Page 154 of Titus

Something changed in his expression. “Catalina.”

“No. I’m serious.” I looked around the terrace. “The yacht, your resorts, your headquarters...” I rubbed his leg. “You’ve built an incredible life.”

“A life that was lonely before you,” he said. “Lately, I’ve struggled with the idea of how much of that life was wasted without you in it.”

“I hardly think it was wasted,” I laughed.

“No,” he said. “But feeling what I feel with you? I can’t explain the happiness it brings me. I managed life so easily without you in it.”

“I can’t imagine life for you being lonely, even without me in it.”

The ocean breeze shifted through the terrace.

He shrugged. “Well, I’ve spent most of my life building things.” He looked out toward the darkness. “Hotels, developing on private islands, acquiring companies. Living half my life overseas.” His gaze returned to mine. “And somewhere along the way, I forgot there was supposed to be something waiting for me after all of it.”

My chest tightened. “Titus…”

“I’m not looking for sympathy.”

“You won’t get it.”

The corner of his mouth lifted. “Good.”

I shifted closer. “Then what are you looking for now that I am sitting here with you?”

His eyes dropped briefly to my mouth before meeting my gaze again. “You.”

The answer came so quickly it stole my breath. “That’s what I’m looking for.”

For the first time all evening, I couldn’t think of a single clever thing to say.

“Perhaps we should retire indoors. I’ve waited long enough since being reunited with you to hold you in my arms again.”

I had no idea how the man managed it, but I was in his arms, his lips on mine, as we walked up the steps into his home.

I wove my fingers through his hair, thankful he had missed me as much as I had missed him. Eventually, I’d be able to give him a rundown of my plans already in motion for the event on his yacht, but not even I cared about that now.

And that was saying a lot.

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

The helicopter descended through the evening sky toward Eterna. From above, the yacht glowed against the dark water like a floating city, and normally that would’ve pleased me, but tonight, all I could think about was the woman somewhere on board whom I’d barely spoken to in the past forty-eight hours.

I had been slammed with investor meetings, meetings with government officials, going over more designs with architects, handling shit with my legal team, and signing off on three acquisitions. It seemed that every damn person on the planet was determined to occupy my time the week leading up to this event.

The second the landing skids touched the helipad, I was already up and prepping to offload.

“Always fashionably late, hermano.”

I glanced at Wyatt. “What gave it away?”

“The fact that your own gala started ninety minutes ago,” Colton chimed in.

“And yet it’s somehow still running.”

“That’s because Cat Veléz is running it and saving your ass once again.”

The helicopter door opened, and the warm ocean air immediately rushed inside.