Thorn

Once the meeting was finished, I returned to the office a few blocks over. Autumn went back to her complex on the other side of the city, and we parted as business partners rather than lovers.

I’d been at the office for a few hours and had just finished a meeting with Titan’s assistants when Titan called. She called straight to my cell and bypassed her own employees.

She and I hadn’t discussed the meeting with Autumn yet, and I knew that was the subject of the conversation. “Hey, I think that went well.”

“I agree. She’s a smart woman.”

I knew Titan could read people with surprising accuracy. She didn’t take long to break down someone’s character, even in a short conversation. She picked up on subtle clues, like body language and confidence levels. She’d always known who Diesel truly was, despite the evidence that stacked against him. I thought her heart had overruled her logic, but I’d been wrong. I should have trusted her instinct. “Extremely.”

“I’m not thrilled by the even divide we agreed on, but I understand why she asked for it. I would have done the same thing.”

When it came to business, I needed to have absolute control. I liked to make all the decisions without having to answer to someone else. That also carried into my personal life as well. “This is a special circumstance. In most cases, the person you’re doing business with can’t compete with your resources. But since you’re working in the science space, you’re at a disadvantage. Autumn has a lot of power because she’s the only one with the brains to produce the resource.”

“Autumn?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat when I realized my error. I shouldn’t have addressed her that way, not when it implied we had a personal relationship. I didn’t even call Titan by her first name. “She asked me to call her that.”

Titan didn’t comment on it, but her suspicion was heavy in the silence. “You’re right. She does have a lot of power.”

“But she seems genuine about it. If all she cared about were getting ahead, she would have taken your initial offer. I think this will be a great setup for both of you. Together, you’ll make billions.”

“I’m sure you’re right, Thorn. I’m eager to get back to work and get started.”

“Don’t push Diesel,” I teased. “He seemed pretty ticked the other day.”

“He’s always ticked. Ignore him.”

“If that were true, you wouldn’t be marrying him.”

She sidestepped the comment. “You guys should get started without me. There’s a lot of groundwork to do, but you know how I like things.”

“I’ll give you daily reports through email.”

“Okay, thanks. Ms. Alexander needs to lay out all of her projects so we can determine exactly what direction we’re going in. Depending on what she has in stock, it could determine our branding moves.”

“We?” I asked. “I thought you weren’t involved in this?”

“I think I can be involved remotely.”

“What about Diesel?”

She sighed. “Don’t worry about him. He’ll get over it. Sitting here doing nothing is stressing me out more than just working.”

I believed that. Titan was a goal-oriented person. She needed to be doing something in order to be fulfilled. Once she accomplished a task, she was ready for the next. The constant drive never stopped, but it gave her life a comfortable speed. “Did you tell him about Bridget?”

Her long pause was my answer.

“How did he feel about it?”

“He didn’t say much. He offered to dig into her and confirm her identity. I said no.”

I respected Titan’s decision and agreed with it.

“I told him I wanted to forget about it and move on.”

“Have you been thinking about it much?” If I suspected my long-lost mother were trying to come back into my life, I’d obsess over it. I’d want to know everything about her, to look at her in person and see the genetic resemblance between us.

“No.” Her response was cold, but also genuine. “It makes no difference if Bridget is really my mother or not. She’s not a part of my life, and I don’t want her to be. I don’t hold any anger toward her. But I respected her decision to abandon me and move on with her life. Therefore, she needs to respect my decision to abandon her.”

As cold as Titan’s response was, there was undeniable truth and logic in it. Titan didn’t get worked up about a lot of things. She was pragmatic, allowing herself to assess a situation with complete objectivity.

But would she be so objective if she looked the woman in the eye?

The woman who looked just like her?

Maybe that situation would never present itself.

But what if it did?

“I should get back to work.”

“Of course,” Titan said. “Thank you, Thorn. I know you’re putting in a lot of hours to help me out. I’ll compensate you when I return to work.”

“I don’t want compensation, Titan. That’s not what this is about.”

“I know. But I’m giving it to you anyway. Call me if you need anything.” Click.

---

My day didn’t end until eight that evening. I finished everything at the office, handled my own projects, and then went to the gym. There were days when skipping my workout was tempting, but it was one obligation I couldn’t abandon.

Not if I wanted to stay in such good shape.

I got out of the shower, sat on the couch, and texted Autumn. Thinking of you.

