Page 76 of The Ones We Fight For

“Wow.” Walker blew out a heavy breath, his face flushed with heat. “She just—she really hates soy milk.”

“I know.”

The next question slipped from his mouth like an eager child asking for ice cream. “You really think she likes me? I mean, she shouldn’t. I don’t think she does.”

“Ohmigod,” Harper groaned, looking up at the sky as if to ask why she had to deal with such an imbecile, and gave a dramatic toss of both hands. “Walker, you’re giving me a headache. Talia does not want to be your friend. I promise. You’re freaking blind, and I’m going home to eat cold leftover pizza. Have fun on your date, that's not a date, that's definitely a date.”

“Thanks for the—” Walker awkwardly lifted the box of stir sticks, and Harper nodded before brushing past him to get to the only other car in the parking lot. “You’re very nice!” he called after her. “And for what it’s worth, you’re also very pretty! I just, Talia’s—”

Harper didn’t even look over her shoulder as she responded, unimpressed, “Yeah, yeah.” She didn’t give Walker a second glance before hopping in her car, starting it, and promptly leaving the parking lot. He was definitely one of those annoying people who had overstayed his welcome and kept an employee from ending their work day by being too chatty. Harper just wanted to go home and eat pizza. Why the hell was he still talking? Her observations about him and Talia had made him a blubbering idiot.

???

Walker’s heart was beating a million miles a minute on the way to pick Talia up. The conversation with Harper had him even more nervous than before. It had him wondering what would happen if dinner turned into a real date. What would happen if he acted, just for one night, like they could be together. He didn’t have to go overboard. No kissing. No sex. Just a date. While Harper had to be mistaken about Talia’s interest in him, Walker couldn’t help but want to take everything too far. His former reckless self was asking for it, prodding him to live a little, to indulge. What’s the big deal? Old Walker taunted him, standing arms crossed in front of his motorcycle like the world was his playground.

Pulling into Talia’s driveway and claiming the spot beside her car, Walker killed the engine and turned his attention to his clothes. Gray slacks, brown shoes, brown belt, and a white collared shirt: all his brother’s clothes, and all items he used to pick on his brother for wearing when Cole took Paisley out on formal dates. Walker had felt a little strange when he first perused Cole’s old belongings, still hanging in the master closet as if Cole were still around, but something inside him said it was okay. Not only okay, but right. Like he was honoring his brother by doing exactly what Cole would have done under the circumstances. Dress to impress, clean up, pull out all the stops. Paisley would have had an absolute conniption if she knew how dressed-up Walker had gotten for a woman, and the thought made him smile.

When Walker got to the front door, he let himself in, knowing Talia wouldn’t mind.

“Ponytail?” he shouted over the loud music Talia always blasted when she was getting ready. Today’s music of choice seemed to be ‘90s boy bands. New Kids on the Block blared through her surround sound, and he grinned when he heard her singing. Unlike Piper, Talia could not hold a tune to save her life. While Piper would at least make it past the first round on American Idol, Talia would have definitely ended up one of those viral audition clips everyone laughed at.

Walker chuckled to himself and listened a moment longer before meandering down the hallway in search of Talia. He caught a small glimpse of something in the far right corner of her bedroom when he made it all the way to the end of the hall. The door was wide open, so he stepped through the doorway, ignoring all the warning signs in his head that said he should never be alone with her in a room where her bed was always only a few steps away.

“Tal, are you—fuck!”

Standing in front of the mirror was Talia in all her glory, wearing only a black lacy bra and matching lace underwear that left nothing to the imagination. Her cheeky underwear left enough skin showing on her firm, round ass that it made Walker’s eyes bulge out of his head, along with another body part that wanted to bulge out of his pants. His traitorous eyes wandered up the smooth curves of her body to her breasts, displayed so prettily in strappy lace. It wasn’t enough. Nothing was enough. No matter how fucked up it was, Walker wanted all of Talia’s clothes off, to find her standing completely naked and waiting for him.

“Walker! Shit, what time is it? Close your eyes.” Talia’s body hunched over itself, and her arms wrapped around her torso in an attempt to cover up. Walker flipped around in a panic and immediately started counting backwards from ten in his head.

“S-sorry,” he breathed, closing his eyes to try to rid the images and thoughts of Talia’s body as she rustled around behind him.

“Are you okay?” Her hand touched his shoulder a minute later, and he flinched, eyes still closed. “I’m decent now.”

“Please don’t touch me,” Walker pleaded, shutting his eyes harder. Talia’s hand immediately dropped from his arm, and he wanted to take his words back.

Never mind. Keep touching me. Touch me everywhere.

“I thought we said six,” Talia finally broke the silence.

“It was five forty-five when I arrived, and I feel like I’ve been standing here for an eternity, so that makes it six and an eternity,” Walker replied.

“I don’t think that’s how time works.”

“Forgive me, my brain short circuited with all of that.” Eyes still closed, Walker gestured wildly behind him with one hand, accidentally hitting Talia’s arm. He ripped his hand back with a soft groan.

“Open your eyes,” Talia giggled. “This is ridiculous. It’s not like you haven’t seen a naked woman before, and I wasn’t even naked.”

Walker gradually lifted his eyelids, body tense as a skittish horse, ready to cut loose and bolt from the room as he turned slowly to face Talia. He finally allowed his eyes to set on her, mentally screaming at himself to keep his gaze from wandering down her body. He reached up, involuntarily, to the strap of her dress, and heard Talia take a ragged breath. It was his favorite color. The olive green fabric hugged her body like a glove, a hint of what was underneath—what he had just seen. He gently moved the strap to the side, indulging in the feel of her skin under his fingertips. The strap slid off her shoulder, revealing the black strap of her bra, and he instantly regretted it when a pang of need hit his groin. His throat worked to speak, voice coming out like gravel when he finally did. “Do you always wear that? Under your clothes, I mean.”

“Sometimes,” Talia whispered, eyes blazing. He had missed that spark behind her obsidian eyes that used to always appear when they were alone. The one that he had craved every day since meeting her.

He wanted to ask follow-up questions: was the outfit specifically for him, or was it just coincidence? His gaze lingered on her lips a moment longer, not even realizing the song playing overhead had ended until “I Want it That Way” started up. The new song broke Walker out of his spell enough to make him laugh. It was so ridiculously corny given the circumstances, he couldn’t help it. Talia broke into a wide smile, too, laughing with him.

“Ridiculous,” Walker muttered, shaking his head. He was both talking about the song and his attraction to Talia. Instead of his lust going dormant like it should have during their break, his desire had apparently ramped up to new heights. How much longer could he go on like this, begging and pleading with his body to settle down?

Walker took one shaky breath to summon the strength he wasn’t even sure he had and reached down to grasp Talia’s hand, tugging her toward the doorway. “Let’s go.”

“Ow!” Talia laughed, yanking his arm back. “Wait, I need my shoes!”

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