Diesel

I was so horny I couldn’t sleep.

My dick was hard under the sheets, and it was throbbing just like a migraine did when it beat inside my skull. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand and realized my alarm would go off in thirty minutes.

I wasn’t going to bother trying to go back to sleep.

Titan was fast asleep, tucked into my side like I was her favorite stuffed animal. Her hand was wrapped around my torso, and her breaths fell across my skin.

I maneuvered out of the bed and walked into the kitchen. I set my phone down along with my laptop then made a pot of coffee. We were leaving for Thailand in a few hours. I’d probably get some sleep on the long flight.

I sat down at the kitchen table in my sweatpants and opened my laptop.

My phone lit up with a text message from my father.

My father had never texted me in his life. Give me a call when you get a chance.

I hoped everything was alright. I immediately called him back.

“Hey, Diesel,” Dad said in a deep voice. He seemed tired, like he hadn’t slept all night.

“Everything alright, Dad?”

“Yeah, everything is okay.” He continued to speak quietly, like someone might overhear him. “I’m sorry to drop this on you at the last minute. But…I was wondering if Scarlet could come along. It’s okay if it’s too late—”

“Yes.” I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. “Bring her.”

“Are you sure? Because—”

“Dad, shut up.” I’d never said those words to him in my entire life.

He was dead silent.

“It’s okay to move on. Mom would want you to. Shit, she would have wanted you to move on like five years ago. And Scarlet is super nice. She’s pretty, smart, elegant…she’s perfect for you.”

Dad’s silence suddenly filled with hostility. “How do you know that?”

Shit, I’d just incriminated myself.

“Diesel?”

Fuck. “I went by her office earlier this week.”

His tone shifted. “Why?”

“I asked her to be patient with you… I don’t want you to lose her.”

“I’ve never interfered in your personal life—”

“Are you kidding me?” I snapped. “Fuck yes, you have. You tried to turn Tatum against me by making her that deal. You blackmailed both of us. Or did you forget all of that already?”

He turned quiet again. “You’re right…but I meant that in a different context.”

“Well, I wanted to meet her. And she seems pretty damn perfect. Don’t push her away.”

“I’m not.”

“Then bring her. Let yourself be happy. And don’t be afraid or ashamed to love this woman. Everyone knows how you felt about Mom. You don’t need to continue carrying this vigil all the time. Love this woman like you loved Mom. It’s okay. Mom would want you to.” My mom had been compassionate and understanding. And she’d loved my dad as much as he loved her. It would pain her to know he was still suffering like this. “You know how much it would hurt Mom if she knew how sad you were. There’s nothing she wants more than for you to be happy. Please be happy.”

He sighed into the phone. “You’re right. I don’t think I can keep Scarlet at a distance anymore anyway…”

I didn’t ask why. I knew it was none of my business.

“There’s something about her… I knew it the first time I saw her. She’s the first woman I’ve ever…felt this way about since your mother. I guess that made me feel guilty. But I know you’re right. If I were dead and your mother were still here, I’d want her to fall in love again too.”

“Absolutely.”

“So…I think I’m ready.”

“Good. We’d love to have her.”

“You should check with Tatum. This is her big day.”

“I don’t need to check with her. She’s gonna be thrilled when she wakes up.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes, Dad. How many times do I have to say it?”

He chuckled. “You’re right. I’m a bit of an overthinker sometimes.”

“Sometimes?” I countered.

“You’re gonna turn into me someday, so watch it.”

“God, I hope not. But Tatum did say she hopes I age as well as you do.”

“Yes, I’m very handsome,” Dad teased. “So, are you excited? Nervous?”

I shut my laptop and stared at the steam rising out of my coffee. “Very excited.”

“And not nervous at all?”

“What’s there to be nervous about?”

“Everything is going to change. You’re solely responsible for another person now.”

That didn’t bother me. “I love her. I want to be responsible for her.”

I could hear his smile over the phone. “Good answer.”

“There’s no one else I’d want to spend my life. I’ve had my share of women, and none of them interested me much. But Tatum…she’s the one woman in the world who could bring me to my knees with just a few words. She earned my respect in a way no one else ever has. I’m a lucky asshole that I get to have a woman like that.”

“Well said…minus the asshole part.”

I chuckled. “Thanks.”

“Well, let me know if you need anything. I’m very excited for this wedding. I couldn’t be happier about the person you’ve chosen to spend your life with. I know she’ll take care of you. And, of course, you’ll take care of her.”

“Thanks, Dad.”

“I’ll see you later.”

“Alright.”

“And thanks for letting me bring Scarlet along.”

“She’s great, Dad. I already love her.”

“Thanks…I appreciate that.”

---

Tatum came into the kitchen after she showered. She was just in her black bra and matching thong with a towel wrapped around her head. Her windows were tinted from the outside so she was never worried someone would see her in such revealing clothes.

I glared at her.

She poured herself a mug of coffee then approached me at the kitchen table. “Morning, Mr. Hunt.”

“Morning…soon-to-be Mrs. Hunt.”

