Thorn

Come over. I stared at my phone and waited for an answer.

No.

Baby.

Don’t call me that.

Sexy baby.

The three dots didn’t appear.

Then I’ll come to you.

I won’t answer the door.

This conversation wasn’t productive, so I called her. I held the phone to my ear and listened to it ring. No answer. I hung up and texted her. We’re having this conversation. You don’t get a choice.

You bet your ass, I get a choice.

Alright. I’m heading over. I stayed on the couch because I knew she wouldn’t call my bluff.

My phone started to ring.

I grinned then answered. “Sexy baby.”

“Don’t call me that either.”

“Why? I like it. It’s perfect for you.”

“Well, I don’t like it.”

“Bullshit. You want to listen to me call you that while I come inside you.” Now I was calling her bluff. I knew exactly how she reacted to me, to every touch, to every look.

She didn’t argue. “I’m disappointed in you right now.”

“Why?”

“Don’t why me,” she snapped. “You promised to stay professional.”

“I am being professional. If I weren’t, I would fuck you on the table in front of Titan.”

“I’m being serious, Thorn. You told her about us, and now I feel like she views me as some slut.”

I shook my head. “I promise you she doesn’t think that.”

“You don’t know…”

“No, I do know. Titan would never, ever call another woman that. She’s a hardcore feminist and thinks it’s bullshit that men can sleep around and it’s almost desirable. If a woman wants a physical relationship with a man, she lacks morals and she’s a whore…she despises that. The only way we’re going to change that is if all of us stop throwing those degrading terms around. So, no, she doesn’t think that.”

Autumn was silent.

“Trust me, it doesn’t affect her opinion of you. She admires your brains and your success. All she cares about is the work, nothing else. Alright?”

She sighed into the phone. “You still told me we would remain professional.”

“That’s as professional as I can be. I’m not staying on this project forever. When Titan comes back from her honeymoon, I’ll catch her up, and then I’ll be gone. You won’t have to work with me ever again. It’ll be alright.”

She turned quiet again.

“Now…are you coming over here, or am I going over there.”

She scoffed into the phone. “Right to the point, huh?”

“Are you saying you don’t want me tonight?”

Silence.

“That’s what I thought. So, what’s going to be?”

She stayed on the phone, considering her answer. Then she said, “I have to be up early tomorrow for my spin class.”

“Then I’ll go over there. See you in a bit, sexy baby.”

---

The clothes were gone the second I stepped inside her townhouse. I sat in the center of her sofa with the bottoms of my feet pressed against the floor. I pushed against the ground to lift my hips upward, to meet her thrusts. I rested against the cushioned back of the couch, her tits in my face and my hands on her hips.

Fuck.

Me.

I slipped a beautiful pink nipple into my mouth and felt her pussy spasm around my dick as she came for the second time. She rode me harder, getting herself off with my huge dick wedged deep inside her. Her nails started at my shoulders then pulled all the way down, scratching into the sweat and skin. “Thorn…god.” Her head rolled back, and she ran her hand through her hair.

Jesus.

I gripped her ass cheeks and squeezed them hard, feeling my dick start to beg. He was swallowed in her tight goodness, in a place more beautiful than anywhere else he’d been. Every time I moved inside her, my resistance waned. My fingers dug into her harder to hold on, but I was slipping.

My hand anchored in her hair, and I pulled her down on my crotch, shoving my dick far inside her. I released with a grunt, filling her pussy with so much come it pushed past my cock and smeared to my base, mixed with her own cream. I gripped her tits and rested my neck against the back of the couch, letting the orgasm stretch on until it slowly faded away.

She still rode me, her movements slowing down as my cock began to soften. She was stuffed with come and cream, her pussy my favorite place in the world. Her arms wrapped around my neck, and she rested against me, her face just inches from mine.

“Sexy baby…” I kissed her top lip, tasting the sweat that formed there. I was sweaty too, but she was the one who did all the work. I just got to sit there and enjoy. “You love that name, right?”

“Only when I’m full of you.”

I smiled against her mouth before I kissed her again. “You have the most incredible pussy…”

She smiled back. “I know.”

“You know?” I asked with a chuckle.

“Well, your dick already told me that.”

“Yeah…he makes it pretty obvious.” My fingertips fell down her shoulder blades and her back, slowly moving down to her ass. I lightly caressed her everywhere, feeling the soft skin mixed with sweat. She had the most beautiful figure, an hourglass shape with phenomenal tits.

She leaned back slightly, still full of my softening cock. “I think I’m going to shower.”

“Nope.” I stood up and lifted her with me, keeping my cock inside her as I carried her into the hallway. I hadn’t been in her bedroom yet, and I walked into the first room I saw. It was feminine, with lots of light colors and fluffy pillows. I set her on the bed then moved underneath the covers. “Wow, your bed is comfy.”

“That’s why I only lie in it when I’m going to sleep…otherwise, I’ll never get anything done.” She pulled the covers back and got comfortable beside me, her makeup smeared slightly and her hair a mess.

I thought she’d never looked hotter. “I’m sleeping here tonight.”

“Really?” she asked. “I thought we didn’t do that.”

