Djinn in Love (Mystical Matchmakers #4)

Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

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

When he tried to turn around and walk right back out the door, he saw that his brother had already shut and locked it. Milo leaned back against the wood, crossing his arms over his chest, looking as though he didn’t have a care in the world.

It was an ambush. Plain and simple.

Jasper turned to face his mother, who sat on the small sofa near the window. A charcuterie tray, a bottle of red wine, and four glasses sat on the coffee table.

“Come sit down, Jasper,” his mother commanded, gesturing to one of the club chairs that faced the couch.

“No, Mom. You said you had an emergency with the wedding, so I rushed over here to help and it’s clear that you don’t need any help from me.”

“Jasper, sit down. I want to know more about Veronica.”

Knowing she wouldn’t leave him alone until he did what she wanted, he sighed and flopped down in the chair facing her. A few seconds later, his brother mirrored his position in the chair to his left.

Wearing a prim expression, his mother filled the wineglasses exactly halfway and passed one to him and one to Milo. “Cyrus, my love. Get in here and drink your wine.”

“I told you that I didn’t need to be involved in this conversation,” he called back. “I can learn what I need to know by speaking to the young woman. There’s no need to interrogate Jasper.”

His mother rolled her eyes and sighed. “Cyrus, get your ass in here now!”

Though his father was in the other room of the suite, Jasper could hear his heavy sigh. There was a rustling sound, probably the newspaper, and a grunt, then his father appeared. He trudged toward the couch and accepted the glass of wine his wife held out to him, staring down into it.

“You don’t think this conversation calls for whiskey?”

“Zip it, Cyrus.”

“Leila, you just?—”

“Zip. It.”

Jasper lifted his glass to his lips and drank half of it in one gulp. Swallowing, he picked up the wine bottle and poured more. “You get five questions. And I can choose not to answer two.”

“Ten questions and one abstain,” his mother shot back.

“Seven questions, two abstains. Final offer.”

His mother knew him well enough to understand that he wasn’t bluffing. If she didn’t agree, he was out of here. Their gazes locked and fired, but he wasn’t backing down.

Finally, she sighed again. “Agreed.”

Negotiations over, Jasper leaned back in his chair. “Go ahead.”

“How did you meet?”

“Milo didn’t tell you?” he asked her.

His mother’s lips pressed together hard. “He didn’t even tell me he knew the name of your date until this morning. And he said it was Veruca. Not Veronica.”

Milo snickered until Jasper backhanded him. “This isn’t the set of Willy Wonka.”

“I know, brother, but her last name is Salt. I couldn’t resist.”

Jasper rolled his eyes at his brother’s juvenile attitude.

“Well?” Leila asked. “Are you going to answer my question?”

“I met her at Mystical Matchmakers.”

“Oh, is she one of your matches?”

“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.”

“A week ?!” 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.”

“And you both need to tone it down a bit this weekend,” Jasper continued, pointing to both his mother and brother.

“What did I do?” Milo asked.

His mother just gasped in affront.

“I’m serious, Mom. I know you’re curious about her, but don’t fawn all over her. And for the love of God, don’t tell her that she’s the one!”

“I would never,” his mother said, pressing a hand to her chest.

Jasper and Cyrus shared a look of commiseration.

“I won’t!” she insisted.

Hoping she meant it, Jasper turned to his brother. “Milo, I know you live to give me shit, but I don’t want you to include Veronica in it. She’s an only child and she’s shy. She’s not used to dealing with family dynamics like ours. The way we bickered when we got here made her tense. I could feel it. So, for the weekend, take it easy. Give her time to get used to us.”

For once, his brother wore a serious expression. “I won’t do anything to make her uncomfortable,” he agreed. “And I’ll do my best to keep our more…eccentric relatives in line around her.”

Jasper smiled at his brother. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry,” his mother interrupted.

Surprised, Jasper turned toward her, his brows near his hairline. “What exactly are you apologizing for?”

His mother’s expression was sheepish. “About the room. If I had realized…” She didn’t finish her sentence, shrugging.

Knowing she would never outright admit that she hadn’t bothered to arrange for another room, Jasper sighed and let it go. “It’s okay. There’s a pull-out couch. I’ll be sleeping on it this weekend.” He rubbed his hands over his face, missing the devious gleam that flashed in his mother’s eyes. “There is something I need to talk to you about Veronica, though. Normally, I would let her tell you herself and in her own time, but I’m going to need your help and understanding this weekend so I’m giving you a head’s up.”

His mother nodded, sipping her wine.

“Veronica is an empath. She’s usually upfront with people about it, so it’s not a secret. I know she wanted to tell you herself, but I’m circumventing that, so you need to keep it under your hat. She’s used to people treating her differently when they find out. And people often feel like she’s going to invade their privacy because of it. Or at least that’s what she thinks.”

