Talon

by Savannah Rylan

  “Hey, there handsome. Would you like to dance?”

  “I appreciate it, but not so much right now. Maybe later,” Cort said trying to let her down gently.

  The girl was persistent though.

  “Well, maybe I can find other ways to make you feel better,” she moaned in his ear.

  Cort almost choked on his drink. He smiled and took the girl’s hands off his shoulders.

  “I have other things on my mind right now. I was just leaving,” Cort said.

  Before she or his friends could even protest, Cort finished his drink in one gulp and walked out of the club. He needed some fresh air. It felt good hitting his face and filling his lungs as he his feet slapped against the pavements, his boots making slight clomping noises on the pavement.

  It never ended, did it? Everywhere he went the women would find him, sniffing around like hungry dogs, smelling the fame and the prestige that was given to him simply by being born. He had done nothing really to earn such recognition. He was just lucky enough to be born to the right people. That was it.

  He was so tired of it though. It had its perks of course, but he hated that people did not want to ever get to know the real him. It was like he had to be a constant performer. If anyone knew the real him and found out he was a real man with real problems and flaws than the whole image would be shattered to pieces.

  And his love life had suffered so because of it. He just could not get away from women who only wanted him because of what he was and not who he was. He was a lot more than the King’s son. Why couldn’t anyone understand that?

  As he walked he realized that Markus and Brody were right; he didn’t want to go home. He would actually just sit alone and have a few drinks of whiskey while watching some of his favorite shows or maybe strumming a bit on his acoustic guitar until he fell asleep slumped over it night after night.

  Maybe he would work on the new song he was writing. He’d been writing a lot lately. It was therapeutic to work out the demons and the frustrations of everyday life. Lately, he’d had to deal with more than most people. Of course, he would never let anyone hear any of his compositions. It was just for him. Just something personal he did. Maybe one day after his death he would leave instructions for his body of work, some recordings of his songs for people to listen to and judge where he could no longer hear them.

  He noticed that the Canal was open and he decided to pop in there for a drink or two. It was a nice little upscale bar that he occasionally went to. He was hard not to recognize but a place like that catered to a crowd that seemed to respect his privacy enough to leave him alone. At least he hoped that would be the case tonight. Things like that could change in an instant.

  He went inside and casually walked up to the bar. He ordered a whiskey on the rocks and sat down on an empty stool. The place was pretty busy with a wide assortment of characters all having fun, so far oblivious to the fact that their next possible king was in the room. Even the pretty bartender didn’t seem to notice him, but she was eye flirting with him anyway. Then again that was how she got tips.

  Cort began to sip his drink and glance around inconspicuously. This was when he noticed the pretty girl sitting beside him. How did he not see her before? She was about his age with an angelic face and a demeanor that emanated strength and self-confidence. Her smile was beautiful, and as she caught him looking at her, it widened considerably. She was the type of girl who seemed perfectly at ease by herself but was also very approachable and friendly.

  Cort smiled back at her and went back to his drink. The girl did the same thing. Was it possible that there was a woman in the country who did not know who he was? Or was it just the fact that she did not really care? He was now thoroughly intrigued. As he watched her, it became evident to him that she was a foreigner. The way she was looking around as if there were things about the bar and the people that she did not understand, but she was taking it all in with a mild curiosity that was innocent, and he found rather beautiful.

  “Hi,” he said after a few moments. It felt awkward to be watching her without at least saying something.

  The girl’s eyes lit up slightly as she glanced back at him. Wow, she had the most perfect eyes he’d ever seen…

  “Hi,” she said back.

  “How are you?” Cort followed up. He realized he was really out of practice with making small talk. When women routinely hit on him, he didn’t really have to say much or keep the conversation going. This was harder than he remembered.

  “I’m good,” she replied.

  She was American. He could tell by the accent. That was why she didn’t recognize him. A wave of relief washed over him right then, and he found himself feeling far more relaxed. The pressure was now over; he could just enjoy the good company and not worry about anything else. It had been a while since Cort had felt like this.

  “So how are you enjoying your visit to our country?” Cort asked.

  The girl smiled a bit embarrassed. “Wow, is it that obvious?”

  “Well, yeah,” Cort joked. “I’m Cort. What’s your name?”

  “Teagan,” she said. “It’s great to meet you, Cort. And yes, I am having a great time visiting.”

  “What brings you to our little corner of the world?” Cort asked.

  “I’m just traveling around. I heard this was a fun place to be, so I stopped here for a bit.”

  He loved how vague she was being, but he was not sure if she was flirty or if she was just comfortable sharing much about herself with a total stranger.

  “So, what do you do?” Cort asked.

  “I teach yoga,” she replied. “Have you ever done any?”

  Cort laughed. “No, I have to admit my exercise is mostly confined to jogging and weight lifting. I’m not sure I’m flexible enough to do that.”

  “Well, you have to build it up. It’s harder than it looks and a lot of people give up on it too soon. But I swear if you hang with it then it will change your life.”

  “I love the passion you have for it,” Cort said. “That’s the best thing in the world, isn’t it? To earn your living through your passion.”

