I was working at my desk when Thorn stopped by for a visit.

He entered my office and dropped into the chair facing my desk. He got right to the point of his visit, talking about business. We didn’t officially share ownership of any of our companies, but we still worked together to make our assets as successful as possible. If we were going to combine our holdings, we wanted to bring as much to the table as we could.

Thorn scrolled through his phone as he ran off numbers to me.

I recorded what he said then discussed Stratosphere. It was a slow launch in the beginning, but Hunt and I were seeing success immediately. Bruce Carol was arrogant, and he’d thought he could coast by doing the bare minimum. That was his downfall—along with outright stupidity.

“So, what’s new with you?” Once business was out of the way, Thorn got comfortable and regarded me with his ice-blue eyes. He cocked his head slightly, his aura of ruthlessness gone when it was just the two of us.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” he asked incredulously. “There’s not a single thing?”

“Well…I got a new rug for my living room.”

“For being the richest woman in the world, I would expect you to have a more interesting lifestyle.”

I used to feel that way, until I got stuck in this difficult position with Hunt. I’d never struggled to get out of my previous arrangements. The sex was great, but by the end, I was ready to move on. If the men wanted to stay, they never voiced their desires. Probably because they knew I would say no.

But now my future was murky. It had been lined up perfectly just weeks ago, but now there was no path. It was difficult to lead an interesting life when I was stuck at this fork in the road. I could stay with Thorn and miss Hunt. Or I could choose Hunt and be happy, but then regret it later.

Thorn was the person I went to for advice, but this time, I couldn’t.

Thorn continued to stare at me, his gaze cold and piercing. He had a particular way of examining me, looking at me like he could see right through me. It was something about the way his eyebrows shifted forward. “Titan, I feel like you aren’t telling me something. I know that’s unlikely because you tell me everything…but it sure seems that way.”

Yep, he could see right through me.

“What is it?” he pressed. “Remember you’re talking to me.”

“Well…this whole thing with Hunt is complicated.”

“What whole thing?”

“I told him you and I were going to get engaged soon…and he told me not to do. He asked me to be with him instead.”

Thorn’s expression didn’t change, blue and cold as ever. He was usually transparent with his thoughts, his expressions as easy to read as a book. He put his soul on display for me, having nothing to hide after everything we’d been through. “And?”

“I just…I’m confused.”

“So, you want to be with him, then?” Thorn didn’t love me. Never had and never would. What we had was stronger than that. If I didn’t want to marry him, he certainly wouldn’t take it personally.

“Yes…and no.”

“Which is it?” he asked firmly.

“I want to be with him because…I don’t want to lose him. I can’t imagine us going our separate ways. I don’t want to be with anyone else, and I certainly don’t want him to be with anyone else. He makes me happy. I trust him. He’s my friend…he’s a good man.”

“If you’re afraid that I’m going to be upset with you, you don’t need to worry about that. If that’s what you want, you know I’ll respect your decision. Will I be happy about it? No. Will I be disappointed? Hell yes. But that doesn’t matter. This is about you, not me.”

I was touched, and I felt stupid for ever suspecting Thorn would be anything but supportive. He’d been there for me through everything. We conquered the hard times just as we rejoiced during the good ones. “You’re so good to me…”

“Because I love you,” he said. “But you already knew that.”

“Yeah…I did. After everything you’ve done for me, I feel terrible for going back on our decision.”

“Sweetheart, I didn’t do those things for you because I wanted something in return. I did them because I cared about you…because you’re my friend. You don’t owe me anything, Titan. I gave you your first loan, but you’re the one who built the empire on your own. I had nothing to do with it. You took a hundred thousand dollars and converted it into billions. All you, sweetheart.”

I rested my fingers against my mouth, covering my emotion as much as possible. A thin film of moisture formed in my eyes, but I discreetly blinked it away. I’d never been good at these touchy-feely kinds of moments.

“Be with him if that’s what you want. You have my blessing, not that you need it.” He finally smiled at me, reassuring me that everything was truly okay. “But we’ll need to figure out how to sort everything out in the media. We’ll have to have a mutual breakup so neither one of us looks bad. And you can’t start publicly seeing him right away—that’ll make you look coldhearted.”

We were jumping ahead of the game here. “I haven’t made my decision yet.”

“You haven’t?” he asked. “Seems like you have.”

