Page 74 of Dark Witch: Entangled Fates

After all, as an actress, she should be able to assume any role she pleased, but what was the fun in acting so dry and reserved? Edna was a young woman, but she acted as if she was ancient.

Jasmine meant nothing by her lighthearted banter, and it was too enjoyable to flex her flirting powers over men to stop.

Still, her charms seemed to be lost on Peter, whose eyes never left Marina's face. The intensity of his stare sent a shiver down Jasmine's spine. There was something there, a connection that ran deep, a bond that made her a little jealous.

Did Edgar look at her this way? Like she was the most wonderful creature in the world, and he was happy to bask in her glow?

Casting him a sidelong glance, she caught him looking at her with annoyance in his eyes instead of the adoration she'd hoped for. Obviously, Ed didn't like the way she was interacting with the other men, but he should have known that her flirting was harmless.

She smiled and cupped his cheek. "Can you be a dear and get me a drink, please?"

"Of course. What would you like?"

"A classic margarita, please. With salt."

As Ed turned to the bartender and placed the order, Jay gave Jasmine a suggestive smile, his gaze roving over her figure with an appreciative gleam that made her skin prickle with awareness.

If she wanted to, she could have him wrapped around her little finger in no time, but she wouldn't, and not just because she was with Ed.

Larissa's eyes followed Jay's every move, the longing and adoration in her gaze so plain and raw that it made Jasmine's heart ache. The poor girl was clearly enamored with the handsome guy, and her feelings were written all over her face for anyone to see.

Jay, on the other hand, was either oblivious or simply not interested in anything serious with her. Curiously, though, his attention wandered to Jasmine but not to Marina. It was probably because he considered Peter his friend and didn't wish to antagonize him.

Did it mean that Jay and Edgar were not on friendly terms?

Maybe there was some bad blood between them and that was why Jay was allowing himself to pay Jasmine so much attention even though she was with Ed?

"Here you go." Edgar handed her the margarita and then turned to the other two men. "We should go."

Jay glanced at his watch and nodded. "Fifteen minutes to show time." He leaned over and kissed Larissa's cheek. "I'll be back for you in about forty-five minutes to an hour. Don't go anywhere."

"I be here," she said in heavily accented English.

Peter leaned over Marina, but instead of kissing her cheek, he took her mouth in a passionate kiss as if he was leaving her for weeks and not less than an hour.

Ed was less inclined to make a public show of affection and just pecked Jasmine's cheek. "Be good," he murmured against her ear.

She laughed. "The term good can refer to a lot of things."

He didn't look amused.

As Edgar and the other men excused themselves, leaving Jasmine alone with Marina and Larissa, she lifted the glass to her lips and took a grateful sip.

"So, now that I'm finally allowed to attend a wedding, can you tell me who is getting married?"

Marina and Larissa exchanged looks, and then Marina shook her head. "I'm sorry. We can't tell you."

"Can you at least tell me if it's anyone famous?"

Marina hesitated and then shook her head. "Not that I know of, but I'm new to this country, and I don't know all the famous people here."

Jasmine was impressed. She'd thought that Marina had been in the US for many years. "Your English is very good. Where did you learn to speak it so well?"

"I started back in Russia, and I kept practicing for long hours after we got here."

Jasmine knew better than to ask again how they had found their way to the US and got work on the cruise ship. When she'd asked her poker buddies, she'd been told that it was confidential.

Even after being allowed on the upper decks, Jasmine still had a nagging sense that something wasn't quite right, and that she had no idea what was really going on. When she asked questions and tried to probe for information, she once again found herself running up against a wall of secrecy and evasion.

---