Strawberry Wine (5 page)

“Yes, I’m sure you’re so much more mature and wise than I.” Alli handed him a hammer before he had to ask.

“I didn’t say I was more mature, Alli. Just that a lot of life lessons are learned in those short years. You’re not your average nineteen year old though.” Jason smacked a nail in place in two hits.

“Yes I am. I’m totally nineteen.” Was he on to her?

“You’re an old soul, Alli. Talking to you is easy. I would love to hear your take on things when you’re this side of twenty.”

Alli was feeling more and more guilty about her little white lie. Would Jason still want to hang out with her if he knew her real age? Would he still look at her like
that
? He seemed to be eating her with his eyes. Lord help her, his eyes alone made her stomach do flips. Their multi layered hues of grey, surrounded by those thick black lashes that would make a mascara model green with envy. Alli had to remind herself to breathe.

Jason was fascinated by the way Alli’s skin bloomed when she blushed. Her blushes started in her cheeks, then spread all over. He wondered how far down that blush went. He shifted his weight in an attempt to accommodate the swelling in his jeans without her noticing. This was ridiculous. It was like
he
was nineteen again.

Alli’s stomach gave a loud growl. She laughed in embarrassment. “And on that note, I think it’s time I get home for dinner. Will you be around tomorrow?”

“I should be. I’ve got a few odds and ends to take care of, but you’re welcome to come loiter if you want.”

As if she could stay away! Alli smiled coyly. “Maybe I will.” She untangled her legs and stood to go. “Have a good night.” She shot over her shoulder with forced casualness.

Jason watched her leave, appreciating the subtle sway of her slender hips.

“Okay, open your eyes!” Alli opened her eyes and stared at the new painting hanging above the small fireplace.

“Well? What do you think?”

The painting was that of a woman on a beach. The sun was setting and she was mostly in silhouette, but you could still see certain details. She was in profile, and you could just make out the hint of a smile on her lips. “It’s lovely.”

“So you like it?” Greg was eager for praise. “It’s by the same artist that did the mural in the café you’re so fond of. I thought this one would go well here. She reminds me of you.”

The fact that Greg had gone to the trouble of seeking out an artist for her was really touching. “It’s perfect. Thank you. I can’t believe you went to all that trouble.”

“It wasn’t really all that difficult. The artist turned out to be affiliated with my mother’s foundation. He has a local gallery. Buying this piece was actually tax deductible.” Greg couldn’t keep the smugness from his answer.

Alli laughed at his look of accomplishment and thanked him again before hugging him and giving him a kiss.

Greg pulled back a bit, but kept her firmly wrapped in his arms. “Well, it’s a birthday present, but I was also hoping it would be a house warming present.”

Alli could feel her face taking on its deer-in-headlights look. She had been putting Greg off for the better part of a year now. He had mercifully refrained from asking her to marry him, but that hadn’t stopped him from pushing to have her move in with him. Alli was running out of excuses. She was also running out of time. If Greg kept up the forward momentum of this relationship, Alli was going to be forced to either step up or step away.

The thought was frightening. She hadn’t felt bad about their relationship in the beginning. As far as Alli could tell, Greg was initially attracted to her for her looks, as well as the added bonus of her serving as a gateway into her father’s prestigious law firm. Greg’s shallow reasons for pursuing her were what made her agree to date him in the first place.

Alli was damaged goods. She was incapable of giving her heart to a man, but she couldn’t deny the benefits of having a boyfriend. Having Greg around gave her peace. Peace from Margot’s pitying looks. Peace from her father’s suspicious scrutiny. Peace from her mother’s dejected head shakes. Being Greg’s obedient little girlfriend was a fair price to pay for such peace.

It hadn’t been easy at first. Alli had struggled with her moral compass, trying to convince herself that being with Greg wasn’t the same thing as prostitution. She tried desperately to fall in love with Greg. He was quite a catch - handsome, rich, intelligent... But he wasn’t Jason.

Alli didn’t think Greg loved her either. He
said
he did, and he may have even convinced himself of as much, but Greg didn’t really know what love was. Alli did. Alli knew what love felt like, and it wasn’t
this
. So now she was faced with a dilemma. Keep up the charade and play house with Greg, or be honest with herself and move on alone.

Alli thought of the fall out that would happen as a result of her breaking up with Greg. He had just been taken on as an associate at her father’s firm. Their families had weekly dinners together. Alli was going to be a bride’s maid in Greg’s sister’s wedding... It would certainly rock the proverbial boat to say the least. It was too much to think about just now. This was her birthday weekend - she should be enjoying herself.

Greg could sense her hesitation, and pulled her back in for another kiss before she could ruin the moment. Alli kissed him back with as much fervor as she could muster. It was such a chore trying to get herself excited about being intimate with Greg. She always worried that he could tell she was feigning interest, or that she was imagining he was someone else. It had been a long time since a kiss had ignited her blood the way she knew it could...

Alli bit into her Red Delicious apple and surveyed the barn with disappointment. Empty. There were a few tools lying here and there, and the pen was only half finished, so she knew he would be back. She just didn’t know
when
.

