I shouldn’t have lost my temper over Connor.

Right now, it didn’t matter. My only chance at keeping Titan was by making her fall so deeply in love with me that she would take one last risk for me. She would go against the evidence and choose to believe me just because she wanted to.

Acting like a jealous maniac wasn’t the way to accomplish that.

Nor was storming out of her penthouse after fucking her.

I needed to get my shit together.

Connor was the last thing I should be worried about right now.

I had more pressing problems at the moment.

Natalie’s voice interrupted my thoughts as I sat at my desk. “Sir, I have Kyle Livingston on line one.”

I knew exactly what this was about, and I hoped it would be good news. My father could turn anything into gold with the snap of a finger. People found his intimidation respectable, so everyone wanted to do business with him. He was cunning but also eloquent. If we weren’t at war with each other, I would actually admit I respected him as a businessman. He made great choices, and to the best of my knowledge, he’d never maliciously screwed anyone over. His business operated with some sense of morality. “Thank you, Natalie.” I hit the speakerphone button so I could continue looking out the window. “What can I do for you, Kyle?” Playing it cool was the only way to operate. Men didn’t respond to the pathetic sound of desperation. I was absolutely desperate at the moment, but I was far too proud to reveal it.

“Talked to your father yesterday.”

“Is that so?” I kept up the pretense of indifference. My desires couldn’t be obvious to anyone. If people understood your motives, they could easily turn you into a puppet. “How’d that go?”

“He offered the exact deal you predicted.”

“And that’s surprising?” I rested my elbow on the desk and propped my head against it. It was a sunny day in the city, not a cloud in the sky. But the presence of winter was obvious when people walked down the street in their thickest clothes.

“Guess not.”

I got right to the point so I could act natural. It was something I would ordinarily do if I had no personal interest in the manner. “Are you going to take the deal?”

“I told him I would think about it.”

It was an awfully great offer to turn down. The fact that Kyle had doubts boded extremely well for me.

“I thought the entire thing was suspicious. Why would he offer me something like that unless there’s a catch?”’

“There’s always a catch. And some things are too good to be true.”

“That’s what I was thinking.”

“Well, let me know what you decide. Titan is still interested, but if you do decide to work with Vincent, she’ll start working on a new plan.” Lighting a fire under Kyle’s ass would help. Titan wasn’t the kind of woman to sit around and wait for things to happen. She happened to things. There was a solution to every problem, and she would always find it. “We have a meeting with some of my distributors next week, so we’ll start from there.” I held a terrible hand of cards, and I was bluffing. There was no meeting. There were no distributors. I needed Kyle, but I wasn’t going to say it. Men with little power always let their egos inflate the second they had a bit of control. Men with a lot of power never let it go to their head because they were used to holding all the cards.

“Actually, I think working with Titan would be the better option for me.”

A grin immediately spread across my face. I straightened in my chair and felt my chest relax for the first time that week. I’d finally gotten something done. I got Titan what she deserved, and I’d thwarted my father’s spiteful plan. “I agree. I’ll talk to Titan, and her office will contact you.”

“I’d like to do this sooner rather than later before I formally turn down Vincent’s offer.”

“I understand.” If it didn’t work out with Titan, he didn’t want to lose the only other deal he had on the table. “You’ll hear from her in the next hour.” I hung up then vacated my chair. I had a meeting in thirty minutes, but that didn’t seem important right now. I stepped out and walked up to Natalie’s desk. “Reschedule my meeting.”

Natalie hid her surprise at the short notice. Instead, she nodded. “Of course, Mr. Hunt.”

I never rearranged my life for anyone. In my world, everything revolved around me. I never dropped a business meeting for a woman or anyone else. But for Titan, nothing else seemed as important as she did.

