Thorn called me while I was at work. He usually only contacted me outside of working hours because he was too busy handling his own businesses. “Have you seen the news?”

I sat at my desk with my laptop open beside me. “No. Why?”

“You should check it.”

I moved the touch pad so the screen turned back on, and then I brought up my home page. “What am I looking for, Thorn?” If it was a natural disaster, those happened every day. If it was a murder, those happened too. Not much made me blink twice anymore.

“Hunt pulled out of the deal with Bruce Carol.”

I heard the words but didn’t process them as quickly as I usually did. Grabbing that lucrative company was a big deal, even for Hunt. Why would he squander it away when he had it in his grasp? “Why?”

“No idea. But Hunt made a statement saying he wouldn’t do business with anyone who associates themselves with Bruce Carol…including buying his company.”

All I could do was blink.

“And we both know…that affects everyone.”

“Geez, what pissed him off?”

“I don’t know,” Thorn said. “But whatever it is, it’s personal. He basically gave Bruce a death sentence.”

Hunt was known for his brutality, and now I was seeing it firsthand.

“You need to talk to him about it, Titan. Because I want to know the dirt before you put another offer on the table.”

That would be a nice perk of sleeping with Hunt, but it was a luxury I couldn’t take advantage of. “I made it clear we wouldn’t discuss business. In fact, I said that to him the last time we were together.”

“But we can’t make an offer without knowing what the problem is. For all we know, there’s a huge problem in Bruce’s company. But if there is no problem and Hunt just hates the guy, then we can get the company for an even lower price. Shit, you could basically just take it because Bruce will be so desperate without any other buyers. Hunt chased everyone away.”

It was the perfect storm.

“You need to ask him, Titan. You know his fantasies—use them against him.”

“I’m not going to manipulate him.” I respected him way too much to play games. “If I want to know, I’ll ask.”

“Then ask.”

I’d be going back on my word by opening up this topic, but even if I had no interest in the company, I wanted to know what Bruce had done to upset Hunt so severely. Did Bruce pull at a thread that made him come undone? Did he hit some invisible trigger? I cared because of Hunt—not what I would get out of it. “I’ll think about it.”

“You don’t have much time to think about it,” Thorn said over the phone. “I wouldn’t wait longer than a day.”

“We don’t have any competition.”

“But that can change,” he said ominously. “We both know nothing is safe in our world.”

---

When I came home, there was a vase of flowers waiting for me.

I picked up the card and read it.

---

Saw these beauties and thought of you.

XOXO,

Liv Cutler

---

I smiled then returned the card to the pick between the flowers. It was a clear vase full of pink peonies, and they looked beautiful. Thorn’s mother knew I loved flowers because she shared the same passion. When I visited their place in Connecticut, she and I would garden together in the morning.

I slipped off my heels and let my thoughts turn back to Hunt. We hadn’t spoken all day, and he must have figured out I knew about Bruce Carol’s business by now. I wondered if he expected me to call.

Or not call.

Whether he told me what I wanted to know or not, I wanted him over here. I wanted that beautiful man to fuck me deep into my mattress, overpowering me with his brute strength and size.

I texted him. Come over.

I’m at the gym.

The bossy side of me came out. I don’t care where you are. I said come over.

I pictured the smile on his face as he wrote back. Yes, Boss Lady.

Seeing him in a sweaty t-shirt sounded just as arousing as him in a suit. His muscles would be pumped with blood, thick and bulging. He’d already be worked up and ready to go, getting exercise from our romp in the sack. I loved it when sweat collected on his chest and his body had a nice sheen.

He walked inside ten minutes later, in black running shorts and a black t-shirt. The shirt was damp because it had absorbed his sweat. His hair was messy, probably from hitting the treadmill.

I thought he looked delicious.

“Here I am.” He walked inside and set his gym bag on the floor near the elevator doors.

I was in the same black dress I wore to the office, something more expensive than the average person’s mortgage. But I didn’t care if it became damp in sweat—as long as it was Hunt’s. “Hey.” I moved into his chest and kissed him.

