I’d assumed she would mention Stratosphere or something else business-related, not that. “Brett agreed to meet him?”
“No.” She wore a slightly guilty expression. “I kinda ambushed him…”
I appreciated her concern, but she was taking it too far. “Baby, you need to back off. You relayed the message to both Brett and me. Now it’s our turn to decide how we’ll handle things.”
“Both of you refuse to see him.”
“And that’s our decision.”
“Well, it’s the wrong one.”
My eyes narrowed on her face. “Excuse me?”
“You’ve interfered in my relationship with Thorn countless times. Would I have approved of it at the time? No. But I’m glad you did it. It’s the same thing here.”
If she hadn’t thrown that in my face, I would be angry by her actions. But for fear of sounding hypocritical, I didn’t argue. “How did that go?”
“Your father said some powerful things. I think it got to Brett.”
“He’s a master manipulator…”
“But he wasn’t manipulating. He was being genuine. And I think that’s why it affected Brett so much.”
“Why do you think it affected him like that?”
Titan held my gaze, her will strong and unbreakable. Her fingers rested on her glass, but her slender shoulders were still perfectly straight. The harder she became, the more beautiful she appeared. Loving her had taught me what I liked in a woman. She was vastly intelligent, fiercely independent, and insanely strong. She wasn’t some helpless woman who needed a man for anything. The only person she needed was herself. “Because he listened.”
She schooled me at my own game, saying just a few words to get the impact to sink into my veins. I imagined how their conversation went, my father sitting across from Brett in a public restaurant. I hadn’t seen them in the same room since we were younger. It was almost impossible to believe. “Did Brett say anything?”
“He said he needed to think about it.”
I tried to hide my surprise but I couldn’t. Brett had been treated worse than I had. I would have expected him to punch my father in the face then storm out. The fact that he sat there, listened, and then said he would consider everything…left me in disbelief.
“Which brings me to my next point…” She pushed her glass away too, her slender arms stretching across the table. Her nails were candy-apple red, the color complementing her fair skin. She was another suit in a corporate world, but her feminine touches made her stand out. “I want you to speak to your father.”
I tried not to laugh. “Not gonna happen.”
“We can do this one of two ways.” She held up two fingers. “One…” She lowered one digit. “I can arrange for you to meet him without your knowledge, and you can be bombarded when you least expect it.”
I knew it wasn’t a bluff.
“Two…we could sit down together and get through it.” She pulled her hands back toward her body. “How do you want to do this, Diesel?”
I felt like a competing executive across the boardroom. My balls were in her hands, and she knew it. “I’ve never wanted to fuck you more.”
She hesitated slightly, her eyes shifting in response to my bluntness. “Is that a yes?”
I’d rather be aware of the meeting than walk into it blindly. “You aren’t giving me much of a choice.” I pushed the chair back as I rose to my feet. My cock was hard in my sweatpants, and I tugged my bottoms off as my enormous cock revealed itself.
She didn’t take her eyes off me, but she licked her lips.
“I’m gonna fuck you so hard, baby.”
“I’m not seeing the downside to this.”
I shoved everything off the table, making plates and glasses shatter against the hardwood floor. I was pissed, so I didn’t care about respecting her property, and judging by the darkness in her eyes, she didn’t give a damn either. “When you’re sore tomorrow, you’ll think otherwise.”
After I hit the gym, my driver took me to Titan’s penthouse. I was surprised the paparazzi hadn’t photographed me going to her apartment all the time. Since neither one of us left the building after we came home from work, photographers probably didn’t catch anything.
I was getting into the back seat when Brett called me.
I knew what this was about. “Titan told me what happened.”
Brett didn’t change the subject. “She ambushed me, man. I thought we were just getting lunch and…boom.”
“It was pretty sleazy.”
“Sneaky is a better description. We met a few days before that, and I told her I wasn’t interested in reconciling with Vincent. That’s probably why she pulled the stunt.”
“She doesn’t stop until she gets what she wants.”
“I feel bad for you…”
Even if this situation annoyed me, I was still a very lucky man. “You don’t need to feel bad for me, man.” Her determination to bring us all together because she lost her own father was frustrating, but there were worse things. I still loved everything about her, even the things I hated. “What did he say to you?”
“He apologized.”
“That’s surprising.”
“He said a few other things…that he’s disappointed in himself. He let Mom down. He’s ashamed of his behavior…it goes on.”
“And you believe him?”
“I’m not sure. But I can’t see what else he gets out of this. It’s not like I have something he wants.”
“True…”
“We were never close before, so it’s hard for me to imagine having any kind of relationship with him.”
“Then don’t.”
“Yeah…I don’t know.”
The fact that my brother wasn’t outright rejecting the idea was surprising. “I’ll support whatever you decide.”
“I know. Has he spoken to you yet?”
“No, not yet. Titan said it’s coming.”
“Yeah…I’m sure it is.”