---

Titan was on the phone in her office at Stratosphere. She looked up at me as I walked inside but still carried on her conversation like she didn’t have company. “Yes, I think that’s an excellent idea, Roger. We’ll discuss it over lunch next week.” She listened to him say something in return before she responded. “Sounds good. Take care.” With candy-apple colored fingernails, she set the phone on the base then turned her full attention on me. She did a much better job of seeming indifferent toward me when we were in public, but she couldn’t hide it completely. Her eyes held a different kind of intensity that was only reserved for me. She swallowed a lot more often and squeezed her legs together when she sat in a chair. Her eyes smoothed over my body like she was imagining her hands pressing against my solid chest. “I wasn’t expecting to see you for at least another hour.”

I shut her office door before I came closer to her desk. “Me either.”

She glanced at the door before she turned back to me again, her guard up. She probably assumed I wanted to do something dirty right up against the window. That wasn’t my intention, but her assumption wasn’t unfounded.

I stood with my hands in my pockets as I stared down at her, looking at the hollow of her throat. It seemed so lonely in the blouse she wore. It needed to be warmed by my kisses, caressed by my callused fingers. When I looked at Titan, I didn’t just see a beautiful woman—I saw my woman.

When she spoke, her voice was much quieter than usual. She was vulnerable when it was just the two of us, treating me like her lover even when she didn’t want to. It was a natural urge, and I did the exact same thing. “What is it, Hunt?”

“I just talked to Kyle Livingston.”

Her eyes narrowed at the mention of his name.

“He wants to do business with you. He’s waiting for a call from your office.” It gave me a great sense of pride that I could return this to her. I was like a dog that hunted down a squirrel in the backyard. Now I was bringing it to my master so I could be showered with praise. Her opinion meant the world to me.

“With me?” she asked in surprise. “What about Vincent?”

“Kyle turned down his offer. He wants to work with you instead.”

Her eyes remained fixed as she slowly cocked her head to the side. She regarded me with intense suspicion, as if I’d just spoken in a different language to her. “Why would he want to do that?”

I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. Call him.”

She pressed her hands against the desk and slowly rose to her feet. In heels, she was nearly eye level with me. I liked it when she had an extra five inches on her height because it was easier to kiss her, but I also liked it when she had to completely crane her neck just to meet my gaze. “It does matter. Kyle Livingston would have to be an idiot to reject that offer. Unless he’s in love with you like I am, it doesn’t make any sense.”

I loved hearing her say that. I never got tired of it. She said it simply, like it was the truest thing in the world. It was innate and unstoppable. She had no shame admitting her feelings for me because they were an essential part of who she was. “He’s not in love with me, so you don’t need to be jealous.”

When she glared at me, it was with distinct playfulness.

“I talked him into it.”

“How on earth did you do that?” she asked incredulously.

“I told him you were the better partner. Simple as that.” I held her gaze, wishing I could run my hand through her soft curls. I wished this enormous desk weren’t between us so my hands could slide around her waist and pivot her against me.

She stared back at me like similar thoughts were going through her mind. Her playful glare and skepticism quickly slipped away, replaced by a touched expression. She grew softer as she faced me, becoming more vulnerable with every passing second. “Diesel…”

I moved around the desk and came to her side, my hands aching to touch her.

“I can’t believe you did that.”

Our rule of professionalism went out the window, and I grabbed her by the hips and turned her toward me. My hands ran across her ass then up her back as my body moved deeper into hers. I didn’t kiss her, but the spark between us was smoldering enough. I looked into her face and saw so much of my own love reflected back at me. “Is it really that surprising?” My hand cupped her cheek, and my thumb brushed against her bottom lip. Her face was small in comparison to my enormous palm.

“No…”

“I’m not gonna let you get hit in the cross fire between my father and me. He can do whatever he wants to me, but he’d better leave you out of it.”

“When he finds out, he’s going to be mad.”

My father was a prideful man. Of course this would tick him off. I’d managed to steer both Titan and Livingston away from him. He wouldn’t take it lying down. He would be even less merciful in his next attack. But as long as his rage was directed toward me and not my woman, I didn’t care. “I hope he is mad.” I couldn’t deny my urges anymore, and I leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips.

