by Carian Cole
"I made this reminder sheet for you." He hands me a piece of laminated paper, and I look at him quizzically, not quite sure what it is.
He points to it. "It has the alarm code, and cell and house numbers for Lukas, Evie, my mom, Gram, Rayne, Storm, Asher, and our manager. So, if you need to get ahold of me and, for some reason, I don't pick up my cell, you can call one of the guys or my manager. Or if you need something here, you can call Lukas or anyone else in my family. Lukas is the closest, though. And I put Toren's number on here, so if you can't get in touch with anyone and you need some help with something, you can call him. He's like family. I also put the number and address of the emergency vet in case, God forbid, anything ever happened to Pixie. And I got you a small thing of Mace for your keychain."
I take the small can of Mace he's holding out to me as he continues, "I also made sure both cars have a full tank of gas, and I left you five thousand dollars in cash in your nightstand. Oh—and I kinda took your phone and programmed all these numbers into it."
I blink at him and the paper I'm holding and the small canister of Mace. "You did all this?" I ask, surprised. I never would have pegged him for the emergency planning type. "And five thousand dollars? What would I do with that?"
He shrugs. "I dunno, just in case you need it. I want you to feel safe while I'm gone. You can spend the money, go to the spa, buy some clothes, get some cat toys, take Kat out, whatever you want. I just want you to feel safe and happy."
"Tal, you don't have to give me money."
"Stop it. I want you to promise me that you'll lock the doors all the time, don't wander around by the woods looking for dandelions, and you have to set the alarm every night."
"I promise."
Grabbing my keys from the table in the foyer, he hooks the tiny canister of Mace to it. I feel strange having a tiny weapon attached to my keys, but in all actuality, I should have had one when I lived in the ghetto.
"Talon?"
"Yes, baby?"
"Will you promise not to get drunk or high?" I ask cautiously. "I know it's what you're used to doing, but I'm just kinda a little bit sorta nervous about you doing that and then all the hot horny girls trying to see your abs and—"
"Asia," he interrupts. "Stay there and stop talking for a sec. I'll be right back."
He runs upstairs and comes back a few minutes later carrying his two suitcases, which he puts by the front door. I try not to look at them because they mean Max will be here any minute to get him. "You want me to get your name tattooed on my abs? Cuz I'll do that if it will make you feel better."
"No…I don't think the girls who paw at you will care that you're married or taken."
He cocks his head and nods. "That's true. They'd probably want you to join in."
Sitting on the arm of the couch, I cross my arms and pout. "That's not making me feel better in any way."
He stalks from across the room and swoops in on me, pushing me backward onto the couch and falling on top of me, his lips devouring mine, his long hair tickling my cheek and neck. My arms instantly go around him, squeezing his wide shoulders through the gray thermal shirt that accentuates every hard muscle of his upper body.
Pulling back a little, he stares down into my face, his eyes dancing. "Guess what?"
"What?"
"I still only want you. And I may have one or two beers after the show, but that's it. I'm not gonna get wasted or get high. I promise. Storm also said to tell you he will kick my ass if I even attempt to."
His phone vibrates and beeps in his pocket, and he reaches back to pull it out, groaning when he glances at the screen.
"Max is here."
He slowly stands and holds his hand out to me, pulling me up to my feet. Damn, I don't want him to leave. My heart feels heavy in my chest as we walk to the front door together. How did we get like this? A few weeks ago, I wasn't even sure if we liked each other that much and now… I'm not even sure what this is now.
An awkward silence settles over us at the door as he hesitates to leave and I restrain myself from flinging myself around his legs like a child throwing a tantrum. I don't want to drag him into a dramatic good-bye with me crying like an idiot, so I force a smile. "Well, have fun," I say stupidly.
"Um, you too." He grabs his suitcases, and I open the door for him.
"Call me or text me when you can?"
"Yeah, once we get moving on the road, I'll give you a buzz. Remember your list. And buy yourself something."
