I stepped out of the elevator and greeted my assistants. I had a few messages along with some mail. I took everything and glanced at Titan’s office.
The door was open.
I set my paperwork on my desk then walked across the floor to her office. My heart was beating hard in my chest as the adrenaline coursed through my veins. This woman got my heart pumping like no one else. I suspected she would always have this effect on me, even if she came to work with her son on her arm. She could have a family with Thorn, and I would still desire her the same way.
I tapped my knuckles against the open door.
She was sitting at her desk with perfect posture, her slender fingertips hitting the keyboard at a quick speed. During working hours, she hustled to get things done. There were only so many hours in a day, and she spent her time wisely. She wore a tight black dress with a silver necklace around her throat. Her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, showing her beautiful face and the prominent cheekbones that led to smoky eyes. She could hit the runway with a group of models and fit right in.
She looked up when she realized I was at the door. But her look was void of any kind of reaction. She must have suspected it was me, that we couldn’t avoid each other forever. I’d stayed away for a few days so we both could recover from the painful conversation we’d had.
Although neither one of us would ever really recover from it.
“Hello, Mr. Hunt.” She spoke to me like I was some business associate that she could barely remember. She had to force herself to remember my name because it was too insignificant to commit to memory.
Like a sore muscle that wouldn’t heal, the title was a dull pain. I was used to her calling me by my first name, the name that no one else ever addressed me as. She had a right that no one else had ever attained. It was personal, intimate, because that was how our relationship had been. “Call me Hunt.” If I asked her to call me Diesel, she wouldn’t do it. But the Mr. part was just annoying.
She gave a slight nod but no other reaction. “Something you need?”
My eyes were locked on her face, her red-painted lips. The last time I kissed that mouth, she tasted like salty watermelon. Kissing her felt like the most natural thing in the world. It brought silence to a chaotic world, it brought peace into my constantly shifting mind. I took a seat in one of the armchairs facing her desk and rested my ankle on the opposite knee. “I’ve been thinking about the image of the company lately.” I didn’t need to explain exactly what that meant. She’d been scrutinized over her past relationship with Jeremy, and I was being fried for my family problems. We were both taking a lot of heat. “We need to do something to rectify it, some good publicity. I just took a look at the stocks—”
“I saw them too.”
“We need to do something. I’ve been getting a lot of attention, but it’s not necessarily good attention. Even though my father was an ass, people still condemn me for turning my back on him. We should make an appearance together. It doesn’t have to be a personal one, but something that shows strength and unity. People will respond to that.”
“I think you might be right.”
“There’s the annual Business Expo in Cannes, France next week. We should make a presentation there. We’ll both be able to get out of the country, and people will start to forget about us since we’re focused on work. We can talk about Stratosphere and the improvements we have in store. We can unveil all our new products, and the world will be talking about that—instead of us.”
She nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. I love Cannes anyway.”
“As do I.” It was a beautiful city with great views of the French Riviera. The water was so blue, so deep. It reminded me of the Virgin Islands. “I’ll make the arrangements. In the meantime, we need to work on the presentation. I can have a team put something together, but I’m sure you like the hands-on approach.”
“I do.”
“Then let me know a time that works best for you.”
“I can do it on my own, Hunt.” She was avoiding me at all costs, doing everything she could to stay away from me.
There was no way out of this. “Titan.”
Her eyes remained focused on mine. She hid her unease, her trepidation. When I stared at her like that, she usually yielded to me. But now that our romance was over, she wouldn’t bend again. She wouldn’t submit the way she used to.
“We’re partners. That’s never going to change. This company is going to be exceptional because we’re exceptional. We have to work together. We do everything together—not separately. I can be professional if you give me that same respect.”
This time, she couldn’t control her reaction. The hardness of her eyes melted away. My words brought her relief but also sadness. “That’s fair.”
“Let me know what time works best for you.” I rose from the chair and buttoned the front of my suit. I knew her desire for me didn’t change. When she kissed me, all those feelings were still there. She wanted to grip my broad shoulders and ride me slowly on the couch, like we’d done dozens of times before. I wanted to take her on her desk right then and there, her dress pulled up to her waist and her panties pushed to the side.
But I kept walking, knowing she was staring at my ass the second I turned around.
Her quiet voice sounded from behind me. “I will.”
* * *
Music.
Dim lights.
Alcohol.
Women.
Silhouettes.
I was back in time. I was in a prime booth in one of the hottest nightclubs in Manhattan. There was a line out the door and around the block, but I walked inside without even having to give my name. Pine and Mike were doing shots off women’s bodies, having the time of their lives.
I was the center of all of it, but my mind was somewhere else. A blonde took the seat beside me, rubbed my thigh with her long fingertips, and did her best to flirt with me. Her touch wasn’t arousing. Titan was forward, but she was never desperate. She was classy in everything she did, even when it came to sex.