“I want to be with him…but I think you’re still the better choice.”

“Well, obviously,” he said with a grin. “Come on, look at me.”

I chuckled and rolled my eyes. “If I end things between us, be with Hunt, and it doesn’t work out…I know I can’t come back to you.”

Thorn didn’t disagree with that statement. “You’re right.”

“So…I’d be risking everything.”

“You would.”

“With me, you’d have stability, security, protection, acceptance, honesty, and not to mention, good sex. You could have all that stuff with him…but will it last? I don’t think either of you knows the answer to that.”

No, we certainly didn’t. “What do you think I should do?”

“You know I can’t answer that.”

“I always come to you for advice.”

“But this is a conflict of interest. And I don’t know how you feel about this guy. If you’re in love with him…you may not have a choice. Are you in love with the guy?”

I shifted my gaze down to my desk and deflected the question.

“If you aren’t sure, you need to figure it out. The truth is, if you aren’t going to be with me, Diesel Hunt is a great choice. He’s wealthy, smart, good-looking, honest, and he’s not a sexist asshole. He respects you, clearly adores you. He’d be a great partner to have, and he wouldn’t sell your secrets. But since all of this is based on passion and love…two things you oppose…I don’t know what will happen. You might have a fight one day, and everything goes to shit. You divide your assets, and everything you’ve worked for comes crashing down around you. I’m not going to lie to you, Titan. It is a risk. You have to figure out if he’s worth that risk or not.”

“But—”

“You know I can’t answer that for you.”

I’d always been a woman who could think for herself, seeing the path ahead when everyone else didn’t know which route to take. I analyzed situations differently from most people, which led me to acquire the best deals. But all that lifetime experience couldn’t help me now. My last relationship was a disaster that ended up in murder. I obviously wasn’t the best judge of character when it came to romance.

“But I will say this.” Thorn crossed his legs, resting one ankle on the opposite knee. “You don’t need to be afraid of the past repeating itself. What happened with Jeremy would never happen with Hunt. He’s the last guy in the world you need to be afraid of.”

“You have a high opinion of him…”

“I’ve always known he’s a good guy. I didn’t like him because I was afraid this would happen…which it did. And now that it has, I have no reason left to dislike him. He took my woman away, but I can’t blame you for falling for him. That guy would take a bullet for you as quickly as I would.”

“How do you know that?”

He shrugged. “Just do. I mean, the guy walked away from a billion-dollar company just because the owner insulted you. He could have done the deal and pretended it never happened. But he didn’t. He declared war because someone slighted you. If that’s not protective, then I don’t know what is.”

I’d never forget what Hunt did. It touched my heart. Loyalty was important to me, and it was obviously important to him too. “True.”

“I haven’t told the reporters about my proposal, so no harm done.”

“What about your mother?”

He shrugged. “I’ll figure out how to let her down easily. Don’t worry about that.”

“Thanks…”

“How long do you need to think about it?”

“I’m not sure yet. I’m just as undecided today as I was a few days ago.”

“It’s like you’re in a love triangle,” he said with a chuckle.

There was nothing funny about this. “I said I would never fall for another guy…and here I am.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it. We all have weaknesses.”

“You don’t.”

“Well, I’m not the romance kind of guy. Never have been, and never will be. That’s just how I’m wired.”

“Lucky you.”

He smiled. “This whole situation is pretty ironic. The real reason why I wanted to propose now instead of later is because of Hunt. I thought if I waited too long, your relationship might get serious. I thought if I rushed in and took you now, I’d eliminate that possibility.” He shrugged. “Looks like I didn’t move quickly enough.”

“Thorn…I’m so sorry.”

He raised his hand. “Don’t be. I want to marry you for my own selfish reasons. So don’t feel too bad for me.”

My eyes fell as the guilt swarmed me.

“Take all the time you need to think about it.” He stood up and buttoned the front of his navy suit. “Seriously, Titan. There are no hard feelings. If he’s the guy you want to be with, our relationship won’t change. We’re still in this together—for the rest of our lives.”

---

Jessica knocked on the door before she stepped inside. “Titan, flowers came for you.”

Flowers? “Thank you. You can set them on my desk.”

She carried the glass vase to the corner, where my old vase of peonies was dying. She swapped them out and took out the wilted flowers before she left.

