Chapter 60
CHAPTER SIXTY
“Perfect. We’ll lock in the investor dinner for the twenty-sixth, and I’ll have the final renderings for your team by Friday.” I smiled as I made a note in the file open in front of me.
This event had taken nearly three months to secure. It was for a luxury automotive manufacturer debuting a new electric vehicle at a private estate in Malibu overlooking the Pacific.
The event would host two hundred guests, including international media. A temporary glass pavilion overlooking the cliffs was being built for the occasion, and it was shaping up to be spectacular. It was exactly the kind of project Veléz Global was known for.
“Excellent,” the client said. “We’re excited to move forward.”
“As are we.”
The moment the line disconnected, I leaned back and exhaled. September was shaping up to be the month my team and I finally made up for the time and revenue we’d lost by not coordinating many events this summer.
It was a reminder that the future of Veléz Global was still bright and moving forward. The summer slowdown hadn’t changed that. If anything, it reinforced that the momentum my team and I had fought so hard to build over the years was as strong as ever.
I should’ve been thrilled about all of it, but I wasn’t. Instead, my attention drifted toward an empty corner of my office, and my thoughts returned to the one thing I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about… Titus.
The man had been locked up for two weeks now, and at this point, I’d expected we’d have more information.
The last time we’d been separated for this long, he’d been overseas. He was working, busy, and flying between countries. But even with that distance, there had been texts, calls, and photos.
I knew the relationship was new, but it had gone from nothing to something intensely wonderful in such a short time, and having him snatched away from me so abruptly had left me with a sort of emotional whiplash I was struggling to navigate.
I just missed the hell out of him. It was devastating to feel like we were moving in such a strong, exciting direction, only to have the rug ripped out from under both of us.
Maybe it didn’t make sense to be this attached to him already, but when did love ever make sense?
I had fallen hard and fast for him, and I couldn’t pretend what I felt wasn’t love.
Now, there was only silence and uncertainty. The kind that settled in your chest and refused to leave. Because every day, I woke up asking the same damn questions… What if this only gets worse? What if they don’t release him? What if this isn’t only for a matter of weeks?
What if this becomes years?
I hated that my brain went there, but it did, every single day, because I was nothing if not a realist who always needed a blueprint for every scenario. I knew preparing for worst-case scenarios was the most prudent course of action in a situation like this, but I still hated doing it.
I just had to stay busy. That’s what was getting me through. Sitting here and letting my mind drift wasn’t.
I reached for another file, but I paused when I looked up and saw someone standing in the doorway.
My breath caught, and the folder slipped from my hands. I blinked to make sure I was really seeing Titus standing there. For a moment, my brain refused to process what was right in front of me.
He was leaning against my doorframe, arms folded across his chest, looking like he’d just come from his office rather than like a man who had been in federal detention for two weeks.
“Titus?”
His smile widened. He looked more handsome than I remembered, wearing his pristine bespoke suit, his naturally wavy hair styled to perfection, and his eyes virtually glistening.
“I leave you unsupervised for two weeks, and somehow you still managed to schedule an entire fall season?”
I stared at him, still unable to move. I swear to God, I couldn’t believe he was here.
His smile became softer and warmer, and suddenly, every emotion I’d been holding together for the last two weeks hit me all at once.
I pushed away from my desk and crossed the room as quickly as I could. By the time I reached him, my hands were already on his face. It was as if I needed physical proof he was actually standing there.
“My God,” was all I could say, watching his eyes close briefly beneath my touch. The tiniest exhale escaped him, as if he were also at a loss for words in this moment.
“When did you get out?” I finally asked.
His eyes met mine as his arms came up around me, pulling me into his chest. “About three hours ago.”
“Three hours?”
His smile returned. “I showered first. I didn’t want to call. I just wanted to come here and take you in my arms.”
I finally pulled back enough to look at him. “How did they let you out without telling anyone?”
Titus shrugged. “Apparently, my attorneys enjoy surprises.”
I laughed. “They couldn’t have called?”
“They did.” His eyes drifted toward my desk.
“I’ve been on a thousand different calls all day,” I said. “I haven’t even checked voicemails.”
“Speaking of priorities…” His hands settled on my waist. “I’m starving. Care to join me for dinner?”
