Page 11 of Dr. Stone (Billionaires’ Club #9)
TEN
Andie
After nearly an hour of watching this Casanova strut around, showing off his perfect physique beneath a tailored black suit, Titus finally seemed to narrow in on what would suit him and his multi-million-dollar Montecito estate.
We had ended up at the Gallery of Sunsets. There, he stood silently, admiring each painting. The lighting in the room was carefully arranged to create the illusion of being present at the scene, as if you were witnessing the crimson hues of the ocean shimmering beneath the light of a setting sun.
I was impressed with the man’s respect for beautiful artwork, going deeper into its meaning than just brushstrokes on canvas. He seemed to absorb what was behind the images created to pull you into the painting.
Many people came through here, looking on the surface for what they wanted in artwork like this, throwing thousands of dollars around just to hang a picture on their lavish walls.
Titus wasn’t like that. He saw what these portraits were designed to bring out—emotion. Sadly, this man didn’t need any additional perfect qualities to make a woman speechless, but I found it intriguing that there was much more to the man than met the eye.
However, he lost points with me with his overly confident pickup lines.
I quietly watched him take in the beauty of Ash’s Sultry Horizons . This had been our rhythm for the past hour. I would introduce a painting, and he’d respond with some flirty line, usually laced with innuendo.
When he realized it wasn’t having any effect on me, we’d move on to the next piece—one he’d somehow tie to something personal, which I now understood was all part of his attempt to seduce me.
But not seduce me in the traditional sense, like trying to get me into bed.
No, this was more about showcasing his cocky, rich persona and offering me the supposed thrill of being in his presence.
“This,” he turned to me, his haunted gold eyes drawing me in again, “this is me,” he said with his sexy as hell Spanish accent.
“A sunset?”
His expression was beyond desirable as he smirked.
“A man who keeps his distance, burning hot but never sticking around to see what comes after dark,” he slid his hands casually into his pockets, eyes roaming over my outfit as if I had nothing on.
“A man always lingering on the edge, never letting the night pull him under.”
I arched my eyebrow. “Sounds exhausting.”
Titus offered me a devilish grin in response. “Not when the views are as beautiful as this,” he waved his hand toward the painting, but his eyes remained on me.
“I think it’s cute that you can relate yourself to the sunset, when you’re just the heat that burns off and disappears.”
Titus’s jaw sharpened, and a flicker of something dark passed through his molten eyes, “You think I’m the type to burn out easily?”
“No.” I smiled and folded my arms. “I think you like to pretend you do. It would make it easier to walk away before the night catches up to you.”
His expression shifted, predatory now, like a lion closing in on prey.
“Dinner. Tonight.”
An unexpected lump lodged in my throat. Of all the outcomes I had pictured, being asked out—no, commanded —wasn’t one of them.
I tilted my head, masking the jolt in my pulse. “Tell me, Mr. Hawk, do you always make commands sound like invitations?”
Titus stepped closer, slow and deliberate, his gaze locked on my mouth as if he had already decided what to do with it.
Holy shit.
“Only when I don’t like the idea of a woman like you walking away without giving me the chance to thank you for helping me today,” he said, dripping with charm.
“What makes you think a woman like me is single?”
He grinned, took my left hand in his, ran his thumb over my bare ring finger, and smiled, “Because there is nothing here to tell me you’re off the market, love.”
I drew my hand slowly out of his, my breath slightly catching at the intensity I felt in this moment that I certainly wasn’t expecting from the bold man.
“And if I had a boyfriend? I wouldn’t be on the market in that instance.”
He seemed to have loved that response, “Of course you would be, because he’s merely a boyfriend, someone you haven’t fully committed to. So, no ring means fair game.”
“You are quite bold and confident, Mr. Hawk,” I said. “Sadly, I don’t view it that way. That would be cheating on my boyfriend, which would ensure I would never have a ring on this finger.”
“All right, then. You are a loyal and honorable girlfriend. I respect that and have found myself even more pressed to insist you join me for dinner tonight.”
My heart was hammering in my chest that a man like this tall drink of sangria standing in front of me wanted anything more from me than an art gallery tour. Now, it seemed I may have the opportunity to be spoiled by his looks and possibly even his riches tonight. Sounded like a damn good night.
“You’re quite charming,” I said, genuinely enjoying the flattery.
“However, I can’t do dinner tonight.” Here comes the repellent that would surely deter many men for quite some time, “While I’m not in a romantic relationship with anyone, I do have a man in my life—my one-year-old son, whom I have no sitter for.
