Page 53 of Fallen

“Is that bad?” Talon asked. “Do you not want me to love you? Or is it something else? Is it because I’m not human?”

“No, shut up.” Alex rolled over quickly, swinging a leg across Talon’s lap to straddle him and clamping a hand over his mouth to stop him from asking any more questions. “Give me a minute.”

To Talon’s horror, Alex’s eyes were glassy with unshed tears. He tugged at Alex’s wrist, lightly, and when Alex shook his head, he sighed. How was he supposed to make this better if Alex wouldn’t let him talk? He hooked his hands under Alex’s knees, pulling him closer and petting him with slow, soothing strokes from knee to hip and back.

Alex sniffled as he gathered his thoughts, and Talon wasthis closeto nipping his palm when he finally spoke.

“I have this one memory from when I was a kid. Mom and Dad tucking me in at night. She kissed my cheek, and Dad kissed my forehead and turned out the light. I had a night-light, and the hallway light was on, so I could still see them. Smiling at me from the doorway. At the same time, they said, ‘love you, Alex.’ And I laughed, because I thought it was funny they said it in unison.”

A tear trickled down his cheek, and Talon gently thumbed it away, confused but willing to wait now that Alex was using his words.

“Nobody since then has ever told me they loved me. I’ve heard Jesus loves me until I wanted to tear my hair out, because it’s just not the same, y’know?” His hand fell away, finally giving Talon permission to speak again.

“No,” he said with a laugh. “But I get it. Being told that a distant—” he paused, casting about for the right word, “—entityloves you isn’t the same as having someone be physically there for you.”

“Right. Jesus won’t hug me when I’m sad or lonely.” Alex smiled through the tears then. “But you do. And hearing you say so bluntly that youdothink you love me was just… kind of a shock.”

“A good shock?” Talon asked carefully.

Alex nodded, his eyes gleaming. “Yeah.”

“Good.” He flipped them, rolling on top of Alex and looming over him. “I was born in the fires of Hell,” he growled dramatically, “just for you.” He kissed Alex sweetly, just to hear him laugh. The sound tasted sweet, and he lingered there, kissing for as long as Alex would let him.

Breathless, Alex eventually tore himself away. “I like the sound of that.”

Satisfaction simmered through Talon. This was what he wanted. This wasallhe wanted. Alex, with him, forever.

“So, you up for a drive down to Irvine?” Alex asked.

Talon hummed thoughtfully, sliding a hand down between Alex’s legs to his sticky entrance. “I don’t know. Do you think you can walk yet?” He smeared slow, open-mouthed kisses across Alex’s collar and the curve of his muscled shoulder.

Alex’s breath went shallow, and his spent cock gave an interested twitch. “Uh, despite my body’s best efforts, I think I’ll need more recovery time than this if you want me to get it up again.”

Talon muffled his snicker against Alex’s skin. “Fine. I suppose we can go to Irvine. I’m driving, though.”

Alex beamed at him and rolled from the bed. “Fine with me. I just need to get my weapons from my car.”

Talon couldn’t mask his noise of distaste as he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. He wasn’t a fan of those holy blades. They were the only weapons on this plane that could kill him.

Alex laughed brightly, drawing his face up and kissing him softly. “Don’t worry, Tal, they won’t be anywhere near you.”

“I wasn’t worried,” Talon said, hoping his shiver of delight at the nickname went unnoticed. The minute Alex realized how much power he had over Talon, the power imbalance would truly shift away from him for good.

Dressed once more, they made their way downstairs. In the lobby, they split up, Alex going out to his car on the street while Talon picked up his car from the parking lot around the corner.

When his sleek black sports car purred to a stop beside Alex’s sensible sedan, he rolled down the window and whistled at the jean-clad ass sticking out of the driver’s side door. Alex whirled around, his face crimson.

He emerged with a sheathed sword, darting a suspicious look around the street before he transferred it to Talon’s car, tucking it into the small backseat. He locked the sedan and Talon immediately reached over, resting his hand on Alex’s thigh as he shot off into traffic.

After a few quiet blocks, he said, “You drive like a maniac.”

“I drive like I can’t die in a car accident.”

Alex hummed sagely. “I can, you know.”

Talon took his foot off the gas so quickly the car lurched. That was something Talon hadn’t thought about—hadn’tlethimself think about. Alex was human, and humans inevitably did things like get hurt, get sick,die.There were ways to delay it, to stop it, but would Alex even want that? If he didn’t, how would Talon cope with one day losing him?

Alex’s hand covered his, and he realized his hand had tightened like a vise around Alex’s thigh. He relaxed, promising himself he would kiss those finger-shaped bruises later. “Sorry.”

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