Page 28 of Djinn in Love

“Is that one of your questions?” Jasper answered.

His mother glared at him, her mouth hardening into a firm line. “Yes.”

“No, she isn’t one of my matches. She works there.”

His mother’s mouth fell open. “And she’s dating a client? That’s…that’s…”

Jasper sat up and set his glass on the table. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and stared hard at his mother. “I asked her out three times. She turned me down all three. She said it wouldn’t be professional to go out with a client. It wasn’t until I told her that she would be my date to the wedding or need to refund my fees that she agreed. And that was only after her boss gave approval. You will not give her a single ounce of shit about this. Am I clear?”

His mother gaped at him. They often butted heads because they were so similar, but this was the first time he’d ever taken such a hard line with her. He kept his gaze on hers until she finally nodded.

“Okay, then,” she continued. “Third question?—”

“Actually, this is your fourth.”

Milo tried to stifle his laugh, but the muffled sound still escaped. Leila shot him a dark look that promised retribution.

“Based on your reaction, it’s clear you really like her,” Leila said. “How long have you been dating?”

“A week.”

“Aweek?!” his mother exclaimed.

Jasper picked up his wineglass and drained it before setting it back on the coffee table. “That was your fifth question and I’m abstaining from the final two.”

Leila pointed a finger at him. “You are not. None of this seven-question bullshit. You’ve only been dating for a week, but you’re willing to throw down with me about this woman. What am I missing?”

He rubbed his hands over his face in exasperation. Why couldn’t he date someone without having to play twenty questions with his mother? Why couldn’t he just enjoy Veronica’s company without having to justify or explain it his family?

“Jasper, seriously. I’m worried about you. You never rush into anything. You’re always planning ten steps ahead for anything in your life—whether it’s work or dating or even where you’re going on vacation. Yet you seem incredibly serious about this woman in a week. It’s unlike you and I want to understand.”

He let his hands fall away from his face.

“Just tell her, brother,” Milo said.

Jasper looked at his dad, who nodded at him. “You were right, Dad,” he admitted.

His father smiled but didn’t say anything else.

“Right about what?” Leila asked, looking between her husband and two sons.

Jasper turned back to his mother. “Dad always told me that I would know when I met the right woman. The woman for me. That I would see her and never want to look away. Since the moment I met Veronica, I haven’t wanted to look away.”

“Just like I don’t want to look away from your mother,” Cyrus said.

Leila looked at her husband, eyes soft. “You said that?”

“I’ve told you that, wife,” Cyrus replied. “Repeatedly.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Yes, you’ve said that to me. As you should. I didn’t realize you also said it to our boys.”

“Of course I did,” Cyrus said. “How else would they know when they met the one?”

Leila’s eyes went wide, and she turned back to Jasper. “She’s the one?”

Jasper held up a hand like a traffic cop. “Wait just a damn second. Do not get too excited.” When she visibly wilted, he sighed. “She is the one, Mom, but like you pointed out, we’ve only been dating a week. Veronica is shy and introverted. I can’t come on too strong with her or she’ll run away. It’s taken me six weeks to get to this place with her. If I go about this the wrong way, it could take me months to win back her trust. If I’m even able to.”

His mother nodded enthusiastically. “I understand.”

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