Whispered Desires

Chapter 42: Taking a Walk

KILIAN

"No."

"Venus..." I groan. "Just look at them."

"Do you know how many studios I've looked at over the past weeks? Hundreds!"

Jasmine paces around the room, arms crossed in front of her chest as she mumbles something to herself. This is not my Venus. This is a nervous wreck. "Come here." I stretch out my arm and pull her into my lap, glad as fuck that she doesn't protest before she wraps her arm around my neck. "Now, tell me again. What's the issue exactly? Because I don't see one in just looking through these."

Jasmine started looking at studios the second we decided we would move to San Francisco. Now that we found the right apartment, we just need a studio that's preferably in the same area. For some reason, though, Venus has made it her mission to hate every single studio she laid her eyes on.

"I don't know." She sighs. The way she buries her face in my neck tells me this is actually grinding her nerves, and I can't help but smile to myself at the display of a soft Venus in my arms. This doesn't happen too often.

"Well, I do know." I should just rub it into her face that she's too stubborn to let me pick anything for her. The only reason she's not looking at the suggestions I've made is that she's afraid she's going to like it. "You're just too fucking stubborn."

My laugh must be contagious, because Venus chuckles to herself now as she sits up straight, messy red hair falling into her face. "No, this is my business, Kilian. It should be my decision."

I roll my eyes at her response, knowing this won't be the end of it, anyway. "You're still stubborn."

"So are you." She winks.

"True." I chuckle. "Now, there's something else we need to discuss."

Running a hand through my hair, I immediately know Jasmine knows something's up. She has that sceptical glimmer in her eyes, as if she knew I was about to confess something to her. "What is it?"

"We...Uh...We kinda have this event to go to tomorrow."

"Event? What event?" Her raised eyebrow shows just how little she likes that statement.

"It's a gala from one of the new team's sponsors. They asked Hayden and me to attend, but being the man Hayden is, he somehow worked his way out of it."

"My guess is that's because he has a wife and child he needs to take care of while he still can."

"Yeah..." I can't help but sigh at those words. My parents' divorce is just getting finalized, and even though I know that should show me how dumb marriage is, all it does is the opposite. I said I wouldn't ask Venus anymore, and I won't. But it's not exactly easy to be patient when all I want is to have that ring on her finger. It's been eight months... Isn't that enough?

"So?" Venus' voice makes me focus on the situation at hand again. "What about this event?"

"We'll have to fly out to San Francisco tomorrow," I explain. "It's only for a night, but I got it all sorted already. I just need you to join me."

"And what if I say no?"

She's trying to challenge me, but the mischief dancing on her features betrays her confidence. This woman wouldn't let me go there on my own, as much as she'd like to think she would.

"Well, then I have to go by myself." I shrug. "This is part of my contract, so... Oh, and I heard that company has a deal with some famous tennis players, too. I'm beginning to think Tennis Kid is more obsessed with me than he is with you."