Girl Least Likely to Marry Read Free Page B

and down the
flat of her knife. ‘It’s the capital,’ she added. A lot of people didn’t realise
that.
    And he was a jock.
    ‘Well, now,’ he said, leaning forward in his chair, his gaze
acknowledging Gina before returning to Cassie, ‘we can have us a meeting of the
United Nations.’
    ‘Hardly,’ Cassie said, desperately trying to sit as far back in
her chair as possible and remember that he was a jock—a footballer— even if he did have pheromones so potent he should be
being studied at the Smithsonian. Or milked and sold to the highest-bidding
perfume manufacturer.
    ‘There are one hundred and ninety-three member states in the
United Nations. And they meet in Geneva.’ She looked at Tuck. Jocks weren’t very
good with geography. ‘That’s in Switzerland.’
    Tuck raised an eyebrow. He was used to people making
assumptions about his intelligence. Truth be told, he played up to them
mostly—because calling people on their ignorance was usually an amusing way to
pass the time.
    It looked as if he was going to have a whole lot of fun with
Cassie. ‘That’s just north of Ireland, right?’
    Cassie pursed her lips. ‘It’s in Europe.’
    ‘Europe? Dang, ’ Tuck said,
broadening his accent. ‘I’m always getting them muddled up.’
    ‘Of course if you’re talking about the Security Council,’
Cassie plunged on, as the deep twang in his accent twanged some invisible
strings low down inside her she’d never known existed, ‘that’s in New York. And
you’d be in luck as Australia has just scored a seat on the Security
Council.’
    Tuck shot a look at Gina, who winked and grinned, clearly
enjoying herself. Tuck was about to say something like, They wear those funny blue helmets at the Security Council, right? But the imperious tones of his and Reese’s
Great-Aunt Ada interrupted.
    ‘Samuel Tucker,’ she said in her brash, booming New York
accent. ‘How’d you sneak in here undetected?’
    Tuck stood and smiled down at the self-appointed matriarch of
the family. A died-in-the-wool Yankee, she liked to pretend that the Southern
branch didn’t exist most of the time, but he had a soft spot for the
sharp-tongued octogenarian.
    ‘Aunt Ada,’ he said, sweeping her up in his arms for a hearty
hug. ‘Still as pretty as a picture, I see.’
    Cassie felt herself sag a little as Tuck and his overwhelming
masculinity gave her some breathing space.
    ‘Don’t sweet-talk me, young man. What are you doing all the way
over here?’
    Tuck gestured to the table. ‘I’m keeping Reese’s friends
company.’
    ‘Reese…’ Ada tutted. ‘Running off after that Marine… That girl
hasn’t got the sense she was born with…lucky she’s my favourite.’
    ‘Now, come on, Aunt Ada,’ Tuck teased. ‘I thought I was your favourite.’ Ada gave him a playful pat on
the shoulder, then lifted one gnarled old hand and squeezed his cheek.
    Gina’s mobile rang and she almost ignored it. She couldn’t
decide what was more fascinating—the big blond quarterback sweet-talking an old
lady or Cassie’s deer-in-the-headlights face. But it rang insistently, and Ada
turned to her, looking imperiously down her nose.
    ‘Well, girl, are you going to answer that or not?’
    Gina, recognising authority when she saw it, picked it up
immediately. The screen display flashed a familiar number. ‘It’s Reese,’ she
announced.
    ‘Reese.’ Ada tutted again. ‘Tell her to get back here. This
non-wedding party was her hare-brained idea.’
    Gina laughed, but as she answered the phone Ada’s interest had
already wandered.
    Cassie felt her shrewd gaze next.
    ‘This your girl?’ she said, turning to Tuck.
    ‘Absolutely not,’ Cassie said indignantly.
    Then Tuck undid his jacket button and it fell open, wafting a
heady dose of pheromones her way. She shut her eyes briefly as her pulse spiked
in primal response.
    ‘She’s not your usual type,’ Ada said, ignoring Cassie’s
denial.
    ‘I am not his girl,’ Cassie
repeated,