Page 40 of Moonshine and Magnolias
How did her cousin factor into this? The wise thing would be for him to keep his distance and fetch Ms. Eulalee. Instinct warned him that the strong, independent woman he knew wouldn’t want to be seen in a puddle of tears. “What happened tonight?”
She wrenched herself up to look at him, tears and makeup creating tracks down her cheeks. Her eyes registered her confusion. “What?”
“While you were out. What happened?” He took a throw from the back of the sofa and draped it over her shoulders.
Wendy was quiet for a moment after that. When she turned to Rob again, her body had hunched in on itself, making her seem smaller. Vulnerable. Entirely off limits. “Nothing.”
The tears started again. The soundless flow turned into a rolling wave. Rob sat on the sofa and she clung to him. Remaining a passive bystander was out of the question. He pulled her against his chest, feeling each sob as it racked her body.
“I’ve always done what I’m supposed to do. I’m responsible and organized. I’m smart.” She wiped her eyes. “And I may be pretty, but Jordan is prettier. Brandi is prettier. I bet you’d rather be with her, even though she’s forgetful and unorganized and doesn’t make lists.”
Brandi was pretty, sure. Common though, not like Wendy’s unique glow. “Not true.”
“Why does someone dance with me, then ask me about my friends?”
“Because they’re idiots.”
Wendy stared at him before letting out a snort. “I like you.” She tucked her legs onto the sofa and curled into his side. “I can start over again tomorrow. Stay here with me tonight.”
***
A shrill ringing dragged Wendy into consciousness, sending shards of a dream out of her imagination. She grappled to hold them before they disappeared like a rabbit after a wave of the magician’s wand. It had been warm and loving and she had been free.
Now the nightmare took over, complete with a headache, fuzzy mouth, and being suffocated by her hair. Sunlight filtered in between the slats of the wooden blinds, casting lines of light on her body. And the body next to her. The hard planes at her back was definitely not her soft, comfortable bed.
Shit.
“Do you need to get the door?” a voice from the body rumbled.
She jumped up, her blanket slithering to the floor. Oh, thank goodness. She was in the Fountenoy Hall library with Rob – Dr. Upshaw – no, pretty sure he was Rob now – lying on the sofa.
“Oh. It’s you.” And the most likely cause of her dream.
“Good morning.” His voice was rough and husky and sent flashes of need between her legs. He scrubbed at his face and swung his legs to sit up. Fully clothed. One thick brow and one hazel eye peeked over his fingers and he gestured with his free hand. “Your shirt is on the floor somewhere.”
Her hands flew up to her chest and covered her breasts. Even though her bra wasn’t designed for seduction, it was the only layer between Rob and her hardening nipples. Heat streaked up her face.
“Uh, thanks.” She stood up and turned her back to him until she found the red material, then pulled it over her head. It looked like it had been decorated by athree-year-old with a black paintbrush, but it strengthened the barrier between their bodies.
She covertly took stock of the situation while she willed her overwrought hormones to chill. No pleasant soreness emanated from between her legs. No red splotches from stubble showed on her skin. No scent of sex permeated the air. So what the hell was she doing without her shirt on?
The bell rang again.
“Aunt Eulalee is on call. She’ll get it. You and your brother are the only guests here at the moment, other than my friends.” The elastic in her hair held half her normal ponytail. She took it all the way out and finger-combed the strands. Each tug increased the pressure in her head.
She ran through her stilted memory of the previous night while she scanned the tables for her phone. An image of her hitting him with a peach flickered in her mind and she winced. “Are you okay?”
He let out a low, sexy chuckle. “Completely fine. How about you? Can I get you some coffee?”
The thought rolled her stomach and she gave a quick shake, inviting the headache to bring a friend. Now, if he had offered aspirin, she’d be all over it. Memories opened up in her mind, of their faces being close, too close. Her lips tingled with the recollection and she touched her mouth. “Did we… I mean, did I…” She sighed. Best get it over with. “Did I kiss you last night?”
She sensed his hesitation when he stood up and ran his hands down the thighs of his jeans. “Yes.”
She shifted farther away from him, not sure how that should make her feel. “Did you kiss me?” Part of her didn’t want to know.
He snagged a lock of her hair, letting it slide gracefully through his fingers, and his eyes held a hint of tenderness. It almost made her afraid to hear the answer.
“Your cheek.”
