The scene was set up and ready to shoot. The cars were already on, ready to go. They were convertibles, a different model than the versions Titan and I drove. Our plan was to drive down the coast one-quarter of a mile. She was supposed to cut me off, wearing a smile as she did it. I was to catch up to her in the opposite lane, and we were going to share a long look.

It was pretty simple.

But I was worried. The only thing beside the road was the cliff face. One wrong move, and the car could plummet to its demise.

I wasn’t worried about me—I was worried about her.

One thing I learned about Titan was she knew how to take care of herself. She was wickedly smart and confident. She’d obviously learned life lessons the hard way. There was no other explanation as to why she was so hard—like steel. She didn’t need me to be concerned about her. She didn’t even need me to care about her.

But I did.

“There’s still time to use a stunt double,” I said to both Brett and Titan thirty minutes before sunset. The weather was perfect, a clear sky with plenty of heat. We didn’t have much time left before the cameras started rolling, but the actors would come out immediately for the right price.

“No doubles,” Titan said. “We’ll be fine.”

I didn’t challenge her in front of Brett, but I wished I were the one in charge. If I were, I would tell her we would use doubles—and she’d have to suck it up. “No one will even know.”

“Yes, they will,” Titan said. “It’s so obvious every time I watch a car commercial. We can handle it, Hunt.”

Brett watched her with obvious affection, respecting Titan more than he respected most people. “If that’s what the woman wants, that’s what she gets.”

I wanted to strangle my brother. This would be so much easier if I just told him the truth. It was becoming more tempting to break my promise to Titan. It’s not like she would know about it. But my pride in my word stopped me. If she didn’t trust me, then she would call off our arrangement.

“Get into the cars, and we’ll do the first take.” Brett talked to the director, who was still setting up the final touches on the cameras.

Titan walked to her car, wearing a white blouse with a blue scarf tied around her neck. When professionals did her hair and makeup, she looked like she belonged on the front cover of a magazine. If business wasn’t her thing, hitting the runway could have been a strong second choice.

I came up behind her and grabbed her by the elbow.

She immediately pulled her arm away, taking another step to the right to keep us far apart. “Don’t touch me in public, Hunt.” She lacked the venom of someone who was angry, saying the words with pure simplicity.

I almost grabbed her again anyway—for the hell of it. “Titan, I don’t know about this.”

“Hunt, you’re overreacting.”

“You aren’t a professional driver.”

“Neither are you,” she countered.

“But your life is a lot more important than mine.”

She stopped when she reached the car and gave me a different kind of look. She glanced to the right to look at the crew members before she looked at me again. “I don’t see why.”

I didn’t have a reason either. All I knew was, I didn’t want her to get hurt. If something happened to me, then whatever. But if something happened to her…it would haunt me every single day of my life. Titan wasn’t just my friend, but someone I’d come to respect. I cared about her a lot, more than I cared about most people. “You represent hope, equality, and respect for a lot of people. You may be the most powerful woman in the world, but you aren’t invincible. The world can’t afford to lose you.”

She sighed as she looked at me, frustrated and touched. “That’s a sweet thing to say, Hunt. I appreciate it. But I still think you’re overreacting. We’re going to shoot a few takes and then move on with our lives.”

I hated not having control. I fucking hated it. If she were mine right now, all I’d have to say was no.

Six weeks couldn’t come quick enough.

She stepped closer to me, returning the proximity she took away. Her bright eyes looked into mine, wearing the expression I’d seen dozens of times. She gave it right before she kissed me, pressed a soft kiss to my mouth.

If we were alone, she’d be kissing me now.

“Please be careful.” I tried getting through to her, but it obviously didn’t make a difference. Cars like these contained more horsepower than a semitruck. While they were collectibles, they weren’t meant to be toys.

Her eyes softened slightly, the first time I’d ever seen them react that way. “I will, Hunt.”

---

We finished shooting an hour later, just as the sun dipped below the horizon. We got the shots, and the work was complete.

It went as smoothly as planned.

Once the cars were returned and we were back on foot, I felt the tightness in my stomach disappear at last. The nausea went away, and I could finally stand tall without the heavy weight on my shoulders.

Brett walked up to me once he was finished talking to the director. “You alright, man? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine.” I watched Titan hand over the keys to her car and speak to one of the crew members. He said something to make her laugh. Then she wore her diplomatic smile, being polite even though she didn’t really care about the conversation. I’d seen that look enough times to know exactly what it meant.

Brett followed my gaze before he looked at me again. “Still haunts you?”

“Sometimes.”

He clapped me on the shoulder and gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, man. But you know better than anyone that I know exactly how you feel.”

I nodded. “I know.”

He dropped his hand and continued to stand beside me. “You like Titan, don’t you?”

My eyes landed on his when I heard what he said, looking into the brown eyes so similar to my own. He was only older than me by two years, but I’d always looked up to him as someone so much wiser. He was good at reading people—even me. “Why do you ask that?”

