Or if she was pissed that Carolyn did that to Jagger.
He was guessing it was part the first.
But mostly it was the last.
He should have known with the skirt, the blouse, the fuck-megreen pumps and showing a lot of leg, toned arms, hints of cleavage and lush,chic, assured style and beauty.
Though apparently, he didn’t know her well enough.
But seeing her in action, he knew now that was totally OTTand in your face when everyone else there was in jeans, except Carolyn, who hadon a tight-fitting tank dress that showed serious cleavage, and not to be adick or anything, but it also showed no imagination.
Carolyn was dressed like she thought a biker would want herto dress.
Archie was dressed like Archie liked to dress, even if shehad a point to make.
Carolyn was miserable.
Archie was calm and comfortable and deep in vengeance mode.
That night, Jagger had never been touched so much in such acasual, affectionate way that it came off just like that, instead ofover-demonstrative or clingy.
She didn’t stick her tongue in his ear or lay her hand onhis leg near his crotch as an overt way to stake her claim.
She touched the pulse on his wrist.
She’d smile in his eyes and squeeze his knee.
She’d stand beside him while she was laughing and bump hips.
She’d fiddle with his fingers, pressing her thumb into thecenter of his palm, totally engrossed in this for about long moments, like hishand was the most fascinating thing in the world and she couldn’t help gettinglost in it, before she shook herself out of it and looked aroundapologetically.
She hit it off with Georgie right away, partly becauseGeorgie had been to her shop and loved it, partly because Georgie was ajournalist and Archie thought that was cool.
But mostly because Georgie and Archie were sisters of thesame ilk.
They knew what they were about and were good in their ownskin.
It was clear Dutch wanted to play the “You’ve Gotta Win MeOver” Big Brother, but in the face of Archie, not to mention Georgie bondingwith her, that lasted fifteen minutes.
She was just interesting and interested.Complimentarywithout being effusive.Curious without prying.
But when they sat down to dinner, and she scooted her chairso close to Jagger’s, their thighs were pressed together, and for part of themeal, simply for comfort, he had to drape his arm around her shoulders, he knewshit was real with her rubbing it in with Carolyn.
Hell, when he put his arm around her, she just tucked herbody to him and ate and sipped wine and chatted like they were physicallyattached since birth and she was good with that.
Only a seriously cool chick could get away with that, makingit seem as cool as she was.
And that was the way being with Archie was.
She was into him, she’d not made that a mystery.
Though, it was just her.
And it was her way of stating plainly to Carolyn that he’dscraped off the shit and come up smelling like roses.
Carolyn was helping Georgie and Dutch clear after theirmain, and they assured Archie they didn’t need any more help after she’doffered, and that was when he took his shot.
“Babe,” he called low.
