“You do?”
“Of course. I’ve lived by myself for a long time. I love having you with me, but I know I can be pretty intense, and it’s not a problem if you need a break.”
“It’s not you,” she tried to explain. “It’s everyone. I enjoy being at Silverstone. I feel safe here. But sometimes . . . I just need some quiet alone time. I can’t explain it.”
“You’re doing fine. Will you feel safe at my apartment by yourself?”
“Yes,” she said immediately. “This is stupid, too, but . . . it smells like you. And your scent calms me. Makes me feel as if you’re right there with me. In fact, I might steal one of your shirts and nap in that.”
Eagle grinned. “Feel free to steal my clothes whenever you want. I’d love seeing you in my shirt, wandering around my apartment.”
Taylor rolled her eyes. “You’re such a guy.”
“Yup. Guilty,” Eagle told her. Then he pulled her up so she was standing next to him. “Anything you need, Tay, I’ll bend over backward to give to you. If it’s alone time, you’ve got it. My apartment complex is safe.”
“Thanks. And I might not be a supersoldier, but the same goes for you. I never want to crowd you or make you feel stifled. I know I’ve kinda just moved in over the last week, but I can go back to my apartment if you need me to. I don’t want to overstep.”
“You aren’t overstepping anything,” Eagle told her. “I’ve loved having you in my apartment. Holding you every night is not a hardship. So don’t worry about that.”
“Okay.”
“Okay. Pack up your stuff, and we’ll get you home. You want me to pick something up for dinner?”
“Well . . . yeah, if that’s okay. I could cook, but I’m not sure what we have. And cooking might break into my nap time.” She grinned.
“Perfect. I’ll think of something, then. Taylor?”
“Yeah?”
He stared at her for so long, she began to get nervous. Then he said, “Nothing. I’m just so happy we got our heads out of our asses and admitted that we wanted more than a friendship.”
“Me too,” Taylor said.
Three hours later, Taylor felt much better. Eagle had walked her up to his apartment, kissed the hell out of her, then left her alone. She’d changed into one of his T-shirts, taken a forty-five-minute nap, worked a bit more on her current manuscript, and she was currently lying on the couch, watching a cooking show on television.
She was hungry, but Eagle should be leaving Silverstone soon, and he’d be bringing dinner home.
Taylor had no idea when she’d started thinking about Eagle’s apartment as home, but she wasn’t troubled by it. Pretty much wherever Eagle was seemed like home to her. As a child, she’d moved from foster home to foster home so often, she’d never felt as if she belonged anywhere. And her apartment was fine to sleep and work in, but it had never really felt like a true home.
Here, everywhere she looked, there was something to remind her of Eagle. Not to mention his scent, which permeated every nook and cranny.
A sudden knock on the door had Taylor stiffening.
Shit, not again!
She looked at her phone, hoping she’d missed a text from Eagle, but he hadn’t sent her any messages. It was about time for him to be home, but why would he knock on the door? He had a key.
Tiptoeing to the door, not wanting anyone to know she was there, she looked through the peephole. A man wearing a red-and-blue shirt stood there, holding a large flat box that was immediately recognizable. Pizza.
“Who is it?” she asked.
“Pizza delivery,” the man responded.
Taylor closed her eyes and tried to decide if she recognized the man’s voice. It was impossible to tell. “I didn’t order a pizza.”
“Right. The guy who did told me to tell you that Eagle ordered it.”
The fear in Taylor’s gut dissipated at hearing Eagle’s name.
“He already paid for it too,” the delivery man added.
“Just leave it out in the hall,” Taylor told him without opening the door. She’d learned her lesson with the maintenance man. While it was likely Eagle had ordered it since the delivery guy knew his name, she wasn’t going to take any chances.
“Sure thing, no problem,” the man said.
Taylor watched through the peephole as he bent down, obviously placing the box on the floor, and she waited a few moments after he left before cautiously opening the door.
She grabbed the delicious-smelling pizza and locked the door behind her before heading to the kitchen. She wanted to dive into it right then and there, but that would be rude. Since he’d ordered a pizza, that meant Eagle would be home soon. So she opened the oven, set it on low, and placed the box inside, hoping that might keep it warm until Eagle arrived.
Twenty minutes later, Taylor’s phone buzzed with a text.
Eagle: I’m on my way up.
Loving how considerate he was, Taylor stood and waited impatiently for him to arrive. She’d unlocked the door and waited for him with the door open once, but he’d scolded her, saying he’d prefer she just stay locked inside until he got there. All it would take was ten seconds for someone to overpower her, and he didn’t want that to happen.
Taylor had agreed immediately. It felt rude to let him fumble with his keys to unlock and open the door, but she did as he’d requested.
Within two minutes, she heard the familiar sound of the locks disengaging as Eagle opened his door. “Hey, Flower,” he said.
“Hi!” she returned, walking up to him. Going up on tiptoe, she kissed him long and hard.
When they finally broke apart, Eagle grinned and said, “If a little alone time gets me a greeting like that, I’m gonna have to insist you have alone time every day.”
She smiled back at him. Lying in bed earlier, surrounded by his scent, had made Taylor very horny. She hadn’t touched herself, but she’d thought about all the amazing things he’d done to her in that very bed. She was primed and ready and couldn’t wait to show him later how much she appreciated every little thing he’d done for her recently.
A wonderful smell hit her nostrils, and she looked down. Eagle was carrying two paper bags with the logo of the Chinese restaurant they liked to order from. Her brows lowered in confusion. “You got Chinese?”
“Yeah, I told you I was going to bring dinner home.”
“But you ordered pizza.”
“What?” Eagle asked.
“Pizza,” Taylor repeated. “I put it in the oven to stay warm. The delivery guy said you ordered it.”
“Me specifically?” Eagle asked, all business now. He walked into the kitchen, and Taylor followed.
“Yes. He said your name. He said”—she closed her eyes to remember exactly what the man had said—“Eagle ordered it.”
“Fuck!” Eagle swore. “I didn’t, Taylor. I would’ve let you know if I’d done that. Besides, I would’ve picked it up and brought it home myself so a stranger wouldn’t show up at the door and scare you.”
“God . . . I’m such an idiot,” Taylor whispered.
Eagle pulled her into his embrace, but she didn’t relax or put her arms around him.