“Thorn thinks you see this as more than just an arrangement…that you see me as something more than a temporary partner.”
His expression didn’t change at all. His eyes were the identical mocha color, and a slight smile was still plastered across his lips. With the same confidence he took into the office every day, he held my gaze. “And what do you think, Titan?”
I tilted my head at the question, surprised he answered my question with a question. “What does it matter?”
“Because I want to know if you’re really the one asking. If this something you’re concerned about. Or is this something he’s concerned about. Who am I talking to right now?”
Those simple words told me he disliked Thorn as much as Thorn disliked him. The two men in my life didn’t care for one another—even despised each other. Thorn had never had a problem with the other men I took to bed. And I never disliked any of his girls, even if they were a little annoying at times. “You’re talking to me…but he’s the one who brought it up.”
“He seems jealous.”
“He’s not.”
“We both know he doesn’t like me.”
Hunt was a lot more observant than I gave him credit for. He handled himself so well around Thorn that I couldn’t help but respect him even more. “He’s just a little paranoid.”
“Paranoid about what?”
The answer was complicated, but since Hunt knew all the backstory, it would make sense to him. “That you’re going to take me away from him.”
“If he’s that concerned about it, maybe he should give you more. Treat you better.”
“I don’t want to be in a relationship him. I love him to the end of the earth and back…but I don’t see him that way.”
“Maybe he sees you that way.” He still maintained the same expression even though he’d managed to turn the tables on me and make me question Thorn when I was supposed to be questioning him. “But he knows you don’t feel the same way.”
“I don’t know…doesn’t seem that way.”
Hunt finally turned his gaze away. “Something to think about.”
* * *
We packed all of our things and prepared to leave my home in Rhode Island. Thorn’s driver was going to return both of us to New York, while everyone else took their own vehicles.
And Hunt took his chopper.
“How about I give you a lift home?” Hunt asked as he pulled his bag over his shoulder.
“In the helicopter?” I asked in surprise.
“Yeah. The flight is only thirty minutes.”
“It’s not the duration I’m worried about.”
“Come on, it’s beautiful. Unless you don’t trust me?”
I trusted this man more than a commercial pilot. He would get us there safely. “My luggage?”
“It’ll fit.”
I couldn’t suppress my smile at the thought of being that high in the sky, flying over the coast back into the city. I’d be able to see the skyscrapers long before I was even close to them. Flying had always been exhilarating for me. Some people were terrified of being in the air and preferred their feet planted against the earth, but I was the opposite.
I preferred the sky.
“Sounds like fun.”
Hunt showed his enthusiasm by pulling me in for a hard kiss on the mouth. He gripped my blouse at the small of my back, bunching up the fabric as he breathed hard into my mouth. When he pulled away, he wore a handsome smile. “Then let’s prepare for takeoff.”
We said goodbye to everyone, and the maids were already taking care of the mess we left behind. Thorn didn’t look too pleased about me jumping into a helicopter, but he didn’t question me in front of everyone.
After securing our luggage in the back, we pulled on our helmets, and Hunt spoke to someone over his headset. He issues some codes before he gripped the gear and lifted the helicopter into the air.
“Oh my god.” I clutched at the door as I peered down to see my house, which was getting smaller and smaller. “My house looks so tiny.”
With aviator sunglasses and a thick helmet, he looked sexy as hell. The sun was bright on his face, and he looked like a man who still possessed the spirit of a boy. He was a pilot, taking a beautiful piece of machinery into the sky.
I watched him with a smile on my face, loving seeing Hunt so excited.
It was difficult to tell where he was looking with those glasses, but he must have been looking at me because he said, “What?”
“What?” I repeated.
“Why are you staring at me?”
“Because you’re cute.”
“Cute?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing. “I’m a man, and men aren’t cute.”
“Fine. You look sexy.”
He directed the helicopter northwest. “That’s better.”
“So…have you ever gotten a blow job while flying?”
“Not while piloting,” he said. “And as much as I would like one now, I’ll have to turn down your offer.”
“Why?”
“Too dangerous.”
“Safety man. I like it.”
We flew most of the way in silence, taking in the spectacular views under the clouds. The rotors were so loud that we could only speak to each other through the intercom system in our headsets. It was a strange way to talk, but I got used to it after the first few sentences.
When we arrived in New York City, it was an even bigger treat. The sun was starting to set, and the lights looked so beautiful. It wasn’t much different from the view out the windows of my penthouse, but at this height, the city actually seemed small. “Most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
He turned his head my way. “Yeah.”
“I moved here when I was fifteen.” I remembered the day my dad relocated after he was let go at his job. “I was raised in a small town in New Jersey. My dad was a painter, and when he lost work, he had to move here to find something else. Money was always a challenge because he had to keep finding work. When he worked for a bigger business, he never made enough money.” I didn’t know why I was telling him any of this. It was personal and boring, but my mouth kept moving. “When I was old enough to start working, I helped out. It made everything a lot easier on my dad. But then he got sick…and there’s wasn’t anything I could do.” When I thought about the final six months of my father’s life, I was full of heartbreak. But I tried not to think about it too deeply. If I did, I’d start to cry. “I wanted to be rich because I wanted to take care of my father. He took care of me when my mother proved how easy it was to just run off. He stuck by my side and gave me the best life he could. I wish he could see me now…to see what I’ve done.”
