Page 36 of Tempted

Victor pasted a smile on his face hoping it looked natural. “You go first.”

She glanced over her shoulder and shifted from side to side. “Maybe we should go inside your office. I think we need to talk.”

Nodding, he opened the door to allow her in. “Yes. I was thinking the same thing.”

When she brushed past him, he caught a whiff of her floral scented perfume, or perhaps it was the soap she used. Whatever it was, he remembered it well, up close and personal. His cock stirred as the memories flooded back.

Cursing under his breath, Victor willed his body to calm down. Even now her nearness wreaked havoc on her equilibrium. This ‘talk’ was going to be more difficult to get through than he thought.

Jasmine took a seat in front of his desk and folded her hands in her lap, giving her a prim appearance. She lowered her lids making it difficult for him to read her emotions. Was she trembling or was he simply imagining things? “Mr. Meade—”

Raising a brow, he cut her off before she could finish her sentence. “Don’t you think it’s a little too late for formalities?”

“Please. I don’t want to talk about that. It isn’t what I came in here for.”

In an instant the one thing he dreaded most popped into his head. “You’re not thinking of quitting are you?”

She released a deep breath, twiddling her thumbs before shaking her head. “No. That isn’t why I’m here either. I need this job.

Sweet relief coursed throughVictor causing him to release the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding in. “Oh?” he asked for lack of anything else to say, not trusting himself to utter more words which could possibly get him into trouble.

“No. I think we already know what we did shouldn’t have happened and won’t again, so there’s no need to go over it is there?”

Her matter of fact way of describing one of the most powerful experiences of his life bugged the hell of out him, but if she was willing to play it cool, so was he. “So what did you want to talk about?”

“It’s uh, well, my daughter.”

Victor frowned. “Yesterday was your day off, so I assume you visited her?”

Jasmine nodded, as she nibbled her bottom lip.

“Is she okay?” He couldn’t help noticing how she wouldn’t make eye contact with him.

“Yes, she’s fine, or as well as she has been. Actually, there’s something I need to get off my chest that’s been bothering me for a while.”

Victor wasn’t sure he liked the sound of this but maybe now he’d have a little insight on her life before he met her. “What is it, Jasmine?”

“I…about my daughter. I think you might be under the mistaken impression that she’s sick.”

“Oh? How can I be mistaken when you’re the one who told me she was?”

“I didn’t actually. You assumed and I didn’t correct you.”

His eyebrows flew together in his consternation. He didn’t like being made a fool of and he certainly didn’t see the difference in a direct lie or one by omission. “Then please do it now. Your job may depend on it,” he said softly.

She nodded. “My daughter is currently in foster care with the state. My financial situation wasn’t conducive to me being able to care for her properly and she’s suffered some trauma.”

“You’re dancing around the issue Jasmine.”

“She hasn’t spoken in over two years. Physically and developmentally, there’s nothing wrong with her.Despite her lack of speech, she’s quite intelligent. But her caretakers are concerned. They believe she might be inclined to speak again if I spend more time with her.”

Victor leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “I see. So are you asking for time off?”

“Yes. I’ve been granted more visitation time with Star and I can actually take her from the home she’s staying in a couple days a week.”

Something still didn’t add up. What trauma had Jasmine’s child faced and why were Jasmine’s visits to her child being mandated by the state? In his experience the only time that happened was when a parent was deemed unfit. Yet he could find no fault with the care Jasmine provided to his own children. It was obvious she loved her daughter by the way she spoke of the child, but there was something she wasn’t telling him.

Victor wondered if he’d been foolish to not do a more thorough background check on Jasmine instead of going on his mother’s words.He didn’t want to believe that Madison was right and that Jasmine was hiding something but why was she being so evasive with her answers? “Jasmine, there’s obviously something you’re leaving out. You say you were unable to take care of your daughter financially, but I’m not sure why the state would regulate your visits.”

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