She frowned thoughtfully as she listened to me and leaned against the door.
"It's harder for me. I don't make friends easily and most of the time, I don't care. But sometimes, you find people you sort of click with. Like you don't have to explain to them why you are the way you are. That's rare for me. Nobody likes me."
Skye gaped at me. "What're you talking about? We like you. We love you, Jasper. We are your friends and family."
I blew out a breath and went back to my shaving. "I know. But it seems like the two of you think you can hang out with Armaan as much as you want but when I find someone else to hang out with, you just won't let it go."
She remained silent for a minute. I met her eyes in the mirror.
"She doesn't want to be just friends," Skye finally whispered.
I tensed at her words. How does she know that?
Skye looked at me imploringly with those beautiful, blue eyes. "Just be careful around her, okay. Don't get...too comfortable."
Okay. Now I was beginning to get angry. She knew me better than that. "Nothing's going to happen, Skye," I told her firmly.
Her eyebrows went up at my response, the lack of surprise in my voice and she scoffed. "Oh my God...you know," she said. "You know she's into you."
"She's not into me," I argued angrily. "She loves her husband. Besides, you're supposed to trust me. I don't say anything when you and Cole sing Armaan's praises. All I did was let her drive me somewhere so I could do my job."
"Cole and I aren't into Armaan! And Armaan's not into us!" she yelled at me.
I snorted, knowing I was riling her up on purpose. "Are you sure about that?"
Skye widened her eyes at me. "How can you ask me that? I love you, Jasper. And I love Cole. I have been nothing but loyal to you." Her eyes glistened with tears. I clenched my jaw and walked over to her.
"I'm sorry. That wasn't fair," I murmured and took her in my arms as she sniffled. "Please don't cry. I didn't meant it. It just makes me mad thinking that you don't trust me. I'd never betray you or Cole."
She wrapped her arms around me. "It's not you I don't trust," she said in a muffled voice while her head remained buried in my chest. "Come out with us tonight. Armaan's taking us to some secret club underground. It's going to be fun, I promise."
I sighed and released her. The last thing I wanted to do was tag along while Armaan Qureshi worked his charm on Cole and Skye and they both lapped it up while trying to make sure I wasn't sulking. God, I couldn't wait for this vacation to be over.
"I can't, baby," I told her in a low voice. "I have some work emails to take care of, calls to make. You know with freelancing, it's important for me not to miss any projects. But I promise, tomorrow night, I'm all yours."
Skye nodded. She did freelance work as an artist too so I knew she understood. The bills weren't going to pay themselves when we went back to Italy. And now we had a baby to think of as well.
"Tomorrow night," she said and turned away. "I'll ask Cole to tell Armaan we need a night in. Just the three of us."
"You sure he'll give you guys permission?" I taunted and she threw a hand towel at my face before walking away.
"Don't be mean. He just wants us to have a good time here," she called over her shoulder before disappearing into the bedroom closet.
I pursed my lips in thought. She was right, of course. And if I didn't want them to resent me for my friendships or extra-curricular activities, I had to show them the same consideration.
"Okay, have fun, tonight!" I shouted back and went back to shaving. It was work mode for me now.
****
Cole
"This place is awesome!" I shouted at Armaan over the sound of the loud, Arabian music surrounding us in the secret underground club he had brought us to that evening.
Belly dancers, endless flow of drinks and Middle Eastern delicacies and a sultry, fun ambience with beautiful interior design. The architect in me was intrigued to see how this had been managed but Armaan dragged us to a private belly dancing show in the VIP section and I didn't have much opportunity to explore.
A waitress dressed in silky, transparent trousers and a bikini top served us our drinks. I had ordered lemonade for myself and Skye while Armaan had ordered a pitcher full of bourbon and cola.
"Skye, you don't drink either?" Armaan asked her as we sipped our fruit juice.
She grinned at him, appearing fresh and energized by the evening's atmosphere. "Sometimes. Just not in the mood tonight."
