14. Misely
fourteen
Misely
“O h, Susie, where is your chef so that I can propose?” I scarfed down another bite of creamy almond topped cheesecake, moaning with pleasure as the flavor exploded across my tongue.
The woman beamed with pride, her hands clutched in front of her chest. Meanwhile, Talon sat across from me sipping a glass of brandy and watching me eat as if I were an extraterrestrial being.
“I’ll tell Louis you send your deepest appreciation for his craft, but I regret to inform you that he is a bit on the older side.”
I waved my hand. “Preposterous. I’d never be put out by something so trivial as age. So long as he can make me meals like this every day, I’m happy to sign up as his ball and chain. Age-gap romance has never scared me.”
Susie’s laugh tinkled around the dining room, now empty with the exception of the small table she’d led us to half an hour before. “Well, unfortunately he’s already got someone who holds claim to that title. Besides that.” She gestured to Talon. “I doubt your beau here would be very fond of sharing you.”
Talon cocked his head to the side, giving me a look that dared me to refute her. Sitting back in my chair, I crossed my legs and took a deliberate sip of my pink martini. “Oh, I don’t know. Talon darling, how would you feel about a little ménage à trois? It could be fun. Louis could make us treats. Though I suppose if his partner joins it would be more of a ménage à quatre ?”
Susie’s cheeks flushed a bright pink, a small gasp leaving her lips as she looked between the two of us. She very likely didn’t think this conversation would veer in such a scandalous direction, but now we were here as we both waited for Talon’s response. He seemed terribly unimpressed while simultaneously amused at my taunting. He leaned as far forward as the table would allow, meeting my eyes directly.
“I’m so sorry to disappoint you, my love, but our kind hostess is correct. This thing…” he gestured between our bodies with a finger, his lips curved in a sinister grin. “Is just between the two of us. Nobody else gets to touch you.”
My mouth went completely dry, the taste of my martini souring on my tongue. It was as if we were chest to chest in the doorway of the bathroom again, one wrong move away from every ounce of control crumbling.
Susie’s released a small, “Oh, my.” that was swallowed up by Talon very suddenly turning his attention on her.
“Thank you so much for your hospitality tonight, Susie. It’s been truly unmatched. We’ve been staying in highway motels on our journey west so far, and this place is just a complete breath of fresh air.”
The abrupt change in subject made her blush intensify. “ Oh. ” Her hands fluttered in front of her. “Oh, you really are too kind. It’s no bother. I uh—I think I’ll go see if Louis needs any help cleaning up the kitchen, and let you two enjoy the rest of your dessert. You can leave your dishes when you’re done.”
Without another word, she bustled out of the room like her skirts were on fire. I shot a glare at my companion. “You didn’t have to ruffle her up like that. Poor woman is probably off to go pray.”
Talon looked incredulous but he was chuckling. “Excuse me, you started it, Miss French Foursome.” He took another long sip of his brandy, but I was in shock. Talon had just laughed authentically in my presence for the first time, and I was completely unnerved by how much I had enjoyed the sound. And how badly I wanted to hear it again.
It had been too much to ask that I not be handcuffed to the damn headboard again. Apparently, I was ‘out of my mind’ if I thought for even a second that Talon would leave any margin of risk that I might think better of this entire arrangement and take off with Louis after all.
Talon, ever the gentlemen, did not sleep on the floor as I’d also requested. Instead, he’d slept entirely too close—while also managing not to touch me—and taking all of the covers for himself. I was sure it had been on purpose. He’d made yet another snide remark about my choice in pajamas and how they didn’t suit the crisp bite in the air. As if I were blind to the way he obviously appreciated my apparel.
The next morning my joints ached and my arm was tingling and numb. I had no idea what time it was, but Talon seemed to be halfway through his strange morning ritual. In the few days I’d been stuck with him it hadn’t taken long to realize that these acts were almost compulsive.
He’d just stepped into the room, the strong odor of sweat following him. He must’ve just finished his workout, and I absently wondered if there was a gym in this place. The idea didn’t fit considering the historical nature of the property—Susie had mentioned that this place had been around since 1905 and over the generations they’d done what they could to maintain its integrity and purpose.
A gym would not have been a part of the initial layout and I highly doubted that it would’ve been added on later. So, Talon must’ve found an alternative, because as much as I doubted there was a gym, I also doubted he’d skip the workout. My curiosity was piqued all the more.
Quickly quashed by the prickles of irritation in my wrist from the pressure of the metal cuffs. “Hey, Machine Gun Kelly. Do you think you could let me out of my confinement before you lock yourself in there for an hour? My arm is numb.” I wiggled my wrist making the metal clang on the headboard.
His eyebrow quirked. “Machine Gun Kelly?”
I rolled my eyes. “ George Machine Gun Kelly.”
He said nothing and I sighed as if I were exasperated, but really, I did not expect him to know what the hell I was talking about. I had a habit of retaining random information I’d picked up in my lifetime and I guess that included some random true crime trivia. “C’mon, you should know this, he’s probably one of your heroes. Famous gangster? Kidnapper?”
Talon’s eyes went icy, but still he remained silent. Reaching down, he pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it in my direction where it landed unceremoniously on the bed. The stench of body odor overwhelmed my senses but before I could protest, the bathroom door was closing with an audible click. I flung a middle finger in the direction of the door, biting down on my tongue to keep from shouting out loud the obscenities I wanted to spew his way.
Ten minutes later Talon stepped back out, a towel wrapped around his waist to catch the steaming water that was sliding down his bare chest. My jaw dropped a fraction and I had to force it to snap shut. He was well muscled, his skin practically glowing under the sunlight pouring through the terrace windows. The morning exercise was clearly doing wonderful things for his body. Turning his back to me, Talon grabbed his duffel bag and dropped the towel, leaving a perfectly sculpted ass on display for my unhindered ogling.
What. The. Fuck.
Before I could scramble out some sort of incoherent snide remark though, he was sliding on a pair of black briefs, grabbing the paperback book he’d been reading from and settling into the chair beside the window. He hadn’t bothered to put on pants or a shirt or say a single word to me and that alone left me uncharacteristically speechless. I felt my mouth open and close two more times before I finally came up with something to say.
“I’m surprised you even know how to read.” It was a stupid thing to say, really. And if I searched my memory banks hard enough, I thought maybe I’d already made some sort of stupid remark to him before. Still, it was the only thing I could think of when distracted by so much of… him .
Talon’s chuckle wasn’t like the one he’d given the night before. It was dark and threatening and doing very strange things to my insides. Standing again, he returned to his duffel bag, dropping the book inside before stalking over to the end of the bed. Very slowly, he climbed onto it, crawling towards me in a way I could only describe as predatory. His knees bracketed my thighs, trapping me in place as he brought his face in close to mine. This was it. He was going to kiss me. And I wouldn’t have to feel bad about it because it wouldn’t have been my fault. Even if I had secretly wanted it.
My breath stuttered as I mentally prepared for the meeting of our lips, my eyelids fluttering as I struggled to maintain eye contact. There was a dampness between my thighs that I was not prepared to acknowledge and I was acutely aware of the way my chest was frantically rising and falling between us. Talon’s lips were so close I felt his breath fan across mine, warm and tinged with cinnamon. My lids won the battle and slid shut, my lips parting with silent invitation. Ugh, just do it already.
The sound of tape being ripped from its roll had my eyes snapping open. The twisted humor in Talon’s eyes had humiliation burning my cheeks. As the strip of duct tape was placed over my still partly open mouth, Talon grinned. “What did I tell you was going to happen if you didn’t learn to shut up, Blondie?”