“It’s nice to see you back at work.” I stepped inside my son’s office, seeing him returned to normalcy in his navy blue suit. He no longer wore the sorrow that had tainted his features from the moment he heard Titan had been shot. That fear had finally passed, and like after a long winter, the color was finally returning to his cheeks.

“It’s nice to be here, partially.”

I sat in the chair facing his desk and stared at my son, a man who looked so similar to me it was unsettling. Sometimes I thought of him as a boy, but when he was just as tall as I was and built like a mountain, I couldn’t view him as anything other than a man. “I’m guessing Titan is behind this?”

“She pushed me out the front door.”

I chuckled. “She’s right, though. Life goes on.”

“I still worry about her. I check on her a few times a day. But she’s always doing well.”

“There’s nothing you can help her with at this point,” I said. “Now she needs to wait to heal. Unfortunately, that takes time. When you’ve been shot in the chest, the wound doesn’t just disappear overnight.”

“I know. I’m looking forward to her being well again. Even though the doctors say she’ll be fine, I won’t drop my guard until it’s officially over.”

“Understandable.”

Diesel sat back in the leather chair and looked at me. A moment of silence passed between us, a quiet conversation that lacked words. We’d spent so many years apart that it was still strange that we were back together. It was the nicest feeling in the world to just sit with my son…to be welcome in his presence. “Jax told me he stopped by.”

“Yeah, we had lunch.”

“He said you were very forgiving.”

Diesel broke eye contact, probably because he knew he was much harsher with me than he was with Jax. “He’s my brother. It’s hard for me to stay angry with my brother. I knew he was stuck in a difficult position. He either lost his father or lost his brothers. In either scenario, he lost.”

I nodded. “I’m glad you see it that way.”

“I would try to spend more time with him, but right now, everything is so hectic.”

“It is,” I said in agreement.

“I really don’t know anything about him anymore. All I know is stuff I read in the headlines, but there’s no way to know if any of that is true.”

There were a lot of things going on in Jax’s life, things he wasn’t ready to share yet in light of Titan’s shooting. It would have to wait until a better time. “He’s not much different. Still the same little shit he’s always been.”

Diesel chuckled, showing his handsome smile he inherited from me. “You’re probably right. How are things with Brett?”

“Better. I’ve been meaning to ask him to do something. I’ve just been busy…” I thought about my lunch meeting with Scarlet Blackwood. She was surprisingly easy to talk to for a woman who existed in a world where only appearances mattered. She was understanding, attentive, and interesting.

“Busy with what?” Diesel cocked his head to the side, seemingly interested in my response.

“I’m doing a piece with Platform. They have a new line of suits they want me to model.”

“That’s a big deal. They’re huge.”

“Yeah. I also did an interview.”

Diesel shook his head. “Interviews are the worst. I don’t do them anymore.”

“I didn’t mind this one.”

“That’s cool. Does that mean you’re going to the Designer Guild’s anniversary party tomorrow, then?”

There were so many functions going on in the city that it never seemed to stop. Any reason to have a party was a good enough reason. It made the lines between work and social life blur. Sometimes they were one and the same. “Yeah. Connor is getting an award and asked me to go.”

The mention of Connor immediately soured his look. His eyes narrowed, and the smile he once wore was now gone. The only reason I noticed those subtle clues was because I was his father. He’d had the same reactions since he was a child. Some things never changed. “Are you bringing anyone?”

“No.” I’d probably run into an old flame there, but I did my best to end relationships positively. I made my intentions very clear in the beginning, that I wanted to someone to spoil for a short period of time. I warned them not to get attached to me because I wasn’t worth their investment. They would marry someone else someday. I was just a stepping stone, an experience so they would understand what they really wanted in a man in the long term.

Diesel didn’t press me on the topic. Tatum had asked me about my personal life before and was pushing me in the direction of a meaningful relationship. I never told her I had an open mind about it. No matter how old Diesel was, it would be strange for him to see me with a woman that wasn’t his mother.

It was strange just to think about my being with someone besides his mother.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” My son was a man and didn’t need me for anything anymore. But I would always be his father, so I would always ask. He would say no every single time, but maybe one day he would say yes.