Turning, to go, she stopped short when she heard a familiar bleating. Gus! Gus could usually be found trailing after Jason. Now was no exception. She watched as the two of them walked up the path from the lower field. She drank in his tall, lean frame. She could just make out the square set of his jaw from under his worn Stetson hat. As he got closer, she could see he was quite dusty, and sporting a days growth of stubble. There was a thin stick clamped between his teeth, resting on his full lower lip.

The brightness of the day outside made the inside of the barn quite dark in comparison. He didn’t see her as he took off his hat and flipped it into the barn. It landed at her feet.

Ignoring the hat, she continued to watch him as he approached the water trough. The trough stood against the west wall of the barn and came to mid thigh. Without pausing, he took the twig from his mouth and dunked his head into the water. He came up quickly, shaking the excess water from himself like a dog and flipping his black hair back. Gus was quick to follow suit. He put his front legs onto the edge of the trough and took a long drink of water.

Jason unsnapped the buttons on his shirt and flapped the sides in an effort to get rid of some of the dust, but he didn’t take it off. Ambling into the barn, he bent to pick up his hat, and noticed Alli’s shoes. He smiled to himself, then slowly followed her legs up over the rest of her body, pausing briefly to admire her pert breasts, straining against the material of her tank top, before settling on her face.

Her eyes were wide with wonder. Her cheeks were a bright pink. Her full lips were parted the tiniest bit.

“Miss Alli.” He picked up his hat and settled it back on his head. His hair was getting long. It was starting to curl behind his ears.

It had been a long, hot day of clearing brush in the back fields. The day had been made all the more uncomfortable by his inability to get Alli out of his mind. He couldn’t stop thinking about what it would be like to kiss her. He got the distinct impression that she was thinking the same thing about him.

Alli didn’t answer him. She stood there, mute, unable to break eye contact. He broke it for her. She followed his gaze to the apple in her hand. He stepped to her, and took the apple. Turning it, he bit directly over the bite she had made. She watched his jaw work as he chewed, then swallowed. A drop of water fell from his hair and landed on his clavicle before trailing down his chest. Timidly, Alli reached out and touched the droplet.

Instantly she was in his arms. She let out a surprised gasp before looking up into his intense grey eyes. He hesitated a fraction of a second to judge her reaction. Finding her more eager than alarmed, be brought his lips down to hers in a surprisingly soft caress.

Alli’s heart slammed against her chest. She could feel his doing the same under her palm. His left arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her in closer, and his right hand came up to cup her left cheek. He deepened the kiss.

Alli was getting light headed as his soft lips moved expertly against her own. He ran his tongue lightly along her bottom lip, urging her to open her mouth for him. When she did, he groaned and slipped his tongue into her mouth. He tasted of apple and mint, uniquely refreshing.

Alli clung to him tightly, her pulse racing. She could feel the scratch of his beard on her soft skin. It felt as if molten lava was pooling in the pit of her stomach. She pressed herself against the length of him. She became aware of a hardness pressing against her lower abdomen, and her heart sped faster at this proof of his arousal. Seemingly of their own will, her hips ground against him. He moaned again, this time louder. It was enough of a distraction to bring Alli back to reality.

You are playing with fire! Stop this now.

Jason felt the change in her immediately. He pulled away, and met her gaze, questioning.

Alli was panting shallowly. As she stared into his eyes, she almost leaned in to kiss him again, but smartly decided against it. She stumbled backwards instead. Her feet were unsteady, and she was grateful for his supportive arm. When she was sure she wouldn’t embarrass herself falling over, she backed up out of his reach.

“Alli?” He looked concerned. “Was that ok?”

OK? Is he kidding? That was perfect. THAT was what a kiss was supposed to be like.

Suddenly Alli felt itchy. She was flushed and flustered from the kiss. It had been a full on assault on her senses. Her knees became rubbery again just thinking about it.
Hives? Could you be getting hives? Leave it to you to be allergic to kissing. Idiot.

Wanting to leave before any tell tale hives actually broke out on her skin, she gave what she hoped to be a reassuring smile and started heading for the door.

“It was fine. I just. Wasn’t expecting it I guess. I’m sorry. I should get home.” She narrowly missed tripping over Gus on her way out.

She left behind a very confused Jason.

* * * * *

“You’re sure you’ll be alright for the weekend?” Gran was staring at her with great concern.

“I’m fine, Gran. It’s just a little poison oak. I’ve had worse.”

Gran’s eyes bugged out in disbelief. “How could you possibly have had worse? You are covered from head to toe!”

“Gran, seriously. I get poison oak all the time. Just go! It’s already ruining my weekend, don’t let it ruin yours too.”

It took a little more convincing, but after setting out a big jar of oatmeal, and a veritable tub of calamine lotion, Gran and Papa left for their weekend get-away.

Alli piled her hair on top of her head, stripped down to her underwear, and took stock of the rash. It had spread in the night. A large patch covered her left cheek, and trailed down her neck. Her shoulders were covered, along with a nasty swipe originating near her belly button, and wrapping around her torso to her mid back. Her arms and legs had itchy patches here and there, but the most distressing of all the areas were the patches of poison oak between her fingers.

She growled in frustration.

Rather than putting clothes over her angry skin, she opted for an old sports bra and her shortest running shorts. Contorting her body in ways that would impress professional circus performers, she managed to apply calamine lotion to the worst of the rash. As she was struggling with the patch on her back, she was startled by a knock at the door.