The car stopped in front of Titan’s building. “I should get going. We can get a beer tomorrow if you want to talk about it in more detail.”
“No. I want to think about it some more. I’ll call you.”
“Alright.”
“Bye.” He hung up.
I took the elevator to the top floor then walked inside Titan’s penthouse. The smell of dinner was in the air, and there was no evidence there had been a mess on the floor just last night. “What smells so good?”
She was sitting on the couch with her heels lying on the rug. Her eyes were glued to her laptop, obviously still working. But when I stepped into her home, she put her computer aside and greeted me at the door.
With a sexy kiss.
She spoke into my mouth as she kissed me. “Me.”
I smiled against her mouth before I kissed her again. My hand fisted her hair, and I pulled her harder into me, loving the feeling of her plump tits against me through her top. I sucked her bottom lip then gave her my tongue, my cock hardening in my gym shorts. Now I got great sex every morning, every night, and right before bed—with the only woman I’d ever loved.
My hands moved to her tits, and I squeezed them through her blouse. “Missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
I pulled away and rubbed my nose against hers. “I want you naked on the bed when I get out of the shower. On all fours. Ass in the air.”
Her hands snaked up my chest, and she stared at my mouth like she wanted another kiss. “As tempting as that sounds, we have company for dinner.”
My fingers dug into her hip, and I wrapped my hand tighter around her hair so I could grip her more firmly. “Who’s this company?”
The serious expression in her eyes told me the answer.
“I thought you would give me some notice.”
“I just did.”
I tugged on her hair gently, pulling her head back so she looked up at me at a better angle. “An hour?”
“If I’d told you t
his morning, you’d have thought about it all day.”
“And we’re doing this here?” It was our space, our world away from the reality outside the windows.
“Would you rather do it in public?”
Cameras would swarm us the entire time. There would be inaccurate headlines all over the place the next morning. It would stir up a conversation both of us wanted to bury. “No. I just—”
“It’s happening, so it doesn’t matter. He’ll be here in an hour.” She walked away from me, knowing I would release her once she stepped away. She gave me the power to control her, but she knew she could always overpower me whenever she wished.
“You’re making this up to me.”
She kept her back to me as she walked into the kitchen. “I know.”
I refused to let anyone intimidate me—especially a man I hated. In the face of this stressful situation, I could down a few glasses of scotch to soften my nerves, but that would be an admission of discomfort.
I never showed weakness in front of anyone—especially Titan.
I had a strong woman to share my life with. While I admired her wonderful features, her independence as well as her intelligence, I always had to stay ahead of her. I had to be the stronger of the two of us.
I had to deserve her.
So I skipped the scotch.
Titan set the table, placing the salad and entrees onto the hard wood. She knew my father would be there right on the dot, so she was prepared for it.
I watched TV on the couch, pretending it was any other night.
The elevator beeped when my father hit the button.
It was show time.
I turned off the TV and rose to my feet.
Titan walked to the elevator doors and pressed her finger against the button so the elevator would rise. She turned to me next, looking over my expression to see if I was okay.
I walked up to her, staring her down with the same power I always exerted.
“Thank you for doing this.”
I watched her lips move, watched the way her eyes lit up in sincerity.
“I know you’re only doing this for me…and I appreciate it.”
I was wound tight around her finger, paralyzed by her tantalizing kisses. She could get me to do almost anything, and I would obey just to make her happy. She knew she had power over me—but she also knew she was the only person who did. “This is it.” I’d have one dinner with him and listen to whatever he had to say. But once the night was over, that was it. I didn’t want to revisit this conversation again. “Do you understand me?” My hand moved to her neck, and I felt her pulse against my fingertips. Possessiveness was something I would always struggle with when it came to Titan. Even when no one else was in the room, I needed it to be clear that she was mine.
Disappointment flooded into her eyes. They weren’t as vibrant as they were a moment before. Her breathing stopped momentarily, obviously affected by what I said. But she knew she couldn’t push me any further. I accommodated her when I could, but I wouldn’t bend over backward for anyone. “Yes.”
I released her neck the instant the doors opened.
My father stood there in dark jeans and a black t-shirt. He wore a black jacket over his broad shoulders, looking casual but dressy at the same time. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw him dressed in something other than a suit. Not a single memory came to mind. He stepped inside and greeted Titan first. “Titan, it’s always lovely to see you.” He extended his hand.
She took it. “As it is to see you.”
My father remained professional with Titan even when he was in her home. I’d never seen him behave inappropriately toward attractive women, but I still appreciated that he didn’t do anything more than shake her hand. If he had, I wouldn’t have let the affection slide. I wasn’t threatened by him, but I didn’t want him to think he had any special kind of relationship with her. Sometimes I saw Thorn kiss Titan on the cheek, but that was different. Thorn had earned the right.
My father hadn’t.
He turned to me next, appearing just as calm as I was. He was on my turf, stepping into a situation he couldn’t prepare for. But that didn’t change his suavity, the way he held himself with perfect stature. He didn’t extend his hand to shake mine.
