Talon's Heart Read online

  "Just being social, nonna asked about you.” He finally answered my question though he never took his eyes off of her.

  My face brightened at the mention of his irascible grandmother. I love that old lady she's one of my favorite people in the world. After standing up to my father the bully my whole teenage life and making it possible for me to attend this school, I owed her more than I could ever repay. The fact that she’d done it because Talon had taken me home like a stray one day after he saw my old man knock me down and swore that I wasn’t going back had endeared both of them to me for life. We were twelve at the time and from two completely opposite sides of the tracks. Talon hadn’t cared about that though, even though a lot of the other kids had been mean as shit back then. He’d befriended me in the first grade and we’ve been joined at the hip ever since.

  "How's my best girl doing?" I bit my lip as I rocked back in my chair, trying hard not to laugh out loud and catch a left hook. I’ve never seen Talon react this way to a female before. I should’ve known that crap he gave me last night about just being curious was a crock. Talon Avery did not ask about women, it was always the other way around in my experience.

  "The same, you know nonna."

  The guy couldn't keep his eyes off Skye it was almost comical. He wasn't even trying to hide his interest, and then again it wasn't in Talon's makeup to be subtle.

  TALON

  Stephanie and Skylar were prattling on about some upcoming bio test and didn't seem to notice that I'd joined them, but I would've sworn Skylar seemed more alert somehow. Huh!

  "Hey Steph, why don't you introduce Skylar to Talon?"

  Good guy Kevin.

  "Hey Talon, great game last night." She smiled up at me.

  "Thanks Steph." I was still eyeballing Skylar.

  "This is my best friend Skylar, we grew up together in Rhode Island." She made the introductions in a blasé way as if she had no qualms about introducing the kitten to the tiger.

  Maybe I'd been worried for nothing, I felt sure Stephanie would be reticent to let me anywhere near her friend, not that that would've stopped me. But I was expecting a little resistance on her part. She could have no way of knowing that I’d lost my damn mind on the football field and was suffering some sort of out of body experience. I had a sneaky suspicion that I knew what was going on here but I couldn’t jump the gun. If what I was beginning to suspect was true then life as I knew it was dust.

  "Hello Skylar." She turned those eyes on me and I damn near buckled at the knees. All sound ceased to exist, there was only this moment, and this girl with her amazing fuck me eyes and fly away curls. In a flash I saw myself covered in those curls as she rode me. My body heated under her shy gaze and I literally had to bite my lip to hold back the groan that threatened to escape.

  Fucking aye.

  Chapter 3

  TALON

  "Hi." Man what a voice, like smoke and honey, and that blush; damn is she for real? I suddenly became aware of the loud silence that fell on the cafeteria; it was as though every breathing soul in the room was watching us. I felt my hackles rise, and a strong possessive and protective anger overcame me. I had the uncharacteristic urge to stake my claim here and now. To challenge every man in the room until the whole world knew that she belonged to only me. What the fuck? I blinked rapidly trying to clear my vision and my fucking brain but that shit wasn't working.

  "We need to talk." What the hell am I doing?

  After making that asinine statement I grabbed her hand pulling her from her seat. She threw a panicked look over her shoulder to her friend but I wasn't letting go. The way I feel right now I would probably knock Stephanie the hell out of the way if she tried to stop me.

  She seemed to sense my mood and did nothing more than purse her lips while giving Skylar a worried look.

  I practically dragged the poor girl out of the room amid murmurs and rampant speculation.

  We barely made it out the door before I had her pressed up against the wall. Thankfully I'd had the sense to choose the wall farthest from the windows as I had no doubt every head was turned in our direction.

  "Do you have a man?" Real smooth there Talon, I’m pretty sure I didn’t give a fuck and that hadn’t been the first thing I wanted to say to her, but whatever.

  She shook her head in confusion at me. Before she could finish shaking her head in denial I was kissing her like a starving man at a banquet. I couldn’t help myself okay; I’d wanted to taste her since our eyes connected across the field last night. I’d waited damn near twenty-four hours already I think I should be given points for that shit. Last night there was a time or two when I’d come close to going after her and dragging her back to my lair so this was way tamer in my opinion.

  It didn't matter that I was acting like a madman, that I'd only just met her. Everything that was in me screamed that this one woman belonged to me. There was no obstacle I wouldn't obliterate to claim her. Knowing that there was no one with a claim on her made things easier but if things had been different I would've fought to claim what's mine. Fuck it I’d been zapped, there was no other explanation for this brand of crazy shit going on inside me right now.

  "Mine."

  Chapter 4

  TALON

  I consumed her lips; her taste went through me like a burning spear igniting a fire in my blood. Her soft curves molded themselves to my harder contours like we were made for each other. The beauty of it was that she returned my embrace with equal fervor. The way her lips clung to mine, as if she knew me.

  If she didn't stop making that purring sound I was afraid I would lose whatever little control I had left and ravage more than just her lips on the cafeteria steps. In a remote part of my brain I knew I needed to rein it in but I couldn’t seem to stop. I had no control over my body’s reaction to her, not to mention my heart and mind. I ground the sudden ache in my cock against her jeans covered softness and groaned into her mouth.

