Craving (Steel Brothers Saga #1)(57)

“You won’t hurt me. I won’t let you. If I think I’m going to get hurt, I’ll end this…” This what? I had no idea how to finish that statement. “This…” I said again. “What the hell is this thing between us, anyway?”





CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR





TALON


My craving.

This thing between us was my craving. How could I tell her that she had become as necessary to me as food and water? That she was my sustenance? That I’d gladly crawl through the depths of hell just to have her for a few seconds each day? That when I wasn’t with her, half of me was missing?

My skin rippled. This had gone beyond craving. She was becoming my obsession.

I didn’t understand it myself. How could I explain it to her?

So I took the easy way out.

“I don’t know,” I said.

“I don’t know either.” She sighed. “You said you didn’t want a relationship, and you said you would never love me. I’m not asking for your love, Talon. I just got out of a seven-year relationship, and I care too much about you to make you a rebound guy. So why not just let it be what it is? Why not just enjoy each other while it lasts?”

I nodded. What she said made a lot of sense. But what if it didn’t last? What if she left someday?

She had almost left a couple days ago. To not be able to see her smile, her steely gaze, to hear her sweet voice… I closed my eyes. I couldn’t bear it.

I had told her I couldn’t love her. I had never loved anyone, other than Marj, since before I was ten years old. I loved my brothers, and I had loved my mother and father. I loved them all enough not to torture them, which is why I had told Jonah and Ryan I would leave.

If Jade stayed, I would only cause her pain, like I caused my siblings pain. An invisible knife sliced through my gut. She was an angel, and she deserved happiness, not a torturous existence because of me.

I would have to leave her eventually. I knew this truth in my heart. But for now, perhaps it was okay to do as she said—to enjoy it while it lasted. I took a sip of my wine and let the smooth acidity slide down my throat and warm me. Ryan’s Rh?ne blend, my personal favorite, though my drink of choice was a nice smooth whiskey, neat.

She chewed on her beautiful full lower lip, her hair as sexy as could be even though it was wrapped up into a bun on top of her head. She wore black stretch pants and a white V-neck pullover shirt. Her cleavage was evident.

What if I could never love her? Someone else could, and she would leave me.

Suddenly my skin tightened, and my breathing quickened. No. She couldn’t leave me. I gulped down the rest of my wine and grabbed her arm.

“What?” she said, her eyebrows arched.

“I want you. Now.”

“We’re in a public place.”

“I don’t care.” And I didn’t. I was ready to rip our clothes off and take her up against the oak tree, forcefully, marking her, making her mine and only mine.

I moved the plate from her lap and stood, pulling her with me. I clamped my lips down on hers and kissed her ferociously. My cock strained against my jeans, and I ground into her.

She ripped her mouth away. “Talon, stop,”

But I couldn’t stop. I was going to have her and have her now.

I cupped her breast and squeezed it, finding her nipple through the flimsy fabric of her bra and pinching it.

She gasped. “Talon, please!”

I didn’t care who saw us. I didn’t care who was witness to my taking. I was going to have her. My body cried out for hers.

“Get hold of yourself,” she insisted.

I pinched her nipple again, and again she gasped.

And she pulled away from me. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she said through clenched teeth. “You need to stop this. Now. What we do in the privacy of the bedroom is one thing, but you absolutely cannot do this to me in public in broad daylight. I don’t care what has gone on between us before. I won’t stand for this.”

Her skin was bright pink with her anger. Her nostrils flared, and her silvery eyes bored into mine, her lips red and puffy from our raging kisses. I only wanted her more.

I grabbed her to me again and took her lips, gliding my tongue into her mouth.

Instead of squeezing her nipple, I slid my hand down and cupped her mound through her stretch pants.

She pushed me away again. “Goddamnit. Didn’t you hear me?” She raised her hand and slapped me across the cheek.

I didn’t even feel the sting. She fidgeted with her pants and shirt. I reached for her again, but she stumbled backward, nearly losing her footing.

“I’m going home,” she said. “Don’t bother coming anywhere near me tonight.” She picked up her briefcase and stomped off.

My whole body was on fire. Her ass swayed slightly as she walked. I itched to run after her, but…damn! I was nursing a raging hard-on. I’d barely be able to walk, let alone run. I could drive into Grand Junction and call any of about a dozen women who would be happy to have me warming their bed. But that wouldn’t work. I had tried it before. My body cried out for Jade and only Jade.

I needed a fucking drink.

When I had cooled down a bit, I walked away, leaving the picnic basket and cloth sitting on the lawn. After a couple of blocks, I entered Murphy’s bar.