Page 36 of Positively Pricked
"But he's not really a guard-guard," I said. "He's more of a welcome wagon, or like a greeter in a grocery store."
Zane gave me a look. "He's supposed to be a guard, not a welcome wagon."
"Well, yeah, but he wasn'tthatwelcoming. I mean, I had toreallytalk him into letting me through."
This wasn't a lie. On the dashboard of my car, I still had a parking pass from last night. Unfortunately, the pass was for one night only, and tonight wasn't the night.
Still, when I'd explained to the guy that I had some important unfinished business, he'd been surprisingly cooperative.Damn it.The guy had done me a favor. And now, he was going to lose his job. With growing desperation, I said, "You can't fire him. It's not right."
Zane's expression hardened. "Uh-huh. Tell me something."
"What?"
"The guard, did he ask for anything?"
Oh, crap."Uh…" Isodidn't want to say. Stalling, I asked, "Like what?"
Zane gave me another hard look but said nothing.
"All right, fine," I muttered. "Hemight'veasked for my phone number."
"And did you give it to him?"
I stiffened. "That's not really any of your business. And besides, why would you care?"
"Think. You'll figure it out."
His gaze met mine, and that annoying warmth came creeping back. I was obscenely aware that his lips were full, and his eyes would've been so amazing, if only he smiled once in a while. I mean, those faint laugh lines had to come from something, right?
I heard myself say, "I honestly don't know."
His gaze shifted to my car, and he frowned.Again.
Well, so much for that whole smiling fantasy.
He looked back to me and said, "Now, tell me something else."
"What?"
"Did you give it to him?"
"My phone number? Well, like I said, that's not really any of your business."
"So youdidgive it to him."
He hadn't phrased it as a question, which was fine by me. It was time to give him a taste of his own medicine. "Does it matter?"
"Yeah. It does."
"But why?"
"Because," Zane said, "I want to know how cheap he was bought off."
My mouth fell open.God, what a jerk.I wasn't sure what exactly he was implying, but it sounded vaguely obscene, like I'd blown the guy for a parking pass.
Already, I was glowering again. "Hey, it's not like I had sex with him, if that's what you're getting at."
In truth, the guard wasn't even my type. And even if he were, I wasn't a "do-it-in-the-guard-shack" kind of girl. I was more of a "take-it-slow" kind of girl. And even then, I had to be in love.
