13. Chapter 13
Jasmine
Nervously, I walk alongside Dario as we head to the elevators.
I can feel the stares of my colleagues as they circle like vultures, waiting for the doors to close on us so they can run and tell Todd they’ve seen me leave the building with the man I was accused of being in a relationship with.
I hold my head high regardless because, first, I have nothing to hide and am doing nothing wrong.
Second, I’ll be damned if I let a single one of them believe I care what they think of me.
As we approach the polished, gold doors, my feet halt instantly at the sound of my name.
I turn to find Todd Delaney wearing a smug smile on his face as though it’s a piece of his everyday attire—a black suit with a white shirt, paired with a simple, solid-colored tie. Today’s is a hideous shade of green.
“Care to tell me where you and Mr. Caruso are headed?”
I stiffen when Dario brings his hand to the small of my back, silently cursing him for making physical contact.
There’s no missing the way Todd’s eyes track the movement.
I swallow down my nerves before stepping away from his touch and speaking.
“Mr. Caruso has asked me to accompany him today to one of his properties.”
“I see.” Todd glances in Dario’s direction, then cuts his eyes to me. There’s a heat in them—not of passion, but of repugnance. “I take it that the conversation we had the other day has long been forgotten.”
I begin to disagree, but Dario cuts in. “Is there a problem here…?” His voice trails off, and he laughs before pouring on the charm. “I’m sorry, I don’t know your name.”
Todd grits his teeth before he forces a smile. “Delaney. Todd Delaney. I’m a junior partner here at Jorgensen and Munson, and Miss Baker here is on the team I manage. I’m afraid any leave requested will need to be cleared with me, and unfortunately, she is unavailable today.”
I stare up at Dario’s now-tightened jaw. He still wears a smile as though he and Todd are old golfing buddies, and I have a feeling he has to play the role of charmer a lot. “Junior partner? Impressive.”
I should get a gold star for not rolling my eyes when Todd stands straighter, obviously pleased. Dario continues.
“As a junior partner, I assume you answer to senior partners, correct?”
“That’s right,” Todd answers smugly.
“So, hypothetically, if Jim Jorgensen were to give his permission to Miss Baker, that would supersede any directive you give her. Am I correct again?”
If Todd’s eyes were laser beams, I would be a pile of ashes. Gruffly, he replies. “Yes, if that hypothetically happened.”
“Well,” Dario says jovially, “since that is exactly what went down, and it’s not a hypothetical situation, it looks like things are settled. Miss Baker and I are headed to one of my properties and will likely be gone for the remainder of the day.”
“The rest of the… ” I chime in, but Dario moves his hand from the small of my back to my hip, where he grips it hard, silencing me.
“Have a great day, Todd Delaney, junior partner,” Dario says with a wink and a finger gun. If Todd were a Rottweiler, I have no doubt Dario would have lost that digit.
Dario and I stand still, his grip remaining on my hip, as we watch my fuming superior storm off.
We don’t speak as he guides me back to the elevator bank and jabs at the button to call for one.
His hold on me fuels the fire I’ve already had building inside, and I plan to let this man know that he may be my client, and he may have the senior partner of the firm eating out of his hand, but I will not be his puppet.
Only when the doors open, and the two of us step in, Dario pushes me up against the wall and manages to make me forget everything I planned to say.
“Jasmine? Jasmine?” I glance over at the man in the driver’s seat. His face lacks its usual smile and is instead replaced with concern. “Jasmine, are you okay?”
I nod, but don’t speak. I refuse to lie out loud.
I’m not okay. My lips still burn from Dario’s breath, so near I could feel the heat and pick up the sweet scent of bourbon and cherries.
His words inside the elevator have run through my mind the entire car ride.
I couldn’t even begin to tell you where I am or how we got here.
“I don’t like him.”
“He’s my boss.”
“It doesn’t give him the right to speak to you that way.”
“He is allowed to tell me how to do my job, Dario.”
“I don’t like the way he was looking at you.”
“How was he looking at me?”
“Like you were his.”
“I’m not.”
“I know. You’re...”
The elevator doors opened before he could finish his sentence, and I found myself foolishly, yet desperately, seeking his final words.
Dario’s hand reaches out to brush my own resting on my thigh, and it pulls me back to reality. I swat it away and make my exit from the vehicle. At supernatural speed, Dario is by my side, staring at me as though I’m one second away from having a meltdown. And I just might be.
“Mr. Caruso,” I whisper harshly, “I have said it before, and I shouldn’t have to repeat myself, but let me make this very clear.
You are my client. I am your legal counsel.
I left my home halfway across the country for a job at this firm, and I will not jeopardize it because you want to play some little game. ”
He smirks, and my fingers itch to slap it off his face. “You’re in Vegas, Miss Baker. Playing games is half the fun.”
I close my eyes and take a breath before I speak again.
“My job requires boundaries and professionalism; two things you seem to have a problem with. Perhaps our partnership is not ideal, and you should seek out another member of your counsel who is more willing to risk their career to run around the city with you.”
Dario’s chocolate eyes turn molten. “I will not terminate our working relationship, Miss Baker.”
I stare at my stilettos to avoid his gaze. “Then keep things professional. No physical contact. No personal outings. No taking me home. No more asking me on dates. Stop treating me like some kind of joke.”
Dario’s feet come into view, and I look up to see him standing directly in front of me, so close his breath washes over my face. He brings his hand up like he’s going to cup my face but then seems to think better of it. “You are not a joke, Jasmine Baker.”
I don’t speak. I can’t. If words were to spill from my lips right now, they may do something like completely strip away everything I just said and ask the handsome man in front of me to hold me in his arms and kiss me with those perfect lips of his.
Instead, I take in my surroundings, noticing for the first time that he’s brought me back to his casino.
Confused, I stroll to the front of the dark building, only to find that it’s not Angelo at all. It’s a mirror image of the place Dario owns, but the vibe is immediately different here. When you visit Angelo, you go for a good time of fun and carelessness. When you visit this place, you come to sin.
“Welcome to Demone, Miss Baker,” Dario whispers in my ear as he guides me through the doors.
My breath catches as I step into the dark building. Everything is black and red, exuding a much different feeling than when you walk into its twin. I look around, and with the exception of the man himself standing right beside me, there’s no trace of Dario anywhere.
“You own this place?” I ask in disbelief.
He hums. “My brothers own it, but it all falls under the family’s umbrella, just as Angelo does.”
“It’s…” My voice trails off. Stunning. Eerie. Intimidating. “Different,” I settle on.
“You’ll find that my brothers and I have very different personalities. That’s reflected in our business.”
I turn to Dario and turn the tables, smiling smugly at him. “Well, then perhaps I’d rather deal with your brothers.”