TWENTY-ONE
WHEN THE CAR stopped, she jolted awake. Sleep? Had she been sleeping? Oh, God. How long had she been out?
Pushing away from the man holding her, she couldn’t shake her senses straight.
“Cherry.” The bass of his voice struck her, she gasped and grabbed for the closest stable force: his thigh. Oh, embarrassment knew no limits. “Baby, you okay?” His fingers locked between hers. “You want to sleep out here?”
His tease woke her enough to smile. “In the car?”
“Right here in the driveway.”
“Promising more maybes?”
He slid along the seat and got out, still holding her hand. “Think you’ve got the wrong idea about me.”
“The wrong idea?”
Those twinkle lights, like the ones in the courtyard, lit up the stairs and trees flanking the grand front doors of Breckenridge House.
“I can follow through, baby. Follow all the way through.”
He took her inside and without pausing, up the stairs. The first time she arrived there, the intimidation of the place made her feel so small. When he walked in those halls, they gave him strength, power, a gravity that tugged at her need.
Like they’d done it a million times, he led her into his room and the lights came on automatically, just dim enough to be intimate.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“Late.” He removed his jacket as he went into the closet. “You have this much stuff last night?”
Stuff? Following his path, she peeked around the doorframe.
“I didn’t venture into your closet.”
“Feel free. There’s nothing bad in here,” he said, taking out his cufflinks. “Nothing that should scare you off. And this…” Spinning around, he opened the second drawer in a rack to reveal underwear, women’s underwear. “Wasn’t here when I left yesterday, so I’m guessing it’s for you.”
“Your mom did offer to have new things brought here. I had no idea she…”
“She expects you here indefinitely.”
“She…? How do you know that?”
“Support not judgment,” he said, unfastening his shirt buttons. “If you’d told me that sooner, we’d never have stopped at your old place.”
Old place?
He’d undone three buttons; a long slice of tan skin came into view on his way to the fourth.
She spun on the spot. “Don’t get undressed in front of me. Do you have no mercy?”
“I’ll change and get out of your hair.”
“Out of my hair?”
“Yes. I told you this wasn’t extortion. My mom put you here, this is your room. Your safe space.”
A belt clinked, a zipper zipped. Unzipped? Hell, did he just drop his pants?
“Why would she put me in a room already occupied?”
“Because you’re flanked by Caber and Acre,” he said. “Rankin is opposite. You’re basically surrounded by men taught to care for and protect others. Surrounded by people who know the value of a safe haven. Nothing will happen to you here.”
Just like Alice said. “And where will you be?”
A strong arm came around her, pulling her back against his hard body. “You want me close, I’ll bunk with Caber.” He kissed the top of her head. “Or there’s an empty room by Rankin’s.”
“You shouldn’t have to bunk with anyone in your own house. This is ridiculous.” She pushed his arm away and crossed to stand at the end of the bed. “This is your room.”
“And I’m happy for you to be here.” His voice betrayed he was on her heels. “I’d rather you be here than anywhere else.”
Because of her apartment break in.
With him in a tee-shirt and gray sweats, there wasn’t much keeping her skin from his. Yet when he raised her chin on a curled finger, she laid her hands on his body and accepted his kiss.
She didn’t hear the door open.
“Savanna, I was so—oh.”
He broke the kiss, and her chin dropped. Shit, had Alice seen…?
“Mom.”
“Darroch Breckenridge, are you taking advantage of this poor girl?”
Was she poor? God, she really was a corrupting harlot.
“Getting her settled in,” he said. “I’ll switch to the first guest.”
“I was pleased to hear Ferguson brought you home, Savanna,” Alice said, gliding across to them. “How have you been feeling today?”
“Okay.”
“Ben has a meeting with Detective Chapman on his calendar this week. He’ll expect progress.”
“I’ll get in on that.” Darroch got his phone from his pocket. “You should’ve called me last night, Mom.”
