I’d only been sitting at my desk for ten minutes when Natalie spoke to me through the intercom. “Sir, Thorn Cutler is here to see you. Doesn’t have an appointment, but said I should relay the message to you.”

Thorn would only be here for one reason—Titan. She must have told him that I knew about their secret deal. He probably came to threaten me to be quiet.

I’d threaten him back.

“Send him in.”

A minute later, Thorn walked through the door. In a gray suit and black tie, he walked inside with one hand in his pocket. He had light brown hair that was almost blond, pretty blue eyes that the women must love, and an arrogant smile that annoyed me. He walked up to my desk, didn’t shake my hand, and took a seat.

I eyed my watch on my wrist. “I don’t have a lot of time, Thorn. Say what you need to say.”

“I won’t be long.” He tapped his fingers against the armrest.

It didn’t seem that way. “I told Titan I wouldn’t share your secret. You don’t need to be concerned about it.”

“I’m not,” he said. “You seem like an honorable guy. I’m concerned about something else entirely.”

I sat back, resting my ankle on the opposite knee. My fingertips came together in my lap, studying him like he was a buck while I was holding a shotgun. “I’m listening.”

“Titan told me a few things…and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned. She assured me there was nothing to worry about, but I’m not so certain.”

Was it because we were going into business together?

“I don’t think a man would walk away from easy money the way you did with Bruce Carol without a strong reason to…” He studied me the same way I studied him, like he was also a hunter.

But I would never be prey. “You should speak your mind and save us both time, Thorn.”

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. “I also don’t see why a man would care so much about what I mean to Titan…unless he had a reason to.”

Did he speak to Titan like this all the time? That would drive her crazy after the first thirty seconds.

“It seems like you care more about Titan than you should.” He stared me down with his crystal blue eyes, appearing threatening without changing his expression. He rested his fingertips against his chin.

I didn’t respond because I had nothing to say to that statement.

“Women like Titan don’t exist. She’s the only one of her kind, a special breed. But make no mistake—she’s mine.” He pointed his fingers at his chest.

My blood started to boil.

“I’m not fucking her. I’m not in love with her. But she’s mine. She’s going to be my wife and the mother of my kids, the ultimate business partner. I’m gonna give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you’re just a genuinely nice guy that sticks up for the underdog…but I don’t want there to be a misunderstanding between us.”

I hadn’t minded Thorn initially.

He didn’t seem like a threat.

But now I hated him. I hated him, and I didn’t understand why.

“When your arrangement is over, that’s it. You move on.”

All I could do was stare.

Thorn waited for me to say something, and when I didn’t, he spoke again. “Tell me I’m wrong, Hunt. I want to be wrong.”

“I think marrying her is a mistake.”

“For her or for me?”

“Both of you,” I said simply. “She deserves something real.”

“I am real. Other than my fidelity, she’ll have everything else. I’ll be the one to take care of her when she gets sick. I’ll be the one to grow old and gray with her. I’ll be a great father. I’ll love her every single day—in my own way.”

“Titan deserves the best. We both know you aren’t it.”

His eyes narrowed. “Are you saying my assumption is correct?”

I understood the parameters of our relationship. I wasn’t looking for anything more than good sex. What we had was good enough for me, and like all things, I would eventually grow tired of it. But Titan had changed my life in many ways—for the better. I gained a friend, a confidant. “No, your assumption is not correct.”

Thorn leaned back into the chair, visibly relaxing.

“I respected Titan the moment I looked at her. I even admired her. I feel my fondness grow for her.”

A smile formed. “She has that effect on people.”

“And I hope to be a good friend of hers as time goes on. But no, I’m not trying to keep her.” At the moment, I didn’t want anyone else. She was the only woman I wanted to be with, the sex absolutely incredible. She pleased me in a way no one else ever had. But like all things, I would grow tired of it. That was just how my personality was, as much as I wished I were different. My high would wear off, and I would crave someone else—no matter how amazing as Titan was. The only time someone stayed in my life was if they were a friend. And if Titan became my friend, I would keep her a lot longer that way.

Thorn looked satisfied with that answer. “Then we don’t have a problem.” He rose to his feet and walked to the edge of my desk. He extended his hand.

I almost didn’t shake it. While our conversation had ended positively, I still despised him. I didn’t like the fact that he got to keep Titan for the rest of his life, that he somehow had talked her into this idiotic arrangement. “Why does she want this?” I stood up but didn’t shake his hand. “Is it because her boyfriend died? She thinks she could never fall in love again?” Had she given up on that kind of happiness?

Thorn’s face turned as pale as milk. Slowly, his hand went down until it returned to his side. He didn’t blink once as he looked at me, neither angry nor upset. He was stoic, having no visible emotion at all.

I’d never seen him react that way. He had expressive eyes and a distinctive body language, but now he wasn’t giving any signals at all.

“Don’t ever mention that to her.” His voice barely came out as a whisper. “This is something you don’t comprehend, so don’t bother trying to understand it. It’s none of your business, so stay the fuck out of it.”

I’d crossed a line with the question—making Thorn angry in a way I’d never seen. Both of his arms were shaking slightly, barely noticeable tremors. He hadn’t blinked yet, his eyes wide open like an owl.

“Bring it up to her, and I’ll fucking kill you.” He left my office and walked to the door. He gave me one more violent look before he walked out. “Fucking kill you.”

---

I’d just finished with a call when Titan’s name appeared on my phone. She was calling me directly, skipping the office phone because she had access to me in ways most people didn’t. When I saw her name, I naturally smiled. But that smirk faded away when I remembered my final conversation a few hours ago. I answered. “Titan.”