The three dots popped up instantly. What a coincidence. I’m thinking of you.

I wanted to invite her to my place, but that would be rude. It was dark outside, and she shouldn’t be out and about by herself. I didn’t know if she had a private driver or not. How about I swing by? I didn’t have a clue where she lived, but it was probably in a nice penthouse like mine. She didn’t have my kind of money, but she was still exceptionally wealthy.

You don’t strike me as the kind of man who asks a question like that.

I smiled at her playful banter. I was trying to be somewhat polite, but maybe she didn’t like polite. Give me your address. And get ready for a good fuck.

Now that sounds more like it.

I changed then got into the back seat of my driver’s car. He took me a few miles away, to an area that was filled with narrow townhouses. They were on the upscale side of town, and once I stopped in front of her house, I saw blooming flowers despite the harshness of winter. The yard was perfect because someone must take care of it often.

I walked up the stairs to the front door and rang the doorbell.

The door opened a moment later, revealing Autumn standing in a see-through black dress. The top pushed her tits together, and the fabric was so thin I could see the curves of her body perfectly. I could see the diamond in her belly button and the lace of her thong.

I pushed the door closed behind me without taking my eyes off her. The polite thing to do would be to look at her place and give her a compliment.

But I didn’t give a damn about being polite.

My hands moved to her hips, and my mouth pressed against hers. Her petite frame was yanked against mine, and the kiss that ensued burst with sparks. I sucked hard with my lips because I couldn’t get enough of her. My tongue danced with hers, making up for the harshness I just extended.

My hands slid down her body until I gripped her perky ass, her toned muscles luscious as hell. One of the last things she said to me in private was that she only wanted me, not Connor. The thought made my dick thicken another centimeter, at least.

I guided her backward until I entered her living room. Instead of taking the time to find her bedroom, I settled for the large sofa in her Pottery Barn look-alike living room. The thin dress was pulled over her head, revealing her naked tits. With hard nipples and flushed skin, she looked desperate for a deep fuck. Her jet-black hair was aching for my fist.

I ended our kiss so I could watch my fingertips glide down her smooth skin. I felt her shoulders and her slender arms then streaked down her tits that were as tight as her ass, and moved down her belly. My forefinger touched the diamond hanging from her navel, and then I reached the lace of her black panties.

I licked my lips automatically, my entire body hot at the idea of fucking her. The surprise she gave me when I opened the door made this clandestine meeting even sexier. I’d never seen a woman look so perfect, so real.

My cock was as hard as steel.

She reached for my jeans and loosened them as she looked up at me. She bit her bottom lip then released it, letting her lip flick up. Her breathing intensified, and the longer she didn’t kiss me, the more intense the moment became.

I listened to the zipper move down.

I heard the button snap open.

I watched her eyes narrow as she pushed down my jeans and boxers.

My dick pulsed for her, greeting her with a profound twitch.

She licked her lips.

Damn.

She pushed my bottoms to my knees then pulled my long-sleeve over my head. When I was naked for her to appreciate, she touched me the same way I’d just touched her. She glided her fingers over my naked body, lightly stroking the defined areas of muscle as she sank lower.

She moved down my abs and slowly approached my cock.

Finally, her fingers gently touched my length, her warmth making my cock twitch instinctively.

Damn, it felt good.

Her other hand moved to my balls, and she gently massaged the most tender area of my body with her long fingernails. Her other hand pumped my dick and smeared my own lubrication down my length.

I kept my eyes focused on her, but my strength was starting to fade away. The instant my dick was in her hands, I lost all my power. All forethought evaporated. All I could think about was sticking my dick in every hole she possessed.

I dipped my fingers underneath her panties and found her clit. It was covered in arousal, and she was so slick my fingers slid all over her folds. It seemed like she was slathered in an entire bottle of lube—except she produced it all on her own.

And she did it because of me.

I didn’t need to prime her for my big dick. I needed to give her twenty minutes of foreplay to ensure she would come. She was ready for me even before I arrived on her doorstep.

I pulled my hand out of her panties and stared at the stickiness between my fingertips. When I stretched my fingers apart, the substance stretched too. I felt the slickness on my skin before I sucked everything off.

Her eyes smoldered, and her lips parted once more.

I wanted to feel her lubrication with my dick, not my fingertips. I wanted to sink into that warm and wet pussy until I was balls deep. I wanted to feel her bare walls, feel her constrict around me more intimately. “My papers are in my pocket.” I’d stopped by my usual clinic before I went to work. “Yours?”

