Djinn in Love (Mystical Matchmakers #4)

Chapter 9

CHAPTER NINE

Veronica smoothed a hand down the lavender dress she wore. The halter dress had ruching down one side of the bodice, starting just below her breasts and ending at mid-thigh. The gathered seam meant that the hem was higher in that spot, baring most of her right leg. The curving hem was several inches longer around the rest of the garment. The stretchy purple material was shot through with silver thread, giving it a metallic sheen. The color made her pale skin glow and brought out the deep purple highlights, courtesy of her fae heritage, in her long hair. Nude peep toe pumps sat at the end of the bed, waiting for her to put them on. She’d left her hair down, curling the ends, and kept her make-up soft and shimmery.

She’d been hesitant about the outfit all week, only bringing it because Dominique insisted she should. Jasper had been in the shower when she went into the closet to slip on the dress and finish curling her hair.

But when he came out of the bathroom, they’d both stopped and stared at each other. Veronica had swallowed hard at the sight of him. The simple black shirt and slacks shouldn’t have taken her breath away. Every time she saw him when he came into Mystical Matchmakers, he wore a suit and looked hot as sin.

Tonight, he wore something more casual and somehow that was even more attractive. The cut of the shirt emphasized the breadth of his shoulders and the narrowness of his waist. His hair wasn’t perfectly styled as usual, but rather messy and falling over his forehead.

“You look beautiful,” Jasper said, staring at her from his place by the bathroom door. His bare feet were silent as he walked toward her.

“Thank you. You look very handsome.” Her reply was soft, mostly because all she could hear at the moment was the pounding of her heart.

He stopped in front of her, staring down at her face. Neither of them had put on their shoes yet, so he towered over her. “I like your hair down. The color is beautiful.”

Veronica felt her cheeks heat and knew she was blushing. “I don’t often wear it like this.”

“I like it,” he replied, his gaze moving over the curtain of hair falling around her shoulders. He reached out and lightly grasped one of the curls.

“Thank you.” She shifted awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say next.

He released her hair but didn’t move. Veronica blinked, unsure of why he was still standing there, staring down at her.

Finally, he smiled and said, “I need to get my shoes out of the closet.”

Veronica startled, realizing she was standing right in front of it. “Sorry.”

She moved out of the way, blushing fiercely. Veronica slipped on her shoes and transferred her phone, ID, debit card, and a lipstick over into a small nude clutch that matched her shoes. By the time she was done, Jasper had emerged from the closet and put on his socks and shoes.

“Are you ready?”

At Jasper’s question, she looked up to find him watching her. “I am.”

“Do you have a wrap or jacket?” he asked. “It’s chilly outside.”

She smiled at him. “I do.”

After she grabbed the pashmina she brought, Jasper drove them to the main lodge and parked the golf cart in the special spots for them by the entrance. The lobby was strangely empty as they walked inside with only two lodge employees standing behind the antique counter where Jasper checked them in.

But it soon became clear where everyone was when Jasper led her down a hall to their left. The low strains of jazz music drifted out of the open double doors at the end of the hall. Veronica could hear the hum of conversation as they drew closer.

“I’ll stick close to you,” Jasper murmured as they approached the doors. “Introduce you to everyone.”

“You don’t have a creepy uncle, or anything do you?” Veronica asked, only half joking.

“None of them are creepy but they are all annoying.”

She couldn’t hold back the giggle that erupted from her mouth at his words. Before she could ask him to remind her how many uncles he did have (he’d told her, but she couldn’t remember), they were inside.

The room had been transformed into a romantic lounge. Floral arrangements of varying sizes were placed all over the room and in the center of the tall round tables scattered around. Despite the variety of species, each flower was a shade of red ranging from bright crimson to a deep burgundy. Flameless candles flickered in small votives on every flat surface. There were two bartenders behind the heavy, ornate bar, both busy mixing drinks. Three waitresses worked the room, carrying drinks to people at the tables. In each corner of the lounge, there was a table full of finger foods.

While the space wasn’t packed with people, it was crowded enough to make Veronica hesitate. There were so many emotions and ideas flying around. Though she couldn’t usually read individual thoughts, she could sense it when someone was thinking intently.

Taking a deep breath, Veronica fortified her mental shields, building them to a thickness that pushed out all the emotional static that a large group of people tended to give off.

“Let me find Milo and Prema and I’ll introduce you,” Jasper said.

