Creatures
Chapter 9

Talon stared after her. What had he done now and what was all this nonsense about noise? There was something going on with her. She was such a mixture of moods. She was so timid and quiet when she was with the others. Confident and almost dangerous in the combat training room. Then there was the compassion when they had spoken earlier that evening only to have anger now. Who was she really? Talon watched the steam continue to roll off the water, continuing to ask himself that question.

Could he do it? Could he fall in love with her? She kept him interested and she understood him better than anyone else in the house, but what about her. She was still so closed off. Would she ever open up and let the others in, let him in?

Karen strolled towards the house, upset and confused.

She did not know what to make of that man. First, he is cold and aloof, then he was disagreeable and now he was... he was... he was sweet and kind and strong and she was starting to fall in love with the man. No, that was just the bonding, she could not be falling in love with him, he would not let anyone close enough to have them fall in love with him. She let out a sigh.

She had wanted to, for a moment, open up and let him in, but she had tried that once and it had failed.

Epically, monumentally and fabulously failed and she had the scars to prove it.

She shook her head. What was she going to do about him? He had looked strong and proud and drop dead, oh my god I think I just came, gorgeous in the moonlight and she had wanted to step into his arms and have him take her right then and there and probably would have if she had not turned and walked away from him.

She wondered if she would ever be able to overcome these emotions that she felt in his presence.

The following morning Talon appeared to a sight he had yet to see.

“What are you doing?”

“What? No good morning?” Karen asked as she continued to vacuum. “I am cleaning.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to. I need something to do and I have had an itch to do this since I first arrived. Call it OCD if you want, but I like to clean when I am frustrated.”

“I thought that was what the piano was for.”

“It is, but I like physical work as well.”

“I thought that was what your training was for.”

Karen sighed, she could not explain this to him.

“I needed a change, let’s just leave it at that.”

Talon leaned against the door of the library and watched Karen as she moved around the room cleaning. Her movements made her seem like she was almost dancing and not for the first time, he wondered what her life had been like before she had come here.

He knew that she had taught music, but she seemed to have boundless energy and her movements had always had a grace about them.

“Did you dance?”

“What?”

“Did. You. Dance?”

Karen rolled her eyes at him before replying.

“A long time ago and it was nothing professional, just high school dance team. Why?” She asked suspiciously.

“You have a dancer’s grace about you.”

“How would you know something like that.”

Talon shrugged. “They made us learn to dance at the orphanage.”

Karen stopped and looked at him.

“You... know how to dance.”

“I used to... A long time ago. It is no big deal.”

“Impressive.”

“Shut up.” Talon shut up himself at that.

Karen continued to clean the room as Talon watched.

She finished vacuuming and cleaning, then moved on to the mounds of books that never got put back where they belonged.

Talon sighed as he watched her try to get one back on a high shelf. Once she failed, she looked for something to climb on. He stepped into the room, no longer able to watch this.

“Let me.” He plucked the book from her hand and reached up above her to put it away, forcing her to press against the bookshelves so as not to touch his body.

He felt the urge to press his body against hers, but controlled himself and stepped back “Any more?” He asked.

Karen could only nod and point to the stacks she had accumulated.

“Keep cleaning, I will put these away.” He started in on the pile. “You do know that it will only get dirty again. That is why we have people that do it for us.”

“I know that, but I like to clean and they only do the basics. This way I know that it has been done properly.”

“Besides,” She added, “I plan on getting this house clean from top to bottom before they get home. Oh, by the way, they called a few minutes ago and said to expect them right about 6:30.”

“I thought that I had heard the phone.”

They fell back into silence. Talon watched her as he put books away. She was quick and efficient and the difference was noticeable compared to what the normal crew did. Within minutes they were done and she had moved to the next room. Talon found himself following along and helping her out.

They systematically went through the first floor of rooms and Karen grabbed the clean laundry to place in each bedroom as they headed to the top floor.

“Why the top floor?”

“I told you. I am cleaning from top to bottom.” Karen grinned.

Talon groaned at the stupid pun. “All right. Fine. You got me on that one. But we already cleaned the first floor.”

“Touche. You can have that point.”

“Point?”

“Yup. Now we are even.” Karen grinned impishly at Talon and Talon felt his heart flutter, actually flutter, at the sight of it.

“That is so stupid.”

“But fun.”

Talon grinned and shook his head. “You are such a dork.”

“Gotta love me for it.”

‘Yes, I do.’ he thought to himself.

Karen opened the door to Eric’s bedroom and froze at the sight of tapes and magazines strewn everywhere.

“What in the world...”

Talon started to laugh. “Well, well, well, you did ask for it.”