Her smile was loud through the phone. “Hunt.”

She never called me by my first name. I was certain I hadn’t heard it on her lips before. Most people didn’t, so that wasn’t unusual. “Have I ever told you that you have the sexiest voice?”

“If you think my voice is sexy, you should see my panties.”

My hand immediately formed a fist at her quick comeback. It was witty and sexy. Now I pictured her in the black lingerie I’d last seen her in, her tits pushed together, hard and perky. She took control and dominated me, making my fantasies come true. While I enjoyed every second of it, my submission was beginning to wane. I wanted to be the one to conquer her, to order her to her knees every time I walked in the room. Her need for control was simply about her need for power, to issue the orders. My need for control was something completely different. I wanted to master her in the sexiest way possible, to bring the most powerful woman to her knees with a single command. I wanted to own her in a way no other man had—including Thorn Cutler. “I would love to see your panties.”

“I thought you might. We should discuss our plan for Bruce Carol. Come to my office.”

Her bossiness was sexy, but also irritating. I put up with it because I would be rewarded in the end. Obeying her would all be worth it just to watch her obey me. “Let’s talk over lunch. I haven’t eaten.”

“I can have my assistant run out and pick up something.”

I’d never eaten with her in a restaurant—alone. There was always someone joining us. I could try to override her, but since she was in charge, I yielded. “You have glass doors on your office.” I didn’t need to be more specific to explain what I was thinking.

“We have the rest of the day, Hunt. I’ll see you soon.” Like our conversation was over, she hung up.

I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I set my phone down. That woman owned every room she walked into—even if she wasn’t physically in the room.

---

As soon as I arrived at her office, her assistant ushered me through the glass doors.

Titan was at her massive white desk, writing with a matching white pen. A vase of peonies was sitting on the corner, bright and pink. They were the very ones Thorn’s mother sent her.

I swallowed my annoyance.

“Hello, Hunt. Take a seat. I’m just finishing something up…”

I eyed the table that had been rolled inside. Lunch was set up, two salads, sandwiches, a bowl of fruit, and two Old Fashioneds. She balanced her liquor addiction with low-calorie options. She watched her weight, which was how she looked so sexy all the time. But she couldn’t give up her poison altogether.

I respected that.

I took a seat and waited for her to finish.

When she was done, she walked up to me and extended her hand to shake mine.

I eyed it, refusing to give the gesture. “Shaking hands is beneath us, Titan.”

“Anytime we aren’t alone, we’re being watched.” She narrowed her green eyes at me. “So shake my hand.”

I finally did as she asked, controlling my smile the best I could. But I squeezed her hand a little tighter than I usually would, silently telling her I wished I were squeezing something else.

After she achieved my cooperation, she took the seat across from me. She was in a black dress with a V neck in the front, along with a white gold chain around her throat. Her nails were painted with French tips, and the delicate muscles of her arms showed her body’s tightness. She set her cloth napkin on her lap then dug into her salad.

I studied her, watching her painted lips open as she placed the food into her mouth. Whenever I saw her, I was always greeted with a kiss—on my mouth or my dick. I didn’t like the professionalism of this meeting, being treated like I was a business associate instead of her lover.

If we were in my office, I would be fucking her right now.

“I haven’t scheduled a meeting with Bruce yet.” If she knew I was staring at her, she ignored it. She must be used to my intense gaze by now. And I probably wasn’t the only man who stared at her intently.

“You want me to handle it?”

“That’s not what I said.” She picked at her salad, eating a few bites here and there. But most of her energy went to her Old Fashioned.

I didn’t mention Thorn stopping by my office that morning. It would probably make her angry with him if she knew he’d pulled that stunt, but I still kept it to myself. I’d feel like a rat if I said anything. “Bruce Carol knows he doesn’t have any options now. No one else will make a move—fearful of my wrath.” I’d basically dropped my pants and told the world I had the biggest dick.

“Maybe we should stop by together—without a meeting.”

It wasn’t professional to stop by unannounced, but it also wasn’t professional to talk about making a woman suck your dick either. He didn’t deserve our respect. Titan and I only wanted to conquer, to take him for everything that he had. “No warning. I like it.” I grabbed my fork and took a bite.

“We sweep him clean. He’ll take whatever we offer because he won’t have much of a choice.”

“Exactly.”

She took a bite of her sandwich, her small lips moving slowly as she chewed.

I watched every move she made. “You want to do this now?”

“The longer we wait, the worse our deal’s gonna be.”

“True.” She threw her napkin on the table, her plate just as full as when it arrived.

Come to think of it, I’d never seen her finish a meal. The only thing I ever saw her complete was an old-fashion—several of them.

“Let’s get going.” She rose from her chair and grabbed her clutch from her desk.

I stared at her ass, noticing how tight it looked in her skirt. I almost couldn’t blame Bruce for his asshole comment. Now I was staring at her ass just as hard. But the difference between us was I had her explicit permission.

She turned around, catching my gaze as it shifted back to her face.

She didn’t care at all. “Unless you have a busy day.”

I got out of my chair and set the napkin on the table. “I always have a busy day. I’ll tell Natalie to cancel everything this afternoon.”

“So you’re ready to do this now?”

I slid my hands into my pockets, hating the glass doors right behind me. I didn’t like being in public. This woman turned me into a different man, but I couldn’t let that man come out when there were so many witnesses. “Absolutely. But are you sure you want to do business with a jackass like him? Wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t.”

“I don’t care what he thinks of me. He can continue to be the egotistical, sexist pig all he wants. I’m laughing all the way to the bank.”

