Free Jessie Slaymaker's Rules of Engagement (The Jessie Slaymaker Series Book 2) by Jo Iles Page B

father’s side, of course. Why? Have you got it?’
    ‘I think so,’ Jack said glumly.
    ‘Let me see,’ Cicely said, as Jack held his arm in front of the camera for her inspection. ‘Oh, you’d better see a doctor,’ she said at length.
    ‘Well thanks, Mum,’ Jack said. ‘I could have figured that much out for myself.’
    ‘Less of the attitude, if you please. You called me, remember?’
    ‘I’ll speak to you soon,’ Jack said more softly.
    ‘You take care, my darling,’ Cicely said, her tone gentle now after delivering her slight reprimand. ‘And do give my love to Jessie. Wish her luck for Monday, won’t you?’ she added.
    ‘She’ll be fine, I’m sure. She’s getting really excited about her first day, researching online all morning. I’m sure she’ll be running the place in no time at all. I’d better go and see that doctor, Mum. Love you.’ Jack ended the call.
    Throughout the entirety of Jack’s conversation with his mother, Jessie had been hovering around in the background awkwardly, not really knowing if she was invited in, nor if it was really appropriate for her to intrude on mother and son. Although she hadn’t participated, she had been listening. How would you know how I’m feeling? Jessie wanted to shout at Jack. It wasn’t like they’d done much talking about what she was anticipating on her impending first day of work in a more senior role in a new country. Their time together, as wonderful as it had been, had been focused on sightseeing and in the pursuit of pleasure.
    And with Jack making wildly exaggerated comments like she'll could be running the place , Jessie began to question if he even had any idea what it was she did for a living. She was a research economist within the bloody research department, for heck’s sake. There was absolutely no power whatsoever in that.

Chapter 15
    Jack was feeling sorry for himself. He’d been to the doctor’s, who had confirmed that Jessie and his mum had been right: he did have chickenpox. He’d also been told off by the doctor, as he was deemed highly contagious and should really have stayed at home. And now he was to be quarantined for the next few days, until the awful pox had worked its way through his system. He wasn’t a good patient at the best of times, but being told he shouldn’t leave the apartment made him feel like a prisoner. Again. Pretty much like the last time he’d been in Hong Kong, stuck with Sonia Shum. It did not bring back happy memories. This—coupled with an exquisitely annoying itch that he knew he shouldn’t be touching, let alone scratching—was driving him insane.
    For her part, Jessie was doing her best, but he knew he was being a grump, despite the wonderful time they’d been having until he’d been struck down with his lurgy. Jessie had spent the weekend coming and going, stocking the place up with groceries so he wouldn’t starve once she started work, and generally waiting on him hand and foot. Thankfully Jessie had already had chickenpox when she was young, so she could stay with him without risk of contagion. He didn’t know what he would have done without her.
    It was Sunday evening, and Jessie, after a day of running errands and non-stop activity on her part, had finally sat down to relax with him on the sofa and watch some television.
    ‘If we ever have children, they’re getting exposed to chickenpox as soon as it starts the rounds at school,’ Jessie said, putting her feet up. ‘As soon as there’s a whiff of the pox going round, I’ll be there with little Jack junior, begging for contamination,’ she laughed.
    ‘If we ever have children eh? I didn’t know you were planning that far ahead already,’ Jack teased, smiling at her. He was feeling a bit better that evening.
    ‘Steady on there, Davenport, it was only a figure of speech,’ Jessie said, her cheeks colouring slightly.
    ‘We’ve never really talked about children,’ Jack said, thinking aloud.
    ‘No. But it is