Chapter 13
Sierra
Talon pauses. His gray gaze travels from Luke to rest on me.
Once again, I can't look away.
He’s wearing a shirt now, but it does nothing to reduce the effect he has on me. Lust hits low in my stomach, wiping out whatever I was thinking before. My tongue dries up, desire surging through me, setting me on fire.
His eyes…God, the intensity of them.
They lock onto mine, and it all comes rushing back. The heat, the tension, the way his body moved, the release at the end, his back arching—
“Hello?” Luke’s voice cuts through the moment as he snaps his fingers in the air. “Tal? Did you hear anything I said?”
Tal doesn’t respond, but I finally manage to tear my gaze away as Luke sighs and says, “Let’s just get in the car. I’m sure he’ll figure it out by the time we get there.”
“No,” Talon says.
“No?”
“No.”
I sneak another look at Talon and catch him still staring at me when he says it.
I instantly blush. Is that ‘no’ directed at me? Is it his way of saying he doesn’t want to be around me—still freaked out by what I saw?
Maybe he thinks I’m obsessed with him.
The most embarrassing part is that it’s not entirely wrong.
God, how humiliating.
And yet, a flicker of irritation sparks. Why is this all on me? Yeah, I shouldn’t have looked—but he could’ve picked a more private place. He knew I was coming back.
Still, I’m not about to start inventing motives.
Even if the timing makes no sense.
“Why not?” Luke says. “We’re heading in the same direction anyway. We save gas that way, plus you have extra help if you have to haul back anything heavy.”
“I don’t need help.”
“Okay, tough guy. Didn’t you pull a muscle lifting that RAM engine last time instead of just calling me or Reid? Thought you’d have learned your lesson by now, big man. At our age, we gotta start taking care of ourselves.”
“You say that like you have one foot in the grave,” I comment. “But Reid can only be, what… thirty-three? Maybe thirty-four? And no way you’re that much older.”
“Not much. Let’s call it ‘mid to late thirties,’ shall we?” He grins. “Talon’s the baby. He’s only thirty-two. Practically a kid still. Anyway…” he turns back to Talon. “You’re headed to Brody’s, right? Doesn’t he always give you a hard time when you go alone?”
“Why does Brody give Talon a hard time?” I ask when Talon doesn’t immediately answer.
“Because he mistakes this one’s silence for arrogance. Then he overcharges him because Tal won’t haggle and is too noble to kick his ass. Come on, Tal, if I go with you, I’ll get you a discount.”
“I can get one myself if I want one,” Talon growls, clearly not pleased.
“Yeah, because you’re so great at communication.”
Talon’s frown deepens.
“Um, it’s okay, Luke,” I say. “If Talon wants some privacy, we can just go on our own.”
“Nonsense. I used to run errands with him all the time.” He raises an eyebrow. “Unless it’s Sierra you have a problem with, Tal?”
Oh God. Damn Luke and his inquisitiveness. A denial catches in my throat. Talon reacts too, his expression cracking, color rising in his face.
This could spiral fast.
Because the only thing worse than being caught watching Talon in the shed is Luke finding out about it.
Luke glances back at me, and I try to look normal. For a second, I wonder if he’s doing this on purpose—pushing us together.
But his expression is completely innocent when he asks, “Did you guys fight? Did you insult his grandma or something?”
“No,” I say quickly. “I didn’t. I just—”
“Fine.” Talon’s voice cuts in, sharp and decisive. Luke’s head snaps back to him. “You can come with me.”
Luke smirks. “You sure, buddy?”
Talon glares but nods, jaw tight.
“Oh no,” I say, raising a hand. “I don’t want to bother him.”
“It’s not a bother. Right, Tal?”
Talon’s face darkens. Then his eyes drop, almost reluctant, and he gives a small shake of his head.
“Great.” Luke takes my shoulders and steers me toward the car, humming under his breath the whole time. He’s always doing that—humming, whistling, making some kind of noise. Silence seems to be his natural enemy.
Once we're settled in, Talon stares up at the sky, makes a quick, almost reverent gesture with his hands, and gets into the driver's seat.
It’s not the most awkward car ride I’ve ever had, but it’s definitely up there.
The tension between us is tight, but somehow Luke doesn’t notice.
Or maybe he does and just chooses to ignore it.
He talks the entire way, pointing out the new road they built and naming the trees we pass like some kind of tour guide.
In a way, it’s kind of sweet how much he clearly loves this place.
“You see that bristlecone pine over there? It’s five thousand years old. Older than civilization. Ancient tribes used to pray to it like it was a god.”
“That’s not a bristlecone pine,” Talon cuts in, the first thing he’s said since we started driving. “It’s a juniper.”
“You sure? It looks like a bristlecone pine.”
“It’s not.”
“How can you even tell? You’re not even looking at it?”
“I don’t need to.”
