Born of Defiance

Wow, that was impressive. “Your CO?”


“No. I’m a fighter pilot. She works at the palace. Protective detail. I’ve been trying to get into a command or palace assignment for the last two years, but they keep turning me down.”

“Why?”

“I’m a bastard, Felicia,” he said simply. “In more ways than one. They don’t think I’m worth much, except as Tavali fodder.”

“They would be very wrong.”

Talyn swallowed hard as those words touched him in a place he hadn’t known he had. Kind of felt like a kick to his stomach. Only it hurt worse.

Weird.

He offered her a smile. “I appreciate the vote of confidence.” He traced the line of her jaw over the screen on his bike, wishing he could have stayed longer with her. “So what does your mother do?”

“She’s a companion trainer.”

“Hey,” he chided her. “Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“Look ashamed. Ever. You’re a beautiful female, Felicia. The most beautiful one I’ve ever seen. More than that, you have a soul. I don’t ever want to see you hold your head down again. You don’t apologize to anyone for who and what you are.”

Felicia smiled as his words touched her much deeper than they should have. The one thing they’d drilled into her during training was not to fall for her patron. To keep everything professional and on a business level. But it was hard to do that with a male who made her feel like an Andarion princess. “You’re not as bashful as you pretend to be, are you?”

“Just around you.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “Not used to conversing with others. Especially young females, unless they’re in uniform. Then, we only speak when relaying or issuing orders. I’m not sure what to say to you, really.”

She looked away as the doorbell rang.

“That’s the manager, I’m sure.”

“Oh.” She hated to leave him so soon. “Can I have lunch with you tomorrow?”

“Sure. I’d like that. I’ll e-mail you the address.”

“Okay. I’ll see you then.” She turned the link off and kissed it, wishing it was him.

Stop it, Felicia! Keep this professional.

He wasn’t her boyfriend. Talyn was a patron. He could and would never be anything more than the male who paid for her services. That was it.

Her gaze fell to his card.

Your happiness, safety, and comfort are my priority.

Professional. Always. His happiness and comfort were her priority. That was what he was paying her for. And she would keep her heart out of this. No matter what.



Felicia wasn’t sure what she’d been thinking when she’d asked to meet with Talyn for lunch. The fortified Anatole military base was extremely off-putting and a little scary. The guards at the gate had all but strip-searched her before she was admitted here.

And they’d interrogated her like a prisoner of war.

Worse were the number of curious stares she collected as she stood surrounded by three giant guards in the humongous hangar bay of fighters and military transports. She couldn’t stand being the center of anyone’s attention.

There were pilots and ground crew bustling all around. It wasn’t until a red and black fighter landed and she saw Talyn’s name on it, above his call sign, Pit Viper, that she realized he’d been out on maneuvers.

Her heart pounded as she watched him climb down from the cockpit of his fighter. His red and black flightsuit and jacket clung to his muscled body. He paused to sign an e-ledger from one of the ground crew before he pulled his helmet off and approached her with an adorably bashful half grin that seemed completely out of character with his lethal persona.

A half grin that turned into a stern countenance as he stopped in front of the soldiers with her. “I’ll take it from here.”

They saluted him, then left.

“Do I salute you, too?”

He leaned down to press his cheek to hers. “Only if you want to.” Pulling back from her, he called one of the crew over to him and handed his helmet to the male. “Could you put that in my locker?”

“Yes, sir.” The crewman saluted him.

Talyn returned the salute before he tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow and led her toward the base’s entrance. “There’s a small deli and Andarion, Ritadarion, and Kirovarian restaurants close by. What would you like?”

She tried not to focus on how taut and large the muscle of his arm was. Dang, he looked simply edible in that flight suit.

Her face flushed as she realized he was waiting for her to answer his question. But what she really wanted to snack on wasn’t one of her choices.

She glanced down at his backside. Yeah, major rump roast would definitely be more appealing to her than anything he’d named.

Felicia! Stop!

“Um, I’ve never tried Ritadarion before. Is it good?”

“Yes, but spicy.”

“I love spicy.”