by Leddy Harper
“It was hot as hell to watch you ride me. Seeing you come—knowing I did that to you.”
I carefully dragged myself off his lap, found my leggings and panties on the floorboard, and settled into my seat. I wanted to look at him, but I could feel his eyes on me, which was enough to make me focus on getting dressed before someone walked up and caught us. Somehow, no one had parked next to us—we’d managed to have sex in a parking lot without getting caught. That one realization was enough to make me ready for round two, which wasn’t an option.
Talon finally zipped his jeans, fastened the button, and then returned the seat to an upright position. With his hands on the steering wheel, he faced me and said, “I wouldn’t have taken you for the kind.”
That forced me to look his way. “What kind?”
“Someone who can’t get enough. You had sex one time and then waited over four years to have it again…and since then, you haven’t gone more than five hours without it.” He held up his hands. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I’ll give it to you anytime, anywhere…I just didn’t expect that from you.”
“Well, don’t get used to it.” I pulled the seatbelt over me, hoping it would clue him into my need to get on the interstate. “We’ve never lived in the real world together, Talon. Neither of us can predict what will happen when we’re not on a road trip or stuck in a car together for hours.”
Slowly, he pulled out of the parking space and drove toward the onramp. As soon as he merged with traffic, he asked, “Are you on birth control?”
I wasn’t sure how to answer. Anything I said would call for a response, and there was no telling what that would be. In the end, I chose to be honest and face whatever he had to say later. “No…I’m not. I wasn’t really thinking about it.”
“Don’t worry, I wasn’t, either. But I think with as much as you like sex”—laughter settled into his words—“it wouldn’t be a bad idea to discuss it. I mean, I don’t have a problem getting condoms…it’s been a while, but I think I can figure it out.”
I glanced to the side and caught a teasing smirk tug at the corner of his mouth. Unfortunately, I didn’t find any of this as funny as he did. “A while? How long has it been since you’ve worn a condom?”
“Well, let’s see here…the last time I bought any was…” He tapped his lips in thought. “Close to five years ago maybe. I’d never gone without one prior to that first night with you.”
“And you enjoyed it so much you decided that wrapping it up was a waste of time?”
He reached across the cab and entwined our fingers. My gaze fell to our joined hands, so I wasn’t sure where his eyes were. However, when he spoke, his voice was so deep I couldn’t stop myself from turning to face him. “I haven’t exactly thought about it with you.”
“What about the others?”
“What others?” He knew what I meant; it was clear in his tone.
“Women…”
Talon cleared his throat and continued to dart his eyes between me and the road. “There haven’t been any.”
I was shocked. It took me a moment to form coherent words, and even then, they weren’t very intelligent. “There haven’t been any what?”
He laughed. “Women, Maggie.” His eyes met mine briefly when he added, “You’re the only one I’ve been with—with or without protection—since the first time we were together.”
“There’s no way.” It was muttered, not meant to be heard.
Yet he heard me just the same. “Why’s that? Because I smell so good?”
“Well, yeah. And because you’re…”
“I’m what?”
“You’re you. You sleep with random women—sometimes you don’t even know their names. I can’t imagine you in a relationship. I mean, you’ve told me that you don’t care for their company come morning. You’re basically a manwhore.”
Apparently, he found that funny, too. It would’ve been nice if he didn’t laugh at everything I said, considering I hadn’t meant any of it as a joke—he didn’t get the memo. “I’ve pretty much only been around guys the last few years, so regardless of how I was before you met me, I haven’t been that way in a long time.”
“Reformed manwhore?”
He shrugged, and with a wink, he said, “Something like that.”
“That either means our first time was so great you never wanted anyone else…or it was so bad you decided to be celibate for years. I’m not sure which.”
Oddly enough, he grew quiet and refused to look at me. It shouldn’t have bothered me. His lack of response shouldn’t have left me unsettled. However, he never pulled his hand from mine, which offered me a sense of comfort I desperately needed.
“So, what—”
“It was great,” he said, cutting me off. Grazing his thumb over my knuckles, he took a deep breath. “You were. It was. I mean, it wasn’t bad—wait. Not like that. Fuck.”
The humor died on my lips when he let my hand go.
Talon scrubbed his thick fingers down his face, blew out a rush of air, and gripped the steering wheel like he was about to lose control of the truck. My heart ached for him, because I could tell he was having a hard time expressing his emotion. Rather than push, I sat and waited for him to open up.
It only took a minute.
“You said either you were great, or it was bad. I was just trying to say—”
“I know, Talon.” I reached over and placed my hand on his arm. “I knew what you meant. But that doesn’t mean I believe you.”
“Why not?”
“Oh gee, how about you hated me until about two nights ago?”
“Baby…hate is such a strong word. And regardless of how much I disliked you, that never changed my opinion of how great you are in bed.” Frustrated Talon was gone, and in his place was the sexiest smooth-talker I’d ever encountered.
I was surprised when Talon got out of the truck and walked me to my door. Granted, I hadn’t expected him to kick me out while driving past the apartment complex, but it was getting late, and I didn’t figure he’d waste time with me. After all, he needed to take his car to the shop before it got dark.
