Husband Hunting 101 Read online

  Husband Hunting 101

  The Special Author's Cut Edition

  by

  Rita Herron

  Previously published by Kensington Publishing, 1998

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  Please Note

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

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  Copyright © 1998, 2011, 2012 by Rita Herron. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions.

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  Thank You.

  Chapter 1

  Zachary West stifled a groan as he stepped inside the lace-filled lingerie shop and caught sight of the colorful garter belts dangling from padded hangers. A tiny bell tinkled above the door signaling his arrival, but the red-headed beauty who owned the shop didn't even look up. She was too busy showing an assortment of silk panties to an older male customer.

  "Dora would love these," Zack heard her say.

  "Just wrap it up, Ms. Barrett. Whatever you think's fine with me." The man blushed. "Oh, and you might want to throw in one of those girdles that Dora always wears to church."

  Jenna laughed softly. "Sure thing, Mr. James. I keep them in stock just for her."

  "And add one of those silky negligee things Dora likes. You know, it's our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary," the man said.

  Jenna selected a classic pink set and folded it neatly into a gift box. "I know and I think it's wonderful. Are you planning a special celebration?"

  "Thought we'd go away for the weekend, up to the mountains." The man gestured toward the gift. "This is part of the surprise."

  Jenna reached for some tissue for the gift box. "She should be pleased."

  Zack smiled. Just as his brother Mark had said, Jenna Barrett seemed to know her business well. The fiery redhead had asked Zack to do a new advertising campaign for her store, Love 'N Lace. Since Mark was her accountant and Zack had met Jenna at Mark's wedding, he'd jumped at the chance.

  Spying the lingerie now, he considered the possibility that taking the job would be a mistake. He didn't have a clue how to advertise women's lingerie, and the owner looked tempting enough to tie his tongue in knots. Dragging his gaze away from Jenna's enticing curves, he tried to curb his reaction.

  Her long legs were encased in sheer black pantyhose with a nondescript black suit covering the rest of her voluptuous body. She was dressed modestly, just as she'd been at his brother's wedding.

  His last steady date, Simone, had accused him of watching Jenna throughout the ceremony and later the reception. Well, he had noticed her. With that pale, porcelain skin, those high cheekbones, and the sexiest green eyes he'd ever seen, it was hard not to.

  That wedding had been the beginning of the end for him and Simone. Once they'd left the ceremony, Simone had immediately started hinting about marriage.

  Hinting, then pressuring.

  Pressuring, then demanding.

  Simone had hounded and hounded until she'd gotten her wish. She'd be married tomorrow—only not to him.

  He clenched his fists by his sides, desperately avoiding physical contact with any of the erotic bustiers on the lace-draped table. Jenna glanced up in recognition and flashed him a smile. He nodded to let her know he'd wait until she was finished with her customer.

  While she rang up the man's purchases at the antique cash register, he decided he might as well pick out a wedding gift for Simone. Something to show her he didn't harbor any ill feelings.

  If she wanted to get married, it suited him fine—as long as it wasn't to him.

  His libido kicked into overdrive as his gaze swept the sweet-scented room. Sheer silky teddies. Crotch-less panties. Body liqueurs. Simone would love them. Any one of the sexy undergarments would be perfect for her wedding night. But he couldn't give her anything quite so personal.

  He headed straight toward the rack of thick, fuzzy robes. Perfect. Her husband couldn't get too upset over a plain housecoat. He'd even throw in a silver picture frame for a wedding photograph. That would show Simone and her new love he was a good sport.

  Chuckling softly, he debated over the mustard yellow or the bright orange robe. He rummaged through the row and finally settled on a mint green chenille housecoat that would cover her from head to toe.

  Jenna finished with the customer and walked his way. "Excuse me, Mr. West?"

  "Yes." Zack's hand tightened around the hanger as Jenna's sultry voice invaded his senses. Turning his head slightly, he watched her hips sway as she approached him. Self-preservation kicked in. His brother's words echoed in his head, "She's a nice girl, the marrying kind, bro." And since he wasn't the marrying kind...

  But Jenna strolled closer, and rational thoughts fled as his gaze feasted on her.

  "Zack, it's nice to see you again."

  "Uh, yeah." So much for dazzling her with words, West.

  "I appreciate you coming by to talk."

  Talk. He would love to talk if only he could find his voice. And only if he could take his eyes off the black thong underwear she still had wrapped around her long, slender fingers.

  She cleared her throat. His gaze flew to her eyes, and he felt as if he was drowning in a sea of emeralds. She extended her hand. He drew in a deep breath as he felt a hint of silk brushing his palm. As their fingers entwined, their gazes locked on the garment still covering Jenna's hand.

  "Oh, sorry," Jenna said. She dropped her hand from his, skimmed the underwear off her hand in one fluid motion, and grinned sheepishly as she tossed it onto the counter.

  Zack swallowed hard in an attempt to shake the imprint of her warm, soft skin from his mind. "Mark has told me a lot about you," he finally said.

