Page 14 of Wild Card (Men of Action #4)
TALON
The metal clinks loudly in the cradle, and Ace smirks as he adds weight to the bar. “Time for the men to lift.”
“Asshole,” I mutter, resisting the urge to lay back and burn through another set of reps.
“Not me who aggravated an injury by showing out.”
“Not showing out—winning a game.”
“Are we going over this again?” Major settles on the bench I vacated. “This shit is never-ending.”
He’s not wrong. Major is the only one who doesn’t bust my balls at every chance. He starts his set while I grab the free weights next to Ford.
“How’s the pretty therapist today?” Ford asks.
“She’s spending the day studying.”
“When’s that test?”
“June. She has some things to wrap up before her graduation and then the boards.”
“You still in the friend zone?”
“Friend zone was never an option.” I fight my grin, thinking about last night.
Whatever happened at happy hour seemed to lean in my favor. Her messages began with a single picture of an empty martini glass with a small note?—
No peach vodka… had to settle for key lime martinis
As her night went on, her messages were short but informative.
Happy Hour has turned into more than an hour…
Damn you, Talon, you have a fan club…
Did you know Abraham Koch met his now fiancée as a patient?
This last bit of information was news to me, but definitely a plus. Her piss-poor excuse about keeping our lines was ending.
Then there was the Facetime call.
The second it connected, I knew it was a mistake. The screen filled with the overhead florescent lights and the edge of a glass with a greenish liquid. A hand came into the shot, lifting the glass and draining it, followed by a long sigh.
An unfamiliar voice came through loud and clear. “Okay, Wills, tell me about him.”
“Him who?” Willow asked flippantly.
“Don’t play coy with me. I know the look of a woman falling hard.”
“I’m hardly falling!” Willow argued with a little too much gusto.
“Mmhmm, denial is a surefire sign. Coupled with defense, we have a case of it bad.”
“I scarcely know the guy.”
“That’s her own fault. Talon has made his intentions obvious.” Bex giggled.
“Talon is his name?” the other woman asked.
“Yes, why?”
“Nothing…”
“Maddie, why are you leering?”
Maddie? As in Abe’s fiancée? That made sense.
“Because the namesake suits a man who deserves you.”
“What?”
“The name is thought to resemble strong and fierce.”
“Add protective to that. You should have seen Talon when Wills almost got pummeled by a football last weekend. It was like a scene out of a movie. He didn’t even blink, whisking her into him. It was like Captain America except his body was the shield.”
“Bex is being dramatic.”
“I am not, Maddie. It was epic. Like watching a scene come to life. Talon scared the shit out of the poor guy who threw the ball.”
“Oooohhh, that sounds romantic,” Maddie woos.
“It was not romantic, it was bullish.” Willow paused, then sighed again. “Yeah, I guess it was romantic.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere.” There’s a sound of clapping. “Tell me more. Abe is the worst on details. He gives man-splanations.”
“What’s a man-splanation?”
“The kind of explanation that leaves out all the juicy parts and covers the absolute basics. Like you have a great guy interested in you and you’re blowing him off. He blames it on your ex.”
“Oh my God!” Willow squeaked. “Does everyone know about Joseph?”
“If you mean the dipshit who cheated ? —”
“Stop!” Willow’s palm raised. “We don’t need to review my woeful story. I still can’t believe everyone knows.”
“That’s why we should talk about Talon. Nothing about him is pathetic.”
There was a lull in conversation until Willow finally spoke. “Fine. Bex is right, nothing about Talon is pathetic. He’s kind, funny, interesting, observant…”
Another lapse of quiet until Maddie clears her throat. “Observant? That’s a trait?”
“It is to me, and reason one-thousand my life was pitiable. Talon pays attention. Like everything I say registers. I don’t know how to explain it. All the time I spent...” pause, “with my ex, he never once seemed to pay attention. Talon picks up on everything.”
“I can see this is important. Why do you say it like it’s a negative?” Maddie pressed cautiously.
“Because it’s wonderful. It’s enlightening.
He brought me food—food I like. He shows up at the park and plays with my dog.
Joseph hated when I got Wolf. Treated him like a mangy mutt and never tried to bond or accept him in my life.
Then last week, Wolf went crazy when Talon stopped by.
Talon took him outside and played with him.
Threw a ball until Wolf collapsed in blissful exhaustion.
My heart almost cracked. He’s charming and selfless.
His friends are his family, and he’s a damn hero for God’s sake. ”
“Oh no! Not that. A hero? And a man who likes your dog? I can see that would be a major turn-off,” Maddie scoffed.
“Oh, and he’s terrible to look at,” Bex added.
“He’s the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on.
Like burning inferno HOT!” Willow defends.
