Page 30 of Tempted

“She couldn’t have told you that because I didn’t go on a date. Yes, I went out with a friend, but I didn’t think it would be such a big deal. Mrs. Meade wanted to spend time with the children, and I—”

“And you thought you could take advantage of my mother’s kindness. I didn’t think I had to, but I see I’ll need to remind you that your first responsibility lies with the children.”

She opened her mouth then closed it again.

Victor waited expectantly for her to counter his words, to contradict him—tell him he had the wrong impression. But she didn’t. When she finally spoke, her words sent a chill to his very core.

“You’re absolutely correct. My first responsibility lies with the children and I won’t forget my place again.”

“Jasmine—” he began, knowing he’d gone too far.

She raised an arched brow. “I trust I’m free to do as I please on my day off?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Thank you. Should I tell you mother I won’t be joining the family for dinner? I wouldn’t want you to get the impression of me getting to comfortable in my position.”

Victor sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. He wished he’d allowed his temper a chance to cool down before speaking with her. If the truth were known, she hadn’t done anything wrong exactly, and the kids had been in good hands. It wasn’t as if he could tell her that the real reason for his anger was jealousy.

“It would mean a lot to the kids if you came to dinner.” It was the only thing he could say without making himself look like a bigger jackass.

“Is there anything else you wished to speak to me about, Mr. Meade?” Her voice was ice cold.

“No. That will be all.”

She left him then, closing the door behind her with a decisive click.

Victor shut his eyes tight and released a deep breath. He was batting 0-for-2 today. First with his son, and now with Jasmine. He didn’t know if he’d have the strength to get through the rest of the night, and what was worse, he wasn’t sure how he was going to reconcile with the fact that there was now some mystery man lurking in the background vying for Jasmine’s affections.

Chapter Ten

Jasmine stuffed another bite of salmon in her mouth without tasting it. She didn’t know how much longer she could take of sitting here pretending as though everything was alright while that blonde demon made one sly comment after another about anyone and everyone. If that wasn’t enough to wreck Jasmine’s peace of mind, the brooding stares, Victor continued to send in her direction wasn’t helping either.

She was thankful to be next to Chelsea whose non-stop chatter served as a distraction. Taylor sat across from her, next to his older brother. It was obvious the little boy had a healthy dose of hero worship for the handsome teen. Adam was an enigma to her. He seemed receptive to conversation with his grandmother and siblings, but to his father, he was merely cordial. While she sensed no outright animosity, Jasmine did notice an apathy Adam showed toward his father.

She might have paid more attention to the situation just to see how things would pan out between the two, but Mr. Meade had made it clear where she stood in the grand scheme of things. It made her decision much easier. She would pose for Jason because the money was too good to turn down. Now more than ever she’d need the safety net of a rainy day fund in case something happened. Since working in the Meade household she’d managed to build a nice savings for herself.

Jasmine hadn’t realized how comfortable she’d gotten in her situation until today after receiving a reality check. Despite how much she was coming to love the children almost like her own, the money, and living in a spacious house, she had to remember she was there to do a job. To Victor Meade she was just a nanny and nothing more. Oh, he might be sexually attracted to her, but Jasmine wasn’t crazy enough to think it was anything beyond that.

After meeting Jason, she’d gone online and looked him up. To her surprise, she discovered his art was world renowned. He’d been modest when he said he was merely known in art circles. He was somewhat of a celebrity.So she’d given him a call to see if his offer was still open. Jasonhad been delighted to hear from her, and offered to take her out for coffee to discuss the terms. Mrs. Meade had graciously offered to watch the children for a couple hours while she went out.

Jasonhad taken her to a local shop not too far from the house so she’d be able to get home in time to go out for dinner with the family. Over coffee they discussed her terms which meant she could only sit for him on Saturdays after she visited her daughter. He readily agreed to her terms.

Once business was out of the way, their conversation delved into the personal. Jasontold her how he’d gotten into art and his family, and Jasmine told him a little about her situation without going into too much detail. She found that she liked him a lot. Besides, being successful at what he didJasonwas easy to talk to, had a sense of humor that had Jasmine holding her sides from laughter and was easy on the eyes. If Jasmine was looking for a relationship, Jason would definitely be in the running.

They’d had such a nice chat, Jasmine lost track of time and needed to rush home. She didn’t expect Victor to tear into her despite having his mother’s permission to go out for a couple hours. In the back of her mind, she’d been waiting for the shoe to drop since she started working for him. Now she’d have to be extra careful during her time in his employment.

“Jasmine.” Chelsea tugged her arm. “Jasmine,” the little girl whined again bringingJasmine back to reality.

She focused her attention on her charge. “Yes, sweetie?”

“I don’t like these vegetables, they taste funny. Can I still have dessert?” Chelsea asked with a frown. She was usually pretty good at eating what was put before her, so she rarely made a fuss over her meals.

Jasmine inspected Chelsea’s plate and saw that most of her spaghetti had been eaten and she had at least attempted to eat the side of vegetables her father had ordered for her. “Well, as long as you tried it, I don’t see why not. Make sure it’s okay—”

“Little girls who don’t finish what’s on their plates don’t get dessert. Shame on you Jemima for supporting poor eating habits,” Madison piped in aiming her glacial blue glare in Jasmine’s direction.

Jasmine was certain the other woman had deliberately used the wrong name. Though they hadn’t been formally introduced, she knew Mr. Meade’s lady friend had probably heard Jasmine’s name enough to know what it wasn’t. And by the way all the chatter at the table simply ceased, everyone else knew it too.

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