Because I wouldn’t take it.
“Thank you for your time, Diesel.” His hands rested in his pockets, just the way they would if he were wearing slacks. One of his fiercest qualities was his ability not to blink. He blinked far less than the average person, allowing him to hold tense eye contact for a long period of time. He did it now, staring at me almost ferociously. He looked at me like he hadn’t seen me in years rather than weeks.
Now that I was face-to-face with him, I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to pretend everything was okay between us because it certainly wasn’t. He may have made an impression on Brett, but I wouldn’t be so easy. I gave a slight nod in greeting before I turned around and walked to the table.
It was strange seeing my father in Titan’s penthouse. This was the place I had dinner with her every night. I had just fucked her on the dinner table last night. It was a secret oasis for both of us, a place where we could hide from the bullshit of the world and just be together. Now one of my biggest enemies was in my holy space.
“Can I get you something to drink, Vincent?” Titan asked as she approached the table.
“I’ll have whatever you’re having.” He moved to the other side of the table and sat down, directly across from me.
I was immediately tense, like he would take a swipe at me even though he’d never laid a hand on me in my entire life.
Titan filled our glasses with red wine before she took a seat beside me.
The silence was so loud it actually hurt my ears.
The food was hot in front of us, and there was a basket of fresh bread on the table, but no one reached for their fork. My father sat across from me, his arms by his sides and his eyes on me. He gave me the same look he always gave me, examining me like I was an object rather than a person. Maintaining eye contact had never been an issue for him. It was probably where I learned it from.
Titan held her glass of wine in front of her, swirling it gently as she watched the two of us. “I know there are two sides to every conversation, but I think Vincent should go first. Is that okay, Diesel?”
All I did was nod. “I don’t have anything to say anyway.” I wasn’t being purposely hostile, but that was the truth. My father knew exactly how I felt about him. He’d threatened me one too many times.
My father flinched slightly, a reaction other than strength. “First of all, I want to apologize.”
It was an apology long overdue.
“You didn’t tolerate the way I treated Brett, and you stood up for that belief. It was difficult to turn against your own father, but it was the right thing to do. You defended someone who couldn’t defend himself…and I’m proud of you for that.”
I didn’t have any expectations for this conversation, but that was something I hadn’t anticipated. I hadn’t imagined he’d feel that way. It seemed like he would always view that final interaction as a betrayal.
“That’s the definition of a man, someone who protects the innocent. And you fit that definition perfectly.”
He’d always been eloquent with words, and it irritated me that he punctured me with his sincerity so quickly. I expected to be bored by this conversation, not to hang on his every word so deeply.
“My relationship with Brett wasn’t how it should have been. It all came down to my own issues, the fact that I was jealous your mother had loved someone else before me. Every time I looked at Brett, I was reminded that she loved another man. If her first husband hadn’t died, would she have loved me? I’m not threatened by anything, but that was something that definitely got under my skin. I could never see straight when it came to your mother. I loved her so much that it made me feel emotions I never felt before. As strange as it is to say, I’ve always b
een jealous of Brett. Every time I saw your mother love him, it felt like she still loved her first husband too. And that always troubled me. After she was gone…it was even more difficult to be around him. He was like a ghost haunting me, knowing your mother spent time with another man when she could have spent that time with me.”
All this time, I had just assumed my father didn’t care for Brett because he wasn’t his biological son. I didn’t realize it came down to jealousy, that he was haunted by the man who came before him. It didn’t change my anger, but at least it made him look like less of an ass.
“It’s not a justification for my behavior,” Vincent said quietly. “But Brett was never the problem. I was.”
I stared at him, still quiet.
Vincent took a drink of his wine before he continued. “We didn’t speak for a long time…ten years.” His chest rose slightly as he took a deep breath. “It may not seem like it, but I thought about you every day. I watched you grow your wealth, watched you start companies and flip others. I watched a younger version of myself dominate corporate America. I may not have said anything to you, but trust me, I was proud.”
I shouldn’t care if my father was proud of me, but I was. I’d always wanted his approval, ever since I was a boy.
“But my pride and my anger stopped me from doing the right thing. I turned my back on two of my sons, and your mother must have grown more disappointed in me every passing day. If I ever see her again, I know I’m going to get slapped so hard I’ll see stars.”
He’d be lucky to only get a slap.
“When you told that story about our relationship to the media…I was livid.” His body tensed, and he grew visibly angry. His shoulders hunched with tightness. His jawline was a little harder because he clenched his teeth. “I was livid that you shared my greatest mistake with the world. I was angry that the world didn’t understand my side of the story. I was hurt that you betrayed me in such a low manner… I lost my temper in a way I never had before.”
I refused to apologize for it. It wasn’t the smartest thing in the world, but if my father hadn’t cast me out for ten years, that never would have happened. Titan was my family, and I had to protect her.
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