by Sybil Bartel
I didn’t respond. I didn’t have to.
She nodded. “I can’t imagine what you went through.” Her voice clear, her eyes studying, she didn’t react with pity or sympathy or fake bullshit understanding. She didn’t even look at me like I was broken.
Air filled my lungs and I inclined my head at my clothes. “You need somethin’?”
“A shirt. Mine are dirty.”
She didn’t flirt. She didn’t feel sorry for herself. She didn’t look like she particularly cared one way or another about anything. I couldn’t figure her out. “Laundry room’s downstairs next to your bedroom.”
“I know. My clothes are in your washer. You said you would loan me a shirt.” She tugged her towel tighter with her good arm. “And it’s not my bedroom.”
I was acutely aware whose house she was in and whose towel was wrapped around her gorgeous body. “You goin’ somewhere with that last statement?”
“No.”
I didn’t buy it for a second. She was either putting up boundaries or letting me know she wasn’t staying. Either way, I didn’t push. I stepped forward and reached around her. She followed my movements but she didn’t stir an inch. Her cheeks didn’t flush, her breathing didn’t change, even her expression remained the same. I grabbed a T-shirt off the shelf and handed it to her.
Turning her back to me, she dropped the towel to put the T-shirt on and surprise locked the air out of my lungs.
Holy shit.
“Hold up a sec there, Siren.”
Holy shit.
The thick scar ran straight up her spine from just above her waist to her shoulder blades. “Scoliosis?” I couldn’t stop myself. I skimmed my fingers over the raised flesh.
Goose bumps broke out across her skin. “Yes, two titanium rods and fourteen screws. I had the surgery when I was fifteen.”
I’d had more women that I could count shed their clothes in front of me, but this? I’d never seen anything like it. I traced the scar that was covered with an elaborate tattoo. “And the ink?” An intricate flesh-colored tattoo, using the scar as a branch, had hibiscus flowers and blooms coming off of it. Leaves and scrollwork, similar to her hair brush, were laced in-between the flowers. It was fucking beautiful.
“When I was nineteen.”
My hand curved around her waist and for one fucked-up moment, I forgot who she was. Imagining my dick sinking into her as I tongued her ink, I got hard as fuck. “Gorgeous,” I murmured.
She slipped the T-shirt over her head and turned. I didn’t even see the black-and-blue mess of her face anymore. I was looking at ocean-colored eyes and full lips.
My heart in my throat, I got caught in her gaze. Her disconnected emotions settled around me like a challenge and I wanted to fuck her more than I wanted my next breath.
“I’m not going to have sex with you,” she whispered.
I forced a smile and my drawl came out thick. “Did I ask you to?”
“Where are you from?”
“Here and there.” I didn’t talk about my upbringing.
“Is it real?”
“That’s a loaded question, darlin’. Care to be more specific?”
“The accent.”
“You don’t like it?” I was wasting my time. She didn’t flirt.
“You don’t care if I do or don’t.”
I winked. “You’re right.” I couldn’t figure out who I was lying to.
“Then why bother?”
The question wiped the smile off my face. Only two women had ever seen past my bullshit—and the first one had just married my best friend. “You gettin’ at somethin’?”
“You don’t have to pretend you want me here. I needed a place to go. Randy speaks highly of you. You both served. I thought I could use that as a favor.”
Ignoring how everything she’d just said felt like a sucker punch, I told her about Carter. “He’s not dead. He called in this mornin’ and told Candle he was sick.”
Everything about her demeanor changed without her moving a single muscle. The stillness in her became that pronounced. “I’ll get my things.”
No fucking way was I letting her walk out that easily. I casually leaned against the door and blocked her exit. “Where you gonna go?”
Eyes blank, she looked past me. “Home.”
I already knew her enough to know pushing her or giving her an ultimatum wouldn’t get me the result I wanted. “Here’s the thing, Siren.” I took a step and crowded into her space. “I’m not a fan of my hard work goin’ to waste.” I risked tracing a finger over her jaw.