She kissed me back, her hands immediately moving to my chest. Her fingertips pressed through my clothing and applied pressure directly to my skin. She breathed into my mouth with a quiet moan, and I knew if she were sitting, she’d be squeezing her thighs together tightly.

My hand squeezed her ass then slowly pulled her skirt to her waist. My fingertips slid across her smooth skin, feeling the beautiful flesh I loved to enjoy every single night. My cock was hard against the zipper in my slacks, and he wanted to break free and dive between the legs of the most beautiful woman on the planet.

She kissed me harder and allowed her bare ass to be revealed in the middle of her office. But then she came to her senses and pulled her delicious lips away from mine. “We can’t…” She stepped back and yanked her skirt down, flustered and aroused at the same time.

My fingers ached in pain, and my jaw was clenched with annoyance. I wanted to make love to her on that desk, to have her legs spread wide for me while she lay back on the wood. I wanted to take Tatum Titan in her natural habitat. But I shouldn’t be surprised that her need for professionalism outweighed her desire. Her ambition was the only thing strong enough to combat it. Despite my raging hard-on, I respected her restraint. “Then I expect you to show me your gratitude later tonight.”

She smoothed out the front of her skirt then touched her lips like I’d just bit her. “Show my gratitude, huh?”

My eyes moved to her lips, imagining them sucking my cock and devouring my come. “Yes.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been in charge…”

“Too bad.” My hand fisted into her hair, and I gave her an abrupt kiss on the lips before I walked away. “Let me know how it goes with Kyle. I told him the two of you could do great things together.”

“I will.” Her eyes followed me as I walked out.

I opened the door and turned around to look at her. “You’ll get my instructions in a few hours.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, wearing a defiant expression. But she didn’t voice her disobedience.

I didn’t expect anything in return for helping her. My only motive was to give her what she deserved. But if I could take advantage of the situation, I sure as hell would. “Have a good day, Titan.”

“You too, Hunt.”

---

When I finished my session at the gym, I got into the back seat of my Mercedes, and my driver escorted me back to my penthouse. My mind had been stuck on sex all day, and now that working hours were officially over, I called Titan.

She answered professionally, telling me she wasn’t at liberty to speak her mind. “Titan.”

I loved the way she said her own name. It was with so much confidence. “I have instructions for you.”

“I’m listening.”

“Go home. Get naked. Grab a bottle of lube. Finger yourself until you’re ready for me.”

“I don’t need to do that to be ready for you, Hunt.”

She had the wrong location in mind. “Actually, you do. And I strongly recommend it.”

Her silence was the confirmation I was looking for.

“On all fours on the bed.” I hung up and shoved the phone into my pocket. My eyes stared out the window, but I didn’t see the buildings and the pedestrians. All I saw was Titan with her ass in the air, her fingers buried inside her asshole as she prepared to take my enormous dick. I didn’t want to say a single word to her. I just wanted to fuck her, to remind her she was mine even if she wore another man’s ring.

I went home, showered, and then changed into jeans and a t-shirt before having my driver drop me off at her building. I walked into the lobby, found the elevator, and slowly rose to the top of the building.

My heart was beating so fast.

I got off on calling the shots, issuing the orders. I got off on watching a strong woman obey. I got rock-hard at making such a powerful woman submit to me, giving her body as well as her heart.

So fucking hard.

The doors opened, and I stepped into her penthouse. It was quiet and she was nowhere in sight, so I knew she had followed my directions. I pulled my shirt over my head as I crossed the living room. I kicked off my shoes next as I kept moving. I turned into the bedroom and found her exactly as I imagined, holding her body up with one arm while two fingers were buried in her ass. A bottle of lube lay on the sheets beside her. She breathed hard, stretching herself for me with obvious enjoyment.