I stared at the small vase of purple irises. It was the perfect size for my desk, and the flowers were a beautiful color. I wasn’t sure who sent them to me because I didn’t recall ordering any. My flowers were usually changed tomorrow, so whoever sent these to me knew it was time for a refresh.

I found the card on the side and opened it.

Baby,

I have a new arrangement in mind. See you at my place at 7.

-Boss Man-

---

I walked into his penthouse at seven on the dot, not wanting to be early or late. I didn’t know what he had in mind, but Hunt was always full of good ideas. He wouldn’t be so wealthy if that beautiful head of his were only full of clouds.

I walked inside and found him sitting on the couch. He was reading a book, bare-chested and barefoot. He was only in his sweatpants, and that was my favorite way to see him. I loved the way he teased me with his muscular physique but hid the best part of his package inside his pants. He slid the bookmark in between the pages and stood up to greet me.

My eyes were on his, absorbed in those coffee-brown irises. I felt weak when I was with him, but it was in a good way. No one else had any effect on my confidence. When they tried to intimidate me, I just stood taller. I was always the tallest person in the room—even when I was the shortest. “Thank you for the flowers.”

“I knew they would look nice on your desk. Irises are your favorite, right?”

My heart beat a little harder. “How did you know that…?”

“You have flowers everywhere, all different kinds. But I noticed you have irises more often than any other flower…so I took a guess.”

“Well…you were right.”

He moved closer into my body, his chiseled arms thick by his sides. He looked down at me with his short hair flat against his head. He’d obviously dried his hair with a towel the second he stepped out of the shower. No matter what he wore or how much effort he put into his hair, he was the sexiest man in Manhattan.

He leaned down and tilted his head sideways so he could kiss me. It was a warm embrace on the mouth, his hand sliding into my hair. His mouth moved with mine, sucking my bottom lip into his mouth before he released it. I got some of his tongue, some of his warm breath.

I was a goner.

He brushed his lips past mine before he pulled away, ending the embrace before I was ready for it to stop.

My hands moved to his chiseled stomach, and I felt his hard physique. His stomach was just as hard as his chest. He was a tall wall with lots of curves. Made of brick and concrete, he was stronger than a stone fireplace that stood the test of time. “So…what kind of pitch did you want to make?”

“I don’t consider it to be a pitch…but a compromise.”

“What kind of compromise is there?” I wasn’t asking Hunt for something he couldn’t give. I just couldn’t decide how much risk I was willing to take. If I chose Thorn, maybe I’d forget about Hunt in time. But in the beginning, it would hurt. It would hurt a lot.

“Thorn is offering you more than I am. What if I offered you the same thing?”

“How is he offering more?” Hunt was already loyal and honest. I trusted him just as much as I trusted my best friend. There was nothing more he could do to change my mind. It all came down to what I was willing to sacrifice.

“He’s offering you security. And I’m willing to give you the same thing.”

I had no idea what he meant by that, so I kept staring at him. “What does mean, Hunt?”

“Marriage, kids, partnership…I’ll give you all of it.”

Now my heart was beating even harder, thumping against my ribcage. Even though my pulse quickened, I felt like I wasn’t getting enough blood to my extremities, enough air to my lungs.

“By choosing me, you’re risking the perfect business relationship. You trust Thorn to be your partner, to be your friend. You trust for it to last because your relationship isn’t based on lust. Well, I can give that to you. I’ll marry you, Titan. I’ll have kids with you. I’ll give you the exact same relationship he’s willing to give you. You can trust me to be your partner in life, to stand by your side every single day and remain loyal to you. I’m very wealthy, and together, our holdings would be impressive. I’m just as good of a candidate as Thorn. But I’m better—because I can satisfy you. I can fulfill all your fantasies—and you can fulfill mine.”

When Hunt said he had an arrangement, this wasn’t what I was expecting. I thought he wanted to extend our time together, explore some new sexual realm. I had no idea he would even consider this. “I…I wasn’t expecting you to say this.”

“Well, now I’m saying it. What do you think?”

“What do I think?” I asked incredulously. “You just proposed to me.”

“I didn’t propose—I asked you to marry me.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?” I snapped.

“I don’t have a ring. But I can get you any ring you could possibly want.”

I stepped back and dragged my hands down my face. “I just…wow.”

