Titan

“How was your day?”

Diesel stepped out of the elevator with his tie already undone. It hung around his neck, one side slightly longer than the other. Fatigue was in his eyes, but the second he looked at me, that handsome smile came into his face. “Doesn’t matter. Your day is the only one that matters.” His muscular arms circled my waist and cradled me against him, his powerful chest pressing up against me just like a solid brick wall.

“Not true.”

He pressed his warm mouth against mine, his lips teasing me. “True.”

“It was boring. I watched reruns of I Love Lucy.”

“That sounds like a great day. Took all your medication?”

I rolled my eyes. “Like I would ever forget. I’m pretty much addicted to those painkillers.”

He moved his lips to my forehead and pressed a soft kiss against my skin. His scruff rubbed against me slightly, scratching me every time he moved. His fingers were much gentler than they used to be. Now that I carried a wound in my chest, he handled me as carefully as possible.

I missed the old days.

“You still haven’t told me about your day.” My fingers moved to the buttons of his collared shirt, and I undid each one slowly.

“I worked.”

I rolled my eyes. “I figured that much. What else?”

“And I worried about you.”

“That was a waste of time because I’m perfectly fine.”

“You’re perfect,” he said. “But not perfectly fine.” He kissed my cheek before he stepped away. “I’m going to shower. You better be naked and ready when I get out.” He turned his back as he walked away, commanding the room as he passed through it.

I’d missed that side of him.

After he got in the shower, the front doors of the elevator opened again and revealed Thorn. He stood with his hands in the pockets of his slacks, his navy blue suit complementing his bright eyes. Thorn had an appearance that qualified him to be a model, and he was perfectly aware of that. I hoped he wouldn’t waste that potential with a life of loneliness. “You’re looking good.” He stepped into the penthouse and walked up to me in the living room. He examined my face as well as my arms, looking for signs of healthy life. His eyes never undressed my body, not even when we were engaged. Diesel was the only man who had done that—and made it obvious. “But a little thin…”

“My medication kills my appetite.”

“You never had an appetite before, so it must be pretty strong,” he teased.

“Diesel isn’t happy about it. When I’m better, he says he’s going to stuff me like a pig.”

“I second that.” He smiled then took a seat on the couch. “Is he here?”

“In the shower.”

Thorn rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his palms together.

“You want a drink?”

“No, thanks,” he blurted. “Sit.”

Both of my eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?”

He hid his flustered expression as well as he could, but it wasn’t good enough. “This is serious. I’m not sure if I should tell you this now or when Diesel is in the room.”

Now that I understood this wasn’t just a casual visit, I sat beside him. Tension radiated off Thorn in waves, the kind that pierced through the skin like a hot summer day. I crossed my legs and regarded him with a stoic expression. Anytime I was in the face of adversity, I remained calm and accepted whatever would come to pass. Even when a gun was pointed at my face, I kept the same level of control. “Everything alright?”

“Yeah, I think so. I just had an interesting visitor at your office today…”

After Bruce acted on his vendetta against me, suspicious characters were alarming to me. I was a careful and paranoid person, but now I took suspicions even more seriously. “Who?”

“A woman. Should I wait for Diesel?”

I shared every aspect of my life with that man. I hadn’t married him yet, but my commitment to him was ironclad. There were no secrets, no lies. I’d completely opened up my world to him. “He’s been having nightmares lately…about me being shot. We talked about it and he seems to be better, but he’s not back to himself just yet either.”

Thorn continued to rub his palms back and forth, sliding his skin across skin. “Then what do you want to do?”

“I don’t know… I don’t want to lie to him. But I don’t want him to stop going to work either.”

Thorn waited for me to reach a response on my own.

No matter how many times I considered it, the answer didn’t come to me. “Just tell me, and I’ll think about telling him.”

“Alright.” He leaned back against the couch and rested his hands on his thighs. “This woman stopped by the office asking about you. She wanted to know why it was taking so long for you to recover. She was visibly upset, extremely concerned. She was acting like she knew you…like you were close. She said she’d been out of the country during the shooting and didn’t hear the news until a few days ago.”

I heard everything he said, but I didn’t know what to make of it. “Her name?”

“Bridget Creed. You know her?”

I shook my head. “Never heard of her…”

“That’s alarming. Because she obviously knows you.”

“If she did, she would have called me or emailed directly.”

“True. But the way she acted…I can’t explain it. If I’d told her you died, I know she would have sobbed right then and there.”

For a complete stranger to care about me that much and show up at my office was… I wasn’t sure what it was. “Maybe she’s a fan? Who’s a little obsessive?”

“It’s possible. I asked how she knew you two times—and she never answered.”

