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Jenna stopped him, eyes straight to his, “Doesn’t matter now. I felt stupid, and it hurt, but it’s done. So just let it be done.”
“That’s just it,” Talon argued. “You weren’t stupid. I was a fucking idiot. And I know I hurt you, and, Jesus, I wish I could take that back.” Talon set his fork on his plate and faced her. “But I don’t want us to be done.”
Jenna sat silent, still focused on her breakfast, so Talon took that as leave to go on. “I had a wife. Long time ago. College sweethearts, I guess you’d call it. She did her sorority thing, and I was a jock, so getting married seemed like the next step. The right thing to do.”
Talon leaned back in his chair, toying with the rim of his coffee mug. “I landed a big job. Engineering firm in Atlanta. Made bank. Her parents had already spoiled her, and what started out as cute turned into a nightmare.”
Talon checked Jenna, but her eyes were still on her plate. So he went on, “She was manipulative on a good day. She was snotty and mean on the bad days. Always with the bigger house. Fancier car. More exotic vacation. And I realized that she loved the money I made, but she didn’t give the first shit about me. So I walked. Came to Savannah. Hooked up with Gate again. Been here ever since.”
Jenna set down her fork and wiped her mouth with her napkin. Then she gave him her face, and he saw, for the first time, not pain or embarrassment, but anger. Sparks of pure fury. And even though he knew it was all directed at him, she still took his breath away.
“Given what you’ve just shared,” she started, “I can understand why that experience influenced you to be a judgmental asshole who jumped to conclusions when he crossed paths with a devastated woman who was struggling the best she could to keep from drowning in a life she hated.”
Talon started to speak, but then she drew a breath and kept going, “However, that doesnotexplain why ten years later, you saw that same woman, whom you obviously didn’t recognize, which is neither here nor there, and treated her like a whore. You could look at me and tell I was not some fucking groupie, but you treated me like that anyway. And while I’m aware of the whole motorcycle club intrigue and the lifestyle,” she threw air quotes aroundlifestyle, “that lets you cut a swath through pussy from here to Atlanta, I will not be one of the many. I’m theone. Or I’m nothing. So, Talon, you can be quite certain that I’m nothing to you.”
Talon didn’t know how to overcome her hurt, but if she was angry, then Talon knew he had a chance. And he knew he had to go all in, put it all out there, for her to ever believe he could be more than a prick on a Harley.
“That’s where you’re wrong, babe. You’ve been the one for months. Nobody else has touched me since you walked on the compound. And before that, you were the one, I just didn’t know it yet,” Talon said.
Jenna narrowed her eyes, “Don’t insult us both by lying to my face. Jesus. I’ve seen you, Talon. Not even Tex goes through as many women as you. At least he’ll admit he’s a man whore.”
“That’s what I wanted you to think,” Talon admitted, his confession juvenile even to his own ears. “At first, I wanted to piss you off enough you’d leave. But that didn’t work. And then I watched you with Ryde, and I was jealous as fuck. All I could think was that you were giving to him what I wanted for myself. And you acted like you didn’t give a damn, and I didn’t know what to do with that.”
“Make me feel like shit every chance you got is what you did,” she spat, standing from the table and taking her dishes to the sink.
Talon watched her move around the kitchen, pouring a travel mug of coffee and doctoring the hell out of it, clearing his dishes, whether he was done or not.
“Just to say, princess, I know you’re angry, and that’s all directed at me right now, but you’re magnificent when you’re pissed, so this whole thing you’ve got going isn’t doing a lot to make me change my mind.”
Jenna turned and jabbed a knife in his direction, “I fucking hate that nickname. So stop using it.”
Talon frowned, “Why’s it bother you so much?”
“Because it’s sweet and I like it, but every time you use it, all I can think about is how many other women you’ve called that, and then I want to fucking stab you.”
Talon thought about it. “None,” he said.
Jenna chewed her lip while she studied him, and he could see how much she wanted to believe him.
He stood up and crossed the kitchen, careful to move slowly. When he got close enough that the knife she held was pressed against his chest and the vanilla scent she wore curled around him, pulling him even closer, he dipped his face to hers. Not close enough to kiss her, even though God knew he wanted to, but close enough to make her tip her head back to keep his eyes, he whispered, “I’ve never called another woman princess. And I never will again. You’re it, Jen. The only one who’ll ever get that from me.”
He heard her breath catch, and even though it killed him to do it, he backed off and gave her some space.
They cleaned the kitchen together, both silent. Until Talon couldn’t stand the one question that plagued him.
“Did you fuck him?” said into the quiet.
Jenna stopped with a coffee mug halfway to the cabinet, “You’ve got to be kidding.”
Talon hung the dish towel on the rack and propped his ass against the sink, holding the counter to keep from reaching for her. “I know I shouldn’t care, but I do. And I know I don’t have a right to ask, but I am.”
“Why does it matter?” she asked, facing him across the island.
“I fucked up, and he made his play. Can’t blame him for doing it.” Talon looked at his boots, “But if he’s tasted you, I gotta learn to live with that.”
He kept going before she had a chance to respond, “Passed Ryder last night on my way in. He told me it’s your choice. But it’s not.” Talon looked up, taking in all the glory that was her. “Man like me doesn’t get a second chance with a woman like you. I know that. And if I let you choose, you’ll choose him. And that’s what I can’t live with.”
Jenna took a step and leaned her weight on the island counter, eyes blazing, “What about all the women around the club thatI’dhave to learn to live with? You ever think of that?”
