I don’t belong here.
With my boss…who’s ten years older than me…worth God knows how much money…and that I’m attracted to.
But I’m unable to dwell on those thoughts for long because as soon as I follow Talon through the door, Eloise is guiding me around, giving me a tour.
“Kitchen is there, obviously,” she says, as Talon moves past us down the hall. “Living room is here. There are a bunch of other rooms, but let’s get you to your bedroom, shall we? You look a little pale. How are you feeling?”
I hate how exhausted I am just from being vertical.
“I’m fine. Just tired,” I reply.
“And you probably need to eat,” Talon says, scaring the shit out of me because I didn’t realize he’d reappeared behind me.
I jump, and the sudden movement causes pain to rip through my torso, making me double over.
“Shit! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. El’s right, let’s get you to bed.” Talon gently wraps his arms around me, offering support as he guides me down the hallway to a door on the left. “Hey, El, could you start some soup or something?” he calls over his shoulder.
“It’s already in the crock-pot,” she calls back. “It’s ready whenever you are.”
“Don’t know what I’m going to do without her when she goes home tomorrow,” Talon says to me.
Goes home?
“She…she’s not staying?” I stammer. I’d told myself this proximity would be okay because it would be the three of us. I was counting on Eloise to be a buffer between Talon and me. Although there have been sparks, I know controlling myself physically isn’t a problem—especially now. It’s the emotional tailspin I experience in Talon’s proximity that has me concerned.
The wanting of things I can never have.
The way my mind deceives me and makes me believe there’s interest in his eyes or heat in his touch.
“No, we um, we all have places back home in New York, and she has to get back to work,” Talon says with a small smile and a flush to his cheeks.
“You don’t have to be embarrassed about having money,” I tell him.
“I’m not embarrassed,” he clarifies. “I’m just acutely aware of the excess. Come on. Let’s get you settled.”
Following him into the room, I stop dead in my tracks because his scent envelops me even more so than wearing his clothes. Eloise told me the hoodie I’m wearing belongs to Talon, and the thought comforted me, even if I’m trying likehell to keep some distance.
The dark colors on the walls match the heavy green and gold comforter he must’ve pulled back while Eloise was showing me around. Rich chocolate sheets are visible underneath, inviting me into the queen-sized bed. The gas logs are turned on in the room, keeping the chill out of the air, and the lighting is low, creating the warmest ambiance I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
“Do you like it?” he asks, his voice low and quiet, with a note of hesitation, as though he’s afraid the answer will beno.
“Very much,” I tell him honestly. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” And then a thought occurs to me. “Isn’t this your room, though?” It certainlysmellslike it’s his room.
“It was, but the other bedrooms are all upstairs, and I didn’t want you to have to travel that far or work that hard to get to the kitchen or living room.”
“Talon, you’re already doing so much for me. I don’t want to kick you out of your own bedroom,” I argue.
“You didn’t kick me out. I moved voluntarily,” he says, moving to the bed. He pats the sheets and holds out his hand. “Come on.”
An open door to my right catches my eye, and Talon sees me staring.
“Do you need the restroom? It’s fully stocked, and everything in there is yours…but if you don’t like something, Eloise picked it all out. Just remember that,” he says with a wink.
I huff a laugh because anything more causes sharp pain.
“I’d really like to take a shower,” I say, realizing I’ve had nothing aside from a poorly done sponge bath in the last four days. I guess it’s a good sign that I have the energy to feel disgusting. Before now, I couldn’t be fucked to care.
“Of course,” Talon says easily, crossing to the bathroom and flipping on the light. “Eloise set out fresh towels for you. She wasn’t sure ifyou preferred neutral scents, flowers, or heavier scents, so she got a variety.” He stops talking and pins me with a stare. “Do you need help?”
