She gulped and scrambled up. “I...yes...I’m so sorry. I’m not...this isn’t what it looks like. I’m not a burglar or a home intruder. I was running…and I saw your house...that’s no excuse, of course, I shouldn’t just barge into your house,” she stammered. “I’m so sorry...”
“Hey, it’s okay,” Talon said gently, cutting off her incoherent torrent. “You have nothing to be sorry for. Everything is fine. You are safe here.”
She winced and pushed her unruly hair behind her ears. “I was so tired I fell asleep...” She looked confused, lost and sad, and Talon had to resist the urge to pull her into his arms and comfort her.
“What’s your name?” Talon asked.
“Bianca,” she said with a small smile. “I’m Bianca Bloom.”
“My name is Talon Wyld,” he said, offering his hand. “I’m a carpenter.”
She shook his hand shyly. “Nice to meet you, Talon,” she said. “I’m really sorry to be bothering you. My car broke down along the highway,” she started to explain before letting out a short, mirthless laugh.
“Ah, that’s putting it mildly,” Bianca went on. “My car exploded into flames. I tumbled into the woods and got chased by wolves. I was trying to outrun the wolves when I saw your house. The front door was unlocked so I hid in your house until the wolves went away. I’m really sorry to inconvenience you...”
“Please,” he said. “Don’t apologize.”
Bianca wrapped her arms around herself and grimaced. “My suitcase was in the back seat. I couldn’t save anything from the fire.”
“You saved yourself,” Talon said. “Anything else can be replaced. But not you.”
She lifted her eyes to him in surprise. A faint blush was creeping across her cheeks. “You’re a very kind man,” she mumbled. “Thank you for helping me.”
Talon indicated the couch and said, “Sit down, Bianca. Those bruises and cuts on your arms look pretty nasty. I have a first aid kit in my room...”
“Oh, please, you don’t have to...”
Talon turned and she shrank back at the fierce, burning look in his eyes. “You’re hurt,” he growled and strode to his room. He grabbed the first aid kit from the cupboard and went back to Bianca. “Sit,” he ordered.
She complied without protest this time.
Carefully, Talon cleaned the cuts and scratches on her arms and face, and applied a soothing ointment to that large bruise on her forehead.
Bianca thanked him repeatedly until he stood up and held out his hand. “We’ll talk in the morning,” he said. “Now you need to get some rest. Come on.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Bianca hesitated a beat before taking Talon’s hand. He led her to his bedroom and walked in.
Eyes widening, Bianca stopped and pulled her hand back.
“T-this is your bedroom,” she stuttered.
“Yes. You’ll sleep here tonight.”
Bianca froze and stared at Talon. Was she sleeping in his bed tonight?
“No, no...” She gulped and backed away from him.
“You’ll sleep here,” Talon said firmly. “I will sleep outside on the couch.”
Bianca blinked at him and started to protest. “Talon, I can’t let you...”
“You can lock the door from the inside,” he continued, ushering her into the room. “The bathroom is here. I’ll get you a new toothbrush and towel.”
“Talon, I...I really can’t...” She couldn’t possibly let him sleep on the couch. “I’ll sleep on the couch. It’s really very kind of you but...”
“If you sleep on the couch, then I’ll sleep on the floor,” he answered, turning to face her.
Bianca stared into his piercing gray eyes and for an instant, she thought she saw a flash of silver. Silver?
An image of that beautiful gray wolf flashed through her mind. The wolf had the same silver eyes.
Bianca frowned and gave her head a quick shake to clear it. It must have been a trick of the light.
Talon was standing pretty close to her and she could feel the heat from his broad, muscular body. The man was tall, tanned and brawny, with tousled dark brown hair and intense gray eyes. He was ruggedly handsome, with a strong jaw and keen, intelligent eyes.
Talon looked fierce and intimidating, but his touch was infinitely gentle. He had tended to her injuries with care and kindness.
Bianca stared up at his handsome face, suddenly aware that she was alone in the house with a hunky, hot-blooded, virile male. She swallowed hard, her breaths and heart rate quickening.
Talon seemed to have sensed her discomfort. Stepping away from her, he went to the cupboard and pulled out a big, fluffy towel, a large t-shirt and a new toothbrush.
He handed them to her and stepped back, careful not to touch her.
“Goodnight, Bianca,” he said tersely. “Lock the door.”
Before she could say anything, he spun on his heel and went on, yanking the door shut behind him.
Bianca gaped at the closed door.
Did she do or say something to offend him?
Talon seemed to be in a great hurry to get out of the room. It felt as if he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Bianca tiptoed to the door and put her ear to it. There was no sound at all outside.
But she was sure that Talon was still in the house. She could feel his presence, and her entire body thrummed with nervousness and anticipation.
Gulping, Bianca turned the lock and stepped away from the door.
She wasn’t sure if she was locking Talon out or locking herself in.
She knew that Talon wouldn’t hurt her. Somehow she felt safe with him. But she couldn’t trust herself with him.
Being near Talon made her body react in the most embarrassing, inappropriate way.