“Well, now we do.” My arms cradled her smooth body, and I pulled her tighter against me. We were both warm and sweaty, but I wanted her right beside me. I’d spent the day keeping my hands to myself, and now that we were alone together, I wanted to be all over her—all the time. “Don’t pretend that you want me to leave.”

When she didn’t answer, I assumed it was a silent admission. “What exactly did you tell Titan?”

“About us?”

“Yeah.” She watched me through her thick lashes, her eyes glowing with their own light.

“The truth.”

“But how much of the truth?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Tell me what you said.”

“Pretty much everything.”

Her eyes narrowed further. “Everything?”

“You have to remember…she’s my best friend. Shit, she’s my only friend. I had to tell her about you because I told you the truth about my relationship with her. So she wanted to know the extent of ours…so I told her.”

“And what did she say about it?”

“Nothing really…” I considered telling her what Titan really said. I wanted to pursue Autumn in a different way, but I wasn’t even sure where to begin. How would she feel about it? “I told her I cared about you…that you’re the only woman I’m seeing. So she got her hopes up and said she wants it to turn into something more.”

“Really?” she whispered.

“Yeah, she wants me to settle down. She made a fool out of me to the entire world, so it would make her happy if I was happy.”

“Well…are you happy?” Her gaze was locked on to mine, watching every single shift of my eyes.

“That’s actually something I wanted to mention to you…”

“I’m listening.”

“Titan and I had an arrangement because it suited both of us. I’d be a great husband and father. She’d be a great mother and wife. We both have considerable wealth that would make us unstoppable together. It was a perfect match. Not to mention, we trusted each other implicitly. It took away the issues of heartbreak and disappointment. Now she’s fallen in love, and she prefers a romance based on passion and longing…two things that might disappear over time. She understands that, but she’s willing to risk it.”

Autumn didn’t let a single expression escape on her face. She watched me calmly, listening instead of jumping to conclusions right away.

“I already told you I don’t see myself feeling something deep for another person, so I’m still open to this idea. I want a family. I’ve always wanted to be a father. But the pressure of being in a romantic relationship is just too much. I’m an honest guy, so I’d always treat my wife with respect, take care of her, and be there for her. I’d never lie to her. With me, she’d have a man who treated her like a goddess. I’m sure I would love her…just never fall in love with her. I’d be with other women, but that wouldn’t be a secret. They’d have my bed, but they wouldn’t have my loyalty, not like she would. We’d raise a beautiful family and love our kids together. It’d be a partnership. You mentioned your hesitance to another relationship. Is this something you would consider?”

Instead of blurting out an answer right away, she didn’t say anything at all. At least she wasn’t repulsed by the idea. Most people wouldn’t understand it and would just think there was something wrong with me. But at least she gave it some thought. “Are you asking me to be your wife…?”

Was that a yes? “I’m asking if you’re open to the idea.”

She turned quiet again, thinking about it in silence. “In this scenario, you would have relationships with other women?”

“Not relationships. Just flings. But, yes. It wouldn’t be a secret. I wouldn’t parade that in front of our family or anyone else. It would be a secret to everyone else besides the two of us.”

That was the moment her eyes fell. She looked at the sheets between us, no longer holding my gaze.

I felt the disappointment inside me grow, knowing her answer before she actually gave it.

“I couldn’t do that part. I could do everything else…but that.”

“You’d have your own relationships too. It’s a two-way street.”

“I know I wouldn’t want a relationship…” She slipped out of the bed and ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ll be back…I’m going to shower.” She crossed the room, her womanly hips swaying as she walked. Her black hair trailed down her back and shifted as she moved. She stepped into the bathroom then lightly shut the door behind her.

I propped myself up and stared at the closed door, trying to decipher what her last statement meant. She didn’t seem horrified by my proposition until the end of my explanation. One moment, she was cuddled in my arms. And in the next instant, she was gone.

Now I was in bed by myself—and I’d never felt more alone in my life.

---

Titan and I sat across from each other in her office, going over the new product line for her Illuminance brand. We did beta testing in Budapest, but her products didn’t leave the shelves. We weren’t sure if it was the branding, price point, or the market.

Fortunately, my business was straightforward. It was machine-operated, and people needed canned tomatoes for everything. Food never went out of style, so I was always safe. Marketing in the food space was the opposite of what Titan was doing. Preserving old labels made the product seem more antique, and that’s what people preferred in my realm. For everything else, like makeup and technology, it had to seem as modern and sleek as possible.

Autumn wouldn’t be joining us that afternoon because she was busy in her lab. She only met with us when we discussed numbers and branding. The rest of the time, she was concentrating on creating or improving new products.

Titan’s phone lit up so she glanced at it. “I should get going. I have to pick up the dress from Chase.”

“Can’t you send someone to do that for you?”

“You think I’m gonna let anyone touch my dress?” she asked incredulously. “I wouldn’t even let Diesel touch it.”

I stared at my paper and scribbled another note. My mind wasn’t in the game that afternoon because I kept thinking about Autumn. When I’d left the next morning, she was just as quiet and timid as she was the night before. When I asked her about it, she said she was fine.

I knew she was lying, but I couldn’t get her to tell the truth if she refused to share it with me.

