Love Rerouted

by Leddy Harper

  “I have scars…” There was almost a hint of embarrassment in her voice when she admitted that, and possibly an ounce of worry or fear. And I couldn’t for the life of me understand why. “I don’t look the same as I did last time.”

  There was no amount of strength in the world that could’ve kept my lips from hers. And it wasn’t just a kiss. It was so much more. Attacking and brutal, a need so deep it was woven into our souls. However, it was also passionate and desperate, a tapestry of all the emotions we’d experienced from the moment she’d smacked into me at the gas station until this very second.

  My hand remained on her hip, now against her bare skin, while she continued to rake her nails over the back of my neck, urging me on. Just like last time, there was only so much I could handle before caving and giving in to the need. And before I realized it, I had her jacket and T-shirt over her head, tossed onto the floor, leaving her in only a pair of white cotton panties.

  Instantly, I saw the scars she’d mentioned, though they didn’t scare me off. If anything, they begged for my care until I held myself over her, lavishing each mark with my lips and tip of my tongue. They were all different sizes and shapes from her armpit down to the soft area around her waist. The ones along her hips stood out. They were uniformed, and I spent more time on those as I made my way down her body.

  Every inch I moved made her squirm, the overgrown hair on my face adding a different sensation than what my tongue did. She hummed with desire, and I never wanted to stop what I was doing.

  Her panties slid off with ease while she enticed me with the same song of pleasure I’d replayed in my head more nights than I could recall. I took my time, giving her all I wished I had offered four years ago if only I’d known just how innocent she’d been. I couldn’t make up for it, or for all the nights I hadn’t been there, but I wouldn’t stop now until those were nothing more than distant memories, and this night was the only one she recalled.

  She was hesitant initially, shy, unsure of having my face between her legs. That uncertainty vanished with the first swipe of my tongue. Her resistance turned into need, then almost begging. And before I could get settled in and make this something she’d never forget, she writhed beneath me, skin heated and flushed.

  She dragged me up her body until my mouth was on hers, until she tasted herself on my tongue. The moan that rumbled through her chest spurred me on, and it took everything I had to slow this down. If I didn’t, it’d be over too soon, and I wasn’t ready for any of this to end.

  “Talon,” she pleaded, her desperation evident by the frantic way she fought to get my pants off. It reminded me of last time, how she seemed to have no desire to waste a single second getting to the moment we became one.

  And at this point, neither did I.

  I settled between her legs, and on the initial thrust, I was met with resistance. Her top lip curled—not in pain, more like surprise—and the world stopped spinning. I quickly kissed her lips and pressed my forehead to hers.

  “Sweetheart…I know this isn’t your first time.”

  “No,” she whispered. “But I haven’t been with anyone else.”

  Fuck me. I’d never experienced this kind of rush before. The kind that came from deep within my chest and swelled throughout my body until the overwhelming need to react became too strong to control. Not only had she already given me something so precious, she also hadn’t shared that with anyone else. There were no words to describe the all-consuming pride and honor that swept me up.

  I took my time until I was seated inside her, not once taking my eyes off hers.

  “I need you to relax, baby.” I stilled and waited for her to exhale, to release the tension that coiled her muscles. “You’re so tight…I won’t last.”

  She ran her hands up my sides and onto my shoulders, where she gripped me with her nails. And then she curled her legs around my hips, urging me on. “Don’t make me beg, Talon.”

  As much as I would’ve loved to make her do just that, this wasn’t the time for it. There would be another when I could play this out, have more fun with it. But this wasn’t about fun…this was about healing and finding what we were missing in the other—an experience I never imagined was possible. Even the last time, it hadn’t been this personal. It wasn’t fucking, far more of a connection; nevertheless, it didn’t come close to what I felt in this moment.

  Apparently, Maggie wasn’t interested in slow. She met me thrust for thrust until we were both breathless and barely hanging on. She gripped me and arched her spine, silently indicating she was there, begging me to take her over the edge. I lowered my mouth to her neck and ran my tongue along the soft skin before pulling her earlobe between my lips.

  Words like “love” and “forever” swirled around in my head. They were so intense I wondered if I’d said them aloud, or if they were nothing more than muted confessions to myself. Regardless, they ran through me, flooding my veins and filling my chest with a need I couldn’t seem to grasp. My thrusts became deeper, shorter, more desperate, and after only a few of them, her hoarse cries of ecstasy filled the room.

  And again, I said so many things to her inside my head, things I’d never uttered to a single soul before, as I gave in and followed behind her. “Maggie… Maggie…” Her name rolled off my tongue until the euphoria of being with her stifled my voice and left me with nothing but grunts and heated flesh.

  It was over far too soon—although, considering it had been more than four years since either of us had been with anyone, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. And as I lay on top of her, still seated inside her, I vowed this wouldn’t be the last time. I would never be able to let her go now…not that I’d wanted to.

  “Why me, sweetheart?” My breathless question landed on her neck just below her ear.

  “I wish I had an answer for you; unfortunately, I don’t.”

  “Then make something up…”

  She ran her hands along my back in soothing strokes. “Because you smell good.”