“Oh, right. I forgot—you know more about trees than people.”
Luke rubs his chin. “I’m guessing that story about the five-thousand-year-old tree granting wishes is just a tourist thing?”
“Most tourists are smart enough not to fall for it,” Talon says, earning an indignant gasp from Luke and a snort from me.
My eyes meet Luke’s in the mirror. He looks amused.
I kind of am too.
Talon may not say much, but when he does, he’s certain.
“Did you hear that, Sierra?” Luke says. “Tal just called me stupid.”
“I’m sure he didn’t mean it like that.”
“Yes, he did. I’m hurt.” He waggles his eyebrows at me in the mirror. “You wanna kiss and make it better?”
The offer sends heat straight through me, dragging my mind back to our kiss.
And everything that followed.
God, I wish I’d kissed him more. Let it go further.
I shut the thought down fast. What is wrong with me lately?
Well…he did interrupt my orgasm earlier.
Still. Fantasizing about three different men—two of whom are currently in this car—is a lot.
Even for me.
Talon’s eyes flick back to mine in the mirror again, sharper this time.
There’s a question in his gaze, and I’m pretty sure my blush answers it. He can’t have missed the tension between Luke and me.
Great.
By now he probably thinks I’m some kind of nymphomaniac, my urges completely out of control.
And the worst part is, I can’t exactly prove him wrong.
But I also can’t do anything about it. Not with Luke. Not again. Too messy. Too many lines already crossed.
So why is Luke still flirting with me?
Why is he pushing it?
I glare at him in the mirror. He just winks.
The car ride is beginning to feel longer than it should. Being trapped in a car with two men I’ve very much not been thinking about innocently is doing things to my head. Their presence fills the space—different, but equally distracting.
I can’t wait to get out.
Luke keeps talking as we reach town, pointing out buildings, telling me stories, mentioning the upcoming county fair.
As we pull up outside the car parts store, he’s mid-story—some local scandal about the previous deputy sheriff and the schoolteacher, though I haven’t been listening all that closely. He hops out first and strides up to the door, the bell jangling as he pushes it open.
“Hey, Brody. Long time no see.”
The older man behind the counter gives him a tired smile, but that doesn’t last. Within minutes, Luke has him laughing and chatting.
I can’t help smiling. The way he puts people at ease—it’s effortless.
I’m not even sure he knows he’s doing it. He carries a lightness… a kind of easy warmth people naturally gravitate toward.
Especially those who’ve known the dark.
He has too.
I remember the scars on his arms. I still haven’t asked about them. I’m not ready to share mine either.
Luke keeps talking long after Talon finishes his shopping. Tal leans against the truck, looking bored, so I wander over.
“He’s quite a talker, isn’t he?” I say, nodding toward Luke. “Really has the gift of the gab.”
Talon nods, tight and brief, but says nothing.
“So,” I try again, “any more tree facts?”
He shakes his head, even stiffer this time.
Right. Still awkward.
After that, we head to the grocery store. Luke chats with the staff while picking things up, then does the same at the diner with the waitress before she even takes our order.
“Do you know the life story of everyone in this town?” I ask.
“Something like that.” He shrugs, grabbing a bread roll. “I’m friendly. Sue me.”
“I’m not complaining,” I say with a grin. “It’s nice. Kind of rare these days.”
I catch Talon stiffening slightly, but Luke just shrugs. “Someone has to balance these two out. Most of the town’s scared of Tal or a little wary of Reid.”
“Reid? Why?”
“You know how intense he is. Always deep in thought. Then when he does say something, he tends to over-share. It’s just… not what people around here are used to.”
I nod, smiling. Yeah, that tracks. Reid always was still waters running deep—meaning well, but somehow managing to say exactly the thing you didn’t want said at that moment.
“So,” he says, leaning forward, “you want to tell me what’s bothering you?”
It’s my turn to stiffen. “Nothing’s bothering me.”
“Really? Because you were acting weird earlier.”
I shrug. “Maybe I am weird. Sue me. Isn’t that what you told me to do?”
“Touché,” he says with a smile. “And that’s a good coincidence. Because we’re weird too.”
He says it like it includes Talon, but Tal doesn’t object.
As we wait for our food, I notice the looks we’re getting. Some curious, some wary, some openly envious.
I can’t blame the women.
I’m sitting with two ridiculously attractive men.
And doing absolutely nothing about it.
Lunch is good, conversation easier than expected, but I still catch Tal and Luke exchanging looks over my head. I don’t know what they mean, and I don’t ask.
We finish up and head back.
I actually enjoyed the trip, but by the time we get back, I’m more than ready for some privacy. To pick up where I left off and finish what I’d started before Luke had knocked on the door and I’d ended up on the floor.
Unfortunately, that’s not happening.
Because Reid is in my room.
And my vibrator is pressed against his nose.