“Thorn?”

“What?” I blurted without looking up.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Yeah, you need to pick up your dress.” I clicked the back of the pen so the tip disappeared.

“No. After that.”

Shit, I must have missed it. “Uh, what?” I looked up, meeting her penetrating gaze.

“Everything alright? You’ve been weird all day.”

“Didn’t sleep well last night. That’s all.”

Titan saw right through that. “You drag everything out of me, so you know I’m gonna drag everything out of you.”

I spun the pen in my fingertips, fidgeting even though I wasn’t the kind of man to fidget. “I mentioned a convenient marriage to Autumn, and she seemed open to the idea in the beginning…but then she brushed me off.”

“Just because we understand the perks of it doesn’t mean other people will.”

“I understand. But she didn’t hate the idea in the beginning. When I told her we didn’t have to be monogamous, that’s when I lost her. She said she wouldn’t want another relationship…then she walked off into the shower.”

“Hmm…sounds like she’s looking for a real partner, then.”

“Maybe.” I stared at my pen.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah…I guess I’m just disappointed. If she said yes, that would be perfect.”

“Perfect because?” She propped her chin on her knuckles.

“Because Autumn is perfect. I’d have a trophy wife who’s also a genius. Come on, what could be more perfect than that?”

She leaned back into her white leather chair and crossed her arms. “Thorn, why don’t you just do the actual marriage thing?”

“Because I don’t want to. You know this.”

“But you obviously like Autumn a lot. Maybe see where it goes.”

I shook my head. “You know I’m not the committed type. Her last man left her for someone else. I’d kill myself if I ever hurt her. I never want to cause her pain. She’s a good person and doesn’t deserve that.”

A slow smile formed on her lips. “You’ve got it bad.”

“Just because I respect the woman doesn’t mean I’ve got it bad.”

“If you respect her, then yes. You’re really into her. Come on, Thorn. When have you ever respected anyone?”

“Uh, you?” I said like a smartass.

“And we’re best friends,” she said slowly. “We’ve been together for over a decade now. You love me, and I love you. Now this woman has come into your life, and you feel close to her too…but you’re attracted to her. Do I need to spell it out for you?”

I had stopped fidgeting with my pen, but now I started up again. “I’m glad you’ve fallen head over heels for Diesel, but that doesn’t happen to everyone.”

“True. But you need to stop dismissing the idea completely. Keep an open mind.”

I dropped the pen into the inside pocket of my jacket. “People don’t change.”

“Some do. I know I have.”

I rose to my feet and came around the desk. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

She didn’t move. “Thorn, as your friend, it’s my job to tell you what you don’t want to hear.”

“Well, stop being my friend for two seconds.”

She sighed then left the chair. She grabbed her purse off the table and pulled it over her shoulder. “Let me put this into terms you’ll understand.” She moved to the front of the desk, facing me on the other side. “If you don’t make this work, some other guy will come into the picture and make it work. She’ll move on and forget about you, and you’ll sit around thinking about the woman you can’t have. Now, is that a fate you’re willing to accept? Is that a chance you’re willing to take?” She stared me down, watching every single expression I made like a scientist studying something under the microscope.

I clenched my jaw and held her gaze, but I felt the tightness in my back and shoulders. I could lie to myself and say I wasn’t jealous when other men looked at Autumn. I could pretend she didn’t mean anything to me when we both knew she did. But the idea of moving forward terrified me.

Because I didn’t want to hurt Autumn.

---

I didn’t get much done during the first twenty minutes because I kept thinking about what Titan had said about Autumn. It circled in my mind over and over again. Was Titan right? Or was I right? Finally, I started to focus again and get stuff done.

Then Jessica shattered my concentration. “Sir, I have a Bridget Creed here to see Titan.”

My blood stopped circulating in my body because it froze. I’d never forget that name because of the implications of her relationship to Titan. Diesel told me the truth, and I knew exactly who she was.

In light of everything going on in our lives, I’d forgotten about her altogether.

But now the hair on the back of my neck stood on end.

She was here to see Titan—again. What did she want this time? “Send her in, Jessica.” I could send Bridget away and say Titan was out for the afternoon, but that sounded like a recipe for disaster.

I wanted to know what this woman wanted.

And I wanted to make sure she knew she couldn’t fuck with Titan.

Bridget walked in a moment later, wearing a black dress with pearls around her neck. Her brown hair was pinned back in an elegant updo. Her nails were perfectly manicured, and she didn’t look like a woman who needed money. She had such a startling resemblance to Titan that it baffled me the media hadn’t seized upon this information. She didn’t hide her disappointment when she saw me instead of Titan. “Mr. Cutler?”

“Hello, Mrs. Creed. How can I help you?” I rose to my feet and slid my hands into my pockets. I didn’t want to seem threatening because this woman didn’t appear to be dangerous, but I couldn’t lower my guard. Since her motives were hidden from me, it was extremely unnerving. If I knew what she wanted, sinister or not, I’d be able to understand her.

But I didn’t understand her at all.

