Boss Rules Read online

  “We’ll vet them extensively before we allow them to care for our child. And I’ll be there most of the time. But we don’t need to worry about that right now. We have a lot of other things to take care of.” The idea of having a daughter made me think of what Thorn said. He suspected the woman who stopped by my office was my mother. She had me, but she chose to leave. I couldn’t imagine myself doing the same thing. I wanted to be a mother, to grow my own family. The desire had nothing to do with my mother’s abandonment. It was just something that would give me the most joy.

  Diesel must have noticed my expression fall because he said, “What is it, baby?”

  I didn’t want to keep Thorn’s tale a secret. Whether Thorn’s suspicion was right or wrong, I couldn’t hide it from Diesel. We planned to share our lives together, which meant we had to share everything else. “Thorn said a woman stopped by my office today asking about me. She was worried about my health after the shooting. She seemed legitimately upset about it…and she looked just like me.”

  Diesel’s expression didn’t change at first. Slowly, it morphed into a stone-like mask. He was guarded, concerned, and hard.

  “Her name is Bridget Creed. Thorn looked her up and said she’s been married for the last ten years, and she has two sons. That’s all he knows, but he didn’t look deeper.” I didn’t need to spell out the words because Diesel had already reached the same conclusion.

  His fingers pulled away from my hair, and he released a quiet sigh. “What do you think?”

  “I don’t think anything.”

  “You think it’s her?”

  I knew exactly what he was asking. “Whether it is or not, it doesn’t matter.”

  Diesel questioned me with his look. His features only changed slightly, but it was enough for me to understand what he was thinking.

  “She chose to leave. I accept her decision and don’t think less of her for it. She couldn’t handle the responsibility of being a mother, so she left me with my father, who did an amazing job. If she didn’t want to be there, I didn’t want her to be there. But she can’t walk back into my life now, even if she does really care. She gave up that right the second she walked out on me. She can’t have it both ways.”

  Diesel’s expression softened. “That makes sense. But don’t you want to know if it’s her? I can make a quick phone call, and we can get to the bottom of it.”

  Like I said, it didn’t change anything. “I don’t want to know.”

  “Are you sure? If it were me, I’d want that answer.”

  “But you aren’t me, Diesel.” I dismissed the conversation by turning away. “Thorn said she didn’t seem dangerous. I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

  “But she might try to talk to you. Maybe you should be prepared.”

  “I still don’t want to know, Diesel.” I grabbed the remote and turned up the volume on the TV, ending the conversation by drowning out the silence with cheering fans.

  Diesel finally dropped it. His fingers moved into my hair again, slowly caressing me. “Who do you think is gonna win, baby?”

  It’d been weeks since I wore a dress and heels.

  It felt right.

  I missed dressing up like I had somewhere important to be. I missed having a reason to get ready in the morning. The only purpose I had lately was saying goodbye to Diesel when he left for work.

  The rest of the time, my life had no meaning.

  But now the pumps felt perfect on my feet. They were a little painful—as they should be. My dress wasn’t as tight because I dropped a few pounds during my illness, but it still fit me well. I styled my hair in soft curls and applied my makeup heavier than I used to.

  I imagined we would conduct our meeting in my living room. It seemed unnecessary to take her all the way down the hallway to my private office. We already had ambitions to work together, so it seemed pointless to play games.

  The light over the elevator lit up once someone stepped inside from the lobby.

  I knew it was Thorn and Ms. Alexander.

  I smoothed out the front of my dress and approached the elevator, my heels clapping against the hardwood floor. My hands came together in front of my waist, and I listened to the distant grind of the elevator as it slowly approached the top floor.

  The light lit up again before the doors opened.

  Thorn stood in a gray suit with a coral tie. The light colors complemented his fair features. His dirty-blond hair was perfectly styled, and his light blue eyes looked like a spring afternoon.

  Ms. Alexander stood beside him in a pencil skirt and a buttoned jacket. She had jet-black hair, tanned skin, and a face pretty enough for a picture. She wore a cute pair of heels, but her height was still considerably less than Thorn’s. She was shorter than me as well.

  I smiled when we made eye contact.

  Thorn extended his arm, having her exit first. Then he stepped into my living room and greeted me with a hug. “You cleaned up good.”

  I hugged him back. “Thanks.”

  He winked before he stepped away. “Titan, this is Ms. Alexander. I’m excited the two of you are finally in the same room together.”

  Ms. Alexander held herself with perfect grace. With a straight spine, poised shoulders, and a beautiful smile, she extended her hand to shake mine. “It’s truly an honor, Ms. Titan. I’ve followed your career for a long time. Without strong women like you to pave the way, I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have today.”

  A lot of people blew smoke up my ass to get what they wanted. They didn’t realize flattery was useless on confident people. But in her case, it seemed genuine. I was an excellent judge of character, and based on my research and her appearance, she seemed like the real deal. “That’s nice of you to say, Ms. Alexander. I appreciate your flexibility coming to my home this afternoon. I’m still not well enough to return to the office just yet.”

  “It’s no problem,” she said. “I’m happy to be here.”

