Secret Words(32)

"Gosh," Kris said. "You've really fallen hard for this guy, haven't you, Jaz? Look at your face—all wistful and horny."

She blushed. "He's really hot," she responded honestly.

The cousins spluttered in laughter. "Finally, someone has captured Jasmine Allen's heart," Sam declared. "I can't wait to meet him. I can't believe you didn't introduce him to us last weekend when he was in town."

"Come on, Sam," Kris said, "if the guy is as hot as Jaz says he is, I'd lock him in the room for the whole weekend, too."

Jasmine pouted dramatically. "I won't see him again for another two weeks."

"Oh my God! You have got it bad, girl."

"Well, you'll be working in Sydney in a couple of months, anyway. You won't have to suffer the distance for too long."

"Oh, that's what I've been wanting to talk to you about," Jasmine said. "I'm thinking of not taking the Sydney role my boss offered."

"What?!"

"That doesn't make sense!"

"Okay, hear me out," she said to her shocked friends. "Kane's firm has clients all over the world. He has to travel overseas often, sometimes for months at a time when he works on big projects. Even if I take a week off work here and there, it would still mean a lot of time apart. So I've been thinking, what if I leave my job and concentrate on my writing? Then I could travel with Kane wherever he goes. That also means I could produce books at a faster rate and have more time with marketing activities."

She stopped speaking to catch her breath.

"I think that's a brilliant plan, Jaz. It would be a dream come true for you," Kris said.

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "Besides, Kane sounds like he could afford to support you if finances become dire."

Jasmine scrunched her face, knowing her royalties could dry up at any time. "That's what I want to avoid. I don't want Kane to think he has to support me just so I can indulge myself with my writing 'hobby'. Ugh, this is a bad idea; forget I even brought it up. It was just a fantasy I had."

"Hey, before you discard it altogether, why don't you see how he would feel about it? If the two of you are serious about each other—and from what you've told us, you are—then maybe he'd love this idea."

She chewed her lip. The vision of being with Kane as he travelled and her writing books from different corners of the globe excited her. "You're right, Sam. I should talk to him about this."

"Great. So what does this have to do with you not taking the job in Sydney? Surely you'd still want financial security while you talk things through with Kane?"

"If I accept, the company will pay for my move. I don't want them to invest more money in me when I'm likely to resign within a few months of getting to Sydney."

"I see your point. So what are you going to do?"

"I have until Monday to decide. I will have spoken to Kane by then."





*******





Jasmine felt the room spin as her heart beat erratically. She gripped the edge of her study table, squeezing her eyes shut and taking deep breaths to ward away the panic attack that threatened to overcome her.

This couldn't be happening.

Slowly, she opened her eyes, hoping that the email she just read was but a figment of her tired, overactive mind.

Unfortunately, it wasn't. It glared at her from her computer screen. How the hell did Hannah find out about her?

She composed herself, knowing she needed to read the email again to be sure of what it contained.





Jasmine,





Yes, I know about you. You're the woman who dates engaged men and breaks up relationships. I don't know how Kane could be so blind about your true colours, but I suppose men will be men.

In case you don't know who I am, I'm Hannah, his ex-fiancée. As you can imagine, I've slept with him countless times so I know how much he loves sex. Unfortunately, when I lost Kane's baby (yes, I was pregnant with his child), I hadn't been in the right frame of mind to give him what he needed in the bedroom. I guess that was why he turned to someone like you. Understandable, and I could forgive him for that.

But hear this, Missy. I'm not going to let you ruin what Kane and I have built together. And Kane is a wonderful man who doesn't deserve to be conned by a slut like you. If you have any heart at all you will understand what I'm about to say to you in the rest of this email.

Kane and his architectural firm have recently been nominated for two international awards. If you don't know what this means to him then I'll tell you. IT MEANS THE WORLD TO HIM. Whether he will win would be up to the judges. But having two properties nominated in the same year is enough to shoot his profile up in the international scene. Some publications would no doubt want to dig up some dirt on him to sell their wares.