Page 86 of Bitter Heat

“What?”

Her nails dug into her thighs as she tried to suppress her emotions. “Us. How far are we going with this? Where’s the line?”

“There’s no line.”

“There has to be a line. Rules…”

He reached over and grabbed her hand. “Breathe.”

She twisted her hand out of his. “Rules, Roth.”

“Look at me.”

She didn’t want to. She didn’t want him touching her either. She didn’t know which direction he was going to shove her in next. He switched from psychotic asshole to polite gentleman in the blink of an eye. He was a chameleon, adapting to those around him with ease while he herded her into a gilded cage. The fact that he had so easily taken over her life in a few short days freaked her out. What did he want from her?

“Jasmine.”

“Just tell me.”

He tugged on her hair, a playful move that surprised her into turning to him. Black eyes speared into hazel.

“You’ll fulfill all roles as my wife. You attend functions with me, you travel with me, you fuck me.” He cupped her chin as he leaned in. “No other men. If I even see you look at another man, I’ll…”

He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip and shook his head.

“Just, don’t.”

Fingers stroked along her jaw and then down her throat.

“We have history, most of it bad, but that’s in the past. We start from here.”

“Start what?” she asked.

“What we would have had if Maximus hadn’t ripped us apart.”

“Dad didn’t make me leave you,” she said quietly. “You did.”

A muscle jumped in his jaw, but his caress remained light.

“I was pissed at your father, and I took it out on you. It won’t happen again.”

She didn’t believe him. “Boundaries, Roth.”

“One thing neither of us likes is rules,” he said thoughtfully. “Your dad gave you an ultimatum, and you bucked against him. People tell me no, and I react the same way. You and I are more similar than you think.”

“How far are we supposed to take this?” she asked.

“Take what?”

“The act.”

His eyes narrowed. “Act?”

“The PDA. What you were doing in the hospital.” She swatted his wandering hand. “What you’re doing now.”

“You think it’s an act?”

“What else is it? You weren’t like this before.”

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