by Leigh Allen
And I was. In every meaning of that phrase, I was Talon’s. He made me feel lighter and brighter. Like I was finally seeing myself in a different light.
Smiling, Talon leaned down and kissed me. At first, it was sweet and gentle, our lips touching and hands roaming. Then, it turned manic as we couldn't seem to get enough of one another. Talon turned me so that I was lying on the soft grass and he was hovering above me. His hands slowly moved down my arms and onto my stomach. I had always been self conscious about my body and I almost swatted his hands away.
Feeling my reservation, Talon paused his kisses. “Are you ok? If you want me to stop, just say it,” he added.
Being mortified, I knew I had to tell him the truth. “It’s not that I want you to stop, I just think I need to tell you something,” I said, closing my eyes.
“You can tell me anything,” Talon whispered.
“I am really weird about my body. I hate my stomach and never like anyone touching it. Plus...I’m a virgin,” I blurted out.
Talons’ smile only seems to widen as he listens to me. “Really? How can you not like your body? To me, you are perfect. But, wow. You and Marcus never…”
Shaking my head, I replied. “No. We got close a few times, but we never did. I am saving myself for marriage or at least to be engaged,” I added. I wasn’t sure if this new knowledge would send Talon running for the hills, but he had to know.
Tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, he beamed at me. “You know,I didn’t think anything could make you any hotter, but knowing that no other guy has had you, makes you even sexier to me.”
I couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. “Seriously? Most guys would stop pursing me knowing they wouldn’t get to fuck me,” I said.
It was true, regardless of how crude it sounded.
“Well, good thing I’m not most guys,” he said, leaning down and kissing me again.
If I thought I might be falling for Talon before, it was only solidified now. Accepting my virginity was huge.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t do other stuff,” I suggested, looking into his eyes.
Placing his lips back to mine, Talon ended our conversation and began his journey of exploring my body. It was the first time in my life that anyone had touched me and I hadn’t thought of cringing from embarrassment. His touch was needy yet soft. His kisses were rushed, but caring.
As his hands moved down, I felt him run his fingertips along the waist of my jeans. My body pulsated and I had never wanted anyone to touch me and kiss me as badly as I wanted him to. It was like he was a drug and I was craving my next fix.
Talon briefly removed his lips from mine and looked at me with an unspoken question. I knew what he wanted to do and I more than anything wanted to feel him touch me. Simply nodding my head, I gave him permission to continue his exploration. Words weren’t needed right now. It was like our souls were synched and he knew exactly what I needed.
Unbuttoning my jeans, he slowly moved his hands down into my panties, his eyes never leaving mine. He was making sure I was still ok with what he was doing and that thought alone made me want him even more. It was wild to think that whenever Marcus and I would become intimate in any way, it felt more like a responsibility than pleasure. But with Talon, this was all pleasure.
As his fingers touched my wetness, a hunger sparked in his eyes.
“Damn, you are so wet,” he breathed, as his lips crushed back on mine again. He became needy and starved as he moved his fingers inside of me.
My body arched as a feeling of ecstasy swept through me. Moving another finger inside of me, I let a loud moan escape as he kissed me while moving his fingers in and out of me.
No one had ever touched me like that and I knew nothing would ever feel like this.
As I felt myself reaching my climax, I placed one hand on Talon’s neck and the other on his free arm. He could feel me reaching my high and as his fingers moved faster, I allowed myself to explode with a blissful moan.
Removing his fingers from me, Talon buttoned my jeans back as I panted, coming down from my extreme state.
Smiling, I couldn’t help but laugh. “That was incredible,” I breathed, watching him watch me.
“You are incredible,” he sighed. Rolling off of me, Talon lay on his back, pulling me close to his side. “Thank you for letting me touch you,” he said.
Not even when Marcus and I were deeply in love did he ever thank me for anything sexual. How could Talon be real? I had read about guys like him, but I thought they were only fictional. Now, as I lay in his arms, I realized maybe, just maybe, I could have the real thing.
***
The next day, I was walking down the halls when I felt a hand reach out and grab me. Thinking it might be Talon, I spun around smiling.
Only, my smile dropped when I saw the face before me.
Marcus.
“What do you want?” I asked, jerking my arm out of his grip.
A sad look washed over his face from my reaction.
“Mallory, you look different,” he noted, his eyes raking over me.
Anger flooded me. He had no right to look at me like that anymore. And he sure as hell didn’t have a right to comment on how I looked. It was none of his business.
“I am different, but none of that is any of your concern,” I snapped. “Why are you bothering me?”
Sighing, Marcus raked a hand through his short, blonde hair. “Look, I am worried. I have heard that you have been hanging out with Talon.”
“So? Why would that concern you?” I asked, rolling my eyes. He was really getting on my nerves.
“Mallory, Talon can be dangerous. He has a really bad temper. A couple of the guys from the baseball team said one time, Talon got so upset after a game, he took a baseball bat to the locker room. He destroyed half of the lockers.”
I shook my head, in disbelief that Marcus would sink this low. “You are such a liar. Why are you doing this?” I cried out. “You cheated on me. You left me and I never fought you. I walked away and left you alone. I don’t come warning you about the sluts you seem to be banging every night. Do me a favor and leave me the hell alone,” I shouted.
