Chapter 17 The leason Ho Likes Her
Chapter 17 The Reason He Likes Her
Inside the restaurant, jasper watched as Ingrid set down her phone and got straight to the point. “Don’t blame Xena. She was agalest it at first too–1 had to threaten her.”
Ingrid looked at him
Jasper continued. “I told her that if I managed to win you over, the first thing I’d do was beg you to cut ties with her.”
Ingrid’s expression remained indifferent as she spoke. “Peacehart doesn’t forbid workplace relationships, but a comance between a superior and a subordinate in the same department is frowned upon anywhere.
consequences.
“You have connections, so it doesn’t matter to you. But if people start talking about me, I won’t be able to bear the conseq
Jasper countered. “If that’s what you’re worried about, we can wait until you’re promoted to head nurse before making it public.”
Ingrid resisted the urge to frown. “If you want to play around, at least do it at the right time and place.”
Jasper caught the implication in het word. “It’s not like 1 wanted to stir up gossip without your consent. The problem is, you won’t even talk to me in private.”
The grievance in his tone only made Ingrid angrier “Why should]?”
She lowered her voice. “Do you even understand what a one–night stand is? Once it’s over, we go our separate ways.
“With your looks and your background, you can have any woman you want. Why insist on bothering me?”
Jasper rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward. He lowered his voice to match hers, saying, “Come on. You were the one who approached me first. “Then you turned around and pretended we were strangers. I even helped you, and now you act ke I don’t exist. If anyone’s playing games here, it’s you.”
He was dashing. His dark eyes were lockedentohers, and his tone was half playful and half accusing For a split second, Ingrid almost got caught in his gaze. She quickly looked away and masked her nervousness with defiance. “I never asked for your help.”
She had deliberately burned the bridge, expecting him to be annoyed. But to her surprise, he remainedumbothered. “That’s true. I acted on my own.”
He admitted so easily that Ingrid felt a flicker of guil
She said, “You can play around with anyone you want, but leave me out of it. I’m not like you. It’s taken me over a decade to get where I am, and I can’t afford to lose in all for a fling” Jasper asked, “You think I’m just playing around?”
Ingrid met his gaze. “Maybe I’m simply not interested”
Jasper laughed. “Let’s not pretend, shall we?”
Ingrid pursed her lips. She hated to admit it, but he had every right to be this confident.
Jasper steered the conversation back. “You’re afraid that it we go public and then break up, you’ll be left in an awkward position. You don’t want to become a joke.” Ingrid didn’t deny it.
Jasper nodded. “I get it. You have your reasons. If I stood here and promised you forever, even I wouldn’t believe it, let alone you
“But making a relationship public is the bare
m respect a man should give. We’re not having an affair. Why should the woman be the one sneaking around
Jasper hit the nail on the beard, but Ingrid kept het expression neutral.
Jasper continued, “I want to be open about this, but if you don’t want to, I can accept keeping it private.”
Ingrid studied him “What do you get out of this?”
Jasper met her gaze without hesitation. “What do you think?”
“genuinely couldn’t figure out what he was after. He was better than her in every way.
If he were like Brandon, ages to keep things secret from the start, she would know exactly what he was thinking. But the very beginning, Jasper had wanted this to be out in the open. Frowning slightly, Ingrid hall–joked, “You’re not trying to get me fred, are you?”
Jasper chuckled, “Come on. Do I look like I have a vendetta against you?”
Ingrad sighed. “Then I really don’t see what you’re after.”
“Want the truth?”
“Go ahead”
He smiled. “I like the way it feels when we do the deed”
