Chapter Ninety Eight

She took a deep breath and released it in a shuddering sigh.

'You know what I mean. You can have my things sent here from the hotel. I'll get to the airport by myself. There's no need.,.'

'You want me to say goodbye now?' he asked.

Her gaze wavered from his. 'You probably should be meeting with other people...'

'Don't make my decisions for me, Jasmine. I know what I want to do, and I understand if you want to get rid of me now. I don't blame you if that's what you want. If you'd prefer not to see me anymore, say so. Otherwise I'll be back to visit you tonight. And tomorrow. If you must go home, I intend to make sure you're fit enough to fly out before you do and I'll accompany you to the airport and see you into the care of the flight attendants.'

She stared at him, not understanding his motivation. Which was fair enough, because he didn't understand it himself. All he knew—and knew with absolute certainly—was he needed time to sort this inner turmoil through before any final line was drawn. Since she didn’t rush to reject the plan, Collins pressed it as a confirmed fact.

'I'll be back,' he stated decisively and left the room before she could make some belated protest.

Jasmine stared at the closed door. She had invited Collins to close it, expected him to close it, but he was coming back to open it again. Or so he said.

But why would he?

Her mind jammed with jumbled-up emotions. They hurt.

Everything hurt.

She curled herself up under the bedcover, buried her face in the pillow and wept for all her lost dreams.

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They sat in the first-class lounge at LAX, waiting for the  flight to Sydney to be called. Jasmine glanced at Collins who'd fallen silent, withdrawing into himself, a tense brooding look on his face. She had no idea what he was thinking, or what purpose had been served for him in keeping her company until she left for home. All she knew was the departure lime was very close now and the past hour with him had stretched her nerves to breaking point.

It had only ever been sex for him and that was patently over. Ever since she'd made the decision to get out of his life as fast as possible, he'd made no reference to the intimacy they'd shared, gave no indication that he might want it resumed at a later date. No doubt he knew, as she did, it couldn't ever be the same as before. So why had he bothered with the courtesy of treating her like a valued visitor?

Last night and most of today he had been questioning her about her life and her job, whether she considered her work a career worth pursuing or simply the means to a good income, what she liked doing, what she disliked. It was as though he was finally assessing her as a fully rounded person, not just seeing her as a sexually desirable woman —a strange bittersweet experience for Jasmine, coming too late to mean he might want a serious relationship with her.

Most likely their conversations had been about keeping her mind—and his — off the pregnancy that had been so traumatically terminated. She had to concede they had helped in that regard, more so when he talked about his work and the kind of things he planned to try in thefuture— animated films he wanted his own company to produce. That had given her a glimpse of the visions he nursed, what drove him to keep moving on.

Collins Templeton was never going to stand still. It was amazing that he'd actually taken these few days out to be with her, holding her hand through the worst of it. Maybe he had felt some obligation towards her, dragged into it because she'd revealed so much of her own feelings in getting pregnant to him. Guilt...kindness...giving her lime he hadn'tgiven before. He was probably champing at the bit now, thinking of what he'd do the moment .she was gone.

'Boarding call for  flight QF12 to Sydney. Will passengers please proceed to gate one-two-two?' Jasmine picked up her bag and rose quickly from the armchair, relieved that the strain of this last togetherness with Collins was over.

He was slower to react to the announcement, unfolding himself from his chair rather than springing up. It focused her attention on his height and the powerful physique that made him so male, and everything inside her quivered at this last farewell.

This was the man she had chosen to father her child.

This was the man she had recklessly loved.

Forcing herself to face the inevitable end, she thrust out a hand and lifted her gaze to his. 'Goodbye...'

'No!' The word exploded from him. Her hand was caught in both of his, the doubly possessive grip preventing her from pulling it free. His dark eyes probed hers with searing intensity, making her heart skitter even more painfully at this sudden impasse.

'Jasmine... I don't want you to leave, Jasmine.' he said.

Sheer anguish voiced her reply. 'Collins, it won't work...'

'I don't mean the week I'd planned to spend with you,' he rapped out dismissively. 'This is something else.'

'I have to go,' she cried in panic, not believing that anything he suggested, could be anything but painful in those circumstances. 'The flight has been called.'

'We could fly to Las Vegas...and get married.'

She stared incredulously at the blazing conviction in his eyes.

'Get...married?' Had she heard right?

'Yes. There's nothing to stop us, is there? It won't be the end of the world if you resigned from your job, stayed with me.'

Her job meant nothing. Staying with him meant everything. Yet to ask her to marry him now...

All those questions yesterday and today...had he been considering this proposal all along? Seeing if she would fit the role of his wife?

Jasmine was utterly dumbfounded by this move. No way had she seen it coming. It was too big a leap from the freewheeling position he'd stated just two days ago.