She probably felt the same way.
We always showered together, and it was one of the events I looked forward to. Of course, I loved watching warm water and soap run down a naked woman’s body, but there was more to it than that. I loved the way her thoughts drifted away as she dug her hands into her hair and massaged her scalp. She was so comfortable with me she nearly forgot I was there.
Tatum Titan looked like a bombshell when her makeup was done. Paired with her clothes and heels, she turned heads everywhere she went. But I’d come to prefer this side of her, when she didn’t have any makeup on at all.
She looked just like Tatum.
The woman, not the executive.
She smiled differently, in a genuine way that reached her eyes. She was a little playful, not all business and numbers. The skyscrapers she stacked around her came down noticeably. She showed more of herself to me.
I wondered if she trusted me.
She must have. Otherwise, she wouldn’t partner with me.
“What?” She caught me staring at her.
“What?” I said back.
“You’re staring at me.”
“So?” She was mine. I could stare at her all I wanted.
She smiled then turned off the water. “Not much to see.”
“I disagree.”
She stepped out and dried off. I did the same. She had a large bathroom with two sinks, so I took one while she took the other. I dried my hair with the towel and examined my face in the mirror. I hadn’t shaved in two days, and my hair was starting to get too thick. I knew Titan liked my shadow. That was why I didn’t shave it as often anymore.
“I’m having a get-together this weekend if you want to come.”
I looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. “Having a party?”
“I wouldn’t call it that.” She patted her hair dry with the towel then turned on her hair dryer, the setting on low. Her fingers worked her strands of hair, looking sexy without even trying. A black silk robe was tied around her body, hiding her skin but not her curves. “It’s just gonna be me and close friends.”
That meant Thorn would be there.
Bastard.
“It’ll be at my beach house in Rhode Island. I have a pool and a spa, and of course, the beach is right there.”
So this would be a weekend party. It was a little too far to drive just for the day. I suspected she had a large mansion right on the sand, having all of her friends stay in bedrooms for the weekend. I shouldn’t care that Thorn was going to be there since there was nothing to be jealous of. They weren’t sleeping together now, and that was all that mattered.
But I didn’t like him anyway. “What will I be attending this evening as?”
“Diesel Hunt, I suppose.” She turned off the hair dryer and ran her fingers through her hair once again.
For such a sharp woman, she was dull sometimes. “Am I attending as your platonic friend and business partner? Or as your lover?”
“What does it matter?”
Oh, it mattered. I wasn’t going to sit on the other side of the patio all weekend, watch her have fun with her friends in her bikini, and not walk up to her and kiss her whenever I wanted. “It does to me.”
She peeled off her robe and hung it back on the hanger. She walked into her bedroom to pull on new clothes, and I followed her. She grabbed a fresh pair of panties from her drawer and pulled on an oversized t-shirt.
“Titan.” When I didn’t get an answer, I pressed harder.
“They all know about us, if that’s what you’re asking.”
I already had to lie to my friends and my brother every single day. I didn’t want to have to spend any extra time restraining myself. If I wanted to kiss her, goddammit, I was gonna kiss her. “Then I’d love to go.”
“Great. I thought it would be fun to celebrate.”
“I agree. We got a company with a lot of potential for a great price.”
“And we fucked that asshole over.” She smiled then walked into the living room. “You want anything to drink?” She didn’t dismiss me right after sex the way she used to. Now it was another part of our routine to stay together, to watch a game or the nightly news. She even made dinner for me once.
“Water would be great.”
She walked into her expansive kitchen, hidden from view. “Hungry?”
“I am if you’re making something.”
“I haven’t eaten anything since lunch.”
She didn’t even eat lunch. She took a bite of her sandwich and ate some lettuce—that was it. “Me neither.”
“Then I’ll whip up something.”
I felt awkward sitting there on the couch while she worked in the kitchen, so I walked in and joined her. She had just washed an assortment of vegetables and was now marinating shrimp. “Can I help you?”
“You don’t need to worry about it, Hunt. I can handle it.”
“I don’t mind.” I grabbed the wooden cutting board and found the chopping knife in one of the drawers. I started slicing the vegetables as she shook the bag of marinade. Once it was finished, she poured everything into the pan and started cooking.
I grabbed another pan for the veggies and took care of those. Standing side by side, we silently prepared a meal together.
I’d never done this before.
I prepared my own meals in solitude, or I had the maid take care of it before she left for the day. But I’d never cooked with a woman I was sleeping with. We usually went out to dinner then fucked before she left the next day.
I’d still hadn’t gone out with Titan.
When the meal was prepared, we took a seat together at her kitchen table. Laid-back in a cotton t-shirt with hair still slightly damp, she looked soft as a peach. Her walls weren’t up anymore, and she enjoyed the view of the city without a constant state of deflection.
She was a completely different person.
“Where should we start with the company?” She stabbed a spear of asparagus with her fork before she placed it into her mouth. “It’s gonna take a lot of work. I know we both have our own holdings to manage, but we’re gonna have to take a break and focus on this.”
