Page 58 of Bought

He didn’t reply, not even to admonish my tone, merely staring at me in that unnerving way he had.

“Sir,” I said eventually. “Are you—”

“You were texting Isabel last night, weren’t you?”

Cold shock pulsed down my spine. “What?”

“Were you texting Isabel?”

My mouth was dry, and the shock was now pooling in my stomach. “Isabel who?” I forced out.

“My daughter, Isabel.” His blue gaze bored into mine. “Your friend. Whom you work with.”

Shit. Shit. Shit. He’d found out. I had no idea how, but he had.

My mind was blank, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I managed weakly.

But of course, he saw right through me. “Yes, you do, little sub,” he said. “Or should I say, Zara.”

My heart stopped and if I was cold before, I was all ice now.

Fuck. He knew. What had given me away? He must have seen Isabel’s name while I was texting her, though why he’d automatically think it was her, I had no idea. Then again, maybe it was no surprise. He was so intense, so focused, not to mention suspicious. I hadn’t told him who I was, and I knew he hadn’t forgotten that. He must have seen Isabel’s name and had somehow found a connection to me.

Either way, though, I was screwed.

Then again…maybe not. He might know who I was, but he didn’t know why I was here, or about the Hamiltons. He couldn’t know.

My heart restarted, racing now. I could pretend I didn’t know what he was talking about, but lying to him was next to impossible. I was going to have to own it.

I shifted on the desktop, feeling cold and exposed, but determined not to let him see the fear that was digging its claws into me again. “Well,” I said, my voice only a little reedy sounding. “Full marks for finding out so quickly. How did you do it?”

“I have a few contacts.” He didn’t move. “You’re going to answer every single one of my questions and you’re going to answer them now.”

Double fuck.

I’d gotten used to being naked around him and I’d lost my self-consciousness about it pretty much the day before. But now I wished I had something to wrap around me. I had to settle for folding my hands in my lap as casually as possible.

“Of course, sir.” I met his gaze. “Do the rules apply?” He’d taken to telling me this so I knew if we were in a scene or not, and it was useful, because while I’d gotten used to being able to tell by his tone of voice, sometimes I couldn’t.

“No,” he snapped. “Because you’re not my sub anymore.”

Pain shot through me, and I had to fight to not let it show on my face. Okay, so he was angry. No, not just angry, he was furious.

Are you surprised? You’re his daughter’s friend and you didn’t tell him.

“I didn’t lie to you,” I said before he could say anything else, knowing I was being defensive and not being able to stop myself. “I just didn’t tell you I was Izzy’s friend.”

“Lies of omission are still lies. You knew I was her father, and you didn’t say anything.”

“No, of course I didn’t say anything. Would you have taken me home if I had?”

He was silent, fury burning in his cold blue eyes. Letting me know the truth without saying a word: no. He wouldn’t have.

I’d learned early on to fear male anger and then later, to armor myself against it, and it should have been easy to armor myself against his. It shouldn’t matter to me, but…I’d loved being the center of his attention. I’d loved being taken care of, being told I was beautiful and perfect. Being told I was a passionate, good little sub. I wanted him to keep seeing me that way. I didn’t want him to be angry with me.

No one else ever saw anything in you worth cherishing. Why would he?

My throat closed, an ache behind my breastbone, though I had no idea why, since it wasn’t as if he was important to me.