---

We waited in the lobby ten minutes before Bruce would see us. He’d had a short warning, but not enough to truly prepare for our meeting. Besides, he had no way to prepare for what was about to happen. His empire was slowly sinking into the ground, and he was desperately trying to jump ship—but there was nowhere to land.

I sat beside Titan with my hands in my lap. My ankle rested on the opposite knee, and every time I looked up, Bruce’s assistant was watching me. She held my gaze for a split second before she looked down. Red cheeks followed afterward, along with a smile. She was a pretty girl, but she didn’t command my attention the way Titan did.

Titan sat beside me with her legs crossed. She sat perfectly straight, her back as rigid as a flat piece of wood. Her hair was in soft curls, and she wore dark makeup around her eyes. Instead of looking like a CEO, she looked like a model.

Anytime I was beside her, I was conscious of our proximity. I was more aware of my lips than usual, feeling their softness and plumpness with my tongue. They felt lonely when they weren’t pressed to Titan’s mouth—or any other part of her body.

I’d worked with beautiful women on a daily basis, and I never experienced this kind of struggle. As natural as it was to breathe, I felt the need to place my hand on her thigh and let it rest there.

I’d never done it to her before, but the urge was so normal that it felt like I’d done it a hundred times.

I wanted to drape my arm over the back of her chair and lean toward her to whisper something in her ear. The words didn’t come to mind, but maybe I didn’t need words at all. I could press my lips to the shell of her ear and just remain there, listen to her breath as it quickened in anticipation of my touch.

I was just about to land a huge business deal—but all I could think about was Tatum Titan.

Did she feel the same distraction I did? Did she feel the magnetic pull between us?

When I glanced at her legs, I saw them reposition, rubbing together.

I had my answer.

Bruce’s assistant came to us in the waiting room. “Mr. Carol will see you now.”

I buttoned the front of my suit as I stood, ready to tango with the devil. I hadn’t considered how I would feel coming face-to-face with him after the last time he spoke to me. I wanted to murder him for insulting Titan so inappropriately. Just because I was making a deal with him now didn’t mean my feelings had changed.

I was glad Titan was going to walk in there with her head held high. She seemed less affected by the insults than I was. She took them in stride, refusing to let them drag her down. She was too powerful, too pure for that. Unlike most businessmen, she didn’t have time to feel hurt. She just wanted to get the job done.

We walked together down the same hallway we’d both taken before—but this time together and not separately. When I saw her walk out of Bruce’s office initially, I was both shocked and unsurprised. I didn’t know how she’d figured out Bruce was ready to be bought out, but it didn’t surprise me how quickly she jumped on the opportunity. In fact, she’d beat me to it.

Just before we reached the door, my hand moved to the small of her back, and I pressed my mouth to her ear. “I’ll let you lead. I know you’ll give him hell.” I pulled my arm away just before we stepped inside, returning to a mere business partner and not a lover.

Titan brushed it off like it never happened. “Mr. Carol.” She walked up to the desk, set down her folder, and took a seat. She didn’t bother walking around the table to shake his hand. Her hands came together in front of her, staring him down like he was something beneath her.

I took the seat beside her, my allegiance abundantly clear. I rested my hands on my lap, looking at the puffy old man sitting across from us. He wasn’t as jolly this time around. His eyes kept moving to Titan, ignoring me altogether.

“Mr. Hunt and I are here to make you an offer.” Titan opened her portfolio, pulled out the sheet of paper that we agreed to hand over, and slid it across the table.

Bruce didn’t reach for it, letting it sit in front of him.

“Unfortunately,” she said, “there will be no blow job as part of the deal.”

I did my best not to smile.

“You’re going to sell it to me anyway, at half the price I initially offered you. Take what you can get and walk away.”

Bruce took a breath before he pulled the paper toward him. He hadn’t spoken the entire time, too cowardly to say anything. He browsed through the paper before he set it down again.

“Do you accept our offer?”

Bruce looked at me when he spoke. “No. I want—”

“I don’t give a damn what you want.” Titan didn’t raise her voice, but her presence suddenly felt larger than it had before. She took up most of the room, even making me feel small. “We’re the only offer you have. And just for the hesitation, I’m taking it down by ten percent.”

Don’t smile. Don’t smile. Don’t smile.

Bruce’s jaw nearly dropped. “Are you out of—”

“It just turned into twenty percent. Think wisely before you speak again.” Titan didn’t need me to say anything at all. She had this deal in the bag. She could run a meeting better than a drill sergeant could hustle his soldiers.

Bruce’s mouth opened, but he abruptly closed it again, thinking to himself. He rubbed his jaw, his fingers tracing his mustache. He said something under his breath before he looked at Titan again. “Fine.”

Like the lady she was, she didn’t gloat about robbing a man with his eyes wide open. She opened her folder, pulled out the paperwork, and crossed out the incorrect numbers since the offer had spiraled down. She pushed it toward him. “You know where to sign, Bruce.”

Bruce grabbed his pen and took his time signing, his hand shaking slightly.

Titan watched him with her hands on the desk.

But I watched her. Titan worked him hard—like a boss.

When Bruce finished signing the paperwork, he pushed everything back to her.

“Great.” Titan gathered everything before she stood up. “The money will be in your account shortly. I expect all of your things to be removed by tomorrow morning—your employees can stay.”

I pulled out Titan’s chair as she stood before I did the same.

She walked off first but turned around when she reached the door. “I don’t have an ass like a nectarine, Mr. Carol.” Her green eyes looked terrifying as she stared him down, her soft hair unable to make her look more feminine because she was so hard in that moment. With a rigid posture and a queenly authority, she took control of the room. She even took control of me because I couldn’t take my eyes off her. “But I do have an ass that won’t quit.”

