Kate Hewitt - Modern Romance April 2016

‘Forget about it.’

I only wish I could, Jaz thought. But when she finally worked up the courage to look up he had already turned on his heel and gone.

CHAPTER FOUR

JAKE WAS VAINLY trying to sleep when he heard the sound of the plumbing going in the other wing of the house where Jasmine’s room was situated next to Miranda’s. He lay there for a while, listening as the pipes pumped water. Had Jasmine left on a tap? He glanced at the bedside clock. It was late to be having a shower, although he had to admit for him a cold one wouldn’t have gone astray. He rarely lost his temper. He preferred to laugh his way out of trouble but something about Jasmine’s mood had got to him tonight. He was sick of dragging their history around like a dead carcass. It was time to put it behind them. He didn’t want Julius and Holly’s or Miranda and Leandro’s wedding ruined by a ridiculous feud that had gone on way too long.

He shoved off the bed covers and reached for a bathrobe. He seemed to remember Jasmine had a tendency for long showers but he still thought he’d better check to make sure nothing was amiss. He made his way to the bathroom closest to her room and rapped his knuckles on the door. ‘You okay in there?’ he said. No answer. He tapped again, louder this time, and called out but the water continued. He tried the door but it was locked. He frowned. Why did she think she had to lock the door? They were alone in the house. Didn’t she trust him? The thought sat uncomfortably on him. He might be casual about sex but not that casual. He always ensured he had consent first.

Not that he was going to sleep with Jasmine. That would be crazy. Crazy but tempting. Way too tempting, if he was honest with himself. He had spent many an erotic daydream with her body pinned under his or over his, or with her mouth on him, sucking him until he blew like a bomb. She had that effect on men. She didn’t do it on purpose; her natural sensuality made men fall over like ninepins. Her beauty, her regal manner, her haughty ‘I’m too good for the likes of you’ air made men go weak at the knees, himself included. Just thinking about her naked body under that spray of water in the shower was enough to make him rock-hard.

He waited outside her door until the water finally stopped. ‘Jasmine?’

It was a while before she opened the door. She was wearing a bathrobe and her hair was wrapped turban-like with a towel. Her skin was rosy from the hot water and completely make-up free, giving her a youthful appearance that took him back a decade. ‘What?’ She frowned at him irritably. ‘Is something wrong with your bathroom?’

He frowned when he saw her red-rimmed eyes and pink nose. ‘Have you been crying?’

Her hand clutching the front of her bathrobe clenched a little tighter but her tone was full of derision. ‘Why would I be crying? Oh, yes, I remember now. My fiancé wanted a month’s break. Pardon me for being a little upset.’

Jake felt a stab of remorse for not having factored in her feelings. He had such an easy come, easy go attitude to his relationships he sometimes forgot other people invested much more emotionally. But did she really love the guy or was she in love with the idea of love and marriage? Three engagements in three years. That must be some sort of record, surely? Had she been in love each time? ‘You want to talk about it?’

Her eyes narrowed in scorn. ‘What—with you?’

‘Why not?’

She pushed past him and he got a whiff of honeysuckle body wash. ‘I’m going to bed. Good night.’

‘Jasmine, wait,’ Jake said, capturing her arm on the way past. His fingers sank into the soft velour of her bathrobe as he turned her to face him. He could feel the slenderness of her arm in spite of the pillowy softness of the thick fabric, reminding him of how feminine she was. A hot coil of lust burned in his groin, winding tighter and tighter. ‘I might’ve been a little rough on you downstairs earlier.’

Her brows lifted and she pulled out of his light hold. ‘Might’ve been?’

He let out a whooshing breath. ‘Okay, I was rough on you. I didn’t think about how you’d be feeling about the break-up.’

‘It’s not a break-up. It’s a break.’

Jake wasn’t following the semantics. ‘You don’t think it’s permanent?’

Her chin came up. ‘No. Myles just needs a bit of space.’

He frowned. ‘But what about us? Don’t you think he’s going to get a little pissed you found someone else so soon?’

She looked at him as if he were wearing a dunce’s cap. ‘Yes, but that’s the whole point. Sometimes people don’t know what they’ve got until it’s gone.’

‘Has he called you since the news of our—’ Jake couldn’t help grimacing over the word ‘—engagement was announced?’

‘Heaps of times but I’m not answering,’ Jaz said. ‘I’m letting him stew for a bit.’

‘Do you think he believes it’s true?’

‘Why wouldn’t he? Everyone else bought it. Apart from Julius, of course.’

‘I’m surprised Miranda fell for it, to tell you the truth,’ Jake said.

Jaz frowned. ‘Why do you say that? Have you spoken to her?’

‘She sent me a congratulatory text but I haven’t spoken to her. I’ve been dodging her calls. But you’re her closest friend. She’ll suss something’s amiss once she sees us together.’

Her lips compressed for a moment. ‘I don’t think it will be a problem. Anyway, she’s busy with her own engagement and wedding plans.’

Jake studied her for a beat. ‘Are you in love with this Myles guy?’

Her brow wrinkled. ‘What sort of question is that? Of course I am.’

‘Were you in love with Tim and Linton?’

‘Lincoln,’ she said with a scowl. ‘Yes, I was.’

‘You’re pretty free and easy with your affection, aren’t you?’

Jaz gave him a gelid look. ‘That’s rich coming from the man who changes partners faster than tyres are changed in a Formula One pit lane.’

Jake couldn’t help smiling. ‘You flatter me. I’m fast but not that fast.’

‘Have you heard from Emma?’

‘No.’

‘So my plan is working.’

‘So far.’ He didn’t like to admit it but there was no denying it. From being bombarded with texts, emails and calls there had been zilch from Emma since Jasmine had delivered her bombshell announcement. Another thing he didn’t like to acknowledge was how he’d had nothing but congratulations from all his friends and colleagues. Even his parents had stopped slinging insults at each other via the press long enough to congratulate him. He had even had an email from a client he’d thought he’d lost, promising not just his business but that of several high-profile contacts.

This little charade was turning out to be much more of a win-win than Jake had expected.

‘What we need is to be seen out in public,’ Jaz said. ‘That will make it even more believable.’

‘In public?’

‘Yes, like on a date or dinner or something.’

‘You reckon we could get through a whole meal together without you throwing something at me?’

Her gaze moved out of reach of his. ‘I’ll do my best.’

* * *

Jaz woke the next morning to a call from Miranda. ‘I know it’s early but I can’t get Jake on his phone to congratulate him,’ Miranda said. ‘I figured he’d be in bed with you. Can you hand me to him? That is, if it’s not inconvenient?’ The way she said ‘inconvenient’ was playful and teasing.

Jaz swallowed back a gulp. ‘Erm...he’s having a shower right now. I’ll get him to call you, okay?’

‘Okay,’ Miranda said. ‘So how’s it going? Does it seem real? I mean, for all this time you’ve been at each other’s throats. Is it good to be making love instead of war?’