“Because she doesn’t know me.”

“Yeah…” Thorn’s voice trailed away as he stared into the distance. Judging by the way he pulled himself away from me, something was bothering him. He hadn’t said everything he needed to say.

“What is it, Thorn?”

“I’m probably just being paranoid…”

“Tell me.” Diesel was bound to finish his shower any minute. It didn’t take him long to dry off because he didn’t need a hair dryer and he usually shaved in the morning.

“Well…she had brown hair, she was thin, had green eyes and…she looked just like you.”

“Looked like me?”

“Her cheekbones go high the way yours do. Her eyes are shaped the same way. And her figure…she has long legs like you do. Like I said, I’m probably just being paranoid and drawing conclusions over stupid things, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t notice it.”

“Thorn, what are you implying?” I wanted him to be perfectly direct because I was getting specific ideas in my head.

“Maybe she’s your mom…” Thorn turned back to me, his gaze taking in my features like a sponge soaking up water. “I realize it’s a little ridiculous, but unless your mom lives under a rock, there’s no way she doesn’t know you’re Tatum Titan, you know? You never changed your name. No matter what her reasons were for giving you up, she would have made the connection.”

I never felt incomplete not having a mother in my life. My father did well enough, and he gave me plenty of love to make up for a missing parent. Sometimes my mind would wander and I imagined what she looked like, but my thoughts didn’t continue that way for long. She didn’t want me in her life, so I didn’t think about her at all.

Thorn kept staring at me. “Titan?”

“I’m thinking.”

“I know your features like the back of my hand because you’ve been in my life for so long. She reminded me of you the second she walked in the door, even before she said anything. It could just be a coincidence…but I thought it was strange.”

“It probably is just a coincidence.”

Thorn turned quiet, his palms coming together again. “Are you going to mention this to Diesel?”

“I don’t know…”

“The woman didn’t seem like a threat. Like I said, she just seemed concerned.”

“What was her name again?”

“Bridget Creed,” he answered. “I did some research but didn’t find much. She’s been married for the last ten years to a software developer. He does pretty well, but they aren’t rich by our standards. She has two sons with him. I couldn’t trace her life further back than that. At least, I didn’t have time. This just happened like an hour ago.”

If she really was my mother, all I had to do was hire someone to trace her past. Her name would be in the hospital records from when she gave birth to me. There would be a marriage license. Unless she changed her name before she got married, it would be all the evidence I needed.

“Are you going to dig?”

I knew getting my answer wouldn’t change anything. Whether she was my mother or not, it didn’t change the past. It didn’t change the future either. She’d made her choice, and I respected that decision. But that didn’t mean I was required to care about her. “No.”

“Really?”

“Even if she is my mother, it wouldn’t change anything.”

“I guess…maybe you should talk to Diesel about it.”

“I’ll think about it…”

Thorn stared at me, obviously distressed about our conversation. “Should I not have said anything?”

“No.” I grabbed his arm and gave him a gentle squeeze. “You did the right thing. Thank you.”

“I felt like I should. I would want to know.”

Thorn would never know what he would want. He was born into a loving family with parents who adored him. He’d always been complete that way, and that was perfectly fine. But he never knew what it was like to be the child of a single parent. Things were more difficult, like money and stability. I would never insult my father’s memory by saying his care wasn’t good enough. It certainly was. I wouldn’t be the strong woman I was now without him.

Diesel came out of the bedroom in just his black sweatpants. His torso was wide and thick with muscle, and his tanned skin was kissed with grooves where the slabs of muscles were separated. He was built like a soldier, the definition of a strong man. I was lucky I got to see him walk around my house like that every single day. “What’s up, Thorn?”

“Hey, man.” Thorn immediately rose to his feet, knowing he’d just dropped a heavy conversation on me. “I just stopped by to check on Titan.”

Diesel walked up to him and shook his hand.

Thorn did the same, always treating Diesel with respect now that he’d been vindicated.

“She’s getting stronger every day,” Diesel said. “I’m excited to have her back to normal. She’s kinda like a glass vase right now. I’m worried I might shatter her.”

I rolled my eyes as I stood up. “I’m not a vase.”

There were a few drops still on his chest, spots he’d missed. They got buried in the cracks of his muscular frame. “What’s going on with Ms. Alexander? Is that still happening?”

Thorn and I hadn’t even talked about it.

Thorn smoothed it over without making it obvious that we forgot to even mention it. “Are you free tomorrow?”

“Thorn, I’m free every day,” I snapped.

Diesel’s eyes narrowed. “I was under the impression Thorn was handling all of this?”

