Page 81 of Bitter Heat

“You smell like me,” she said and tried to move away, but the hand on her nape stopped her.

“Anything else?”

She stared at his throat as she tried to think.

“I’ll make it official,” he rumbled. “I’ll speak to Colette and make her day even better than it already is.”

“You’re an arrogant bastard.”

“But I’m right, aren’t I? Your sister lives and breathes business, same as me. She may be a mother now, but she’ll never stop worrying about the company or what people think of her. It weighs on her, having to uphold her reputation as a Hennessy and holding her own against her husband. Maximus chose Lyle to spur her on.”

She was stunned by his spot-on analysis.

He massaged her nape as several seconds ticked by. “I know your family better than you think I do. I know how close you are to Lyle, that you used to see him when I was in London. He’s going to be the biggest problem. Your sisters will believe you because they want to, but he won’t.”

She had been so focused on how this would impact her that she hadn’t considered the fact that she would have to act for the sake of her family and do it convincingly. “Oh my God. This isn’t going to work.”

“It will,” he said. “Do you agree?”

She looked up, her gaze colliding with his devil eyes. “Do I have a choice?”

“No. Do you agree?”

Her heart slammed against her ribs as she fought against her better judgment and whispered, “Yes.”

His eyes flicked over her head and came back to hers. “Showtime.”

“What the fuck is this?”

She jumped and whirled around. Lyle stood in the doorway, and he looked furious. He advanced into the room and held his hand out to her.

“Minnie, come,” he said imperiously.

The hand on her nape tightened, but she didn’t need the warning.

“It’s okay, Lyle,” she said.

He shook his head. “No, it isn’t. Roth, let go of her.”

Roth leaned down and kissed her temple. “You wanna tell him the good news, princess?”

“Good news?” Lyle spat. “It’s not good if it involves you. Minnie, I want to talk to you.”

“We’re getting married again,” Roth announced, and her heart skipped.

“No, the fuck you’re not,” Lyle snapped.

“You sound like Maximus.” Roth sounded amused.

She elbowed him in the side.

Lyle jabbed a finger at him. “Maximus told me if anything happened to him, you’d show up, and here the fuck you are.”

“He knew no matter how long it took, I’d get her back, and she finally agreed,” Roth said.

She looked up as he stroked her hair. She didn’t know he was such an actor, but then again, he had duped her before, so why was she surprised?

“Fuck, Minnie, you know he’s no good for you,” Lyle said.

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