I frowned at him. Asshole. Throwing my backpack on the floor, I straightened to my full height which wasn't much compared to his size. "Is there a problem?" I asked him, adopting my best manly voice.
He snorted and then turned in his chair. "Not if you do as you're told. Get on the stage. I need to take a few sample shots first before I send you to hair and make-up."
I narrowed my eyes at his back. "I already sent my portfolio and they approved," I told him.
"I'm the one in charge here. If I say you're not going to cut it, they're going to listen to me. So don't get on my bad side."
Trying not to scoff, I walked onto the stage and stood facing him, staring right at him as he took some pictures and directed me to pose in different ways. This was ridiculous. I wasn't a fucking model. But even though he barked orders at me and made uncalled for remarks about my 'pretty boy' appearance, I felt...affected by him. I didn't want him to take his attention off me for a minute.
After a while, he lowered the camera and gave me a serious look. "I guess you'll do," he murmured, jerking his head behind me; I assumed to let me know that I was supposed to get ready back there for the main shoot. But a part of me wanted to play. Get under his skin some more.
"Are you sure?" I asked him, tongue-in-cheek. "I mean, did you get everything you needed just now? Or do you want me to open up a few buttons or something? Maybe take a better look at me."
What was I doing? His jaw clenched at the challenge in my tone and in response, my heart hammered inside my chest. Slowly, with predatory intent in his eyes, he got up and strolled towards me.
It was an effort not to take a single step back as he came up to me and stood as close to me as possible without touching me. I inhaled his musky scent, saw the expression in his dark eyes and felt an intoxicating sensation spread across my entire body.
Drugged by his presence and proximity. Shit. What was this?
"I said we won't have a problem if you did as you're told," he said in a low, rough tone that seeped into my very bones. "We seem to have a problem now."
I licked my lips a little as my eyes fell to his mouth. So sensual. How would he taste if I-?
"Cole," he snapped suddenly, stepping away from me and I sucked in a deep breath.
"Go get ready. It's already late. Unless you want to be stuck with me in the studio all night?" He raised an eyebrow at me and my mouth went dry.
Yes, I wanted to say. Keep me here. Do whatever you want with me. Make me work as hard as you need till you're satisfied.
But I only sighed and went to pick up my bag before heading towards the back. I chanced a look over my shoulder because I felt that pull and found him watching me. Let's just say, it wasn't the kind of look you'd see in any children's movie.
****
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jasper
"I have a theory about you," Jasmine announced as she blew up a cloud of smoke while lying on her back in bed, her legs braced against the headboard.
The only light in the room came from the bathroom. It was chilly and dark. We'd just had a bottle of chilled champagne, music was playing in the background and everything just felt...so relaxing.
"Do tell," I murmured, folding an arm behind my head as I lay next to her on the huge, luxurious bed.
I had dozed off a few times between watching movies since I had come to her hotel room around one p.m while she had quietly worked on her story. Oddly enough, I was so used to hearing her tapping away at her laptop for hours, it kind of lulled me to sleep every time. Sort of like white noise.
"You enjoy being with women, can change a string of them if they seem alluring or forbidden enough to you but you can't replace Cole Sawyer."
My gaze flicked over to her, taking in her white tank top and black shorts as she looked up at the ceiling, her dark hair messy and glorious and that smoky haze hanging above. I started to search for my phone. She made quite a picture.
"Nice theory," I said, finding my phone and then realising that I had turned it off after that video call with Skye because I hadn't wanted to get into another confrontation.
"Tell me I'm wrong." She slided me a glance and smirked.
Jasmine was a very attractive woman but what intrigued me most about her was her mind. She was one of those deep-thinkers, full of emotional intelligence and possessed the ability to read people like books.
"You're not," I told her. "But I love Skye too. A lot."
She hummed absently, taking another hit from her joint. She didn't offer it to me because I was already smoking it shotgun from my close proximity to her. Our faces were only inches apart.
