Buttons and Grace

by Penelope Sky

  From Diesel Hunt.

  * * *

  Ms. Titan,

  I’m taking you to lunch in fifteen minutes.

  See you then.

  A.

  * * *

  What the hell was going on? Why did Diesel think he had the privilege to walk into my office whenever he felt like it? Our last conversation had a ring of finality to it, telling me we would never see each other on purpose again.

  So what was he doing?

  I glanced through the glass doors of my office and saw a tall figure in a dark suit. I recognized those broad shoulders because I’d gripped them several times. My nails remembered his tough skin as I’d nearly sliced him until he bled. That dark hair was perfectly styled, and my fingertips went numb at the thought of ruffling it while he pounded into me in bed.

  Jessica’s voice sounded over the intercom a moment later. “Titan, Diesel Hunt is here to see you. He says he has a lunch meeting with you, although I don’t see it on the schedule.”

  Because it wasn’t on the schedule. “Thank you, Jessica.” I didn’t let my irritation escape in my voice. “Send him in.” When I released the button, I realized how hard I’d been pressing it down. My joint actually ached.

  Hunt let himself inside, infecting my space with compelling masculinity like it was his own office. One hand placed inside his pocket, he walked to my desk with a kingly air. A smile was in his eyes, telling me he knew this would tick me off, but it amused him nonetheless. “Ms. Titan.”

  “Titan, please.”

  He gave a curt nod before he sat down. His long legs stretched out before him, his muscular thighs noticeable through his slacks. Now that I’d seen him naked, I knew exactly why his clothes hugged him in such perfect ways. I understood why his suit stretched across his broad shoulders—because his body was pure perfection.

  He made himself right at home, his powerful persona permeating the air so I was forced to breathe it in. He commanded an entire room with his silence, naturally exuding the kind of strength that ordinary men could never attain.

  I stared him down with my legs crossed underneath my desk. If anyone else pulled this stunt, I’d give him a piece of my mind and rip his balls from between his legs. But Hunt was different. Somehow, he sheathed my anger with his handsomeness. “Can I help you, Hunt?”

  “Where do you want to go for lunch?”

  “I already ate.”

  “Liar.”

  My eyes narrowed at the accusation.

  “What?” he asked with a smile. “I like to call people out on their bullshit.”

  “What a coincidence. So do I.”

  That charming grin stayed put.

  “I’m very busy, so don’t waste any more of my time. What do you want?”

  He cocked his head slightly to the side, the intensity of his gaze never fading away. He looked at me in the exact same way he did when I stood in his elevator. His stare was intrusive, as if he could see me naked even when I was fully clothed. “You.”

  “You can’t have me.” No man ever could. Hunt wouldn’t be any different.

  “I think otherwise. I’d prove it to you if your doors weren’t made of glass.”

  Cocky bastard.

  “Or I will anyway, if you don’t mind.”

  My thighs gave an involuntary squeeze, affected by this man’s arrogance as much as I was by his sexiness. “I’m not interested in a relationship with you, Hunt. And if I’m not mistaken, you don’t seem like a man interested in a relationship with me either.” He preferred to plow different women every night, fucking one while another patiently waited for her turn like a dog. His profound masculinity and his paramount levels of testosterone were both innately desirable to me—but only temporarily.

  “We’re of one mind, Titan,” he said. “But I still want you.”

  “I don’t want you.”

  He grinned wider than before, his arrogance shining in his eyes. “Bullshit.”

  My thighs squeezed together again. “I don’t want to be associated with you, Hunt.”

  “Why not?”

  “I already told you why.”

  “No one has to know. I’m a gentleman that can keep a secret.”

  Keeping a secret was of the least importance. “To be plain, you aren’t what I’m looking for.”

  “Really?” he asked, cocking his head further. “Then what are you looking for?”

  Like I could ever tell him. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It does matter.” His jaw was cleanly shaven, his shadow not visible this early in the day. “Because I can give you exactly what you’re looking for.”

