Page 20 of Unzoned

"In fact, you seemed to know a hell of a lot more than I did. You didn't seem at all surprised to see me at the club. I was surprised to see you, but you looked as if you'd been waiting for me. Did you know I'd be there?"

Carissa dropped her glass on the table and scrambled to right it before it spilled.

"Jade. One has nothing to do with the other. I have no intention of ripping off your father or any other condo owner at the complex. We aren't going to allow new purchases to become rentals, but we aren't going to allow the association to stop the current rentals from remaining rentals."

"One does have to do with the other." She shoved her chair back and turned completely to face him. Her father watched with some fascination as she took Garrick on. "You want full transparency from me, but I don’t get that from you? How the hell is that fair? You should have told me about this. And you should have told me about the club."

"We can talk about it later." His lips thinned and the danger became apparent in his eyes.

"No, we'll talk now." She turned from the table.

"Jade. I think he means it. He isn't going to screw me over, don't make a scene on my account." Her father called after her, but she was already stomping toward the front door. The frigid wind blew in her face as she stepped outside, but it wasn’t enough to cool her temper. She ran too hot to even register the cold.

"Jade." One word. One syllable spoken from his lips made her damn near melt from the authority in it. "It’s freezing out here, and you didn't bring your coat. Come back inside."

She pointed a finger at him. "How did you know I'd be at the club?"

His lips parted, his breath played in the air, and he shook his head. "Jade." Sucking in his breath he arched one eyebrow. "You never clear your history on your computer. I was looking up something, needed to find an old link, and your entire history was there. Collar me? Really, Jade?” He tilted his head to the right. “I saw you had the membership application for the club open, and I figured you'd come to the party."

She blinked. He'd seen her history. He'd seen all of the links she'd saved, all the websites she'd visited. The cold was no longer an issue; her cheeks were burning up.

"You looked at my history."

"It was before. And it changes nothing, Jade. Nothing." He reached for her hands.

"Fuck that." She yanked away from him.

"Jade. Be careful. I know you're upset, but that doesn't change the rules."

She regarded him quietly, not sure what to say or do, and afraid of every option playing in her mind.

"You never tell me about work. You didn't tell me about your club, you didn't say anything even after you'd seen my computer. Do you think this is all a joke? We are all here for your amusement?" Her breath came faster as she spoke.

Horns blared in the street. The stench of exhaust floated between them as they stood outside the restaurant.

"It's not a joke. None of this is a joke." He reached for her again, but her mind already turned off. He'd seen everything in her computer and had kept it from her. He'd known she'd be at the club.

Without another word, she turned on her heel and ran. He called after her, but she waved down a cab. As she opened the door, he caught up to her. His chest heaving from the exertion. She didn't wait for him to say anything; there was nothing to say.

She jumped in the back of the cab, slammed the door shut, and directed the driver where to go. Garrick’s hand was on the handle of the door when the car pulled into traffic. She heard him curse, heard her name being screamed. He'd seen everything inside of her, and he'd been holding himself back.

She thought she'd be safe with him. She'd been a fool.

Chapter 12

Garrick stretched his back and stood from his bed. It had been a hell of a night. Sleep denied him as easily as Jade had.

Two days since her outburst at the restaurant and she wouldn't take his calls or respond to his texts. Not mentioning he'd seen her history on the computer might have been rude, but did it warrant the reaction she gave him? Even the issue with her father, if she'd given him just a minute to explain, she'd know he and Jamison shot down the association's plans. Her father wouldn't be out of any real estate, no one in the deal would.

He was all for making good money, but not at the expense of anyone else. Not like that. People lost in real estate deals all the time, but it wouldn't be because of his greed. She should have known that about him. Did know that about him, but something else triggered her little fit.

Fear.

The woman was scared out of her fucking mind because they weren't ruining things. Because they were still them, only better, a more amplified version of them. Sure, he'd had her on her knees, he'd watched her suck him off with his tie wrapped around her neck and him holding the end, but underneath they were still them. She'd been punished a few times, a solid spanking for mouthing off, a belting for cursing at him, but after, they'd reconnected. Things were working. And if they weren't, she wasn't telling him about it.

He picked up his phone on the first ring, not even looking at the caller id, just hoping.

"Hey lover boy." Carissa's sarcastic tone wasn't exactly what he had in mind as a way to start the day.

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