Page 46 of Unconditional

Agitation mingled with my arousal, a frustrated huff escaping me.His dark laugh reached me again, heightening the thickening emotions coursing through me.One thick finger slid past my entrance, lightening shooting through my veins.“You’re so wet for me.”

“There, there,there!” He was hitting a nerve and oh,ohmy, I didn’t care what he was saying, didn’t care how much time he took as long as he kept doing exactly what he was doing.A chill and the sudden absence of his touch had my eyes snapping open.

Humor sparked life into those brown eyes, roving over my face lazily.So much restraint, so much control.Wholly unbothered by my waning patience.“Talon,” I pleaded, careless in how pitiful I sounded.“Please.Please, Ineedyou.I need to feel you.”I couldn’t read his expression and I was sure I didn’t want to.When his lips met mine, I melted into it.

Talon’s kiss took my breath away, stealing every ounce of self-control I had remaining.Hitching a leg up around his back, our bodies joined in one smooth motion.Air whooshed out of my lungs.There was a collective groan from us both, Talon’s lips parting, his eyes never leaving mine.

He kept a slow, luxuriating, infuriating pace.I wanted him to pound into me until I felt him in my skull, wanted to be fucked within an inch of my life.I wanted him everywhere, all at once.Needed it.Because outside of this moment in this room, there were too many unanswered questions.And whatever had begun brewing between the two of us when Talon forced his way into my life was one of those blazing questions.

This though?This wasn’t confusing.This was bliss.Pure pleasure.Like a drug.I didn’t need to ask questions when it came to this.I knew.I knew this was good and that itfeltgood.And it very well might be my last chance to have it.Baring down, I met his thrust hard, shocking a gasp out of us both.

Heavy hands moved to my hips, gripping them hard.“I’d hang on if I were you, Blondie.”To what?

My hands had barely grabbed purchase on the metal spindles of the headboard when his strokes became punishing.Yes.His lids hooded over his gaze, fixated on where he stretched me, filling me over and over again.

“Is this what you wanted?”he bit out, baring his teeth as he met me stroke for stroke.My response was an indistinguishable garble of sounds, my head bouncing up and down in an erratic nod.

“It’s what I want too, you little terror.”His eyes searing through my flesh.With every slide of his cock against my inner walls, I came closer and closer, fire lashing through my veins.“Mylittle terror.”

Oh, that was it, rightthere.Those words, his weight and movement, the sweat beading against my skin.It was all too much.My scream was long and hoarse, my pussy clamping like a vice around him.It took four more hard thrusts and Talon was following me over the edge, his jaw falling open on a groan.Making no move to give me space, he hovered over my sweat slickened skin, pressing his lips into the crook of my neck and layering it with open mouthed kisses as if he were marking his territory.

I cursed myself for wishing he was.

thirty-three

Misely

Anhourlater,wehad loaded our bags into the van for the last time, readying ourselves for the last leg of our cross-country trip.Talon sat in the driver’s side beside me, staring out the windshield in a way that disturbingly reminded me of the night we’d left Chicago.Like he couldn’t stand to look at me.

I put the thought out of my head because if I dwelled on it for too long, it would turn into wondering if he were beating himself up about ouracquaintanceshipas much as I was.Wondering if he were wishing things were different too.Instead of acknowledging the tension, I turned the radio on and sent a text to Birdie, letting her know I’d be arriving in the evening.That was all I had to look forward to—seeing my best friend after an entire year.

I put out of my head the fact that it was not going to be the beautiful reunion I’d daydreamed about having with her.Rushing through the airport and flying into an embrace, Milo filming the cute little interaction for us to look back on later.No, there would be none of that, but there was sure to be an altercation.And Birdie might very well decide that I wasn’t worth having as a friend anymore.

And despite my earlier reassurances to him, I still had no idea what direction Talon was going to move in.I suppose I was just holding out hope that he’d choose the direction that didn’t include selling Milo out to his slimy uncle.Daring a glance at him, I noted the way his knuckles were gripping the steering wheel to death and his jaw was twitching.So, there was definitely something going on in his head.

In a move I didn’t think either of us was expecting, I reached out and laid a hand on his thigh, giving it a light squeeze.His eyes touched me for a moment, the tight lines in his expression softening to a degree, before he went back to watching the road.I followed suit, watching the scenery outside as it passed by, only jumping a smidge when my hand was suddenly enveloped by his.Threading his fingers between mine, he mimicked my squeeze without a word.

The driveway to Birdie and Milo’s house was long.Probably the longest driveway I’d ever seen, surrounded by massive snow laden trees.The anxious energy in the van was almost stifling with every yard we grew closer to the house, a small cabin set into the backdrop of the woods.

The sight was wholly Birdie.It only made sense that they would make a home for themselves deep in the woods, far from the pressures of society, surrounded by the nature that Birdie loved so much.Solar lights illuminated the walkway leading to the tiny front porch, the sconces on either side of the door lit up as well, likely in preparation for me.

The front door flew open before the van could even park, Birdie’s short frame running out into the snow like her pants were on fire.In the dim light of the evening, I could hardly make out so much as her face, but a frantic buzzing had started in my veins.It had been more than a year since I’d seen her.More than a year since I’d been able to share her space, to feel her hug, to see her roll her eyes when I said something undoubtedly stupid or admittedly self-centered.And the ache in my chest as a result of that distance was a living thing, eating me up from the inside out.

The second the vehicle came to a complete stop I was unbuckled, hurling myself out the door, and sprinting across the short distance to her, not able to move fast enough.Tears were already streaming down my cheeks when our arms wrapped tightly around one another, the embrace a welcome comfort that was well overdue.

“Oh Bird, Bird, Birdie, I’ve missed you so much.”My voice cracked on the last word, arms tightening around her neck.Her hair smelled like lilacs and pine, the familiar aroma nearly making my knees buckle.I felt her chest shake against mine, and when she spoke I knew she was also overcome with emotion.

“I’ve missed you so much too, Mise.So fucking much.”

We were a mess of tears and bumbling, hardly coherent words for several long moments.It didn’t matter, I never wanted to let go of this hug.I wanted to bottle it up and carry it with me everywhere so that the miles that separated my best friend and I this last year ceased to exist.

Too soon though, a car door closed behind me and I felt Birdie’s entire body stiffen as she undoubtedly realized whose footsteps were approaching.

Her words shook as she spoke, the sharp sting of accusation lining every syllable.“Misely, what have you done?”Ripping away from me, she took three large steps back.

Like a slap across my cheeks, I sensed the betrayal she felt in every inch she moved away.Immediately desperate for forgiveness, I threw my hands up.“Birdie, wait.It’s not what you think.”

Her eyes, shining bright with venom, never left the figure that I now felt right behind me.“Really?So, youdidn’tuse our friendship to trick me into telling you where we are so you could bring Milo’s evil brother right to our doorstep?Because that’s what I’m thinking and that’s exactly what this looks like.”

---