  Thorn eyed us back and forth while his hands rested in his pockets.

  “Let’s take a seat.” I indicated to the couches in the living room before I sat down on the long sofa. I made sure I left a spot for Thorn so he could sit beside me.

  Ms. Alexander sat on the couch across from me.

  And Thorn sat beside her.

  I hid my surprise well, but I still wasn’t prepared for his actions. Did that mean anything? Or had staying home for so long messed with the cogs in my head? “I understand Thorn has been the mutual messenger during our discussions. He’s done a great job handling my companies during my leave, and I can’t thank him enough. But I’m glad we’re having this conversation face-to-face.”

  “Me too.” She crossed her legs and rested her hands in her lap. Just as I was poised, she didn’t seem nervous at our interaction. She held her own very well. “Thorn has been a wonderful mediator. Bringing us together was a great executive decision. We both have contributions we can make to this idea. Together, I think we can make an energy company that will rival anyone who opposes us. You have the experience to turn this technology into a brand, and I have the knowledge to make the technology forever evolving. No one else will be able to copy us because by the time they catch up to my last design, I will have two more products on the roadmap. We can make a great team.”

  Ms. Alexander was a scientific genius, and she didn’t doubt her abilities. I liked her confidence, and I liked that she got straight to the point.

  Thorn spoke next. “Ms. Alexander is looking for an equal partnership. You both have distinct strengths that could be deadly when they’re combined together. It’ll allow each of you to work on the things that interest you most. I’ve gotten to know each of you separately, and you’re both the most extraordinary businesspeople I’ve interacted with. I truly believe you’ll make the perfect team.”

  Ms. Alexander gave him a gentle smile, the kind that reached her eyes.

  I smiled too, but my eyes were on her.

  “So, let’s
do the most difficult part,” Thorn said. “Percentages.”

  I already knew what I wanted. “Sixty-forty. The reason being, I’ll be investing a great deal of my money and resources into making this technology a global phenomenon. I have all the right contacts, the branding power, and the expertise. This will allow Ms. Alexander to focus on her work exclusively.”

  Thorn immediately shifted his eyes to Ms. Alexander, predicting she would have an immediate response.

  “It needs to be fifty-fifty,” she said politely. “I understand your reasoning, and in most situations, it would make sense. But when we handle this kind of technology, I want to be part of the decision-making. I want to make sure my inventions are being used in a way I agree with. If we do it your way, then you’re simply buying me out. I really want to work with you because I know we’ll do great things, and I also respect you, so I’m not trying to be difficult or greedy. For me, it’s not about money. It’s about involvement. It’s about partnership.”

  She could be pulling a number on me, but I believed in her sincerity. I’d put a ridiculous offer on the table to buy her out, and she didn’t blink an eye over it. Everyone cared about money, but perhaps she didn’t care as much as most people did.

  “It’s important for me to make an impact on the world. I don’t want to be forgotten in your shadow, Ms. Titan. I want to be viewed as an equal contributor. I want the world to see two smart women working together and making a difference. It’s my legacy—and that’s the most important thing to me.”

  I held her gaze as I considered what she said. My investment in solar energy had already done very well, but it was bound to die out without her new innovations. I was used to doing everything on my own, but in this sector, it wasn’t possible. I needed someone with the right scientific background—and she was the best in the business.

  I could argue back and forth to get what I wanted, but I suspected it wouldn’t change the end result. Moving forward, I would be relying on her input most of the time anyway. She understood the technology far better than I did. “Fifty-fifty.”

  She immediately smiled.

  “Fifty-fifty of this new company we’ll merge together. It has no effect on any other institution I own, even if it’s a conflict of interest. Those are my final terms.” I didn’t foresee a conflict of interest at that moment, but I didn’t know what would happen in the next twenty years. I could invest in a competitor’s product if I wished.

  She could argue against that, but she already had a great offer on the table. She asked for the sundae she wanted, and it would be risky to push for a banana split instead. My fierce reputation preceded me, and people didn’t make the mistake of misinterpreting my niceness for weakness. If I compromised, it was suicidal to push for more.

  But Ms. Alexander made the right decision. “We have a deal.”

  Chapter Two

  Thorn

  Once the meeting was finished, I returned to the office a few blocks over. Autumn went back to her complex on the other side of the city, and we parted as business partners rather than lovers.

  I’d been at the office for a few hours and had just finished a meeting with Titan’s assistants when Titan called. She called straight to my cell and bypassed her own employees.

  She and I hadn’t discussed the meeting with Autumn yet, and I knew that was the subject of the conversation. “Hey, I think that went well.”

  “I agree. She’s a smart woman.”

  I knew Titan could read people with surprising accuracy. She didn’t take long to break down someone’s character, even in a short conversation. She picked up on subtle clues, like body language and confidence levels. She’d always known who Diesel truly was, despite the evidence that stacked against him. I thought her heart had overruled her logic, but I’d been wrong. I should have trusted her instinct. “Extremely.”

  “I’m not thrilled by the even divide we agreed on, but I understand why she asked for it. I would have done the same thing.”