He frowned at us. "Are you sure? You didn't want to take the drinks I gave out that night either."
I cleared my throat but Skye answered before I did. "It's like this...Jasper's not allowed to drink because of the stroke, you already know Cole's a health freak and sticks to the safe stuff whereas I, a lover of some good wine every now and then, am pregnant."
Armaan stared at her for a while and so did I. We hadn't told anyone else about it. Then my friend was congratulating us and leaning forward to give Skye a hug and clap me on the back.
"I'm really happy for you guys," he said but his voice sounded all choked up. Then he picked up the pitcher of bourbon and began to gulp down copious amounts of it.
It was disconcerting for me to witness this because in the short time that I had known Armaan Qureshi, he hadn't ever touched a glass of alcohol no matter how many people got drunk around him.
****
Jasmine
I knocked on Jasper's door that night and when he opened it, I handed him a note. He gave me a confused look but I simply held a finger to my lips, pointed to my eyes and around the corridor before walking away. Eyes everywhere. Then I headed off towards the room slash office that nobody uses, making sure not a single person saw me enter it.
****
Chapter Eight
Jasper
I shouldn't even be considering this. She was clearly up to no good. I had read the mischief in her eyes which were kind of glazed from being stoned, I guessed. It was around nine p.m and I had just wrapped up my work for the day, preparing to head off to bed when she had knocked on my door.
*Come to the secret spot. Make sure nobody sees you. Bring alcohol.*
I should've just thrown away the note but I pocketed it and sat in my room debating whether to go or not for a long while. My phone had beeped with a notification a minute ago when Skye had updated her Instagram story. A video of her, Cole and Armaan with their glasses lifting together in a toast and girls who looked like belly dancers in the background where loud Arabian music was playing. And another one of her and Cole with their arms around each other as they kissed, so obviously in love. So happy. I would've been a little jealous if she hadn't asked me to join them this morning and if it hadn't been for the caption she had added. Wish you were here, Wells, it said in pink neon font and I smiled, my eyes softening.
It wasn't really my scene but I kind of wished I was there too for a second. However, they wouldn't have let me drink and I loved my scotch too much to give it up. Pocketing my phone, I stood up abruptly and grabbed a bottle before heading over to the unused office I had discovered last night. I had a friend now who was probably a little too eager on me but I was pretty sure she wouldn't act on it. And I had a secret spot as well where I could drink to my heart's content without being judged.
Smiling at the thought, I knocked on the office door as quietly as possible while looking around to check that nobody had seen me and then, I was caught off guard when the door opened and a hand reached out to pull me in.
****
Skye
"You need to talk to him," I said in Cole's ear.
"What?" He spoke loudly, taking his attention off the belly dancers and looking at me.
I rolled my eyes and jerked my head towards Armaan who was drunk out of his mind beside us and slumped on the couch looking miserable. Cole glanced at his friend and frowned.
"Hey, man. You wanna head back home now?" he asked Armaan. "We're ready to leave."
Armaa
n gave a start and blinked at us before searching for his keys inside his jacket pocket and handing them over to Cole. "You guys go," he slurred and slumped back down again, not looking at anything in particular.
Cole and I exchanged a worried look.
"What about you, Armaan?" I asked.
The other guy shrugged. "There are rooms here. I'll sleep it off. Can't go home wasted. Ammi will kill me."
My eyes widened. Were the laws here really so barbaric?
"Is that the punishment for intoxication here? Execution?" I asked out of fear, praying to God Jasper wasn't taking advantage of our absence to get through the stash of alcohol hidden in our room. We should've thrown all that out.
Armaan let out a bark of laughter. "God, no. You get fined and beaten up, that's all."
I stared at him horrified and he grinned at me and Cole. "I'm sorry. Bad joke. They don't beat you up. But you spend a few days in jail."
