Free Sweet Southern Betrayal by Robin Covington Page A

still stared at her blankly and she tried again to explain. “In the movies, people hook up when they think Armageddon is coming and then have all kinds of ‘oh shit’ moments when they save the world. Got it?”
    Teague nodded and huffed out a laugh. “I got it. I don’t like it, but I got it.”
    In spite of their agreement they stood together for a few moments longer, his hands on her body and her body thrumming like an overloaded electrical wire. He was the first to break the connection, moving back and looking at his watch.
    “So…we have dinner with my mother in an hour.”
    “Sure. I guess we need to go back to your place and shower.” Risa grabbed her forgotten water bottle, relieved by the change in topic. “Do you want to jump in first?”
    “We could take one together.”
    Risa turned to look at him and was struck by the way his handsome face was transformed by a wicked grin. “I think I’ll go first. Alone.”
    “Fine. Make sure you use all the hot water.” Teague took the few paces to meet her at the door, smiling down at her. “I’ll need a cold shower to make sure I don’t embarrass myself.”
    He thought he was being so cute, but she had news that would fix his little red wagon. “Oh, I don’t think you’ll have any trouble keeping your mind off sex.”
    “You don’t?”
    “Nope. Your mother called me earlier when you were at work.”
    Suspicion crept into his eyes and the grin lost some of its power. “What about?”
    “Four words. ‘Behind Closed Doors’ and ‘vibrator.’” Risa skipped out of the room and down the stairs, laughing full-out when Teague’s horrified voice met her ears just as she hit the bottom step.
    “What the hell does my mother want with a vibrator?”

Chapter Eight
    “Surprise!”
    Risa jumped back at the wall of sound that hit her the moment she walked through the doorway of the Southern Comfort Diner. One minute before she’d walked into the restaurant just ahead of Teague to meet his mother for dinner, the patrons turned to look at them and then…bam! The place erupted in a jumble of people clapping, chairs pushed back on the floors with loud scrapes, and a rush of bodies heading right for them.
    “What the hell?” Teague said behind her, his hands reaching out to grab her waist in a steadying gesture.
    Risa righted herself on her high heels, eyes scanning the scene for some clue to respond to his question. She spied the answer in the middle of the diner in an area created when someone moved several tables out of the way: a wedding cake. A huge, three-tiered white confection covered in fresh roses and boasting a little bride and groom on top.
    “It’s a wedding reception,” she hissed as she turned to face him. She knew she sounded a little crazed but this was freaking her out a little bit. “They threw us a wedding reception!”
    “A what?” Teague looked over her shoulder and she knew the minute he got a good look at the cake topper. “Is the little groom hooked to a ball and chain?”
    “Yep. And it looks like mini-me is holding the keys.” She grabbed his shirt, the crisp cotton of the button-up crinkling in her death-grip-of-panic. She couldn’t face these people knowing that her marriage was a sham and she was a liar. “I can’t do this. I’m all for meeting up with your mom, but a whole room of people? I don’t know if I can pull it off. What if they ask me things that a bride should know about you?” She tried to take a deep breath to calm the crazy tattoo of her heart. “I told you we should have rehearsed questions and answers. I told you but you were all ‘Risa, don’t worry about’ and ‘I’ve got it under control.’”
    Teague cupped her face in his hands, bringing their faces so close their foreheads touched and she shut her eyes, letting her mind focus on him, his touch, and not on the three-ring circus behind her.
    “Risa.” Teague’s voice was rough and deep, delivering a soothing dose of calm to her mind.