I believed him. He had no reason to lie to me now.
“I loved having Titan as a partner, someone I could trust implicitly. Finding that kind of relationship in the world in which we live is just not possible. I had something rare, something wonderful. Titan had the moral high ground most businessmen lacked. She had to work twice as hard and be twice as smart to survive in this world, but she did it with grace. She’s a role model to me in a lot of ways. I won’t lie, losing her has been hard for me. I feel lonely because she was the one person I could be myself around. She knew everything about me, all the good and the bad…but mostly the bad. And now she’s gone.”
“She doesn’t have to be gone, Thorn. She misses you.”
He shook his head. “It’s over. She betrayed me…and I’ll never get over it.”
“I hope that’s not true.”
“It is,” he said simply. “I don’t hate her. I understand her decision. I want her to be happy…but I can’t go back to what we were.”
“Maybe you just need some time.”
He held my gaze, his blue eyes softening as the sadness took over. “Unlikely.”
* * *
I showered when I got to her penthouse. She wasn’t home yet, having to work late for Illuminance. I’d already placed a pot roast in the slow cooker so she wouldn’t have to worry about making dinner when she got back.
I liked our routine.
She made dinner most of the time, but if she was busy, I took care of it. We shared our space in harmony, splitting dressers and dividing closet space. I used to have an enormous penthouse all to myself, but I hadn’t missed it yet.
When I was out of the shower, I dried my hair with a towel then walked into the bedroom. I reflected on my conversation with Thorn, feeling the annoyance swell inside me. I couldn’t believe how difficult it was to put them back together.
Thorn wasn’t himself.
He’d turned into a different person. The anger and resentment had turned him into a coldhearted man. I already knew he didn’t have affection for most people, and he certainly wasn’t compassionate. But I knew he felt differently about Titan.
He was devastated.
But I wouldn’t give up. Titan needed him in her life, and I knew he needed her too.
I’d figure it out—eventually.
Just when I pulled on my sweatpants, she stepped into the bedroom. She was still in her sky-high heels, wearing her black dress with a white gold necklace. Her satchel was left by the door, and she turned to me with a smile on her face. “Something smells good.”
When I looked at her, I didn’t think about dinner, Thorn, or anything else. All I thought about was her beautiful lips, painted red with her lipstick. I thought about the way her gentle breaths would fill my mouth. That small tongue always drove me wild, whether it was in my mouth, against my cock, or dragged across my chest.
I moved into her and immediately dug my hand into her hair. My mouth sealed over hers, and I kissed her, getting lost in the lustful embrace. My tongue immediately went into her mouth, escalating the passion before she even had a chance to breathe. I hooked my arm around her slender waist, and I dragged her into me, feeling the shape of her breasts through the soft fabric of her dress.
Her arms wound around my neck, and she pulled herself higher on her toes so she could kiss me harder. She matched my intensity instantly, her nails pressing into me with aggression. She knew what she wanted, and she wasn’t afraid to take it—just the way I did.
I guided her to the bed and lowered her back to the mattress. I stood at the foot of the bed and shoved my sweatpants and boxers down until my thick cock popped out. I yanked her panties off, and I shoved her dress around her hips.
I gripped her ass and dragged her to the edge of the bed, positioning her so she could take my cock deep and hard. I shoved myself inside her with a deep thrust, pushing all the way inside until every inch of my cock was sheathed.
She responded with a moan. Her nails dug into my forearms, and she gasped as if she’d never felt me like this before.
My hands gripped the back of her thighs, and I pinned her perfectly underneath me, her legs spread and her pussy ready for me. I thrust into her hard, fucking her like I hadn’t just had her that morning before work.
Her fingers locked around my wrists, and she dragged herself back to me, taking in my cock as I gave it to her. “Diesel…”
I stepped closer to her, hitting her deep.
She moaned harder, her head rolling back as she released a quiet scream.
I pumped her with come every morning, every afternoon, and every night. I wanted her to be stuffed at all times, to overflow with my desire.
She moved her hands up my chest, her hair stretched out across the mattress around her. Her green eyes were wild with fire, and her beautiful lips were parted in ecstasy. “I love you…”
That was the biggest turn-on of all. I leaned over her and shoved my hand into her hair, getting a tight grip on her so she couldn’t slip away. I rolled my hips harder so I could pound into her with the same aggression. “I love you too, baby.”
* * *
She sat beside me on the couch, her legs resting over my thighs. She was in my t-shirt and a fresh pair of panties, her hair still messy from the way I’d wrapped it around my fingertips. Dinner was in our bellies, so we enjoyed a glass of wine in front of the TV.
Titan was all over me—all the time.
I loved it.
Her hand rested across my chest, and she placed her chin on my shoulder. It wasn’t comfortable for her to watch TV that way, but she’d rather be on me than anywhere else. “Diesel?”
My hand moved up and down her thigh. “Yeah, baby?”
