She nods. “Can you stay while I take a shower?”
“Sure.”
Talia begins to leave, but I ask, “Do you mind if I do a check first? It’ll make me feel better, at least.” I’m unarmed but still amped and hyper-aware. If I encountered an intruder, I might not need a gun.
Nodding, she stands in the kitchen doorway while I open a closet door in the living room containing maybe five coats and jackets. Then I check a gray bathroom and the dining room. “You have a basement?” Talia nods toward a door off the kitchen. Leaving her alone while I go to the basement, I open the door with a creek. Flippin on the light, I go downstairs to a cement floor cellar with a washer, dryer, and table for laundry. Against another wall are shelves where she stores miscellaneous boxes and holiday decorations. A large bag on the floor holds a Christmas tree. I don’t even have one of those.
The house is at least seventy-five years old, but there’s no lingering musty smell. I attribute that to a dehumidifier near the shelves, even though it’s not running. Looking into the rafters, I note there aren’t many cobwebs.
Returning to the living room, I find Talia waiting for me on the staircase. She doesn’t ask, but I say, “Everything looks okay. I’ll check upstairs before you go up there.”
Passing her, I go upstairs and into the bathroom, which is very pink and purple. I pull back the shower curtain to find nothing.
Going into the first bedroom, I turn on the light and see many neatly stacked boxes and a made bed. This had to have been Talia’s mother’s room.
The next room is Talia’s bedroom, with pink curtains and newer purple carpeting. Opening the closet, clothes cram the small space.
I move to the last room, and turning on the light reveals an office with a desk, chair, and bookshelves. This closet is filled with another bookshelf and more boxes.
Turning off the light, I return to Talia, who is still on the stairs but closer to the top landing, and she immediately looks to me for my assessment. “Everything looks good up here. You have a nice house. I have no clue what your favorite colors are.”
Smiling, Talia heads into her room, where she digs through a dresser drawer. She then waves toward her unmade bed. “Sorry about the mess. Have a seat. I won’t be long.”
Talia leaves the bedroom, and I hear the bathroom door close in the hallway. Shortly after, rushing water echoes through the old walls.
I turn on the lamp on the nightstand and turn off the bright overhead light, hopefully creating a more relaxing atmosphere for Talia. There is a TV on her dresser, but I don’t bother with it.
As I sit on her bed, I think of the part I had in killing a man and how close I came to losing Talia—maybe not by Omar killing her, but by him killing me. There’s no doubt in my mind he would’ve shot me if I weren’t quicker. Stupid motherfucker.
Checking my phone, I notice a text from Jordan. Where the hell are you? I haven’t heard from you in a week. If I don’t hear from you by tomorrow, your ass is grass. I’ll hunt you down like a goddamn dog. You better have a good excuse, asshole. Call me.
I smile, though it’s hard to laugh tonight. There’s also a text from Audrey. Why won’t you respond to me, Dylan? We have so much to talk about. I can visit you.
I never considered that. Do I even want her here? Looking back, the relationship seems almost juvenile now, like it wasn’t as deep as I had thought. I’ve moved on. Or, at least, I have a direction where I want to move.
The bathroom door squeaks, shaking all thoughts from my mind so I can be present for Talia before I leave. Returning to the room, Talia wears a silk robe, and her hair is wrapped in a towel. I ask, “Do you want me to get you anything?”
Talia stops in front of me, engulfing me in the smell of smell fresh soap and the warmth of the shower. She frowns but then laughs, surprising me. “You nearly got yourself killed, and you’re asking if I need anything?”
“I was fine.”
“No, you weren’t,” she maintains, her voice rising as she grips the robe tighter. “What in the hell were you thinking, risking your life like that?”
“I was afraid he’d hurt you, so I reacted.”
“I saw no fear, Dylan. You fucking taunted him to kill you.”
I uneasily smirk. “It was a distraction tactic. It worked.” Talia’s glower doubles down, and I sigh. “I was fine, Talia.” I didn’t have time to worry about myself.
“He would’ve killed you.”
“I know. The risk goes with the job.”
Talia’s eyes widen at my left hip. “Do you still have your gun?”