  "Oh?" Jenna arched an eyebrow. "I wasn't sure you'd remember me."

  "Of course I do." How could I forget?

  "I noticed you were shopping. Did you want me to help you with a purchase before we discuss business?"

  Zack shifted restlessly, stifling a wicked comeback as he inhaled the fresh scent of roses. "Sure. I need to pick up a wedding gift while I'm here."

  Jenna brushed a strand of curls away from her face. "Anyone special?"

  "Uh, yes, Simone—"

  Jenna's smile slipped a little. "Oh, yes, I remember her from the wedding."

  For a second, she almost looked disappointed, Zack thought, completely baffled. Then she frowned at the long fuzzy fabric in his hand. "Well, let's see what we can find for her." Zack watched the way the taut fabric of her skirt stretched across her backside as she scooted away from the rack of floor-length robes and pointed to a long white gown. "This is a bridal peignoir set. It's one of our most popular designs."

  Zack wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. The lace was completely see-through, and although it was long, the gown had splits up the side from
ankle to waist. A pair of lacy white panties completed the outfit. Somehow, it didn't seem appropriate for Simone. It especially didn't seem appropriate for him to buy for her and another man.

  "And if you want something a little more... um, shorter, for your honeymoon night, we have a wide variety of teddies. Most of the husbands go for those." Jenna pointed out a corner full of flimsy teddies that made his mouth water. "The gold-trimmed black one is really flattering." She held the scrap in front of her, and moisture beaded on his upper lip.

  "Or there are always the garters. They're very popular. We can match any one you choose with a pair of fishnet stockings. We can also match any of the bikinis with one of the—"

  "That's not really what I had in mind," Zack said, suddenly aware Jenna thought he was marrying Simone.

  Jenna narrowed her eyes, searching his face. "Is something bothering you?"

  Zack groaned inwardly. He was definitely bothered, but he couldn't stand here while she posed with tantalizing lace and not get all hot and bothered. "I had something more, um, different in mind."

  Jenna wrinkled her forehead. "Oh, sorry. It's just most men like—"

  "I'm not most men."

  Jenna twisted her lip sideways in thought. "Okay, then. I think I have just the thing for you."

  She led him toward a mauve skirted table laden with other evocative pieces. Standing a little over six feet, he felt tall next to her five-foot-four. And awkward as all get out in the middle of this frilly shop, following her around like a dog on a leash. Any minute his tongue would flop out and he'd start panting and drooling.

  "This is perfect for your honeymoon." Jenna stopped and picked up a heart shaped box, her eyes sparkling. "It's a matching set—his and her undies." She held up a tiny, satin black g-string with white lace on the front. "This is for the groom. Isn't it wonderful?"

  Zack stared at it, dumbfounded. "Wow," was all he could say.

  One hand snaked in the box and extracted a white, lace thong and dangled it in front of him. "And this is for the bride."

  Double wow.

  "Look. It plays 'Here Comes the Bride.'" Jenna pressed her finger over the center of the black garment. The wedding march suddenly filled the too small shop. Zack loosened the top button on his shirt and tried to breathe.

  He had had enough. Just the sound of that song triggered a surge of panic and made his legs feel like Jell-O. Sweat trickled down the side of his face. He shoved his hand through his hair and lowered his voice as if he feared someone might hear him, although the store was empty. "Look, Jenna. I don't intend to buy Simone and her fiancé singing underwear."

  Jenna dropped the g-string, her mouth agape. "What? You mean—"

  "That's right," Zack said, letting out a disgusted sigh. "I'm not marrying Simone. Porter Tannenbaum is."

  Jenna's instant smile of sympathy irritated him even more.

  "Oh, I'm sorry, Zack." She laid her soft hand on his arm in a comforting gesture. "I had no idea. After seeing you two at Mark's wedding, I just assumed—"

  "Of course you did. So did she," Zack growled, fighting the urge to take advantage of her concern and kiss her. "It doesn't matter anyway. She got her wish."

  Easing himself away from her, he strode to the cash register, puzzled over the reason Jenna's simple touch had set him aflame. "But, I don't believe in marriage. Now, if you'll just box up this robe, we can talk about what you need in the way of advertising."

  Jenna nodded, a sympathetic look on her face as if she didn't believe him. As if she thought he was anti-marriage because Simone had broken his heart.

  Dammit, he didn't want her feeling sorry for him.

  Thankfully the bell above the door tinkled, announcing another customer's arrival and saving him from the questions in her eyes. A tall, dark-haired man wearing a pinstriped suit and fashionably small-framed glasses entered and flashed Jenna a friendly smile.

  Jenna waved to the customer. "If you need help, just holler. I'll be with you in a minute."

  The man winked. "I'm in no hurry. I'll just look around."

  Jenna accepted Zack's credit card, then carefully wrapped the robe in some sort of floral, scented paper before placing it neatly inside a box.

  Still rattled by his reaction to her, Zack's gaze dropped to a book on the counter. "How to Get Married Within a Year," he read aloud. "Do you sell these books in your store, too?"

