Page 67 of Bitter Heat

“That’s not the deal on the table. Yes or no? I don’t have time for this.”

She lifted her chin. “I have conditions.”

“You’re not in any position to negotiate.”

Her already heavy heart sank to her toes. She didn’t have anything to negotiate because she didn’t have anything he wanted aside from pussy on demand. She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it as the seconds ticked past. He wanted to punish her for leaving him. It was in his words and the way he looked at her. Could she really do this? She could hear the buzz of his voice, but she wasn’t listening. Maybe she—

“Jasmine!”

She put it back to her ear. “Never mind. I don’t think—”

“What are your conditions?”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said thickly.

“Tell me.”

She put a hand over her face as her head swam. “You… I don’t think I can do this. You ask too much.”

“What are your conditions?”

His voice was uncharacteristically gentle, but that could have been her imagination.

She took a calming breath. “You give my sisters back a controlling share of Hennessy & Co.”

He said nothing.

“And when we’re finished, you can’t go after them again.”

Still nothing, but that didn’t stop her.

“H-how long do I have to…” She struggled to find the right words and came up blank. “How long?”

“How long what?”

“How long do I have to whore myself out?” When he didn’t respond, she asked, “Do you have a number in mind or is it over a certain period?” God, it couldn’t be long. She wouldn’t last.

“Where are you?” he asked.

“I’m in a parking garage. Do you agree?”

“What parking garage?”

“Do you agree or not?”

“Give your sisters a controlling share, and I can’t go after them in future. Those are your conditions?”

She must be missing something else. “And you can’t come after my writing business either.”

“I have no interest in it.”

She didn’t trust him. Tires squealed as a car raced past. “How many times, Roth?”

“I’m not talking about this over the phone,” he snapped.

And she wasn’t going to be around him until it was settled. “Just answer me.”

“It won’t be a set number of times.”

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