“I won’t tell a soul without her permission, and you know it won’t affect how I treat her.” Jasper believed the second half of her statement, but not the first. Leila could be discreet when it came to business dealings, but family gossip? He didn’t quite believe her.

“How is she going to do this weekend with so many people here for the wedding?” Leila asked.

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. She said she should be fine, but that sometimes she gets tired from shielding so hard. I’m going to keep an eye on her. We’ll go back to the cabin or find an empty room if she’s getting overwhelmed or fatigued. So, don’t give me, or her, any shit about it. Okay? She’ll feel badly enough.”

His mother’s eyes twinkled. “Oh, I won’t give you shit. Maybe if you spend enough time in your room, I’ll get a grandbaby sooner rather than later.”

Jasper rolled his eyes and looked to his brother and father. “You need to keep your tempers in check. And keep your mental shields up.”

On the whole, the entire family was fiery and fierce. They tended to lose their tempers quickly and easily. There were often shouted disagreements at any family event, quickly followed by hugs and backslaps, because the conflicts burned out as fast as they flared. His father and brother were often guilty of starting them and then standing back to watch the mayhem that ensued.

Milo, for once, didn’t give him a sarcastic response. He just nodded.

His father, on the other hand, said, “I don’t know why you’re telling me this. Your mother is the one who loses her temper the most.” He gestured to his wife.

Leila smacked him on the arm. “Cyrus!”

Jasper leveled a look at his dad, which had the older man grinning and saying, “Okay, okay. Best behavior.”

They chatted for a bit longer about the weekend and the party that evening. Jasper teased his brother about having such a circus for a wedding since the itinerary was a full page long, which meant his brother socked him in the bicep. When he mentioned that the party was starting in two hours, his mother went into a tizzy and all but ran them out of the room, stating she would need every bit of that time to get ready.

Jasper was glad because he’d been thinking about Veronica almost constantly since he entered his parents’ suite. He wondered what she was doing. If she was able to take a nap and rest. If she was taking a bath. Which led to his thoughts to the image of her naked. Not the place his mind should be when he was talking to his parents and brother.

He headed back to the cabin, careful to be quiet when he entered. The space was silent when he entered. No television or music playing. He walked through the living room and glanced down the short hall, seeing that the door to the bedroom was open. The room was dim, and he could see the edge of the bed, but nothing else.

Had she left?

His heart rate sped up, as did his steps, as he moved down the hall. When he reached the door to the bedroom, he stopped. She was lying on her side on the far side of the huge bed, her back turned to the door, which was why he hadn’t seen her from the hall. She didn’t turn to look at him, so he crept around the bed.

Veronica was asleep, her hands tucked beneath her cheek like a child. Her face was relaxed in sleep, peaceful and beautiful. He hated to wake her, but he wanted to be sure she would have plenty of time to get ready.

Unsure of how to wake her, he moved to the bed, settling on the side. His hip fit in the curve of her body, brushing against her knees. She sighed, but didn’t open her eyes. Not wanting to startle her, he reached out and trailed his fingers across her cheekbone, brushing a few strands of hair away from her face.

“Veronica,” he murmured. “It’s time to wake up.”

A small smile curved her lips, and she shifted, rolling more onto her back. Her eyes opened, their warm brown depths sleepy and soft. “Hey,” she sighed. “You’re back.”

Her lips curved into a smile as her hand came up to cup the back of his hand where it rested on her cheek.

Unable to resist the pull of her lips, Jasper leaned over and pressed his mouth to hers. The hand on the back of his moved to his face, her fingers brushing his jaw. A low sound vibrated in her throat as she kissed him back. Those fingers moved to the back of his head, weaving into his hair. Her lips moved against his, opening so the tip of her tongue could touch his upper lip.

Though he wanted to take the invitation to deepen the kiss, Jasper lifted his head. Her cheeks were flushed now as she looked up at him, the sleepy expression still on her face, but her eyes sparkled with pleasure. Seeing her like that, Jasper realized that he wanted to kiss her, gentle and sweet, every day for the rest of his life.

“I’m sorry to wake you,” he said. His voice was rough, so he cleared his throat. “But the party is in a little less than two hours. I wasn’t sure how much time you’d need.”

She started to sit up, so he scooted back, giving her space. “Yeah, I should probably get going.” Veronica hesitated. “Do you need to shower or anything before I take over the bathroom?”

He shook his head. “It takes me about twenty minutes to get ready, even for something like this.”

With a shy smile, she got to her feet and leaned over to kiss his cheek. It was only the second time she’d done it, but he wanted it to become a habit. He was breaking through her reserve, getting past the walls she erected between herself and other people.

Now, he had to show her that she wouldn’t regret it.