I stared at her luscious ass as my fingers undid my belt and jeans. Silky fair skin and slender fingers. A perfect back arched and toned. Her dark hair settled between her shoulder blades.

My jeans and boxers hit the floor, and that’s when she heard me. She looked at me over her shoulder.

My cock was thicker than it’d ever been. Just when Titan had me at a new level of arousal, she exceeded it. I’d never forget the sight of this gorgeous woman fingering herself so I could fuck her tiny asshole with my enormous cock. Last time I fucked her in the ass, it hurt. But I’d have to get her used to it—because I really enjoyed it. Other women asked me to fuck them in the ass, but that was only because they thought I wanted it. The kinkier they were, the more likely it was that I would stick around. I never cared for it. But with Titan…I wanted to fuck her every single way I could. “Fuck.”

I moved onto the bed and positioned myself behind her, watching her fingers continue to work her little hole. I leaned over her and wrapped my arm around her chest. I moved my mouth to her ear, and I listened to her breathe hard as she continued to finger herself. I never told her to stop, so she better keep going. “Lubed up for me, baby?”

“Yes,” she said with a heavy breath.

“Yes, Boss Man.”

She stiffened under my words but didn’t disobey me. “Yes…Boss Man.”

I moved back and held myself on my knees. I clicked open the bottle of lube and poured it all over my dick. The second I wrapped my hand around myself and I massaged the oil into my skin, I moaned. My cock was sensitive because I was so hard in anticipation. I tossed the bottle aside then grabbed her wrist before I pulled her hand away. Her ass was stretched and ready for me, slick with the lubrication. I took myself by the base and pushed inside her.

My entry was a lot easier than last time.

I moved in slowly, feeling the profound tightness from every direction. She squeezed my dick aggressively, and I felt it twitch in pleasure. It was perfect just like last time. The view was incredible and my fat dick was happy.

She moaned at my entrance, both in pleasure and pain. She arched her back harder and took heavy breaths as she accommodated my immense size in her petite channel. I wasn’t even completely burrowed inside her, and she was struggling.

I moved farther until I was sheathed to the hilt.

She moaned again, hissing through her teeth as she combated the pain.

I had Tatum Titan on all fours, my big dick in her beautiful ass. I was a lucky son of a bitch. My hands gripped her hips as I prepared to fuck her. They slid up her waist to her tits, and I palmed both of them aggressively before I reached up and grabbed her by the back of the hair. “I’ve been thinking about this all day.” I wrapped her hair around my knuckles until I had a perfect grip.

She continued to breathe heavily.

I started to move, giving it to her slow in the beginning. I needed her to relax, to take my cock gently so it wouldn’t hurt her. But every time I thrust, my body just wanted to thrust harder. I wanted to fuck her viciously, to pound into that ass with the same aggression I fucked her pussy.

Somehow, I restrained myself.

Her moans became louder and she rocked back with me, matching my gentle pace. She sheathed my cock over and over, her tiny asshole stretched wide apart.

I already wanted to come.

I started to move faster because I couldn’t restrain myself. She breathed and moaned as she took me over and over.

I tugged on her hair and forced her face up to the ceiling. Like a puppet, she was completely under my control. I had her exactly where I wanted her, taking her in a way no other man ever had.

Fuck, I wanted to come.

My other hand moved to her clit, and I massaged her aggressively, needing to make her come fast because I wouldn’t last. I worked her clit with my large fingers, feeling the wetness that had oozed from her pussy. I couldn’t touch her like this without moving faster, so I fucked her harder than I did before.

She came quickly.

Thank god.

Her ass tightened as she came, and her entire body tensed as the euphoria swept over her. She clawed at the sheets, bucked her hips, and said my name in the midst of screams. When her moans died away and her ass loosened again, I knew she was finished.

I did the gentlemanly thing by allowing her to come first.

Now I was going to come in her ass.

