She smiled. “I like the sound of that.”
I pushed the papers away then rose to my feet. There was only one thing to do after a conversation like that. I wanted to erase the painful thoughts and the aches in our chest. I wanted to do something that reminded both of us of the connection between our souls. I wanted to feel her love and shower her with mine.
I lifted her onto the dining table and yanked her skirt up to her waist. Her panties were peeled off and dropped on the floor. I pushed my slacks and boxers down so my dick could be free, and I shoved my massive size inside her with a single thrust.
She moaned and dug her fingers into my arms at the exact same time. “God…”
I laid her back against the cherry wood and adjusted her hips perfectly against me. Her stilettos were still on her feet, so I pressed them against my chest, bending her knees underneath me. Instead of fucking her slow and steady, I fucked her hard. I gave it to her good and deep, ramming her with my entire length. Her tightness slowly decreased as she got used to me, but her moans became louder and louder.
She broke her thighs apart and pulled me on top of her, making my face float above hers. She looked into my eyes as she screamed and moaned for me, getting off to a monster cock inside her. “Diesel…” Her fingers ran up my collared shirt, her nails sharp enough to give me deep pressure. “I want you for all my life.”
When her moments of vulnerability came out, I truly felt like a man. Not only did I conquer an unconquerable woman, but I made her trust me. I made her fall so deeply for me that she didn’t hide a single emotion. She wasn’t scared I would hurt her. She trusted me with her heart, trusted me with everything.
That was worth more than the billions sitting in my bank account. It was worth more than my penthouse, my private jet, and my collection of luxury cars. Having the love of Tatum Titan gave me more wealth than all of that put together.
And the love of Tatum Hunt would be even better.
Tatum had the same bedtime routine every night. She did it with perfect precision, going through the motions the exact same way every time. She put on different face masks to take care of her skin, and she applied a heavy lotion around her face to keep it hydrated and radiant.
Instead of it being a turn-off, I thought she looked beautiful.
Not too many women could look as beautiful without makeup as they could with it.
The best part was when she opened my drawer and pulled out one of my t-shirts. She did it every single night, picking whatever one was on top and sliding it over her petite body. My shirt was at least three sizes too big for her, so it reached her knees.
That was when she looked the most beautiful.
She walked to her nightstand and set her alarm on her phone.
I was already in bed, my hand behind my head as I watched her.
She turned off the lamp and got into bed beside me. The second her body hit the sheets, she was on my side of the bed, her leg hooked around mine and her arm wrapped around my waist. “Diesel?”
“Yes, baby?” My fingers moved through her hair slowly, touching the soft strands I loved to caress.
“I have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow.”
My fingers halted when I heard what she said. At her last checkup, the doctor said she was completely healed and ready to return to ordinary life. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah. I was going to get my IUD removed.” She propped herself on her elbow and looked down at me. “They say it usually takes a few months for my body to be able to conceive, so I thought I would do it now. But it’s possible I can get pregnant immediately.”
All the stress left my body when I heard what she said.
“Do you still want to do this? Or do you want to wait a while?”
That was what I was looking forward to the most for the honeymoon, knocking her up. “I’m sure, baby. I’m going to have so much fun getting you pregnant. And you’re gonna look damn sexy pregnant.”
She chuckled. “I don’t know about the second part.”
“I do.” My hand moved over her belly on top of the t-shirt. “Little Hunt.”
She moved her hand over mine. “Then, you are sure?”
“Yes. Are you?”
She nodded. “I’ve been looking forward to being a mom for a long time now. I was so close with my father, and I want to have that relationship again, just with me as the parent. And I don’t have anyone in the world I’m actually related to…but now I will.”
“What do you want first? Boy or girl?”
“I don’t care. As long as they’re healthy.”
“I hope we have one of each. Never had a sister, so I kinda have always wanted a girl. But I also want to have a son.”
“We can keep trying until we get one of each.”
I smiled. “Sounds fun to me.”
She rose on her knees and peeled her panties off. “Want to start practicing now?”
My grin widened because it was always sexy to see Tatum want me. “Yes. I need as much practice as I can get.”
Chapter Seven
Vincent
The elevator doors opened to Tatum’s penthouse, and I stepped inside to see Diesel sitting on the couch while Tatum set the table.
“Hey, Dad.” Diesel met me in the doorway and gave me a hug.
I hugged him back, grateful I got to have these moments with him. It seemed so casual on the surface, but deep down inside, I lived for these embraces. I lived for the moments when he called me Dad. “Hey, son. How are you?”
“Good. Can I take your coat?”
“Sure.” I peeled it off and handed it to him.
He placed it on the coatrack. “We’re having wine with dinner. Is that okay, or do you want something else?”
“That’s perfect.”
“Dinner is ready.” Tatum had the table set with three plates, a bottle of wine, and a fresh basket of bread. Three white candles burned in the center along with a vase of pink roses. She walked up to me and hugged me, a smile on her face that would make anyone melt. “Thanks for coming. We’re so glad to have you.”
