Chapter 6: SKYLAR

I stared into his amazing eyes; my heart was beating like a trapped bird in my chest as I tried to make sense of what had just happened.

"What...you...what?"

Was that my voice, how had I lost the ability to form a coherent thought?

"You don't have a man and quite honestly I hate to tell you, that wouldn't have stopped me. I'm no poacher, but for you, I would've made an exception. But since that's not necessary I don't see a problem. I want you, you want me."

He gave me a boyish grin and hugged me close again as if that was all there was to it. Did the others really fall for this?

"Wait a minute, don't I get a say in this? I mean how can you just decide something like that after one kiss?" Good, my voice was mine again.

"You have to ask after that kiss? Trust me sweetheart I know you felt what I felt. My world damn near exploded and I'm willing to bet yours did too."

"Yes...well, but we hardly know each other." I tried in vain to escape his hold on me but there was no give in him. I suspect it also had something to do with the fact that I didn't really want to escape. It felt right somehow being here with him like this. After everything I'd been through in the last few months this was the last thing I needed. He was the last thing I needed, someone with his reputation. Yet somehow I felt safe there in the shadow of his arms.

"We have all the time in the world to get to know each other."

"What about...your girlfriend?" I felt a flush of embarrassment at the realization that I had forgotten all about the blonde who'd thrown herself into his arms.

The confused look on his face didn't help matters either. Was he such a player that he could forget he had a love interest already?

I was beginning to fume; after what my snake of an ex had done to me I could never bring such pain to someone else.

"I don't have a girlfriend."

"Of course you do, I saw you two on the field."

"She's not my girlfriend, just someone I slept with a long time ago."

I'm not quite sure how to take his matter of fact way of saying that. I'd heard the stories of course, and at least he was being honest. But did I want to be just another one of his cast offs?

All this talk of belonging to him was very confusing as well; what did it really mean? From what I'd learned about him in passing he wasn't one to beat around the bush.

Rumor was he never slept with the same girl twice. Which meant he'd been pretty busy in the three years he'd been here, but what did that mean for me?

***

???TALON??

***

I wondered which one of my hangers on had been spreading lies again. Every semester there was always some enterprising coed who was sure she could snag the great Talon Avery with what laid between her legs. I think they even had bets on that shit. Like I was some sort of trophy for their wall.

Wasn't it amazing that she had snagged me with nothing more than a look from those obscenely beautiful turquoise eyes? I didn't play around with the truth, I'm pretty sure she would soon be bombarded with stories of my exploits. And if we're going to have any kind of relationship which I'm going to make damn sure is the case, I would rather start with a clean slate.

I'm not ashamed of my past, anything I did before today can have no bearing on what laid ahead for us.

"I can imagine what you've heard about me, most of it true no doubt. But if you believe nothing else, please believe me when I say I'm a straight shooter. I'm not going to say I don't expect you to believe me, because for what we're going to mean to each other, I don't and won't accept any less.

From now on it's you and me, there will be no other women; that ended yesterday across a football field. Now let's get back inside, I don't want you catching a chill."

***

??That had been three and a half weeks ago. In the last two weeks we've been with each other every spare moment outside of classes. I go to all his practice sessions after school because he insisted. We even sleep together, although he understood and respected the fact that I wasn't ready for anything physical just yet.

It came as quite a surprise when the school jock was so accepting of my needs. We did have some pretty hot and heavy make out sessions though, which made me wonder what actual sex with him was going to be like. But he never pressured me into anything; he seemed satisfied just having me there in his bed for now.

?Of course I still deal with the cattiness of the other girls that were once in his bed and the ones who had hoped to one day be there.

Everyone seemed to be surprised that he let me sleep at his place so often. If they only knew the stink he puts up if I try to sleep in my own dorm, sheesh. The man was like a bear until he got his way.

I could only imagine what had set him off this time. The fact that I wasn't at the library when I told him I would be wouldn't turn him into the nightmare that my callers were describing. And why the hell hadn't he just called me himself?

Shit I forgot I had turned off my phone for a while, not to mention those calls I had let go to voice mail. Oops, better check.

Sure enough four missed calls from the man himself, shit. ?I called him back right away.

"Where, the fuck, are, you?"

"Talon?"

"Who the fuck else, now answer me Skylar."

"I'm at the pharmacy what's wrong? You're scaring me." His voice sounded like the world was coming to an end. What the hell could've happened?

"Don't cry, just be at your dorm in ten minutes."

"Can you please just tell me what's wrong?"

"I'll tell you when I see you in ten minutes, ten minutes Skylar, don't make me have to come looking for you."

He hung up the phone. Well shit, I guess I was about to meet the caveman Stephanie had warned me about.