I knew he was about to unleash his fire all over me. “He is. But I need to meet the woman before I consider a partnership with her. It would be ridiculous not to.”

“I agree,” Diesel said. “But we agreed you wouldn’t be working right now.”

“It’s not really working,” I argued. “She would just stop by the penthouse.”

Thorn took a step back, doing his best to disappear from the conversation.

“It is working,” Diesel snapped. “It can wait until you’re ready to return to work.”

“That’s ridiculous,” I countered. “Thorn is doing everything for me, but he can’t make this judgment call entirely on his own. Besides, I’m pretty restless cooped up in here. I would like some company. She’ll be here for an hour at the most.”

Diesel crossed his arms over his chest.

Thorn turned to the TV even though it wasn’t on.

“This is happening.” I wanted to join my life with Diesel’s in every way imaginable, but I didn’t want him to make all my decisions for me. Sometimes his advice was sound, but sometimes he overstepped his boundaries.

He narrowed his eyes further.

“I’m sorry, Diesel,” I said. “But life goes on.”

Diesel stepped back, all the muscles in his body thickening in annoyance. “I’m not happy about this.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” I said sarcastically.

Diesel stepped away from the conversation, silently excusing himself. He took his hostility with him, but we could still feel it surrounding us. It infected the air, entering our lungs with every breath.

“Are you sure about this?” Thorn asked when Diesel was out of earshot.

“Ignore him.”

“It’s easy for me to do that,” he said. “But it’s not so easy for you.”

I was used to having that big caveman around the house all the time. I understood his moods, his protectiveness. Everything he did came from love, so that was why I excused his possessiveness. But I knew I had to stand my ground—and he would respect me for it.

---

A few hours after dinner, his anger finally started to fade away.

Diesel sat beside me on the couch, his arm moving around my shoulders. The cushion dipped noticeably because of his weight. A game was on the TV, but his eyes were on me. The hard lines of his face were similar to an outcropping of a mountain. Jagged in some places and smooth in others, his expression was a beautiful landscape.

“I’m glad you finally came around.”

“I just want you to get better as quickly as possible.”

“The worst is over,” I said gently. “You forget how much progress I’ve made. Now that I’ve gotten this far, nothing is going to hold me back.” My fingers moved to his chin, and I felt the thick stubble that had grown in since he’d shaved that morning. The shadow highlighted the contours of his face. I liked to touch him everywhere, but his chin was particularly beautiful to me. When I wasn’t allowed to have him, I fantasized about doing this very thing. When we sat across from each other at my desk, I could feel the pressure in my fingertips just by imagining it. “You forget how strong I am.”

“Never. I just forget how weak I am.”

“You aren’t weak, Diesel.” He was the strongest man I’d ever known. Whenever he was beside me, I felt his presence protect me. I never needed a man to provide me security, but I enjoyed his. It made me feel more powerful than I already was because I had the love of the most powerful man in the world.

“When it comes to you, I turn irrational. When it comes to you, I can’t see straight. I get emotional… I change. It’s not a reflection of all I am…but a product of my ridiculous love for you.” He turned his face into my hand and kissed my fingertips.

“I’m lucky that I’m the woman who gets to turn you irrational.”

A slow smile crept into his lips, and he gently pulled me tighter against him. “You always know what to say.”

“That’s because I know you so well.”

He rubbed his nose against mine, giving me a soft touch he never shared with anyone else. He could be aggressive with me, just as he was with the women before me. But that softness was something he reserved for me. “I’ll let this go. Having her stop by for an hour or two shouldn’t be a big deal.”

“It’s not a big deal at all.”

“But you’re in a place of vulnerability. You’re at home because you’re injured. It’s not the same as someone coming into your office while you sit behind your desk. They can see all your power standing on the top floor of your building. It’s different when the setting is here.”

“I don’t think that’ll be an issue. No matter where I am, my power is unmistakable. I have a strong reputation, and she realizes that. Just because I’m willing to form a partnership with her doesn’t mean I’m willing to do anything to make it happen. She’s a smart woman. She knows not to cross me.”

His large fingers moved into my hair, gently massaging the strands. When I stayed home all day, I watched the clock and counted down the hours until he came home. But I knew if I were busy at work, I’d be doing the same thing anyway. My work was just as important to me as it’d always been, but now Diesel gave me something else to be passionate about. “Thorn seems to be doing a great job taking care of things for you.”

“He really has.”

“Maybe you should ask him to do it again when you’re on maternity leave.”

Now we were jumping into the future. “I’m sure I can work until the day I give birth.”

“You definitely can’t walk in stilettos all day long like you’re used to.”

“Well, of course. But I think I’ll be fine.”

