Page 162 of Titus

I blinked. Wow. I swallowed the lump in my throat and inwardly hated myself for letting those triggered feelings flood in after receiving his text.

“I thought you were stuck in meetings,” I said.

His eyes roamed over my pajamas. “Eventually, the meeting ended.”

“You drove all the way here just to kiss me goodnight?” I said with a laugh of disbelief.

“I may have broken several traffic laws.”

Another laugh escaped me, and I heard the girls gasp behind me. Titus glanced over my shoulder.

“Good evening, ladies.”

Amelia immediately lit up, and Jessica looked equally amused.

“Do either of you mind if I join you for…” He studied the paused image of a scene in The Notebook.

“Not at all,” Amelia said.

Jessica pointed to the takeout on the counter. “There’s leftover pasta if you want Cat to heat a plate for you?”

His eyes met mine. “If you show me where your plates are, I can reheat it myself.”

“You sure you know how to use a microwave?” Amelia said with a laugh.

“I’ve got it,” I rolled my eyes. “Follow me,” I said to Titus. “The wine glasses are over there, if you want a glass.”

“All I want is you,” he said in a tired yet humorous voice.

His gaze found mine after he poured a glass, and his plate was heating up in the microwave. His expression was softer, and fuck… those eyes.

“I’m extremely happy you showed up tonight,” I admitted, gently kissing his perfectly soft lips.

“I missed you,” he said, pulling me close as he leaned against the counter. “I wasn’t going home alone without at least seeing you first. It was hard enough to cancel dinner reservations on you.”

I ran my hand along his jawline, “After watching all these chick flicks tonight, I think I needed you to stop by after canceling on me tonight, too.”

“It was the chick flicks that made you miss me?” he chuckled after the microwave went off. “Damn.”

“It wasn’t just that,” I said. “It’s reassuring that you did. Call me weird, I guess.”

“I will call you my lover, and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, but I will never call you weird, Catalina.”

“Let me get your plate before I jump your bones right now,” I teased.

He laughed, but his tired, amused, yet seemingly fulfilled expression stole the oxygen from my lungs, and I couldn’t have been any happier in this moment.

A few hours later, the girls had gone to bed, and it was just me curled into Titus, absorbing the man’s powerful presence and strong arms securely holding me. I had my legs draped over his lap while the TV played something we weren’t paying attention to in the background.

I glanced at the clock. Midnight. Already? “Damn. It’s super late. I guess you should probably go.”

The words left my mouth without conviction.

Titus didn’t even look up from where he was lazily tracing circles on my calf.

“No.”

I smiled. “No?”