“No. It’s evidence.” Lifting my shirt, I show her it’s not there. Tears fill her eyes. Taking her hand, I say, “I’m sorry about what happened to Omar. I didn’t want it to come to that, but—”
“You think I’m sad about him dying?” With her other hand, Talia clutches her robe, probably feeling weird around me now. “Killing him was the most awesome… Dylan, I can’t thank you enough. I’m free from the worry, the fear, the guilt of ever having been with him.”
“My bullet didn’t kill Omar. Not that fast. Whichever officer shot at the same time hit his neck and killed him. After what he was forcing you to do, I should’ve killed him sooner…Are you okay? That was traumatic to watch. I can’t imagine…”
She nods. “I’m okay. It wasn’t the first time he’d forced me to do that.” I squeeze my right hand into a fist on her bed. Why did I let him live so long? “After I came back to California, I went to therapy and belonged to a support group, but with two jobs, I haven’t had time.”
“He put you through hell, Talia. I wish I had killed him.”
“That’s why I’m glad he’s gone. You swooped into my life and saved me, but I can’t believe you risked yours for me.”
I meet her brown eyes. “I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“I almost saw you die. Don’t fucking ever do that again.”
“I can’t promise that. And what about you? What the hell were you thinking?”
“I didn’t do anything.” She looks away, and I pull her chin back to me. “You were going for his damn gun.”
She shrugs. “I wanted to protect you.”
“You were unarmed, Talia.”
“If he had killed you, then I would’ve begged him to kill me.”
“What the hell?”
Talia drops her free hand from the robe, and it partially falls open, exposing her naked body. I watch water droplets rolling off the side of her tit before I look away. She’s been through hell and not just tonight. But with what happened earlier, I don’t know if what Talia wants is what she needs. I’m probably too fucked-up to see the difference for myself. I think back to everything we’ve done. Have I been too forceful? Too rough?
Releasing her hand and abruptly standing, I stammer, “I should go.”
“Now?” Talia closes her robe, and I hate myself. I hope Omar’s enjoying hell.
I nod, using my FTO as justification. “I wish I could stay, but Taggart might swing by to check on you.”
“Oh. Right.”
“There’s a risk Taggart might fail me or that I’ll choke her on the side of the road…I don’t want to care what she says, but I have to—for now.” I can’t lose another damn job. Especially this one. Dalton and Grant would lecture me while Ricky would bring it up at every family gathering. Audrey would be right again. Fantastic.
As I contemplate how to kiss her before leaving, Talia says, “Maybe we shouldn’t be together, then. Maybe after training...” The trailing off of her voice snaps me out of my musing, and I notice Talia’s apprehension. “It’s not good timing.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m saying—”
“Absolutely not. You won’t use this as an excuse because you have issues with my age, Talia.”
“I’m giving you an out.”
“I don’t want one. I want you.” I just can’t tonight, for her sake. Maybe mine too. Not giving her a chance to ar
gue, I kiss her but keep it short. “I’ll lock up. Get some sleep. I’ll give you a spare key to get into my apartment if I’m not there. You have an extra place to go if you need it.” I don’t know what the hell I’m doing or saying. I grab my set of keys, pulling one of the apartment keys from the ring. I shrug. “I forgot to hide one. It unlocks the deadbolt and doorknob. It’s yours now.”
She takes it with uncertainty, making me feel like an inept idiot. “Um, thank you.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow, but call me if you need anything.” I sweep my fingers over her cheek before lightly kissing her again. “Night.”
Talia mutters, “Goodnight, Dylan.”
Without another look, before I change my mind and possibly make things worse, I finally leave and rush to my car before I decide to give Taggart the finger and stay.
Regardless, I won’t let anything come between Talia and me.
I guarantee that.
Chapter 23
Natalia
Gripping the key, my hand shakes as I insert it into the doorknob and deadbolt, unlocking them. I slip inside and set down the canvas bags with my clothes and everything else I’ll need in the morning. Removing my jacket and shoes, I look at the glowing numbers of a clock in the dark. It’s after two in the morning.