She had shamelessly trailed her eyes down Talon’s body, taking in his sculptured muscles and hard, broad chest. His t-shirt was torn in places and it allowed her a tantalizing glimpse of his ripped torso. His faded jeans hung low on his narrow hips and the bulge in the front of his jeans was obvious.
Bianca bit down a whimper, feeling the moisture between her legs.
There was an undeniable attraction between them. When she gazed at Talon, she could see her own desire reflected in his deep gray eyes. And when he touched her, she could feel the jolt of electricity coursing through her veins and setting every nerve on fire.
Her skin was tingling and heat was unfurling low in her belly. Bianca pressed her hand to her flushed face and gave herself a stern talking-to. “Snap out of it,” she hissed. “Talon is a nice guy. No wonder he rushed out of the room.”
Talon had probably noticed her ogling him and decided that he’d better keep himself away from that sex-crazed woman who had just barged into his house.
“It’s just the adrenaline,” she told herself firmly. “You don’t actually want to jump his bones.”
Taking a deep breath, Bianca went to the bathroom and flicked on the light. She winced when she saw her reflection in the mirror. She looked awful.
Bianca looked down at her dirty clothes and sighed. These were the only clothes she had.
“One step at a time,” she said, trying to encourage herself. She needed to keep things simple.
Now, she just had to wash up and sleep.
Tomorrow would come. And there would be a whole new set of worries and challenges.
Right now, she was too exhausted to worry about tomorrow.
“I’m alive,” she said, stepping into the shower and feeling her body relax under the spray of warm water. “And I’ll stay alive,” she said fiercely.
She had met a Good Samaritan tonight. Maybe her luck was changing after all.
Talon told her that she was safe here and everything would be fine.
She believed him.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Bianca finished her shower and toweled herself dry. She pulled Talon’s comfortable, big t-shirt over her head and studied herself
in the mirror.
Despite her cuts and bruises, Bianca smiled.
She liked how she looked wearing Talon’s t-shirt.
Carefully, she folded up her dirty, torn blouse and jeans and carried them out to the bedroom. She would have to wear them again tomorrow since she didn’t have any other clothes. Her suitcase had gone up in smoke, together with her car.
Yawning, Bianca crawled into bed and snuggled under the sheets. She could smell Talon on the sheets and pillows. She loved his scent. She wished she could bury her face in his chest and inhale his scent forever.
Bianca blushed and pulled the covers up over her head. She had to nip these naughty, wildly inappropriate thoughts in the bud. She was developing a massive crush on her kind, handsome savior and benefactor.
Closing her eyes, Bianca felt herself relax completely. She didn’t think of the past, only of the present. She was safe now. Things would only get better from here on out.
Bianca sighed and let herself sink into that welcoming, velvety blackness.
She began to dream almost immediately. Images floated through her mind in a lucid dream. She saw Talon’s handsome face and as the image sharpened, she saw him swinging an ax to split logs into firewood.
She saw the forest in the background. The forest looked completely different. It wasn’t shadowy and filled with unseen threats and danger. It was bright and green, idyllic and peaceful. Leaves moved in the breeze and the dappled sunlight danced on the grass.
Talon was shirtless and sweaty, and his muscles rippled as he moved. The sunlight played on his glistening, muscular body, highlighting the lines and angles on his body. He looked so strong and powerful. Bianca saw the determined look on his face as he worked. This was a man who wasn’t afraid of hard work. He took pride in his work and independence, and he took care of what was his.
“Talon...” she whispered, tossing in her sleep.
Her dream grew more vivid. She saw Talon in her bedroom, his eyes gleaming silver. His naked body glistened in the moonlight as he came nearer.
He was coming for her. She panted, the sheets twisting around her bare legs. He was going to take her and stake his claim on her.
The bed morphed into a bed of grass, and Bianca saw that they were back in the middle of the forest.
They were both naked, and she was lying on the grass, her legs spread for him. Talon put his mouth on her sex, holding her gaze with his glowing, silver eyes as he devoured her pussy. It was impossible to look away. His eyes became more feral, almost wolf like.
Bianca gasped when she realized that she was staring into the eyes of a large gray wolf. The wolf and the man stared at her with those same silver eyes. The images overlapped and blurred until all Bianca saw was a spinning web of stars.
The stars winked and Bianca saw that she was lying under a star-studded sky. Talon was making love to her, sliding into her body as he kissed her.
It was beautiful, and Bianca whimpered as she felt the ache grow between her legs.
Talon continued thrusting into her and she could feel his lips and teeth on her. His teeth were sharp, and the pinpricks of pain made her cry out in ecstasy.
The stars spun and pulsed above her, swirling into a deep, never-ending vortex. Bianca felt her pleasure climb as Talon took her harder. She clawed at his undulating back, wanting more of him.
With a gasp, Bianca snapped her eyes open and forced herself to surface from her erotic, sensual dream.
It didn’t feel like a dream at all.
Panting hard, Bianca sat up and stared around. She expected to see Talon but she was alone in the room.
Sweat was trickling down between her breasts and her body was tingling and aching. As she tried to catch her breath, Bianca looked down and saw that her t-shirt was bunched around her belly, exposing her wet pussy.
