Boss Love_Boss 3

by Victoria Quinn

  She turned around, a knowing look in her eyes. She probably knew exactly what I was thinking. Titan had a knack for that sort of thing. The elevator doors shut, and she was gone.

  I went to work and handled a few phone calls. The entire building was buzzing with activity. There was so much to do and so little time. Even if I worked constantly around the clock, I still wouldn’t be happy with my productivity.

  Pine called me before ten.

  I answered. “Surprised you’re awake.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s not noon yet.”

  “Shut up, asshole.” He insulted me, but he laughed at the same time, making it easy to question the validity of his sincerity. “I got a special invite to that new club that’s opening downtown. And you and Mike are coming with me.”

  “When?”

  “Tonight.”

  “It’s Wednesday.”

  “So?” he asked incredulously. “When have we not partied in the middle of the week? Every day is a good day to party when you are hot shit like us.”

  I only had six weeks with Titan, and I wasn’t going to squander it by pretending to hook up with someone. If Titan would just drop her uptight paranoia, I could bring her along or at least explain why I wasn’t interested. “I’m gonna pass, man.”

  “What?” he snapped. “Why?”

  “I’m meeting with the Megaland guys.”

  “At nine?” he asked incredulously.

  “I don’t know when the meeting is going to end.”

  “Get real,” he snapped. “Mike and I are coming to get you whether you like it or not.” He hung up on me.

  That little bitch hung up on me.

  * * *

  I went to the new building I owned with Titan. It was a few blocks away from my main building, so my driver drove me there and dropped me off. A lot of people recognized my car, so if I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, I took the shiny black Mercedes with tinted windows.

  I rode the elevator to the top floor and walked into the conference room. Our offices were still under construction.

  Titan sat at the head of the table—drinking an Old Fashioned.

  At ten in the morning.

  Since she could handle her liquor pretty damn well, I wasn’t going to judge her for it. “I’ve been thinking about the new name for the company.”

  “Let’s hear it.” She straightened in her chair and turned her full focus on me.

  I sat in the chair on her right with the windows in front of me. No one else was on this floor because the rest of it was being remodeled. Titan and I liked our privacy until we could find appropriate assistants who didn’t have any loyalty to Bruce. “Stratosphere.”

  Her eyebrows rose, and a smile full of approval formed on her painted lips. “I like it.”

  “It’s perfect.”

  “I think so too. We’re in agreement.” She took out her notebook and wrote the word in her slanted, feminine writing. “I’ll contact our lawyer and get the corporation going.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Titan went over a few other things that we both needed to address. Anytime she presented information to me, everything was so meticulous. She chased down any loose threads, needing to know every little detail about everything. She didn’t leave anything to chance.

  She was a great business partner. If I was going to have anyone in my corner, it was her. She also had a well-honed intuition, reading people so well it was like she was looking at their private file.

  “I scheduled a meeting with a new supplier,” she said. “They’re overseas, and they’re half the cost.”

  “How?” Slave labor?

  “They use a type of material that’s much cheaper to make. They have surplus over there, but it’s in demand over here.”

  I could get on board with that. “Great.”

  “I also cut a lot of costs here.” She pushed the paper toward me. “If Bruce paid more attention to what he was doing, he could have saved this company.”

  “Well, he was an idiot.”

  She pushed another paper toward me. “This is the stock value. It spiked last week.”

  I eyed it, surprised by the sudden growth. We had barely done anything, so I didn’t understand why the value had increased.

  “I think it’s from that commercial we did with Brett,” she said. “People are investing in us as the new owners, not the products.”

  That made sense. “That worked out well.”

  “I’m also starting a new campaign with Connor Suede. He wants to do a series of ads and commercials with the most powerful women in the world. I think that will only help.”

  My eyes darted to her face at the mention of his name. I saw the text message that popped on her phone weeks ago. I saw the way he spoke to her, leaning in like he was about to kiss her. She wasn’t the only one with intuition. If he hadn’t fucked her already, he obviously wanted to. “No.” The word flew out of my mouth all on its own. I didn’t think twice before I laid down the law.

  Titan slowly turned to me, her eyebrow arched. “No what?”

  “You aren’t doing that commercial. Connor Suede is a prick.”

  “Do you know him?”

  Hadn’t met him once. “Doesn’t matter.”

  “No, it does matter. He’s the biggest fashion designer in the world. I wear his clothes almost every day.”

  It was the first time I wanted to rip the clothes off her body and not because I wanted to fuck her.

  “It would be great PR for us.”

  “We don’t need PR.” I pushed the stock reports back toward her. “We’re good.”

  She pushed it back. “Hunt, what is your problem?”

  There wasn’t room for jealousy in our relationship. We didn’t even have a relationship, just an arrangement. But something carnal inside me flared up, made me angry. My jaw was clenched, and the veins in my forearms were strained. “Did you sleep with him?”

  Titan used to compose her features at all times, but now she let her real emotions come out. Her features softened in surprise before they hardened once again in offense. “Excuse me?”

