Page 15 of Djinn in Love

Veronica answered with a nod.

Selene’s smile grew wider. “Like I said, he must like you a lot.” Her eyes moved to Veronica’s desk, snagging on the flowers. “Did he send you those?”

Heat worked its way up from Veronica’s neck to her cheeks. “Yes. Earlier this afternoon.”

“Definitely likes you,” Selene repeated.

Veronica put her hands over her cheeks. Her fingers felt cool against her burning face.

As though she sensed Veronica’s discomfort, Selene changed the subject. “Speaking of dinner, I’m starving. I’m going to head out.”

“Oh, you don’t have to,” Veronica started. “I’m sure you have questions or things you’d like to discuss.”

“I literally can’t think of any questions right now because my stomach is growling so loudly. You said you would be calling me next week with a game plan, so I’ll write down any concerns I have, and we can address them then.”

“Really, it’s no trouble?—”

Selene shook her head. “It’s fine, Ms. Salt. It’s nearly seven-thirty. We’ll talk next week.”

With that, Selene turned on an elegant heel and swayed to the door. Her strides were long and graceful, and her footsteps were nearly soundless.

As the door shut behind her, Veronica realized that Selene was exactly the kind of woman she would have paired with Jasper. The thought pierced her, sharp and cold, like a needle in her flesh. Her hands trembled as she moved around her desk to sit in her chair.

In her mind’s eye, she could almost see the two of them together. In her heels, Selene would be nearly eye level with Jasper, her slender figure and gleaming blonde hair the perfect foil for his dark, intense good looks. The image was so clear and focused, like a photograph. It made her stomach ache. Especially when she thought about Jasper moving on after this weekend and asking for more matches.

The tremor in her hands moved to her arms and legs, causing the chair to creak. Dear God, if he wanted to continue on as a client, would he expect her to provide him with matches?

They weren’t even truly dating, and it was already painful to think about setting him up with another woman.

Veronica took a deep breath. No, she couldn’t think like this. They weren’t dating. She couldn’t let herself get attached to him. No matter what kind of generous gestures Jasper threw her way. She had to stay aloof, distant, in order to protect herself.

It had been so long since a man seemed to care about her. About whether she ate dinner. Or sending her flowers to share that he was thinking of her.

Well, the flowers hadn’t happened before, but there had been times her previous boyfriend had texted her or called her just to talk because he said he missed her. That sort of behavior ended shortly after their relationship became more serious and he realized how much her empathic abilities affected her life.

It wasn’t much longer before he broke things off with her.

Veronica had to stop thinking of Jasper as the man she was dating and remember that he was a client. Otherwise, she would get hurt.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. She held the air in her lungs until her chest grew tight and then released it in a slow, steady stream. Then, she repeated the process again. And again.

After the third breath, her emotions were much calmer. She picked up her phone and texted Jasper.

Veronica: Thank you for dinner. I enjoy this restaurant a lot. I didn’t even know they delivered.

Unlike this morning, his reply wasn’t immediate. She was already unwrapping the plastic bag from the food container when her phone chimed.

Jasper: You’re welcome. And you should look into this app called DoorDash. It’s quite handy.

Veronica snorted as she chuckled. His dry, sarcastic sense of humor came through in his text message clearly. She could almost imagine the smirk on his face as he typed the words.

Veronica: I’ll keep that in mind for the next time I’m working late.

The three dots appeared beneath her message and then disappeared. Then, they reappeared. This happened several times before Jasper’s text finally came through.

Jasper: Enjoy your yellow curry. I’ll call you around nine, if that’s okay.

Veronica’s first reaction was a resounding yes, but then she hesitated. They had only been talking for two days, yet she was already getting attached. What would happen after his brother’s wedding was over and he expected her to find matches for him? Or worse, she never heard from him again?

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