Strawberry Wine by Kristy Phillips Page B

that should be illegal. She thought, as her eyes wandered over his body. Before she could get too carried away with her ogling, she reminded herself why she had come.
    “Is this not ok? I was just wondering if you wanted to watch a movie or something. I don’t like being alone in the house... Is this a bad time? Do you have company or something?” Alli thought he could see right through her weak excuse.
    Jason was confused. Company? Why would he have company? “Company?” He ran his hand over his face and through his tussled hair, trying to relieve some of his sleepiness. “I don’t usually entertain in my underwear. Come in.” He opened the door wider and stepped aside to let her in.
    Elated and relieved, Alli looked around the dim room. The door opened into a small area between the living room on the left and the kitchen on the right. Straight ahead was a dark hallway leading to the bed room and bathroom. It was small, but tidy. In fact, Alli was surprised by the degree of cleanliness considering Jason was a bachelor.
    “Nice place. Clean.” She said, taking it all in.
    Jason switched on a side table lamp and gestured for Alli to take a seat on the sofa.
    “Make yourself at home. I’ll be right back, just lemme grab some pants.”
    Rather than sit, Alli followed him down the short hall to his bedroom. She leaned against the door jam as he opened a dresser drawer. He grabbed a neatly folded pair of sweats and shook them out.
    Alli took in his room. It was small and sparse. His clothes from yesterday lay in a crumpled pile near the closet, along with a damp bath towel. The bed was made with military precision, and the nightstand boasted only a small lamp and a tattered Kerouac novel.
    “I’m impressed. You even make your bed.”
    Jason half smiled, but his retort died in his throat as he watched Alli casually drape herself across his bed.
    Jason couldn’t be sure he wasn’t dreaming. After a long, arduous night of playing caretaker to a girl that refused to admit to what she had taken, he was rather backlogged on his sleep.
    Crystal had spent the majority of the night vomiting profusely and adamantly denying she had mixed pills with her alcohol. Jason had been too worried about her drowning in her own vomit to just leave. Instead, he had helped her clean herself up, and then waited for her roommate to come home - which wasn’t until eleven the next morning. Doug owed him big for that one.
    After finally making it home, and into a hot shower, he had collapsed on the couch and fallen into a deep sleep. A deep sleep featuring Alli, and his bed. So his confusion over suddenly being presented with that reality was understandable.
    Alli noticed the change in him immediately. Her stomach fluttered in anticipation of what that look could mean. Kicking off her shoes, she rose to a kneeling position and moved to the foot of his bed, closer to him. “Come here.”
    “I thought you wanted to watch a movie.” Jason moved to stand in front of her, questioning.
    Alli wrapped her arms around his neck and said, “I said, ‘watch a movie or something ’.” Then she pulled him down to meet her lips.
    Jason was bowled over by this change in Alli. It was not like her to be so aggressive. He didn’t understand it, but he couldn’t help but respond to it. He dropped his sweats and took hold of her hips with both hands. Kissing her back fervently, he held her firmly against him, letting her feel the hardness of his immediate arousal.
    Alli was swimming in a whirl of sensations. She arched her back and pressed herself harder against the heat of Jason’s body. His hand came up to cup a breast, causing her nipples to tighten, and a wave of pleasure to wash through her to her core. He grew impatient with the barrier of material. In one smooth motion, he broke the kiss and raised her tank top over her arms, tossing it away. Returning to her lips, he delved deeply into the velvet warmth of her mouth before trailing kisses over