“On the kitchen table.”

I was clean, and I was sure she was too. I didn’t want to halt the moment to read the results myself. If she had something to tell me, she would say it. And I’d be rolling on a condom right now if my results were anything but unremarkable.

“How do you want it?” I’d give her whatever she asked for. It didn’t make a difference to me what the position was because I would enjoy it regardless. But I was her slave, the man she wanted to use over and over.

She urged me onto the couch and I sat down, my frame resting against the cushions.

She straddled my hips and sat on my lap, my dick rubbing against her cheeks. With her hands secured to my shoulders, she guided herself up and forward, her eyes on me.

I pointed my dick at her entrance then pulled her down my length.

There were no words to describe what I felt.

Just perfect pussy.

I rolled my head back and gritted my teeth as the sigh of satisfaction swallowed me whole. I’d been bareback with women before, but it was never like this. She had the tightest and slickest pussy in the entire world.

My hips gripped her hips, and I pulled her tighter against me, filling her completely.

She lost her breath and flinched, my long length and thick size hurting her slightly. She breathed through the pain and focused on the pleasure. She bit her bottom lip in this sexy little way, and then she started to move up and down.

Fuck, I’d have to make her come quick.

Because I wasn’t going to last long.

---

She freshened herself up in the bathroom, and I pulled on my boxers before I sat on the couch again. I should have put the rest of my clothes on, but I was too drained to move. We started fucking on the couch and then moved to the rug on the hardwood floor. The fire was strong when we began, but it was simmering coals by the time we were done.

I was covered with sweat.

She was full of come.

I’d been in arrangements with women before, and being that focused on someone was beautiful in its own way. I didn’t think about work, other women, or any of the shit going on in my life. I just fucked and enjoyed it.

With Autumn, it was different.

The connection was stronger.

With her, it was like there wasn’t even a world outside the front door.

It was just the two of us.

While I waited for her to return, I looked around her townhouse. The living room was filled with gray sofas on a white rug. It contrasted against the dark hardwood floors. A few paintings were on the walls, images of flowers along a riverbed. Her stone fireplace complemented the rest of the room, the white stones accenting her light furniture. The TV wasn’t on, but being in her room brought me a profound sense of peace.

It was cozy.

She returned minutes later, her body wrapped in a cotton towel. Her hair was dry and her makeup was the same, so she’d just washed the sweat off. She glanced at my clothes on the ground then stared at me on her sofa. “I thought you’d be gone already.”

The sight of her just in a towel was as erotic as the lingerie she wore earlier. “No, that’s you.” She was the one who liked to slip out the second the opportunity presented itself. She took hit-it-and-quit-it to a higher level. I didn’t stick around for long either, but I at least waited for the woman to get out of the shower.

She sat beside me and crossed her legs. There were a few drops of moisture on her tanned skin, and I pictured kissing them away. I wanted to trail kisses down her spine and taste the water as it rolled down her back. My arm moved around her shoulders, and I pulled her beside me so we could both look at the dying fire.

“Your house is really comfortable.”

“Thanks.” She rested her cheek against my shoulder. “I considered moving in to a place like yours, but I like having a yard. It’s nice to see flowers all the time.”

“And your fireplace is cool. You don’t see those too often.”

“They’re perfect for the wintertime. So warm.”

I rested my cheek against her head, snuggled up with her on the couch. I liked having her next to me even if my dick wasn’t getting anything out of it. She was so soft. And she smelled like summer even in the middle of winter.

Now I didn’t want to move. I continued to watch the fire dwindle until it was just hot ash in the fireplace. Bright spots of orange and red burned because they were still so warm. Every once in a while, a gentle pop would fill the air. “The meeting went well today.”

“I think it did too. Titan is an incredible person.”

“Why do you say that?” She hadn’t shown any extraordinary behavior that afternoon.

“She was shot just a few weeks ago, but she looks like she could run a marathon.”

“She’s just putting up a front,” I said. “She’s still combating the pain.”

“Regardless, that’s not easy to do. People think they’ll be strong when tragedy strikes. But when it really comes down to it, the fear will get to them. Titan seems to be the exact same person she was before.”

