THE MAFIA’S MISTAKEN BRIDE

Xavier’s POV

She comes close to stand next to me, her perfume drifting to my nostril, making me look up at her.

She smiles.

It is nowhere like the smile she threw my way last night at the party which didn’t reach her eyes nor the joyless one she flashed at Frank Costello.

Even though I really want to know what transpired between her and Nicholas, I am keeping my cool but I know Jasmine and her inquisitive nature. Coming here when I am working means she has questions and needs answers and I am not in the mood for that.

Without a word, she flops to the chair next to me, her presence distracting me.

Suddenly, surprised at her silence, I close my laptop and fold my arms around my bosom. “Why are you here?”

I am not ready to answer her questions but I want to know what it is this time.

She shrugs nonchalantly like she has no questions. “Just bored. Decided to keep you company. Don’t worry, I won’t make a noise so you can go ahead with your work. I couldn’t sleep either.”

I don’t believe her. She is here for something.

Still watching her with my arms folded, she notices I am not convinced so she raises her hands in surrender.

“OK, fine. I’m here because Elaine told me you knew I prepared the pasta the other day. I wasn’t convinced so I thought I should come ask…”

“Is that all?” My eyes do not leave hers. She is already in that silk nightwear that always manages to steal my breath away.

“Of course, were you expecting something else?” She mused, laughing calmly.

“No. Have you eaten?” I find myself asking out of the blue and she shakes her head.

“Nope, do you want to cook me something too like I did?” She is amused by the thought of me cooking so I drop the laptop and rise.

“Follow me”, I instruct in an authoritative tone.

I don’t know why I am doing this but something inside of me believes I am paying her back for all she has done with a meal.

I knew she made that pasta. I figured it out even before I tasted it. Elaine doesn’t serve me until I tell her to. She doesn’t cook too unless I grant permission for her to. Jasmine was acting suspicious that day so I figured it out.

Also, I am glad she isn’t asking any questions about last night. About the party. About Catherina Costello or even about what Frank Costello blurted out.

It makes me wonder what she really thinks.

I walk out of the room hearing her footsteps right behind me. I take the corridor leading to the top-floor elevator which I am sure she doesn’t even know of.

As if to confirm my suspicions, a gasp leaves her mouth, making me almost smile. I press the button and a few seconds later, the elevator dings open.

“Where are we going, Xavier?” she asks me, looking around in surprise.

“You asked if I wanted to cook for you, didn’t you?”

Her jaws drop. “You want to cook for me?”

Suddenly, it dawns on me. I don’t know why I am doing this. What if she gets the wrong idea?

“You cooked me a meal the other day so this is to pay you back…”

“What?!” she snorts as the elevator closes and begins to ascend. “I didn’t do that for you to pay me back. I just wanted you to eat and I was glad you were able to stomach my food. I really do not mind preparing your meal now that we are back in New York.”

“I’m fine”, I tell her, folding my arms.

“No, you are not. You need food to survive…”

“Says who?”

“Says me”, she responds sharply. “Honestly, Xavier, I don’t mind cooking for you every day.”

The sound of that is good to my ears but it tugs at my heart. Jasmine is kind-hearted. Cooking for me means a whole lot but I can’t accept that because she might leave soon and I don’t want to get used to her food.

I never knew I would be able to eat her food too. It came as a huge surprise when I scooped the first spoon and I didn’t feel nauseated like I always do.

She is a great cook.

Another thing that differentiates her from Andre.

“Don’t bother”, I only say and she begins to ramble on in protest about not minding.

The elevator stops and dings open. We step out together, a gasp stopping her rambling when she sees the penthouse.

“Oh my God!” she covers her mouth with her two hands, turning back and almost bumping into me, making a searing pleasure shaft through me at the body contact.

“Sorry”, she apologizes, still excited.

I nod without a word as we approach the door which opens to reveal the transparent kitchen door.

I don’t have any business with the bedroom. It’s been a while since I came here but everywhere is sparkling.

“Are you serious about cooking for me?” she rushes over to my side again, not fully convinced about my cooking skills.

I nod.

“Wow, so you know how to cook?”

