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  I told her I would make this happen, and I had to keep my word.

  She was my best friend.

  So I ground my teeth together before I spoke into the intercom. “Jessica, get me an appointment at Ms. Alexander’s office.”

  Alexander Applications wasn’t in the center of Manhattan the way Titan’s offices were. It was closer to the border and near the water’s edge. A large, historic building sat at the front, designed with sensual and elegant features. Two stone horse statues stood at the entrance to the building. Behind the building was a large stone wall that enclosed the rest of the compound in the background. More buildings were in the distance, where the research was conducted.

  The black-and-white tile entryway led to a spacious lobby that was elegant enough for a five-star hotel. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and its old-fashioned feel directed contradicted the new technology that was born out of this place.

  I checked in at the front desk then took the elevator to the top floor. This area was vastly different than it was downstairs. Just like an Apple store, it was sleek, plain, and modern. The desks and chairs were constructed of a gray-blue material, and the walls were made of a dark hardwood. I checked in with another assistant and then was guided to a separate waiting room.

  It was a big waiting area for a single person. It made me wonder how many meetings she had a day. I was offered refreshments, but I declined. I surveyed the area then looked at the glass doors that took up the entire left side of the space. They were completely reflective, allowing Ms. Alexander to see out but no one to see in.

  I wondered if she was looking at me right now.

  I couldn’t believe I was sitting there waiting to be seen.

  I didn’t wait for anyone.

  But yet, I was sitting on my ass waiting for her.

  She was probably dragging it out on purpose, just to remind me that she was in the position of power this time.

  I didn’t like that one bit.

  If I had my way, I would just forget this meeting altogether and spend all my time trying to bury her company. Even with her genius mind, I could still crush her business. The most popular products on the market weren’t necessarily the best; they just had better marketing. And marketing was my strength. I could decimate all of her hard work overnight.

  And I was tempted to do it.

  But then Titan came into my mind again. She was home right now, still weak from the gunshot wound that nearly killed her. Diesel wouldn’t allow her to work, so it was up to me to make this happen. If I could deliver her good news, it would make her suffering more bearable.

  So I swallowed my distaste and continued to wait.

  Finally, her assistant walked into the room. “Ms. Alexander will see you now.”

  About time. I’d been sitting there for almost twenty minutes—and I wasn’t late or early to the meeting.

  The assistant opened the glass door and held it open for me.

  I took my time standing up and walking across the room. “Thank you.” I stepped inside and listened to the door close behind me.

  Her office wasn’t what I was expecting. It wasn’t elegant and feminine the way Titan’s was. A large olive green desk sat near the back wall, which was entirely made of glass. Her office was unusual because it jutted out farther than the rest, so every single wall was nothing but windows. Two large tables were along the other walls, covered with notebooks with scribbled notes and calculators. There were electrical apparatuses as well, things I couldn’t even identify.

  Two lone chairs faced her desk.

  Ms. Alexander rose from her seat wearing a skintight black dress with a deep blue cardigan on top. She greeted me with a smile, but it certainly wasn’t genuine. “Nice to see you again, Mr. Cutler.”

  I stopped at her desk and shook her hand. “You as well.” The second my hand latched on to hers, the same erotic images flashed across my mind. I had her in my bed, her thighs squeezing my waist as her dress was pushed to her stomach. Her panties were still hanging off one ankle because she was too desperate for me to take the time to remove them. Her nails dug into my ass, and she pulled me deep into her because she wanted me to fuck her even harder.

  Goddamn.

  I quickly pulled my hand away then unbuttoned my suit coat before I sat down.

  Shake it off. “Thank you for meeting with me.”

  “My pleasure.” She straightened her dress before she sat down.

  I wanted to show her the real meaning of pleasure.

  She held herself straight, her posture perfect and her gaze poised. “You’ve reconsidered our business arrangement?”

  “I have.” I sat erect in the chair, my powerful shoulders covering the chair from her view. My knees were spread, and my feet were firmly planted against the floor. My arms rested on the armrests, and I stared her down with my intimidating gaze. People were usually unnerved by me. I could keep a conversation going even in silence. I was the strong and silent type, especially with women. Titan was the only woman I actually spoke to. No reason to talk when you were fucking.