  Jenna played with the end of her hair, her cheeks flushing. Then she snatched the book and shoved it under the counter. "Er, no. That's for a class I've signed up for."

  Zack picked up a small bottle of bubble bath. "You're taking a class on how to find a husband?"

  "I think it sounds like fun," Jenna said, jutting up her chin defiantly.

  Zack gave a sardonic chuckle. "Husband Hunting 101. It'll probably be packed."

  "It's not a husband hunting class," Jenna said, obviously recognizing the cynicism in his voice. "It's for people who're serious about finding a relationship, men and women looking for commitment."

  Zack dropped the bottle of bubblebath with a clink. The word commitment reverberated though his brain like a cannonball. "Well, good luck. As for me, I know marriage doesn't work—my old man tried it about half a dozen times."

  A hint of anger sparked in Jenna's eyes. "Just because your father wasn't successful doesn't mean marriage doesn't work. The gentleman that came in here earlier is celebrating his thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, and my parents have been married forty- two years."

  "Well, that was the old days," Zack said. "Things have changed."

  Jenna sighed. "That's ridiculous. Just look at your brother—he certainly looked happy at his wedding to Colleen. And she looked positively ecstatic."

  Zack frowned. "Brides always do. Besides, they're still in the honeymoon stage. But once the honeymoon's over—" He drew a choppy line across his neck. "The fighting begins."

  Jenna shook her head, her voice resigned. "I guess we're going to have to agree to disagree on that subject."

  Zack nodded. He strongly guessed he and Jenna were not going to have a casual fling either.

  His brother was right—Jenna Barrett had marriage on the mind.

  Jenna patted the box. "I think we'd better get down to business. Do you want this gift-wrapped?"

  Zack shrugged. He wanted her gift-wrapped, but he guessed the robe would have to do.

  "Zack, the gift-wrap?"

  He snapped his attention back to the matter at hand. "Yeah, might as well."

  She placed a small glossy looking card in front of him. "Go ahead and write what you want, then I'll put it in the box."

  The bell tinkled again, and two women entered. The smaller lady wore a navy knit dress while the taller one had on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt that said Still Sexy at Sixty. They whispered like school girls.

  Jenna angled her head toward them. "Let me know if I can help you."

  The shorter woman waved a gnarled hand. "Okay, darlin'. We're out shopping for my niece's birthday. From the looks of this lovely shop, we won't have any trouble findin' something she'll like."

  "We won't have any trouble finding somethin' we like, too," the second woman said. The two ladies hooted with laughter, then the taller one picked up a full-length satin robe. "Erma, ain't this the prettiest thing you ever seen? Wish I was young enough to wear this slinky baby."

  "Why, Ruby Jean, you're as young as you feel." The lady patted her gray curls. "I'm goin' to treat myself to some fancy smellin' soaps and bubble bath. Homer will love it."

  Jenna pointed to the baskets of toiletries. "The rose-scented spray is on special."

  The lady named Ruby Jean picked it up and sniffed. "My, oh, my. Yes, Becky will like this."

  The yuppie who'd entered earlier cleared his throat, obviously ready for Jenna's assistance.

  "Let me help this gentleman while you write your card," Jenna told Zack.

  She turned her attention to the other man, while he scribbled a message on the card. "Congratula
tions. Hope you have many warm years together."

  A chuckle rumbled in his chest as he stuffed the note into the box.

  "That spray is my favorite," Jenna commented as she led the customer to the register. "We also have sachets for your drawers in the same scent."

  Zack made a mental note of the name of the fragrance. He'd smelled roses when Jenna had approached him. Now he knew why. Did she wear her other merchandise, too?

  He sneaked a peek at the black lacy bodystocking hanging in the window, then glanced back at Jenna. This job might be... very interesting after all.

  Jenna chatted with the man, finished the sale, and said good-bye. Then, she chose a foiled paper with silver wedding bells etched across and wrapped Zack's purchase. Finally, she added a big silver bow and handed him the eloquently wrapped present.

  "So, what do you have in mind for the ads?" Zack asked.

  "You know if you're not up to this... I mean, if it's a bad time for you with the break-up and all, I don't need the ads for several more weeks—"

  "I don't allow my personal life to interfere with work," Zack said sharply. "Now, let's discuss business."

  "Certainly," Jenna said, straightening her shoulders. "I didn't mean to pry."

  "You didn't. Now, what did you have in mind?"

  Jenna pulled out a catalog and opened it to a sketch of a lace covered window. Below the window the words Love 'N Lace were etched in fine gold lettering. A small candle glowed in the window. "We're listed in gift catalogs like this one. I want something tasteful, but a little more representative of the products I carry." She swept her arm across the room. "A few of the people who read this ad thought my store was a curtain shop."

  Zack chuckled, his earlier anger over the marriage debate fading. "I see. That would have been a shocker."

  Jenna shrugged, looking at him warily. "Well, I do carry a few lace coverlets for beds and some lace tablecloths, but I tend to stick with more personal items."

  "And that's working for you?"