Authors: Allie Kincheloe
"Don't I get a say? What if I want you?" Talia argued. She grabbed his arm trying to get him to look at her. He shook free of her grasp and turned to head toward the car. "Sean, what the hell? You set me on fire with that scorching kiss and then reject me? I don't understand. Why can't we do this?"
"Let's head back. I'll take you home." He spoke in a serious tone. A tone she heard from her dad a lot. What she always thought of as her dad's no-arguing voice. Was it really too much to ask to just get to know him?
He started back up the trail. She was reluctant to follow, but she needed him to drive her home. She'd ruined everything with a single kiss. The best kiss ever, her traitorous libido hissed. Her lips still tingled from the power in his kiss which only confused her more. Talia wanted him more than anything right now, but it seemed he didn't feel the same. Yet if he wasn't interested, why did he kiss her back? Sean was sending out mixed messages. Maybe he didn't even know what he wanted.
Sean stomped back to the car and while he held the door for her, he didn't say a word. The tense car ride brought tears to her eyes. He spoke as few words as possible for the entire drive. By the time he pulled up at her house, she'd given up on holding back the tears now running down her face. Sobs were now fighting to explode out. She couldn't even look at him. Sean tried to help her out of the car and moved to walk her inside.
"Leave me alone," she shouted at him on the sidewalk in front of her house and shoved against his broad chest.
Sean got back in his car and she watched him drive out of her life, unable to stop him, then ran upstairs to her room and bawled into her pillow.
Chapter Thirteen
During her twenty years on the police force, Anna Taylor had worked many violent crime cases. The faces of those victims never left her mind. Talia's tears told her something bad happened today. Her gut instinct rumbled assault and Anna had never prayed so hard to be wrong in her life.
As far as she was concerned, however, Sean Turner was a screw-up of the first order and beyond redemption. Oh, she recognized him the moment his bulky frame exited that low-slung car. She flashed back to his arrest several years back where it took her and three other officers to take him down.
What the hell was he doing with sweet Talia? He better not have hurt her. She'd watched Talia grow up. She deserved better than a druggie ex-con. Sean Turner had no right to even breathe the same air as that sweet young girl.
She took several deep breaths. Surely Talia would have alerted the authorities if she had been hurt. But, as the minutes passed with no sirens, not even an unmarked car, Anna began to doubt the girl had called anyone. An hour passed, yet still no one came. Anna knew with certainty that Talia hadn't picked up the phone. Shit, she was going to have to go over there.
Her knock was firm after years of house calls while on the force. Shifting back and forth on the balls of her feet, she waited. Hearing footsteps from inside, Anna switched on her business face.
Talia peeked out before opening the door. With her puffy blood-shot eyes and red nose, Talia's face screamed she'd been crying. Her voice rasped when she spoke. "Hi, Anna. Mom's not here right now."
"Well, I came to talk to you, actually." Anna paused to take a deep breath. Her experienced eyes kept a close watch on the young woman's face. "I watched you enter the house crying after shouting at Sean Turner to leave you alone. I wanted to make sure you were okay, honey."
"You saw that?" Talia whispered. She stepped outside and pulled the door closed behind her, fidgeting with her hair.
"I did. I was sitting on my porch relaxing when his car pulled up. You sounded agitated. As I stood to head over here to make sure you didn't need any help, he drove away. I pondered on whether I should be coming over here or not, but I couldn't relax until I checked on you."
Talia remained silent and sank down to sit on the front porch steps.
Keeping her motions slow, Anna sat next to Talia. She made sure to make no sudden movements. Didn't want to scare the nervous young woman off.
"Talia, I have to ask. Did Turner assault you? Were you raped, honey?" The police officer kept her voice steady and low.
Talia's eyes grew wide and her chin dropped to let her mouth hang open in shock. "What? Oh God, no! Nothing like that! No! Why would you even think that?" She blurted out her response and jumped up to pace in front of the porch.
