gagging on the words.
“Genna.” He straightened, still holding a maroon paisley tie. He wasn’t as tall as Jared, and hispinstripe suit emphasized his slender build. Everything about Allan was neat and businesslike, from his carefully combed but thinning blond hair, right down to his Lloyd and Haig shoes. He was undeniably handsome in a pale, thin sort of way. “How are you?”
I want to vomit . “Fine. Wonderful.” She smiled wider, wondering if her face would break. Then she’d feel really stupid, standing in the middle of a big department store with no face.
Jared pinched her, a phony smile in place and murder in his eyes. “Introduce me to your … friend, honey.”
“What? Oh! Yes! Jared, this is Allan Corrigan, an old … person … I used to know,” she said lamely. “Allan, this is Jared Hennessy.”
“The quarterback?” Allan blurted out in obvious surprise.
Jared gave him an unpleasant, unamused twitch of the lips. “That’s right,” he drawled, the words clearly translating into of course, you stupid jerk .
Genna wanted to laugh hysterically. Allan was always so smug. Nothing ever impressed him. And he never blurted. Now he appeared to shrink in embarrassment.
Jared, on the other hand, appeared positively intimidating.He had the look of a possessive male whose territory was being threatened. His narrowed gaze pinned Allan with an icy stare. “Just how well do you know my Genna?”
The subtle emphasis on “my” was perfect, Genna thought, giving rein to a mischievous streak. Allan took an involuntary step back. She patted Jared’s stomach reassuringly. “Now, J.J., don’t go getting nasty. This is a public place.”
Allan’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously in his throat. His hand crushed the silk tie he’d been considering buying. “Oh—really—Mr. Hennessy, there’s no reason—I mean, Genna and I—there’s nothing—”
Jared’s nostrils flared, his chest puffed up. “She was nothing to you?”
He charged two steps before Genna dropped her bags, got him by the waistband of his jeans, and threw her weight back, swinging them both around in a circle. Allan had the paisley necktie by both ends, holding it horizontally in front of him as if the thin silk would provide him some sort of protection.
“That’s not what I meant!” he squealed.
“Honestly, Jared,” Genna scolded, letting go of him. She stooped to pick up her bags. “I’m goingto have to put you on a leash if you’re going to act this way.”
Barely taking his eyes off Allan, Jared leaned down and pressed a quick kiss on her lips. “Come on, honey,” he said with a growl. “Let’s go home.”
Genna shot a glance at Allan and choked back a giggle. He looked like a man who had just narrowly escaped a close encounter with a grizzly bear. His hair was practically standing on end. “Nice to see you, Allan,” she said as Jared’s arm went possessively around her waist and he started to herd her away.
“See you around, Corrigan.” J.J. bared his teeth in a parody of a smile. “By the way, that’s a bad-looking tie. You ought to buy it, it goes with your suit.”
On their way across the windy parking lot, Genna, on the verge of nervous hysteria, began to giggle. The giggles built into uncontrollable laughter, and she had to stop and lean against Jared’s car, holding her stomach. Jared dug into his pocket and produced a mangled package of M&M’s. He munched on the candy while he watched Genna be hysterical.
“Oh—oh!” she gasped for breath. “Poor Allan! He looked like he’d just come out of electroshocktherapy! He thought you were going to tear him apart right there in public! What a wonderful act!”
Jared managed to twitch up the corners of his mouth. He wondered what Genna would do if she knew how little of it had been an act. He’d never been jealous or possessive in his life, but, Lord, he’d wanted to take Corrigan apart just for knowing Genna. It seemed she brought out the
“Genna.” He straightened, still holding a maroon paisley tie. He wasn’t as tall as Jared, and hispinstripe suit emphasized his slender build. Everything about Allan was neat and businesslike, from his carefully combed but thinning blond hair, right down to his Lloyd and Haig shoes. He was undeniably handsome in a pale, thin sort of way. “How are you?”
I want to vomit . “Fine. Wonderful.” She smiled wider, wondering if her face would break. Then she’d feel really stupid, standing in the middle of a big department store with no face.
Jared pinched her, a phony smile in place and murder in his eyes. “Introduce me to your … friend, honey.”
“What? Oh! Yes! Jared, this is Allan Corrigan, an old … person … I used to know,” she said lamely. “Allan, this is Jared Hennessy.”
“The quarterback?” Allan blurted out in obvious surprise.
Jared gave him an unpleasant, unamused twitch of the lips. “That’s right,” he drawled, the words clearly translating into of course, you stupid jerk .
Genna wanted to laugh hysterically. Allan was always so smug. Nothing ever impressed him. And he never blurted. Now he appeared to shrink in embarrassment.
Jared, on the other hand, appeared positively intimidating.He had the look of a possessive male whose territory was being threatened. His narrowed gaze pinned Allan with an icy stare. “Just how well do you know my Genna?”
The subtle emphasis on “my” was perfect, Genna thought, giving rein to a mischievous streak. Allan took an involuntary step back. She patted Jared’s stomach reassuringly. “Now, J.J., don’t go getting nasty. This is a public place.”
Allan’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously in his throat. His hand crushed the silk tie he’d been considering buying. “Oh—really—Mr. Hennessy, there’s no reason—I mean, Genna and I—there’s nothing—”
Jared’s nostrils flared, his chest puffed up. “She was nothing to you?”
He charged two steps before Genna dropped her bags, got him by the waistband of his jeans, and threw her weight back, swinging them both around in a circle. Allan had the paisley necktie by both ends, holding it horizontally in front of him as if the thin silk would provide him some sort of protection.
“That’s not what I meant!” he squealed.
“Honestly, Jared,” Genna scolded, letting go of him. She stooped to pick up her bags. “I’m goingto have to put you on a leash if you’re going to act this way.”
Barely taking his eyes off Allan, Jared leaned down and pressed a quick kiss on her lips. “Come on, honey,” he said with a growl. “Let’s go home.”
Genna shot a glance at Allan and choked back a giggle. He looked like a man who had just narrowly escaped a close encounter with a grizzly bear. His hair was practically standing on end. “Nice to see you, Allan,” she said as Jared’s arm went possessively around her waist and he started to herd her away.
“See you around, Corrigan.” J.J. bared his teeth in a parody of a smile. “By the way, that’s a bad-looking tie. You ought to buy it, it goes with your suit.”
On their way across the windy parking lot, Genna, on the verge of nervous hysteria, began to giggle. The giggles built into uncontrollable laughter, and she had to stop and lean against Jared’s car, holding her stomach. Jared dug into his pocket and produced a mangled package of M&M’s. He munched on the candy while he watched Genna be hysterical.
“Oh—oh!” she gasped for breath. “Poor Allan! He looked like he’d just come out of electroshocktherapy! He thought you were going to tear him apart right there in public! What a wonderful act!”
Jared managed to twitch up the corners of his mouth. He wondered what Genna would do if she knew how little of it had been an act. He’d never been jealous or possessive in his life, but, Lord, he’d wanted to take Corrigan apart just for knowing Genna. It seemed she brought out the
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