Pine pulled up a woman’s dress and revealed her tight stomach. He did a shot then licked the salt right off her body.
She threw her arms up. “Woo!”
He pulled her into his lap and stuck his tongue down her throat, her panties still on display for everyone to see.
I looked away, my thoughts returning to Titan even though they never left.
The blonde at my side took advantage of the way I turned my head and kissed me on the mouth. Just like Pine did, she went for the kill right away. She gave her tongue and desperately tried to take mine.
I didn’t feel a damn thing.
Just repulsed.
I turned my face away, rejecting her without sparing her feelings. “I have to go.” I pulled out my wallet and threw some cash on the table to cover all the drinks we’d ordered. Then I moved through the crowd of dark bodies and made it back to the entrance. The cool night air hit me and cleansed me of the muggy smell of alcohol and perfume. It was a beautiful night in Manhattan, but I didn’t enjoy it. I just wanted to have a quiet dinner with one woman, make love, and then go to sleep.
But that was too much to ask for.
“Hunt, what the hell?” Pine came up from behind me.
I was surprised he’d noticed I left. “What’s up?” I turned to him with my hands in my pockets. My Bullet was parked right along the curb, and I was eager to get it on the road. People were crowding next to it so they could get a closer look.
“What’s up?” he asked. “You just take off without saying goodbye?”
“I have business to take care of. And you looked occupied.”
“She can wait.” He waved her off like she was standing right there. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
I didn’t talk about my feelings with my crew. As far as I was concerned, none of us had feelings. “I’m fine, man. Go back inside and enjoy your night.”
“You haven’t been the same in a lo
ng time. And now this stuff with your dad…you seem low.”
“I am low.” I never told him about Titan because she asked me not to. I still kept her secret even though nothing was forcing me to do it. I signed an NDA, but I wasn’t scared of the legal ramifications.
“Let’s get a drink at my place,” he said. “We can talk about it.”
I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to think. I didn’t want anything. I clapped him on the shoulder, touched by the offer. “I appreciate that, man. But I’m really okay. Go back inside and do some more shots.”
Pine continued to eye me.
The blonde from inside walked out and spotted me. Her eyes were heavy, and she was obviously drunk. Maybe she needed to be wasted to have the courage to kiss me. She had tasted like booze. She wobbled as she walked up to me. “Hunt…”
I grabbed her by the arm so she wouldn’t topple over. “I’m gonna take her home. You go inside, Pine.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
“Absolutely.” I moved my arm around her waist and guided her to my car.
“Oh my god! The Bullet…”
“Yeah.” I opened the passenger door. “Just don’t puke in it, alright?”
“Okay…”
Once she was buckled in, I took her to her apartment then headed back to my place. I spent my evening with a bottle of scotch and my thoughts for company.
6
Titan
I was sitting in the conference room waiting for Hunt when Thorn texted me.
Thought you’d want to know. He attached a link to the message.
The headline popped up before I clicked on it. Diesel Hunt’s Night on the Town. It opened to a short article with pictures. I didn’t need to read the words to deduce what the story was about. There was a picture of him kissing a blonde in a booth. He was photographed with the same woman as they got into his Bullet.
I felt like someone stabbed me.
The image was burned into my brain, and now I couldn’t shake it off. So much nausea overcame me that I nearly threw up on the table. I closed the article because I couldn’t look at it anymore. I didn’t want to think about his lips on anyone. I didn’t want to think about what they did when they got back to his place.
I felt stupid for ever thinking he might be telling the truth.
He was back to fucking every woman in Manhattan.
I didn’t matter to him. He never loved me. He only used me.
I didn’t notice him walk in behind me because my thoughts had been glued to those images. My first instinct was to storm off and leave, to throw my tablet at his head and tell him to fuck off. But he was free to do whatever he wanted. We weren’t together anymore. Now we were just business partners, and I had to be professional with him even if I despised him.
“Morning.” He moved to the seat across from me and set his things on the surface of the table.
I had to swallow my rage. I had to control my temper. I had to keep calm. If I let my fury rise, he would win. He would know he hurt me. Indifference was my only defense.
When I didn’t say it back, he met my gaze.
It took all my strength to say it back. “Morning.”
He opened his folder and placed his phone on the table. “She kissed me, and I turned away. That photo is misleading.”
My eyebrows jumped up my forehead, and my heart squeezed all the blood back into my veins. My blood pressure dropped, and I felt weak for several seconds, caught off guard by his intuition. How did he know I knew about it? How did he know I was upset? Did he figure it out just by looking at me? Was he able to read all my masks?
“I took her home because I was leaving and she was drunk off her ass. She could barely walk. I drove her to her apartment then went home. Nothing happened.”
All I felt was relief when I shouldn’t feel anything at all. But I was also plagued with suspicion. He could be feeding me lines right that second. The picture was pretty incriminating. But I also understood how the media could turn everything upside down. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I know you’re devastated.”
