Page 84 of Titus

“Have a good rest of your morning, Ms. Veléz. I’m happy you, your sister, and the baby are well.”

I turned, leaving her with a smile and nothing more to say. In fact, it was the only way I wanted to leave her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

“Okay, ladies,” I said, walking out of my bathroom, putting my earring in, “I shouldn’t be out too late.”

I smiled when I saw Amelia and her best friend, Jessica, reclining against oversized pillows and watching television together.

Amelia glanced over at me as I sat on the chaise lounge, fastening my heels. “You should stay out late,” she teased, tossing a piece of popcorn at me. “You deserve some time away from being locked down in this house. Besides, Titus is gorgeous, and he’s pretty much my hero now.”

I grinned, leaned over, picked up the popcorn, and tossed it in the trash next to her bed. “He is an excellent man for what he did to help you and the baby,” I confirmed. “But that’s as far as this goes.”

“I still think you should go for it,” Jessica said, flipping her black hair over her shoulder. “From what I’ve seen of the man after Googling him, all I can say is damn!”

I sighed. “You girls are watching too many rom-coms,” I said. “Titus Hawk is pretty much that…” I pointed at the television. “What movie is this?” I asked, eyeing the man on screen who looked wildly similar to Titus.

“Another Simple Pleasure,” Amelia answered. “And that guy is Dante,” she smiled at me.

“Well, whatever it is, Titus is like him. A fantasy, not something that happens in real life,” I stated.

“The guy is super loaded and is marrying her after bailing her out of jail when she was wrongly accused,” Jessica added. “So… he does exist. He’s just in the form of Titus.”

“Lord,” I leaned over and hugged Amelia. “You girls have fun with your movies. Takeout should be here in thirty minutes.”

“You need to loosen up, sis,” Amelia teased. “We’re just saying⁠—”

“Let go and have a little fun,” I finished her sentence. “Yes, I know. You both have been campaigning for Titus Hawk all week.”

“Where are you taking him?” Amelia asked after I left the room.

“I’m taking your advice and not planning that, just seeing what I feel like this evening,” I smiled.

“Those heels make your jeans look sexy as hell,” I heard Jessica call out, and both girls laughed when I opened my door to leave.

“Bye, girls. Call me if you need anything.”

“We won’t. Have fun.”

Oh, to have the mind of a young woman who saw the world so innocently and still found hope in love and relationships. I wasn’t bitter. I just wasn’t going to get burned again by a man with more money than emotional intelligence.

I pulled under the concrete awning of Titus’s building. As soon as the car rolled to a stop, the valet met me at the entrance and opened my door. I stepped out, only to be stopped by Titus as he walked out of the entrance.

“Thank you, Justin,” I heard Titus say as he walked out, briefcase in hand. “She’s with me,” he said, tipping the man, his golden eyes locking onto mine in that dangerously intense way again.

Before I could say a word, he brought my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “Good evening, Ms. Veléz,” he said.

I swear every nerve ending in my body tightened at his touch—something I would never dare admit to him, or anyone, for that matter. Hell, I could hardly admit it to myself.

Had it really been that long since I’d been with a man? Five years. Jesus Christ, where had the time gone? At this point, I was practically a virgin next to a man who probably devoured women whole and forgot their names by morning.

“Goddamn, you’re beautiful,” he said, eyeing my silk tank tucked into my jeans. “And I’m at your mercy tonight.”

I buckled my seatbelt and eyed him. “Don’t get any crazy ideas,” I said in a silly, playful tone I had forgotten I possessed.

His eyes darkened to molten gold again, and his smile was breathtaking.

“I’m simply trying to recover from your devastating first impression of me,” he said.