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Nope, that's why. He was still married. She pulled away, "Maybe we can go back to the house and talk?"
"Sure."
She saw the confusion in the sudden change of mood. She didn't want to be a tease. Not only was that not nice, but she also didn't want to do that to him. He'd been nothing but good to her. Rescuing her when he wanted to be out there finding his parents’ killer. She needed to remember that and not be selfish or disrespectful.
Watching his Adam's apple slide up and down his neck, she backed away just a bit, took his hand in hers and began walking them toward the door. The fresh air would do them both good.
His head glanced down at the ground, and her heart hammered. "You cut your feet."
Her eyes sought where he looked at the smears of blood on the garage floor. She lifted one foot at a time revealing dirty blood smudged bottoms on both feet. She had been so scared she didn't notice till now.
"Yeah," she said stupidly. "I didn't notice, I guess."
He lifted her in his arms, exited the garage and waited for her to pull the service door closed. He turned toward the house, and she could feel the rigidness in his posture. As they walked silently toward the house, he suddenly stopped and motioned with his head to the driveway.
"Do you see those gates at the driveway entrance?"
"Of course."
"The only people that have the combination to get in are Emmy, Dawson, and me. No one else. We change it weekly, so it isn't discovered."
He carried her into the house and set her easily on the kitchen counter, the hard granite cool on her butt. "Stay there, I'll get the first aid kit."
She watched his retreating backside as he walked to his bedroom and disappeared inside. Just a moment later he came out carrying a blue metal box with the red cross on the front of it. No mistaking that.
"Scoot back, so your feet are perched at the edge of the counter, honey." His soft, warm voice wrapped around her and tears threatened her vision at his kindness and gentleness.
He disappeared into the half bath just behind the kitchen and came out with a gray washcloth which he wetted at the kitchen sink.
"Okay, this might sting a bit, but I have to see how bad the cuts are."
She swallowed, "It's okay, I can just do it my—"
"No. I can do it."
He gently swiped at the bottom of her feet, returning to the sink to rinse the cloth as it became dirty. By the third trip to the sink, he stopped and pulled his phone from his back pocket.
Swiping a couple of times, he pulled up a screen. "This told me someone opened the window in the den. Is that how you got out of the house?" He turned his phone screen to her.
"Yes." Her cheeks flamed a bright pink. "I thought they were in the house."
"It's okay, Megan. I'm just showing you this. I have security all over the place. Every window and door in the house is hooked up to this security system. It's loaded on my laptop, my phone, Emmy's phone, and Dawson's phone."
Just as he said that, his phone rang. He slid the icon to answer it. "Yeah."
Watching the smile spread his lips, her heartbeat revved. Had she ever known there was such a handsome man on this earth? Everything about him called to her, from the breadth of his powerful, wide shoulders to the long leanness of his legs. Powerful thighs encased in his customary denim practically made her swoon when she looked at him. His hair so dark it looked like coal which framed his classic, model perfect face. His dark brows rose into his hairline as he listened to his caller. "Nope, Megan opened the window to get some fresh air."
And he protected her feelings, so no one would think she was a stupid girl.
"Thanks, Daws."
Tapping the icon to end the call, he grinned. "As I said, Emmy and Dawson have the same software on their phones." He checked the bottom of her feet, gently probing the cuts. She winced a bit, and he stopped poking at her sore feet. "When you look around the area alongside the driveway, what do you see?" He pointed to the windows just outside the living room.
Brows furrowed, she looked at the landscape along the drive. "Steep drop offs and rocks."
"Exactly. It's designed that way. It would be hard to climb up here. And, I have sensors all along the driveway and all over my property, so I know as soon as someone turns into the driveway or tries to walk up the drive or the mountain. I have video cameras along the way, and my computer captures every image."
He turned to her, his big hands, rough from working and damp from the cloth, framed her face. "You're safe here. We're safe here."