“Is the idea of marrying me that surprising to you?” he asked coldly.

“No…I just didn’t think you’d ever make an offer like this. Are you really willing to sacrifice falling in love with someone and starting a family just to be with me?”

His eyes bored into mine as he stared me down. His arms remained by his sides, but they shook slightly, the muscles and tendons flexing automatically. It was an aggressive look, full of irritation and anger. “I’ve already fallen in love.”

Silence.

My heart stopped.

I forgot to breathe.

He kept staring at me, not ashamed of the declaration he’d just made.

I held his look, but I felt my confidence slip away. I suddenly felt dwarfed by his size, swallowed by his power. I finally took a breath because I needed it to stay grounded. My knees were locked, and I was about to topple over. “Oh my god…”

“And I know you’ve fallen in love with me.” He moved closer to me, his face pressed to mine. “Tell me.”

“Diesel…”

“Tell me that you love me.” He moved his hand to my neck, and he gently lifted my chin so I was looking him right in the eye. “I know you already do, baby. You may as well say it.”

“How do you know…?”

“I can tell just by looking at you…watching you look at me.” His thumb slid over my pulse, and he felt my frantic heart rate. His eyes scanned over my face, sometimes looking at my lips and sometimes looking into my eyes. He knew what was coming, but he was patient enough to keep waiting for it.

My chest rose and fell faster, and my eyes burned with an emotion I didn’t know I had. Both of my hands gripped his wrist as his hand continued to hold my neck. This was a something I never wanted to happen, an outcome I never could have predicted. But now, we were both here, our hearts hanging out of our chests like open wounds. “I love you, Diesel Hunt. I love you so much that it scares me.” The second I blinked, a tear from each eye streaked down my face.

His thumb caught one of my tears and wiped it away. His expression didn’t match mine, full of emotional turmoil. He smiled in his handsomely classic way, feeling victorious once he heard my confession. “Baby…you’re so beautiful when you cry.” He leaned in and kissed the other tear that stopped halfway down my cheek. He moved his mouth to mine as he kissed me, his hand sliding into my hair. He fisted it as he kissed me in front of the elevator, his other hand gripping the small of my back.

I fell into him completely, finally handing myself over to another person. I’d kept myself so rigid and tight for so long, stopping myself from ever letting anyone in besides Thorn. But now the dam had been broken. My feelings poured out, and I let his feelings pour in. I kissed him back and tasted my own tears on his tongue. Now I was more vulnerable than I’d ever been before, letting Hunt see me completely for the first time. I had nothing left to hide because he saw all of me.

He scooped me into his arms and carried me into his bedroom. Right now, that was the only place I wanted to be. I wanted to sink into his mattress, his heavy weight pressing into me. I wanted that mouth, that cock, those eyes… I wanted him to smother me.

He yanked off my clothes and dropped his sweatpants before he crawled on top of me. He didn’t waste any time getting inside me. With a single thrust, he was buried between my legs, plunging his lust and love deep within me.

“Diesel…” I locked my ankles together around his waist with my arms around his neck. My fingers were digging into his short hair, pulling on the strands in my desperation to get a hold of him, take as much of him as I could.

“Baby…” He flattened me into the mattress, thrusting deep as he pushed his way inside me. He held his body only inches above mine, his thick arms supporting all of his massive weight. He ground himself inside me, rubbed his pelvic bone against my clit, and gave me the most seductive kisses. “Tell me you love me.” He commanded me with his eyes, just the way he did when he was in charge.

“I love you…”

He groaned and rocked into me harder.

“Tell me you love me.” My nails trailed down his neck to his back. I gripped the backs of his shoulders and dug deep.

“I love you, Tatum Titan.” He kissed the corner of my mouth as he kept moving, kept grinding.

Hearing him say such a beautiful thing was the biggest turn-on. It aroused me more than whipping him. It satisfied me more than tying him to a chair and forbidding him from touching me. He gave me a new kind of high that I couldn’t stop riding.

I moved with him as I lay underneath him, sharing hot kisses and sensual touches. My ankles pushed down on his ass, driving him deeper inside me. My moans grew louder, more uncontrollable. I panted and breathed, my nails cutting through his skin and sweat. I was about to come, and it was going to be an orgasm the likes of which I’d never had before.

