Page 34 of Bitter Secrets

“I need more.”

His fingers tunneled into her tangled hair. “I’m taking you to dinner.”

“Not hungry,” she yawned.

“We’ll leave in an hour.”

When she made no move to stand, he pulled her up. She threatened bodily harm as he ushered her into the bathroom. Apparently, he didn’t think she would make good on her promise to smother him in his sleep because he walked her right into the shower and turned on the water. Even though the initial blast was lukewarm, it might as well have been freezing cold. She sputtered and tried to leap away, but he kept her in place until she was soaking wet. She struck out at him and saw that his sleeves had been rolled up. He was always one step ahead. She was so pissed off that she didn’t realize she was cursing him in a different language.

He stood just outside the circle of water, brows raised. “What language is that?”

“It’s German, youDepp!”

He released her and dodged the bar of soap she hurled. “What does that mean?”

“It means douchebag,” she snarled as she looked for something else to throw. “Which is exactly what you are!”

She whirled with the bottle of shampoo, but he was already halfway out the door, answering his phone with his customary curt, “Roth.”

She glared at the empty doorway, chest heaving from adrenaline. He had no sleep etiquette whatsoever. This morning, he gave her twenty minutes to pack, and now he was giving her an hour to get ready for dinner. Would there ever be a day that he didn’t wake her with an ass grab or shower? Or better yet, why didn’t he just leave her alone and let her sleep? She blew a raspberry before she stepped under the spray. Just because he could function on so little sleep didn’t mean everyone else should. It couldn’t be healthy. She scowled when she found herself wondering how long it had been since he went to the doctor. His health was none of her business.

She just finished styling her hair when she noticed the aspirin bottle and water glass on the vanity. There was a small twinge of discomfort in her shoulder blades, an ache that would have gone unnoticed if she hadn’t spotted the pain reliever. Did he place this here before he woke her? She shook two pills into her palm.

She began to cake on makeup to take away the dark circles under her eyes. The rain was still pouring in sheets so there was no reason to go all out. It wasn’t until she was once again rummaging through her suitcase that she realized she didn’t know where he was taking her. She shrugged and pulled on Daiyu’s knee-length wrap dress that buttoned along one side. With its long sleeves and a high neckline, it not only covered up Roth’s marks but it also emphasized her curves and made it borderline indecent. She slipped on knee-high boots and a coat, which she belted before she grabbed her little purse and walked down the hallway.

When she entered the living area, she saw Roth standing in front of a wall of glass, talking on the phone. When he turned to face her, his eyes slid down the length of her before he shrugged back his sleeve and nodded.

“We’ll be there in fifteen minutes,” he said and hung up.

She frowned. “I didn’t know we were meeting anyone.”

“The seller I walked out on today is desperate to close the deal.”

He grabbed her hand and led her to the entry hall.

“I don’t feel like entertaining,” she said.

He typed in the code for the elevator, which opened as if it had been waiting for them. They stepped into the gold interior.

“I’m not asking you to,” he said as he pressed the last button and typed in another code. “The seller is worried I’ll walk, so he lowered his price and wants me to sign before I change my mind.”

“Lucky you,” she muttered.

He looked down at her. “Yes, I am. I guess emergencies aren’t a bad thing after all.”

“It wasn’t an emergency,” she growled as the doors opened to reveal a well-lit underground parking garage. “No one asked you to leave your meeting.”

“It was no hardship. I enjoyed it.”

That wasn’t the attitude he had five years ago, but she wasn’t going to comment on it. He led her past a fleet of vehicles, a car thief’s treasure trove. The cheapest car here was worth a quarter of a million. It was eerily silent with only the sound of their muffled footsteps echoing around them.

“Where’s the security guards?” she asked.

“The resident’s opted for virtual security. We like to come and go as we please.”

“I looked into this building after…” She trailed off when he glanced at her. She lifted her chin. “You didn’t think I would?”

He opened the door to a white Rolls-Royce Ghost. “What did you find?”

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