Hunger Awakened

by Charlene Hartnady

  Except for his feelings about that dress. It was short. Showed much of her lush thighs. It pulled tight around her chest and even showed the tops of her plump breasts. His dick stirred a whole lot more.

  Hellfire!

  It angered him to no end. This thing that happened to him whenever she was near, whenever he pictured her naked, on her knees or back ‒ it wouldn’t matter to him as long as she was crying out in rapture, his prick deep inside her snug—

  No!

  This had to stop!

  “And you’re wearing that?” He looked her up and down, trying not to react. It didn’t work. His prick continued to grow harder. Talon grit his teeth. It was like earlier today had never happened. Like he had learned nothing from the experience at the boxing gym.

  Vicky frowned, a look of hurt appeared in her eyes.

  He was such a prick! “You look good,” he added quickly. “That came out all wrong.”

  Her frown deepened. “Are you sure? It’s not too short?” She pulled on the hem.

  Talon felt everything in him soften. “It’s not too short. You look … beautiful.” His voice was deep. It gave away his raging need. Thankfully she did not seem to notice.

  Her cheeks heated, her glorious chest puffed out further, putting strain on the material of the dress. “I was a little worried it was too much.” Her voice was timid.

  "Don't be." It was Talon who was worried about what this male would try to pull. His prick strained against his zipper just looking at her. If she looked hard enough, she would see the bulge. See what she was doing to him. Again! "You enjoy your evening." He picked up the remote and began to look through the programs, not really seeing anything.

  “Oh, I most definitely will.” She sounded happy.

  The thought of her enjoying herself with this strange male made his blood boil. Vicky having a good time with someone else. He wanted to screech his annoyance. He channel-surfed some more while she moved around the room. Talon couldn’t concentrate on what he was doing. His mind was in complete disarray, his agitation increased with every long, drawn-out second.

  He finally heard the keys tinkle as she took them out of the dish on the table.

  “Don’t wait up, I might be out until late.”

  Blast and damn! “Oh, I’ve been meaning to have a talk with you. I think it might be time for me to talk with more females. I need further interaction with others, not just with you.” It was a horrible thing to say, yet, he knew he was right. They had been spending too much time together. Just the two of them. “You have not allowed me to talk to them since Sandra tried to have sex with me. It is time I did so again,” he added unnecessarily.

  “Oh.” Her cheeks turned distinctly pink. “Yes, of course.” She nodded. “I’ve been meaning to schedule something.”

  “It might be a good idea to put my picture on Google so that I can go on a date or two of my own as well.”

  She nodded. “Okay, we’ll look at it in the morning.” She frowned. “I’m not sure you’re ready to tackle dating all on your own though.”

  “It might be awkward if you are with me.” He forced a smile. “Do humans take others on dates with them? If so, maybe I should go with you tonight. For learning purposes?”

  “No, we don’t take other people on dates with us and yes, it would be awkward. Unless of course we were to double-date. You take a lady friend and I take a guy friend. That might work?” She smiled. Acting like it was the best idea she had all day.

  Anger rose up in him and this feeling he’d never felt before. He hated the idea of seeing her with another male. He hated the idea of her with another male. It was ridiculous. Vicky did not want him to go with her tonight. Of course she didn’t. What if the male invited her to sleep with him? It wouldn’t work if Talon was there on his own as the third wheel. He felt like his stomach was twisting in knots at the thought. Any male with half a brain would take one look at Vicky in that dress and try to mount her. He hated these emotions running through him. He was still mated to Lark. It did not matter that she was no longer here. He had no place feeling this way about another female. He had no rights over Vicky.

  Talon needed to continue to fight this, whatever it was, tooth and nail. “A double-date. That sounds good!” He nodded once, leaning back further in the chair, hoping he looked like he didn’t have a care in the world. Double-date … Huh! He’d rather have both his eyes gouged out.

  Vicky nodded. “Great! That would be perfect.”

