Mia Knight

“You don’t want a man like me to love you.”

“You don’t want a man like me to love you.”

She nodded. Deep down, she knew he was right. Forever with him would be a death sentence. Roth would never be restful or joyful. The man was so emotionally stunted, he didn’t trust himself. He was damaged, paranoid, controlling… He freely admitted that he was probably a sociopath. His need for control would suffocate her and dictate every part of her life. There would be nothing left of her, no part of her he wouldn’t dominate. His...

He'd kill for you

“You don’t understand our relationship,” she sighed.

“I think I understand better than you,” Lyle retorted. “You’re blind.”

“You have no idea what happens behind closed doors.” She wrapped her arms around her knees and stared at the horizon. “This has to end.”

“Jasmine.”

He waited until she looked at him.

“Roth isn’t going to let you go.”

His implacable tone made her heart skip a beat.

“He has to. We made a deal,�...

Roth's murky business connections...

“Whatever comes out of their mouth, don’t react. They’ll bait you, try to get a rise out of you.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s the kind of men they are.” A pause and then, “And they know you aren’t one of us.”

She hauled back on his hand. “Us?”

He turned to face her, a scowl on his face. “I’m not like your father.”

“But you aren’t like them either,” she said forcefully and waited, heart pounding in her ears for his confi...

On the jet, going to the mountains...

Roth trying to piece together what happened...

“What knowledge did Colette try to protect you from?”

She cursed his eidetic memory and the fact that he’d been close enough to hear Colette whisper that to her.

“None of your business,” she said in a stifled voice.

“Anything that concerns you is my business,” he hissed. “The fact that Tucker approached you and put his hands on you is my business. So is the fact that something happened t...

Fuck all of you...

“Jasmine.”

“No. Don’t touch her. Don’t talk to her. I’m still tempted to rip your head off for putting her at risk.”

“Roth,” she began, but he cupped the back of her head, pressing her face into his chest as he growled, “Don’t defend him. He doesn’t deserve it.”

He was so angry, he was shaking. She was strangely calm. She reached up and squeezed his nape to soothe him.

“I’m okay,” she murmured.

He buried his face in her hair and ...

Touch Me

“That fuck isn’t allowed to touch you!”

“It’s natural for me to touch someone I care about!” she snapped.

“Then touch me.”

His words hit her in the gut. She turned from him, her focus on the door and avoiding his statement and all it implied. She didn’t make it. He grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall. He moved in close and cupped her chin, lifting it so she was forced to look at him. He was breathing hard and his eyes were fixed on ...

“I just fuck.”

“Are you married?” she blurted.

Grayson stopped with the fork halfway to his mouth. “Pardon?”

“Jasmine,” Roth said in a warning tone.

“Dating? Seeing someone special?” she pressed.

Gold eyes lightened with humor. “No to all of the above.” Grayson snatched the bit of waffle off the end of his fork and chewed thoughtfully as he assessed her. “Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.” She knew next to nothing about him. For all she knew, he could ...

A call to Sullivan...

“Roth!” Sullivan's exuberant voice held no trace of sleepiness despite the hour and the fact that he had been entertaining all night. “You and Jasmine left without saying goodbye. I wanted to tell her that—”

"Do you have cameras in the library?" Roth interrupted.

His voice was clipped and aggressive. He should tread lightly. He'd found favor with Sullivan, but that could change in an instant, but his temper, barely restrained, made it impossible to act nonchalant and ci...

Reception

She was talking to Kira and Penelope when two massive arms wrapped around her middle and drew her back against a hard body. Her friend’s smiles widened delightedly when Roth kissed her temple.

“Do we have to leave?” Jasmine murmured.

“No, I was missing you,” he replied candidly, not bothering to lower his voice so her friends could hear.

Penelope placed her hand over her heart while Kira put hers on her hip.

“You two have robbed us twice of attending you...

London Residents...

Roth pocketed his phone, but didn’t turn to face her. Instead, he stared out at the view, lost in thought. She waited thirty seconds before her curiosity got the best of her.

“What’s going on? Why are you so worried?”

He stayed quiet for so long, she thought he wasn’t going to answer.

“Remember what you read about the residents of this building?”

His voice was quiet, grim. Her heart picked up the pace.

“Yes.”

He turned to face her and ...

An unexpected phone call...