She slowly walked farther into the room, a large wedding ring on her finger. The diamond was big and clear, an expensive piece of jewelry. Judging by the ring and the nice clothes she wore, she didn’t seem like someone who needed money. But then again, maybe she’d had it but pissed it all away. “I came by to speak to Titan. Is she available?”

I held her gaze without blinking, confused by the innocence in her features. Last time, she seemed genuinely concerned about Titan. But now that she was there again, it seemed like she wanted something else. “No.”

She stopped behind the two chairs that faced the desk, keeping the furniture between us.

“As you know, she’s well again. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be standing inside this office right now.”

She didn’t deny it, keeping her green eyes on me. Her features were so similar to Titan’s that I felt like I was looking at my friend in a time machine. “If she’s well again, why hasn’t she returned?”

“She has. She had an appointment this afternoon.” I kept the desk between us instead of walking around to shake her hand. Without understanding her purpose, I wouldn’t show her any politeness. “But I suggest you stop dropping by like this. You have no purpose here.”

Her eyes narrowed just the way Titan’s did.

“Yes, I know who you are.”

She inhaled sharply, taking my words like a knife to the heart. She looked away, her eyes instantly moist. Her strong posture immediately slouched, and her shoulders rolled forward. Like a boulder had landed on top of her, she seemed to be pushed toward the earth. “You do?”

“I suspected it the first time I looked at you. Same eyes…same hair…same everything.”

“That’s not enough evidence.”

“No. But a PI is.”

She dropped her gaze. “Does she know…?”

Should I divulge that information? I could lie and say Titan didn’t want to see her, but that felt morally wrong. Titan said she wanted nothing to do with her, but if she were face-to-face with her mother, she might change her mind. “No.”

“Why haven’t told you her?”

“We told her we think you’re her mother, but Titan said she didn’t care whether you were or not. It doesn’t make a difference to her.”

She took another deep breath, the features on her face tightening from the blow. “Of course she hates me…how could I expect her not to?” As if she was feeling off-balance, she moved to the chair facing the desk and lowered herself onto the cushion. Her chin dipped to the floor in weakness, and her hands came together for strength.

I didn’t lower myself into the chair, choosing to stand over her. I watched every movement she made and tried to understand if this display was sincere.

“I thought if I told her in person…maybe she would have some compassion.”

“She doesn’t hate you, Bridget.”

She slowly looked up and met my gaze. Her eyes were wet, but the tears didn’t form. “She doesn’t…?”

“No. She understands you had to abandon her because you weren’t ready to be a mom. Since you didn’t want to stay, she thinks it’s better that you walked away. You would have done her a disservice by forcing yourself to do something you didn’t want to do. So, she doesn’t hate you. But since you did abandon her, she doesn’t want you in her life either. You made your choice, and you have to stick with it. You can’t have it both ways.”

“I…I understand why she feels that way. She’s such a brilliant woman…so logical.”

I finally lowered myself into the chair and watched her.

“I know she doesn’t need me. I know she doesn’t need anyone. But when I saw the news…” She gripped her chest, and that’s when the tears started to well up. “I’ve never felt so scared in my life. I’ve never been so angry. Knowing your child is suffering…is the worst feeling in the world.”

“But she’s not your child, Bridget. You gave up that right twenty-five years ago.”

She wiped her tears away with her fingertips. “Maybe…but I’ll always see her as my daughter.”

“When did you realize who she was?”

“Years ago. She did an interview with a fashion magazine. I saw her on the cover…and I knew.”

“So you know she’s the richest woman in the world?”

Her eyes burned with hostility. “Yes. But I don’t want her money, Mr. Cutler. I guess I have to make that clear…”

“It’s an odd coincidence,” I said coldly. “She almost dies, and you wonder if you’re the next of kin…”

Her eyes narrowed further. “I don’t expect you to believe me, but no, that’s not why I came into this office. A smart woman like her prepared for her death the second she had money. I’m sure she put her fortune into a trust so her wealth will be handed to someone closer to her.”

I honestly had no idea who she would leave her fortune to in that event of her death. Knowing her, she’d probably make generous donations to charity. I was probably in her will, but I didn’t need money. Legacy was important to her, she would make her wealth mean something.

“There’s no chance of me getting a dime from her. That’s okay because that’s not what I want.”

“Then what do you want?” I asked coldly.

She held my gaze, her lips pressed tightly together. For a woman in her fifties, she’d aged phenomenally well. Her skin was still beautiful, and the wrinkles around her eyes were nonexistent. She had a nice figure as well. “I want a relationship with her.”

“Why?” I demanded. “You left her twenty-five years ago.”

“Yes…and I shouldn’t have done that.”

“But you did,” I snapped. “You left her. She and her father struggled every single day until he died. Then she was homeless. And after that, she built herself up and became the ruler she is now. She did that on her own—without you. Now you get to come in and have a relationship with the most amazing woman in the world?” I didn’t know where all this rage came from. Now that I was face-to-face with the woman who’d abandoned my best friend, I got angry.

“I’m not going to make excuses for what I did…”

“Good. Save us both some time.”

“But that doesn’t change how I feel. I want to get to know her…to talk to her.”

