Sunshine wasn't sure what she felt for Talon. There was a part of her that wanted to hold on to him like this forever and another part of her that told her she was an idiot for thinking any such thing about a guy she had just met.
Yeah, he looked great in leather pants and could rock every piece of her body, but at the end of the day would he bother hanging around, or would he be just like every other guy she'd known? Selfish.
Possessive.
Judgmental.
She didn't know for sure.
She wasn't sure if she wanted to wait around and find out.
Sunshine yawned. It had been a long night, emotionally and physically draining.
Now all she wanted to do was cuddle up to that warm masculine body and sleep.
Talon felt suddenly awkward. Bringing her here had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now that he thought about actually going to bed with her to sleep…
It was an intimacy that he hadn't experienced since the death of his wife. There were plenty of times he'd had sex with women and afterward they had both drifted off to sleep for a little while, but this was entirely different.
They would actually spend the day together. Sleeping. Their bodies touching…
She yawned again. "I'll be right back.
"
Turning on the light for her, Talon didn't say anything as she grabbed a T-shirt from her bag and headed to his bathroom.
While she was gone, he listened to her in the other room. He could hear the water running as she washed her face and brushed her teeth.
This felt so strange.
Memories drifted through his head. Memories of a life he'd purposely forgotten.
Memories of a man he'd buried.
He remembered countless nights when he had climbed into bed to wait for his wife as she readied herself for sleep. Nights when he had watched her brush her hair until it gleamed in the firelight and then braided it before she joined him.
Nights of listening to her hum while she sewed before the fire…
He gazed over to his dresser where Sunshine had placed a small cosmetics bag, a pink hairbrush, and a
small bottle that probably contained her patchouli oil.
He stared at the dainty items that looked so out of place among his belongings. Items that were feminine
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How he'd missed sharing his life with someone. Having someone to care for, someone who cared for him.
It was something he hadn't thought about in a long, long time. Something he hadn't dared think about.
Now that he thought about it, he had to admit life as a Dark-Hunter did have moments of profound loneliness.
Sunshine came out with her black hair still braided and her legs peeking out from the hem of the shirt.
The smile on her face tugged at his warrior's heart.
Centuries ago, he'd looked forward to battle, knowing that if he survived, he would return to the warm embrace of loving arms. The comfort of a friend.
As a Dark-Hunter the best he could hope for after battle was curling up to the computer or phone and sharing the fight with someone who lived hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away.
That had never bothered him before.
Tonight for some reason, it did.
"You okay?" she asked.
He nodded.
Sunshine wasn't so sure of his answer. There was a haunted look to his face. "Have you changed your mind about me staying over?"
"No," he said quickly. "It's just been a long night."
She nodded. "Tell me about it."
She climbed into his bed and pulled the black comforter over her body, then turned out the lamp by the bed.
Talon turned to look at her. She lay on her side, facing the wall. Her head looked small against his king-sized pillow and she looked so tiny and womanly against the blackness of his bed.
Most of all, she looked delectable.
He lay down beside her. Before he could stop himself, he pulled her into his arms, spooning up behind her.
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"Mmm," she breathed sleepily. "I really like it when you do that."
Pain ripped through him as he closed his eyes and inhaled her unique scent. She felt so incredibly good in his arms.
Nae! his mind roared. He couldn't do it. He couldn't let himself care for her that way.
There could never be anything between them. Tomorrow he would have to let her go back to her life while he returned to his.
That was the way of things.
Kissing her gently on the back of her head, he sighed and forced himself to sleep. He could never have her; she could never be more than a passing whim for him.
Never.
Sunshine lay there for quite some time listening to Talon breathe. There were no words to convey exactly what she felt lying beside this man. It was as if they fit. As if they were meant to be together.
Why was that?