Husband Hunting 101 by Rita Herron Read Free Book Online Page A

speech. Memories of a deaf boy he'd known in school taunted him. Some of the other kids had made fun of them. His jaw tightened.
    Had kids made fun of Jenna?
    "How about Luigi's?" Jenna suggested. "They have great pizza and pasta."
    "Sounds perfect," he said, wondering why the thought of some stupid kids teasing Jenna bothered him. For all he knew, she'd lived a pampered childhood.
    He whipped the Triumph into a parking spot in front of the Italian restaurant and climbed out. By the time Jenna unwrapped her scarf and brushed though her hair, he had opened her door.
    Five minutes later they were seated in a cozy corner table, surrounded by candlelight, soft music, and the incredible aromas of Italian cuisine.
    "I'll have the linguine," Jenna said, closing her menu.
    He fiddled with the gingham napkin, studying the menu in detail. Should he have the ravioli, clam pasta, spinach lasagna... anything to divert his eyes from Jenna's not so subtle curves.
    "Zack?" She tapped her gold watch. "Maybe we'd better order. I only have an hour. Angel has a doctor's appointment this afternoon."
    "Oh, right." The pregnant friend. All he had to do was keep her swollen figure in his mind and he'd be okay. Then he glanced at Jenna and an image of her pregnant, her stomach softly curved, and her cheeks aglow, sprang into this mind. It was a beautiful, erotic sight.
    He shook himself, his face breaking out into a cold sweat. Erotic? Since when had he ever thought a pregnant woman's body was sensual?
    "Zack, are you all right?" Jenna brushed her fingers over his hands. "You look pale."
    "I'm fine," he said, more curtly than he'd intended. He snapped his menu shut. The waiter arrived and took their orders, and they decided to have a glass of wine to toast their business deal.
    "I like the drawings," Jenna said without preamble. "But it's not quite—"
    "Exactly as you'd imagined," he finished for her.
    She blushed. "Something like that."
    "I know," Zack said. "I was having a hard time. Like I said, I usually get to know my clients before I take on a project. It helps me get a feel for what they want."
    "Hmm." Jenna sipped her wine, her gaze darting to her napkin nervously. "So, what is it you want to know about me? I mean, Mark probably gave you an earful, just like he told me about you."
    "Actually, Mark didn't tell me much," Zack said, shifting uncomfortably. "Except that you were a nice girl and to behave around you."
    Jenna's eyes widened. "He told you that?"
    Zack grinned. "Yeah."
    Jenna sighed. "Sounds like my big brother."
    "Protective, huh?"
    "That's putting it mildly."
    He took a sip of the Chablis. He couldn't blame her brother. For some odd reason, Jenna stirred his own protective instincts.
    Unfortunately she stirred his libido, too.
    "So what did he tell you about me—that I was the big bad wolf?"
    Jenna laughed. "Something like that."
    "He warned you to stay away from me?"
    She nodded. "He didn't think we'd make a good match." She bit down on her bottom lip and he had the urge to reach out and touch it.
    Instead, he tore off a chunk of bread and slathered butter on the side. "Well, so far we haven't killed each other."
    "He probably thought we had nothing in common."
    "How do you figure that?"
    Jenna hesitated as the waiter delivered their salads, and didn't answer, so Zack broke the awkward silence. "We have a few things in common. We both own small businesses."
    Jenna nibbled on her salad. "That's true."
    "And we both like Italian food."
    "And wine," Jenna said, raising her glass.
    He clinked his with hers and smiled. "Tell me why you chose the Love 'N Lace ."
    Jenna dropped her gaze to her food, thoughtful for a minute. When she finally raised her head, a troubled expression darkened her eyes for a brief second, then joy and pride replaced it. She toyed with the emerald stone, her fingers caressing the jewel.
    He wondered who had given it to her. An old boyfriend?
    "I grew up in a small town in North Carolina," she finally said. "My