“Yeah, I know. I figured that’s what it was.”
“Well…there were things before then, even. But it’s Talon’s story to tell, not mine. If he’s bothering you, just ignore him.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. He’s not bothering me. I just would like to know more about him.”
“He’s pretty much a closed book.”
“I figured as much.” That armor I had sensed the first time I met him—so apparent, although invisible. I could feel it, as if it were a living, breathing entity enclosing him.
“Don’t let him get to you,” Ryan said. “He’s been through a lot. Just hang out with Marjorie, and starting tomorrow, you can hang out here with Marion and me and the rest of us. When did you say you get your bar results?”
“It could be as soon as a few weeks to a month. Or it could be longer. I frantically check the website every day to see if it’s been updated.”
Ryan laughed. “I imagine that’s pretty nerve-racking.”
“No kidding. Those were the most challenging two days of my life. And I’d better pass, because I am certainly never taking the damn thing again.”
“Well, if you don’t pass and you don’t want to take it again, maybe you can become a winemaker.” He smiled.
Gorgeous smile. Funny, though. It didn’t affect me at all. I didn’t feel any pull. It was Talon, who never smiled, who drew me like a magnet.
“I’ll have to think about that.” I laughed. “What time do you want me here tomorrow?”
“Let’s say nine for now. When things get busier, we start at eight, and sometimes even seven.”
“Not a problem. I can do that.” It would give me something to focus on. And I’d better start sleeping if I had to get up early, which meant no more midnight rendezvous with Talon.
All for the best.
I thanked Ryan again, stopped at the office and said good-bye to Marion, and drove back to the main house.
I walked in the front door. “Marj?” I called.
No response. I checked my watch. Noon. No wonder I was hungry. I walked into the kitchen, this time in broad daylight, and there was Talon sitting at the table, that adorable dog at his feet.
He was staring at a full glass of water.
Chapter Six
Talon
“So is this your MO at noon as well as midnight?”
I looked up. Jade. Well, what had I expected? She lived here now.
“Don’t mind me,” she said. “I’m just going to make myself a sandwich.”
“Felicia can make you something.”
Jade turned her head. “Where is she?”
“She ran to the market.”
“If she’s not here, how can she make me anything?” Jade walked to the refrigerator and opened it.
“She’ll be back.”
Jade laughed. “I’m perfectly capable of fixing my lunch. Can I get you anything?”
“No. I’ll wait for Felicia to get back.”
“Suit yourself.”
Jade rumbled about in the kitchen, and within a few minutes, sizzling sounds and the robust scent of cheddar cheese drifted over to me.
“What are you making?”
“Grilled cheddar and tomato sandwich, one of my favorites.”
My mouth began water. Damn, that sounded good. But I couldn’t ask her to…
“Sure I can’t make one for you?”
“Well…I don’t know how long Felicia is going to be. I am kind of hungry…”
She clomped over to me and stood at the other end of the table, glaring at me with her steely eyes. “I am more than happy to make you a sandwich. It is not a problem. It is not a bother. But you have to tell me that you want it.”
God, when she looked at me, I became defenseless. She could see right through those walls. I knew it. And somehow, I could tell that she knew it too.
I couldn’t let her in. I’d already kissed her twice. If I let her make me a sandwich… Oh, fuck. It was a goddamn sandwich. “I want it,” I said.
She pursed her pretty red lips. “A ‘please’ might’ve been nice, but I’ll take it.” She walked back to the counter and brought over a sandwich on a plate. “You can have this one. I’ll make myself another.”
“I didn’t mean to take your sandwich.”
“It’s no bother,” she said through gritted teeth. “You’re letting me live in your house, Talon. And you know what? Even if I weren’t a guest in your home, I would still offer to make you a sandwich. Do you know why?”
Was I supposed to answer? Or was it a rhetorical question? I arched my eyebrows.
“Because I’m a nice person. Because it’s a nice thing to do.”
She walked back to the cooktop. I turned around and watched her create another sandwich for herself. She was at ease in the kitchen. I didn’t have a lot of memories of my own mother, but of the few I had, none of them included her standing in the kitchen making a meal for me. For any of us, for that matter. We always had a cook and housekeeper. One of the benefits of being born a Steel, I guess. There didn’t seem to be many more benefits, at least not in my case.