Page 83 of Bitter Heat

“Minnie?”

Ariana’s concerned tone made her eyes prick with tears. Both her sisters were watching her, clearly realizing something was going on. She wanted to confide in them and blurt out her fears and wants and needs, but they wouldn’t understand. Her relationship with Roth was a tangle of lust, rage, bitterness, and satisfaction wrapped up in a history of blackmail, manipulation, and silence. Even though she hated herself for it, she craved what Roth could give her, and suspected it was the same for him. Neither of them wanted the other, but they couldn’t help themselves. Sex had been a driving force in their relationship right from the start, and seven years later, nothing had changed. Their bodies didn’t care about their bad history. For the next year, they would slake their lust for one another, and hopefully, it would fizzle out and die. In return, her family would be safe, and she would never have to deal with him again.

She plastered a smile on her face and raised both arms in a guilty shrug as she announced, “I’m getting married.”

“You’re what?” Ariana gasped.

The contented smile vanished from Colette’s face. “Roth?”

She clasped her hands behind her back as she tried to think of something to say.

“I slept with him in Colorado,” she blurted and instantly wished she could take it back when their eyes flared wide.

“What?” Colette’s voice was scandalized.

She straddled the line between fact and fiction. “We’ve been seeing each other off and on since then. He’s been trying to convince me to give him another chance, but I thought it was too complicated to sort out. I didn’t know all of this was happening with Hennessy & Co. He keeps business and personal separate, so when you told me about it, I was pissed. When I met with him, we talked.”

“And?” Colette probed.

“He was still focused on paying Dad back for the past even though he’s gone,” she said with a shrug and tried to act like this was normal behavior when it couldn’t be further from the truth.

“Which is what I suspected,” Colette said quietly. “Dad shouldn’t have gone after his businesses or turned so many people against him.”

Jasmine blinked. That was unexpected.

“Now, what does he think?” Colette pushed.

“He realizes he can’t have me and still seek his revenge so… he’s going to help.”

There was a buzzing silence.

“He’ll help you regain your losses and probably let you buy him out for some ridiculously inflated price in future.” She clasped her hands behind her back. “I… I think it’s a good deal, right?”

Ariana and Colette looked at one another, communicating in their secret language. She couldn’t tell whether they were relieved or insulted.

“He’s doing this for you?” Ariana sounded dazed. “He must really love you.”

Her chest ached from holding in all the things she wanted to say, but couldn’t.

“You’re really going to work things out? After everything that’s happened?”

She nodded.

“Why marriage?” Colette asked.

“He wants to do things right this time,” she said hoarsely.

“Wow,” Colette said and gave herself a little shake. “If that’s what you want, we’ll support you.”

Her sister’s easy acquiescence was startling. All her life, she longed to hear those words from her family, and when she finally received the support she craved, it was for a sham. A cynical voice in the back of her mind wondered if they would be as accepting if Roth didn’t have a controlling share of Hennessy & Co. She pushed the nasty voice away as Ariana gave her a hug.

“Congratulations! We were worried about you living at Tuxedo Park by yourself. I know how close you and Dad were. I hope Roth gives you what you need.”

“Me too,” she whispered.

“Maybe your books made an impact on him,” Ariana mused. “Maybe he’s going to do things differently this time.”

He was definitely doing things differently. He was starting with blackmail. She was relieved when Polara stirred, distracting them from her impending nuptials. She got a turn with the baby and buried her face against the newborn who smelled like new beginnings and sunshine. She had just handed her back to Colette when the door opened, and Lyle and Roth entered.

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