"Then what happened? Honey, you yelled at him, slapped him on the chest, but then flinched away when he tried to touch you. What did he do? What are you doing hanging around with a guy like him anyway?"
Her young neighbor looked anxious. She glanced about and opened her mouth to speak before closing it right back. After a couple false starts, she brought her hand up to fiddle with her hair and started to speak. "Sean and I are just friends. He helped me out of a tight spot recently with a guy. A guy closer to my age, I might add. We went hiking today up at Garden Falls, Sean and I. He… Well, I like him, a lot, and I thought he liked me too. Man, is this embarrassing to say out loud. I… I kissed him today, and he flipped out and brought me straight home."
She picked a flower and stared at it like it held all the answers. "I cried because I embarrassed myself today. That's why I yelled at him too. He's told me a couple times I was too young and I suppose my actions today proved it. I really made a fool of myself over him." Talia blushed, her fair skin pinking up brightly.
A dark spot on the girl's neck caught Anna's eye. Leaning her head to get a better look, Anna reached out and grasped Talia's chin. Talia recoiled like she'd been slapped and Anna knew. She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply.
Someone
had hit this girl. Someone had taught her that a touch was something to be feared. And so help her, if she got her hands on the bastard who did it, she'd put him under the jail.
"If Turner did nothing to you, why are you flinching from me with a hickey on your neck?"
Talia's hand rose up to cover the left side of her neck. Her lips tipped up in a little smile. "He left a mark?"
"Someone sure as hell did. You told me nothing happened today. Explain how he marked you if nothing happened."
"It was nothing. I kissed him, and he responded for a moment. I didn't think…" She closed her eyes and sighed. "Anna, Sean hurt nothing more than my feelings. If he left a mark on my neck, it's because I threw myself at him and he reacted like a man. It didn't take long for him to shove me away and drive me straight home."
The tension in Anna's shoulders eased. She could detect no deception in the young woman in front of her, as well as no physical signs of trauma outside of the love-bite. She had never been so grateful to have been wrong about a situation.
Still, she felt an obligation to warn Talia what he was really like. "I'd hate to see you hurt. Do me a favor, would you? Stay away from Sean Turner. He's not right for you. He may have helped you out, and I'm not exactly sure what you meant with that, but he's not a good man. He has issues, big issues. I know. I arrested him in the past. He tell you about his record?"
"No, he didn't. He's told me he's not right for me and I can do better than him though. I'm too young. I wouldn't know what I was getting into. Things like that. But honestly, Anna, he made it clear today that he's not interested, so you have nothing to worry about," Talia said with a deep sigh.
Anna flinched at that sigh. Talia really liked that asshole for some reason. At least Turner had done the right thing and walked away.
She patted Talia on the shoulder. "I'm glad I was wrong about him this time. And while I wish you hadn't gotten your feelings hurt in the process, I think he made the right choice. Try to stay away from him, will you?"
Talia nodded, but kept her gaze on the ground and wrapped her arms around herself.
"Honey, I have to ask. If he didn't hit you, who did? Someone did. I see it in your reactions. Don't give me any bullshit about it."
Talia hugged herself tighter. "My ex. He's the one Sean helped me out with. It's over now. Nothing to worry about."
The photo on the car popped up in her memory. Shit. That had been Turner in the photo with her, hadn't it? "The one you said might have sent the note?"
"Yeah, I haven't seen him since, though, and I haven't received any more notes so far, so I don't think we need to worry."
Anna remained less sure than Talia.
Chapter Fourteen
Sean tried to call Talia for the sixth time that week.
"This is Talia, you know what to do." But obviously she didn't or she'd answer her damn phone!
He hung up without leaving a message. He'd left messages earlier in the week. Sent a couple texts. No response. She was still pissed. But damn it, she'd kissed him. He wanted to explain himself. Explain his reasons for pushing her away. But she wouldn't answer his call.
Again.
Sean pulled his arm back to sling the damn phone at the wall, but he'd just have to replace it. His hand itched for a handset to slam down. Jabbing at the touchscreen would never satisfy like slamming a receiver down so hard the phone rang.