  Ms. Alexander waited for me to say something, and when nothing happened for thirty seconds, she spoke again. “And?”

  She wore a different shade of lipstick that day, and it was hard not to stare at it. She wore a different necklace too. Her watch was still the same, the pristine rose gold color. She had beautiful skin and a slender neck. My teeth wanted to drag across the skin, just to feel how delicate she really was. Something about her power made me more aggressive. I wanted to snuff out of her presence, to overrule her in every way possible. I respected her strength, but that also wanted to make me break her even more. “I should have been more transparent in that meeting.”

  She tilted her head slightly, showing her confusion but never dropping her confidence. “I think you were perfectly clear, Mr. Cutler. You aren’t looking for a partnership, and I am. No confusion.” She sounded sexy while sounding professional at the same time. I wasn’t sure how she accomplished it.

  “I think if I’d been clearer you would have changed your mind.”

  Her mood noticeably darkened to the color of her hair. “No. I’m not the kind of woman who changes her mind.”

  “Five billion.” It was more than what I wrote on the paper in my office, but I wanted to offer something she couldn’t resist. Maybe her company was worth hundreds of millions, but she wasn’t even close to her first billion. Any person would flinch at that kind of money.

  But she didn’t. “Alexander Applications isn’t for sale, Mr. Cutler.”

  “Ten billion.”

  She didn’t even blink. “You’re wasting your time.”

  I’d just put a ridiculous offer on the table, and she didn’t even nibble. Now I knew this woman had never been playing a game with me. She was more straightforward than I realized. She said exactly what she meant. “Give me a number, Ms. Alexander.”

  “Money may mean everything to you, but it means nothing to me. You can go now.” As if the meeting was over, she grabbed her blank tablet and unlocked the screen. “Give my best to Titan. I hope she recovers soon.”

  I stayed in my seat, refusing to leave until I got what I wanted. There was no other trick up my sleeve. I didn’t know how to bargain with someone when money wasn’t a chip I could use. She wanted a vision; she wanted a future. “Help me understand, Ms. Alexander. Help me understand how a businesswoman could reject the greatest offer she’ll ever receive.”

  She finished what she was doing on her tablet before she set it down again. “For such an intelligent man, you seem to absorb information very slowly. I told you money doesn’t mean anything to me. I’m basically telling you I’m a vegetarian, but you continue to offer me prime rib. Offer me something I want, and maybe we can move forward.” She looked at me again, her green eyes hypnotic. I could feel her soft skin just by looking at it. My fingers ached to explore that shiny hair.

  “Money means something to everyone. Let’s not pretend you’re differe
nt from the rest of us.”

  “It does,” she said simply. “But after you reach a certain point, it doesn’t matter. My life isn’t any different whether I have one hundred million dollars or one billion. It’s exactly the same.”

  “If that were true, you wouldn’t want to work with Titan. You know she’ll elevate your standing considerably.”

  “She will,” she said. “But she’ll also bring my technology to a new level as well. If I simply sell, she’ll have the authority to do whatever she wants. While I respect Ms. Titan, I don’t know her. I’ve never met the woman. How can I trust her to do the right thing with this power? I can’t. I need to be there—as her partner. Just as Einstein built the technology for the atomic bomb, it was used for evil. I need to make sure my inventions are used appropriately.”

  “Titan operates on a strict code of ethics. You don’t need to worry about her.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. But I sleep better at night knowing I have equal say. I believe a partnership will allow me to grow as an entrepreneur and explore different areas of business. I also believe it will allow me to grow as a person, to give me the kind of legacy that people will remember long after I’m gone. Titan is a respectable woman with a brilliant mind. I want to be viewed in the same way.”

  “So this is about fame?”

  She considered my question long before she answered. “No. It’s about respect.”

  Titan cared about her image immensely. It took her a long time to earn the respect of the world, to be treated equally. It was a heavy burden on her shoulders, and sometimes the weight was too heavy. But she never let it defeat her. It made her stand stronger, made her prouder. Even though she could give up everything and hide away as a very wealthy woman, she loved it too much. She loved being a role model, a symbol for women everywhere.

