“It’s nice of you to take over her companies…considering you aren’t together anymore.”
Whenever I talked to her, I forgot about the fallacy that surrounded me. Like everyone else, Ms. Alexander thought I had been engaged to Titan because I loved her—and she’d left me for someone else. But when it was just the two of us, it didn’t seem like anything else really mattered. “Together or apart, I’ll always be there for her.”
Her eyes softened for the very first time.
I didn’t want to talk about Titan anymore, not when I was lying about my feelings for her. “Have you had a change of heart about what we discussed?”
“No. You?”
“Titan is considering it.”
“She is?” Her voice picked up slightly, filled with an obvious sense of hope.
“I told her you weren’t going to change your mind under any circumstance.”
“I’m glad you finally understand me.”
The corner of my mouth rose in a smile. “Took me long enough, huh?”
She smiled back, and that simple reaction made my cock stir in my slacks.
Why did this woman get me so hard?
“I sincerely hope Titan changes her mind. I would love the opportunity to work with her. I really mean it when I say I think we could do great things together.”
The more I interacted with her, the more I agreed with her. Ms. Alexander had a special quality that would make her an invaluable member of Titan’s staff. I could see her intelligence every time I looked at her. She reminded me of Titan in many ways, just a different version of her. “I’ll put in a good word for you.”
“Yeah?” Her smile widened. “You don’t know me very well, Mr. Cutler.”
“Then let me get to know you better.” I moved a little closer to her, almost crossing the line and invading her personal space entirely. If she didn’t want me this close to her, she would have just told me. But she held my gaze, her eyes playful. This was the time I would spit out a line or cut right to the chase. But I didn’t do any of those things. I respected her too much, and respect was hard to earn from me. I wanted her if she wanted me, and now I was waiting for her invitation. I wanted to slide my hand into her hair and kiss those plump lips, but I kept my hands to myself. Being in control was something I did best. I wanted to tell her exactly what I wanted—and watch her obey.
But that wouldn’t work on a woman like her.
She spoke with a sexy voice, deep and sultry. “What do you want to know?”
I wanted to know if her lips tasted like champagne. I wanted to know how my name sounded on her tongue. I wanted to know if she slept alone at night or if there was a man beside her. I wanted to know if she wanted me to please her, to give her my big dick that she was so fond of. I wanted to know if she wanted me the way I wanted her. I wanted to know how she would feel if she knew I’d jerked off to her that morning.
But I also wanted to know other things.
I wanted to know where her passion came from. I wanted to know what her favorite drink was. I wanted to know if she listened to music while she was in her lab. If so, what did she enjoy? I wanted to know if she preferred the pandemonium of the city, or if she had a place across the bridge. I wanted to know what her hopes and dreams were. “Anything you want to share with me.”
“First round is on me.” I stood beside her at the bar and clanked my glass against hers. I had a scotch on the rocks with a twist. She had a glass of red wine. I wasn’t a fan of wine. I preferred liquor or beer, regardless of what I was eating.
“Thank you.” She kept her eyes on me as she took a drink. She peered at me from under her thick eyelashes. Her green eyes sparkled even more with the dim lighting in the bar. There were people everywhere, but we had a nice spot in the corner. The loud chatter overhead only gave me an excuse to get closer to her. Sometimes my arm brushed against hers when I moved. If I moved my leg a little more, I could touch hers.
But I didn’t.
At this angle, I could get a nice view down the top of her dress. She had small tits, but they were perky as hell. Whenever she looked away, I could easily enjoy the sight with my perverted gaze.
But I never looked.
I never pretended to be something I wasn’t. I was honest with my intentions, and I was always honest about who I was inside. I was the kind of man who used women to please myself. They got pleasure out of it too, but that didn’t make it meaningful. With anyone else, I probably would look down her dress.
But I didn’t do it to Ms. Alexander.
I had no idea why. If anything, I was more attracted to this woman than anyone else. I was more excited for her, more eager to fuck her hard. But the more I wanted her, the more I respected her.
It made no sense.
She stirred her glass and took another drink.
My slacks were tight again. “When did you start your company, Ms. Alexander?”
She set her glass down, her shoulders back. Her olive skin was a perfect tone to complement her black dress. Her collarbone was prominent with how straight she stood. “We’re in a bar, Thorn. Call me Autumn.”
I hadn’t known her first name until that moment. When I looked her up, I typed in her company name. Her name was probably on the screen, but I hadn’t noticed it. Now