So, sadly, I will have to decline your kind and very tempting offer. ”
Well, it was fun while it lasted. Being a single mom was already tough when it came to dating, but the idea of someone like Titus even noticing me felt entirely out of reach.
A man like him could have any woman he wanted, and according to Ash, he wasn’t even interested in committed relationships.
So why would someone like Titus bother wasting another second in my presence?
I grinned when I saw his expression change into what I could only discern as disappointment. “Why don’t we go over the costs and delivery of the painting you want?” I asked, changing the subject for him.
“Who is the man who walked away from such a beautiful woman after you gave him the gift of a son?”
“You are a seriously bold man,” I said, beginning to feel like I was being Punk’d. “And without going into personal details, I can confirm that you are correct. He is a fool.”
“Find someone to watch your son, or I will change the date if that suits you better. I would really like to invite you to dinner,” he smiled more warmly now, and the arrogant, stiff Casanova I’d been dealing with for the last hour seemed to fade some.
“A simple gesture to show my gratitude for humoring me today. I appreciate a woman like you, you know. It’s rare to find someone who puts up a bit of a fight with me. ”
“I’m sure it is,” I grinned. “All right, dinner, and nothing more. I will accept your kind invitation as a gesture of your gratitude, and that’s it.”
Did I really just fall into this man’s web? What the hell am I doing?
“Very well, then,” he glanced at his Rolex. “I have a helicopter landing in thirty minutes.” He looked back at me, “Are you comfortable with Ash giving me your number so I can make arrangements for a later date?”
I shook my head. “You don’t have to do this,” I said in disbelief that the guy was still pressing for a date with my single-mom ass.
“I never do anything out of obligation,” he pressed.
“Well, if that’s the case,” I said with a small smile, “then I’m fine with it.”
I already knew that the second he walked out of this gallery, his work and lavish lifestyle would reclaim him. The only thing he’d take with him would be the memory of describing himself—flirtatiously, unapologetically—through one of Ash’s stunning sunset portraits.
“It’s been my pleasure,” he said, then he nodded, smiled, and strode out of the room with an air of command and supreme confidence.
What just happened? I glanced back at the portrait, then back through the doors he just walked out of to head downstairs and exit Ash’s art gallery.
As I sat at my desk—thankful no clients were in, so I could gather my senses after being under Titus’s spell for the past hour—I untangled my mind and went to work, gathering Titus’s details to have his painting delivered to his home.
“Damn it,” I said to myself.
“What’s wrong, babe?” Ash asked, coming in after conversing with Titus when she walked him out.
“That man got my ass,” I said with frustration.
“I know, he told me,” she beamed. “And look at you, taking him up on his generous offer?”
I subtly grinned, feeling the same excitement Ash felt. It was nice to be hit on by that man. “Yeah, and it’s why I didn’t get the chance to upsell him on anything. I didn’t even get to jack up the price and make more money from the painting, like I always do. Mr. Snake Eyes made sure of that.”
Ash chuckled. “He’s a damn fine businessman,” she said.
“You know Jim only associates with the savviest of them all. Titus knows exactly what he’s doing with money, and apparently, with you too.
He kept you charmed the entire time so you wouldn’t upsell him anything or inflate the cost of the portrait. ”
I sighed, then rose to my feet as a potential client walked in. “Trust me, I’m not done with his pockets yet. He invited me to dinner to show his gratitude, and at said dinner…” I let a slow smile form, “…maybe that’s where I’ll find a way to dig a little deeper.”
“I can’t wait to hear how this plays out,” she laughed. “Hey, do you want to have lunch with Nat and Avery at The Ivy today?”
“That sounds perfect,” I said, loving the quaint charm of the restaurant that drew in many celebrities. “What time are we heading over there?”
“We’ll just close at two today. Mondays are always slow days, and we must fill in Nat and Avery on this shit,” she said, her eyes vibrant with excitement.
This would make for great conversation with the wives of the two executives partnered with the gorgeous real estate tycoon who had practically demanded I have dinner with him.
As surreal as Titus’s invitation was, I was oddly glad to be in a place where I could accept it. A month ago, I would have shredded him with sarcasm for the same behavior, but now I wasn’t afraid to see where it might lead.
How much time had I wasted drowning in that pit of despair, convinced there was no light at the end of the tunnel? The truth is, there’s always a light. You just have to be patient. Life’s tests aren’t meant to break us but to forge something stronger.
And when you finally survive the storm, when you step out on the other side, boom. There it is. The damn light.