Daniel and Belinda walked away to give us some space.

I swallowed before saying, "You heard what my mother said?"

"Oh yeah..." he growled. "Every word."

"Adam, she has this obsession with Kyle being a doctor. It's a stupid fantasy she has going on."

"Not so much a fantasy, Jasmine, when the man asked you to marry him a month ago. What was it you said, you'd consider it in five years?" Adam paused and peered into my eyes. "As I recall, a month ago, you and I were hitting it off. I'd kinda like to know where I fit into this equation, Jasmine. Am I a gap filler, and in five years, you'll say, see you later, Adam? Or will you flick me before then and play the field until the due date?"

The way he said my name was in no way loving. My heart raced. "It's been taken out of context," I shot back. I was so annoyed with my mother for forcing me to placate her. "It was a joke. Kyle big-mouthed it to stir Mum up. It was one of those things you say when...when..."

"When what, Jasmine?" Adam snarled. "When you're fooling around, having a drink, playing pool, having sex. Which one is it, Jasmine?"

"It wasn't like that." I was getting annoyed by his accusations. I hissed, "If you're going to jump to conclusions without letting me explain, then you should leave now."

I faced the table and gulped the last of my wine. I wasn't going to hang around and be made to feel like I wasn't invested in my relationship with him. I stood, ready to refill my glass.

Adam made me sit. He turned in his chair to face me, then spun me towards him. "Okay, explain."

He'd cooled down a little, so I went straight into it. "It happened the week you went away. The weekend I told you I was coming to my parents."

He nodded. I continued, "Kyle was home. We've always been good friends. He asked me to go sailing with him." I paused because he'd need to understand the relationship further, so I said, "I need you to know both our mothers have this idea we'd get married. It's always been a joke to Kyle and me." Having cleared that up, I took a breath and continued, "When we went sailing, the subject came up. Kyle said, What about it? Getting married to make our mothers happy. I laughed, Adam, and told him he wasn't serious, and he agreed. Then he said we should make a pact that if in five years neither of us was married, we should consider it so I agreed." I stopped talking and said, "That's all it was."

Adam sat straighter and let out a heavy breath, but didn't say a word.

"You and I had only known each other a few weeks," I said. "I didn't...don't know where we'll be in five years. It wasn't a serious thing like on such and such a date, Kyle and I would meet and compare notes." With annoyance, I said, "Mum's reading more into it than there is. Kyle told her because he knew she'd take it seriously. He thought it was funny, and now it's come back and slapped me in the face." I felt exhausted dealing with this, especially since I was already insecure about our future.

He held my hand. "Why are they so set on it?"

I shrugged and fiddled with his fingers.

"Were you and he an item once?"

I shrugged again and gave a nervous chuckle. "Yeah...once. We were teenagers."

"How old were you?"

"Seventeen."

Adam screwed up his mouth, "He was your first?"

I shifted in my chair; there was no point denying it. "Yes."

"And your mother knows this?" Adam queried.

"I don't know," I murmured. "I didn't tell her. God...she'd have made him marry me then and there, I'm sure."

"Do I need to worry about this?" Adam asked. "Is he a threat to me?"

I put my arms around his neck and slid onto his lap. "No. Nowhere close," I murmured. "Even if he is a doctor and you're an unambitious government worker."

Adam laughed against my neck and kissed my skin. "So," he muttered. "I don't have to break the bustard's neck then?"

"Definitely not," I crooned.

Adam's lips caught mine, and any of the past two days' negativity disappeared from my head. As he drew his mouth from mine, he whispered, "Have you got your period because I want you so bad?"

I smiled and tapped his chin as I said, "My mother warned me about good-looking guys just wanting sex."

He gripped my backside and kissed me again as he pulled me closer against him. "I want more than sex, Jasmine." Adam murmured, "I want to be the father of your children."

I gasped and yanked my face back to stare into his eyes.

Before I could say anything, Daniel plonked himself on my vacant chair and leaned toward us. "Mum has sent me over to ask if you two could put some distance between yourselves because she's worried Great Uncle Harry will have a heart attack. She also wants me to remind you, Jasmine, that nice girls don't put themselves on display like you're doing right now." He laughed. "And a piece of advice, Adam, if you want to win the old girl over, you'll have to do better than a government worker in the transport department."

Adam laughed and shook his head. "Should I have said drug-dealing bikie member with a tendency to kill people?" He winked and laughed louder when he saw my expression.

Daniel peered at him and then raised his eyebrows. "At least you'd have a chance of promotion. You know. Drug dealer to crime boss. I believe they make a lot of money."

They laughed and fist-punched.

"Oh...by the way, you owe me forty bucks," Daniel added. "Swans lost last night, and I worked out you conned me, you prick."

Adam laughed as Daniel stood to leave.

Grinning, Adam frowned at me as he said, "What...you're not laughing. Is that what you think I do?"

I didn't answer but slid off his lap and sat on my chair. He dragged it closer. "Honey, I was joking. What's going on in that pretty little head again?"

"I don't like you joking when I know what I already know and..." I hesitated because I had promised I wouldn't question him again.

"And what, Jasmine?"

I couldn't help myself, so I said, "The news broadcast a story about drug raids by the police on Wednesday night. The camera zoomed in on a man's wrists, in handcuffs. He had a tattoo like yours."

Adam didn't deny it. He leaned back on his chair and studied my face. "Is this one of those times when I'm supposed to say Creswick?"

I hung my head. "Yes."

Adam scooped me up and sat me on his lap. "Creswick," he whispered.

I gazed at his eyes. They weren't laughing but had deepened in colour. He kissed me and said, "I'm sorry I'm doing this to you. I won't deny the things I do seem sinister, but, honey, I'm pretty sure I'd be in gaol if it were me."

I threw my arms around his neck and squeezed him tight with relief. "I'm sorry. If I were you, I would have dumped me by now."

Adam laughed. "I haven't yet because you give great head." I giggled as he sucked on my ear and whispered, "Can we go home, Jasmine? I want to teach you a lesson."

Grinning, I shook my head. "We can't yet. Mum's got a cake for Mel and Grant to cut and we'll have to sing, they are jolly good fellows, or whatever you sing at an engagement."

Adam grinned and touched my cheek with his finger. "Talking of singing, do you want to come to Werribee with me tomorrow night? My mates are playing there. They haven't replaced their drummer, so I said I'd fill in."

"You're going to be playing?"

"Yeah, do you want to come and watch?"

"So, I'll be a groupie."

Adam gave me a comical look. "I guess."

I clutched his face and kissed him. "Will I wear shortie shorts and a low-cut top?"

"No. Jeans and a t-shirt will be fine." We kissed again, and as I drew back, he patted me on the bum and said, "You better get off my lap now so I can get myself under control and go win your mother over."

I grinned. "Do you want something to eat?"

"No." He shook his head as he said, "But a cup of coffee would be nice."

Phew!  I'm so glad that got sorted out.

Do you think Adam is an understanding man?

And he's taking Jasmine to see him play drums!!! Yay... Who loves drummers?

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