Talon (Ashes & Embers Book 4) Read Online Free PDF Page B

to find a life partner.
    "Why?" he repeats, snapping a Zippo lighter open and lighting up a cigarette dangling from his mouth. "Truthfully? Because I wanted to be with someone who wasn't just interested in my dick."
    Well, yeah. No problem with that, buddy. You can keep your dick over there.

Chapter 7
Talon
    F irst , a fucked-up kiss.
    And now, I can't drink.
    Then, she's telling me I can't smoke in the room.
    I've been with this chick for less than half an hour and she's already messing with my mojo.
    I'm eyeing her from across the reception hall where she seems to be hiding with her friend, and having a meltdown, her hands flying as she talks, head shaking, while her friend nods repeatedly.
    "Hey, man, she's beautiful." My brother Storm appears next to me, smiling from ear to ear.
    "What the fuck? That chick is not what I asked for." I sip my water distastefully. "She's already stomped her feet against me drinking and smoking."
    "Well, that's a good thing, actually. You do drink a little too much, so I'll thank her for that."
    I give him the side-eye. "She's not a fucking thing like what I asked for. I got ripped off."
    He grins and shrugs. "I dunno. She kinda reminds me of Evie. She has that perpetually lost look. She's kinda adorable."
    I almost spit my water out. "Adorable? I don't do adorable. I do models. I do actresses. I do sexy, long legs, and big tits. I do women who beg for me." I gesture at the little waif across the room who refuses to look at me. "I do not do that."
    Storm's gaze follows mine onto her. "And where has what you've been doing gotten you? Hmm? It's time for a change, little bro." He puts his hand on my shoulder. "Do you think Evie was what I thought I'd fall in love with? I was just like you, chasing after the models, doing the friends with benefits thing and all that shit. But then she came along and bam, that was it for me. Give Asia a chance." He squeezes my shoulder. "She is your wife now."
    Shit. Fuck.
    I drink my stupid water and scan the room for my mom or Dr. Hollister or Kim or someone from the team, but of course, none of them is around. How convenient. I'm pretty sure those fuckers set this up on purpose, knowing this girl wasn't in any way my type, just to rile me up and see how it all plays out.
    I make my way across the room, stopping a few times for a brief chitchat with a guest and finally confront my new partner. "You gonna hide all night?"
    She looks up at me with her huge lavender eyes. Yeah, lavender. Not blue, not green, but a weird shade of light bluish grayish purple. They look like jelly beans in her head.
    "I'm not hiding… I'm just talking to my friend Kat."
    Her friend jumps in between us. "I love your music. I've been to, like, tons of your concerts."
    "Thanks, babe."
    "I've only been to one," Asia announces. "It was two years ago, though."
    "She doesn't like crowds," her friend says apologetically.
    "That'll hafta change," I say, eyeing Asia, who now appears to be trying to will herself to disappear. I grab her arm. "C'mon, jelly bean, let's do a slow dance." I gently tug her onto the dance floor so I can check her out up close without her friend fangirling all over me.
    "Jelly bean?" she repeats as I pull her against me.
    "Yeah. Your eyes are the color of candy. Are those real?" I put my arm around her tiny waist, noticing her head barely reaches my shoulder.
    She giggles at me. Fucking giggles . "Yeah, of course they are."
    "They look fake. I thought maybe you had colored contacts in."
    She rests her hand on my shoulder awkwardly and my gaze drops to her chest, following the pearl necklace dangling there. Everything about her is so…small. "Nope…they're real."
    She does have some beautiful eyes, so I'll give her a point for that.
    "How old are you?" I ask, thinking she looks to be about nineteen or twenty, the same age as my little sister.
    "I'm twenty-five, and you?"
    "Twenty-six."
    "I was w—"
    We're interrupted by the photographer. "The sun is setting, guys.