Page 152 of Bitter Secrets

“Roth,” the man said in a luscious British accent.

“I’ll talk to you later,” Roth said into the phone before he addressed the stranger. “I thought we were meeting in the morning.”

The man didn’t seem perturbed by Roth’s brusque tone. On the contrary, he smiled as if Roth had welcomed him with open arms.

“It is morning,” the stranger pointed out. “And I knew you wouldn’t introduce me, so I had to take matters into my own hands.”

As he and Roth faced off, she saw that they were eye to eye. The man was just as tall, and while he wasn’t as large as Roth, he didn’t have the ultra-lean build of most businessmen either. She couldn’t peg his age. She kept edging upward until she realized she wanted to give him more years because of his poise. It was only when the stranger looked directly at her that she realized he was around her age, maybe even younger.

“We didn’t get to meet the first time around,” the man said. “And I have a feeling this would be my only opportunity.”

“Gray.”

The beautiful man ignored Roth’s snarl and extended his hand. “Grayson.”

She clasped his hand and stilled as the name clicked. She’d heard Roth utter that name quite a few times over the past weeks when he was on the phone.

“Pardon the intrusion,” Grayson murmured as his sharp gaze roved over her face. “But I couldn’t resist the chance to meet his downfall.”

She stiffened.

“You’re the reason he was run out of America,” Grayson said blandly. “If it wasn’t for you, I never would have met him.”

She snatched her hand back and gave him a steely smile. “Lucky you.”

“Yes,” he agreed. “Lucky me.”

She was used to this type of verbal sparring at high society parties, but she hadn’t expected it at this hour from a stranger. She tried to sift through the odd undertones in the air, but she had no context for this man’s place in Roth’s life. “How do you two know each other?”

“We’re partners,” Grayson said blithely at the same time Roth bit out, “Colleagues.”

Grayson gave a nonchalant shrug. “He insists on keeping everything separate, even though we work in tandem. He has a hard time trusting people.” He tilted his head to the side as he considered her with disconcerting directness. “I wonder why that is.”

Even as her nails cut into her palm, she widened her eyes innocently. “I haven’t the faintest idea. He’s such an honest, trustworthy guy.”

Even as Grayson’s smile widened, Roth growled, “That’s enough.”

She wasn’t sure whether he was talking to her or Grayson, but it was his partner who answered.

“I had to satisfy my curiosity. You can’t make all these changes and expect me to fall in line without question.”

“How many times have I warned you, there are consequences for satisfying your curiosity?” Roth growled.

“It was worth it.”

Grayson’s perfect smile never wavered, but it was completely at odds with his lifeless golden eyes. Initially, she had been blinded by his masculine beauty, but as she looked closer, she felt a chill of unease when she realized something was missing. She eased back and bumped into Roth. Before she could sidestep, he banded an arm across her chest. She wasn’t sure whether it was a protective or possessive gesture, but she decided not to fight it.

Grayson examined them for a moment before he shrugged, as if answering a question that hadn’t been voiced. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Jasmine. I hope we’ll meet again.”

With that, he turned on his heel and strode across the lobby. He walked outside, straight into the rain, and strolled down the sidewalk as if he didn’t have a care in the world.

Knowing firsthand how cold that rain was, she started after him. “Roth.”

“He’s fine,” he said dismissively as he grabbed her arm and led her in the opposite direction.

He punched in the code to call the elevator and didn’t release her until the doors closed behind them. They stood side by side in complete silence as the elevator rose so fast that the numbers couldn’t keep up. When the doors opened to reveal his entry hall, he strode forward.

She followed in his wake, arms folded across her chest. He stripped off his coat and tossed it carelessly over a chest that had to cost a fortune before he entered the formal living room. As he headed for the wet bar, she hesitated. If she wanted to maintain their status quo, she shouldn’t engage. She should make her escape and be sound asleep before he came to bed, but her need for answers overrode self-preservation.

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