Page 88 of Discretion

He groaned, dragging his thumb down my lip. “Yes. Always.”

“Does that feel good?” I asked, continuing to touch him. Tease him.

“You know it does,” he ground out.

My phone chimed, and I brushed my lips against his. I retreated to the desk, grabbing my phone before sliding it into my pocket. “Sorry. I have to go. I have a meeting in five.”

“Seriously?” he asked.

I nodded, trying not to laugh at his stricken expression. “Afraid so.” I grabbed my things and headed for the door.

He grasped my wrist. “When can I see you again? Outside of work,” he added. “Do you have plans this weekend?”

“Not yet, but I have Kai.”

“I know.” He pulled me to him, gripping my hips. “I washoping we could do something together—the three of us. Well, and maybe Rosie too.”

“Yeah?” I tilted my head, surprised by his eagerness to include my son. I placed my hand on his cheek. “I’d like that, and I know Kai would too.”

“Great. Bring your swimsuits, and we can hang out by my pool. Unless…”

“Unless what?”

“Kai has been begging me to take him for a flight on my helicopter. I know his birthday’s coming up. We could go to San Diego. Spend the day at Legoland.”

“He would absolutely love that,” I said, knowing how excited Kai would be about either one of those things. I could only imagine how he’d react about both. Still…what kind of message would it send?

“But…?” Jasper said, perhaps sensing my hesitation.

“But it seems…extravagant. Plus, aren’t you worried about being seen together in public?”

“In San Diego?” He chuckled. “No. I’m not a celebrity like Nate or Emerson. And I don’t think anyone would expect to see me at Legoland.”

Could we really do this? Could we go out and spend the day together like a real couple? When we’d been in London last summer, Jasper had found ways for us to be together. The picnic at St Dunstan in the East came to mind, as did a weekend spent on a canal boat when Kai had been with Craig.

But those hadn’t involved Kai. And I had no idea how we’d explain Jasper’s presence. I wanted to say yes, but I needed to think through all the implications.

“Can I think about it?” I asked.

“Absolutely. And if you decide it’s too much, we can do something more low-key. I just want to spend time with both of you.”

I pressed up on my toes, giving him a quick peck. “I want that too.”

In the end,I agreed to Jasper’s plan for Kai. It sounded like fun, and I knew Kai would love it. Besides, he hadn’t made many friends yet, and I wanted him to feel special on his birthday. As long as Jasper and I acted like friends for the day, it would be fine. Wouldn’t it?

I worried about Kai telling Craig, but not enough to stop us from going. If Kai mentioned it to his dad, I’d figure out how to handle it. Today was about Kai—not Craig, not anyone else.

The moment the elevator doors to the helipad opened, Kai’s eyes widened. He turned to me. “Are we…”

“Flying in the helicopter?” Jasper clapped a hand on Kai’s shoulder. “You bet!”

“Really?” Kai looked from one of us to the other.

I nodded, and he threw himself into my arms. Then he leaped into Jasper’s arms. “Thank you!”

Was this excessive? Absolutely. But unlike with Craig in the past, I knew Jasper wasn’t trying to win Kai over with expensive gifts or outrageous experiences. Jasper wanted to share something he loved with my son.

Jasper took him around the outside of the aircraft, telling him about the parts of the helicopter and asking Kai to help him perform his safety inspection. I knew Jasper had already come up here earlier to inspect the helicopter and perform his preflight checks, but he was so sweet to make Kai feel important and special.