Buttons and Grace

by Penelope Sky

  * * *

  I finished three meetings, had lunch, and now I sorted through my emails and filtered out the rest of my week. Work never rested, and unfortunately, I didn’t either. There was a club get-together this Saturday, and I’d have to make sure I swung by. After a few drinks, I’d end up on the dance floor. And when I spent the night on the dance floor, I always had a good time.

  Jessica rapped her knuckles against the glass door before she stepped into my office. “Titan, I have Diesel Hunt’s assistant on the phone.”

  I knew Diesel Hunt, not by face, but reputation. He was one of the many billionaires in this city, though definitely the youngest. At the age of thirty-five, he possessed more wealth than most people could even grasp. He was ruthless, cold, and determined.

  I respected him.

  Jessica continued when she knew I was listening. “He wants to schedule a meeting.”

  I’d never met Diesel Hunt, and our businesses had nothing in common. Whatever he wanted was a mystery to me. “What is it regarding?”

  “She didn’t say.”

  “Then you need to ask, Jessica. When you present information to me, I want all the facts then and there.”

  “Of course, Titan. You got it.” She pulled the glass door shut and walked away.

  I had four assistants, all of them handling different zones. One focused on my schedule, one focused on my transportation, another handling my personal agenda, and the remaining floated in between.

  Jessica came back five minutes later. “She said Diesel Hunt wants to discuss a business opportunity with you.”

  Without knowing the sound of his voice, I could feel his arrogance. Did I look like someone who needed a business opportunity? There weren’t enough hours in the day for me to manage my own empire. To expand with someone else didn’t suit my financial interests. Like a lone wolf, I did everything alone. “Tell him no.”

  “No?” she asked.

  “Yes. Tell him I’m not interested.”

  “Uh…” She held the door open in her palm, her silver bracelet clanking slightly against the silver cylinder that stretched from top to bottom and acted as the door handle. My office was modern and open, glass walls that divided employees from one another, giving them silence for phone calls but not much privacy. “You want me to say that to Diesel Hunt?”

  I swallowed my annoyance at her uncertainty. Diesel Hunt had a powerful reputation that stretched to every single person in the city, and perhaps, the country. He was a man with a strong fascination for cars and women, like all other rich men. No wasn’t a word he heard very often.

  Too bad.

  “Yes, tell him I’m not interested.”

  After two heartbeats passed, she walked out.

  * * *

  I let myself inside and stepped into the spacious penthouse that overlooked the river. The tinted windows didn’t hide the breathtaking view of the sun disappearing from world’s eyesight. “It’s me.”

  Thorn sat on the couch in the living room, his back facing me. He held up his glass to greet me. “I’ve got your drink right here—with an orange peel and a cherry.” He shook the glass, the ice swirling inside with the dark whiskey.

  “And you have my attention.” I took the seat beside him and crossed my legs. I snatched the glass out of his hand and took a deep drink, downing it like water instead of whiskey.

  In a navy blue suit with a matching tie, Thorn sat with his leg crossed. His ankle rested on the opposite knee, and his crisp suit lacked a single wrinkle. Pressed by professionals, his clothes exuded distinct power. He brought the glass to his lips and downed it. When he was finished, he licked his lips. “I don’t understand your fascination with Old Fashioneds. Too strong and too sweet at the same time.”

  “Really?” I took another sip. “Not strong enough if you ask me.”

  “I would have made you a double, but I wasn’t sure if you drove the Bugatti.”

  “Nope. My driver dropped me off.”

  “In that case, I’ll make the next one a triple.” He rested his arm across the back of the couch, taking up twice the amount of space he needed.

  I slipped off my heels and ran my fingers through my hair, no longer required to put up the front I constantly wore to the rest of the world. Thorn had seen me at my best and my worst. Secrets didn’t leave our hideaway. “Got something for me?”

  “You know me.” With a chiseled jawline and pretty eyes, he looked at me with a slight smile, like he had something fun to share. “Bruce Carol’s new company is rumored to be a big mistake.”

  “Really?” I kept my fingers around the glass, my nails tapping against the condensation. “I’ve heard otherwise.”

  “He’s putting all the PR out there to disguise it as a success. But I’ve seen the books.”

  “How?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t kiss and tell. You know that.”

  I did—all too well. “Is it terminal?”

  “Definitely. I give it six months.”

  “Really?” I pulled my knees toward my body and pivoted myself to look at him.

  “Really.” Now he wore his boyish smile, looking like a childhood friend rather than a grown business associate. “He invested more than he should, and his other businesses aren’t doing so hot. It’s only a matter of time.”

  “You know I’m not interested in buying other businesses and reinventing them.”

  “But this is a money grab,” he said. “Meet with him in private and find the right price. You could take this before it hits the market.”

  My eyes narrowed as my interest was piqued. Money wasn’t the most important thing to me. Getting a great deal was. Like a sickness, it consumed me. If this really was a great business opportunity, I wanted it.

  I wanted them all.

  “It’s ironic.” I took another drink until the glass was empty. I returned it to the coffee table, feeling the warmth burn my throat and stomach on its way down. The second a strong drink was sitting inside me, I could think even more clearly than usual. “Diesel Hunt contacted my office today. Wants to discuss a business opportunity.”