  It would be hell. Talon pretended to channel-surf some more. He heard the lock turn on the door. “Oh, who is this male you are going on a date with?” he asked, just as she was about to step outside. “Have you ever actually met him?”

  “No, I’ll be fine though.”

  “Where are you going?” Not that it had anything to do with him.

  “To a local bar for a drink. It’s nothing.” She waved a hand. “Maggie has all the details including the guy’s full name, so I’ll be fine.”

  Talon narrowed his eyes. “I watched a movie just the other day about a female who met a strange male—”

  “I will be absolutely fine,” she laughed as she walked out the door.

  “But you don’t know him, it could be dangerous.”

  "I will be fine," she repeated a little more firmly. With a wave of the hand, she left. The soft click coupled with her scent ‒ sweet as a field full of wildflowers ‒ left him feeling empty inside. That, and angry. Not to mention frustrated. Talon leaped up off the sofa and began to pace. He clenched and unclenched his fists. He was seriously jealous. Yup, jealous, that was the emotion alright. It wasn't just that; he was also worried.

  Chapter 16

  Tall, dark and handsome in a rugged sort of way.

  He smiled and the edges of his eyes crinkled. “MissHopeful?" His brows were raised. His hair a touch shorter than his biopic but still on the long side.

  Vicky smiled, warming instantly to his kind eyes and smile. “Yes, and you must be AdventurousSpirit.”

  He nodded, holding out his hand. “Please call me John.”

  She took it, noting its warmth and that it was a tad calloused. Not as rough as Talon’s but— She needed to stop thinking about the shifter at every turn. “I’m Vicky.” They shook a few seconds longer before letting go.

  “Take a seat.” John gestured to the chair across from him. “I hope you don’t mind, I went ahead and ordered for myself.” He picked up a bottle of beer. “I thought it might seem odd if I was in a bar and not having a drink. Got here early.”

  Vicky laughed softly. “I don’t mind at all.”

  A waitress made her way over to them and Vicky ordered a glass of white wine. They sat in silence for a half a minute watching a group of people walk in and sit at the bar. A group of twenty-somethings who looked like they were starting their evening here and possibly moving on to greener pastures. The guys wore button-down shirts and the ladies wore little black numbers, only in various shades.

  “I’ll start.” John’s eyes were still crinkled around the edges and his mouth upturned at the corners. “I’m a vlogger and a photographer. I travel a lot and detail all of my adventures on my vlog. I have half a million followers already. I’m not a wealthy man but I love life and live it to the fullest.”

  “Wow.” Vicky could feel that her eyes were wide. “So, you’re semi-famous?”

  John shook his head. “Hardly. I do okay though. Companies purchase advertising on my vlog and I get the odd sponsorship. Hey, I’m being paid to travel, I can’t ask for more.” He looked at her with interest.

  Vicky took a sip of her wine, suddenly realizing that he was waiting for her to tell him more about herself. There was this expectant look in his eyes. She set the glass back down on the table. “I’m a relationship therapist.”

  “Sounds interesting.” John took a swig of his beer. “You can tell me more, you know?” He smiled, his hazelnut eyes twinkled in the low light. He really was a good-looking guy. Sweet too. Surely she
should feel some sort of attraction? Then again, it was far too soon, she’d known him all of five minutes.

  “I’m sorry.” She felt her cheeks heat. “It’s just that I’m thinking of a career change. Crazy, I know, especially considering I’m already thirty-five.”

  “Thirty-five years young! You have many years ahead of you. There’s nothing wrong with a change.” His smile broadened. “I was an investment banker up until four and a half years ago. I was just about your age when I decided I hated being tied to a desk, that I hated my life.”

  “So it is possible to do something totally different and still thrive?”

  “Look, I had to give up my condo and my fancy car, but it was all worth it … at least to me. It depends on what’s important to you. Why did I have a sudden change of heart? For me, it was my brother dying. Car accident. One minute he was there, alive and well and the next he was gone.” John shook his head, his eyes clouded.

  “I’m sorry.”

