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Mila

“How do you feel about salads?” Mila asked as she scrolled through the app on Carter’s phone.

“I’m pro-salad if there’s lots of stuff in it,” Carter said. He was laid out with his head on her lap watching a movie while she shopped. The tray she’d brought with more cinnamon rolls, sausages, scrambled eggs, and coffee was empty. She still couldn’t believe how much Carter ate. She reminded herself he was a big guy with lots of muscle. He probably had to eat a lot on a regular basis.

While he was healing, she’d need to make sure he got enough protein along with the sweets he seemed to love.

“Stuff?” she asked, adding romaine, spinach, and other greens to the order.

“Yeah, like nuts and that stinky cheese that comes in little chunks,” he said.

“Blue cheese?” she guessed.

“Sure,” he agreed. She added a container of blue cheese crumbles.

She’d tried to start with a menu, but Carter didn’t respond well to complicated meal choices. It was easier to narrow things down to individual items. It took longer, but she was getting a good idea of Carter’s preferences.

He liked beef. All types of beef, cooked in just about any way. A close second was chicken and potatoes. She suspected he and Gio didn’t get enough fruits, vegetables, or complex carbohydrates in their diets. She’d make sure they had meals full of all the nutrients they needed.

Although she shouldn't be letting one of her employers rest his head in her lap, Carter was still recovering so she allowed it. In the future, she’d need to be strict with him about boundaries.

Sleeping with them was completely out of the question now. The incident in the kitchen made her realize she couldn’t have any kind of relationship with these men while working for them. She didn’t need to make another mistake.

Even though she’d only met them a day ago, she knew it would be all too easy to fall in love with Carter and Gio. It would be devastating to lose her home, job, and heart all at once.

With Brad, it hurt, but looking back, she could easily see she was looking for a change. She’d never really loved him. It would be different with Carter and Gio.

“When you go out for lunch, which sandwich do you order most often?” she asked. Carter didn’t respond. She leaned over to see that his eyes were closed, and his mouth was open a little. He was sound asleep.

That was fine, she had a feel for what Carter liked now, and he’d told her that Gio had his same tastes. She added a few more items and completed the order. In a few hours, she’d have plenty to make at least a week's worth of meals.

Tossing the phone onto the couch next to her, she tried to figure out where to put her hands so they weren’t resting on thesleeping Carter. It was impossible and one arm ended up resting on his side.

He mumbled something in his sleep and reached up to grab her hand and put it to his face. She thought he’d woken up but no, he nuzzled her hand and went right back to sleep, snuggling her hand to his face like it was a very small stuffed animal.

Babette was fast asleep and snoring where she’d wiggled herself between the backs of Carter’s bent knees and the couch. Despite the noisy action movie playing on the TV and the coffee in her system, Mila felt sleep tugging at her. It was hard to stay awake when you were on a soft, comfy couch, warm, fed, safe, and surrounded by happily sleeping partners.

Giving up, she let her head fall back and drifted off to the sound of aliens dying.

She was jerked out of a sound sleep when the doorbell rang, sending Babette into a flurry of movement as she pulled herself out from her sleep spot and ran to the front door barking furiously.

A groggy Carter sat up. “Whas goin’ on?”

“Someone’s at the door,” Mila said. With Carter sitting up, she was able to stand.

“Door?” Carter repeated, not looking awake at all.

“It’s probably the groceries,” Mila said, excited to fill the empty fridge and pantry. It went against all her instincts for them to be empty!

“Oh,” Carter said, slumping back down. “I’ll help in a minute, k?”

She smiled down at the large man and resisted the urge to pet his buzzed head. “I’d like to take my time organizing the kitchen so stay out.”

He huffed and then went back to sleep. She tucked the throw blanket back around him and headed to the front door. It was a delivery, but not groceries. As she opened the front door,Babette shot out to sniff around the stacks of boxes in front of the door.

Beyond the stacks, a man wheeling a dolly full of packages from his truck to her.

“Hi!” he called. “I can bring these ones inside.”