“You gonna invite me in?” His smile didn’t fool me.
“If I do that, you’ll be here all night. And neither of us will get any sleep.”
“I’m not seeing a problem here, sweetheart.” He towered over me, holding himself up with one hand on the door that pressed against my spine. “I doubt I’ll get any sleep, anyway. Whose snores will I fall asleep to if you’re not there?”
I smacked him playfully on the chest. “I don’t snore.”
“Have you ever heard yourself sleep?”
“All the time. But I can’t tell you how…it’s my secret.”
Laughter rumbled through his chest just before he shut me up with his mouth. I couldn’t suppress the moan that purred in my throat, or the whimper when I realized I had no idea when I’d get to feel his lips on mine again.
“I think I may need to hit the diner in the morning for breakfast. I haven’t had the best diet over the last few days, and someone has exerted most of my energy. So I’ll need to refuel.”
“And the closest place to eat is in Billings?” I raised one brow in question. It was a good forty-minute drive from Fleetwood, and that was just one way. It didn’t make any sense to come here just for eggs and a few pieces of bacon.
“None with waitresses I can kiss—well, I can, but I’m sure they wouldn’t like it very much.” His grin widened, and I knew exactly what he’d say next. So it didn’t come as a surprise when he added, “Well, they more than likely would. The point is…I don’t wanna kiss them.”
“Who are you, and what did you do with Talon McNeil?”
“No clue. I guess lack of sleep, lots of sex, poor nutrients, and you make me this way.”
“Is that your way of telling me not to get my hopes up that you’ll stay like this?”
He craned his head and pinned me with a questioning stare. “Why
would it change?”
“Well, I would assume your sleep schedule will return to normal, and I doubt you’ll continue to eat bags of chips for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.”
“You didn’t say anything about lots of sex…which would obviously affect my sleep-to-wake ratio—as well as my nutrients, considering the number of calories I’ll burn.”
I clung to his shirt and bit my lip, trying my best to hide my giddiness. “Good, because I like this version of you. The old one was nice…but this one’s my favorite—smells better, too.”
His laughter swallowed me whole right before he stole the air from my lungs with his lips.
He stepped aside and headed for the stairs that led down to the parking lot. He stopped with one foot on the landing and turned to face me. I already missed his kisses and his scent…and his touch, his voice, his protection. I’d almost gone crazy without him last time, and this was far worse. Granted, we didn’t exactly leave things off on a positive vibe before, and I believed we’d made it past that, so it shouldn’t have been this hard to say goodbye.
Nevertheless, it was.
I didn’t want him to leave.
But he couldn’t stay.
“Bring your car to the shop tomorrow when you get out of work. I’ll get the tire fixed, and while we’re at it, might as well check the rest to make sure there aren’t any other problems.” Somehow, he always managed to conceal the generous side of him behind mounds of corded muscle and a dangerously deep, abrasive voice. His dark eyes painted him as a soulless, unforgiving man, yet his heart proved otherwise…if you were lucky enough to see it.
“In case you forgot, I missed a lot of work. Which means my paycheck won’t be pretty. I have debt to pay off, and I’m praying I have a busy week ahead of me that compensates for my lack of tips over the last four days. I appreciate it all the same.”
“Just because my name isn’t on the front of the shop doesn’t mean I don’t own it. Don’t argue with me, sweetheart. Come to Fleetwood after your shift, and I’ll get you taken care of.” The glimmer in his eyes warned me of his next words before they ever fell from his lips. “Hopefully, your car will need lots of work…because I plan to take care of you for a while.”
I simply smiled and shook my head, ignoring the flames licking my neck and scolding my cheeks. “You’re insane. Why do I have a feeling you’ll use this as an opportunity to retaliate against the guy who said that thing about me?”
“Probably because that’s exactly what I plan to do.”
“Ah, you’re using me now?” I teased, jutting my hip out and quirking my brows.
“Oh…I’ll be using you a lot. Most of which will be in private.”
I salivated at the idea. “Don’t forget to buy those…things.”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’m gonna have a stockpile.” A wicked grin curled the corners of his mouth, and his eyes lit up with an insatiable desire. “I still have those handcuffs, too. Fuck…I don’t think I can wait until tomorrow. You should totally invite me in now.”
An unsuspecting ache started low within my belly, forcing me to practically cross my legs to fight off the need that rippled through me like a riptide. And when I spoke, my voice came out throaty and full of lust. “Tomorrow, Talon.”
I wasn’t sure he’d leave, not with the way he undressed me with his eyes. But eventually, he turned and headed down the stairs. He made it halfway to the bottom before glancing over his shoulder and meeting my gaze. “I’m gonna prove you wrong, Maggie.”
Puzzled, I asked, “About what?”
“You said you couldn’t imagine me in a relationship. I’m about to show you exactly what that looks like.”
Even though I’d brought it up a couple of times over the last few days, we hadn’t discussed what would happen in the real world—in town, in our daily lives, without highways and motels and drive-thru meals. He’d always managed to get away without giving me an answer, and at times, a small part of me worried it would end as soon as we exited the interstate. This was the first bit of clarity he’d offered, and as much as it filled me with warmth and confidence, it also sent a chill through my veins.
