Jardin's Gamble (Haven, Texas 9)

“Carrick? What are you doing here?” Jardin stared up at him in shock.

“Wait,” Thea said. “The two of you know each other?”

She looked genuinely surprised, but there was no way this could be a coincidence.

“Don’t pretend you didn’t know that, babe,” he said harshly. “What did he do? Recruit you to get friendly with me? To make me think you wanted me? Then dump me? Use me? That’s low, even for you, J.”

“What are you saying?” Jardin snapped, looking around the restaurant.

“Like you don’t fucking know,” he replied. “Or was I never meant to find out you were behind our meetup.” He nodded over at Thea, who’d gone pasty white.

“I have no idea what you’re insinuating,” Jardin said stiffly. “But perhaps we should go somewhere quiet and discuss this.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, am I embarrassing you?” he asked, raising his voice. “Am I making a scene? How inappropriate of me. I’ll just go back to my little box, suitably chastised for acting out. My lack of breeding is showing, huh?”

“For fucks sake, Carrick, what the fuck are you talking about?”

“Oh, about to lose that great Jardin Malone temper? Heads up, babe, it happens rarely but when it does, you’ll usually want to duck and cover.”

“Carrick, I’m not sure what you think’s going on here, but—” Thea reached up to place her hand on his arm and he grabbed her wrist, shoving her away. He didn’t grab her harshly, but she sucked in a breath, paling even further, and bringing her arm to her chest.

Shock filled him. Fuck! He’d hurt her. He was furious, but that didn’t mean he wanted to harm her. He’d never harm a woman.

“What the fuck?” Jardin snapped, standing and glaring at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I didn’t mean to hurt her,” he said, his fury draining as he took Thea in. “Rocket, I didn’t—”

“It’s okay,” she said hastily. “It wasn’t you. I . . . I hurt it the other day. I need to go to the bathroom. I just— ”

“Thea, let me see your wrist,” Jardin demanded.

She shook her head. “It’s fine.”

Oh, she was going to learn that no one said no to Jardin when he used that voice. That usually ended up with someone getting their ass reddened. Not him. He’d never played with the other man. Even if he’d secretly dreamed about it.

Thea attempted to slide to the end of the booth and Carrick moved, blocking her path. The look she gave him was filled with betrayal. He felt bad for a moment. So bad he almost shifted.

But then he remembered that she had no right to look at him like that. That he was the one who had been deceived and betrayed.

“Show me your wrist,” he ordered. Jardin wasn’t the only one who could be commanding when needed.

Although, with Jardin, it was part of his personality.

“Please,” she whispered. “Please get of the way.”

“Not until you show me your wrist.” He was starting to wonder if it was a ploy. A way of getting his sympathy. Of getting him to leave. “Unless it’s not actually hurt and it’s just another lie.”

She sucked in a breath, her eyes wide and filled with tears as she stared up at him. He had to harden his heart against softening toward her.

She’d used him. She was somehow involved with his ex-best friend. The man who’d hurt him. Who’d thrown him away.

So, yeah, he wasn’t giving her anything.

“What do you mean? Another lie?” she whispered. “I never lied to you.”

He snorted. “Right, sure you didn’t. Which is why you’re sitting here all cozy with the man who ruined my li

fe.”