Book 2: What Happens Here - Chicago (What Happens Here Series)

Chapter 4 - Jasmine

After the fiasco with her ex-fiancé Marcus, she never thought she would ever find love again because Marcus had destroyed her belief in true love. Although she had desperately wanted to believe that it still existed, she had a hard time believing that it could ever happen to her. After dating Marcus for six years, he had proposed to her, and she had to admit it, she had seen the "red flags" during their relationship, but she had reasoned them away. Marcus had been sleeping with a female coworker that Jasmine had suspicions about but could never prove. Marcus had sweet talked his way out of situations that she had questioned him about, and because she wanted to believe him, despite what her gut was telling her, she had.

A week after Marcus had proposed to her, he'd left on a business trip. Due to her unease about her suspicions of whether there was something going on between him and the other woman, she'd told Marcus that she'd needed some time to decide on whether she wanted to accept his proposal. Marcus had been upset that she hadn't immediately accepted his offer of marriage, but he'd reassured her that he would give her the time that she needed. Several days later, Jasmine decided to accept Marcus's proposal. She had been so excited about being his wife that she couldn't wait the final 3 days of his trip to tell him, so she had driven the three hours to the resort where he was staying to surprise him. When she'd arrived, she'd convinced the front desk clerk that she was Marcus's wife and had misplaced her room key. The clerk had smiled as he'd given her a key and told her to "enjoy her stay." She'd felt horrible about deceiving him, but she'd been excited about seeing Marcus. Knowing that he'd be in meetings all day, she had decided to wait for him in his room.

Jasmine had planned a big elaborate surprise for Marcus, which included some sexy lingerie and a night of mind-blowing sex. Although their sex life had left a lot to be desired, Jasmine had loved Marcus, and she had been willing to work at making their relationship and their sex life better. Marcus was often a selfish lover, and he had usually cared more about getting to the finish line, rather than enjoying the journey to get there...but she'd loved him and had been willing to work on that too. When Jasmine had slipped the key card into the door to his room, she'd never expected for her world to be shattered.

The next few minutes after she'd entered Marcus's room had moved as if in slow motion for her. Jasmine had entered the room to find the man that she loved in bed with the same female coworker that he had vehemently denied sleeping with only weeks before. The sights and sounds of the man that she loved as he fucked another woman had completely devastated her. His grunts and groans, and the woman's moans of pleasure would be forever branded in her memory, and as if to add insult to injury she'd discovered that Marcus had been seeing the woman for two years and had a child with her. That had been over a year ago, but the memories of that day still plagued her. The pain still caused a hollow ache in her heart from time to time, but she would mentally shake herself, and redirect her thoughts.

After Jasmine had left the hotel that day, she had returned home and stayed in bed for weeks. Ever since that day, Marcus had continued to plead his case. Even after almost two years had passed, he still called, and would even come by to leave her flowers, and gifts on her door. It wasn't until her cousin Candace, and her best friends Van and Mackenzie had come to help her to return to the land of the living, that she was able to get her life back together.

Shaking off her past thoughts, Jasmine erased the memories from her mind, as she released a sigh, and snuggled closer to Ethan. His masculine scent was a soothing balm to her soul, and she placed her nose against his shoulder and inhaled his scent. Ethan smelled like home, and like safety. Jasmine knew that he would protect her with his life, and as she replayed their time together, she suddenly realized that since meeting him, Ethan had done nothing but make her feel secure with him. An example of that was the way that he had stepped between her and Valentina at the reception before she'd even known that Valentina was there. He had held her protectively in his arms, and when she'd moved out of the safety that he was providing, he'd pulled her behind him, placing himself between her and any threat that he felt Valentina would pose to her. His constant care and attentiveness to her needs floored her, and when she thought of how stupid she'd been for believing Valentina, instead of communicating with Ethan, she felt like an idiot. She gripped his arm a little tighter as the ache of how close she'd come to losing Ethan filled her chest.