“Who says he doesn’t see you right now?”
I turned my head his way and saw the affectionate look in his eyes. His sunglasses were gone, revealing his expression for me to see. His smile was encouraging, but his eyes held heartbroken understanding.
“I’m sure he’s proud of you, Titan. I just met you a few months ago, and I’m proud of you.”
“Yeah?” I whispered.
“If I ever have a daughter, I hope she’s just like you.”
“Why?”
“You don’t take shit from anyone—and that’s how I’d want her to be. She would know her value—just the way you know yours. She wouldn’t be afraid to kick a man in the balls if he touched her the wrong way. If someone disrespected her, she would make him pay for his foolishness.”
No one ever praised me the way Hunt did. Most people just cared about how I started my business, where I learned all my secrets. They wanted to take my playbook and use it to their advantage. Hunt was the first person to compliment my character, not my success. It was a nice change. “I don’t think anyone has ever said anything so nice to me.”
“I kinda like you. I don’t do business with anyone, so I guess that was obvious.”
“I like you too, Hunt.”
“You want your son to be like me?” he teased.
&nb
sp; I didn’t think much about my kids or how they would be. All I knew was that I wanted them. But when I pictured Hunt as a little boy, it made me smile. He must have been adorable. “Wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.”
* * *
Brett Maxwell called me while I was at the office.
“Hey, Brett,” I said as I typed an email at the same time. “How are you?”
“I’m great. I was hoping I could swing by in a few minutes. I’ve got the final commercial edited.”
I didn’t care that much about it. I could just watch it on TV whenever it aired. But since he was excited about it, I went for it. “Sure. I’ll tell Jessica you’re coming.”
“See you then.”
Just when I hung up, Hunt called me.
“Hello, Mr. Hunt,” I said in a snooty business voice. “How can I help my partner today?”
“You could start by talking to me like that while I fuck you.”
He always started with the vulgar comments right off the bat. “Doesn’t sound so bad. I wish I’d gotten different doors now…” I’d order him down here on my lunch break if I could. He’d fuck me good on my desk, and then leave immediately afterward. His come would stay buried inside me until I got home and took a shower.
“You know, there are people you can hire to take care of that for you.”
“I don’t want to make it obvious.”
“Since when did Tatum Titan start caring about what her four assistants thought?” he questioned. “I can come down there and change those doors for you right now.”
“In tight jeans with a tool belt?”
“Whatever you want, baby.”
“And without a shirt?”
“Of course.”
“Hmm…sounds nice.”
“And you know what? I’ll do it for free.”
“I was hoping you’d want some other compensation for it…”
His voice was silent, but I could feel his heavy breathing through the phone. He was probably gripping a pen right now, a raging hard-on in his slacks. “You’re lucky your two weeks aren’t up yet…”
“Why?” I was playing a dirty game. I rolled the dice, not caring whether I won or lost. “What would you do right now if you were calling the shots?”
Another pregnant pause of silence. He was probably clenching his jaw right now, grinding his teeth together. “There’s a Four Seasons across the street from my building. I’d book a room, have you meet me there, and then I would throw you on the bed with your ass over the edge. I’d eat your pussy, finger your ass, shove my cock down your throat, and then I’d fuck you in the ass until you couldn’t take it anymore. I would come inside you twice, pumping you with so much of my seed that you could barely hold on to it. Then I’d order you to go back to work and keep it in there…until later tonight when I’d order you to show it to me. Titan, if I were in charge, that’s what we’d be doing right now.”
Now I was the one rendered speechless, my voice gone and only my shaky breath remaining. All my confidence evaporated once his dominion had crushed mine. He still had two weeks until his regime could begin, but he’d obviously been planning every single moment of it. “I…I’ve gotta go.”
“Alright, baby.” His grin was loud through the phone. “Hope you don’t miss me too much today.”
Damn, I already missed him right now.
I hung up just when Brett was ushered into my office by Jessica. I cleared my throat and tried to keep the flushed color out of my cheeks. But when I looked at Brett, a man similar to Hunt in so many ways, it was difficult to clear the fog that thickened in my mind. His eyes were identical to his brother’s, and they had the exact same intensity. “Hey, Brett. It’s great to see you again.” I came around the desk and shook his hand.
“The pleasure is all mine, Titan.” He pulled the satchel off his shoulder and pulled out a sleek gray laptop. “How are things going?”
They’d been better. My hand would be in between my legs right now if I had enough privacy. “Good. You?”’
“I’ve very happy with the way the commercial turned out. You and Hunt look like you belong together.”
