I didn’t care if she knew I wanted to fuck her.
My jacket covered most of the bulge, but it was obviously still there.
She glanced at it again, this time, her gaze piercing. “You too. I know there are very big things in your future.”
Maybe she was attracted to me, after all.
“Goodbye, Ms. Alexander.” I turned around without shaking her hand since I had already exchanged something much more personal with her. I walked to the door and didn’t wait for her to return the greeting.
And she never did.
Titan greeted me with a wide smile and wrapped her arms around me. She hugged me for a while, standing on her own two feet inside her penthouse. It was the first hug we’d shared since before she was shot. She’d been too injured for an embrace, and I was afraid I would give her an infection.
But now I finally hugged her.
I held her small frame against me and sighed in relief. It was a gift to see her on her feet, even if she was moving slower than she usually did. That smile lit up my entire life. Knowing she was happy made me happy. “You look great.”
“Thanks.” She pulled away, her eyes still lit up. “I feel a lot better. Still taking things slow and not working, but it’s nice not to be in the hospital anymore.”
“I can tell. You’re like a new woman.”
“Well, I also got laid last night,” she said with a chuckle. “That did wonders too…”
I chuckled before I winked at her. “It’s a cure for almost anything.”
Diesel walked up to me next and shook my hand. “Nice to see you, man.”
“You too.” Now I felt like an idiot for not believing Diesel when he said he was telling the truth. Because of my miscalculation, Titan had almost died. I said a lot of cold and cruel things to him, but he somehow forgave me for all of it. A part of me would always feel guilty, especially when I saw him taking care of her now. “You’re a male gigolo now?”
“You could say that,” he said with a laugh. “I feel like that’s all she wants from me most of the time, especially since she doesn’t eat.”
Titan rolled her eyes. “I eat.”
“Sorry, I’m on his side for this one, Titan,” I said. “You never eat.”
“But you’re right.” Titan rose on her tiptoes and kissed him on the mouth. “That is all I want from you.”
He smiled against her mouth and pulled her tighter into his body. He was shirtless and in just his sweatpants, and he didn’t think twice before pulling her close and intensifying their affection.
I walked around them and made myself a drink at the bar. I could hear the kissing noises they made, but at least I didn’t have to look at them.
They finally broke apart when I sat on the couch. Titan sat beside me, taking her time getting into the cushion. She wore a t-shirt, and the gauze was visible through the fabric. She winced slightly when she moved, but she didn’t seem to be in overwhelming pain.
“How’s the pain?” I asked.
“It gets better every day,” she said. “I can sleep through the night now.”
“That’s great.”
“So, did you acquire that deal with Ms. Alexander?” She switched back into business mode, like her wound couldn’t slow her down. Her mind was still on business no matter what her health issues were.
I shook my head slightly. “I tried.”
“What do you mean?” she asked. “That’s an expression I don’t understand.”
I smirked because I knew she was being serious. “I went to her office, which I wasn’t happy about, and I talked to her again. I made the offer, and she didn’t blink. I doubled it, and she still didn’t blink. Titan…she’s not like the rest. This woman is different. She’s not after money.”
“Then what is she after?”
“Legacy.” It was something Titan understood all too well. “She wants to be recognized for her work. She wants to be a female powerhouse. She wants to change the world. And she either wants to do it with you or on her own…but she won’t sell her work to anyone.”
Titan’s eyes shifted back and forth as she looked into mine.
“She’s smart, Titan. One of the smartest people I’ve ever spoken to. Her brainwaves are on a different planet entirely. I know you don’t partner with anyone, but you’re going to have to make an exception this time. Because being her competitor isn’t going to be easy either. She’s got the skills to match you.”
“You speak highly of her.”
How could I not? “She earned my respect.”
A slow smile stretched across her lips. “I think she earned something else too.”
Diesel chuckled as he sat on the other couch. “You got it hard for this woman.”
“I’m attracted to her.” I didn’t deny it. “But that’s it.”
“And there’s no possibility of changing her mind?” Titan asked.
I shook my head. “No. Not possible.”
Titan leaned back against the couch and crossed her legs. “Maybe I should meet her in person…”
“It’ll have to wait a few weeks until you’re back on your feet,” Diesel said.
“I am back on my feet,” Titan countered.
Diesel gave her a hard look. “You know what I mean, baby. If you wanna have this argument in front of Thorn, fine. But you know I’m going to win.”
Titan rolled her eyes.
“I’m on his side for this one too,” I said. “You were shot, Titan. You shouldn’t be working. I can handle it.”
“But I can handle Ms. Alexander,” she countered.
I shook my head. “Not even you could get her, Titan. Trust me when I say that. Diesel couldn’t
