Page 36 of Titus

There it was. A crack in the armor.

“So what is the real reason for all of this?” she asked, relaxing back with her wine and enjoying the soft breeze and the perfection of the sunset.

“I’m impressed with your talents and skills. I not only want to secure you as my personal architect, but I would also like to get to know you better.”

Shit. Too fast? Too soon? More wine?

I poured more into her glass. “Listen,” I said, locking eyes with her and keeping my tone even. “I have never met a woman quite like you. I find you intriguing. Nobody robs my company and stays in business afterward. I like your style. I’m curious where it comes from.”

“Why don’t we stick to business? Getting personal with my clients has never served them or me well in the past,” she said.

I leaned back slightly, studying her and reassessing. I could push and apply pressure, perhaps even shift the dynamic. Or I could adjust to the wall she had up. But if I forced this, I’d lose her entirely, and I didn’t want that. Not yet. Not when she was exactly what I needed.

And not when I could have her in my bed—I exhaled slowly. No. That wasn’t part of the equation. She wasn’t like the others. She didn’t respond to power, wealth, or control. She’d made that much clear from the first moment I met her.

And that… made her worth the effort.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Dinner at Titus’s estate in Pacific Palisades wasn’t just a dinner; it was an experience. Yes, that. That’s exactly what this man wanted to bring me through, from the moment I walked out of my townhouse and stepped into his car.

I was impressed, but but not intimidated. I helped create these experiences for a living.

What impressed me wasn’t the luxury. It was the precision. Every member of his staff moved with flawless efficiency.

But again, this was Titus Hawk I was talking about. The man still hadn’t given me what I came for; instead, for some reason I couldn’t figure out, he was more interested in learning about me.

Elites like him didn’t become personal with me… they hired me, and I took their preferences and turned their events into masterpieces. So, unless I was being offered a position with Hawk Enterprise as their exclusive event architect, I was wasting my time here.

I leaned back slightly in my chair, crossing one leg over the other, letting the silence stretch just long enough before I decided to question the angle this man seemed to be taking.

“Are we going to discuss business tonight?” I asked calmly. “Or was the helicopter part of a very elaborate interview process?”

“As I said earlier, before I discuss business,” Titus’s gaze didn’t waver, “I prefer to understand who I’m working with.”

I smiled faintly. “That’s not how this usually works,” I replied, setting my glass down. “You hire me, I execute, and you get exactly what you want.”

“And what if I want more than that?”

My eyes held his. “Then you’re hiring the wrong person.”

The silence that settled between us was heavier this time because I meant exactly what I had just told him. I didn’t blur the lines. I didn’t mix business with personal curiosity, and I most certainly did not let men like him turn something transactional into something… messy.

I’d learned that lesson once, and I didn’t need to learn it again.

“Ms. Veléz,” he started, “I’m sure you are well aware that I don’t operate as most of your previous clients do.”

“You say previous clients as if they are past tense and no longer mine?”

“After tonight, that will most likely be the case,” he returned. “Which is also why you and I didn’t meet in the usual fashion, and why I nearly fired my entire financial department for bringing someone in without my direct approval, especially for an event where my planning team is expected to know every detail I require. Everything in my life is executed with precision and accuracy. That night on my yacht, you were a risk. You had no idea who I was, what I expected, or how I wanted that event to be presented while hosting elites.”

“No, I may not have,” I answered him with the same directness he was using on me, “but what I did know was that the planners you had faith in abandoned you and left you to depend on someone who wasn’t aware of your vision for that night.”

His eyes narrowed. “The fact that you kept everything contained and that the night moved in exactly the direction I needed it to is why I brought you here. You’re an interesting woman, and I’ve come to believe I can trust you with planning future events.”

“If that is the case, Mr. Hawk,” I answered, “I believe the personal questions should be directed to you. It appears you want your event planners to know your personal tastes while entertaining these one-percenters.”

I watched a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. “I’d say you’ve already seen them,” he replied. “From the moment you were picked up, to how my staff operates, to the way this meal was prepared… everything reflects my preferences when I’m entertaining people of importance.”