Boss Empire

by Victoria Quinn

  “I’m glad you changed your mind. I’m having a great time.”

  “So am I.” I dropped her hand and moved my arm around her waist.

  She suddenly stopped walking and turned to me, our feet digging into the sand. Her eyes reflected the moonlight, and the light from the torches highlighted the small smile on her face. She rose on her tiptoes and kissed me on the mouth.

  My hand immediately dug into her hair, and I felt my possessiveness come forward. This woman felt like my treasure, something only I got to enjoy. The second I’d made love to her, everything changed. My heart opened and pulled her inside. Now she had infected me everywhere, becoming a part of who I was. She made my life worth living, made happiness easy. “Thank you for being patient with me.”

  “Of course.” Her lips brushed against my mouth as she spoke. “I’d do anything for the man I love.”

  I didn’t react because her words didn’t surprise me in the least. I knew she loved me even though she’d never told me. She proved it in every other way, by being patient with me, by writing that article about my character. As much as she wanted me, she went at my pace because that was what I needed. Most women wouldn’t settle for half of my heart, but she loved me so much that she didn’t care. “And I’d do anything for the woman I love.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Titan

  The sunlight stilled peeked from behind the blackout shutters and made its way into the room. I felt the heat on my forehead before my eyes opened. I squinted as I looked at the brightness burning inside the bedroom.

  Diesel’s arm was around my waist as he slept peacefully beside me. His chest rose and fell as the sheets were tucked around him. Six foot three of all muscle, his tight body looked gorgeous in the sunlight.

  I wanted to go back to sleep, but the sun was too bright. My eyes turned to the alarm clock on the nightstand, and I saw that it was almost eleven.

  Damn, what time did we go to sleep last night?

  I sat up in bed and pulled the sheets over my chest. My hair was a mess, so I tamed it the best I could with my fingertips.

  Diesel must have realized I’d moved because his hand reached toward me. “Mrs. Hunt?” He spoke with his baritone voice, his words raspy.

  “Does that mean you’ll never call me baby again?”

  He cleared his throat. “Probably not.” He grabbed my elbow and pulled me back to the bed. “Why would I when I have a much sexier name to call you?” He pressed my back to the sheets then moved on top of me, his morning wood anxious to be inside me.

  My fingers immediately dug into the hair at the back of his neck, and I opened my legs to him, eager for my husband’s thick cock. “True.”

  He rested his body on his elbows, positioning himself between my legs in the laziest way possible. It was too early for anything complicated. He still had sleep in his eyes, and my body wasn’t fully awake yet.

  But I was definitely wet.

  He guided his dick inside me, and he slid in easily. “Always ready for me…”

  “That’s just your come from last night.”

  He moaned in my face. “You’ve got to be pregnant by now.”

  “Maybe…”

  He thrust gently inside me, his ass tightening as he moved. “That would be a great wedding gift.”

  Neither one of us had brushed our teeth, but that didn’t stop me from pulling his mouth to mine and kissing him. Our lips moved together in mutual passion, and once our tongues danced together, I felt my spine shiver. He’d made me climax many times throughout the night, so I knew my mojo had been ground down.

  But I could already feel another.

  “Husband…harder.”

  His hand fisted my hair, and he secured his grip before he thrust into me at a more rigorous pace. The headboard tapped against the wall, and his cock thickened inside me. My slickness completely enveloped him, mixed with all the come he gave me the night before.

  Now he was hitting me in the perfect spot. “Right there…”

  “So tight, Mrs. Hunt.”

  I loved hearing him call me that. Titan was long gone, and now I was a Hunt. I’d be a Hunt for the rest of my life. My nails cut into his skin and slid all the way down his back. Marks were scattered all over his body from the savage way I’d dug into him all night. “Yes…” My head rolled back, and my pussy exploded around his big dick.

  Diesel fucked me hard into the mattress, bringing me to an even deeper climax just as he released inside me at the same time. His seed was so heavy I could feel it fill my channel. After all the orgasms he had yesterday, I didn’t think he’d have anything left to give.

