Page 20 of Tempting Tessa

She rose, throwing the plastic sleeve from the crackers away and rinsing the can in the sink. Guess that was his answer.

He wanted to ask about their itinerary for the day, but his heart wasn’t in it. Going on the run with her to trace Jessie’s steps had seemed exciting and necessary yesterday. Today, he wasn’t sure. All he could think about was Tessa.

She took her coffee and walked out of the kitchen. His heart sank.

He tried to find the energy to get up and move, but what was there to do? Throwing his clothes into his backpack would take all of a minute.

When she returned, she’d changed clothes and put on makeup. A lot of makeup. She laid her cell phone on the table and sat, bracing her hands on the tabletop and staring a hole in it.

“My stepdad was a drunk,” she said, her tone flat. “Mean, too. He beat my mom on the regular. One night, they got into a bad one. Things got out of hand, and he—” she paused, drawing in a deep breath that seemed to come all the way up from her toes. “He killed her. Right in front of me. I saw the light leave her eyes.”

Tommy’s chest went tighter than a ripcord.

“He went to prison, but he was a consultant for the Agency, and they covered up a lot of his shit.”

“He was a spy?”

“Consultant,” she repeated, making air quotes. “He was only charged with manslaughter and was placed in a special lockup to keep him from talking about the secrets he knew. I got shipped off to live with my aunt in London. She wasn’t cruel, but she didn’t want me there. Made that clear every chance she got. I never met my grandparents.” Her gaze drifted to the window. “I couldn’t wait to get out on my own. Been taking care of myself ever since.”

He suspected she’d been caring for herself since before her mother died. He wanted to comfort her, but what was there to say? She would only push him away, thinking it was pity. “Jessie said you were royalty or some shit.”

Her chuckle was dry and devoid of emotion. “Brushing cousins on my mom’s side. She came from a well-off British family with lands and titles. I’m officially a Lady, the daughter of a British earl and a countess, but it means nothing. My father died when I was a baby, and once my mother remarried an American, her family disowned her. And me.”

“That’s why you don’t let anyone in, right? You lost both your parents and your extended family, and then you took a chance with Jessie, and she died. Now, you won’t risk it.”

“Relationships are bad for my heart.”

“You don’t want to need anyone because needing them makes you vulnerable. They can let you down.”

Her eyes swung to him. “They don’t simply let me down. Theydie.”

He nodded. Said nothing.

After a moment, her shoulders slumped, and she let out a soft, bitter laugh. “Maybe, Mr. Therapist, I just don’t like people.”

“You like me.”

The corner of her mouth twitched. “Don’t push it.”

He raised his hands in surrender. “Like a good therapist, I’m simply stating facts. Holding up a mirror so you can see yourself.”

She was about to retort when her phone rang. The smile on her face disappeared. “It’s Meg.”

Shit.

Tessa chewed her bottom lip as if debating whether to answer. Then she punched the screen and put the call on speaker. “Yes?”

“Good morning to you, too,” Meg answered. “Any news?”

Tessa met Tommy’s gaze. He held his breath for a heartbeat, seeing the struggle behind her eyes. She was weighing outcomes, considering whether to give him up. She dropped her attention back to the phone. “Nothing new. Has Del decoded more of the information?”

Damn, she was good at deflection. Tommy held his breath again, for a different reason this time.

“The USB had a virus that was triggered once he got to the second level. It completely wiped the drive. We have no idea now what else Tommy had on it.”

He let out the breath he was holding.

Tessa eyed him suspiciously. “He’s smart.”

---