"Yeah but you still checked me out," she stated nonchalantly. "Have you ever been tempted by another man though after getting together with Cole?"
No. Never.
"I don't like where this conversation is going," I told her honestly. "Besides, man, woman, what does it matter when it comes to love or lust."
She laughed softly. Actually, it was more of a giggle. "Boy are you in denial," she murmured. "It does matter. If it didn't, you wouldn't have been so immune to my husband's charms after meeting him a bunch of times. Not once did you even admire him when most people fall all over themselves to get into his orbit. I think that's why I felt intrigued by you that first night. You were so...unaffected."
"What is your point, exactly?"
She shrugged. "Only that you love variety in pussy as much as the next guy but when it comes to cock, only Cole's will do."
Man, her mouth had no filter and she didn't hesitate to speak up. The coolest part about being stoned was that no conversation ever felt too strange or outrageous. I considered what she had said while inhaling the smoke.
"He does have a nice cock," I agreed after some time in a mellow tone.
"Well, Armaan's cock is nice too," she replied in a somewhat defensive tone.
I smirked a little. "Is that why you've been drooling all over mine since we met?"
She shot up, snuffing out the joint in an ashtray and giving me a haughty look. "Is it wrong for me to want to sample more than one cock in my lifetime?"
I pursed my lips, pretending to think about it. "Not at all, honey. I've sampled a fair share myself before Cole. You needing to explore your sexuality isn't wrong." I paused for a second before adding, "I don't think even Armaan would fault you for it if you simply asked him nicely."
"Ask?" She scoffed and scooted off the bed. "I don't need his permission to fuck other people."
I sighed. "What I meant was that you clearly still love him and just because you wanted to experiment sexually doesn't mean it's the end of your marriage." I sat up and looked at her as she stood next to the bed. "Cole and I did it sometimes. Just make sure not to fall for anyone because that's when things start to get real messy."
She padded over to the bathroom. "Stay out of my business, Jasper," she called out.
I rolled my eyes. "Honey, you're the one who started it, comparing cocks and everything."
She showed me her middle finger before closing the door.
I chuckled and then turned my phone on, bracing myself for the onslaught of text messages or voice messages that would come blowing up either from Skye or Cole.
But there was nothing. I felt a strange sense of relief at that. I would call them tomorrow, when Skye would have had a chance to let her anger cool down. I'd told Cole I'd be back in two days and Skye hadn't been home so I'd had to leave without telling her. Besides, I travelled all the time now so I wasn't sure what had made her overreact. Probably those pregnancy hormones.
There were a couple of missed calls from my sister, Catherine, and a single text from her as well blinked on my screen and I opened the message.
- Guess what??! Omg, Jasper, someone just donated £15000 to my GoFundMe!! I am freaking out right now. Call me.
I was stunned. Fifteen thousand pounds. Exactly the kind of amount needed for private knee replacement surgery in the UK. Jesus.
I made a call to her and she couldn't
hold back her excitement.
"Can you believe it?" She laughed, sounding so happy for the first time in months. "I don't know who it was but damn, I am so grateful. I can afford to pay for the surgery now. Mum and Dad are so relieved. Also kind of shocked but we'll get to that later when you come home."
She hardly gave me a chance to speak, so excited was she to have received this donation. I didn't know what to feel. My conscience kept telling me not to use Armaan's money and now I really didn't have to use it, for Catherine's surgery at least.
I exhaled slowly, putting my phone away and getting out of bed to walk over to the bathroom door. It opened just as I braced my arms on either side and Jasmine almost bumped into me.
She peered at my chest and said, "Oh sweet Lucifer."
I ignored the note of appreciation in her voice and frowned at her. "Someone donated fifteen thousand pounds to Catherine's GoFundMe today for her knee surgery."
Jasmine blinked at me and then smiled. "Wow. That's awesome. She had a GoFundMe? Why didn't you tell me? I would've donated something too." She brushed past me to go into the room but I grabbed her arm and turned her to face me.