---

We sat together in the back seat as her driver drove us back to her office. There was a solid divider between us and the driver, along with black-tinted windows all around the black Mercedes. It was similar to mine, something good enough for the President of the United States if he ever needed a ride.

Titan was still rigid, like there were unfriendly eyes watching her now.

I slid my hand across the seat and up her thigh until my hand found hers. I intertwined our fingers together, my hands twice the size of hers. I gripped her gently, looking down at her. Now that we were alone together, I could finally stare at her as much as I wanted. If she didn’t object to it, I’d fuck her in the back seat right now.

Her hand squeezed me back.

“You were a badass in there.”

She turned her head my way, a small smile on her lips. “Yeah?”

I whistled quietly. “I wanted to fuck you on that desk then and there.”

“You’d want to fuck me on that desk anyway.”

An unstoppable smile stretched across my lips. “Good point.”

“You don’t think I’m too bossy?” She’d never asked for my opinion before. This was a first.

“Not any bossier than I am.”

“Think I’m too forward?”

“I like it when you’re forward.” I brought her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles. “I like how powerful you are, how hard you are. You know exactly what you want, and you aren’t afraid to ask for it. Demand it, actually. Sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

“Really?” she whispered. “Most men don’t see it that way.”

Titan had just peeled back another layer to me, admitting that she was actually self-conscious about who she was. I suspected she didn’t even say these things to Thorn. Obviously, she felt comfortable with me, in the same way I felt comfortable with her.

“Bruce will tell everyone I’m a bitch in stilettos.” Her voice remained controlled and she didn’t seem upset, but I detected the hint of sorrow behind her bold words.

That’s when I realized she was actually hurt by what Bruce had said. “Look at me.”

She didn’t.

“Titan.” I inserted more authority into my voice, daring her to defy me. She might have all the control in this relationship, but I took back the power once it was necessary.

She slowly turned her head my way, looking at me with guarded eyes.

“Men only say that shit because they’re intimidated by you.”

“Are you intimidated by me?”

My smile was my response. “Never. But real men aren’t threatened by successful women. Real men are secure in their own success and their own masculinity not to think twice about working with a woman like you. They give the same respect they feel they’re due. Don’t ever let scumbags like him make you second-guess yourself. You’re too way too good for that.” I leaned in and kissed her, my palm caressing her cheek.

She kissed me back, her fingers still exploring my wrist. “Hunt…you aren’t what I expected at all.”

“How so?” I whispered against her mouth.

“I never expected to like you so much…to enjoy you so much.”

I looked into her eyes before I rubbed my nose against hers. “We have a lot in common, Titan. We’re two sides of the same coin.”

“We are.” I brushed my thumb against her cheek before I kissed her again. “I hope when this is over, you still consider me to be your friend. Because you’ve become very important to me.”

Her eyes softened as she looked into my eyes. “You’re a great friend to me, Hunt. Now that we’re running a business like this together, we’re gonna be more than friends.”

My eyes narrowed on hers. “We are?”

“Yes.” She kissed my mouth gently. “We’ll be business partners.”

---

I didn’t want to go out tonight, but I didn’t have a choice.

I’d blown off Pine and Mike too many times now.

We hit the club scene, found some women, and then barhopped until we found the perfect booth for the night. I had a girl under each arm, and every time they tried to kiss me, I discreetly turned away and took a drink of my Old Fashioned.

Yes, Old Fashioneds were my drink now.

“You and Titan are business partners now?” Pine asked incredulously. “How did that happen?”

“I thought you didn’t partner with anyone,” Mike noted.

One of the girls leaned into me and dragged her hand down my chest.

I didn’t like it.

Titan couldn’t get upset if I kissed a woman. I had to keep up pretenses somehow. She wouldn’t let me tell my closest friends about her, so she would have to deal with it. But once I smelled foreign perfume and came close to their lipstick, I turned away.

I didn’t want it.

“Titan isn’t just some partner,” I said. “She’s the best.”

“Still,” Pine said. “You’ve had the opportunity with richer men, but you never went for it. You said you would always fly solo.”

Mike held his hand in the air and made it look like a plane flying about.

“Business is an evolving game,” I said simply. “I had to adapt.”

“You had that shit in the bag,” Pine said. “Then you pulled out…and then you went in again. I don’t get it.”

I didn’t tell them what Bruce said. The more people knew about it, the more people would mock Titan for it. So I kept that info to myself. “Titan and I managed to get him to half of what my original offer was. Only she could have made that happen.”

“Half?” Pine asked incredulously. “That’s a significant difference.”

“A big difference.” I picked up my glass to take a drink, but one of the girls took it away from me. She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously before she brought the glass to her lips to take a drink.

I smiled even though I was fiercely annoyed.

“Are you sure you can work with Titan every day?” Pine asked incredulously. “I hear that—”

“Be very careful, Pine.” I didn’t give a damn if he was my friend. I didn’t want to hear anything negative about Titan. She worked too hard, was too smart, to be disrespected so easily. I warned him with my eyes, telling him I wasn’t joking around.

Pine’s eyes narrowed. “You still have a thing for her? Is that what all of this is about?”

“You think if you run a business with her, you’ll finally get between her legs?” Mike asked. “Damn, I like pussy as much as the next person, but not that much.”

“Talk about her pussy again and see what happens.” I clenched my jaw and focused my hatred on Mike.

Mike leaned back and put his hands up in surrender. “Alright, sorry.”