My body tightened around him, and I gave his length a hard squeeze as I came. I flooded every inch of him with my overwhelming arousal, lubricating him so his thick cock could fit inside me even better, even deeper. “Diesel…” I came with a scream, pulling him farther into me. “Come with me.”

He looked me in the eye as he kept thrusting. “No. I’d rather watch you—over and over.”

---

I opened my eyes the next morning and looked right into Hunt’s face.

His eyes were heavy-lidded and barely open, but he wore that smile I’d fallen for. “Morning.”

“Morning.” It was the first time I hadn’t set my alarm. His didn’t go off either. I never took time off work, but right now, work didn’t seem important. If there really was a catastrophe, Jessica knew she could call me.

“I like waking up to you.”

“Me too…”

He pressed a kiss to my forehead and pulled my body closer to his. He hooked my legs over his waist, the way he preferred to cuddle with me. His strong muscles were warm like a furnace, and he heated the sheets with his natural body temperature. It would be perfect on a winter day. “How’d you sleep?”

“Good. You?”

“Really well. I finally don’t feel tired.”

“Really? Because we went to bed pretty late.”

“Well, I slept like a rock. Making love to you can be exhausting…and exhilarating.” He moved his hand into my hair and kissed the corner of my mouth. “Hungry? I’ve got some good stuff here, not just celery and water.”

My eyes squinted at the insult. “When have you ever seen me eat celery?”

“With a Bloody Mary, I’m sure.”

“I don’t drink Bloody Marys.”

“That’s right…just pure whiskey.”

“I’m a whiskey woman.”

“No, you’re my woman.” He scooted out of bed then pulled on his sweatpants. “How about I make you breakfast in bed?”

“You don’t need to do that. How about we make it together?”

He pulled one of his shirts out of a drawer and tossed it at me. “If you wear this.”

“I’d love to.” I pulled the cotton t-shirt over my head then followed him into the kitchen. We put on a pot of coffee, whipped up some eggs and veggies, and then sat down at the dining table.

Hunt ate shirtless. He was usually bare-chested around the house, which I preferred. He sipped his coffee and placed a few bites in his mouth. His gaze always found its way back to me. It felt like a regular day, but so much had changed overnight. Now everything was different. “When are you going to talk to Thorn?”

“I don’t know. Maybe tomorrow.”

“How do you think he’ll take it?”

“He’s already given me his blessing. Said I didn’t owe him anything.”

Hunt showed a small smile, the kind that reached his eyes. “That was big of him.”

“He said a lot of sweet things, actually. Said if I didn’t want to be with him, you were the next-best choice.”

“Now I kinda feel bad for being such a dick to him.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. Thorn doesn’t hold grudges. He doesn’t care about those sorts of things.”

“Well, if he’s gonna be an integral part of my life, I’ll have to spend time with him. Maybe we can go to a strip club or something…”

I smacked his arm playfully. “No strip club.”

He chuckled. “You know you’re the only woman I want to see strip.”

“That’s more like it.”

His hand moved to mine on the table, and he held it. He kept enjoying his breakfast with a single hand, like showing this kind of affection was perfectly normal.

“Are you sure you really want to do this?”

He drank his coffee as he looked at me. “Why wouldn’t I be sure?”

“You’re committing to me for the rest of your life. It’s a big deal.”

“Doesn’t scare me.”

“How does it not?”

He took another drink of his coffee before he set it down. “When you told me about your arrangement with Thorn, I was judgmental about it. Told you I didn’t like it. But the more I got to know you, the more I began to understand it. Why wouldn’t Thorn want to have you as his wife? You’re perfect.”

“So not perfect, but whatever.”

“So, why wouldn’t I want that? Why wouldn’t I want to have a partner like you? Being married to Tatum Titan would be one of my biggest accomplishments. People would see you on my arm and wonder what I did to get you. You’re successful, smart, and beautiful. I couldn’t do any better. And the fact that I actually like you just makes it better. I’m never gonna find another woman like you. Even if our attraction and lust die someday, I know I’ll still love you and respect you—forever.” He squeezed my hand.

It wasn’t the proposal that women fantasized about, but it was exactly what I wanted. I wanted a partner I could rely on, someone that I could trust. When time wore down our bodies and sucked away our beauty, there would still be loyalty and respect underneath. We would still take over the world—as partners. “If you’re sure.”

