The Dating Games (Dating Games Complete Box Set Series) (An Alpha Billionaire Romance) (12 page)

Jasmine looked at the clock most of the night, when she saw that it was three in the morning, she groaned and rolled her eyes, she couldn't wait for the hours when it was daylight again. She hoped that, soon enough, she didn't have to be alone in the apartment, hoped that something good was going to come her way and she prayed for it very hard knowing that she didn't pray that often and that maybe God couldn't hear her because she was praying for a way out, a better way of living as she clasped her hands together and closed her eyes tightly, saying a silent prayer to herself.

              When the clock hit six that morning, she had a smile on her face, it was daylight and she could feel safer moving around her apartment until she heard a knock at the door. She froze, wondering who it might be, she didn't see the door knob turning like she had seen it the night before and she had to holler at whoever it was out there to make them leave, running at that.

              “Jasmine if you're awake, it's me, Devon,” he said through the door. He didn't want to scare her, he didn't want her thinking that he was some stranger off the street trying to hurt her.

              Jasmine quickly went to the door. Looking over her apartment she saw that it was clean but she didn't think that he would ever come up to the apartment. She didn't like how it looked and she wished that he would have called to say he was out front.

              Jasmine took a few minutes to unlock the dead bolts and Devon gave her a sad look when he saw what she had to go through in order to feel as if she was safe. She shut the door behind him and watched as he looked at the dead bolts, seeing that they were thick and strong he was sure that she had spent a lot of money on them. Considering she didn't have much money when she had moved into the place, he was assuming that she had used a good chuck of change for that.

              “I was hoping that I could take you out for breakfast,” Devon stated, letting her know the reason why he had shown up so late.

              “That would be great, I wish that you would've called though because I'm not even ready to go out.” She laughed, glad that it was him. She would have wrapped her arms around him if they were together knowing that he would protect her no matter if she was feeling fear or worried that something was going to happen to her.

              “It's alright, you look fine.” He grinned at her, looking at her gray pajama bottoms and white t-shirt. He could see that she hadn't slept at all because her hair wasn't a mess, but he wasn't going to call her out on it.

              Devon still had a headache from the night before, he was ashamed of himself for drinking so much but he knew that he hadn’t slept with Tonya the night before after their date, so he hadn't been that drunk.

              “I didn't want to tell you this, but I have a surprise to show you. After breakfast or before?” Devon asked her, seeing a surprised look come over her face.

              “Can't you just tell me?” she asked him, grinning at him, hoping that she could charm him with her eyes.

              “You're beautiful, but no, I'm not going to tell you what it is. Matter of fact, when we get into the car, I'm going to blindfold you so that you can't see what it is until we are standing in front of it.” He took her hand and opened the apartment door.

              Jasmine locked it up like she always did. When she was satisfied with the way the door was, she let him lead her down the stairs that creaked when they stepped on them. She gave him a frown when he looked at her and he couldn't help but laugh at her.

              Devon knew that she didn't want to be in that place and he was going to try and help her in any way that he could.

              “It's not alive, is it?” She gave him a serious look as she got into the car and watched him jog around to the driver’s seat.

              “No, I can tell you that it's not alive and it's nothing that's going to hurt you. That's all I'm saying.” He laughed at her, shaking his head. He could see that she wasn't used to surprises. That no one had taken the time to really do something nice for her.

              He put the blindfold over her eyes and quickly ran his hand back and forth, seeing that there was no reaction, he knew that she couldn't see anything, or else she would have laughed at him.

              Very quickly, Devon pulled away from the curb this time and was actually speeding he was so excited to show her what it was. He knew that he was doing the right thing for her and he wanted to make her happy, wanted to see her happy.

              They got to where they were going ten minutes later, she laughed when he helped her out of the car stumbling over her own feet because she had never had to walk without seeing where she was going. She felt like a fool for a few minutes.

              Devon brought her over to the driver’s side of the car and made her lean up against it. He stood in front of her for a few seconds, knowing that she was going to go crazy over the surprise for her.

              “Are you ready to see it?” Devon asked her, he had his own plans for her after showing her the surprise.

              “I'm ready, I've been ready,” she told him, nodding her head up and down with a smile on her face. She couldn't wait to see what he had for her.

              Jasmine knew that he didn't have to get her anything. She was just glad to see him almost every day, unless they were both busy, which hardly ever happened, no matter what he was doing, he made time to spend with her unless they were arguing, and they didn't have an argument except for that one time. Neither one of them wanted to go through that again.

              “Take the blindfold off,” Devon stated, folding his arms across his chest.

              Devon watched her pull off the blindfold quickly so that she could see what it was. When she looked straight in front of her she saw that it was a brown house. It looked like it had stairs going up to the rooms; she could tell that from the outside of the house. There was a nice lawn and flowers, a place where someone could grow a garden if they really wanted to.

