Boss Romance

by Victoria Quinn

  After reading the hostility in the room, I hadn’t expected Thorn to say that. His emotions were compacted so tightly that they were difficult to read. I mistook his tension for anger.

  Titan released the breath she was holding, the happiness immediately flooding into her eyes. I could see the wetness start to form, her eyes reflecting the lights from the chandeliers. “You do?”

  Thorn nodded. “I miss you.”

  The tears welled up even more. “I miss you too.” She left my embrace and moved into his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tightly.

  His large arms wrapped around her waist, and he squeezed her as he buried his face in her neck.

  Instead of feeling jealous, all I felt was relief. I’d always thought Thorn would come to his senses and forgive Titan, but as his silence had lingered, that faith had slowly waned. But now that he was finally here with Titan, I knew the worst was over.

  Now she was happy.

  The embrace was longer than the others I’d seen. It seemed like Thorn needed it as much as Titan. These two friends had been there for each other through everything. Now everyone witnessed their reunion, and that would only make our story better.

  Thorn was the first one to pull away, but he didn’t have emotion in his face the way she did. He kept his features stoic, indifferent. He pulled his hand from her waist and placed both hands in his pockets.

  I stared at them, trying to fade into the background so I could give them their space.

  “Can we talk later?” Thorn asked quietly so no one could overhear them.

  “Yeah. Come over.”

  “Alright.” He turned to me next, still wearing the same expression. He stuck out his hand.

  I shook it. “It’s great to have you back.”

  He nodded. “It’s great to be back.”

  After dinner, my father took the stage and gave his speech. Despite his greed for money and power, he did have philanthropic causes. I didn’t know about most of them, but he’d been working on them for the last decade. He had been a lot quieter about his charitable donations—until now.

  I think that had something to do with me.

  Once dessert was finished, everyone returned to drinking and socializing. I was counting down the minutes until we could finally leave. Public appearances weren’t as interesting anymore when there was only one place I wanted to be.

  My father’s immense figure parted the crowd as he came toward us. In a black tuxedo with slicked-back hair, he was the man of the hour. At his side was a woman Titan’s age, a beauty with olive-toned skin and wearing a dark blue gown. She was a brunette, and she barely reached my father’s shoulder even in her sky-high heels.

  He reached for Titan first and shook her hand. “You look beautiful tonight, Titan.”

  “Thank you, Vincent,” she said with a smile.

  My father turned to me next. “Nice to see you, Diesel.” He didn’t extend his hand to me, forgoing the gesture and stepping back. He still hadn’t tried to shake my hand, probably because he knew it was too soon for me to take it. “This is Alessia.” He pronounced her name exotically, emphasizing the accent like he had a lot of practice saying her name. He didn’t introduce her as anything else, such as a friend or girlfriend. He didn’t touch her either, letting her stand beside him without an ounce of affection. “Alessia, this is my son, Diesel.”

  Alessia smiled before she took my hand. “It’s nice to meet you. Your father talks about you a lot.”

  I didn’t know what to say to that, so I nodded. “Nice to meet you too. You have a beautiful name.”

  “Thank you.” She shook Titan’s hand next. “I’m a fan of everything you do, Ms. Titan. You’re an inspiration to all female entrepreneurs.”

  “Thank you,” Titan said. “That’s nice of you to say.”

  Alessia returned to my father’s side, standing close to his shoulder. She had pronounced cheekbones, plump lips, lustrous eye makeup. She was exceptionally thin, looking like someone who counted her calories down to the last apple slice.

  “What do you do?” Titan asked.

  “She’s a model,” Vincent answered. “We met at a Milan fashion show a few months ago.”

  Alessia rubbed her hand up his arm. “We were introduced by a mutual friend. He’s a gentleman, a lot more interesting than men my age.” When she looked at my father, there was genuine affection in her eyes. She seemed to like him for him, not the billions in his bank account.

  I’d seen my father with various women over the last decade. They were all half his age and beautiful. It didn’t bother me to see him with someone else besides my mother. It was obvious they were just distractions, women to keep him occupied during his lonely nights. He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would get remarried, and based on the confessions he had made about my mother, he never wanted to.

  But he kept his distance from Alessia, as if his being with a woman might offend me. “I saw you and Thorn talking.” His eyes shifted back to Titan.

  Titan lit up at the mention of him. “Yeah. We made up.” She didn’t say anything more than that with Alessia present.

  “That’s good to hear,” my father said. “No reason why the two of you still can’t be friends.”

  My arm circled Titan’s waist, my hand gripping her opposite hip. She held herself perfectly straight, her shoulders back. I never slouched, but she made me even more aware of my own posture.

  “Enjoy your night.” My father dismissed us before he turned away, Alessia moving with him like a small fish following an enormous shark.

  “You too,” Titan said.

  My father walked away, joining a group of brokers from Wall Street.

  Titan turned to me, her fingers immediately moving to the bottom of my tie. “I’m ready to go home.”

  “Me too.”

  “Then let’s get out of here.”