Sean tossed his phone on the table and sank down onto his couch with a sigh. One kiss and he acted like a lovesick puppy. Frustrated the hell out of him. He was a grown-ass man who should have better control over himself than that.
Maybe it was a side effect of two years of self-imposed celibacy, you idiot.
Not dating for five years while he got the club going seemed like a good plan. Until a beautiful, soft woman pressed her lips to his. He never should have kissed her back. He should've shoved her away the moment she stepped between his legs.
Should have, but didn't.
Oh, no, he pulled her tight to his chest and kissed her until they both gasped for air and he thought his lungs might collapse from lack of oxygen. Then he'd moved to that delectable throat, savoring the feel of her pulse beneath his lips. He'd marked her, leaving evidence of their passion on her pale skin. He'd thoroughly enjoyed her soft curves pressed against—
He had to get out of this apartment.
He hardened just thinking about that one little kiss. Okay, not so little, but he had to find something to occupy his time before he lost what was left of his mind. Sean grabbed his keys, snatched up his phone, and hurried out the door before he put his fist through the wall. He had no plan beyond finding something—anything—to keep his mind off Talia.
He had no business imagining kissing her. No business remembering the feel of her against his chest. He'd done time. Ex-cons like him did not date fresh-faced college girls like Talia. Regardless of how fucking good she felt. Or how perfectly she fit in his arms.
He got in his car and drove. It wasn't until he'd crossed over the bridge at the lake that he realized where his subconscious was trying to send him—Talia's house. He pulled into the marina parking lot and cursed his stupid self. Banging his head on the steering wheel, he tried to knock some sense into his stubborn head. The sooner he convinced himself Talia was off-limits, the better off he'd be.
He walked down the beach and came to that rock they'd cuddled on that night that seemed so long ago. Losing himself on a sandy beach would be a hell of a lot better than falling in love with a girl he couldn't have. A girl he'd shared only a single kiss with. A girl he could see himself growing old with. Fuck. This wasn't helping.
He jogged back to his car. The beach used to be a good distraction, but now held memories of Talia. He didn't need to be somewhere that gave him more reason to think of her.
Pulling back onto the road, Sean headed to the gym. Several rounds with a punching bag exhausted his body, but did little to quiet the stream of memories. He went home and showered, but the loneliness of his apartment ate at him.
He headed back out. Maybe he could find a new book. A new distraction to keep him from the thoughts that threatened to devour him. He couldn't keep doing this. Talia deserved better than him, and he wasn't sure he had the willpower to keep resisting her. Getting her off his mind became his top priority.
He deleted her number from his phone. But it didn't matter. He'd memorized it the day she gave it to him. A tiny slip of a woman had him tied in knots.
Chapter Fifteen
Talia had a lot to think about this week. What had Sean done to make Anna hate him? Could he hurt a woman? Anna thought so, but not once had Talia felt afraid with Sean. Was she that bad a judge of character? If she used Caleb as an example of her judgment, maybe she was. She didn't think she was wrong about Sean though.
She needed a distraction. Karly and Claire were happy to indulge in a girls' day. They got their hair done, mani-pedis, the works. All to try and keep her mind off Sean. Her phone rang, and Sean's name popped up on the screen.
Speak of the devil.
He'd called a few times since bringing her home in silence after their kiss, but she'd let the calls roll to voice mail. Still embarrassed by how things had gone last Saturday, she ignored this one too. He'd started hanging up without leaving a message.
Karly asked why she avoided the call, but Talia brushed her off. She knew Karly could tell there was something deeper going on. To Talia's relief, however, Karly let it go for now.
Like most young women, retail therapy always improved Talia's mood so they headed to the mall. Their last stop of the day was the bookstore. Talia's choice, of course. The other girls were not big readers. Browsing the fantasy section, she found a book she could get captivated by for the evening. Absorbed in the first pages, she walked into someone, a very large and muscular someone.