“You don’t have the right.” Titan was exceptionally picky about the people she allowed into her life. They had to build her trust for years before she let her guard down. This woman had already broken her trust—and she only had one shot. “Take my advice and just drop it. If you’re looking for forgiveness, she’s already given it to you. She doesn’t hate you for the decision you made. But don’t expect her to welcome you back with welcome arms. Let this go.”

She looked down in shame. “I have to try.”

“Don’t waste your time.”

“Knowing she almost died changed everything, Mr. Cutler. I understand she wants nothing to do with me, but now that I’ve almost lost her…I have to try. She needs to hear my apology. She needs to know I would take it back if I could.”

This woman wasn’t getting it. “No, she doesn’t. She’s fine, Bridget. She doesn’t need to hear your apology to be happy. This is entirely selfish. Let it go.”

“She says she doesn’t need me, but I don’t believe that. She lost her father, and I’m all she has left.”

I wanted to slam my hand against the desk. “She has me—and she always will. I’m her family. Diesel is her family. You’re just some woman who ran off. You gave her birth to her, but that’s the only credit you get.”

“I’m her—”

“Get out, Mrs. Creed. Go back to your husband and your two sons.”

Surprise moved into her eyes. She obviously didn’t expect me to know that.

“You have your own family now. Leave this in the past…where it belongs.”

---

I called Autumn when I got home.

No answer.

I texted her. Come over for dinner tonight.

No response.

Something told me she was aware of the messages but chose to ignore me. Something in my gut told me she was upset with me. All these instincts were kicking in, but I didn’t understand where they were coming from.

Baby, please. Don’t shut me out.

Still nothing.

I didn’t want to cross the line and just show up on her doorstep. Shit like that was creepy and a violation of her privacy. When women stopped by my place unexpectedly, it always ticked me off. I usually had a date over.

I texted her again. If you change your mind, come by. I’ll be waiting for you. I tossed the phone on the table and forced myself not to stare at the screen. We weren’t in a relationship, so I had no right to do anything more than wait.

She wasn’t mine.

I grabbed a beer and watched the game, doing whatever I could not to think about her.

---

It was almost nine when the elevator beeped.

I jumped off the couch and staggered through the living room as I headed to the door. I hoped it was Autumn, and I assumed she was the only person it could be. Titan would just come up, and no one else would stop by randomly at this time. I hit the intercom. “Baby?”

“It’s me,” she said simply. “Want to buzz me in?”

I rested my forehead against the wall and smiled, relieved this was really happening. “I’d love to.” I hit the button so she could rise to the top. I waited in front of the door, grateful she was coming. Autumn was about to step into my life again. I didn’t feel the pain of her slipping away anymore.

The doors opened and she stepped inside, wearing black skinny jeans with tall boots. A thick green jacket covered her body, large buttons down the middle. Her dark hair was in curls, and it framed her face perfectly.

She was gorgeous.

“Hey.” Now that I was face-to-face with her, I was at a loss for words. I finally had her attention, and I couldn’t think of anything better to say. All my anxiousness died away now that she was in my penthouse. She wouldn’t be there unless she wanted to be there. My arms circled her waist, and I leaned in to kiss her.

Like a spooked horse, she stepped away and slid out of my embrace. She turned her cheek to avoid my kiss.

She might as well have kicked me in the balls. “I think we should talk.”

Fuck, she was dumping me.

“This has gotten too messy. In the beginning, it was supposed to just be a fling. Now there’s talk of marriage, and then you’re grabbing my thigh under the table in front of my new business partner…”

I didn’t want to lose her. I hadn’t had her that long, and now she was already slipping away. Our time was too short, and I wasn’t ready to walk away. It’d been over a month, longer than most of my arrangements, but this seemed exceptionally short. “Then let’s go back to being a fling. I’ll only be professional in front of Titan and Diesel. You have my word. So, problem solved.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the ground instead of me.

Wasn’t that what she wanted to hear? “What else? You want to start seeing other people again?” I didn’t want to do that—at all. But if that’s what she wanted, then fine. I’d settle.

“No.” She looked up, the same dead look on her face. “I don’t want that. That’s the whole problem.”

Now I was lost. “Sorry?”

“It’s obvious we both want completely different things.”

“That’s not possible. I want whatever you want, Autumn. Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you.”

She released a chuckle, but it was full of so much sorrow I actually felt the pain seep into my skin. “Thorn, you’re such a brilliant man but so damn stupid.”

“Excuse me?”

The smile on her face was completely sarcastic, but the emotion in her eyes was sincere. “When I first made a move on you, I told myself I could do a fling. I knew you would just break my heart, so I had to keep it light. And then we started seeing each other more, and I convinced myself everything would be alright… It’s not alright. Before I even met you, I had such a crush on you. Every time I’d see you on the news or in a magazine I’d get those butterflies in my stomach. Then I met you in person…and you were even better than through the pages of a magazine.”

I listened to all of it without breathing, finding the information absolutely shocking. She hid her interest in me so well. I thought she was indifferent to me most of the time.

