‘Impressive, isn’t she? I thought as I was taking you away from him, I ought to offer him something in compensation.’
‘So I suppose she was the booby prize?’ Bryony’s voice dripped sarcasm and Jack’s grin widened.
‘Booby prize.’ He repeated her words and chuckled with appreciation. ‘I admit I hadn’t thought of it in exactly those terms, but now you mention it…’
Bryony ground her teeth in frustration. ‘You are so hypocritical, do you know that? You have the nerve to criticise my black dress and then you go out with a girl who has a cleavage the size of the Grand Canyon and shows it off to the entire population. I didn’t notice you covering her up with a coat.’
Jack glanced across at her and in the semi-darkness she could see his eyes twinkling wickedly. ‘It would have had to be a big coat and it seemed a shame todeprive everyone of the view,’ he drawled, and she felt fury mix with a very different emotion.
Hurt.
When Nina wore a low-cut dress, Jack obviously thought she looked incredibly attractive. But when she wore one he thought she looked awful and tried to cover her up.
David had said that she looked nice but, thanks to Jack, David was now with Nina and was doubtless enjoying the view as much as all the other men in the restaurant.
And she was with a man who didn’t find her attractive and never would.
‘There are times when I hate you, Jack Rothwell,’ she muttered, and he gave a soft laugh.
‘I don’t know what you’re getting so worked up about, Blondie.’
For once his use of her nickname irritated her. ‘He was my date, Jack. My date. And you ruined it.’
To her utter humiliation she felt a lump starting in her throat. She wasn’t going to cry in front of Jack.
But fortunately Jack had his eyes fixed on the road. ‘How did I ruin it?’
‘You really need to ask that question?’ She stared at him incredulously. ‘I was spending the evening with a man and you suddenly dived in and insisted on taking me home. And I really don’t understand why.’
In the moonlight she saw the muscle in his jaw flicker. ‘The roads are icy. I didn’t want him driving you.’
Her jaw fell open. ‘You think you’re the only man who can drive on ice?’
‘No.’ His tone was calm. ‘But I’ve never seen David Armstrong drive on ice and until I do, he’s not driving you.’
‘Jack, you’re being ridiculous!’ She looked at him in exasperation. ‘And what about Nina? You were perfectly happy for him to drive Nina.’
‘Nina can look after herself.’
Bryony slumped back in her seat and gritted her teeth. ‘And I can’t?’
‘You know nothing about men.’
‘I thought we were talking about ice?’
‘Amongst other things.’
‘Oh, right. So we’re back to the fact that I haven’t dated anyone for ages. It doesn’t make me stupid, Jack.’
‘And it doesn’t make you experienced.’
‘Well, it’s obvious that I’m never going to get any experience while I’m living in the same town as you!’ She glared at him and he gave a shrug.
‘I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss. You had your date. You spent the evening together. Was it good, by the way?’
She opened her mouth to tell him that, no, it had not been good because she’d been staring at him all night, but she realised in time just how much that would reveal about her feelings and stopped herself.
‘It was fine,’ she lied, ‘but it hadn’t finished. I wanted him to take me home.’ And she’d wanted him to kiss her just to see whether it was possible for another man to take her mind off Jack.
‘You wanted him to take you home?’ There was a tense silence and she saw Jack’s fingers tighten on the wheel. ‘Why?’ His voice was suddenly harsh. ‘Orwas that where the date was supposed to begin? Keen to make up for lost time, were you?’
His tone was frosty and she gave an exclamation of disgust. ‘And so what if it was? What I do with my life is none of your
‘So I suppose she was the booby prize?’ Bryony’s voice dripped sarcasm and Jack’s grin widened.
‘Booby prize.’ He repeated her words and chuckled with appreciation. ‘I admit I hadn’t thought of it in exactly those terms, but now you mention it…’
Bryony ground her teeth in frustration. ‘You are so hypocritical, do you know that? You have the nerve to criticise my black dress and then you go out with a girl who has a cleavage the size of the Grand Canyon and shows it off to the entire population. I didn’t notice you covering her up with a coat.’
Jack glanced across at her and in the semi-darkness she could see his eyes twinkling wickedly. ‘It would have had to be a big coat and it seemed a shame todeprive everyone of the view,’ he drawled, and she felt fury mix with a very different emotion.
Hurt.
When Nina wore a low-cut dress, Jack obviously thought she looked incredibly attractive. But when she wore one he thought she looked awful and tried to cover her up.
David had said that she looked nice but, thanks to Jack, David was now with Nina and was doubtless enjoying the view as much as all the other men in the restaurant.
And she was with a man who didn’t find her attractive and never would.
‘There are times when I hate you, Jack Rothwell,’ she muttered, and he gave a soft laugh.
‘I don’t know what you’re getting so worked up about, Blondie.’
For once his use of her nickname irritated her. ‘He was my date, Jack. My date. And you ruined it.’
To her utter humiliation she felt a lump starting in her throat. She wasn’t going to cry in front of Jack.
But fortunately Jack had his eyes fixed on the road. ‘How did I ruin it?’
‘You really need to ask that question?’ She stared at him incredulously. ‘I was spending the evening with a man and you suddenly dived in and insisted on taking me home. And I really don’t understand why.’
In the moonlight she saw the muscle in his jaw flicker. ‘The roads are icy. I didn’t want him driving you.’
Her jaw fell open. ‘You think you’re the only man who can drive on ice?’
‘No.’ His tone was calm. ‘But I’ve never seen David Armstrong drive on ice and until I do, he’s not driving you.’
‘Jack, you’re being ridiculous!’ She looked at him in exasperation. ‘And what about Nina? You were perfectly happy for him to drive Nina.’
‘Nina can look after herself.’
Bryony slumped back in her seat and gritted her teeth. ‘And I can’t?’
‘You know nothing about men.’
‘I thought we were talking about ice?’
‘Amongst other things.’
‘Oh, right. So we’re back to the fact that I haven’t dated anyone for ages. It doesn’t make me stupid, Jack.’
‘And it doesn’t make you experienced.’
‘Well, it’s obvious that I’m never going to get any experience while I’m living in the same town as you!’ She glared at him and he gave a shrug.
‘I don’t know why you’re making such a fuss. You had your date. You spent the evening together. Was it good, by the way?’
She opened her mouth to tell him that, no, it had not been good because she’d been staring at him all night, but she realised in time just how much that would reveal about her feelings and stopped herself.
‘It was fine,’ she lied, ‘but it hadn’t finished. I wanted him to take me home.’ And she’d wanted him to kiss her just to see whether it was possible for another man to take her mind off Jack.
‘You wanted him to take you home?’ There was a tense silence and she saw Jack’s fingers tighten on the wheel. ‘Why?’ His voice was suddenly harsh. ‘Orwas that where the date was supposed to begin? Keen to make up for lost time, were you?’
His tone was frosty and she gave an exclamation of disgust. ‘And so what if it was? What I do with my life is none of your
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