I gripped both of her hips and pounded into her hard. The headboard smacked into the wall, and she moaned loudly as I took her roughly. In less than ten seconds, I hit my trigger and burst deep inside her ass.

Fucking incredible.

I gave her everything I had, depositing every drop I could inside her. I wanted it to sit there all night long, so a piece of me would always be with her. I let my cock soften inside her, feeling the phantom shots of pleasure. When I completely descended from my high, I pulled out of her.

I leaned over and pressed kisses along her spine, slightly apologetic for fucking her so ruthlessly. I loved this woman deeply, but my carnal instincts only seemed to intensify. There were times when I wanted to make love to her, to take my time and make her feel incredible with my touches and kisses.

But times like these, I just wanted to fuck her.

---

My arms were secure around her waist, and I placed kisses at the back of her neck as she stood under the running water. Drops splashed across her beautiful skin, and I licked them away with my tongue. Her audible breaths were nonexistent because the falling water drowned out the sound.

My hands explored her body like l’d never touched her before. My caresses were loving, an apology for the way I’d gripped her so violently before. I still wanted to remain in charge, but now I just wanted to feel her.

Kiss her.

Touch her.

Love her.

She turned around and faced me, the water hitting the back of her hair and washing away the conditioner. When her makeup was washed away and her hair was flat, she didn’t look like the same executive in charge of a multibillion-dollar company. She just looked like a woman, a soft and beautiful one. I adored her authoritative fire, but her subtle simmer was equally as fascinating to me.

She was gorgeous.

My hand moved to her neck, and I could feel her gentle pulse throbbing against my fingertip. She was calm, her heart rate slow and peaceful. I liked to feel the life in her veins. I liked to feel her moods when she was with me. Once my lips were on her skin, her body kicked into overdrive. But when we experienced a quiet moment together, like this one, she was perfectly comfortable.

I stepped under the water, fisted her wet hair, and kissed her.

I was satisfied from fucking her so fiercely. She was satisfied with my performance.

But I always wanted more.

I wished I could have all of her.

I tasted the water on her mouth when our tongues danced together. The water cascaded down both of our bodies, enclosing us in a hiding place where no one would ever find us. Her plump, soft lips felt erotic against mine. I could kiss her forever. I’d never kissed a woman this way in my entire life. I didn’t just feel arousal with her, but overwhelming passion. I constantly wanted more even though I’d already taken everything. Her heart rate quickened, and my breathing escalated. Her body was molded to mine, her soft tits pressing against my hard chest. Her nipples hardened against me. I could feel the tips as they puckered. My muscular arms wrapped around her petite frame, and I squeezed her tighter against me.

Minutes passed and it continued. I didn’t have an end game in mind with this. I wouldn’t mind making love to her, but that wasn’t my goal. I just wanted to kiss her, to enjoy her. I wanted to feel her in my arms, to feel her shiver at my touch.

Being in love did crazy things to me. It turned me into a different man. It softened my hard edges. It changed my priorities. Money and power didn’t seem so important anymore, not unless it made my woman happy. I’d wanted to rule this world alone, but once I’d met the perfect queen, I realized I wanted to share the throne with someone else.

I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth before I finally ended the embrace. My eyes looked into hers, seeing the same love that was burning in my heart. Her passion matched mine, if not exceeded it. I would do anything for this woman, and I knew she would do anything for me. No matter what the outside world did to either of us, we were always loyal to each other. Nothing could shake our commitment to one another. Even when she questioned my motives and struggled to trust me, she still had my back.

That was real love.

I cupped both of her cheeks and brushed my nose against hers. “I love you.” Maybe it was something I shouldn’t say since she had committed to Thorn, but I didn’t give a damn. A real man didn’t hide his feelings for the woman he loved. Whether she could handle it or not, I was going to speak my mind. I was looking at the most amazing woman in the world, and my heart was singing.

