Page 179 of Owned (Office Intrigue Duet 8)
Taurus stepped forward, holding out a glass of champagne, which I took, thanking him with a smile. He then offered one to Talon before moving out of the way.
I followed Talon, my feet sinking in the sand as we stepped into the cabana, then reclined on the layers of pillows on the bed. I was careful to brush off my feet, not wanting sand to get into interesting places.
“Why’d you do this?” I asked, curious.
“Because I want to spoil you.”
I stared at the smooth lines of his face. He was perfect in so many ways. I knew that sounded corny, but it was how I felt. I might’ve been naive in many ways, but I was smart enough to know he had plenty of flaws. Didn’t change how I viewed him. With every minute I’d spent with him over the course of the month, I’d learned so much about him. Not everything was expected, but it was now understood. Not many would approve of Talon’s lifestyle, his proclivities, but I accepted them because they were what made him who he was.
A man to be respected.
A man to be revered.
A man to be loved.
I opened my mouth to tell him as much but swallowed the words. I wasn’t sure Talon was a man who wanted to know he was loved. He held himself apart from everyone, created his own world that revolved around him, but still managed to be separate. I was scared to say something that might push him away.
Talon’s hand lifted, his thumb brushing over my cheek. The torch light bounced off his copper skin, and I got lost for a minute, my heart swelling until I thought it would break right through my sternum.
“I love you, Braelyn.”
I lost all feeling in my limbs. Absolute pleasure consumed me, making me numb to everything except for the warmth that filled me.
“It might seem too soon to say,” he continued, clearly not realizing I was dizzy from happiness.
“No,” I said in a hoarse whisper. “Not…” I shook my head.
He took my glass, set it aside with his. “I’m sorry, Braelyn. I didn’t—”
I shut him up by plastering my mouth to his then crawling over him.
“I love you, too,” I mouthed against his lips.
I felt the shift in him, the way his arms tightened around me as though he’d needed to hear it. For the first time in my life, I felt completely whole. As though my heart had only been formed halfway and now it was complete.
“I’ve loved you from the first time I laid eyes on you,” he whispered, rolling so that I was on my back, his enormous body hovering over me.
I touched his face, felt the tears forming. “Happy tears,” I explained.
He smiled and it was like sunshine in my veins.
“Let me love you, Braelyn.”
I would never tire of him saying such lovely words. Certainly never tire of the way he caressed me as though I was the most important thing in the world. It didn’t take long before the few clothes we had on were discarded, tossed aside so heat could meld with heat.
Skin to skin, heart to heart, I held on to Talon when he filled me, not only with his body but with his love. It was everything I’d ever imagined the fairy tale to be and more. So much better, actually. Nothing in my life had ever felt as good as this man’s love for me. I didn’t question it, because Talon was a man of action. He didn’t talk to hear himself talk. When he spoke, it had meaning.
His hand brushed stray tendrils of hair back from my face as he leaned over me, his eyes locked with mine as he rocked his hips.
“Sweet girl,” he whispered as he made love to me in the most exquisite way. “You’re all I’ve ever wanted, more than I deserve.”
I cupped his face, let the sensations overwhelm me.
“Come for me, baby. Let me feel you.”
That was all it took, his sweetly spoken words—a request this time, not a command—sending me spiraling, my body clenching around his as I came, the electric sparks shooting out through my extremities.
I wasn’t sure another orgasm could ever compare to that whole-body experience, but I wouldn’t mind if we spent the rest of our lives trying to achieve the impossible.
FORTY-FOUR
One month later
Friday, February 26, 2021
TALON
February brought with it a lot of organization and some significant improvements within Owned, Incorporated thanks to my new employees.
It was almost as though they’d taken over, which, in a surprising twist, did not bother me in the least.
Of course, with every responsibility that was taken off my plate, I would replace it with another. After all, onward and upward were the only directions I was programmed with. Seemed Ransom and Braelyn were much the same in that regard.
