Jasper cuts his eyes at me with a threatening glare. He looks over at Axel who remains silent as he watches him intently.
Wrapping his arm around my waist, I cringe as Jasper pulls me tightly against his side. His body language is possessive and he’s showing Axel that I’m his tree to piss on.
“I apologize for you having to wait for me. I had some business that I needed to take care of,” he explains to Axel with an apologetic smile. There’s no sincere apology behind the superficial expressions of a manipulator.
“I didn’t mind waiting,” Axel admits and his eyes flash to mine briefly.
Jasper laughs out loud and he subtly tightens his grip on my waist, digging his fingertips into my skin. “I hope she didn’t bore you too much.”
Axel cracks his knuckles and takes a deep breath before his lips part. His words are cut off as Jasper’s phone begins to ring in his pocket. Pulling it out, he keeps it close to his side and the screen out of my line of sight so I can’t see it.
“Shit,” he mutters, releasing me quickly. “I need to take this call.” He cuts his eyes to mine. “I’ll be right back.”
Lifting his phone up to his ear, Jasper wanders out into the yard, leaving me alone with Axel.
Turning to him, my eyes meet Axel’s as he watches me intently with a heated gaze. The way he stares at me stirs something deep inside of me, in a way that I’ve never felt before.
Shit.
Chapter Three
Axel
FIRST IMPRESSIONS are supposed to be extremely important, especially when it comes to business. Jasper doesn’t give off any impression because it’s blatantly obvious that he’s an asshole. He’s a narcissist and a manipulator and he wears it like a badge of honor.
When I met him last night, I knew that he was a rich sack of shit. Since I’ve met his fiancée, he’s become nothing more than a fucking fraud. That blonde on his arm last night isn’t the same woman that wears his ring on her finger.
I wonder if she knows that she’s not the only one.
The way she reacted to his touch; the way she flinched when he was near and how she winced when his hands were on her says more than words ever could. She doesn’t care that she’s not the only one because she doesn’t even want to be the one. It’s as clear as the bright blue sky above us that there’s no attraction or love between them.
There’s something between them, something that I don’t understand, but I intend on finding out exactly what it is.
Jaslyn adjusts the towel wrapped around her and sits back down on the lounge chair, crossing her arms over her chest.
She’s on edge and defensive.
“Do you mind if I sit?” I ask gently and motion to the chair beside her.
She glances across the yard nervously as she looks for Jasper. It’s clear that he has instilled a level of fear within her. Her eyes find him pacing in the grass, completely consumed by his phone call.
Jaslyn looks back at me with her deep brown eyes and nods slightly. She watches me hesitantly as I sit down and fold my hands in my lap.
“So, you’re here to talk to Jasper about a job?” Her voice is soft as she questions me.
If she wasn’t at the fight with him last night, does she even know anything about that?
Does she know about anything beyond the walls of the palace that she lives in?
“Um—” I pause and swallow hard, unsure of how to answer. I want to give her the truth, but perhaps the truth will do more harm than good. Perhaps it’s best that she doesn’t know the truth about me.
My mind wanders back to the business card he gave me, for where he works. The medical device company.
“He said there was a position that opened up at the company he works for and he wanted to talk to me about it.”
Jaslyn narrows her eyes and slightly tilts her head to the side. “Hmm.” She stares at me, not believing a word I said. “Considering I own the company, I’m surprised that this is the first I’m hearing of this.”
My eyes widen slightly, and I swallow as I quickly try to recover from her catching me in a possible lie.
She owns the fucking company?
What the hell?
“Did he tell you what the position was?” she inquires with a mild curiosity in her tone. She’s not stupid; she knows that there is no position.
“He didn’t say,” I continue with the lie. I can’t go back on it now, so it’s best I ride it out and hope for the best. “He said that we would discuss it today.”
“And where did you say you met him?”
I didn’t… did I?
Fuck.
“At the hospital.”
Jaslyn smiles and nods as she gives me a knowing look. She knows that I’m lying, but she leaves it at that.
Am I supposed to tell her the truth? That I’m some poor, low life piece of shit street fighter? Or do I tell her how nothing in my life is one hundred percent legal? How about her future husband making some extra money from my illegal indiscretions?
She doesn’t need to know the truth, just like she doesn’t need to know me.
Jasper walks back toward the pool, tucking his phone into his pocket. Jaslyn quickly rises to her feet and I follow suit as Jasper stops in front of us.
“Sorry about that.” He rolls his eyes. “Just another idiot fucking up their job.”
I give him a curt nod and he directs his eyes to Jaslyn with a hardened look. “Go inside, Jaslyn,” he orders her. “We have business to discuss that doesn’t concern you.”
“Yes, of course,” Jaslyn replies quietly as she collects her things.
“It was nice meeting you,” I interject awkwardly and jam my hands into my front pockets. Jasper raises an eyebrow at me and Jaslyn smiles at me.
“Likewise.” Her smile is sweet, but her lips are toxic from the venom laced in her words.
Excusing herself, she cowers as she inches past Jasper, but her footsteps falter as she passes me.
“You’re a terrible liar.” Her voice is barely audible, and her words are spoken for only me to hear. I’m frozen in place as she leaves me shook with her asshole fiancé, knowing that I’m a fraud.
Fuck me.
Jasper sits down on the chair that Jaslyn was occupying and motions for me to sit as well. “I apologize for her. Her immaturity tends to interfere with remembering her place.”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I shake my head. “There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”
Jasper waves his hand and sighs. “Enough about her.” He clasps his hands and his lips curl upward into a wicked grin. “We’re here to talk about you.”
“Okay.”
“I want you to fight for me and only me. The pool house has a full apartment which would be yours, along with a car of your choice. You won’t be responsible for paying a cent for anything. Anything you need, it is all paid for. One million dollars, free and clear for the first year. Anything I make from the fights, you’ll get ten percent of that.”
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. There is no way that this could be a legitimate offer.
Unless you eat, sleep, and breathe green like this rich asshole.
We sit in silence as I mull over what he just threw on the table. It’s borderline unbelievable, but the look on his face tells me that he’s dead ass serious.