He gathered up the empty coffee cups and brought them to the sink.
“No problem,” Jake said, clapping Rhys on his shoulders. “Just be careful, brother.”
“Of what?”
“Of those rapport building techniques ,” Jake said as he pulled open the back screen door. “We’re not regular people. And we have a way of falling into trouble when we pretend to be.”
Rhys’ brows pulled together. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Jake lifted his hand over his head as he crossed the lawn toward his truck. “Call me, if you need me.”
Rhys let go of the screen and it slammed shut.
The house was quiet except for the faint sound of the shower running deep inside the bedroom.
Tessa was in that shower, hot water running all over her body. A body he knew well now, after a night of spooning up against her.
Damn it.
Jake was right. He did have feelings for her. And some of them had nothing to do with guilt.
Which meant that he should probably keep his distance. No more reassuring touches. No more holding her as she drifted off to sleep.
Not that his distance would help Tessa. She would still have nightmares. She’d still be gripped with anxiety and dread, only he wouldn’t be doing anything to stop it.
Deep down, Rhys knew he couldn’t do that. The moment he saw her in pain he would be compelled to help. Like he’d said, she was his responsibility.
Besides, he knew how to control his emotions. He’d mastered his remorse and his guilt before. These more tender feelings couldn’t be all that different. Besides, they weren’t for his benefit.
Just like everything Rhys had ever done, his actions were for the greater good.
Chapter Eight
She needed to leave.
Every morning for the past four days, Tessa stepped into the shower with the same thought pounding in her head. And every time she had climbed out of the tub having convinced herself of another reason to stay just one more day.
Today had to be different.
Tessa let out a little sigh as she turned the knob and waited for the water to heat up.
Over the last few days, Tessa had regained most of her strength. The marks on her face had almost completely faded, and her body no longer felt like one giant bruise.
Of course, there were still some lingering issues. Her side still ached from time to time, and her shoulder stung when she lifted it too quickly. She had to be careful brushing her hair or her scalp would sting like the devil, but that wasn’t exactly a good enough reason for not sneaking out the back when no one was looking.
If she were being honest, Tessa had to admit that she no longer had a decent excuse for sticking around.
So why didn’t she want to go?
The answer was simple enough.
Rhys.
Tessa pulled off her shirt and pants, and stepped into the cascade of warm water.
There was no denying that she’d become attached to him. It was her own fault. She never should have agreed that first night when he offered to hold her while she fell asleep. She’d woken up in his arms every morning since.
Nothing sexual ever happened between them. They always kept their clothes on. He never touched her intimately, never went in for a kiss. Hell, Tessa was pretty sure that Rhys didn’t even think of her that way.
Sure, he cared about her, the way a brother cared about his sister.
Her thoughts, on the other hand, weren’t so chaste. More than once, she’d found herself fantasizing about slipping her hands underneath his shirt, about unbuttoning the fly of his pants, about wrapping her legs around his waist.
Tessa rolled her neck under the shower spray.
Of course, her feelings for Rhys weren’t strictly erotic. They were complicated as hell.
It wasn’t that big of a surprise. He had saved her from Boyd after all. He’d nursed her wounds and calmed her fears. On top of all that, he’d been true to his word. He hadn’t asked her a single question about her job at SciGen. He’d been nothing but honest and open with her. Right
“No problem,” Jake said, clapping Rhys on his shoulders. “Just be careful, brother.”
“Of what?”
“Of those rapport building techniques ,” Jake said as he pulled open the back screen door. “We’re not regular people. And we have a way of falling into trouble when we pretend to be.”
Rhys’ brows pulled together. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
Jake lifted his hand over his head as he crossed the lawn toward his truck. “Call me, if you need me.”
Rhys let go of the screen and it slammed shut.
The house was quiet except for the faint sound of the shower running deep inside the bedroom.
Tessa was in that shower, hot water running all over her body. A body he knew well now, after a night of spooning up against her.
Damn it.
Jake was right. He did have feelings for her. And some of them had nothing to do with guilt.
Which meant that he should probably keep his distance. No more reassuring touches. No more holding her as she drifted off to sleep.
Not that his distance would help Tessa. She would still have nightmares. She’d still be gripped with anxiety and dread, only he wouldn’t be doing anything to stop it.
Deep down, Rhys knew he couldn’t do that. The moment he saw her in pain he would be compelled to help. Like he’d said, she was his responsibility.
Besides, he knew how to control his emotions. He’d mastered his remorse and his guilt before. These more tender feelings couldn’t be all that different. Besides, they weren’t for his benefit.
Just like everything Rhys had ever done, his actions were for the greater good.
Chapter Eight
She needed to leave.
Every morning for the past four days, Tessa stepped into the shower with the same thought pounding in her head. And every time she had climbed out of the tub having convinced herself of another reason to stay just one more day.
Today had to be different.
Tessa let out a little sigh as she turned the knob and waited for the water to heat up.
Over the last few days, Tessa had regained most of her strength. The marks on her face had almost completely faded, and her body no longer felt like one giant bruise.
Of course, there were still some lingering issues. Her side still ached from time to time, and her shoulder stung when she lifted it too quickly. She had to be careful brushing her hair or her scalp would sting like the devil, but that wasn’t exactly a good enough reason for not sneaking out the back when no one was looking.
If she were being honest, Tessa had to admit that she no longer had a decent excuse for sticking around.
So why didn’t she want to go?
The answer was simple enough.
Rhys.
Tessa pulled off her shirt and pants, and stepped into the cascade of warm water.
There was no denying that she’d become attached to him. It was her own fault. She never should have agreed that first night when he offered to hold her while she fell asleep. She’d woken up in his arms every morning since.
Nothing sexual ever happened between them. They always kept their clothes on. He never touched her intimately, never went in for a kiss. Hell, Tessa was pretty sure that Rhys didn’t even think of her that way.
Sure, he cared about her, the way a brother cared about his sister.
Her thoughts, on the other hand, weren’t so chaste. More than once, she’d found herself fantasizing about slipping her hands underneath his shirt, about unbuttoning the fly of his pants, about wrapping her legs around his waist.
Tessa rolled her neck under the shower spray.
Of course, her feelings for Rhys weren’t strictly erotic. They were complicated as hell.
It wasn’t that big of a surprise. He had saved her from Boyd after all. He’d nursed her wounds and calmed her fears. On top of all that, he’d been true to his word. He hadn’t asked her a single question about her job at SciGen. He’d been nothing but honest and open with her. Right
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