Roth’s phone flashed as a call came in. Absently, she glanced at the screen and froze when she saw “Kaia,” no last name. She glanced at the empty doorway before she snatched up the phone.

“Kaia?”

“Jasmine?”

Kaia sounded stunned.

“How are you?” She tried to sound casual, but her eyes were glued to the door where Roth could return at any moment.

“I-I’m fine.” Kaia was clearly rattled. “You didn’t call on Christmas. That isn�...

Jasmine seizes the opportunity...

She looked up and her mouth opened in a silent scream when she saw a figure in the doorway.

“Find anything interesting?”

She took a step back. He shouldn’t be here. He couldn’t be here. It was impossible for him to make it back so quickly. Unless… he wasn’t where he said he was. Before her mind could run rampant with that, she was forced to take another step back as he strolled in.

“You’ve been busy,” he observed, eyes racing around the wrecked room befor...

Battle of his life...

She sat on the edge of the bed, staring straight through him. She was as substantial as the ocean breeze and just as predictable. He didn’t know how to reach her. He spoke for hours, she didn’t say a word in response. Her eyes were blank, her mind clearly elsewhere. Anywhere but here with him. She was three feet away but he could feel her slipping further and further from him. He was at a loss.

When he sank to his knees, her eyes focused on him for a split second before she refocuse...

An Unexpected Visitor...

The sound of male voices roused her. She raised her head and frowned at the closed door. A glance at the windows told her it was either very late or very early. She wondered if Roth was watching TV unusually loud, but when his voice, unmistakably deep and harsh, was interrupted by a much softer voice clearly trying to placate him, she threw back the covers, intrigued. Without a thought for how scantily dressed she was, she opened the door and was greeted with the sight of the last person she ...

A trip to the men's restroom...

“Go to the bathroom,” he growled.

She straightened. Was he serious? One glance told her he was serious as a heart attack. Her heart sped up. Here?

He squeezed her thigh. “Now.”

When she stood, the men gave her distracted glances.

“I need to powder my nose,” she said and got several grunts in response.

She walked away, turned on, freaked out. Were they really going to have sex in a restaurant? Maybe there was a family bathroom they could…?...

Grayson

Jasmine blinked when the spa employee extended a phone to her. Believing only an emergency would make Roth call the spa, she grabbed it hastily and said, “Hello?”

“Hi, love.”

The deep, British drawl was the last thing she expected. For a moment, she was at a loss and then, “Grayson?”

“I had to great creative since he’s monitoring your phone, email, and any other method of communication you have. Today, he just so happened to mention where you were so I though...

August Recap/September Update

So, a recap of August: I didn’t work on the book as much as I wanted to. I moved into my own place at the beginning of the month and seriously underestimated how much time it would take to unpack, transfer things over, acquire what I need (the only chair I’ve had is my office chair for nearly 3 weeks!), and acclimating to my new surroundings. I’m finally getting a sofa delivered this weekend! You don’t realize how luxurious a chair is until you have don’t have one. LMAO.

I am ...

Fuck Love

“The most foolish thing I ever did was believe I could make a difference.” She shook her head and let out a choked laugh. “I was so arrogant, but now I know better. I’m going to break my generational curse. I’m going to do what my mother should have done. I’m getting out. Fuck the money. Fuck networking. Fuck trying to gain these people’s respect. Fuck it all.” Her eyes met his as she said, “And fuck love, too. The shit I’ve done in the name of it cost me everything. I’m...

Roth has a nightmare...

She sat in the oversized rattan chair, legs crossed, eyes closed. The warm, tropical breeze tugged at her loose hair and pale blue silk slip. The distant roar of the waves crashing on the shore put her into a hypnotic state. She drifted, mind filled with static, until an odd noise brought her back to her surroundings.

She peeked around the chair. The light she’d left on in the bathroom allowed her to see Roth shifting restlessly in bed. Only the fact that he’d been in a truly deep ...

“Make Aunty happy again.”

Jasmine lunged at him. If Roth’s reflexes were any slower, she would have gouged his eyes out. Instead, she clawed empty air as Roth hauled her backward. She fought like a madwoman, screaming and kicking, her temper completely unleashed.

“Fuck you, Lyle!” she spat. "All these years of having my back and when I need you most, you turn on me! How dare you fucking—”

“Aunty?”

Bailey’s timid tone was as effective as a bucket of ice cold water splashed in her face....

