“Me too.”
We sat in silence for a while, enjoying the quiet company we shared. It was late and I should get to bed, but I suspected I wouldn’t be getting much sleep tonight. It was strange not having him there with me.
After what seemed like five minutes, he spoke again. “I’m three hours behind, but I’m pretty tired. I’m going to get some sleep.”
“Me too.”
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you too,” I repeated back.
“Good night.”
I almost didn’t say it back. “Good night.”
* * *
Thorn interlocked his fingers behind his head and rested his crossed ankles on my desk. “Getting laid is more complicated now. After all this drama hit the media, women have a much different opinion of me. They either think I’m some heartbroken man looking for a rebound, or they think I’m the biggest player in the world.”
I snapped my fingers and pointed to the ground, silently commanding him to get his feet off my desk. “You are the biggest player in the world.”
“Yeah, but the entire world didn’t use to think that.”
“How did you explain our relationship to women before? They just thought you were cheating on me?”
“Open relationship,” he explained. “But honestly, I don’t think they cared. They just wanted me to give them good sex and buy them pretty things. People say men are shallow, but women are worse, if you ask me.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Some women,” he corrected. “Not all.”
I snapped my fingers again. “Get your feet off my desk.”
He sighed before he lowered them to the ground. “It’s comfy.”
“I don’t care how comfy it is.”
“So, when’s Diesel gonna be home?”
The mention of my lover immediately brought me down. I sighed before I answered. “Late tomorrow night.”
“That’s not too far away.”
“For you…” My penthouse had never felt so empty. It was quiet and cold.
“Maybe you should get a cat or something.”
“You know I don’t have the time to take care of it.”
“Cats don’t need to be taken care of. Just get a litter box.”
“You think I want my place to smell like cat shit?” I asked incredulously.
He chuckled. “No pets, then.”
“I’d rather have a home full of children.”
“And when’s that going to happen?” He kept his hands behind his head.
“Not sure. It won’t be for a while.”
“Why?”
“It’d be pretty strange if Diesel and I got engaged that quickly. People would constantly question us.”
“True. But why do you care?”
I cared for a lot of reasons. “As the richest woman in the world, I’m fighting for the respect of women everywhere. It’s not just about me, Thorn. I did what I had to do to keep Diesel in my life. That was different.”
“So…you guys are on hold?”
“I wouldn’t say that. He pretty much lives with me. We’re together all the time. Maybe in a few months we can talk about it.”
“Are you going to change your name?”
“Nope.”
He grinned. “I have a feeling Diesel isn’t going to let that slide…”
“He knows he’s not a match for me.”
Jessica spoke through the line. “Titan, I’ve got Vincent Hunt on the line.”
“Thanks, Jessica,” I answered. “Put him through.” I hit the button when the light turned on and spoke into the speaker. “Hello, Vincent. Thorn and I are talking in my office, and you’re currently on speakerphone.”
Vincent’s deep voice filled the space. “Hello, Thorn.”
“What’s up?” Thorn said casually.
“Titan, I spoke to Bruce Carol,” Vincent said calmly. “Is this a good time to discuss it? Or would you rather call me back?”
Vincent agreed to investigate Bruce Carol, but I had no idea when he was doing it. “No, we can talk now.” I didn’t have anything to hide from Thorn. “What happened?”
Thorn moved his hands to his lap and leaned forward.
“We met for drinks,” Vincent said. “I told him I wanted his advice on some business opportunities. We talked about that for a while. He didn’t mention Diesel, so it seemed like he didn’t know we were on speaking terms again. I told him I made an offer to you, but you rejected it and turned Kyle Livingston against me.”
I kept my poise, but my heart was beating fast. “What did he say?”
“He said some things I won’t repeat,” Vincent said simply.
“She can handle it,” Thorn said. “Trust me.”
“It doesn’t matter what he said,” Vincent said. “We talked a little more about it, and I said I wasn’t a big fan of yours. He didn’t add anything else to it. The conversation died away, and we said our goodbyes. He thinks I’m going to call him for a bigger discussion about my business plans, but I’ll never make the call.”
I exchanged a look with Thorn, seeing the pissed look on his face. He didn’t take Bruce’s insults as well as I did.
Vincent continued. “It’s safe to say he hates you. Has no respect for you. Doesn’t think highly of women in general. I’m not sure if I can assume he’s the one behind those attacks on your reputation, but if it’s going to be anyone, it’s probably him. That’s what I gathered.”
“Thanks for trying, Vincent,” I said.
“When Diesel and Titan confronted him,” Thorn said. “He denied everything. You think he’s telling the truth?”
“I wasn’t there,” Vincent said. “But I don’t see the benefit of him admitting the truth. He did impersonate Diesel, and that’s a federal offense. He’s a sleazebag, so I wouldn’t put it past him to lie to your face despite the thrill he would get out of it.”
Thorn and I exchanged another look.
“If I find out anything else, I’ll let you know,” Vincent said.
“Thank you.” I wrapped up the conversation then hung up. “What do you think?”
“It’s probably him,” Thorn said. “He seems like the most obvious suspect.”