"I will." I kiss him quickly on the lips, feeling a lump form in my throat. Don't cry. Don't cry. He'll think you're a freak.
From the doorway, I watch him walk down the slate, flower-lined pathway toward Max, who waves at me and meets Talon halfway to take his bags from him. Just as he's about to get into the dark backseat, I freak out.
"Talon!" I yell, running down the walkway, but I don't get very far because, within seconds, he's got me in his arms, kissing me wildly. Suddenly, we've turned into that crazy, cheesy scene in a romance movie, but this is so much better because it's real. It's us.
"I'm sorry," I sputter between kisses. "I didn't want to be the spastic wife who freaks when you leave."
His hands splay on either side of my neck as he kisses me so deeply I feel like he would crawl inside me if he could, and I would gladly swallow him up.
"Be the spastic wife, baby. It fuckin' rocks."
I hug him tightly, trying to squeeze my feelings into him. "You better go. Just…" I take a deep breath, lost for the right words. "Just come back like this, okay?"
Nodding slowly, his eyes reflect exactly what I'm feeling, and he takes both my hands in his. "I'm not going to let anything change, Aze. Our wheels are moving forward, right? The minute I get back home, we're going to pick up exactly where we were this morning. So I expect you to be properly yummied up with body lotion and that wicked tingly stuff on your lips. You got it?"
"I got it."
He gives my ass a playful smack. "Now get back in that house and take a cute selfie with Pixie for me."
Max's laughter can be heard behind us as we kiss one more time before Talon jogs back to the limo, disappearing behind the dark tinted glass.
"Don't worry about him, Mrs. Valentine," Max calls out to me. "We'll see you soon."
I wave until the limo can no longer be seen and then go back into the house, which already feels twice the size and oddly quiet without him. This is going to be a long twenty days.
* * *
A few hours later, my cell phone beeps, and I almost drop it in my excitement to see if it's a message from Talon.
Talon: Miss me yet? ;)
Me: Who is this?
Talon: Ha. Very funny. Don't break my heart, baby
Me: Never
Talon: Just wanted to say hi.
Me: I miss you lots. I might sleep on the couch
Talon: No. I want you to sleep in our bed.
Me: It’s too big and lonely without you :(
Talon: Get in that bed, woman. And set the house alarm.
Me: It's already set
Talon: Good. I mean it—sleep in the bed. I'll call you in the morning.
Me: Ok. Nitey nite.
Talon: Nite, babe. Kiss the rug rat for me ;)
Carrying Pixie, I walk through every room of the house, although I'm not exactly sure what I'm looking for, other than to make certain all windows and doors are locked and no one is hiding out anywhere preparing to attack me once I go to sleep.
After I write in my journal, I decide to skip my nightly bath and just climb right into bed, flicking the television on with the remote, in hopes the glow and soft noise will help me feel less alone. As I try to get comfy without my husband to cuddle up to, I notice my pillow feels strange and lumpy. I sit up to try to fluff it and find his favorite faded black T-shirt, a Post-it note, and a little white stuffed kitten toy under my pillow.
Smiling, I grab the little note and turn on the bedside lamp so I can read it.
Oh, my.
He can be so freaking adorable and sweet sometimes, it makes my heart want to burst. Taking off the tank top I already have on, I replace it with his T-shirt, the fabric thin with a few holes, oh-so-soft, and holding faint traces of his scent.
I grab Pixie from the foot of the bed, hold her up against my cheek and snap our picture, making sure he can see I'm wearing the shirt, and text it over to him.
Me: Thank you for this. We miss you. You're the best husband I've ever had. xoxo
After turning off the lamp, I settle back in bed, comforted by his shirt, with Pixie and the little stuffed toy next to me.
Chapter 26
Asia
"Seriously, Asia, I love your house. I totally want to just move in. How many bedrooms do you have?" Kat walks around the kitchen, opening and closing the drawers. "These drawers don't even slam. It's amazing. What life is this?"