“No. But thanks.”

“I’m guessing you won’t be attending the party?”

He shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere unless Titan is on my arm. Spending the night pretending to care about fashion and social elites sounds painfully boring. Not sure how you stand it.”

“I just have more patience than you,” I teased.

“I don’t believe that,” he said. “I get my stubbornness from you.”

“You get a lot of things from me, actually.” The very reason he was sitting on the top floor of this building was because he’d looked up to me his entire life. I had been hard on him since he started to walk. I taught him the real meaning of manhood. He would pass those lessons on to his own son, and the Ammo tradition would continue.

“Yeah, I suppose.” His eyes shifted away from my face. “Thanks for stopping by. I should get back to work.”

I took his dismissal in stride. I rose to my feet and buttoned the front of my suit. “I’ll stop by in a few days to see Tatum.”

“She’d like that.” Diesel walked me to the door. “And have fun tomorrow night. Let me know how the article turns out.”

“I will.” I’d missed out on a decade of hugs from my son, so I hugged him now.

He reciprocated and patted me on the back. “See you later, Dad.”

I would never get tired of hearing my children call me that. From the first time I’d heard it, it felt special to me. “See you later, son.”

---

I arrived in my Bullet, and the valet took my car. Cameras were immediately in my face, the various flashes no longer affecting me because I was used to the annoyance. A reporter stuck out her microphone and blurted out a question about Tatum.

I ignored her and walked inside.

It was nice not having a date because I didn’t have to drag her through this bullshit.

I made it inside the old opera theater and saw the stage lit up for the show. Models in their finest dresses passed me as they rushed off to talk to someone. Most of them were in dazzling gowns with endless glitter. Heavy makeup was on their faces, so when they weren’t under the stage lights, it didn’t look quite right.

I made my way to the reception room and was immediately offered a drink.

I skipped the champagne and went straight for the scotch, not interested in bubbly drinks in pretty glasses.

I saw a few friendly faces and mingled.

Thirty minutes later, I spotted Alessia across the room. Judging by her eyelash extensions, voluminous hair, and the dark eye shadow that was painted across her lids, she was one of the models for the evening. With classic Italian looks and untouchable beauty, she stared at me with the same devastated expression she gave me the night I broke it off.

I didn’t want to ignore her. I could do the awkward thing and pretend I didn’t see her, even though we both knew I saw her. But that wasn’t my style. I finished my glass and set it on an empty tray before I walked up to her. She was in a ruby red gown covered with diamonds that made the dress worth tens of thousands of dollars. It was perfect to complement her Tuscan skin and dark hair. “Sasha, you look lovely.” My arm circled her waist, and I leaned in to kiss her on the cheek.

“Thank you…” She let me kiss her before she pulled away, still wearing the same forlorn expression. For a woman so beautiful, she shouldn’t be sad over a man like me. Right now, she didn’t see it, but moving on from me was the best thing for her. She should be with a young man, someone still excited about life. She shouldn’t be with a man who was over thirty years older than her. At least, she shouldn’t have gotten so attached to me. She shouldn’t have fallen in love with me—especially when I told her not to.

“This dress fits you perfectly.”

“I know. Connor is a genius. He understands my body better than I do.”

But not better than me. “You’re going to outshine everyone tonight.”

She smiled slightly and looked away. “Still charming, huh?”

“I mean it.”

She chuckled, but in a cold way. “Have you been taking this as hard as I have?”

I didn’t answer because the truth would make me an asshole. Her company was pleasurable, and I enjoyed our adventures on my yacht and through the countryside. But her presence was just a way to pass the time. She made me laugh, made me smile, gave me good sex when the sun was down, but that was the extent of her purpose. “It’s never easy for a man to let such a beautiful woman go.” I didn’t want to hurt her, ruin her. She had a long life ahead of her, and when she found the man she wanted to spend that life with, she would understand the love she had for me would never compare. I would be nothing next to her husband, just a memory she hardly recalled. I knew that from experience…because meeting Isabella completely changed my life.

