Defending Morgan (Mountain Mercenaries #3)(52)

“For what it’s worth . . . we like her,” Meat said. “She’s kept her head, and had some amazing insights into who might not like her and why. She gave us a real head start on working on these names.”

“She’s amazing, all right,” Arrow agreed. He followed his friends into the back room, not able to keep himself from looking for Morgan. She was laughing at something one of the other women had said, and he inhaled sharply. He’d already thought she was beautiful, but seeing her right then, relaxed and happy, made him realize he hadn’t even begun to see all the different sides to her.

He wished she could stay here in Colorado Springs, but he’d be damned if he let a few hundred miles keep him from what he wanted—namely, Morgan.





Chapter Thirteen

Morgan lay on Arrow’s couch hours later, too full to move, too comfortable to even think about getting up and going to bed. Arrow sat on the other end of the sofa, her feet in his lap, giving her the best foot massage she’d ever had.

He was watching television as he worked on her feet, seemingly not paying any attention to her. But Morgan knew he was as tuned in to her as she was to him. When she shifted, he immediately asked if she was comfortable and if she needed another pillow. When she closed her eyes for a second, enjoying the feel of his hands on her sock-clad feet, he asked if she was tired and wanted to go to bed.

His apartment was as neat as a pin. He’d warned her he was a bit of a neat freak, but she hadn’t been prepared for how immaculate the place was. Morgan supposed it was a result of being a Marine, but taken to the extreme. The glasses in his cupboards were lined up precisely, the pantry arranged as if a professional organizer came in after he went to the grocery store, and there weren’t many extra personal touches in the room to gather dust.

There were only two pictures on his bookshelves: one of him and two women she assumed were his mom and sister, and one of Arrow standing with the other five men from Mountain Mercenaries. They were all grubby and dirty, but each and every one had a huge smile on his face.

As clean and orderly as the place was, Morgan immediately felt comfortable there. She wasn’t a neat freak, not even close, but after the last year of living in squalor, being in Arrow’s clean space felt freeing somehow. Calming.

“Did you enjoy dinner?” Arrow asked in a low voice.

“Immensely,” Morgan answered. “I have no idea how you got all those spices to stick to the meat, but it was amazing.”

“Not overdone?”

“No way. It was perfect.”

“I’m glad.”

“Arrow?”

“Yeah, beautiful?”

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For today. For staying by my side. For looking out for me. I was nervous about the press conference, but you reassured and distracted me when I needed it most. I know you guys needed as much information as possible about my friends and acquaintances, but when it became too much, you let me take a break. Thank you for letting me play pool with Allye and Chloe. I like them a lot, and they help make me feel normal. And that’s a big deal, because I haven’t felt normal for a very long time. Thank you for not freaking out when my parents did their thing. And finally, thank you for tonight. I needed a quiet dinner, away from the oppressive stares of the general public. I’m . . . I’m going to miss you.”

Without a word, Arrow shifted until he’d pulled her upright, turned her in his embrace, and reclined, with her back to his front. His arms were looped loosely around her waist, and she could feel his breath against the side of her face and hair as she lay against him.

“You can stay here, you know,” he told her after a while.

Morgan sighed. “I know. And I appreciate it more than you’ll ever know. You didn’t see my mom at her best today. She’s normally not like that. Most of the time she’s almost suffocatingly sweet. She hovers over me. I think . . . I think I need that right now. You’ve got your job and all, and . . . I just need some Mom time.”

“I can understand that,” Arrow said, tightening his arms around her. “But remember that you’re always welcome here. If things don’t work out in Albuquerque, all you have to do is call, and I’ll come and get you.”

“I appreciate that.”

“And you should know, I’m going to miss you too,” he told her. “You’ve only been here two days, and you’ve made your mark on my place, and now I’m not going to be able to do anything without seeing you here.”

“You mean I’m a slob, and I dirtied up your kitchen, left my shoes in the middle of the floor, and made you go grab a blanket so I could snuggle up on the couch,” she joked.

“No. Just by your presence, you’ve made this apartment more of a home than it’s been since I moved in. You’ve filled it with your energy and goodness.”

“Arrow,” Morgan protested. She knew he was being melodramatic, but she loved the sentiment all the same.

“I’m serious. And if you come back here, you should know that you won’t be an imposition. Not a bother. As you can see, I haven’t quite left the Marines behind when it comes to being tidy. That was drilled into us from day one of boot camp. But the thought of you being here, of sharing my space, doesn’t freak me out in the least. I could get used to seeing a crumpled blanket on the couch and shoes on the floor if I knew they belonged to you.”