  But he certainly did.

  He groaned in my face as he finished, his cock twitching as it began to soften. “Jesus…” He rubbed his nose against mine before he kissed me. “I know what we’re doing for the rest of the day.”

  My hands ran up his hard chest. “I’d love to…but I’m pretty hungry.”

  “Tatum is hungry?” he asked incredulously. “I’ve never heard that before.”

  “Well, I don’t have to worry about fitting into my wedding dress anymore. And I’m gonna gain a bunch of weight when I’m pregnant anyway, so whatever.”

  He grinned. “Good point. I’ll order room service.”

  “No, let’s go out.”

  He stared at me like I’d said the wrong thing. “Why would we leave the room?”

  “I want to see everyone before they leave. We took off yesterday.”

  “It’s our wedding. We can do whatever we want.”

  “Yes…but we also have the rest of the day…and two weeks of just the two of us. Come on, Diesel.”

  Like a bear, he growled at me.

  I kissed his chest then his neck. “Do it for your wife…”

  “You can’t pull that trick on me.”

  “Yes, I can. It’s one of the perks of being Mrs. Hunt.”

  After a sigh, he rolled off me. “Dammit.”

  I wore a short white dress with a new flower crown in my hair. Everyone was seated at a table on the deck of one of the restaurants. Diesel and I had rented out the entire resort, so there wasn’t anyone else there to bother us.

  “Wow, I didn’t think we’d see you two again.” Thorn walked up to us and shook Diesel’s hand. “And I’ve never seen you in shorts. It’s a good look for you.”

  Diesel had toned legs, so he looked amazing in anything. “Did you guys enjoy your evening?”

  “We had a great time.” He gave me a one-arm hug. “But not as great of a time as you did.”

  “Probably not.” Diesel left my side and hugged his father.

  “So, how’s the baby-making going?” Thorn asked.

  I rolled my eyes. “Hope that question was rhetorical.”

  “You never know,” he said. “Maybe you’re already knocked up.”

  “I don’t think his swimmers are that fast.”

  “I don’t know… You made him wait a week. Droughts do crazy things to men.”

  Autumn came to his side and gave me a hug. “You look just as beautiful as you did yesterday. I love your dress.”

  “Thank you,” I said.

  “Congratulations,” she said. “I’ve been to a lot of weddings, and I can tell you two are genuinely happy together. It’s nice to see.”

  “Thank you.” I knew Diesel and I had something special, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

  “So, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to call you now,” Thorn said. “It’s been Titan since the day we met. And I’m not going to say Mrs. Hunt every time I want your attention.”

  “She has a first name.” Autumn hooked her arm through his.

  Thorn shook his head. “Tatum doesn’t sound right…at least from me.”

  “Hunt?” I asked. “It’s only one syllable. Titan was two.”

  Thorn said the name to himself. “Hunt…Hunt.” He nodded. “That works. Hunt, it is.”

  I moved around the table and greeted every
one else. I hadn’t said more than a few words to Thorn’s parents yesterday, so I chatted with them now. Then I moved to Isa and Pilar and whispered some of the details of what happened last night. Jax gave me a big hug, and Brett kissed me on the cheek. I went from being an only child to having two brothers. I moved around the table farther until I came back to Diesel.

  Diesel was still talking to his father and Scarlet.

  “You looked so beautiful yesterday,” Scarlet said. “And the way Diesel looked at you…I’ll never forget it.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “I’m really glad you could be here.”

  “Me too,” Scarlet said. “I’ve had a great time. Vincent has been so happy since we got here. He’s so relieved his son found the right person. He adores you…he’s told me many times.”

  “He’s definitely a great father-in-law. I got lucky.”

  “He and Diesel are a lot alike… I don’t think they even realize it.”