  “Yes! It absolutely is. I couldn’t imagine ever going back just a job again. What do you do?”

  Cort thought a moment. He was not about to tell her that he was Prince of Rovenia.

  “I’m a musician, and I also teach surfing,” Cort said. Both of these could have been true, except no one ever heard him playing music and surfing was something he did alone or with a few friends. He hardly had time to teach it to anyone. But he was deeply passionate about both. Somehow this helped him feel less guilty about the fib.

  “That’s great!” Teagan replied. She seemed genuinely impressed. “I’ve always wanted to learn to surf.”

  “Oh, it is just life changing. There is nothing more exhilarating than getting out on the waves and just becoming one with the force of nature, you know?”

  “I do. I feel like that when I’m in the zone doing yoga, as lame as that might sound.”

  “No, not at all,” Cort replied. “I couldn’t imagine you doing anything lame.”

  Teagan glanced down, then looked back up at him with a big smile.

  God, she was perfect.

  CHAPTER 5

  Teagan

  Teagan couldn’t believe how amazing this guy was. She’d never felt such a strong connection with someone she’d just met before. He was tall, handsome, and beyond sexy with the most perfect smile. He was probably dressed down more than most of the people in the bar wearing a tight t shirt with a pair of tight jeans that had a few rips, but it seemed to suit him. He gave off the impression of being a bit of a bad boy, but the way he spoke to her was a poet almost.

  They’d been chatting for almost an hour, and the conversation was flowing even better than the several drinks they were both having. Teagan was not typically a heavy drinker, but she was having so much fun that it just seemed to be the thing to continue doing. Plus, this guy seemed to be tolerating his liqu
or quite well. She was sure as hell didn’t want to come off as a lightweight.

  She was feeling something that she hadn’t felt in so long. The connection to another person, the connection and real genuine attraction to a guy—she wanted to stay there and talk with him all night. But she knew that she couldn’t. At some point, she had to say goodbye. But she was going to stretch this out as far as she possibly could, that was for sure.

  He told her all about his music and how he played mostly small shows in clubs and bars around here and some over in France as well. At one point, he told her about taking off with nothing more than his guitar and a backpack to just go around city to city playing and singing his songs. He didn’t have any gigs set up or anything beforehand. He was really just flying by the seat of his pants.

  She found that sort of dedication admirable. It was something she related to quite well with her yoga practice.

  “Of course, everyone told me I was crazy and that I could never support myself with music, but I told them to go take a flying leap for lack of better terms,” Cort said.

  “That’s awesome. And you are proving them wrong,” Teagan added.

  “Yeah, I guess. I mean it is not much of a living, but I do get by. And I get by doing what I love, so that means more to me than a lot of money.”

  “I totally agree,” Teagan said.

  “What about your yoga practice? How did you get started with that? It sounds like starting up any business like that takes lots of work. I mean with my surfing I don’t need a shop or anything. I just get work from referrals and lots of word of mouth, you know?”

  “I built mine up in a similar way. I started to offer lessons to friends and people they knew. Eventually, I had enough people for some regular classes, but I didn’t really have a place to put them. Luckily the weather in San Diego is beautiful all year, and I had some sessions in the park until I got enough money together to start renting the studio. And the business has just grown from there.”

  He was leaning in hanging on her every word. It was nice having someone take such an interest in her passion, in what she actually did. Corey had never even really cared about it that much. She always got the impression he thought it was some sort of a glorified hobby and she was wasting her education. The man did not have enough artist in him. Or maybe he had too much as it turned out since he left on his little trek of self-discovery.

  “I would love to see you do some yoga for me some time,” Cort said.

  “I’d love to teach you some,” Teagan replied. “But I’m not going to be in town very long I’m afraid.”

  “I didn’t say I wanted to learn some necessarily,” Cort replied with a grin. “I’d just like to see you doing it.”

  Teagan felt herself blushing, but the alcohol had emblazoned her with abnormal confidence.

  “Oh, I might find the time to show you a few things,” Teagan said. “I’m trying to think of what outfit might be best for that.”

  “I don’t think the clothes matter that much,” Cort replied. “You might not be wearing them for very long.”

  Teagan could not believe he’d just said that to her. She supposed she could have been a bit offended at the nature the conversation had suddenly shifted to but she was feeling frisky after all. And she was in a foreign country, she was on an adventure, and she’d decided that while she was on her little siesta that she would not allow common moral conventions to shut down her experiences.

  “Well, someone is thinking they might get lucky tonight aren’t they,” Teagan said.

  “I think I’m already lucky to have met you,” Cort replied. “It’s been a long time since I met someone like you. Maybe never.”

  “I find that hard to believe. A guy as sexy as you are. I can’t believe you don’t have women eating out of your hand.”

  Teagan was impressed with how forward she was being. It was amazing who one became when no one they knew was within a few thousand miles of where they were.

  “So, how long are you going to be in town?” Cort asked.

  “Probably just for the night,” Teagan replied. “Why do you ask?” She flirted.

  Cort flashed that devilish smile at her. “Well, then I guess we have to make our time together count.”