  “You heard what I said.” The question was on the table, and I couldn’t backpedal. I had to see this through. I needed to know what kind of relationship they had if they were going to work together.

  “That’s none of your business, Hunt.”

  “I fucked you in the ass last night. Yes, it is my business.”

  She looked like she was about to stab me with her pen.

  Every time I tried to calm myself down, I just got worked up again. Red in my gaze and I couldn’t see straight. I was calm, logical, and pragmatic. But the idea of another man touching Titan made me anything but cool. I guess I was the jealous type.

  Never knew that before.

  “Hunt, you’re playing with fire right now.” She pressed her finger to the table, drawing an invisible line between us. “Back off, or you’re going to get burned.”

  “Then burn me,” I said coldly. “I’m the one in charge for the next six weeks. You’re going to tell me exactly what I want to know. Now.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not how it works, Hunt. I never pried into your personal life.”

  “Well, you should have.”

  “I respect your privacy.”

  “I don’t want you to respect it, and I sure as hell don’t respect yours.”

  She sat back, floored by what I said.

  “I’m tired of pretending that this is just some convenient fuck-a-thon. We’ve both made sacrifices for each other. We’re in business together, a first for each of us. You know more about me than most people, and I know more about you than you usually tell. We aren’t friends. We aren’t lovers. We’re something else entirely. So all those rules you set up don’t apply to us. So, tell me, Titan. Did you fuck Connor Suede?”

  She held my expression as she stared me down, her eyes shifting back and forth slightly. She erected a fortress of stone and brick, i
mpenetrable. But no matter how thick her fortifications were, I could break through every single one. She might be made of stone, but I was made of bullets. I could pierce right through her.

  “I don’t know what this is, and I’m not going to put a label on it. But it’s not what it started as. It’s grown into something different, an exception. So let’s just be honest with each other. That’s one rule that still applies.”

  She pressed her lips together tightly, her expression hardening. “Yes.”

  “Yes, what?”

  “I fucked Connor Suede.”

  I already suspected her answer, but hearing it didn’t make it easier to swallow. It was like a big pill without water. My hand rested on the table, and my fingertips tapped against the surface. Instead of letting my anger out like a monster, I kept it buried inside—for the most part. “When?”

  “A while ago.”

  “What does that mean?” I kept my voice steady even though it was easier said than done.

  “About six months ago. I don’t see why the time is relevant since it never overlapped with you.”

  “I’m just wondering why he’s still trying to fuck you.”

  Her eyes remained as cold as two pieces of green ice. “You’ve been with me. I’m sure you can figure it out…”

  Because she was an unforgettable fuck. I knew it, and she knew it. I tapped my fingers against the table.

  “Do you feel better now?” she asked sarcastically. “Or did that not change anything at all?”

  “Why did you sleep with him?”

  “Why?” Both of her eyebrows leapt high on her forehead. “Because he’s handsome, confident, successful… Do I really need to explain how sexual attraction works? Why don’t you tell me about the last woman you slept with, and then justify why you did it?”

  It was a stupid conversation. She proved her point.

  “You know what, Diesel?”

  I’d never heard her use my first name before. It wasn’t in an affectionate tone, but in the way my mother used to say it when I did something wrong.

  “I liked you the moment I met you because you weren’t a prick like all the others. I’ve always felt like an equal with you, respected and validated in the same way as the rest of your colleagues. You’ve never scrutinized my decisions because I’m in a skirt instead of pants. Men like you are what we need in this world. In order for women to be granted the same respect as their male counterparts, men need to treat us equally. You’ve already done that, setting the stage for others. But this…this is a double standard. If I were a man, you would not ask me why I slept with Connor. You’re judging me for something your friends Pine or Mike would have done.” She leaned forward and held up her hand. “I’m not going to put up with it, Hunt. I’m not going to be vilified for being a sexual human being exercising my right to do whatever the fuck I want to do.” She slammed her hand on the table, the sound thudding in the conference room. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms over her chest, staring me down like scum on the bottom of her shoe.

  She made me feel like shit when I’d never meant to offend her. “Before you start hating me, let me explain…”

  “Explain what?” She was back to being cold and objective, like her speech had never happened.

  “I didn’t ask you about Connor because I’m judging you…or think less of you for having meaningless sex. I think a single woman can do whatever she wants. The number of partners she’s had is irrelevant. Just like how the number of partners I’ve had doesn’t matter. That’s not what I was implying.”

  “Seemed that way.”

  “I was asking because…it’s obvious, Titan.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “What’s obvious?”

  “It’s obvious that I’m jealous.” I confessed my crime, knowing I had no right to feel that way.

  Her features slowly softened.

  “I admit,” I said quietly, “when I saw Connor touch you at the fashion show, I didn’t like it. When I saw him text you and ask to come over…I almost broke my jaw from clenching my teeth so hard. I don’t have anything against the guy…but I hate anyone who’s ever had the pleasure of enjoying you. As far as I’m concerned, you’re my woman. I’m possessive. I’m jealous. I’m selfish.” I looked out the window when I didn’t want to be the recipient of her gaze anymore.