  Vincent finished speaking to Diesel before he embraced me. He kissed me on the cheek then hugged me to his chest. “Mrs. Hunt, you look beautiful today.” A softness entered his eyes as he looked at me, glancing at the ring on my finger. His wife had worn the same name for so long, and now I was the second one to have it. I knew that was what he was thinking. It was written in his eyes.

  “Thank you.”

  Diesel circled his arm around me again. “She wanted to have breakfast with all of you. I wanted to stay in the room.”

  “Breakfast?” Thorn asked. “It’s eleven thirty.”

  Diesel ignored him. “So, we’re gonna eat then head back to the room.”

  “Wow,” Thorn said. “Diesel really wants a baby.”

  Vincent turned his gaze back on me. “Are you trying to start a family?”

  I’d told Thorn because he was my best friend, but I wasn’t sure if Diesel wanted anyone else to know. “Yeah…we are.”

  Vincent turned his gaze on Diesel, seeking confirmation.

  “It’s true.” Diesel looked down at me affectionately. “We’re working on it.”

  Vincent slid his hands into his pockets, clearly speechless. “I…I’m happy to hear that. Wow, I’m going to be a grandfather.”

  Scarlet rubbed his back. “This has been a really exciting weekend for you, Vincent.”

  “Yeah…it really has.” The affection burned in his eyes again. “I’m excited. I hope everything works out for you.”

  “I’m sure it will,” Diesel said. “And if it takes a while…that’s fine with me too.” He grinned then rubbed his nose against mine, not caring about the PDA he was showing in front of his father.

  But I did care. “Let’s sit down and eat, husband.” I took his hand and pulled him to the table.

  He pulled out the chair for me then leaned over to kiss me on the forehead. “Best nickname ever.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Vincent

  Once the weekend was over, everyone prepared to leave on my private jet while Diesel and Tatum stayed behind to enjoy the rest of their honeymoon. Scarlet had to get back to work, and the office never stopped for me.

  We said our goodbyes at the front of the resort. Tatum and Diesel shared words with everyone else, then came to us last.

  “Thank you for coming,” Tatum said. “It’s been such an amazing weekend. I’m sad it’s over.”

  “We had a great time.” I stared at my son with more pride than I’d ever felt. Anyone could get married, but to marry someone as phenomenal as Tatum was rare. Diesel didn’t settle for anything less than the best, and I respected him for it. I would never have to worry about him, not when he had such an amazing partner. “I’ll never forget it as long as I live.” I embraced Tatum first, holding her close the way a father would hug his daughter. She was a Hunt now, but I’d already loved her like my own. I knew her father wasn’t there to share this magical day, but I could be what she needed. “I love you, sweetheart.”

  She gave me the softest expression I’d ever seen. “I love you too, Vincent.”

  “You’re welcome to call me Dad…if you want.” I patted her back before I stepped away.

  “Alright…I will.”

  I hugged Diesel next. “I love you, son.”

  “Love you too, Dad.” He patted my back.

  “Make me a grandchild.” I kissed his forehead before I stepped away.

  “I’m working on it,” he said with a chuckle. “And I won’t let you down.”

  Scarlet and Tatum exchanged a few words and a long hug.

  Diesel noticed them absorbed in their conversation, so he nodded to the left. “Let’s talk over here…”

  I followed him to the side, my hands resting in my pockets. “Need some honeymoon advice?” I teased.

  “No, it’s actually about Scarlet.”

  “Oh?”

  “She and I talked in the office for a while, and since you guys are serious now…I feel obligated to tell you something.”

  “I’m listening.”

  He glanced at the women to make sure they weren’t listening before he looked at me again. “We talked in her office about her ex-husband. I can’t say what we talked about, but you should ask her about it the next time the moment is right.”

  My heart immediately began to pound. “Son, you’re scaring me.”

  “Nothing to be scared of, necessarily. But there’s something I think you should know. So ask her about it. I know I’d want to know.”

  I sighed, feeling my jaw clench. I knew her ex was a bad person. She’d made that clear. I just hoped that bad meant he was a cheater or a liar…and not something more sinister. Now that I loved this woman, I’d kill anyone who even looked at her wrong. “Thank you for telling me, Diesel.”