“For what?” Karen asked as she took a closer look and, blushing a fiery red, saw that she held a porn movie in her hand.

She put it down as Talon explained.

“With that comment you made the other day about not leaving their porn out.”

Karen stared at him, forgetting the tapes for a moment as she realized that she had never heard him laugh.

“I have never heard you laugh.” Didn’t he say that to her last night?

“I believe a lovely lady told me just recently something like, ‘is there anything around here to laugh at?’ or something like that.” he retorted.

Karen sighed. He had her on that one. “All right. Point for you on that one.”

“Do not forget the porn.”

“Oh no, that was not you, that was the others. No points awarded.”

“Fair enough.” Talon grinned and started to pick up the tapes and magazines scattered all over the floor and bed, putting them in a neat stack on the night table as Karen put stacks of clothes on his dresser and started to tidy up a bit.

“What is the prize?” Talon asked as they worked.

“What?” Karen asked as they changed the bedding.

“What is the prize for the person that gets the most points?” Talon asked, in the mood to have a bit of fun. It was nice just having the two of them here and he suddenly wished that the others would be gone just a bit longer.

“I do not know. What do you want to wager?” Karen asked, enjoying the playful side of Talon.

She wished that the others could see it, then again, it was nice just being the two of them.

“I know.” Talon had just gotten a good idea. “If you win I will do all of the cooking and eat every meal with everyone for one whole day, whenever you wish me to.”

“Oh really? That sounds like a good reward. Deal.” Karen agreed, “What if you win? What is your reward?”

“Mmmm, let’s see... I know. Since you are good at cleaning and cooking. You have to be my personal maid for a week.”

“No way.” Karen entered the bathroom, glad to see there were no more surprises there.

“Why not?” Talon asked as he started to clean the toilet.

Karen stepped into the shower. “A week and do whatever you say? Not going to happen.”

“Why?”

“First, A week is way longer compared to your one day and second... There are things that I will NOT do, so in the end I would break the deal anyway.”

“I can see your point.” Talon agreed, stopping short as he watched her clean the shower. A mental image of her wet body covered with soap, pressed against the wall as he drove deep inside her suddenly popped into his head and he had to stop himself from acting on the impulse.

“How about,” he swallowed hard, “three days and I will only ask that of you that you are willing to do. You are allowed to refuse if it is something you are uncomfortable with.”

“No good. You are only cooking one day so I will only play maid one day.”

Talon did not think that was enough time.

“All right... then how about a week of meals for a week of work? Is that fair?”

“As long as I am allowed to refuse certain things.”

“What is considered unreasonable?” Talon argued.

“Anything I do not want to do,” Karen replied.

“That is not specific at all.”

“And that is the way I like it.” Karen sighed. “If you actually win we will hash out the details, Agreed?”

“You think I will not win?”

“Of Course.”

Talon thought for a moment. “Agreed.”

Karen suddenly became aware of the heat that was radiating from Talon’s body as she wiped the mirror and he the counters. As they had talked they had moved closer and closer to each other and Karen could feel her body starting to answer his heat. She noticed a bit of lint in his hair, and swallowing hard, reached up and pulled the lint out of his hair very gently before quickly moving away and out of the small bathroom.

Talon stopped. What was that? He reached up and touched his hair. Did she just run her fingers through his hair? What the hell?

“Wait a minute! What was that?” He followed her towards the door.

“That? You had a piece of lint in your hair and I did not want you to get the wrong idea.”

“How the hell was I not going to get the wrong idea if you did not tell me what you were going to go.”

“Sorry.” Karen looked down. The easy banter was gone in an instant.

Talon relaxed and stepped up to her.

“It is all right. I just did not know what was going on and my first instinct is to fight, then question. I apologize as well.”

Karen nodded and they headed to Lily’s room.

“At least there will not be any porn in here,” Talon commented as they stepped into the room and headed towards the bedroom.

“I bet there is.”

“No way. Why would she need that? Girls do not need porn.”

“Some girls like porn or even toys to help them...” Karen flushed, “Umm, pleasure themselves. I bet she found out what Eric was doing and... sure enough.”

On the bed was a towel with what must have been freshly washed toys laid out to dry. Talon could only stare.

“Really?”

“Really. I believe that is my point.”

Talon shook his head. They finished quickly, not disturbing the toys and moved onto Michael’s room where there were more porn movies and magazines strewn about.

Karen sighed as they headed to Evan’s room after they finished up Carrie’s room, where, surprise, surprise, they had found more toys and even a few unmentionables that Karen was sure should not leave the bedroom even if they were undergarments.

Talon gave her a wink and a smile, setting her heart beating rapidly, as they approached Evan’s door. “I bet he is the worst offender.”