“I know you told me how it would be. I know of all the women before me…all the women after me. But young men aren’t like you, Vincent. You’re so mature, gentle, sophisticated…I miss you.” She peered at me through her thick eyelashes, her bright blue eyes gorgeous. “I miss what we had…our friendship.”

“I miss it too, Sasha. I enjoyed your company a great deal.”

“Then why did you leave?” Music played overhead, so her words weren’t audible to those around us. We could have a private conversation even in a room full of people.

Sasha was one of the women who didn’t seem obsessed with my money. She was easy to talk to and asked about my sons a lot. But she did seem smitten with my power, the invisible protection I wrapped around her. Standing in my shadow made her feel more powerful. She felt safe with me, looking up to me almost as a father figure. She had a difficult time growing up because her family was poor, and there were a lot of bumps in the road. With me, she knew she had a man who would take care of her. “It had nothing to do with you, Sasha. I know you’re sad right now, but trust me, you deserve someone better than me.”

“There is no one better than you, Vincent. You’re the kindest man I’ve ever known.” Her hand moved to my forearm. “You’re such a gentle giant. They don’t make them like you anymore.”

“When you meet a nice man your age, you’ll feel differently.” She wanted a family and a fulfilling life. That was something I would never compromise on. I already had my children, and they were grown men now. I didn’t want to start all over again, taking care of a baby in diapers. I already had a legacy to carry on my name. “But you know I’m always here for you. If you ever need anything at all, all you have to do is call.” I leaned into her again and kissed her on the cheek, bringing a sense of finality to the conversation. It almost felt idiotic having this conversation when Sasha was such a beautiful woman. She was pouring her heart out to me when I was far beneath her. I might have money, but I didn’t have her elemental goodness. She was soft like silk, easy to the touch. I was hard and callused, far too broken for someone so innately good. “Good luck tonight. I know you’ll do wonderfully.” I dropped my hand and immediately stepped away, knowing I had to put space between us. I didn’t want to upset her before her performance. Perhaps seeing her wasn’t the best idea.

I grabbed another drink and swallowed half of it in a single gulp. The fire seared my throat all the way down to my belly, and it ignited me with a warmth that was intensely soothing. When I looked across the room, my eyes fell on Ms. Alexander. The last time I saw her, Thorn had been in deep conversation with her. I wondered if their words had amounted to anything—or they just burned out.

I kept walking until my eyes spotted a brunette I thought I recognized. In a bright red dress with only one sleeve stood a woman I’d seen not too long ago. Around the waist, the dress was missing cuts of fabric, showing her bare skin. The dress fit snugly around her wide hips and down her thighs and hinted at her abs through the fabric. It stopped above her knee, and black stilettos were on her feet. She held a black clutch embedded with diamonds.

It was a classy look.

She fit right in with everyone else.

Her brown hair was loose that night, trailing to her shoulders. It was straight and shiny. Her makeup was heavier than it’d been the other day, and now she looked like one of the models about to hit the runway. The only difference between her and the girls was her age. It was noticeable in some places, but in every other way, she could compete with the girls on the stage. She had the perfect size and grace. It made me wonder if she used to be a model in her prime.

She was speaking to a woman who appeared to be the same age. They exchanged a few more sentences before the woman was pulled away by someone else.

Scarlet turned her gaze on me. A slight flash of recognition came into her eyes. Her pupils dilated before they relaxed again. Then she gave me a smile that was completely different from the one she’d just been wearing.

Now it looked real.

I crossed the room then stopped in front of her. “Ms. Blackwood, how are you?” I liked her name. It was filled with such historical reference and power. It was heavy with elegance too, the kind of poise that she carried. My hand moved to her hip, and I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

A thrill immediately went down my spine at the contact. I didn’t touch her that way when we met last week, but at a function like this, it was the cordial way of doing things. I just didn’t expect to enjoy kissing her—or how natural it felt.

She didn’t flinch at my touch, and her smile widened. “I’m well. How are you?”

I was doing a lot better now that I was talking to her. “Good. Can I get you a drink?”

“No, thank you. I’ve had way too many already.” She was standing in front of a framed image of Platform magazine. It was protected behind glass with an art light pointed directly at it. A famous actress was on the cover.

