Shades of Twilight

His lips were firm and warm, and hinted of a tantalizing taste that made her quiver with need. She felt him jerk, as if

startled, felt his hands move to her waist and tighten as if he would lift her away from him.

"No," she sobbed, suddenly terrified that he would push her away.

"Webb, please. Hold me." And she tightened her hold on him and kissed him even harder, shyly daring to lick his lips the way she’d seen it done in a movie.

He quivered, a long shudder running through his muscled body, and his hands clenched on her.

"Ro-" he began, and her tongue slipped in between his opened lips.

He groaned, his entire body tensing. Then suddenly his mouth opened and moved, and control of the kiss was no longer hers. His arms closed around her, hard, and his tongue moved deep into her mouth. Roanna’s neck bent back under the pressure, and her senses dimmed under the onslaught. She had thought about kissing, even practiced it on her pillow at night, but she hadn’t realized a kiss could make her feel so hot and weak, or that his taste would be so delicious, or that the feel of him against her would unleash such terrible longing. She twisted on his lap, seeking to get closer, and fiercely he turned her so that her breasts were against his chest.

"You two-timing bastard!"

The shriek battered Roanna’s ears. She leaped from Webb’s lap, her face white as she pivoted to face her cousin. Jessie’s features were twisted with rage as she stood just inside the door, glaring at them, her hands clenched into white-knuckled fists.

Webb got to his feet. Dull red stained his cheeks, but his gaze was steady as he too faced his wife.

"Calm down," he said in an even tone.

"I can explain."

"I just bet you can," she sneered.

"This should be good. Damn you, no wonder you haven’t been interested in touching me! All this time you’ve been fucking this stupid little whore!"

A red mist edged Roanna’s vision. After what Jessie had been doing this afternoon, how dare she talk to Webb like this over a kiss! Without realizing she even moved, suddenly she found herself in front of Jessie, and she shoved her against the wall so hard that her head slammed against it.

"Roanna, stop it!" Webb said sharply, catching her and roughly setting her aside.

Jessie straightened and shoved her hair out of her eyes. Quick as a cat, she lunged past Webb and slapped Roanna across the face with all the strength in her arm. Webb grabbed her and swung her to one side, holding her with a firm grip on the collar of her blouse while he caught Roanna by the nape of her neck.

"That’s enough, God damn it," he said with clenched teeth. Webb didn’t normally swear in front of women, and the fact that he did now was a measure of his anger.

"Jessie, there’s no sense in letting the whole house in on this. We’ll talk about it upstairs." "We’ll talk about it upstairs," she mimicked.

"We’ll talk about it right here, damn you! You want to keep it quiet? Tough shit! By tomorrow night, everyone in Tuscumbia is going to know you’ve got a taste for young ass, because I’m going to yell it on every corner!"

"Shut up," Roanna growled, ignoring her burning cheek and glaring her hate at Jessie. She tried to wriggle free of Webb’s punishing hold on her neck, but he merely tightened his grip.

Jessie spat at her.

"You’ve always been after him, you slut," she hissed.

"You set it up for me to find you two together like this, didn’t you? You knew I was coming down to the kitchen. You weren’t content to fuck him behind my back, you wanted to lord it over me for once."

The scope of the lie stunned Roanna. She darted a glance at Webb and saw the sudden suspicious, condemning glare in his eyes.

"Both of you shut up," he growled, his voice so low and icy that chills ran down her back.

"Jessie. Upstairs. Now." He released Roanna and all but frog-marched Jessie to the door. He paused there to flick Roanna with a glacier gaze that cut like a whip.

"I’ll take care of you later."

The door swung shut behind them. Roanna sank weakly against the cabinets and covered her face with her hands.

Oh, God, she’d never meant for anything like this to happen. Now Webb hated her, and she didn’t think she could bear it. Pain welled in her, tightening her throat, choking her. She had never been a match for Jessie in slyness and cunning, and Jessie had proved it once again, effortlessly spewing out the lie that would turn Webb against her. Now he thought she’d caused all this deliberately, and he would never, never love her.

Grandmother wouldn’t forgive her for this ruckus. She rocked back and forth, overwhelmed with misery, wondering if she’d be sent away. Jessie had been telling Grandmother that Roanna should go away to some girl’s college up north, but Roanna hadn’t wanted to go and Webb had supported her, but now she doubted Webb would lift a finger if they wanted to send her to the Gobi Desert. She had caused him so much trouble he’d never forgive her, even if she could convince him that Jessie lied, which she doubted. In her experience, they always believed Jessie.

In the space of a few minutes, her entire world had crumbled around her. She had been so happy, those few, sweet moments in his arms, and then it had turned to hell. She would likely have to go away, and she’d lost Webb forever.

It wasn’t fair. Jessie was the one who was the whore. But Roanna didn’t dare tell, couldn’t tell, no matter what happened. She couldn’t defend herself against the vicious lies Jessie was even now telling about her. "I hate you," she whispered thinly to her absent cousin She cowered against the cabinets like a frightened little animal, her heart pounding against her ribs with a force that almost made her faint.