Page 35 of Bitter Confessions

“When I can trust you won’t use it against me, I’ll tell you.”

“You…?” she choked before she grasped handfuls of his shirt. “I promise?—”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” he said, throwing her line from the night before back at her. “You wouldn’t hesitate to use it to get out of this. I don’t blame you, but after all I’ve done to bring us here, I’m not going to hand over the weapon that’s kept me in prison for four years.”

Would she use his secret against him to gain her freedom? Possibly. His concession to tell her in the future was nothing short of miraculous... unless he was saying this to placate her and give her false hope.

“I’ve been as open and honest as I can be,” he said in a driven undertone. “There are things I can’t tell you. Things you’re better off not knowing.” He gave her a severe look when she stiffened in offense. “Your father didn’t tell you everything. Lyle and your sisters can’t either. But what I can, I’ll share. And I want you to do the same.” When she frowned, he said, “We’re a unit. If something happens with your sisters, Lyle, or anyone else, I want you to come to me. I’ll deal with it.”

She couldn’t imagine running to him to tattle on her family, but she wasn’t going to argue.

“Tell me you’re staying.”

Her heart leapt into her throat. Automatically, she averted her gaze and began to draw back. “I don’t think...”

He gripped her hips to keep her in place.

“I know you have every reason to leave, to not give me another chance, but I’ll tell you this. The moment I saw you in Colorado, my plans for revenge went out the window. I looked into your eyes and smelled that scent on your skin that always drove me crazy, and suddenly nothing else mattered but finding out if you still tasted the same.”

His eyes bored into hers while her stomach did somersaults.

“You offered me one night, but before I blew my first load, I knew it wouldn’t be enough and it wasn’t. The same insanity that caused me to pursue you and destroy any chance of doing business with your father came back full force. I did whatever was necessary to give me the time I needed to have you here so I could work you out of my system, princess.”

“And you think once the year is up, your obsession will have run its course and you’ll be back to normal,” she stated in a flat tone.

“Do you want more?” He ran his knuckles down her swollen throat. “Could you be happy with a man like me controlling every aspect of your life? The things I’d demand of you, the things I’d make you sacrifice because of who I am…” He shook his head. “The time limit is for both our sakes. We’ll appreciate our time together more, knowing it’s temporary and it stops us from getting too attached.”

His fingers dug into her hips. He dragged her an inch closer as if he needed the extra contact.

“I have a year to wean myself off you so I’m able to let you live that quiet life I can never lead. Do we have a deal?”

She hesitated.

“Jasmine.”

“A-and after the year is up, you won’t blackmail or threaten my family,” she said nervously.

“I already made that promise.”

“Promise me again,” she demanded.

His expression shifted. The monster leaned in and hissed, “I give my word, you give me everything. You can’t have one foot out the door or threaten to leave if I piss you off. Give me a year to live out my dream, and I’ll do everything in my power to grant yours.”

“Your dream?” she said faintly.

“I married you in good faith the first time. I thought we’d have forever, but I should have known it wouldn’t last. I’ll settle for a year instead. We both benefit from the arrangement and then we go our separate ways. Deal?”

The enormity of that promise made her blood run cold. He was asking for a recommitment now that she knew all. She could burn the fruits of his labor and make all his methodical planning moot if she walked. That wouldn’t stop him from going after his enemies, but the rumors of their short-lived second marriage would be a stain on his triumphant comeback. If she backed out of their arrangement, would Roth destroy Hennessy & Co.? Blackmail Rami and Lyle? Would Rami call on the underworld again to get rid of Roth? She blocked that train of thought before it could take root.

Despite his claim that she meant more to him than anyone ever had, there were still too many ulterior motives when it came to their relationship. She wasn’t sure how much of his fixation was her or the perks that came through her. Recommitting herself, knowing what he was capable of was idiotic. This was her chance to fold and walk away.

She didn’t pay attention to him fiddling with her fingers, but when she felt an unfamiliar band hit the base of her right ring finger, she looked down. Everything in her ground to a halt.

A one-carat princess-cut diamond on a simple gold band sparkled, as shiny today as it had been when she spotted it on display. She felt an echo of the elation she’d experienced the day he slipped it onto her finger, and the despair she’d felt as she placed it in the envelope with the divorce papers.

“You kept it?” She couldn’t believe it.

“Yes.”

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