Bound Together Read online

He grinned widely before grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me in for a passionate, deep, breathless kiss. When he came up for air I licked my lips, still tasting his on them.

  “Well I won’t keep you waiting then.”

  We drove through the streets passing small boutiques and shops on the way. I hadn’t had time to explore the shopping district surrounding the campus yet but after spotting several stunning shoe stores, I would certainly be doing so soon. The idea of shopping immediately made me think of Amy. Sliding my cell out of my pocket I typed a quick text to let her know what was happening. I didn’t want her to worry. Turning on the phone I noticed that there was a message waiting for me.

  Hey Superstar. Where are you? We thought we might get some food in tonight. Just wondered if you wanted to eat with us before your date. Gimmie a heads up. Ollie xx

  Received 19.35

  From: Ollie

  Jared glanced over at me with a furrowed brow, a look of concern on his face. “Something wrong?”

  I shook my head and smiled. “No just Ollie. He wanted to know if I wanted to eat with him and Amy before my date. We went to the movies earlier today, so I’ll tell him I ate at work so he doesn’t worry.”

  Jared’s expression changed. I studied his face trying to figure out what it was. His lips were pressed into a hard line and his hands were gripping the steering wheel tightly. Was he jealous? I decided not to broach the subject and replied to Ollie’s message asking him to let Amy know I would be home late.

  “When you say we went to the movies who do you mean? Oliver, Amy and yourself?”

  “No just me and him. We saw some awful horror movie and I swear I only managed to see half of it because I had my face buried in Ollie’s hoodie most of the time, trying not to look.”

  He slammed on the breaks and the car screeched and halted to a stop. Unbuckling his seatbelt Jared got out and slammed the door behind him. I watched him, completely dumbstruck at what had just happened. He shouted obscenities and kicked the ground hard before raking his hands through his hair, clearly furious and frustrated. I wanted to leap out of the car and confront him about what was happening but I was glued to my seat with fear at his reaction.

  He stood still for a moment facing the road behind us and fisted his hands on his hips. Biting his bottom lip he stared down at the ground and shook his head before returning to the driver’s seat again. I sat frozen and speechless just staring at him, waiting for him to explain. But he didn’t. He never uttered a single world. He was icy cold and when he began to drive again, he didn’t make eye contact, speak or even acknowledge my existence at all.

  Looking out of the window, I tried to shake off the uneasy feeling I was getting from Jared’s sudden cool demeanor towards me. Ollie was just a friend and we had already had this conversation once. Turning to him, I placed my hand on his knee and he glanced down at it as if I’d just laid a gun in his lap. He looked fierce, his eyes blazing and his jaw clenched. I removed my hand quickly and sighed. “Jared, Ollie is just a friend. We just hang out. I swear there is nothing between us. Don’t you trust me?”

  Snapping his head at me he glared. “It’s not you I don’t trust. You’re a very attractive woman Layla and there are a lot of guys out there just itching and squirming to get into those panties and make you moan for them. But you belong to me. You’re mine. And I am not willing to share you with some frat boy who thinks he has a chance. Understood? You need to make it very fucking clear to him that you are spoken for. Or I will.”

  A shiver of thrill and excitement pulsed through me. I liked angry, possessive Jared. Why did alpha male demeanors get me so turned on? He was smoking hot and it took every ounce of my self restraint not to jump his bones there and then. Instead, I settled for a kiss on his cheek and a ghost of a smile crossed his lips as I made contact with his skin. “You have absolutely nothing to worry about.”

  Entering an enormous parking lot I looked up at a beautiful glass building. The colossal structure had been built with glass walls and lustrous golden doors. It was extraordinary in every way. Spotting the sign above the entrance, I fathomed where we were “Garrett’s”. It was the mall his father had been building, the same one Jared had completed after his death. It was dark and the parking lot was completely vacant. The whole place was obviously locked down. I stared at Jared, perplexed. Smiling he turned off the ignition, ran around to my door and extended his hand out to me.