  “Really?” Thorn cocked his head, his eyes narrowing. “He doesn’t do business with anyone.”

  “I’m aware.”

  “And that can only mean he wants to buy something from you.”

  “That’s what I concluded as well.” Thorn and I were of one mind. It explained our deep connection, our bond that extended beyond our business relationship.

  “When are you meeting him?”

  “I’m not.”

  He held his glass close to his chest, his eyes focused on me with devout attention. “You aren’t? What does that mean.”

  “I said no.”

  All seriousness died away, and he was left with a grin that would soon turn into a laugh. “You said no?”

  I gave a slight nod.

  “To Diesel Hunt.”

  I nodded again.

  He finally let the laugh escape his chest. “Man, he didn’t like that one bit. The word no isn’t in his vocabulary.”

  “Now it is. Looks like he learned something.”

  He laughed again before he took a drink. “I doubt that will be the end of him. When he wants something, he gets it.”

  “Well, when I want something, I get it too.”

  “Maybe he’s met his match. Are you still the keynote speaker this Friday?”

  “Yep.” I ran my fingers through my hair again, feeling the softness stretch down to my shoulders.

  “He might be there.”

  “Men like Hunt don’t attend business conferences. I’m only speaking as a favor.”

  “He might if he knows you’re there.”

  “Well, I’ll keep him on my radar. Not sure what he looks like.”

  “How do you not know what he looks like?” Thorn asked incredulously.

  “Because I’ve been too busy running an empire to care about the appearance of my competitors.”

  He rested his a
rm over the back of the couch, holding his now empty glass. “Well, as busy as he is, I’m sure he’s taken the extra five seconds to care about yours.”

  Hunt

  Natalie walked into my office in sky-high heels. I didn’t have a dress code for my building, but I asked my assistants to always wear black. The color suited the gray walls of the floor, as well as my office. “Sir, Titan’s assistant said she wasn’t interested.”

  Not interested?

  What kind of answer was that?

  I felt the muscles of my jaw clench automatically. My palm automatically rubbed across my chin to suppress its appearance. My five o’clock shadow was already coming in, darkening my face even though I’d shaved that morning. My annoyance didn’t come from an inflated ego, just surprise.

  No one ever said no to me.

  “Put me through directly.”

  Natalie nodded in understanding before she left my office.

  I stared at my phone as I waited for it to ring. I was in the middle of writing an email, but now it was forgotten. My cell phone lit up with a text message from Pine, but that was immediately filtered into a different compartment in my brain, where all things unimportant were stored.

  The phone rang.

  I picked it up and heard Natalie over the line. “I have Diesel Hunt for Ms. Titan.” Her feminine voice contained a slight hint of urgency.

  Titan’s assistant faltered, and her lack of confidence suggested she was new. “I’m sorry, did he have an appointment…?”

  “I don’t need an appointment.” My phone screen filled up with ten different emails as my life carried on. I’d stopped my world to make this phone call, and I didn’t appreciate being told to wait.

  Titan’s assistant paused again. “Uh…one moment, please.”

  Natalie got off the line.

  I sat there for a full minute.

  A long-ass minute.

  No one had ever made me wait this long for anything.

  Ms. Titan was playing with fire right now.

  Titan’s assistant came back to the phone, and I was disappointed when I heard her voice. “What is this regarding?”

  Is this a joke? “I’d like to speak to her about the business opportunity I mentioned.”

  “She needs you to be more specific.”

  I ground my teeth together. “Once she’s on the line, I’ll be as specific as she likes.”

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Hunt. Ms. Titan isn’t interested in unsolicited proposals at this time. She appreciates the call and wishes you the best.”

  Unsolicited proposals?

  What the fuck?

  “Put her through—”

  “Have a good day, sir.” She hung up.

  She hung up on me.

  Me.

  * * *

  When the waitress set our drinks down, her skirt lifted right up, exposing her panties so I could see.

  It was definitely on purpose.

  But I didn’t look. It didn’t impress me when a woman put everything on display to get my attention. Subtle was sexy. Overwhelming nakedness was not. I wanted a woman to want me, not throw herself at me without an ounce of class.

  Pine’s eyes followed her as she walked away, leaving us in our booth in the club. The lights were low and the music was high. Women and couples danced on the floor, and people downed their drinks like water. Two women sat on either side of Pine, and his arms were draped over their shoulders. Mike was in the same situation. “What’s your problem?”

  My eyes turned to Pine. “I don’t have a problem.”

  “A beautiful woman just showed you her ass, and you didn’t even look.”

  “I’ve seen lots of beautiful asses.”

  “And you look awfully lonely over there by yourself.” He pulled his arm away from the blonde and positioned her toward me. “There you go. That’s better.”

  My arm was resting over the back of the couch, but I didn’t lean into her. I didn’t need Pine to get me a girl, and I certainly didn’t want a girl he’d already claimed. Leftovers weren’t sexy. “I tried talking to Tatum Titan today. Couldn’t get her on the phone for two seconds.”