              “What is all this?” Jasmine still wasn't getting what he was doing, she had given him a confused look, not really knowing what he was doing.

              “This is yours. I bought it this morning on my way over to your house. The real estate agent wasn't happy that I had called her so early in the morning, but I got her over here and all you have to do is sign the papers. The house is bought and paid for,” Devon explained to her, watching her as she covered her mouth with her hand.

              Jasmine didn't say anything to him, she felt the tears coming quickly and rushing down her face. It was like a faucet that she couldn't turn off. She felt him wrap his arms around her tightly, hugging her, and she found herself hugging him back just as tightly, if not tighter than he was.

              “I want you to be happy and safe Jasmine. I worry about you a lot in that neighborhood and when you move in, if you want it to be today, we can go looking for furniture with the money that you have set aside. If you would like to, now we can go eat breakfast.” He laughed, letting her go and taking her by the hand. Jasmine wiped the tears away as fast as she could, putting a big smile on her face as he brought her up to the stairs, taking out the house keys, he handed them over to her.

              Jasmine's hand was shaking when she slid the key into the lock and walked into her house. She couldn't believe it was her house and, when she walked in, she saw that there was a security system already up and running.

              “All you have to do is set it at night and if someone tries to break in, an alarm goes off here and at the police station,” he explained to her when she looked at it with amazement and fear at the same time.

              “It's a ‘just in case’ type thing. You're in a good neighborhood and a friend of mine lives right down the street. She's a real nice lady, a little older than the both of us but she keeps an eye out, she's a nosy neighbor so if anyone comes in that is strange, she calls the cops without even asking for an explanation.” Devon chuckled, hearing Jasmine laughing and watching her shake her head.

              “Thank you so much, I don't know what else to say about this. Devon you really surprised me this morning.” She blushed, nodding her head. She couldn't thank him enough for what he had done. The surprise was better than anything in the world. What he had done was changing her life for the better.

              Jasmine felt her heart racing but she put her hand on his shoulder and kissed him softly on the lips. She loved how soft his lips were and she licked her lips when she pulled away from him, seeing that he was the one surprised this time.

For almost two weeks Devon didn't get to spend time with Jasmine. His schedule was full between working and going out on the dates he didn't really want to go on. He would rather get his teeth pulled then keep going on dates but there was just one more. He sighed and dropped the woman off, saying good night and kissing her on the cheek. She wasn't disappointed when he only kissed her on the cheek. She gave him a smile thinking that they had hit it off well, she thought that he was going to pick her because he was so kind to her.

              Devon sighed heavily when she went into her house, shaking his head, he got back into the limo that was waiting for him.

              “What's the matter with you?” Calvin asked him, yawning. He had already shut the video camera off for the night.

              “Nothing, I'm sighing with relief that there's only one more date left. There is just one problem,” Devon stated, looking out the window into the dark night.

              “What's that?” Calvin turned around to face him from the front seat.

              “I don't want to pick any of the women. I know that tomorrow night is going to be the same way but everyone is expecting me to choose one of them and I don't feel a connection with any of the nine women that I've dated.” Devon groaned, shaking his head back and forth before he leaned his head back against the cool leather seats of the limo and almost fell asleep.

              Calvin watched him as he tried to relax, he gave a smile without Devon knowing. He knew that he was going to be happy the next night. They had saved the best for last and she really was the best—everyone knew that she was the best for him.

              “Everything's going to be alright,” Calvin told him, turning around to face the front again before he gave himself away.

              “Easy for you to say; you don't have to go out on all these dates. At first I thought it was going to be fun but the more I thought of Jasmine, the more I realized that my life can't be summed up in one date with different women. How do you actually tell which one is the right one from just one date?” Devon asked him, knowing that he had a real problem.

              “I don't know, you tell me. You're the one who wanted to do this when Ken asked you if you would help him out.” Calvin reminded him that he had agreed and signed the contract with a big smile on his face and lust in his eyes.

              “I know what I did, there's no way of changing it now. If I was to walk out, Ken would kill me. The last date and me not showing up would be the end of our friendship, I think.” Devon wasn't willing to lose his friendship over some dating show that he no longer wanted to be a part of.

              “Well, just think, you have one more night and then it's all over. Either you're happy with one of them, or you pretend to be. Do you want some advice?” Calvin asked him without turning around to face him this time.

              “I could use all the advice that I can get.” Devon opened his eyes and leaned forward to make sure that he was going to be hear Calvin alright.

              What Calvin was about to tell him was something he had never thought about before and what he told him was very important to him.

Calvin made him wait for a few minutes, thinking about how he could put his thoughts into words so that it wouldn't come out bad.

              “Well?” Devon asked him, wanting to know what he had to say. He was eager to get advice from Calvin.