I would never get the lobby footage out of my head, the way she stared down her attacker without showing fear. Then she pulled that badass stunt and got the gun from him even though she’d been shot. She pulled that trigger and won the war. “She’s the strongest person I know. She’s been through a lot, but there’s not a single tragedy that will hold her back. She pushes on even when the odds seem hopeless. When people question her ability, she smiles then proves them wrong. That woman is fearless, and she’s a role model to us all.” I viewed her highly in a lot of respects, as a friend and business partner. She started off under my direction, but she bypassed me a long time ago. “She grew up with nothing, so that gave her a survival instinct. That instinct has gotten her where she is today. She’ll never forget what it was like to be hungry, homeless, and afraid. That’s why she never takes anything for granted.”

Despite the comfortable position we were in, Autumn moved out of my embrace. She scooted to the other side of the couch and severed our contact completely. She still wore the satisfied look in her eyes, so it didn’t seem like she was angry about anything. But something felt a little off. “I’m excited to work with her.”

“You should be. Titan will take you far.”

She turned her gaze to the fire, her black hair obscuring half her face.

“You want me to throw on another log?”

“Let it die out,” she whispered. “I’m going to bed soon anyway.”

I grabbed her by the ankle and dragged her leg to my thigh. I pulled the other one as well and situated her feet on my legs. Then I gave her a foot massage, gently digging into the muscles she crammed inside stilettos every day.

“You don’t have to do that…” She brushed off the advance, but she had a noticeable softness in her voice, like she was already slipping off into sleep.

“I want to.” I loved her small feet. She had a sexy arch, pretty toenails, and the softest skin I’d ever felt. I enjoyed feeling the balls of her feet directly against my chest when I pounded into her unbelievable pussy. I loved seeing these small feet rock heels like they were flats. I loved everything about her, from her plump lips to her painted toenails.

She rested her head against the armrest with her arms still keeping the towel around her. She was right when she said it was getting late. It was almost ten in the evening. I had to be up at the crack of dawn to get ready for work the following day. She probably did too.

But that wasn’t enough to make me leave.

“Titan said we should get started. There’re some things we need to go over.”

Her eyes grew heavy-lidded as I continued to massage her. “When?”

“Tomorrow.”

“I have availability tomorrow. Just let me know what time.”

“How about one?” I watched my thumbs press into the arch of her foot.

“Sure.”

This was the first time I’d ever rubbed someone’s feet. Sometimes my fingers gently touched a woman’s back when she lay beside me in bed, but that never lasted long. Now I was going out of my way to make this woman feel good—without getting anything out of it. “I want to ask you something.”

“If you keep rubbing my feet like that, you can ask me anything you want.”

I smiled then moved my hands up to her toned calves. “Did you want to fuck me because of my big dick?”

Her eyes were closed when I asked the question, but a huge smile stretched across her face. “Oh god…” She resisted the urge to laugh, but a few chuckles came out. “Did you really just ask that?”

“I’m serious. You were totally cold to me until you saw my boner in my slacks.”

She ran her hands through her hair, but the smile didn’t fade away.

“When have you ever been embarrassed to say the truth?”

“Never,” she said. “Your question is just very crass.”

“I’m a crass man. Now answer me.”

“Come on, Thorn. I thought you were hot the second you walked through the door. I’ve always thought you were sexy.”

I’d never grinned so wide in my entire life. My cheeks actually felt strained because I spent most of my time wearing the same no-bullshit look. “You’ve always thought I was sexy? What does that mean?”

She opened her eyes and propped herself up so she was sitting higher. Her embarrassment was slowly fading away, but she was still slightly flushed in the cheeks. “You’re a famous guy. I’ve seen you in the news for years.”

Some of that news was good, but most of it was bad. At least she still thought I was hot. “Good to know. So was my dick the turning point for you?”

“I admit I was impressed when I saw it. Can’t say I’ve been with a man who compares.”

Damn right.

“And it feels as good as it looks…”

My hands paused as they gripped her slender feet. She showered me with the kind of compliments that were dangerous to my ego. Her input wasn’t brand-new information because I already knew what I offered women. But coming from a hot little number like her, it made me feel like a king. “I’m glad you like it.”

“So to answer your question, yes. I guess I just wanted that D.”

I grinned. “And I’m more than happy to deliver.”

“When did you know you wanted me?” she asked.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t be stupid.”

“Excuse me?”

“You know when I wanted you.” My enormous bulge was as effective as a billboard.

“But was it because of something I said?”

