Chapter 26 Pealing back the layers

Chapter 26 Pealing back the layers
While Tessa showered, Dane changed clothes. He'd taken a shower before leaving the jail, and while he wouldn't have minded taking another, he wasn't about to put cuffs on her again. Instead, he made hot cocoa and filled two mugs. He would have preferred to fix her a hearty breakfast, but he also knew she was too upset to eat. And he wasn't going to push her. They'd eat later.
Right now, he was more worried about her frame of mind. Last night's experience must have been horrendous. Duke and Eddie coming for her. What had she expected? Assault? Torture? Murder?
Then she'd been locked in that rat-infested pantry. Dane had hoped that Bogen would have the decency to lock her in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Lousy bastard.

When the bedroom door opened, he saw her poke her head out cautiously, as if checking to see that he was still there. Seeing him, she stepped out, her relief tangible.
"Better?" he asked, crossing to offer her a mug.
She nodded, but remained quiet. She also didn't seem to understand that he meant for her to take the mug from him.
"Let's get you settled in bed then. I know you're exhausted."
She shook her head. "No. I'm---" Unshed tears glistened in her eyes, making them appear impossibly bluer. "I don't want to be alone right now."
"Come on." He led the way to the couch, unaware of how to proceed. He didn't know what she needed at the moment.
But he knew what would make him feel better. He sat down and held out his hand.
"I'd like to hold you. But I'll respect a no."

Tessa hesitated for only a second, unable to think of one good reason she should refuse the consolation he offered. Normal reasoning simply did not apply to this situation. She felt as though her psyche had been ripped, battered. As if she'd been cast into a dark pit, and Dane was the only one who shone light her way.
Taking his hand, she let him pull her into his lap. His strong arms surrounded her, hugging her, making her feel safe. His large hands cradled her head, tucking her neatly against his shoulder as if the spot were made for her alone.
The walls she'd managed to erect around her emotions while in the shower crumbled under his gentle ministrations. In spite of her prior resolve not to speak of it, she found herself telling him about her awful night in the pantry. How afraid she'd been that he wouldn't return. And once the words started flowing, it seemed impossible to stop them.
How long they stayed on the couch, she didn't know. Nor did she care. The only thing that seemed to matter in the moment was the fact that she felt safe.

When she quieted, Dane pressed another kiss to the top of her head, wondering if she was even aware that he'd done so. Hesitant to break the spell, he broke another rule and asked about her personal life.
"Tell me about your life in Boston."
For a second, he thought she'd drifted off. Then she sighed. "I have a townhouse downtown that I'm trying to sell. I've decided condo life wasn't for me."
"You want a yard?"
"A farm. With an old barn, I can convert it into a studio."
Dane was finger-combing her hair, torturing himself by separating the thick, damp strands. "Will you have animals?"
"Dogs and cats. Mostly dogs, probably. To keep my mother away."
Dane chuckled. "You'd send dogs on your mother?"

Tears stung her eyes. She hadn't meant that the way it sounded. "She's allergic. Or at least that was her excuse when I was a child and wanted one."
"You don't get along with your mother. What about your father and brother?"
She shrugged, uncertain on how to describe her familial relationships and puzzled that she was even considering to. "My father's whole life has been business. My brother learned early on that following in his footsteps was the best way to keep his attention."
"Were you tempted to join the family business, too?"
"My father comes from a long line of sexists. He doesn't believe in working women."
Dane shifted her slightly, massaging her scalp, wanting her to stay relaxed enough to keep talking. "How did he react to you opening your own shop?"
"He nearly had a stroke. When he realized I was serious and discovered that I actually had some talent, he insisted that I showcase my designs exclusively through the Monroe stores."
"And you said no? How did he take that?"

She made a strangled sound. "Not well. My father is accustomed to getting his way no matter how many vice presidents, managers, secretaries, or wives he has to fire. He didn't like the fact that his own daughter opened a shop in downtown Boston. We get along fine. In spite of his idiosyncrasies, I love him. And miss him. Especially now. My mother, too."
For a moment, the silence hung heavy between them, then Tessa spoke again. "Tell me about your life, Dane. Where did you grow up?"
"Pennsylvania." He skipped over his years in college and offered another half-truth. "I moved around a lot as a kid, then eventually joined the Army."
He started rattling off the places he'd been stationed. When she didn't respond, Dane glanced down. She'd fallen asleep in his arms, as trusting as a baby. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and settled back, satisfied to watch the flames in the fireplace die down. He didn't care if she slept for hours.
For now, he was content just to hold her.