As he looked around, Veronica spotted his mother standing in the center of the room, her arm threaded through the arm of the man standing next to her. He could only be Jasper’s father, considering he looked exactly like him, just a little older.

As soon as Leila saw her, a wide smile broke out across her face. She turned back to the couple she’d been talking to, her mouth moving quickly, and then tugged her husband away a few moments later. The woman was bearing down on them, all but frog-marching her husband in their direction.

“Um, Jasper—” Veronica murmured.

Before she could figure out how to tell him that his mother was all but sprinting toward them, he saw her as well. Despite the background noise, Veronica heard his put-out sigh.

Leila Bayat stopped just in front of them, that same wide grin still pulling at her mouth and her dark grey eyes shining. Veronica could feel the happiness wafting from the older woman. And the excitement.

Suddenly, her nerves lessened because it was clear that Jasper’s mom was very excited about her youngest son getting married. It was difficult to be nervous when someone was all but beaming at you with sheer joy.

“Veronica, you look so lovely,” Leila said, releasing her husband long enough to grasp Veronica’s shoulders and pull her in to kiss her cheeks. When she released her, Jasper’s mother gestured to the man standing beside her. “This is my husband, Cyrus.”

Blinking in shock at the warmth of Leila’s welcome, Veronica turned toward the handsome older man and held out her hand. “It’s so nice to meet you, Mr. Bayat,” she said.

Cyrus smiled at her, gently cradling her fingers with his as he lifted the back of her hand to his lips for an old-fashioned kiss. The move surprised a laugh out of her, especially when he threw in a wink.

“Call me Cyrus, please,” he insisted. “If you’re putting up with my son for the weekend, we’re certainly on a first name basis.”

Another laugh escaped her as Jasper scoffed at his father’s antics. She almost jerked when his arm slipped around her waist, tucking her against his side, and his hand rested on her hip.

Though he clearly wanted to remonstrate his father, all he said was, “Dad.”

Cyrus smirked at his son. “You were right, Jas. She’s way out of your league.”

Veronica opened her mouth to speak, unsure of what in the heck she could say to that, but Jasper merely shook his head at his father.

“Stop flirting with my girl, Dad,” he said. “Now, where are the bride and groom? I wanted to introduce Veronica to Prema.”

Her nerves had faded during the brief conversation with Jasper’s parents, but they returned full throttle at the mention of his brother and his soon-to-be sister-in-law.

“I think they snuck out to neck in the coat closet,” Cyrus answered, twisting his head to peer around the room. “I know that’s what I’d be doing if your mother wasn’t such a spoilsport.”

Leila whirled on her husband, already chastising him. Jasper didn’t bother to intervene, just guided Veronica away from his bickering parents.

“Sorry about that,” he murmured. “I know I warned you what my family was like, but it’s different seeing it in person.”

When he looked down, she was smiling up at him. “Your parents are hilarious,” she insisted. “And fun. It’s also clear that they adore each other.”

Jasper was tempted to lean down and press his lips to the small dimple that had popped up in her left cheek, but he suppressed the urge. “They do adore one another, but I think their love language is annoying each other.”

Veronica’s laugh was unrestrained as she tilted her head back. It was from her belly and shook her entire body. “That’s what makes them funny and fun,” she replied.

“Maybe to you. To me, it’s frustrating as hell.”

She laughed again, unable to help herself. During the short time she’d worked with Jasper at Mystical Matchmakers, he’d come across as intense. And as a workaholic.

But this week, she was seeing a different side of him. He was both sweet and snarky, making her blush one moment and laugh the next. In truth, it made her wonder why he needed the matchmaking service at all. Though he was blunt, there was nothing off-putting about Jasper. He was handsome, successful, witty, and clearly a devoted son. Why hadn’t some other woman snatched him up yet?

Jasper left his hand on her lower back, guiding her across the room. People tried to speak to him, but he lifted a hand and waved as he kept them moving until they stopped right in front of Milo, who was standing next to a stunning woman in white. She appeared to be close to Veronica’s age.

The young woman was smiling up at Milo and Veronica could feel the love and happiness radiating from her. It made Veronica smile as well. The young woman, who must be Milo’s fiancée, Prema, turned and all but hopped in excitement when she saw Jasper and Veronica.

“Brother-in-law!” she cried. She stepped forward and threw her arms around Jasper’s neck. He gave her a hug in return.

