Technical Threat (Westin Force #4) - Julie Trettel Page 0,63
bad and I hoped he didn’t take it personally. I didn’t mean it as a bad thing. He seemed well grounded, not arrogant or well, rich, at all.
He chuckled. “I don’t want or need much in life. I’ve never found significant value in things, well most things. I do have my splurges. I like a top of the line laptop and desktop system. I deal a lot with surveillance type security and I do enjoy the toys of the job. I also love that I’m not footing the bill for them, the Force is.”
“They don’t know about that part of your past?” I asked. I couldn’t help but wonder why he would want to keep such a thing from them.
“Oh, they know. In my line of work there’s no hiding such a thing. You can do a quick search on the internet and find it easily. It’s public knowledge, but not something I’ve ever openly talked about with any of them.”
“If you don’t like talking about it, why are you telling me now?”
“Simple. You’re my mate. I don’t want any secrets between us. I’ve looked at several homes in the territory and haven’t found anything that I feel like could be home. Maybe that has changed now. There’s a few we can go back and look at, or we live at the Lodge and start designing and building our own house. I’m not taking your money, Susan. You don’t need to freak out about that. What’s mine is yours now. There is nothing I wouldn’t buy or get you that you desire. Nothing. And that starts with the house of your dreams.”
My forehead wrinkled. Did he really think material things mattered to me? I didn’t care how much money he had. I hadn’t mated him for his money. I hadn’t even known about it. “I’m not a gold digger, Tarron. I’ve never had much, and I don’t need much. The nicest thing I have is my computer and I worked hard to save and build that up myself. I’m proud of that. I don’t want your handouts.”
He smiled and leaned in to kiss me. “I know, sweetheart. I know, but I’m going to want to spoil you a little from time to time because you deserve to feel special.”
My heart fluttered. I didn’t know how to tell him that things didn’t make me feel special, he did. He had since the first moment we met. Sonnet used to be able to do that too, she was always cheering me along behind the scenes, but no one else ever had, until now.
That probably wasn’t entirely fair. The staff at Shay Vous was great and very supportive of me, but then I paid them well, so it never felt truly authentic. Same thing with Mr. Whitley at the bank and a number of other business associates around Womack.
Sage walked in on us as I was still in his arms and she rolled her eyes.
“What do you need, Sage?” Tarron asked seemingly unaffected.
“Could you help load my stuff? Some of the boxes are really heavy.”
“Be right there.”
He left and spent the next hour packing all of our possessions into the three cars. It was so little, but really what else could we possibly need?
Once that was done, he drove back to the hotel to pick up his grandmother for dinner while the girls and I walked off to make the announcement that we were leaving town immediately.
I had called in the morning staff earlier. I felt I had an obligation to tell them all in person.
Jimmy was waiting outside for me.
“You’re really leaving Womack, aren’t you?” he asked.
I nodded. “I’ve already talked to my lawyer and Mr. Whitley. They’re waiting on the finances to clear, but otherwise it’s a done deal. This place is yours now.”
“And you have a chance to escape from your mother, right? It’s that guy, the one that’s so possessive of you and keeps hanging out around here. Isn’t it?”
I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face. “Tarron. And yes and no. I will be moving closer to him. Sapphire and Sage are coming with me, Jimmy.”
He sighed and nodded. “Can’t honestly say I’m not disappointed to hear it, but I can’t begrudge you guys the chance to get out of here and if that asshole puts a smile like that on your face, then he’s alright in my book. I’m happy for you, Susan. You deserve happiness. Does Shay know? I can’t believe she’d let the