Chapter 47
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
The engine of Titus’s vintage Jaguar purred beneath us as we followed the Pacific Coast Highway north. It was the perfect day to drive up the coast in a convertible for a weekend getaway.
Who was I kidding? Everything felt perfect since I fell asleep last night in Titus’s arms and woke up to the smell of him entering the room with a tray of my favorite breakfast, cooked by him and my sister.
I felt like I’d fallen asleep in the middle of P.S. I Love You, and my subconscious had decided to soothe every fear I had about this relationship by dreaming up a scenario where Titus showed up—not for a booty call, but simply so I could fall asleep in his arms.
Yeah. That was the type of romantic thing that happened in movies like the ones Amelia and Jessica loved to watch every Friday night.
I mean, the man had woken up early to surprise me with breakfast and cook with my sister in the kitchen. That was the stuff romance movies were made of.
And sending the girls off for a luxury weekend on his yacht with his staff catering to their every need? Amelia’s exact words had been: “These are the perks of dating an ultra-billionaire who’s head-over-heels in love with you.”
Maybe I had been wrong. People were wrong all the time. Some lived with regrets because of it, but as we drove up the coast with the Pacific sparkling beside us, I realized I’d rather be wrong than spend my life wondering what could have been.
A smile tugged at my lips as I thought about how excited the girls had been just to be flown out to the yacht. They had absolutely no idea what kind of weekend awaited them.
“They’re going to have the time of their lives,” I said.
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?”
“When I knew Christian Jameston was lurking around my business and that he was up to no good. He wouldn’t allow me in his building, so I needed someone on the inside.” He looked over at me. “As I told you on the yacht, I planned to use you to get to that idiot.”
“Right.”
“Well, after you rejected my offer to work solely for me so I could get to know you and gain your trust, I decided I would get you to fall for me and date me instead. At the time, I was convinced I was only interested in Jameston.”
“Jesus Christ,” I said. “You never mentioned this part of your brutal business schemes.”
“I think I was taken more by wanting to dance with you on the yacht that night,” he grinned.
“And Nat went for all of that?”
“Nat and all the guys were loving the fact that they were about to watch you reject me again.” He laughed to himself. “And you did.”
“What did Nat have to say?”
“Nat told me you would pretty much not date an arrogant, wealthy man, and that you can see through bullshit a mile away.”
“You’re not bullshitting me now, are you? With the dreamy falling asleep in your arms, driving up the coast, and breakfast in bed plans?”
“Why am I not surprised your adorable mind went there?”
“Because I’m hearing all about how you wanted to use me, and Nat gave a strategic man a road map.”
He smiled over at me. “No. You’d already rejected me after I tried that as well.
I sat in defeat, believing I would never win you over in business or in pleasure.
That’s when I conceded. Jim had already admitted he had men on the inside watching Jameston.
He was just enjoying watching you turn me down enough times that he didn’t tell me. ”
“Then what made you fall for me?” I laughed.
“You are unlike any woman I’ve ever known. You’re authentic and genuine. You care for and love your sister. It was a million little things, but mainly the fact that I would never be close enough to you to know more.”
“Wow.”
He reached for my hand and held it. “I seem to fall deeper for you every time I’m with you, and maybe even more when I’m away from you.”
“Maybe I’m just slower than you are with all of this stuff.”
“No,” he said, kissing the back of my hand. “You’re cautious. You’ve trusted someone with your heart who was careless with it. I believe that if you broke mine, I would be the same way in the future.”
“You’ve never had your heart broken?”
“Never.”
“Not even a high school crush?”
That earned a smile. “No,” he sighed. “I’m afraid I was too busy breaking their hearts—and too unwilling to give mine away—to ever let anyone get close enough to bruise it.”
“But you gave it to me,” I smirked.
“I did.” He glanced over at me. “I know you’re the one. Time will show us both whether I’m right about that.”
I smiled and settled further into my seat as the breeze tugged at my hair and the waves crashed against the cliffs below.
Everything felt different today. Simpler. There were no events to orchestrate. No guests to manage. No investors demanding my attention.
For the first time since meeting Titus Hawk, I had absolutely nowhere to be. The realization felt strangely liberating.
I turned my attention back to him. One hand rested on the steering wheel, the other casually holding mine. The sunlight caught the angles of his face as the wind occasionally pushed dark strands of hair across his forehead.
I wasn’t entirely sure I’d ever seen him this relaxed. We both seemed so free and at ease with each other. Maybe he was right. Maybe we’d found our better halves in one another—the person who filled in the parts of us we didn’t even realize were missing.
Except, I hadn’t been looking. I’d been perfectly content on my own, not dating and not needing a man in my life. Then Titus crashed into my world, turning everything upside down.
While I’d been resistant from the start and still a bit hesitant, I didn’t want to waste time trapped in my own head about it, nor did I want to sabotage something good because one man had broken my trust and convinced me that all men would do the same.
The coastline continued rolling past us. We passed through Malibu, small beach towns, and around hidden coves. All places neither of us seemed particularly interested in stopping to explore.
For once, the destination didn’t seem important, and the drive itself somehow felt like part of the experience.
Several comfortable minutes passed before something caught my eye. “Look at that!”
Titus immediately looked over. “What?”
I pointed to the opposite side of the road. “How adorable is that ice cream shack?”
A small roadside ice cream shop sat tucked beneath a cluster of old oak trees. It had flower boxes that lined the windows. String lights hung above a shaded patio, and a hand-painted sign gently swayed in the afternoon breeze.
The entire place looked like something straight out of a romantic film.
Titus instantly slowed the car.
I sat up. “No. You don’t have to stop.”
His mouth twitched. “Would you care to have an ice cream with me, carino?”
I smiled at him. “I’d absolutely love that.”
His grin widened. “Excellent.”
Without another word, he steered the Jaguar into the gravel parking lot.
He was out of the car before I could unbuckle, and he opened my door. “After you, darling,” he said with that damn smirk I loved.
We walked together, holding hands, watching families sit beneath colorful umbrellas while children chased one another through the grass nearby.