A crowd was starting to form around us as our voices began to rise. Normally, I would have been mortified by this kind of attention, but right now, I was too angry to care.
“Mallory…” Talon began, but someone cut him off.
“I think she said to leave her alone,” Talon’s voice stated, a low eerie, threat lacing his words.
“I’m trying to talk to Mallory right now,” Marcus said, stepping up to Talon.
“Seems like she doesn’t want to talk to you,” Talon growled back.
I stood frozen, watching the two guys seemingly preparing to fight.
“You don’t know what Mallory wants,” Marcus yelled. “You don’t know her like I do,” he finished, a glint of a smirk in his eyes.
“Funny coming from the guy who cheated on her,” Talon said, offering a smug smile.
I felt a stab from his words. He didn’t have to say that; we all knew what Marcus had done to me. But standing here watching them, I realized who truly cared and adored me and it wasn’t the guy who used to profess his love for me.
Marcus seemed affected by Talon’s words, too. Taking a step forward, Marcus shoved a finger right into Talon’s chest. “Back off. You aren’t good enough for her,” Marcus warned.
I moved to stop this before it went any further, but I wasn’t fast enough.
“I’m the better man who wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave her,” Talon raged, before shoving Marcus so hard, he stumbled back and fell onto the hard floor.
People began to yell and pull out their phones to record, in case this turned into a real fight.
Talon stands, his breathing heavy and fists clenched tightly to his sides. I saw Mike fighting through the crowd. One look at Talon, and it was like Mike already knew there was trouble.
I can see a few teachers rushing
down the hallway now and I know this fight isn’t going to last much longer.
“Guys, just stop!” I managed to cry out.
I don’t want anyone hurt or to get into any trouble. I just want Marcus to leave us alone.
With the help of a friend, Marcus stands and glares at both Talon and me. “See, Mallory. I tried to tell you this guy was dangerous. Come on, you don’t need trash like that,” Marcus said, extending his hand to me.
At that moment, I felt almost like I was a ticking time bomb. I had put up with enough of Marcus and his lies and games. He had humiliated and broken me. And now, he thought he could continue to tell me what to do? No way in hell.
Moving my arm back, I slapped Marcus across the face so hard, my palm began to sting.
A look of shock registered across his face as he placed his own hand on his now red cheek.
“Mallory?” he began, but I held up my hand again, this time to stop him.
“No, Marcus. You don’t get to care for me, or let’s be honest, pretend to care for me. You never loved me. If you had, you wouldn’t have broken my heart. But now, I have moved on. It’s time for you to forget me,” I cried out, just as two teachers pushed their way through the crowd.
“What is going on?” Mr. Smith asked. The burly gym teacher was ready to break up a fight and almost looked disappointed the two guys weren’t engaged in a punching match.
“Nothing,” Talon said, wrapping his arm around my waist. “Just a little misunderstanding,” he added, glancing at Marcus.
Marcus stood, wide eyed at me and Talon. He looked disgusted.
Shaking his head, he continued to hold onto his bruised face and ego. “Yeah, nothing but a friendly argument,” he said, his voice cold.
“Fine, well you all get to class,” Mr. Smith barked.
Everyone began to drift away from the crowd, realizing nothing more was going to come from our little fight.
Marcus began to walk away, but not before turning and looking at me one last time. Part of me almost felt saddened to see the hurt flashing in his eyes. However, the other part of me was reminded of all the pain he had caused me. Maybe it was his turn to hurt?
What bothered me even more, though, was the fact that Marcus’ words still hung heavily in my mind. Not about me deserving more. But about Talon being dangerous. I had only seen the cute, adorable, and sexy side of him. But, could there be a darker side I hadn’t seen yet? Sure, he shoved Marcus, but Marcus had totally deserved that.
Right?
“You ok, babe?” Talon asked, pulling me closer to him.
Shaking my head, I pushed aside my worries. I wouldn’t let Marcus get in my head. He had done enough damage.
“Yes, thank you for standing up for me,” I said, sighing as I nestled my head against his shoulder.
“I would do anything for you,” Talon said, kissing the top of my head.
“Hey, I tried to get through the crowd to break up the fight,” Mike said, sorrow clouding his eyes. “It’s ok, they never really got into a huge fight,” I said, trying to relieve him.
I hated how sometimes it felt like Mike was more of Talon’s protector than his friend. I just hated that Talon needed that in his life.
I closed my eyes for a brief moment as he led me to class. I believed Talon and felt it deep in my heart that he would do anything for me. But, would I always like what he was willing to do?
CHAPTER 7
“Hey, I have something to show you,” Talon said, running down to the hall.
School was over and I was ready to leave these halls.
Closing my locker, I threw my backpack over my shoulder and smiled as Talon reached me.
“Oh yea, what’s that?” I asked, raising my brows in question.
“You will just have to follow me,” Talon winked.
He had picked me up for school today, so we walked toward his truck together.
I hopped in beside Talon and sat back as the radio blasted as we drove. After a few minutes, I realized we were headed toward the little dirt road he had taken me to before.