My life would be so much easier if I could just tell them the truth. We wouldn’t have to have these stupid conversations about her. They would know she was my friend as well as the woman I was bedding.

But Titan was a pain in the fucking ass.

As if she knew she was the subject for the night, she texted me. Come over and fuck me. Now.

Jesus Christ. This woman could get me hard in record time. My cock pressed against the zipper of my slacks, and my chest ached with the deep breath I took. I’m out with the guys right now.

I don’t give a damn what you’re doing.

She was killing me.

Get over here now. Don’t make me ask you again.

I wanted her to ask me again. I’ll be there in an hour or so.

You just earned yourself a slap.

My cheek burned where she would hit me when I arrived. I loved that little palm against my face. She could pack an impressive hit when she tried. My body hummed to life when I pictured her smacking me. It turned me on in a way I couldn’t explain. I was the most ambitious man in the world, and I was attracted to power.

And Titan was the most powerful woman in the world.

No wonder why I wanted her so much.

I’m on my way.

She texted back immediately. That’s what I thought.

---

The instant I stepped through the elevator doors, she slapped me.

And she slapped me hard.

I turned with the heat, feeling my blood flood with adrenaline. I was turned on before the doors opened, but now I wanted her even more. Something about that palm drove me wild. I wanted her to hit me until my face was swollen for a week.

She stood in just a black bra and matching panties, looking sexy as hell with her curled hair and heavy eye makeup. She looked lustrous, like a model inside a lingerie catalog. She had a slender waistline and noticeable abs along her stomach. She wasn’t just thin, but toned. However, I didn’t have a clue when she had time to exercise.

My arousal took over, and I rushed her, charging her against the wall of the living room until her back smacked against it. I scooped her up in my powerful arms and kissed her, my teeth knocking against hers because I was more aggressive than usual.

That’s what her slaps did to me.

She clawed at my back and breathed into my mouth, her moans silenced by my lips. Her heels dug into my ass, and she held herself up.

After minutes of heated embraces, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled away. “You like it when I slap you, don’t you?”

I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth. “What gave me away?”

“Then you’ll like everything else I have planned for you.” She gripped my body as she lowered herself to the ground. She purposely halted our sexy embrace, walking away from me in her sky-high heels.

I stared at her luscious ass. I couldn’t wait until I got to spank it.

She stopped when she was several feet away from me, purposely keeping distance between us.

Why did she call me over here just to torture both of us?

She placed her hands on her hips as she looked at me, her hair trailing over both of her shoulders. She wore a white gold necklace with a diamond pendant in the center. Her skin was tanned and soft, about to be kissed by my aching mouth. “I’ve tried to come up with a way to properly thank you for what you did for me.”

I didn’t do anything for her. If she was referring to standing up to Bruce Carol, I didn’t do that for her. I did that for myself.

“But you’re a man who already has everything he could ever want. What could I possibly offer you?”

You.

“So I decided to do something special for you.” She slowly walked back toward me, her heels tapping against the hardwood floor.

I felt hot in these clothes. They should be in a pile on the floor. My cock should be wild and free, ready to fuck her. “What is that?”

“I’ll fulfill whatever fantasy you want. Tell me what you like, and I’ll do it for you.”

“I get to choose?”

“Yes. You don’t have the control, but you get the option.” She closed the gap between us and ran her hands up my chest. She slowly undid each button of my shirt until it was open against my chest. Her hands worked my belt and zipper, getting them loose. “So what do you want, Hunt?”

Every time we were together, it was as good as the last. She fucked as well as she ran her empire. It was second nature to her, and I’d never met another woman who knew how to please herself so well—as well as her partner. There was never anything she did that I didn’t love. Even when she tortured me by not allowing me to have a climax when I felt like it, it was still amazing.

She pushed my shirt over my shoulders, her eyes on my lips. “How do you want me to fuck you, Hunt?” She kneeled down and pulled my slacks and boxers down as well. When my shoes were off and my clothes were abandoned on the hardwood floor, I was naked from top to bottom.

My cock was pulsing.

She moved into my chest and tilted her face up so she could kiss me. “Tell me, Hunt.”

I had a list that was too long to repeat. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with her once she was mine—down to the last detail. I would dominate her in a way she’d never known. I would rule her, make her my pawn. But that wasn’t for another three weeks. “I want you to dance for me.”

Her mouth paused against mine. “Dance for you?”

“Yes.” I stepped away from her and grabbed a chair from the dining table. I pulled it into the middle of the floor. “I want you to dance slowly for me, on me, around me. I want you to tie my wrists to the back of this chair. And then I want you to ride my dick, letting me come inside you as many times as I want until I’m satisfied.” I took a seat, my large body covering the entire chair. My hard dick lay against my stomach, slightly tilted to the right. I stared at her and waited for her to make it happen.

“Very well.” She walked into the other room and returned with black rope. She came up behind me and knotted my wrists against the wooden bars. The knot she made was so strong I couldn’t slip out of it even if I used all my strength to break free.

She grabbed a remote, pointed it at her entertainment system, and hit a button.

Slow music came through the speakers, a wordless melody that would be perfect for a gentle sway. Most women would have been self-conscious with a request like that, but she got into the music immediately. She bent over and touched the top of her heels before she slowly pulled her fingertips back and up over her thigh. Her fingers continued to move up her body, past her tits, and all the way into her hair.

As if I weren’t there, she danced.

She must have been familiar with this song because she knew every beat, every change in rhythm. She threw her hair back, rocked her hips, and popped her body at the right markers. Her eyes moved to mine without an ounce of uncertainty. She looked sexy—and she knew it.