I nodded to the wall. “Looks nice.”

“Yes, that was a special edition.” She turned to examine the cover with me. “And she’s very sweet. I think people find her intimidating because of her beauty, but she’s very down-to-earth.”

Instead of looking at the picture, I stared at Scarlet instead. I watched the way her face lit up with a smile as she stared proudly at her work. In the short amount of time I’d spent with her, it became apparent how much she loved her work. It wasn’t just a job to her, but her entire life. “Can I ask you something?”

She pivoted her body back to me. “Considering the way I interrogated you last week, I think that would be okay.”

“Have you modeled?”

Instead of just smiling, a blush filled her cheeks. “You flatter me, Mr. Ammo.”

Employees and acquaintances called me that. It didn’t feel right hearing her address me so formally. We were surrounded by alcohol, half-naked women, and loud music. This wasn’t a business meeting. “Please call me Vincent.”

“Very well. Then you must call me Scarlet.”

“I will.”

“To answer your question, yes. I did a very long time ago. That was how I got started in the business. I modeled evening gowns and lingerie. When I retired from that career, I still wanted to be involved in fashion and beauty. That’s how I got here.”

The idea of her modeling lingerie got my attention. “How long ago was that?”

“I retired when I turned thirty. That was twelve years ago.”

She was forty-two. She was fourteen years younger than me. That didn’t seem like such a big difference when most of my companions were in their early twenties. “What do you love more? Modeling or running the magazine?”

“I don’t love one more than the other. They’re completely different. I had a very illustrious modeling career, and it gave me such an adventurous life. But once it was time to close that chapter, I wasn’t too upset about it. It was time to move on. Now I’m in a different chapter of my life, and I’ve embraced it.”

I liked her perspective on life. “That’s a good way to look at it.”

“Thirty is very old for a model, as young as that seems. I could have continued, but it would have required cosmetic surgery, and that was a route I didn’t want to take. It looks great on some women, but I knew it wasn’t for me. Aging is nothing to be ashamed of, and I feel just as beautiful now as I did then.”

“I agree with you.” It was one of the things I’d first noticed about her. She had hints of age, but that didn’t deter from her beauty. She was definitely gorgeous, and her natural looks highlighted her features even more. She reminded me of myself, embracing age while taking care of her appearance as much as possible—naturally. I’d been with models for a long time, but I found Scarlet far more beautiful than all of them. I couldn’t explain why.

“I just don’t think a woman should change her appearance to be considered beautiful.”

“You’re right. And you don’t need it, Scarlet.”

The blush filled her cheeks again. “You’re very sweet, Vincent. I understand why the girls adore you.”

“The girls?” I wasn’t sure to whom she was referring. I’d seen in the tabloids that the media considered me to be a very sexy man despite the slight gray that had come into my hair. They said I’d aged phenomenally well, and people couldn’t believe my age when I said it. But I didn’t have fangirls the way a boy band did.

“The models,” she explained. “Meredith, Natalie, Sasha…you’ve been mentioned quite a few times.”

I supposed it was naïve to think they didn’t talk about me when I wasn’t around. I never spoke of them to anyone because it wasn’t the gentlemanly thing to do. And it must be awkward between them, knowing they all dated the same man.

“Don’t worry, they only said good things.”

I always treated them like goddesses, so I hoped they didn’t have any ill feelings toward me. If I ever ran into any of them, I would always stop and say hello. “That’s good to know.”

“Sasha seemed to take the breakup hard. She’s been eating even less than usual.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” I didn’t want any woman to be sad over me. I wasn’t worth their time, not when there was something so much better out there.

Despite the heavy subject, her opinion of me didn’t seem to change. “Have models always been your type?”

“I suppose.” I didn’t plan for it on purpose. It just seemed to happen that way. Whenever I met them at a social event, I recognized them. We started talking, and one thing led to another.

“Was your wife a model?”

I didn’t talk about Isabella. I’d already made that clear. “Is this off the record?”

“Vincent, nothing is on the record unless you want it to be. And I know you don’t want this printed.”