My heart leapt into my throat.
Brett didn’t see my reaction because he was opening the file on his computer. He moved a few things around before he opened it to full screen. Music projected from the speakers, accompanied by the sound of powerful motors running. And then there was me, driving down the windy road with Hunt right behind me. Scenes cut and shifted, going back and forth between us. Hunt smiled at my competitiveness, appreciating the challenge. I didn’t look challenged at all. After a few more cuts, the commercial ended and brought up a black screen of current auto deals.
Looking at Hunt didn’t help.
“What’d you think?” Brett shut the laptop.
“It was phenomenal. People will love it.”
He smiled at the compliment. “That’s what I’m hoping for. I intend to sell a lot more cars this year. Photographers have snapped Hunt in his Bullet around town a lot, and my numbers have spiked ever since. But let’s see how they spike when you’re the one being featured.”
I hoped there was a spike at all. Not a lot of men respected my success, thinking my vagina was some kind of handicap. “We’ll see.”
“I’m having lunch with Hunt today, so I’ll show him then.”
Was I the only one who thought it weird for him to call his brother by a last name different from his own? “Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it.”
“Anything for you, Titan. My brother told me you just acquired Bruce’s company—congratulations.”
“Thank you.” We had our work cut out for us, but we’d make it work. With the kind of discipline between us, we would make things move at a rapid pace.
“My brother is very picky when it comes to business. He obviously has a great deal of respect for you.”
When Brett’s eyes drilled into my face just the way Hunt’s did, I walked around the desk and put space between us. “And I him. He’s a brilliant man.”
“I don’t know about brilliant,” he said with a chuckle. “But he’s got a good head on his shoulders.” He slipped the laptop back into the case and took a seat in the armchair. “And he’s not as arrogant as he could be, I suppose.”
He was cocky sometimes, but only in good ways.
“My brother is exceptionally fond of you. Never has anything but nice things to say about you. Since he doesn’t say much at all, it’s a pretty big deal.”
It seemed like he was trying to fish something out of me. “I consider us to be good friends.”
“I bet that would be different if Thorn weren’t around.”
My heart froze.
“He’s never said anything to me, but I’m his older brother. I can read him better than he realizes. He’d be ticked at me if he knew I said anything to you, but since he’s always ticked at me, doesn’t make much of a difference.” He rested his fingers against the side of his head, smiling.
“He’s been nothing but professional toward me.” When Hunt said his brother was onto us, I didn’t realize how serious he was. Maybe he did know, and he was just trying to get a confession out of one of us. “Men and women can just be friends. I see it all the time. A man like Hunt has his pick of any woman he wants. A workaholic like me isn’t exactly desirable.”
“I highly doubt that.” He still wore his endearing smile. “I knew there was something more there at the racetrack—and at the shoot.”
What happened at those two places? We’d been distant with each other in the public eye. Hunt had come to my room a few times, but no one ever caught us. “Why?”
“Watching you drive like that nearly gave him a heart attack. He wouldn’t feel that way for just anyone.”
I still didn’t understand the significance. “Why?”
“Because that’s how our mom died.”
My heart stopped beating, and sorrow like I’d never know seeped into my veins. I’d lost my fathe
r tragically, and he lost his mother in a terrifying way. I knew his mother had passed away, but I had no idea how.
“Some kids were speed racing on a deserted road, ran a stop sign, and killed her on impact.”
God, Hunt.
“I could tell he was genuinely afraid for you. I’d never seen him like that. You’re obviously very special to him—whether he’ll tell you that or not.”
8
Hunt
My PI walked inside right before lunch. Tom Hutch was one of the best detectives in the city. He could dig up info that happened before technology was even around. You could ask about something that occurred in the sixties, and he would track it down.
He placed the manila folder on my desk. “Got everything you asked for.”
Sitting on my desk was everything about Titan’s boyfriend—the one who died. I’d asked Tom for every piece of evidence surrounding that case. I wanted to know everything about their relationship prior to that event. Was there talk of marriage? What happened after he died? Had Titan not had a boyfriend ever since?
“I found a lot more than I expected. There’s a few other police reports you’ll find interesting.”
Police reports?
“I think this case wasn’t solved correctly. They never caught the killer—but I think it’s obvious who did it.”
I stared at the folder. Heartbeats passed, and all I did was blink.
“Do you need anything else, sir?”
I finally came back to attention, looking at the man sitting across from me. “That’ll be all, Tom. Thank you.”
“My office will bill you.” He walked out, leaving me alone in my office.
Everything I wanted to know was sitting right in front of me. I could understand Titan better, understand the woman who was slowly becoming my obsession. I wasn’t just fascinated by the powerful woman I was fucking. I wanted to know the other woman that I met briefly but never got to know.
I wanted to know Tatum.
Thorn warned me not to ask her about it. Said he would kill me if I did. The threat didn’t bother me, but the passion behind it affected me. He’d turned protective like a watchdog, defending the woman he intended to spend his life with.
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