“Hey, now. Keep your paws off my fiancée,” Milo complained, wrapping an arm around the woman’s waist and tugging her away from his brother.

Laughing, she allowed herself to be pulled away from Jasper. Her light brown eyes were bright as she looked toward Veronica. “Hi, I’m Prema Shah.”

“Soon to be Bayat,” Milo interrupted.

Veronica took the hand that Prema held out and shook it. “Veronica Salt.”

“So nice to meet you, Veronica,” she said. “I’m glad you came with Jasper. I thought my mother was going to set him up with my sister, Jasmine, and I was afraid she’d eat him alive.” Prema laughed, but her affection for her sister radiated from her.

“I’m glad I came with Jasper, too,” she murmured. At her words, Jasper’s hand slid down her lower back around her waist, pulling her deeper into his side. She glanced up to find him looking down at her, a slight smile on his face.

Veronica relaxed as they chatted, finding that she liked Prema. She clearly loved Milo and fairly sparkled with excitement as they discussed the wedding. After a while, she realized that she was letting Jasper take some of her weight, leaning deeper into him. When she tried to straighten, he held her tighter, keeping her body against his.

For the next hour, he kept her close. He either held her hand or kept his arm around her waist as he introduced her to his family members and friends of his parents. He got her a glass of wine and plate of snacks before finding them a quieter corner table so they could eat the finger foods. She felt his attention, knew that he was keeping track of whether she was tired or not.

Maybe his high-handedness should have irritated her, but, honestly, Veronica appreciated it. He was taking care of her. It had been a long time since someone tried to do that. None of her previous boyfriends had, that was for sure.

Throughout the evening, Veronica noticed a pretty young woman watching her with Jasper. She looked enough like Prema for Veronica to assume they were related. Until she got a closer look at her eyes. They were light brown, almost gold. The same as Prema’s. Veronica realized that she must be Prema’s sister, Jasmine. There were waves of irritation and frustration surrounding her. And jealousy. She wondered if Jasmine had been hoping that her mother set her up with Jasper after all.

It wasn’t until Jasper approached an older couple speaking to the young woman that her suspicion was confirmed.

“Darya, Darius, this is Veronica Salt. My date for the weekend,” Jasper said.

The woman smiled and took both of Veronica’s hands in hers. “Hello, dear. Your dress is beautiful!” She released Veronica’s hands, turning to the young woman. “This is my daughter Jasmine, Veronica.”

Jasmine didn’t hold out her hand, but she did nod at Veronica.

Chuckling, Darya patted her daughter’s shoulder. “Isn’t it lovely, dear? You don’t have to pair up with Jasper this weekend after all.”

Another wave of jealousy and irritation wafted from Jasmine and Veronica realized that the young woman definitely was upset that she wouldn’t be spending time with Jasper this weekend.

Feeling awkward, Veronica shifted on her feet, trying to take a small step away from Jasper. She didn’t manage it because he tugged her closer, looking down at her.

“Do your feet hurt?” he asked. Before she could answer, he turned back to Darya, Darius, and Jasmine. “Please excuse us. We’ll see you all at the luncheon tomorrow.”

He basically dragged her away from them. She assumed he was going to find her a place to sit down, so she stammered, “Really, Jasper. My feet are fine. I don’t need to sit down.”

“Good.”

That was all he said as he lifted his chin in the direction of his brother and then followed that with a nod to his parents. Then, he snaked his way through the crowd of people and right out of the lounge.

“Um, what are we doing?” she asked.

“You’re tired. We’re going back to the cabin.”

Veronica was at a loss for words again and started stammering. “I, um, but…Jasper?—”

He didn’t stop moving until they reached the lobby. “Wait here for just a second,” he said.

Before Veronica could utter another incoherent syllable, he walked toward the counter and spoke with one of the resort employees. The woman he spoke to nodded along and began writing down whatever he was saying. After a few moments, she smiled at him, still nodding. Jasper took a folded bill out of his pocket and handed it to the employee. What was he doing?

Veronica realized that she was more exhausted than she’d thought because she couldn’t even form the question when Jasper returned to her side and began walking toward the front doors of the lodge. She shivered as the cool night air hit her arms and pulled the soft shawl closer around her upper body.

It wasn’t until she was seated in the golf cart, and they were on their way back to their cabin that she was able to speak again.

“What were you talking to the desk clerk about?” she asked.