“And after the baby comes?” he pressed.

“I’ll have a nanny help me out.”

Judging by the frown on his face, he didn’t like that. “I don’t want a stranger taking care of my kid.”

“We’ll vet them extensively before we allow them to care for our child. And I’ll be there most of the time. But we don’t need to worry about that right now. We have a lot of other things to take care of.” The idea of having a daughter made me think of what Thorn said. He suspected the woman who stopped by my office was my mother. She had me, but she chose to leave. I couldn’t imagine myself doing the same thing. I wanted to be a mother, to grow my own family. The desire had nothing to do with my mother’s abandonment. It was just something that would give me the most joy.

Diesel must have noticed my expression fall because he said, “What is it, baby?”

I didn’t want to keep Thorn’s tale a secret. Whether Thorn’s suspicion was right or wrong, I couldn’t hide it from Diesel. We planned to share our lives together, which meant we had to share everything else. “Thorn said a woman stopped by my office today asking about me. She was worried about my health after the shooting. She seemed legitimately upset about it…and she looked just like me.”

Diesel’s expression didn’t change at first. Slowly, it morphed into a stone-like mask. He was guarded, concerned, and hard.

“Her name is Bridget Creed. Thorn looked her up and said she’s been married for the last ten years, and she has two sons. That’s all he knows, but he didn’t look deeper.” I didn’t need to spell out the words because Diesel had already reached the same conclusion.

His fingers pulled away from my hair, and he released a quiet sigh. “What do you think?”

“I don’t think anything.”

“You think it’s her?”

I knew exactly what he was asking. “Whether it is or not, it doesn’t matter.”

Diesel questioned me with his look. His features only changed slightly, but it was enough for me to understand what he was thinking.

“She chose to leave. I accept her decision and don’t think less of her for it. She couldn’t handle the responsibility of being a mother, so she left me with my father, who did an amazing job. If she didn’t want to be there, I didn’t want her to be there. But she can’t walk back into my life now, even if she does really care. She gave up that right the second she walked out on me. She can’t have it both ways.”

Diesel’s expression softened. “That makes sense. But don’t you want to know if it’s her? I can make a quick phone call, and we can get to the bottom of it.”

Like I said, it didn’t change anything. “I don’t want to know.”

“Are you sure? If it were me, I’d want that answer.”

“But you aren’t me, Diesel.” I dismissed the conversation by turning away. “Thorn said she didn’t seem dangerous. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

“But she might try to talk to you. Maybe you should be prepared.”

“I still don’t want to know, Diesel.” I grabbed the remote and turned up the volume on the TV, ending the conversation by drowning out the silence with cheering fans.

Diesel finally dropped it. His fingers moved into my hair again, slowly caressing me. “Who do you think is gonna win, baby?”

---

It’d been weeks since I wore a dress and heels.

It felt right.

I missed dressing up like I had somewhere important to be. I missed having a reason to get ready in the morning. The only purpose I had lately was saying goodbye to Diesel when he left for work.

The rest of the time, my life had no meaning.

But now the pumps felt perfect on my feet. They were a little painful—as they should be. My dress wasn’t as tight because I dropped a few pounds during my illness, but it still fit me well. I styled my hair in soft curls and applied my makeup heavier than I used to.

I imagined we would conduct our meeting in my living room. It seemed unnecessary to take her all the way down the hallway to my private office. We already had ambitions to work together, so it seemed pointless to play games.

The light over the elevator lit up once someone stepped inside from the lobby.

I knew it was Thorn and Ms. Alexander.

I smoothed out the front of my dress and approached the elevator, my heels clapping against the hardwood floor. My hands came together in front of my waist, and I listened to the distant grind of the elevator as it slowly approached the top floor.

The light lit up again before the doors opened.

Thorn stood in a gray suit with a coral tie. The light colors complemented his fair features. His dirty-blond hair was perfectly styled, and his light blue eyes looked like a spring afternoon.

Ms. Alexander stood beside him in a pencil skirt and a buttoned jacket. She had jet-black hair, tanned skin, and a face pretty enough for a picture. She wore a cute pair of heels, but her height was still considerably less than Thorn’s. She was shorter than me as well.

I smiled when we made eye contact.

Thorn extended his arm, having her exit first. Then he stepped into my living room and greeted me with a hug. “You cleaned up good.”

I hugged him back. “Thanks.”

He winked before he stepped away. “Titan, this is Ms. Alexander. I’m excited the two of you are finally in the same room together.”

Ms. Alexander held herself with perfect grace. With a straight spine, poised shoulders, and a beautiful smile, she extended her hand to shake mine. “It’s truly an honor, Ms. Titan. I’ve followed your career for a long time. Without strong women like you to pave the way, I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have today.”

