I wasn’t sure why I got so upset with Titan.

She didn’t cross the line with what she said. She didn’t say anything insulting.

But I didn’t want to hear anything when it came to my father.

Perhaps I had more issues than I realized.

I finally returned to my office after a meeting that ran later than I anticipated. I skipped lunch because there wasn’t time, and the only thing sitting in my belly was the last cup of coffee I drank.

Natalie spoke through the intercom. “Sir, Vincent Hunt is here to see you.”

I froze in place, but my surprise quickly vanished. This unexpected meeting shouldn’t be so unexpected. My father would execute his vendetta against me until he was finally satisfied with the results. He wanted to catch me with my pants down, see me with my guard down.

Unfortunately for him, my guard was never down.

He picked a bad time to stop by because I had more important things to worry about, but I wouldn’t turn him away and look like a pussy. If I excused him, it would seem like I was avoiding him.

I didn’t avoid anyone.

“Send him in,” I said coldly.

“Yes, sir.”

I closed my laptop, shoved my paperwork into my drawer, and hid all traces of what I was working on. I didn’t want him to know more than he needed to. Megaland could have been his, and if he knew what my plans were, it was guaranteed he would try to sabotage them.

Did other people have fathers that hated them so much?

Vincent walked inside a moment later, dressed in stealth black with a matching expression. Even his watch was black. He stared me down the second we were in the same room together. He was just as hostile as in our last encounter. He held his physique perfectly straight as he welcomed himself into my personal space. Like last time, he unbuttoned the front of his jacket before he gracefully lowered himself into the leather armchair. He crossed his legs, a black folder tucked under his arm.

This should be fun.

A long time ago, I learned to never speak first. If someone approached me, I had the upper hand. They were expected to make an explanation for their appearance. I had just to sit there and wait.

So I waited.

Nothing.

My father would drag this out as long as possible because uncomfortable silences didn’t unnerve him.

They didn’t unnerve me either.

His eyes remained focused on mine, the direct contact incredibly hostile. His jaw was slightly clenched, but not overly. He didn’t present the folder to me, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was inside.

What trick did he have up his sleeve?

Christmases had passed without a phone call. Birthdays had come and gone without a card. The anniversary of my mother’s death was acknowledged in silence. I thought of him on every single important day, but I never considered contacting him. I knew he didn’t consider contacting me either.

He finally pulled the folder from the crook of his arm and rested it against his knee. “This is going to be very simple.”

My pulse started to escalate, knowing he was about to drop a bomb on me.

“I want Megaland. You’re going to give it to me.”

I tried to control my reaction, but I couldn’t. My eyes constricted as they narrowed on his face. That company was mine because I made the better offer. I didn’t resort to trickery to get what I wanted. I was a better businessman than he was. That was the simple truth. To demand for me to hand it over was ridiculous.

“I’m not paying you for it. Consider it a reimbursement for the private schools, college tuition, and every dime I spent raising you.” He finally tossed the folder on my desk. “I want the paperwork signed this afternoon. End of story.”

I didn’t look at the folder because my gaze was still focused on him. I was offended by the insult, that he thought he could come in there and rob me without repercussions. I didn’t negotiate with terrorists—and that was exactly what my father was. “If it’s that important to you, I’ll write you a check to cover every expense, from the hospital visit where I was born until the last tuition payment. But I’m not giving you that company. The guys chose me because I was the better businessman.”

“They never met me, so how would they know?”

“Exactly,” I countered. “I made you irrelevant, which is why I’m the better partner.”

The insult must have stung, but he hid his reaction. His features were so neutral it seemed like he was sitting across from a wall rather than a person. His body remained rigid and still, the muscles of his frame keeping him perfectly straight. “Open the folder.”

I held his gaze a moment longer, refusing to follow his command right away. He’d dug up something about me, but I had nothing to hide. I didn’t live the life of a saint, but I never hid my visits to the underworld. I’d been seen in strip clubs, bars, on my yacht with three beautiful women all to myself. I was America’s playboy, a man the media found to be a superficial heartbreaker. But they also described me as one of the most successful and intelligent business owners on the face of the planet. I didn’t see how there could be anything in this folder the world hadn’t already seen. My reputation was untouched because it didn’t matter. As a man, I could get away with almost anything, and people didn’t seem to care. If I were a woman, this would be a completely different ball game.

