“Most of the men I’ve known have cheated, lied, and walked away without so much as a backward glance.” My throat aches as I swallow. “My dad taught me at an early age that I was easy to forget, so I always leave before I get left,” I admit to him as he pulls into an angled parking space in front of a small café in the middle of town. “I want to believe this is real; it’s just hard for me to.”

“You won’t find out this is real if you have one foot out the door, baby.” He takes my hand.

“You’re right.” I take a shaky breath. “You’ve been so sweet, and I’m a mess. You don’t deserve my drama.”

“Come here.” He unlatches my seatbelt then lifts me with ease over the console between us and settles me on his lap.

“See? Even now, you’re being nice,” I cry, and he chuckles. “It’s not funny, Talon. I’m trying to warn you that I’m crazy.”

“I like your crazy.” He sifts his fingers through the hair at the side of my head, and his expression softens. “The men you’ve known have been idiots, babe. I won’t ever make it easy for you to walk away or allow you to push me away without a fight.”

My chin wobbles, and I drop my forehead to his collarbone to hide the tears filling my eyes. I should feel embarrassed about breaking down in front of him, but all I feel is relieved, like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders now that he knows some of my fears.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper, leaning away from him when my tears have subsided, and his expression softens as he runs the pad of his finger under my eyes to swipe away the tears that are still wet on my cheeks.

“You don’t have to be sorry.” His eyes roam my face then his fingers skim my jaw. “My dad always told me that everything good in life is earned not given, Mia, and I plan on earning every part of you, even your trust.”

“Oh God, I’m going to cry again,” I whisper as my throat burns with a fresh wave of tears.

“No more crying, you need to eat something.”

“Stop being sweet and making me want to cry,” I demand.

“All right, I’ll stop.”

“Liar,” I mumble, and he smiles then leans forward to brush his mouth against mine before asking softly, “We good now?” I nod, and his eyes warm. “Good.”

“On a scale of one to ten, how messed up is my makeup?”

“You’re still beautiful.”

I roll my eyes and turn on his lap then adjust his mirror. When I see the mascara running down my cheeks, I sigh.

“I don’t suppose you have a wet wipe or something I can use, do you?” I ask as I try to rub the black from under my eyes and cheeks, but it doesn’t budge.

“Not really something I carry in my truck.”

My nose scrunches at the idea of facing people looking like I do, and I turn to look at him. “Do you mind if we just go through the drive-thru somewhere and take food back to your place to eat?”

“That works for me.”

“Thanks.” I kiss his lips then the dimple in his chin before I climb over the console and back into my seat. Once I’m buckled in, he backs out of the parking space and heads to a hamburger joint where we load up on burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Then on the way to his house, he makes a detour to the drug store, and when he walks out five minutes later carrying two full plastic shopping bags of condoms, I burst out laughing.

_______________

With my eyes growing heavy, I tell myself I should get up, go home, and check on Cece, but Talon’s fingers skimming up and down my spine are making it hard to do anything but lie here. It also doesn’t help that my belly is full, I’ve had five orgasms, and the man I’m lying on feels more comfortable than any bed I’ve ever been in. “I think something happened between Cece and Winston.”

“What?” he asks, his fingers pausing at the bottom of my spine.

Lifting my head, I rest my chin on his chest, and he tips his chin down to meet my gaze. “When I was leaving this evening, Winston showed up at the house, and I could tell something happened between them, because they were arguing about him saying he’s not married, when technically he is, even if he has been separated from his wife for three years.”

“I haven’t been home for three years, babe, and I can tell you Winston’s been invited to a couple of my family’s barbeques since I’ve been back, and his wife always shows up, making it clear he’s her man.”

“But maybe—”

“No buts,” he cuts me off and rolls me to my back so he’s looming over me. “If he’s interested in your sister, then he needs to divorce his wife and cut ties with her completely before pursuing her. Your sister and those girls do not need that mess right now, and if he cares about her at all, he should know that.”

My heart pounds as his words wrap around my insides, and I circle him with my arms and lean up, placing my mouth against his. When I fall back to the bed, I capture his jaw with my hand and run my fingers across the scruff there. “I just want my sister and my nieces to be happy.”

“A new man coming into their lives isn’t going to make them happy, baby. That is going to be another hurtle they’ll need to get over. And if that man has a shit-ton of baggage, things are only going to become more complicated.” His eyes lock on mine as his fingers smooth the hair back away from my face. “I’m sorry, babe, but I don’t think it’s smart for your sister to get involved with Winston right now.”

I don’t want to admit that he’s right, but I know he is. Winston is still married, and that will only complicate things when it comes to building a relationship with Cece and the girls. That doesn’t even factor in what Mike might be able to use against her as they go through the process of their divorce. If Mike was to find out she is having an affair with a married man, everything she said about him cheating would go out the window. “You’re right, I’ll talk to Cece and see where her head is.”

He kisses me then rolls to his back and adjusts me until I’m resting against his chest with my ear over his pec. I listen to the beat of his heart and close my eyes as the sound reminds me that he’s real, that this is real, and he’s not some dream I will wake up from. I never knew men like him exist, but now that I do, I don’t know that I will ever be able to move on. He’s ruined me for anyone else with his honesty, sweetness, and affection. And as scared as I am by that realization, I wouldn’t change anything. I’d jump headfirst, eyes closed off a cliff if he told me that I would be safe in his arms when I landed. Maybe that’s the point though, trusting someone enough that you know your heart in their hands will be safe, that they would rather hurt themselves than hurt you. As my eyes grow heavy and my body relaxes, I hope I’m right.

CHAPTER 11

Mia

STANDING IN THE open door to my car, with the early morning air chilling my skin and my lips still tingling from Talon’s kiss, my hands resting on his chest and his arms wrapped around my waist. “You know in order for me to leave, you have to let me go.”

“I know. I’m trying to talk myself into it,” he says, making me laugh while my insides flutter with happiness. “I’ll be home around six tonight if you wanna come for dinner.”