Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
Ever since leasing my office space in Newport Beach from Lowell Jameston, it hadn’t taken long for me to figure out exactly what kind of man his son was.
After Christian introduced himself to me, it was safe to say I did not care for the man. Did I tolerate him? Yes. Respect him? Absolutely not.
The man was attractive enough in that polished, country-club, rich-boy sort of way that women usually lost their minds over, but every conversation with him reminded me of a spoiled child who’d somehow grown into expensive suits without emotionally maturing beyond prep school.
Honestly, I wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that his mother still tucked him into bed every night, reassuring him that he was special.
Which made sitting through this dinner particularly exhausting, especially because lately, my tolerance for men mistaking inherited wealth for real power had become dangerously low.
Once seated, Christian lounged across from me in Horizon’s VIP rooftop section while the Los Angeles skyline glowed around us under the night sky.
I’d been here with financial teams and the individuals I was planning exclusive events for a handful of times. All I could say was that everything about this place screamed Titus.
Dark stone. Black glass. Massive fire features flickering between private seating areas. It oozed luxury so expensive that it deserved admiration.
Even the staff moved differently here. They moved quietly, every movement controlled. It was as if the entire rooftop operated under one man’s standards. And knowing that Titus owned this building, it did.
“…the Manchester acquisition announcement needs to feel larger than a standard corporate event,” Christian continued, sipping whiskey beside Zachary Manchester. “This is legacy business.”
I nodded politely while mentally reminding myself that this wasn’t even originally my event. One of the planners I knew had traded me this Southern California acquisition gala in exchange for one of my Italian fashion events in Milan after Amelia’s emergency.
Otherwise, there wasn’t a snowballs chance in hell I would’ve taken on Christian Jameston as a client.
“You seem distracted tonight, Cat,” Christian smirked.
“You’ve repeated the words acquisition, luxury, and legacy enough times tonight that I’m considering charging extra for emotional damages,” I answered calmly, lifting my glass of champagne.
Zachary Manchester laughed loudly beside him. I sat next to their two financial heads, both women scrolling on their phones and taking this all as seriously as I was taking Christian. How did this man run any form of business? I honestly would never know.
Christian grinned. “I’ve always enjoyed being in the company of a woman unafraid of power and wealth.”
Oh, God.
I smiled. “One of us had to bring substance to the conversation.”
I had just lifted my glass of champagne again when the energy around the table shifted. Everything paused just enough for instinct to make me glance up from the conversation and see Titus standing beside our table.
Holy shit. The man somehow looked even more dangerous than usual in a tailored black suit, the dark shirt beneath it open at the collar, no tie in sight.
Where the hell did his ass come from?
“Ms. Veléz.” The deep, velvet sound of Titus’s voice wrapped around my spine before I could even process that he’d approached the table.
His eyes locked onto mine first. After several dangerous seconds, his attention casually shifted to the rest of the table, as if he’d only just remembered other people existed.
“Mr. Hawk,” Zachary Manchester greeted quickly, standing to shake his hand. “Didn’t realize you’d be in the lounge tonight.”
Titus nodded. “Mr. Manchester.”
His gaze shifted next to Christian, and the temperature at the table noticeably dropped.
“Jameston,” Titus acknowledged evenly.
Christian forced a casual smile while standing. “I don’t understand how I keep having the good fortune of crossing paths with you.”
Titus didn’t smile, unlike Christian, who seemed to be mocking the man. When Titus didn’t offer to shake his hand, I instantly recognized that there may be some history between the two men.
Titus looked back at me. “Ms. Veléz,” he said warmly. “I trust you’re well tonight?”
I am now.
“Yes, just here finalizing details for an event,” I answered, forgetting there were other people at the table.
I saw this man so differently now, like night and day.
“Funny,” Christian smirked at Titus. “A man who owns half the skyline still couldn’t persuade her to work for him.”
Christian laughed as Titus’s gaze finally shifted toward him. “I was not aware that Ms. Veléz required convincing,” Titus answered calmly.