His hands were immediately in my hair as he kissed me back. He spoke between kisses. “Hey.”

I kissed him longer than I planned, our kisses turning into a make-out session in front of the elevator doors. My hands shifted to the bottom of his shirt before I pulled it over his head, revealing his physique covered in a gleam of sweat. My hands moved over his chest, feeling the same slickness that I was used to in bed.

He moaned into my mouth before he tugged on the back of my hair. His hand slowly slid down my neck and to my back, discreetly grabbing my zipper and pulling it down to the top of my ass. The dress came loose and slowly slipped down my body. It dropped to my feet, surrounding my heels.

I got his shorts off next, and then we were in my bedroom. I lay naked on the sheets, my ass hanging over the edge.

He positioned himself between my legs, standing at the foot of the bed with his enormous cock laying against me. “How do you want it?”

“Slow and deep.” I ran my hands up and down his chest. “I want to feel every inch of that big cock.”

His eyes smoldered as they burned into mine. His hands slid up my stomach to my tits, where he grabbed each one in his big palms. He gave them a hard squeeze before his hands moved down again and back to my hips. “Yes, Boss Lady.” He grabbed the backs of my knees and positioned my legs apart, opening me wide so he could take me good and hard. He thrust his hips and rubbed his length against my clitoris, making me shake even though I was already ready. He inserted two fingers inside me and gently pulsed as he leaned over me and kissed me.

I loved his warm fingers inside me, exploring how wet I was.

“God, you want me.” His lips moved against mine as he spoke.

“Yes…all the time.” My hands gripped his bulging arms, feeling the powerful muscles shift every time he moved.

After he explored me for a few seconds, he sucked my juice off his fingers and pointed his cock at my entrance. Like every time before, he had no problem sliding in, sinking deep inside my channel and squeezing my slit apart. He pushed until he was completely inside, his cock fully inserted.

I was so full, so tight, that I gripped his wrists and let out a moan.

He widened his stance and gripped the backs of my thighs, bringing himself to the perfect height above me. Then he started to move, giving me his entire length slowly before he pulled out again. He inserted himself again then pulled out, the tip of his cock remaining inside my soaked pussy each time before he pushed inside again.

“Hunt…”

He squeezed my thighs harder as he moved, hitting me in the perfect spot each time. The sexiest part about the sex was the way he looked at me. With a jaw covered with coarse hair and those dark eyes, he stared at me ruthlessly. I could easily be on the other side of a conference table, a victim of those piercing coffee eyes. I could easily be his prey, with him taking exactly what he wanted from me without giving me a choice.

And I liked it.

I’d never enjoyed being overpowered by anyone, but it didn’t feel so bad with Hunt.

My nipples hardened so much they actually hurt. My fingers dug into his skin and I nearly cut him, but I couldn’t stop myself. I was on the verge of getting swept away by his tide, getting pulled under and drowning in pleasure. “Hunt…make me come.”

He rubbed his thumb against my clitoris, applying pressure in a circular motion.

I liked to draw out my orgasms as much as possible, to make them build until they were white-hot, but now I was impatient. I wanted to come around Hunt’s dick, to feel satisfied after missing him all day.

He quickened his pace slightly, his thumb working harder.

That was all I needed. “Yes…” I grabbed his hips and pulled him deeper into me, wanting every inch of his cock so I could come all around it. I wanted to surround him with my arousal, to make him understand just how good he made me feel. “God, yes.”

He moved his cock in and out, soaked from the arousal my pussy produced. “My turn?” he asked with a husky voice and a sexy look.

I wanted him to experience the high I just felt, but I wasn’t ready to end my own pleasure. I wanted his come, but not until the very end. And hearing him ask for my permission only heightened my love for power, for desperation, for control. “No. Not yet.”

He dug his fingers into my thighs and growled.

“You’ll come when I say so.” I guided his hips into me, setting the particular pace I wanted. I knew exactly how I wanted to be fucked, and I wasn’t ashamed to say so.

He moaned under his breath. “When it’s my turn…” He didn’t finish the sentence because he didn’t need to. When he was the one in control and I had to obey, I knew he would do the same to me. He would torture me in many sexy ways, conquer me how he wanted and when he wanted.