  “Welcome to my palace my lady.”

  Unlocking the large golden doors, he strode fast across to a security office adjacent to the entrance. Punching in a code, the alarm ceased its deafening screech and lights began to illuminate the pitch black halls. I gawked in amazement at the rows and rows of little boutiques. Taking my hand, Jared led me through the enormous entrance hall to a store at the far end of the building. Passing beautiful displays of clothes, accessories and appliances he stopped in front of a small boutique. Grinning at me with delight gleaming in his deep blue eyes, he opened the door and ushered me in. The lights flickered on and I gaped in wonderment at the shining displays of jewelry which glistened underneath heavily lit glass counters.

  I turned around, turning my gaping expression to him. Smiling widely back at me, he walked over to a counter in the corner of the room and unlocked it. Reaching in he pulled out a beautiful white gold and diamond encrusted bracelet. He raised his hand and gestured with his index finger for me to come over to him. Taking my chin from the floor, I tried to regain my equilibrium as I moved towards him anxiously. Taking my hand, he slid the bracelet over it and onto my wrist. His fingertips brushing my skin sent electricity surging up my arm and through my body. I stared at the stunning piece in total disbelief as he raised my hand to his lips and caressed my knuckles, smiling sexily. “There. A bracelet fit for a princess. You should always be dripping with diamonds Layla but this…” he paused lifting my hand up so that the bracelet gleamed and shimmered in the light, “…is a start.”

  Draping my arms around his neck I kissed him hard. He enveloped his arms around my waist and swept me off my feet, pulling me tight to him. I was overwhelmed with emotion and furrowing my brow I stared at the jewels dangling on my wrist. Jared pulled his lips from mine and looked at me with concern.

  “What’s the matter? You don’t like it?”

  I shook my head as he returned me to my feet. “It’s not that Jared. It’s all of this.”

  I gestured around the room vaguely but his eyes were fixed on me. “It’s too much. You hardly know me and you’re giving me a piece of jewelry worth thousands of dollars. It’s crazy. Are you doing it because you feel guilty for the whole coffee shop thing? Because if you are you really don’t have to. I told you, I forgive you.”

  Lifting my hand, he ran his lips over my knuckles and placed a gentle kiss on the bracelet that adorned my small and dainty wrist. “No Layla. I gave you the bracelet because I wanted to and because I can. This is my store. I just had this bracelet added to the collection yesterday and when I saw you coming out of your dorm building last night all I could think about was how perfect it would look on your exquisite and elegant wrist. If you really don’t want it, I understand. But don’t refuse it because you feel it’s a gift that comes with an ulterior motive. It is certainly not.”

  I nodded and placed a chaste kiss on his oh-so-slightly parted lips. His expression softened as he lifted my chin and gazed into my eyes. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. I could get lost in them for days. But for now I’ll settle for staring into them over a candle lit dinner. Come on. Let’s go back to my place. I’ll even cook this time.”

  I raised an eyebrow playfully. “You cook sir? My, my, is there no end to your talents?”

  Giving me a mischievous grin, he whispered into my ear, sending shockwaves through my body to my belly, igniting a now familiar fire inside. “I have a great many talents my lady and I intend to show you all of them.”

  I was sure I was blushing scarlet but I didn’t care. Jare
d made me feel alive, desirable and sexy like a scorching hot temptress. It was exciting and I was eager for more of anything he could dish out.

  Sitting in the passenger seat of his luxurious car, I looked down at the bracelet on my wrist. It really was beautiful but something inside me was uncomfortable with this token of his affection. Although he had given me his reasons for the gift, it just didn’t sit well with me. The bracelet itself was stunning. The purest of white gold and each diamond had been cut to complete perfection. It glistened and sparkled as the streetlight beamed through the window. It was heavy and according to the information I had read on the ticket back at the store, it was worth a staggering $11050 and contained eight carats of diamonds. The fact that he was totally at ease about giving me such an expensive piece of his collection made me wonder if this was something that he did often. Was I just one in a long line of women he’d given jewelry to? And if so, did he assume that a casual fuck every so often was all I was hoping for? I glanced over at him as hurtful and unwanted thoughts consumed me. Why was I torturing myself? I should just ask him.

