Page 10 of Beneath Submission
~Seven~
I believed everything Xavier said about doing everything he could to protect me from Mr. Colin, but I also knew that Mr. Colin was a very powerful man and he would never let any other man have me. According to him, I was not only his property, but an investment. His pot of gold, to be exact. If there was money to be made, he would never let go of me.
No matter how tightly Xavier held on to me, Mr. Colin wouldn’t just go away and forget about me. What was even more concerning was that he would do whatever he had to in order to get me back, and that included removing every obstacle in his way.
While my father and Xavier figured out a way to keep me out of harm’s way, I listened to what they had planned. As much as it should have been my choice where to stay, I knew they both loved me and would come up with an acceptable place that we could all agree on. Heading to the kitchen, I needed to sort some things out myself.
When I pushed open the door, Agnes was preparing breakfast. There was so much about her that I loved. Not only was she the sweetest person I had ever met, but her cooking was beyond amazing. Pouring myself a cup of coffee, I took a seat at the counter and watched her mix together the batter she would use to make her signature crêpes. Maybe one day I would be able to be a fantastic cook like her.
Looking over at me with a smile, she said curiously, “You look like something has you upset, sweetheart. Does this have to do with Colin Gates? I couldn’t help but over hear Mr. Evans and Mr. London talking this morning.”
“I don’t know what to do, Agnes,” I replied frantically.
“Whatever happens, Tessa, your father and Mr. London will see that nothing happens to you. I bet my strawberry crêpes on it.” Looking at each other, we began to laugh. Agnes always had a way of making me feel better. “Now come. No more fretting. Help me make breakfast.”
Standing up, I took the apron that she was holding out and wrapped it around my waist. Learning the art of cooking would definitely take my mind off Mr. Colin and being taught by the best was an added bonus.
Listening to Agnes’s instruction, I began rolling out the dough, making sure it was as close to paper thin as possible. When I had finished rolling out the dough, she began filling them with a cream filling. I placed the filled crêpes in a glass pan where they would be covered with a succulent strawberry sauce and eventually topped with homemade whipped cream.
With everything finished, we began taking the items to the dining room table, which Agnes had already set. It amazed me how much effort she had put into everything she did. Everything was precise and looked so beautiful, like it was prepared for royalty. Looking at the display in front of us, we left the room to tell the men that breakfast was ready.
Before we left the room, the aroma of breakfast must have reached the sitting room because Xavier entered the dining room with my father close behind. My father took a deep breath and said, “Something smells delicious.”
“I would have to agree,” I heard Xavier chime in.
Looking over at Agnes, a hint of red appeared on her cheeks as she smiled at them. “Now, now. Just eat and enjoy. I would prefer to have no leftovers.”
I wasn’t sure what Agnes was thinking, but as usual she made enough crêpes for an army. There was no way that we could finish all of them. I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate, but I said, “Agnes, please join us. There is so much food here.”
“I would love to, but I have already eaten and there are dirty dishes in the kitchen calling my name,” she responded, bowing her head in respect and leaving the dining room through the door that led back to the kitchen.
As we sat and ate, there was little to no conversation between us after Agnes had left. I knew that I said I would allow the guys to come up with a plan to protect me from Mr. Colin, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have the right to know. Finishing the last of my bite, I swallowed and asked straight out, “So, what is the plan?” The way they jerked their heads upward, I knew they hadn’t expected me to be so forward.
Xavier placed his napkin on the table and crossed his silverware over his plate before he said, “Will you excuse us, Johnathan? I need to speak with Tessa.”
Nodding his head, my father continued eating as Xavier rose to his feet. Coming toward me, I realized then that he wanted to talk some place other than in front of my father. Helping me stand, Xavier took my hand and led me out of the dining room, down the hall, and out the front door. Heading toward the trail that I had grown to love so much, I tugged on his hand and said, “Wait, tell me what is going on, Xavier, that you couldn’t tell me in front of my father.”
Squeezing my hand, he said softly, “Not here, Tessa, I want to make sure we are far away from the house.”
I wasn’t sure what was going on, but he was beginning to scare me. Looking around, I got an eerie feeling that we were being watched. Clinging to his side, I moved with him into the wooded area, which shielded us from the view of others. The closer we got to the fire pit, the safer I became. Before we got to the clearing where the pit was, Xavier led me over to a large rock, taking a seat first and then pulling me onto his lap. Being this close to him was the most comfortable I had felt in a long time.
Cupping my chin in his hand, he looked up at me attentively, “I want you to listen to what I am going to say, Tessa. It is important that you don’t argue with me when I am done.”
Nodding my head, I waited for him to continue without voicing my anxiety. Gazing down and watching only his lips, I concentrated on what he said, “There is a good chance that Colin already knows where you are. We got word from Kyle…”
“Kyle, my brother?” I interrupted.
“Yes,” he confirmed. “When we found out that Colin was released, your father contacted Kyle and asked that he keep an eye on his every move. He lost track of him shortly after he was heading to his home. Needless to say, Colin never got there, which had Kyle concerned. He contacted your father right away and warned us to be on the lookout for Colin and his men.”
“What makes you think that he is here?” I asked, hearing the uneasiness in my voice.
“As soon as we heard about Colin’s release and his possible intent, your father contacted his men to keep an eye out. One of Colin’s men was spotted about 100 yards from the cabin. He would have taken him out, but decided against it and contacted us for further instruction. We need to make them think we don’t know they are out there. As long as we have the upper hand, they will be unaware of our presence when we take them out.”
“What about Mr. Colin?” I questioned.
“Our guess is that his men are keeping him informed about our movements and when the time is right they will be instructed to capture you. We need to keep you safe and your father’s men are here to make sure that happens,” Xavier explained.
“So, we are just going to wait and do nothing?” I argued.
“It is important that we get the jump on them and not the other way around. It’s important that you stay close to me and never leave my side. Not even for a minute.”
I wasn’t about to argue with Xavier. I knew that he would protect me. I just needed to do as I was taught and that was to obey. It wasn’t difficult to do when the command was coming from someone you loved.
Lifting my chin, I looked into his eyes and saw the determination in them. Lowing my mouth, I pressed my lips against his. Feeling the warmth take over, my lips parted, allowing him to consume everything I felt for him. Our tongues collided with each other, mingling as one as the heat began to ignite. Regretfully, I needed to break away. With everything that happened, I needed to put on the brakes. Things were happening too fast between us.
Feeling the discomfort between us, I rose from his lap and said, “We should probably get back to the house.”
The fact that we might be watched entered my mind once the house came into view. Paranoia settled in and my eyes began scanning every inch of the area around us, anticipating some sort of movement from Mr. Colin’s men. When Xavier pulled me close to him, the reassurance that he would keep me safe replaced my nervousness. Just the thought of him being near made the tension ease. I had a funny feeling that my desire to give this relationship a little time was going to be harder than I thought.