She could be leading me into a trap, but she didn’t seem like that kind of person. Instinctively, I felt like I could tell her things I couldn’t share with others. She seemed understanding, compassionate. “Yes. We met when I was in college. I told her I wanted to take care of her, so she quit modeling so we could have a family.”

“You must have been young at the time.”

“Very. I was twenty when I met her.”

“I had my daughter at the same age. It must have been love at first sight for you.”

“No.” I stared at the picture on the wall, thinking of the first time I laid eyes on her at a party off campus. “It was more than that.” Isabella had looked at me, a smile on her lips. I had no idea how I’d looked when I stared at her. In that moment, I somehow knew that beautiful brunette was destined to fill my heart for the rest of my life.

Scarlet’s eyes softened, filled with emotion. “You had Diesel when you were twenty-one?”

“Yeah.”

“Then she must have had Brett…”

I didn’t like talking about it. “Yeah, she was very young.”

“And her being a young mother didn’t bother you?”

“No.” Ordinarily, I wouldn’t have been interested in a woman like that. But Isabella was different.

“So then you must have gotten married almost immediately after you met.”

“Yeah. I asked her to marry me six months after I met her.”

Scarlet seemed genuinely interested in what I was saying. It didn’t seem like she was asking out of politeness. “Wow, then your relationship must have been intense.”

“It was.” I asked Isabella to marry me, took care of her while I finished college so she could raise our family, and when I launched my first company and became a millionaire, I bought her a small apartment in the city. As my wealth grew, I lavished her with more things. We had Jax shortly afterward, and then our family was complete.

“I’m sorry about what happened,” she whispered. “I know it doesn’t mean much, especially since she’s been gone for so long, but I mean it.”

“Thank you, Scarlet.” As the years passed, some things got easier. But I never stopped missing Isabella. I never stopped dreaming of her. Some days were better than others. Some days, I could think of her fondly and appreciate the memories I had of her. But other days, it was difficult just to get out of bed.

I noticed Scarlet didn’t wear a wedding ring, but that didn’t necessarily mean she wasn’t married. “Do you have someone in your life?”

“No. I’ve been divorced for almost ten years now.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Oh, don’t be,” she said with a scoff. “I shouldn’t have married him in the first place. I was young when I had Lizzie, and getting married seemed like the right thing to do at the time. But we did it for the wrong reasons, and it wasn’t a good relationship.”

“Your daughter’s name is Lizzie?” I asked.

“Yeah. She’s a sweet girl.”

“Do you have a picture of her?”

“Of course.” She smiled brightly as she pulled out her phone. Her wallpaper was a picture of her daughter, a young brunette that looked just like her. She had a nice smile, the same colored eyes, and she had the appearance of a kind person. “She’s at NYU right now. She wants to be a nurse.”

“That’s nice.”

She put her phone back in her clutch.

“She’s a beautiful girl.”

“Thank you. I’ll never say this to her, but having her was the most difficult thing I’ve ever done. It was twenty at the time and getting started with modeling. Money was always difficult, and my husband wasn’t a good man. But she’s the most important thing in my life, and she’s my whole world. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. She completes me more than any relationship I’ve ever had.”

That was exactly how I felt about my sons. The fact that I could still see Isabella when I looked at them made me cherish them even more. “I think that’s how every parent feels about their kids.” I noticed it was the second time she’d spoken ill of her ex-husband, and she unleashed a harsh insult. “Your ex-husband wasn’t a good man?”

Her gaze shifted away, and her smile died. “Yeah, but that doesn’t matter anymore. It’s in the past—where it belongs. My daughter keeps in touch with him, but she doesn’t have a clue what happened between the two of us—and that’s how I want it to be. I don’t want Lizzie to hate her father—even if she should.”

Now I wanted to know more. Did he hurt her? Did he break her heart? I shouldn’t care about something that happened over a decade ago, but I did care. She dismissed the topic with her last statement, so I didn’t press the subject. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t still curious. “She’s your only child?”

“Yep. So she’s a bit spoiled.” Her smile returned when the subject of her ex had been dropped. “I’ve never known a love the way you describe with your wife. In my experience, men aren’t heroic or romantic. Maybe it’s just the line of business I’m in, but the handsome men I encounter are either jerks or gay.” She chuckled at the end, laughing it off. “Or just mostly gay.”