"You didn't have to do that," I told her. She opened her mouth to say something but I continued, "Don't lie to me. Yes, it can be pure coincidence that the day you found out about my sister is the day she receives this money all in one go but I doubt it. I believe it was you."
Jasmine held my gaze for second. "Who cares where the money came from, Jasper? She can get surgery now and it'd make things easier for your family. You want something for dinner? I'm going to order."
She extracted her arm from my grip and walked over to the phone beside the bed. I stared at her back. She hadn't lied to me when I had asked her. But she didn't want to share the truth either.
I respected her choice. I was the liar here. I lied to everyone now and because of that non-disclosure agreement I had signed, I couldn't tell anyone the whole truth. I had gone from honourable to despicable in the space of six months and it burned me.
Jasmine was looking at me expectantly. "Dinner?" she asked me again. "What would you like?"
I began to walk over to her slowly. "Is your pussy on the menu?" I asked her quietly, sinking even further in depravity.
She smiled at me tightly. "That's okay. We don't have to do that. Tell me what you'd like me to order for you."
I frowned at her slightly. "You don't want to fuck anymore?" I asked.
She shrugged. "I do but you were so messed up after the last time and I don't want you to feel guilty and ashamed. I'm okay with your company. Or we could just talk about the merits of sampling your cock. No need to actually try it."
I sucked on my bottom lip, looking at her curiously.
"Why?" I finally asked her. "Why do you care how it affects me when you know I can make it good for us both? Why not just fuck me? Use me like you've wanted to for months?"
She stared at me with wide eyes, holding the receiver of the hotel phone against her chest.
"Because you're my friend, Jasper," she told me gently. "And you're all I have right now in this fucked up life of mine. I would never force you to do something you're only going to hate yourself for later."
She sighed and turned her back to me. "You know what, fuck it, since you won't tell me, I'm just going to order pizza. One can never go wrong with pizza."
****
Chapter Twenty-Five
Skye
There are times in life when regret seizes you so strongly that it is hard to focus on anything else. Especially when confronted with the bitter realisation that you were wrong all along regarding a decision you made.
I wanted to rage at him. Spill my heart out through my tears and hurl accusations. I wanted to hit him. I wanted to find her and scratch her eyes out. Demand that she return him to me. Why, why couldn't she have found another man? She had been my idol. I had been in awe of her so much but she had turned out to be just one of those women who loved to wreck homes, destroy lives.
I never should've gone to Amira. I never should've let him go to London in the first place. I never should've put off confronting him for his odd behaviour for this long.
That bitch. How could she? After drying up my tears which I had been shedding for hours, I swiped my phone and went to her Instagram, typing up the worst kind of words I could think of to say to her, pouring my entire wrath into that one message before hitting send.
Then I felt frustrated. She would likely never see it. She probably received hundreds of message requests on her Insta account on a daily basis. So I went to find Cole because I needed her number. He could probably get it for me. This was war. That woman didn't get to zap into our lives and destroy our relationship just because she couldn't keep her legs together. Whore.
I entered Cole's room and saw him lying on the bed wide awake. He got up when he saw me come inside.
He had known. He had known all this time. About that first kiss with Jasmine, Jasper's attraction to her, the affair. He had meant to protect me but I only felt that both these men whom I had given so much trust to, whom I had changed my whole life for, had been in on it together, fooling me. They thought I didn't deserve to be told the truth.
"Do you have Jasmine's number?" I demanded, deciding to deal with his ass later. I was on a warpath right now and if he stayed out of my way, I wouldn't try to annihilate him.
No. My target was her. That slut.
Cole began shaking his head.
"Don't lie to me." I snapped at him. "You must have her number. If not then give me Armaan's. I'll get it from him."