“I agree.”
“We should make our offices in the building. Start the transition of power now.”
“Agreed.”
“Should we meet first thing in the morning every day?” she asked. “Over coffee?”
“How about we meet here instead?” I’d rather be naked with her than sipping coffee.
Her eyes narrowed in a pathetic attempt to look annoyed. If anything, she thought my comment was cute. “We have to establish a presence there. Our new employees need to see us, to feel reassured that the company isn’t going under. Besides, we can screw on the desk. We’ll make sure we don’t get glass doors.” She playfully rubbed her leg against mine under the table.
I’d thought I’d had my fill of her for the evening, but whenever she touched me, she lit me back up. “Sounds good to me. What did Thorn think about this partnership?” He must not have liked it. He wanted Titan all to himself. Now I was legally bound to her in a one way. It was just a single company, but it was something.
“He was hesitant at first, but he came around.”
Their tight bond was obvious to me even when they weren’t in the same room together. They spent time with his parents as a couple, and even though he didn’t love her, he came all the way down to my office and claimed her. They told each other everything, when otherwise, Titan was committed to living a life of secrecy.
It annoyed me.
What did Thorn do to deserve her unflinching trust? She’d already combined her life with his, agreeing to marry him for convenience rather than romance. I didn’t consider myself to be a big romantic, but that sounded depressing. “How are you going to keep an arrangement with someone and be married to Thorn at the same time?”
She continued eating like the question didn’t bother her. “I don’t understand your meaning.”
<
br /> “You said you’re monogamous with your partners. How will that work if you’re married?”
“Thorn has his own lovers, so that won’t be a problem. We’ll do our separate things, just as we do now. It won’t be that different.”
Were they going to have separate bedrooms too? Having their partners over like roommates instead of husband and wife? “And will you ever have sex with each other?”
“Of course. There are times when we both aren’t with other people.”
I was annoyed anytime I saw Thorn wrap his arm around her waist. Imagining them screwing made me sick to my stomach. “What if the sex is bad?” If she’d never slept with him, how would she know?
“I doubt it.” She placed another asparagus spear in her mouth, talking about sex with Thorn like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Underneath the skin, my blood was boiling. The veins in my forearms ached every time I clenched my fists. At what point in time did she think this was a good idea? I shouldn’t worry about it because it wasn’t like they were getting married tomorrow. Our relationship would end long before they took that step forward in their commitment. But it bothered me anyway. “And you’re gonna have kids with him?”
“Yep.” She finished her meal then placed her gaze on me. She examined my face like I was on the other side of her desk.
I knew that look.
“Why are you asking so many questions, Hunt?”
I did my best not to clench my jaw. “Sorry, I’ve never known anyone who’s done an arranged marriage…” It was impossible to keep the annoyance out of my voice. I respected this woman, but I didn’t respect her choice.
Titan straightened in her chair, her carefree attitude now abandoned. Even without wearing her dress and heels, she somehow looked as formidable as she did in the office. With wet hair and no makeup, she carried herself like a queen. “Hunt, I don’t appreciate your judgments. You don’t know me, so you don’t know what’s best for me.”
“I know you enough to know you deserve the best.”
She kept her rigidness, but her eyes softened. “Thorn is the best.”
“If you think so, you need to take a harder look around.” I wasn’t suggesting myself, but I certainly was a better fit than he was. “How can you possibly think this is a good idea? What if you meet someone later and fall in love?”
“I won’t.”
“But what if you do?” I pressed.
She rested her chin on her fingertips, shifting her body to look directly at me. “Trust me, I won’t.” Her green eyes didn’t shift as she stared me down. She seemed to be proving her point even more by not blinking.
I stared at her with the same intensity, a question burning in my mind. I knew this had something to do with her boyfriend who died. They were connected. There was no way they weren’t. But Thorn warned me not to mention it to her. His savage reaction told me this subject was untouchable. I wanted to press and get my answers, but I didn’t want to hurt her either. So I asked another question instead. “You don’t believe in love?”
“I do—with all my heart.”
I tilted my head, confused by her contradiction.
“I believe certain kinds of love exist. I believe my father loved me with everything he had. I loved him too. I love my friends like family. They feel the same way. And I love Thorn as my best friend. Those are feelings that are undeniable. There’s loyalty, trust, and friendship. But romantic love…I don’t believe in that. I believe it’s just misinterpreted passion and lust. The relationships aren’t compatible because there’s no foundation other than sex. And that’s exactly why half of relationships end in divorce.”
“What about relationships that are based on loyalty, trust, and friendship as well as lust and passion?”
Her eyes didn’t move as they remained glued to mine.
“You don’t believe in those?”
“I’ve never encountered a relationship like that.”
I tried not to take the comment personally. She told me in the beginning what this relationship would entail. It’s not like I wanted anything anyway, so I shouldn’t care.
“Do you see yourself getting married?” she asked.
“I don’t know.”
“What about kids?”
