Page 31 of Jackpot Joker

Jasmine narrows her eyes at me, and I simply shrug. I’m not in charge of who gains access here, but it wouldn’t surprise me if some of her colleagues have the finances and clean background checks to have been granted membership.

We stand there, her glaring at me, and me taking in her beautiful, round features. Finally, she huffs. “Why aren’t we moving?”

“Ah,” I say with a smirk, motioning around the space. “These things aren’t magic. You have to tell them where to go.”

Jasmine crosses her arms, clearly annoyed with me. I don’t understand why. I’m the epitome of charming. I scan my card once more, and we begin to ascend.

As we step into the lobby where she can make her escape from me, I expect Jasmine to move at full speed toward the exit. What I don’t expect is for her to whip around on me in the middle of the lobby, her finger in my face, and her blonde curls bouncing wildly.

“You have crossed too many lines. I have made it emphatically clear that you are my client and I am your attorney. There is no reason for me to be accompanying you anywhere but to the courtroom, which I can honestly say I am surprised we haven’t visited yet.”

I gasp with a hand to my chest and go to speak, but she’s not having it.

“I’m not finished, and you will listen to what I have to say. There will be no more surprise visits to my office. You will stop asking me to go with you anywhere, as that can be seen as a date. I have already addressed the fact that I do not date my clients, and more aptly, I would never date you. And I can’t believe I even have to say this, but there will be no more taking me to fucking sex clubs.”

Her voice has heightened as she makes each of her points, and a small crowd has turned to watch my ridicule. I look around sheepishly, groaning as I see my eldest brother approach.

Gio tugs at his cuffs when he reaches us, extending a hand to Jasmine. She stares at his hand, then him, and a part of me lights up when she refuses to make contact.

He clears his throat. “While I take great pleasure in you taking my brother down a few notches for what I am sure he most certainly deserves, I do have to ask that you stop making a scene in the middle of my establishment.”

Jasmine blinks at Gio, then looks at me before she takes in the strangers surrounding us. She groans, then reaches into her pocket before she flashes frantic eyes my way. “My phone. It’s still downstairs.”

I pull my own out and send a message to Valentina. The nosy crowd has dispersed by the time she makes it upstairs with Jasmine’s belongings. “It was a pleasure meeting you,” she says cordially. “I hope you plan to join us again soon.”

“Definitely not,” Jasmine grits out, and Gio chuckles. When she looks at him, he rolls his shoulders.

“If you decide to change your mind…” He hands her a business card he had tucked inside his jacket pocket. “Message this number, and we’ll make sure you’re accepted.”

Jasmine stares up at Gio before blinking a few times, then turning to look at me. She rolls her eyes so hard I almost demand I escort her to the gift shop for some painkillers, but she’s too quick to turn around and approach the sliding glass doors.

“I’ll see you next week,” I holler behind her.

“No, you won’t,” Jasmine shouts back.

“It’s a date!” I watch her beautiful backside escape from the hotel-casino owned by my brothers, a smile on my face, regardless of the beatdown she gave me.

When I turn back to Gio, he shakes his head and walks off.

“Who’s the girl?” Gio asks as I make my way into his office, noting that Luca, per usual, is already here.

“Jasmine Baker, our new legal counsel.”

“I like her.” Gio gives me a smug smile.

I glare at him, my shoulders tensing and fists forming. “Stay the fuck away from her.”

Gio’s smile grows. It’s fucking scary as hell.

Luca snorts, and I look over at his smug face, shaking out my hands. “Oh, shut up.”

I turn back to Gio, who’s laughing as he pulls his favorite bottle of bourbon from the bottom drawer of his desk. “Look at you all smitten.”

“I’m not smitten. I’m simply curious,” I insist, but I can tell by the looks my brothers are giving me that they’re not buying it. “I am!”

Gio takes a sip of the amber liquor, then holds up the bottle to ask if I want any. When I shake my head, he places it back inside the drawer. “It seems your curiosity isn’t reciprocated.”

“Oh, it’s there,” I say with a smile, remembering how curious she was at the things she found behind the door of room three downstairs.