sudden. “If you dress like a tramp, you can’t really blame people for taking you for one.”
She stared at him, hurt. He was exaggerating just a bit. She wasn’t dressed like a tramp. Her only sin was that she wasn’t dressed like a rich woman either. Still, she got his point. Turning, she let him close the door, and she put on the clothes he’d brought her.
Looking into the mirror, she frowned at the unfamiliar picture she made.
“Tennis, anyone?” she murmured sadly.
CHAPTER SIX:
Tennis Anyone?
The atmosphere was warm and congenial. Rich leather, highly polished wood, and plush carpeting provided a quiet yet extremely elegant decor. Clearly, it was a country club for the very wealthy. It made a most definitive statement.
Reid watched Jennifer speaking to an old friend, and his gaze lingered on her, enjoying how she looked in the tennis dress, its white blouse edged with powder blue. Her irrepressible curls were tied back with a blue velvet ribbon, and fluffy white socks were turned down to meet white tennis shoes, setting off her long, golden legs.
Reid thought back to the anger that had assailed him when he’d walked into the rose arbor and seen Dan touching Jennifer, looking as though he were about to kiss her. His first instinct had been to kill Dan. A primitive urge. But that was how he felt about Jennifer. Primitive. He always had.
He was still angry—angry at himself, at the situation, at Jennifer. He knew she thought he was angry because she’d worn a sexy outfit that had brought out Dan’s worst instincts, but that wasn’t really it. She looked so darn cute in those shorts and the stretchy tube top—he’d blazed with jealousy to think that she might respond to another man, when he wanted her so badly.
So now he’d dressed her up in the proper clothes and brought her here to the club to show her off to everyone. What was he doing . . . going crazy or something?
“Down this road lies madness, Carrington,” he mumbled under his breath. “It’s about time to clean up your act.”
He slipped an arm around Jennifer’s shoulders to guide her out through the heavy glass door, and she looked up at him, giving him her widest, warmest smile—the one that always made his heart stop in his chest- -a mini heart attack. And then the adrenaline would surge.
God, he thought breathlessly, following her out the door. How could any man look at another woman once he’d seen Jennifer? How had he managed to survive all these years without her?
Jennifer was nervous but confident. She was so anxious to do right by Reid this time. At least she was dressed right. That was a start—and so unusual for her! She was going to behave correctly. She was going to be so careful not to do anything to make him embarrassed to be with her.
It shouldn’t be that difficult. After all, she knew the rules. She’d grown up with them. Just because she’d rebelled against them didn’t mean she didn’t have them implanted in her brain. She wanted to make up to Reid for what had happened that afternoon. She wanted so badly for him to be proud of her.
Dan was waiting at an outside table with two tall, beautiful women, one dark-haired, the other glacially blond. He stood as they approached, but Jennifer noticed he wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“We’re going to lose our court if we don’t hurry,” he suggested quickly, shouldering his racquet. “Shall we get right to it?”
“Let me introduce Jennifer first,” Reid said. “Jennifer Thornton, this is Muffy Craig and this is Astrid Marvel. Jennifer will join us at the sidelines if it’s all right with you two.”
“Of course. She can take my place if she wants to,” Muffy, the more animated of the two spoke up. “Or we could trade off.” Her smile was genuinely friendly. “I must confess, I’m not the greatest athlete in the world. I’d love a breather now and then. Say you’ll trade off with me.”
The way Dan was standing by Muffy, Jennifer was
She stared at him, hurt. He was exaggerating just a bit. She wasn’t dressed like a tramp. Her only sin was that she wasn’t dressed like a rich woman either. Still, she got his point. Turning, she let him close the door, and she put on the clothes he’d brought her.
Looking into the mirror, she frowned at the unfamiliar picture she made.
“Tennis, anyone?” she murmured sadly.
CHAPTER SIX:
Tennis Anyone?
The atmosphere was warm and congenial. Rich leather, highly polished wood, and plush carpeting provided a quiet yet extremely elegant decor. Clearly, it was a country club for the very wealthy. It made a most definitive statement.
Reid watched Jennifer speaking to an old friend, and his gaze lingered on her, enjoying how she looked in the tennis dress, its white blouse edged with powder blue. Her irrepressible curls were tied back with a blue velvet ribbon, and fluffy white socks were turned down to meet white tennis shoes, setting off her long, golden legs.
Reid thought back to the anger that had assailed him when he’d walked into the rose arbor and seen Dan touching Jennifer, looking as though he were about to kiss her. His first instinct had been to kill Dan. A primitive urge. But that was how he felt about Jennifer. Primitive. He always had.
He was still angry—angry at himself, at the situation, at Jennifer. He knew she thought he was angry because she’d worn a sexy outfit that had brought out Dan’s worst instincts, but that wasn’t really it. She looked so darn cute in those shorts and the stretchy tube top—he’d blazed with jealousy to think that she might respond to another man, when he wanted her so badly.
So now he’d dressed her up in the proper clothes and brought her here to the club to show her off to everyone. What was he doing . . . going crazy or something?
“Down this road lies madness, Carrington,” he mumbled under his breath. “It’s about time to clean up your act.”
He slipped an arm around Jennifer’s shoulders to guide her out through the heavy glass door, and she looked up at him, giving him her widest, warmest smile—the one that always made his heart stop in his chest- -a mini heart attack. And then the adrenaline would surge.
God, he thought breathlessly, following her out the door. How could any man look at another woman once he’d seen Jennifer? How had he managed to survive all these years without her?
Jennifer was nervous but confident. She was so anxious to do right by Reid this time. At least she was dressed right. That was a start—and so unusual for her! She was going to behave correctly. She was going to be so careful not to do anything to make him embarrassed to be with her.
It shouldn’t be that difficult. After all, she knew the rules. She’d grown up with them. Just because she’d rebelled against them didn’t mean she didn’t have them implanted in her brain. She wanted to make up to Reid for what had happened that afternoon. She wanted so badly for him to be proud of her.
Dan was waiting at an outside table with two tall, beautiful women, one dark-haired, the other glacially blond. He stood as they approached, but Jennifer noticed he wouldn’t meet her eyes.
“We’re going to lose our court if we don’t hurry,” he suggested quickly, shouldering his racquet. “Shall we get right to it?”
“Let me introduce Jennifer first,” Reid said. “Jennifer Thornton, this is Muffy Craig and this is Astrid Marvel. Jennifer will join us at the sidelines if it’s all right with you two.”
“Of course. She can take my place if she wants to,” Muffy, the more animated of the two spoke up. “Or we could trade off.” Her smile was genuinely friendly. “I must confess, I’m not the greatest athlete in the world. I’d love a breather now and then. Say you’ll trade off with me.”
The way Dan was standing by Muffy, Jennifer was
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