I enjoyed the performance as my hands kept pulling on the rope. I’d asked her to tie me up, but now I wasn’t so sure. I wished I could stroke my cock as I watched her, please myself before the grand finale.

God, I wanted her.

When the song came to an end, she walked over to me, taking her time as her heels hit the floor at every beat. She grabbed the back of my chair, leaned down, and kissed me on the mouth. It was soft but so sensual that I moaned. Her lips were soft and delicious, tasting like berry from her lipstick.

She stood back and pulled off her panties, letting them drop to the floor. Then she grabbed them, wrapped them around my length, and slowly jerked me as she straddled me.

I could feel her arousal all over me, mounds of it as she smeared it across my dick. She jerked me with the soft fabric, feeling almost as good as her pussy. She kissed me at the same time, giving me foreplay when I didn’t need any more of it.

She pulled her panties off my dick and shoved them into my hands at the back of the chair.

My fingers immediately crumpled them, tucking them into a fist. “Take off your bra.”

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance, knowing I wasn’t the one who could make the commands. But she did it anyway, unclasping her bra and letting it fall.

I stared at her beautiful tits, loving their perkiness. She had the sexiest nipples, hard and pink. “Fuck me slow.”

She gripped the back of the chair as she guided herself down, taking in my length just as I asked. The slender muscles of her body worked to keep her balanced, to allow her to glide my cock and spread all of her arousal over me. She sat on my lap, her heels on the floor on either side of me.

I closed my eyes and clenched my jaw. I was never prepared for how amazing her pussy would feel. It always caught me by surprise. She was so tight, so wet. It was indescribable. “Fuck, Titan.”

She breathed against my mouth as she allowed me to stretch her. “I love your cock, Hunt. It hurts like hell…but so good.”

Our lips touched, but we didn’t kiss. We just breathed together, our eyes on each other. When I looked at Titan, I didn’t just see a gorgeous woman I wanted to fuck. I saw so much more now than I did before. I saw a woman who was strong and fearless. I saw a woman who was human just like I was, but she never let anyone realize it.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and used my muscular frame as an anchor to help her up and down my length. She took her time, clenching her thighs to hold her body. Then she slid back down, her slick pussy making a sexy sound every time she sheathed me to the balls.

My hands ached to grab her ass, squeeze her tits, anything. But I was restrained, unable to do anything but watch this woman fuck me in the sexiest way. She locked her eyes on me and watched my expression, her lips parted as she breathed deeply.

I loved watching her work to fuck me, watching her chest rise and fall with accelerated breaths to keep up with the pace. All the little muscles of her body flexed as they worked together to lift and lower her onto my length.

A hiss escaped her teeth. “I’m gonna come, Hunt.”

“Come all over my dick, baby.”

She moaned immediately, her pussy tightening around me.

I’d never called her baby, only Titan or Boss Lady. But the endearment came out anyway.

I moaned as I felt her grip me tightly, her body reacting before the orgasm even hit her. I’d fucked this pussy so many times that I knew it as well as I knew Titan herself. I knew when she was about to come before she even knew.

She rode me harder as she hit her orgasm, riding me until the climax had hit its peak and she came down again. Her sexy body was coated with a thin layer of sweat across her chest and her neck.

I wanted to lick it all away.

But now, my body was succumbing to her beautiful performance. My cock thickened and pulsed just before release. Then I pumped her full of all of my come, moaning as the spark of pleasure rocketed through me. “Fuck…I love your pussy.”

She ground against me when I finished, her lips caressing mine. “She loves you too.”

---

Showering after sex had become a new ritual for us. We were both so sweaty that it was necessary. I didn’t want to sit on any of her expensive pieces of furniture and smear my bodily fluids all over them.

She probably felt the same way.

We always showered together, and it was one of the events I looked forward to. Of course, I loved watching warm water and soap run down a naked woman’s body, but there was more to it than that. I loved the way her thoughts drifted away as she dug her hands into her hair and massaged her scalp. She was so comfortable with me she nearly forgot I was there.

Tatum Titan looked like a bombshell when her makeup was done. Paired with her clothes and heels, she turned heads everywhere she went. But I’d come to prefer this side of her, when she didn’t have any makeup on at all.

She looked just like Tatum.

The woman, not the executive.

She smiled differently, in a genuine way that reached her eyes. She was a little playful, not all business and numbers. The skyscrapers she stacked around her came down noticeably. She showed more of herself to me.

I wondered if she trusted me.

She must have. Otherwise, she wouldn’t partner with me.

“What?” She caught me staring at her.

“What?” I said back.

“You’re staring at me.”

“So?” She was mine. I could stare at her all I wanted.

She smiled then turned off the water. “Not much to see.”

“I disagree.”

She stepped out and dried off. I did the same. She had a large bathroom with two sinks, so I took one while she took the other. I dried my hair with the towel and examined my face in the mirror. I hadn’t shaved in two days, and my hair was starting to get too thick. I knew Titan liked my shadow. That was why I didn’t shave it as often anymore.

“I’m having a get-together this weekend if you want to come.”

I looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. “Having a party?”

“I wouldn’t call it that.” She patted her hair dry with the towel then turned on her hair dryer, the setting on low. Her fingers worked her strands of hair, looking sexy without even trying. A black silk robe was tied around her body, hiding her skin but not her curves. “It’s just gonna be me and close friends.”

That meant Thorn would be there.

Bastard.

“It’ll be at my beach house in Rhode Island. I have a pool and a spa, and of course, the beach is right there.”