  John shrugged. “Thank you. It was a tough time. I know it’s clichéd, but I realized just how short life is. I realized how unhappy I was with how I was living mine.”

  “So you resigned and headed out into the unknown.”

  John took a sip of his beer and picked on the edge of the label. “It’s not quite as simple as that. I was engaged at the time. We were due to be married in less than three months. Had plans to start a family immediately. Bronwyn was going to leave her job as an admin assistant. It was all planned out. Every little detail. I was scared of change. Afraid of losing everything, I guess.”

  "But you leaped anyway?" Maggie had been right. There might not be any spark, but she was enjoying talking with John.

  He nodded. “The first step was getting the woman of my dreams on board. I came up with a new plan. I decided to sell all our physical possessions. The house, the car, all of it. When I told Bronwyn my plans, she was …” He looked like he was grappling to find the right word. “Let’s just say she wasn’t happy.”

  “I was convinced I could change her mind. That our love would get us through our differences. In the end, she made me choose between her and the life we already had and what I had I come to think of as my freedom.”

  Vicky sucked in a deep breath. “No. That’s awful.”

  “She was sure that I was going through some early mid-life crisis in the wake of Stuart’s death, but she was wrong. I realized we were very different in the end. Too different to stay together, so we broke up and I followed my plan and headed out.” He smiled, his mind somewhere else. “Bronwyn married a lawyer. They have two and a half kids. She’s happy as Larry. So,” he looked her head-on, hand still wrapped around his beer, “what’s your deal? What life-changing event has made you reevaluate everything, or are you going through an early mid-life crisis?”

  “Wow! This whole conversation is hot and heavy right from the start. I thought we were meeting for a casual drink.” Vicky laughed, sounding nervous to her own ears. She wasn’t sure she wanted to talk about her failed marriage, but John had been so open with her, she felt she had to be open with him too.

  He must have sensed her apprehension because he gave a nod. “It’s cool! You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t feel comfortable sharing.”

  “I found out my ex was having an affair,” she blurted.

  “Did you catch them at it?” John took a sip of his beer. “Sorry, it’s just that a buddy of mine caught his wife in the act and it scarred him for life.”

  “Thankfully not.” She pushed out a breath. “I found an incriminating email which made me go through his phone. They had been messaging back and forth for a couple of months.”

  His eyes widened. “That’s terrible.”

  “Yeah, I made myself read what they had texted to one another. More like sexted. Made myself look at the pictures she sent him. Topless pics.” She covered her face with her hands. “Not a good idea in hindsight. What was worse was that we were trying for a kid at the time. Thankfully, I hadn’t become pregnant. I had to have myself tested for HIV and all of the STDs. It was a terrible time.”

  “I can see how that would change a person. How you would lose faith in love and …”

  It was weird, she felt a prickling sensation. Felt him looking at her … at them. Her eyes drifted to the bar. Although John kept on talking, she didn’t hear a thing he said.

  Not a chance!

  Vicky wanted to rub her eyes with her knuckles. Wanted to do a double ‒ make that a triple-take. It was Talon, sitting at the bar looking relaxed. All smug as he took a sip of his drink. His strange-colored eyes locked with hers. They narrowed, just a smidgen. Although his body was the picture of relaxation, those yellow-tinged irises were next level intense.

  No fair! Talon looked ridiculously sexy. Of course he did. Vicky had picked this outfit herself. He wore black jeans and that angora sweater that fit him like it had been made for him. His biceps, chest … all of it looked so good wrapped up in that soft-looking wool. She was both ogling and drooling when she should be angry as hell. Vicky was angry as hell! What was wrong with him? She gave him the filthiest look she could muster. Asshole was here to spy on her.

  “What’s wrong?” John asked. “Is everything okay?” He paused. “You look seriously pissed off all of a sudden,” he added when she didn’t respond.

  “I’m sorry but will you please excuse me?”

  “Sure.” John followed her line of sight. Talon narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his massive chest. If looks could kill, John would be flat-lining right about now.

