Distracting
1025 Words
"Halo, this isn't me curating you. I will not deny you the freedom that I promised. I mean, I did say yes to you appearing in the crowd in front of the press with me, right? I am not withholding freedom from you, but this is for your safety. I cannot go into details till I am sure, and I don't think you should know about this for now. But Halo, please, I can't have you or us attend that party".
They pulled up in the driveway.
Halo stepped out of the car, slammed the door shut, and walked towards the entrance without looking back. The sound of the door echoed in the coming night, sharp and final.
Talon sighed and followed after her. He didn't rush. He knew where she was going.
The driver remained in his seat, eyes forward, but his grip on the steering wheel tightened. The staff by the entrance exchanged cautious glances, unsure if they should acknowledge the new madam in her current state. Halo unintentionally ignored them all, heading straight up to her destination.
She walked in, leaving the door open just enough for Talon to step inside before she turned her back to him.
A tense silence settled between them.
Talon shut the door behind him and leaned against it, his gaze fixed on her stiff shoulders.
"Halo," he said.
Nothing.
She stood by the dresser, gripping its edge, breathing in and out as if trying to compose herself.
He exhaled slowly. "Say something."
She turned around, her eyes searching his face. "Say something? You're the one with something to say, Talon, but you won't."
Talon remained quiet.
Halo let out a short laugh, shaking her head. "I don’t understand you. You go out of your way to make decisions without telling me why. If you're going to control what I do, at least have the decency to explain."
His fingers twitched at his side. He should have expected this.
She took a step closer, her expression much calmer. "Just say what's on your mind."
Talon looked at her for a long moment. He wanted to. He wanted to tell her why he was refusing, why it wasn't safe, why Zorro's presence at the press conference had changed everything.
But he couldn't. Not yet.
So he just stood there, his silence stretching between them.
"You know, I'm not really used to being walked out on," Talon said, his voice smooth, carrying a hint of amusement.
"Well then, start getting used to it," Halo shot back without hesitation.
Talon smiled. "Mmn..."
She frowned, crossing her arms. "What?"
"You know," he continued, tilting his head slightly, "when I first saw you, I knew there was a little spark in you. Because for someone to look so calm and silent, there has to be a spark."
Halo narrowed her eyes. "And?"
"This isn't the right time to show me that spark."
"Oh? And when is the right time to show you the spark then?"
Talon took a slow step forward, his voice dropping an octave. "When I have you on that mattress, or on a kitchen counter. That's the right time to show me the spark."
"Stop"
He smirked. "You're trying to change the subject."
She scoffed. "And you aren't?"
"Oh my," Talon murmured, closing the distance between them. His eyes locked onto hers, mirroring every flicker of emotion she tried to hide.
Before she could react, he dipped his head and pressed a slow, lingering kiss against the side of her neck.
A shiver ran down her spine.
She took a step back, pressing her hands against her arms as if to shield herself. Goosebumps flooded her skin, betraying her composure.
Talon just watched her, his smirk deepening.
What was he doing?
Obviously, he was distracting her.
And it was working.
"You know, all this happened too fast, and I feel like we didn't lay down enough rules," Halo said, arms crossed.
Talon leaned against the dresser, smirking. "What type of rules?, not necessary. This is actually a very flexible marriage, bound by just one agreement."
"Hello, sugar head," she muttered, shaking her head. "Look, I understand that you are a bad man."
Talon raised a brow, amusement flickering in his eyes.
"Not bad in the evil sense," she clarified quickly. "I just mean…..I understand that you might want your....... fill."
"My fill?" he echoed, laughing.
Halo exhaled. "Yes, your fill. But you should understand that you and I are very different people. And although I appreciate that you are a very facially and physically structured man, I don',t think I am attracted to you in that way. And I don't think you should be saying these kinds of things to me in the middle of an important discussion."
Talon just watched her, clearly intrigued.
"I feel like we should keep our boundaries as roommates. Maybe acquaintances. Possibly even friends. But you shouldn't be saying these things to me."
Talon actually looked at her this time, his expression, puzzled. "You know that us having our...fill is inevitable. We're literally married."
Halo turned to him, arms crossed. "I thought about that," she said. "We would only do the duty if it comes up. And that would be later in the future. Maybe your father wants you to have an heir, and you want me to carry the child. We could do that in the future, that is if you don't want to get a mistress or another female involved"
Talon's gaze didn't waver. "Are you comfortable with me getting other women?"
"Sure, do whatever you want," she replied, shrugging.
His eyes darkened slightly. "Would you get other men too?"
Halo nodded, her face calm. "Sure. You know, an open relationship of sorts. Luckily, we're no longer in the medieval or ancient centuries. People understand the premise of an open relationship. An open marriage. So we won't have any problems being confined to just each other."
Talon let out a short laugh, though there was no humor in it. "And you think I'd let that happen?"
Halo raised a brow. "Oh, so you can have mistresses, but I can't have anyone else?"
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