“Oh, now, don’t go giving your boyfriend a hard time just because he was actually respectful enough to come introduce himself to your mother,” Laurel chided her. “And you and I are going to have a little chat later.”
“I see where you get your good looks and charm from,” Austin said to Savannah. He winked at her mother. “Miss Laurel.”
“Oh, you!” Her mother actually giggled. Shegiggled. “Don’t forget that you’re coming to the barbecue dinner tonight!” she called out as they headed towards the door.
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Austin called back.
“Acck,” Savannah gurgled. He was coming to the restaurant fundraiser?
Everyone in the entire town would be there. This was so great. Just really, really great.
Savannah, straight-backed, hurried outdoors, biting her lip. Austin followed her.
She kept walking, past the picnic tables outside and into the woods.
She stopped behind an enormous oak tree.
“Your sister’s weird as hell, but your mom seems nice,” Austin mused, leaning against the tree, a lazy grin curling his lips.
Moving faster than she ever had before, she slapped his face so hard it stung her hand.
“You motherfucker!” she yelled at him. “Do not mess with my family!”
He rubbed his face. “Ouch. Yes, about that. Sorry. Sort of. I came here to give your mother the money, and then I kind of got carried away with all the boyfriend-girlfriend talk. I just can’t help myself. Something about you makes me want to torture you.” She gave him a sidelong glance. “I mean, not in aSilence of the Lambsway,” he said hastily. “In a fun way. You know, like dipping your pigtails in an inkwell.”
She stared at him. “Who says pigtails? Or inkwell?”
“You’re welcome for the money,” he said reproachfully.
She took a deep breath, counted to five, and let it out slowly. His gaze wandered over her chest as she did, making her cheeks heat.
“Thank you,” she said, wishing she didn’t blush so easily. “What is your angle?”
“There is no angle.”
She shoved him. “Yes, there is! Why are you here today, all of a sudden, throwing all this money around?”
He raised his eyebrows, giving her his best “Who, me?” look. “Can’t a wolf have a little fun?”
Furious, she pushed him again. “No, you son of a bitch, not when it comes to getting my mother’s hopes up! She’s obsessed with marrying me off! She will be really upset when she finds out this was fake!”
She could have sworn he muttered, “It wasn’t fake.”
“What did you just say?” she demanded, astonished.
He shook his head, heaving a sigh. “Nothing.”
“I am sick of you messing with my head!” she yelled, and when he started to laugh, she hooked her foot behind his knee and sent him tumbling. As he fell, he grabbed her, and she landed on top of him.
He quickly rolled over, pinning her underneath him.
“What the hell is it with you assaulting me?” he demanded. “Do you want my truck keys again? Because I can just hand them to you.”
“No, I don’t want your truck keys!” She was yelling again, for no good reason. But Austin was too close to her, and she could feel the thick hardness of his erection pressing into her stomach, and he smelled so good that she wanted to lick him and see if he tasted even better.
“Then what do you want?” he demanded, with an intensity she’d never heard before. He reached down and gently brushed a lock of hair from her face, and she stifled a moan. Her arousal was a fiery furnace, consuming her from within.
Before she could stop herself, she found herself kissing him.