  “That we do.”

  Cort ordered them a few more drinks.

  “Are you trying to get me drunk?”

  Cort smiled. “No, I’m trying to get you to make some bad decisions. Getting drunk is more of a means to an end.”

  Teagan laughed. She grabbed the whiskey and took a healthy sip. She usually didn’t drink whiskey. It was a bit harsh for her tastes, but this was really smooth and had a great after taste full of all sorts of rich, almost fruity after flavors.

  “I will drink to that,” Teagan said.

  “So, what is your ten-year plan?” Cort asked.

  Teagan laughed. “Wow, that is random.”

  “Nah, I’m curious. Isn’t that a thing people ask in The States? Or am I watching the wrong American shows?”

  Teagan giggled. “That’s hilarious. I don’t know, really. Right now, I’m just living moment to moment and enjoying that. I mean hopefully, I’ll be married with some kids and my yoga practice will be thriving. Or maybe I’ll be into something else then. I think ten years down the road is too long to plan, really. I mean the thing is when people make plans like that they always feel like some sort of failure if they end up getting off the train at another stop along the way, you know?”

  Cort was leaning in smiling. He really seemed to enjoy listening to her ramble, which she discovered she did a lot of when she was a bit drunk. The more he leaned in though, the more she wanted to reach out and just plant one on those luscious lips of his. He was so damn handsome. It was ridiculous. If thirty-year-old Brad Pitt, George Clooney, and Tom Cruise all had the best parts of themselves mixed together in a lab experiment, the result would have been this man in front of her.

  “That sounds great,” Cort replied. “I totally agree with what you are saying. My friends and family are always laughing at me for being a bit more of a free spirit, but I’ve always kind of gone with the flow.”

  “Right on,” Teagan said.

  Cort leaned over right then and planted a kiss on her. She completely was not expecting it. Suddenly his warm, soft mouth was on hers massaging her lips with his own. He was so sweet, so succulent. This intense rush of excitement combined with the liquor racing through her system created an effect that felt like the room was spinning around her. She was sure that she was going to fall to the floor, but somehow, she knew that if that happened this wonderful man would catch her in his powerful arms.

  “Wow,” Teagan said as he pulled back from the kiss and brushed a few strands of her hair out of her face gently. His fingers were so thick, so masculine. She was becoming overwhelmed with feelings of pure, intense desire. She wanted this man. She needed him deep inside of her.

  It was just a thought that flew through her mind. It was just a reflex really, but she knew as sure as her next breath that it was happening. And she was not going to regret a moment of it, even if it went against most of her own moral guidelines for her life. For once she was going to throw logic out the window and just indulge in nothing but pure lust. The animal would now take over, and that was just fine with her.

  “Come on,” Cort said.

  He slapped a wad of cash on the bar and nodded to the bartender. Then he grabbed Teagan’s hand and led her out of the bar, down the block and around the corner to a darkened alley. Only the lights from streetlamps across the street and a few shops existed casting slight shadows of the two of them against the walls of the buildings that created the channel of the alley around them.

  She was a bit spooked out for a moment under the realization that she was standing in a dark alley with a total stranger. But somehow, she felt safe with him, that he would protect her from any harm that might befall her. And this only added to her lust and her excitement at what was about to happen. />
  What happened next was not romantic, or soft. It was frenzied, sexy, hot, animal lust on a level she’d never experienced before. It was not a sweet infatuation with a charming prince character. The sex was untamed, it was wild, and it was perfect.

  Cort kissed her hard on the mouth as he reached up under her skirt and pulled her panties down. She wiggled enough to drop them to the ground, not giving a damn about the dirt. He flipped up her skirt exposing her bare ass to him. She could hear his heavy breathing and the grunt that escaped him then. It was the growl of a bear about to pounce on its prey. It was the sound of an animal about to claim what was his.

  And she was more than happy to play the part of the victim here.

  She could feel his raging hardness pressing against her through his pants. Oh, he was hard as a rock. She had to have him inside of her now!

  Cort obliged by quickly unzipping his pants and pulling his thick member out. He slapped it against her ass a few times as if warning her of what was about to happen. It was thick and heavy, yet smooth and warm against her skin.

  She took a deep breath as she felt him rubbing against her growing wetness, moving against her outer lips, teasing her, stoking her oven to grow hotter and wetter. Just when she thought he was just going to keep playing with her, he slowly slid his thickness deeply into her wet mound, parting the crevice as she moved around him to accommodate his massive wad.

  And he was now inside of her, deeply reaching and moving forward. Her body lurched as she absorbed the shock of what was happening. She’d never had anything that big inside of her before, and she reached behind her to grab his hips, to hold him in place. She had to steady him.

  “Ohhh.” The groan escaped her lips.

  He kissed her on the ear and breathed hot breath against her skin.

  “Shhh…it’s ok,” he whispered. He was going to be gentle. She thanked him silently as he moved slowly out of her and then back in, loosening her up, getting her body used to the onslaught of total bliss that was about to happen to her.

  Teagan leaned against the wall and let it happen.