“That’s not even a question,” I said. “Where?”
“The fish shack,” he chuckled, and the most adorable, handsome expression crossed his face.
“Really?” I chuckled. “Of all the places you can go to eat after two weeks of government gruel?”
“It was our first date,” he said, bringing the back of my hand to his lips. “And who knew that two weeks in federal detention would make one crave certain foods?”
“Let me grab my things,” I said, turning back to my desk.
When I gathered my stuff, I turned back, and I was suddenly in his arms again.
I glanced up, and he gently brushed a loose strand of hair from my face.
“I have no desire to do anything but make up for not having you in my arms over the past two weeks,” he said. “The company can wait.”
“That sounds amazing.”
“You’re amazing, preciosa,” he said, his eyes studying mine. “Do you mind if I steal you away to my home in the Palisades for a couple of days?”
“Is that even a question?” I said, running my fingers along his freshly shaven jawline.
“How many times did I imagine you returning my feelings like this when you couldn’t stand being in my presence?” he said. “I am truly fortunate to have you in my life, Catalina.”
And then his lips were on mine, and judging from the power of this delicious kiss, I wondered if we’d even make it out of my office, much less his home in Pacific Palisades.
The helicopter touched down on the private landing pad overlooking the Pacific just as the sun began to sink beneath the horizon.
Having been here before, I shouldn’t have been silenced by the view, but this trip to his home felt completely different. Maybe because two weeks ago I wasn’t sure when I’d see him again.
From the moment we stepped off the helicopter, Titus hadn’t let go of my hand, his grip firm and strong. He had been quieter than usual, even when we stopped by my house after dinner to grab a suitcase before we flew here.
The ocean breeze swept across the cliffs as we headed toward the house. The familiar glass-and-stone structure glowed beneath carefully placed landscape lighting.
Staff members greeted him immediately when we entered. “Welcome home, Mr. Hawk.”
Titus nodded. “Thank you.”
The house manager smiled warmly at me. “Ms. Veléz,” he nodded. “Welcome back.”
“Thank you,” I said, smiling back as Titus continued walking.
He didn’t stop or pause once, moving through the massive home with purpose.
His hand stayed firmly intertwined with mine as he headed straight toward the floating staircase.
I glanced up at him. “Where are we going?”
His gaze shifted toward me briefly. “Upstairs.”
My stomach immediately fluttered with anticipation. Titus must have seen my expression change because he smiled in response.
“You’re nervous…”
“I am not.”
His smile widened. “You most definitely are.”
“Well, you’ve been quiet as hell, and now you seem to be leading me to your room?”
“That’s exactly where I’m bringing you, mi amor,” he said.
We reached the second floor, and the atmosphere immediately changed. Seeing this part of the home made it easy to tell that the lower level was designed for entertaining.
Up here, it seemed, was a side of Titus Hawk that very few people had probably ever seen. Expensive art lined the halls, and books filled the shelves in recessed alcoves.
A framed picture of Titus, Wyatt, and Colton sat on a console table, and I slowed to look at it.
I wasn’t there for more than a few seconds before Titus gently guided me forward again.
“Later,” he said.
“Titus.”
“Later.”
I laughed in response because the man was clearly on a mission. At the end of the hallway, he opened a pair of double doors and stepped aside.
I walked into the room and stopped.
Damn.
The Pacific dominated the entire ocean-facing side of the bedroom. The sunset painted the water in shades of gold beyond the cliffs below, while the horizon stretched endlessly toward the sky.
The room itself was breathtaking and likely larger than my first home. Custom walnut paneling wrapped portions of the walls, while imported limestone framed a modern fireplace large enough to heat an entire apartment.
A private sitting area occupied one side of the room, perfectly positioned to watch the ocean. Beyond it sat a collection of books, artwork, and photographs gathered from around the world.
My attention immediately landed on the bed. Good Lord. The thing looked enormous. It was a custom king platform bed, elevated in the center of the room beneath a dramatic upholstered headboard that stretched nearly twelve feet toward the ceiling.
Layers of luxury bedding were arranged with the precision of a five-star suite, and everything looked impossibly expensive. The kind of room designed by people who simply purchased the very best version of everything without ever asking what it cost.