Buttons and Grace Read online

  “Really?” Now he had my full focus. “Where did you hear this?”

  “Roger. But I looked into it, and his stocks are dipping.”

  I’d have to delve into this more.

  “He made a lot of rookie mistakes that never should have happened. But now someone is going to be even richer than they were before.”

  I rested my arms on my dark desk, looking right at my friend but thinking about something else entirely. “Yeah. Me.”

  * * *

  The yacht was sitting in the harbor, packed with cold liquor, sandwiches, and sunscreen.

  “When are they gonna be here?” Mike asked, standing in his black swim trunks without his shirt.

  “Any minute now,” Pine said. “You know how women are. Just remember how hot they are.”

  Mike drank his beer, silenced by that comment.

  Maybe if I fucked this woman, I would forget about the woman who had the audacity to blow me off. I hadn’t realized how much I liked the chase until a woman actually made me work for it. She was the first one who didn’t give me what I wanted right on the spot. She made me feel unremarkable.

  And that only made me want to prove her wrong.

  A black Cadillac pulled up to the edge of the harbor, sleek and shiny. The back door opened, and a long leg emerged, fitting into a nude wedge.

  “That’s them,” Pine said. “I got the bottom loft.”

  “Top,” Mike called.

  That left me with the master, even though I wasn’t sure if I would use it or not.

  The women all got out of the car with their purses over their shoulders. In summer dresses with their bikinis underneath, they looked exactly like the kind of women we liked to party with.

  But when they came closer, I recognized the one on the far left.

  Tatum Titan.

  I didn’t grin too often, but now I couldn’t suppress my smile. My entire body tightened as she approached, arousal and excitement dissolving into my blood. She wore aviator sunglasses that hid her eyes from view. If she recognized me, she brushed it off and didn’t break her stride. She failed to show any expression besides confidence. Surprise and fear weren’t in her vocabulary.

  Pine helped his date into the boat. “Hey, sweetheart.”

  “Hey.” She kissed him on the cheek before they walked away to the other side of the boat.

  Mike extended his hand and helped the blonde up. Judging by his smile, he was genuinely happy to see his date for the afternoon.

  I didn’t bother extending my hand to Titan, knowing she wouldn’t take it. She made it up the steps with ease, her heels not slowing her down even though there wasn’t much friction between the bottom of her shoe and the smooth surface of the yacht. When she reached the top, she faced me, her curled hair blowing in the slight breeze. “Hunt.”

  I still wore my grin. “Titan.”

  She glanced at her two friends, who were already being pampered with glasses of wine and male affection. She turned back to me, keeping her sunglasses on. Red lipstick was on her mouth, and a creamy tint was noticeable on her shoulders where she had applied sunscreen.

  “What a nice surprise.”

  She turned her gaze and looked out onto the open waters of the Atlantic. Strands of hair came loose in the breeze, crossing over her face and sticking to her lipstick for just an instant. “It’s a beautiful day. Let’s enjoy it.”

  * * *

  I anchored the yacht a few miles off the coast, providing us a great view of the skyscrapers of the city. There were no other boats around, just us in the endless blue. I was the conductor of this voyage because I wasn’t going to let any of the guys touch my yacht.

  She was all mine.

  We sat together in the back of the boat, comfortable on the soft cushions by a table laden with the snacks my crew prepared. Pine had his arm around Isa, so absorbed in her that he didn’t seem to notice anyone else was there. Mike fed Pilar a grape, dropping the fruit into her mouth.

  They would definitely be fucking.

  Titan and I sat beside each other, drinking wine. Pine opened a bottle and poured glasses all around. When she didn’t object and drank it just as quickly as I did, I learned she liked other liquor besides whiskey.

  “The famous Tatum Titan,” Pine said as he looked at her. “I’m glad you’re here. Hunt can’t stop talking about you.”

  Titan didn’t react, only sipping her wine.

  I couldn’t shoot him a glare since I wore my sunglasses. Last thing I needed was Titan to think I was talking about the way she rode my cock. When I told her I would protect her reputation, I meant it.

  “He can’t?” Titan asked. “Why is Hunt so interested in me?” With her legs crossed and her gorgeous body hidden underneath her dress, she looked more like a supermodel than her friend Pilar.

  “Well, on paper, he’s interested in your publishing business,” Pine said. “But in reality, he just wants to—”

  “Pine.” All I needed to say was his name to get him to shut up.

  Pine shut his mouth, but his eyes still sparkled with mischief. “He thinks you’re pretty. I’ll leave it at that.”

  After more conversation, the guys broke apart with their dates. Pine went to the loft downstairs, and Mike took Pilar in the other bedroom on the yacht. Titan and I were finally alone together, but we weren’t having fun like everyone else.

  I left the seat and walked to the rail, seeing the city in all its glory. It was fabulous up close from my office window, but it was a different sight from a vantage point like this. Somehow, it made the gargantuan city seem small.

  Titan came to my side, her hands resting on the edge. “Beautiful, huh?”

  “There are no words.”

  She ran her fingers through her soft hair, looking sexy without even trying. She constantly put up a front of strength, something that was intentional. But when she looked desirable, that was all natural.