Her hand glided down my chest toward my torso. Her fingers felt cold against my skin, probably because I always ran a few degrees warmer than her. I could be shirtless and barefoot but still perfectly comfortable. She could be deep under the covers in bed and still shiver. “Did you read my father’s book?”
The question caught me off guard. It was the last thing I expected her to ask. It took me a second to comprehend the situation, to try to understand what would make her ask me that. I had the book in my nightstand. Maybe she opened the drawer one day and discovered it. But she hadn’t been at my place in a while, so this must have happened some time ago. “Most of it.”
Her eyes softened in the special way they only did for me. A slight smile formed on her lips. “Why?”
“I wanted to get to know him—and you.”
“What did you think?”
“I enjoyed it. He was a great poet.”
“Really?” she whispered, her eyes burning with emotion.
“Yeah.” I squeezed her thigh. “I felt like I was reading an autobiography of his life.”
“I organized the poems that way…putting them in order.”
I remembered one poem in particular. It was the last one I read. It was too emotional for me to continue. “My favorite was ‘Remember Me.’”
The touched expression on her face died away as the tears welled in her eyes.
I knew exactly what it was about as I read it. He was diagnosed with cancer and knew he didn’t have much time to accept it. He expressed all his fears. He was afraid to die and face what was next, but he was more afraid of what would happen to his daughter when he was gone. He didn’t know who would take care of her. And he didn’t want her to remember the final months of his life, but instead, remember the good times they had. “I could feel how much he loved you.”
Tears broke free, but sobs didn’t accompany them. She wiped her tears with the back of her forearm, quickly bringing herself back to a sense of calm. “He did.”
“He’d be proud of you, you know,” I whispered.
She nodded. “I do.”
I placed my palm against the back of her head and pulled her into me, placing a kiss on her forehead. “How did you know I was reading it?”
“I found it in your nightstand.” She
wrapped her arm around my neck as she held on to me. “I wasn’t snooping…just looking for painkillers.”
“I don’t care if you look through my things. I have nothing to hide.”
“Even if you don’t care, I respect you and trust you too much to do that.”
My body flushed with an underlying sensation of heat. Just as I fantasized about her naked on my bed, I imagined this kind of foundation between us. I loved the way her voice didn’t flinch when she said those words. Like there was no longer a doubt in her mind, she trusted me implicitly. “That means a lot to me.”
“And it means a lot to me that you read his poems.”
“I wish I’d had the chance to meet him. Seemed like an amazing guy.”
“He was,” she said with fondness. “All he wanted was to give me a better life.”
“And I think he succeeded.” I kissed her on the forehead again, nuzzling her with affection. I’d never caressed a woman with my lips like this. I used to see women as sex objects. All I wanted to do was fuck them and forget about them. While I viewed Titan as the sexiest woman in the world, I saw so much more. I saw the woman I wanted to wake up to every morning.
“He did. And you make my life even better.”
3
Titan
Two weeks had come and gone.
No word from Thorn.
It was the longest we’d ever gone not speaking to each other.
The love of my life was back, and my world felt more complete—but there was something missing. Thorn was the only family I had in the world, and it didn’t feel right not sharing my life with him.
I missed him.
I wondered how often he thought about me.
I wondered if he missed me too.
My mind drifted away to the last conversation I had with him in his office. He’d turned to his computer and silently dismissed me, like I meant nothing to him. Just weeks before that, he stopped looking at other women in my presence because he wanted to be committed to our relationship. I thought about those things as I entered the coffee shop and searched the sea of tables.
Brett waved at me from the corner. He wore a smile that reminded me of Diesel’s. Their features weren’t as similar as those Diesel shared with his father, but there was still an obvious likeness.
I reached his table and sat down. He already had a coffee waiting for me.
“You seem like someone who takes your coffee black.”
“I do, actually.”
He tapped his fingers against his temple. “I read people pretty well. So what’s up? Are you interested in my new lines of cars?”
“Yes. But that’s not why I asked you to coffee.”
“Then, why?” he asked. “You want some advice about my brother?”
I was certain Diesel had already told him we were back together, so I didn’t bother explaining it. “No. I have no trouble handling him.”
He grinned. “You’re all woman. That’s why.”
“I actually wanted to talk to you about something else…and you aren’t going to like it.”
“I doubt it,” he said. “The only two things I hate to discuss are war and Vincent Hunt. As long as you steer clear of those two subjects, my mind is wide open.” He sipped his coffee, wearing a leather jacket with an olive t-shirt underneath.
I gave him an awkward smile back. “Well…”
His eyes narrowed as he cocked his head to the side. “What is it, Titan?”
“It’s Vincent Hunt that I want to discuss.”
Every sign of happiness instantly dropped from his face, replaced by a stone-cold expression. The steam from his coffee wafted toward the ceiling, hot and ready to be enjoyed. He kept his fingers around the sleeve but didn’t take a drink. “He’s still pulling his usual bullshit?”