And I’d have to obey.

---

We both got into the shower when we were finished. I wiped myself down with a loofah, and Hunt rubbed a bar of soap into his skin. He dipped his head and let the water rinse away my shampoo before he stepped back and rubbed more soap into his body.

I felt his come slip between my legs and drip down my thigh.

Hunt spotted it, and he watched it with focused eyes. “Looks like I’ll need to fill you up again before I leave.”

“Fine with me.”

He lathered my tits with soap and massaged them even though they were already clean. He squeezed them hard, making me wince slightly when he gripped me like a man gripped his woman. “I love your tits.”

“They love you too.”

He smiled before he clutched my ass. “What about her?”

“She’s your biggest fan.”

“And her?” His hand caressed my sex, and he slid a finger inside, getting his own come on his hand.

“You know how she feels about you…”

I turned off the water, and we each dried off with a towel. Hunt patted himself dry then scrubbed his hair with the towel, quickly drying it because his hair was so short. I had to use the hair dryer for a few minutes just so my hair wasn’t so damp. When I was almost done, I was looking at my reflection in the mirror when Hunt appeared behind me. He was in his collared shirt and slacks, the same clothes he must have worn to work. He stood behind me and stared me down in the mirror.

I met his look, not standing down as I ran my fingers through my nearly dry hair. “What is it, Hunt?”

He pressed a kiss to my cheek, his eyes on me as he made the gesture. “I like the way you look without makeup.” He turned around and walked out, leaving me alone to finish getting ready.

I was usually self-conscious without my makeup on, but I didn’t think twice about it around him.

That was strange.

I pulled on jeans and a blouse, dressing up a little since he was still there. He might leave when I walked into the living room, but I wanted to be prepared for anything. I didn’t put on any makeup, and not because of his compliment.

I just didn’t feel like it.

He was sitting in the living room when I walked inside. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Please.”

“What’s your poison?”

“Water, please.”

I poured two glasses and handed him one.

“Thanks.”

I took a seat beside him on the couch, glad he didn’t leave right away. I still had to ask him about Bruce Carol, even though I wasn’t entirely sure I was going to ask him about it at all.

A baseball game was on, so I turned up the volume.

“Are you a baseball fan?”

“Yep. Yankees.”

“Hmm.” He watched the TV as he sipped his water.

“Hmm, what?” I questioned.

“I didn’t take you for a sports fan.”

“Why?” I knew it wasn’t because I was a woman. Hunt wasn’t a sexist prick like most men.

“You don’t seem like someone who has time to follow a sport.”

“I usually have it on in the background, even if I’m working from home.”

Hunt watched the TV again.

“What about you?”

“I like everything—except soccer. Never got into it.”

“I hate golf. Bores me.”

He chuckled. “That’s not much fun to watch. But it’s fun to play when you’re doing business.”

I’d had meetings on the links a few times. Men were always surprised I had my own set of clubs—and that I knew how to use them.

Hunt sat back against the cushions, getting comfortable on my couch. He looked at home there, his long legs separated and his glass of water sitting on the end table. His hair was still a little damp because it hadn’t dried all the way, but the look was sexy on him. But then again, everything looked sexy on him.

My heart started to beat hard in my chest when I considered asking him about his falling out with Bruce Carol. I specifically said I didn’t want to talk about business, but by bringing it up, I was going against my own decision.

But my curiosity was killing me.

If I’d lost a huge deal with a client, he would ask me about it too.

“I heard the news about you and Bruce.”

Hunt didn’t take his eye off the TV, but he clenched his jaw. “Yeah, I saw it on every channel. Didn’t think it would get out that quickly.”

“Well, your threat to everyone in the business world made everyone talk about it…” He basically promised to ruin anyone who got involved with Bruce Carol. For someone like Hunt, that didn’t seem like a business practice he employed often. He usually stuck to himself, didn’t air his dirty laundry for everyone to see. Whatever Bruce did, it was really bad.

“It was necessary.” He rested one arm on the armrest while his other hand rested on his knee.