  Ms. Alexander was exactly the same.

  It really wasn’t about money.

  “Titan isn’t interested in a partnership. I’ve already said that.”

  “Yes.” She kept her shoulders back and her chest forward, and her firm tits were difficult not to stare at. Even if I didn’t look at them, everything about her was innately sexy. Her slender shoulders led to small arms. She had a hint of a bicep, and her forearms were defined. The diamond earrings in her lobes reflected the light coming in from the windows. Her face was her most beautiful feature. With almond-shaped eyes, a small nose, and a few freckles on her cheeks, she was absolutely lovely. Her full lips were the most distracting. They were so plump and thick. God, they would feel wonderful against my mouth.

  Thorn, stop.

  I tried to stop thinking about her looks and focus on the conversation. “I’ve known Titan for a long time, and I know her better than almost anyone.” Diesel had replaced me. “She’s not going to change her mind. I suggest you reconsider. I’m not saying this to get what I want. But I think you’re losing a great opportunity here.”

  “I’m sure you’re being sincere,” she said casually. “But again, I’m simply not interested in that route.”

  Now that there was nothing more to say, I held her gaze. I could do it for hours, just stare at her sparkling green eyes and her fair cheeks. Her dark hair made her skin appear even lighter, even though it had a nice rosy color to it. Her mouth was just as hypnotizing as her eyes. As if someone had constructed her to portray the overwhelming beauty of a painting, she was stunning. The more I looked at her, the more I couldn’t deny it. “I saw you went to MIT. That’s impressive.” I was a very busy man, so I wasn’t much of a conversationalist. I didn’t care to learn more about my potential business partners. All I wanted to know was what they had to offer. But the comment came out of my mouth all on its own.

  “And I also dropped out of MIT.”

  For some reason, that impressed me even more. She got into one of the most esteemed colleges in the world, but even that wasn’t good enough for her. “How long were you there?”

  “One semester.”

  “What made you leave?”

  “My ideas. My studies were too time-consuming and distracting. All I wanted to do was work on a solar cell model, so I decided to take a permanent hiatus to focus on my passions. A lot of people said it was a stupid idea, and I enjoyed proving them wrong.”

  Just by the limited conversation between us, I could tell this woman’s intelligence exceeded mine—by a landslide. I had strength in business, but she had strength in a discipline I couldn’t even pretend to understand. Not only was she a remarkable scientist, but she managed to create a product that made a lot of money. Titan was right when she warned me not to underestimate this woman.

  “You went to Yale, right?”

  My eyebrows rose when I realized she’d read up on me. “Yes.”

  “That’s a great school.”

  “It’s no MIT.”

  “School is supposed to prepare you for the real world, but honestly, the only thing that can prepare you for the real world is yourself.”

  I didn’t ask her for an elaboration because I knew she was speaking from her personal life. When I researched her, I found a lot of detailed specifics about her work but not much about her. Her technology took all the fame, but very few people knew she was the one behind it.

  I found myself wanting to stay and continue this conversation, but I knew it was both pointless and inappropriate. I would have to disappoint Titan and say the deal wasn’t going to happen. And I would have to walk away from this woman and forget about her. A part of me wanted to ask her to get a drink with me, but I knew it would be a conflict of interest. Besides, she didn’t strike me as the kind of woman who’d be interested in casual sex. I wasn’t even sure if she was attracted to me. It was difficult to read that hard mask of hers. She was professional to the point of making Titan seem amateur. “Thank you for your time. I wish you the best for Alexander Applications.” I rose to my feet.

  Her eyes immediately glanced down, looking right at my crotch. She held the look for a few heartbeats before she met my gaze again.

  I glanced down to button the front of my jacket, and that’s when I noticed the huge bulge in the front of my slacks. I was used to having a hard-on anytime I was around this woman, so I didn’t even notice. My fingers pushed the button through the hole, and I looked at her again, not feeling any shame for the big dick in my pants.

  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 idi
ot 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.”