My heart pounds. I know I should have called first. I wanted to get here before I talked myself out of being here or even dating him, if that’s what we’re doing. Creeping down the hall to his room, I hear his soft snores and regret coming here to wake him like this. Tonight, though? Dylan McGrath awakened something in me that has been asleep my whole life, and I want to hold it close.
Slipping inside his room, I tiptoe to his bed. The glow from the bathroom nightlight across the hall casts a sliver of light, but it’s darker than the last time I was here. I gently climb up on the bed, but Dylan sits up in alarm. I hurriedly say, “It’s me.”
“Holy fuck! Talia? What the hell? I could’ve knocked you out or broken your jaw!”
“I’m sorry.”
Calming down, Dylan sighs as he drags his fingers into his hair. “What are you doing here? Did something happen? You okay?”
I’ve come this far. There’s no turning back or chickening out. Seeing his frown in the faint light, I kiss them, surprising both of us. Dylan is unresponsive for two seconds but then kisses me back as his hand goes to my waist. I’m going all in, despite my fears.
In the past, if I went on dates as a favor to my father, the men made the first move. That happened with the other three men I dated. Aside from swallowing Dylan’s cum, this is new for me.
These unfamiliar feelings and experiences swamp me, so I push Dylan back down, straddle him, and resume our kiss. Moving to kiss his throat, his breaths heave beneath me, and I feel his stomach muscles straining against mine. My lips graze his skin. “I need to tell you something.”
Beneath me, his voice shakes. “Okay. What?”
Lingering in the crook of his neck, I can’t look at him. “I want to own this moment, but with our disparities and hurdles, it’s hard for me. It’ll change everything, Dylan, and it might drive you away. Doesn’t matter. I still need to say this. For once in my life, I crave the truth, even if I’m the one revealing it. I wanted to tell you earlier, but you left my house before I could.”
Inhaling his clean scent, I use it to gather courage. Raising my head to look at his dusky face, his eyes shine in the faint light. Dylan's voice is raspy. “Are you still mad at me? Talia, I didn’t want to—”
I put my finger against his lips as my eyes fill with anxious tears. “I love you, Dylan Stuart McGrath.”
For the first time in my thirty years, I’m in love—at least, I hope that’s what this is—and I couldn’t stop it if I tried. Dylan freezes beneath me. Oh, my God. What did I do?
I shocked us both, so I shake my head when he tries to talk beneath my finger. “Don’t, Dylan. I came here to say that and to give you the real me. You can give me the reality tomorrow. Please, let me love you tonight.”
When he nods, I replace my finger with my lips, and Dylan wraps his arms around me. Without breaking our kiss, I shift off him to shimmy out of my pants and underwear while he deals with his boxers. It’s awkward, but right now, I want his hard cock, not his soft rejection. Before returning to his pillow, he pulls away an inch. “Talia, wait. I can’t do this when you don’t let me respond.”
“Please don’t ruin this for me. I need this closeness, now that you know how I feel. This is all I need.” I try to kiss him again, but he turns his head.
“You don’t get it,” he argues, putting a hand on my shoulder to keep me from interrupting him.
“You can’t give this to me?”
“Talia, I would have given my life to save yours.”
“So, you would’ve risked your life for Lynn?”
“Well, yeah, but maybe not to that instinctive level of stupidity.
“Why?”
Dylan sighs, but his grin is instant. “Because I have a secret, too.”
“I don’t want to know,” I plead. Though I need the truth, I’m afraid of what he’s going to say.
“When we agreed to reveal a fact a day about ourselves, it changed everything for me. I thought I repulsed you, but I’d already fallen in love. I’m a rebel like that.”
I gasp, surprising myself, and Dylan kisses me. Not holding back, he drags my T-shirt up, and we stop kissing so I can toss it aside.
I say, “I wanted you to be different, but those differences scare me too.”
“They brought us together. They’re who we are. Embrace them.”
My bare breasts display hardened nipples and demand his tongue. Heeding their call, Dylan’s mouth lands on one. He sucks my swollen nipple, and my body throbs.