I nod again, this time with amusement visible on my face.

“So what are you cooking?” She grabs a stool which is across the counter and sits in it while I turn around to go behind the counter and check what is available in the fridge.

As I open the fridge, I ask her. “What are your favorite meals?”

Expecting a reply as I inspect what is available, she doesn’t say a word so I look back to see her thinking. “You don’t have a favorite?”

She shakes her head with a pout. “Just cook me anything. I will eat it all with pleasure.”

A wide grin spread across her face, making me enthralled by the beauty before me. Perhaps it is because of the gloomy light in the kitchen which is shining upon her skin and making her look extraordinarily beautiful tonight.

“Xavier?” she calls, jerking me out of my reverie. “Did you hear me?”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

I adjust and clear my throat, embarrassed by what just happened.

“I asked why you don’t eat here in New York but you ate at Grandmother’s place and you even ate Elaine’s food and mine as well.”

This is one of the questions I don’t want her to ask me. Not because I don’t have an answer to it but because I don’t want to answer.

Jasmine is good at this.

She is avoiding the topic of last night by using a different question entirely. But I am not answering.

“Nothing”, I move back to the fridge.

“Nothing?” She is amazed by my short reply. Then she falls silent again. I think she will insist on hearing my answer but now I am glad she is reasonable enough to know that I am not in the mood for that discussion.

Grabbing the frozen chicken and two other ingredients, I drop them on the counter before moving to the hanger where the apron is hanging.

I am sure she is watching but I don’t want to look at her.

“Xavier?” she calls again with that small voice that always flips my stomach in excitement. “Why are you doing this?”

I stop in my tracks, finally looking up and locking gazes with her.

She is asking another question but this time, I don’t have an answer to this because I don’t know why too.

I claim to be repaying her with a meal but I know it is more than this. Perhaps my guilt is making me do this.

Or pity.

Or something else.

I just can’t figure out what it is but I know for certain that I do not want to think about her leaving and the memories of me that will be stuck in her head when gone.

Maybe I am doing this so she could have at least one single memory of me being nice and kind to her.

A suppressing tension hangs in the air and I feel sweat pouring from my face. When I realize I have just been staring at her face without any word, I turn away but not before catching the smile tugging the corners of her lips.

I clear my throat too even though I am short of words.

“Xavier…”, she calls again, more like a whisper. She seems to be thinking over what she is about to say. “Are you doing this because you don’t want me to go?”

Fear consumes me.

What does she know? Is she suspecting a thing?

“Go? Where are you going?” I pretend not to know what she is talking about.

She shrugs indifferently, still smiling. “If you find Andre, you said you will let me go but I want to know what you really want. Are you doing this to keep me here? Are you doing this because you don’t want me to go?”

Now, I get it.

She knows.

Not everything but she knows I am close to finding and bringing Andre back home and I am dead curious now more than ever to know what she discussed with Nicholas.

Did he tell her anything else after I warned him? He seemed to be avoiding me last night but I decided to let him be because I gave him a deadline and that is in 48 hours.

Andre will be here in 48 hours and the big question now is, will I let Jasmine go?

I want to tell her a big yes. I want to tell her that finding Andre doesn’t matter. I want to tell her to stay because Sebastian is still out there and Ethan hasn’t found any of his men yet. I want to tell her yes because I want to keep her safe but I can’t find my voice.

I don’t even know how best to describe how I feel at the moment.

My phone begins to ring, pulling me back to life. I shift my gaze to the ringing phone on the counter to see Nicholas’ name flashing across my screen and my heart goes still.

Andre.

He must have found her. Maybe he has her already.

“Aren’t you going to pick up your call?” Jasmine questions, stretching her hand to grab the phone but I beat her to it as I grab the phone and turn the screen down before leaning forward, wishing to be much closer to her and have a feel of her body pressing on mine.

“What. If. I. Say. Yes. Will. You. Stay?” The words come out of my gritted teeth before I can stop it and she stares blankly at me for a second before her eyes flash and widen at the realization of what I just asked her.

“What?!” she exclaims with her mouth dropped open in amazement.