The words pierced something in him. He understood exactly what she meant. He brushed his thumb along her cheek, feeling a faint tremor and thewarmth of her skin under his calloused fingers. “Then we take it slow.”
She nodded, but her hands tightened on him. “Slow doesn’t mean distant.”
That small confession undid him. Talon bent to kiss her again, deeper this time, a gentle claim that spoke more than words could. Riley rose onto her toes, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. The air between them charged, warming the connection between them. God, he felt so fucking alive.
They moved together without thought, her steps guiding them toward the couch. The throw blanket brushed against the back of his hand as she eased down, pulling him with her. Talon braced himself, one knee anchored on the cushion so he didn’t crush her beneath his weight, his touch careful even as his pulse hammered.
Her breath came faster. Her fingertips brushed along his jaw, exploring like she was memorizing him. “You’re real,” she said softly, almost in wonder.
He caught her hand, pressing it over his heart. “I’ve always been real. And I’m not going anywhere.” The need to reassure her took over. He’d never willingly leave her.
Her eyes softened at that, the blue deepeningwith emotion. Talon kissed her again—slower this time, every movement deliberate. His hands traced the curve of her waist, her breath caught under his touch, but he didn’t rush. Every kiss, every caress was meant to tell her she was safe.
Riley’s hands found their way to his shoulders, sliding upward into his hair. Her sigh against his mouth sent heat coiling through him, but he held the line. It was damn near impossible, but this wasn’t about his urgency. This, tonight, now, was aboutthem.
When they finally broke apart, both were breathing hard, their foreheads still resting together.
“I’ve waited over a year for this, to hold you in my arms,” Talon said quietly. “Every damn day, I wanted to be with you. Not because of what was going on when I found you, but because of everything that’s happened since. Becauseyoumatter to me.”
Her eyes glistened, her voice a whisper. “You matter to me, too. More than I know how to explain.”
He kissed her again, softly this time, and then drew her against his chest. They stayed there, tangled together on her couch, the night outside deepening to full dark. The hum of the plant’sgenerators in the distance was a faint reminder of the world beyond her walls. However, inside, there was nothing except the quiet sound of their breathing and the steady beat of his heart under her cheek.
For Talon, who had lived his life in chaos, this was something rare. Riley was peace,hispeace. He knew, without saying it, that his life with her was just beginning.
They stayed on the couch for a long time, wrapped in a silence that wasn’t awkward. The brush of her fingertips, every steady pass of his thumb over her hand, spoke more than words could. Riley shifted slightly, curling closer to him, her head resting in the curve of his shoulder. Talon felt her breathing even out, slower now, like she’d finally allowed herself to settle. He’d never realized how much tension he carried until her weight against him made some of it loosen.
His hand slid through her hair, the strands soft and cool against his calloused fingers. The reality of her, with him, hit him again. He’d waited so long for this moment. He’d waited through nights on the other side of the world and through missions that had pulled him farther away from her in distance but never in thought.
“Riley,” he said quietly.
She lifted her head, her blue eyes catching the faint lamplight. “Hmm?”
Talon cupped her face gently, his thumb brushing across her cheekbone. “I love you,” he said, the words surprising him with their simplicity and certainty. “I love your courage, your intelligence, your stubborn refusal to accept easy answers.”
Tears gathered in Riley’s eyes, shimmering but steady. They weren’t the tears of fear he’d seen once before. These were something else entirely. “I love you, too,” she whispered, her voice sure. “More than I thought was possible.”
The air between them seemed to still. There was nothing left unspoken now, nothing standing between them except the promise they’d both just made.
CHAPTER 12
Riley walked to her office. Her heart still sang with the remembered warmth of Talon’s body. She could practically feel the gentleness of his touch. Last night was perfect in so many ways. The fact that he didn’t demand anything more than she could give cemented her love for him. That was a blessing. No,hewas the blessing. She knew she wanted to be with him, but it was also important to her to establish the fact that there was something besides the texts before they fell into bed. She’d talked about this scenario with her therapist. It had been morbidly embarrassing at first, but the doctor didn’t judge her, which had helped. So, she’d known what she’d needed from their meeting. She’d needed to know for a fact that there were real feelings and aconnection. And man, oh man, was there a connection. It sizzled in all the best ways.
She smiled up at the dark pre-dawn sky. All her fears had been swept away with his words and actions. Nothing prevented her from a real relationship with Talon. Every doubt and worry had evaporated in a single night. Their connection was tangible and as strong as the love she held in her heart for him.Love. The word had no way of describing the emotions flowing through her veins. She was in love with a man who loved her in return … and they hadn’t slept together yet.
A happy smile floated across her expression until she walked up to the inner portion of the mining encampment. She punched her code into the locked gate surrounding the controlled access portion of the mining facility. Well, the entire camp was controlled access, but here, where the buildings processed and moved the rare earth minerals, the access was restricted to only those with the needed clearance. It was the back way into her office, but she knew every inch of the facility.
She glanced over at the processing building. She couldn’t shake the feeling that the mining camp had changed in the year since she’d left. She considered the area as she walked. It wasn’t the buildings or theequipment. Those still wore the same sun-bleached metal roofs, the same rusted bolts that the desert winds tried to pull loose every dry season. The cafeteria still smelled faintly of burnt coffee and industrial cleaner. The hum of generators still underscored everything.
It was therhythmthat felt different.
She pondered that thought as she made her way into her building and upstairs. After starting the coffee in the office break area, she logged into her workstation in the ESG office. Riley let her fingers hover over the keyboard for a moment. A year away recovering and rebuilding her life. Honestly, that time away should have made her feel like a stranger here. But it wasn’t her who felt out of place. It was the work. She felt like she was a half step behind what was happening, and that sensation bothered her.
The day started the same way it always had. She checked the environmental readings from the air quality monitors, comparing dust suppression logs against the day’s output. She reviewed the tailings pond pH levels. Water treatment discharge compliance reports were provided to her daily. She signed off on the community engagement calendar, which included a literacy program at the local school, aweekly supply delivery to the clinic, and updates for the quarterly stakeholder meeting.
Everything looked clean. On paper, it was exactly the kind of report an ESG Officer wanted to see—steady compliance, no deviations, no spikes.
She stared at the summary of reports. Yeah, it was clean. Almosttoo clean,and that poked at her more than if there were glaring discrepancies. Discrepancies were worked and cleared up. Discrepancies were expected. Discrepancies were why she was doing the job she was hired to do.
