Jardin's Gamble (Haven, Texas 9)

A car pulled up and she looked over. There was her Uber.

Carrick’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the car. “Friend, huh?”

She shrugged.

Leaning down, he brushed his lips across her cheek. Then his mouth moved to her ear. “Just as well you’re not mine. Or you’d be getting a red ass. Both for lying to me and for taking an Uber.”

Crap.

“You’ve got a thing against Ubers?” she asked, ignoring what he’d said about giving her a red ass. He had to be joking, right?

Or was there something about her that screamed, spank me?

Dear Lord Thea. Chill.

“I’m not happy you’ll get into a stranger’s car but not mine.”

She cleared her throat. “You are a stranger.”

“Not for long. And then we will revisit this. That’s a promise.”

Thea had the feeling she was in far, far over her head. But a shiver of arousal went up her spine as she looked into his face. She saw the intensity in his gaze and nodded, incapable of speech. Then proving himself the gentleman he’d proclaimed to be, he walked her over to the car, opening the back door. She slid in.

The Uber driver turned to smile at her, blanching when he saw Carrick standing there, scowling at him.

Holy. Shit.

“Fasten your seatbelt,” he rumbled.

She scowled. She’d been about to. Maybe. With a sigh, she did it up. He crouched down and grabbed hold of her chin, kissing both of her cheeks. “Have a great day at work.” He turned to the Uber driver. “Drive carefully, anything happens to her, I’m holding you accountable.”

“Carrick,” she protested. Thing is, she wasn’t sure if she was protesting the threat to the Uber driver or the note of possession in his voice.

She didn’t know him. He didn’t get to claim her.

Right, like you’re putting up any sort of real protest.

“Text me when you get to work.”

Before she could remind him that he didn’t get to make demands on her, he closed the door and was walking away.

And man, he sure did fill out his jeans nicely.

It took everything he had to walk away and not drag her out of that car and over into his truck.

An Uber.

Was she freaking kidding him? Not only had she lied to him, but she was trusting her safety to some stranger?

Taking a deep breath in, he let it out slowly.

Easy, man.

Much as he’d wanted to go all caveman on her ass, he’d known he had to let her go. Throwing her over his shoulder and taking her back home wasn’t the way to win her over. And he wanted that. He wanted her trust. Her desire. Her fire.

He’d immediately noticed the way her gaze had eaten him up as he’d walked toward her. It had amused him as she’d stood there, her mouth slightly open, pulse racing. He’d be lying if he said it hadn’t boosted his ego.

Most women who saw him coming toward them would run the other way, not devour him with their eyes. He was a big guy and she was small. Curvy in all the right places, but still so fucking small. Delicate. Even though he’d never use his strength against a woman, she didn’t know that. She should have been more careful. He frowned as he thought about her being that trusting with another stranger. One not as honorable as him.