Summer Breeze Kisses - Addison Moore Page 0,120

my honeymoon.” He shakes his head, perplexed at how far we’ve veered outside of sanity’s realm. “You can’t be serious about this boy. You hardly know him.”

“I’ve known him exactly as long as you’ve known Lynette.” I invoke her proper name in the event he needs a reminder at this point which mother I’m referring to.

“That’s not the same, and you know it.” His voice dips into its lower register as he gives me that I’m-in-charge-here-young-lady look. “You and Rex need to think long and hard before pursuing any kind of sexual relationship. You are brother and sister, for all practical purposes. Think of your siblings, how hard this is going to be for them, how embarrassing to have to explain this away.”

“Does this embarrass you?” I look to Lynette first. No need to wait for an answer—she’s beet red, cresting toward purple. This doesn’t just embarrass her. It’s shaved ten years off the back end of her life.

“It’s simply torturous.” She pleads to Rex with watery eyes. “Bradley and I have true love. I’ve found what I never thought I’d find again, something even purer than that. What we have is real. We’re both ready to live normal lives once again. And this, this thing between the two of you—it’s just not going to work. I understand the fact you’re both young adults, practically the same age. Of course, you found one another attractive, but I’m glad we’re able to nip it in the bud before it led to rather awkward places.”

Dad gives a furtive nod. “Now that this is behind us, we can all move on. Rex, I have a friend who has a daughter your age—med student. A real knockout, if you know what I mean.” He gives a hard wink and offers up the “okay” symbol. “I’ll have her meet you for coffee. You won’t regret a thing.”

Lynette waves me off with a flick of the wrist. “And don’t you worry, Batter Bait. We’ll find you a coffee mate soon enough. Before you know it, you’ll forget all about this little foible. A year from now, we’ll all have a laugh!”

The waitress comes by with four plates of glistening, glibbering…vaginas on a half shell?

“What exactly is this?” Lynette squawks at her meal as if it were about to attack.

“Steamed conch.” The waitress gives a little wink. “It’s rather bland if you ask me. Tastes like chicken!” she sings before taking off.

“Like chicken.” Dad’s lips make a myriad of shapes. “I’m all for trying something new.”

Rex leans in as our parents start in on the questionable feast. “Where’s the rest of the body that was attached to this thing?”

“I don’t know, but I get the feeling we should file a missing person’s report.”

We share a quiet laugh, and both Dad and Lynette look up in dismay.

Rex picks my hand up and places a tender kiss to the back of it, and we share a private smile.

There’s no way in hell we’re backing off, giving up on our budding non-relationship in exchange for “coffee dates.” Rex and I already have what we need—the disapproval of the two people we love the most.

I predict, come August, all four of us will be free agents once again.

I pick up my drink and toast Rex.

Unhappily ever after for all.

He gives a knowing nod and clicks his glass to mine.

Sometimes, teaming up with the enemy is a very good thing.

A week drifts by, and to my shame all I can think about is the way Rex Toberman’s hand felt against mine. It’s so childish, such a schoolgirl fantasy, it makes me want to vomit. But no matter how hard I profess to have loathed the physical aspects I was forced to commit that night—hand-holding being the limit—I can’t help but heat up with the fire of a thousand nuclear blasts. To say Rex Toberman has me in flames is the understatement of the millennium. I fully blame my lack of sexual adventure on that little incandescent issue. In truth, it’s not really turning me on per se. It’s just the opposite. Rex Toberman is vexing me both in and out of my dirty carnal dreams. I hate that it’s come to this. I hate that I have to lie to my father, fake a relationship with a boy who very well might be my brother. It’s demoralizing and dehumanizing and whetting my sexual appetite like never before. There, I said it.

“Whoa!” Roxy comes into the kitchen and holds her hands out as