Page 52 of Tempted

Chapter Seventeen

Chelsea leaned her head against Victor’s arm, a smile of contentment curving her lips. “Daddy, you know what?”

He wrapped on arm around his daughter’s shoulder and dropped a kiss on her dark head. “What, Pumpkin?”

“Today felt right,” she sighed, snuggling closer to him.

Victor didn’t need any elaboration to know exactly what she was talking about. Damn if she wasn’t correct. Not only did today feel ‘right’; it was perfect. Two months had passed since that night in his bedroom. Everything in his life seemed to be falling into place. He genuinely enjoyed his children, missing them when they weren’t around.

Even he and Adam had formed a friendship. Though the relationship was still shaky, he no longer walked on eggshells around his older son. The children were back in school, and a month ago, Adam had expressed an interest in attending one of the local private schools Victor had wanted to enroll him in the year before. Victor was pretty sure it had a lot to do with a few of Adam’s buddies’ plans to attend said learning institution. But if it meant having his son near, Victor didn’t question the reasons why. He had been happy to inform the military academy Adam wouldn’t be returning.

Tyler and Chelsea were thriving at school. Chelsea has gained a confidence he hadn’t noticed before. She walked with her head up and no longer seemed uncertain of herself. Tyler had calmed down considerably. No longer was he prone to outbursts of temper. He still had his moments but they were few and far between.

They all had Jasmine to thank for it. Had she not come into their lives he didn’t know where the Meade family would be headed.

Jasmine brought Star around more often and Victor found himself warming to the child especially as she looked so much like Jasmine. Star was Chelsea’s ‘bestest friend’ and Victor was glad their daughters had bonded. Star still didn’t speak but she too seemed much happier.

There had been a time when Victor had worked in his office until all hours of the night but now he couldn’t wait to leave. He’d usually get home in time to find the children at the kitchen table with Jasmine in between them while she helped with their homework. He’d always known Jasmine had a sharp mind but she seemed especially proficient at science and math. The kids no longer asked for his help to solve those dreaded word problems. Not only did Jasmine seem able to explain things to them better, she made it fun for them.

He couldn’t help but think that Jasmine was meant to be so much more.

Though it had been difficult to keep his hands off her since that night, Victor had kept his promise to take things slow, until last night. The kids had gone to bed early after an exhausting night of family fun.

He and Jasmine had been on the couch watching television while sharing a bowl of popcorn. When they’d reached into the bowl simultaneously, their hands touched. A spark of pure electricity had shimmed through his body as their eyes locked and he knew he couldn’t go another second without kissing her: except one kiss hadn’t been enough. Victor had been so starved for the taste of her, he tossed the bowl aside. Popcorn flew everywhere as pulled her into his arms.

One thing had led to another and before he realized what had happened, they were on the floor making wild passionate love, uncaring that the kids could come upon them. All that mattered was their need for each other. Their love making had been frantic and desperate. It was the release his body had craved for weeks. And judging from the way she’d clung to him, it was what hers had needed as well.

“Oh my God,” she’d panted, “I can’t believe we just did that.”

Victor couldn’t keep stop the grin spreading his lips. “I can. I’ve been picturing us together like this for weeks. I’m not sure how I managed to keep my hands off you for so long.”

“Well you’re going to have to figure out how because this can’t happen again. The kids could have walked in on us and then what would they have said?”

Victor thought maybe it wouldn’t have been such a bad thing for one of the kids to catch them. It would be awkward as hell but at least it would finally push their relationship out in the open. He was tired of pretending he didn’t have feelings for her for the sake of her sensibilities. Why the hell was she so damn skittish?

Victor wasn’t a conceited man but he knew he wasn’t a bad looking man. He’d go as far as to say he was attractive to the opposite sex. His law firm was one of the top firms in the D.C. Metropolitan area and his bank account was very healthy. He had never been short of female companionship. Women vied for his attention.

Was Jasmine ashamed to be with a white man? She didn’t strike him as the type who’d be bothered by such an issue. Though he’d never dated outside his race, Jasmine being black was trivial in the grand scheme of things. Or was she bothered by their age difference. Jasmine was so mature that he forgot he was 12 years older than her. Victor wasn’t so naïve to not realize there would be some problems because of small-mindedness. But the important matter was how he felt about how his children and mother felt about her. He was ready to lay himself on the line for her, so why wasn’t she willing to reciprocate?

Raising a brow he said, “You’re right. It won’t happen again. At least not like this. Next time it will be in my bed at a time when my mother has the kids and we can spend all night long making love.”

“Victor, stop.” She rolled away from him and grabbed her clothing. “You said we’d take things slow.”

“How slow do we need to go? You hold me at arm’s length and I sometimes get the impression you don’t want me around.”

She wiggled her panties up over her hips and pulled her t-shirt over her head. If he wasn’t mistaken he could see the suspicious sheen of tear glistening in her eyes. “It isn’t that, Victor. I…I like you. A lot. Probably more than I should but…” Jasmine turned her head away.

“Then what Jasmine?”

“It isn’t that simple.”

“Does it have anything to do with my being white?”

“Of course not, although you have to admit, in this political climate things won’t be a cakewalk. Not everyone is open-minded.”

“Maybe not but I think we can weather this storm together. I’m a big boy, Jasmine. I can take my bruises. But if it isn’t race then what is it? Is it Star’s father?”

She stiffened and whipped her head around to meet his gaze, her eyes narrowed. “What do you know about him?”

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