“I got so jealous over Titan… It would happen all the time. Anytime she was mentioned, I felt a rock form in my stomach. That was the biggest sign I needed to walk away, but I didn’t. You said you wanted to be exclusive, and I should have left then too…but I didn’t. And now you’re proposing an idea of a convenient marriage…and like an idiot, I actually want to consider it. So, this is it for me, Thorn. With every passing day, I become more emotionally attached to you. If I don’t walk away now, I’m going to get crushed. So this has to end now.” She took a deep breath when she finished because she’d been talking a million miles an hour up to that point. “I didn’t think I’d be able to recover from my last heartbreak, and when I did, I said I wouldn’t risk it again. But here I am, doing it again…only this time is worse. “This is it for me. I want to be friends and colleagues…but that’s it.”

I’d had plenty of time to process what she said because she’d been talking for so long. I’d had time to prepare for the bomb she dropped on my head. But I couldn’t have anticipated how much her words would hurt me. They cut into me like a dirty knife that had been sitting in the soil for decades. The wound festered immediately and made me sick. I wasn’t in love with this woman, but the immense amount of pain she had just caused me made me think otherwise. She said she wanted to end things, and I wanted to tell her that I didn’t accept it.

That I didn’t want to let her go.

I didn’t want to find someone else to bring back to my place. I didn’t want to see Autumn on a regular basis and pretend she was just some woman I worked with. I’d never felt this kind of attachment to anyone. “I didn’t know you felt that way…”

“I did my best to hide it. I’ve had flings with other guys, and that was easy. We’d just have fun. I thought you wouldn’t be any different. But then you were…and I wasn’t strong enough to walk away.”

Now would be the right time to say something meaningful, but I couldn’t think of anything. Autumn had wanted me before she even met me. My proposal tempted her because she wanted me so much. “Hear me out…”

She pulled her arms tighter around her body.

“You said you were tempted by my proposal.”

“For, like, a second,” she whispered.

“Why?”

She shook her head.

“Just answer me.”

“Having Thorn Cutler as a husband sounds pretty nice. You’re not only wealthy but respectable. You’re gorgeous as sin and fun to be with. You’re great in bed…the best I’ve ever had. You’re honest and loyal…I could go on.”

“So the only drawback is me seeing other women?”

She closed her eyes for a moment, as if just the suggestion hurt her. “I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t…know you were out with someone else. I want to pretend that I would be okay, but that would be a lie. It would eat me up inside.”

If she were out with someone else, I’d feel the same way. “What if I didn’t see anyone else?”

She cocked her head, her eyes squinting. “What…?”

“Would you consider my proposal if we remained monogamous? I would remain faithful to you.”

She stared at me as if she didn’t understand a word I’d just said. “How is that any different than a regular marriage, then?”

“I guess it’s not…”

“So we would just get married for the convenience and remain faithful to each other?” she asked. “Now it sounds like an arranged marriage.”

“But it would give us both what we want. We could start a family, and we could both have successful partners. I bring a lot to the table, and so do you. I’m one of the most powerful men in the business world. You’re one of the biggest geniuses of our time. Together, we’d be a pretty great couple. Not to mention, I’m hot and so are you. Have any idea what our kids would look like?”

An awkward laugh escaped her lips, and she stepped back. “Convenient or not, it would be risky.”

“I think it’s less risky. We could have good sex all the time and raise a family.”

“And what if we stop liking each other?” she asked. “Then we have kids, and we can’t see other people…sounds like a nightmare.”

“Not if we always stay friends and talk to each other.”

She looked at the ground and chewed her bottom lip. She seemed to be seriously considering it.

Would she actually say yes?

“Thorn, I don’t want that either. If I marry someone, I guess I want to marry for love. Call me old-fashioned.”

“But love is the reason people get divorced. Once the passion and lust die down, what’s left?”

“And that’s all we have, Thorn,” she countered. “Passion and lust.”

“I don’t agree with that.” I’d wanted to fuck her the first time I saw her, but I also cared about her. I confided things to her just like a friend. “I think we have more than that. We’re friends.”

“Friendship isn’t enough either.”

“You shouldn’t dismiss the power of it. A real bond can be deeper than blood.” Titan was the closest person in my life, and we didn’t share genetics.

She shifted her weight to the side then tucked her hair behind her ear. “My ex left me for someone else. He fell in love and knew he wanted to be with her. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind. That’s what I want…to meet a man who knows I’m the one.”

My eyes softened.

“Maybe that’s stupid and unrealistic…but it’s what I want. I want to protect my happiness as much as I can, but I also don’t want to settle for something that will hurt me. So I should get out of this situation now because it drowns me.”

She’d rejected my offer, and now she was leaving me. She wanted me, but she refused to have me unless I offered her more. She never asked me if I’d be willing to have a deeper relationship, one full of feelings and a connection.

Because she knew I’d say no.

She knew I wouldn’t change my mind.

I was a confirmed bachelor, going from woman to woman with meaningless experiences. It was good sex, but it was also easy sex. I was incapable of feeling anything more than that. I did have stronger feelings for Autumn than I did for anyone else, but that was the extent of it. “I understand.”

She looked away, unable to mask her disappointment. She couldn’t hide her anguish.

Maybe she did hope I’d change my mind.

She cleared her throat slightly then plastered on a look of indifference. “I hope we can part of good terms.”

“Of course.”

“Great. I guess I should get going…” She turned toward the elevator.

