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“Can I help?” I ask in a dry tone. “I’m good with gadgets.”
She startles as she looks up at me, her eyes meeting mine. Yep, not only are they the rich color of molten chocolate, but they’re huge and innocent. She doesn’t belong here. Goddamn, she looks young enough to be my daughter.
“Yes,” she sighs, her plump pink lips bending down with exasperation. “I think I may have broken the juicer.”
“Don’t worry,” I growl, stepping forward to reach behind the juicing machine and unplugging it. “You didn’t break it. This thing is always getting blocked.” I reach my hand deftly into the funnel to pull out a cluster of orange peels, discarding them in a nearby bowl. “So much for designer brands. I swear they charge you an arm and a leg and then sell you pure shit.” This comment makes her giggle, and I’m surprised by the flicker of warmth it causes in my chest. Then, I throw a few oranges into the juicer and press the button so it starts to whir. Juice safely on its way, I turn to the young woman.
“There, all done. I’m Logan,” I say, drying the orange juice off my hands onto a napkin so I can hold out my hand. “And you are …?”
She takes my hand slowly, studying me, and we shake. Hers is tiny and delicate in comparison to my giant paw.
“Logan Daniels?” she asks, blinking up at me.
“Yes,” I say with an easy smile. “Do I know you?”
“Um, maybe. This is your house, right?” she continues, blushing.
“Yep,” I chuckle. The juicer stops whirring and I pick up the now full glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and hand it to her. She lets go of my hand and takes the glass from me. The juice is vibrating slightly as her fingers tremble.
“Thanks,” she mumbles, cheeks red. “Appreciate it. Um, I’m Jasmine.”
Then there’s an awkward moment.
“Nice to meet you, Jasmine. Would you like to join us for breakfast?” I ask in a gracious tone, nodding to the dining area. “I was just about to sit down.”
The mystery brunette bites her lip again, her eyes sweeping quickly to the long table set with cutlery and chattering, glowing girls.
“Okay, sure,” she mutters. Then, she follows me to the table, and we both sit. I’m intrigued as I watch the young woman because there’s something different about her. For one, I’ve never met her before, so she must be new to the house. But who could she be? And why in the world does she look so jumpy? After all, she’s a member of my harem … right?
2
Jasmine
Islide into the chair opposite Logan Daniels and try to compose myself, even though my heart is hammering in my chest. I’ve obviously heard of him, but I’ve only been here a few days and I wasn’t expecting to actuallymeethim. Especially not so soon. Especially not at the breakfast buffet. Doesn’t he eat in his private quarters, with a staff to wait on him hand and foot?
But what’s really taken me off guard is how insanely handsome Logan Daniels is. Okay, I admit I was prejudiced. I was expecting an older dude with tufts growing out of his nose and his shirt open over a narrow, bony chest. I was expecting a guy who’s gross to look at, but whom everyone puts up with because of his money. I definitely wasn’t expectingthis.
Eyes twinkling like he can read my mind, Logan shakes out a napkin and puts it in his lap, his movements graceful.
“So I’ve never seen you before, Jasmine,” the billionaire says in a smooth voice. He studies me with his piercing blue eyes from under jet black hair. He smooths it back and takes a sip of coffee. “Welcome to my humble home. How long have you been living here, may I ask? I admit, sometimes I lose track of these things,” he mentions in a casual tone, as if it’s totally normal to find a strange girl residing on your property.
I hesitate, unsure of how much to share about my presence at the mansion.
“Just a few days,” I mutter. “My friend invited me.”
Logan leans forward, a black brow arched.
“A friend?” he asks with interest. “Whom, may I ask?”
Oh shit, oh shit. I’m already in deep. But there’s no sense in lying because he’d find out anyways.
“Her name is Lily,” I manage in a normal tone. “Maybe you know her? Lily Bleeker.”
“Lily,” Logan muses, thinking as he takes a bite of his croissant. I follow his example and take a bite of my chocolate muffin. Holy shit. It’s still warm. It’s so delicious and fresh I’m momentarily consumed entirely with eating half of it in one go. I immediately feel self-conscious and quickly wipe the crumbs from my mouth, but Logan doesn’t seem to have noticed.
“I don’t think I know a Lily,” he replies, a note of apology in his voice. “There are a lot of folks living on the estate, and I’m sorry to say that I haven’t gotten a chance to meet everyone. But I’m sure the opportunity will present itself.”
I let out a silent sigh of relief. Thank goodness he and Lily aren’t acquainted because honestly, I shouldn’t be here at all. After all, Lily Bleeker is my mom.She’sthe one living in the harem, not me. I’m just crashing because I need a temporary place to stay.
