Cherished

28

"You don't have to do that," Pierce said to Eva who was making soup for lunch up in their wing.

She ignored him. He had been saying that a lot today.

He had met with the therapist this morning, and Eva had been put in charge of keeping an eye on him this afternoon. She had managed to convince him to sit on the couch, covering him in her favorite blanket while she cooked for him.

She didn't ask about the session because she could only imagine how grueling it was. She didn't ask if he wanted to keep seeing the therapist, or any of the details. She just wanted to keep him company.

The market was opening tomorrow, so Graham and Miles were very busy. They had recruited Rosetta and Kenzie. Logan, Bri and Van were all working their own jobs. It was weird for the house to be so still.

Eva reflected on the past few months while she cooked. It was crazy to think about how much she had changed, and how genuinely happy she was. She had never felt so seen before, so safe and cared for. Never in her wildest dreams would she have ever imagined her life to be what it is now.

She glanced over at Pierce. He had told her he was going to work, but he had yet to touch his laptop. He was just sitting quietly, lost in thought.

He did seem to sleep last night, so his features already looked brighter than they had been the past few days. He didn't look nearly as haunted as she expected him to after his session.

She read through Rosetta's chicken noodle soup recipe, double checking everything. She hardly ever cooked a recipe, only baked. It tasted good though. She hoped Pierce liked it.

She put his soup in a bowl alongside a grilled cheese that she set on a tray. She filled a glass with water, carrying everything over to him.

"Thank you," he said, taking it from her. "This looks great."

She offered him a little smile in thanks, leaving him to eat. She sat on a barstool to eat her own lunch, reading her book as she did so.

Eva startled when Pierce walked behind her, his hand skimming her back. He sat on the stool next to her.

"I don't need that much space," Pierce said, quirking his lips up. "I found today to be helpful and I scheduled another appointment for next week."

"That's great," Eva said.

Pierce nodded. "I'm feeling a lot better. I'm just a little behind on sleep."

Pierce leaned over, letting his lips brush over her forehead. The gesture was sweet and simple, and Eva felt giddy from it.

"Thank you for cooking for me, baby. You are so good to us," he said.

Eva couldn't hold back her smile any longer. She turned back to her book and her meal, enjoying the comfortable quiet.

"I think I would like to try to go to the market tomorrow," Eva said absentmindedly after another few minutes passed.

"Okay," Pierce said. "There's no harm in trying."

She nodded in agreement.

Pierce took another serving of soup. She was glad to see him eating. Graham was going to be very pleased.

Together, they cleaned up the kitchen and put the dishes in the dishwasher.

"I can think of something fun to do," Pierce said mischievously, sending a heated look her way that has her whole body lit up.

It took him less than two steps to reach her, leaving her with nowhere to go. It was just him and the counter behind her. Her breath was stolen from her as his gaze remained locked in.

He lifted her up easily onto the counter. It was a nice change to not have to crane her neck.

His lips found hers urgently. He held the back of her head to keep her in place. She pulled back to breathe, but his lips continued down her neck, nipping gently. That funny feeling returned full force.

He opened her legs up so he could step between them. He was pressed so intimately to her that she gasped.

Miles laughing mischievously disrupted their moment. She didn't even hear him and Graham come up the stairs.

"Look at how helpless you look sitting up there," Miles said. "You'd let him do whatever he wanted to you. Wouldn't you?"

Eva gave a slow nod, feeling the heat of her body travel to her cheeks.

Graham stepped up behind Pierce who turned around. They were matched in height, but Graham always had the upper hand.

Graham held his neck, bringing his lips onto Pierce's just as rough as he had kissed her, like he was trying to meld their two bodies.

"He ate the lunch I made today," Eva said happily.

"That's so good," Graham said. He leaned down close to his ear, adding quietly, "such a good boy."

Pierce's smile was smaller, more shy. Graham knew he adored the praise.

"Miles and I are all done for today," Graham said. "I think Pierce had a pretty good idea of how we should spend our time. What do you think, Evie?"

"Yes," she agreed. "Especially since Pierce abandoned me."

"Did he leave you with soaked panties, princess?" Miles said, always teasing.

She didn't even know how to respond to respond to that. Her stomach was full of butterflies, and she just wanted to melt away from all of the heat.

"I like that nickname," Graham said. "You're just our beautiful princess, aren't you?"

Eva reached for Miles, wrapping her arms around him tight so she could stuff her face into his shirt. He chuckled, rubbing her back soothingly.

She had the feeling that she was in for it, and she couldn't wait.