“No. It was from everything. From the way you dress, to your gorgeous curves, your perfect complexion…and your success. You’re a genius in a field where the population of women is less than ten percent. You rose on your own merit, and now you provide for your parents. You’re down-to-earth because of your humble beginnings, but you never let your achievements inflate your ego. You aren’t arrogant, but kind and straightforward. You’re a badass woman who stands on her own two feet.”

She listened to every word I said, but instead of smiling, she kept the same expression.

“Everything about you makes you sexy as hell, your beauty and your brains.” I’d just paid her a compliment that any woman would appreciate, but it didn’t seem to have any effect on her at all, like she didn’t want to hear it.

“I guess you have a type.”

My fingers continued to rub her feet, but I didn’t focus on my actions anymore. “A type?”

“Yeah, the strong and successful woman type.”

I’d never screwed another woman like her before. None of the others fit any specific criteria. I just found them sexy, and I wanted to screw them. For men, we didn’t need a lot of qualifications before we fucked someone. “I don’t really have a type…” My fingers dug into her tight muscles, and I felt the tiny knots underneath the skin. If I pushed the right way, I could unroll the fascia sitting underneath the skin.

“Titan.”

I turned back to her, hearing the name but not understanding the meaning. “What?”

“Titan,” she repeated. “She fits into that category perfectly…and you were going to marry her.”

For a second, I didn’t have a clue what she was talking about. But then the lie returned to me, the façade I played out for a year of my life. The entire world believed I dated Titan for the last year and proposed to her. For some reason, I didn’t think that lie existed when I was with Autumn.

I wanted to tell her it was all bullshit, but now that she was working with Titan, I couldn’t correct her assumption. It didn’t matter anyway, so I just let it go. Whether she thought I actually dated Titan or not, it didn’t change our arrangement. “Yeah, I guess.”

The time had passed quickly since I started rubbing her feet, and now it was almost eleven. I should be getting ready to go, but even now, I still didn’t want to leave. If she invited me down the hall to her bedroom to sleep over, I would take her up on her offer immediately. But I knew she would never invite me. “As much as I love your feet, I should get going.”

“I should get to bed too.” She got off the couch with the towel still wrapped around her chest, her dark hair falling down her back. She walked to the front door, her small feet tapping against the hardwood floor as she moved.

I pulled on my clothes then followed behind her, moving slowly on purpose because I didn’t want to leave. If I were at home right now, I’d already be in bed. But being with her gave me a new jolt of energy. She was like a shot of caffeine.

I stopped in front of the door and resisted the urge to yank her towel off. I wanted to swoop her into my arms, take her to her bedroom, fuck her into the mattress, and then sleep with my dick still inside her. “Can I ask you something before I go?” My hands rested on her hips, and I stepped closer to her, watching her eyes soften in reaction.

“Sure.”

“Connor Suede.”

She stared at my lips before her eyes flicked up to mine. “Interesting question.”

“You never wanted him? You seem attracted to him.”

“He’d just offered me something incredible. Of course, I was happy around him.”

“What did he offer you?”

“The same thing he offered to Titan, a spotlight. But a spotlight that concentrates on the beauty and success of a powerful woman. It’s the kind of image I want. It’s the kind of publicity I crave. He’s going to design the perfect clothes for me to convey that image. It’s a pretty big deal, and I’m incredibly flattered.”

Her explanation made sense. “That makes me feel better.”

She smiled at me. “For not wanting a relationship, you get really jealous.”

“I’m not jealous.”

“You don’t want me to be attracted to other men. You don’t think that’s a little ridiculous?” She pulled her towel higher up her body, her smile accompanied by a look of amusement.

“I told you I’m just possessive.”

“Same thing, Thorn.”

“I don’t agree.”

“Well, I know I get jealous. But at least I have the balls to admit it.”

My gut instinct was to smile at her confession because the idea of her being jealous inflated my ego even more. “Jealous of what?” I hadn’t even looked at another woman since the first time I met Autumn. She’d been the only woman in my mind—and in my bed.

She opened the front door to let me out. “Good night, Thorn.” She hid behind the door so the cold wouldn’t hit her bare skin.

Before I crossed the threshold, I circled my arm around her waist, and I leaned down to kiss her.

She kissed me back, greedy as usual.

I ended the embrace but kept my face close to hers. Her eyelashes were the same color as her dark hair, and that darkness made her eyes stand out even more. My fingers squeezed the towel at the small of her back, and I pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Yes, I get jealous…really fucking jealous.”