Jasmine didn't ask him about his background since she'd heard the story already. Although he hadn't had a family to call his own in the past, he definitely had one now with the Danforths. They claimed him as part of their family and according to Ronnie, the Danforths were very protective of him … just as much as he was of them.
The conversation between them came to an end. In a way she preferred the silence and took a moment to appreciate the night. There were stars in the sky and a full moon overhead and since they were close to the Atlantic coast, she could smell the ocean, and with the window down she could pick up the scent of the wildflowers in bloom. Spring was her most favorite time of the year.
It was a beautiful night, and a part of her was grateful to Wesley for taking her away … even if he had an ulterior motive in doing so. She smiled. Tonight he intended to pick her brain instead of letting her pick someone else's.
"The fair doesn't look crowded," Wesley said, breaking into Jasmine's thoughts when they had reached the fair grounds.
As he pulled into a parking space she immediately picked up the scent of hot dogs, cooked onions and popcorn. "Probably because tomorrow is a school day. They must get most of their business on the weekends."
Wesley grinned. "That's good since it means no long lines." He turned off the car's ignition and turned to her. "Come on, let's have fun."
* * *
Four hours later an exhausted Jasmine felt tired and drained as they made it back to Wesley's car. She had never realized that having fun could sap a person of all their energy.
"Are you sure it will be all right for my car to stay at the coffeehouse all night? I'd hate to return in the morning to find it's been towed away," she was barely able to get out the words she felt so worn out. All she could do was slip into the car when he opened the door. Moments later when she heard the sound of the ignition, she decided to relax with her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes. There was no way she could drive home tonight and appreciated Wesley for offering to take her directly home.
"I'm positive since the coffeehouse stays open all night. I'll call Ian when I get home to let him know it's there."
"Thanks, and thanks for tonight. I had so much fun and the roller-coaster ride was wonderful. I really needed to scream."
He raised a brow as he lowered the volume on the CD player. "You needed to scream?"
A smile touched her lips. "Yes. My stepmother got on my last nerve earlier today and I've been wanting to scream ever since."
Suddenly Wesley's body ached at the thought of another method he could have used to make her scream. He had been too aware of Jasmine tonight. And he was even more aware of her now. Even the sound of her breathing as she sat next to him with her eyes close and her head thrown back, was a total turn-on. His hands tightened on the steering wheel when he remembered how she'd all but jumped into his lap during the ride through the haunted house. She had felt so good in his arms.
"You got a busy day tomorrow?" he asked.
When he came to a traffic light, he watched as she slowly moved her head and opened her eyes to look at him. "I don't have to go into the office but I have a number of personal chores and errands to do. So I'd appreciate it if you let the shadow thing rest for a day."
He chuckled as he moved his gaze back to the road when the traffic light changed. The thought of not seeing her tomorrow bothered him more than it should have. "I'll think about it. Besides, you'll need me to take you to the coffeehouse tomorrow to get your car."
"No, thanks. I can manage. I'll just ask Ronnie to take me."
His gaze flickered back to her for a quick moment. "Ronnie?"
"Yes, Veronica Strongman, a co-worker and good friend."
Wesley released a deep breath, one he wasn't aware that he'd been holding. At first he had assumed Ronnie was a male and he didn't want to acknowledge the quick stab of jealousy at the thought she was involved with someone. But did she have a man in her life? It was something he'd wondered about since meeting her. Now was as good a time as any to find out.
"What about your boyfriend? Can't he take you to pick it up?"
She chuckled like the question had amused her. "That's not a possibility since I don't have a boyfriend. I don't believe in dating."
She'd said the words with such a firm conviction that Wesley immediately believed her. "Why don't you believe in dating?" he asked more than mildly curious.
"Mainly to keep peace in my family since it seems my stepsisters have a tendency to want anything I have, and they have proven in the past that a boyfriend is no different."
He was glad the car had come to a complete stop for a train so he could look over at her. "One of your sisters took your boyfriend?"
