Boss Love_Boss 3

by Victoria Quinn

  “But he’s not willing to compromise in our relationship. He needs to be in control. And since I allowed you to control me…he hopes I’ll do the same for him.”

  Hunt nearly shattered the glass he was holding. His veins bulged in his forearms.

  “We haven’t talked much about our sex life, but I—”

  “I don’t want to hear about it.” Instead of breaking the glass, he took a long drink. “This man saved your life and built you from the ground up…” He shook his head and wiped his lips on the back of his hand. “I get it.”

  I watched him stare at my fireplace as he refused to look at me. He’d never brushed me off like this before, shutting me out. He wouldn’t let me look into his eyes, the gateway to his thoughts. His muscular body was tensed, like a provoked bear that would strike at any moment.

  I felt like shit.

  He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. His palms came together, and he rubbed them gently as he stared at the floor.

  Now everything felt strained. Our comfortable and calm relationship was gone. Hunt had placed an invisible wall between us.

  I wanted to say something to make this better, but I couldn’t think of anything.

  “Thorn cares about you.” When Hunt spoke, the words almost didn’t make sense. “If you told him you wanted to be with me, he would understand. He would want you to be happy. That’s what real friends do.” He finally looked at me. “And Tatum Titan doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to do. So the question is…what do you want?”

  I stared at his espresso eyes, then observed the power radiating from all of his extremities.

  “Baby?”

  “It’s not about what I want…”

  “Yes, it is.”

  “It’s a lot more complicated than that. If I marry Thorn like I planned, my future is set. I know exactly what will happen and when it’ll happen. It’s safe.”

  “And fucking boring. I’m not a risk, Tatum.”

  “Yes, you are. Even if we wanted to have a relationship, we have no idea where it would go, how long it would last.”

  “That doesn’t matter.”

  “It does matter. If I publicly break things off with Thorn, I can’t go back to him. It would make him look bad.”

  “Who cares what the media thinks?”

  “I do,” I snapped. “The media has control of everything. It even affects the stocks in my companies. Being liked is more important than anything else. It opens doors.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck, growing visibly frustrated. “You’d rather settle for a fake relationship than be in a real one with a man like me?”

  “It’s not about what I would rather have…”

  “Yes, it is, Tatum. You can’t possibly do this.”

  “It makes the most sense. I can’t jeopardize all of my plans because I’ve developed feelings for you.”

  “They aren’t just feelings, Tatum.”

  I looked away, unwilling to meet his expression. Whenever I looked into those eyes, I couldn’t hide myself from him.

  “You’re in love with me.”

  I took a deep breath at the words but still didn’t look at him. I refused to acknowledge what he said. I refused to admit it.

  “We both know it’s true.”

  I kept my eyes focused straight ahead.

  “So I don’t believe you could marry Thorn and not think about me. I don’t believe you could be his and not wonder where I’m sleeping at night. I don’t think you could work with me every day and ignore the smell of women’s perfume on my suit. It would eat you alive. I know how jealous you get.”

  “Just because I’d be married doesn’t mean we can’t continue this relationship. Fidelity is something that Thorn and I never promised each other.”

  “Are you serious right now?”

  I turned back to him, seeing his hard expression.

  “I’m not going to screw a married woman, even if Thorn is okay with it. That’s not the kind of guy I am.”

  “Then I guess we’ll stop when I get married.”

  “No. We’ll stop the second you’re wearing his ring.”

  Now that the ending of our relationship was even closer, I felt the panic creep into my veins. He was already slipping away, disappearing.

  “I can see how much you don’t want that. I see it in your eyes right now.”

  I blinked then shifted my gaze to the TV.

  “I know you want to be with me.” His voice turned gentle. “Take the risk, Tatum. I’ve more than proven myself to you.”

  “I know…”

  He moved toward me and slowly lowered my body onto the couch. He climbed on top of me, covering my body with his massive size. His face hovered against mine, and he looked at me as if he had me cornered—a second time. “I know you told me how this was going to be. You set a deadline and rules. I expected to follow them… I never expected to feel this way. I never expected to fall for you.”

  I forgot to breathe as the words entered my heart.

  “And now, I don’t want to share you. Now, I want to rule this city with you. I don’t want to move on with my life and leave you behind. I don’t want to shake your hand and pretend to be your friend. It just happened…and I never meant for it to happen. But you need to understand I’m not like that asshole. I would never lay a hand on you, Tatum.”

  “I know that, Diesel… I never thought that.”

  “Then don’t let the past ruin what you could have now. Don’t pick Thorn just because he’s the safe bet.”

  “I know…”

  “You don’t owe him anything. If you want to be with me, he’ll step aside. I know he will.”

  Yeah, he probably would. He’d be disappointed, but not angry.

  “Just think about it. I know this didn’t fit into your plans. I know if it doesn’t work out between us, you’d lose everything you built. But…I think it would be worth it. I want you so much now…and I doubt that’ll ever change. The more I have you, the more I want you.” He moved into me and kissed me on the mouth. “Please think about it. Just think about it.” He kissed me again, his soft mouth making love to mine.

