Tempting the Artist (29 page)

“
Oh, Grampa, there is
nothing old about you and we don’t say cutting a rug anymore. We
just say dance.” Jada grinned up at the man who had first given her
the nickname Your Highness and the only man who had ever made her
feel as if she were the most precious gift he’d ever received. Jada
looped her arm through her grandfather’s bent arm. “Stick with me.
I’ll keep you in the know.”

He threw his head back and released a
hearty laugh. “I don’t know what I’m going to do with
you.”

Jada turned to Zack, still intrigued
by the blue-eyed-dimpled god. “Grampa, I don’t know if you’ve met
Craig’s friend Zack Anderson.”

“
Zack Anderson,” Steven
Jenkins repeated and extended his hand to Zack. “We haven’t
officially met, but of course, I know you’re one of the league’s
top-scoring running backs. I’m a big fan. Nice to meet you, I’m
Steven Jenkins.”

“
It’s a pleasure, sir.”
Zack shook his hand. “Craig mentions you and your family often in
conversation. I’m glad to meet you and the other members of your
family,” he said to Mr. Jenkins, but his potent gaze wandered to
Jada.

“
Well, a friend of Craig’s
is a friend of ours. Whenever the Cougars have a bye week, make
sure you have Craig bring you to the house for Sunday brunch. We’d
love to have you.”

“
I’d be honored.” He bowed
his head slightly and diverted his attention back to
Jada.

She ignored the giddiness fluttering
inside her stomach. “It was nice meeting you,” she said, still awed
by the dimples that winked at her each time he flashed his
million-dollar smile. “Hopefully we’ll get a chance to chat before
the reception ends.” She cast a gracious smile and batted her eyes
knowing the combination of the two always got her what she wanted.
And she definitely wanted to get to know Zachery Anderson
better.

“
It looks as if you have
another admirer,” Jada’s grandfather commented as they danced to
John Legend’s latest release. “He’s a hell of a football player,
and he seems like a nice young man.”

Jada glanced over her
grandfather’s shoulder at Zack whose enticing gaze held hers
captive. “Yes he does seem like a nice young man, doesn’t
he?”
ckname Your Highness,know.h me,emale
cousins referred to him. An all around great guy who absolutely
loved her cousin.ed cutie-

***

Zack stared at Jada and her
grandfather as they twirled around the dance floor in perfect sync.
Intoxicating brown eyes that hinted of mischief and lips that were
designed for kissing had left him mesmerized.

He first spotted her at the church and
immediately found her captivating. At five-feet-five with full
breasts, curvy hips, and long toned legs, most men in attendance
couldn’t take their gaze off of her. The gracefulness of her stroll
down the aisle and the gentle sway of her hips in the fitted
bridesmaid dress were hypnotic. Thankfully the Cougars were playing
in town this weekend; otherwise he would have missed the wedding
altogether. Craig had mentioned the Jenkins family, and the
granddaughters who oversaw the day-to-day operations of Jenkins
& Sons Construction, but he was going to have to talk to his
long-time friend. The way Craig described the stunning Jenkins
women hadn’t done Jada justice.

Zack watched as the elder Jenkins
moved his granddaughter smoothly across the dance floor as if
dancing was something they did together all the time.

“
She’s way out of your
league man. Besides, I can look at her and tell she’s high
maintenance and everyone knows how you feel about high maintenance
women,” Donny Caldron, a friend of Zack and Craig’s from the old
neighborhood said, and lifted his glass to his lips.

“
Nah, I don’t think she’s
high maintenance.” Zack continued to observe her on the dance
floor. He smiled to himself. She seemed to put a little extra hip
action in her moves each time her grandfather released her hand.
“She definitely has some sass, but I bet she’s a real sweetheart
once you get to know her, which I plan to do.”

“
Okay, so which one is she
anyway? The carpenter? The electrician?”

“
That’s Jada. Can you
believe she’s a sheet metal worker?”

“
Nope, but I can’t believe
any of them work construction. They make me want to tear down a
house just so I can have them build it back up, brick by
tantalizing brick.”

Zack chuckled. While growing up, Donny
was always the one who kept everyone laughing. With his laid-back
attitude, many people would be surprised to know that he was the
CEO for one of the city’s largest pharmaceutical
companies.

Zack shoved his hands into his pants
pockets and rocked on the balls of his feet. “Well, I don’t plan on
tearing anything down. All I need is one date with her and she’ll
be mine.”

Donny fell out laughing. “I think
you’ve had one too many knocks upside the head out there on that
football field because you’re definitely talking crazy. That woman
is not going out with your country ass,” he joked. “Besides, I
thought that since you’re looking to retire next year you wanted to
meet someone to settle down with. If that’s still the case, you
need to look elsewhere. She’s not the one.”

Donny always called him country
despite the fact that they all grew up in Columbus, Ohio. “I’m no
more country than you are and why do you think she’s not the one
for me? I beg to differ. Since she’s a sheet metal worker, she
clearly doesn’t mind getting her hands dirty. I bet she’s the
outdoorsy type and enjoys hiking, biking and probably even fishing.
Hell, she’s exactly the type of woman I’ve been looking for -
someone who’s not too prissy to wear an old pair of jeans and a
T-shirt, but someone who cleans up well and is classy enough to wow
my family and friends.”

Donny’s brows drew together
as he shook his head. “Apparently we’re looking at two different
women. I would bet my paycheck that the woman you just described is
nowhere near the woman we’re watching dance with the old dude. I
don’t care how many women have told you how
fine
you are or how many cater to
your every desire once they find out how much you’re worth. You
don’t stand a chance with her. She’s too much woman for
you.”

“
Whatever, dude.” Zack
nudged him in the shoulder. “Why don’t we put a wager on whether or
not she’ll go out with me?” He removed a wad of money from his
front pocket and started counting off bills.

“
Man, you know I hate
taking your money.” Donny smirked. “But if you insist. I bet you a
thousand bucks she turns your ass down cold.”

“
Yeah, we’ll see about
that.”

*

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