Page 138 of Bitter Secrets

“Sintra’s magical,” Johnny said as they pulled into traffic. “You can’t visit Sintra and not be amazed that such a place exists. I’ve traveled all over the world and never come across anything like it.”

“I can’t wait to see,” she said.

Johnny had been building up this excursion, but Roth’s presence put a damper on her day. She glared at his broad back. He was so massive, his shoulder reached over the console and touched Aleixo’s. She couldn’t see past him, so she had to settle for the tiny side windows.

She clutched her seat belt as the car picked up speed. Aleixo was a different person behind the wheel—aggressive, impatient, and a tad reckless. She hoped Roth got motion sickness, or better yet, got bored, stiff, and asked Mo or Johan to take him back to Lisbon. She couldn’t believe he accepted Johnny’s invitation. Miss a day of work to go sightseeing in the country? And why had he expected her to call him? Had he really ditched his meetings and flown to Lisbon to spend time with her?

She was so deep in thought, it took her a while to register that the terrain had changed. Shit. She pulled out her phone to take pictures of the gorgeous view and castigated herself for harping on Roth. She wasn’t going to let him ruin her time with her friends. She was going to ignore his ass.

* * *

“He’s photogenic, isn’t he?”

She fumbled with her phone, nearly dropping it when Johnny popped up unexpectedly at her side. “Who?”

Johnny gave her one of those long, assessing glances that made her want to fidget like a little girl. “He’s your husband. If anyone can take photos of him, it’s you.”

She flushed. “I was taking pictures of the castle.”

“Bebe,” Johnny drawled and raised his camera to take a few shots of his own.

Roth stood on the wall of Castelo dos Mouros, a sprawling castle perched on a hilltop. He looked like an ancient conqueror despite his modern clothing.

“There’s something about him,” Johnny said thoughtfully. “He’s not classically handsome, but he doesn’t need that when he has such presence. I can see how he was able to tempt you back to his world. You really didn’t have a choice, did you?”

“No.”

“I think he’s enjoying himself,” Johnny said with great satisfaction before he started toward him.

She watched Johnny touch Roth’s back, alerting him of his presence, before he stepped up beside him. There was a slight stiffening on Roth’s part at the unexpected contact, but otherwise, he didn’t react. It wasn’t the first time Johnny had made such a move throughout the day. She was sure that Johnny noticed Roth’s discomfort, but that didn’t dissuade him. Touch was a natural extension of his personality, and she could see Roth had come to terms with it.

Her friends treated Roth with the same casual affection they did her. Throughout the day, she caught Roth wearing the same inscrutable expression he gave William Davies when he hugged him. It was clear that Roth was trying to find an ulterior motive for their friendly generosity, but she was confident he wouldn’t find one. Johnny and Aleixo wanted nothing more than to have a good time with friends and show off their beautiful country.

Johnny pointed at something in the distance. Roth looked in the direction he indicated and said something that made Johnny grin and bump his shoulder against Roth’s bicep before he leaned against the wall beside him. Roth inclined his head toward her friend, clearly listening to Johnny’s nonstop chatter. Roth showed no hint of restlessness or irritation. Against her will, her heart warmed.

At first, she monitored Roth’s interactions with her friends, ready to pounce if Roth treated them like trash, but he shocked the hell out of her. Roth was a man who made time for no one, but today, he demonstrated a level of patience she didn’t even know he possessed. Not once had she seen him with his phone in hand, and he hadn’t voiced one complaint as they hopped from one location to the next. She had never seen him so engaged and present. He actually listened to Johnny and Aleixo and responded in full sentences, not his curt, one-word answers. He explored each attraction the way he did everything—thoroughly. It amazed her that no matter what setting he inhabited, whether it was a lavish palace, a haunting monastery, or a medieval castle, he looked as if he belonged there. It just brought home to her that no matter what time Roth landed in, history would have made room for a man like him.

She found her own spot on the castle walls where she could take in the panoramic views. Sintra was everything Johnny claimed it would be and more. The dramatic landscape that lovingly cradled historic sites bursting with color, romance, and intricate detail was so achingly beautiful that she had to be dragged from one location to the next.

Just as Copenhagen made her think of fairytales, Sintra rekindled ideas for the fantasy series she abandoned for the morally gray and carnal world of dark romance. Seeing Roth at Castelo dos Mouros gave her an odd sense of déjà vu, as her dream of the hooded figure she had just days before they met came full circle in this ancient ruin. She couldn’t resist taking photos of him in this setting for future character inspiration. She hadn’t thought of that story in years, but now her hands itched for pen and paper. She resorted to typing on her phone while trying to imprint as much of the environment on her consciousness as possible.

“Jas!”

She looked up and saw Johnny beckoning to her with Roth, Mo, Johan, and Aleixo standing around him. Hastily, she made her way toward them.

“Sorry, are we done here?” she asked.

“Are you?”

“Yes, I think I got enough photos.”

“Excellent.”

Johnny caught her off guard when he gave her a little push. She gasped and wheeled her arms as she stumbled back into a human wall that wrapped her close.

“Pictures first, and then we’ll hit the road!” Johnny said gleefully.

She tried not to glower as Johnny positioned them so he could get the watch tower and the incredible view in the shot. The fact that Mo and Johan were grinning like fools made her want to hurl rocks at them, but it was Aleixo who stopped Johnny to rearrange them so she and Roth were more intimately intertwined. She wanted to die.

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