She didn’t react. “What hard work?”
“When I put stitches in a woman, I don’t like to send her back to the piece of shit who cut her.” I lowered my voice. “I’ve got a problem with that. A big problem.”
She held my gaze. “You don’t own me.”
Her scar, her strength, what she’d been through—she was beautiful. “Neither does he.”
“I can’t stay here.”
I dropped my hand but I didn’t step back. “You got somewhere else you can go?” She hadn’t mentioned her family again and I was sure if she could’ve gone to them, she would have by now.
“I can’t stay here,” she said again.
“I don’t hit women. Seems to me the choice is obvious.”
“Then what? I can’t stay indefinitely,” she challenged.
“After you heal, we’ll figure it out.”
“How long is that? A day, a couple of days, a week?”
Knowing what I was doing was fucked-up, knowing I had no business doing it, I opened my mouth and sealed my fate. “A week.”
“A week,” she repeated.
“Is that a question?”
“No.” She squared her shoulders but her voice turned wary. “What do you expect in return?”
I crossed my arms. “I’m not askin’ for shit.”
“I have less than a hundred dollars. I can’t pay you and I own nothing of value. It wasn’t unreasonable to ask what you’d expect in return for putting me up for a week.”
She had balls, I’d give her that. “We gonna play this honest?”
She didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
“I expect you to leave the motherfucker.”
“I already did.”
“And not go back,” I clarified.
She studied me, doing the staring thing again. “Fine,” she agreed.
“I’m gonna have a conversation with him,” I warned.
“Are you going to hurt him?”
Considering I wanted to beat the shit out of him, especially after seeing her back, I wasn’t going to make her any promises. But I also didn’t know if she’d warn him I was coming. “Do you really want to know?”
She swallowed. “Yes.”
“Hopefully.”
Alarm widened her eyes for a split second before she carefully hid it. “What does that mean?”
“I’m not gonna be stupid enough to throw the first punch. But anything after that is fair game.” Randy was pussy enough to call the cops if I did. Not that I cared, I could talk my way out of shit, but I didn’t want that kind of headache right now.
“I’m not worth it,” she said quickly.
“You sayin’ that asshole’s worth more than you?” The idea of her thinking that shit made me see red.
Surprise flashed across her face. “No. I meant for you.”
“For me what?” I asked suspiciously.
“Don’t go after him, not for me. He’s not worth it.”
I calmed down marginally. “I didn’t say he was worth shit, he isn’t. But he needs to understand there’ll be consequences if he decides to come after you.”
She dropped her gaze.
I caught her chin. “Playin’ it honest,” I reminded her.
“I remember.”
The hollow tone to her voice had me wondering what the hell she was thinking. Worse, it made me want to jump through hoops to get her attention. “I wasn’t raised to stand back while a ma
n pushes a woman around. You want my help, you wanna stay here, know this is who I am.”
Her head turned slightly but she didn’t respond.
“Siren?”
“I heard you.”
“Then give me an answer.”
“You didn’t ask a question.”
Jesus fuck. “You goin’ back to him?” It shouldn’t have mattered. I shouldn’t be getting involved because she was going to be history in a week, but it mattered. Too fucking much.
“No.”
Tension I didn’t know I was holding on to let loose and I took a deep breath. “You hungry?”
“I’m sore.”
Shit. “C’mon. Let’s get you fed then I’ll give you somethin’ for the pain.” I walked to the kitchen and she followed. “You got any preferences?”
“No.”
I glanced at her and smiled the smile that usually got me anything I wanted. “Every woman has preferences.”
She didn’t bite. “I don’t.”
I dragged my eyes the length of her, slow and purposeful. “That’s a loaded statement, darlin’.” And I wanted to know if it was on purpose. “We’re not talkin’ ’bout food anymore, are we?”