Jasper zipped down the gravel path beside the main lodge, making Veronica’s breath back up in her throat and her heart pound in her chest. She reached out and grabbed the bar that ran across the front of the golf cart’s dashboard.

“Just ordering us some food. It’ll be to our cabin shortly.”

The chilly night air was breaking through the fog of fatigue. Veronica finally said, “We didn’t have to leave, Jasper. I was still doing fine.”

He shot her a sideways glance. “Your knuckles were turning white around the stem of your wineglass, and you were getting quieter and quieter. I could tell you were getting tired.”

Warmth grew in her chest. He’d noticed all that? Still, it made her uncomfortable. “I don’t want your family to be upset with you because of me,” she argued.

“I warned my parents and Milo that we would probably leave early, so this was no surprise to any of them. They were fine with it.”

“What about the rest of your family? They’re going to think I’m rude.”

“They won’t know we left because of you. They’re used to me disappearing in the middle of family gatherings. They know that big groups of people and small talk aren’t my thing. If anything, they’ll think I’m being rude.”

Veronica took a deep breath. She understood that he was trying to be considerate of her, but she also didn’t want him to unilaterally make decisions for her. “How about next time, you ask me if I’m getting tired or if I’d like to leave? As opposed to dragging me out of the room like a toddler in need of a nap.”

He chuckled at her words, which made her shoot him a narrow-eyed stare.

“Okay, okay, no need to bring out the death glare,” he said.

Veronica rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest, trying not to shiver. In the moving golf cart, there was no protection from the January night. In this part of Texas, it rarely got below freezing, but it did get much cooler when the sun went down.

“You’re right. Next time, I’ll ask you if you’re ready to leave. Or flat out tell you that I’m the one who wants to go,” he agreed.

Veronica cocked her head as she studied him. “You wanted to leave, didn’t you?” she said.

Jasper smirked at her as he pulled beneath the small carport that housed the golf cart at the cabin. “Yes, I did. I could see you were beginning to get tired and decided that was more than enough reason to step out early.”

She rolled her eyes as she climbed out of the golf cart. “Why didn’t you just tell me you wanted to leave? I wouldn’t have argued.”

“I’m telling you now.”

Veronica sighed and decided to stop bickering with him. It was a useless endeavor. Plus, they were already back at the cabin. He unlocked the door and opened it for her, allowing her to enter first.

“Why don’t you change first?” he asked. “I’m going to get the pull out situated while we wait for our dinner.”

She nodded, ready to be out of her dress. When she emerged from the bathroom ten minutes later, her face freshly washed, hair wound up in a messy bun, and dressed in comfy lounge pants and a t-shirt, she found Jasper smoothing a blanket over the mattress of the pull-out couch.

“I thought we could sit on this and watch a movie or something while we eat,” he said. “That way we could put our feet up.”

She smiled. “That sounds nice.”

Jasper grinned back at her and plopped down on the mattress, propping his right foot on his left knee and tugging at the laces of his dress shoes. An ominous creaking sound came from the bed, followed by the high-pitched screech of metal against metal. Jasper’s feet flew up into the air as the mattress beneath him collapsed with a crash.

Veronica rushed forward and knelt next to the destroyed bed. “Oh, my God, Jasper. Are you okay?”

He pushed himself into a sitting position. “I’m fine.”

She bit her bottom lip, trying very hard to suppress the wild urge she had to laugh. “Are you sure?”

He studied her before he asked, “Are you trying not to laugh?”

Veronica pulled her upper lip between her teeth too, fighting to keep the muscles of her face still. Since she didn’t trust herself to speak without giggling, she shook her head.

He sighed and tried to stand up. The mattress beneath him shifted, nearly throwing him off the other side of the bed. His arms and legs went flying as he rolled sideways.

Veronica couldn’t hold it in any longer. A small snort escaped her, then another. Finally, she couldn’t control the laughter. She rolled back onto her butt, wrapped her arms around her waist, and rocked back and forth as she guffawed.

Jasper fought his way to the side of the mattress and basically rolled onto the floor on his hands and knees. The sight of him all but crawling off the broken bed set her off into loud whoops. She covered her mouth with both hands as tears ran down her face, but she couldn’t stop.

When he got to his feet, Jasper reached down, grasped her wrists, and tugged her to her feet.

“I-I-I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s not funny. Y-y-y-you could have been hurt.”

