put his arm around her waist. “What do you want to eat?"
Lynn's stomach was too full of butterflies to accept food. “I'm not hungry.” What she needed was something to bolster her courage and help her get through this evening. “I would like a shot of whiskey, straight."
Trace frowned. “Do you think that's a good idea?"
Lynn hissed under her breath, “Order me a shot of whiskey and shut up."
Trace ordered the whiskey and a beer and handed the shot glass to Lynn. She downed it in two gulps. It seared a path all the way to her empty stomach. When she could find her voice, she said, “I have a few things to say to you, Mister Randolph."
"I have a thing or two to say to you, too.” Trace took a long swig of beer. “Come closer and smile as we talk. Dad and Lillie are both looking this way."
Lynn moved so near that her breasts pushed into Trace's chest and smiled a saccharine-sweet smile. “You rat, why didn't you say I looked sexy? If we are going do this thing right, you are going to have to be a little more cooperative."
"Why should I state the obvious?” Trace stared down at her with the strangest look in his eyes. “How could you wear such a revealing dress to a public gathering?” He ran his hand along Lynn's cheek. His touch was soft but his words stung. “Do you realize that half the men in this building are staring at you?"
Lynn looped her arms around his neck. A tingle danced down her backbone. “That doesn't matter..."
Trace brushed his lips across her cheek. “It matters to me. What must they think of you?"
Lynn couldn't imagine why Trace would care what other people thought. “It's what my mother and your dad think that counts.” She ran the tips of her fingers down the side of his face. It was difficult to concentrate when she was touching him so intimately. “Let's get this over so I can go home and get out of these shoes."
The bartender called from the other side of the counter. “Hey, you two love birds, move along. The people behind you are waiting to be served."
Trace caught Lynn's hand and pulled her to a shadowy corner. “Let's give Mama and Daddy and all the other gawkers out there something to talk about.” He was furious and Lynn couldn't imagine why.
On an answering spark of anger she replied, “Yes, let's."
Trace pulled her into his arms and held her so close that it was difficult for her to breathe. Slowly and deliberately he brought his mouth down to cover hers. Leisurely and very gently he used his tongue to tease open her lips. A shiver of desire danced down her backbone. He smelled of some exotic aftershave and tasted of beer and mint. His tongue swept into the recesses and crevasses of her mouth, stirring need and igniting little flames of desire.
Lynn's anger transmuted to something far more combustible and explosive—and dangerous. Heedless of the warning bell that sounded inside her head, she gave herself over to the unexpected magic of Trace's kiss. The Grange Hall and the people in it receded as she was transported to another world filled with bliss and promise.
How long they stood there locked in a passionate embrace, she would never know. Ralph's gruff voice barking, “Stop this lewd behavior this instant,” brought Lynn back to reality with a start. She pulled her reluctant body from Trace's embrace and smoothed the front of her now-infamous red dress.
"Shame on you,” Ralph shook his finger in Trace's face before pointing it in Lynn's direction. “Young woman, don't you have any pride or shame? How can you behave in such a despicable manner in a public place?"
He drew a long breath and was set to launch into yet another tirade when Lillie came bounding across the long hall and stepped between Lynn and Ralph. “You can't talk to my daughter like that.” She put both hands on her hips and glared at Ralph through narrowed eyes. “Your son is the one with no pride and no shame. He's turned my Lynnie's head with his sweet words and beguiling
Lynn's stomach was too full of butterflies to accept food. “I'm not hungry.” What she needed was something to bolster her courage and help her get through this evening. “I would like a shot of whiskey, straight."
Trace frowned. “Do you think that's a good idea?"
Lynn hissed under her breath, “Order me a shot of whiskey and shut up."
Trace ordered the whiskey and a beer and handed the shot glass to Lynn. She downed it in two gulps. It seared a path all the way to her empty stomach. When she could find her voice, she said, “I have a few things to say to you, Mister Randolph."
"I have a thing or two to say to you, too.” Trace took a long swig of beer. “Come closer and smile as we talk. Dad and Lillie are both looking this way."
Lynn moved so near that her breasts pushed into Trace's chest and smiled a saccharine-sweet smile. “You rat, why didn't you say I looked sexy? If we are going do this thing right, you are going to have to be a little more cooperative."
"Why should I state the obvious?” Trace stared down at her with the strangest look in his eyes. “How could you wear such a revealing dress to a public gathering?” He ran his hand along Lynn's cheek. His touch was soft but his words stung. “Do you realize that half the men in this building are staring at you?"
Lynn looped her arms around his neck. A tingle danced down her backbone. “That doesn't matter..."
Trace brushed his lips across her cheek. “It matters to me. What must they think of you?"
Lynn couldn't imagine why Trace would care what other people thought. “It's what my mother and your dad think that counts.” She ran the tips of her fingers down the side of his face. It was difficult to concentrate when she was touching him so intimately. “Let's get this over so I can go home and get out of these shoes."
The bartender called from the other side of the counter. “Hey, you two love birds, move along. The people behind you are waiting to be served."
Trace caught Lynn's hand and pulled her to a shadowy corner. “Let's give Mama and Daddy and all the other gawkers out there something to talk about.” He was furious and Lynn couldn't imagine why.
On an answering spark of anger she replied, “Yes, let's."
Trace pulled her into his arms and held her so close that it was difficult for her to breathe. Slowly and deliberately he brought his mouth down to cover hers. Leisurely and very gently he used his tongue to tease open her lips. A shiver of desire danced down her backbone. He smelled of some exotic aftershave and tasted of beer and mint. His tongue swept into the recesses and crevasses of her mouth, stirring need and igniting little flames of desire.
Lynn's anger transmuted to something far more combustible and explosive—and dangerous. Heedless of the warning bell that sounded inside her head, she gave herself over to the unexpected magic of Trace's kiss. The Grange Hall and the people in it receded as she was transported to another world filled with bliss and promise.
How long they stood there locked in a passionate embrace, she would never know. Ralph's gruff voice barking, “Stop this lewd behavior this instant,” brought Lynn back to reality with a start. She pulled her reluctant body from Trace's embrace and smoothed the front of her now-infamous red dress.
"Shame on you,” Ralph shook his finger in Trace's face before pointing it in Lynn's direction. “Young woman, don't you have any pride or shame? How can you behave in such a despicable manner in a public place?"
He drew a long breath and was set to launch into yet another tirade when Lillie came bounding across the long hall and stepped between Lynn and Ralph. “You can't talk to my daughter like that.” She put both hands on her hips and glared at Ralph through narrowed eyes. “Your son is the one with no pride and no shame. He's turned my Lynnie's head with his sweet words and beguiling
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