Page 25 of Bling

Chapter Eight

Garrett stepped out of the shower in his Glenview suite and wrapped a towel around his waist. His hair dripped water down his face, and he grabbed a hand towel, wiping it through his hair and across his face before using it to wipe the steam away from the mirror.

It had been a trying week, and he could see the exhaustion under his eyes. He hoped a weekend spent getting back in Isabelle’s good graces would help. The voice in the back of his mind told him to stick to his rules about not pursuing people who worked for him, but he desperately wanted her in his bed, so he squashed the voice as he balled up the towel and tossed it into the corner.

In the bedroom, he picked up his phone and found a text from Isabelle.

Where should I meet you for dinner?

He chuckled into the empty suite. It was cute that she thought he wasn’t picking her up.

I’ll come get you in a little while.

There was no response, so he tossed the phone on the bed and pulled jeans and a black button up from the closet. As he was zipping his jeans, she called.

“You really don’t have to pick me up,” she said when he answered.

“I insist.”

She blew out a breath. “Are you sure? I have this cool new rental car to drive.”

He wasn’t about to tell her it wasn’t a rental. He was just going to make sure something terrible happened to the old thing she’d been driving while it was in the police impound lot.

“Save the gas. I want to pick you up and take you on a proper date.” What was he saying? He didn’t date.

She sounded nervous when she finally answered. “Yes, Sir. I’ll be ready.”

He gave a low hum, pleased that she was acknowledging their dynamic at the club. “Good girl. I’ll see you soon.”

He hurried through getting dressed and called his driver to pick him up out front.

“Take me to Miss Alvarado’s apartment, please,” he said when he slid into the backseat of the sleek black SUV.

Jeff, his longtime driver, gave a solemn nod and pulled out of the hotel parking lot. The drive passed in silence as Garrett read on his tablet.

When the car slowed, he looked up to find they were driving into a rundown apartment complex. “This is where she lives?” he asked, looking around. There wasn’t even a security gate. It looked as if the buildings hadn’t seen fresh paint in years and most of the cars in the lot had seen better days as well.

They pulled into a space next to the car he’d given Isabelle. She was waiting on a tiny porch and he recognized Uncle Henry sitting in a small lawn chair. There was a look of disdain on the old man’s face as Isabelle scurried to the passenger door.

“Hurry before we attract any more attention,” she said as she pulled her seatbelt across her slender frame.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean this fancy SUV is going to be the talk of the complex, and people will drive my dad and uncle crazy with questions.”

Garrett stared at her. Was she serious? It was so hard to tell sometimes.

The driver was already pulling back onto the street.

“Do you have any preferences for dinner?” he asked, resisting the urge to pick up her hand. He still wasn’t quite sure where they stood.

She looked at him and smiled. “I’m kind of in the mood for pizza.”

“I’m not sure you can get a proper pizza in Colorado,” he said dryly

She laughed. “I don’t want anything proper. I want a greasy slice of takeout pizza. But if it’s more your style, there’s a little Italian place halfway between here and the club that has good pizza and pasta.”

Garrett nodded. That sounds more doable. “Give my driver the address.”

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