I was glad he didn’t think it was Diesel anymore. “I guess I’ll have to keep an eye out for him.”
“I doubt he’s a threat to you. The only skeleton in your closet is Diesel, and that’s out in the open. He has nothing left to throw at you. I’d say you just forget about him and move on.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Let him slip through the cracks and be forgotten…like he should be.”
* * *
Diesel wasn’t coming back into town until three a.m.
It was too late for us to see each other, so I went to bed.
But the hours trickled by, and I didn’t get any sleep. The last three days had been long, far longer than they should have been. I missed the scruffy kisses I used to get by the door. I missed hearing the shower run at the same time every day. I missed having dinner with him every night.
I missed my man.
Despite the late time of night, I grabbed a bag and headed to his place. Instead of calling my driver, I took a cab to his building a few blocks over. The elevator took me to his floor, and I stepped inside his dark penthouse. I left one light on so he would know I was there, and I headed into his bedroom. The bed was perfectly made because the maids had been there, and I pulled on one of his t-shirts before I got into bed. The sheets didn’t smell like him anymore because they’d just been washed. My phone was on the nightstand, and I lay there with my eyes closed as I waited for him to come home. The comfort got to me, and I gently slipped into sleep.
The sound of a belt hitting the floor and pants coming undone slowly pulled me from sleep. A gentle thud from a heavy bag filled the bedroom. My eyes slowly opened, and I saw Diesel standing there in his boxers. He pulled his shorts down then crawled into bed with me. “I knew you would
be here.” His warm body surrounded mine, and he pressed hot kisses against my skin. His lips dragged down my neck and nipped at my collarbone.
My fingers dug into his hair and I moaned in happiness, feeling my strong man surround me. “I missed you…”
“Baby, I missed you more.” He gripped the back of my thong and dragged it down my body before he moved between my legs. He pressed me into the mattress before he slid his cock into me, slowly pushing inside until he was completely sheathed.
“Diesel…” My ankles locked together at his lower back, and I pulled him deeper into me, loving the way he felt inside me. It was identical to every other time we made love, but it never stopped feeling brand new. My hands never stopped shaking, and my heart never rested. I wasn’t Tatum Titan with this man. I was just a woman madly and deeply in love.
He rocked into me slowly, his face pressed close to mine. “Fuck…you did miss me.”
My pussy was soaking wet, my body ready for him the second he walked through the door. His perfect body and handsome face didn’t just make me melt. It was his strong heart, the love in his eyes, and the connection between our two souls. My nails clawed down his back. He made love to me on the very bed where he’d fucked all the others of his past, but now my love had erased them. There was only me, the only woman who’d ever mattered to him.
“Come for me.” He breathed into my mouth. “You’re so beautiful right now I’m not going to last.” He folded my legs farther and tilted my hips deeper, intensifying the angle and rubbing his body against my clit.
My hands gripped his ass, and I yanked him harder into me, my nails testing the skin of his tight ass. I could feel how hard he was inside me, feel the way he thickened to a new level. He refrained from taking the plunge for me, but he wouldn’t be able to hold on forever. Knowing I could make this experienced man climax so quickly flattered me, because that meant he wanted me just as much as I wanted him. “Almost there…”
He pounded into me harder, giving me deep strokes that hit the perfect spot every time.
My hands moved to his flexed biceps, and I held on tightly as the orgasm rocked through my system. Powerful and blinding, it shot through me like a lightning bolt. My body tightened everywhere, not just my pussy around his cock. I sucked in a deep breath before I let out a moan, coming all around him. “Yes…”
“Fuck.” He gave me a few more pumps before he released deep inside me, filling my tight pussy with his load. Sheathed to the base, he stayed idle as he finished, mounds of his come sitting inside me.
I finally caught my breath, satisfied after three lonely nights without him. My fingers dug into his hair, and I fisted the strands I could recognize by touch. I looked into his handsome face, seeing the sex-crazed expression in his eyes. He was satisfied too, but he also wanted more, just as I did.
His cock slowly softened inside me, but he didn’t pull out. He stayed buried between my legs like he didn’t want to leave. The clean sheets were now soaked with sex, soaked with me. I marked his territory, had claimed his bed. This man was all mine, and I wasn’t going to share him with anyone—ever.
He pressed his forehead to mine before he kissed the corner of my mouth.
My thighs squeezed his waist, and I kept him tightly against me. “Stay.”
He kissed my jawline until his mouth reached my ear. “I’ll stay forever.”
My hands explored his back, feeling the powerful muscles of his body and his soft skin. I clung to him, latched on so he couldn’t escape. I writhed even though the climax had long passed. I wanted more of him, but there was nothing left to take. I adored this man with every fiber of my soul. “I love you.” I spoke into his ear, my lips barely touching the shell of his ear.
He turned his face back to me, his intense eyes reserved just for me. “I love you too, baby.”