  Maggie

  Morning came too soon. Then again, that might’ve been because we hadn’t done much sleeping. Talon held me close all night, as if he were afraid I’d disappear. And to reassure him I wasn’t going anywhere, I wrapped myself around him until he buried himself in me again.

  Needless to say, when the alarm sounded, alerting us to the time, my eyelids were lined with sandpaper, my head was filled with fog, and the space between my legs was sore in the best possible way.

  No matter how tired I was once we got on the road, I forced myself to stay awake, needing all the time I could get with him before we made it to Iowa. In more ways than one, Talon had assured me that this wasn’t the end of us—both with words and actions—though that didn’t mean I cared to waste these moments sleeping. Between our jobs and the distance separating Billings and Fleetwood, I didn’t imagine we would have many opportunities to be together.

  Talon drove with his hand on my thigh, glancing at me occasionally while navigating through the traffic with ease. “I shouldn’t have too much to do at the shop once I get home. Jarrod’s been handling everything by himself for years, so I doubt there’ll be much waiting for me.”

  “Why has he been dealing with the shop if Tony gave it to you?”

  He licked his lips, never taking his eyes off the road, and his hand tensed on my leg. “Well, he was there when I left and handled everything while I was away. He didn’t have to, but if he didn’t, no one else would. So I’m basically indebted to him. I still don’t have a clue why Tony gave the shop to me when Jarrod is obviously the right man for the job.”

  “Is he at least compensated?”

  “Yeah. When I got back and looked at the accounts, I realized he hadn’t changed his pay. We’ve lost more guys than we’ve hired, so there’s no reason why he wouldn’t have given himself a raise. And when I asked him about it, he said he didn’t feel right doing that—like he would be taking advantage.”

  “Sounds like a good guy.”r />
  “Yeah. He really is. Tony hired him like a year after I started. When he first came on, he was a mess.” Talon shook his head and offered me a sideways glance. “I wasn’t much better, so I guess that doesn’t mean anything.”

  “Why didn’t you take charge after you got out of jail?” God, I hated saying that. To me, it sounded as if he were a criminal, when in truth, he wasn’t anywhere close to one—that I was aware of. It continued to shock me when I realized just how little we knew about each other. If I didn’t think about it, I could easily be convinced he’d been in my life from the beginning.

  He shrugged, though he decided to answer anyway. “He had everything under control, so it made more sense to keep him in charge. We’ve talked, and he’s fine with it, but he did make me promise I wouldn’t hand the shop over to him.” His easy laughter lightened his words and left me wondering what had crossed his mind just then.

  “Why doesn’t he want it?”

  “He’s got a baby on the way, and it’s a responsibility he doesn’t care to take on. In my opinion, it has more to do with his fear of letting Tony down. He hasn’t said that, just my assumption. It’s understandable. I mean, shortly after he died, I took off. I couldn’t handle that kind of responsibility. Tony had a way of keeping us safe, keeping us clean and off the streets. And that’s just not something I can do.”

  I loved hearing him open up about things that didn’t immediately return us to what had happened four years ago. It seemed every conversation centered around that night, and the years that led up to his reappearance in my life less than a week ago. And just when I believed we’d moved on from that topic, it reared its ugly head again.

  “Whatever happened with the money?” The way he asked seemed as though the question had come out of thin air and smacked him. “You were running away from someone when I found you. You took off when you heard from him again. But now you’re back in town—and have been for years? How has he not found you?”

  My stomach soured, and I turned to face the window, feeling like I could throw up at any second. This would eventually come out. I guess I had hoped it would fade away like most everything else. But at the end of the day, I swore I wouldn’t lie to him, so I was left with giving him as much of the truth as I could, and praying the rest remained buried with so many other hideous secrets.

  “He did. A long time ago.”

  “He did what?”

  I swallowed harshly and forced out, “He found me.”

  Talon waited, and when I didn’t continue, he squeezed my leg. “What happened?”

  “I already told you the story.” This time, it was his silence that called my attention. When I turned away from the window, I caught the sight of his pinched brow and pursed lips, the dark shadow along his jaw only intensifying his concerned expression. I’d have to give him more, but it was the more I was afraid of. “He broke into my grandfather’s house and took the money. He was mad that it wasn’t all there.”

  “You…you said you didn’t know who it was.”

  “No, you asked if he was ever caught.”

  The truck slowed, even though there was no reason to brake in the middle of the interstate. “Is that how you’re playing this, Maggie?” He slipped his hand off my thigh and tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his knuckles turning a translucent white. “I asked you if you knew who it was, and you said no.”

  I could’ve argued with him and explained that I hadn’t technically lied. He’d asked two questions at once, and I gave him one answer. But in the end, it wouldn’t solve anything, because I had intentionally misled him by allowing him to believe my response had been for both. I understood his anger; I just wasn’t sure how to handle it or approach him.

  “So, who is he?” His voice was so deep it grated against every square inch of the cab.

  “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Like hell it doesn’t!” Talon slammed his fist against the steering wheel and blew out a long, harsh breath. “He fucking attacked you, Maggie. He put you in a hospital. Don’t tell me it doesn’t matter. Because it does.”