  My lips automatically moved with his, my hands slipping into his hair. The passionate roar erupted in my heart, and I pulled him closer to me, swept away in his eager embrace. The clothes didn’t come off, but that didn’t stop us from wanting each other, from grinding against each other like there was nothing keeping us apart.

  9

  Hunt

  I was angry.

  About everything.

  I was angry that I let myself go soft for Tatum Titan. I was annoyed that Thorn was integral in her rise to success. I was pissed that this ex of hers made her question if real love existed.

  And I was livid she didn’t pick me.

  There was still time—and lots of hope. Whether she would admit it or not, I knew how she felt about me.

  And I only knew that because I felt the exact same way for her.

  What we had was rare. It was true. It was something I’d never felt before—and I’d been with a lot of women. She and I had a connection that was stronger than blood. There was no way she could marry Thorn and let me go.

  No way.

  She caved to me in the first place, gave me the control in the relationship. She wouldn’t do that for anybody—only me. I knew she would realize Thorn was the safe bet and I was a wild card—but she needed my passion.

  She couldn’t live without me.

  She couldn’t live without the sex, the quiet conversations in bed, the trust and friendship…and everything else we had. I was just as good a life partner as Thorn, but I was even better. I could give her what he couldn’t.

  I could give her everything.

  I sat at my desk for an hour straight and got nothing done. I put my feet on the desk and looked out the window, staring at the shadows from the buildings as the sun progressed in its path across the sky. I never let anyone distract me from what I needed t
o get done, especially a woman, but Titan was the only thing on my mind.

  Natalie’s voice entered my office. “Sir, Brett Maxwell is here.”

  My brother had a bad habit of stopping by whenever he was in town showing off a car to someone. We usually got a beer when I left the office, but if he was only around for the early afternoon, he usually swung by. “Send him in.” Even if I had a meeting, I usually pushed it back to accommodate him.

  Because he was family—all I had left.

  Brett walked inside, wearing a smile along with his beard. He was in a long-sleeved black shirt and dark denim jeans. He gave me a high five before he dropped into the chair facing my desk. “What’s up, little bro?”

  My feet were still on the desk. “Just taking in the sights.”

  “You look like you’re being lazy to me.”

  I flipped him the bird.

  He chuckled then put his own feet on the desk.

  “You wanna die, big bro?”

  “Just run me over with one of my cars. I’ll die happy.”

  My smile immediately dropped.

  It took Brett a moment to realize his insensitive comment. His eyes immediately fell, and he sighed through his teeth. “I’m sorry—”

  “It’s fine.” I brushed it off, knowing he didn’t mean to offend me. “What’s new with you?”

  “I just sold a car to a VIP.”

  “Who’s this person?”

  “Thomas Wade.”

  Wade was one of the most famous golfers on the planet. He had the endorsement of most companies. He had three TV commercials on the air right that moment. “How does he like it?”

  “Fell in love the second he looked at it. Can’t blame him.”

  “They are beautiful.” I looked out the window again, the world beautiful making me think of a specific person.

  “What’s got you down?”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Because you look like you haven’t slept in three days.”

  No, I hadn’t been sleeping. I was spending time away from Titan, giving her space to really think about her decision. I had enough confidence not to feel threatened by other men, but Thorn had bent over backward for her. Not only did he start her first business, but he actually murdered someone for her.

  I couldn’t top that.

  “I just need a haircut.”

  “Bullshit. What’s wrong?”

  He would eventually ask about Titan, so I got right to the point. “I told Titan how I felt…”

  “Didn’t go well, I take it?”

  “She says she’s still committed to Thorn.”

  “Really?” he asked incredulously. “If she’s been fucking you for so long, the guy obviously doesn’t satisfy her.”

  My brother hit the nail right on the bed. “I told her to think it over.”

  “I’m surprised you even gave her the option.”

  It was a testament to how much I liked her. The idea of going back to the bars and meeting random women to hook up with sounded unappealing. The sex was good, but they always overperformed, trying to be exactly what they thought I wanted. But with Titan, she did what she wanted. And when a woman knew exactly how she wanted a man to please her…that was the sexiest thing of all. “She’s exceptional.”

  “I could have told you that. Hope it works out for you, man.”

  “Me too.”

  “I’ve never seen you like a girl…not even when we were kids.”

  I raised an eyebrow.

  “You know what I mean.”

  No, I never showed romantic interest in anyone. Women were sex on legs. But with Titan, I didn’t see her legs. I saw a powerful woman with a brilliant mind. I saw someone with a soft soul and a hard outer shell. I saw someone so deep that there was no bottom. I viewed her in a way I never saw anyone else. She wasn’t just a beautiful woman I enjoyed pounding into the mattress. I saw her as a partner, as a friend, as someone who was such an innate part of who I was that I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

  “Want my advice?”

  “No.”

  He grinned. “Keep fighting for her. War is just a series of battles. You have to win them all. And anyone will tell you that love is the biggest war we’ll ever fight.”