So this would be a weekend party. It was a little too far to drive just for the day. I suspected she had a large mansion right on the sand, having all of her friends stay in bedrooms for the weekend. I shouldn’t care that Thorn was going to be there since there was nothing to be jealous of. They weren’t sleeping together now, and that was all that mattered.

But I didn’t like him anyway. “What will I be attending this evening as?”

“Diesel Hunt, I suppose.” She turned off the hair dryer and ran her fingers through her hair once again.

For such a sharp woman, she was dull sometimes. “Am I attending as your platonic friend and business partner? Or as your lover?”

“What does it matter?”

Oh, it mattered. I wasn’t going to sit on the other side of the patio all weekend, watch her have fun with her friends in her bikini, and not walk up to her and kiss her whenever I wanted. “It does to me.”

She peeled off her robe and hung it back on the hanger. She walked into her bedroom to pull on new clothes, and I followed her. She grabbed a fresh pair of panties from her drawer and pulled on an oversized t-shirt.

“Titan.” When I didn’t get an answer, I pressed harder.

“They all know about us, if that’s what you’re asking.”

I already had to lie to my friends and my brother every single day. I didn’t want to have to spend any extra time restraining myself. If I wanted to kiss her, goddammit, I was gonna kiss her. “Then I’d love to go.”

“Great. I thought it would be fun to celebrate.”

“I agree. We got a company with a lot of potential for a great price.”

“And we fucked that asshole over.” She smiled then walked into the living room. “You want anything to drink?” She didn’t dismiss me right after sex the way she used to. Now it was another part of our routine to stay together, to watch a game or the nightly news. She even made dinner for me once.

“Water would be great.”

She walked into her expansive kitchen, hidden from view. “Hungry?”

“I am if you’re making something.”

“I haven’t eaten anything since lunch.”

She didn’t even eat lunch. She took a bite of her sandwich and ate some lettuce—that was it. “Me neither.”

“Then I’ll whip up something.”

I felt awkward sitting there on the couch while she worked in the kitchen, so I walked in and joined her. She had just washed an assortment of vegetables and was now marinating shrimp. “Can I help you?”

“You don’t need to worry about it, Hunt. I can handle it.”

“I don’t mind.” I grabbed the wooden cutting board and found the chopping knife in one of the drawers. I started slicing the vegetables as she shook the bag of marinade. Once it was finished, she poured everything into the pan and started cooking.

I grabbed another pan for the veggies and took care of those. Standing side by side, we silently prepared a meal together.

I’d never done this before.

I prepared my own meals in solitude, or I had the maid take care of it before she left for the day. But I’d never cooked with a woman I was sleeping with. We usually went out to dinner then fucked before she left the next day.

I’d still hadn’t gone out with Titan.

When the meal was prepared, we took a seat together at her kitchen table. Laid-back in a cotton t-shirt with hair still slightly damp, she looked soft as a peach. Her walls weren’t up anymore, and she enjoyed the view of the city without a constant state of deflection.

She was a completely different person.

“Where should we start with the company?” She stabbed a spear of asparagus with her fork before she placed it into her mouth. “It’s gonna take a lot of work. I know we both have our own holdings to manage, but we’re gonna have to take a break and focus on this.”

“I agree.”

“We should make our offices in the building. Start the transition of power now.”

“Agreed.”

“Should we meet first thing in the morning every day?” she asked. “Over coffee?”

“How about we meet here instead?” I’d rather be naked with her than sipping coffee.

Her eyes narrowed in a pathetic attempt to look annoyed. If anything, she thought my comment was cute. “We have to establish a presence there. Our new employees need to see us, to feel reassured that the company isn’t going under. Besides, we can screw on the desk. We’ll make sure we don’t get glass doors.” She playfully rubbed her leg against mine under the table.

I’d thought I’d had my fill of her for the evening, but whenever she touched me, she lit me back up. “Sounds good to me. What did Thorn think about this partnership?” He must not have liked it. He wanted Titan all to himself. Now I was legally bound to her in a one way. It was just a single company, but it was something.

“He was hesitant at first, but he came around.”

Their tight bond was obvious to me even when they weren’t in the same room together. They spent time with his parents as a couple, and even though he didn’t love her, he came all the way down to my office and claimed her. They told each other everything, when otherwise, Titan was committed to living a life of secrecy.

It annoyed me.

What did Thorn do to deserve her unflinching trust? She’d already combined her life with his, agreeing to marry him for convenience rather than romance. I didn’t consider myself to be a big romantic, but that sounded depressing. “How are you going to keep an arrangement with someone and be married to Thorn at the same time?”

She continued eating like the question didn’t bother her. “I don’t understand your meaning.”

“You said you’re monogamous with your partners. How will that work if you’re married?”

“Thorn has his own lovers, so that won’t be a problem. We’ll do our separate things, just as we do now. It won’t be that different.”

Were they going to have separate bedrooms too? Having their partners over like roommates instead of husband and wife? “And will you ever have sex with each other?”

“Of course. There are times when we both aren’t with other people.”

I was annoyed anytime I saw Thorn wrap his arm around her waist. Imagining them screwing made me sick to my stomach. “What if the sex is bad?” If she’d never slept with him, how would she know?

“I doubt it.” She placed another asparagus spear in her mouth, talking about sex with Thorn like it was the most normal thing in the world.

Underneath the skin, my blood was boiling. The veins in my forearms ached every time I clenched my fists. At what point in time did she think this was a good idea? I shouldn’t worry about it because it wasn’t like they were getting married tomorrow. Our relationship would end long before they took that step forward in their commitment. But it bothered me anyway. “And you’re gonna have kids with him?”