I pulled the folder closer to me then opened it.

It was a pile of pictures. The first one was of me kissing Titan right against the wall. We were both dressed in our finest for the charity gala that had happened last week. Her legs were hiked around my waist, and I was nearly crushing her into the wall. Even in a photograph, the heat and passion were undeniably obvious.

Fuck.

I looked at the photo underneath and saw a picture of myself entering Titan’s building at eleven in the evening. There was another of me kissing her in the office at Stratosphere. It was taken from the Chrysler building across the street. My father must have positioned people all over the place in the hopes of getting a shot the second we let our guards down.

Jesus Christ.

I didn’t look any further because I’d seen enough. My eyes rose to his face, and I held his expression, still wearing my poker face. I had very low expectations of my father, but this, by far, had exceeded them.

Asshole.

The second I knew my father was onto us, we should have been smarter about it. We should have taken precautions to make sure we weren’t seen. I was normally a careful man, but my intense love blinded my ability to think clearly.

Now I was paying the price for it.

A slight smile came across his face, which was filled with a gentle gloat. “Give me Megaland, or I’ll hand these over to every major publication. Titan will be seen as a two-timing whore, and her empire will fall. She’ll lose her endorsements, her reputation, and worst of all, her respect.”

I’d never wanted to hit my father more than I did at that moment. “She’s not a whore.”

“Never said she was. But that’s how the world will see her.”

“She’s not a cheater either. She and Thorn—”

“Don’t care. Give me Megaland, Diesel.”

I didn’t want to cave to a man so evil in nature. He was exploiting the love of my life to get what he wanted. It was dirty and not respectable. The cruelty was horrific, and I felt helpless to do anything about it. I’d invested a lot of time and money into that company. It was on track to be one of the biggest electronic brands in the world. Now it was being ripped out of my hands, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it. “I thought you liked Titan.” It was one thing to manipulate me because, in a way, I deserved it. But to bring someone else into our drama was just spiteful.

“I’m very fond of her.”

“Then why would you do this to her?”

“It’s just business,” he said simply. “Nothing personal.”

“Nothing personal?” I asked incredulously. “You’re threatening to ruin everything she built just to screw me over.”

“That’s how the world works.”

“For an asshole like you, maybe,” I snapped. “Leave her out of it.” I slid the folder back across the desk. “You have beef with me, not her. She’s a good person and doesn’t deserve this.”

“Couldn’t agree more.” He rested his arms on the armrests of his chair, making himself comfortable in his enemy’s lair. “She’s got ruthless intelligence, extreme poise, and she not only keeps up with the men, but she beats them at their own game. I completely understand your fascination with her. She’s exceptional.”

“Then back off.” I kept my voice steady, but my tone deepened with anger.

A soft smile spread across his face. “Give me what I want, and I will.”

I clenched my jaw, so angry I couldn’t even think straight.

My father continued to smile because he knew he had me. “We both already know how this is going to end. You’re just drawing it out and making it more painful.”

“What makes you think I’ll agree?” He had pictures of us together, but he didn’t know anything about our relationship. He didn’t know what it was like when it was just the two of us. He couldn’t wrap his mind around the kind of love we had—because he’d never experienced it. He was an empty vessel without a soul.

He released a faint chuckle. “Diesel, let’s not play games. I know you’re stupidly in love with this woman—and she’s just as in love with you. She’d do anything for you, and I have no doubt you’ll give me whatever I want to protect her.”

God fucking dammit.

“You want to know how I know?”

I kept my silence.

“You look at her the way I used to look at your mother.”

For a millisecond, the rage disappeared. Time stood still, and I remembered seeing my parents together in the living room after I was supposed to be in bed. They would sit together at the end of the couch, their bodies wrapped around each other as they enjoyed a bottle of wine. There was lots of touching, kissing, and laughter. The TV wasn’t on, and only the fire burned in the fireplace. My father used to smile a lot. After she was gone, I never saw him smile like that again.

