Page 123 of Bitter Heat

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 adulthood. 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.”

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