“You’ve acted this way twice now—both times she’s been in a car.”

Perhaps I’d made it more obvious than I meant to. “I care about her…but that’s it.”

Brett narrowed his eyes incredulously, not buying my excuse. “Come on, remember who you’re talking to.”

I avoided his gaze, feeling like a specimen under a microscope. “It doesn’t matter how I feel about her. She’s seeing Thorn. Let’s stop talking about it.” I felt like shit not telling him the truth, that I was bedding her. Nothing would ever come of it because it was just physical, but I’d never been monogamous with anyone in my life. Felt strange not to tell him. It was a big part of my life.

Brett backed off when he knew I wasn’t going to say anymore. “Alright. I heard you loud and clear.” He walked back to the director where Titan was now standing. They exchanged a few words and then handshakes.

Once the shoot was wrapped up, we headed back to the resort.

---

Brett and I went out that night, and I didn’t have a legitimate excuse to say no. I told him I wasn’t seeing anyone, and since I always went out and picked up women, it didn’t make sense to say no.

Especially when he was catching on to my attraction to Titan.

We went to a club an hour down the coast, taking one of his cars to get there. I never told Titan I was leaving because I wasn’t in the mood to talk to her. My brother’s comment about my concern for her irritated me.

I shouldn’t care this much about her.

In my gut, I knew it wasn’t just because I was sleeping with her, that it wasn’t just because I wanted to fuck her as long as I could. Ever since I saw her handle those sexist comments, I’d come to respect her. She had a brilliant mind and a beautiful face. She was different from the rest, only pretending to be cold and hard because that’s what the world turned her into.

I knew there was more underneath.

There was a connection between us that was stronger than sex.

I actually liked her.

Titan texted me on the drive, her message popping up on my screen. Thankfully, Brett’s eyes were on the road, so he didn’t notice. I want you. Her tone was so bossy, even through a text message. I could hear her voice in my head as I read the words. I’d much rather be buried deep between her legs than out with my brother pretending to catch some tail. Come to my room in ten minutes.

I can’t. I’m out with Brett.

How is that my problem?

I smiled automatically, loving her no-bullshit attitude. I assumed allowing someone to speak to me that way would annoy me, but it was just a turn-on. What kind of man didn’t love hearing how much a woman wanted him? Especially the most powerful woman on the planet? I’m an hour away. We’re going to a club.

Then come by when you’re done.

I doubt you’ll be awake.

Try me.

Man, she really wanted me. I’m gonna have to pretend to hook up with someone. Brett is growing suspicious of us.

Her message popped up immediately. We’ll discuss this later.

I couldn’t stop my fingers from typing the message. Yes, Boss Lady.

Come by my room. I don’t care what time it is. I slipped my room key into your wallet.

My eyebrows furrowed, trying to think of a time when I left my wallet unattended. When did you do that?

When you were putting your pants back on.

---

A pretty brunette stuck to my side the whole night, and I rested my arm over her shoulders. She turned into me and kissed me on the neck then nibbled on my earlobe.

I wasn’t doing anything wrong, just putting on an act, but I didn’t like it. I hated pretending to be interested in this woman, wasting her time, and leading her on. She kept gripping my thigh and tugging on my jeans, wanting to get my pants off.

How much longer did I have to do this?

Did Titan really expect me to do this for three months?

When I looked at Brett, he was making out with a blonde, pinning her into the couch with her leg around his waist. They were pretty much having sex with their clothes on.

His car was a two-seater, so I had the perfect excuse to get out of there.

I said goodbye to the brunette and called the hotel to get a ride. Even if my date for the evening told Brett I ditched her, I could just say I took someone else back to the room instead. It sounded like something I would do anyway.

The car picked me up and drove me back to the resort. It was a long drive, and my thoughts drifted to Titan. I hoped she was still awake, sleeping in just her panties. I had no idea how she slept because I’d never witnessed it, so I let my imagination pull a picture together.

When I arrived at the hotel, I went to her room and let myself inside.

It was three in the morning—and she was still awake.

She paced in the luxurious living room with the phone pressed to her ear. She was speaking to someone in her office. “Reschedule that meeting. Yes. For Friday. And I have a few things that need to be picked up from the dry cleaners. I’ll call back if I need anything else, Jessica.” She ended the call and turned around. She didn’t seem startled to see me standing there, so she must have heard the door shut from the other side of the hotel room. “How was your evening?”

“Shitty.”

“How so?” She walked to her private bar and poured two Old Fashioneds. I assumed one was for me, but with Titan, there was no way to tell.

“Brett stuck his tongue down some woman’s throat, while another tried to rip my pants off.”

She sauntered toward me, dressed in a short black dress with no shoes on. She placed the glass in my hand before she took a drink of her own. “I can’t say I blame her. I would have done the same thing.” She sat on the couch and crossed her legs, her dress hiking up. It must have been a nightgown because it seemed too scandalous to wear in public.