Cole didn't move to do as I asked but he didn't argue with me either as I went over and grabbed his phone to call Armaan Qureshi. Nothing was going to stop me from giving her a piece of my mind tonight.
"It'd only hurt him," Cole said gently from behind me. "Please, Skye-"
"I won't tell him what I need it for." Armaan deserved to be told but then, they were separated so I didn't think it was that important for him to learn of this. None of this was his fault.
He answered on the second ring.
"Cole. What's up?"
I inhaled deeply, sniffing a little and said, “Hey, Armaan. It's actually Skye. Um...I'm sorry to bother you but could you please give me Jasmine's number, if you have it? There's something I wanted to discuss with her. Book stuff."
I wasn't sure how I kept the anger from my tone but I must have done a fine job of it because he didn't ask any questions or sound suspicious.
"Skye, I don't know what number she is using right now. She changed it when she moved to London."
Frustration gripped me again and I wanted to scream but I held back with an effort. "Oh, okay. I'm sorry. It's fine. Have a good night."
I disconnected the call and blinked away the angry tears that threatened to fall again, putting Cole's phone away.
"Figures. She would try to cover all her tracks." My brain was on fire. "Crystal fucking Reynolds," I muttered under my breath and marched out of the room, pregnant belly and all.
I walked over to the massive bookshelf in the corner, to the spot where I kept all the books by her. With cruel deliberation, I extracted one and considered setting it aflame. But that would be hazardous.
I flung it as far away from me as possible where it slapped against the front door and fell to the floor. Childish but deeply satisfying at the moment since I had no other way of getting to her.
I did the same with another book of hers. And then another. To hell with her. If I exposed what a nasty person she was to the whole world, nobody would buy her fucking books. I could destroy her overnight.
Cole stood in the bedroom doorway and watched me. I got the feeling he was relieved that I was no longer locked up in my room but expressing my anger. I felt grateful to him for that much. He let me feel all these emotions and deal with it in my own way.
He'd been betrayed by Jasper too.
Jasper. As soon as the name crossed my mind, hot, fresh tear
s welled up but I tried not to break down completely. I had to think about the baby. I had to fight the pain.
He was a lie.
I should never have fallen for him. I should have just stayed with Cole. Jasper would have been his problem to deal with and everything wouldn't feel like it was falling apart right now.
I made a mistake loving that man. He didn't care about me. All that talk of being there for me, making sure I'm always okay...it had all been lies. To cover up what he was really doing behind our backs. Fucking her.
Son of a bitch.
He didn't deserve my anger. I'd tried talking to him today, tried to demand the truth but he had shut me out. He hadn't cared.
I wouldn't care about him either. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing how much he had broken me even if part of me felt like getting on my knees in front of him and begging him not to do this to me. Begging him to love me. To leave her. To ask him 'why'.
But I didn't. I looked over at Cole who had apologised a thousand times already for not telling me sooner. His face was drawn and pain filled his eyes as he watched me.
I was angry at him too. So angry. But...he was all I had right now. He was here with me. No matter what, he hadn't stopped loving me. He had tried to keep things from me because he himself had been hoping that Jasper would stop, come to his senses and choose us.
Seven years they had had together. Cole and Jasper had told me so many things over these months about their relationship history that I had become envious of their love. Their story. I didn't blame my boyfriend for wanting to hold on to Jasper. For wanting to protect me from the pain. I admit human nature was such that sometimes you felt like ignorance really was bliss.
My face crumpled as I continued to look at him and he tensed, trying to stay away because I had yelled at him not to touch me or come near me after he had told me about Jasper. Slowly, I slid to the floor and leaned against the bookshelf, curving my hands over my belly.
"He didn't even think about the baby. How this would affect us all," I spoke in a monotone. "I thought it was so great that he was happy about my pregnancy from the minute I told him." I laughed shortly. Humourlessly. "I was worried it would be you who won't be able to cope with it. But you've been so good to me, Cole. Thank you for that."
Once A Cheater Page 12
