Page 74 of Pleasure Games

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

WHEN JASMINEFLEWback to America, she didn’t even stop in Chicago but flew directly to Denver to be with her parents. She didn’t plan on staying long, just until she could figure out the shit show that was her life. She also flew home to hide. Her sex-venture in France had become international news. Big in Europe first, because of the Legrand family fame, then across the Atlantic, when it became known an American was involved. Pictures of her being chased and carried off by Luca were all over social media, and since no one knew the full story, the public was left to interpret what was really happening in the condemning photos. Blog posts and new memes showed up daily, with sometimes corny but mostly offensive captions. If she thought her experience with Parker had been humiliating, she was sorely mistaken.

She now understood the true definition of humiliation.

Which made speaking to Parker somehow more bearable. She’d finally phoned him and asked him to ship her belongings, and she had to admit, he’d been accommodating. At least he wasn’t still suggesting they work it out between them. She’d offered him his ring back. He refused to take it, at first, but she’d insisted.

Jasmine had to make it on her own. No more relying on men. Especially if they were only capable of lying to her. The truth was, she’d finished being angry with Parker a long time ago. Luca had helped with that. Had made her feel things she’d never thought possible. Now she was only upset with herself. She was the one who’d fallen twice for men who’d deceived her.

She was afraid her infamy would hurt her job prospects, but she got a job at the first hair salon she applied to. Once word got out about who she was (Luca Legrand’s scandalous sex slave) she was booked solid for the next six months. So the upside of her disgrace was that her income was guaranteed and she would be able to move out of her parents’ house sooner rather than later.

Her second week on the job, one of her coworkers came running back to her chair while she was cutting an elderly lady’s hair.

“Jasmine! That guy who abducted you is on TV. Come see.”

She’d given up setting people straight about her supposed kidnapping. No one listened because fiction was way more interesting than fact.

When Jasmine rounded the corner where the overhead television was perched, one of the girls turned up the volume just as Luca took the microphone in what appeared to be a press conference.

“God, he’s hot. I wouldn’t say no if he kidnapped me.”

A rumble erupted in the pit of her stomach but she didn’t say anything because she wanted to hear what Luca had to say. He spoke in French and it was translated by a female. It started with something about the sale of a rare bottle of champagne that had sold to a collector for half a million euros. The man who’d purchased the wine stood up and nodded as he was presented with a bottle amid the flash of numerous cameras.

Once the clamor died down, there was silence. Luca paused, seeming to weigh his words. Then he spoke some more. The translator seemed caught off guard and spoke quickly to keep up. “The Legrand champagne estate has been run by Legrand men for many generations, and while I am the last Legrand...” Luca glanced at a man sitting beside him. “I will be resigning as CEO and announcing a successor as soon as possible.” There was a flurry of flashing cameras, and the crowd grew louder as reporters vied for further comments.

Jasmine frowned.

Luca was giving up his birthright? Why?

Then Luca raised his hand for silence and began speaking in English.

“And now, I have a message for Jasmine Sweet.”

O-oh, shit.

There were gasps from the other women in the salon who had gathered round.

“Quiet,” Jasmine said. “I can’t hear.”

Someone turned up the volume as Luca began to speak. “Jasmine, there are so many things I regret. I regret that you have been the subject of this malicious international media frenzy. I regret lying to you. I regret some of the things I said and some of the things I did.”

Flashes went off in his face and he turned away for a moment before continuing. “But there are many things I do not regret. I will never regret the time we spent together. I certainly do not regret the things we did together. Most of all, I do not regret falling in love with you.”

The salon went silent. All eyes turned to her.

* * *

The press conference was a nightmare, even worse than the last two weeks with relentless paparazzi hounding him. He couldn’t believe what he’d just done. Yet Luca felt a strange lightness after announcing that he would be stepping down as head of the family business.

It wasn’t planned. He was supposed to show up today and announce the new owner of the rare Legrand vintage. Then he’d been going to use the press conference to tell Jasmine he was sorry and that he loved her. He was sure she’d hear him this way. But as he’d stood onstage, thinking about that love, of all the things he wanted to give her, he knew she was his only priority now.

Even over his family legacy.

He refused to subject her to any more of Marcel’s vindictive machinations and there was only one way to accomplish that.

Quit. So he did...on television, before he could change his mind. Now Marcel would have no reason to make his life, and Jasmine’s by proxy, a living hell.

The thought of Marcel winning should have angered Luca, but he only felt relief.

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