Bitter Heat

by Mia Knight

  Colette nodded. “I can see why you left Ford if that’s how you felt about him. Lyle and I don’t have that.” She rocked Polara and stared pensively out at the lake. “I don’t know if I’d want to have that, honestly. The way he looks at you…”

  “How does he look at me?” she asked sharply.

  Colette waved her hand. “You know.”

  No, she didn’t know. “How?”

  “He’s…” Colette cleared her throat. “Completely focused on you, watching your every expression. He’s really intense. I don’t know if I could handle a man being that attached to me.”

  Attached? For most of their marriage, they lived apart.

  “I don’t know how you function with someone who feels like that about you. It takes you over, doesn’t it?”

  She nodded. The last time she had played this game with Roth, she walked away in pieces.

  “I’m glad you two are getting this second chance,” Colette continued. “Ariana’s been working with him. He went to Germany to close a deal and let us in on it.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “You didn’t know?”

  She didn’t know a lot of shit, apparently. “No.”

  Colette gave a one-shoulder shrug. “That’s probably best to keep business and personal separate. When you mix it together, bad stuff happens. That’s why I’m glad we sorted this without Lyle getting involved.”

  “You’re supposed to be on maternity leave,” she reminded her.

  “I am!” Colette gestured to the breastfeeding Polara. “Ariana’s handling everything and doing an excellent job. I’ve been eating, sleeping, and reading about my sister’s love affair. The company’s turning around, and Polara’s gorgeous. It’s all working out.”

  Ariana came in and shut the door on her kid’s screaming. “Come on, let’s get you into this dress.”

  After Colette burped Polara, her sisters helped her into her gown. They chattered excitedly as they did up the buttons and fluffed her skirt. As the tulle settled around her, she took in the finished project and felt her stomach lurch. This was all kinds of wrong.

  Ariana flapped a hand in front of her face. “Oh my God.”

  Colette brushed away a tear and pulled out a handkerchief embroidered with her initials. “These damn hormones.”

  “We’re having the ceremony in front of the lake,” Ariana said, peering through the windows. “Thea said she’d watch Polara and then we’ll bring her out for pictures. The light’s perfect right now.”

  “I…” She cleared her throat. “Can I have a minute?”

  “Of course.”

  Her sisters smiled at her as they withdrew and closed the door. She stared at herself in the mirror. She looked like a bride. Between the ring and the gown, she estimated she was wearing over a million dollars. If she had planned it, she couldn’t look any better, but it was all a façade for his gain.

  You can’t marry him, Jasmine.

  Her hands crept up to the high neck of her gown as her throat began to close. She felt like a rabbit looking over its shoulder for the wolf. Could she really do this? His own mother had warned her not to marry him. If she was looking for a sign, that was it, right?

  He’ll ruin you.

  Her fingers trailed over the scalloped neckline. She brushed her fingers over the delicate lace before she gripped and prepared to pull.

  A soft knock interrupted her dark reverie. Before she could call out, the door opened to admit Thea who looked less than polished after running around to accommodate all of them.

  “I’m sorry, miss, but I had to see you,” Thea began but fell silent when Roth appeared beside her.

  He was in a tuxedo with a dark purple rose pinned to his pocket. “I need a word with my bride.”

  Thea immediately dropped her head and backed out of the room. “Of course, sir!”

  Roth closed the door and locked it before he slipped his hand into his pockets. She dropped her hand from the neckline of her gown.

  “You look beautiful.” His shoes clicked on the wood floors as he walked toward her. “Your sisters tried to stop me from seeing you. They say it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”

  He stopped behind her, so close she got a whiff of his cologne.

  “I don’t believe in luck. I believe you make your own destiny.” There was a taut pause and then, “Having second thoughts, Jasmine?”

  Her eyes collided with his in the mirror.

