Page 92 of Bitter Heat

She set the phone back in its cradle and stared at it for a moment. Whoa. 432 Park Avenue was doing it right. She had been treated to excellent service before, but this was next level. While she was waiting for her food to arrive, she showered and changed.

As she padded back into the main living area, once again, she was drawn to the view. Night had fallen, and New York City spread out beneath her. She was so used to being in the midst of the maze of buildings that looking down at them from this height was unsettling.

She jolted when the elevator dinged. A woman dressed in a white uniform walked out of the elevator with a silver trolley.

She smiled. “Ms. Hennessy?”

She nodded.

“I have your dinner. If you need anything, we’re available around the clock.”

“Thank you.”

“Enjoy your dinner.”

And that quickly, the woman stepped into the elevator and was gone. Jasmine shook her head. She could get used to this. She felt guilty asking Thea to cook for just one person, but this was perfect. She pushed the trolley into the kitchen and uncovered her meal. It was so artfully plated that she had to take a picture before she dug in. Between bites of fish that melted on her tongue, she dictated the notes she had made during the car ride and then got to work.

She tentatively punched the keys. Her gaze wandered around the kitchen and then to the magnificent view before she tapped some more. The more she wrote, the better she felt until all of her emotions drained away, leaving her pleasantly empty. When her vision blurred and her neck cramped from hunching over her laptop, she glanced at the time. Two in the morning.

She closed her laptop and tottered down the hallway. She didn’t feel like searching for toothpaste in the guest bathroom, so she went into Roth’s bathroom and used his. She didn’t need to turn on any lights when she had the city as a nightlight.

She padded over the heated floors to the guest room and slid beneath the covers. The duvet was so heavy, it felt like her weighted blanket at Tuxedo Park. The sheets smelled citrusy and sweet. She inhaled deeply and smiled as she got comfy.

Her world turned upside down. She screamed and put her hands out to brace herself, but they pedaled through the empty air.

“Didn’t I tell you not to wear anything to bed?”

Her cloudy mind barely had time to deduce who that deep rumble belonged to when she was falling again. She let out a stifled shriek as she landed on something soft. Large hands grasped the ankles of her sweats and dragged them off her legs. She moaned as her warm flesh touched cool sheets. A damp body crawled over her and gripped the front of her shirt. The silver glow of city lights bounced off Roth’s stark features.

“Don’t—” she began a moment before he yanked and buttons flew in every direction. “Dammit, Roth!”

He buried his face against her neck, and she hissed in annoyance.

“You’re wet!”

“Just stepped out of the shower,” he said as he sucked on her neck.

“What time is it?”

“Time to fuck.”

He didn’t give her time to prepare. He slid inside her and didn’t stop when she cried out and dragged her nails down his back. He purred and brushed kisses over her face as she cussed him out. He rocked slowly in and out of her until she quieted. He stared at her as he fucked her, commanding her attention without saying a word. Desire blossomed inside her, and her hands slid up his arms to his damp hair. Drunk on lust and still half asleep, she grabbed a handful of his hair and tugged until he dipped his head. Their mouths fused together. He planted his fists on either side of her as his rhythm changed. She moaned, urging him on. He began to move faster, rougher. She whispered what she needed against his lips, and he gave it to her, nudging her into a climax. He forced her legs to wrap high around his waist as he took his fill, making her ass bounce on the soft mattress until he came, shouting her name into the sheets and flooding her with cum. She nuzzled his neck as he slumped over her. He tipped to the side and adjusted her against him. He said something as he brushed her hair back from her face, but she was already slipping back to sleep.

Jasmine squinted at her surroundings. The gauzy white curtains were no hindrance to the blazing sunlight. She moaned and rolled. Her disgruntled gaze took in the room. She was in Roth’s master suite. She sat up and looked at her naked body. Fragments of their sexual encounter slid through her mind.

She rolled out of bed and passed her ripped shirt on the way to the bathroom. Roth wasn’t here. Maybe he’d already gone to work. If this was how the year was going to be, she could definitely deal. What girl wouldn’t be happy with room service, a great fuck, and excellent Wi-Fi? She showered and slipped into a robe because she was too lazy to dig through her things. Her story was front and center in her mind. All she wanted was coffee and her laptop. She was digging through the kitchen cabinets looking for coffee and filters when someone said her name.

“Jasmine.”

She leaped a foot and whirled with a scream to find Roth standing in the doorway dressed in a suit with a navy silk tie. She pressed a hand to her chest and slumped against the counter.

“You almost gave me a heart attack!”

When he approached, she eyed him warily. She blinked when he kissed her.

“Morning.”

“Hello,” she said awkwardly and then pressed against his chest to get some breathing room. “What are you doing here?”

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