Page 40 of Talon
“All right,” Lurch said after a moment of expectant silence.“Heather is off to work, Bonnie too.I need someone to check the fences on the east pasture, we had a herd of bison in there yesterday.Malice, you and Steele go out and check out the damage.Don’t fix it yet, not until we’re sure the last of the bison have gone home.And if you encounter any bison, don’t engage.Don’t try to drive them back through the fence.Not with just two of you.I don’t need anyone hurt and you’re not tourists.No playing tourist tossing season.”
Madison couldn’t help the laugh that escaped.“Tourist tossing season?I’m not sure I’ve heard that.”
Talon used the arm he’d hooked around her waist to tug her close.“Yeah, it’s one of Lurch’s favorites.”She heard him chuckle a couple of times before falling silent again, his gaze on Lurch as he waited for the foreman to finish giving out assignments for today.
“Watt, you and Jake need to check on the herd.Take out a couple of dirt bikes and make sure they don’t need anything.You know the drill.”He continued to give assignments, covering everyone, but saving Talon for last.“Talon, you’re on Madison.Show her around, make sure she’s comfortable and has everything she needs.Take her into town if you want.We’ve got things covered here for now.Keep someone here aware of where you are, just in case this guy decides to make a move of some kind.”
Talon nodded but didn’t say anything to his boss.Instead he stood as everyone else did.Madison waited until most of the men had stood and taken their plates to the sink before she stood and did the same.Most of the men headed for the door, but Steele, Talon and Malice hung back.
People were still shuffling around, filling coffee mugs, men kissing their women, then leaving, when Madison went to the table and started stacking the dirty dishes.
“What you doing, Mad?”Steele said coming up behind her.
“Helping clean up.It’s the least I can do.”
Steele shook his head and took the dishes from her.“You helped cook, which isn’t your job.We clean up.”
“You?”She frowned, knowing she looked like an idiot, but not understanding.Cooking and cleaning had been her job for years.Her father had rarely pitched in.Not that he did nothing while she took care of the food prep and clean up.He was always busy with something.
“Yep.Clean up is Talon’s and my duty.Though lately, we’ve had a bit of help from whoever we’re assigned to work with that day, at least for breakfast, and over the last week, dinner too.”He carried the stack of dishes to the sink and set them on the counter next to where Talon was busy filling the sink with soapy water.
“Always the two of you, but only the others sometimes?”
“Yep,” Steele said, coming back for another stack she’d put together, this one had the bowl from the gravy and all the utensils stacked inside.
“It’s prospect duty.We’re the prospects,” Talon said with a shrug.“Eventually we’ll get new prospects, and the chore will pass to them.”
She refused to let them work while she sat and watched, but in no time they got the kitchen cleaned up.Kerry assured her that there was nothing else to be done, at least for now.She was heading home until time to come back and started dinner.Steele and Malice left, leaving only Madison and Talon.
“Well, what do you want to do today?”he asked as they stepped back into the bedroom they’d shared before.
Apprehension was a weight on her chest.What did she want to do?Nothing that might draw Billy’s attention.Not if she could help it.
“How about you show me around this place?”she said, seizing the first thing that came to mind.
“Sure.You ever been on a dirt bike?”
29
“Youdoingallright?”He stopped the four-wheeler he was driving to check in with Madison.She sat behind him, her arms around his waist as they bumped along through the pasture.
“I’m good.I can’t believe I never did this before.”The excitement in her voice had him twisting around to look at her.She wore a grin bigger than anything he’d seen on anyone other than a child in longer than he cared to think about.
“If you like this, wait until I get you on the back of my bike.”He loved the heat of her pussy pressed against his ass and couldn’t wait until he got her on the back of his Harley.If she liked the little rumble of the ATV, she’d love the motorcycle.
“I’d love to, but I didn’t want to ask or assume you wanted me there.I know a lot of bikers are picky about who they let ride with them.”
He reached one hand down and squeezed her leg.His cock stiffened at the thought of her behind him on his bike.
“I’d love to take you for a ride.Let’s finish the tour then maybe I’ll take you into town, let you see what Bonnie’s working on.How does that sound?”
“Like a lot of fun, but only if you think it’s safe.”
“I’ll make sure you’re safe.”He squeezed her leg again then took off across the pasture, making sure to hit the bumps and hills and make the ride a little more interesting for her.Besides, he loved the way she tightened her arms around him when they topped out of a little hill and her stomach felt the change in direction.
He hit a bump, and she squealed, her arms clamping around this middle.Talon laughed, glad to hear Madison laugh behind him.She needed this break.After all the tension and stress of the last week, hell, longer than that, she needed to laugh, to have some fun.He was glad he could give it to her, even if only for a little while.
Talonpulledhisbikeinto the lot at the local Harley dealership and walked it back into one of the row of motorcycle spaces in front of the store.Once he was where he wanted to be, he killed the engine and held the bike steady while Madison climbed off, then propped it up on the jiffy stand before dismounting.He put away both helmets then turned to her.
