28. Jasmine

28

JASMINE

J asmine heard Kian talking about the princess over in the next room, and she wondered when he would come to see the prince.

She needed to talk to him, but he would probably walk in with Bridget, and she didn't want to have that talk with him in front of the doctor. Not that she had anything to be embarrassed about, but still. Some pleading would most likely be needed, and she'd rather do that with no audience.

Casting a glance at the prince, she decided she didn't want to talk in front of him either.

She stepped out of the room and waited by the door for Kian and Bridget to come out.

"Hi." She greeted him with a smile. "I was wondering if I could have a few words with you after you check on the prince."

"Of course." He returned her smile. "Bridget tells me that you are providing entertainment for the entire clinic and helping our patients find their way to us."

"I hope." She let out a breath. "I've been talking and singing for hours."

"Give me just a moment to look at him, and then we can talk in my office." He tilted his head. "That is if you are comfortable leaving your prince for a few minutes."

"That's fine." She waved a dismissive hand. "I come and go all of the time."

That was an exaggeration. She kept her absences to a minimum but didn't want to seem obsessed.

Kian took little time in the prince's room, and when he came out, he seemed encouraged.

"He is starting to look more like a prince than a frog," Kian attempted a joke. "Soon, he will be pretty enough to kiss."

Jasmine grimaced. "He's an alien to me, and I'm an alien to him. I don't expect any kissing anytime soon, if ever." She cast him a sidelong glance. "He's also a priest, and I was told that the Kra-ell priests are celibate."

"True." Kian continued walking down the corridor.

When they got to his office, he pulled a chair for her next to the oblong conference table, waited until she was seated, and sat beside her.

If he weren't a hundred percent loyal to his wife, Jasmine would have been worried about the intimate setting.

Mated immortals were not supposed to be capable of sexual attraction to anyone other than their mates, and Kian was an honorable guy. Still, she'd been in enough situations like this for the proximity to trigger apprehension.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Kian asked.

"I was wondering if I was still in danger from the cartel. Can I go back to my apartment or my job? How long can I stay in the penthouse before I need to vacate it, and did you consider my employment prospects with Perfect Match?"

Smiling, Kian lifted his hands. "Whoa. That's a lot of questions. I'll answer them one at a time."

"Sorry." Jasmine winced. "I've been thinking about it for two days straight, so it was like releasing the relief valve on a pressure cooker."

Kian leaned back in his chair. "No one has come looking for you or put a tracker on your car. I had it checked. They snooped a little around the agency Margo worked at, but they didn't bother with her parents or her brother. They are back in their homes, and Margo's brother is supposed to get married next month. They ended up postponing the wedding after Margo told them she would have to stay in witness protection for a while longer. Her brother refused to have a wedding without her."

"Good for him," Jasmine said. "So, basically, I'm free to go if I want to?"

Kian leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he fixed her with an intense gaze. "Do you want to go back?" he asked. "Because if you do, we'll make it happen. But I thought you wanted something different for yourself."

"I do," she answered with no hesitation. "I mean, I want something different. I want to be part of your world and see where this thing with the prince goes. It might go nowhere, and then I will need to reevaluate, but for now, I need to know that I can stay in the penthouse and that you are not going to kick me out. I mean, I don't have to stay in the penthouse. I can sleep on a cot in the clinic. I just need to know that I can stay here. With him."

Kian smiled indulgently. "You can stay in the penthouse for as long as you want. I told the gods the same thing. They are all welcome to use the penthouses as their base even when they have to travel."

"Thank you," she whispered as relief washed over her. "Right now, I can't work yet, but as soon as he is stable, I can start filling any position needed. I'm not choosey."

"No rush." Kian pushed to his feet. "For now, your job is to keep talking and singing to the prince and princess."

"I can do that."

"I'll arrange an allowance for you, and if you need help getting things from your apartment, terminating the lease, bringing your car over here, or any other arrangements, let me know, and I'll have someone assist you."

That was so much more than Jasmine had expected, and for a moment, she was stunned by the generosity.

"Thank you," she finally managed to say. "I really appreciate that, and I will take you up on your offer."

"You are welcome. It would be best if you also kept using the credit card I gave you. Just to be cautious, don't use your own cards yet. I don't want the Modanas tracing you here."