  No not here not her, she would not be treated like the others. I'd never make a spectacle of her; she was different. I understood that in a way that a week ago would've scared the hell out of me. Now it seemed so natural, not at all the horror I thought it would be. I didn’t feel the weakness or the loss I’d expected. Instead I felt empowered somehow, like I’d been given something rare and special and I had no fucking idea what was going on.

  I'd grown up hearing the stories of my parents' tumultuous love affair, about the love at first sight that had claimed the men of my father's line for generations. My nonna was proud to regale my siblings and I with tales of her and grandpa's own whirlwind romance.

  I'd always scoffed at the possibility of such a thing ever happening to me. I enjoyed my freedom way too much, was much too young. No matter that my father and brother had bitten the dust in their early twenties, just as his father before him had. I can’t say I’d been running from the shit but I wasn’t looking for it either. I had just convinced myself that I was above that sort of oldwife’s tale.

  I wouldn't quibble about it now that the chips had fallen; I'm nothing if not honest with myself. There was no way that this was anything other than the family legend. I'd once thought of it as a curse, until now, this feeling was beyond anything I could've ever imagined. Beyond the fact that it scared the shit out of me, it also made me feel unbelievably strong. The only thing left to do now was convince this total stranger that she now belonged to me. Poor thing, I hope she hadn’t had any major plans for her life because that shit was about to change.

  "Mine." I uttered the word once more as I nibbled around her lips to her jaw.

  She trustingly allowed me to enfold her tighter, my six three frame dwarfing her slighter frame. I wanted to pick her up and run away and hide. Take her away somewhere where we could be alone for at least a week. My heart was racing out of time and my head was going in ten different directions at once, but with all that I felt peace like I’d never known. I guess dad had been right all along, there was no way to fight this shit might as
well go with it.

  SKYLAR

  I don't know what the hell had gotten into me. I've never in my life behaved in such a careless fashion.

  This isn't me, I'm not the girl who drove men wild with lust, in fact I'd only ever kissed one boy in my life and it had never been anything like this. This is the stuff of hot, steamy romance novels. Things like this didn't happen in the real world, and they especially didn't happen to girls like me.

  I'm not a statuesque blonde with a super model body. There's nothing remotely remarkable about me except maybe my unusual eyes, which I've never seen the allure of though many people commented on them. I wasn’t ugly I know but the way he acted made me feel like I was the most desirable thing on two legs. Then again I had to remember who I was dealing with here. This was the campus jock, for all I know this could be his modus operandi. If it was then there must be a lot of broken hearts in his wake. The boy was potent especially to a small town girl not accustomed to bringing out the beast in the opposite sex.

  All thought fled as he recaptured my mouth, his tongue wreaking havoc with my senses. I felt liquid heat pooling between my thighs as he consumed me and I gave in one more to madness that he invoked.

  Chapter 5

  TALON

  She tasted like cotton candy and sin; her body trembled in my arms as I plundered her mouth deeper.

  "Dude, get a room." The teasing yell brought me back from the brink and I gently separated our lips. My hands captured her face so I could look into her eyes.

  "In case you missed that, I just staked my claim, from this day on you belong to me." My tone brooked no argument. The sooner she understood what was going on the better, later I’ll explain shit to her but right now we had to get the semantics out of the way. Maybe I should’ve asked dad how he broke the news to mom. I’m sure he’d told us the story before but I never paid attention to that Romeo and Juliet shit. Who the hell believed in love at first sight and happily ever after in this day and age?

  Now my ass was in a sling because I had no idea what to do next. I knew what I wanted to do, but dragging her back to my place and telling her to stay didn’t seem like it would go over too well. Women had rights and shit. Fuck.

  I didn't even mourn my freedom going down the drain. I heard the door to my bachelorhood close and lock. There was nothing she could say that would change what was going to happen between us. I know she wants me too; she came alive in my arms we fit. That's all we needed for now, the rest will come later I'll see to it. “Do you understand what I’m saying Skylar?”

  SKYLAR

  I stared into his amazing eyes; my heart was beating like a trapped bird in my chest as I tried to make sense of what had just happened.

  "What...you...what?"

  Was that my voice, how had I lost the ability to form a coherent thought?

  "You don't have a man and quite honestly I hate to tell you, that wouldn’t have stopped me. I'm no poacher, but for you, I would've made an exception. But since that's not necessary I don't see a problem. I want you, you want me."

  He gave me a boyish grin and hugged me close again as if that was all there was to it. Did the others really fall for this?

  "Wait a minute, don't I get a say in this? I mean how can you just decide something like that after one kiss?" Good, my voice was mine again.

  "You have to ask after that kiss? Trust me sweetheart I know you felt what I felt. My world damn near exploded and I'm willing to bet yours did too."

