He smiled at Jasmine as he handed her her purse then went to join the boys by the barbecue table. Right now, it was all too complicated. So he knew what he had to do. Stay away from Jasmine.
CHAPTER TWO
Kane clapped and whooped with the rest of the guests as the bridal party was introduced pair by pair by the smooth-talking, funny MC at Rob and Jessa's wedding reception. When Jasmine and her partner entered the room, his heart skipped a beat. Again. It seemed to have developed a habit of doing that whenever his gaze landed on Jasmine.
She looked absolutely stunning in her iris-coloured bridesmaid's dress. He couldn't tell if her ankle still bothered her but judging from the happy grin on her face, she wasn't in much pain. She smiled at people on her way to the bridal party table but she appeared to be scanning the room.
Until she found him and their gazes locked for a few breathless seconds. Her smile widened and her eyes lit up.
He inhaled deeply as warmth flooded him. He really should stop pretending to himself there wasn't anything major going on between him and Jasmine. It was plain to see. She was interested in him and he was interested in her. They'd been exchanging glances since earlier that day—before, during and after the wedding ceremony.
And he had to admit that since he first met her at the picnic seven days ago, he hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. A few times during the past week, he was tempted to contact her—just to see if her ankle was healing nicely. He had gone as far as asking Faye if she knew how Jasmine was doing and Faye assured him she was fine. Then his dear, perceptive sister followed it up with her own question: "How's Hannah?"
That was enough to stop him in his tracks. Things with Hannah weren't sorted yet. Far from it. And it was frustrating the hell out of him.
It didn't stop him from daydreaming about Jasmine, though.
Yes, him. Kane Summers. Thirty-four years old. Daydreaming about a woman. Seriously.
If he didn't know any better he would think he'd fallen in love at first sight. But he did know better. What people called love at first sight was nothing more than instant attraction, which had more to do with lust than love. And Jasmine Allen definitely stirred his loins.
Unfortunately, he wasn't free to do something about his fascination for her. Not yet.
And he didn't know when he would be.
~~~~~~~
Envy needled Kane as Jasmine waltzed in another man's arms. If he wasn't aware that her dancing partner—the brother of the groom—was a happily married man with two kids, he might even have been downright jealous.
He consoled himself with the thought that he'd get his turn shortly. He figured a dance or two with her would be innocent enough. A slow song would be perfect—
"I feel for you, bro. It must suck," the man sitting next to him whispered in his ear, bringing him out of his musing.
Kane peeled his eyes away from Jasmine to turn to Ray Thackery, Faye's fiancé and the boss of Faye's best friends, including the bride. "What do you mean?"
"Jasmine. Hannah," Ray responded cryptically.
He smiled wryly. "I guess it's kind of obvious I'm interested in Jasmine, isn't it?"
"Kind of? Bro, all you've done all day was gape at her."
Kane took a deep breath. "I can't afford to give Hannah more reason to get upset. It will make things even more difficult."
Ray smiled sympathetically. "I know. What do you plan to do?"
"What can I do but wait until the time is right? Problem is, I don't think it will be anytime soon."
Ray patted his shoulder consolingly. "Everything will turn out fine eventually."
"Does Jasmine know about Hannah?" he asked his future brother-in-law.
"I don't think so," Ray responded. "But both Jess and Faye hope that what you and Jasmine have for each other is just a little crush."
"What? Jess doesn't approve of me?" he asked with feigned indignation.
"She just doesn't want her sister to get hurt. And your sister doesn't want you to have more problems. I don't either."
"Is this your way of telling me not to make a move on Jasmine?"
"No. That's none of our business. We're just hoping things don't get any harder for you than it already is."
"Yeah, thanks," he said with a heavy sigh.
The MC's voice rose over the music and encouraged everyone to join the bridal party on the dance floor.
"Well, I'm off to waltz with the most beautiful bridesmaid of them all," Ray announced as he stood up and made a beeline for Faye.
