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“I didn’t tamper with Tucker’s car. That’s not my style.”
She crossed the suite and opened the door, looking back at him and taking a deep breath. “I don’t appreciate having to prove myself to you. Tucker, I can understand because he’s a hothead. But I thought…I thought you were different, Jared.”
She stepped out of the suite and forced herself to walk calmly down the hallway to the elevator that led to the ground floor. A part of her?the romantic part? kept listening for the door to that suite to open. Kept waiting for him to suddenly come after her.
But he didn’t.
And that seemed to be the true mark of the man he was. This wasn’t a relationship worth having or worth pursuing. She felt sad deep inside, where she’d promised herself she wouldn’t let any man hurt her again. She hated that weakness in herself.
AS SOON AS THE DOOR closed Jared got up and walked to the window overlooking the track. He couldn’t believe that he’d let her walk away, but there had been little left to salvage. She’d been ticked off, and instead of fighting or yelling she’d completely shut down.
And could he blame her? What kind of man accused a woman he wanted a relationship with of tampering with a car?
An idiot, he thought. He pocketed the bracelet and left the suite, hoping he would find her before she was back in the infield.
She was waiting at the elevator. Her fingers were caressing her right wrist, where his bracelet had been a few short minutes ago.
“Annie…” But he didn’t know what to say.
“What?” she asked belligerently.
He felt a pang in his chest that he may have really hurt her with his question.
She didn’t glance up or turn toward him. And he realized he didn’t want to have things end between them right now. And certainly not like this.
“I’m sorry. You’re right…I should have asked you differently. Just flat out.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“I don’t know. I’m not used to…”
“The truth?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“That’s really sad.”
He didn’t have a response to that. It wasn’t that he thought most people lied, but Tucker had raised a few doubts in his mind about Annie. And he knew that he could never compete for her loyalty. He knew that she was a Jenner first.
“Listen, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t really care if Dave or Tucker wins. I mean, other than the fact that Dave’s my brother and I love him. But I figured the best driver at the end of each race will cross the finish line first.”
“I?”
She shook her head. “Let me finish.”
He nodded.
“My father said that cheating to win isn’t winning. My dad is one smart guy and I’ve always believed what he said. I’ve never cheated for myself and I won’t for my brother.
“I can’t be with a man who doesn’t trust me. I’m not sure that I trust any man, but being accused…it doesn’t work for me. I lived through that with my ex-husband and I can’t do it again.”
He took a deep shuddering breath, realizing this one moment had stripped them both bare and now she was waiting to see if he was man enough for her. And Jared felt the way he always did when he had to be measured by his own worth. Not his money or business acumen, but his worth as a human.
“What did your ex lie to you about?” he asked.
“Being faithful.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. That was my lesson in trusting blindly.”
Jared didn’t like the way that sounded. Didn’t like the fact that she’d been hurt badly by her ex-husband.
“I never believed you had tampered with Tucker’s car, but he was insisting and I had to ask.”
She nodded. “I understand. If Dave had come to me with the same scenario I would have asked you.”
“This was a big screwup on my part. Can we start over?” he asked her.
“I may have overreacted. You pushed a button I didn’t realize was so hot for me. I thought…well, it doesn’t matter, but I thought I was over that part of my marriage.”
“I’m not leaving here until this is right between us.”
“It won’t be right unless you trust me.”
“I do,” he said, taking the bracelet out of his pocket and holding it up. “I really want you to have this. Will you take it back?”
She looked at the piece of jewelry with more longing than he’d noticed in her eyes before. “Not now. Ask me again later.”
He understood what she wasn’t saying. That she wanted to rebuild the relationship they’d started. He pocketed the bracelet and put his hand at the small of her back as the elevator opened.