"Oh, excuse me!" she apologized. Looking up, Sean's mesmerizing blue eyes stared down at her.
"Hey, sweetheart." His downhearted tone sent a pang through her chest.
"Sean, I didn't expect to see you here," she murmured. Her heart rate picked up.
"Since you've been ignoring my calls, I'm guessing you didn't want to see me at all." He shrugged. "I get it. I won't bother you anymore."
He moved to walk away and she grabbed his arm. "Wait, it isn't that. I'm just… God, I am still so embarrassed about Saturday. I totally misread things. I thought you were interested in me too. I apologize." She couldn't look him in the eye. She focused on a small black button on the pocket of his shirt, its loose thread easier to look at than his eyes. Barely reaching his shoulder in height, the pocket also happened to be at her eye level, adding to its allure. He didn't pull away from her grasp and she couldn't make herself let him go. She glanced up at him, but couldn't maintain the gaze.
"Talia, sweetheart, it's not a lack of interest. Didn't you catch that? Shit, I practically devoured you when we kissed. And I can't stop thinking about doing it again." He rubbed the back of his neck and paused for a moment. "I'm interested. There's no way in hell I should be. But damn it, I am. You don't need some jerk messing up your future. I have a past you don't know about. A past that would probably change your opinion of me."
"I know you've been arrested," Talia whispered.
"Where'd you hear that?" Sean's arm tensed beneath her hand. The set of his shoulders stiffened and his eyes narrowed as he looked at her.
"My neighbor is a cop. She said she arrested you once. She… she thought maybe you had assaulted me Saturday after she saw you'd dropped me off, crying." Talia couldn't stop the heat rising in her cheeks.
He cursed under his breath and looked away. He brought his free hand up to rub across his mouth and jawline. Her father did the same thing when thinking about something that made him uncomfortable. She hadn't seen this sort of uncertainty from Sean before though. It unnerved her to see someone who exuded confidence appearing uncertain.
"I let her know that wasn't the case, so she shouldn't bother you. She mentioned arresting you, said that you were bad news and asked me to stay away from you."
"I guess you mean Anna Taylor?"
She nodded.
"She arrested me once for assault. I did some time. I had a drug problem, but I'm clean now. And have been since she arrested me, actually. I've got my life straight now, but I'll never get away from my past." He nudged her head up, dipping his own to try and make eye contact.
Talia closed her eyes and heard his sigh.
"You deserve better than a guy like me. I'm no good for you. I'm glad she knows I didn't hurt you, though. I've had enough cops sniffing around to last a lifetime. So, thanks for that."
"I only told her the truth, Sean. I was embarrassed, yes, but I'd never hurt you like that. It wouldn't have been right. You've been nothing but polite while I threw myself at you. I made you uncomfortable and I apologize for that."
With a deep breath, she summoned her courage and made eye contact. She couldn't see any sign of anger. His hand still cupped her chin and he rubbed his thumb along her jawbone. She caught herself before she could lean into his tender touch.
"I'm glad I ran into you today. This conversation was easier than I thought it would be. I dodged your calls, worried it would be super awkward. I had no idea what you would say. I figured you would be mad at me."
Her lips turned up in a little smile when he shook his head in the negative. "I'm not upset. Never was, really. More at myself than you. Sweetheart, I am not the right guy for you. I can't be what you want me to be."
"Well, regardless of your past, I think you're pretty great. Can we start again with just being friends? I'll try to behave myself this time."
She couldn't breathe, waiting for his response. He looked at her for a long moment. When he pulled her into a hug, she clung to him. Oh, thank God, she hadn't ruined everything! She leaned her cheek against his chest and he asked her what had distracted her so much when she ran in to him. Recognizing his need to change the subject, Talia showed him the book in her hand. Maybe someday he would feel more comfortable telling her about his past, but not today. Talia watched the tension in his shoulders ease once the topic of conversation wasn't on him.