  She didn’t even need to try.

  I pivoted my body so I faced her, our bodies close enough that I could touch her if I repositioned myself. “I didn’t tell them.”

  At this angle, I could see her eyes behind her sunglasses. They were focused on the city miles away. “I know. But you obviously like to talk about me.” The corners of her mouth rose in a smile.

  “I do.”

  “And what kind of things do you say?”

  “I’m frustrated I’m not getting what I want.”

  She still wore her slight smile. “Because I refuse to sell my company?”

  I nodded. “But they think I just want to fuck you.”

  “Are they wrong?” she asked quietly.

  “Right on the money, actually.” I moved into her until my body was pressed against her shoulder. My fingers found the strap to her summer dress, recognizing the designer label sticking out from the back, and I slowly pulled it down until her bare shoulder was completely revealed.

  She didn’t stop me, remaining still as a statue. But her breathing gave her away, its escalation telling me she was tingling with excitement. My touch scorched her, burned her with my desire.

  I pressed my lips to her skin, giving her a kiss so innocent it was dirty. It was a mere hint of what I wanted to do with her right now. I wanted to plow my cock inside her for the entire afternoon, making the boat rock from my thrusts. I gave her some of my tongue then sucked the skin, my teeth grazing her.

  An imperceptible moan escaped her lips. It was so quiet, I wasn’t sure I heard it before it was carried away on the sea breeze.

  My mouth trailed up her neck until it rested against her ear. I kissed the shell, the soft skin that was usually hidden underneath her hair.

  She tensed underneath me, her body reacting just the way it did when our naked limbs were tangled together.

  “Were you surprised to see me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Looks like the universe wants us to be together.”

  She turned her head toward me but didn’t pull her body away. “I
think the universe is threatened when two suns exist in the same galaxy.”

  I kissed her hairline, my hands starting to explore her body. “What would happen if two suns combined together?” I slowly turned her body until she was facing me and the railing of the deck was behind her. I got her exactly where I wanted her, cornered, with my huge body hemming her in. She was like a wild animal that needed every protection in the world to keep her caged.

  Her hands went to my stomach, the bottom of my six-pack. Her fingers felt the grooves in detail, feeling the mountains of muscle and the valleys of softness. They slowly slid up until her fingertips reached my muscular chest. Like our last conversation never happened, she touched my body as if it was under her ownership.

  My hands gripped her dress and hiked it above her waist, leaving her bikini bottoms exposed. She was still pressed against the railing, and she didn’t try to run. She stayed put, letting my massive body pin her in the perfect spot.

  I pulled her sunglasses off her face and hooked them on the front of her dress, wanting to look her in the eye. Now that she didn’t have a shield to hide behind, her words were obvious like a document on a computer screen. I could see her desire, see her need to be fucked by me.

  My hand slid up the back of her neck, underneath the fall of her hair, and my palm cupped the back of her head. My lips were dangerously close to hers, close enough that I could take her mouth the instant I decided to. “You know what happens when they combine together?” I whispered. “They explode.” My mouth moved to hers, and I kissed her softly, taking my sweet time because nothing was going to interrupt us. We’d been more focused on screwing, but never kissing. And kissing sounded like the sexiest thing in the world in that moment.

  Her lips hesitated at the initial contact, quivering the second she felt the restrained intensity of my mouth. Her fingers dug into my chest slightly, her nails teasing me with their sharpness. As if she’d never kissed me before, she breathed in deeply before she kissed me back, her arousal burning throughout her body.

  My thumb brushed against her cheek as I kissed her, our lips coming together, breaking apart, and then coming together again. Sometimes I ended the kiss just to rub my nose against hers, to memorize the sexy expression on her face. When I pressed my mouth to hers once more, she met me with a hungry embrace.

  We moved together, our mouths turning to get as much of the other person as possible. When she gave me her small tongue, I greeted it with my own. We exchanged breaths as well as kisses, our embrace growing more heated. My hand gripped her hips where I held her dress up, and my cock nearly broke through my trunks in an attempt to get free.

  I could lead her to my quarters so we could screw in private, just like my other two friends. But her reputation had to remain untouched, and I would never tarnish it unless she specifically asked me to.

  But I had to do something.

  I grabbed the back of her knee and swung her leg around my waist, having her ankle hook on to my hip. My hand gripped the back of her thigh and held her in place as I kept the kiss going, feeling her nipples all the way through her bikini top and dress. I pressed into her, getting my cock right against that nub I’d become acquainted with.

  She moaned into my mouth, her arms now around my neck.

  I gently ground against her, rubbing my rock-hard cock against her aching folds.

  Her body reciprocated, taking my cock and moving with me at the same time. Her kisses became hungrier, taking my mouth with the kind of aggression she’d never shown before. She sucked my bottom lip into her mouth, eating me alive.

  God, this woman.

  Her hand gripped my ass, and she pulled me into her harder, pressing my cock perfectly against her clitoris. She ground against me, dry-humping me right on the deck of my yacht.