Kane watched as Ray pulled Faye in his arms and smooched her right in the middle of the room with no care in the world.
He chuckled at the demonstrativeness of the couple as his eyes searched for Jasmine in the crowded area. He was determined to have her in his arms for as long as he could tonight, if only to move with the music.
Except that another guy had already claimed her.
His face flushed as a wave of sheer possessiveness hit him. His eyes slitted at the way the guy was running his hand seductively over Jasmine's back while keeping her plastered against his body with a tight arm around her waist. His chest constricted at the intimate picture unfolding before him.
Who the fuck is that guy? A boyfriend?
His gut clenched when he caught the expression on Jasmine's face. She looked angry and upset. Then worry enveloped him as the pair left the dance floor and went out the door.
With no other thought, he followed.
Kane kept a discreet distance as Jasmine's companion led her to a quiet corner outside the ballroom. He stopped behind a post, hidden from their view. It was rude to eavesdrop on a private conversation but he wanted to make sure Jasmine was okay.
"Listen to me, Tim," he heard her say with controlled anger. "I am not going to put up with you touching me like you just did."
"I'm sorry, sweet pea," the guy called Tim droned. "You know I'm just hot for you."
Kane's hands fisted at his sides. He didn't like the way the punk talked. But he stayed where he was. Jasmine might not appreciate him interfering.
"Stop calling me sweet pea!" Jasmine cried. "Do you realise how drunk you are already? You are at my sister's wedding, Tim. Please behave yourself. And please leave me alone."
"All I want is one chance with you, Jasmine. Just one. Please," the jerk whined.
"I'm sorry, but no."
Jasmine's voice was firm and Kane felt proud of her.
"Well, I have two weeks to wear you down," Tim said smugly, his tone turning into something more sinister.
"What do you mean?"
"I took a couple of weeks off work so I could stay here in Sydney with you."
"What? I'm not going to spend any time with you so you might as well go back to Melbourne." Jasmine replied, her voice losing some of its bravado.
"I heard you'll be all alone in Jessa and Rob's big house while they enjoy their honeymoon. You might want a warm body to keep you company," the creep slurred suggestively.
That's it. This has gone on long enough. Kane stepped out and showed himself.
"Jaz. There you are. I've been looking for you." He reached out for her.
"Kane!" Jasmine cried as she practically ran to him.
His breath hitched as he put his arm protectively around her shoulders. "Everything okay?"
Jasmine nodded, smiling up at him with grateful eyes.
He turned his attention to the other man. "Hi, I'm Kane Summers," he said coldly, not even gesturing for a handshake.
"Well, well, Kane Summers. Who might you be? Her new boyfriend?" Tim asked with a sneer.
"Yes," he responded, the lie rolling off his tongue easily.
Tim glared at Jasmine, his lips twisting with contempt. "You give everyone else a turn, Jasmine. But not me. What do they have that I don't? A bigger bank account?"
Kane took a menacing step towards the jerk but stilled when Jasmine clutched his arm.
"Kane, it's Jessa's wedding," she whispered frantically.
He took a deep breath and held back. He understood why Jasmine wouldn't want her sister's night to be ruined by a fight between two of her guests. But another word from the intoxicated idiot and he might do something he'd regret.
"You should leave now, Tim," Jasmine said quietly. "Unless you want both our fathers to hear about this."
"Fine. But I'm not done with you yet, Jasmine," Tim threatened as he ambled towards the exit.
Kane felt Jasmine sag against him. With relief, he assumed.
"You okay?" he asked, tightening his arm around her.
"Yeah. Sorry. I'm just glad he left."
"Who the hell was he?"
"That was Tim Smith, the son of one of my dad's business partners. He's been pursuing me for a while now but I'm just not interested. I think he got really ticked off when I dated his friend George a few months ago. Since then, he's been really intense and pushy."
"So his parents are here tonight too?"