  “Tatum Titan?” he asked, knowing exactly who that was. “Really?”

  I nodded. “My assistant tried to schedule a meeting with her twice. She said she wasn’t interested.”

  “Is she stupid?”

  “So I called her myself…still didn’t get her attention.”

  Pine whistled under his breath. “Damn…that must have ticked you off.”

  I gave him a glare.

  “And I was right.”

  “I don’t understand this woman. She’s got a failing business, and I want to buy it from her. If she weren’t so stubborn, she could actually hear my offer.”

  “Sounds like she doesn’t want an offer.”

  She should want any offer she could get from me. I drank my glass and scanned the club, seeing the beautiful women in their tight dresses and heels. I could go home with someone tonight, or I could not. Didn’t make much of a difference to me. When you had too much of one thing, it turned bland and stale. It’d been a long time since my senses came to life. It was the same routine every single day. I was living in the fast lane, but I was going at such a breakneck speed it actually felt slow.

  “What are you going to do now?”

  “Why would I do anything?” I felt the blonde scoot closer to me and rest her hand on my chest. I didn’t push her off, but I didn’t pull her closer either.

  “Because I know you, Hunt. You don’t stop until you get what you want. And the fact that this woman refuses to give it to you…just makes you want it more.”

  All I felt for that woman was pure annoyance. I didn’t even care about her company that much. I just saw a quick buck and decided to make it. I assumed anyone would be happy to rid themselves of a failing business. Her cold and indifferent response surprised me because I’d never experienced it before. But now I wanted her company even more…just to prove to her she shouldn’t have rejected me so easily.

  “She’s speaking at the Business Coalition Conference on Friday.”

  “She is?” I already was planning on attending.

  “Yep. And I hope she wears a skirt because she’s fiiiiine. Got the nicest legs I’ve ever seen.”

  Couldn’t care less about her legs.

  “And her ass…damn.” Pine continued on even though he already had a girl to take home.

  Beautiful or not, it was irrelevant. All I wanted from her was an acquisition. “When did you see her?”

  “She had a meeting with my father about a year ago. I was in the office when she walked by. My dad said she’s the smartest person he’s ever met…and that’s saying something because he says everyone’s an idiot—me included.”

  I stared across the club but didn’t focus on anything in particular.

  “She’s the richest woman in the world—pretty impressive.”

  Richest woman in the world?

  “She’s number eleven on the Forbes list. Just a few spots lower than you.”

  I hadn’t known anything about her personally up until that point, just her name here and there. My interest grew when I thought I could capitalize on her existing product. Deep inside, I knew I was impressed, but I did my best not to show it.

  “So I guess I’m not surprised by the way she brushed you off. She probably has an ego.”

  I’d be surprised if she didn’t.

  “How about you—”

  “Did you see the Yankee game last night?” I was done talking about Titan. She’d occupied my thoughts enough for the day.

  * * *

  My driver pulled up to the hotel and opened the door for me.

  The second I stepped out, people snapped pictures of me on their phones. A reporter leaned in with a tape recorder right in my face. “What’s next for Hunt Auto?”

  I’d been doing this my whole life, so I took the attention in stride. I didn’t outright smile, but I wore a welco
ming expression. I held up my hand in the form of a wave and kept walking, brushing them off without looking like an asshole while doing it.

  I walked inside and buttoned the front of my suit. Eyes were on me immediately, recognizing me in an instant. Most of the people there were aspiring entrepreneurs, along with a couple veterans. I shook hands with a few men then moved on.

  The keynote speech was taking place in the ballroom, and I slipped in just as they made her introduction.

  “As the principal owner of one of the largest beauty and cosmetic companies in the world, Tatum Titan is the richest woman in the world with a net worth of forty-four billion dollars. She started her first company at the age of fifteen and has increased her presence in the capital sphere ever since. A powerful force in business, she’s invested her interests into foreign markets, as well as clean energy here in the United States. Her company, Illuminance, is the first energy company to create solar energy panels exterior to buildings, allowing homes to skip the solar-panel roofs for an exterior pod. Her company’s research has also made solar energy more affordable than traditional sources. Help me welcome Ms. Titan to the stage.” The man clapped before he walked away from the podium, giving her the entire stage.

  The audience clapped along enthusiastically.

  My eyes searched the bottom of the stairs until I found her. In five-inch stilettos, she ascended the stairs without grabbing on to the rail for balance. Her calf muscles tightened with her movements, her toned and slender legs long and luscious. The pencil skirt she wore fit her waistline perfectly, accentuating the feminine curves of her body.

  When she reached the top, she walked to the podium and rested her hands on the surface. Her posture was perfect, her shoulders back and her head held high. She didn’t look down once, her eyes on the crowd in front of her—fearless.

  She wore a deep navy top that was tucked in to her skirt. All the buttons were fastened, and the shirt stretched across the swell of her breasts. Her skin was tanned, kissed by the sun. For someone who spent most of her time working, she obviously spent time outdoors. A curtain of dark strands, her long hair was curled and shiny. Light makeup was on her face, just enough to accentuate her features but not overwhelm them.