Chapter Thirteen #2
Shaking her head, she slipped down the steps, not ready to face anyone.
She wove in and out of the crowd milling along the sidewalks.
Cars zoomed by, people yelled back and forth to one another, dogs barked and a mingle of scents filled the air.
Some good, many terrible, but all part of living in a city.
About two miles away, she slowed before an ice cream parlor.
Children laughed and squealed as they ingested far more sugar than they should.
With a smile, she walked through the mass of sticky faces and fingers to place an order. The harried woman behind the counter gave her a tired grin as she scooped up some Rocky Road and put it in a waffle bowl.
“Thank you.” Ice cream in hand, she retreated to the outside seating and enjoyed a few bites before she pulled a burner cell from her pocket. Spoon in her mouth, she took a deep breath and punched in the known numbers then held it to her ear.
And waited.
“Hello?”
Her heart clenched at the sound of her twin’s voice.
“Hello? Is someone there?”
Jasmine bit her lower lip and reined in her need to respond.
“Okay,” Caroline said. Her voice was soft and soothing, just another way they were opposites from each other. “Okay. In case you were wondering, we’re fine. He asks about you a lot. We miss you. We love you.” A sharp breath. “Come home. Please.”
Jasmine jabbed her thumb on the button to end the call, the first traitorous tear leaking free. Hand wobbling, she set the phone on the dark gray wrought-iron tabletop. Two more tears dripped down and she jerked, knocking over her ice cream bowl.
“Of course.”
“Don’t cry, lady. You can get more ice cream.”
A small hand settled upon her jean-clad leg and she opened her eyes to find a pair of dark green eyes staring up at her. His blondish brown hair was an unruly mess but he was freaking adorable. Her ovaries exploded.
She gave him a small smile. “You’re right, I can.” Jasmine righted the bowl that had tipped and tucked the spoon inside as she reached for some napkins to clean up her mess. “Thank you.”
“I spill my ice cream all the time. I used to cry but Daddy said we can just get more.”
Eyes dashing around the area, she looked for someone who seemed to be in charge of this child. She found him, built like Lance with dark chocolate hair. The man was locked in on the boy and her.
Her insides purred. A dad and his kid, a weak spot for her. “Your daddy sounds like a very smart man.”
He took a long lick of his blue treat with the sprinkles and what looked to be cookie dough or cake bites in it.
“He is. Even if he only likes boring ice cream.” Without being asked, he dragged over a chair and climbed up, mindful of his ice cream.
“He likes chocolate.” Another lick. “He’s over there.
” The boy jabbed a finger in the direction of the observing male.
She looked again and the man picked up something from the cashier in each hand then walked toward them. Her belly clenched. Who the fuck was this man and why were her lady bits going crazy?
Not as crazy as they did for Lance, but enough she wanted to squirm on the seat. Tight jeans hugged his lower body, black boots stuck out from the bottom. A faded and worn blue shirt only amplified his upper torso’s strength. She wasn’t the only one looking.
Men and women were checking him out. Some men glowered at their women, some glowered at their men. Women were plumping up their breasts, thrusting back shoulders.
Holy fuck it was hot. She nearly took the kid’s ice cream to have something cool.
“Found us a seat, Daddy.”
His loose-limbed gait showed off his power. She swallowed as he neared. Green eyes like the boy’s met hers. The corner of his mouth twitched up. “Did you ask this beautiful lady if we could join her?”
That voice. Good lord, angels were weeping. Much like parts of her body.
“She was crying. I made her feel better. We’re friends now, it’s okay.” The kid kicked his feet as he ate, seemingly completely content with how things were going.
“Thank you for making her feel better.” Another waffle bowl with Rocky Road settled in front of her. “Lady said this is what you had. I saw yours tip over.”
“Thank you, but it wasn’t necessary.”
His smile was sinful. “It was. We’re crashing your table. Unless…”
She knew what he wasn’t asking. “It’s fine.” Jasmine moved her dumped ice cream and the napkins to the side and picked up the new spoon he’d delivered along with the bowl.
“Name’s Nolan. This is Liam.”
It was easier on her overall to look at the boy, who now had a ring of blue around his mouth. “Nice to meet you both. I’m Jasmine.”
Liam smacked his lips. “Like a flower. You’re pretty like one too, huh, Daddy?”
“You got it, bud.”
She put a spoon of ice cream in her mouth and willed her body to cool down. This was freaking insane. She didn’t get horny like this. Not with a man she didn’t know.
Then again, I did proposition the good detective when I first saw him. Her core clenched at the thought of Lance. Keeping her head down, she took several slow, deep breaths before lifting her gaze once more.
Nolan watched her, those electric dark green eyes locked onto her face. He winked and her panties damn near combusted. Oh, this man was lethal.
“She could be my new mama.”
Jasmine paused with her mouth on the spoon and flicked her glance between the two men at her table.
His smile wasn’t gentle, it was rough with the promise of endless pleasure. “I don’t think so, bud.”
Liam continued kicking his feet. “Why not? You said she was pretty.”
“She’s beautiful. But she’s also taken, based on the frown from the man behind her.”
She cocked an eyebrow and drew the spoon from her mouth. “Really?”
He nodded slowly, the rhythmic thunk of Liam’s shoes on the table steady and oddly calming. “Tall man. Dark hair. Glowering like he’s the devil and I’ve touched his favorite toy.”
“You should share, Daddy.”
“I’m game for sharing. Are you?” The question was directed at her and she swallowed down her laughter.
“Sorry, not this time.” She glanced behind her and frowned when she saw Lance leaning against the fencing post for the outside area. Eyes on her. Locked. How the fuck did he find me?
“Very well then.” He winked once more and went back to his ice cream. Chocolate double scoop on a regular cone. Not a waffle. “If you change your mind.”
“She won’t.”
Lance gripped the nape of her neck and immediately her body heated like it had been on an ice cube before. No matter how hot—and he was hot—Nolan was, her body was owned by Lance Baldwin.
“We need to get going, baby.”
There was something in his tone that had her moving instantly. She held up the newer ice cream. “Taking this for the road. Liam, it was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for cheering me up.”
He grinned at her, unaware or uncaring of the undercurrent of tension streaking between the two adult males.
“Daddy said we should try to make people feel better.”
She nodded. “He was right.”
Nolan offered her a card. “You need anything, you call me, Jasmine.”
Behind her Lance muttered, “She won’t.”
Jasmine smiled and took the card. “Thank you. It was a great pleasure sharing ice cream with you today, Liam.”
“Bye, Jasmine. Nice to meet you.”
A brisk nod to the father and she walked away, Lance draping his arm around her shoulders and brushing a kiss along her cheek.
“We really need to talk about this, baby.”