"No. His dad's not well so they couldn't attend. He's here by himself."
"You shouldn't have come out here all alone with him, Jasmine," he rebuked.
"He's never tried anything inappropriate before. But I must admit he spooked me a little bit tonight."
"Shouldn't you tell your dad about him?"
"No. There's no need. He's gone now."
Kane was unconvinced Jasmine had heard the last of Tim but he let it go for now. "I'm glad I followed you."
She gave him a startled look. "I thought you just happened to be around again."
"No. I saw how upset you got in there. I wanted to make sure you were fine."
"Do you make it a habit of playing hero to damsels in distress?" she teased.
"Only to beautiful distressed damsels in pretty bridesmaid's dresses. You look stunning today, Jaz. I haven't had the chance to tell you that until now."
"Thank you," she murmured, her long lashes fluttering as she gazed into his eyes.
Jasmine licked her lips and his breathing shallowed. He felt the pull of her mouth and his tongue itched to explore it. He stopped breathing altogether when Jasmine tilted her face to his in an open invitation.
Damn it. Not yet.
"Uh, I think we should go back in," he croaked.
Jasmine seemed to snap out of a mesmerised state and her cheeks reddened. He could imagine what was going through her head. She would be thinking he didn't want to kiss her.
He decided he owed her an explanation. "Jaz, I'm afraid I'm engaged."
"What?" she asked in shock. "I had no idea."
"It's complicated and —"
Jasmine shook her head and raised her hand to stop him from explaining. "You're right. We should go back in." She turned on her heels and hurried away.
He wanted to kick himself for sticking to principles.
CHAPTER THREE
"No way. Not again," Jasmine said heatedly to her best friend over the phone.
"Weren't you just a little curious as to why it was complicated?" Samantha Lane asked.
Jasmine rolled her eyes although her friend couldn't see. "Sam, he's engaged and that's that. I don't care why it's complicated. I just don't understand why he kept making moon eyes at me and felt compelled to rescue me from a boozed-up admirer."
"Well, he sounds keen on you."
"I'm not a fiancé-stealing slut," she said bitterly.
"Of course you're not! Will you stop saying it like you think everyone thinks so?" Sam demanded.
"George's fiancée thought so. And I bet you George told Tim something along those lines, and that was why Tim treated me like he did."
"I thought Tim stopped talking to George when George dated you. You really think George badmouthed you to Tim?"
"Why else would Tim be so disrespectful of me all of a sudden? He wasn't like that before."
"Maybe Tim just feels frustrated. Like you said, he seemed to wonder why you were giving everyone else a go and not him," Sam suggested.
"He said I was giving everyone else a turn. That has a totally different connotation from giving everyone else a go. I'm positive he believes I sleep around and he wants his turn."
"That's ridiculous. I'll slap him hard the next time I see him," Sam declared loyally.
"Thanks, Sam. I'm still wishing I slapped him hard last Saturday."
"I'm worried that Tim's there in Sydney with you. What if he follows you around and does something unthinkable?"
"Don't worry. Most of the time, I'll be in the house writing. I'll keep the doors and windows locked."
Sam snorted. "You went there to see if you'll enjoy living in Sydney, not lock yourself indoors to write your book."
Jasmine laughed. "I know. But you know I like Sydney already. The only thing I'm still considering is if I want to be away from my parents and you and Kris," she said, thinking of Kristen McCann, her other best friend and Sam's cousin. "Although you did promise me we'll have fun girls' weekends often if I do decide to move."
Sam chuckled. "Yes. Even though we'll miss you a lot, Kris and I are already looking forward to those weekends. They'll be great because absence makes the heart grow fonder."
"Looks like you want me to pack up and leave Melbourne already."
"You know you're very close to accepting your boss's offer, Jaz. It's a senior role and it's more money. And I don't think you should worry about your parents being far away from both you and Jessa. I bet you when you make the move, they'd think about moving too."
