Bitter Heat Bonus Scene, PT 2

Emotion had never been a ruling force in his life. Most of the time, he felt nothing. Tears, pleading… they had no impact on him. His lack of emotions unnerved his mother so he’d learned how to mimic those around him from a young age. He dropped the act once he left Colorado. He experienced flickers of satisfaction as he began to increase his net worth by the millions and a bite of irritation when he lost, but those were fleeting emotions that never lingered. The only thing that had ever evoked any extreme emotion from him was the woman who was beginning to fuss in his arms.

He tipped her onto her back so he could see her face, illuminated by moonlight. Her brow was puckered, and her fingers twitched at her sides as she dreamed. He had no idea how he would feel when they came face to face again. He assumed their chemistry would have been eradicated by time, bitterness, and anger. Never in his wildest dreams could he have anticipated that his response would be ten times worse than before. He’d been grateful for her breakdown at the cabin. It gave him the opening he needed to touch, taste, and indulge his starving senses, but he hated that it had returned.

Jasmine whimpered, features contorting into one of agony. His stomach knotted. Like the compulsion he had to bathe and coddle her, he leaned down and nuzzled her—something he’d never done to anyone in his life. The violent surge of emotion he felt watching her on the cameras returned, only this time, he could do something more productive than threaten his pilot.

The fucking flight seemed to take five times longer than it should have. Probably because he hadn’t been able to lose himself in work. He should have been bothered by the fact that he missed the opportunity to convert Caruso into an ally. The man was a wild card and could be a problem tomorrow, but he hadn’t cared. All that mattered was getting to Jasmine. If anything, he’d had to resist the urge to plant his fist in Caruso’s face. The bastard had watched him pace with an amused expression that irked the shit out of him. What the bastard found funny, he wasn’t sure.

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