“What did he do to you?”

Hunt didn’t say anything. He stared at the TV, his eyes following the players on the field until they got their last out. “I thought we didn’t talk about business.”

I thought he might use that against me, but I was still surprised when he did. At least I could tell Thorn I tried. “You’re right, my mistake.” I backed off, knowing I would get nowhere with Hunt.

I was naïve to think Hunt would treat me differently from the way I’d treated him.

When the game was over, he stood up. “I should get going. Pine, Mike, and I are going out.”

“Okay.” I walked him to the door and watched him pick up his bag.

That’s when he noticed the vase of flowers on the table. He stared at them quietly, his eyes narrowing as he read the words on the card.

Talk about a breach of privacy. “Do you mind?”

His eyes shifted back to me, but now he looked angry. “If you cared enough, you should have put the card away.”

“Does that mean I need to turn off my phone anytime I’m near you? If I get a text message, that gives you the right to read it?”

His angry face was nearly the same as his stoic face, but when he was pissed, his eyes were a little darker. And he possessed this air of hostility…it was heavy in the air. “Not the same thing and you know it.”

It wasn’t, but I refused to admit that.

“Thorn’s mother seems fond of you.”

He connected the dots quickly. Must have seen that picture of the four of us having dinner. Goddamn social media. “She’s a lovely person.”

“And does she know you aren’t really seeing Thorn?”

I’d told him this conversation wasn’t up for discussion, but he constantly circled back to it. “I said I didn’t want to talk about it, but you keep bringing it up. Why?”

“Because you expect me to trust you. How can I trust you when you’re lying to the world?”

“I’m not lying,” I argued.

“So you are seeing him?” he demanded.

“No…”

“Which is it?” he snapped. “Are you seeing Thorn, or aren’t you?”

None of my other lovers was as bothered by Thorn as Hunt was. It got under his skin in a different way, probably because he was the biggest alpha I’d been with. “You don’t need to concern yourself—”

“You’re going to tell me.”

My eyebrow cocked, shocked by his boldness.

“You’re going to tell me because I have a right to know. We’ve got two more months of this. I already know you two have something going on, so there’s not much more to hide. I could already expose you if I wanted, and of course, I won’t. So why won’t you tell me? You believe in trust so much? Prove it.”

I crossed my arms over my chest, closing myself off from his hostility. Instead of being angry with his questions, I actually felt guilty. My personal life was none of his concern, but I didn’t like seeing the doubt on his face—as if there was any chance I was screwing Thorn. “I’m not sleeping with him.”

“That’s not good enough for me.”

Of course it wasn’t. “Hunt, I would tell you, but it’s not my secret to tell. Thorn asked me not to say anything to anyone.”

“Except Pilar and Isa.”

“That’s different…”

“How?” he pressed.

“They’re my friends.”

“And I’m not?” he whispered. His eyes shifted back and forth as he looked into mine. “We can keep lying to each other, but I know there’s something more than sex here. I admire you, I respect you, and as much as I hate to admit it, I care about you. I’m loyal to you when I’m not loyal to anyone else but myself. And call me crazy all you like, but I think you, Tatum Titan, feel the same way.”

I felt my heart jump into my throat at the accusation, knowing he hit the truth right on the nose. He was right—dead on. I did see him as a friend. He hadn’t stepped into my inner circle, but I did care about him. I saw him differently from the others. “You aren’t crazy.”

“I didn’t think so. Now tell me.”

I hesitated, my loyalty to Thorn unbreakable. “Let me talk to him again.”

“No.” All of his patience had disappeared the instant I called him a friend. “Give me the answer I want. And you can ask me one question in return—anything you want to know. I’ll answer honestly.”

When he offered, my heart skipped a beat. There was one thing I wanted to know—and Thorn wanted to know as well. Hunt would be willing to part with his secret in exchange for this important piece of knowledge. It could be worth a billion dollars. “You can’t tell anyone, Hunt. I mean it.”

He cocked his head to the side, his eyes drinking in mine. “You can trust me with all your secrets, Titan. I’ll keep them safe. That’s a promise.”