  * * *

  When she didn’t invite me over for a few days, I knew she was taking my final message seriously.

  She was thinking it over.

  But spending every evening alone in front of the TV was getting lonely. I drank a lot, didn’t eat much, and hit the gym a little harder. I did a lot of work from my laptop and lightened the load during the workday.

  But nothing was powerful enough to distract me.

  It made me fear what my life would be like if she picked Thorn.

  It would be back to this.

  I’d never minded my life before I met her. It was fulfilling at the time. But going from something spectacular to something so mediocre was…depressing. I finally gave in to my desire and texted her. Miss you. I’d never texted that to a woman in my life. It was something a pussy would say. But I sent the message the second the words were on the screen, no thinking twice about it. Tatum Titan made me into a man, but she also made me a romantic.

  Her reply was instant. Miss you too.

  Then invite me over.

  You know you don’t need an invite, Diesel.

  That was the only invitation I needed. I left my penthouse behind and headed to her place a few blocks away. We both lived in Tribeca, the part of Manhattan with the wealthiest real estate. The streets were quiet, full of businesspeople with their families. I walked into her building and took the elevator to her penthouse. The doors opened and revealed the empty living room with the glow of the TV.

  She stood there in my gray collared shirt, a sea of emotions on her face.

  I stepped into the room and listened to the doors shut behind me.

  Her face was impossible to decipher. She looked like she wanted to smile and cry at the exact same time. Suddenly, she ran to me and jumped into my chest, her legs wrapping around my waist as her arms hooked around my neck.

  I caught her effortlessly, a smile forming on my lips. “You really did miss me.”

  She ground against me, her panties rubbing against the bulge in my jeans. “I think you missed me more.”

  My eyes darkened, and I carried her into the bedroom down the hall. “I’ve missed you every single day since I left.”

  “Then you must have been really uncomfortable.” She smiled at me with her red lips, flirtatious and sexy.

  “I relieved myself when necessary.” I set her on the bed and tugged her panties down her long legs.

  “Oh…that sounds sexy.”

  “Me beating off is sexy to you?” I pulled her shirt over her head before yanking mine off.

  “Really sexy.”

  “And I was beating off to the thought of you.”

  She squeezed her thighs together and pulled her knees to her chest. “Ooh…”

  Like I wasn’t hard enough, she was driving me crazy. I pulled my jeans and boxers off and positioned myself at the foot of the bed, the same place where I fucked her in the ass for the first time. “Now you’re going to get a live show.” I slid inside her wet pussy, feeling her arousal surround me. She must have got wet the second I texted her and told her I was coming over.

  “Diesel…” She was already into it, her head rolling back as she bit her bottom lip.

  Good thing she wouldn’t last long. I wasn’t going to either. I pushed myself entirely inside her then leaned over her, looking down into the face that haunted me in my dreams. “You’re beautiful when my cock is deep inside you.”

  “What about when it’s not?”

  “Still beautiful…just not quite as.” I dug my hips deep and rocked deep inside her, wanting her to feel my entire length. I wanted to watch her lips quiver, listen to her moan, hear her beg me to fuck her harder.

  Her hands locked around my wrists as usual, and
she looked straight into my eyes, her mouth already gaping open. She moaned in tune with my thrusts, so loud and so sexy. She uttered my name every few seconds, enjoying me like she hadn’t had me in years rather than days. “I missed your cock so much…”

  “He missed you too, baby.” I pumped into her, sliding through her increasing wetness.

  Her nipples hardened like the tip of a knife, and a pink flush covered her chest. The color spread to her cheeks, giving her a sexy fire. “I’m gonna come, Diesel.”

  “I know.”

  “Harder.”

  I quickened my pace and shook the bed, hitting her wooden headboard against the wall. The loud tapping matched the movement of my hips, getting in tune with the sexy moans she made. She screamed louder and louder, her nails biting me like they had teeth. When she hit her threshold, her head rolled back, her hips bucked upward, and she bit her bottom lip with the strength to draw blood. “Diesel…yes…yes.”

  I rocked her world, sending her to the moon and the stars. I rubbed her clit just to give her an extra push, a heightened experience to make her writhe underneath me. She already missed me, but I wanted her to know what she would be missing if she walked away from me.

  Her moans and screams continued, slowly dissipating as the intensity trailed off.

  I wanted to keep at it, but after this drought I’d been in, I wouldn’t last. I shoved my entire length inside her and released, dumping all of my seed deep within her. The muscles of my chest tightened as the explosion ripped through me. It felt right being buried all the way inside her. It felt like home.

  She grabbed my hips and pulled on me harder even though I already took up every inch of her body. “Yes…” She loved taking my come even more than I loved giving it. She was folded underneath me, her legs spread wide apart and a look of satisfaction on her face. She never looked so beautiful, thoroughly fucked and pleased.

  I slowly pulled out of her and stared at her entrance. A buildup of my come was there, glistening against her swollen folds. I wanted to claim her like this every single day. I wanted Tatum Titan on my desk with her legs spread apart. I wanted every man in New York to resent me for having the most incredible woman in the world.