  “Bad girl,” he murmured as he brushed her veil to the side and pressed a kiss on her exposed nape. “Everything is in place. All I need is you.” He pressed a kiss at the top of her spine and held her still with a grip on her hips when she tried to step away. “There’s nowhere you can hide from me. I’d hunt you down.”

  Her chest was so tight, she could barely breathe.

  “You think you have a choice, but you don’t,” he whispered as one hand splayed over her tummy. “Everything’s already in motion. You’re in too fucking deep, princess.”

  “Roth, she said—”

  “I don’t give a fuck what she said,” he said ad his hand slid down, probing the layers of tulle. “She’s poison.”

  She grabbed his wrist. “What are you doing?”

  “Reminding you what matters.”

  Her grip on his wrist didn’t hold him back as his fingers burrowed into the layered skirt until he found the heart of her.

  “Spread for me.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “I will if you want me to. I’ll open that door and let your family watch.”

  She clenched her teeth and spread her legs. “I hate you.”

  He rubbed the coarse tulle against her. The sun beamed down on the wicked scene. She, the proper and classic bride with the debauched fiancé coping a feel before the ceremony. His eyes bored into hers in the mirror as he expertly roused her, burying her fear and anxieties beneath a tidal wave of sensation.

  She clenched her teeth to hold back her moan. “Stop, Roth.”

  “I need you to say two words for me, and it’ll all be over. You can do that for me, can’t you?”

  She shuddered as he worked her roughly. Her mind went white as she focused on the crest just out of reach.

  “Do you know why you ran from me?” he asked harshly.

  She gripped his wrist to hold him still so she could fuck herself on his fingers. His arm came around her waist and held her still as he ground himself against her ass.

  “It’s because you know you belong to me. You crave what I give you. You’re not strong enough to fight me, so you run. That fucking ends now.”

  His fingers scissored, and she let out a ragged moan.

  “You have no idea what I’ve done to bring us here. No one comes between us. Our parents don’t get a say.”

  Her breath hitched as she felt her orgasm coming. “Jamie.”

  “Yes, Jamie,” he crooned in her ear. “Are you with me, Jasmine?”

  “Yes,” she moaned.

  His hand disappeared, and she tipped forward. He caught her before she fell and turned her to face him. She stood there, throbbing and aching as he smoothed the bunched-up tulle and fixed her veil with a poise that made her want to rake her nails down his face.

  He met her seething gaze. “Tonight,” he promised and held out his hand.

  There was so much to say, but he was right about one thing. She was in too deep, and there was no going back. Kaia’s warning had come too late.

  “Take my hand,” he ordered.

  She took a deep breath and stepped off the cliff. She put her hand in his.

  Chapter 20

  When they stepped out of the room, a flash went off in her face. As her vision cleared, she saw a woman in a white pantsuit holding a camera.

  “The photographer will be taking candid shots as well,” Roth said.

  “Are we all set?” Lyle asked as he walked up.

  “Yes.”

  Ariana handed her a beautiful bouquet with deep purple, blush
, and white roses with jasmine. Before she could admire it, Roth led her outside with everyone trooping behind them. She picked up the front of her dress and was glad her shoes had a square heel so it didn’t sink into the soft ground. A man stood beside the lake as the sun began to set, streaking the sky with color. As they stopped before the minister, the photographer positioned them to face one another and took a round of shots. She stared at Roth as the cold crept into her bones. His eyes were steady on hers. The sound of Bailey’s and Kye’s happy voices was a jarring contrast to the heavy conflict going on inside her.

  Once the photographer was satisfied, Jasmine handed her bouquet to Ariana, and the minister began to speak, his voice carrying easily in the hushed quiet. Her nerves began to fray as the minister’s words began to penetrate her haze. Her fingers dug into Roth’s flesh, but he didn’t react. His expression was impassive as he began to speak. She couldn’t hear his words, not over the sound of her heart thudding in her ears. She was dimly aware of the photographer hopping around and the occasional blinding flashes, but she didn’t look away from him.

