Victor didn’t understand why she’d suddenly become so defensive. It had dawned on him before he still didn’t know a lot about Jasmine’s past. “Nothing except you got defensive the one other time I asked…kind of like now. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“No!” she answered quickly: maybe a little too quickly for his taste.
He raised a brow. “No? Jasmine, we can’t move forward if you don’t open up.”
“I can’t open up.” Her voice trembled.
She turned her head but he grasped her chin forcing her to look at him. “Why the hell not?”
“Becauseit’s hurts okay? Even after all this time it hurts.”
Victor jerked back, dropping his hand from her chin as if he’d been slapped. So that was it. She still wasn’t over her ex. “And when was the last time you saw him?”
Jasmine shrugged. “About three years ago, I guess. Look, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You’re going to have to eventually.”
She closed her eyes as if waging some inner battle. With a sigh, she finally opened her eyes. “You’re right. I’ll tell you eventually but not right now okay? But I promise I will.”
He searched her face debating on whether he should push the issue any further but decided this was probably the most he’d get out of her. Besides, there was something else more pressing on his mind. “What about us, Jasmine? Is there an us?” He placed his finger against her lip. “Before you say anything, the children love you. Hell, they’re already hinting that we should be together. My mother thinks the sun rises and sets on you. And I want you very much. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t give this thing a shot.”
A spark seemed to die out in her eyes but maybe he simply imagined it. “Can I just have a little more time?”
He racked his fingers through his hair. “How much more time do you need?”
“Not much more. I promise.”
When she looked at him those big brown eyes, a lost little girl expression on her face, he found himself caving. “Okay, but my patience is wearing thin.”
“I understand,” she said with downcast eyes. Then she smiled at him. “How about I make it up to you?”
“Well, the kids are asleep. We might as well take advantage of it? Seeing as how we’ll be at Adam’s soccer tournament in the morning and then out to the movies and dinner, we have a pretty exhausting day ahead of us.”
Victor grinned. “Are you suggesting what I think you are?”
She crinkled her nose, a mischievous gleam entering her dark eyes. “Maybe.”
“Why Miss Brooks, are you coming on to me?”
“Do you like it?”
“I love it.” And with that, he leapt to his feet and collected their clothing in a hurry before grabbing her wrist and hurrying her upstairs to his room before she changed her mind. Victor was never one to miss out on a prime opportunity when one was presented to him.
“Daddy, are you listening to me?” Chelsea’s voice brought them back to the present. He must have been daydreaming.
“I’m sorry sweetheart, what were you saying?”
She rolled her eyes in her childhood exasperation. “I was saying, Jasmine sure is taking a long time in there.”
Victor glanced at his watch with a frown. They’d been waiting outside for fifteen minutes. Jasmine generally reserved Sundays for her alone time with Star but today had been different. They’d picked Star up to join them on their family outing much to Chelsea’s delight. Jasmine had seemed a bit wary about it first, seeming to think Star might mind sharing her mother on a day that should have been exclusively hers. But instead the little girl seemed to enjoy the company.
From watching Adam’s soccer game, going to the movies, and having a picnic lunch at the National Mall followed by a day of site seeing in D.C., Victor couldn’t remember when he’d enjoyed himself more. The day ended with ice cream sundaes. On the way home they drove by the group home to drop off Star. “She’s probably making sure Star is settled in.”
“I wish Star could live with us always and forever, just like Jasmine. When are you and Jasmine getting married?”
“What?” Victor stole a look behind him. Adam had his headphones on, his eyes closed. It was hard to determine whether he was truly asleep. But there was no doubt Tyler was sleep with a trail of drool running down the side of his open mouth.
Chelsea sighed. “I said¯”