Page 42 of Forbidden Desires

My blood began to boil at the crass way he referred to Jasmine. “Fuck off, James.”

He snorted. “Ouch. So harsh, Eric. I’m just stating the truth to the question that you asked that night. The simple fact of the matter is, Jasmine and I have a history. Do you need to know the details? All the sweet nothings she’s told me between the sheets? All the fun little things that she didn’t know she liked until I was the one that taught them to her? The more intimate things? Her personal life? I wonder what the price for that sort of information would be to you.”

My eyes narrowed when I realized what James was doing. Using his previous relationship with Jasmine to exact his own petty fucking revenge for me buying the Shoreside property out from under him, despite him saying it didn’t matter. Stabbing the knife into my back and giving it a hard twist to make me bleed.

I gave him an impassive look, giving nothing of my feelings for Jasmine away, which would only give him more ammunition against me. “There’s nothing I want from you when it comes to Jasmine, James.”

“Really?” His brows rose in surprise. “You seemed so frazzled when I ran into the two of you that night. I assumed that you were having a little rough patch. Especially since she came dressed like, well, a whore. We all know your preferences for propriety in public. Though, when it comes to Jasmine, personally I feel the more skin showing, the better.” Anotherdisingenuous smile curved his thin lips. “Was she being a brat? She has the talent for it, really. It was always so fun to put her in her place—”

I stood abruptly, refraining, just barely, from launching myself across the desk at him and bashing his face in with my fist. “Get the fuck out of my office, James.”

“So rude for a man who’s known for his people skills.” He clicked his tongue and moved off my desk. “Say, when you’re done playing around with Jasmine, send her my way? It’s been a while and I want to catch up with her.”

“You’re an adult. Contact her yourself.”

A bright little glint flickered in his eyes, making me realize the grave mistake I’d just made with my callous reply. “I think I’ll do just that.”

I’d spewed the words without thinking them through, and there was no taking them back now that they were out in the air. There was no doubt in my mind that James would take the opportunity to do so, a blunder on my part, for sure.Fuck.

Looking too pleased with himself that he’d managed to get under my skin, James finally turned around and walked out of my office, leaving a sense of dread to settle in the pit of my stomach.

Knowing I had to do some kind of damage control, I pulled out my phone to send a text to Jasmine, which I never did unless it was work related. But this was too important not to discuss with her in person, and to warn her about James’ intentions. All I knew was that I had to protect her, because James’ vindictive personality knew no bounds.

I typed out the message,Are you free tonight?,and hit send.

CHAPTER 19

Jasmine

Holy shit.I stared at the three huge boxes that had been delivered to my apartment, all addressed to me. I hadn’t ordered anything, and as far as I knew, Dominique hadn’t sent me anything, either. It was nowhere near my birthday. There wasn’t anything on the outside of the boxes to tell me who the secret gift giver might have been.

Opening them all up, though, now had my living room scattered with art supplies. Fine quality. Large quantities. Exquisite, expensive brushes from places I couldn’t even pronounce. Gorgeous, hand-carved easels. Oils in nearly every color, acrylics, watercolors, premium papers, even multi-sized canvases.

It didn’t take long to put two and two together to realize who was responsible for this delivery. Butterflies in the pit of my stomach fluttered. Eric must have placed the considerable order, but when would he have had the time to put together somethinglike this? When we were at the art café? Is that what he’d been doing on his phone when I thought that he was focused on work?

I couldn’t hold back the happy smile that made its way to my face. The excitement that coursed through me as I moved the boxes from my living room into my spare room—now an art studio—was one I couldn’t contain. There were so many projects I could do. So many experimentations these supplies would allow me to try.

Clients had given me presents before, but there was something far more intimate and special in this gift from Eric. Usually, what I received was sexy lingerie. Extra “fun money” to do with what I wanted. Lavish dinners. Pieces of jewellery I really had no interest in. There was one point where I had gotten an all-expenses paid trip to Hawaii that I ended up giving to Dominique for her birthday because that long travel across the country hadn’t appealed to me. Nothing that was quite so personal as art supplies that spoke directly to my heart, but then again, I had never let clients know about that side of me. I could appreciate art, understand it, but I never let them know that I too, created it, because for so many painful years it had been something that had been tied to the past. Quite honestly, the death of my parents had been the death of my inspiration and creativity.

Yet…Eric had seen that side of me as I let it finally reemerge, out of the darkness and back into the light. And now, he was whole-heartedly indulging that passion of mine. Seeing below the surface of just being the woman who accompanied him on dates and occasionally warmed his bed.

Trying not to think too deeply about the whys of the gift, I lost myself in putting my new things away until my phone pinged with a text.

Are you free tonight?

It was from Eric. Simple and to the point, surprising me because he never requested to see me during the week, unless it was a scheduled event. Before I could stop the smile of anticipation from spreading over my face, it broke through. My answer was, admittedly, fast. A quick flurry of fingers over the phone’s keyboard.

Yes, I’m free. What time?

His reply was swift.Two hours. My place? Dress comfortably. I’ll have Jeff come by and pick you up.

Oh. His place and no dress code. That gave me pause. So, it wasn’t an impromptu function. Or a date, because Eric and I did notdate. We had a working relationship, but that had been the extent of our time together. The gears in my mind turned, because this wasn’t normal behavior when it came to Eric and our arrangement. Seeking my company for something more casual was something he seemed to avoid. Or maybe this meeting wasn’t casual at all and he wanted to discuss the terms of our contract, maybe even end it?

The thought of parting ways with Eric made my chest hurt, even though I knew it would happen eventually. Still, I answered, unable to refuse this man anything.I’ll be ready when Jeff gets here.

Trying not to overthink things, I jumped in the shower, then dressed in black jeans and a nice blouse with a pair of black leather boots. When Jeff arrived, I headed downstairs, slipped into the car, and rode in silence to Eric’s building.

I took the elevator up to his penthouse, and when the doors slid open I stepped into the foyer, where Eric was waiting—thanks to Jeff alerting him to my arrival. He looked as though he’d just gotten home from the office, still wearing navy blue slacks and a crisp white dress shirt, though the sleeves were rolled up to his forearms.

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