I tried to harden my expression, but it was already at full capacity. I couldn’t appear more indifferent, more cold, if I tried. My shield was up, but it did nothing to deflect his intimate blows. “I couldn’t care less, Hunt.” I sounded convincing to my ears, but that might not be enough.
“Really?” he asked. “Because I’d be devastated if I saw you kiss someone.”
Now I was right back to where I was in the beginning. I was touched by his words, touched by his jealousy. I had been heartbroken when I looked at that picture. We were no longer together, but the idea of him just touching someone made me sick to my stomach. I was still possessive of him even when he wasn’t mine. “I have no reason to believe you.”
“Why would I lie?” He stared me down with his brooding gaze. “If I fucked someone, I would tell you. If I’m really lying about everything, then you should be scared. Because I would have a serious personality disorder.”
I didn’t have an argument against that because he was right. He would have to be a psychopath to act like one person then completely flip on me. Even now, it was hard to believe he would do those things to me. Evidence was staring at me right in the face, and I still wanted to believe him. “Why do you care what I think?”
He leaned back in his chair, his crisp suit fitting that muscular body perfectly. His hair was starting to come in again on his chin, and his brown eyes looked warm on this cool afternoon. He was so gorgeous it hurt sometimes. It made me want to forget everything that happened and jump into his bed right then and there. “Because I’m still loyal to you, Titan. I don’t want you to think I’m fucking someone else when the only person I want to fuck is you.”
* * *
The elevator door opened, and Thorn walked inside with a bag of takeout. “Thought you might be hungry.”
“I have no appetite.”
“And that’s exactly why I’m here.” He set the bag on the dining table and pulled out two chicken dinners from the French restaurant just down the street. “I know you haven’t been eating…at least, more than usual.”
I was too sick to eat anything. I was too heartbroken to feel a different sensation besides pain. The only craving I had was for strong whiskey with a hint of orange and cherry.
“Sit, Titan.”
I joined him at the table with my Old Fashioned.
He swapped that out with two glasses of water. “I’m cutting you off.”
“I’m not drunk, Thorn.”
“Are you kidding me?” he asked. “You’re always drunk. You just hide it better than everyone else.” He grabbed his fork and dug in. “By the way, I’m not leaving until you eat all of that.” He’d ditched his suit and tie for dark jeans and a t-shirt. His ripped arms filled out the material perfectly. With light blond hair and bright eyes, he was a pretty man. Our children would be beautiful.
But my children with Hunt would have been gorgeous.
Fighting Thorn would be a losing battle, and I knew he was right. I needed to eat. I wasn’t getting enough calories, and I was malnourished. Being weak wouldn’t do me any favors. I picked up the fork and ate.
We enjoyed the companionable silence together.
“How are you?” he finally asked.
“I’m okay. Hunt and I are going to Cannes in a few days…for a business conference.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You want me to come along?”
“No.” I had to deal with Hunt every day. There was no way to avoid it. “What’s new with you?”
“My mom has been worried about you. When that story hit the papers…she was really upset. She asked if she should call you or send you flowers. I told her to leave you alone for a while.”
“She’s so sweet…”
“She doesn’t think less of you. I think she likes you even more, Titan.”
; “She’ll be a great mother-in-law. I’m very lucky.”
Thorn stopped eating to look at me. “Does that mean you want to marry me again?”
I nodded. “If you’ll have me. I understand if your answer has changed.”
“Of course, it hasn’t. I just wasn’t sure how you felt about it.”
“No. I shouldn’t have changed my mind to begin with. It was stupid to ever think marrying Hunt was a good idea. I haven’t even known him that long…it’s only been a few months. It was naïve of me to think he was the right person.”
“You’re being hard on yourself. I liked him too…once upon a time.”
“I still jumped the gun.”
“You fell in love, Titan. It happens to the best of us. Don’t beat yourself up over it.”
I stared at my food. “You’re so good to me.”
“You know I always have your back, Titan. You can’t count on anyone else in the world, but you can always count on me.”
And that was exactly why I was marrying him. I was never afraid of a betrayal from him, of a lie. He was like family to me, someone I could count on no matter what. My relationship with Hunt never compared to that. “I know…”
Thorn eyed me for a moment before he turned his attention back to his food. “I know that picture of Hunt must have hurt you… You can talk about it if you want.”
“He told me he turned away when that woman kissed him…the picture was misleading. And then he took her home afterward. Nothing happened.”
“And you believe him?”
“I…I don’t know.” I dropped my fork and covered my face with my hands. “When he says these things, I want to believe him. A part of me actually does believe him. I think he didn’t sell me out to reporters…that he really didn’t read those papers his PI got him. Now I think he didn’t hook up with some blonde in a club. Is that stupid?”
Thorn stared at me, not giving an answer.
I dragged my hands down my face then set them on the table. “It is stupid, isn’t it?”
Boss Woman: Boss #4 Page 4