Page 119 of Bitter Heat

She wanted to lie, but there was no use. “Yes.”

Colette nodded. “I can see why you left Ford if that’s how you felt about him. Lyle and I don’t have that.” She rocked Polara and stared pensively out at the lake. “I don’t know if I’d want to have that, honestly. The way he looks at you…”

“How does he look at me?” she asked sharply.

Colette waved her hand. “You know.”

No, she didn’t know. “How?”

“He’s…” Colette cleared her throat. “Completely focused on you, watching your every expression. He’s really intense. I don’t know if I could handle a man being that attached to me.”

Attached? For most of their marriage, they lived apart.

“I don’t know how you function with someone who feels like that about you. It takes you over, doesn’t it?”

She nodded. The last time she had played this game with Roth, she walked away in pieces.

“I’m glad you two are getting this second chance,” Colette continued. “Ariana’s been working with him. He went to Germany to close a deal and let us in on it.”

“Wait, what?”

“You didn’t know?”

She didn’t know a lot of shit, apparently. “No.”

Colette gave a one-shoulder shrug. “That’s probably best to keep business and personal separate. When you mix it together, bad stuff happens. That’s why I’m glad we sorted this without Lyle getting involved.”

“You’re supposed to be on maternity leave,” she reminded her.

“I am!” Colette gestured to the breastfeeding Polara. “Ariana’s handling everything and doing an excellent job. I’ve been eating, sleeping, and reading about my sister’s love affair. The company’s turning around, and Polara’s gorgeous. It’s all working out.”

Ariana came in and shut the door on her kid’s screaming. “Come on, let’s get you into this dress.”

After Colette burped Polara, her sisters helped her into her gown. They chattered excitedly as they did up the buttons and fluffed her skirt. As the tulle settled around her, she took in the finished project and felt her stomach lurch. This was all kinds of wrong.

Ariana flapped a hand in front of her face. “Oh my God.”

Colette brushed away a tear and pulled out a handkerchief embroidered with her initials. “These damn hormones.”

“We’re having the ceremony in front of the lake,” Ariana said, peering through the windows. “Thea said she’d watch Polara and then we’ll bring her out for pictures. The light’s perfect right now.”

“I…” She cleared her throat. “Can I have a minute?”

“Of course.”

Her sisters smiled at her as they withdrew and closed the door. She stared at herself in the mirror. She looked like a bride. Between the ring and the gown, she estimated she was wearing over a million dollars. If she had planned it, she couldn’t look any better, but it was all a façade for his gain.

You can’t marry him, Jasmine.

Her hands crept up to the high neck of her gown as her throat began to close. She felt like a rabbit looking over its shoulder for the wolf. Could she really do this? His own mother had warned her not to marry him. If she was looking for a sign, that was it, right?

He’ll ruin you.

Her fingers trailed over the scalloped neckline. She brushed her fingers over the delicate lace before she gripped and prepared to pull.

A soft knock interrupted her dark reverie. Before she could call out, the door opened to admit Thea who looked less than polished after running around to accommodate all of them.

“I’m sorry, miss, but I had to see you,” Thea began but fell silent when Roth appeared beside her.

---