I never trusted anyone, no matter what kind of pretty words they uttered, but I trusted Hunt. “Thorn and I have a special arrangement. We aren’t seeing each other romantically. We’ve never slept together. But we’re close friends…best friends. And one day, we’re going to get married.”

When Hunt heard what I said, he straightened his head and clenched his jaw slightly.

“I want to keep my sexual lifestyle, but I want to have kids someday. Thorn wants the same. In addition to that, we trust each other enough to combine our assets, to be business partners. He’s not interested in love, and neither am I. It’s the perfect arrangement for both of us.”

Hunt finally got his answer, but he didn’t have any response to it. He continued to stare at me with a tight jaw, his eyes as harsh as the scorching sun in the middle of the desert. “Do you love him?”

“As a friend, of course. I love him with all my heart.”

“But are you in love with him?”

I shook my head. “No.”

He rubbed the back of his neck, taking in the news slowly. “So, everyone thinks this is genuine? Including his parents?”

“Yeah.”

He shook his head, as if he were disappointed.

“You don’t have any right to judge me, Hunt.” He had no idea what I’d endured, what I’d lost. There was no room in my heart for love ever again. I didn’t trust anyone—and that would never change.

“I’m not judging,” he whispered. “I just think you deserve more.”

“I don’t want anything more, Hunt. I want friendship, respect, and trust. I don’t want romance. Not something I’m interested in.”

He bowed his head, breaking eye contact. “When do you plan to marry him?”

“I don’t know. When it’s the right move for our careers.”

He slipped his hands into his pockets and stepped back. “Thanks for answering my question.”

“I told you that you had nothing to worry about.”

“Actually…I have more to worry about now.”

My eyes narrowed, unsure what that meant. “How so?”

“You’re my friend, Titan. It’s hard to stand there and watch your friend settle for less than what they deserve.”

“I assure you I don’t want romance. Of all people, I thought you would understand that.”

“Why would I?”

“You don’t seem like the marriage kind of guy.”

He shrugged. “I’m not against it. The door is always open for the possibility. I’m not closing it by marrying some woman I don’t love.”

I was tired of talking about this. We obviously had a difference of opinion that couldn’t be rectified. “Can I ask my question now?”

“Fire away.”

“Why did you pull out of the deal with Bruce Carol?”

He smiled, but it wasn’t the genuine kind that I liked.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he said quickly. “I pulled out of the deal because Bruce and I weren’t compatible.”

“But it’s not like you would be working with him.”

“I offered five percent of my profits to him in the deal.”

That was something I would never offer him.

“And I wasn’t giving any of my profits to a man that I despise.”

“So it had nothing to do with the company itself?”

“Not at all. If you still want it, make sure you give him the lowest offer possible. Lowball the shit out of him, Titan.” He spoke with a hard jaw, his words coming out harsh.

“What did he say to you, Hunt?”

“You really want to know?”

I wanted to know what Bruce could possibly say to make Hunt this upset. “Yes.”

He regarded me for a long time before he answered. “I’m not going to repeat it. But he said some very disrespectful things about you…things that made my blood boil.”

The words took a few seconds to sink into my body. When they finally dissolved in my bloodstream, my throat felt dry. I couldn’t believe Bruce Carol said something so offensive after I made him a fair offer. My intuition was correct when I met him—he didn’t respect me at all. “What did he say?”

Hunt shook his head slightly.

“Answer me.”

He sighed. “He said he would never give his company to a woman…but he would reconsider if you sucked his dick first.”

Fucking pig.

Only a small man would make comments like that.

“And he thought you had an ass like a nectarine.”

I kept a straight face and pretended this information didn’t bother me, but it burned me to the bone. I worked hard to be respected, to be twice as savvy as my competitors. I always treated everyone with respect, even if they didn’t treat me the same way. To constantly take the high road and never be respected for it was exhausting. No matter my intelligence or my success, I would always be second best—and mocked. “You shouldn’t walk away from his company because of me, Hunt. There’s a lot of money on the table.”

“Money isn’t everything.”

“All men speak about me that way. It just comes with the territory.”