  Now there was just silence.

  A lot of it.

  Instead of working, we soaked up the tension. It was supposed to be an afternoon of deadlines and plotting. But somehow, our sexual relationship was at the forefront of the conversation.

  I’d already thrown myself under the bus, so there wasn’t anything left to say. I explained my behavior, telling her she meant more to me than she should.

  “Hunt…” She pursed her lips again, taking her time deciding what to say.

  I already knew what she would say.

  “If I’m being honest, I’m jealous too.”

  Okay…that was not what I was expecting her to say.

  “When we were at the fashion show, some model was pressed up against you. I felt the acid flood my mouth, but I stopped myself from giving in to the jealousy. I stopped myself from caring. But I did care…”

  Tatum Titan was jealous. Couldn’t believe it.

  “So, I do understand.”

  My natural reaction was to smile, to feel the victory spread through my limbs. But I kept my reaction under wraps. I steadied myself from doing something to shatter her vulnerability.

  “I like you a lot, Hunt.”

  This was getting better.

  “Sometimes it scares me,” she whispered. “It’s so rare for me to find someone that I trust, to find someone I feel so connected to. In the past decade, I’ve only made a handful of genuine friends. When I met you…I wasn’t expecting to make another. I’ve felt comfortable with you since the beginning, that you respected me for my brains and my talent, not just the way my legs looked under my skirt.”

  “But you do have nice legs…”

  She looked at me, a small smile growing on her lips.

  I smiled back. These were the moments I lived for with Tatum. I loved getting to know the woman underneath those executive clothes, that hard face. She was as soft as a rose petal, silky to the touch.

  “The sex is great for a lot of reasons. But I think one of the biggest reasons is this feeling between us…camaraderie, friendship, trust…whatever it is. I’ve never partnered with anyone before, and when I considered doing it with you, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind. That tells me there’s something here.”

  My smile slowly faded away as my heart rate picked up.

  She looked away for a moment, staring at her silver pen on the desk. “But what I said in the beginning still applies. I’m not looking for romance. I’m not looking for love. I’m just looking for an arrangement that gives me pleasure. And when it’s over…we’ll walk away but stay friends.”

  It was like someone shot me in the chest.

  Right in the heart.

  Blood poured from the wound, and I struggled to breathe.

  With every beat, I was losing my life.

  Sometimes, it seemed like I meant something to her, but at the end of the day, I didn’t.

  Why should I care?

  “Why aren’t you looking for love? Why is that off the table?”

  Her eyes turned back to me. “I’m marrying Thorn. I can’t fall in love with someone.”

  “Are you implying you could fall in love with me if you let yourself?” It was a bold question to ask, but since we were being honest, I decided to go for it. I didn’t have anything to lose.

  She searched my expression as she considered the question, taking her time. “I…I don’t know.”

  Tatum Titan had just hesitated and avoided eye contact.

  “That sounds like a yes to me.”

  She turned back to me, hardening her gaze once again. “When you’re sleeping with someone, emotions get complicated. I just have to re
mind myself what I want…and not let things get messy. I’ve never allowed anyone to control me. Giving you that luxury automatically tells me you mean something different to me.”

  “And the fact that I’ve let you control me tells me the same thing.”

  A long pause.

  Intense eye contact.

  Noticeable heat in the room.

  It was like a furnace was burning a forest.

  My eyes didn’t drop from hers. I stared her down, refusing to look away.

  She did the same time, her green eyes resembling emerald flames.

  She was the first one to break the silence. “Then that means we need to be careful…because we both want different things.”

  “You still want to marry Thorn?”

  “I committed to him.”

  I leaned forward in my chair, coming closer to her. “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  “I asked if you wanted to marry him, not if you were committed to doing it.”

  “Aren’t they the same thing?”

  I shook my head slightly. “Not at all.”

  Titan broke eye contact for a second time. “I think it’s the best move.”

  “Your love life doesn’t have to be a business decision.”

  “My entire life needs to be a business decision. I can’t make another mistake.”

  Another? “You’ve made a mistake before?”

  Her gaze met mine once again. “Yes, as we all have.”

  It was her ex-boyfriend. I could feel it. “It’s okay to make mistakes, baby. They humble us. They strengthen us. They turn us into a powerful people like Tatum Titan and Diesel Hunt. Mistakes make successes mean something. And I sure as hell have learned far more from my mistakes than I have from my successes.”

  She watched me, her eyes submissive.

  I rested my fingertips against my chin, brushing across my coarse hair. My eyes remained on hers. “I think we could have something pretty incredible if we allowed ourselves to.” I put my cards on the table, gambling my chips away.

  She stilled at the statement. “Are you saying you want something with me?”

  I shrugged. “I’m open to it. Are you?” I kept my hard expression, but I was holding my breath at the same time.