“When you can’t afford to be picky, you make do.”
I didn’t know if that made me angry or sad. Worse, she didn’t say it like she was sorry for herself. She simply stated it as fact. “You can do a hell of a lot better than a man who knifes a woman with steel in her spine.”
“He cared for me. After the surgery.” She dished out the personal information like she did everything else—without emotion or expectation.
The idea of him touching her, bathing her, taking care of her—fuck. I shook away the visual and choked down something that tasted way too much like jealousy. “He also stabbed you.” I wanted to kill the bastard.
Cradling her wrist, she studied the tile floor but she didn’t respond.
“You’re a beautiful girl, Siren.” I wanted to touch her so bad, show her how a man should treat a woman. I wanted to make her believe she deserved more than that piece of shit. “You could have any man you want.”
Her head came up and her eyes met mine. “I can’t have you.”
Every muscle in my body tensed with surprise and for one torturous moment, I let myself have the fantasy. Her smooth skin, her lips on mine, her eyes turning to liquid when she came… I shook my head. “I don’t do commitment.”
She drew in a deep breath and the swell of her breasts rose. “Yet you gave me a week.”
My heart rate kicked up tenfold. “Just what exactly do you think I was offerin’?”
Her hair drying in soft waves around her face, her bandaged leg showing under my T-shirt, she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth then released it. “Shelter, safety, a bed.”
I watched the last word breathe past her lips and swore it sounded like an invitation. Yanking my mind back to reality, I used every ounce of training I’d received to carve my expression to stone. Something was off, seriously off, because Siren didn’t flirt.
“I work hard and I fuck harder.” I didn’t know which one of us I was warning. “I don’t hold on to a woman for more’n a night or two. Women who want in on the rotation know there’s no exclusivity.”
“I don’t want to sleep with you, Talon.”
Barely inclining my head, it felt like my neck snapped from whiplash. “That’s what they all say.” I winked, feigning indifference.
She didn’t smile. “I’m not playing a game.”
No fucking shit. She was honest to a fault, except for every word she said, she held back five. It was emotional Russian roulette and neither of us were gonna come out winners. “I wouldn’t let you if you tried.”
“I get that,” she said with zero intonation.
“Good.” Jesus fuck, she was running me. I didn’t know if I was outplayed or outsmarted or if she was the least baitable woman I’d ever met. “What do you want for dinner?”
“Steak.”
“I have chicken.” I turned my back to her and started pulling shit out of the fridge. Knowing I was going to cook her a steak tomorrow night pissed me off.
SHE’D INHALED THE FOOD I’D set in front of her like she hadn’t eaten in a week. I put seconds on her plate and when she ate it almost as quickly as the first helping, I felt like shit for not feeding her all day.
“Dessert?” I asked.
She shrugged.
I cleared the dishes and grabbed some ice cream and two spoons. Sitting back down on the stool next to hers, I handed her a spoon and held out the pint.
Placing her hand over mine, she leaned in close and dug her spoon in. “First bite is always the best.”
The innocent gesture of her hand on mine, hearing her say bite, my dick stirred. “Yeah? Why’s that?”
“The split second before it touches your tongue, there’s anticipation. The second it hits your taste buds, there’s promise. When you swallow, it’s satisfaction. Anticipation, promise, satisfaction—it’s the perfect trifecta. But it only lasts for the first bite.” She popped the bite in her mouth.
Sweet fucking hell. Did she seriously just say swallow? “Did we just have ice-cream sex?”
She went for a second bite and her hair brushed across my arm. “How do you know Randy?”
She smelled like vanilla and jasmine and my T-shirt and I wanted to sink inside her. “Through Candle’s shop. When he found out we were both veterans, he decided we were best friends.”
She struggled getting her spoon in for another bite. “Sounds like Randy.”