With a groan, she slumped back against the pillows.
What a dream. The feelings and sensations had felt so real and powerful. Her body was still throbbing with desire and want. And it was clear who she wanted.
Bianca glanced at the door and saw that the door was securely locked.
Talon hadn’t come into the room at all.
In her dream, he had kissed her all over, pleasuring her with his skillful hands and mouth.
She knew Talon was just outside and she had the craziest urge to throw the door open and drag him into bed with her. She wanted Talon to do what he did to her in her dream. She wanted him to make love to her, and ease this maddening hunger in her.
She didn’t understand why her body was reacting this way. She had never wanted a man like this before. This consuming, gnawing lust and hunger was not something she could control or understand.
Bianca made a small sound of frustration.
She was so aroused and so wet. The throbbing, insistent ache in her core was almost unbearable.
She had to do something before she went out of her mind.
Bianca bit her trembling lip and pushed her hand between her thighs.
She would have to take care of her maddening need if she didn’t want to throw herself at Talon and climb the poor man like a tree.
Bianca spread her legs wider and moaned as she massaged her aching, engorged clit. Pushing her t-shirt up her body, she bared her breasts and tugged at her nipples.
She could see Talon’s face in her mind, and she replayed the scene from her dream. She imagined Talon touching her, taking her and claiming her.
Breathing hard, she opened herself wider and pushed a finger into her slit. “Talon,” she whispered.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Talon stood outside his bedroom door, his chest heaving with his harsh, labored breathing. His claws and fangs were out as he inhaled the maddening, intoxicating scent of Bianca’s arousal. She was in heat. Her body was crying out for his.
The overpowering scent of his mate’s need was driving his beast crazy. Talon wanted to wrench the door off its hinges and go to Bianca. She needed him right now.
His wolf was howling in agony inside him. The beast wanted to mate with that sweet, beautiful redhead in his bed. The wolf and the man wanted to take Bianca, claim her and mark her.
She was his.
Now he knew why he had warned her to lock the door. A part of him had feared that he wouldn’t be strong enough to stop himself from claiming Bianca tonight.
He wanted her. There was no denying it.
The moment he saw her running into his house, he had wanted to keep her with him and keep her safe.
And when he whiffed her scent, the need and instinct to mate had been almost overpowering. But he could see how scared and confused she was. Bianca wasn’t ready.
But there was no doubt that Bianca was his mate. Her body had awakened to his.
His scent on the sheets, on her skin had triggered her mating heat. Her body knew what it wanted and needed. Him.
They belonged to each other. They would always want and need each other.
Talon wanted to go to Bianca and ease her. He would pleasure his mate for hours until she was fully sated and satisfied.
But Bianca was human. She didn’t understand what she was feeling. Her body’s response to him was natural and instinctive. But humans tended to overthink everything. They hardly ever listened to their instincts and what nature was telling them.
Talon growled and dug his claws into his palms. He would give Bianca time to accept their mate bond.
He could scent her fierce need and arousal. She needed him now, yet she kept the door locked to keep him out. A shifter female would have ripped the door apart to get to her mate. But humans thought it was better and safer to keep their urges in check.
With his keen hearing, Talon could hear Bianca’s soft moans and cries. Blood dripped from between his fingers as he gouged his claws deeper into his flesh.
His nostrils flared at the powerful, exquisite scent of his mate’s feminine juices. He knew that she had spread her legs wide apart and was touching herself in his bed. An imag
e of her soft, quivering body spread on his bed flashed through his mind.
His cock jerked painfully. He wanted to bury himself inside his mate’s hot, sexy body and hear her screams of pleasure. He wanted to taste her and feel her coming hard against his mouth.
Talon’s whole body shook as his wolf rammed against him. In the next instant, he was going to put his shoulder to the door and smash the bloody door to splinters.
Talon forced himself to take a step back.
With his wolf riding him so hard, he was afraid that he might do something that he would regret for the rest of his life. He would never be able to live with himself if he caused his mate any pain or fear.
Snarling, Talon grabbed his jacket and stabbed his feet into his boots. He snatched up the keys to his truck and marched out of the house into the frigid night air. After making sure that all the doors were locked, he got into the truck and started the engine.
He had to get away from Bianca.
With one last anguished look towards his bedroom window, Talon backed his truck away from the house and drove down the dirt track that led straight to town.
He needed to focus, find something to do.
He had to provide for his mate. Her needs came first, not his.
Bianca had no clothes to wear. She couldn’t be wearing his oversized shirts all the time. He would like that, but Bianca would definitely prefer wearing clothes that fit her properly.
There was a store near the edge of town that sold women’s clothing. It was still dark, and dawn wasn’t even breaking.
Talon didn’t care that the store normally wouldn’t be open at this unearthly hour.
Come hell or high water, he would get Bianca what she needed.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Bianca opened her eyes slowly and sighed. Turning to the window, she blinked at the sunlight streaming in between the curtains.
With a yawn, she stretched and sat up. Glancing down at herself, she hurriedly tugged the large t-shirt down over her thighs. She was wearing Talon’s t-shirt.
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