  When it came to business, I needed to have absolute control. I liked to make all the decisions without having to answer to someone else. That also carried into my personal life as well. “This is a special circumstance. In most cases, the person you’re doing business with can’t compete with your resources. But since you’re working in the science space, you’re at a disadvantage. Autumn has a lot of power because she’s the only one with the brains to produce the resource.”

  “Autumn?”

  I swallowed the lump in my throat when I realized my error. I shouldn’t have addressed her that way, not when it implied we had a personal relationship. I didn’t even call Titan by her first name. “She asked me to call her that.”

  Titan didn’t comment on it, but her suspicion was heavy in the silence. “You’re right. She does have a lot of power.”

  “But she seems genuine about it. If all she cared about were getting ahead, she would have taken your initial offer. I think this will be a great setup for both of you. Together, you’ll make billions.”

  “I’m sure you’re right, Thorn. I’m eager to get back to work and get started.”

  “Don’t push Diesel,” I teased. “He seemed pretty ticked the other day.”

  “He’s always ticked. Ignore him.”

  “If that were true, you wouldn’t be marrying him.”

  She sidestepped the comment. “You guys should get started without me. There’s a lot of groundwork to do, but you know how I like things.”

  “I’ll give you daily reports through email.”

  “Okay, thanks. Ms. Alexander needs to lay out all of her projects so we can determine exactly what direction we’re going in. Depending on what she has in stock, it could determine our branding moves.”

  “We?” I asked. “I thought you weren’t involved in this?”

  “I think I can be involved remotely.”

  “What about Diesel?”

  She sighed. “Don’t worry about him. He’ll get over it. Sitting here doing nothing is stressing me out more than just working.”

  I believed that. Titan was a goal-oriented person. She needed to be doing something in order to be fulfilled. Once she accomplished a task, she was ready for the next. The constant drive never stopped, but it gave her life a comfortable speed. “Did you tell him about Bridget?”

  Her long pause was my answer.

  “How did he feel about it?”

  “He didn’t say much. He offered to dig into her and confirm her identity. I said no.”

  I respected Titan’s decision and agreed with it.

  “I told him I wanted to forget about it and move on.”

  “Have you been thinking about it much?” If I suspected my long-lost mother were trying to come back into my life, I’d obsess over it. I’d want to know everything about her, to look at her in person and see the genetic resemblance between us.

  “No.” Her response was cold, but also genuine. “It makes no difference if Bridget is really my mother or not. She’s not a part of my life, and I don’t want her to be. I don’t hold any anger toward her. But I respected her decision to abandon me and move on with her life. Therefore, she needs to respect my decision to abandon her.”

  As cold as Titan’s response was, there was undeniable truth and logic in it. Titan didn’t get worked up about a lot of things. She was pragmatic, allowing herself to assess a situation with complete objectivity.

  But would she be so objective if she looked the woman in the eye?

  The woman who looked just like her?

  Maybe that situation would never present itself.

  But what if it did?

  “I should get back to work.”

  “Of course,” Titan said. “Thank you, Thorn. I know you’re putting in a lot of hours to help me out. I’ll compensate you when I return to work.”

  “I don’t want compensation, Titan. That’s not what this is about.”

  “I know. But I’m giving it to you anyway. Call me if you need anything.” Cli
ck.

  My day didn’t end until eight that evening. I finished everything at the office, handled my own projects, and then went to the gym. There were days when skipping my workout was tempting, but it was one obligation I couldn’t abandon.

  Not if I wanted to stay in such good shape.

  I got out of the shower, sat on the couch, and texted Autumn. Thinking of you.

  The three dots popped up instantly. What a coincidence. I’m thinking of you.

  I wanted to invite her to my place, but that would be rude. It was dark outside, and she shouldn’t be out and about by herself. I didn’t know if she had a private driver or not. How about I swing by? I didn’t have a clue where she lived, but it was probably in a nice penthouse like mine. She didn’t have my kind of money, but she was still exceptionally wealthy.

  You don’t strike me as the kind of man who asks a question like that.

  I smiled at her playful banter. I was trying to be somewhat polite, but maybe she didn’t like polite. Give me your address. And get ready for a good fuck.

  Now that sounds more like it.

  I changed then got into the back seat of my driver’s car. He took me a few miles away, to an area that was filled with narrow townhouses. They were on the upscale side of town, and once I stopped in front of her house, I saw blooming flowers despite the harshness of winter. The yard was perfect because someone must take care of it often.

  I walked up the stairs to the front door and rang the doorbell.

  The door opened a moment later, revealing Autumn standing in a see-through black dress. The top pushed her tits together, and the fabric was so thin I could see the curves of her body perfectly. I could see the diamond in her belly button and the lace of her thong.

  I pushed the door closed behind me without taking my eyes off her. The polite thing to do would be to look at her place and give her a compliment.

  But I didn’t give a damn about being polite.

  My hands moved to her hips, and my mouth pressed against hers. Her petite frame was yanked against mine, and the kiss that ensued burst with sparks. I sucked hard with my lips because I couldn’t get enough of her. My tongue danced with hers, making up for the harshness I just extended.