1
Meg’s Apology
Jasmine
“Jasmine.”
I look up from the paperwork I’ve spent the last hour wading through. At this point, any interruption is a welcome one, if only to give me a break. Unsurprising to all, my father didn’t keep the best of records. If it wasn’t for Jafar’s ambition—and organization skills—the whole feat would have been an impossible one.
As it is, I’m tired and irritable and all too happy to see Jafar walk through the door of the room I’ve converted to a study. I run my fingers through my hair and rise to meet him. “You look happy.”
“I have a surprise for you.”
My heart stutters and I examine his face. “A surprise.” The last time he surprised me, I ended up with three cocks inside me at the same time. The memory of that heats my skin and it must linger in my eyes as well from the way Jafar’s gaze narrows on me.
He slides his hands into his pockets, a sure sign that I’m about to end up on my knees. “If you’d like a repeat of that night, all you have to do is ask.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to do exactly that. As much as I love my new role running my father’s business during the day, I love my nights with Jafar just as much.
But it’s not night at the moment, and unfortunately, I have far too much work to do before I can leave the study. “Soon.”
Jafar watches me for a few moments, and it takes everything I have to hold still, to let him look despite every instinct screaming for me to run. I know how that ends. I love how that ends. I force an annoyed sigh that I don’t feel. “You said you had a surprise. I still have to finish wading through the order shipments from last quarter.”
“You could have someone else do it.”
I give him the look that deserves. When it comes right down to it, he doesn’t delegate any better than I do. There are numbers off with the shipments, and while some of the responsibility for that sits at Jafar’s feet, I don’t think all of it does. I refuse to be as lax as my father was—or as heartless. “Jafar, can this wait until tonight?”
“No.” He reaches for the door. “Unfortunately, we’re on a time limit and she has somewhere to be tonight.”
She.
The door opens and there she is. Meg. Today she’d dressed in a leopard jumpsuit that shouldn’t work, but most definitely does. Then again, I don’t think there’s a single thing Meg could clothe herself with that wouldn’t have me licking my lips. The woman’s magnetism defies description.
She steps into the room and carefully closes the door behind her. I should say something, should do something, should stop staring and shake off this spell she weaves over me just by existing in the same room. I can’t quite manage it. Meg studies me with a small smile pulling at her lips. “Power suits you. I knew it would.”
That unsticks me. “You didn’t know a single damn thing. You gave me to Ali.”
She shrugs. “He made a deal. Hades holds my leash, baby girl. Something as simple as friendship doesn’t hold a candle.”
“Are we friends?” I hate that the question slips free, but it’s too late. It floats in the space between us.
She tilts her head to the side. “We could be. In time.”
Time for me to forgive. I’m not there yet. I don’t care how things turned out, how I handled the situation to land on my feet. She didn’t know that would happen when she handed me over. Hades didn’t know it would happen, either. I doubt he cared one way or another what happened once his side of the deal with fulfilled. “Does he know you’re here?”
“Probably.” She shrugs a single shoulder. “My tether is long enough when he’s in the mood to be generous.”
I still can’t really wrap my mind around their relationship, which is likely hypocritical. After all, Jafar and I are hardly traditional in any sense of the word. I look to him, trying to understand what he wants to accomplish with this visit. He, even more than I, holds a grudge against what they did. Against what could have happened to me before he got there.
He seems content to let this play out. His relaxed posture is a lie, though. I know him well enough to read the tension in the line of his shoulders and the coldness in his dark eyes as he watches her. If Meg makes one wrong move, he’ll haul her out of here. I frown. “If you didn’t want her here, why is she my surprise?”
Jafar cuts a look in my direction. “She’s not your surprise.” Now Meg gets a sharp look. “You don’t normally play errand girl.”
“I do when the situation calls for it.” Under his stare, she wilts the tiniest bit. It lasts for a single breath, too short for me to have noticed if I wasn’t watching so closely. Then she lifts her chin, once again standing on solid ground. “I’m here to apologize.”
“You’re not forgiven,” Jafar says.
I fold my arms over my chest and glare. “I can speak for myself, at least in this.”
“Would you like me to detail all the harm that could have befallen you in Ali’s tender care? I’m more than capable of it, Jasmine. You didn’t see the worst he had to offer, and it’s a fucking miracle that you are responsible for. They couldn’t have known you would be able to protect yourself.” He flings a hand in Meg’s direction.
“He’s right,” she says. “I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and I don’t expect it, but I’m apologizing all the same.”
I’m not ready to forgive.
That’s the truth of it. Even if Hades holds Meg’s leash, literally or otherwise, she still made a choice to betray me, and it’s not something I’ll get over anytime soon. And yet… I walk around my desk and lean against it, putting us all on more equal footing. “I’ll think about it.”
“Thank you.” She actually seems like she means it, which is more than I expected. I know better than to trust this contriteness, though. People are more than capable of lying with both their words and their bodies. I’m more than capable of it. Meg walks forward and sinks gracefully to her knees in front of me. She gives me a surprisingly sweet smile. “I had fun with you, Jasmine.”
My throat suddenly feels too dry. “I had fun with you, too.” All too easy to imagine her inching closer and pushing my skirt up and… I give myself a mental shake. She’s not here for that, no matter what position she holds at the moment.
Jafar stalks over and leans again the desk next to me. He doesn’t quite touch me, but he doesn’t have to. His presence grounds me, allowing me to draw in a full breath. He looks down at Meg. “Interesting way of delivery.”
“What can I say? I’m a showman at heart.” She pulls a large square black velvet box out of her purse and holds up in with both hands. “Your surprise, Jasmine.” She opens it and my heart stops.
It’s a diamond necklace.
Its design is deceptively simple, a single row of diamonds that meet in the middle with a tail that drapes down to a large ruby at the end of it. It’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen.
“Do you like it?”