  Unlikely. “I don’t think so.”

  “Try me.”

  Like I could ever let that secret get out. I trusted Hunt not to tell anyone he fucked me, but I didn’t trust him not to tell the world about…my fetishes. “Hunt, I’m only going to say this once. Whatever we had is over.”

  “When you stop squeezing your thighs together, I’ll believe you.”

  How did he know? The desk was between us, so he couldn’t see. Unless he was calling my bluff.

  “I want you, Titan.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “We fuck well together. We fuck like a man and a woman should fuck. I want to keep doing it—and so do you.”

  That was true, with a few kinks. “I think you just hate being told no.”

  “I’m a grown man—not a child. I’ve proven that many times now.”

  “Then you’re just an arrogant asshole who won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”

  He rose to his feet and approached my desk, his height creating a large shadow over the surface even though there was sunlight coming through my window. His large hands pressed against the white wood of my table, calling me to complete attention. “Yes, I’m used to always getting my way. But the only reason why I’m here is because I want you—not because you won’t let me have you.”

  For just a brief second, I wanted to crumble and tell him the truth. I wanted to tell him about every dark secret I had, about the fiery things that consumed me. I wanted to tell him exactly how to touch me, exactly how to fuck me.

  But rational thought set in once more. “I have a busy schedule ahead of me, Hunt. Please show yourself out.” Just like in thousands of meetings I’d had in my lifetime, I kept my voice steady no matter how hostile the client was. I looked him in the eye, my hands resting calmly on the desk.

  Hunt didn’t flinch, his potent masculinity filling the air between us. “Goodbye, Titan.” He finally stepped back, taking his long and muscular arms away from me and my furniture. The tight muscles of his arms could easily shatter my beautiful desk into pieces if he snapped. His brown eyes locked on to mine, full of authority. “For now.”

  * * *

  I walked into the restaurant and found Thorn sitting at our usual table. He was in a dark blue suit and tie, shiny black shoes on his feet. A white gold watch sat on his wrist, the jewelry worth more than the restaurant. He was on his phone, but he quickly slid it into his pocket once he noticed me approach the table.

  He rose to his feet, towering over me by feet, not inches. His arm slid around my waist, and he pressed a kiss to my cheek. “Hey, Old Fashioned.” He pulled out my chair for me and helped me sit down before he took his seat again.

  “Sorry I’m late. Got held up at the office.”

  “No worries. Just gave me more time to drink.” He held up his wineglass, which contained a deep red liquid. He swirled it before he brought it to his lips, returning to his somber mood. Anytime we were in a crowd of people, he had walls erected so high you could barely see the sky. “Wine?”

  “Sure.”

  He poured me a glass before he rested his elbows on the table, his blue eyes on me. “Bruce Carol is doing worse. From what I hear, he’s gonna take this to the public, probably an auction.”

  My body tightened, like it did anytime I heard of an obvious opportunity. “When?”

  “Soon. We’ll have
to make our move.”

  Thorn and I were the kind of business adversaries you didn’t want to mess with. We were only loyal to each other, enemies of anyone else outside our group. Neither one of us had weaknesses, only strengths. Combined together, we were a terrifying powerhouse. “I think we can flip that business pretty easily. With my marketing background with the agency, I know how to put his product on the map.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.” His fingers wrapped around the stem of his glass. “He won’t settle easily, even though he’s desperate. Losing his business to a woman will only get under his skin. It’s a backhanded insult.”

  One of the things I liked about Thorn was his fierce honesty. He didn’t buffer the blow. He didn’t twist reality to make it easier for me to hear. Sexism was a huge obstacle in my universe, and Thorn chose not to pretend it didn’t exist.

  One of the reasons why I loved him. “True.”

  “So, we lowball him, of course. But if he doesn’t bite, we’ll have to offer him something better. I was thinking ten percent royalties.”