“I almost swallow my tongue every time I see him. Oh, and he kisses like what dreams are made of. Slow and sweet, rough, demanding, toe-curling—all of it insanely mind-altering. He’s that undeniably perfect. ”
“The gall! How dare he be hot? And mind-altering?” Maddie said before bursting into giggles.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because you should see your face.”
“Perfect, Maddie! Like a mystical godlike unicorn among men. Which we all know don’t exist.”
“Maybe they do. I found my unicorn and life is pretty fucking fantastic.”
“Exactly!” Bex yelped. “And next week, she’s going out with him.”
“Are you, Wills?”
There’s another beat of silence. “Yes, I’m going out with him. He’s a thrill-seeking, adventure-driven man who puts his life on the line every day. This scares me to death. But why not head straight into heartache? Because that is what Talon is—the potential to be a heartbreaker.”
“Honey, taking a chance on what scares you the most, that’s where life is the sweetest.”
“And imagine the sex… I bet he is amazing,” Bex basically purred.
“I can’t imagine the sex. Can you forget how to have sex? Because I forgot what sex is it’s been so loooonnnnnggggg.” There’s a slur to Willow’s tone followed by a loud cackling.
At that, I hung up, knowing I’d heard enough.
It was good to know that Willow could be chatty. And it confirmed my instincts my job scared her.
That I could handle.
It was the other that bothered me.
Knowing she had a dickhead in her past that seemed to fuck her over.
I was ready to crash her night when Lucas sent me a message about getting her home.
While I’d rather it be me driving her, I reminded myself to give it a little more time.
Instead, I drove to her place and watched as Lucas got her inside.
After five minutes he came out, clocked me in my truck, and gave me a chin jerk to say all was well.
She sent a final text.
I’m home, the Uber was safe.
Knowing she was fucking with me showed she was willing to play with fire.
I watched her place until long after her lights went out, thinking over every word she spoke.
“You gonna join back in the rotation or should I get you a notepad to doodle hearts?” Ford’s question pulls me back to where all three guys are staring at me with wise-ass grins.
“Only if I can borrow your gel pens and glitter,” I counter, straddling the bench.
Major begins to remove the extra weight.
“I got this.”
“Don’t be a goddamned hero.” His grin turns into a scowl.
“Let’s see what I can do.”
“You have nothing to prove.”
“Then spot me.” I stretch my arms over my head and lie down, taking a deep breath before lifting the bar.
My arms burn with the added weight, but my body pushes through, finishing the set only a little winded.
“You good?” Major hands me a water.
“Yeah.”
“Hey, Romeo, what did you do?” Ace asks, glancing between me and his hand.
Ford crowds in, his lip curving to the side. “Shit, man, this thing is blowing up.”
It’s then I realize they have my phone. “Why the hell do you have my phone?”
“Better question is, why is the doctor so fired up?” Ace tosses it my way. It buzzes continuously with incoming messages layered on the screen.
I scroll to the first and can’t stop my smile as I read. My deliveries arrived.
Willow
You sent me lunch…
And groceries…
Again…
The delivery lady probably thought I was crazy… This is too much
Check the bag for Wolf’s toy.
The phone rings in my hand, and before I can say hello, she launches in, “You sent my dog a stuffed unicorn?”
“Seemed appropriate. You have a thing for mythical creatures.”
There’s a faint squeak and shuffling on the line. “Talon, why was there a Facetime call last night?”
“You called me.”
“I did not! Or at least I didn’t mean to. What did you hear?”
“Enough.”
“That was a privileged girl talk.”
“Fortunately, I’m skilled in girl gab.”
Her breath hitches, and I realize what that must have sounded like.
“Ace and Major’s fiancées lived with us.”
“In a bachelor pad?”
“Something like that.”
“Well then, you should know the sacrosanct of girl talk.”
I almost feel bad. “I hung up when you started talking about amazing sex.”
Ford laughs out loud while Ace clears his throat.
“Oh my God, who heard that? Where are you?”
“At the gym with the guys.”
“I can’t believe you said that out loud.”
“You asked.”
“You shouldn’t have listened,” she mumbles.
“How are you feeling?” I change the subject.
“Fine.”
“Not hungover?”
“Luckily, I don’t get hungover.”
“Good to know.”
“Or at least I was fine until I learned you listened to my private conversation.”
“Add it to my observation skills.”
“You’re shameless,” she snaps.
“I’ll take any advantage I can.”
“Like bribing my dog?”
“Wolf loves me. I give him bliss.”
“The phrase was blissful exhaustion.”
“Same thing.”
“Wait, did you say you’re at the gym?”
“I am.”
“You’re not released to work out.”
“Never stopped me before.”