Page 49 of Teach Me
“But—”
“She’s right, hon,” Steven insisted, concern throbbing in his voice. “You’re not abandoning her. Conlan will take good care of her for us.”
“Like he did before?”
Jess shook her head. “Con isn’t to blame for today; neither is Nicolas or me. Brit is the one to blame.”
Con didn’t believe that, but he let the point go. “I will keep her safe,” he said instead. When Jess shot him a look of thanks, he leaned over and lightly brushed his lips across hers. “I’ll keep you safe,” he whispered against her mouth. Those four words were a vow he would keep this time, even if it meant his life.
Gaines broke into the moment. “What did you have in mind?”
“I have a place up by Lake Lanier that’s completely private, off the books. The cabin’s in my grandmother’s maiden name, so there’s no real connection unless someone wants to do a helluva lot of digging.”
“Other than a safe house, that’s probably the best we can do. We just need a couple of days to find him; then you should be in the clear,” Gaines said.
Con knew it likely wouldn’t be that fast, but frankly, he didn’t care. This was the right choice; his instincts were screaming it.
Jess tugged at him. When he glanced down, worry stared back at him. “I thought…” She dropped her voice so only he could hear it. “I thought you said no commi—”
He brought a finger up to her mouth, cutting off that now hated word. “I know what I said.” Leaning down until they were nose to nose, he held her imploring brown gaze with his. “I…”
He knew what he wanted to say, what Jess wanted him to say if the look in her eyes was any indication, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead he tipped her chin up, took her lips, and told her how he felt in the only way he could.
Long moments later, Jess pulled back. She sucked in a deep breath, letting it out in a soft puff before saying, “I guess the lake it is.”
Chapter Eighteen
It was early evening before they arrived at the lake house. They’d grabbed fast food on the way and Jess had taken more pain medication, so she was visibly drooping as they pulled into the attached garage. Con turned the key to Off, listening to the hot engine tick in the silence for a moment before he turned to Jess.
“Let’s get you settled.”
She gave him a wan smile. “Sounds good.”
He ushered her in, taking note of her reactions as she wandered through the light, sunny yellow kitchen and into the open living room. He’d raised the ceilings throughout when he remodeled the original family home, adding warm natural tones to mimic the wooden deck and forest waiting outside the full wall of windows along the back of the house. The glittering waters of Lake Lanier were just visible between the green leaves and rough trunks of the trees. Knowing the glass was bulletproof would take away the beauty for Jess, but for Con, it settled something inside him that needed desperately to know she was safe. There was no better sanctuary than this cabin; he’d made sure of it, first for himself, and now for Jess.
He let her look while he unloaded the bag Cris had packed for Jess and a few groceries Jack had gotten before they left. Jess transferred her attention from the outdoors to him as he put the food away.
“Nice,” she said, a hint of amusement in her dark eyes.
“What?”
“A domesticated man.”
He laughed as he stowed soup in the cabinet. “I can open a can, at least. And make coffee.”
“That’s the most important thing.”
“Notthemost important.”
Her eyes went wide as she caught his meaning, and then she smirked. “So that’s two things you do well.”
He waggled his eyebrows and reached for her luggage. “Come on. I’ll show you the bedroom.”
“I’ll bet you will,” she murmured as she followed him down the hall. The heat in her words started his heart beating a bit faster. A stern reprimand didn’t seem to slow it back down.
He had Jess lie on the bed while he emptied a couple of drawers and put her clothes in his dresser and closet. Her eyes remained half-open, though, watching him instead of dozing off. Was she afraid to sleep after all that had happened today, or was her body refusing to rest after being unconscious for so long?
Not sure which it was but determined that she relax enough to fall asleep, he went into the master bathroom, turning the lights on low with the dimmer switch near the sink, and crossed to start the water in the whirlpool tub he and his dad had installed last year. The dark, earthy tiles and dim light made for a warm, intimate feel in a space that was the size of a small bedroom. What could he say—he was a big guy, and he liked a big bathroom. The tub itself could fit him and two other people, not that he’d ever tried it. The possibility of trying it with Jess had his erection throbbing behind his zipper.
