Page 44 of Unplanned Target

When I finally come down from the sort of high I’ve never experienced, Owen releases my wrists, and I slump against him, wrung out. I don’t know why that seems to have hit me as hard as it did, but I swear I can’t even really put one foot in front of the other. As soon as he realizes I’m struggling, Owen scoops me up and carries me to his bed, stretching me out across the surface before pulling off my shoes.

My eyes try to close as I watch him peel all the weapons off his body, lining them down the dresser.

As he toes his boots off, I curl one finger, beckoning him my way. “Come here. It’s your turn.”

I blink and suddenly he’s beside me, his big body pulling me close. Owen’s lips brush against my forehead as I roll toward him, breathing deep against his chest. “I’m supposed to do you now.”

His low laugh is the last thing I hear before falling asleep, an epic failure at my own damned plan.

SIXTEEN

OWEN

Crawling out of bed before dawn was the hardest thing I’ve done in a long damn time. I wanted to wake up next to Miranda. Wanted to experience what it’s like to see her sleepy first smile. To get her first ‘good morning.’ To be the first person she sees when she wakes up after being the last one she saw before going to sleep.

And then I wanted to make her come again. This time a little more prepared for the hair trigger she’s equipped with.

Instead, I’m stalking through the halls in search of two deliveries that arrived a few minutes ago. The first being the package Heidi sent me, and the second being everything we were able to salvage from Miranda’s home. The portion of my team remaining in Memphis was nice enough to spend their evening packing all of it up and driving it here, and I’m really hoping having some of their own clothes and personal items will go a long way in making Miranda and Allie feel more comfortable here.

I reach the entryway of the main building and discover the pile of boxes waiting for me. I’m glad everyone expedited the process, but I really would have loved to be able to wait until 8 AM to get started. But hopefully I’ll have plenty more mornings to wake up next to Miranda.

Because I’m pretty sure that’s what I want.

I always hoped I would know my person when I found them, and it’s really seeming like that’s going to be the case. I’ve waited years to find someone who fits me, and now that she’s here, I can’t imagine letting her go.

So I have to give her plenty of reasons to stay. Starting with a place she can work.

“This is a lot of shit.” Luca carries in the last of the boxes from the large moving truck he drove from Memphis. “Hopefully Miranda and Allie aren’t too disappointed that we couldn’t bring everything.”

“If they want something, I’ll make sure they get it.” I circle the stack, looking for the items that didn’t come from Memphis. “Do you see an overnight box anywhere on here?”

Luca and I spend the next fifteen minutes digging through everything until we find what I’m looking for. The gate attendant who brought it in simply added it to my pile, clueless that I’d want it kept separate. Thankfully, I’m able to get my hands on it without having to displace everything, and in the process of searching for it, I manage to organize the bulk of the boxes into one stack that will go to Allie’s room and another that’s going to...

Mine.

“I’m going to take this up to Miranda, and then I’ll be back to help get everything where it needs to go.” I heft the large box from Heidi up, carrying it with one arm as I go back into the rooming house. After pausing to collect a cup of coffee in the kitchen, I quietly let myself into the room where Miranda is sleeping.

Only she’s not sleeping.

She’s coming out of the bathroom, dark hair falling around her shoulders in wet waves, and my robe wrapped around her body.

Her naked body.

Her brows pinch together when she sees me. “What’s that?”

“Yours.” I hold the coffee out.

She takes the insulated cup, still fixated on the box. “My, what?”

I go to the desk situated beneath a large window. “Your new computer and cell phones for you and Allie.”

“Why do I have a new computer?” Miranda comes to stand at my side, the scent of my shower gel clinging to her skin. “Was my old one destroyed?”

I hate to break the news to her, but there’s no way around it. “Your old one was stolen.” I pull out my knife and cut through the packing tape. “Heidi was able to remotely wipe it clean, but she’s not sure if whoever took it was able to get into it before that.” Thankfully, she also canceled all Miranda’s credit cards and changed all her passwords preemptively, so hopefully that kept any damage to a minimum.

Once the box is open, I fish through, pulling out the laptop and passing it off. “But you would have had to get a new computer anyway. You need one that’s secure.”

Miranda takes the box, looking a little shellshocked. “What do you mean by secure?”