Obsession (Steel Brothers Saga 2)

Wicked awesome, indeed. This chick couldn’t be more than nineteen or twenty, though she talked like she was thirteen.

“Same here,” I said. Why was I here again?

Talon stood. “Hi.” The word came out gruff, forced.

“Hi, yourself,” I said, turning to his companion. “What do you do, Julie?”

“I’m a cocktail waitress.”

Okay, twenty-one, then.

Julie grabbed Talon by the hand and pulled him off the couch. “Let’s go for a drive. I’d love to see your ranch.”

Oh, hell no…

“I don’t think Talon has the time tonight,” Marj said. “I believe he and Jade have plans.”

My eyes nearly popped out of my head. “I don’t have any—”

Talon grabbed my arm. “That’s right. How could I forget?”

What the—

“Remember,” Marj said. “You and he were going to take care of that thing for me?”

“Sure…the thing.”

No way in the world could anybody buy this…unless she had the IQ of a spaghetti squash.

Blondie stood on her tiptoes and kissed Talon on the cheek.

And my blood boiled.

“Oh, well. Please call me the next time you’re in the city.” Julie smiled, showcasing ultra white teeth. “And I’m gonna come back and visit you real soon. I want to see your ranch up close.”

Marj grabbed Julie’s arm. “We’re terribly glad you stopped by, Julie, but I’m afraid we’re going to be totally overworked on the ranch for the next few months. Harvest time is coming and all. So please don’t drop by unless you’re invited.” She led Julie out of the family room toward the foyer.

I couldn’t help a laugh. I couldn’t believe had Marj actually said that, especially after keeping her there until I arrived. I still wasn’t sure what that had been about.

Talon looked at me. “So what are you doing here, anyway?”

“Marjorie called me. Said it was an emergency.”

Talon cocked his head. “I can’t say I’m not glad she’s gone, but I don’t think this is an emergency.”

“Clearly it wasn’t. So I guess I’ll be going.”

Marj ran back in. “Oh, no, you’re not leaving. You said you hadn’t eaten, so you’re going to have a big plateful of Felicia’s tamales.”

“Haven’t you guys already eaten?” I eyed the plates in the sink in the kitchen.

“We have, but we would love to sit down and have a glass of wine with you, wouldn’t we, Tal?”

The left side of Talon’s mouth quirked up. A pseudo-smile. “Sure,” he said. “We can sit down and have a drink.”

“Why did you insist on keeping her here, Marj, and then unceremoniously kick her out?” Talon asked.

Marj dodged the question and feigned a yawn. Right. “I just realized I’m exhausted. So why don’t the two of you go out on the deck, and maybe you can get in the hot tub later? Jade, you eat your meal, and Tal, pour her a glass of Ryan’s Rhône blend. It’s her favorite.” She made a quick exit.