I snatched her by the elbow then backed her up into the wall. I cornered her with my body, my face pressed to hers. “Not tonight.” I rubbed my nose against hers then kissed the corner of her mouth. “Not until morning.”

Her beautiful eyes looked into mine, the sorrow and the longing evident. Her hands moved up my bare chest, and her warm breaths fell on my face. She’d given me that look dozens of times, and I knew exactly what it meant. She wanted me. She wanted me deep, hard, and long. “Until morning.”

---

Since it was my final night with this incredible woman, I could have done something more erotic and scandalous, like tying her to my headboard and fucking her from behind. I could have blindfolded her and forced her to rely on her other senses to enjoy me.

But I didn’t.

I had her on her back, her legs spread for me. Her head lay on my pillow with her hair fanned out across the crumpled sheets. Her tits were firm and her nipples were peaked. Her mouth was constantly open from the all the moaning she did. She took in my length like a pro, making my dick glide through her slickness.

My wrists were locked behind her knees, keeping her wide open for me. I fucked her at a rhythmic pace, going neither slow or fast. All I wanted to do was make it last. I wanted to stay just like this, as long as she could handle me without getting sore.

“Thorn…I love it when you fuck me.”

I paused as I was buried deep inside her, forcing my dick to behave itself. “Baby, I do too.” I moved my mouth to hers to kiss her, keeping myself distracted so I wouldn’t blow my load sooner than I wanted to. I’d already come in her once and got hard again almost instantly, but it was unlikely I could spring back so quickly.

But the kiss just made me harder.

I loved her small tongue, the way her mouth breathed into mine when she kissed me. Her mouth quivered as it danced with mine. She panted and moaned directly into my mouth, writhing underneath me like this was the very first time.

Her nails cut into my back as she held on to me. Her pussy tightened around me as she slid into another orgasm. She clenched me with bruising force and locked her ankles around my waist. Then she came loudly, sheathing my cock with all her cream. “Thorn…”

I pounded into her viciously, unable to control my thrusts. I wanted to drive my dick deep inside and give her even more of my come. She wouldn’t be able to walk out of there without feeling my come sitting at her entrance, no matter how many times she showered.

She pushed her palm against the headboard so she could thrust back at me with the same force. Sweat dripped, and our moans collided. “Come inside me…” She looked beautiful just like that, fucking me back with the same vigor I showed her. She wanted me to get off with the same enthusiasm that I just had.

She wanted to rock my world.

I came inside her again with a deep moan, feeling the immediate satisfaction as I filled her gorgeous pussy with a mound of my come. I clenched my jaw as I kept going, giving her a load just as big as the previous one. All the muscles in my body tightened in pleasure. I’d never gotten off so hard to someone else in my life.

I moved on top of her and smothered her with kisses as my dick slowly softened. The come dripped onto the sheets because there was too much to fit inside her small little slit. Sex filled the room, and it would take weeks for the scent to fade away.

Not that I wanted it to.

I turned over and lay beside her, my chest covered in a thin film of sweat. The muscles of my core were tight from the exertion, but the fatigue never felt so good. Despite the heat that seared our skin, I hooked my arm around her and pulled her into me. I wanted to enjoy her as much as I could, treasure her even when I wasn’t inside her. “Tell me something about yourself.” I found myself missing these conversations already. We didn’t always talk about anything deep and meaningful, but we did have discussions.

“About me?” she whispered.

“Yeah.”

“I’m not that interesting.”

“Tell me something boring about yourself, then,” I teased.

“I didn’t say I was boring either.”

“Come on.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead.

She smiled in response. “I love horses.”

“Yeah? I didn’t take you as a country girl.”

“I wouldn’t call me a country girl. But I’ve always wanted to have some land for a few horses.”

“Do you know anything about horses?”

“Of course. When I was young, I used to work in a stable. It paid shit and I was always covered in shit, but I got to groom and train the horses. I had to take the train when I was teenager really early in the morning during the summer. But I enjoyed it.”

“You know how to ride?”

“I did. It’s been a while now.”

“Why don’t you move out to the countryside like your parents?”

“It’s not convenient right now,” she answered. “I’m already working so much, and adding another hour to commute each way…that’d be a pain. Maybe when I get to a place in my career when I’m not working as much, it’ll be different.”

“I hope that’s not when you’re retired.”

“I hope so too,” she said with a chuckle. “I’ve always imagined I would raise my kids outside the city. Whenever we want to do some shopping or sightseeing, we can just take the train in. But for the rest of the time, we can enjoy some fresh air.”

“Yeah, that sounds nice.”

“Do you always want to live in the city?”

“Honestly, I can’t picture myself living anywhere else.” I’d always lived in a big city my whole life. Chicago was a big city too. Not as big as Manhattan, but just as chaotic. “I like Chicago, but New York is a lot more interesting to me.”

“And less windy, right?”

I smiled. “Yeah…less windy.”

“Do you think you’ll ever move back there? Because of your family?”

“No,” I said immediately. “I prefer Manhattan. I know my brother wants to come here too. Once he does, I’m sure my parents will follow us. They’re only there because that’s where their house is. It’s been in the family for over a hundred years, so they can’t give it up.”

