Page 97 of Craving Paradise
“Great. Do you need a gold star or something for that?” I bite back at her.
“Looks like you do. I’m not the one on his doorstep at this hour of the morning with baked goods,” she says with a sneer.
“Lauren?” Jasper says my name as he walks up behind the blonde bitch dressed in nothing but a pair of boxer briefs. His hair is all messily tousled, thanks to the woman in front of me.
“Jasper, she tried to barge in with cupcakes.” The blonde woman moans to him.
“Then why is she still standing outside?” he asks her.
The blonde chokes on her words, unable to speak.
“It’s okay. I can see you’re busy. You said you wanted to taste Elle’s cupcakes the next time she had leftovers. So here they are.” I shove the box into his arms.
“Thanks,” he says with a frown as he stares at the box. “Here, can you put these in the kitchen?” he asks the blonde, who doesn’t look so happy about being asked to do that task. She does with a hair flip and marches away.
“I didn’t know you were coming over,” he says, leaning against the door.
“It’s all good, Jasper. You don’t have to explain anything to me.”
“Feel like I do.”
I shake my head. “You have a great Sunday, and I’ll see you around.”
The stupid flutter in my chest slowly starts to die as I turn on my heel and walk back to my car.
“Lauren, I’m sorry. You weren’t supposed to see this,” he yells.
“It’s fine, Jasper. You owe me nothing.” I unlock my car and get in, except he follows me and knocks on the door. Jasper is standing in the street in his underwear. What is he doing? “Jasper, go back inside. You’ll scare the neighbors.”
“Doubt it … Mrs. Jenkins loves me. I think it might give her a great boost to see my tight ass in the morning,” he jokes, smirking.
“You might give her a heart attack more like it,” I quip.
“You might be right. I need to know if we are, okay? I’m truly sorry you had to see what you saw this morning. It wasn’t my intention at all.”
“We’re not dating, Jasper. We’re not anything. You have nothing to apologize for.”
“You really think we’re not anything?”
“It doesn’t matter. Go back inside and look after your date. I’ll see you around. Have a great weekend, Jasper. I have to go.”
Jasper takes a step back from the window and frowns at me as I quickly drive away before the first tear slides down my cheek.
Shit. I’ve fucked up. He penetrated my walls. I’ve let Jasper in too far. He wasn’t supposed to burrow that deeply. I thought my walls were higher than that. I thought I had fortified them against any sneak attack of feelings.
I was wrong.
Elle’s eyes widen as she takes in my mood. “Are you okay?” she asks when I get home.
“Yeah, all good. Can I have a cupcake?” I ask as I watch her decorate the chocolatey goodness.
“Sure, they are choc mint.”
“Want to talk about it?” Elle asks.
“Not really. I promise I’m fine, Elle, just disappointed in someone.”
“Well, I’m here if you need me,” she reassures me as she places a second cupcake in front of me.