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“Anyway, I figured I should call Phoebe before I just showed up at her house. Do you have her number? Or will you get it from Sage for me?”
“Sure.” Arrow pulled his cell phone from his shirt pocket, then paused, his eyes shuttered as he studied me. His hesitation pricked my temper, but I didn’t let it show.
“Before I do, I want to make something very clear. Phoebe and Sage are like sisters, which makes her family to me. I think you’re serious about her, but if you break her heart, I’ll kick your ass. Then I’ll let Sage loose on you, and trust me, you should be terrified if that happens.”
I was happy Phoebe had such good people in her corner who would protect her if I couldn’t. But I was still irritated that he questioned my intentions, so I nodded sharply. “Understood, sir.”
He fiddled with it for a moment, then mine vibrated. “I texted you her contact information but…”
I raised an eyebrow when he trailed off thoughtfully. “Sir?”
Arrow shook his head and a small smile curved his lips. “If I were you, I’d skip the heads-up and just show up at her door. Don’t give her a chance to blow you off or turn you away.”
I scratched my chin as I processed his suggestion. “Maybe you’re right.”
We said goodbye, and I headed home for a quick shower. Once I was clean, I threw on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeve black Henley. After making my way down to the building’s garage, I got into my SUV and headed to Phoebe’s apartment.
On the way, I checked in with my parents, brother, and sisters. I always sent them a text when I left for an assignment, or they would freak out when they couldn’t get in touch with me. They were always my first calls when I returned. Although from now on, they would come after Phoebe.
It was early evening when I drove into the lot in front of her apartment and parked in the spot next to her car. I’d called the bodyguard assigned to her and confirmed that Phoebe was home in case I had to find her someplace else. Before hanging up, I thanked her and asked her to send me a full report once she got back to the office. I’d already told Jonah I was back, so Phoebe’s guard would head to a new assignment the next day.
My anticipation to see her had been steadily building, and it propelled my feet forward so I quickly reached her apartment. I pounded on the door, probably a little harder than necessary, but my patience had run out.
“Okay, okay!” I heard an exasperated voice call out. I grinned because even after only meeting her once, I could picture her pretty face scrunched up in a cute little scowl. But as the lock disengaged, I wiped it from my face so she wouldn’t think I was laughing at her and risk a bad second impression.
The door opened, and Phoebe filled the space. I was proven right—she had an adorable scowl on her face, and her hands were propped on her hips. “What the—Silas?”
She whispered my name before her jaw dropped in surprise. Then her cheeks turned pink when my mouth curved up into a grin.
“Hey there, beautiful. I’m happy to see that you remember me.”
Her lips curled down, and she dropped her hands to her sides. “Well, I thought…it was stupid, but I was sure you would…but then you didn’t…anyway.”
I immediately picked up on what she was trying not to say, and I hurried to reassure her. “I intended to call you the day after we met, but I was called in for a mission in the middle of the night. I just got back this afternoon.”
She sucked in a breath and double blinked before murmuring, “You were going to call?” Then she shook her head as if trying to clear it. “You just got back? And you’re here?”
I laughed at her bewildered expression and placed my hand on her stomach before gently pushing her back into the apartment. “Can I come in?” I asked, despite the fact that I was already crossing the threshold. “I promise to explain everything.”
3
PHOEBE
“Sure,” I murmured even though he hadn’t waited for permission to move past me.
It was so difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that Silas was in my apartment. Although we’d met under awful circumstances, I’d thought there had been a spark between us. So much so that I had expected to hear from him at some point over the past month. Granted, I hadn’t given him my number, but I was certain he could have gotten it from Arrow if he’d really wanted it. So when he never reached out, I assumed my feelings had been one-sided and tried to forget about him. Only that hadn’t worked.
I hadn’t been able to get Silas off my mind. The number of dreams I’d had about the dark-haired SEAL was a little embarrassing, considering I usually woke up on the cusp of an orgasm. Remembering all the things I had fantasized about him doing to me with his tanned, muscular body made me blush.
His piercing green eyes scanned my face as he turned toward me, making my cheeks heat more. “I’m sorry I ghosted you for a month.”
“I don’t think it counts as ghosting when I didn’t give you my phone number.” I laughed softly, feeling so much better now that I knew he’d also felt the pull between us, and there was a reason I hadn’t heard from him this past month. One I probably should have considered since I knew he was a SEAL. “Or when you were overseas on a mission and couldn’t call me even if you had it.”
“Yeah, well”—he scraped his palm against the dark scruff covering his cheek—“I still felt like shit not being able to explain why I disappeared after dropping your brother off at rehab. I meant what I said. I planned on reaching out the next day, but then we got called out on a mission and coming to you wasn’t an option until now. That’s why I came straight here after I left the base.”
I didn’t doubt that he truly meant that. He looked as though he’d lost a little weight while he was gone, and his eyes had faint shadows under them. “You probably should’ve gone home to get some food and rest first. I could have waited another day.”
“Maybe, but I didn’t want to wait to see you. Not when you were on my mind the entire time I was gone.” He stepped closer, and my breath caught in my throat. “The past month couldn’t have been easy for you after everything that went down. How’s your brother doing?”