A woman across the room called her over. “Scarlet, let me introduce you to Tom!”

Scarlet waved back before she turned back to me. “Excuse me, Vincent. I hope you have a good night. I’ll let you know when I’m finished with the article.” She gave me a smile before she turned away.

I wanted to grab her, but I didn’t. “Scarlet.”

“Yes?” She turned back to me, her acquaintances staring at us from their formation.

I didn’t know why I asked her to turn around. I guess I didn’t want her to walk away—not yet. Our conversation was intriguing, and I found myself wanting it to continue. She wasn’t exceptional, but I found her interesting. I loved the way she smiled so genuinely, the way she adored her daughter and wore her heart on her sleeve. I loved the way she still held herself so elegantly even when the subject turned heavy. “Have lunch with me tomorrow.”

Her smile fell as a blank look entered her expression. She obviously hadn’t been expecting me to make that request.

In all honesty, I hadn’t been expecting to do it.

But I knew I wanted to keep talking to her—and not in a crowded room where people could distract us.

I wanted it to be just the two of us.

I wanted to look at her beautiful face and watch her stare back at me. I wanted to know everything about her life, everything about her daughter. I wanted to see her in tight clothing, see the way her waist still curved in so sexily. She didn’t look like a forty-two-year-old mother exactly the way I didn’t look like a fifty-six-year-old man.

I’d been with the most beautiful models in the world.

But they didn’t hold a candle to Scarlet Blackwood.

She was more than a pretty face.

She was a pretty soul—a soul that had pierced through my armor and touched mine.

Finally, she answered, “I’d love to.”

---

I rose from my chair when she reached the table, and I greeted her with a kiss on the cheek just as I did last night.

She leaned into it, expecting it this time.

I pulled out the chair for her then sat down.

She did the same.

She wore a black blouse with large shiny buttons down the front and a tropical blue scarf. Her hair was in curls that day, and the strands floating around her shoulders. She was in black jeans, and the dark colors made her look even thinner than she did last night. She wore a few rings, rose gold and sparkly.

I realized I hadn’t said anything to her yet. “Thanks for meeting me.”

“Happy to be here.” She smiled at me, immediately bringing a sense of comfort to the table. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dressed in anything but a suit before.”

Since it was Saturday, I was in dark jeans and a long-sleeved black t-shirt. The bulk of my wardrobe consisted of suits because that’s what I wore most of the time. It was nice to wear something casual on the weekends. A lot more comfortable than the thick material that had been measured to fit my frame perfectly. It was always constricting, no matter how soft the fabric was.

“You look nice,” she added.

“Thanks. You look nice as well.”

She smiled then looked down at her menu.

The waiter came over and took our drink orders. Since we were ready, we made our entrée selections too. We were sitting right against the window, people passing back and forth outside on the sidewalk.

“Did you stay late last night?” I’d met up with some acquaintances, and we’d watched the fashion show from one of the closer rows. I connected with Connor Suede later, and he introduced me to Ms. Alexander. She was a highly intelligent scientist who had changed the entire landscape of energy. Then Thorn stepped into the conversation. It seemed tense at the time, but I wasn’t sure if that was real or just my overactive intuition.

“Later than I wanted to. But I did have fun. What about you?”

“I left shortly after the show. After I had a few words with Connor, I left.”

“He’s a fascinating man. He really has a talent when it comes to fashion. It’s truly incredible. I bought a few of his jackets years ago, and I still wear them regularly. To him, the fabric is more important than the design. His simple approach to wardrobe is what I like the most. Sometimes you see designers debut these loud outfits that just don’t seem practical.”

I nodded in agreement even though I couldn’t relate. The same woman had been picking out my clothes for years. She knew what I liked and what I despised. Fashion had never been important to me—only money.

She looked down and chuckled. “I’m sorry. I could ramble on about fashion forever…”

“No need to apologize. You know what you love.”

“And what do you love, Vincent?”