I didn’t want to talk about him. I pushed her hand away and scooped out a bite for her. When I held it up, she hesitated. “How ’bout we make a deal?” Jesus, she was so pretty, every time I looked at her it was like I was seeing her for the first time. I just wanted to stare.
Her eyes on mine, she leaned forward and opened her mouth.
Christ. I slid the spoon between her perfect lips and my dick wanted in on the action. When her mouth closed, I forced myself to look away and remember what the hell we were talking about. “Don’t mention his fuckin’ name in my house.”
“And?”
“And nothin’.” I jabbed the spoon in and took a huge bite. Shit. She was right.
“That’s not much of a deal.”
I took a second bite. It wasn’t as good. “Take it or leave it.”
“I sense a consequence.”
“Oh, darlin’.” I chuckled. “There’s always consequences.”
She smiled.
For the first time since I’d met her, her face transformed into a stunning display of innocence.
My spoon hit the counter and I grabbed my chest, only half kidding. “Holy shit, Siren. I think my heart just stopped.”
Heat hit her cheeks. “Stop it,” she scolded, but she was still smiling.
“No. You’re fuckin’ gorgeous when you smile.” I couldn’t stop myself. I tucked a strand of her silky hair behind her ear.
She set her spoon down and her smile disappeared. “I’m ready for bed now.”
“Is that an invitation?” I teased.
“No.”
“Damn, Siren.” Laughing, I shook my head. “You know how to crush a man.”
“Funny.”
“No joke about it.” I grinned. “I’m gonna be dreamin’ of that smile.”
She looked away. “Don’t tease me.”
“Who says I’m teasin’?” I put the lid on the ice cream.
“I may not have much experience with men, but I’m not naïve.”
Her tone of voice, her insecurity, they were sobering. “Nothin’ doing, darlin’,” I said seriously. “I wasn’t teasin’ when I said your smile is a showstopper. Thanks for sharin’ it with me.” I stood and kissed the top of her head. “Made me feel human.” Despite the circumstances, I couldn’t remember a night in the past two years where I’d felt more relaxed.
“You’re welcome,” she said shyly.
; “Let me grab some pain meds. You ever taken Percocet before?”
“No.”
“Then you’re in for a treat,” I said sarcastically, knowing she couldn’t possibly understand what the fuck I was talking about. “Be right back.”
I left before I did something stupid, like kiss her. I grabbed a couple of pills from my medicine cabinet and when I went back into the kitchen, she was cleaning up.
“Leave it.” I took a bottle of water out of the fridge for her. “Here.” I held out one of the pills and the water. “Take one now and in four-to-six hours, you can take another.”
She swallowed the pill, set the water on the counter but then she didn’t move.
I knew she wanted to say something. “Spill it. We agreed, we’re playin’ it honest.”
Before I had the last word out, her arms were around my waist and her head was on my chest. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Caught off guard, my hands stayed at my sides until she started to pull back. Then my arms were around her.
If I said the ground under my feet shifted, I’d be a fucking pussy. If I acknowledged the ache in my chest, I’d be a fool. I’d only ever loved one woman and she was dead. I was never going through that again.
“You’re welcome,” I said roughly.
“You’re nothing like him.”
Her quiet voice fell softly against my heart and I tightened my hold on her. Threading a hand through the soft strands of her hair, I made her a promise I had no business making. “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”
“Is he really alive?”
“Yeah.” Kendall wouldn’t have lied about that.
“He’ll come for me.”
I pulled back just enough to look down at her. Every second in her presence made me acutely aware how undeserving he was of her. “Let him try.” I’d bury him.
“He isn’t going to let go.” Her voice was a warning but her eyes told a different story.
“Do you love him?” I had no right to ask.
“He gave me—” She stopped herself and dropped her arms. Looking away, her voice became weighted with the heaviness of sorrow. “I thought I used to.”
I shouldn’t have felt relief but I did. “Get some sleep. We’ll worry ’bout it in the mornin’.”
Favoring her leg, she moved toward the stairs.