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Edith’s mouth dropped open, and after a moment’s hesitation, she spun around and stalked off. Peg sighed and stared after her mother for a long moment, then followed her out.
Laney smiled. “Guess I’ll go see what the twins are up to. Wouldn’t want a repeat of last year.” Allie recalled the chaos that had ensued at Vi’s last party when the twins had figured out how to set off the automatic sprinkler system. “Catch you later, Sam.”
Could Laney be any more obvious?
Allie glanced up at Sam. She swallowed as he set his plate down and took a step toward her. Her breath stalled. He took her plate and set it down. “Come on.” He took her hand. “Before we’re besieged by any more of your relatives.”
He led her down the hall, past the bathroom that she still hadn’t been able to bring herself to go into, and into her bedroom. He shut the door and guided her back to lean against it. He settled his hands around her waist. Her heart took off at a gallop as she inhaled his warm, spicy scent. Felt surrounded by his solid strength.
“There’s something else I wanted to tell you,” he said. “About the video. I presented what you put together to the committee Thursday night. And it was unanimous. You have their approval.”
She raised her brows. “Unanimous?”
He chuckled. “Okay, just about. But even Meredith couldn’t really object, in light of recent events. Since the story broke, we’ve sold out for the gala, and the donations have already shattered all records. You’re a celebrity.”
Allie grinned. Mr. Williams was going to be honored. That was the only thing she’d cared about when she first undertook this project.
But she’d ended up with a whole lot more.
Sam’s fingers trailed around her jaw and under her chin. She shivered, anticipating his next touch.
“You know,” he said softly, “I’ve been here for a good ten minutes, delivered you the news you’ve been waiting weeks to hear, and I still haven’t been given a proper hello. Or thank you. I guess I’ll have to show you what kind of welcome I was hoping for.”
Sam pressed his mouth to hers, soft but demanding. Her eyelashes fluttered closed, an
d she sank into the amazing sensation of his lips on hers.
She hoped it always going to be like this between them. Smilingly, toe-curlingly wonderful.
He paused, and she opened her eyes to meet his warm gaze.
“That’s how you wanted to greet me?” she asked, more than a little breathless. “Because I was thinking of something more like this.”
She pulled his head down and kissed him fiercely with all the pent up, furious, overflowing passion she’d been holding back for so many years. Had it only been a week ago that they’d first kissed? With satisfaction, she felt his body instantly respond. His hand found her breast, and she caught her breath as she luxuriated in the pleasure.
“You’re killing me,” he finally muttered in between kisses.
“Good.” She molded her body shamelessly to his. This time, he wrenched his mouth away, his breath ragged. “If we don’t stop now I’m afraid there’ll be a lot of people out there who will go back to considering me a debaucher of innocents.” He cleared his throat. “With good reason.”
“Promise?” She smiled and pulled him back to her, savoring the passion and hunger that sizzled between them. She wanted so much more than just kisses. His mouth went to her neck, and her legs nearly buckled underneath her. “Stay tonight,” she whispered. “Vi’s going to Ryan’s. It’ll just be us.”
He groaned and lifted his head so he could meet her gaze. He fingered a piece of hair that had fallen to her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “You’re making this impossible. I wanted to take you out for a proper first date. But hell if I can resist you.”
He kissed her again, and for a moment, she briefly entertained the idea of locking the door and having her way with him. Until the unmistakable sound of her stepmother calling her name brought her crashing back to reality.
“I guess we should get out there. It’s probably time for birthday cake.”
“You go ahead,” he said and shifted his stance with a grimace. “I’ll just be a minute.”
She laughed and touched his handsome face, twisted into a wry smile. “Take all the time you need,” she said and opened the door to slip out.
“Allie.” His voice stopped her, and she turned to look at him again. He was grinning. “Your bra is undone.”
And with the steady hand of a girl who’d watched Flashdance more than once, she slid the straps off her shoulders and, as he watched, hypnotized, pulled it from the front of her dress and handed it to him.
He wasn’t grinning anymore.
“Better?” she asked and waggled her brows as he gulped.
