Jardin's Gamble (Haven, Texas 9)

“And just who are you going to get to replace me?”

He shrugged. “I’ll find someone.”

“Jardin! I need that job.”

“No, you don’t.” He sat and pulled her into his lap. “You’re ours now. You don’t have to worry about money or putting a roof over your head or food in your belly. You worry about nothing from now on.”

“Keir and Ace—”

“Are our responsibility as well,” Carrick told her.

“This isn’t the way it works. Besides, I want to be able to support myself.”

“If you could choose anything you wanted to do, would you choose to be Jardin’s PA?” Carrick asked her.

Um. Loaded question.

“You can be honest,” Jardin told her.

“Uh, no.”

“What would you like to do?”

She gripped her hands together. “Photography.”

“Yeah?” Carrick asked.

“I loved it at school. I used the school camera. I never had money for my own. But I think I was pretty good.”

“Then we’ll buy you everything you need. You take what courses you need. And you concentrate on that,” Jardin told her firmly.

Tears entered her eyes. “Just like that?” Could this all be real?

Carrick leaned across and cupped her face with his hand. “Just like that. It’s important to love what you do.”

“Thank you.”

“That’s something you never need to thank us for.”

She shifted around on his lap. Her ass still hurt a bit from that spanking.

“What about my job here? I’ll have to give notice.”

“What have you been doing?” Carrick asked.

“Cleaning businesses and houses.”

“You don’t need to be doing that anymore,” Jardin stated arrogantly.

“But I have to give notice.”

“Who are you working for?” Jardin asked.

“Marcy.”

“I’ll square it with her.”

“But, Jardin—”