He gently pushed her away from the bed, folded it back up, and jammed it back into the cavity in the sofa. “I’m fine. Though I’m beginning to rethink my belief that you were a sweet, innocent woman.”

Veronica covered her face with her hands and snorted again, her shoulders shaking. “I could have told you none of that was true,” she managed to wheeze.

The doorbell chimed, echoing throughout the small cabin. Hoping it was the food he’d ordered, Jasper left Veronica giggling and snorting behind her hands and went to the door.

By the time he’d collected the bag containing their food and tipped the man who’d brought it, she more or less had herself under control.

“I really am sorry I laughed at you,” she apologized again.

Jasper shrugged. “Didn’t hurt my feelings,” he replied. “And it was funny. But I suspect it won’t be so funny when I have to call the front desk for a rollaway bed.”

She frowned. “Oh, no. I can do it.”

“No, I’ll do it while you set the food out on the coffee table.”

Veronica studied the couch, her expression thoughtful. “How about we eat on the bed in the bedroom? I’m ready to prop my feet up and the bed sounds more comfortable anyway.”

Surprised by her suggestion, Jasper nodded.

“Good.”

Veronica took the bag and carried it into the bedroom while he headed toward the phone on the kitchen counter. Before he called the front desk though, Jasper took out his cell phone and texted his mother.

Jasper: I’m onto you.

The business with the pull-out falling apart had his mother’s meddling written all over it. Djinn were notorious as pranksters and grudge holders. He didn’t doubt that his mother’s scheme was for them to share the bed.

Mom: I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Shaking his head at his mother’s reply, Jasper put in a call to the front desk, asking for a rollaway bed and explaining what happened with the pull-out couch. The clerk said someone would be at the cabin shortly with one.

By the time he was off the phone, his mother had texted again.

Mom: What happened?

Jasper: You made the pull-out bed fall apart in my cabin.

Mom: No, I didn’t.

Jasper:

Mom: I really didn’t.

Jasper knew that his mother would have admitted it, so there was only one other option. He texted his brother.

Jasper: Nice magic, Milo.

Milo: Thnx. What did I do?

Jasper: You broke the bed on the pull-out couch in my cabin.

Milo: No, I didn’t

Rather than arguing with his brother, Jasper tucked the phone back in his pocket. His brother had to be lying. He was the only other person in his family who would mess with Jasper this way.

He was about to walk to the bedroom when the phone on the counter rang. Curious, he picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Bayat?”

“Yes?”

“This is Luna at the front desk. I’m so sorry. I’m afraid we have no rollaway beds available.”

“What?”

The clerk cleared his throat. “All the rollaway beds have been given out. I’m afraid we don’t have any more available.”

Oh, Jasper was going to kill his brother. He’d let him enjoy his honeymoon with his new bride, but when he came back, he was a dead man.

“Thank you,” Jasper replied. He replaced the phone receiver and put his hands on his hips, staring down at the counter.

He was still standing there, trying to calm himself down, when he heard the soft tread of Veronica’s bare feet on the wood floor behind him.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Fine. Just trying to figure out if I want to risk sleeping on the loveseat as it is or dragging out the mattress for the pull-out and sleeping on the floor.”

“Why?”

“Because the hotel is out of rollaway beds,” he answered. “Those are my only options.”

“No, they’re not.”

Jasper turned to face her, confused. “There aren’t any extra rooms or beds, so it’s either what I mentioned or sleeping in my car.”

Veronica shook her head, lacing her hands together in front of her. “You can sleep in the bed with me. It’s big enough for both of us plus a few other people.”

She smiled slightly as she said it, amused at the gargantuan bed.

“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable,” Jasper argued. “I’ll be fine on the floor.”

“Well, I won’t be fine with you on the floor. Just sleep in the bed. Unless it’ll make you uncomfortable…” She twisted her fingers together. “If it would, I’ll sleep on the couch. I’m a lot shorter than you. I wouldn’t have any trouble fitting on it.”

“You won’t sleep on the couch,” Jasper stated, his tone downright bossy.

“Then, it’s settled. You’re sleeping in the bed.”

She didn’t give him a chance to argue, just disappeared back down the hallway to the bedroom.

Tilting his head back, Jasper studied the ceiling and wondered exactly how long he might end up in prison after he killed his brother. Because Milo was definitely a dead man walking.

Jasper was going to torture him first though because sleeping in that huge bed with Veronica and keeping his hands to himself was going to be agonizing.