I began to bite my lip. "Aren't you worried about that?" I prompted softly as the music came to a stop around us. A reprieve. "We can't just leave him here," I said to Cole. "Maybe we should call Jasmine."
"No," Armaan snapped suddenly and I jumped. He scowled at us. "Don't call her. Don't tell her anything. She doesn't care."
My heart ached for him. What was going on here? I reached out and patted his arm. He was not in the right frame of mind to be left alone. God knew what could happen in this country.
"Cole will stay with you," I said firmly and gave my boyfriend a pleading look. "I know the way back. Don't worry."
"Please. It's okay. I'm really sorry about this," Armaan slurred again. "The manager knows me. I'll be fine." He got up and I was relieved to see that he did not stumble.
Cole and I stood up as well and Cole clamped a hand on his shoulder. "You sure, bro? Anything you need, make sure to call me okay?"
Armaan had informed us that phones weren't allowed in the club due to the risk of exposure but they had let him keep his phone and since we were with him, we got to keep ours too. Nobody knew where I had gone for a vacation. I hadn’t disclosed the location in my social media posts or tagged Armaan so I was hoping it was all good.
The guy was giving us both a pained look. He rubbed his hands over his face wearily. In a miserable voice, he said, "I need..." He paused and exhaled dejectedly before biting his lip as though it hurt him to drag the words out. "I need what you guys have," he confessed, his voice breaking and it was all I could do to not hug him and comfort him like he had done to me in an act of kindness when I had first visited his home in Italy.
"That's it," I said loudly and grabbed the keys from Cole. "He's not staying here alone. I'm going to call you when I get home. Stay with him please. Make sure he's fine."
I leaned forward and gave my accommodating boyfriend a lingering kiss before smiling gently at Armaan and leaving the club. Poor guy. What was happening with him and Jasmine? When I had first met the couple, all had seemed so well. It didn't make any sense.
****
Jasper
We had been in the office for about twenty minutes and I was already high out of my mind thanks to Jasmine. We hadn't spoken much; just a few words thrown into the almost darkened room. Only the moonlight pouring in through the open window allowed us to see each other on a rundown old couch in the corner.
I felt relaxed. Mellow. I figured sometimes it was healthy to get away from our significant others and just be. It didn't bother me that Jasmine had brought a jug of ice as though she intended to stay here for the entire night or that she was getting up to shed her robe and now only wore something that barely covered her assets. Who cared? It was hot in here anyway. There seemed to be a problem with the air-conditioning.
Some Ariana Grande song was playing on her phone as I bent forward to pour myself a finger of scotch.
"You want some ice with that?" Jasmine asked.
I studied her quietly for a second and then nodded. "I'd love some."
She served me my drink and sat down beside me again, this time a little closer than what was appropriate.
"What're you doing?" I asked her with a small frown.
She turned to me, ran her eyes over my body in a lazy manner and smiled a little. "Just...enjoying the company of a handsome man," she told me boldly.
I inhaled deeply and let it out. "Handsome, unavailable man," I pointed out before taking a sip of my drink. "Who is in a steady relationship with two other people, one of whom he has probably impregnated and both of whom are currently out with the man you seem to be forgetting you are married to."
Jasmine just grinned at me. "You're good with words," she said lightly. "I like it."
I chose not to respond to that but the girl was attractive as hell. I still thought Skye was the most beautiful girl on this planet and I loved her completely but this other woman was proving to be very tempting. In a totally sexual way.
Any man would want a piece of that. Fuck. What was wrong with me?
I cleared my throat. "I should head off to bed," I said abruptly and proceeded to get up.
Jasmine laid a hand on my arm, crossing one knee on top of the other and leaned back invitingly against the couch.
"The night's still young, Jasper," she said in a low, husky tone. "They won't be back for hours."
My brow furrowed at her blatant come-on. "You do this sort of thing often?" I asked out of curiosity and because part of me did not believe she would want this after seeing the way her husband worshipped her.
