Page 20 of Jackpot Joker

“Turn here,” she directs. The twenty-minute drive has been quiet and may be the longest I’ve gone without speaking. Instead, my brain has been reeling as I think about the woman in my casino who put her hands all over me.

I turn into a parking lot of a newly built condominium, confusing my passenger princess when I park in a freshly outlined spot. Jasmine looks over at me, then shakes her head and opens her door. She seems shocked when I do the same and make my way over to her.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

“I’m walking you to your door,” I reply, stating the obvious.

Jasmine looks at her building, then back to me. “That’s not necessary. Good night, Mr. Caruso.”

I grit my teeth at the formal way she says my name. We were making such great progress. “I believe it is very necessary, Miss Baker.”

She huffs and begins to walk away. I follow her into the main entrance and remain by her side as she presses the button for the elevator.

“I’m in my building. I’m safe. Goodbye.” She attempts to dismiss me again. When will she realize I’m not going anywhere?

When the elevator doors open, and I step inside with her, she glares at me. The doors close, but we don’t move. “You have to push the button to get it to go,” I explain.

Jasmine looks at the buttons and selects one. The doors open to reveal the ground floor. I remain still.

“Would you leave?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I would like to make sure you make it home safely.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m in my building. My perfectly safe building.”

“And when I walk you to your perfectly safe door and see you step inside your perfectly safe space, I’ll be happy.”

My little bull grunts and jabs the number sixteen with her thumb. The elevator doors close, and we creep upward, her radiating fire and me smiling like a fool.

When the doors open again, Jasmine steps out, and I do too, much to her dismay. “You have got to be kidding me.”

“Which door is yours?”

She rolls her eyes once more but doesn’t argue. We take a left, and she pulls out her keys to open the door at the end. “Okay, I’m here.”

“You’re not going to invite me in?” I ask cheekily.

“A resounding no,” she deadpans.

“Come on, Miss Baker. I could order us some dinner. Then we could have some—” I flick my tongue out over my lips. “Dessert.”

Jasmine pushes my chest. “Go get dessert with your handsy friend. You wanted to walk me to my door. This is my door. Now, good night, Dario.”

I capture my bull’s hands, a smile pulling at my lips. “My name sounds so good coming out of your mouth, Jasmine.”

I don’t miss the way her hazel eyes briefly flick to my lips before looking back up.

“Good night,” she says again.

“Good night, Jasmine,” I say, letting her go and stepping away. “I’ll see you around.”

“You’ll see me at the office.”

“It’s a date,” I say with a wink as I walk away.