  Swallowing hard I tried to sound as impassive as possible. “Jared, this bracelet.”

  Putting his hand on my leg, he gripped me tightly and gave me a long hard stare, silencing me immediately. “No. Whatever it is you’re thinking about, the answer is no. I gave you that bracelet because it’s a stunning and breathtaking piece of art. Just like you. When I purchased that piece I thought it was very attractive but could never really understand the enthusiasm my associates had given it. That was, until you walked out of that door last night. You looked amazing and the moment your hand was in mine I knew that bracelet was made for your delicate, little wrist. And before you ask, no, I don’t make a habit of giving women diamonds. In fact, apart from you, the only woman I ever gave a diamond to was my mother and it was a pair of earrings on her birthday. Don’t over think this Layla. It’s yours and I don’t want to hear another word about it. Understand?”

  It was as if he had read my mind and in one swoop had completely dissolved all of my doubts about the wonderful gift he had given me. Mentally chastising myself for questioning his motives, I gave him a smile, leaned across to his side and kissed him on the cheek.

  * * *

  Amy was practically giddy when I’d told her about our evening at the coffee shop. She wanted every last detail, which I happily gave her. Although she did agree that he should have been forthcoming about his ownership of the shop, she understood his reasons for not telling me. Naturally, she instantly forgave him after I showed her the diamond bracelet he’d given me.

  Ollie hadn’t been so thrilled about it all. “He was totally dishonest about who he was. How can you continue to date someone when you have no idea who he really is? Can you honestly say you trust him? A diamond bracelet doesn’t make up for lying and pretending to be someone you’re not. He’s a fucknut if you ask me.”

  His comments had irked me a little but I tried to understand where they were coming from. Ollie cared about me and probably not in a strictly friendly way. “Ollie cut him some slack will you? Besides I’m a grown woman who is perfectly capable of deciding if someone is trustworthy or not.”

  Kissing him on the cheek I smiled sweetly. “But thank you for looking out for me.” He flushed a deep shade of pink which, not wanting to embarrass him, I decided was best to ignore.

  Chapter 15

  Out Of My Dreams & Into The Car

  The next few weeks passed very quickly, thankfully, as I began to settle into my new routine. Now that I was in a relationship I was aware of my need to be cautious and after making an early appointment with Dr. Roberts, I decided against the contraceptive pill. I knew myself well enough to be sure that at one time or another I would forget to take it or miss one, so I chose the safer option of a shot instead. My ass was still a little sore from it as I drove back to Long Beach and hopefully in time for class.

  Classes were getting intense but with Ollie there, they felt more like hanging out with a friend. Assignments were rolling in thick and fast and I worried how I would find time for everything in my life. I hadn’t been home for a while as I found myself constantly busy with shifts at the shop and Jared. I had planned on going the last weekend that had passed but after dad called and told me he had to work, I decided to have a girly evening with Amy instead. We were now half way through October and the weather was turning, which made the walks to work that little bit more of a chore. Amy was a regular there by now and would often meet me at the end of my shift for girl talk.

  Things with Jared were also beginning to fall into place and I felt truly in awe of his world with all the beautiful places he was taking me. Stunning gardens, museums, fancy restaurants and tonight I was escorting him to a formal dinner and dance at the Hyatt Regency, one of Long Beach’s finest hotels and home to an exquisite ballroom. He looked so distinguished in his black tux that I could fully appreciate the powerful and influential businessman that he was during the week. But the way he grinned at me when I had stepped out of the door in my new designer dress he had insisted on buying me, he was every bit the sexy, smoldering twenty-two year old I had grown to adore.

