She has Roth's full attention...

Jasmine cocked her head to the side as she considered the words on the computer screen. With a thoughtful hum, she sat back in her chair. Automatically, her gaze went to the windows. She absently noted that from the angle of light, it was probably closer to late afternoon, which meant she’d been writing close to five hours.

Suddenly aware of her hunger, she took off her headphones and stopped the white noise thunderstorm video that had been playing in the background. She rose with a groan and stilled when she saw Roth sitting in her fuchsia armchair. He had his feet propped on the ottoman with his laptop in front of him. How many times had she come out of her writing trance to find him watching her just as he was now? With the computer blocking her view of the room and with her so immersed in her world, sometimes hours would pass before she noticed him. And he was always watching her.

“How long have you been sitting there?” she asked.

“Two hours,” he replied, setting the laptop aside and crossing the room. “Hungry?”

“Yes,” she said.

She knew what was coming, but she didn’t look up to make it easier for him. He cupped her chin to lift her face for his kiss.

“You had a good session,” he observed, stroking her back as he led her out of the office.

“I did.” She glanced up at him as they made their way to the kitchen. “And you?”

“Same.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I don’t believe you.”

“What do you want to eat?”

She stepped out from under his arm and faced him with her hands on hips. “How long are you going to do this?”

“Do what?”

His eyes were trained on her face. He gave her his complete attention without exception. That air of busy restlessness that had been so much a part of him was gone. The aggressive energy that drove him to put in countless hours had been extinguished. The singleminded focus that had built a billion dollar empire in little more than a decade was now focused exclusively on her.

She’d underestimated him. Again.

**This is a raw draft of Bitter Sins. Please do not share or distribute.

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