“We managed without you, sweetheart,” Alice said, resting a hand on her son’s cheek. “We were very proud of you today.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” Though it sounded like he was sick of hearing it, his smile told a different story. “I’ll be back in the office next week.”
“I need to usurp some of your time this week.”
“Whatever you need, Momma Bear.”
“What time did you get in tonight?” mother asked son. “We thought you were with Tripp.”
“No, we sent Schmidt to him and stuck with Gus.”
“We?” Alice asked, drawing her eyes from Savvy to her son.
“We had dinner.”
“You did?”
“Look at her brimming with happiness,” Darroch said and bowed to kiss his mom’s head. “I’m easing Sav into it.”
“Everyone’s been so kind.”
“And generous,” Darroch said. “She uses that word a lot.”
“We were so scared for you, Savanna. Thank you for staying with us, we appreciate it. I wouldn’t sleep if you weren’t under this roof. Darroch, sweetheart.” Alice took her son’s hand. “Her safety is paramount.”
“I’m not putting the moves on her, Mom, I swear.”
“He’s being a gentleman.”
“Good,” Alice said. “Because his father is upstairs waiting for me, and scolding his son is not on our agenda.”
“Is his father on the terrace?”
Alice laughed and rested a hand on her arm to kiss her cheek. “A woman can dream. Goodnight, dears.”
She sailed out of the room, closing the door almost soundlessly.
“The terrace?” Darroch asked.
She just shook her head. “Girl talk.”
“You girl talk with my mom now?” He caught her wrist when she started to turn and pulled her back. “I better watch out.”
Relaxing against him, her head fell back as he coiled both arms around her. “Maybe you should.”
“Might not sleep well tonight with you under this roof, just out of reach.”
“I can go home,” she pouted, distracted by his mouth. “If you’d prefer me far away.”
He yanked her even closer, holding her so tight her lungs could barely get air. “I prefer you as close as possible. I’ll have to dream of you.”
“Or you could stay right here.” His flash of surprise was funny. “Can you be a gentleman in bed?”
He narrowed his eyes. “Is this a test?”
“No,” she said. “An honest request. I don’t sleep well alone.” Though that might give him the wrong idea. “Not that I go around asking men to sleep with me. You shouldn’t think that I—I’m not like—”
“I’d be honored, Cherry.”
It helped that he was so supportive. A Breckenridge trait she may otherwise have assumed was in their genes.
She wriggled from his arms. “Can I borrow a shirt?”
“Take whatever you want.”
That was a loaded statement. “Wait here.”
He’d given her permission to enter the closet, but she still got a zip in her belly when she crossed the threshold. Shedding her dress and bra, she slipped into one of his shirts and fastened all the buttons save the top two.
This could be a crazy idea. Maybe they’d had too many drinks. Or maybe she was finally admitting to herself that she felt safe with this guy. And she needed that. Needed to feel safe and protected. Hadn’t she been searching for it her whole life? If her gut was right, this was the closest she’d ever been to finding it. Why couldn’t she let herself give into it all the way?
The pulse of adrenaline tingled all over when she went back to the bedroom. But climbing into that bed to kneel in the middle was the most natural thing in the world.
“Never seen a more inviting sight.”
“You’re the one dragging your heels,” she replied. “Turn off the light and get over here, Gentleman.”
He clapped twice and they were plunged into darkness.
Holy shit, such a classy house and…
Laughter burst out of her. “You have a clapper?”
“No, just a guy in a secret closet with his finger on a switch.”
In the darkness, his arms came around her and they dropped down to the mattress together.
“This doesn’t count as a relationship concession,” she said, rolling her head in his pillow to avoid his mouth. “It’s not intimacy, it’s safety in numbers.”
“Safety in numbers, right.” He kissed her carotid. “Your skin’s silk.”
“And you promised to be a gentleman,” she whispered. “I want to be safe with you.”
“Always.” He eased her one way and went the other, then pulled her back against him, spooning her body against his. “How’s this?”
The vibration of his words, his breath in her hair, closed her eyes. Safety captured them. Locked in that embrace, nothing could harm her.