“I care about staying alive …now,” he said finally, and he felt the truth of it settle deep in his chest. “I have a reason to come out of every mission.”
Her smile lit up the shadows between them, and for a moment, it felt like the air shifted, heavier with things neither of them had yet said.
“What reason?” she asked.
The sound of her voice wrapped around him, warm and full of promise.
Talon looked at their joined hands, at the way her smaller fingers fit perfectly between his. For a man who made his living with minimal words, tactical briefings, operational reports, and hard-edged commands, he found himself searching for the perfect explanation.
“The color blue. Your blue eyes,” he said finally, his voice quiet but certain. “And texts at 0300 when Icouldn’t sleep. And the way you argue with me about whether pineapple belongs on pizza.”
She sniffed back a tear. “It absolutely does not belong on pizza.”
“And there it is.” His smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. This moment was rare, unguarded, and it felt foreign in the best possible way. “The woman worth staying alive for.” He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it.
They walkedto her apartment from the parking area beneath a darkening sky studded with emerging stars. The air carried the faint scent of processed ore from inside the compound. Their hands stayed linked, their shoulders bumping occasionally. Each touch sent a small jolt of awareness through him.
The mining compound had gone almost still. Most of the dayshift workers were asleep, the hum of generators filling the silence with a low, steady vibration.
Riley’s apartment was on the second floor of the executive housing complex. Her balcony overlooked the now quiet processing facility. She fumbled withher keys at the door, her breath catching just slightly, and Talon caught the subtle tremor in her hands.
“Riley.” He stepped closer, covering her hands with his, stilling the restless movement. His voice stayed low and steady. He realized it was probably the same tone he used to talk someone back from the edge during an op. “We don’t have to do anything except what feels right.”
Her head lifted, and in the dim hallway light, he could see vulnerability and longing written clearly in her expression. “What feels right to you?”
“Being with you,” he said simply. “However, that looks.”
As her breath released in a small, shaky exhale, she turned the key and pushed the door open.
Inside, her apartment was small with only two rooms, but it felt warm. A few books were on the shelves, some spines worn from reading. Framed photographs dotted the walls, and a fluffy blanket draped over the back of the couch. He turned to the memories and moments frozen in time on the walls. One picture was the opening of this camp, where Riley stood beside a man who had to be her father. The similarity was undeniable. But he shut off the thought of that bastard. He wasn’t welcome theretonight. After Talon’s gaze swept the room, he decided it felt like her, warm and welcoming.
She turned toward him, the faintest hint of uncertainty in her eyes, and he recognized the courage it took for her to stand there.
“I should tell you,” she began, her voice careful. “I haven’t … I haven’t been with anyone in a very long time.”
Talon closed the space between them, his movements deliberate. He cupped her face gently in his hands, and the soft brush of her hair against his fingers felt like silk. “Riley. Look at me.”
She did, those blue eyes wide, searching, trusting.
“We have all the time in the world,” he said, his voice steady and certain. “I’m not going anywhere. There’s no timeline, no expectations. Just us, figuring this out together.”
The relief that washed across her face made something in his chest ache. “I’ve never met anyone like you.”
“Good,” he said, a rare warmth threading through his words. “You understand you’re stuck with me now, right?”
Riley laughed, the sound light and unguarded. Then she kissed him.
It was tentative at first, almost questioning, herlips soft against his, testing. He slid one hand to the small of her back, drawing her closer. She melted against him with a soft sigh that sent his heart pounding like a jackhammer against his ribs.
The world outside those walls didn’t matter. Not the training, not the convoys, not the dangers stacking up in the background. Right now, there was only Riley. And in an answer to unsaid prayers, she was in his arms.
Her lips lingered on his, soft and searching, as if she were still testing the reality of him being there. He stood strong, solid, and wholly hers for the first time. Talon let her set the pace, his touch steady, anchoring them in the moment.
When she finally drew back, her breath was uneven, and her hands were still curled against his chest as if she couldn’t quite let go.
He rested his forehead against hers, his voice low and certain. “You don’t have to be afraid with me. Not of this. I’ll never ask for more than you want to give.”
Her breath hitched, but she didn’t pull away. “I know,” she whispered. “That’s why it’s terrifying.”