My father rose to his feet and left the folder on the desk. “My team will be in touch. I expect to sign those papers this afternoon.”

I didn’t object, seething in my silence. Megaland was one of my greatest achievements, and I had to hand it over without a fight. I had to submit to this man’s cruelty and behave like a puppet. It went against everything I believed in, but I couldn’t let him ruin Titan. It wasn’t an idle threat, and I knew he would make good on his word. The world would turn against Titan, crucifying her for being a liar, a cheater, and a whore. It would hurt Thorn too, which would break Titan’s heart.

I couldn’t let that happen to her.

Not to the woman I loved.

He buttoned the front of his suit and headed to the door. “I’ll see you soon, Diesel.” He shut the door then was gone.

That’s when I finally lost my shit and threw everything off the desk, breaking my laptop, slamming my phone against the wall, and scattering everything I’d been working on onto the floor. The pictures of Titan and me escaped from the folder and landed on top of the mess, as if they were purposely haunting me.

Fuck.

---

With our legal teams and the consent of the other three owners, we signed the paperwork in one of my conference rooms.

I signed every line, initialed when required, and gave one of my biggest accomplishments to my greatest enemy.

I handed everything across the table, and his team looked it over.

Vincent only had eyes for me, enjoying every second of his victory. He couldn’t hide his silent gloat, his satisfying revenge. I’d publicly humiliated him, and now he was doing the same to me. The world wouldn’t know about the new ownership of Megaland right away, but eventually, the news would travel.

When everything was completed to their satisfaction, the meeting was adjourned.

The company was no longer mine.

I lost five million dollars in one day. The money didn’t bother me, but the forced default was humiliating.

But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Money was just money. Titan’s reputation was priceless.

The team walked out, but my father remained behind. Probably to get in the last word before he walked off with the company I had won fair and square.

But I walked up to him and faced him with the same squared shoulders and straight spine. I held my head high and refused to acknowledge this as a defeat. He’d lost my mother and two of his sons, so now all he had was money. But I had something far more valuable. I had the love of an amazing woman—and I loved her even more. That was worth more than all my assets combined.

Everyone left the room, so Vincent stared at me, eye level with me because we were the exact same height. “You love her. She loves you. So why is she marrying Thorn?”

I didn’t know what his question meant. On the surface, it seemed genuine, like a father asking his son if everything was okay. There was no benefit to knowing this information. All he should care about was having dirt on me. But perhaps I was overthinking it. “It’s complicated.”

His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked into my gaze. The same deep brown eyes stared back at me, the same ones I’d been staring at all my life. They looked exactly the same whether he was angry or calm. “If you want her, then make it uncomplicated.”

---

I sat on the couch in my living room with a cold beer in front of me. I still wore my suit, but I undid my tie the second I walked inside. It was one of those nights when I needed something more than a beer, something stronger to accompany my misery. So I grabbed a cigar and smoked it right in the living room even though it would smell for a few days.

I didn’t give a damn.

I debated telling Titan everything that happened. She would be sympathetic and give me the kind of affection to chase away the pain. But if I’d told her the truth, she would have told me not to take the deal.

Knowing her, she would rather take the fall than let me suffer.

She would march down to my father’s office and give him a piece of her mind.

So it was best if I didn’t say anything.

She’d feel terrible if she knew what I sacrificed for her.

She might find out some other way, but by then, enough time would have passed that I would be over it. And if she knew my father had pictures of us together, she would get paranoid. She might stop sleeping with me altogether.

I’d stay quiet.

Normally, I’d already be at her place with my clothes on her bedroom floor. My sorrow and desire would be buried between her legs at this very moment. We’d be completely connected, mind, body, and soul. She’d tell me she loved me just before she came, and I’d say it back while edging myself.

But I wasn’t in the mood to do anything tonight other than smoke my cigar.

I wished my mother were still alive. Life would be so much different. My father would still be happy, Brett would have had the same childhood I did, and I wouldn’t have one of the biggest suits in the world as my enemy. My mother was the glue that kept us all together. But now that she was no longer around, we moved further apart from each other.

