Beneath These Scars (Beneath #4)(30)

He didn’t budge, but he did slap a palm over my hand to hold it in place. “That wasn’t nice, Yve.”

“Fuck you, Titan. I’m not nice.”

“Neither am I,” he growled. “Which is why I’m not going to apologize for doing this.”

Before I could move—or even breathe—he ducked his head and his lips landed on mine. His hand wrapped around my hip and dragged me against him. I opened my mouth to protest, but he used the move to his advantage, and his tongue delved inside.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, the man could kiss. Suddenly I wasn’t shoving him away. Instead, my hand wrinkled his starched shirt as I grasped it to hold him close. A deep vibration emanated from his chest, and I felt it all the way to the marrow of my bones.

I kissed him back, taking from him just as much as he took from me. It was a struggle for power, for dominance, and I was clueless as to who was winning. Somewhere in the back of my mind, a hazy voice screamed, Stop! No kissing! But I ignored it. I hadn’t been really kissed in so damn long. And it was safe to say I’d never been kissed like this.

One moment his lips were pressed to mine, his tongue taunting me, and the next I was standing a full two feet away from him, watching the rapid rise and fall of his chest.

“Why the hell did you do that?” I demanded, unapologetically wiping the back of my hand over my lips as if to clean the taste of him from me.

Fat chance of that happening. I’d never forget what Titan tasted like. Spice and dominant man. Who knew sexy as hell had a flavor? Dairy Queen could make a killing.

Damn it. Focus, Yve.

“Because I wanted to.” His green eyes blazed with heat and anger, and I wasn’t even sure what else.

What the hell did he have to be angry about? He was the one who kissed me. I should be the angry one here. And I was. It had been my boundary—and he’d crashed right through it.

“Don’t do it again. Not unless you want my palm print on your face.”

A smug smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “For a woman who didn’t want to be kissed, your participation was enthusiastic.”

“Go to hell,” I snapped. Turning on my heel, I stomped back to my car, yanked open the door, and practically threw myself inside. When I tore out of the parking lot, Titan was still watching my every move.

He was a dick.

But a dick who could kiss.





WELL, THAT WAS A FIRST.

What was it about Yve Santos that made me absolutely insane? The challenge? Her sassy mouth? The way she practically vibrated with disdain for me?

God, I must have been some serious kind of twisted because whatever it was, I wanted more of it.

I waited outside a few minutes, to let my body calm the hell down, before I went back into the bank for the board meeting. James Richards, the loan officer I’d taken to task in front of Yve, scurried up to me.

“Mr. Titan, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize that Ms. Santos was a friend of yours.”

“What was she here for?” I asked.

His eyes widened with shock. “But, sir, you said that I shouldn’t—”

“Answer the damn question if you want to keep your job,” I ordered.

“Well, she wanted a loan to buy the business she currently manages. I believe it’s called Dirty . . . something.”

“Dirty Dog.”

“Yes, that’s it.”

“And you turned her down.” It wasn’t a surprise. The bank turned down a high percentage of applications, especially for risky small businesses.

“Yes, sir.”

“How much?”

His eyebrows shot up. “I shouldn’t—”

“How much?” I repeated.

He rattled off a number, and I nodded. “Now, go learn how to keep your clients’ information confidential.”

“But, sir?”

I walked away.

So Yve wanted to buy Dirty Dog. Interesting. From everything Levi had rambled on and on about his boss, she ran the business independently for an absentee owner, and by his estimation, it was a profitable business. Levi actually knew more about business than one would think, given that he’d soaked it up hanging around me. I rarely talked of anything else, despite his constant protest when he was a kid.

Now I had to wonder—what would Yve do next? How determined was she?

With anyone else, I would have taken the information and filed it away to be employed at a useful time, but with Yve, my curiosity was piqued to a ridiculous degree. Also, with anyone else, I would have relayed my orders to Colson to find out what was going on, but I still remembered the way he’d looked at her in the kitchen of the gym. He wanted her.

Possessive instincts flooded me once more. She wasn’t for him. Which meant I’d handle this matter personally.

And the thought of the gym gave me my next source of information. I was due to pay Con a visit to see how he was spending the cool mil I’d dropped on that boxing lesson. I’d decided to consider myself a patron of the place, which would piss him off to no end. But if he was willing to bargain, I’d be willing to pay for more information about Yve.

Might seem shady to some, but I was a man who got what I wanted, and damn the means.

Decision made, I flipped open my board packet and settled in to listen to the meeting.