I quickly cut him off,” Don’t finish that thought. I never want to see that again.”
He leans in, green eyes gleaming with mischief, “Never knew you to be a liar, Kitten.”
I can’t help but laugh. The incorrigible menace he was hasn’t changed a bit. “Fine. Let me clean this up and grab my coat. Come on in.”
I open the door, and he steps into my living room. Looking around my home makes me cringe. The house is clean, but everything is worn. I know he’s seen much more luxurious places all over the world. I shake off the embarrassment. It’s not like I’m asking him to move in.
I sweep all the bills into a pile on the table and grab my gray puffer coat from the back of the chair. I walk back into the living room and slide on my shoes.
“Ready?” I ask him.
“I'm just waiting on you.” He looks around. “I bet this place hasn’t changed since you were a teenager.”
He would drop me off in front of my house a few times over the summer that we dated but never came inside. My parents were completely unaware we were ever together.
I look around sadly, “Renovations haven’t been a top priority over the last few years. Let’s go.”
I move out the door, but Talon stops me with a hand on my arm, holding me back. “Is something wrong?”
“Not really. Let’s go.”
“More lies. You can talk about it in the car while I drive.”
Not if I can help it.
I slide into the butter-soft bucket seat of Talon's fancy car and sigh. They were like clouds cupping my butt.
"What kind of car is this?" I ask Talon when he gets behind the wheel. The dash is dominated by a huge screen with a ton of features. I was lucky that my beat-up Camry had power seats and a remote start.
“A brand-new Corvette. I picked it up a couple of days ago."
"I should have known that. I’m sure this thing is worth more than my house.”
He smirks at me, "Maybe."
I poke my finger at him, “Don’t be a smug asshole.”
He pulls the purring sports car out of my driveway and heads out of the subdivision. Within minutes, we're winding through the neighborhoods until we leave the city.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Talon breaks it. “Out with it. What had you upset at your house.”
I shake my head, "I don't want to talk about it. I have some things to work out with my mom.”
"What kind of things? Money things?"
I sigh. He's never going to give up. "We're in a bit of a financial mess. My mom can't work and needs specialized care. Her disability and my pay from the flower shop aren’t enough to cover everything. It's been difficult, and I have no idea how to handle money."
“I have a financial adviser who handles all that for me, but I can help you if you need it."
"I'll keep that in mind," I say, even though we both know I won't.
After driving about fifteen minutes along a curving road around a large lake, we park in front of a vast parcel of empty land. Without a word, Talon opens his door and exits the car. I follow him, and we walk out onto the dirt and grass and look at the rocky shoreline beyond.
“What’s this?" I ask him.
"Mine," he answers.
"You own all of this?"