"That's a pretty good book. I read it a few months back. I've got a copy at home if you want to borrow it."
Another excuse to see him? Absolutely.
"That would be great! Thanks."
"When do you want to get it?"
"Well, since I was so engrossed in the first few pages of it that I completely ignored my surroundings and walked face first into someone, I think I'd like to go ahead and read it. It looks like a good book to spend the evening immersed in. So, do you mind if I go with you now?"
"I offered, didn't I?" he said with a grin.
"I'm here with my sister and a friend. I should let them know I'm leaving. They hate the bookstore anyway, so I'm sure I will find them either listening to music or getting coffee."
"Alright, I'm going to go check out, then. If you want to, meet me over by the main entrance when you're ready."
Only at that moment did she notice that he carried a book as well. Her observation skills really blew today!
When she agreed, they broke apart and he headed toward the front of the store while she went to find Karly and Claire. Finding them in the cafe as expected, Talia gave them a quick rundown of her last few minutes. Surprise showed on both their faces when she explained that she planned to leave with Sean.
"But you just ignored his call not three hours ago, saying you wanted to spend the day with us? What changed?"
"We have spent the day together. Now, I'd like to spend some time with him. He's my friend, too."
"We are going to have to have a long chat about this man, oh sister of mine. But, go. Enjoy your evening with Mr. Muscles."
"Don't call him that! It's rude."
Karly stuck her tongue out at Talia and extracted a promise from her sister to have a serious discussion soon. She grabbed a giggling Claire before Talia could change her mind. The two girls wasted no time in getting out of the bookstore now that their sole reason for being there was abandoning them.
Talia worked her way back to the main entrance. Sean leaned against the wall by the door, a book in his hand. She inhaled deeply at the sight of him. The past week had been spent convincing herself that they were not right for each other, she'd even told him minutes ago she wanted to be friends, but she couldn't deny the attraction.
He raised his hand to shove a lock of dark hair out of his eyes. A wave of desire flooded up over her and she had to give herself the mental equivalent of a cold shower. Knowing he was interested and still thinking about that oh-so-perfect first kiss at the waterfall made it even harder for her to tamp down her attraction.
Walking over, she touched his arm to get his attention. His smile made her heart skip a beat, and when he took her hand to lead her to his car, she was lost. No matter how much she tried to say they would stay friends and keep their relationship platonic, she was falling for him, hard.
When her tummy rumbled out a reminder she'd not eaten dinner, Sean swung the car into the shopping center.
"Steak or seafood?"
"I can wait." She didn't want to inconvenience him any more than she already had. He repeated his question and waited for her to respond. When it became clear they weren't moving until he'd made sure she ate, she finally mumbled, "Steak."
His actions when they entered the steakhouse reminded her again why she liked him. He held doors and helped her into her chair; guys her age didn't do those things. He treated her like she mattered. His past wasn't important. He'd obviously made a lot of changes in his life and those changes made him a better person, a good person.
In his presence, she felt appreciated. Cared for. Wanted. No guy she'd dated before had ever made her feel this way. Caleb sure as hell never had. Not even at the beginning, when things were good between them.
Their conversation at dinner started with his club, then ranged widely. They found many common interests. He quit telling her jokes when she accidentally inhaled her soda, his eyes sparkling with mirth at her reaction. His sense of humor was wicked and when he let out that deep, rumbling laugh she couldn't help but join in. She'd already been seriously attracted to him prior to tonight, but the more time she spent with him, the more she wanted him.
She sighed.
The one guy who I'd give a chance after Caleb... Of course he doesn't want to date.
After dinner, Sean swung by his apartment to pick up the book he'd promised to lend her. It was a tiny one-bedroom in a rough area of town with a minuscule balcony off the dining area. Very few pictures or paintings hung on the wall and there were no knick-knacks sitting around. There were, however, piles and piles of books, on every flat surface, including the floor. Stacks of paperbacks, hardbacks, even what appeared to be comic books. Talia giggled. Maybe he was a better match for her than he realized.