Even as tired as she was, Jasmine couldn't help but grin at the look of shock on Wesley's face. "Yes, they've done so a couple of times, although now as I look back, they were doing me favors. Especially with one man I had planned to marry by the name of Paul Sanders. But still, it was just the principle of the thing."
Wesley shook his head. Evidently, in addition to there not being any love lost between Jasmine and her stepsisters, there wasn't any loyalty, either. "But why would they do something like that?"
"Because neither of them feel I'm deserving of anything, especially a little love and happiness." She wondered why she was even sharing this information with Wesley. She was obviously more tired than she had thought to be talking so freely about an issue that had caused her such pain two years ago. The only other person who knew about the strained relationship between her stepmother and stepsisters was Ronnie.
"Why didn't you tell your stepmother so she—"
Jasmine cut off his question with outright laughter. "She's the one who orchestrated the entire thing. My fiancé was an attorney and we had set a date to marry. It had really bothered my stepmother from the first that Paul had shown interest in me and not her darling daughters. One day I left to go out of town and she arranged for me to walk in and catch him and Alyssa in a very compromising situation when I returned. I had to applaud my stepmother for her cunning and boo Paul for his weakness. I broke our engagement and walked out the house that day thinking they deserved each other. That's the same day I moved out."
He nodded. "Are Alyssa and Paul still together?"
"No, that happened over two years ago. Alyssa decided that she needed a richer husband than an attorney and has since shifted her sights on greener pastures."
Wesley shook his head, thinking that if he lived to be the ripe old age of one hundred, he still wouldn't be able to figure out the workings of a female mind. Moments later, he pulled into Jasmine's apartment building and brought the car to a stop. "Are you sure you don't need me to take you to get your car tomorrow?"
"Yes, I'm positive," she said, deciding it was best to get out of the car and go inside now that she'd become awake and her awareness of him had doubled. But for some reason, she couldn't move and for an endless moment their gazes met and held.
"Thanks again for tonight. I'll probably sleep like a baby, I'm so exhausted," she said quietly.
He nodded, doubting he would sleep at all no matter how tired he was. "You're welcome, and I had fun, too."
Wesley knew what he wanted to do as he stared at the tumbled mass of braids on her head, the deep darkness of her eyes and the fullness of her lips. This wasn't a dream like he'd had the other night. This was the real thing and they were together, sitting close and their mouths were just inches apart.
Oh, what the hell, he thought as a wave of longing washed over him. He leaned in closer to capture her mouth, knowing he needed to taste her just as much as he needed to breathe.
The moment his mouth connected to hers, a rush of heated desire took over and he slipped his tongue into her mouth as easily as anything he'd ever done. There hadn't been any hesitation; just anticipation for the sweet, sensual taste he'd known awaited him.
Red-hot sensations poured through his bloodstream. He seemed incapable of getting enough of her taste and the little moans emitting from deep in her throat indicated she felt the same way. Her arms reached over and wrapped around his neck, locking his mouth to hers … as if he would go anywhere else. He was right where he wanted to be.
He knew that from this moment on, he would continue to have wonderful dreams about her mouth but never again would he have to wonder about the flavor. It was just as he'd thought, spicy hot with a rich blend of passion and a dose of rapture, of the toe-curling, quick-arousal kind. The interior of the car oozed with sexual chemistry and he was more aware of her than any woman he had ever known. Tonight, right now, control was not an issue—satisfaction was, and feasting on her mouth was giving him satisfaction of the most rewarding kind.
Moments later, when he finally pulled his mouth away, he heard her sigh of disappointment and it matched his groan of frustration. He leaned back against the seat feeling boneless and weak, but two hundred percent gratified. He wondered what were his chances of ever taking her in the back seat of his other cars. Maybe the Mercedes. Just the thought made him aware of just how much he wanted her. He might think differently in the morning after he got his head back on straight, but now, this very minute, he wanted her with a passion that was totally consuming him.