  10

  Titan

  We returned to my penthouse, and the second we were away from prying eyes, I slipped off my heels and tossed them across the room. I wore uncomfortable heels all day, every day, and I didn’t want to wear them a second longer than I had to.

  Diesel came up behind me. “Why don’t you ever wear flats?”

  “I don’t like them.”

  He peeled off his jacket and draped it over the back of the couch. “I’m sure you’d be more comfortable, though.”

  “I don’t care about comfort.” Image was far more important. None of my skirts or dresses would look nearly as good if I weren’t wearing a gorgeous pair of shoes. They showed off my calf muscles, made me a little taller, and gave me an extra jolt of attitude.

  Diesel untied his tie and placed it on top of the jacket. He came to me next, his handsome face so gorgeous that I wanted to feel the chiseled lines of his jaw with my fingertips. “I had fun tonight—because I was with you.”

  “Me too.”

  His hands gripped my waist tightly, his thumb pressing over my ribs. “I’m glad things are okay with Thorn. I thought about it every day. I talked to him about it on multiple occasions. I’m glad he had a change of heart.”

  As if a slab of stone had been lifted from my chest, I could finally breathe easy again. Thorn was a constant in my life, and without him, I didn’t know who I was anymore. He knew me when I was nothing, and he never changed his opinion of me even when I became something. He had always been genuinely happy for all of my successes. If anyone ever tried to tear me down, he had my back. He was family to me, the only person I had in the entire world. “You have no idea how much better I feel…”

  At that same moment, the elevator beeped as it ascended to my floor.

  It was Thorn.

  Diesel released a quiet sigh before he pulled his hands away. “I’ll head back to my penthouse for the night. I’m sure you guys have a lot to talk about.”

  “You’re more than welcome to stay, Diesel.” He could stay as long as he wanted. He could stay in my bedroom and watch the game while Thorn
and I talked in the living room. He’d been staying with me for so long it was hard for me to imagine him not being there.

  “I know.” He kissed me on the cheek. “But I’ll give you guys some privacy. I should make sure my condo is still standing anyway. Someone could have robbed the place weeks ago, and I’d have no clue.” He gave me a soft smile before he grabbed his jacket and tie from the couch.

  We walked to the elevator and watched the doors open to reveal Thorn. Dressed in the same suit he’d worn to the gala, he stepped inside with his hands in his pockets. It wasn’t quite the same as it used to be, the comfortable casualness we used to share. It was still tense, like our relationship hadn’t reemerged just yet.

  Diesel gave me another kiss before he stepped into the elevator. “Love you, baby.”

  My eyes met his. “I love you too.” I watched him until the doors were shut and he was hidden from view. The second he was gone, a small weight returned to my chest. The idea of sleeping alone sounded unappealing. I was used to sharing everything with this man. A single night apart sounded like too much.

  Silence stretched between us now that we were alone together. Thorn looked at me like he didn’t know what to say. Not speaking for weeks had put a strain on our relationship that neither one of us could deny.

  “Thanks for coming.” I broke the silence and walked to the door. “Can I get you something?”

  “My usual is fine.” He moved to the couch and took a seat.

  I came back with two glasses, a scotch for him and an Old Fashioned for me.

  He took a long drink before he returned the glass to the table.

  I sat on the other couch and held my glass between my fingers. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Of course,” he said quietly. “Diesel didn’t have to leave.”

  “He wanted to give us some privacy.”

  He stared down at his glass before he took another sip.

  After another serving of silence, I started the conversation. “What made you change your mind? Was it the interview?”

  “It was part of it.” He stared across the room toward the entryway, not making direct eye contact with me. “When I saw that interview, I was still mad. I was mad that the whole thing had happened. I still haven’t spoken to my mom about it…don’t know what to say to her.”

  I’d put a wedge between Thorn and his family, and that made me feel terrible. “I think you should just tell her the truth, Thorn. I can do it for you if you want. It would explain everything a lot more than the different versions she’s seen on TV.”

  “Maybe,” he said. “But I think it would hurt my parents to know I lied to them about something so big…”

  “It’s better than all the lies they’re hearing now.”

  He bowed his head and gave a slight nod. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  “We can do it together. I don’t mind. I don’t want your parents to hate me. I love your parents.”

  “They could never hate you, Titan,” he whispered. “They love you too.”

  His words swept over me, bringing a powerful sense of relief. I’d always considered them to be extended family. Losing them was just as hard as losing Thorn. Liv had always been like a mother to me. “Should we talk to them, then?”

  “Yeah, I think so. I’ll have to do it soon so they’ll stop calling.”

  “How about tomorrow?” I asked.

  He stared at the other side of the room as he considered it. “Yeah, that sounds good. They’ve been in town ever since we broke up publicly.”

  “Alright.” I took a drink before I set the glass aside. “So, what changed your mind, if it wasn’t that interview?”

  Thorn stared at his hands as he rubbed them together. “Actually, it was Vincent Hunt.”

  That was the very last thing I expected him to say. I thought it could have been a dream, something Diesel said, or just his own misery. I didn’t know Vincent had even spoken to him. “What?”