“Hey, I’ve already seen this place,” I said, a little disappointed. I thought he had something new to show me.
“Just be patient,” he laughed, revving his engine and driving a little faster. The truck drove down the one lane road and then suddenly, he stopped before a large, white house.
“Where are we?” I asked, as he stopped in the driveway.
“This is my house,” Talon said.
My heart filled with joy as I realized he had just brought me to his house. It may sound silly, but I truly felt like this was a defining moment in our relationship.
Stepping out of the truck, Talon came over to my side and helped me out.
We walked hand in hand up to a large, wrap around porch where a porch swing lightly swayed as a gust of wind blew around us.
Opening the red front door, we stepped inside the place where Talon called home. A place where he spent the majority of his time alone.
A refreshing scent of lemon and vanilla filled the air as I glanced around the large foyer. To my left, steep stairs led to a second story. To the right, a large living room was situated with a television mounted above a stone hearth. Just up ahead, I could see down a hallway and into a kitchen. The walls were painted a calming gray and it had a nice, warm feeling to the house.
A few voices drifted down the hall and suddenly, I felt nervous. With Marcus, I had gotten to know and love his family, but he also had a great relationship with his parents. They had family diners on Sunday’s and he and his dad spent a week each summer on fishing trips. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the vague, and yet, disgruntled information Talon had given me about his dad.
“Hey, I’m home,” Talon yelled out, throwing his backpack by the stairs. “I brought someone, too.”
Still holding my hand, he led me down the hall and into a very large kitchen with white cabinets and white and gray granite countertops. It was very pristine and had large windows overlooking the fields behind their home.
As we stepped into the kitchen, I noticed a large man sitting at a farmhouse style kitchen table. He was busy typing on a laptop and a woman with short, curly hair sat across from him, writing something in a day planner. They both looked up and appeared stunned at first.
I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.
“Dad, Gloria, this is Mallory,” Talon stated. I noticed just then, that he too, appeared to be nervous.
I had to admit, it was sort of cute. His typical cocky attitude was gone.
Standing, his dad walked over and extended his hand to me. “Hi, Mallory. I’m George. It is really nice to meet you,” he said, glancing at Talon with a knowing smile. George shared similar looks with Talon.
Talon seemed to loosen up a bit as his dad smiled.
Gloria walked over as well and gave me a pleasant smile. “Mallory, I am so happy to finally meet you. I have heard Talon talking about you,” she gushed.
“Wow, it is really nice to meet you both,” I said, eyeing Talon with a smile.
So, he had been talking about me. That thought gave my heart a little flutter.
“Oh yes. I think Talon has talked more to us these last few weeks, then he has in years,” George teased.
Talons’ face grew red from embarrassment, but I was loving this conversation.
“Ok, enough of the teasing Talon,” he stated, shaking his head.
“Why? I like hearing this,” I said, jabbing at him.
George and Gloria laughed a bit.
“So, what are you all doing this afternoon?” George asked.
“I wanted to show Mallory the house and then I thought we might go to a drive-in movie,” he said.
“We are?” I asked. This was news to me.
“Well yeah. I thought it would be fun,” Talon added.
I didn’t want to argue, but it sort of bothered me that he didn’t think to ask me what I wanted to do. He just made plans and assumed I woul
dn’t care either way. We were definitely going to discuss this later.
“Talon, I bet you didn’t even think to ask Mallory what she wanted to do, did you?” George asked, shaking his head.
“No, but…” Talon began to defend his actions, but his dad cut him off.
“Of course not. Mallory, you will discover with my son here, that he only thinks of himself most of the time. Don’t argue with him, though. Or, you will see a real temper grow,” he chuckled, his round belly bouncing as he made fun of his son.
I noticed a flash of anger glisten in Talon’s eyes and I quickly discovered why the pair didn’t get alone. As nice as George seemed to be, he had no problem bringing up his son's faults. He was making fun of him right in front of me.
“Just ask his old school. Hell, we had to move just so the school wouldn’t expel him after his incident,” George laughed.
I wanted to ask him what he meant, but from the anger brewing on Talon’s face, I thought better of it. He was humilating Talon and it wasn’t right.
I felt a need to say something, anything to protect Talon and his feelings.
“No, I would love to go see a drive-in movie. Talon knows I love that, of course, he would plan our date around that. He is very thoughtful,” I stated.
While I had just been pissed that Talon would make plans without consulting with me first, I also couldn’t help but defend my boyfriend.
Talon glanced down at me and squeezed my hand. I knew he was grateful for my save.
“Well, have fun,” George said, sliding back down into the chair and getting back to work.
After a quick tour of the house, Talon led us back outside to his truck. Once inside the cab, I texted my mom and let her know my plans for the evening. I doubt she would have even known if I hadn’t made it home for curfew, but still, I hated to get into trouble.
“Thanks for what you said,” Talon said, as he kept his eyes on the road.
We were heading to the next town over, a short fifteen-minute drive, to the drive-in theatre. I had only been there a handful of times, but it was fun. They only played older movies but it was still fun.
“I’m sorry they were saying those things,” I added, snuggling closer to Talon on the seat.