"I like you"

“I like you.”

She wasn’t sure why those three words made her stomach contract. “Thank you.”

He slipped his hands into his pockets and leaned against the doorjamb as he regarded her silently.

“Roth’s a lucky man,” he said finally.

Her smile wavered for a moment before she got a hold of it and turned up the wattage. “That’s what I tell him,” she lied.

“You’re a fascinating woman.”

When a tense silence fell, she took a step back. ...

A familiar face...

“Jasmine.”

She blinked. It took several seconds for the scene she was working on to fade enough for her to register that Roth stood in her office doorway. Before she could ask him what he was doing here at this hour, he stepped aside, revealing a black woman in an immaculately tailored pantsuit.

“Sunny?”

Jasmine shot up from her chair, sending it crashing into the wall as she rushed over to wrap her arms around her former security coordinator. Sunny, who had never be...

Broken Promises

“You promised!” he bit out.

“So did you.” Her eyes burned as she whispered, “You promised you’d make me happy. You promised it would be different this time around, that you would make up for the past. You tried to convince me that I was your dream…” Her voice broke, but she forced herself to continue even though her voice was a harsh rasp, “You couldn’t even fake it for a full month before you lost interest. You’ve never been more brutal, more cruel…” She shook...

Jasmine, 10 Years Old, PT 2

Kira’s petulant expression eased into a genuine smile when she was approached by an acquaintance of her father. Kira spoke in rapid Russian. Jasmine understood bits and pieces of what they were saying, since Kira switched between her native tongue and English often when they spoke on the phone. Kira introduced her and Penelope to Pyotr Morozov. Penelope did a neat curtsy while Jasmine nodded and smiled politely, recognizing he was one of the white whales her father had been looking forward ...

Jasmine, 10 Years Old, PT 1

Jasmine turned her head to the side and bit her lip to stop herself from laughing aloud as her friends bickered.

“Her dress is horrid,” Kira said in appalled tones. “It looks like she tried to sew it herself.”

“Kira!” Penelope gave her an admonishing nudge. “Please lower your voice!”

Kira turned on her friend with wide eyes. “But you agree, don’t you? It’s hideous!”

Penelope’s eyes darted around before she whispered, “Well, of cours...

Jasmine tells her family the truth...

“Our marriage was a business arrangement,” she announced and was aware of the sudden stillness of everyone in the hall. “I was so determined to save Dad’s legacy…” Her stomach rocked with humiliation and anger. “I shouldn’t have interfered. I should have let you all handle it and let whatever happened, happen.”

There was a buzzing silence. Roth’s only reaction to her confession was to tighten his hold on her, pinning her more securely against him.

“It’s be...

“I don’t want to go with you.”

She rounded the corner and stopped in her tracks. Her family stood in front of the door, dressed in their winter gear with their suitcases off to the side, clearly ready to depart.

“You’re leaving?” she asked.

“Yes.”

Colette came over to her and gave her a side hug because she was carrying Polara.

“I’ll get my bag,” she said.

Colette drew back with a slight frown. “Your bag?”

“I want to go back to New York.”

Colette focus...

“I need you.”

“I need you.”

Six hours ago that line snapped her out of a panic attack and gave her the strength to take on high society with a smile on her face. Now, it did nothing for her because she knew he didn’t mean it. They were empty words he knew she desperately wanted to hear. He knew she’d always wanted to be needed and loved. He fed her just enough crumbs of affection to stop her from starving and gave her sips of hope so she would perform on command. He was too much of a business...

“When are you going back to New York?”

She was hyperaware of Roth watching her. It was getting on her nerves. He never said a word, just sat silently, observing her as she watched the waves crash on the shore. She would have suspected he was dozing behind his shades, but the moment she moved, so did he. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw a phone in his hand.

“When are you going back to New York?” she asked.

“When the time’s right.”

“You’re wasting your time here. You should be capitaliz...

Bitter Heat Bonus Scene, PT 4

He was grateful when she slid down his body and slipped his rock-hard cock inside of her. He bared his teeth, fighting his orgasm, as her tight sheath enveloped him. Her low moans filled the room, but the sorrow etched on her face and the almost frantic way she moved told him she was still trying to outrun the pain that clearly still dogged her.

He wrapped his hand in her hair and yanked her mouth down to his. He kissed her deep, swiping his tongue over hers so she could taste herself....