I bite my lip while my heart sinks. Why didn’t he ask me to stay with him? Doesn’t he feel the connection between us? I thought it was undeniable, but maybe I’m wrong. However, I can’t bear the thought of leaving him and returning to my old life. I need to know what he thinks about our relationship, about us. My heart races as I gather the courage to ask him.
“Talon … how do you feel about me?” My voice quivers, despite my attempt to keep it steady.
He takes a deep breath before speaking.“Jess, I told you everything about me, so you know I’m just a swamp rat. I don’t have anything to offer you that you don’t already have. I can’t give you a lavish lifestyle or guarantee your safety.”
His words pierce my heart like a dagger. The pressure in my chest makes it hard to breathe. I’m losing him, and I don’t know how to make it stop.
“My life in the club is dangerous. You deserve to be happy, and I’m not sure I can make that happen without changing who I am,” he admits, his gaze finally meeting mine again.
Tears threaten to spill down my cheeks, but I blink them back. He’s right. His life is dangerous, but that doesn’t change how I feel about him. It doesn’t alter the fact that he’s been there for me when I needed him most.
“I understand all of that.” I take one of his hands in mine.“But I want you to know I don’t care about fancy things or a safe life. What I care about is you.”
“Jess—”
“Please, let me finish,” I plead, squeezing his hand gently.“You’ve shown me what it means to be strong, brave, and fiercely loyal. Your life may be dangerous, but it’s also filled with love and purpose. And I want to be a part of that.”
A tear slips down Talon’s cheek. He quickly brushes it away, looking almost embarrassed. But his eyes never leave mine, as if searching for any sign of doubt. I can see the conflict in his eyes. He’s struggling between wanting to believe me and fearing I’ll change my mind once the club becomes a bigger part of my life.
“You could have any life you want, you know that, right? Any man you want.” His jaw clenches.
“Any man? Why would I want anyone else?” A small smile tugs at the corner of my lips.
“You could find someone else, a rich man, someone who could—”
“Stop. Just stop. I’ve never cared about having a lot of money or living a fancy lifestyle. If I did, would I be working for a non-profit animal shelter making very little money? I made that choice because it’s where my heart is, just like your heart is with the club and helping others. Living a meaningful life surrounded by people I love and who love me back is the only thing that matters to me. With you, I feel alive and truly happy. That’s more important than any amount of money or material possessions.”
He reaches up to gently brush a strand of hair behind my ear.“You’re an incredible woman. I just hope I can be enough for you.”
“You already are. You’re more than enough,” I assure him, intertwining my fingers with his. He strokes his thumb over my knuckles before pressing a kiss to each one.
“I need you, babe,” he whispers, rolling me onto my back.
As I lie back and spread for him, Loki jumps up onto the bed. He nuzzles against Talon, wagging his tail with pure joy. Loki’s tongue hangs out before he uses it to give Talon slobbery doggie kisses.
“Not right now, Loki,” Talon says, wiping his mouth.
“See?” I prop up on my elbows, grinning at Loki’s affectionate display.“Loki loves you, too. We both do. Don’t we, puppy? Yes, we do.” I ruffle Loki’s fur.
Talon’s laughter fills me with hope. He tackles Loki, and they roughhouse on the bed for a minute, nearly knocking me off it. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. Talon has been through so much in his life. I understand his hesitation. It’s just fear. But we’ll be able to get past it. He just needs time to get used to having someone love him.
“Okay, bud. Time to go out,” Talon says, gently grasping Loki’s collar and leading him out into the hall. Loki drops his head and gives Talon the big, puppy dog eyes look.“I’m not falling for that. I need to talk to your mom, alone. We’ll play with you soon, I promise.”
“Woof!”
“Yes, I love you, too.” Talon grins at Loki.
“Woof!”
After closing the bedroom door, Talon crawls back into bed with me.“He’s going to be a handful.”
“No worse than me,” I tease.
“I love you, Jess. So much.” His voice is thick with emotion.“I didn’t think I’d ever find love, and then you came along. After what happened to me at Blackstone’s, I didn’t think anyone would want me. But you did. I told you most of what happened, but that wasn’t all of it.”
“If you want to tell me more, I’m here to listen. Always.”
“Not right now. I don’t want to ruin today. But soon, I’ll tell you everything. There’s something you have to understand, something I don’t think I’ve been explicit about yet.”
