Page 26 of Djinn in Love

He lifted the phone to his ear and edged past her to leave the bedroom. “Hey, Mom. What’s going on?”

Veronica didn’t follow him, wanting to give him his privacy. She walked over to her suitcase and rolled it toward the open closet. She spent the next ten minutes hanging up her dresses and the nicer outfits she brought for the parties, lunches, and other gatherings. She’d been embarrassed by how much she’d packed until she saw that Jasper had a suitcase and a garment bag for himself.

She had just finished when Jasper appeared in the open door to the closet, startling her. “Ahhhh!” she yelled, tossing a handful of lingerie at him.

When she realized what she’d done, Veronica covered her mouth with both hands and stared at Jasper with wide eyes. Apair of silky turquoise panties were draped over his shoulder, and he held a lacy white bra in his other hand.

“Oh, my God,” she gasped, rushing forward to grab her undergarments. “You scared me half to death!”

Moving quickly, she snatched the panties off his shoulder, the bra out of his hand, and bent down to sweep up the assortment of panties and bras she’d managed to throw in his direction. Without looking at him, she turned and dumped them all in her suitcase before she slammed it shut.

She knew her face had to be bright red because it felt hot enough to catch fire. When she turned back toward him, she covered her face with her hands and released a hysterical laugh.

“Um, you okay?” Jasper asked.

“Fine. Would you mind leaving the closet so I can die of embarrassment in peace and solitude?”

He chuckled. “I would apologize, but I don’t mind women flinging their underwear at me.”

“Oh, my God,” she repeated. “Oh, my God.”

A deep belly laugh interrupted her mumbling. Veronica peeked through her fingers to see that Jasper had thrown his head back as he guffawed. A smile trembled on her mouth, and she clamped her hands on it to keep from laughing aloud. His mental shields weakened, and she felt his amusement. She couldn’t see it, but the emotion brushed against her skin, as light and effervescent as champagne bubbles.

There was also an undercurrent of affection. He genuinely enjoyed her. It wasn’t something she often sensed from others. Dominique made it clear that she liked Veronica, but her mental shields were so formidable that not even a stray emotion escaped. Her parents loved her, but they were too worried about bombarding her with their feelings, so they always held themselves back. Just a little. Still, she felt that distance keenly.

This was the first time she’d felt such fondness and pleasure from a man she was dating. The thought took her aback, and Veronica dropped her hands from her face. How sad was it that not one of the handful of men she’d dated held such regard for her? She deserved more than that. Why hadn’t she expected it?

Jasper came forward, mistaking her expression for more humiliation rather than an epiphany. His hands cupped her shoulders. “Hey, don’t be embarrassed. If it makes you feel better, when I get back from helping my mother, I can throw my underwear at you. It won’t be as colorful, but I’m willing to go all out and toss in my socks, too.”

He pulled her in for a quick hug. Veronica couldn’t help but laugh at his offer.

“I’ll pass,” she said. “I’m pretty sure my entire head would catch fire if you did that.”

“Why?”

“Because if I blushed any harder, I would spontaneously combust.”

He chuckled, his hand cupping the back of her head to tuck it beneath his chin. She felt the vibrations of his laughter against her cheek and heard the deep rumble of his voice as he spoke again.

“I have to go help my mother with an issue that’s cropped up with the wedding. I shouldn’t be gone too long. I’d bring you with me, but Mom would just turn you into another minion and order you around. Why don’t you relax for a bit? Feel free to order whatever you want from room service. I’ll take care of it before we leave. The party is in three hours and there will be food, but it’s going to be appetizers and little desserts rather than a full dinner. Or we can order food when we get back to the room tonight.”

Veronica wrapped her arms around Jasper’s waist. She liked the way he tried to take care of her. “How about we ordersomething after the party? Then, we can hang out and eat together.”

“Sounds nice,” he replied. His hands stroked over her hair where it fell down her back.

Veronica nuzzled him a second longer, liking the way he smelled and how his arms felt around her. Then, she stepped back. If she didn’t, she would be tempted to stand there and let him hold her as long as he wanted.

“I’m going to take a nap. I’ll get ready when I wake up,” she said.

He studied her face, his hands still clinging to her hair. “Whatever you want,” he said, a smile playing along his lips. “Knowing my mother, I won’t be back until she has to stop whatever she’s doing and get ready for the party.” He didn’t wait for her to reply, leaning down and pressing a quick kiss to her mouth. “I’ll be back before it’s time to head out though. I promise.”

Veronica nodded, but didn’t speak. She watched as he left the closet, lifting her hand to press the tips of her fingers to her lips. Though it had been brief, the kiss hit her in the gut. It was such a simple gesture, yet it meant more than he must realize.

No longer sure she could nap, Veronica decided to focus on unpacking her toiletries. If she stayed busy, she couldn’t think too much about how Jasper made her feel.

CHAPTER EIGHT

“You havegotto be kidding me!” Jasper said as soon as he entered the suite his parents were staying in.

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