Sunshine couldn't count the times she had found Talon by the lake practicing with his sword.
"I will make them accept me, Nyn. I will be the best warrior ever born and they'll never dare to speak to me with anything less than respect."
She had watched the angry, hurt boy grow into an embittered, fierce man. He had walked with a deadly swagger and a scowl so stern that even the stoutest of heart shrank at his approach.
He had fought his way into his uncle's heart. Fought until even the clan that hated him knew he was the only one capable of leading them against their enemies.
No one had dared meet Talon's gaze and only in fearful whispers did they dare to disparage his mother or him.
His uncle had had no choice but to accept him. It was either acknowledge Talon or lose his throne to him in war.
Talon had been invincible. Strong. Unyielding.
A man of power.
Until she was alone with him. Only then did his features soften.
Only then did he dare to laugh and smile.
And what haunted her most was the memory of Talon whispering his love to her as she died in his arms...
Her throat tight, Sunshine set her bag and thermos of coffee on the table, then knelt on the floor by his head. Tenderness flooded her.
She really did love this man.
She had changed in many ways.
In many ways, Talon had not.
He was still the same fierce warrior who walked alone. The same man who put others before him.
She traced the line of his brows with her fingertip. Then she leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
Startled, he jerked awake so fast, he actually fell off the couch.
Sunshine stifled her laughter. "I'm sorry."
Talon looked around groggily as he slid back on the couch, upright. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was. Clearing his throat, he frowned at Sunshine who was sitting back on her legs and watching him with an odd, weepy kind of look on her face.
"What were you doing?" he asked.
"I was kissing Sleeping Beauty awake."
He frowned at her words until he smelled something almost as enticing as her patchouli scent. "Coffee?"
She handed him the thermos from the coffee table. "And beignets. I thought you'd rather have those than my guava juice and cranberry muffins."
Talon looked at her suspiciously and wondered if a pod person had kidnapped her and was using her body. This couldn't be the same woman who had scavenged his cabin for hours looking for something "nontoxic" to eat. Nor the angry temptress who had banished him to a miserable day spent alone on her couch. "You're not mad at me anymore?"
"I want you to trust me, Talon. That hasn't changed."
Talon glanced away, unable to stand the pain in her eyes. He didn't want to hurt her, didn't want to keep anything from her. But he had no choice.
In so many ways she was his wife and in so many more she wasn't. He was having to learn her all over again.
But what surprised him most was how much he enjoyed getting to know her.
Sunshine was an incredibly sexy, entertaining and fun woman to be around.