              “Well, if I were you, I would select a woman from the group and, when you're off camera, you can explain to her that there's only one woman for you. That might be leading the woman on, but she would know that you were being up front with her. I don't think that she would be that heartbroken over it unless she was really counting on the money that you have. That's something you don't need and if you can't make it work with any woman from the dating show then why live miserably?” Calvin asked him.

              Devon didn't say anything about that, he was shocked that the words would come out of Calvin's mouth and he knew that it was good advice; he didn't want to live a hard life, an unhappy life just because he picked a woman off the dating show.

              Devon would do just that, after the dating show he didn't have a contract anymore. Ken just wanted to make sure that he found someone that he would be happy with. Calvin was right, if the woman really liked him she would understand and, if she was pissed off, then he knew it was all about the money.

              Devon had a smile on his face when the limo dropped him off at his house, there was one light on and that was the living room light. He knew that Heather was already in bed, he found himself thinking about the kiss that Jasmine had given to him earlier that morning when they walked into her new home and he felt an electric shock going through his body when her soft lips had touched his. He wanted more of what she had to offer, but he wasn't going to push her. He wanted to show her that he didn't want her for the sex, that he wanted her for her because he wanted to make it work with her.

              The second Devon got into the house he felt his cell phone ringing and he didn't recognize the number. He answered it and talked slowly into the phone.

              “Hi, is it too late to be calling?” Jasmine asked him, he could hear that she was happy. Really happy for once being in the house, her house that she could call home.

              “It's never too late as long as it's you calling.” He laughed into the phone, hearing her sweet laughter made him wish that he had stopped by her house first before going home himself, but it was already late and he was sure that she was in bed.

              “I was calling to see how the show had gone, I didn't watch it because I don't like getting myself upset, but I would like to know how it went,” Jasmine told him lightly, biting on her lip and hoping that he hadn't found the right one, hoping that he was honest about wanting to be with her.

              “The truth?” he asked into the phone as he sat on the couch and took his shoes off for the night. Taking the shirt off and tie that he had been wearing, he tossed it on the other side of the couch.

              “Of course the truth, I wouldn't be asking if I really didn't want to know.” Jasmine nodded even though he couldn't see her through the phone.

              “It sucked, I mean I didn't even feel a connection, you know? I can't wait until this is all over. One more date tomorrow night and then I am a free man and the thing about it is I was able to pick all the other women but this one. For the tenth one, Ken went behind my back and picked the woman out himself. I can just imagine what kind he had picked out,” Devon stated, groaning into the phone as if he was in a lot of pain.

              “I'm sorry that you haven't had a good night. I feel bad for you, wish that I was there to hold you and tell you that you might find the right one.” Jasmine felt a smile come across her face but there wasn't a hint of it her voice.

              “Right, you are not thinking that. It's alright though, you're doing a good job handling this. I wouldn't be able to do that if the roles were reversed. I would be pissed as hell,” Devon commented, he knew that Jasmine didn't like any of it, she had wanted him to leave the show in order to date her and be with her—if he really wanted her he would have proved it to her.

              “You're right, I'm not thinking that at all. What I'm really thinking about is the hot bubble bath that I took tonight. You didn't have to do all of this for me, but I want to thank you again for doing all of this. Moving me in and making sure that I had furniture, everything that I needed before you left and buried yourself in work for two weeks…” Jasmine wanted to show him that she had appreciated him for what he had done.

              “How is the maid there? Is she doing her job?” Devon asked, he wasn't paying her for doing a crappy job.

              “Yes, I like her a lot. We are hitting it off more and more. I'm just glad that I'm not alone in the house. It's bigger on the inside than it is on the out.” Jasmine giggled in his ear.

              “Good, I'm glad that you're not alone at all. I would feel really bad for moving you into such a big house if I didn't have someone with you to keep you company, making sure that you didn't have to worry about anything,” Devon told her, nodding his head firmly glad that Angela was doing a great job. If Jasmine had one complaint, he would fire her right then and there.

              Devon only hired Angela because he didn't want Jasmine to sit there day in and day out when she wasn't going to school and working for him alone. He couldn't stand the thought of her being alone, he had done it for protection knowing that it was going to take Jasmine a long time to see that she lived in a nice, quiet neighborhood. It was going to take her a while to trust that everything was going to be alright and he knew that he could help her with that.

              “I'm in bed thinking about the security alarm downstairs. It seems every five minutes I'm calling to Angela to make sure she's still awake and, if she is, I ask her to check the security system to make sure that the light is still on and that it's working the way it should be. I feel like such a baby.” She laughed nervously into the phone.

              “You're going to be alright, I know that you are. Can I see you tomorrow?” Devon felt like rushing over to her to comfort her and let her know that no one was going to hurt her. He knew that she wanted someone to hold her and not just someone, him.