“I am sure. Are you?”

My fingers wrapped around my mug, feeling the heat from the ceramic material. “I think it’s the best of both worlds. It’s exactly what I want…and I can be married to someone I love as well. Thorn and I are very close, and he’s a handsome man…but I’ve never felt that way about him. He’s never felt that way about me.”

“So how is this going to work?”

“You should be more specific.”

“Transitioning from him to me.”

“Thorn said we should break it off mutually so it doesn’t hurt either one of us. And he said he wanted me to wait awhile before I start seeing you publicly. Could hurt me as well as him.”

Hunt nodded. “True. How long?”

“Thorn and I were together for a long time…so at least six months.”

Hunt whistled under his breath. “That’s a long time…but reasonable. And how will our relationship work? Will that have rules?”

“You know me, Diesel. I love rules.”

He squeezed my hand. “I do.”

“I’d still like to be in charge sometimes…if you’re open to that.”

He grinned. “I’m open to that anytime. But the same goes for me, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then perfect. Half and half. What about kids?”

“I’m getting old, from a pregnancy perspective. I need to have our first child by the time I’m thirty-two.”

“Damn, then I’m gonna have to knock you up as soon as we’re married.”

“Yeah, probably.”

“Sounds fine to me. You know I love giving you my come as it is.”

“You want children, right?” I asked. “Because if you don’t want children…”

“I do,” he said quickly. “Honestly, I’m surprised you do. That sounds like something you might not be interested in.”

“I’m very interested. I don’t have a family of my own, so I need to make one.”

His eyes fell, his eyebrows furrowing. “That’s not true. You have Thorn. You have me.”

“I know…but someone of the same blood.”

“Blood doesn’t bind people any closer together than water.” He grabbed his mug again and took a long drink.

It took me a moment to understand what that meant. Hunt didn’t have a relationship with his father or his brother, and he probably never would. I squeezed his hand, our fingers intertwining together.

“How are the last names going to work?”

“I’m not changing my last name,” I said firmly.

“Our kids are going by Hunt, not Titan.”

I narrowed my eyes.

“At least compromise with a hyphen. Hunt-Titan.”

“Titan-Hunt.”

“Nope.” He glared at me. “You’re lucky I’m letting you have the hyphen at all.”

“Lucky, huh?” I asked. “We can revisit the conversation later.”

“Prenup?” he asked, changing the subject.

“Definitely.”

He didn’t make an argument against it, probably knowing it was much simpler to protect our assets now. If we ever divorced, it would be a nightmare. “Okay. I think this worked out in Thorn’s favor?”

“How so?”

“One day, he’s gonna meet someone and fall hard. He’d regret being married.”

“I don’t know about that,” I said. “Thorn isn’t really the romantic type.”

“I wasn’t the romantic type either. I couldn’t picture myself ever getting married. But then I met the right person…and all of that changed.”

My eyes softened.

“And when he meets the right person, he’ll be glad you met me.”

---

I waited in line until I ordered my coffee. It was a beautiful day and I was in a good mood, so I wandered across the street from my building and decided to treat myself to a maple latte. People indulged in comfort food when they were sad, but I seemed to have the opposite problem.

Now that I was happy, I wanted the sweeter things.

I hadn’t spoken to Thorn about it yet, but we were bound to cross paths today or tomorrow. And he probably had a suspicion this was going to be my answer anyway. I finally moved to the front of the line, ordered my coffee, and then stood off to the side as I waited. A few people stared at me, some even snapping pictures on their phones. I didn’t consider myself to be famous, but anyone who worked in the business world knew exactly who I was.

“Titan.” Brett appeared in front of me, wearing the same smile that Hunt possessed. With the same structured jawline and masculine features, it was surprising that I hadn’t realized they were related the moment I was in the same room with them. “Midday coffee break, huh?”

“I need some gas. I’m running on empty.”

“I know what you mean.” He was in dark jeans and a black jacket, looking casual and cool.

“What are you doing here?”

“Just finished a meeting with a client. I’ve been working on the next model for the Bullet. I’ve been picking people’s brains about it.”

“Cool. I’m sure Diesel had an opinion or two.”

Brett’s eyes narrowed when I said his first name.

I tried to pretend that I did it on purpose and hadn’t said anything I shouldn’t. “Run it by me when you’re finished. I might want an upgrade by the time you’re done with it.”