My hand cupped his cheek, and I felt the stubble of his face with my thumb. It was rough and masculine, just the way I liked it. Diesel was a beautiful man, but one who was rugged and manly too. His cologne was testosterone, and his deodorant was sex appeal. He was all man, head to toe. He was exactly what I wanted in another person, someone was who strong enough for me. I’d fallen in love with him for many reasons, not just because he was unbelievable in bed, but because he was unbelievable in every other aspect. “Marry me…”
He held my gaze, but his expression slowly started to change. Instead of looking surprised or shaken, his gaze held the same intensity. His hand slowly slid to my waist, his thumb resting on my belly and his fingertips against my rips just underneath my tits.
The words were just as surprising to me. I hadn’t been planning on saying them. Just the other day, I’d told Thorn I wasn’t going to marry Diesel for a while. But all pragmatism went out the window when I looked into his gorgeous eyes. I saw the only man who could make me so weak, the only one who could make me so strong. There was no other man I would love this way, no man I would ever love more. Our short separation made me a little crazy, made me love him even harder than I did before. I didn’t want to be apart. All I wanted was to be closer, to be together even more. “I don’t care if it’s too soon. I don’t care what anyone thinks. I want you to be my husband, and I want us to be happy.”
His hand moved farther up, his thumb resting on my sternum while his fingers surrounded my tit. He was feeling the vibrations of my heartbeat, feeling the way my body responded to him. “I’m supposed to ask you, baby.”
“Doesn’t matter who asks whom,” I whispered.
“You don’t have a ring.”
“I don’t need a ring. You know I’m not the kind of woman who needs a proposal. I’m not the kind of woman who needs diamonds. All I need is you—just you.”
Still buried inside me, he looked down into my face. His eyes were difficult to read because he hid his emotions from me. “No.”
My hands moved up his chest, but they stopped when I heard his answer. “No?”
“No,” he repeated. “I want to ask you, Titan.”
My fingers dug into his chest as I felt the disappointment sweep through me.
“I want to tell you I love you. I want to give you a ring. I want it to be a surprise.”
I didn’t want to wait. I’d just poured my heart out to this man, and I didn’t want to walk away feeling like a fool. I knew he loved me; there was no doubt of that. But he wanted to do this on his terms. I couldn’t rush him if he didn’t want to be rushed. “Okay.” I had been carried away by my spontaneity. My passion destroyed my objectivity. I lost my mind in the clouds of lust and love.
He shifted his weight and leaned over the bed to the nightstand. He opened the drawer, grabbed something, and then came back to me. Between his forefinger and thumb was a white gold band with a small diamond in the center.
I immediately tensed, holding my breath and flinching.
“Titan, will you marry me?” He wore a smile as he looked down at me, still holding the ring for me to see.
“Diesel…”
Without waiting for an answer, he slipped the ring onto my left hand. It was a perfect fit.
I held up my hand so I could look at it. The diamond was small, but its clarity was hypnotizing. It was simple, just like me. It would accentuate my features and match my personality. It matched my relationship with Diesel, simple but beautiful. “I love it…”
“It was my mother’s.”
My eyes shifted back to him, the emotion burning in my eyes. “What…?”
“My dad gave it to me a few weeks ago. Said he wanted me to give it to you.”
Now I looked at the ring with new eyes. Diesel’s mother wore this for decades. Vincent had picked out the perfect ring for her and vowed to love her forever. Now he’d transferred that love to his son, so he could love someone the same way. It was a great honor, a welcoming into the Hunt family that I never expected. “I don’t know what to say…”
“Yes, you do,” he whispered. “You just demanded me to marry you. I know you’re a proud woman
and won’t take my rejection lightly, but don’t be stubborn. Just say yes. Be my wife.”
I pressed my hand against his chest, seeing the way the diamond still sparkled in the minimal light. My passion had driven us to this moment, and now I wore a diamond ring on my finger. The man I loved stared down at me, still waiting for the answer he knew was coming. I was already his. The second I put that ring on, I become his in a whole new way. I’d fallen in love with the ring at first sight, and I loved it just as much as the man who gave it to me. “Yes.”
He moved his hand into my hair, and he smiled down at me before he kissed me. His cock was still inside me, and it quickly hardened into a rock-hard shaft. His kiss was gentle and loving, his heartbeat steady in our embrace. “That wasn’t how I was going to ask you, but I liked it more anyway.”
“And I was still surprised.”
He rubbed his nose against mine. “You want to keep it a secret for a while? Until we figure out what to do?”
The second I said yes to Diesel, he became the most important person in my life. I didn’t give a damn what people said about me. If they said it was too fast, that was their opinion. He was the love of my life, and I wasn’t going to waste another moment pretending he was anything except exactly what he was. “No. I’ll never take this off as long as I live.”
13
Hunt
I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off my face.
Tatum Titan was my fiancée.
She asked me. I asked her. It didn’t really matter who asked whom. Now she wore my ring, and she promised she would never take it off. She wanted to spend her life with me, share everything she had with me. She wanted to be pregnant with my children, to give me boys that would grow into men and girls that would grow into queens.
I was a lucky bastard.
My father and I weren’t on the best terms just yet, but I’d agreed to give our relationship a chance. So I called him and told him the good news.
He picked up instantly, hardly waiting for a ring to pass. “Hey, Diesel. How was California?”
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