“I’ve never said anything like that about you—or any woman.”

“Well…you’re one of the few.”

His expression slowly began to soften as sympathy moved into his features. “You’re my friend, Titan. I don’t let people talk about my friends like that and get away with it. When I said I admired you, I meant it. You’re smarter than you let on, you’re fiercer than I am, and you’re a hustler. Ten years from now, you’re probably going to pass me on the Forbes List. And the day you do…I’ll smile.”

Now I really struggled to keep my features stoic, to hide the impact his words had on me. He spoke directly to the core of my insecurities, to the vulnerable part of me that was constantly wounded.

“You deserve more respect than you’re given. I’ll always stand up for you—because it’s the right thing to do.”

“Hunt…” My voice came out weak, hitting a pitch I’d never reached before. “No one has ever said that to me before…”

His hand moved to my cheek as he cupped my face. “That’s gonna change. I promise.”

My fingers wrapped around his wrist, and I looked into his handsome face, touched by this man in a way I’d never been touched before. I loved everything about him, from his warm caress to his beautiful smile. He possessed the kind of strength I’d never achieve, the kind of power that came from somewhere else besides between his legs.

“Get that company, Titan. And take everything he’s got.” He pushed his mouth to mine and gave me a soft kiss before he stepped away, getting ready to walk out of my penthouse. He hit the button on the wall, and the doors opened.

A thought came into my mind, and I couldn’t believe I was going to say it. It went against everything I believed in, against the rules I set out the day I turned fifteen. “Hunt?”

He held the door open as he looked at me. “Hmm?”

“I’m gonna buy that company from Bruce. But I want to split it with you.”

He kept his arm against the elevator door as he looked at me, a slow smile stretching over his lips. “You want to be a partner with me.”

“Yeah. I think we’d be great together.”

“I know that isn’t the way you do things. And frankly, it’s not the way I do things either.”

“Maybe it’s time we make a change…because we deserve more.”

Now he smiled wide, possessing boyish charm and manly strength. “Maybe you’re right.”

---

Thorn walked into his living room in just his sweatpants and bare feet. His hair was messy like a woman had been running her fingers through it all night.

That was probably exactly what had happened.

“How’d it go with Hunt?” He poured two mugs of coffee and came into the living room. He sat beside me and took a long drink of his coffee, trying to wake up. He rubbed the sleep from the corner of his eye, his chin covered with stubble.

“Well.”

“Yeah? Are we gonna make an offer.”

“I’ll meet with Bruce on Monday.”

“Then Hunt didn’t step away because of the company?”

“No. He stepped away for another reason.”

“Which was…?” He gave me an irritated look before he drank his coffee again.

“Apparently, Bruce made some derogatory comments about me. It pissed Hunt off, so he called off the whole thing.”

Thorn was mid-drink when he pulled the mug way. “Bruce did what?” he asked incredulously. “What did he say?”

“That he would only sell his company to me if I sucked his dick.” I said it with a straight face, refusing to let a small man like Bruce Carol bother me. Why should I care what he thought about me? He was the one about to file for bankruptcy, not me. “And I have an ass like a nectarine.”

Thorn’s nostrils flared just like a bull about to jump out of the chute. The vein in his forehead began to throb, and he turned so angry in such a short amount of time. His fuse was short, and the dynamite went off. “Fucking piece of shit.”

Hunt had been just as livid if he’d backed out of the deal and declared war against him. “I don’t think it’s worth getting upset about.”

“Not worth getting upset about? Who the hell does he think he is?”

“Nobody,” I said simply. “That’s why we’re buying him out—because we’re somebody.”

Thorn softened slightly. “I’m surprised Hunt did that.”

“I’m not.” He was cold and callous on the surface, but there was beautiful beating heart underneath.

Thorn studied me with slight eyebrow raise. “You aren’t?”

“He’s a nice guy.”

“I’m a nice guy too, but I’m not so sure I would have done the same thing.”

“I don’t believe that for a second.”