A lot of people blew smoke up my ass to get what they wanted. They didn’t realize flattery was useless on confident people. But in her case, it seemed genuine. I was an excellent judge of character, and based on my research and her appearance, she seemed like the real deal. “That’s nice of you to say, Ms. Alexander. I appreciate your flexibility coming to my home this afternoon. I’m still not well enough to return to the office just yet.”

“It’s no problem,” she said. “I’m happy to be here.”

Thorn eyed us back and forth while his hands rested in his pockets.

“Let’s take a seat.” I indicated to the couches in the living room before I sat down on the long sofa. I made sure I left a spot for Thorn so he could sit beside me.

Ms. Alexander sat on the couch across from me.

And Thorn sat beside her.

I hid my surprise well, but I still wasn’t prepared for his actions. Did that mean anything? Or had staying home for so long messed with the cogs in my head? “I understand Thorn has been the mutual messenger during our discussions. He’s done a great job handling my companies during my leave, and I can’t thank him enough. But I’m glad we’re having this conversation face-to-face.”

“Me too.” She crossed her legs and rested her hands in her lap. Just as I was poised, she didn’t seem nervous at our interaction. She held her own very well. “Thorn has been a wonderful mediator. Bringing us together was a great executive decision. We both have contributions we can make to this idea. Together, I think we can make an energy company that will rival anyone who opposes us. You have the experience to turn this technology into a brand, and I have the knowledge to make the technology forever evolving. No one else will be able to copy us because by the time they catch up to my last design, I will have two more products on the roadmap. We can make a great team.”

Ms. Alexander was a scientific genius, and she didn’t doubt her abilities. I liked her confidence, and I liked that she got straight to the point.

Thorn spoke next. “Ms. Alexander is looking for an equal partnership. You both have distinct strengths that could be deadly when they’re combined together. It’ll allow each of you to work on the things that interest you most. I’ve gotten to know each of you separately, and you’re both the most extraordinary businesspeople I’ve interacted with. I truly believe you’ll make the perfect team.”

Ms. Alexander gave him a gentle smile, the kind that reached her eyes.

I smiled too, but my eyes were on her.

“So, let’s do the most difficult part,” Thorn said. “Percentages.”

I already knew what I wanted. “Sixty-forty. The reason being, I’ll be investing a great deal of my money and resources into making this technology a global phenomenon. I have all the right contacts, the branding power, and the expertise. This will allow Ms. Alexander to focus on her work exclusively.”

Thorn immediately shifted his eyes to Ms. Alexander, predicting she would have an immediate response.

“It needs to be fifty-fifty,” she said politely. “I understand your reasoning, and in most situations, it would make sense. But when we handle this kind of technology, I want to be part of the decision-making. I want to make sure my inventions are being used in a way I agree with. If we do it your way, then you’re simply buying me out. I really want to work with you because I know we’ll do great things, and I also respect you, so I’m not trying to be difficult or greedy. For me, it’s not about money. It’s about involvement. It’s about partnership.”

She could be pulling a number on me, but I believed in her sincerity. I’d put a ridiculous offer on the table to buy her out, and she didn’t blink an eye over it. Everyone cared about money, but perhaps she didn’t care as much as most people did.

“It’s important for me to make an impact on the world. I don’t want to be forgotten in your shadow, Ms. Titan. I want to be viewed as an equal contributor. I want the world to see two smart women working together and making a difference. It’s my legacy—and that’s the most important thing to me.”

I held her gaze as I considered what she said. My investment in solar energy had already done very well, but it was bound to die out without her new innovations. I was used to doing everything on my own, but in this sector, it wasn’t possible. I needed someone with the right scientific background—and she was the best in the business.

I could argue back and forth to get what I wanted, but I suspected it wouldn’t change the end result. Moving forward, I would be relying on her input most of the time anyway. She understood the technology far better than I did. “Fifty-fifty.”

She immediately smiled.

“Fifty-fifty of this new company we’ll merge together. It has no effect on any other institution I own, even if it’s a conflict of interest. Those are my final terms.” I didn’t foresee a conflict of interest at that moment, but I didn’t know what would happen in the next twenty years. I could invest in a competitor’s product if I wished.

She could argue against that, but she already had a great offer on the table. She asked for the sundae she wanted, and it would be risky to push for a banana split instead. My fierce reputation preceded me, and people didn’t make the mistake of misinterpreting my niceness for weakness. If I compromised, it was suicidal to push for more.

But Ms. Alexander made the right decision. “We have a deal.”