Page 53 of Moonshine and Magnolias
She pressed her mouth into a straight line and watched his progress. “Well, it is the reason you’re here.”
The perfect opening for his confession.
He opened his mouth but she spoke before he could say anything, gesturing to the notebook in his hand. “What are you working on?”
“I needed to get some information out of my head.”
“On paper? How last century.” She tugged the elastic from her hair and ran her hand over her scalp.
The movement was a casual action, not designed to be seductive, but the long, dark locks begged for him to run his fingers through them. That morning was the only time he had ever seen her with her hair down, and it had been circumstantial. He clasped his hands together. “What can I say? I’m an old-fashioned guy.”
He ached to touch her, but if he felt any part of her lean, incredibly feminine form, he’d be lost, willing to ignore his lies in order to be with her.
She cleared her throat and gave him a glance out of the corner of her eye but when he faced her, her normal, confident vibe had been stolen by insecurity. She captured her hair in a ponytail again and he mourned the loss of the tresses flowing over her shoulders. “I’m nervous about having the wedding in such a short time. You and Jordan and Sebastien will all help, but weddings are a big deal. Brandi already got a temporary chef, though. He’ll be in tomorrow so Aunt Eulalee can make sure he can cook.”
“Everything will be fine.” The words sounded hollow, insincere even to himself. Nothing would be fine once he told her the truth.
“Here’s hoping.” She closed her laptop.
“This desk.” Rob tapped the solid wood between them. Wendy could never loathe him more than he loathed himself at this moment. But he’d lead her to something beneficial to her as well. “A lot of furniture from this time frame had hidden drawers or compartments. Has anyone ever uncovered any?”
“Really?” She looked at the Chippendale with interest. “I never searched for any. Maybe Aunt Eulalee knows.”
“If she doesn’t, let me know. They’re not that hard to find, if you know how to look.”
She ran her hands over the top. “Okay, thanks. I should get going.”
“Don’t leave.” His voice was gruff with his suppressed needs and he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. One more kiss. One more kiss to keep in his memory and then he’d tell her the truth.
She paused in the act of lining up the loose pages, then lay them down on her closed computer. A second later, she launched herself at him.
He stood up to catch her, her lithe body making contact with his from toes to lips. He walked her backward to the desk and shifted so her legs were between his and he groaned at the contact.
It was more than the kiss he had hoped for. Her breasts flattened against his chest and he ran his hands down her back, over her shorts to cup her ass and press her against his quickly-growing erection. God, she felt so good.
He had to tell her now.
He gathered her hair and closely watched her eyes, their faces inches apart. “There’s something I need to discuss with you.”
“No, you don’t.” She rocked back and forth over his pelvis, the friction causing him to strain even more against his jeans.
He groaned as his head fell back, and he let the sensation take him. In his mind, she was riding him, hard, naked, her bare breasts grazing his equally bare chest. He reached up with one hand and held her neck still while he devoured her with a hunger he had never felt before.
But he still had to tell her.
Keeping his hand in place and not breaking contact with her luscious lips, he stepped back. When she tried to scoot up, he held her hips.
“We don’t have to stop,” she panted. “I’m on the pill.”
“That’s not it.” He took a deep breath.
“Hal told me,” she blurted. Her cheeks turned pink and she leaned in to kiss him again.
“What did you say?” Rob held her shoulders away from him as air roared through his head. They couldn’t be talking about the same thing. And if so, what was the penalty for fratricide in Georgia? Because Rob was going to kill his brother. “Hal told you? He told you?”
“Yes,” she said, then grazed his jaw with her fingertips. His skin pebbled.
If she was still in his arms, then she must be okay with it. “I’d be spitting mad if I were you right about now.”