  Feeling her want me so viciously, taking exactly what she wanted without waiting for me to offer it, was hot as fuck. I breathed into her mouth and gripped her hair, feeling my body yearn for a woman like I’d never had before. Every part of me ached for her. My cock wanted to claim every opening she had, to stuff her with come until she was overflowing. I’d always been a sexual man, but she turned me into a beast.

  Her lips suddenly became immobile, unable to kiss me at all. Her nails dug into me, and her breaths became strained. Deeper and deeper they went, hoarse and quiet.

  I rocked into her harder, staring at her face as I prepared for the show. She was shaking underneath my touch, her body prepared to fire off an orgasm that would make her moan louder than she wanted.

  She gripped my biceps for balance and then came, panting against my mouth with a quiet moan accompanying it. My cock hardened at her pleasure, pressing against her harder. Her climax stretched on as long as it did when I was buried inside her. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and her eyes closed as she restrained herself from screaming in orgasmic relief. My mouth against hers seemed to be the only thing keeping her quiet.

  She rocked her hips against me until the climax passed. She slowly drifted back down to reality, the ache between her legs gone now that she was satisfied. She pressed her forehead against mine as she caught her breath. Once it was over and we could hear the sound of the waves licking the sides of the yacht, we were back to the real world.

  Her hands remained on my arms, and she looked down, avoiding my gaze.

  It was the first time I’d seen her do that. “Titan.”

  “Yes?”

  “Tell me what you want, and I’ll give it to you.”

  She kept her face down, her hands resting on my arms.

  “Titan.”

  “You can’t.”

  “Try me.” What did this woman want that I couldn’t possibly give? She wanted a strong man to fuck her, and that’s exactly what I could offer her. There was no stipulation that I would mind. If she had weird kinks, I was okay with that too.

  “Trust me, you can’t.”

  “No, trust me,” I pressed. “I can.”

  Tatum

  The girls left with the guys, going back to their apartments even though they’d spent the entire afternoon screwing on the yacht.

  I was jealous.

  Hunt handed the keys over to his crew, and they took care of docking the ship and putting it back in the slip. We didn’t clean up the mess we made, so I assumed that was being handled too.

  We were alone again, and I knew exactly what conversation we were going to have.

  Hunt came to my side, and like he had every right in the world, he grabbed my hand. His muscular hand overwhelmed mine, and he led me to the car he left in the parking lot. He stared me down like he dared me to object.

  After my little performance on the boat, I didn’t have the confidence to do anything.

  He opened the passenger door to his red Lamborghini and got in the driver’s seat. He didn’t ask me if I wanted to be taken home before he started to drive, heading to his penthouse, I was certain.

  We didn’t speak on the drive.

  I was still in my soaked bottoms and dress. My hair was a mess from the wind, and my nose was a little red despite all the sunscreen I’d put on. It was nighttime now, so my sunglasses were stowed away in my bag.

  Hunt pulled into the parking garage of his building then killed the engine.

  “Your car is beautiful.” I broke the tension with a simple compliment, knowing the best way into a man’s brain was through his toys.

  “Thank you.” He got out and took me by the hand again.

  I felt like a couple going home after a long double date.

  I didn’t like that feeling.

  We rode the elevator directly into his penthouse, the doors opening to a perfectly designed living space with classical music playing in the background. It must come on automatically as soon the doors opened.

  “Something to drink?”

  “Water, please.”

  He grabbed two glasses from the kitchen and handed me one.

  I took a long drink, dehydrated from all the wine, whiskey, a
nd hormones I’d indulged in all day.

  He drank his water as he watched me, his masculine throat shifting as he consumed the entire glass effortlessly. He set the glass on the coffee table.

  I did the same.

  I assumed he wanted to get off since he did all the pleasing that afternoon. Getting rid of his blue balls sounded appetizing to me, not selfish on his part at all. He was one of the few men I would gladly get on my knees for and suck his enormous cock—even if it made me gag.

  Instead of taking me into the bedroom, he continued to stand there in front of me, his eyes two smoking guns. He suffocated me naturally with his firmness, the authority he always exerted over me anytime we were in the same room together.

  I felt like I was looking at a different version of myself. “Did you bring me here to stare?”

  “Among other things.” He stepped closer to me, his gaze cold and warm at the same time. “We’ll get to the good stuff in a second. But first, we’re going to continue our conversation.”

  “What conversation?”

  “The only conversation we’ve been having since we met.”

  I brushed it off, wanting to avoid the truth as much as possible. “I’m not selling my company.”

  “We’ll get to that at another time.”

  “Really?” I cocked my head to the side, challenging his assurance.

  He stood in front of me, the smell of cologne and sunscreen wafting into my nose. “Let’s agree on one thing. We’re gonna keep crossing paths, and every time we do, we’re gonna end up in bed together.”

  Despite my previous mistakes, I wouldn’t allow that to continue. I’d already crossed too many lines as it was.

  “Every time I pursue you, we’re just making it more obvious to the people around us that we’re screwing. I don’t want that, and neither do you. So let’s come up with an arrangement.”

  “There’s no arrangement that could work for us.”

  “I disagree.”

  He would always disagree until he got his way. I crossed my arms over my chest, blocking him with an invisible rope. “Tonight is the last night this is going to happen. I say we enjoy it before we forget about it.”