Page 9 of Jack
"I know who the kid is."
Pressing his thumb against her flesh, heglanced at her. "Who is he?"
"Jason Hadley. I thought I recognizedhim. I was certain of it when I saw his grandmother."
"Classy lady. Looked like she did notbelong in our primitive setting. I thought she was going to jump outof her delicate skin."
She stared at him, "You really don'trecognize the name?"
He thought for a moment and shook his head.
"You uneducated dolt." She pokedhim in the stomach with her toe. "Jack Hadley."
"Who-" realization hit him like athunderbolt. "Ah."
Chapter3
He eyed her quizzically as he transferredto the next foot. "What?"
"Stay the hell out of it."
"I don't know what you mean." Butshe did and was slightly perturbed that he could read her so well.
"You know exactly what I mean,"he said grimly. "Jack Hadley, CEO of Hadley's Industries,builders of complicated and enormous shopping malls and owner of realestates around the entire country. If that kid comes back to the bar,we will send him packing. Hadley is not a man to be messed with. Andwhat the hell was he doing here in the first place?"
"Acting out."
She grinned at the pained look on his face."You were fifteen or fourteen once."
"The only acting out I did was getsmashed one afternoon with Darius and that idiot Brandon. Nothingelse. This kid was way out of his comfort zone. He's the heir to afortune and could have been kidnapped and held for ransom." Hisexpression darkened. "I mean it, Zoo—if he comes back, andI hope to God his grandmother knocked some sense into his head. If hecomes back, send him packing."
"I doubt she managed to do that."She stirred restlessly and put her beer on the table next to her. "Helooked sad."
"Zoo—"
"No." She shook her head with aslight laugh. "I am just making an observation."
"You're trying to find a way to getinto this kid's life. I know you."
"I am most certainly not."
"You want a family. A kid. You don'tthink I have noticed the longing in your eyes? Whenever a familycomes in with kids, you zero in at that table and spend your timeplaying with them."
"So what?"
He knew her well, and whenever she wasbacked into a corner, she became defensive and belligerent.
"Nothing is wrong with wantingsomething." He watched as she lunged to her feet and startedpacing. "I am just warning you against getting involved—"
"You're jumping the gun. He knowsbetter than to come back."
"You mean except for the fact thathe's crushing on you?"
The term was so unexpected coming from himthat she stared at him in surprise before bursting into laughter.
"What the hell is so funny?"
"Crushing?" She grinned at hisbaleful expression. "Honey, I don't think that term is usedanymore, and besides, we're not twelve."