Her eyes shifted back and forth as she looked into mine, and she didn’t surround herself with any walls. She remained vulnerable to me, connected to me as we stood under the running water. When we were away from the public, we were bound together even more tightly. Our love was uninterrupted. “I love you too.”

I pressed my forehead to hers and closed my eyes, feeling the undeniable connection between us. It was difficult to see her during the day, both of us dressed in our expensive clothes with executive pretenses, when all I wanted to do was be real with her. When I walked into her office, the first thing I wanted to do was kiss her. When reporters snooped into my personal life, I wanted to tell them I was in love with Tatum Titan. When I went out with the guys, I wanted to wear a band on my left hand so women wouldn’t waste their time with me. I wanted to be transparent with my affection, wear my heart on my sleeve.

One day I would have that. I just had to be patient.

We got out of the shower, dried off, and then got into bed. I was in my boxers, and she pulled out one of my t-shirts from the drawer. It must have been one I left behind because I didn’t remember giving it to her.

It looked better on her than it did on me anyway.

I lay beside her in bed and hooked her leg over my waist. Face-to-face on the pillow, we stared at each other. I hadn’t slept through the night with her in months. It used to be a regular occurrence, but now those days were over.

I missed them.

I didn’t bother trying to stick around anymore either. She always asked me to leave, and that routinely pissed me off. That left things on bad terms, and I hated ending things that way every night. “You’re damn beautiful, you know that.”

Her eyes softened the same way they always did when I gave her an unexpected compliment. Her hand rested against my chest, and she brushed her palm against the hard muscles of my pectorals. “You’re sweet.”

“Just honest. Sometimes that makes me sweet. Sometimes it makes me an asshole.”

“You’re never an asshole to me.”

“Because you’re beautiful.” My fingers explored her waistline underneath her t-shirt.

“I think there’s more to it than that…”

I kissed the corner of her mouth. “Because I’m in love with you.”

Her eyes softened again.

I knew I was making the evening intense with my confessions, but I wasn’t going to downplay my feelings for this woman. All I could do was change the subject. “How’d it go with Kyle?”

Her fingers brushed across my skin to the center of my sternum. “He came by the office this afternoon. We sat down for a few hours and discussed our options.”

“And did you feel good about it?”

“I did,” she whispered. “He can give me exactly what I want, and I can give him exactly what he wants. He didn’t mention Vincent, which was a relief. I wouldn’t have known what to say to him if he had.”

“Nothing to discuss.”

“So we’re moving forward. It would be nice to get in everywhere that Vincent mentioned, but I’m just glad to start somewhere. It’s always been one of my biggest goals. If it weren’t for you, it wouldn’t be happening.”

My thumb swiped across her belly button. “It would still happen. Just not right now.”

A warm smile spread across her lips. “This deal was really important to me…thank you for making it happen.”

“My father can fuck with me, but he can’t fuck with you.” And he would definitely be coming after me soon enough. Kyle probably turned down his offer just a few hours ago. He was probably gripping the edge of his desk with his teeth on edge.

She explored my hard stomach with her fingertips, feeling the grooves in between the muscles. She loved the strength of my body, the way I was packed with muscle but without fat. I had a protein shake for breakfast, a protein-packed salad for lunch, and I hit the gym every day. I didn’t care that much about my health. But I cared about making her legs shake when I was buried deep inside her.

She eyed my body with a lustful expression in her gaze. Her fingertips trailed farther down until she found the outline of my cock through my boxers. She rubbed her fingers along my length and gave my shaft a gentle squeeze before she rolled me to my back. She climbed on top of me, pulled down my shorts to expose my length, and then inserted my dick inside her.

I lay back and gripped her hips, enjoying her slick pussy as much as I had that tight asshole. I loved fucking her, but I loved it when she took me when she felt like it. She knew exactly what she wanted, and she wasn’t afraid to make her intentions known. She rode my dick like a pro, her eyes locked on me.

I was definitely a lucky man.