The Charmer

32

Then her eyes shifted to Rihlia, who stared at the ground with a fierce blush. She moved away, escaping. As she did, his fingers slid up and brushed the edge of her curls. Jasmine gasped and jumped sideways, staring at him in shock.

He winked at her.

***

“So you love Jayems, huh?”

Rihlia nearly dropped her cup. Jasmine had been so quiet since they got back from their spa adventure that the sudden question caught her off guard. Her eyes darted around the room to make certain her husband was out of earshot. “I...don’t know what I feel for him.”

Jasmine gave her a knowing look. “I’ve seen the way you look at him, Ri.”

Rihlia set her cup down carefully. “It’s not what you think.”

Jasmine waved that away. “I know the difference. You’re in love. Any day now I expect to see little Jaymeses running around in nappies.”

Rihlia stiffened and Jasmine’s eyes widened. “You’re not pregnant, are you?” she asked suspiciously.

Her friend quickly shook her head. “No, no...I don’t think so, anyway.”

“You don’t think so?” Jasmine demanded. “Haven’t you been...careful?” She didn’t really want to know the details of Rihlia’s s*x life, not when the partner was her husband.

“I know that,” Rihlia ground out. “But it’s not always...sometimes there’s just no time to…” She waved her hand in embarrassment. “He’s a good-looking man. I’m no saint. Sometimes I just don’t remember.” Jasmine grinned, and Rihlia said a little testily, “You should talk. What about you and Keilor?”

The grin disappeared. “What about us? I mean, there is no us. No Keilor and me. I can hardly stand him.”

“That’s not what it looked like earlier. He might have been the instigator this time, but I’m not the only one who’s noticed you checking out his assets.” She dipped a slice of apple in caramel sauce and popped it in her mouth. “Urseya gets greener by the day.”

Jasmine rolled her eyes. “Can I help it if the man has a fine rear end?” Her friend snickered, and Jasmine smiled. It faded fast. “But it doesn’t mean I plan on pursuing him.” She lifted her face to the afternoon sunlight, enjoying the warmth. “I’ll leave that to his fan club.”

“Jealous.”

“Smart,” she retorted. “A guy like that doesn’t need another woman to inflate his ego.” She lifted her glass and gestured with it. “What I need is a nice, steady guy who’ll respect me. Someone who wants to get serious. Someone who doesn’t have half the palace population drooling at his feet.” She scowled.

“Be fair,” Rihlia chided her. “The only ones you’ve actually seen chasing him are Urseya and maybe yourself.”

“I do not chase him! And you have to admit, the man got that ego somewhere.”

Rihlia considered her friend thoughtfully. “What’s it like? Being a celebrity.” She smiled when Jasmine made a face. “I’m serious! If half the female population is chasing Keilor then the male half is chasing you. What’s it like?”

“A nuisance. It’s fun at first to get all the gifts and flowers and things, but after a while it starts to feel like you’re the only one at Christmas who forgot to buy gifts. It’s not like I can bake cookies for that many guys, and I don’t have a dollar to my name.”

Rihlia smiled. “That’s easy. What’s the one thing all these men have in common?” When Jasmine just gave her a blank look, she prompted impatiently, “You. They all want you.”

Jasmine shrugged. “So?”

“So I propose we give them what they want. Not that!” she insisted when Jasmine opened her mouth to object. “A contest, with the winner receiving a date with you.”

Jasmine bit her lip. “I don’t know…”

“It’s perfect! We’ll just go to Jayems and ask him to help us set it up.”

Jasmine wavered.

“Ah, come on, Jas, it’ll be fun! Just like being the prom queen.” Rihlia jumped up to get a paper and a pen. “Let’s see...we’re going to need…”

***

Lady Liselle had six daughters, and all of them appeared to be in heat.

Jasmine shook her head as Fallon sauntered past on his way to the buffet table, dripping women. Keilor was nearly as bad. True, he seemed to be subtly holding the women at bay, but his aloofness only made them more determined.

They were outside on a lawn, so it would have been difficult to escape with the excuse that she needed some air. She pondered what would get her out of this affair. She eyed the torches. Could she set herself on fire?

“A fruit jelly, Lady Jasmine?”

Jasmine sighed and turned her attention back to Lady Liselle’s son, the ever-annoying Joffre. With a forced smile, she answered, “Why not?” When she tried to take it from the lanky young man, he smiled teasingly and placed the treat at her lips. Awkward. She bit it in half with one quick, efficient bite.

He popped the remaining half into his mouth, savoring the treat. “Mm. Delicious,” he purred in imitation of a deep, sexy voice. “How do you like it?” he asked, as if he’d really been talking about candy.

The jelly was delicious, but she answered the real question. “It’s very nice, but a little too sweet. I think a little would go a long way.”

Joffre was either a trifle stupid or foolishly overconfident, for his smile deepened. “The more you taste, the better you’ll like it.”

Jasmine clamped her teeth and looked away before she succumbed to the urge to find another jelly and stuff it up his nose.

A delicate dessert glass was thrust into her hand and she looked up with surprise at Urseya’s voice saying, “Be gone, Joffre. You’re annoying the girl.” He opened his mouth to protest, but a single raised brow from Urseya silenced him. With a resentful nod to her and a deeper one to Jasmine, he left.

“Pestilence,” Urseya murmured with distaste. She sipped her wine as she watched him go. “He never did understand when he was unwanted.”

Her eyes shifted to Keilor, and she grimaced. “Disgusting, isn’t it?”

Jasmine followed her gaze. One of the daughters placed a manicured hand on Keilor’s shoulder. “Very.”