A dark look crossed her arresting features and she shrugged. "Not really. This is a first for me. It's just...Armaan is the only man I've ever been with," she explained quietly. "And while I do love him, sometimes I find myself resenting him for trapping me into this marriage. I feel like I never really got a chance to experience other stuff before I was plunged into commitment while he had been living it up like there's no tomorrow." She threw back her drink and grimaced at the burn down her throat. "And now he is like such a poster child for goodness while I find myself slipping and feeling guilty about it."
She fell quiet then, staring off into space. I observed her for a moment before speaking. "Have you tried talking to him about it?"
Jasmine looked at me like I had gone mad. "Jasper. The guy's got a heart like a puppy. If I say one word to him about this, he would be so hurt, my conscience would fuck me over till I can't breathe."
I pursed my lips at her. "Your conscience isn't fucking you over right now?" I demanded. "While you're sitting here half dressed in a darkened room with a strange man getting drunk?"
She shifted her dark, hypnotic gaze to mine and licked her lips, moving forward slightly. "What he doesn't know can't hurt him," she whispered seductively and one finger came up to trace the shape of my bottom lip. "And for all your protests Jasper, I don't see you pushing me away."
My lips parted and I looked at her upturned face. No. I wasn't pushing her away. I didn't really want to even though I knew I should. Armaan would kill me. So would Cole and Skye. Skye would probably gouge out Jasmine's eyes regardless of the fact that she was a fan of her work.
I swallowed, my heart beating faster as Jasmine moved her face closer and our breaths mingled. Sex. I needed sex. I was back to feeling all amped up since my dick went fully functional again. I was an animal and shit, what was it about the lure of the forbidden that made a man want to throw all good sense out the door?
And Jasmine Khan was like sex on legs. If I had been single, I would not have hesitated.
"We really shouldn't," I whispered and she smiled as she fitted her mouth to mine and began to kiss me in a slow, languorous manner which made me want to jerk her against myself and devour her.
"Mmm. I think we really, really should," she murmured into my mouth, slipping her arms around my neck.
****
Chapter Nine
Cole
A cheerful, slightly drunk and short man, who called himself Ozzie, led me to a room at the end of a long corridor in the club and unl
ocked the door so I could get Armaan inside. Armaan, who was currently shit-faced and basically incoherent and whom I had to hold upright with all my strength as we stumbled into the dimly lit room.
"I must say, I've seen him get up to a lot of shit in this club but he's never had a guy in here," Ozzie spoke up from behind me as I grunted while lowering my friend onto the double bed.
Turning, I caught Ozzie's smirk as he puffed on a cigar but decided not to comment. People would believe whatever they wanted to. I had learned that he was the manager around here and though he was of Middle Eastern origin and had stayed in Amira and kept this illegal club running for two decades, he preferred to act British for some reason.
Ozzie held up his hands as I cast an uncertain glance around the room. "Don't worry. I'm sure Armaan's informed you that we offer our clients full discretion. Hence the 'no-phone' rule. But there's a landline and you can dial 001 if you need drinks and food up here. Or more people," he finished with a sly wink.
Backing off, Ozzie shut the door before I could scowl at him. I found another light switch and a careful study of the room told me that this was not some seedy place. There was just the bed and a couch with a long mirror against one wall and a bathroom with purple and black decor but everything was clean and opulent.
Sighing, I sat down on the couch and dug out my phone dialing Jasper's number. I had already told Skye to call me as soon as she reached the mansion but I wanted to explain the situation to Jasper myself. Fuck. He was not going to be happy about this. I was already aware that he was not a fan of Armaan.
What would he say when he found out I was spending the whole night with this guy in a private room at an illegal club?
****
Jasper
I wasn't sure when or how it happened but one moment she was kissing me and the next, Jasmine was on my lap, straddling me and digging her nails into my arms through the thin fabric of my shirt.
Once A Cheater Page 4
