Jasmine could feel her anger escalating as the two of them sat and chatted like long lost friends. She wondered what the heck they found so amusing, as they laughed together. She told herself it was none of her business if he flirted with some trampy soccer mom. Hell, he could marry her and be one big happy family for all she cared, as long as the man left her and Jacob alone.
She knew she sounded like a jealous ex-spouse, even in her own head but he wasn’t even trying to hide his flirting with another woman when she was standing in the same room. It was worse, considering he had ravished her body only a few short hours ago. The man was a cad and she was better off without him.
“So, that’s Jacob’s father, huh?” Chuck, said as he came up to the table. Jasmine was hurt and angry and needed to feel good about herself, so she poured it on a little too thickly, with poor Chuck.
“Yeah, he’s been gone a long time and wants to reconnect with Jacob,” she said. She didn’t want everyone there to know all her business and that Derek had only found out he was a father that day.
“Jacob seems pretty happy about it,” he said, as they both glanced over at Jacob. Derek was looking directly at her and he didn’t seem to be laughing anymore. Maybe it bothered him a bit to have to sit and watch her flirt, she thought a bit cattily.
“Yeah, Jacob is really excited about it,” she said and then found herself giggling, as she touched his arm. What was wrong with her? She was now acting like the vixen mother, who had her hands all over Derek. She needed to get a grip on herself.
Chuck’s eyes widened at her touch and he moved a bit closer. He really was a good looking guy. He was about the same height and weight as Derek, though not quite as muscled. She knew a lot of the moms had crushes on him and had been flirting with him, in hopes of a date but he had seemed fixated on her for a while. She had simply not been interested.
“What are you doing later tonight?” he asked and she could see the wheels turning in his head. He was asking her out again, encouraged by her flirting. Damn, she really hadn’t thought about that. Before she could answer him, not knowing what she was going to say, Derek appeared and cut the conversation short.
“Sorry Chuck we are going to be in the city tonight,” Derek said, as he wrapped an arm around her, letting Chuck and every other man in the room know she wasn’t available. She didn’t get what he was doing, as they weren’t a couple and he’d been practically drooling in the other woman’s lap, not two seconds ago.
“Oh, I was just thinking about having a pizza party for the boys to celebrate the end of their season,” he said, quickly covering up. She was impressed with him; he must’ve planned a back-up in case she turned him down again. She really felt badly. She shouldn’t have let her temper get away from her and used him to appease her own feelings.
“We should think about that next weekend, I can order trophies for the boys, if you give me a list of their names,” Derek said smoothly.
“That would be very generous of you,” Chuck said with sincerity, if not a bit of jealousy.
“It would be my pleasure. I've missed out on far too much of my son’s life and I plan on making up for that now by not spending another minute without him,” Derek said, making it very clear that he wasn’t going anywhere.
“That’s great, well I better get back over there and coach the boys,” he said, as he rushed off. He knew that Jasmine was off limits and was making his quick escape. She wanted to say something to Derek about his high handed behavior but wouldn’t give the nosy parents the satisfaction of a public fight.
Derek leaned down and kissed her intimately, before letting her go. He was marking his territory for everyone there to see. She knew it was a Tarzan thing to do but she was still slightly light on her feet as he made his way back over to Jacob. She finally realized she was staring and turned away, only to notice almost every pair of eyes in the building on her. She felt her cheeks grow warm as the blush took over her features.
She really had to quit forgetting there was a world of people around her every time the man touched her. She busied herself with the food, only stopping when it was Jacob’s turn to wrestle. She was no longer the loudest fan in the audience, she thought, as she heard Derek encouraging Jacob throughout his match.
After Jacob won, he ran over to his dad, who lifted him up, spinning him around in a huge hug. Her heart tugged as he raced to her next and let her kiss him on the cheek and congratulate him. She loved him so deeply that there was nothing she wouldn’t do to make his life better, even if it meant putting up with her insufferable ex.