9. Jasmine
Chapter nine
Jasmine
“But he was handsome,” Ana cries. “I don’t know why you refused to dance with him. He was very polite, too. Was he not?”
“He was,” I chuckle. “But I really wasn’t in the mood to dance with anyone. Honestly.”
“But that wasn’t the plan,” Ana insists. “The plan was for you to meet someone else and, if possible, get yourself a new boyfriend.”
I burst into laughter. “If it's that easy to get a new boyfriend, why are you single?”
Ana sucks in a breath. “Wow. I cannot believe that you will try to turn this against me,” she says. “All I tried to do was help you!”
I laugh again. “You walked into that one, Ana.”
“But I exchanged numbers with a hottie,” she says. “You should see him; he’s so sexy.”
“So that’s your new boyfriend?” I’m excited for Ana to move on from her crush on Riley.
“He hasn’t asked me out yet,” she groans. “But I’m sure he will. He’s attracted to me. I know it.”
Alec’s call tainted my time at the club. Before then, I’d been unsure what I wanted to do. Of course, I knew I wasn’t down to have sex, but I wanted to unwind, dance, and meet as many guys as were interested in meeting me. After Alec’s call, I was plunged back into the abyss, even deeper than before.
I’d gone to the club completely dejected and disorganized, unfit to interact or socialize with anyone. The only thing I did was stuff myself with alcohol so much that I was throwing up in the bathroom by the end of the night. It’s been over ten hours since our stint at the club, and I’m happy that, at least, one of us had fun.
“So, what’s this unlucky guy’s name?” I ask Ana. “Because he doesn’t know what’s about to hit him.”
“His name is Boris,” she says. “But trust me, he’s finer than his name.”
“Ana?” I sit up. “Did you already have sex with this guy?” After Ana brought me home last night and set me up in bed, she went back, but I don’t know if she returned home or back to the club.
“Well…”
“Ana! You whore!”
She burst into unbridled laughter, and I join her. “What the heck! I cannot believe you. ”
“Well, you should,” she says, still laughing. “It’s been a while since I got any action, so of course, I gave in to his charm.”
“The night was supposed to be about me,” I remind her.
“But you went ahead and got yourself so drunk you couldn’t even sit upright.”
“Then you should have called it a night, not go and have sex with a handsome stranger from the club.”
Ana scoffs. “You messed up the night, and I decided to pick it up from there. Anyway, you’ll meet Boris soon. That’s if the bastard calls me this morning.”
“He left last night?”
“After the sex, I put him out,” she says. “He could be a serial killer; who knows?”
“And you figured that out after the sex?” I shake my head. “How convenient!”
The doorbell rings, and I walk toward it, pulling the door open. I was ready to see Riley standing on the other side, but nothing prepared me for the sight of the man standing outside, his face marred with worry and trepidation.
Alec!
At first, my heart jumps in excitement, and it takes all the dregs of my control not to jump into his arms and confess my undying love. He looks as handsome as ever, especially in a white dress shirt and black pants. However, I realize this man had left me without a word for two weeks, only to call me with an excuse last night. I step back and swing the door shut, but Alec stops it by stubbing a foot in the space before it slams against the lock.
“Hey, Jasmine.” He grabs the door and steps into the house. “Please, don’t do this.”
“Ana, let me call you back,” I say, hanging up the phone.
“What are you doing here, Alec?”
“Jasmine, please,” he begs, his eyes genuinely sorry. “You don’t understand. I didn’t deliberately stay away from you. I could never do that.”
“Then what happened?” I’m probably stupid for asking, but a part of me is desperate to understand why he’d left me hanging.
“I had a family emergency,” he says. “I don’t know if you’re aware, but my family is in France, so I had to travel quickly.”
“Last I checked people in France can call people in New York. Thanks to this thing called technology.”
Alec runs a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. “Do you trust me?” He grabs my hand, but I jerk away from his touch.
“Trust you?” I cackle. “Alec, please, get out of here and never show your face again.”
“I cannot do that,” he says softly. “If I could, I would. Trust me. But I can’t.”
I turn away from him, ready to bolt up the stairs and lock him out, but his following words stop me. “Jasmine, I love you. ”
“What?” I whirl, shock reverberating through my system. I storm forward and hit his chest. “How dare you!”
“Jasmine...”
“How dare you!” I push him again, tears stinging my eyes. Ana was right. Alec is a fuck boy. They will tell you exactly what you want to hear to keep you as a willing captive in their trap. Somehow, Alec knew that I was in love with him and decided that confessing the same to me would keep me hooked. The truth is, it worked, and that’s what hurt the most. Hearing Alec say he loves me is one of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard in the twenty-five years of my life.
“Jasmine, listen to me.” Alec grabs both my fists in his hands and yanks me into his body. He then smooths the hair out of my face and looks straight into my eyes. “I don’t blame you for thinking this is a joke,” he says. “It’s shocking to me, too. I didn’t plan to fall in love with you.”
“Alec!”
“I’ve liked you since I set my eyes on you for the first time, and since then, I’ve tried to keep my feelings at bay and not explore them, but I failed. Jasmine, I have fallen in love with you, and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Then why were you away for two weeks?” I cry, struggling to escape his hold. Instead, his arms tighten affectionately around my body. “Two weeks! You disappeared without a trace.”
“I called you last night because I finally got the chance to,” he says. “Please, Jasmine, I need you to trust me. Please. I promise that when the time is right, I will explain this to you in full detail. For now, I need you to trust me.”
I shake my head, but there's no more fight left in me. “What if you leave again?” I ask. “How can I be happy knowing I can wake up one day, and you’ll be gone?”
“I promise with all my heart that I’ll never leave that way again,” he begs. “I’m a man of my word, Jas. No matter how urgent the emergency is, I’ll always tell you before I travel.”
I look into his eyes and try to search my heart for any clue that Alec will hurt me. There’s none. He stares back at me intensely, and in one moment, the fragile bubble explodes, and we throw ourselves at each other. Alec wraps his arms around me, his head swooping down to capture my lips. I lean into his arms, enjoying the strength of his body and how hot he is for me.
His mouth travels down my neck, softly nibbling and kissing until I’m a wet mess. I cannot believe that only a few minutes ago, I was upset with him. It’s incredible how much control Alec has over my body, and the surprising fact is I like it.
“I want to take you somewhere,” Alec whispers in my ear before licking the shell, causing goosebumps to erect on my skin. “Go and get dressed. Wear something casual.”
“What?” I pout when he pulls away from me. “How can you kiss me like that and then pull away?” I frown at him, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Don’t worry, we have all night.” He reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind my ears. “But for now, I want to take you on a date and apologize thoroughly for the two weeks of silence. Then, I’ll make it up to you. ”
I stare at him for a moment. “Alec, promise me you’ll not leave me like that again. If that’s going to happen, then please walk away.”
We stare silently at each other for a second until Alec closes the distance between us and kisses my forehead. “Jasmine, it won’t happen again. Now get dressed. I can’t wait to get you out of here.”