“I doubt he even knows what porn is.”

Talon let out a laugh. “Oh he does. I remember that age well and believe me. I know for a fact that Michael and Eric sometimes borrow from him.”

“No way!”

“Yes, way.”

Karen looked around the room as Talon let out a whistle. The boy had a good collection going. “I believe that round goes to me.”

“I should have known. He hates his partner after all.”

“Why does everyone have their own rooms? I thought Lily and Eric are married.” Karen asked as they started the cleaning.

“They are,” Talon told her. “But everyone likes their own space and as long as the room is not needed for someone else, Lily uses it for storage and such.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Karen commented as they slowly made their way through Evan’s room.

His room took a bit longer and they were glad to head to Emerald room’s next.

“Thank god we will not have to clean up any more of that.” Talon could not tell her that he had seen a few things that he had wanted to borrow from Evan himself. That boy had good taste.

Karen smiled. “I bet we do. I bet she is the worst offender out of everyone, man or woman.”

“Unlikely.”

“Do you even know her?” Karen asked with a shake of her head.

“Yes. The bubble, always talking, always grinning, asking a million questions every day, redhead fireball? That girl? I do too.”

“Then you should also have realized that she would go all out for anything that she does and that means...”

Sure enough, Emerald’s stash made Evan’s look like he had just started.

“Oh my god, the toys!” Talon exclaimed as he looked at the chest-high shelves that ran along her bedroom walls that were filled with all sorts of toys, outfits and ‘accessories’.

He could only shake his head. He’d had no idea.

“What is wrong with these people?”

Karen laughed at his expression. “It is always the quiet ones that are the worst.” She commented as they got to work, cleaning up the place. At least she had not put hers everywhere like the others had done. She had hers neat and orderly and out of their way for cleaning.

Talon stopped in front of one particularly large dildo and could only stare.

“Does she really put that in...” He swallowed hard.

“Some like it, big honey.” Karen gave him a wink.

Talon stared at her. She had not even hesitated or blushed when she had said that and what was up with the honey.

“Do you?” Talon had to ask now.

That made Karen blush. “That is no concern of yours.”

“Now wait just a minute.” he followed her out the door and towards her room, a suspicion starting to grow in his mind.

“Do you have... things like that?”

Karen headed to her room, her head up.

“Every girl has a little black bag, sugar, just like every man owns his collection of porn and naughty magazines.”

‘Sugar’? Now she was pushing it.

Talon could only stare as images of her sticking the dildo that he had just seen her...

He let out a groan, but not the for the reasons that she took it for.

“I should have known.” Talon tried to get that image out of his head. “This is coming from a girl that wears candy apple red thongs.”

“Are you still on that? They are not candy apple red, they are seduction crimson, thank you very much.”

Talon let out another groan.

“It is not that big of a deal sweet,” Karen said, mistaking his groan again.

“Stop calling me pet names like that, people will get the wrong idea... besides, I do have a proper name you know and you are welcome to use it.”

“Well, I do too and I have not heard you use mine either.” Karen retorted.

“I have, you just have not been paying attention.” Talon looked around the hall, not sure where to rest his gaze.

“I cannot believe that I have been living with such perverts for so long.”

They stopped before his room.

“What are you doing?” Talon asked.

“I am cleaning your room. Why? Would you like to hide a few things before I go in?” Karen asked.

Talon colored and looked away. “No.”

He opened the door and gestured Karen in before him. “Unlike the rest of them, I have nothing to hide.”

“You mean you do not have a collection of porn hiding somewhere.” She asked as she stepped in and stopped. “It is neat.”

“Of course it is neat. Do I look like a messy person.” He gestured to himself.

Karen could not resist the temptation and looked him over thoroughly before commenting.

“Appearances can be deceiving.”

Talon understood that after seeing the rest of their rooms and if she looked at him like that again, he would not be held responsible for his actions. That was the second time she had checked him out.

“There seems to be little to do in here.”

“I keep it up.”

“So is that why your downstairs desk is sooo clean,” Karen commented about the foot high pile of books that littered every inch of his desk downstairs.

She stepped into the bedroom and her heart began to beat a bit harder.

His room was dark with the curtains closed. She immediately opened them to let in the light so they could see. A four-poster, king-sized, canopy bed stood in the middle of the room with two bedside tables flanking it. It was the twin to her own bedroom.

“Nice.” She got busy stripping the sheets of the bed.

His smell was everywhere and she could not stop the images of him laying in bed, the sheets only covering his lower half, his naked chest exposed for all to see. A hand flung over his eyes as he slept...

“The downstairs desk is for show. My study up here is neat and orderly.” He helped her remove and then replace the sheets.

