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took my virginity ten years ago.
Look, lady, you wanted it as much as I did, even back then. And you definitely wanted it now.
He threw her an offensively smug glance.
You are insufferable. Still, you speak of sex with our son a couple rooms away. How can I take
you seriously? she snapped.
Believe me, you d better take me seriously, because I am beyond pissed off right now. I would
have been there every day of my son s life.
How in the hell would I know that, Derek? Seriously? You left me standing there like a fool
scattered to the far ends of the earth. I had no way to reach you, no way to tell you I was pregnant.
How was I to know you d want to be a father?
I m going to do us both a favor and walk from this room. By no means does that mean that this
discussion is over, it just means that I want to spend some time with my son, and I really can t do that
if I m in prison for murder, he snarled.
Threatening now, Derek? Really? That s who you are now. I guess I really didn t know you back
then.
They re just words, Jasmine. Quit twisting everything I m saying, he sputtered, running his hands
through his hair as he moved to the door.
I don t know you, Derek! she yelled, then calmed her voice. I just don t know you. Sadness
warred inside with anger as she gazed at the man who d once been the boy she loved so very much.
You could have known me. You chose not to because your greed got the better of you, he said,
his eyes narrowing again, making her spine stiffen once more.
She had to restrain the impulse to slap the SOB for the third time. Greed? I m not a high-and-
mighty billionaire like you, and I don t live in luxury, do I? Anyway, I had good reason to think that
you d dump me and my son like a hot potato once things got too scary for you. I wonder about back
then, about your leaving. Did you decide you didn t want to dirty your middle-class hands with a
millionaire s daughter?
You amaze me with your revisionist history. And with the words revisionist history, I mean
bold-face lies. You know exactly what happened. And I m too disgusted with you right now to stay in
your presence any longer. Derek stormed out without another word.
Chapter Eighteen
Jasmine slid down to the floor and sat there, fighting the urge to sob out of anger and frustration.
How was it that the vile excuse for a human being kept getting under her skin, kept affecting her even
after she d been away from him for nearly ten years? It didn t help knowing that she d have a terrible
time now getting rid of him. He was the one with all the money, all the power. What in heaven s name
could she do to keep her life and herself together?
She finally got up and walked into the bathroom without bothering to lock the door. She climbed
into the shower and stood there until the water turned cold. Then she reluctantly climbed out,
shivering so appropriate to what she was feeling.
She pulled on thick sweatpants and a sweatshirt, threw her hair in a ponytail, and didn t bother
with makeup. She had little energy to care about her looks, even though she was going out in public.
She was simply too frightened about what would happen next. She also knew she couldn t show that
terror to Derek, couldn t give him any weak spot to sink his fangs into.
She walked into the kitchen to the sound of her son s laughter. She smiled at him and kissed him on
the head. To see such joy shining in his young eyes made the misery she was feeling almost worth it.
Oh, Mom, he grumbled, and then he performed his patented eye roll for Derek. Jasmine held her
breath because if Derek said that the boy was too old to have his mom kiss him in public yes, how
gross! Jacob would never let her do it again. He was already in the throes of hero worship.
Derek surprised her by grabbing her around the waist, which knocked her off balance, so she
tumbled into his lap. He kissed her squarely on the lips and then released her just as quickly. There
wasn t even time for her to have a reaction to his audacity.
Jacob, we never complain when a beautiful lady wants to kiss us, he said and then waggled his
eyebrows at him. Jacob giggled, and Jasmine s heart thawed just the tiniest bit. Derek had said
exactly the right thing for now. Yes, he d gotten one thing right, but that didn t mean he would
make a great father, and it certainly didn t mean he d earned the right to be a father.
Yuck, Dad, Jacob said with more giggles, and then went back to scarfing down his breakfast. He
looked up every few seconds to stare at Derek. Just checking.
I need to make an after-match meal for the boys, Jasmine murmured, and she set to work making
a large pot of chili and rolls.
The smells coming from the kitchen were making Derek s stomach growl. He was blown away
with the speed with which she moved around. The meal was done in record time.
Coach says Mom makes the best food ever, and that s why they always want her to make stuff for
our tournaments.
If it tastes as good as it smells, I can understand why your coach says that, Derek said.
Jasmine felt a little bit of pride roll through her. She enjoyed cooking for her son. Heck, she
enjoyed cooking for anyone who appreciated it.
Hurry up, Mom, or we re going to be late, Jacob called to her an hour later. She was putting the
chili into the insulated bag. She had several things to drag out to the car and was feeling flustered,
since she d overslept and was officially running late.
Let me grab those for you, Derek said, making her jump.
She wasn t used to having someone there to help.
Thank you, she muttered, relinquishing a few of the bags.
We can take my car. Those words, if spoken by mere mortals, would be a suggestion, but from
Derek, they were a command.
Yesss, Jacob said, and then he gasped as he saw the shiny black car sitting at the curb. Is that
your car?
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