Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie Page B
Authors: Jennifer Crusie
Tags: Fiction, General, Humorous, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction - Romance, City and Town Life, Sisters, American Light Romantic Fiction, Romance - Contemporary, Romance - General, Motion Picture Actors and Actresses, Romance: Modern, Documentary films, Ohio, Women motion picture producers and directors
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Sophie said into her drink. WhenGeorgiawent on in detail about the cute little dresses –
"smocked with little tiny roses" – Sophie let her head fall back against Phin's arm, and he started calculating square roots so he wouldn't lunge for her mouth.
"He's still mad because we had to get married,"Georgiasaid, looking back at the bar. "That's why he's doing this. That's why."
"You didn't have to get married," Sophie said.
Page 55
Georgiastraightened. "No, we certainly did not."
Phin had heard all aboutGeorgia's eleven-month pregnancy when Diane's rabbit had died. "She's lying just like that Georgia Lutz," his mother had said, but when Ed confirmed it, even Liz had been defeated. Too bad Frank hadn't had a Liz in his corner.
"We did not have to get married,"Georgiarepeated, staring now at Frank and Clea. When she turned back to Sophie, her face was tragic. "You do what you have to do," she told Sophie quietly, not sounding drunk at all. "You fight for what's yours, for your family, for the family you were meant to have. And they never forgive you for it, they never do . You just keep paying and paying." Sophie put her drink down. "Are you all right,Georgia?"
Georgialooked back at the bar. "I'm just fine. I've got everything I want. And nobody's going to take it away. I'm Frank's leading lady, he needs me," She straightened. "Did he tell you we're doing Carousel?
I'm the lead, of course, and..."
For the next two hours,Georgiarattled on, and Phin watched Sophie knock back her third and fourth drink. She was pressed up warm against him, her curls brushing soft against his arm, and he'd long ago given up caring about the movie and was now seriously reconsidering his stand on dangerous women. It wasn't just Sophie's cleavage and her mouth; when she tilted her head to talk across the table, her neck curved so beautifully into her shoulder that it made him dizzy. The temptation to lean down and bite into that curve was becoming overwhelming, to lick his way up her throat and take that mouth, and then Wes said something and she laughed and turned her face up to him to share the joke, and he fell into her huge warm, brown eyes and his mind went blank.
"Are you all right?" she said.
"Nope." He caught his breath and drained his beer. "Hot in here." Atmidnight, when Sophie reached the bottom of her fourth glass, she put it down and said, "I didn't need that."
She was drunk, he realized; not obnoxious drunk likeGeorgia, but still too drunk for him to move on. He didn't mind seducing women whom drink had made cheerful, but he drew the line at those whom drink had made stupid.
Amy leaned forward. "You can't drink worth a damn, Soph. You ready to go?"
"I can walk it." Sophie nudged Georgia with her hip. "It's not that far."
"Honey, it's dark out there," Georgia protested, but she moved out of the booth.
"I have Mace," Sophie told her as she slid across the seat. "And I'm not afraid to use it."
"Tell you what." Phin slid right behind her, chasing her heat. "I'll take you home."
"You sure?" Amy said. "I'm almost done here."
Phin smiled at Amy. "No problem. If you'll take Wes home when you're ready to go, I can drop Sophie Page 56
off."
Amy nodded, and Phin steered Sophie to the door. "Give me the Mace," he said. "I don't want any accidents."
"Wimp." She walked away from him toward the door, and she looked as lush from behind as she did from the front.
I am a civilized man, he told himself as he followed her out the door. I am not going to touch that inebriated woman.
At least, not tonight.
*
The rum had made Sophie's knees loose, and as she sat in the dark in Phin's car – he had a Volvo, of course, tastefully expensive and understated – she was terrified the problem might spread to her lips and she'd say something stupid. Like, Take me.
She stole a glance at him as he drove down the main road in the dark, his hand draped over the wheel, oblivious to her there beside him, and she felt a little shiver at how dark
"smocked with little tiny roses" – Sophie let her head fall back against Phin's arm, and he started calculating square roots so he wouldn't lunge for her mouth.
"He's still mad because we had to get married,"Georgiasaid, looking back at the bar. "That's why he's doing this. That's why."
"You didn't have to get married," Sophie said.
Page 55
Georgiastraightened. "No, we certainly did not."
Phin had heard all aboutGeorgia's eleven-month pregnancy when Diane's rabbit had died. "She's lying just like that Georgia Lutz," his mother had said, but when Ed confirmed it, even Liz had been defeated. Too bad Frank hadn't had a Liz in his corner.
"We did not have to get married,"Georgiarepeated, staring now at Frank and Clea. When she turned back to Sophie, her face was tragic. "You do what you have to do," she told Sophie quietly, not sounding drunk at all. "You fight for what's yours, for your family, for the family you were meant to have. And they never forgive you for it, they never do . You just keep paying and paying." Sophie put her drink down. "Are you all right,Georgia?"
Georgialooked back at the bar. "I'm just fine. I've got everything I want. And nobody's going to take it away. I'm Frank's leading lady, he needs me," She straightened. "Did he tell you we're doing Carousel?
I'm the lead, of course, and..."
For the next two hours,Georgiarattled on, and Phin watched Sophie knock back her third and fourth drink. She was pressed up warm against him, her curls brushing soft against his arm, and he'd long ago given up caring about the movie and was now seriously reconsidering his stand on dangerous women. It wasn't just Sophie's cleavage and her mouth; when she tilted her head to talk across the table, her neck curved so beautifully into her shoulder that it made him dizzy. The temptation to lean down and bite into that curve was becoming overwhelming, to lick his way up her throat and take that mouth, and then Wes said something and she laughed and turned her face up to him to share the joke, and he fell into her huge warm, brown eyes and his mind went blank.
"Are you all right?" she said.
"Nope." He caught his breath and drained his beer. "Hot in here." Atmidnight, when Sophie reached the bottom of her fourth glass, she put it down and said, "I didn't need that."
She was drunk, he realized; not obnoxious drunk likeGeorgia, but still too drunk for him to move on. He didn't mind seducing women whom drink had made cheerful, but he drew the line at those whom drink had made stupid.
Amy leaned forward. "You can't drink worth a damn, Soph. You ready to go?"
"I can walk it." Sophie nudged Georgia with her hip. "It's not that far."
"Honey, it's dark out there," Georgia protested, but she moved out of the booth.
"I have Mace," Sophie told her as she slid across the seat. "And I'm not afraid to use it."
"Tell you what." Phin slid right behind her, chasing her heat. "I'll take you home."
"You sure?" Amy said. "I'm almost done here."
Phin smiled at Amy. "No problem. If you'll take Wes home when you're ready to go, I can drop Sophie Page 56
off."
Amy nodded, and Phin steered Sophie to the door. "Give me the Mace," he said. "I don't want any accidents."
"Wimp." She walked away from him toward the door, and she looked as lush from behind as she did from the front.
I am a civilized man, he told himself as he followed her out the door. I am not going to touch that inebriated woman.
At least, not tonight.
*
The rum had made Sophie's knees loose, and as she sat in the dark in Phin's car – he had a Volvo, of course, tastefully expensive and understated – she was terrified the problem might spread to her lips and she'd say something stupid. Like, Take me.
She stole a glance at him as he drove down the main road in the dark, his hand draped over the wheel, oblivious to her there beside him, and she felt a little shiver at how dark
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