“I don’t know about that either.” I’d never entertained the idea. I had yet to encounter a woman who wanted me for me, not my wealth or my bed. I was a mere security check for them. Sleeping with me was something they could brag about to their girlfriends. I was a trophy, an accomplishment they could set on their mantle.
“Well, I want a family. I want to hand off my legacy to someone when my time comes. In order to do that, I need a partner I can trust. With Thorn, we’ll have a long and happy life together.”
“You mean, a business arrangement.” I was pressing her buttons, and I knew it. Instead of backing off, I kept going. If she were anyone else, I wouldn’t care less. But I couldn’t hold my tongue, not when I disagreed with her so strongly.
“Call it whatever you want.” She grabbed her empty plate and walked back into the kitchen.
I knew I’d ruined a perfectly good night by not giving up. We probably would have sat on the couch together and watched the game, but instead, I chased her off. She felt innately comfortable with me, but now I’d botched that arrangement.
She came back into the dining room and took my plate. “You should get going, Hunt. I have to wake up early in the morning.”
The blade came down and severed my head from my body. She dismissed me, finally fed up with my bullshit.
I could apologize and backpedal, but those would just be empty words. I wouldn’t mean them, and she knew it.
She walked me to the door, her hands nowhere on me because she didn’t want to touch me. She wore her cold and indifferent expression, closed off from me like an enemy rather than an ally.
I could just let this blow over, knowing it would get better in time. But I didn’t want to do that. The elevator doors opened, but I didn’t step inside. “You’re right, I’m being judgmental.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, the cotton t-shirt hugging her bare breasts. Her stony expression was slowly warming, softening back into the woman I’d come to know.
“Honestly…I’m not sure why it bothers me so much.”
She shifted her weight to one leg, her bare foot flat against the floor.
“I guess I’m just protective of you.” I’d never been that way with anyone else before. I always made sure the women who slept over had a ride home. I was there for Brett when he needed me. But I’d never dropped a net around someone like I did with Titan. I surrounded her on all sides, taking out anyone who crossed her. I walked away from a billion-dollar company just because the owner disrespected her. She’d proven herself completely capable, but I felt the need to look after her. But it was like a lion looking after a tiger—totally unnecessary.
Something in my words made her eyes soften like wilted rose petals. Her arms loosened around her body, and the affection in her gaze was undeniable. Her cold venom had been retracted, and now her beautiful calmness returned. “That’s very sweet, Hunt. But I don’t need anyone to be protective of me.”
“Can’t help it,” I whispered. “I suspect that won’t change. In fact, it’ll probably get worse now that we’re working together.”
She smiled. “It’s not so bad. I know I’ll be protective of you too.” She rose on her tiptoes, gripped my biceps, and kissed me on the cheek.
The touch was juvenile, like a young girl kissing a boy on a first date. But it was warm, her wet lips brushing against my skin. I loved the way she gripped my arms for balance as she raised herself up on her tiptoes.
“No one has ever been protective of me before,” I whispered.
She rubbed her nose against mine. “There’s a first time for everything, right?”
“Yeah…I guess you’re right.”
7
Titan
Isa wa
lked around in her one-piece and heels. Her thick shades were over her eyes, and she sipped her margarita with a pink umbrella in the glass. “Where’s your man at?”
“I don’t know.” I lounged on the armchair while the rest of my friends swam in the pool. We had a view of the beach, the waves gentle under the scorching sun. I was in a black two-piece, sunscreen rubbed into every single inch of my body, even my eyelids. “I’m sure he’ll be here soon.”
“Bringing any friends?” Isa asked.
“Better not be.” If he wanted to be in my world, he had to learn to keep a secret.
Thorn walked out of the house in his black swim trunks. He had a plate of hamburger patties, and he carried it to the grill. His light-colored hair was flat on his head because he’d spent all day in the pool. Water dripped down his rock-hard body and fell to the concrete. “Who’s hungry?”
“Me!” Everyone raised their hands.
“Who wants meat, and who wants processed garbage?” Thorn asked.
Pilar raised her hand. “Processed garbage for me, please.”
“Me too.” I didn’t think black bean patties were garbage, but Thorn liked to blow his diet when he was on vacation—not that I disrespected him for it. He was all business when we were in New York, but when we traveled the world, he only wanted the finer things in life.
Thorn shook his head. “I expected more from you, Titan.”
I pulled my shades down so I could look at him. “Then you don’t know me very well.”
“Is that a helicopter?” Pilar shielded her eyes as she looked up in the sky. She was sitting on a pink floaty in the pool. Her hair started to blow harder in the wind caused by the strength of the propellers. “It’s landing right on your property, Titan.”
I left my lounge chair and walked onto the pool deck. Sure enough, a black chopper was landing on the green grass adjacent to the house. I owned a lot of land because I wanted privacy away from everyone. The closest neighbor I had was ten miles away. I saw the logo on the side of the chopper.
Hunt Industries.
Boss Man_Boss 2 Page 10