  “Ms. Hennessy,” the minister prompted.

  She blinked and saw Lyle holding a ring out to her. She took the platinum band and looked at Roth who extended his hand. She threaded it on his finger, wondering why he had gone to the trouble when he hadn’t worn one the first time around.

  “Now, Ms. Hennessy, repeat after me.”

  The knowledge that her family was witnessing this union and the photographer was capturing the most dramatic shots for the world to see made her voice falter a few times, but Roth’s eyes commanded her to soldier on. When the time came, Roth produced a delicate diamond band, which complemented the already stunning engagement ring.

  “You may kiss the bride!” the minister said with a smile.

  Roth draped back her veil. He tipped her chin up, and then his mouth was on hers. It was a brief, hard kiss, a reminder of who she belonged to. She was Mrs. James Roth once more. He received a congratulatory pat on the back from Rami, and her sisters cheered while Lyle watched through narrow eyes. It was clear he still had mixed feelings about Roth. He wasn’t alone on that point.

  “Pictures, quickly! The sky is perfect!” the photographer shouted.

  Her sisters’ families flanked them on either side. Kye leaned into her and clutched her skirts.

  “Aunty?” Kye called.

  “Yes?”

  “You’re married?”

  She placed her hand on his head. “Yeah.”

  “Are you gonna have babies?”

  Roth’s hand on her waist tightened. She kept her voice light. “Not everyone has babies, Kye.”

  “Aunt Col did,” he said.

  “Not now, Kye,” Ariana said as the photographer jumped up and down to get the kids to look at her.

  “And now some shots of the happy couple,” the photographer said.

  “Food!” Bailey shouted as she pulled Lyle toward the house. “Come on, Uncle! They have cake!”

  “Okay, you two face one another,” the photographer said.

  They did as she asked.

  “You just got married,” the photographer said as she stalked them like a sniper. “You’re so happy. Smile, smile, smile. Or… don’t. You can do that too. Okay, look out at the lake. Soft face, soft eyes. Think of your new life together. Chin up, darling. Yes! There you go.”

  She was trembling. She wasn’t sure whether it was from the low temperature or the fact that she was now legally bound to him again.

  “You’ve taken this too far,” she said.

  “It’s necessary,” he murmured.

  “Happy faces!” the photographer barked.

  Both of their faces eased into expressions appropriate for wedding photos.

  “What’s going to happen to Kaia?” she asked as the photographer jockeyed for the right angle.

  His hand flexed around hers. “Nothing.”

  “You promise?”

  “Negotiations are over.”

  She shook her head and immediately stopped when she heard the photographer curse. She tried to soften her expression as the woman fussed with her veil and even draped it over Roth to give the impression that they were in their own world.

  “Okay, look at one another and smile,” the photographer called.

  That was beyond her at the moment, and Roth only smiled when he was making money, so their expressions stayed neutral but intense.

  “Okay, I think we got it!” the photographer announced and hightailed it to the house.

  Roth untangled himself from the veil and held her troubled gaze.

  “She had no right to interfere,” he said.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “You don’t need to.” He twined their hands together. “Let’s go inside. You’re cold.”

  “Roth.”

  He squeezed her hand. “No, it’s over.”

  She wanted to argue that point, but she saw Thea watching them from the window and shut her mouth. Time to dust off her acting chops.

  The formal dining room they never used was set with china that Thea had unearthed from God knew where. They sat around the table as the food was served, but they eventually migrated to the kitchen where they sat on stools. She wasn’t comfortable with the personal, candid shots the photographer continued to take.

  “She knows what she’s doing,” Roth reassured her.

  When she sat, Bailey immediately climbed onto her lap. “You look like a princess.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Can I keep your bouquet?”

  “Of course, you can.”

  Bailey peeked at Roth who stood a few feet away talking to Rami. “He’s your husband now?”

  Her stomach clenched. “Yes.”