I chew my muffin, watching her in amusement. "They're like soft glide or something. They came with the house."
"Remember when your cabinets barely opened at all or fell off the hinges?"
My teeth grind together. "Yeah, Kat, I do. I'll never forget those things. And ya know what? If I had to, I'd live like that again. I couldn't care less about kitchen cabinets." Sipping my coffee, I swallow it, hoping my annoyance goes with it. "What matters to me is the man who has provided all of this for me."
She leans against the kitchen island where I'm sitting on my usual stool and studies me. "So, how are things going? Tell me the truth, because I've been a little worried." Honestly, she's not a bad friend. She's just easily distracted by bright and shiny objects and doesn't have much of a filter when it comes to pointing out the obvious about someone's situation. Especially mine.
"Are we allowed to talk about details?"
Waving her hand, she perches on the stool across from me. "Screw Dr. H for now, Asia. You're my best friend, so you can tell me whatever you want. She knew you were my friend when you got into this, so of course, she knew we would talk. I just can't tell you anything I've learned at her office."
"Okay, then. Things are a lot better."
"You finally fucked him, didn't you?" she yells, pointing at me. "Finally! I knew you looked different when I got here today. Your vag is thanking the heavens and spreading glow juice though your veins."
"Glow juice? You are a twisted, horny freak, Kat."
"I know.”
Shaking my head, I finish off my coffee. "Great. Anyway, yes, we finally slept together, and it seems to have brought us closer. We're both really happy right now. At least I think he is." I chew my lip. "I'm pretty sure he is."
"I'm sure he is," she confirms. "I can't believe you tortured him for two months with no sex."
Geez. I hope Talon didn't feel like I was torturing him the entire time. "I didn't torture him—"
Her eyes bug out at me. "Um, yes you did. You don't marry a hot as hell rock star and make him celibate. That was a huge, risky move, but I commend you for sticking to your guns. You are totally my idol. I could never get a guy to stay without giving him the goods by the third date."
"It really wasn't like that. He understood my reservations. He's actually a really sweet guy." My lips curve into a smile just thinking about him.
"So, is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"You know—" a sly smile touches her lips "—about the eleven inches."
My mouth gapes open. "Kat! I can't believe you asked me that!" My cheeks burn and I can't even look her in the eye. Does the entire female population know about my husband's cock? That's something I never thought I'd have to worry about.
"Well, he's kinda known for it. Google it."
"No! That's disgusting. He was right; women just wanted to use him. He's more than a piece of meat."
She tries to stop herself from laughing but isn't doing a good job. "You should see how red you are. You're so cute, Asia. And I am very envious of what you've got."
"Shut up, whore," I tease. "The size of his dick was the furthest thing from my mind, believe me."
"Is he good? I seem to remember you telling me Danny was a two-minute wonder."
I grimace at the thought. "Ugh. Don't remind me. If you must know, Talon is amazing. Words can't even describe, and I'm not even gonna try because it's too personal. I just never thought it could be that way. He's wicked sensual." A tingling sensation ripples through my pelvis as flashbacks of him crawling all over me flip through my mind.
She pouts. "Damn. I love Rob, but he's kinda just missionary. I'm jealous. You love him, don’t you?”
"I'm definitely getting there. It's been a really hard journey to get to where we are now. But, yeah." We smile at each other and giggle like we did when we were younger. "I'm pretty sure I'm falling in love with him."
"I'm so happy for you, honey. This is exactly what I wanted for you. I've never seen you look better or happier." She leans forward a little. "So you know I type the notes for all the chats and stuff for Dr. H, but everyone is identified with a number and I don't know who they are. Though, I'm fairly confident I have figured out what your numbers are, and I can't say too much, but… Dr. H. thinks you two have the best chance out of all the couples of staying together."
"Get out!" I squeal. "You really think she thinks that?"
