have to get going. It was great to see you and to meet you, Isaac.”
She extended her hand, and he took it, still warm and soft, and held hers just one beat too long. Jake"s biceps tightened again. Isaac was pushing his luck with so many samurai swords around. “I"m sure we"ll see you both around campus.”
She let go of Roan"s arm for a moment, picked up her package, and then slipped her arm through his again and headed for the door. “Bye now,” she called back to Howard and Isaac.
* * *
Genetic Attraction
57
“Man, that guy has balls!” Jake pulled his arm from Em"s grip and took a deep breath of the October air. Maybe he was being stupid, but he really wanted to go back in and tell that Isaac character where he could put his dimples.
Roan laughed. “You are so cute when you go all alpha.”
“Well he"s got shit for nerve. What were you and I, Roan, window dressing? I should have told him to back off.”
Em gave him a worried look. “Jake, that wouldn"t have been appropriate, and you know it. He was just being friendly.”
“Yeah, friendly as Hugh Hefner.”
They walked slowly to the car.
Roan circled his neck with an arm and gave Jake a rub on the head as they walked. That was one of their codes for an embrace when they were in public. Jesus, he was getting tired of all the dissembling and sneaking around, even though he"d brought it on himself. He had insisted they hide their relationship from the university. Now he wasn"t so sure.
Still teasing him, Roan chucked him under the chin. “I haven"t seen you this jealous since the night I walked into the ballroom with Alexandra Shields on my arm.”
Oh yeah . “I went a little ballistic.”
“Who"s Alexandra Shields?” Em looked interested, and Jake wasn"t sure how much he wanted to tell her, but Roan rushed in.
“She"s a friend of mine who lives in Paris.” Roan leaned on the Lexus. “We were engaged at one time. Actually, she was the first woman I ever liked to fuck. I brought her to an event last year that Jake was also attending with his little girlfriend …”
“She wasn"t my girlfriend!”
“Uh-huh. Anyway, Alex is pretty spectacular, and Jake had been pretending to himself that he and I were just fuck buddies, but when he saw Alex he got six 58
Tara Lain
shades of green. I guess you could say Alex started a cascade that led to us committing to each other.”
“I never quite thought of it that way.” Jake shook his head. “But I guess you have a point.”
Roan looked at Em. “I"m sure you"ll get to meet Alex one day.”
“I hope that"s not one day soon.” Jake had to admit that while he essentially liked Alexandra, and Lord knew he"d enjoyed their one three-way, he was still a bit jealous of Roan"s affection for her. Yeah, yeah, he knew that was a crock in light of Roan"s willingness to include Em, but there it was.
Em smiled at Roan. “Well, I"d love to meet her. And as for Dr. Winton"s nephew, I don"t quite get the reaction, Jake. I"ve come to the lab with Henry a few times, and you"ve never—what did you call it?—gone „alpha" on me.”
“Yeah, well, we weren"t lovers at the time, and I was never worried about Henry.”
Again, she laughed and hugged Jake"s arm closer, but he noticed Roan had stopped laughing. Em hadn"t denied that Isaac was worth worrying about.
Genetic Attraction
59
Chapter Nine
They decided on a late lunch/early dinner at a little French-style bistro tucked away in the trees. After fresh wild salmon salads and a crisp Beaujolais to drink, they were sharing a lemon tart.
She savored a bite. “Almost but not quite as good as your scones this morning, Roan.”
“High praise.”
She looked around at the charming, country-style room, almost empty at this odd eating hour. They sat at a table in a bay window so they were surrounded by trees and the flowers still hanging on into fall. Roan licked lemon from his fork ecstatically. “I wonder if they"ll give me the recipe?”
She
She extended her hand, and he took it, still warm and soft, and held hers just one beat too long. Jake"s biceps tightened again. Isaac was pushing his luck with so many samurai swords around. “I"m sure we"ll see you both around campus.”
She let go of Roan"s arm for a moment, picked up her package, and then slipped her arm through his again and headed for the door. “Bye now,” she called back to Howard and Isaac.
* * *
Genetic Attraction
57
“Man, that guy has balls!” Jake pulled his arm from Em"s grip and took a deep breath of the October air. Maybe he was being stupid, but he really wanted to go back in and tell that Isaac character where he could put his dimples.
Roan laughed. “You are so cute when you go all alpha.”
“Well he"s got shit for nerve. What were you and I, Roan, window dressing? I should have told him to back off.”
Em gave him a worried look. “Jake, that wouldn"t have been appropriate, and you know it. He was just being friendly.”
“Yeah, friendly as Hugh Hefner.”
They walked slowly to the car.
Roan circled his neck with an arm and gave Jake a rub on the head as they walked. That was one of their codes for an embrace when they were in public. Jesus, he was getting tired of all the dissembling and sneaking around, even though he"d brought it on himself. He had insisted they hide their relationship from the university. Now he wasn"t so sure.
Still teasing him, Roan chucked him under the chin. “I haven"t seen you this jealous since the night I walked into the ballroom with Alexandra Shields on my arm.”
Oh yeah . “I went a little ballistic.”
“Who"s Alexandra Shields?” Em looked interested, and Jake wasn"t sure how much he wanted to tell her, but Roan rushed in.
“She"s a friend of mine who lives in Paris.” Roan leaned on the Lexus. “We were engaged at one time. Actually, she was the first woman I ever liked to fuck. I brought her to an event last year that Jake was also attending with his little girlfriend …”
“She wasn"t my girlfriend!”
“Uh-huh. Anyway, Alex is pretty spectacular, and Jake had been pretending to himself that he and I were just fuck buddies, but when he saw Alex he got six 58
Tara Lain
shades of green. I guess you could say Alex started a cascade that led to us committing to each other.”
“I never quite thought of it that way.” Jake shook his head. “But I guess you have a point.”
Roan looked at Em. “I"m sure you"ll get to meet Alex one day.”
“I hope that"s not one day soon.” Jake had to admit that while he essentially liked Alexandra, and Lord knew he"d enjoyed their one three-way, he was still a bit jealous of Roan"s affection for her. Yeah, yeah, he knew that was a crock in light of Roan"s willingness to include Em, but there it was.
Em smiled at Roan. “Well, I"d love to meet her. And as for Dr. Winton"s nephew, I don"t quite get the reaction, Jake. I"ve come to the lab with Henry a few times, and you"ve never—what did you call it?—gone „alpha" on me.”
“Yeah, well, we weren"t lovers at the time, and I was never worried about Henry.”
Again, she laughed and hugged Jake"s arm closer, but he noticed Roan had stopped laughing. Em hadn"t denied that Isaac was worth worrying about.
Genetic Attraction
59
Chapter Nine
They decided on a late lunch/early dinner at a little French-style bistro tucked away in the trees. After fresh wild salmon salads and a crisp Beaujolais to drink, they were sharing a lemon tart.
She savored a bite. “Almost but not quite as good as your scones this morning, Roan.”
“High praise.”
She looked around at the charming, country-style room, almost empty at this odd eating hour. They sat at a table in a bay window so they were surrounded by trees and the flowers still hanging on into fall. Roan licked lemon from his fork ecstatically. “I wonder if they"ll give me the recipe?”
She
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