Page 38 of Djinn in Love

Technically, that was a lie. There was another family event—a dinner—but he’d already told his parents that he wasn’t coming or bringing Veronica because she needed to be rested before the wedding since they would need to be in attendance most of the next day.

His free hand came up to push a few strands of hair away from her cheek. “I’d like to have dinner with you tonight. Just you and me. Is that okay with you?”

Veronica nodded. “That sounds really nice.”

“Really nice?”

Her cheeks warmed but she smiled. “I’d like to spend the evening with you.”

“Better,” he murmured. His hand moved from her hair to her cheek, holding her head steady as he leaned forward. He kissed her, a light, gentle caress. Her breath was a warm flutter against his lips as he pulled back. “Enjoy your day, Veronica.”

She couldn’t suppress the shiver that ran through her when he said her name. She knew he felt it because his eyes heated and his fingers slipped back into her hair, tugging lightly at the strands.

“I’ll see you tonight.”

When he kissed her again, his lips opened over hers and their tongues tangled, slow and wet. Veronica lost herself in the kiss, her hands coming up to clutch his shoulders. The shudder that ran through her was larger this time. Tingles rushed over her scalp and down her spine, settling between her legs.

She was panting when they parted, her lips swollen and hot. Part of her wanted to tug him back onto the bed and tell him to finish what they’d started this morning, but the rest of her was still hesitant. As much as she wanted Jasper, her previous experiences hadn’t been all that great. She’d managed an orgasm with one of her boyfriends during sex, but most of the time, she’d been unable to let herself go and enjoy what was happening between them. She’d been too intent on keeping her mental shields up and the effort and thought it required meant that she couldn’t allow herself to fully immerse herself in how her body felt and any pleasure she might be experiencing.

“I’ll see you in a few hours,” Jasper whispered.

“Okay.”

Veronica listened to him leave the cabin, her entire body humming with arousal. She understood then why his touch and his kisses had affected her so deeply. She didn’t need her mental shields with him. Not anymore.

The question was—what was she going to do now?

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Veronica didn’t thinkshe’d been this relaxed in her entire life.

She spent the morning working, ate a light lunch, and then drove the golf cart to the main lodge for her spa treatments. Jasper had left it for her, which she appreciated.

Her spa treatments had been like heaven on Earth. She wasn’t sure how Jasper managed it, but the aesthetician who gave her a facial had been one of the most Zen people she’d ever been around. Her emotions weren’t shielded, but her thoughts were calm and gentle, like soft waves against the shore of a lake.

The massage therapist was completely different. Her mental shields were solid. Not a single stray emotion leaked through. The utter silence of the room and the long, slow sweeps of the therapist’s hands on her skin had put her in a state of deep relaxation. She hadn’t felt so at ease in her skin in years.

The feeling of peace stayed with her on the trip from the main lodge back to the cabin. She didn’t run into anyone else on the short drive. She still had twenty minutes before Jasper was due back from golf, so she took the time to put on a little make-up and fix her hair.

She was just coming out of the bathroom, trying to figure out what she should wear on her firstofficialdate with Jasper Bayat,when she heard the door the cabin open. Smiling, she emerged from the bedroom to see how his day had gone but stopped short when she saw him.

“What happened?” she asked, rushing forward.

Jasper limped over to the sofa and plopped down on it. His sweater was ripped at the shoulder, carried streaks of dirt, and bits of grass and crushed leaves. His pants weren’t much better. His left pant leg had one long stripe of mud down the side. His shoes were muddy, too.

“My brother shoved me, and I fell down a hill into a mud puddle,” Jasper groaned, letting his head fall back to rest on the couch.

Veronica’s eyes latched on to the muddy scratch on his throat. It was mostly a raised red welt, but there were a couple of places where the skin had broken and there was blood gathered.

“Miloshovedyou?” she asked, anger welling up inside her.

Jasper opened one eye to look at her, a rueful smile on his face. “Well, in his defense, I kinda deserved it. Imighthave moved his golf ball. More than once.”

Veronica rolled her eyes. She was still irritated, but now with both men rather than just Milo. “Why do you and your brother fight like that?”

He shrugged, closing his eyes again. “Part of our relationship has been fighting like cats and dogs.”

“I never understood that saying,” Veronica said. “I had a cat and a dog growing up and they never fought. They snuggled up together every night.”

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