  “Is he nice?”

  “Yes.” He better be nice to her nieces and nephew.

  “Aunty?”

  She refocused. “Yes?”

  “I love you.”

  She hugged her. “I love you too.”

  Things might be fucked up between her and Roth, but everyone seemed to be having a good time. Lyle was being civil, and her sisters lounged on the couch near the fireplace with their kids piled on top of them. She stole Polara from Colette and Lyle as much as possible and couldn’t get enough of her brilliant blue eyes. She watched her sisters who were more relaxed than she had ever seen them. They might be bosses, but her intuition told her they were relieved Roth had stepped in. They were grateful for his assistance and guidance. Roth had done his part. Now, she had to do hers.

  Sarai had done an excellent job with the catered food and the cake, which was decorated with sugar flowers that matched her bouquet. Jasmine talked to her family, ate, and allowed Roth to hold her hand, pull her on his lap, and let him feed her a slice of wedding cake. She smiled for the cameras while her insides remained frozen.

  Night fell and all too soon the kids were ready for bed. The caterers packed up, and the photographer finally bid them farewell. She received hugs from her sisters and brothers-in-law who went to another wing of the house while she went to hers. Roth stayed downstairs on the phone.

  She found Thea in her bedroom. The room was decorated with a blanket of white rose petals, the fireplace was going, and candles flickered around the room.

  “Oh my gosh, Thea,” she said.

  “It’s the least I could do.”

  “What would I do without you?” she asked as she gave her a tight hug.

  “There’s something I’ve been meaning to—” Thea began when her eyes went to something over her shoulder, and she backed away. “Mr. Roth.”

  He entered the room, eyes taking in the flowers and candles. If he said something nasty, she was going to—

  “Thank you for your help today,” he said.

  Thea couldn’t hide her surprise. “Of course, sir. Anything.” She gave Jasmine a kiss on the cheek. “Congratulations, my dear.”

  Roth looked around the room, which was a clash of child and adultho
od. She had everything from Susan Cooper and Harry Potter to Stephen King, Stephanie Laurens, Kristen Ashley, and Charlaine Harris on her shelves. She was a sucker for trinkets, especially glass ones, which meant she had a lot of paperweights in animal shapes or flowers. She also had waving Chinese cats and other whimsical things she had picked up on her travels.

  As the door closed behind Thea, she kicked off her heels and stood in front of the fireplace and stared at a painting of Rapunzel lounging in a window of her tower, hair cascading down to an imaginary prince who wasn’t in the frame. Life was no fairy tale. She understood that concept before she turned five. She should have thrown the painting out ages ago.

  She closed her eyes and let the blanket of heat chase away the chill. The smell of the burning wood and the white noise soothed her, but that expression on Kaia’s face before she left niggled at her. What would cause a mother to look at her son that way? She thought back to Colorado and that long staring contest Roth and Kaia had in her hospital room. At the time, she assumed Kaia had been shocked because she hadn’t seen him in years, but now she wasn’t so sure.

  She heard the rustle of clothing and curled her toes in the blanket of rose petals as she sensed him come up behind her. She waited for him to speak, but he stayed quiet. Waiting for her to make the first move, she thought cynically.

  “Tell me about Kaia,” she said.

  “No.”

  When she would have turned to face him, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her firmly against him.

  “You can’t tell me no,” she hissed. “Not after that.”

  “That’s between her and me.”

  “Apparently not if she felt the need to warn me. She said you’re going to ruin me. What the hell, Roth?”

  He buried his face in her hair and inhaled. “I’ve done things she doesn’t approve of.”

  “What did you do, Roth?”

  “This isn’t about her. It’s about us. This.” His hands splayed on her stomach before they swept up to her breasts and squeezed as he pressed against her from behind. “This is all that matters.”

  “Sex doesn’t solve anything!”

  He found that spot on her neck and lapped at it with his tongue.