  Still in disbelief, Vicky pushed her chair back and walked over there. “What are you doing here?” she spoke under her breath.

  “Thought I’d come through for a drink.” Talon finally broke eye contact with John and turned his golden irises on her, raising his glass.

  “To this particular bar?” Wait just a minute. She didn’t believe in coincidences. “Did Maggie tell you I would be here?” Of course Maggie had told him. There was no other logical explanation.

  At long last, Talon’s expression turned sheepish. “Yes, I managed to convince her to tell me. Don’t take it out on her.”

  What? Why would she do a thing like that? "I'm going to have to have a serious word with her. I'm out on a date … I'm not sure why you're here. If you wanted to go to a bar, you could have chosen any other bar in this city. There have to be dozens of them."

  “It’s not safe for you to be out with a male you don’t know. I’m not sure I like the look of him.” Talon frowned, two lines appearing vertically between his eyes.

  “I’m in a public place. I won’t drink too much. The plan was to let Maggie know my movements.”

  “Your movements? In case you leave with him?” He narrowed his eyes. “In case you decide to sleep with him?”

  She felt her mouth drop open for a few long seconds. “You didn’t just ask me that. The answer has nothing to do with you.”

  “I don’t want anything to happen to you. It’s dangerous for a female to be out at night meeting strange males.” Talon looked more angry than he did concerned.

  “I’m a grown woman, more than capable of making my own decisions.”

  “I care about you.” It came out in a deep rumble. “If something happened to you …” He shook his head. “You can’t state with certainty that nothing will go wrong.”

  That was really sweet in an overbearing kind of a way. “Nothing is going to happen, I told you, I have a plan and can take care of myself.”

  “You don’t know that for sure. I’ll sit here, quietly until you’re done. You don’t have to take care of yourself while I am here, you have me.”

  “What am I going to tell John? That you’re my bodyguard for the night? I’m sure it’ll freak him out. I wouldn’t blame him if he decided to end the date early. I was really enjoying myself. I like him.” Vicky needed to put some space between herself and Talon. She didn’t like his whole attitude. She hated her attraction to him even mo
re. It burned low in her belly. Even now she found herself thinking how hot he was when he was angry.

  Talon’s jaw tightened. If she didn’t know better, she would say that he was jealous. He was certainly acting jealous. That couldn’t be it though. Maybe it was normal for the Feral species to do things like this. “You can tell him that we are family. I’m your cousin from Switzerland. I was worried and here I am. I’ll stay out of your way, as long as he keeps his hands off you.” His eyes narrowed. They flashed with … anger.

  Hold up!

  “You’re starting to sound really jealous. You know that don’t you?”

  “I’m not in the least bit jealous. I’m concerned.” His eyes burned. “You are like the little sister I never had.”

  “Sister? You see me as your sister?” It made her taste bile. So that’s where this was coming from.

  Talon nodded. “Yes, you bring out the protector in me.”

  Great! Disappointment raced through her. The fact that she was feeling it in the first place irritated her all over again. Made her want to enjoy her date even more. John was a really nice guy. She couldn’t believe how much she had opened up to him in such a short time. “Okay, fine, but you stay over here.”

  “No problem.”

  “You don’t get involved unless I’m in danger.” Like that was going to happen.

  “As long as he keeps his paws off you.” Talon took a sip of his drink.

  “Fine,” Vicky huffed. She made her way back over to John who downed the last of his beer. “Is everything okay?” He smiled. It was tight, his whole demeanor tense. “Should I be worried?”

  Vicky made a snorting noise. “Not at all.” She sat back down. “That’s my cousin, Talon, he’s staying with me at the moment while visiting from Switzerland. Um, he was a little worried about me going on a date with someone I met online and decided to check up on me.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s being silly, and really overprotective. In many ways, he’s like the older brother I never had.” She tried not to mentally gag at the thought. “I’m sorry if he’s made you feel uncomfortable.”