Page 137 of Bitter Secrets

“Don’t you have to work?”

“No.”

She eyed him skeptically. “You thought about me at a meeting and decided to fly back? Why not call Mo or Johan? You didn’t have to come—”

He hauled her against him and covered her mouth with his, hand tangling in her hair to hold her still when she fought him. She hated the warmth that pooled low. How could her body want him when he was such adick?

“I hoped to catch you in bed so I could make you scream my name,” he said against her lips.

“You flew here to havesex?” she asked scathingly.

“Is there a better reason?”

She gave him a disgusted look. “You’re wasting your time. You aren’t getting laid, so you should go back to work. We’re going sightseeing in the country.” When he didn’t react, she added, “I doubt there’s cell service out there. What are you going to do when you can’t play on your phone?”

“I’ll manage.”

She looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was within earshot before she hissed, “Johnny and Aleixo are my friends. I’m not going to let you intimidate or bully them. They’re good people.”

“I’ll behave.”

“Do you even know what that means? You were going to strangle me in broad daylight!” She glowered. “Next time you see me with a man—"

“That isn’t going to happen.”

“Next time,” she said loudly. “You can rest assured it’s innocent. If I wanted to get back at you, that’s not the way I would do it.”

He cocked his head. “What would you do?”

She lifted her chin. “You know.”

He considered her for a moment before he asked, “Figured out where the second letter is?”

He didn’t sound worried, merely curious.

She ignored his question and jabbed him in the chest. “I’m not going to tell them they can’t touch me because you have a complex. They’re affectionate. That’s not a crime. You should try it sometime—"

He kissed her again. Gently, this time, with both hands clasping her face. She struggled, but he kept it up until her eyes were closed and her head was swimming.

“Stop doing that,” she said faintly.

“Affection. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

She came to her senses and yanked away. “I wantgenuineaffection; not your calculated, manipulative brand of affection!”

“You think that wasn’t genuine?”

She pivoted when he tried to grab her. “What’s gotten into you?”

“All set?”

Johnny didn’t wait for an answer, but took her by the arm and led her to Aleixo’s car.

“This will be so muchfun! The more, the merrier, I always say. Why didn’t you tell me you have security? Poor things, they’ve been having to duck into doorways and stuff. They’re good. I didn’t even notice them. You should have told them to eat with us. They could have tried my avocado smoothie.”

She looked back and saw Aleixo walking beside Roth, hands weaving through the air as he talked. Apparently, all was forgiven. Everyone was acting as if Roth’s violent outburst was normal, understandable even.

Johnny climbed into the back seat with her, so Roth could ride shotgun. If she wasn’t in such a foul mood, she would have recorded Roth’s awkward attempt to fit in Aleixo’s tiny, old car. He didn’t have an inch of room to spare.

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