She nods excitedly. "I'm as sure as I can be about which notes go with you two, and I'm sorry if that weirds you out, but you know I love you, right? I know I can be a crazy bitch, but I love you."
"I know that, Kat. I trust you and I love you. I never would have met him if not for you."
"Well, the other couples have had some serious issues. One has been unfaithful, one is pregnant already, and the other two just can't seem to get their shit together. It's really crazy."
"Oh wow! What a shame." I feel really bad for those other couples, because this really is not an easy situation to go through.
"Well, I didn't want you to feel like you two were the only ones who had issues. It hasn't been all unicorns and rainbows for the others either. They're all trying to work it out, though. But, Dr. H did mention in her notes that these two certain numbers—" she glances sideways with a little grin "—are the most devoted to each other and much more 'serious about being married than the others.' And I'm sure that’s you two."
Taking a deep breath, I feel a new sense of confidence come over me. We're doing well. And according to what Kat just said, Dr. H's notes indicate that we are the most devoted to each other. We. That means him, too, which means he must be telling her good things.
"Kat, thank you for telling me that. It makes me feel so much better. But don't tell me anything else. I don't want anything to mar this for us."
"Okay. I understand."
I take our coffee cups to the sink to rinse them before placing them in the dishwasher. "Did you and Rob set a wedding date yet?"
"Not yet, but we're working on it. He has to coordinate with his job and all that. Thankfully, Dr. H. will be flexible with me, so I can take off whenever I want to. I'll keep you updated when we finally have a date."
"You better. I'm excited to start planning with you." I wish we could have planned my wedding a little more personally, rather than having to follow all the rules of the team for the project. I would have much preferred to get married outdoors, near a lake perhaps, or maybe even a small beach. And if I had known Talon before our wedding—wow, that sounds crazy—I think I would have liked him to wear something more his style, rather than a tuxedo. The one thing I regret the most, though, is not being able to experience a proposal. Instead of a romantic night with my guy getting down on one knee and sliding a handpicked symbol of his love onto my hand like Kat was able to experience and have memories of forever, I got a phone call from Dr. Hollister.
"You have to show me the new outfits you're making!" Kat begs. "I cannot believe you're designing clothes for Ashes & Embers and freakin' Sugar Kiss. It's too amazing for words."
"Isn't it nuts? I still really can't believe it. Talon is going t
o take pictures of the guys wearing some of it while on the tour. I can't wait to see."
She follows me down to my craft room to see some of the designs I'm working on, and she actually tears up as she touches all the outfits and looks at the sketches Tal and I have pinned up to the idea board.
"Asia…I am so proud of you." She pulls me in for a hug. "I could not be happier for you. In just a few months, your entire life has turned around. I always knew great things would happen for you."
Squeezing her back, I know I owe it all to her. "I wouldn't have any of this if you hadn't helped me so many times or had faith in me. I don't even know how to thank you."
She pulls away and wipes her finger under her eye. "That's bull. You would have been amazing, no matter what. I just tried to give you little shoves. Now, you can thank me by taking me to the spa. It's about time for us to leave, I think?"
Glancing at my watch, I nod. "It is. Let's go get pampered."
I never thought I'd ever be able to take my best friend for a day at the spa to get the works. It still feels surreal to me, or perhaps like a dream and I worry I'll wake up any minute and be back in my little apartment, wondering if I'll have enough money to eat next week.
* * *
From the car, I fire off a text to Talon while Kat drives us to the spa.
Me: On my way to the spa with Kat. Thank you for doing this for us. Xo
Five minutes later, he replies.
Talon: Anytime, baby. Have a great time. Loved your picture last night. Take one tonight.
Me: I will :-) Send me one of you too
Talon: Ok. We're just getting some shit set up now. I like you in my favorite shirt. I'm going to fuck you in it when I get home
Whoa! My thighs burn and clench together as I stare at the screen.