              “I wish I could see you tomorrow, but I have classes all day and I won't be out until four. That doesn't give you much time for your last date.” Jasmine told him softly, licking her lips and thinking about the next night herself.

              “That sucks, I'm sorry. I wish that you didn't have to go to school so that we could spend all day together,” Devon almost whined at her but cleared his throat so that she didn't hear him growing weak for her.

              “You sound so sad, as if you're not going to see me again.” Jasmine laughed into the phone. She could hear it in his voice that he wanted to see her and that he was disappointed that she was busy the next day.

              She had told him right from the beginning that she couldn't slack on her studies, that she really wanted to make it to being a lawyer and she was going to get what she wanted, no one was going to stand in the way of that.

              “I know, I respect your decision of going to school and keeping up with it the way you have. As busy as you are, I'm really surprised that you haven't cut back on some of your classes like a lot of people do. I am sure that your mother would have been very proud of you for keeping up with what you want. Looking towards the future and working hard to get to where you are. Ten years from now, you are going to be smiling at yourself for not giving up or cutting corners,” Devon whispered into the phone. He hadn't meant to push, he knew talking about her mother was a big thing for her and he wasn't sure if he stepped over the line.

              “Even though you didn't know her, you're right about that. She's the one who taught me to be strong. She was the one to make sure that I learned the values in life and to go after what I want.” Jasmine smiled, she hadn't smiled thinking about her mother at the same time. It was the first time for her and it made her feel good knowing that she could talk about her mother without crying about her. She really missed her but she knew that her mother was in her heart and would always be there.

              “Well it's getting late and I'm sure that you want to go to sleep. You sound like you're already tired. Make sure you get some sleep tonight and I hope that the bed is comfortable enough for you.” He smiled, two weeks ago felt like years ago. He had helped her pick out the bed and they even test tried it before he bought it.

              Jasmine had tried to convince him to let her pay for it, but he wouldn't allow her to. He wanted her to spend the money that he had given to her on clothing and whatever else she might need. The simple things. He knew that he was doing the right thing and he knew spending money on her wasn't going to her head, like it would have with plenty of other women.

              They talked for a few more minutes and then they hung up, neither one of them wanting to say goodnight. Jasmine sighed heavily as she put the phone down on its cradle and sighed with a smile on her face as she sank into the bed and pulled the blankets up over her chin. No matter what, she had to sleep with a blanket on whether it was the summer or the fall, she still had to have it. It was a habit that she had gained when she was little and she never quite grew out of it.

              Devon laid down on the couch that night, putting his hands behind his head and looking up at the ceiling; he had fallen asleep worried about what tomorrow might bring. He didn't want to think about the dating show, he didn't want to think about some woman that was dressed up like she was the best thing ever, showing off her body and he knew at that point he had changed when it came to the way women dressed for him.

              For years that was all that Devon wanted, he wanted the women who looked easy in their tight dresses with no panties on. He thrived on that and now he didn't want any of that. He wanted to settle down and have a family now. He knew that the right woman was out there and it was Jasmine, it had always been Jasmine, since the day that he met her. He remembered that he was going to his office and she was in there cleaning for him, making sure that his desk shined for him when he showed up to sit behind it.

              “Man, I wish that you had changed your mind, Jasmine, I had tried holding onto that tenth spot for you until it was too late,” he muttered to himself, shaking his head back and forth as his eyes started getting heavy. Little by little, his eyes began closing even though he didn't want them to. He wanted to stay up thinking about Jasmine, but his eyes and body wouldn't let him.

              Devon had been working for two weeks straight with no time to himself. Between the dates they had split back up, but to two once a week, and he was tired. The reason why Ken stopped doing it once a night was because Devon looked tired when he walked in for his dates. He didn't want Devon being burnt out of the dates or the cameras.

              He tossed and turned that night, worried about what the next day was going to be. He had a dream that there was this woman all over him, trying to tear his clothes off and he was pushing her away, letting her know that he had changed and he didn't want her, he didn't want anyone, only the woman that was in the back of his mind. The woman was mad at him, glaring at him, she had slapped him across the face, he woke up in a sweat and put his hand to his cheek as if it had happened to him for real.

              The sun was coming up just as he sat up on the couch, he wiped the sweat from his forehead. It was his first nightmare in a long time. He couldn't remember the last time he had a nightmare but he knew it had been a while ago.

              “I knew this was going to bite me in the ass later, I just knew it. God, please help me out here. Give me something that I can work with,” Devon muttered, looking up at the ceiling and letting God know that he was talking to him.

              “Please, just make today go smoothly. It's the last night of the dating show and I don't even want to be there.” Devon groaned, turning his eyes away from the ceiling and slowly getting up to take his morning shower and get some coffee from the kitchen before he headed out for the day.