“Guilty,” Eagle said calmly as he held open the door for Taylor at the top of the stairs.
She smiled at him, and Eagle did his best to memorize the moment. He’d been doing that a lot lately. Storing up memories of his Taylor to bring out when he couldn’t be with her.
“Do you think Shawn would mind if we took a snack with us?” Taylor asked.
Eagle huffed out a breath. “Do I need to worry about you dumping me so you can marry our resident chef instead?”
Instead of getting irritated, she smiled wider and snuggled into him, her arms going around his waist. “Jealous?” she asked.
“I’m never going to be able to make you a delicious home-cooked meal,” Eagle admitted.
“I don’t need you to cook for me,” Taylor said seriously. “I need you exactly how you are. You have no idea how happy you’ve made me simply by being yourself. You’re the only person who’s looked past my condition to see me. It would be hypocritical to get upset that you can’t cook. I love you, Eagle. I’ve enjoyed getting to know Shawn better, and I might love the food he cooks, but I don’t love him.”
“It’s a good thing,” Eagle told her with a small smile. “Because I’d hate to have to beat him up.”
Taylor rolled her eyes. “Whatever. You won’t touch him, because you like his food just as much as I do.”
“True. I love you, Flower. So much.”
She beamed at him. “Thank you for going with me to Bloomington. I probably would’ve declined if you couldn’t or didn’t want to go. And not because of whoever seems to be following me. I don’t like parties like this. I’m always uncomfortable.”
“That’s in the past,” Eagle said. “I told you before, and I’ll tell you again, I’ve got your back. Now and forever. You showed me the list you got from the agent of people who will be attending. I looked them all up online, so if they approach you, I’ll just whisper who they are.”
Her eyes shone with love. “That’s literally the nicest thing anyone’s ever offered to do for me.”
“You’re with a man who remembers every single person he’s ever met,” Eagle said easily. “I think we’re a pretty good pair.”
Taylor rolled her eyes. “I’m probably getting the better end of the bargain here.”
Eagle looked around and, seeing they were alone, moved his hands down to her ass and squeezed. His fingers were within an inch of her pussy, and he had to force himself to not touch her intimately right there and then.
She went up on her tiptoes. “Eagle!” she exclaimed.
“You gave yourself to me,” he told her. “I don’t take that lightly, and you’re both the best friend and the best fuck I’ve ever had. I love you, so much it scares me sometimes. I definitely got the better end of the bargain.”
“We’ll have to agree to disagree, then,” Taylor said, and brushed her fingertips across his nape. He’d never thought he was sensitive there until she touched him. “And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m kind of excited about the party. I’ve never had someone have my back like you do. I’ve always been the awkward girl standing on the side, looking at her watch, wondering if she’s stayed long enough to be polite and if she can leave already.”
“Not tomorrow, you won’t.”
“Nope. And . . . one of the people who’ll be there is an author I’d die to proofread for,” Taylor admitted. “I think if I can make a good impression, she might consider hiring me.”
“She will,” Eagle said confidently. “How could she not?”
“Thanks, Eagle. Your support means the world to me.”
“Back atcha,” he said. “Now, as much as I’d like you to put your legs around my waist so I can carry you into a room and make love to you until you’re limp as a noodle and I feel the same, we need to get going.”
Taylor took a deep breath, then nodded. She stepped back, and Eagle dropped his hands reluctantly. It was insane how he wanted to touch her all the time. He wondered if the feeling would ever fade, then decided he hoped it wouldn’t. He wanted to be eighty-five and still so madly in love with his woman that he needed to hold her hand, or be otherwise touching her, all the time.
“What are you thinking?” she asked, her head tilting in question.
“Just how much I like being with you,” Eagle told her. Then he grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the kitchen. “Let’s see what Archer left in the fridge. I won’t tell our employee you pilfered anything if you hurry.”
He grinned as she pulled her hand out of his grip and rushed ahead to see what goodies there were for her to take with them to snack on.
This would be their first road trip, and Eagle was eager to see what kind of traveler Taylor was. Would she sleep? Want to talk? Listen to the radio? Need to stop every thirty minutes to pee? He couldn’t wait to find out. Every little thing he discovered about her made him love her more. Bloomington wasn’t that far a drive from Indy, only around an hour, but he’d drive across the country with her if that’s what she wanted to do.
Knowing he was smiling like a crazy man, and not caring, Eagle put his hand on the small of Taylor’s back as they walked out of Silverstone Towing minutes later. He couldn’t wait to get to the hotel and show his woman how much he loved her.
Chapter Sixteen
Taylor couldn’t remember being this happy. Ever.
Which was pretty amazing, considering tomorrow night she’d be standing among the people she most wanted to impress in the book industry. Agents, authors, editors, other proofreaders. In the past, she’d have been in a full-blown panic by now.
Instead, Eagle had given her the confidence to actually look forward to what was ahead. She’d seen firsthand how he’d studied the pictures of the people who were going to be in attendance tomorrow night. She had no doubt he’d be able to stealthily let her know who was approaching or who she was talking to without making it seem weird. She’d seen him do it time and time again in the last couple of months.
She still had to pinch herself to believe she’d somehow found a man who seemed to respect and cherish her the way Eagle did. At first glance, she was aware that they looked a little odd together. He was tall, muscular, and gorgeous . . . or so Skylar had informed her. And she knew longing and admiring looks when she saw them, and that was what she saw on a lot of women’s faces when they looked at her man. In contrast, Taylor thought she was the definition of average looking. Her best feature was her curly hair, but she wasn’t sure that made up for her average height, average hair color, and average weight.
But Eagle loved her body. And said her height was perfect for him. And he loved her. As for Taylor, she didn’t care how attractive others found Eagle; he was hers, and she wasn’t giving him up.
If he decided one day that he didn’t love her anymore, it might utterly destroy her. But for now, he did love her, and she loved him, and life was good.
She looked over at Eagle as he drove like he did everything else—with confidence. He had one hand on the steering wheel, and the other was currently holding hers on the console between them. Every now and then, his thumb would brush against the back of her hand, sending goose bumps down her arms. She couldn’t help but look forward to getting to the hotel and seeing what dirty things Eagle had planned for the two of them.