“Might have to just give you one. Having you be one of the sponsors of my cars has spiked sales like crazy.”

“I’m glad the commercial worked so well.”

“I saw the stuff you did with Connor Suede.” He gave a thumbs-up. “Very classy. I loved it.”

“Thanks.”

“I might have to start wearing his clothes now.”

“He can throw something spectacular together at the snap of a finger.”

“Yeah, I believe it,” he said. “I’m always hearing that guy is a genius.”

“He is.” I always paid respect where it was due, and Connor had earned it.

“So, you and Hunt talk regularly?”

“Yeah…we run a business together.”

He nodded his head slowly, his expression hardening. “You know, Hunt is a pretty great guy. I know he’s sarcastic and moody sometimes, but he’s got a heart of gold underneath all those suits…and I know he really cares about you.”

“Yeah…thanks.” Now this conversation was getting awkward, like Brett was trying to tell me something without actually saying it.

“Thorn may be richer than him and come from a better family, but Hunt has just as much to offer.”

What? What was that supposed to mean? “Excuse me?”

“I’m just saying…”

“And why are you just saying this? Hunt and I are just business associates and friends.”

His eyes narrowed, and he tried to hide his smile at the exact same time. It made his face change, looking contradictory and confusing. He straightened his jacket then broke eye contact. “Yeah…of course.” He glanced at his watch. “I should get going, Titan. I’ll see you around.” He walked out without even giving me the chance to say goodbye.

I prided myself on my intuition, and I recognized that something was off. Brett was different from how he usually was, and the way he spoke about Hunt and me was simply suspicious. He wouldn’t have said any of those things unless he thought Hunt and I were sleeping together.

Did that mean Hunt told him?

When he promised me he wouldn’t?

I had to give Hunt the benefit of the doubt and assume he didn’t. But that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to ask him about it.

---

I was on my way to Hunt’s apartment when I called Thorn.

“Hey, what’s up?” He picked up on the second ring, always taking my calls no matter what he was doing. He could be in the middle of a huge meeting but would still answer to see if I needed something.

“Nothing. You busy?” I sat in the back seat of the car while my driver took me to Hunt’s penthouse.

“Never too busy for you. Have you thought more about your little love triangle problem?”

I rolled my eyes. “Not a love triangle.”

“Kinda is,” he said with a chuckle. “Have you made any decisions?”

Thorn already told me he was okay with breaking off the arrangement, but I still felt terrible for my final decision. We’d made plans for a lifetime together. Now I was walking away from all of that, from a reality where he would have been my husband. I had never been in love with Thorn, but I loved him deeply. “I talked to Hunt…and I want to be with him.”

There was a long pause over the phone. A held breath. But when Thorn spoke a second later, everything seemed normal. “Well, I’m happy for you. He’s a good guy, so I know you’re in good hands.”

“He said he wants to offer me what you offered…so he wants to get married and have a partnership. We just also happen to be in love.”

“Wow. That’s exactly what you wanted.”

“Yeah…”

“Well, I’m a little disappointed he stole my genius idea, but I’m still happy for you.”

“Really?” I asked, needing his approval more than anything else.

“Of course, Titan. Don’t even think twice about it.”

The car pulled up to the curb, and I walked into the lobby. “I’m glad you’re okay with this.”

“We’re still a team. You’ll still be my number one girl.”

I stepped into the elevator and watched the doors close. “That’s true.”

“And maybe I’ll ask Hunt to go golfing or something.”

“He said he was going to ask you to a strip club.”

“Hell yeah,” he said with a laugh. “Now that’s more like it.”

The elevator rose to the top then opened into his living room. I stepped inside, seeing Hunt sitting on the couch in just his sweatpants. “Well, I’ve gotta go. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Alright, Titan. See you around.” He hung up.

Hunt set aside the book he was reading and walked over to me. His arms moved around my waist, and he smiled down at me. “Who was that?”

“Judging by that smile, you know exactly who it was.”

“Thorn?”

“Yeah.”

“And did you tell him?”

I nodded.

His grin widened. “So you’re officially mine, huh?”

“Officially. Just not according to the media.”

“Well, that’ll change eventually.” He rubbed his nose against mine, looking at me with affection in his eyes. “He took it well, then?”

“Of course he did.”

“Great.”