She’d be disappointed in all of us.

Especially me.

My phone sat on the coffee table and lit up with a message from Titan. Miss you.

I stared at the message and took another puff of my cigar. The words went straight down to my crotch, making me hard. When I read the words, I could hear her sexy voice. I could hear the slight desperation in the way she spoke.

I wanted to avoid her because I wouldn’t be able to fake a different mood. I was livid with my father, and nothing would change that, not even good sex. But I wanted to get lost in her embrace, to make love and forget all the bullshit surrounding our lives. Only Titan could sheathe my anger, could make me smile in the midst of grief.

I wasn’t just angry that I’d lost Megaland.

I was devastated my own father would blackmail me like that.

My own flesh and blood.

Why hadn’t my mother lived and my father died?

Did it make me evil for even thinking that?

Her message went unanswered for thirty minutes. I wanted to say something back, but I was too overwhelmed with my self-destructive thoughts to do anything but smoke. I smoked my cigar until I reached the butt then dropped it into the ashtray.

I wrote back. I always miss you.

Good. Because I just stepped inside the lobby of your building.

She wanted me badly. She didn’t wait for me to come to her. I loved that about her. If she wanted something, she made it happen.

She didn’t waste time.

The elevator beeped before the doors opened. She stepped inside with her beautiful legs in stilettos. She wore a long black jacket to protect her from the cold. She stepped inside, her long brown hair straight and shiny. The jacket was instantly removed, and she made herself at home.

I walked toward her and dropped my jacket as I went.

The second she looked at me, her face hardened as she recognized the unease in my expression. She knew me well enough to understand if I was being haunted by demons she couldn’t see. Her hand moved to my chest, and she parted her lips to speak.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” My hand slid into her hair as I prepared to kiss her. “But I want you to make me forget about it.” My mouth moved to hers and we combined our lips. I felt her bottom lip and sucked it gently before I gave her my tongue. My hand tugged on her hair gently, and I deepened our kiss, immediately finding comfort in our heated touch.

She undressed me with confident fingers, peeling my clothes away until I was naked. Her fingers explored the hard lines of my body, feeling my impeccable chest and tight abs. She loved my shoulders the best, so she visited those frequently.

I loved the dresses she wore because they were so easy to remove. Once the zipper was down, it fell away. Her bra and panties came next, and then this gorgeous woman was in just heels.

I kept the shoes on.

I lifted her into the air and carried her into my bedroom. I wanted her on her back, knees spread, and my entire cock buried inside her. I wanted it deep and slow, coming in her over and over again.

I wanted to come until she couldn’t take any more.

I got her on the mattress, her head placed perfectly on a pillow, and then I slid inside her with one heavy thrust.

Her mouth fell open, and she gripped my biceps as she felt my large length press inside her.

My arms pinned her knees back, and I folded her underneath me. I pressed her into the mattress, made her sink deep into the bed, and then I moved. I moved hard and fast, getting up to speed right from the beginning. My cock enjoyed her wet tightness, and I quickly fell into the passion that blocked out the rest of the world.

I wanted to do this every night.

I wanted to fuck her the second I came home from work every day.

My cock only wanted this perfect pussy.

“Baby…” A deep moan erupted from the back of my throat. When I slid through her perfection, I didn’t care about the nightmares that lived outside the four walls of my penthouse. The connection between us was powerful enough to make me forget my hardships and heartbreaks. The loss of my company seemed insignificant when I had something so much better.

I just wished she were truly mine.

Her nipples hardened, and she began to hold her breath, preparing for the wonderful explosion between her legs. “I love you.” She fisted my short hair and gripped my shoulder, another wave of moisture erupting between her legs. She said those words to me more often now than she did before.

I’d fallen in love with her more with every passing day, so it didn’t surprise me. Hearing her confession of love always made me feel more like a man. It comforted me because I knew we would be okay. Our love was strong enough to protect us. It would bring us together eventually. I wasn’t scared about her ending up with Thorn.

I knew she’d end up with me.

Eventually. “I love you too, baby.”