Tatum was such a gift to Diesel that it hurt to know Isabella would never have the chance to meet her. She would never know that her son met a woman who would always take care of him. She loved him enough to put his best interests before her own. It was because of her that I had a relationship with Diesel. I could never thank her enough for that. “I’m very happy to be here.”
Diesel poured the wine then took a seat beside Tatum.
“How was your weekend?” I asked as I sat across from him.
“Good,” Diesel answered. “Tatum and Autumn killed it. By the end of the day, the company had more preorders than they can even fulfill. Now Tatum and Autumn are trying to figure out how to manage it.”
“And it’ll also be Thorn’s problem when I’m gone for two weeks,” Titan said as she cut into her food.
“It’s nice that Thorn is helping you so much,” I answered. “He’s a good man. I like him.”
“I like him too,” Diesel said. “And when he needs to step away from his business, we’ll be there to cover for him.”
“That sounds fair.” I took a few bites of my food and ignored the basket of bread on the table. “Tatum, this is delicious. Where did you learn to cook?”
“YouTube,” she said with a chuckle.
“Whatever works.” I asked them about the wedding plans and if there was anything I could do to help, but since it was such a small wedding, it didn’t seem like there was much to do anyway.
Tatum talked about her wedding dress for a bit before she changed the subject. “So, what did you want to discuss, Vincent?” Judging by the smile on her face, she knew exactly what I wanted to share with them. I hadn’t said much to Diesel about Scarlet, but I’d poured out my heart to Tatum.
Diesel was a grown man who always thought rationally, but the idea of my being with someone else besides his mother must bother him. Alessia and the others were meaningless flings
. Anyone who paid attention deduced that. But I’d never been with a woman I actually cared about…until now. “I’ve been seeing Scarlet Blackwood for about a month now, and it’s gotten serious.” I sipped my wine before I turned to Diesel. “I know this is difficult, but I hope I have your support.”
Diesel smirked and held back a laugh. “Dad, come on. I want you to be happy. I’m thirty-five years old. I understand how the real world works. Mom would want you to move on and be happy.”
Hearing my son’s approval meant a lot to me. If he rejected my relationship with Scarlet, I would probably stop seeing her. My sons were everything to me. They were gifts Isabella gave to me, and I wouldn’t squander them. “Thanks…I appreciate it.”
“So, she’s the editor of Platform?” Diesel asked.
So Titan did mention her. “Yes. She loves her job. Frankly, she’s good at it.” I saw the way she worked with her employees. They respected her direction and did whatever they could to earn her approval. She handled multiple tasks so fluidly. Only someone with high intelligence could do that with such obvious grace.
“What’s she like?” Diesel asked.
I would have brought her to dinner, but I thought it would be too soon. “She’s very smart. Very pretty. For someone working in fashion, she’s very laid-back. She’s funny…makes me laugh. I like how easygoing she is. When I talk to her, it’s not difficult. I’m a man of few words, but that doesn’t seem to bother her. She accepts me for how I am. I told her how much I still love my wife, and she doesn’t have a problem with it. She’s very understanding.”
“She sounds great,” Diesel said. “Maybe we can meet her soon.”
“You’d want to?” I asked in surprise.
“Absolutely,” Tatum said. “You can bring her to the wedding as a plus-one.”
That option wasn’t even on the table. “That wouldn’t be appropriate. I’d rather go by myself.” I couldn’t go to my son’s wedding with someone other than Isabella. I was happy for my son and it was a day to celebrate, but without his mother there, it was also a sad moment for me. She wasn’t there to enjoy a day she’d have given anything to experience.
“Dad, it’s really okay,” Diesel said. “I don’t mind if you bring your girlfriend.”
I guessed Scarlet was my girlfriend. It was weird to think about. “I know, but I’d rather go by myself.”
Tatum dropped her smile, and Diesel didn’t press the argument any longer. It was awkward for a while, and I knew that was my fault.
“We should get together sometime after the wedding,” Titan said. “Maybe the four of us could have dinner.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I said noncommittally.
“Is Jax happy for you?” Diesel asked.
“I haven’t told him yet. I will sometime this week.”
“Well, I’m sure he’ll be fine with it,” Diesel said. “Does Scarlet have children?”
“One daughter,” I answered. “She’s in nursing school right now.”
“Have you met her?” Tatum asked.
“No,” I answered. “We’re still in the beginning of our relationship.”
“Was she ever married?” Diesel asked.
“Yes,” I said. “She’s been divorced for about ten years now. Never remarried. From the way she talks about it, sounds like the guy was an ass. But she’s never told me more, even though I’ve asked a few times.” I wanted to know exactly what happened between them, but it was really none of my business. She didn’t ask a bunch of questions about Isabella.
“She got it right this time, though,” Tatum said with a smile. “Judging by that article she wrote…”
“Yeah, Dad,” Diesel said. “She’s got it bad.”
