between her pursed lips. “This offer might be a once in a lifetime occurrence.”
He inched closer. Gently he laid a quick kiss on her cheek, and then took a step away.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s it? You suck at this.”
“That’s it for tonight.” Her skin had been smooth and soft beneath his lips and he wanted to taste her again. “Let’s go inside.” And see if Ms. Eulalee was around.
“I can take care of myself.” She jerked out of his grip and jogged backward about ten feet before stumbling and landing on her jean-skirted butt. “Oops. I fell.”
He went to her side and helped her up. She tucked her nose into the crook ofhis neck and inhaled a deep breath. “You smell good. Like a crackling fire and marshmallows.”
Marshmallows? “It’s not a matter of taking care of yourself. You shouldn’t be wandering out here while you’re...” He trailed off when she glared at him. “Dark sky is getting darker.”
He hadn’t made any sense, but she didn’t seem to notice. Or care. She gave a harsh, bitter laugh that surprised him. “I can wander around my home. Which this is, whether I want it or not. So I can go wherever I feel like. If you don’t want to be with me, you leave.”
She picked up a peach and threw it at him. It missed by about ten feet.
“Fiddlesticks.” She picked up another one and tossed it up and down a few times. “That should have been an easy out. I must be drunker than I thought.”
“So let me walk you home.” Another peach sailed over Rob’s head and he ducked.
She was fast. A sudden thump on Rob’s scalp was followed quickly by a warm, wet stickiness that coated his hair and the side of his face. A peach rolled down his chest and legs, ending in a deformed mess at his feet.
“Oh, no. Dr. Upshaw!” Wendy rushed over to him, her hands pulling his head forward into her glorious breasts while she frantically brushed at his hair, spreading the juice like styling gel. “Are you okay?”
So, he was back to being Dr. Upshaw? The hit didn’t hurt beyond the initial contact, and the pillow of her breasts was much nicer than the pillow on his bed. Her concern sparked an idea. He put a hand to his head and let out a moan. “Owwwwwwww.”
“You’re hurt!” The panic in Wendy’s voice was unmistakable. Just what he wanted.
“No, it’s fine.” He grimaced through the non-existent pain and held up a hand as if to stop her worry. He took an exaggerated breath. “I’ll be okay.”
“I am so sorry! So, so sorry. Let me get you back to the house.”