“I would do it for you, obviously. But not some woman I’m just fucking. Wouldn’t feel the need to defend her honor and walk away from a shit-ton of money unless she meant something to me…” The look he gave me was full of accusation.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re too smart to play dumb,” he snapped. “You know exactly what it means.”

“Hunt doesn’t see me like that. He cares about me and sees me as a friend, but that’s it.”

Thorn looked away and drank from his mug again. “What now?”

“I’m gonna make an offer—but Hunt and I are going in together.”

Now Thorn looked angry all over again. “What?”

“I had to do it, Thorn.”

“Did he make you?” he asked incredulously. “Nobody makes Tatum Titan do shit.”

“I offered—since he did that for me.”

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I know you wanna show your appreciation because of what he did, but there are other ways to do that—which you’re already doing.”

“I already made the offer, and he accepted it.”

“Titan, it’s just supposed to be the two of us.”

“I’m just splitting one company with him. It has nothing to do with my other businesses. There’s only money to be made, not lost.”

“You’ve never partnered with anyone before.”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

“And he hasn’t either.”

“Great minds think alike…”

He ran his fingers through his hair again, obviously annoyed by this turn of events.

Since he was already annoyed, I decided to keep piling it on to get it over with. “I told him about us.”

Thorn turned back to me, wearing a shocked expression. “What does that mean?”

“He told me I had to tell him if I wanted to know the truth about Bruce Carol. I wasn’t going to get that information any other way.”

“So he blackmailed you?”

“No. You need to look up the word because you obviously don’t know what it means.”

His eyes narrowed. “Titan, I’m not in the mood for your smartass comments today.”

Neither was I.

“That was supposed to stay between us.” He pointed from me to himself.

I nodded toward his bedroom. “And what do your girls think? You’re just a cheating liar?”

“I don’t care what they think.”

“Hunt was already onto us. He’d asked me about it at least five times.”

“Seems overly invested in your personal relationship…”

“I think he was just afraid you and I were sleeping together.”

He rolled his eyes. “I made it clear to him I didn’t care that you were sleeping with him, so that doesn’t make sense.”

“He’s a paranoid man, just like I’m a paranoid woman.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Whatever.”

“He won’t say anything, Thorn. I trust him.”

“You’ve only known him for a few months.”

“I just know,” I said confidently. “Besides, after we get married, I’m gonna have to tell my lovers anyway. The last thing I want for people to think is that I’m a liar.”

Thorn didn’t argue that point because there was nothing to say. People were going to know the truth about our relationship whether we liked it or not. There was no fighting it.

Thorn sighed again before he finally relaxed. “Now what?”

“I’m gonna move forward with Hunt.”

“You don’t think that will be a conflict of interest when your relationship ends?”

“We’ll end on positive terms. We agreed to six weeks each. Nothing more. If anything, I think it’ll bring us closer together.”

The bedroom door opened, and a pretty blonde stepped out into the hallway. She was in just Thorn’s white t-shirt. With messy hair and smeared makeup, she looked like she’d had a good night. She stopped when she saw me, obviously uncomfortable with my presence.

“We’re just finishing up, baby,” Thorn said. “I’ll be right there.”

She walked back into the bedroom. The door clicked shut behind her.

Thorn grinned. “She’s like a wild animal. Rode me like a pro.”

I chuckled. “Good to know. Looked like she recognized me.”

“Most of them do. But I’ll assure her it’s cool.”

“Well, I’ll get out of your hair.” I rose to my feet, and Thorn walked me to the door, his chiseled physique like moving rocks. He was all muscle and skin—nothing else.

“Let me know how it goes on Monday.”

“I will. By the way, your mother sent me flowers. Peonies.”

He chuckled. “My mom loves you more than me.”

“Can’t blame her—you’re a shithead.”

He smiled as he slid his arm around my waist. “When I was little, I always wondered what my wife would be like. I hoped she’d be hot, funny, smart…you know. But you exceed every expectation I’ve ever had—minus being a smartass.”

“Don’t act like you don’t love that about me.” I gave him a gentle pat on the cheek before I walked out.

He called after me. “You know what, you really do have an ass like a nectarine.”

I turned around and flipped him the bird.

He chuckled and shut the door.