Page 23 of Unplanned Target

A few of the guys on the team jumped right into homeownership. And I can’t blame them. We have been a very nomadic group up until now. Shadow was the unit dispatched to handle the worst of the worst in the most dangerous situations. We had to go wherever the problems were happening and stay until it was over.

But things have changed. Shadow’s primary focus has narrowed to supporting units in the area we’re located. I’m sure there will still be some traveling involved—especially if Vincent calls—but for the first time, I’ve been spending more time at my home base than I do away. It’s opened up a whole new world of opportunities. Now I can have a house I won’t have to pay someone else to maintain. A pet who’ll remember my face.

A family.

“Why Nashville?” Miranda yawns again, her eyes closing for a few beats before her lids lift again. “Are you guys big music fans?”

I grin. “I’m sure some of them are, but that’s not what brought us here.” I shift around to find a comfortable position as I finally begin to relax, stretching one leg onto the small coffee table. “Pierce, the head of Alaskan Security, wanted a more central location for our teams to use as a hub when they’re stationed in the Midwest and East Coast.” I rest an arm across the back of the sofa. “And he had information about some problems happening in the Nashville area. Decided it would be good to have a presence here.”

“Were the problems Pierce had information about the same problems that landed my brother in the hospital?” Miranda asks.

“They were.” I’ve never had someone I could discuss the specifics of my job with. And while I can’t tell Miranda everything I do, she’s a little more educated about my career than the normal person would be, thanks to her brother’s time as a cop.

“That’s kind of crazy.” She yawns again, lids dropping. “But Nashville’s a nice place to live.” This time her eyes stay closed. “I thought about moving there after my divorce, but I felt bad leaving Tony and our mom.”

I wait for Miranda to offer more, but her breathing slows, evening out as her expression slackens, lips parting.

She’s fallen asleep. Sitting up. Mid-conversation. Before I could warn her she might have a tough decision coming up if she wants to stay close to her brother. Because I’m pretty sure he and Becca will be coming to Nashville.

I consider waking her up to send her to bed, but she was having a hard time falling asleep earlier, and I don’t want to risk that happening again. Plus, she looks comfortable, so I leave her where she is, finding my way back to the windows where I peer out into the darkness.

I wish it wasn’t just me here on my own. Simply because I can’t get the rest I need to be at my best while also ensuring Miranda and Allie are safe.

As much as I want to be able to do both, I simply can’t. Thinking over my options, I come up with the best solution available. After propping one of the wooden chairs situated around the small dining table under the knob of the back door, I drop my ass to the floor at the front, leaning against the cool wood with my weapon beside me. If someone tries to come in, they’ll either knock the chair over, or me. Either way, it will be enough to wake me up so I can handle whatever situation has developed.

The ones I’m trained to handle, anyway. I’m not sure what in the hell I’m going to do about the situation developing between me and the pretty woman snoring on the sofa. But that’s a problem to deal with later. Right now, I need sleep so I can keep us alive long enough for that to matter.

Closing my eyes, I let my head tilt back.

And promptly pass out.

“What in the heck are you doing?” Miranda’s voice is quiet, but still audible enough to rouse me. “Ridiculous man.” Something soft covers my legs and stomach. “Sleeping on the floor instead of telling me to get my ass off his couch.” Gentle hands smooth what I’m guessing is the blanket I covered Miranda with over my body. “You’re going to be so freaking sore when you wake up.”

Actually, I feel remarkably good, but I’m pretty sure that has more to do with being woken up by a beautiful woman running her hands all over me.

I should probably open my eyes and let Miranda know I’m actually already awake. But then she would stop touching me, and I’m not really in a hurry for that to happen.

“How do you even look like this?” The next brush of her fingers is directly against my skin, smoothing over my shoulder and down my arm. “Do you just work out nonstop?” The slow drag of her touch moves across my collarbone before tracing a path over my pec. “I’m literally on a treadmill eight hours a day and I’m still soft and squishy, so I know you’re doing way more than just getting your steps in.”

I don’t think Miranda has any clue how appealing that description of her body is to me. The tone of her voice makes it clear she doesn’t share my opinion on the way my fingers sink into the flesh of her hips and stomach, but that’s not surprising. The world has told women they have to be skinny but voluptuous. Thin but with curves. Sweet but sexy. Smart but not intimidating. Strong but not demanding.

And every bit of it’s bullshit.

Pulling in a deep breath that will warn Miranda I’m not as asleep as she thinks, I slowly lift my lids.

And find her sitting close, draped in my shirt, her finger still resting against my skin.

“Good morning.” My voice is rough, and it’s not entirely from sleep.

“Why are you on the floor?” Miranda’s eyes look over where I sit, now covered by the blanket that should be keeping her warm. “You could have come to the couch. I would have let you have it.”

“I wasn’t going to wake you up.” I shift around, trying to get a little blood moving into my ass. “And I wanted to be sure I was ready if anyone tried to come inside.”

Miranda’s eyes drift to the door at my back. “Do you think someone knows where we are?”

“No, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t.” I collect the blanket, peeling it away from my body to drape it back around Miranda. “This was supposed to be on you.”

She lifts her brows at me. “I was comfy and cozy on the couch. You’re the one who was freezing to death on the cold floor.”