Taking his hand, I guide it between my legs. Dylan’s fingers probe my pussy. Nipping the taught bud, he groans, “You’re so wet. I need you” He swirls his wet finger over my nipple before sucking my juices off it with a groan.
I moan with him. Grabbing his shaft, I rub my pussy up and down it. “I hope you have a condom.” Even if he doesn’t, it’s too late to stop. I want his cream to drip down my legs.
Panting, Dylan reaches to his nightstand. When he returns with a condom, he says, “Tonight was horrendous. We don’t—”
“No. I refuse to let Omar win—fucker’s dead.” If I’m fucking on Omar’s grave, so be it.
I take the condom from him and unroll it. Dylan’s hands go to my breasts, fingering my sensitive nipples. “You’re so beautiful. Your body is perfect. I need to be with you.” When the condom is in place, I shift and drag my clit against his cock.
Spreading my legs wider, I lower onto his cock and moan, “I want you, Dylan.”
Grabbing my ass, he urges me to take him deeper. “Fuck me, Talia. I’m all yours.”
“We fit.” Dylan’s hands return to my tits, and I beg, “Touch me everywhere.” His hands roam over my chest, abdomen, hips, and thighs.
He takes my hands from his shoulders, guiding them over his chest. “I want your fingerprints over every inch of me.”
I sigh as I explore Dylan’s delicious body. “God, you feel so good. I never thought sex could be like this.”
Dylan's gaze darts away from mine, making me wonder if he’s unsure how to respond. I tilt my head to capture his lips. We move in sync, and he hits the right spot. I hear distant alarm bells. “Dylan, I’m close, but I don’t want to explode yet.”
“Lie back.” Moving off him, I lie at the foot of his bed, shifting the blanket underneath me. He hovers above and pushes my legs with his. “I love splitting you open.”
As Dylan thrusts into me, I groan, “Make me come on your cock.”
“With pleasure.” Our hips reunite, and the faster we go, the louder our breathing and moaning fill the quiet room. Suddenly, Dylan utters, “Shit.”
I feel him filling the condom, and my orgasm rips through me, trouncing every jerk of his, and I cry out. If fuc
king was war, that was the best battle I’ve ever fought.
Rocking into me until my orgasm finally ends, Dylan says, “I love you, Talia.”
I smile up at his face, finding it hard to believe I heard those words. “I love you, too, Officer McGrath.”
When he opens his mouth to protest, I shove my tongue into it.
As soon as I hang up my jacket and punch in, Marilou is on me like a tight dress at Thanksgiving. “Oh, my God! Are you okay? What happened? Why are you here?”
I smile and put my hands on her shoulders. Since she’s shorter, I look down at her. “I’m fine, Marilou. No scratches, broken bones, or…bullet holes.” Marilou frowns, knocking my hands off her shoulders. She angrily points at me. “What the hell were you doing there all by yourself that late?”
“It’s my job. Sadie left, and I’m always there alone until Russ takes over at eleven.” She stares at me, probably waiting for more. “And since it’s all over the news, I guess you know I wasn’t alone.”
“Thank God Dylan McGrath was there. Dear Lord in Heaven, he almost killed you!”
“He wouldn’t have killed me,” I deny as I go for my apron, reliving last night. I have to keep telling myself Omar wouldn’t have killed me.
“Now, you’re just talking out of your patootie. Don’t give me some cornflake version of what happened.”
“Cornflake?” Grabbing a bottle of spray and a clean dishcloth, I go out to the floor since it appears it’s a slow morning. I sigh and start with the first table, relieved to be out of her scrutiny. However, as I stand to move to the next one, Marilou blocks my path. I ask, “Are you gonna stalk me all day? If you’re that bored, go scrub toilets.”
“You know what I’m talking about. What did Omar do to you?”
“Nothing,” I say, pushing past the horror of watching him point his gun at Dylan. He was protecting my life, but it could have ended his. When her face freezes in doubt, frowning at me, I mutter, “I’m fine.”
As I go to another table, she follows. “I heard Dylan blew him away.”
I straighten. “No, he didn’t. He shot Omar, but so did another officer. Dylan’s bullet didn’t kill Omar.”
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