She was both excited and nervous about tomorrow, about seeing Eagle again. She tried to recall what he looked like and couldn’t. He’d been wearing a pair of jeans, black boots, and a tan shirt when she’d met him, but other than that, she had no clue about his facial features.
She also had no real concept of what a good-looking man was. But she knew that the employee who’d helped her in the post office today had been wearing too much cologne. And the guy who’d been there to buy stamps for his mom had been wearing a pair of worn jeans with stains around the ankles. His shoes had looked brand new, and he’d eaten something with onions for lunch.
Her sense of smell was really good, and she had an uncanny ability to remember people’s clothing, but when it came to their looks, she was clueless. Several people had told her that she was pretty, but that meant nothing to Taylor. When she looked in the mirror, she saw a stranger looking back at her. It was an odd feeling, one she didn’t bother trying to explain to anyone anymore.
She couldn’t help but wonder if Eagle might be one of the rare few who could understand. She had a feeling he would.
Sighing, Taylor turned her attention back to the television. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. She needed to finish up the proofread of the alien romance so she could start on the daunting task of proofing the six-hundred-page American history textbook she’d picked up at the post office while mailing out another manuscript she’d just finished. And the anticipation of seeing Eagle was daunting. She both dreaded seeing him again and was excited about it. She was a mess.
Her phone vibrated with a text, and Taylor realized she was still holding the cell in her left hand. She brought it up and chuckled when she read what Eagle had said.
Eagle: Stop worrying. If anything, I should be the one who’s worried, not you.
Taylor had no idea what Eagle had to be worried about, but she took a deep breath. She’d learned over the years that worrying about something didn’t actually lessen her anxiety. It only increased it. What happened would happen, and she’d deal. Just like she always did.
She typed out a quick reply.
Taylor: I’m not worried. Now hush, the heroine is about to find out that her alien has barbs on his penis and is wondering how in the world things between them will work out.
She had no idea why she’d written that. She’d finished the book earlier and was certainly not reading a romance at the moment, but she couldn’t help teasing Eagle. She didn’t like to think of him being concerned about whatever it was he wanted to tell her tomorrow.
Three dots came up on the screen, letting her know he was typing out a reply. When it came, Taylor could only shake her head and snort in laughter.
Eagle: Barbs? Jeez, as if I didn’t already have an inferiority complex. How can I, a mere mortal, compete with barbs??!
Taylor: Thanks for making me laugh. I am nervous about tomorrow, but I trust you.
Eagle: Nothing’s ever felt better than reading those last three words. Sleep well.
And just knowing she’d managed to make Eagle feel good made her feel good.
Taylor put her phone on the table next to her, chugged the rest of her wine, then snuggled down under a throw blanket and turned her attention to the screen. She did trust Eagle. He was one of the good guys. She’d bet her life on it.
Shit. Tomorrow, Eagle had to tell Taylor that he was definitely not a good guy. He wasn’t exactly a bad guy, but he certainly wasn’t good.
He hadn’t lied to her. He’d been fascinated by her condition, and that was why he’d called her at first. But the more he got to know her, the more he genuinely liked her. She was smart as hell and way too good for the likes of him, but he couldn’t make himself stop calling her every night.
Eagle had never had a female friend before. He’d slept with his fair share of women over the years, even thought he’d marry one once, but when he’d found out she was sleeping with half a dozen other men, he’d taken a long break from dating. He didn’t want to be that guy, the one who distrusted all women because of one, but he was still smarting from her betrayal.
But damn if he didn’t trust Taylor. There was something about her that called to him. And it had nothing to do with her condition, though he was concerned about her. Not being able to recognize anyone made her vulnerable in a way he wasn’t comfortable with, and she seemed so cut off from the world. It was a self-imposed exile, but still.
He’d encouraged her to get out more. To ignore people who might look down on her because of her condition. And now that she was getting out, he couldn’t help but worry about someone targeting her. He’d thought a lot about how her condition could make her even more vulnerable than she already was . . . and he didn’t like it.
Shaking his head, Eagle knew he was fucked.
Taylor Cardin was the most interesting, most intriguing person he’d met in ages—and he was going to fuck it up tomorrow by telling her what he and his teammates did for Silverstone.
He wasn’t going to make the same mistake Bull had. His friend had been head over heels in love with Skylar, and he’d told her about Silverstone just before going on a mission. After she’d learned what he did, they’d all thought the couple was done.
Eagle wanted to continue being Taylor’s friend. Hell, if he was being honest with himself, he wanted more than that. But if she couldn’t handle the fact that he was keeping the world safe by taking out terrorists, and others who had no respect for humanity, he was better off knowing sooner rather than later.
He hoped she could handle it, but he wouldn’t blame her if she couldn’t. She’d already wondered how he could deal with such a “boring” job after being in the military, and tomorrow, she’d find out that her assessment of him being an adrenaline junkie was spot on. He loved the intensity of the missions Silverstone went on. Got off on sneaking into and out of foreign countries. But his job at the garage was a necessary balance to the other side of his life.
Eagle hadn’t talked to his friends about telling Taylor what they did, but he did want to make sure they knew to be on their best behavior tomorrow when he brought her to the garage.
The four of them were sitting in the safe room in the basement of Silverstone Towing. They’d discussed the schedule, gone over the reports from the drivers from the last few days, and written up Archer’s preliminary employee report . . . which was nothing short of glowing. The man was a miracle worker, and all four men knew if he ever left them, Silverstone Towing would definitely be on the losing end.
“What’s on your mind?” Gramps asked.
He was the oldest of their group, which was how he’d earned his nickname, but at forty-five, the man was in better shape than any of them. Nothing slowed him down. Ever.
“You’ve been acting weird lately,” Smoke added. “Leaving work early, smiling more, acting all laid back. Something’s definitely up.”
Eagle chuckled. Smoke was only two years older than him but often acted like the father of the team.
“I’m guessin’ it’s a woman,” Bull said, leaning back in his chair with a smirk. “I mean, I leave early every day so I can spend time with Skylar when she gets home from work.”
They all knew Bull was still more than freaked out that his woman had willingly let herself be kidnapped by a child predator to protect one of the students in her class, who the man had developed an unhealthy obsession with—and had snatched off the playground at school. Now Bull had a compulsion to keep his eye on his woman as often as possible—not that anyone could blame him.