C14, PT. 8

When he stepped into the tub, she scrunched up and whimpered as the water lapped against her.

“You’re fine,” he murmured, brushing his lips over her temple. “I didn’t make it as hot as I wanted to.”

He dipped her a few times to get her accustomed to the temperature. When she finally relaxed, he sank with her until she was chin deep. She sighed contentedly, leaning back against his broad chest. His hand moved over her body, soothing her fractured nerves as she came down from the endorphin and adrenaline high.

When he started to rub her clit, she pushed at his hand, but he didn’t stop.

“Let me give this to you,” he whispered.

“I don’t need—”

“I need this.”

She had no idea what he was talking about and didn’t have the energy to stop him, so she lay there and let him stroke and caress. The peace that came after being destroyed was enough, but Roth was an overachiever. She thought her body was too depleted to produce an orgasm, but it summoned the energy once it sensed another reward on the horizon. It didn’t take long for her hips to start moving, for her to clutch his thighs, as her body coiled tight.

“Roth,” she said in a thin, needy whimper.

He butted his face against hers. “Come for me.”

Water sloshed over the sides as she chased this high. He held her tight as she convulsed. When her head listed back to rest on his shoulder, his lips cruised along her jaw, down her throat, and licked her collarbone. The hand that slid over her body was reverent and gentle. Tears slipped down her cheeks. No one made her feel the way he did. He was her oppressor and liberator, master and devoted servant. He pushed her past every boundary and then tended to her to ensure she felt happy, safe, and appreciated. Sex was a psychological game. No one fucked with her mind better than he did. Her heart felt full as she reached back and cupped his cheek.

“Thank you.”

The arm around her waist turned to iron. “What?”

“You’ve always known what I need to get to that place.”

“I didn’t hurt you?”

“You did, but I needed it.”

He wrapped both arms around her and buried his face against her shoulder. “I shouldn’t have—”

“I trust you.”

“You shouldn’t.”

She frowned and opened her mouth to contradict him, but his next words wiped everything else from her mind.

“Ariana’s right to keep her children away from me.”

She sat up so fast, water sloshed from the tub onto the floor. When she tried to turn, he banded his arm around her, keeping her facing forward so she couldn’t see his face.

“How the fuck do you know that?” she shouted and then pounded the water, causing another wave to go over the sides. “Damn it, Roth! Stop listening to my phone calls!”

“You defended me.”

“Of course I did! You wouldn’t harm a child.”

“How do you know?”

She went very still. “You would?”

“My mother calls me a monster. Your father blackmailed me. I’ve never held back when it came to you, and you’d trust me with a kid?”

“Yes!”

“Why?”

He sounded genuinely perplexed.

She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why did you come to Colorado when Kaia was in the hospital?”

“What does that have to do with anything?” he growled.

“Everything. There’s no love lost between you two, and you hadn’t seen her in years, yet when she was in need, you came. Why?”

“That has nothing to do with your sister thinking I’d take my temper out on a child.”

“It shows that you still have a code. Even though your mom made your childhood hell, you still honor her, and even hired help to care for her while she recovered. That doesn’t sound like a monster to me.” It was a conclusion she had come to over the past weeks that comforted her, even as it drove her up the wall with frustration and curiosity. “You won’t tell me Lyle’s secret because he supported me, and I would stake my life on the fact that you would shield my niece and nephew even though you don’t care for their parents because they’re innocent.” She made a flicking motion with her hand, causing dozens of droplets to disturb the water. “Besides, you’re scared to death of them.”

“Excuse me?”

His affronted tone made her snort.

“You’re terrified of Kye and Bailey. You’re always edging away because you’re scared you’ll hurt them. You avoid eye contact, hoping they’ll ignore you, but that’s a lost cause because they see it as a game or invitation to do whatever’s necessary to get your attention. I’ve been around plenty of men who think children are a nuisance. My father didn’t even notice us unless we did something wrong, and we needed to be reprimanded. You were riveted by them. You noticed Kye was about to fall before my sister did. You tracked him as he ran around the room. You’re more aware of the kids than their own parents. They know you care, which is why they were crawling all over you.” She reached back and cupped his face. “You wouldn’t harm a child, Roth. You don’t have it in you.”

“You don’t know what’s in me,” he rumbled.

She snuggled into him and smiled when he shifted to make sure she was comfortable. Actions spoke louder than words. “I know enough.”

“I should have stopped.”

The regret in his tone alerted her that he was back to talking about what took place in the living room.

“If you had, I wouldn’t be on cloud nine right now.” Her tone was deliberately blasé.

“I can’t allow myself to get to a point where nothing you say would stop me. I’m so disciplined in every area of my life except you. I’m violent, out of control. I’m capable of anything.”

Sensing his genuine distress, she stroked his thigh. “You know the difference between me fighting myself and me fighting you.”

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

Copyright © 2024 Mia Knight. All Rights Reserved.