Introduction To Romance (10 Books). Кэрол Мортимер

just talking military things. Her mouth was dry and she was starting to feel a little dizzy again.

      So she forced her gaze to climb back up to his face.

      His unwelcoming scowl had turned into a ferocious frown.

      She wrinkled her nose. She should have kept checking out the bod. He obviously wasn’t thrilled to have company.

      So what else was new?

      “Hi, Brody. I brought you some cookies.” As greetings went, it was lame. But she added her best smile. When that had no reaction, she held up the plate as proof. And, yes, as a bribe.

      He didn’t even look at the plate. Her lips threatened to drop into a pout.

      “Um, it’s me. Genna.” She paused, brows arched. She tried a friendly smile that was only a little shaky with nerves. When he didn’t even blink, she swallowed hard, then added, “Joe’s sister.”

      Your favorite pen pal, she wanted to say. But given his reaction so far, she was a little afraid to bring that up.

      Genna waited. After five seconds, her smile dimmed. At thirty, she was straight-up frowning. Knowing a glare was imminent at sixty, she crossed her arms over her chest, the cookie plate hitting her in the shoulder, and lifted her chin.

      “Well? Aren’t you even going to say hello?”

      Now her scowl matched his.

      So much for dating. She couldn’t even get the guy to talk to her.

      * * *

      BRODY KNEW THERE were many levels of hell. Why Genna Reilly had to keep showing up on his was surely a way of punishing him for any of his hundreds of infractions.

      Did she have to look so damned good while she did it, though?

      Why hadn’t she aged in ten years?

      She should have packed on some weight. Gotten bad skin. Hell, even a lousy haircut would be something.

      But, no...

      There she stood, long and leggy, her body still as slender as a dream. Her curves were more a whisper than a shout. Nature’s way of keeping the attention on her gorgeous face, he figured. Her hair was shorter than she’d worn it as a teen, hitting her shoulders instead of flowing down her back. And those huge eyes, with their exotic tilt and lush lashes, were narrowed with irritation.

      He didn’t care.

      He hadn’t invited her here, so why should he play gracious host?

      “Are you going to say anything?” she asked, sounding exasperated. “Hello would be nice. Or even hi if you’re only up for a single syllable. I’ll settle for a grunt. Or if that’s too much, you can simply step out of the doorway and gesture. You know, a silent invitation.”

      Brody’s lips twitched.

      Damn. He’d been so focused on remembering what it tasted like, how it’d felt, he’d forgotten all the other reasons he liked that mouth of hers.

      All the more reason not to invite her in.

      “Why are you here?”

      “Oh, look. He speaks,” she said in a cheery tone, lifting one hand to the empty yard as if inviting the worms and bugs to listen up.

      Refusing to smile, Brody put on his most ferocious scowl. The one that made hard-ass recruits wish they were home hiding behind their momma.

      Genna just smiled.

      “I’m here for two reasons,” she said in that irritatingly upbeat tone of hers. As if she really thought she could smile him out of his mood. “The first is an official welcome from Mayor Tucker, who would be honored if you’d join him one day this week for lunch.”

      Was she kidding?

      Did he look like the kind of guy who did lunch?

      Apparently asking herself that same question, Genna bit her lip and gave a frustrated sigh.

      “I’m guessing from your excited expression that this invitation is the highlight of your week. But wait, I’ve got even more wonderful news.”

      She paused, giving him an expectant look. Brody just shifted, leaning his shoulder on the frame of the door so he could take his weight off the vicious throbbing in his leg.

      “You know, I’ve been told I’m the best community outreach liaison this town has ever had. Now, granted, I’m the only one it’s had, so there might be a little bias going on. But still, people are usually a little more impressed by my charm than you seem to be.”

      Oh, he was impressed by her charms, all right. He let his gaze wander again, enjoying the contrast of the vivid red sweater against her golden skin and the way her jeans molded her long legs.

      Charming temptation. That was Genna.

      “I’m not interested in company, cookies or invitations.” He paused, then lied, “Of any kind.”

      Hurt flashed in her eyes for a second, assuring him that she’d gotten the message.

      Good. He hated to waste his breath.

      “I was hoping we could talk,” she told him. She rounded her eyes and did a little head tilt thing, indicating the house behind her. “Your gramma asked me to.”

      He followed her gesture in time to see his grandmother’s head disappear and the screen door shut. Nice. Gramma Irene was trying to save him with sugar—and he didn’t mean the cookies.

      “I thought you were the community outreach liaison here on the behest of the mayor.”

      “That, too.”

      Right.

      “Not interested,” he said again.

      She huffed. Actually bunched one fist on her slender hip and gave a big huff. He wanted to grin but he figured it’d just give her crazy ideas.

      He tilted his head toward the walkway instead, indicating she should go.

      “C’mon, just five minutes. We’ll ease your grandmother’s worries and I’ll be able to tell my boss I did my job.” When his expression didn’t change, she pouted.

      He eyed the stubborn tilt of her chin. Another thing that apparently hadn’t changed. It was as if the last ten years hadn’t even happened.

      It all crashed down on him.

      Thanks to a bad leg, he was trapped in Bedford. Because of the mission that’d jacked his leg, his life sucked and he had no freaking hope for the future.

      And here was Genna, the town princess. Shining bright and cheery. The sexiest thing he’d ever seen.

      He gritted his teeth against the pain of it all.

      She’d gotten him in trouble once before.

      For his first year in the navy, he’d cursed her walking into that garage. But even as he cursed, he hadn’t been able to regret it. Hell, he was already paying the price. What was the point of not enjoying the memory?

      By his second year, he realized she’d inadvertently saved him. A girl like Genna was out of reach for a guy like him. An impossible dream that he wasn’t stupid enough to think he’d had a chance at keeping. But because he’d touched that dream, he’d found a shot at a great life. At a life he was great at.

      And now? Now it was all gone.

      Despair poured over him like tar, black, sticky and impossible to ignore. Damn Genna for making him open the door, both to the guesthouse and to the past.

      Done with the conversation, and all the emotions it stirred up, he turned away. Two excruciating steps, even though he tried not to put too much weight on his leg, and he let the door swing shut behind him.

      With Genna on the other side where she belonged.

      He