Page 12 of Sold to the Titan

“Yes, love. I canceled it.”

“Why?”

“Because I missed you,” he says with a straight face.

“What?” I laugh, blinking at him in surprise. It hasn’t even been thirty minutes. “You’re serious.”

“I am,” he replies, sliding his hands down my back, his palms cupping my buttocks and squeezing roughly. “I have a fundraiser tonight. Come with me. Be my date.”

I blush, pleasantly surprised by his request.He doesn’t mind being seen with me in public? What does that mean?I want to ask him, but I can’t seem to find the right words to express myself. The last thing I want to do is sound needy or presumptuous and ruin whatever it is we have going on.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” he says, pushing a stray strand of hair away from my face.

“Of course, I’d love to,” I say quickly. “But…I don’t really have anything to wear.”

“Don’t worry about that, kitten,” he says, his lips curving upward in a sexy smile that has me swooning internally. “I got you.”

Chapter 6

Cillian

“Paul!” Aria exclaims excitedly the moment Paul Laurent walks through the front door.

Paul gasps dramatically, his eyes widening in surprise. “Ma belle! What a pleasant surprise,” he says with a big smile, setting down his shopping bags as he air-kisses Aria’s cheeks. “It’s nice to see you again.”

“Same,” Aria says, returning his smile.

I watch the exchange, surprised. Paul Laurent is one of the top stylists in Seattle. His services are exclusive to elites ranging from politicians to business moguls and drug barons, anyone willing to pay handsomely for his services.

I arch a brow, looking between them. “You two know each other?”

Aria smiles up at me. “He’s a VIP in the club I worked at.”

“You look as beautiful as always, mademoiselle,” Paul says with a proud smile. “But much more radiant than when I last saw you.”

Aria beams. “Thanks, Paul.” She gestures to the shopping bags in his hand. “What are those?”

“Dresses, shoes, jewelry…” Paul replies. “Monsieur Wolfe was very particular about you getting the best of the best.”

“When did you have the time to prepare all of this?” Aria asks, blinking at me in surprise.

“I made a quick stop on the way back from mycanceledmeeting,” I reply with a teasing smile.

Aria chuckles, an adorable blush spreading across her cheeks. “Thank you,” she murmurs shyly.

“Anything for you, kitten,” I say, pasting a quick kiss on her forehead.

“Well, I need to get set up,” Paul says.

“I’ll help you,” Aria says, going over to his side.

I watch the two as they chatter excitedly while Paul sets up his makeshift studio. He says something and Aria laughs. I’m mesmerized all over again by the sheer beauty of her existence. There is so much light in her, so much life and innocence that I don’t deserve. The past twenty-four hours, ever since I first saw her at the chapel, I’ve avoided thinking about my feelings for her, but it’s no longer avoidable. I want her for more than just a passing moment, possibly forever. With her, I’m a different person—I’m lighter, softer. She makes me feel things I never thought myself capable of.

But that’s the problem.

I shouldn’t entertain these feelings. If she’s light, then I’m darkness, there’s no sugarcoating it.

I wonder how Aria would react if she learned that my company deals with some of the lowest lowlifes in the world. Like Paul Laurent, my services are sold to the highest bidder. I’ve built mycompany into a leader in the tech sector by shaking hands with the worst scum on earth.

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