It was easy to keep secrets buried when we were thousands of miles away.
It was a lot harder to hide the bodies when he was in my own back yard.
The Truth About
The Night We Met
Maggie
Zac leaned over the center console and kissed my lips quickly. I had plans to go to a friend’s house for the night to celebrate my birthday, and he’d offered to drive me since Uncle Danny couldn’t. Zac was sweet, and I enjoyed spending time with him, so letting him take me to Tabitha’s was an easy decision.
“You need a ride home tomorrow, too?”
I smiled, feeling like I’d managed to find someone who cared. “That’d be nice…yeah.”
On my way to the front door, I glanced over my shoulder. Zac remained in the driveway, not that I could see him past the headlights. It warmed my heart that he’d wait for me to get inside. And it was a good thing he did, because no one was home. I stood on the front stoop and sent Tabby a message. Apparently, she’d forgotten about our plans and had gone to the movies with her mom.
I trotted to the waiting car and fell into the passenger seat.
“What happened?” he asked, wiping his nose.
“She isn’t home.”
Zac didn’t say anything for a moment, and then he turned to me. “I have to go pick something up real quick from a friend’s house. You can come with me, and after, we can go get ice cream or something.”
That immediately made me smile. There were times I wondered if he’d come from another planet with how incredibly kind he could be. “Yeah, that sounds good. Where does your friend live?”
“Fleetwood.”
I nodded and buckled my seatbelt.
When I unlocked my phone, he asked, “Did she text you?”
It took a second until I realized what he meant. “Oh, no. I was going to text my uncle and tell him what I’m doing. He thinks I’m staying the night at Tabby’s, and I don’t care to piss him off.”
Uncle Danny had a quiet temper. It wasn’t a secret when he was mad, but not because he raised his voice or threw things around. It was in his eyes. Sometimes, he could be frightening. I never worried he’d do anything to me—it wasn’t like that. There were just times when his temperament would switch on a dime. It left me cautious of my every move where he was concerned.
“Don’t text him yet.” Zac took my phone and set it in the cup holder. “He’ll make me take you home.”
He was right. If Uncle Danny knew, he wouldn’t let me stay out with Zac—even for ice cream. He was very protective when it came to me, his princess, which would explain why Zac was my first boyfriend. Well, I wasn’t quite sure what we were; we’d only been dating for a month, and we spent more time on the phone than going on actual dates.
I turned up the radio and sang along, making Zac laugh. Halfway to his friend’s house, I had started to get warm between the heat coming out of the vents and the passenger-seat dance moves. So I took off my jacket and tossed it behind me.
His friend lived out in the middle of nowhere. Or, at least, that’s what it seemed like. We may have passed two other houses after turning off the paved road—which was in dire need of being repaved—and aside from trees, I didn’t see any other sign of life. I would’ve been freaked out if I hadn’t been with Zac. In fact, when he parked on the street and reached for his door handle without turning off the car, I nearly jumped on him.
“Don’t leave me out here alone.” I didn’t care how pathetic I sounded.
“You’ll be okay. I’ll lock the doors.”
“It’s dark. There’s almost no light other than through that one window.” I pointed to the front of the house, to the soft glow filtering through cheap blinds. “I don’t know where I am, and I’m uncomfortable being here without you.”
He nodded, but the way he rubb
ed his hand over the nape of his neck told me he felt uneasy about taking me inside. However, that didn’t stop him from turning off the car. I grabbed my phone from the cup holder where he’d set it earlier, and with my wallet in my hand, I climbed out. Just to prove what a nice guy he was, he held my hand until we reached the porch. It was then that I realized I’d forgotten my sweater in the car. I just hoped it was warm inside.
I was surprised when we walked through the front door. There wasn’t much furniture. I would’ve guessed no one lived here, except we were greeted by one guy, and another sat on the couch not too far from the entryway. Zac moved away a few feet to talk to who I assumed was his friend, while the beast of a man in the living room just watched me.
Maybe I would’ve been safer outside alone.
“Hey, Mags…” Zac practically skipped to me with a backpack in his hand. “Hold onto this for me, please. It’ll just be for a minute. Marcus needs to show me something in the other room. Just sit on the couch with Robby for a few minutes.”
I wanted to argue with him, but I didn’t exactly have that option. Telling him that this Robby character “robbed” me the wrong way wouldn’t exactly bode well in my favor. So I gave him that face—the universal look for secretly getting someone’s attention that everyone was supposed to recognize—yet all he did was kiss my forehead and turn to his friend.
“Uh, you think that’s a good idea?” Marcus pointed to me while looking at Zac.
Zac glanced at me for a split second and then shrugged. “Yeah, she’s cool.”
Clearly, it had gone over his head. Not only did he disregard my stare-down, even this other guy didn’t think leaving me alone with butch was a great idea, and he still didn’t get it. I couldn’t wait until we were in the car where I could explain this all to him privately.
I took a seat on the couch and stuffed my wallet and phone into the front pocket of the bag. I figured if I kept them in there, Robby would have a harder time getting them than if they were just in my hand.