He had never thought that she would actually be in his room. He wondered what she would look like laying naked in the middle of his bed, her body flushed from his lovemaking. Her chest rising and falling in heavy gasps as she came down from her climax...

They finished his bedroom in record time, each needing to get out of there and continue with the rest of the house.

“What?” Talon asked as they finished up, noticing Karen’s glances.

“Its just so neat. Most men do not live like that.”

“When you have lived in some of the places I have, honey,(using a term that she had used on him earlier) you either learn to live in filth or you become obsessed with living in cleanliness. I chose cleanliness.”

“That is a good thing... and no pet names for me either.”

“Sorry.” he grinned. “All is fair...”

“Where are we in the points?”

“I think we are tied.”

Karen nodded and headed for her suite. She headed straight for the bedroom but stopped when Talon did not follow like he had with the others.

“Is it all right for me to enter?” He asked.

“Huh?”

“I know that I have been in here before, but I do not feel comfortable without your permission. It was hard enough to do it the first two times.”

“Granted.”

They worked on taking the sheets off of her bed as she was tried not to let her imagination run away with her and he tried not to throw her down and ravish her.

“So do you have a little black bag?” Talon asked. He had been secretly scanning the room for her stash. His laid in a false bottom in the bottom drawer of one of his side tables, but where was her?

“I believe you have already asked that question. Do you see a little black bag anywhere?”

“No, but that does not mean you do not have one.”

“The same could be said for you.” Karen retaliated

“Not all men need extra stimulation to masturbate you know.” Talon followed her into the bathroom and they got to work.

“Neat,” Talon commented on the room.

“Of course it is. Like you, I do not like to live in filth and I do not like to have others clean up after me. This way there is less work for them to do.”

“Do you not wear makeup?” Talon noticed the absence of jars and makeup bottles from her counter as he had seen in the other rooms.

“I do. I just do not need to have it in abundance. A little goes a long way for me.”

Talon stepped into the shower and started to wipe it down, the images of her reappearing, stronger now with her scent filling the room.

He could see his hand lathering her breast before rinsing it off and lathering it with his tongue and mouth instead. His lower region pushed against his pants and he had to take a few breaths to calm himself down enough to continue his work.

They finished her room quickly and headed back down the stairs.

“The kitchen is the last room,” Karen commented as they entered the room.

“Wait? You want to clean it before you cook?”

“Yup.”

“But you are going to just get it dirty again.”

“So will everything else.”

Talon sighed and started to run water in the sink, adding a little bleach and dish soap to it.

“I will sweep and mop, you start on the counters.”

In no time at all the kitchen was clean and Karen collapsed in one of the chairs after putting away all of the cleaning supplies. Talon brought her a cup of tea and they sat in an easy silence while they drank.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Karen finally asked.

“Yes, it does.” He replied as he reached over.

“You have a bit of dirt on your cheek. Here, let me get it.” He rubbed the dirt away and went back to his drink.

“Thanks.” Karen took another sip of her tea, trying to calm her heartbeat a bit.

“I think that is my cue to go try out the outdoor tub.”

“Why? Have you not tried it before?”

“I like my privacy and I did not want someone walking in on me. I know most of you use it at some time or another, but I just cannot...”

Karen cleaned her cup and put it away, unable to explain it to him.

“Why in the world do you have one of those anyway? I thought that was a Japanese custom.”

“It is.” Talon followed her example with his own cup. “The President put it in when it was just him and Mr. Lee and their partners.”

“Still...”

“Let it go.” Talon interrupted gently. “There are some things that are better not to question.”

“All right. Anyway, you should shower as well. You are just as dirty as I am.” Karen stood behind Talon and giggled.

“You have more lint in your hair.” She commented and picked a few pieces out and placed them on the table. “See?”

Talon stood. “I suppose you are right.”

Karen waved as she left the room. “I will cook tonight, but starting tomorrow it is all yours.”

“What! Wait a minute.” Talon followed her out the door. “I did not lose. You did.”

“Nope. I got the last point. Ta-da.” Karen smiled and sashed her way to the bathroom.

“Damn. She is right.” Talon shook his head and headed for his own bedroom.

“Do you think that they survived?” Emerald ask as the plane flew them closer to home.

“I think that Karen can hold her own,” Michael commented. “Besides, even though we do not see it, Talon is very gentle and protective of Karen.”

“We can only hope that there has been some progression on their relationship. I am worried that they have not been through the second bonding yet.” Carrie spoke from behind them.

“Leave them be,” Lily told her. “It will happen when THEY are ready for it to happen.”

“I can wait, but what about the enemy?” Carrie spoke what they were all thinking.