  “Ten percent.” I cocked an eyebrow, annoyed Thorn even made the suggestion. “I don’t hand out stakes in my company.”

  “It’s not a stake. It’s short term.”

  “How short?”

  “One year. He may despise you because of your tight skirt, but he can’t ignore your credentials. He knows he’ll make some cash, probably most of what he lost. He won’t turn it down. I think it’s the final weapon in our arsenal.”

  It was a good backup plan since it was temporary. Thorn didn’t even have access to any ownership of my company—for the moment. “Let’s proceed.”

  “Have your staff set up the meeting. I know you can handle this one on your own.”

  Thorn and I were never seen doing business together. Everything was behind the scenes. People speculated on what kind of relationship we had, and their assumptions were never right.

  That was a good thing.

  “I’ll let you know when the meeting is scheduled.”

  “Perfect.”

  When the waiter came over, Thorn ordered for the both of us. He knew I would order a salad—because that was all I ever ordered. He ordered the same thing but added tender strips of steak on top. A basket of bread was dropped on the table, but neither one of us touched it.

  Thorn finished his glass then refilled it. “Who did you take home the other night?”

  He broached the exact topic I wanted to discuss. “Funny story, actually.”

  “I doubt I’ll laugh.”

  People insisted Thorn Cutler was hard and cruel, a ruthless entrepreneur who only cared about money. That wasn’t entirely true. He had a heart he was ashamed to show—after having it broken so many times. “Diesel Hunt.”

  Thorn kept his fingers on the stem of his glass as his eyes narrowed on my face. His eyebrow ridges pressed forward, giving him a slight scowl that interrupted his handsome features. “So he wasn’t interested in your business, after all.”

  “I’m still not sure about that.”

  “How was he?”

  “Like you wouldn’t believe…” I swirled my wine before I took a drink. My deep red lipstick left a perfect stain against the glass. The last place my lips had been was on Hunt’s skin. I remembered how warm and hard his body had felt underneath my fingertips. I wanted to slice him just to feel his strength. “He was so good that I slept with him twice.”

  Thorn’s interest evaporated like hot steam. “Tay, you need to be careful.”

  Very few people called me that. If anyone tried without my permission, they regretted it. “It’s over.”

  “Is it really?”

  “Yes.” Hunt stormed into my office and made me squirm in my chair, but I didn’t let him win. I won the battle, and he left the war.

  “I don’t know much about him other than he’s a manwhore. But aren’t we all?” Thorn’s eyebrows furrowed, but a smile formed on his lips. “I can’t tell what kind of man he is other than that.”

  “He said he was a gentleman, the kind that didn’t kiss and tell.”

  Thorn’s shoulders relaxed. “Good. He’s probably done with you and ready to move on anyway.”

  That had yet to be determined. “Yeah…”

  “Did he ask about me?”

  “Yes.” He questioned me with a touch of jealousy.

  “And what did you say?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Nothing?” he asked, cocking his head.

  “I deflected, told him my personal life was none of his business.”

  “But he thinks we’re an item?”

  After our conversation in the corner of the club, I wasn’t sure where his head was on that topic. We’d gone to his place and fucked like animals. “I’m not sure what he thinks. If he does think we’re together, he doesn’t seem to care too much.”

  “That’s perfect. I never hear anything about him in the media, so he seems like a man who keeps his personal life under wraps. He’s probably fine. Doesn’t seem like a talker.”

  I hardly knew Hunt, but I felt like I’d known him for a long time. I could speak to his character without knowing any details. I could speak of his loyalty without ever experiencing it. I could speak of his commitment without seeing him pursue anything in his life. “He wouldn’t betray me. He’s a good man.”

  Thorn was about to take a sip his wine, but he steadied himself and looked at me instead. “Titan.” All he said was my name, but he said so much more than that. “A good man?”

  I drank my wine, as poised as ever.

  “I’m starting to think you actually like this guy.”