“Are we going to discuss your event plans tonight?” I cut in smoothly. “Or were you intending to spend the evening insulting the man who owns the hotel while drinking his overpriced whiskey?”
“Men usually start insulting other men when they realize they’ve lost the room,” Titus answered, but Christian’s eyes remained severe, locked onto mine.
“Your mouth entices me, Ms. Veléz, but not when it’s defending a man—”
“That’s enough,” Titus’s voice cut him off dangerously. “If you’re to remain in my hotel, not another insult toward Catalina or me will come from your mouth.”
“Mr. Hawk, forgive my associate,” Zachary said before Christian could retaliate. “He’s here as my guest, and I will not allow any further rude remarks from him.”
I watched Christian pinch his lips together in frustration. Fuck me, I really didn’t want to plan this event. I didn’t want to be here with this tool of a man, and, sadly… tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough, when I’d actually see Titus again and be able to explain this bullshit.
Instead of accepting the apologies, Titus looked at me. “Ms. Veléz, if you need anything while you’re here, I will have a host on standby for you.”
He looked at Jameston, and for the first time since being in the man’s presence, I saw him restrain himself.
“They’ll also alert me if any guest becomes... difficult,” he said, his gaze drifting briefly toward Christian.
“Thank you,” I smiled. “I think we need to return to the finalizations,” I said after Titus left our table. “I do not intend to be out all evening.”
“As of now?” Jameston said. “I think you can be dismissed from this meeting.”
“If you dismiss me, consider me done with your event. I will not do anything at the last minute when it can be handled right now.”
“Don’t you pride yourself on last-minute events? Salvaging them?” he said with a disgusting, slippery smile. “You can handle a delayed meeting because I don’t want to be in the presence of someone who insults me in front of Titus Hawk.”
There were so many fucking things I wanted to say in response. Instead, I followed my instinct and gut and answered him truthfully.
I stood up and grabbed my clutch, “Consider this me dismissing myself from this dinner, from your presence, and from your event.”
“You can’t just up and quit…” he nearly shouted.
“I think you’re watching me do just that, Mr. Jameston,” I said. “Good night.”
I marched across the floor, flustered and pissed.
Shit. I hadn’t even considered that the little fucker would likely try to fuck with my lease and get me kicked out of his daddy’s building.
At this point, I didn’t fucking care. I would be at a godawful low if I stayed here and tolerated that shit for another second.
“Catalina,” Titus said as I stepped into the elevator. “What the hell just happened back there?”
“I quit on the guy,” I said, my nerves flustered, but somehow, as the elevator doors closed behind us, I felt soothed by his presence.
His cologne filled the elevator, so rich and masculine it nearly made my knees buckle.
“I’m surprised you were working for that dipshit. Valet?” he asked before pressing the button.
“Yes, and you don’t have to ride the elevator down with me,” I said with a half smile.
He closed the gap between us, his tall, masculine frame towering over me. “There are a lot of things I don’t have to do, preciosa,” he said, his eyes studying mine. “But for you? I will do anything.”
“Anything?” I tried to play back.
That damn smile I couldn’t get out of my head from the other night returned to his mouth.
“Anything.”
Shit. I couldn’t do this. I was already unraveling. And flirting with him? While he was wearing this damn suit? The unbuttoned collar… no tie?
One more minute trapped in this elevator with him, and I was genuinely going to make catastrophic decisions.
“Are you still considering asking me for something?” he asked as the elevator doors whispered open.
I sighed. “It’s been good seeing you tonight,” I said honestly. “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”
His eyes immediately turned molten gold, and I had to step out of this elevator and breathe air that didn’t carry his cologne.
“Allow me to walk you to your car,” he said. “I don’t think I’m quite ready to part ways with you yet, Ms. Veléz.”
Everything in me was screaming to protect myself from this man, but I swear, every way he acted was perfect. Too perfect. Too good to be true, and that was the scariest part of me placing my hand in the bend of his arm and honoring his request.