  “I got your back, Dad. But be casual about it. Don’t tell her I said anything to you.”

  I nodded. “Alright.”

  He hugged me again. “Call me if you need anything.”

  “I thought I was supposed to say that to you?”

  He shrugged. “It’s funny how things change.”

  Scarlet didn’t sleep over when we returned to New York. We both had work in the morning, and we were exhausted after all the flying after the short weekend. I went to work and listened to people congratulate me on my son’s wedding. Now it was all the media could talk about, the union between two of the richest people in the world.

  Now my son bumped me on the Forbes list.

  He and Tatum were officially the richest people in the world.

  I smiled when I thought about it. Every parent wanted to see their child do better than them. Diesel had achieved the impossible and bypassed me in wealth. I couldn’t be prouder.

  I skipped lunch and focused on work because I had too much to do. The hours flew by, and before I knew it, it was past five. I was too tired to work out, so I just went home and hopped in the shower.

  Now that my mind wasn’t occupied by numbers and reports, I thought about what Diesel had said to me. Scarlet was hiding something from me, and now that we were serious, she needed to tell me.

  I could wait for her to come to me, or I could just ask her about it.

  The gentlemanly thing to do would be to wait.

  But I didn’t want to wait.

  I sat on the couch with a glass of scotch right as she called me.

  I answered. “Hello, sweetheart.” Using her first name seemed strange now. I’d made love to this woman in my bed, had come inside her many times. Addressing her in the way everyone else did didn’t seem fitting.

  “Hey.” She wasn’t her cheerful self. The single greeting highlighted all of her sadness. “I’m sorry to be so presumptuous, but could I come over? I’m standing in your lobby, and the security guard is staring me down.”

  I walked to the elevator and hit the button. “Of course. You’re always welcome.” We hung up, and then she rose in the elevator to my floor. She stepped out in jeans and a black blouse, looking as beautiful as always but with sadness painted across her expre
ssion.

  She moved into me, rose on her tiptoes, and kissed me.

  My arms circled her waist, and I kissed her back, loving the curves of her body. She was a petite woman, perfect to fit inside my powerful arms. I squeezed the fabric of her blouse tightly with my large hands, scrunching it as I enjoyed her soft mouth.

  I could kiss her forever.

  She pulled away first, her eyes heavier than usual.

  “Tell me.” My hand cupped her cheek, and my fingertips rested on her neck.

  “The owner of the magazine saw that I was at Diesel’s wedding. She knows we’re serious, and she’s asked me to do some immoral reporting. She wants me to write an explicit narrative about what it’s like being in a relationship with you. And she wants me to dig into Diesel’s relationship with Tatum, especially since Thorn gave her away at the wedding. I told her it was a conflict of interest…she didn’t care. So she gave me an ultimatum. I write the articles or I lose my job. So, I quit.”

  I slowly lowered my hand to her shoulder, hit with the weight of her sorrow. Scarlet had run that magazine for quite some time, and she did an outstanding job. To be harassed into doing something she didn’t want to do was completely unprofessional. She loved being the editor of Platform, but she walked away from it…for me.

  She was loyal to me.

  “Sweetheart, I’m so sorry…”

  She bowed her head. “I really loved working there. I dedicated so much of my life to that magazine. I worked late nights without being paid for it, and I went above and beyond. To be reduced to someone that is so easily replaceable…is insulting. I feel like I have more value than being able to report about the Hunts. It’s just work, and I shouldn’t take it so personally…but I do.” She stepped into my chest and rested her face against my body.

  I enveloped her in my arms, protecting her against the pain the only way I knew how. “It’ll be alright.”

  “I have money in my savings and a few investments, so I’ll be fine until I can find something else. But, honestly, I don’t want to go somewhere else. I believed in that magazine. She made a mistake letting me go.”

  “Yes, she did.”