17. Jasmine
Ed had interrupted a particularly steamy part in the book when he”d arrived in the lounge, but Jasmine didn”t mind. She would rather have the real thing instead of reading about it any day of the week and twice on Sunday. It was Saturday, so perhaps twice on Saturday as well.
The pilot didn”t emit the bad boy vibes that usually were her Achilles heel, but he was handsome and charming enough to compensate for the lack of spice.
She”d learned a long time ago that appearances could be deceptive, but he just didn”t have that aura. Kian had it in spades, but he was taken, and Kevin even more so, but he was taken as well. Jasmine wondered what type of women managed to lasso such dangerous men. Syssi seemed mellow and shy, so maybe the old adage about opposites being attracted to each other was true. Then again, Jasmine didn”t have a mellow or shy bone in her body, but she still liked edgy men, so maybe it wasn”t true.
Edgar grinned. ”A manly man? I hope you meant it as a compliment.”
”Of course. Why wouldn”t it be?”
He shrugged. ”Nowadays, it”s hard to tell. As long as manly man does not mean toxic masculinity, I guess I”m good.”
She laughed. ”There is nothing toxic about you. In fact, the only danger I could think of is you being too sweet.”
His face fell. ”That for sure is not a compliment. Sweet is not sexy.”
”I disagree.” She smiled suggestively. ”Give me a fresh creampuff, and I”ll show you how sexy it is to me.”
As a pained groan escaped Edgar”s throat, his eyes started glowing.
Was he crying?
Some men experienced excruciating pain when their arousal couldn”t be immediately relieved, but usually that afflicted only very young men, and Edgar was in his late twenties or early thirties.
Perhaps she should take mercy on him and ease up on the flirting. ”Let”s dig in before this lavish feast gets cold.” She lifted her knife and fork.
”Yes, indeed.” He swallowed. ”I didn”t know what you like, so I piled different things on each plate. If there is something you like on mine, it”s yours.”
”I”m not a finicky eater,” she said. ”I”m perfectly happy with what”s on my plate.” She scooped some of the buttery mashed potatoes on her fork and found herself sighing with pleasure at the first bite.
The roast was also divine. ”This is perfect,” she murmured around a mouthful.
Glancing up at Edgar through her lashes, Jasmine expected to find him equally engrossed in his meal, but to her surprise, he was just watching her with those strange, glowing eyes.
”What is it?” she asked, suddenly self-conscious. ”Do I have mashed potato on my nose?” She lifted a napkin and dabbed at it.
Edgar shook his head, his smile widening. ”I just enjoy seeing you eating with such delight. It”s so rare to see a beautiful woman with a healthy appetite. Food should be savored and enjoyed. It”s one of life”s pleasures, but so many women think that they should look like sticks and starve themselves.” He leaned in closer. ”Me? I love a woman with curves.”
”You are like a decadent sundae, Edgar. You know all the right things to say to me.”
Jasmine had every intention of inviting Ed back to her cabin once they were done with dinner, but first, she needed to pump him for information about Perfect Match and the mysterious guests whose privacy was so tightly protected.
”Those are not come-on lines,” he said. ”I”m just saying what”s in my heart.”
”I know, and that is what makes them even more precious to me.” She set down her fork and fixed him with a coy smile. ”Amanda and Kian visited me earlier, and Kian said something about sending a woman named Edna to probe me. Do you know what that”s about?”
She watched Edgar closely, looking for any sign of recognition, any hint that he knew more than he was letting on. And sure enough, there it was—a slight tightening around his eyes, a barely perceptible stiffening of his shoulders.
”Edna, huh?” he said, his voice carefully casual. ”Yeah, I know her. She”s one of our special consultants.”
Jasmine leaned forward, her eyes wide with feigned innocence. ”Special how? What kind of probe does she use? Is it some kind of high-tech compatibility test?”
Edgar hesitated, and for a moment, Jasmine thought that he might clam up and change the subject, but then he shook his head. ”Edna has a gift. She doesn”t need any fancy equipment to see into people”s hearts and souls. It”s like a sixth sense. She can determine a person”s intentions and innermost desires, and I”m not talking about desires of the flesh. I”m talking about desires of the soul.”
Jasmine”s breath caught in her throat, a thrill of something that might have been fear or excitement or both zinging through her veins. Was Edna a seer or a psychic?
Could it be that she was a fellow witch?
Would Edna be able to help her with the tangle of answers her divination had produced?
Jasmine had tried to connect online with other practitioners, and most had been eager to help, but their advice didn”t improve her results. Some tried to give her alternative meanings, which had been somewhat helpful, but in her gut, she knew that the prince was not an idea but someone real that she had to find.