C12, PT. 3

A man she didn’t recognize filled the doorway. He gave them all an expectant look that forced her to step up to Johan’s side and say, “Is Roth here?”

The man’s brows bunched together as he examined her for a moment before he opened the door fully. The palatial office was just as she remembered with gleaming white floors, the massive espresso desk, and the multi-million dollar view that was just a tad less impressive today due to the low-hanging clouds.

Three chairs were pulled up to Roth’s desk. There was a tray of refreshments off to the side. Roth was on his feet, one hand planted on the desk as he leaned over a blueprint. A man stood beside him, pointing out something with a pen. Another man had his phone in hand and seemed to be taking notes.

She hesitated before she called, “Roth?”

He raised his head.

She plastered a smile on her face as her stomach clenched. “I just wanted to drop by and say hi.”

His forbidding expression didn’t alter as he straightened.

She held up the bag of cookies. “I brought you something.”

All of them stared at her like she was from another planet. Palms prickling with sweat, she offered the bag of cookies to the man who opened the door.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have interrupted. I just…” When he didn’t attempt to take the bag from her, she stepped back into Mo, who was a brick wall behind her. “We’ll let you get back to it. I’ll see you later.”

She broke off as Roth rounded the desk and strode toward her, his long legs eating up the distance rapidly. She tried to hide her anxiety as the man at the door stepped back, instinctively giving Roth space. She sensed Mo and Johan do the same, leaving her stranded as her husband stalked toward her, looking like hell warmed over. She looked up as he came within touching distance.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…” She didn’t have a chance to finish before his mouth landed on hers. She grunted in surprise and then gasped when his tongue invaded. Giddy with relief, she clutched his sides and gave him what he wanted.

From a great distance, she heard Johan say, “They’re newlyweds.”

When Roth broke the kiss, she slow blinked and breathed a dazed, “Hi.”

Roth cupped the back of her head and pressed her face against his chest. “We’ll pick this up later.”

It was a clear dismissal. There was a startled silence and then several chuckles.

“We’ll request a larger time block next time. We had no idea there were so many flaws in the design,” a voice said.

Roth picked her up and stepped aside, so the men could file out. “Email me when you figure it out.”

“Will do. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Roth.”

“You too.” Her voice was muffled against a broad chest. She tried to turn and make eye contact with the men so she wouldn’t seem rude, but Roth’s arms were like steel around her. “I apologize for interrupting. I didn’t mean to—”

“There’s nothing to apologize for.” The man’s voice was wry and amused. “There are more important things than business, right, Roth?”

Her husband didn’t respond with words, but expressed his agreement with that sentiment by backing her against the wall and devouring her. Even as her body went up in flames, she was very aware of the men in the room. When she tried to break the kiss, Roth growled and bit her lip to show his displeasure. She twisted her hand in his jacket. What the hell was he doing? This was so out of the realm of how she expected him to react that her head was spinning. Her eyes flicked to the left as the last man walked out. Mo, face averted, reached for the handle and pulled the door shut.

Roth gripped her jaw, forcing her to meet his heated gaze. “You care if they see me kiss you?”

“You don’t?” Propriety clashed with giddy delight over his outrageous PDA.

“No. I do what I want,” he said and grabbed the front halves of her coat.

Before she could guess what he was about to do, he yanked them apart. Her mouth dropped as buttons went flying. Black eyes raked over her sweater dress.

“You fucked up, princess.” She didn’t move a muscle as his hand slid beneath her skirt and brushed over the gusset of her underwear. Slowly, he shook his head as if he was disappointed in her. “You were supposed to be naked under this coat.”

“I was?” she said stupidly.

“Yes, but I can fix that.”

That was her only warning before he ripped away her lace underwear that could have easily slipped down her legs.

“Hey!”

She pushed at him, but he was on a mission. He shoved her coat and purse off her shoulders before he whipped the dress over her head. He stripped her naked aside from her knee-high boots and bra in less than ten seconds. She went numb with shock as he undid the front clasp of her bra. He tugged one side down her lax arm. She watched her bra sail across the room and land on the arm of one of the guest chairs.

“On your knees.”

Her skin prickled. His devil’s gaze shimmered with dark desires that compelled her to obey. She wanted to. Having him choose her over work made her want to give him anything he wanted, but… Were Mo and Johan standing on the other side of the door? She wanted to reach over and turn the lock, even though she knew no one would dare enter without knocking. Would his colleagues gossip about what they witnessed? That would further dispel any belief that they were in a marriage of convenience. Was the glass wall beyond his desk tinted or…?

“I need you on your knees, princess,” he said in a silky tone that brought her skittish attention back to him.

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

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