She sipped her coffee then shut my laptop. “No working. Isn’t that what we agreed on?”

My eyes moved down her body, looking at her perfect figure while trying not to drool. “We agreed on a lot of things…”

The corner of her mouth rose in a smile. “One more day.”

“I can’t sleep because my dick is hard all the time.”

“Ooh…I wish I could make him soft.”

I growled.

She sipped her coffee again. “I’ll reward your patience.”

“By getting knocked up.”

“I hope so.” She pulled out the chair and took a seat. “Is that why you were up early? Or is it because you’re getting cold feet?”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Trust me, I’m not cold. I’m hot all the damn time.”

“I hope so. Because Diesel Hunt, world’s biggest playboy and most eligible bachelor, is finally settling down. It might be hitting him right about now…” She blew on her coffee before she took another drink.

“With every passing minute, I want to marry you more.” My hand moved to hers on the table. My fingers grazed over her knuckles.

She gave me a faint smile.

“What about you? Afraid to let go of your name?” She knew she could tell me anything and I wouldn’t get upset. Whatever her feelings were, it didn’t change the fact that she wanted me to be her husband.

“I guess it bums me out a little, but I’m looking forward to taking your last name. I’m excited to hear people call me Mrs. Hunt so I can see the devastation in the eyes of every woman around me…”

“That’s possessive.”

“Oh, and you aren’t?” she countered.

I smiled. “Extremely.” I brought her hand to my mouth and kissed it. “The first time we fuck, it’s not gonna last long. I have to put that out in the open.”

“Me neither.”

I kissed her knuckles before I set her hand on the table. “My dad called.”

“At six in the morning?” she asked in surprise.

“Wanted to know if he could bring Scarlet.”

“Really? He changed his mind?”

“He did. He didn’t say why, but I’m glad he’s had a change of heart.”

“Me too. He’s a sweet man and deserves to be happy.”

I didn’t know if I would consider him to be sweet, but I was glad he had what he wanted. “I understand why it would be hard to move on from the love of your life. I couldn’t imagine my life without you. But it’s been ten years. It’s time.”

“It is.”

“And she seemed perfect. I like her.”

“I knew she was perfect when I read that article she wrote. She’s totally smitten with Vincent, and not because he’s rich.”

“No…it seems deeper than that. So, it’s okay if she comes along?”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course. We made it clear she was welcome.”

I drank my coffee and stared at my fiancée, excited we would be husband and wife when we returned to this penthouse. We hadn’t decided on where we would live, and despite my lawyer’s insistence, we didn’t sign a prenup. We were in this together—until death parted us. “We never discussed where we would be living after we tied the knot.”

“Do you have a preference?”

“What are the choices? My penthouse or yours?”

“There’s unlimited options.”

“I guess either place doesn’t matter to me. But it doesn’t make sense to keep both. One should go back on the market.”

“I made the compromise to change my name for you, so I guess I should pick.”

I didn’t argue with that because it was fair. “Alright.”

“I’d like to keep my place. It’s the first piece of property I bought once I started making money. It has a lot of sentimental value.”

“Fine with me. Then my place will go on the market.”

“But…I’m considering getting a place in Connecticut.”

I couldn’t picture her living anywhere else other than Manhattan. “Really?”

“How do you feel about that?”

“Not sure, honestly. I’ve never pictured myself commuting. And I certainly can’t picture you living outside the city.”

“I admit being in Manhattan makes life easier. But I’m not sure how I feel about raising our kids in the city.”

Our kids. I liked that.

“The city is just so constant, you know. I feel like they should have peace and quiet.”

“Whatever you want, baby. But I don’t think that’s realistic.”

“Really? Why not?”

“We’re both devoted to our work. Making us both commute forty-five minutes each way every single day sounds like a waste of time. That’s less time together. Less time with our family. Lots of people raise their kids in the city. It’s not the perfect family setting, but it’s a lot more manageable for us. I’m guessing you wanted to get a nanny?”

“Yes. But she won’t stay home with them. She’ll take care of them in my office as I work. I don’t trust anyone to take care of my children without my supervision.”

I didn’t want someone else to do everything either. “Then it makes more sense to do it in the city.”

“Is that what you prefer?” she asked.

I nodded. “We can always sell this place and get a nice townhouse a few blocks over. Maybe something in the Tribeca area. They have a lot of things to choose from, some of them with ten-thousand square feet. They have private yards, and they feel more like a house than a penthouse like this.”

“Not a bad idea…”

“And you could sell this place.”

“I don’t know if I could ever do that. Maybe we could keep it…when we need some alone time.”

I smiled at the thought. “I like that idea. I wish we could take advantage of it now…”

“Very soon, you’ll be able to take advantage of it all you want. And you’ll never have to sleep with a hard dick against your stomach again.”

I could have taken the easy way out and beat off in the shower or something, but I wanted to fulfill her wishes. She wanted me to be burning hot for her, and that’s exactly what she would get.

Even though I would have been burning hot for her, regardless.