  “He stopped by my office the other day and told me he regretted not speaking to Diesel for so long. He said he would do anything to get that time back. He’d held on to his pride and stubbornness far longer than he should have. He warned me not to make the same mistakes, not to throw away a friendship with a remarkable person. I guess those words went straight to my heart, made me think about my future without you in it. It made me sad…and that’s when I knew I needed to let this go. Your decision hurt because of the impact it had on my life, but I do understand it. And of course, I forgive you. I should have let it go sooner than this.” He finally turned his expression on me, his eyes remorseful. “I’m glad it’s not too late.”

  “Thorn…it’s never too late.” I left my couch and took the seat right beside him. My arm hooked through his, and I rested my head on his shoulder, the scent of his cologne entering my nose. We had never been overly affectionate, but his touch was so nice. “I’m so glad you’re back. I’ve been so lost without you. I’m happy with Diesel, but your absence left a pain in my stomach that I just couldn’t get rid of.”

  “I was lost too.”

  “I never want to lose you again. This is for life.”

  “I know it is.”

  I lifted my head off his shoulder and looked at him. “I’m sorry it had to be this way. I really didn’t know what else to do.”

  “It’s okay,” he said quietly. “I understand. Diesel is the man you want to spend the rest of your life with. You were put in a difficult position. No matter what choice you made, you lost someone.”

  I was grateful he was being so understanding. “My interview really changed the narrative. I feel like people are sympathetic to both of us now. It didn’t hurt your reputation or mine. I think everything is going to be fine.”

  “I think so too. You did a great job with that.”

  Because I didn’t have any other choice. I had to get it right to save my friendship with Thorn.

  “So…Diesel is the one?” He looked down at me with his blue eyes, no judgment present.

  I nodded. “Yes…he is.”

  “You’re going to marry him?”

  We hadn’t talked about it, but I knew it was coming. “Yes.”

  “And you’re sure he didn’t betray you?”

  Even without any proof, I’d never been more certain of anything in my life. “Yes.”

  Thorn stared at me a few seconds longer before he turned away. “Then that’s enough for me. If you believe him, then I believe him too.”

  “Thank you. Vincent, Diesel, and I have been talking about it. We think it’s Bruce Carol. Vincent offered to help us get the information out of him.”

  “So, Vincent and Diesel are on good terms now?”

  “Well…they’re getting there.” I hadn’t told Thorn any of this because we hadn’t been speaking. “Vincent has been trying to make things right with Diesel. It’s taken a while because of their history, but I know it’ll happen eventually. It’s hard for Diesel to trust him, and I can’t say that I blame him.”

  “Neither can I.” Thorn reached for my hand and held it. “I know we aren’t going to be husband and wife. But that doesn’t mean we can’t spend our lives together.”

  “You’re right.”

  He gave me a soft smile, his eyes full of emotions he never showed anyone else. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” He rose from the couch and straightened his tie.

  “Sure…unless you wanna hang out for a bit.”

  “You don’t want to go after Diesel?”

  “No. I can always do that later.”

  His smile widened. “Then I’d love to.”

  It was our first time spending the night apart, and after lying in bed and staring at the ceiling for an hour, I realized I wasn’t going to get any sleep. I didn’t want Diesel just because of the sex.

  I wanted him for him.

  I wanted to sleep on that hard chest and feel it rise and fall. I wanted to feel the warmth from his large body as it filled the sheets. I wanted those stron
g arms to wrap around me while I slept, protecting me against everything in the cruel world.

  I didn’t want to sleep in this bed alone.

  I finally got out of bed and pulled on a change of clothes before I walked downstairs. My driver was ready to go in ten minutes, so he took me down a few blocks until I was outside Diesel’s building. The streets were fairly quiet for a Saturday night, so it was unlikely anyone would see me. My hair was pulled back and I didn’t have any makeup on, but I knew Diesel didn’t care. Whether I looked my best or my worst, he still saw me exactly the same way.

  I hit the code in the elevator and rode it to the top floor. The doors opened to his living room, where only a few lights were on. He must have gone to bed. I took off my shoes and left my jacket by the door before I walked down the hallway.

  His bedroom door was open, and all the lights were lit. He lay there, the sheets bunched around his waist. His hard chest was chiseled, even when he was asleep.

  I took off all my clothes except my panties and crawled into bed beside him.

  My weight shifted the bed, and it caused his eyes to open. He looked at me, and after a second, he recognized my face. A smile stretched on his lips, and those powerful arms wrapped around me the way I liked. “You couldn’t make it one night?” he asked in his deep voice, heavy with testosterone and arrogance.

  “I guess not.”

  He smiled and pulled me into his side. “Me neither.”

  I sat beside Thorn in the restaurant, my legs crossed and my back perfectly straight. I hoped my photograph wouldn’t be taken right now, especially when I would be joining Thorn and his parents. Hopefully, observers would see the situation for what it was—that I was still close to Thorn.

  My nerves didn’t usually get out of control like this. I was always calm and steady no matter the circumstances. But now my stomach couldn’t settle, and I had the urge to jiggle my knee. I was about to tell my former almost in-laws that all of this had been a lie.

  How could they possibly take that well?