  Grecian in style, the dress was a striking blue that he said matched my eyes perfectly. Floor length and held by a strap on only one shoulder, it had a long slit that ran from the hem to the top of my thigh; stopping just before my panty line. A glittering silver design weaved and sparkled around my waist and a matching pattern adorned my shoulder where the front attached to the back. A mischievous smile was spread across Jared’s face and he struggled to keep his hands to himself in the car on the ride over to the venue.

  I’d been introduced to some of California’s elite and although I felt extremely out of place, Jared hadn’t left my side all evening and I had been holding his arm tightly as we circulated the room. I thanked god for my overbearing mother having sent me to dance classes as a teen, because when the band started up, Jared had eagerly led me to the dance floor where we danced effortlessly and easily to every tune that was played. Ballroom dancing was something I had always excelled at in class and I’d dropped all other styles just to focus on it. If it hadn’t been for my sudden growth spurt, I could have pursued it as a career but unfortunately, no sixteen year old boy wants to dance with a girl who’s almost a foot taller than he is. Gratefully I’d stopped increasing in height and stayed at a comfortable five foot six while the boys who had originally snubbed me as a partner shot up.

  As we danced and mingled with California’s finest, I became fully aware that I was a direct reflection on Jared and tried to carry myself with elegance and grace and be a little less Layla than usual.

  Standing amongst a group of large men who were considerably older than he was, Jared leaned into my ear. “Stop worrying. You look stunning and everyone here thinks so. They’ll think you’re as amazing as I do. Relax.” Kissing me tenderly on the cheek he grinned. A gong sounded and an announcement was made that everyone should take their seats for dinner.

  Sitting at the table I was surrounded by businessmen in designer tuxedos. Jared sat on my right and placed a possessive arm around my shoulder, letting everyone at the table know I was his and his alone. The gesture excited and thrilled me. Knowing that he felt strongly enough about us to be so openly attentive was endearing. The food was truly spectacular and according to the menu, it was being prepared by Renee Dupree, a well-respected and highly praised chef. Jared had taken the liberty of ordering for me and I dined on the finest chicken tagliatelle of my life. Mindful that people would be watching how I carried myself during dinner, I carefully ate my food, slowly and with as much elegance as I could. Jared was seemingly engrossed in conversation with several men at our table who were looking for investors in some of their new building projects. Leaning into the table he rested one hand on his glass and the other on my leg, squeezing and rubbing it suggestively.

  I continued to eat and tried desperately to hide the arousal that was building in
side me as his hand caressed my thigh. I let out a small moan and his eyes immediately darted to me. My cheeks immediately colored as he leaned in to whisper in my ear. “Was that vocal praise for your meal or something a little more carnal? Because either way, I like it.”

  Placing my hand on his underneath the table I smiled wickedly. “I guess you’ll never know.”

  “Is that a challenge my lady? Because I am more than happy to rise to it in every sense of the word.”

  I bit my bottom lip as a thrill of anticipation ran through me. Leaning into the table I decided to play his tempting game. Addressing one of the gentlemen Jared had been conversing with, I began asking about his project to build a new mini mall aimed purely at students and their interests. “So Mr. Trent, tell me, this new building project you’re proposing, you say it’s mostly aimed at the growing student population in Long Beach. I think that’s a wonderful concept. However, I’m concerned that with the current economic crisis and hardships faced by those studying these days, your new stores and restaurants will be left desolate due to the insufficient finances available to students such as myself. How do you plan on appealing to us on a consumer level?”

  Jared’s eyes widened and he had a look of surprise as though he were amazed that I knew so much about such subjects. But a distinct smile of what I hoped was pride was now very visible and he immediately moved his hand from my leg to my back in a supportive gesture.

  Mr. Trent cleared his throat and smiled at me. “Well, that’s a very good question Miss Jennings and something my development team and I have been poring over for a while. I would very much like to get your insight on the matter if you are willing of course. I can arrange a dinner perhaps? Jared, old boy, we should arrange it. Have your assistant check your schedule and call me. This charming young lady is an absolute delight. How on earth did you manage to catch such a creature Garrett?”