I tried not to smile at the way they teased me. The fact that it was true only made me feel good. She was twelve years younger than me, beautiful and smart, but she seemed to only want me. She was patient with me in a way no one else would ever be, so that must mean something. “She does put up with a lot…”
“She’s a keeper,” Tatum said. “You want a partner who’s understanding. You want a partner who wants you so much, they’ll settle for only half your heart. That’s exactly what you need, Vincent. And she needs a man to protect her.”
“She’s not the kind of woman who’s looking for protection.” She could handle herself perfectly fine. She held herself with grace and walked down the sidewalk like she owned it. She was smart and calculating, conquering the fashion world easily.
“All women want a man who can protect them…even if they say they don’t.” Her hand moved to Diesel’s forearm on the table.
The only time I saw Tatum show vulnerability was when it came to my son. The rest of the time, she was as cold as an ice cube. “She used to be a model in her younger years. When she turned thirty, she retired because she was forced to. She was told to get plastic surgery, but she refused. So then she started working at the magazine and moved up to her position.”
“Too old?” Titan asked incredulously. “Plastic surgery? Forget that. That’s ridiculous.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” I said. “Scarlet is a very beautiful woman. I wouldn’t change anything about her.” She had a beautiful body, flawless skin, and the wrinkles on her face were hardly noticeable. “She’s one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen.”
Tatum smiled. “Now I’m even more excited to meet her.”
“Me too,” Diesel said.
I understood just how lucky I was. They were doing everything they could to make this transition easy for me. It didn’t seem to be an act. They truly wanted me to have someone in my life, even Diesel. He must know how much I loved his mother and how much I wished she were still here, so it wasn’t a betrayal of her memory.
She’d want me to fall in love again.
I hadn’t seen Scarlet in a few days, so I called her after my workout. I usually used my own personal gym so people wouldn’t stare at me and take pictures on their phones. I wasn’t a celebrity, but judging by the actions of the people who recognized me, I felt like one.
I got out of the shower with a towel wrapped around my waist. The phone rang in my ear several times before she answered.
“Vincent, how are you?” Unsuppressed happiness was in her voice. I could hear it loud and clear. Her smile was probably wide, and it formed the instant she saw my name on the screen.
“Good.” She was the easiest person to talk to, but since she was so easy, it was simple not to say anything at all. That was how comfortable I was. I pulled out a pair of boxers from my drawer then tossed them on the bed. “You?”
“Well. But I’m better now that I’m talking to you.”
I smiled when she flirted with me. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
“I’d love to. How about I cook dinner at my place?”
A home-cooked meal sounded wonderful. “That sounds great.”
“I’ll text you my address. Be here in forty-five minutes.”
“See you then.”
I put on dark jeans and an olive green t-shirt with a black leather jacket. My driver took me to her place on the other side of town. She lived in a nice building in a good area, still a wealthy district most people couldn’t afford. It wasn’t anything like my penthouse, but it was certainly lovely.
I took the elevator to her floor then knocked.
“It’s open.”
I stepped inside to the smell of Italian cuisine and Jeopardy on TV.
Her apartment was small but cozy. It was decorated with classy style, blue couches with a white coffee table. Pictures were everywhere, and there was a pink rug on the hardwood floor. I spotted a picture hanging on the wall, and a young brunette was in the image.
I recognized her daughter.
Photos of her were everywhere, the obvious joy in her life.
Scarlet came out of the kitchen in a gray sweater that hung off one shoulder. It showed her tanned skin and a few freckles that sprinkled the surface. Her straight hair was pulled over on
e shoulder, and she had on black leggings that fit her sculpted legs. Her casual attire somehow made me feel more at ease.
But also made me more attracted to her.
I could make out the curve of her body even better. I saw the enormous dip in the small of her back, the slenderness in her neck. Her legs were even longer than I realized. She was barefoot, and even the sight of that was erotic to me.
Not getting laid in months was starting to get to me.
“You look handsome.” Her eyes roamed over my body, taking in my wide chest and powerful shoulders. She had to rise on her tiptoes to bring her face level to mine, and even then, she fell short. She went right for a kiss, giving me a quick peck on the lips.
My hands immediately gripped her hips, and I squeezed. “Thank you. You look beautiful—as always.”
She smiled as she flattened her feet. “Always such a gentleman.” She pushed my leather jacket off my shoulders. “I can take this.”
I peeled it off and let her take it.
She hung it on the coatrack. “I know you’re a picky eater, so I tried to make something good without carbs…which is nearly impossible.”
I chuckled. “You’re right.”
“So, I made chicken Marsala with a salad. Boring, but good.”
“I’m sure anything you make will be fantastic.”
She smiled. “You always say the right thing.” She took my hand in hers and guided me to her kitchen table, which was part of her living room. In New York City, this was a killer apartment despite its size. It still must cost a small fortune to live there, especially with the nice plaster on the walls, perfectly conditioned hardwood floors, and the brand-new appliances. “Wine?”
“Sure.”
She opened a bottle and poured two glasses before she set the table.
A plate of hot chicken slathered in a thick sauce with mushrooms stared back at me, along with a medium-size salad full of chicken, nuts, fruits, and kale. I grabbed my fork and dug in. “Thank for cooking. This is incredible.”
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