“No. Actually, he’s called a truce.”
Brett scoffed before he took a sip. “A temporary one.”
Now I knew how this conversation was going to go. “I’ve been spending some time with him lately.”
“In court?” he jabbed.
“No. We had lunch together last week.”
He cocked an eyebrow when he realized how this conversation was going. “You’re serious?”
“Yeah. He told me he wants to make amends with both you and Diesel.”
“Amends?” He said the word like he didn’t know what it meant. “Why?”
“Because you are family.”
“I’m not,” he said. “Never have been and never will be. But I’m okay with that. If he and Diesel can work things out, good for them. Based on the things Diesel’s told me, it doesn’t seem likely. But you never know.”
“Jax is your brother too.”
“We’ve drifted apart.”
“You’re still brothers.”
He shrugged.
“And Vincent would like to have a relationship with you…if you’re willing.”
He released a laugh like I’d made some ridiculous joke. “Cut the shit, Titan.”
I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to help Vincent. He might have done too much damage. Brett could hardly take me seriously. “No bullshit, Brett. He said those words to me.”
“Why? He never liked me.”
“That’s not true.”
“No offense, Titan, but you weren’t there. Trust me, I know how he felt about me.”
“And he feels bad about that now. He wants to start over.”
“I’m not his son, so I don’t see why.”
“But you’re his wife’s son…and he wants to be involved in your life.”
He shook his head. “I have my own life. I don’t need some old man pretending to care about me. I’m not a child anymore.”
“He’s not trying to be a father to you. He just wants to be part of your life.”
Brett drank from his cup, silently dismissing the conversation.
“Would you be willing to meet with him? Get a drink?”
“No.” He gave his answer before I even finished speaking. He wiped it off the table, shut down the possibility altogether.
“Brett—”
“I don’t owe him anything. He doesn’t owe me anything.”
“He wants to make things right with Diesel. In order to do that, he has to work on your relationship first.”
“So he’s just using me?” he demanded.
“No. But it’s the first step. You should at least sit down with him and talk to him.”
“Why?” he demanded. “The second I turned eighteen, he kicked me out. I went to public school, while my brothers were given everything they wanted. We didn’t even celebrate my birthday.”
How could Vincent stoop so low? “He has an explanation for that. I think you should listen to him.”
“Why are you doing this, Titan?” he countered. “After what he’s done to you, this doesn’t make sense.”
“This isn’t about me. This is about you and Diesel. I know what it’s like not to have a family, and if there’s any chance that all of you could reunite, we have to try. Vincent is sorry and would like the opportunity to tell you that to your face. Give him the chance.”
Brett looked down at the table and rubbed the back of his head. He’d always been friendly and sweet with me, treating me like a lady but respecting me like a male at the same time. He had a big heart. I could see it in his smile. Despite what he went through, he still shone with a beacon of hope. “No.”
“Brett, come on—”
“I said no.” He drank from his cup again, taking a large gulp despite how hot it was. “And I don’t want to talk about this anymore. I don’t ask about your private life or your issues with family…so let’s drop it.”
“Did Diesel tell you about my family?”
He lifted his gaze and looked at me. “No.”
“My mother left after I was born. Overcome with the responsibility of the title, she couldn’t handle it and took off.”
His eyes softened in sympathy.
“My da
d died of cancer before I turned eighteen. Not a single relative shares this planet with me. I’m entirely alone, and it’s very difficult sometimes.”
He stared at the table, unable to meet my gaze.
“I don’t want that for you and Diesel.”
“We have each other,” he mumbled.
“But you could have more.”
He fingered the sleeve around his coffee cup, his eyes directed on what he was doing. “Can I ask you something?”’
Since we were talking about something so personal to him, I should reciprocate. “Of course.”
“If your mom showed up on your doorstep and apologized, would you forgive her?”
No one had ever asked me that before, and I’d never even considered the possibility. I could have tracked her down because I had her name, but I’d never wanted to. She chose to leave, to remain anonymous. Tracking her down wouldn’t change the past, and it wouldn’t change the present either.
Brett lifted his gaze and looked at me, his eyes scanning back and forth as he stared into my eyes. He waited for an answer, wondering what I would say.
I wanted to lie and say what he wanted to hear to accomplish my objective, but I couldn’t lie about something like that. “I don’t know what I would do, Brett. I’ve never considered the possibility before. But the situations aren’t the same. Vincent could have placed you in foster care, but he never did. He still took care of you…he didn’t abandon you the way my mother abandoned me.”
* * *
The media was scrutinizing Thorn even more, making me look like the heartbroken angel. My plan wasn’t to come out on top, to use this publicity stunt to my advantage, but unfortunately, it seemed it was going that way.
Thorn was looking worse with every passing day.
Manwhore.
Heartbreaker.
Cheater.
Liar.
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