Page 64 of Talon

“Hang on.” Shutting the door, I quickly stowed the gun in a closet and closed the laptop, as Tristan vanished down the hall into his room. Unlatching the chain, I opened the door and stepped back. “Are you all right?” I asked as Ember came inside and gazed around curiously. “What are you doing here?” Not that I wasn’t pleased to see her; I was, unexpected visits aside. But Tristan would not be happy with a potential target roaming around our base, seeing things she shouldn’t see.

He prowled out of the hallway then, thankfully unarmed, smiling stiffly as he walked into the kitchen. Ember jumped when he appeared. “Oh!” she exclaimed as Tristan arched a brow at her. “Tristan, right? I didn’t realize you were here. Haven’t seen you around lately.”

“Sadly, I’m not the party animal my cousin is.” He gave me a tight smile. “Garret, come here a second, will you?”

Frowning, I followed Tristan to the living room, where he bent close and hissed, “What is she doing here? You didn’t invite her, did you? Did you tell her she could come?”

“No,” I replied, glancing back toward the kitchen. “I didn’t know she would show up today.”

“Well, get rid of her! We can’t have her snooping around.”

“I’ll take care of it.”

A soft flutter from the kitchen drew our attention, and we looked back to see Ember leafing through one of Tristan’s gun magazines on the counter. Beside it was my laptop, where I’d just sent off that mission report to St. George.

“So, Ember,” Tristan said, quickly striding back to the room. I followed warily. “What brings you here? Do you and Garret have something planned?”

As he talked, smiling and holding her gaze the whole time, he smoothly picked up the laptop and tucked it under one arm, like he was going to take it back to his room. Ember flipped the magazine shut and shook her head.

“No, there’s nothing. I just, um, wanted to see Garret, that’s all.” She gave me an apologetic glance, perhaps sensing the subtle tension in the room. “Sorry. Is this a bad time? I could go...”

“No, you’re fine,” I said as the magazine joined the laptop under Tristan’s arm. He gave me a pointed look, raising his eyebrows, and I nodded. “Come on,” I said, motioning her out of the kitchen. “We can talk in my room.”

As she turned away, Tristan shot me a glare over her head that said,Call if you need help.I gave him another tight nod and led Ember down the hall into my room, shutting the door behind us.

“Wow,” she mused, turning in a slow circle, observing my shelf, my dresser, the neatly made bed in the corner. “Your room is so...clean. Not even Dante is this neat.”

“Blame my dad,” I said, turning around as the door closed. “He’s a retired sergeant. I had white-glove room inspections for—”

My words were stifled as Ember spun, wrapped her arms around my neck and kissed me.

My mind instantly shut off. Heat shot through me, starting from where her lips pressed against mine, all the way down to the pit of my stomach. I wrapped my arms around her waist, lifting her up on her toes, as my mouth responded furiously to hers. Her fingers dug into my hair, raking over my scalp and setting every nerve aflame. I groaned, clutching her tighter, feeling her tongue tease my lips, making my head swim. I was losing control, drowning in emotion, and I didn’t want this to stop.

“Ember,” I panted, “wait.” With a monumental effort, I pulled back, breathing as though I’d just run several miles with a murderous dragon on my tail. She leaned against my chest, looking up at me, green eyes bright with passion. A part of me, a huge part, wanted to keep going, to forget everything and lose myself to the girl in my arms. But logic had ruled my life for so long, and instinct had kept me alive when I would’ve been killed otherwise; it told me now that something wasn’t right.

Ember’s lips were just a few inches from mine, tempting me to lean down and kiss her again. I controlled myself, running a thumb over her cheek. “Why did you come here?” I asked softly, and her eyes darkened. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know.” Pushing herself away, she turned and made a frustrated gesture, not looking at me. “Just... It’s been a rough day.”

“What happened?”

“I...” She paused. I could sense her struggling with herself, trying to find the right words. “I can’t talk about it,” she finally whispered.

Suspicion flared, and I narrowed my eyes. “Did something happen with your brother?”

“Garret, please.” Her shoulders hunched in misery. “I can’t. I wish I could but...” She raked both hands across her eyes, bowing her head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you. I don’t even know why I came here.”

I should’ve pressed her. I should’ve tried to keep her talking, forced her to reveal things about her family, and herself. But at that moment, I found that I didn’t care. Ember was upset and had come to me. Not her brother, and not her friends. If I pushed, it might shatter the trust that was slowly beginning to build, but more important, I didn’t want her to leave. I might be new to this whole dating-relationship thing, but I was learning, very slowly, to ignore logic and strategy and let instinct guide the way.

Moving behind her, I slipped my arms around her waist and leaned close, holding her tight. “I’m here,” I told her quietly, feeling her shiver. “You don’t have to say anything, but if you need to talk, I’m here.”

She relaxed against me, laying her hands over mine and resting her head on my chest. “It’s not fair,” she whispered, so soft I barely caught it. “Everything is happening so fast. My life feels totally out of control, out ofmycontrol. I don’t want the summer to end, and...” She paused, the skin of her cheeks warming slightly. “I don’t want to give you up.”

My breath caught. I didn’t say anything but held her tighter, feeling the truth steal over me. I didn’t want to let her go, either. When did that happen? When had I become so attached? Closing my eyes, I pressed my face to Ember’s neck, feeling us both shiver. It didn’t matter. None of this mattered. I was a soldier, my life was not my own, and at the end, no matter the outcome, I would have to return to the war.

Ember reached up, slipping cool fingers into my hair, her voice wistful. “Garret?”

“Mmm,” I grunted, not opening my eyes.

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