"I hope so. I really do hate the thought that they'd be by themselves without one of their kids close by."
"What have your mum and dad said about you moving?"
"Well, Mum got teary when I told her but she said I should do what I want. But you're right, Sam. If I do accept the role, Jess and I could convince Mum and Dad to move here, too."
"Did you tell Jessa about your books before she left for her honeymoon?" Samantha asked.
"No. I chickened out."
"Why? You said you were excited about letting her know. I'm sure she'd be thrilled about the fact that there's another writer in the family."
Jasmine snorted. "Jess is one of the star writers for Lifestyle by Design. You know how huge that is, with the magazine being so highly popular and well-respected. Compared to her, I've got a long way to go."
"Hey, don't sell yourself short. If people knew your pseudonym, they would probably mob you before they would your sister."
"Yeah, right," Jasmine smirked. "Anyway, in relation to telling Jess about my writing, even though I could trust her to keep a secret from our parents, I don't think she would keep it from her best friends. They're as thick as thieves and tell each other almost everything."
Sam laughed. "Just like you, me and Kris."
She chuckled. "Yeah, just like us."
"Well, so what if Jessa tells her friends? Maybe they've even read one of your books and are already your fans. And from what you've told me, Jessa's friends are great people."
"They are," she confirmed with a loud exhale. "But one of them is Kane's sister."
"Aha! So it's really about the guy you want to run away from."
"I don't want to run away from him. He's simply not available."
"Fair enough. If that's the case, what would it matter if he learned about your secret life?"
Jasmine looked out the window as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger. Would it matter if Kane found out she wrote steamy romance novels? Even though her novels were a celebration of love and its physical expression, she anticipated not everyone would be open to them. Would he even want to read them? She grew warm at the picture of Kane reading the sexy scenes in her books.
She shook her head vigorously to rid herself of the embarrassingly erotic thought. It was ludicrous to keep dreaming about a man who was unavailable. Even if the other woman was only his girlfriend and not his fiancée, she would still keep her distance. After her humiliating experience with George, she didn't want to go where she could be painted as a whore who
destroyed relationships.
But Kane said it was complicated.
"Jaz? You there?"
Samantha's voice jolted her out of her pondering. "Yeah, I'm here. What were we talking about?"
"Where did you go, girl? I said what would it matter if this guy Kane knew about what you do in your spare time?"
"You know I still very much want to keep my writing top secret. If I'm still too shy to even tell my family, why would I want him to know? We've only known each other for over a week."
"That's a point," Samantha agreed. "I guess I'm just intrigued by this sizzling attraction you two seem to have."
"I know, Sam," she said with a sigh. "There's something there. But he's engaged so there's no way we could be together."
Her chest hurt at the reality of her words.
~~~~~~~
Jasmine's fingers stopped tapping on her keyboard when her phone rang. Shoot. She was just finishing a scene where her lead character was having a toe-curling orgasm from the man she thought she'd lost forever.
She frowned at the caller ID. 'Blocked', it said. She stared at it, reluctant to answer for fear it could be one of her workmates wanting to chat about how her holiday was going, then ask a quick question or two about one of her clients.
What if it's Kane calling?
Her mind flashed a picture of Kane's head between her legs, giving her as much pleasure as her heroine just got, and she quickly moistened at the thought. Damn, it wouldn't do her good to think of him while she was writing erotic scenes.
The ringing had stopped and she felt a pang of regret for not answering it. What if it had been Kane? What if he was ringing to tell her he'd broken up with his fiancée because he couldn't stand the thought of never being with her? What if he wanted to tell her he couldn't wait to kiss her all over —
Her overheated, overactive imagination was interrupted by the phone ringing once again. She answered it quickly and rather breathlessly. "Hello?"
"Jasmine. Even over the phone you're so sexy."
"Who's this?" she cried in alarm, knowing it wasn't Kane.
Secret Words (Secret Dreams Contemporary Romance 1) Page 2