I led a very simple life despite my wealth. There were only a few things I cared about. “My sons. I’m very lucky that they’ve transitioned from sons to friends. I love sports. I love to golf. My favorite hobby is to sail through the Mediterranean on my yacht. An excellent wine paired with the right cheese is something I look forward to every time I’m in the South of France. And once in a while, I allow myself the luxury of freshly baked bread.”

She hung on my every word, like she was imagining all the sights in my mind.

“Those are the things I’m passionate about.”

“I liked how you didn’t mention work at all.”

I didn’t realize that until now. “I’ve accomplished everything I’ve wanted to do in the business world. I’m proud of my achievements, but I’m no longer passionate about it. There’s more to life than work.”

“Well said. It sounds like you do an excellent job of balancing work and pleasure.”

“I work hard so I can play hard.” Sasha and I took a trip to Greece together just a few months ago. We explored Santorini from my yacht, and I fed her grapes while she lay around in her bikini. Those quiet moments of beauty wouldn’t be possible if I didn’t hustle at the office.

She nodded. “Well said again.”

“Have you traveled much?”

“I’ve been to Italy and France many times for work. In fact, I’m there regularly. Both are beautiful countries. I love every moment when I’m there. I haven’t sailed in a yacht, but the view from land is still wonderful.”

“Have you taken your daughter along?”

“No. She’s very involved in her own life. She’s always wanted to be a nurse, so she’s volunteered at the hospital for a long time. And now that she’s in school, she’s very committed to her profession.”

“She’s ambitious.”

“Very.” Like always, she smiled when she spoke of her daughter.

I rested my back against the chair and kept my shoulders straight. My eyes were glued to her face, and I couldn’t help but stare. My gaze was naturally intimidating because direct eye contact didn’t unnerve me. But when it came to some people, I had to be careful.

With Scarlet, she didn’t seem to mind. Sometimes she held my gaze, and sometimes she looked away.

Nothing else in the restaurant took my notice. I was more interested in the freckles on her right cheek and the thickness of her eyelashes. She wore a dark lipstick, and that made her smile more apparent.

And more beautiful.

“I spoke to Sasha at the end of the night.”

I already knew where this was going before she even finished.

“She mentioned you.”

I held her gaze, unsure what to say in response. My conversation with Sasha didn’t go poorly, but it didn’t go well either. “She’s a nice woman. She’ll bounce back.”

“She had a lot of nice things to say about you. She said you’re the most wonderful man she’s ever met…and she loves you.”

I didn’t want Sasha to love me, not when I didn’t love her in return. I wanted her to find happiness in a man much better than me. “I never meant to hurt her. I told her up front what our relationship was. Maybe I let it go on too long. Maybe I should have warned her better. I care about her and don’t want her to be in pain. I wish there were something I could do, but there’s nothing I can do.”

When Scarlet mentioned Sasha, there didn’t seem to be any accusation in her tone. She seemed to be asking as a friend rather than a nosy person. “When you date women like Sasha…what exactly are you looking for?”

Our relationship had shifted from professional to something else. Now we seemed to be friends, exchanging stories about life. There wasn’t judgment on the table. There was only understanding. “Companionship.”

“And nothing more?”

I shook my head. “Nothing more. Sasha deserves to be with a man who can give her everything she deserves. I’m not that man. She wants a family someday, which is something I’m not interested in. She’s looking for passionate love, and I can’t offer her that either. The only thing I can offer is exotic trips, expensive jewelry, and good sex.” It didn’t seem appropriate to talk about such crass things so bluntly, but that was the entire truth.

“Do they usually want more?”

“Sometimes. I suspect some of them think they can change my mind.”

“Change your mind about what?” she asked.

“About something more serious.”

“Is there a reason why you aren’t looking for something more serious?”

Now I knew we weren’t talking about the article at all anymore. This was just between her and me. “When I lost Isabella, all of my love was buried with her. I couldn’t imagine loving someone, not after I loved her. So I decided to have short-term relationships that would give me what I needed.”

She nodded slightly, as if she understood.

“What about you?” I wanted to know what she was looking for. I wanted to know what she wanted in a man, in a partner.

“What about me?” she asked.

“What’s your romantic life like?”

“Pretty boring, honestly,” she said with a chuckle. “I haven’t been on a date in…at least a year.”

