near, she broke off her conversation with the
pretty redhead who stood near her table and looked up at him with that look he
dubbed the princess face. Her lips remained in a straight line, but her big
brown eyes lit up with joy. She liked what she saw, but damn if she was going
to let you know.
The redhead, who was the bar’s manager, turned to follow
Jasmine’s line of sight and propped her hand on her hip when she saw him
standing there.
“Marco,” Ari said in that annoyed, you-are-my-nemesis way
she always did when they crossed paths. She still hadn’t completely forgiven
him for tricking her into confirming that her boyfriend was the vigilante he
had been tasked to hunt down. The girl could hold quite a grudge.
“Ariel,” he replied, knowing how much she just loved her
given name. “You look nice tonight. Lavender is your color.”
“Always the charmer.” She shook her head with a sigh. “Bale
isn’t here tonight.”
“I’m not here to see Bale.”
“Oh.” Then she noticed how his eyes kept sliding to Jasmine
and those incredible lips. Her eyes rounded and she gasped. “Oh!”
The giggle she hid behind her hand confirmed that she had an
excellent idea of who Jasmine was and why he would be meeting with her. His
face grew hot, but he refused to let embarrassment lower his head. Jasmine was
watching and the last thing he wanted was to appear like a stammering fool.
Ari caught her breath and batted her lashes. “Can I get you
anything, Marco?”
“Stella will be nice.”
“Coming right up. Anything else?” She looked towards
Jasmine.
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“Then I’ll bright back. And thanks for those links, Jasmine.
I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“I’d love to hear it.”
Marco waited for Ari to depart, then pulled out the chair to
Jasmine’s left. He moved to take a seat then paused. Was he “on” now? Was he
supposed to wait until he was invited to sit? Or was he just standing there,
looking like a big dork?
He decided to err on the side of caution and wait for her to
make the first move. The longer he stood, the broader her smile grew until she
nodded at the chair. “Relax, Captain. Please, have a seat.”
He released a small sigh and sat down. “You look absolutely
stunning.”
“Thank you. You’re looking quite handsome yourself. I like a
man who makes an effort in his appearance. I’ve always found you to be a very
good-looking man.”
Appreciation warmed her gaze and she reached for her glass
of wine. The plump pillows of her lips were painted a deep red, and when she
pulled the glass away, a perfect imprint of her lips remained on the glass.
Immediately he began to ache, desperate to see that color smeared on certain
parts of his body.
“Captain, are you all right?”
“Truthfully, Doc, I don’t know. Shit.” He swiped a hand down
his face. “I mean, ma’am, or Mistress. Hell, I don’t even know what to call
you.”
“Jasmine is fine, for now.”
A server appeared by their side and set a chalice of beer on
a napkin before him. He murmured thanks and before the liquid had a chance to
settle in the glass, he snatched it up and took several healthy swallows. The
brew was cold and burned a bit as it slid down his throat. Jasmine watched him
with that princess look on her face, making him wish his chair were equipped
with rocket packs to fly him out of there before he made a bigger ass of
himself. God, why didn’t he just turn in his man-card now?
Or he could stop being a pussy and come clean.
He set the glass on the table and leaned forward. “Jasmine,
can I be honest here?”
“Please do. Lying or concealing your thoughts and feelings
will not work in a relationship like this.”
“Good. Good.” His thumbs tapped a staccato beat on the
tabletop. “The truth is, I have no idea what I’m doing here. I’m a very focused
guy. My work is everything to me, and yet I can’t stop thinking about you,
about Mistress Jasmina. I’m the guy
pretty redhead who stood near her table and looked up at him with that look he
dubbed the princess face. Her lips remained in a straight line, but her big
brown eyes lit up with joy. She liked what she saw, but damn if she was going
to let you know.
The redhead, who was the bar’s manager, turned to follow
Jasmine’s line of sight and propped her hand on her hip when she saw him
standing there.
“Marco,” Ari said in that annoyed, you-are-my-nemesis way
she always did when they crossed paths. She still hadn’t completely forgiven
him for tricking her into confirming that her boyfriend was the vigilante he
had been tasked to hunt down. The girl could hold quite a grudge.
“Ariel,” he replied, knowing how much she just loved her
given name. “You look nice tonight. Lavender is your color.”
“Always the charmer.” She shook her head with a sigh. “Bale
isn’t here tonight.”
“I’m not here to see Bale.”
“Oh.” Then she noticed how his eyes kept sliding to Jasmine
and those incredible lips. Her eyes rounded and she gasped. “Oh!”
The giggle she hid behind her hand confirmed that she had an
excellent idea of who Jasmine was and why he would be meeting with her. His
face grew hot, but he refused to let embarrassment lower his head. Jasmine was
watching and the last thing he wanted was to appear like a stammering fool.
Ari caught her breath and batted her lashes. “Can I get you
anything, Marco?”
“Stella will be nice.”
“Coming right up. Anything else?” She looked towards
Jasmine.
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“Then I’ll bright back. And thanks for those links, Jasmine.
I’ll let you know how it goes.”
“I’d love to hear it.”
Marco waited for Ari to depart, then pulled out the chair to
Jasmine’s left. He moved to take a seat then paused. Was he “on” now? Was he
supposed to wait until he was invited to sit? Or was he just standing there,
looking like a big dork?
He decided to err on the side of caution and wait for her to
make the first move. The longer he stood, the broader her smile grew until she
nodded at the chair. “Relax, Captain. Please, have a seat.”
He released a small sigh and sat down. “You look absolutely
stunning.”
“Thank you. You’re looking quite handsome yourself. I like a
man who makes an effort in his appearance. I’ve always found you to be a very
good-looking man.”
Appreciation warmed her gaze and she reached for her glass
of wine. The plump pillows of her lips were painted a deep red, and when she
pulled the glass away, a perfect imprint of her lips remained on the glass.
Immediately he began to ache, desperate to see that color smeared on certain
parts of his body.
“Captain, are you all right?”
“Truthfully, Doc, I don’t know. Shit.” He swiped a hand down
his face. “I mean, ma’am, or Mistress. Hell, I don’t even know what to call
you.”
“Jasmine is fine, for now.”
A server appeared by their side and set a chalice of beer on
a napkin before him. He murmured thanks and before the liquid had a chance to
settle in the glass, he snatched it up and took several healthy swallows. The
brew was cold and burned a bit as it slid down his throat. Jasmine watched him
with that princess look on her face, making him wish his chair were equipped
with rocket packs to fly him out of there before he made a bigger ass of
himself. God, why didn’t he just turn in his man-card now?
Or he could stop being a pussy and come clean.
He set the glass on the table and leaned forward. “Jasmine,
can I be honest here?”
“Please do. Lying or concealing your thoughts and feelings
will not work in a relationship like this.”
“Good. Good.” His thumbs tapped a staccato beat on the
tabletop. “The truth is, I have no idea what I’m doing here. I’m a very focused
guy. My work is everything to me, and yet I can’t stop thinking about you,
about Mistress Jasmina. I’m the guy
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