“He said you guys should go golfing together.”

“He didn’t like my strip club idea?”

“Actually, he liked it a little too much.”

He chuckled. “Maybe he and I have more in common than I realized.” He kissed the corner of my mouth before he guided me to the couch. “How was your day?”

I thought of my coffee encounter with Brett. “Something interesting happened today, actually.”

“Yeah.” He sat down and rested his arm over my shoulders. Even when he was sitting, his abs were smooth and tight.

“I ran into Brett.” I watched every little reaction he made, studying him like he was a competitor sitting across from me in a conference room.

“Yeah? What did he say?”

“Some stuff about work…and then he said some weird stuff about us.”

Hunt’s expression didn’t change at all.

“Saying you were a good guy…and you just as much to offer as Thorn.”

Still, nothing.

The lack of reaction was even more suspicious to me. “Diesel…did you tell him?”

“Tell him what?”

“About us.”

Hunt held my gaze, his jaw slowly tightening. His eyes began to fill with frustration, a look of annoyance he couldn’t hide.

I knew he wouldn’t lie to me, so I waited for the truth.

He dropped his arms from my shoulders and released a sigh. “Yes…I did.”

Betrayal immediately flooded through me once the truth was out. I’d asked him not to say anything, but he did it anyway. He even told him about Thorn. “Diesel—”

“Let me explain before you get mad.”

My mouth was still open, but the words stopped coming.

“He accused me of it. He kept asking questions about us, kept saying I look at you in a different way. And then it just kept going and going…until there was no point in hiding it. He knew. Whether I admitted it or not, he knew. So I thought it was best if I came clean about it and asked him not to mention it.”

“And then he mentions it to me?” I asked incredulously. “Imagine who else he’s told.”

“I promise you he hasn’t told anyone.”

“Sure didn’t have a problem spilling the beans to me.”

“Because you’re involved. He’s just protective of me…looking out for me.”

“Did you tell him about our arrangement?” Smoke was practically coming out of my ears because I was so pissed.

“No. He thinks you and Thorn just have an open relationship.”

I moved away from Hunt because I needed to pace in his living room, to have some space.

Hunt leaned forward and watched me. “I’m sorry, baby. But he figured it out. This is why I wanted to tell my friends about it. That way I could just tell them to keep quiet about it.”

“Looks like Brett has a big mouth to me.”

“I promise he won’t say anything to anyone. You have my word, alright?”

I dragged my hands down my face and groaned.

“Look, he’s known about it for a while now. If he was going to tell someone, you would know by now. So obviously, he hasn’t.”

“Why did he tell me you’re a good guy and just as good as Thorn?”

“Because…I told him that I was falling for you, and I wanted to be with you. I didn’t know what to do. So he told me to fight for you, that women like you don’t grow on trees. That’s all.”

It was so sweet that I couldn’t be mad.

“He’s to me what Thorn is to you. You can trust him.”

I’d always liked Brett. He treated me with respect and always made me feel welcome. He had a charming smile, a comforting presence. I knew he and Hunt were a lot alike, that they shared the same philosophy on life and loyalty. Hunt turned his back on his family to support Brett. Brett wouldn’t betray him after doing that.

Hunt stood up and faced me, keeping a few feet in between us. “Baby?”

I sighed.

“Come on.”

“What?”

“Don’t be mad at me.”

I ran my fingers through my hair, forcing myself to cool off.

“Alright?”

“Okay…I’m not mad. Just annoyed.”

“Well, I’m sorry about that.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, knowing I couldn’t stay angry with Hunt. If Brett figured it out on his own, what was Hunt supposed to do? Lie to his only family in the world?

Hunt stepped closer to me, his hands moving to my hips. He pressed his forehead to mine and looked down at my lips. “Are we okay?”

I nodded.

“You know I would never betray you on purpose.”

“I know, Diesel.”

“And now that we’re moving forward with this, I’m gonna have to tell my friends. It’s been nearly impossible keeping it a secret this long.”

“Okay. Just don’t tell anyone about Jeremy…”

“I never would.” He grabbed my chin and lifted my gaze to meet his expression. “You know that. I would never betray any of your secrets. I just want the world to know we’re together. That’s all I care about. Whatever story you want to tell, it doesn’t matter to me. But at the end of the day…I want the world to know you’re mine.”