Chapter 2: SKYLAR

And now this, the very thing I'd told myself would not happen, had blindsided me. I'd laughed to myself when I listened to the other females go on and on about the hot Talon, sure that I wouldn't fall prey to his charms. From the stories I'd heard, I was pretty sure I would be immune to his brand of suave. One dog in my life was enough to last me a lifetime; thank you very much.

But with that one look, I knew I'd only been fooling myself. I'd convinced myself that no one person could be as perfect as they all seemed to think; I was pretty confident that they had to be exaggerating. I'm afraid I had only been setting myself up for this. It seems being burnt once hadn't taught me anything after all if the pain in my heart was anything to go by.

I don't remember feeling this gutted by Robert's betrayal. There had been disappointment and humiliation, yes, but not this sense of total loss. Which made no sense whatsoever because I'd known Robert all my life; this Talon Avery was a total stranger, someone I hadn't even met. Yet, the sense of betrayal was strong and gut-wrenching. Talon Avery, the campus heartthrob, no use in daydreaming Skylar; he's way out of your league. But oh how I wish.

I tried to look anywhere but at Talon and the stunner, but I felt drawn to them. He had a disinterested look on his face as the gorgeous blonde was joined by a group of girls and guys, all intent on basking in the star's glow. I felt that same jolt as our eyes connected once more. The blonde was hanging on his arm, a sappy look on her face, as she seemed to be staking her claim. I rubbed the pain in my chest once more as I forced myself to look away.

***

TALON

***

I hardly heard what was going on around me. The game had been brutal, and I'd taken more hits than I could ever remember taking before, but we'd pulled through and trounced their asses. Only now, after all has been said and done, I could feel the aches and pains racking my body.

I was running my hands through my hair when I caught sight of her. Her face was in profile, but what caught my attention was the tight body in the painted-on jeans and the wild riot of blonde curls that fell to the top of her ass.

She had to be all of five three, as far as I could tell. The top part of her body was completely hidden beneath her coat, but her legs looked amazing from where I stood. As if she sensed my stare, she turned and looked at me, and I took the sucker punch to my solar plexus like a trooper.

She had the most amazing face, a soft peaches and cream complexion, and the widest eyes I'd ever seen on anything other than a doe. And those lips have mercy if she was this stunning from almost thirty feet away; I can't imagine what she would be like up close and personal.

It would've been fine if that was all there was to it, just a natural reaction to a pretty face. I've had plenty of those before, but what struck me dumb was the way something inside me seemed to know her.

Her piercing gaze went through me like grease lightning. I felt my body tense as if to spring, a strong sense of possessiveness seeping into my pores. I almost snorted at the absurd thought. Talon Avery did not feel possessive over women.

Since age fourteen, I'd been bagging females without any hassle. The combination of looks and wealth had always made snagging female attention pathetically easy. I passed off the minute aberration as a slight glitch stemming from the fact that I didn't know who she was, and I knew all the lookers on campus; in fact, I'd slept with ninety-five percent of them in my three years here.

Just as I was making up my mind whether to approach her or not, Mackenzie Harden flew into me. I barely stifled a sneer of annoyance at the interruption. I might be a dog, but mom had instilled some manners in me, so it wouldn't be cool to drop her on her ass. I've been trying to get rid of Mackenzie for the better part of two weeks, but she doesn't seem to understand that I have a code. I never return for seconds.

I saw the flash of pain or...something that crossed my mystery angel's face just before she turned away. My first instinct was to go to her, which in itself should've sent off warning alarms in my head. Talon Avery does not go after females; they come after me. By the time I was able to extricate myself from the clutches of my unwanted admirer, she was heading across the field in the opposite direction.

I felt a keen sense of loss as if I'd missed something very important. It was an entirely new feeling for me, a guy who was accustomed to getting his way in most things in life. "Mackenzie, how many times must I tell you about this shit?" I didn't wait around for her answer as I made my way off the field in the opposite direction from my angel. I was jogging by the time I hit the edge of the field; I had work to do.

By the end of that night, I had learned everything I could about her. If anyone found it strange that I was the one asking questions instead of being the object of interest as was the norm, they were smart enough to keep it to themselves. My reputation as a badass was well earned; no one wanted to be on the wrong end of my shit, and asking me questions about what the fuck I was doing was a sure way to get there.

It was easy to get the info that I needed; everyone knew who the new girl was because she was the only transfer this late in the year. Getting an intro would be no problem as it turned out that she was the best friend of my boy Kevin's girl. I barely convinced myself to wait until the next day before forcing the issue. Somehow I had the urge to go find her and bring her home, totally alien emotions for yours truly.

That night I thought of her before I fell asleep; the color of her eyes was superimposed on my brain or some shit. And the way she'd looked right through me as if she knew just who I was. I hadn't been with anyone in a while, not since my night with Mackenzie before I had to go home for a family emergency. That was almost a month ago. The way Mackenzie tried to latch onto me afterward kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. Everyone knew the deal; they knew the rules; I'm not exactly a dog, but I guess some would say I'm pretty close. I don't have a different woman in my bed every night. But when I do sleep with one, it's usually with the understanding that it's a one-off. No strings attached.

For some fucked up reason, although they knew this since my rep precedes me everywhere I go on campus, they still flock to me. Most, I'm sure, are under the impression that they will be the one to change me, to make me take that step. None have succeeded, so now I find myself with an entourage of cast-offs that swore they understood the rules but who now seemed to be making it their life's mission to corral my ass or some shit. The gentleman in me couldn't tell them to get the hell out of my vision, but neither did I lead them on.