I took a seat on the couch across from her, letting my legs fall open as I held the glass on my thigh. She still had her makeup on even though it was late in the evening. I’d never seen her without makeup before. The most casual I’d seen her was in jeans—and they weren’t that casual.

I was screwing this woman, but I still didn’t really know her.

My other flings had been shorter, but at least I knew something about them. We talked before and after sex, and I learned about their lives and their families. But with Titan, we really didn’t talk about anything at all.

“Do you ever sleep, Titan?” She was always going a million miles an hour, working hard during the day, partying with her friends, and keeping her place as clean as a hotel room at the Four Seasons. Did she ever relax?

She drank from her glass and glanced outside the large window that overlooked the ocean. Her curls from that afternoon had slowly softened, making her hair appear straight again. But it retained its lustrous softness. There was a slight tint of red to it, only noticeable when she was directly under the sun. Her nails were painted black, something she must have done before we left for our trip. And every time I’d seen her naked, she was perfectly smooth. She must get a Brazilian wax every few weeks. She turned back to me, as if she’d finished pondering the question. “Not often, no.”

She’d taken all that time to compose her answer, but she gave me a very small response. “Insomniac?”

“No, not really,” she said. “I just don’t like sleeping.”

“You don’t like it?” I brought the glass to my lips and took a drink.

“I see it as a waste of time.”

I didn’t sleep as much as the average person, getting about seven hours per night. But I still needed a decent chunk of time to function, to make good decisions on a daily basis. “I disagree.”

“In that amount of time, I could get so much more done.”

“But you can’t work all the time.” I was a workaholic, fiercely ambitious, and it was a strong statement for me to make that comment to someone else. I wanted to be the richest man in the world, but I wasn’t quite there. I had a few people to bump off before I took the number one spot.

“I don’t work all the time.”

“Then what do you do?”

She finished the contents of her glass before setting it on the coffee table. “Read. Write. Watch TV. Enjoy my alone time.”

She was a regular person just like everyone else, but she said something that caught my attention. “You write?”

She broke eye contact and pulled her legs toward her body. “Well, I try.”

Was this why she owned a dying publishing house? Because she loved the subject? It would explain why she preferred to lose money every quarter than let it be sold to someone else. It must be a passion of hers. “What do you write?”

“I tried writing poems, but I’m just not good at it. So, I write short stories. I’ve never written a full novel. Every time I try, the story dries up, and I give up.”

Of all the things Titan was, I never expected her to be a writer. “That’s really cool.”

Her eyes searched my face like we were in a board meeting, trying to figure out if I was just saying what she wanted to hear or blowing smoke up her ass. When she saw the sincerity in my eyes, she didn’t look so threatened. “You think so?” It was the first time she showed me uncertainty, relying on my opinion for validation. She didn’t seem to care about my opinion of her. She didn’t care what anyone thought of her. But this was one exception she seemed to make.

“Yeah. I’d love to read something—if you’re ever willing to show me.”

“Are you a reader?”

“I read about two books a year. Not sure if that makes me a reader or not.”

“What do you like to read?” she asked.

“Thrillers. Mysterious, James Bond type of stuff.”

She nodded. “Great genre.”

“What genre is your work?”

She considered the question, pressing her lips tightly together before she answered. “I suppose fiction or literature. But I can’t put any of my stories in a genre because I’ve never finished anything.”

“Who says you can’t finish it now?”

Now Titan didn’t look like the woman I was used to seeing. She wasn’t the ambitious shark that circled her prey. She was a soft woman, with beautiful cheeks and dazzling eyes. She smiled at my words, obviously valuing what I said. “It’s never too late, I suppose…”

“Never.” I abandoned my drink on the table and joined her on the couch. I sat right against her and positioned her leg around my waist, just the way Brett had been with his date at the club. I moved over her, slowly positioning her back against the couch.

She allowed me to guide her, her hand moving up my chest.

“All night, I wished I were back here with you.” My hand pulled her dress up to her waist, revealing her bare bottom. She was commando, obviously ready for me the second I’d walked in the door.

She undid my jeans and pushed them down, along with my boxers. “I’ve been waiting for you…”

I positioned myself on top of her so my cock could slide right in. “I don’t want to keep lying, Titan. I don’t want to sit in a bar when I don’t give a damn about anyone there. When my brother asks if I’m into you, I want to tell him I’m fucking you, and it’s the best sex I’ve ever had. I want to be real.”

She cupped my face and kissed me, her lips so soft against my mouth. She breathed into me before she grabbed my hips and slowly tugged me deep inside. “I know, but I won’t change my mind. If this is too difficult, then we should both walk away.”

Now that I was deep inside her pussy, I couldn’t think straight. I was inhaling her scent, loving the smell of vanilla as well as her arousal. When I was inside her, it felt like the only place I should be. My face was close to hers, and I could feel her breathe, feel her warm breath fall on my skin. Her fingers dug into me, begging me not to leave her when we felt this amazing together. “I’m not walking away from this—from you.”