“Yep.” She finished her meal then placed her gaze on me. She examined my face like I was on the other side of her desk.

I knew that look.

“Why are you asking so many questions, Hunt?”

I did my best not to clench my jaw. “Sorry, I’ve never known anyone who’s done an arranged marriage…” It was impossible to keep the annoyance out of my voice. I respected this woman, but I didn’t respect her choice.

Titan straightened in her chair, her carefree attitude now abandoned. Even without wearing her dress and heels, she somehow looked as formidable as she did in the office. With wet hair and no makeup, she carried herself like a queen. “Hunt, I don’t appreciate your judgments. You don’t know me, so you don’t know what’s best for me.”

“I know you enough to know you deserve the best.”

She kept her rigidness, but her eyes softened. “Thorn is the best.”

“If you think so, you need to take a harder look around.” I wasn’t suggesting myself, but I certainly was a better fit than he was. “How can you possibly think this is a good idea? What if you meet someone later and fall in love?”

“I won’t.”

“But what if you do?” I pressed.

She rested her chin on her fingertips, shifting her body to look directly at me. “Trust me, I won’t.” Her green eyes didn’t shift as she stared me down. She seemed to be proving her point even more by not blinking.

I stared at her with the same intensity, a question burning in my mind. I knew this had something to do with her boyfriend who died. They were connected. There was no way they weren’t. But Thorn warned me not to mention it to her. His savage reaction told me this subject was untouchable. I wanted to press and get my answers, but I didn’t want to hurt her either. So I asked another question instead. “You don’t believe in love?”

“I do—with all my heart.”

I tilted my head, confused by her contradiction.

“I believe certain kinds of love exist. I believe my father loved me with everything he had. I loved him too. I love my friends like family. They feel the same way. And I love Thorn as my best friend. Those are feelings that are undeniable. There’s loyalty, trust, and friendship. But romantic love…I don’t believe in that. I believe it’s just misinterpreted passion and lust. The relationships aren’t compatible because there’s no foundation other than sex. And that’s exactly why half of relationships end in divorce.”

“What about relationships that are based on loyalty, trust, and friendship as well as lust and passion?”

Her eyes didn’t move as they remained glued to mine.

“You don’t believe in those?”

“I’ve never encountered a relationship like that.”

I tried not to take the comment personally. She told me in the beginning what this relationship would entail. It’s not like I wanted anything anyway, so I shouldn’t care.

“Do you see yourself getting married?” she asked.

“I don’t know.”

“What about kids?”

“I don’t know about that either.” I’d never entertained the idea. I had yet to encounter a woman who wanted me for me, not my wealth or my bed. I was a mere security check for them. Sleeping with me was something they could brag about to their girlfriends. I was a trophy, an accomplishment they could set on their mantle.

“Well, I want a family. I want to hand off my legacy to someone when my time comes. In order to do that, I need a partner I can trust. With Thorn, we’ll have a long and happy life together.”

“You mean, a business arrangement.” I was pressing her buttons, and I knew it. Instead of backing off, I kept going. If she were anyone else, I wouldn’t care less. But I couldn’t hold my tongue, not when I disagreed with her so strongly.

“Call it whatever you want.” She grabbed her empty plate and walked back into the kitchen.

I knew I’d ruined a perfectly good night by not giving up. We probably would have sat on the couch together and watched the game, but instead, I chased her off. She felt innately comfortable with me, but now I’d botched that arrangement.

She came back into the dining room and took my plate. “You should get going, Hunt. I have to wake up early in the morning.”

The blade came down and severed my head from my body. She dismissed me, finally fed up with my bullshit.

I could apologize and backpedal, but those would just be empty words. I wouldn’t mean them, and she knew it.

She walked me to the door, her hands nowhere on me because she didn’t want to touch me. She wore her cold and indifferent expression, closed off from me like an enemy rather than an ally.

I could just let this blow over, knowing it would get better in time. But I didn’t want to do that. The elevator doors opened, but I didn’t step inside. “You’re right, I’m being judgmental.”

She crossed her arms over her chest, the cotton t-shirt hugging her bare breasts. Her stony expression was slowly warming, softening back into the woman I’d come to know.

“Honestly…I’m not sure why it bothers me so much.”

She shifted her weight to one leg, her bare foot flat against the floor.

“I guess I’m just protective of you.” I’d never been that way with anyone else before. I always made sure the women who slept over had a ride home. I was there for Brett when he needed me. But I’d never dropped a net around someone like I did with Titan. I surrounded her on all sides, taking out anyone who crossed her. I walked away from a billion-dollar company just because the owner disrespected her. She’d proven herself completely capable, but I felt the need to look after her. But it was like a lion looking after a tiger—totally unnecessary.

Something in my words made her eyes soften like wilted rose petals. Her arms loosened around her body, and the affection in her gaze was undeniable. Her cold venom had been retracted, and now her beautiful calmness returned. “That’s very sweet, Hunt. But I don’t need anyone to be protective of me.”

“Can’t help it,” I whispered. “I suspect that won’t change. In fact, it’ll probably get worse now that we’re working together.”

She smiled. “It’s not so bad. I know I’ll be protective of you too.” She rose on her tiptoes, gripped my biceps, and kissed me on the cheek.

The touch was juvenile, like a young girl kissing a boy on a first date. But it was warm, her wet lips brushing against my skin. I loved the way she gripped my arms for balance as she raised herself up on her tiptoes.

“No one has ever been protective of me before,” I whispered.

She rubbed her nose against mine. “There’s a first time for everything, right?”

“Yeah…I guess you’re right.”