  “I don’t. I just know he’s different from the others.”

  “Different, huh? Are you going to ask him to be yours?”

  I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. “No. He doesn’t fit the bill.”

  “How so?”

  “He’s too dominant. He would never give me any power over him.” It was one of the reasons my legs could hardly stay together. He had the kind of power I craved, the kind of authority that made me want to obey. Nothing got me hotter than unbridled strength, and the fact that this man had it made me want him even more. But it also made me avoid him like the plague, knowing I could never let him control me.

  Thorn gave a slight nod. “True. He doesn’t seem like the kind of man who would get on his knees.”

  “No.” He definitely wasn’t.

  “At least you had your fun with him. Now you can move on.”

  These lustful feelings would expire, just as they had for others in the past. Right now, he was a heavy fog in my mind. Anytime I wasn’t focusing on a task, I was thinking about him. And when my eyes were closed and I was lying in the dark of my bedroom, my hand had a mind of its own. His deep chocolate eyes looked into mine, pulsing and terrifying. He stripped me naked with just their stare, their power seeping into my veins like a needle releasing its drug. “Yeah…now I can move on.”

  Hunt

  Tatum Titan.

  A real piece of work.

  She was stubborn, ruthless, and a huge pain in my ass.

  I’d fucked a lot of women in this wonderful city, but I’d never fucked anyone the way I fucked Tatum Titan.

  I was pretty sure she hadn’t either.

  She blew me off so easily, removed me from her life like a sweater she didn’t want anymore. I didn’t want to date this woman or become attached to her, but I didn’t want to stop the greatest sex I’d ever had.

  I was the greatest sex she’d ever had too.

  It was a hunch.

  But she blew me off anyway.

  I tried to think of my next move, but I wasn’t sure how to proceed. Every attempt I made was blocked by her ruthlessness. The last time I succeeded, we were in a dark corner and my hard cock was pressed against that aching clit of hers. Making my move at her office, where there were glass doors that allowed the entire world to see what we were doing, probably wasn’t t
he best idea.

  Since she was so secretive about her sex life.

  She wouldn’t even tell me if she was fucking Thorn Cutler.

  Fucking asshole.

  Pine walked right through my office doors, bypassing my assistants because he thought he had the right to come and go whenever he pleased. “You don’t have plans for Saturday, right?”

  “Depends.” I rubbed my fingertips against my jaw, feeling the scruff because I skipped the shave that morning.

  “Now you do. We’re taking your yacht for a ride.”

  “My yacht?” I cocked an eyebrow, always surprised my best friend demanded whatever he wanted. “Do I look like Santa Claus to you?”

  “I’m not asking you to give it to me. And you’re invited.”

  “Lucky me.”

  “I met this girl the other night, and she’s coming along.”

  “I don’t do threesomes.”

  Pine fell into the chair facing my desk, taking up as much space as possible since he made himself at home. “Yes, you do.”

  “Not with dudes.”

  “Anyway, she’s bringing some friends along. Tell me you’re down.”

  Ordinarily, I would jump at the opportunity to spend the day boating in the Atlantic with beautiful women on board. But right now, my eyes were set on one gorgeous brunette who had an ass that wouldn’t quit. “Not interested.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me. What’s your deal?”

  “I just don’t want to go.”

  “Because you’re still obsessed with Tatum Titan?” he asked incredulously. “She doesn’t want to suck your dick. Get over it.”

  On the contrary, I was sure she did. “It’s not about her.”

  “Yes, it is. I’ve been your friend for how many years now? I know when you want to fuck a lady. But in this case, you aren’t gonna get your way.”

  Keeping my secret was a lot harder than I thought it would be.

  “You’re coming.”

  Pine was a like child sometimes. He didn’t stop until he got his way. “Fine.”

  “Great.” As soon as the details had been squared away, he changed the subject to the next thing we liked to talk about—besides women. “Rumor has it Bruce Carol is going under.”