Page 21 of Her Innocent CEO

“Where were you?” I ask him, my nerves betraying me, suddenly embarrassed by my own outburst.

“Sorry,” I murmur, leaning in as he kisses my cheek before stepping back to gasp at how good I look in my new outfit.

“It looks really expensive,” I whisper, noting the old woman’s tongue clicking as she rolls her eyes.

Maddox beams a wide smile, telling her how perfect it is, telling me how perfect I look.

She writes something on a pad and shows him, and without flinching he hands over one of the wads of cash from his pocket, which he presses into her hands with another smile as he tells her something softly, making her laugh as she covers her mouth.

I’m looking at myself in one of the mirrors, feeling awkward now. I can’t afford this kind of thing, and Maddox being so coy with the old woman is making my hair bristle

“Everything alright?” Maddox asks, still grinning as we make our way out of the store.

“I just feel like an idiot, that’s all… what’s so sweet between you and the old woman anyway?” I ask, not even trying to hide my hurt.

Once we’re clear of the store, Maddox stops to face me, his look gets serious.

“Jasmine. You look beautiful, and I told you we have plenty of money to buy whatever you want. Old Maria in there? She’s gonna make you whatever you need from now on and I only told her something about what else I have planned for the day that’s all,” he says, his eyes twinkling in the late afternoon light.

“And what else do you have planned for today?” I ask, trying not to sound petulant, but registering how snippy I still sound.

I don’t like Maddox schmoozing with anybody, no matter how old they are.

“Oh, you’ll see,” he says absently patting his jacket pocket before his face falls and he spins me around so he’s facing the other way as he suddenly plants a kiss on me.

“Hey!” I protest, pulling back from him. “What’s gotten into-” I try to say, but his fingers are on my lips instead.

“Sorry Jasmine, but those feds from the office? That creep Sloane is right behind us,” he murmurs, and with a little nod he moves in close again, kissing me much more tenderly, making me forget everything that I could tell myself makes me mad at him.

In a second I know I’m mad about him, not mad at him.

Chapter Seventeen

Maddox

I spot Sloane in the crowd and it isn’t too hard to give him the slip. I can’t tell if he’s even looking for us, me or just happens to be in the area, maybe buying himself some high end nylons who knows?

Once we double back a little, deciding maybe heading back to the hotel is safest, I stop in my tracks again once we’re across the street from the hotel.

Sloane again.

This time he’s talking to some suits out front and a few marked cars roll up to boot.

Dammit.

I thought at least one more night with Jasmine in our suite might be nice, maybe after some dinner but this puts the breaks on.

“We’ll have to find new digs for the night, I’m afraid,” I tell her, feeling her start to shiver under my arm as she realizes this business isn’t going to go away until I clear my name. But I can’t do that in custody, not properly anyway.

Plus, like I already told Jasmine. Today’s all about us, not them. Or so I’d hoped.

“We could go back to…” Jasmine starts to say, but then shakes her head.

“What, your place?” I ask, suddenly favoring the idea, although if they link her car and the hotel… to me…

It’s a chance I’m willing to take. Being out in the open isn’t somewhere I like, not with Jasmine in as much risk as I am at the moment.

She looks up at me awkwardly. “It’s not a five star hotel… my place,” she murmurs, turning red, but I’m hailing a cab and asking her which way before she can change her mind.

A fleet of SUV’s with red and blue lights is coming from the other way, so I figure we’re making good on our escape for the second time today.

Jasmine gives the driver an address in a rough neighborhood.

“Good thinking,” I tell her. “That might lose anyone who’s tailing us until we get to your place,” I remark, amazed at her forward thinking.

“It is my place,” she groans, and as she looks out the window, not able to look me in the eye, I hold her hand and give it a little squeeze before she pulls it away.

“Sorry,” I tell her gently, kicking myself for being so stupid, so insensitive.

Well. She won’t be there for much longer, that’s for sure. Tonight, I’ll have to lay all my cards on the table for the law, and after that?

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