Page 167 of Titus

Titus glanced over the top of his sunglasses and grinned at me. “That’s what I’m hoping for.”

“You realize Amelia is going to tell this story for the rest of her life.”

“And I’ll never tire of hearing her tell it,” he said, eyes on the road, his trademark smirk returning as he casually mentioned our future.

I laughed and reclined deeper into the leather seat, reaching over to rest my arm behind Titus’s seat and gently run my fingers through his thick, wavy hair.

“This is a dream,” he said, reaching for my hand and pressing it to his lips before I returned it to his hair.

“And so, I was wrong,” I finally admitted out loud.

“About what?” he said.

I chuckled, knowing how I caused this man so much whiplash with my relationship insecurities about him.

“About you. About you and me. Maybe there could be a forever in our future.”

I watched his jaw tighten. “God, do not play games with me, preciosa.”

“I’m not playing games, but I get why you wouldn’t believe me when I say that.”

“It might be that you’re the only person who has ever rejected my advances—actually, no. Correction, my numerous advances.”

I looked out at the peaceful drive ahead of us. “It’s just scary, you know?”

“It’s scary, but I find it exhilarating to realize I’ve met my true other half,” he smiled at me, probably looking for my reaction to his words.

“I guess what’s scary is that I’m afraid the second I stop resisting it, you’ll pull away from me.”

“It is not in my nature to do such a thing to what I cherish,” he said, licking his lips. “I not only cherish you, mi amor, but my heart is genuinely yours as well. You consume everything I am.”

“That’s a bit much.”

“That’s a Spanish man in love,” he chuckled. “Unafraid to admit that he’s found the one woman he probably couldn’t even describe to God as his ideal mate.”

“I’m feeling the same way about you,” I said. “Truthfully, I was a firm believer that men like you didn’t exist. And if they did, they were someone else’s to have.”

“That’s because our paths weren’t meant to cross until they finally did.”

“And when they did cross, you were an absolute, arrogant dick.”

He laughed with me.

“You held your own perfectly well against me, mi amor,” he said. “However, we only knew each other by titles and by the opinions of others.”

“Opinions of others?” I asked. “I mean, everyone has an opinion about you, and I was up there having one of the worst of them. But you heard things about me, too?”

I watched a smile play at the corner of his mouth. “Of course.”

“And?”

“Well, the ones I heard were from your friends.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at God only knew who had told him what. “And?” I paused. “Wait. Why would any of my friends be talking to you about me?”

“Because I arranged for Natalia to meet us for drinks one evening so I could ask about you and your interests.”

“When the hell was this?”