  I placed my hand on his shoulder, hoping it would calm him down. “I mean it doesn’t matter anymore. That happened over three years ago. There’s nothing that can be done about it now. Besides, my uncle is aware of everything. There’s no point in dragging you into it, too.”

  “That was your excuse before—not putting me in the middle of your problem. And look at where that got us.” He was still pissed, even if his anger had waned a few degrees. “What if he comes after you again? How am I supposed to protect you if you don’t tell me who I’m saving you from?”

  “I promise, Talon…you don’t have to worry about it. He’s gone.”

  “Gone where?”

  “He died.” I held my breath, my heart pounding against my ribcage the same way it had when I’d returned to Iowa and was told the same thing.

  Talon slowed down the truck and flicked on his blinker. When I chanced a glance out the window, I noticed a rest stop to the right, and before I could ask what we were doing, he exited the interstate. We rode in silence until he pulled into a space along the far side, and then we just sat there, staring at nothing.

  “He’s dead?” Gritty skepticism filled his voice. His disbelief shouldn’t have surprised me.

  “Yes. My uncle told me.”

  “Have you seen his body?”

  “I’ve seen his grave,” I argued. “Does that count?”

  “Then why can’t you tell me his name?”

  I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. “Because it doesn’t matter. All it’ll do is give you someone to hate…someone who’s not even alive anymore. Which means your anger will never be resolved.” I touched his forearm and added, “Trust me, I live with that daily.”

  “Swear to me…promise me he’s gone.”

  I climbed out of my seat and wedged myself between his body and the steering wheel, straddling his thighs. With my hands on his face, forcing his eyes to hold mine, I stroked his cheekbones with the pads of my thumbs. “I swear, Talon.”

  And to keep him from continuing this conversation, I pressed my lips to his.

  It didn’t take long to have him completely distracted. He slipped his hand next to the door, and in an instant, he had the seat reclined as far as it would go. I peeked out the windows, making sure no one could see us, and then began to unbutton his pants. At first, I worried he’d stop me, but before I had the zipper pulled all the way down, he had his thumbs hooked into the waistband of my leggings, ready to tear them off.

  Talon didn’t seem to care if anyone drove up or parked next to us, but I did. It became difficult to split my attention between the parking lot and him, and he could tell—evident in the way he threaded his fingers into my hair and tugged at the roots, preventing me from looking at anything other than his face. That one move created a barrier between us and the outside world. And it was exactly what I needed to chase the desire that burned within me.

  Filled with utter desperation, I took hold of his shaft and lined us up. I slowly sank down until I’d taken all of him, and then I hesitated for a moment to catch my breath. Regardless of the fact that this wasn’t my first time—or more specifically, first time with Talon—it still took a second to adjust to his size, the pressure, the sting, the sensation of being full that came with having him inside me.

  He eased up on his hold in my hair just enough to make me look into his eyes. “You’re sore, sweetheart. We shouldn’t be doing this right now. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Yes, I was sore, but I didn’t care. “I’m fine. I promise.”

  “I can see it on your face…you’re not fine.”

  “I swear to you, Talon, I am.” I wasn’t interested in giving him an explanation. The idea of voicing just how fine I was flooded me with embarrassment—which was ridiculous based on what we were in the midst of doing.

  “You’re probably swollen from last night. There’s no way you’re co
mfortable.”

  I kept my eyes on his as I slowly slid myself up his shaft. The ache spread through me until every nerve ending was on fire in the best way possible. And as I took him again, I said, “It feels good.”

  A wicked grin crossed his lips just as he gripped my hip with his free hand. His fingers dug into the flesh until they were met with bone, and it skyrocketed the pleasure that pulsed within me. “You like that?” he asked, doubt mingling in his tone. “You like pain?”

  My face flushed, and I tried to hide it from him by cowering in the crook of his neck—not that he would let me. So I dropped my gaze to his lips and answered as honestly as I could. “It’s not painful… I can’t explain it. It doesn’t hurt, if that makes sense.”

  With his hold on my hip, he carefully guided me up a couple of inches and then back down. Repeating the motion, he let the burn deepen until my entire body was overheated. And when he tightened his fist in my hair, the strokes became longer, faster, harsher. As the intensity climbed higher, I closed my eyes and trapped my breaths in my lungs, adding fuel to the inferno inside.

  He lifted his hips as best as he could to meet me in the middle. Each move licked me in the perfect spot, a place I never imagined existed until he found it, and I never wanted it to end. Then he growled, “Fuck, sweetheart.”

  That one word, the same one that always got to me, pushed me over the edge. He brought my face closer to his, and with our foreheads touching, he grunted through his release. Each rigid, strained thrust stoked the flames of my dwindling fire. And before he finished, he lit one last, short explosion within me, like a combustion of pleasure that burst through me as fast as it had come on.

  He kissed me slowly, taking his time while we both struggled to settle down. “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Again, my cheeks flamed, though I wasn’t sure he recognized it, considering my entire body was flushed and heated. Still, I was confused…I wasn’t sure what he’d seen. “What do you mean?”