A year? That was a long time to go without some kind of companionship. I was single for three years after Isabella passed away. That’s how long it took me before I could begin to feel attracted to other women. I didn’t want to say something rude, but silence was worse. “That’s a long time…”

“Yeah, it is,” she said with a sigh. “But most of the men my age are happily married. So the dating pool is pretty small. And the rest of the men usually consist of weirdos or jerks. I don’t want to settle for someone I’m not truly in love with, so I’d rather be alone. And being alone isn’t all that bad. My sister lives here, so I see her all the time, along with my nephews. And I have my daughter, of course. I have great friends and a wonderful job. I don’t need a man to complete me. At least, just any man…”

I understood her perspective. I hadn’t tried dating anyone my own age because I wasn’t looking to get remarried, so I went after women who were too young for me. This was the first time I’d sat across someone who was actually compatible with me.

That scared me a little bit.

Silence stretched between us, growing heavier by the second. I noticed the necklace around her throat and the subtle eye shadow on her lids. There was a single freckle at the top of her wrist. The longer I was in her presence, the more I absorbed her into my memory. It was difficult for me to imagine a woman like her ever finding a man good enough for her. It didn’t surprise me that dating was virtually impossible.

The waiter brought our food, shattering our silence momentarily.

Now that we grabbed our silverware and ate, the quiet wasn’t as noticeable. I knew our lack of conversation wasn’t due to discomfort. In fact, it was the contrary. We didn’t need to fill the silence with words to make it easier.

I liked that.

I was a man of very few words. I liked a woman who accepted that, who didn’t ask if there was something wrong just because I had nothing to say.

She took a few bites of her salad then stared at me across the table. “Any news on Titan?”

“She’s the same.” Sitting at home and waiting for the healing process to finish.

“Do they have any wedding plans?”

“Not that I know of. I suspect they’ll tie the knot the second she’s better. Neither one of them wants a big wedding.”

“A big wedding isn’t necessarily a better wedding.”

“I thought about offering Isabella’s dress to Titan, but I’m not sure if I will.”

Her eyes softened. “You still have it?”

“It’s in my closet.” I’d packed up most of her things and put them in storage. It was too difficult to throw her things away, like her favorite cardigan or the scarf she always wore around Christmastime. But I didn’t want to see them every single day either. Her dress was one thing that I kept. My collared shirts and slacks all hung in a row. At the very end was her white dress in the plastic covering.

“I’m sure Titan would feel honored if you offered.”

“But I already gave Diesel her engagement ring. I think I should save the dress for the next son who gets married…to make it fair.”

“Aww…Titan is wearing her ring?”

I nodded.

“That’s very sweet.”

It’d been sitting in my nightstand ever since I buried Isabella. My ring was with hers. It took me two years after her death to finally stop wearing it. “It looks great on Titan. I think Isabella would be happy to see her wear it.”

“Too bad they didn’t get to meet.”

Too bad she didn’t get to experience so much with me. She died far too young. I would always be bitter about it. I was supposed to go first. “Yeah. But I’m sure she’s watching over us. She’s seen the fine men the boys turned out to be. She’s seen all my mistakes as well as my redemption.”

“And I’m sure she’s very proud of you too.”

There was nothing to be proud of, if you asked me.

As if she could read my mind, she responded to my thought. “You raised those boys on your own. They all turned out great, so you must have done something right. You carried on even when it was difficult. Not many people would have been as strong as you.”

“You’re too kind.” The only thing that kept me going was my boys. If I hadn’t had them, I wasn’t sure how I would have made it through that difficult time. Even today, they acted as my crutch.

“I’m being sincere, Vincent. You shouldn’t be too hard on yourself.”

“Even after what I did to Brett?”

She shook her head. “Everyone behaves differently when it comes to grief. You can’t judge someone when you’ve never known that kind of pain. Loss turns you into a different person. It affects each of us differently, just as medication affects everyone else differently. You really shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. I know your wife wouldn’t want you to.”

“You think so?” I whispered.

“I know so.”

“How?” I’d always wanted Isabella’s approval, but I wouldn’t get it until my time had come.

“Because she loved you.”