Page 20 of Talon
He watched her for a moment, unsure if she was aware he was there, but still unable to speak up for some reason he didn’t understand.Maybe his subconscious wanted a chance to observe her when she didn’t realize she was being watched, to gauge her natural reactions and how she was dealing with everything when she didn’t feel like she was being judged for every breath.Every expression she let cross her face.He watched a little longer, noticing the way her shoulders relaxed and more of the tension he didn’t think she was even aware of, seemed to drain from her.
Deciding he’d stood there like a stalker long enough, he took a pull from his own bottle before setting it on the counter next to the sink and carrying hers to her.
“Here.You could probably use this.”He handed her the bottle and without asking, he set his hands on her shoulders.
“Thanks.”She tipped the bottle back, then let out a satisfied sigh when she let it down.He stood close enough he felt the heat from her body, even through his jeans.When she didn’t react to his hands on her shoulders either by moving away or trying to shrug them off, he decided to see if he could help.Gently at first but with increasing pressure, he started working the muscles in her shoulders.When she groaned and leaned into him, Talon took that as encouragement and continued to work the tops of her shoulders, but also moved down her back, working the muscles on either side of her spine, and around her shoulder blades.
It didn’t take more than a few minutes before his hands ached, but he didn’t want to stop, not as long as she was enjoying it.
When the water came up to her ankles, she shut it off but continued to sit on the edge of the tub, swishing her feet back and forth through the water.After a bit, she rolled one shoulder, not quite shrugging him off but he got the sense that was what she was trying to do.
“Had enough?”he asked.
Madison nodded.“It’s starting to hurt more than it feels good.”
“No problem.”He stopped working the muscles and rubbed the flat of his hand over her muscles a couple of times then stepped back.“I’ll go check on the water, probably put the noodles in.You need anything?”He picked up his beer and took a drink.
“No.I’m almost done in here, then I’ll come see how dinner is coming.”
“No rush.It will hold until you’re ready.”He left her there, staring into the water pooled around her feet, as he went into the kitchen.
The water was boiling so he dumped in the bag of egg noodles, dropped the bag into the trash and grabbed a spoon to stir them with.After a moment he dug out the colander he’d seen earlier when he was looking for the pans he’d used and set it in the sink.
He didn’t want her to feel like he was hovering, so he stayed in the kitchen while he finished dinner.Talon was just finishing dumping the noodles into the strainer when Madison stepped into the kitchen.She stood quietly, watching and taking in what he was doing.
Talon didn’t say anything but set the pot aside, shook the rest of the water from the noodles then set the colander into the pot.
“How hungry are you?”he asked as he picked up the pot and moved it to sit next to the stove.
“Pretty hungry.I ended up working through my lunch.”
He turned and scowled at her.“You haven’t eaten since breakfast?”
She shook her head with a wide eyed look that told him it wasn’t abnormal for her to skip lunch.He didn’t like it, but she was a grown woman, and he had no place telling her what to do.At least not yet.Where the hell did that thought come from?
Talon forced himself to take a deep breath and go back to what he was doing.He pulled down a couple of plates then started putting them together, first with the noodles then the sauce and meat mixture he’d made.It wasn’t anything special, but a creamy sauce with ground meat, mushrooms and a couple of other things tossed in.It was something he’d grown up eating.
“What is this?”
Talon lifted one shoulder and let it fall.“Mom called it goulash, but it’s not like any other goulash I’ve ever had, so I’m not sure.My guess is she threw together a bunch of random shit one day and when we ended up liking it, she didn’t know what else to call it.”
He looked down at the plate, then back at her, wondering what she thought.
“Looks good.Thanks.”She took the plate, pulled a fork from a drawer, and carried them into the living room.He fixed his plate, added a fork, and grabbed his beer.
“Do you need another beer?”he called as he remembered she didn’t have hers with her when she’d come into the kitchen.
“I’m good, I still have some left in this one.”
Nodding to himself, he carried his plate and his own drink into the living room to join her.She was sitting on one end of the sofa, her plate in one hand as she ate.
“What do you think?”he asked as he sat on the other end of the couch.
“It’s good.You’ll have to show me how to make it.”
“If I did that, what reason would you have to keep me around?”He shot her a grin as he set his beer on the table beside the couch and picked up his fork.
He loved the familiar, comfortable feeling he had when he was around her.It was unlike anything he felt around most women.Well, except for the ones who were already committed to his brothers.Was it that for some reason he didn’t feel like he needed to impress her?That he had some sense that she accepted him for who he was?