“Over a hundred years?”

“Yeah, it’s an old house with land outside the city.”

“That’s cool.”

My hand slid through her damp hair, the sweat accumulating at her roots. When she was worn out and fatigued was when she looked the best. I liked making her lips swollen with my mouth. I loved the way she looked thoroughly fucked—by me. “How do you like working with Titan?”

“It’s too soon to tell. But I’m enjoying the experience so far. She’s a smart woman, and not to mention, strong as hell. I don’t think I’d be back at work only six weeks after being shot.”

“You’re right. But that woman is made of stronger stuff than most of us.”

“True.”

“But I suspect you’re made from the same foundation. You’re a badass woman too.”

“Badass?” she asked with a smile.

“Hell yeah.” I rubbed my nose against hers. “I haven’t met a beautiful brainiac before.”

“Uh, Titan?”

“She’s smart, but not a genius like you. I saw the formulas written on your whiteboard in your office. Have no idea what any of that even means.”

“It’s just equations.”

“But there weren’t any numbers. Just symbols and nonsense…”

She laughed. “That nonsense is the basis of the science.”

“Well, Titan and I couldn’t decode it if our lives depended on it.”

“If someone taught you, I’m sure they could. Don’t sell yourself short. A lot of people think science and math are too hard, but once you give it a chance, you realize it’s actually mostly common sense.”

I scoffed because it was ridiculous. “Maybe you just think it’s easy because you’re a genius.”

She gave me a playful slap. “Stop calling me that.”

“What? Ye.”

“You’re a billionaire. You don’t think that qualifies you as a genius?”

“Hardly. I was born into wealth. I’m a lucky bastard. Titan, on the other hand, did everything on her own. Now that takes real talent.”

Her hands glided up my chest. “Well, I heard you’re the one who gave her a loan when the banks refused to take a chance on her.”

My eyes narrowed. “How did you know that?”

“She told me…

She also told me she wouldn’t be where she is now without you, that you pulled her up on her feet and guided the way.”

I didn’t realize Titan had told her that. “She exaggerates.”

“We both know that’s bullshit.” She smiled at me, knowing she had me backed into a corner. “You invested in her because you knew she’d make you a fortune. And you were right. You know what that makes you?”

“Don’t say it—”

“A sexy genius.”

Before I could get angry, I focused on the first word she said. “Sexy, huh?”

“Don’t act like you aren’t one of the sexiest guys in the world.”

“I’m not ignorant to my charms, but one of the sexiest…that’s a pretty flattering statement.”

“And I mean it.” She rubbed my chest then kissed me.

Oh wow. I loved her kisses.

She kissed me slowly like we hadn’t been fucking all night. There was tongue, lots of lip, and the sexiest moans.

My hand explored her body again, feeling her tight stomach and her awesome tits. It took less than a minute for my dick to come to full mast again. Then I rolled her over, knowing exactly how I wanted to take her, be buried between her legs while she was pinned underneath me.

I didn’t want to sleep.

I just wanted to move with her.

Talk to her.

And move with her again.

---

My alarm went off with a shriek. It was the most unpleasant sound I’d ever heard, but it had never bothered me any other morning.

Only today, it was unwelcome.

My blissful night was officially a memory. It was something of the past, something to look back on. Now I would move on with my life. She would move on with hers.

She got out of bed first, her movements slower than usual. She pulled on her panties first then took her time with her bra. Each piece of clothing was slowly draped across her gorgeous skin.

I wanted to make love to her again, but I knew it wouldn’t feel good.

It would just be depressing.

I got out of bed and pulled on a fresh pair of boxers.

She zipped up her boots then arranged her hair with her fingers. Since the alarm went off, she hadn’t looked at me.

I didn’t make eye contact with her either.

She finally walked to the door, dressed in her green jacket and ready to go.

I followed her to the entryway.

Last night, it felt so right. Despite the fact that it was our last night together, it felt so comfortable. It was simple. But now, it was the tensest interaction we’d ever had. It was stiff, as if we hardly knew each other at all.

She grabbed her purse off the table then immediately hit the button for the elevator.

She was trying to get out of there as quickly as possible.

I could just let her go without a fight to make it easier on both of us, but it felt insulting to watch her walk out with a single glance. I grabbed her arm and guided her into my chest, my arms wrapping around her like steel bars.

Her face rested against my chest.

I didn’t know what to say to make this blow easier for either of us. She admitted she was falling for me, and I admitted I cared about her more than I should. We were cutting this off before it could grow into something real. We were burning the wound shut before it could bleed. I pressed a kiss to her hairline and smelled her scent one last time. I’d probably never be this close to her ever again.

She took a breath, like she was appreciating me as much as I was appreciating her.

The elevator beeped when the doors opened.

She rose on her tiptoes and gave me a kiss, a soft one on the mouth. There was no heat or passion like there was last night. There was only a sorrowful goodbye. She turned away, her hand dragging down my chest until she was inside the elevator.

I stared as she turned around and met my gaze.

The doors closed.

And I watched her disappear from my sight.

The doors shut, a metal obstacle separating us permanently.

Now she was gone.

I would never see her again…see her the way I liked to see her.