  "Yes...well, but we hardly know each other." I tried in vain to escape his hold on me but there was no give in him. I suspect it also had something to do with the fact that I didn’t really want to escape. It felt right somehow being here with him like this. After everything I’d been through in the last few months this was the last thing I needed. He was the last thing I needed, someone with his reputation. Yet somehow I felt safe there in the shadow of his arms.

  "We have all the time in the world to get to know each other."

  "What about...your girlfriend?" I felt a flush of embarrassment at the realization that I had forgotten all about the blonde who’d thrown herself into his arms.

  The confused look on his face didn't help matters either. Was he such a player that he could forget he had a love interest already?

  I was beginning to fume; after what my snake of an ex had done to me I could never bring such pain to someone else.

  "I don't have a girlfriend."

  "Of course you do, I saw you two on the field."

  "She's not my girlfriend, just someone I slept with a long time ago."

  I'm not quite sure how to take his matter of fact way of saying that. I'd heard the stories of course, and at least he was being honest. But did I want to be just another one of his cast offs?

  All this talk of belonging to him was very confusing as well; what did it really mean? From what I'd learned about him in passing he wasn't one to beat around the bush.

  Rumor was he never slept with the same girl twice. Which meant he'd been pretty busy in the three years he'd been here, but what did that mean for me?

  TALON

  I wondered which one of my hangers on had been spreading lies again. Every semester there was always some enterprising coed who was sure she could snag the great Talon Avery with what laid between her legs. I think they even had bets on that shit. Like I was some sort of trophy for their wall.

  Wasn't it amazing that she had snagged me with nothing more than a look from those obscenely beautiful turquoise eyes? I didn't play around with the truth, I'm pretty sure she would soon be bombarded with stories of my exploits. And if we're going to have any kind of relationship which I'm going to make damn sure is the case, I would rather start with a clean slate.

  I'm not ashamed of my past, anything I did before today can have no bearing on what laid ahead for us.

  "I can imagine what you've heard about me, most of it true no doubt. But if you believe nothing else, please believe me when I say I'm a straight shooter. I'm not going to say I don't expect you to believe me, because for what we're going to mean to each other, I don't and won't accept any less.

  From now on it's you and me, there will be no other women; that ended yesterday across a football field. Now let's get back inside, I don't want you catching a chill.”

  Chapter 6

  SKYLAR

  That had been three and a half weeks ago. In the last two weeks we've been with each other every spare moment outside of classes. I go to all his practice sessions after school because he insisted. We even sleep together, although he understood and respected the fact that I wasn't ready for anything physical just yet.

  It came as quite a surprise when the school jock was so accepting of my needs. We did have some pretty hot and heavy make out sessions though, which made me wonder what actual sex with him was going to be like. But he never pressured me into anything; he seemed satisfied just having me there in his bed for now.

  Of course I still deal with the cattiness of the other girls that were once in his bed and the ones who had hoped to one day be there.

  Everyone seemed to be surprised that he let me sleep at his place so often. If they only knew the stink he puts up if I try to sleep in my own dorm, sheesh. The man was like a bear until he got his way.

  I could only imagine what had set him off this time. The fact that I wasn't at the library when I told him I would be wouldn't turn him into the nightmare that my callers were describing. And why the hell hadn't he just called me himself?

  Shit I forgot I had turned off my phone for a while, not to mention those calls I had let go to voice mail. Oops, better check.

  Sure enough four missed calls from the man himself, shit. I called him back right away.

  "Where, the fuck, are, you?"

  "Talon?"

  "Who the fuck else, now answer me Skylar."

  "I'm at the pharmacy what's wrong? You're scaring me." His voice sounded like the world was coming to an end. What the hell could’ve happened?
/>   "Don't cry, just be at your dorm in ten minutes."

  "Can you please just tell me what's wrong?"

  "I'll tell you when I see you in ten minutes, ten minutes Skylar, don't make me have to come looking for you."

  He hung up the phone. Well shit, I guess I was about to meet the caveman Stephanie had warned me about.

  TALON

  I'm not in the best frame of mind I know as I leave the steps and head towards her dorm. There're a lot of spectators hanging around waiting to see me lose my shit but I won’t be giving them a show. Just hearing her voice had calmed me down a little but I’m still pissed the fuck off.

  I'm not a hot head by any stretch of the imagination, but I am known to lose my shit once in a while and when that happens things can go south fast. Right now it's taking everything in me not to destroy everything in my path as people scramble to get out of my way. All I know is my girl had better be there when I get there or I won't be held responsible for my actions.

  As soon as I see her with my own eyes and get some answers I’ll calm the hell down. She’s turned me into a fucking lunatic is what she’s done in the last few weeks. My once peaceful existence is anything but since I met the little pain in the ass. It’s not that she’s outright disobedient or anything, she just has a mind of her own which sometimes fucks with my program, and that causes friction. I’m still working on getting her to toe the damn line but she’s proving to be a handful.

  I saw her coming around the corner just as I reached her building. This is another bone of contention I need to take care of. I want her to stay with me in my off campus condo, she thinks it's too soon. She doesn't get it, but after this shit I'll make sure she does.