Jesse gave me a long look but remained silent as he led the way up the stairs to the second-floor guest room.
‘There’s a robe on the back of the bathroom door in the en suite,’ he pointed to a door, ‘and there should be everything you need. Feel free to have a bath or shower to warm yourself up. Might help you unwind a bit, but only if you feel stable enough.’
‘Thanks, Jesse. This really is very kind.’
‘You’re welcome. My room’s the next floor up so just phone if you need anything, in case I don’t hear you. OK?’
‘Yes. Thank you. I can’t think there’s anything else I would need though.’ I pushed open the door to the bathroom. ‘This is beautiful.’
‘Thanks. Labour of love and all that.’ His gaze dropped to his feet momentarily. ‘I’ll leave you to get on.’
‘Thank you.’
He nodded briefly and closed the door behind him. The moment he was gone, I stripped off my wet clothes and slid into the soft, fluffy robe. Bliss! Some of the high-end spas I’d been to could take a tip from Jesse when it came to robes. I could happily live in this dressing gown forever. Leaning over the clawfoot bath, I turned on the taps, adding some of the lavender-scented bath essence from the choice on the vanity to the stream of hot water, and inhaling the calming scent as the surface of the water became a mass of bubbles.
As I turned the taps off, a knock at the door made me turn. Wrapping the robe tighter, I opened the door and peered around.
‘I thought you might want this.’ He held out an expensive cut-crystal glass, Waterford if I wasn’t mistaken, containing a dark liquid. ‘Brandy. Will warm you up and help settle your nerves.’
I stood a little straighter. ‘Thank you but my nerves are fine.’ I did my best to keep any edge out of my voice, but I’d been in the habit of rebuffing any suggestion of weakness for so long now, the words formed almost of their own accord.
Jesse’s eyes stayed on me for the briefest moment before he began to turn.
‘I’m sorry.’ I opened the door a little more. ‘That’s very thoughtful of you and the brandy would be lovely. Thank you.’
Those intriguing grey eyes were looking back down at me now as he handed the glass over and I rested the bowl of it in my hand to warm the liquid inside and cupped the other around it.
‘You’re not someone who likes to accept, or admit you need, help, are you?’
It was refreshing, if a little startling, to meet someone who said it like it was. No games. No preamble. And he was right on the nose.
‘No. I’m not and I apologise that I’ve come across as ungrateful. I’m enormously indebted to you. Thank you again for this. And for everything you’ve done tonight. And before that.’
‘You’re welcome and there’s no debt. We help each other here. Look out for one another.’
‘Yes. I can see that.’
‘Plus it was my family that sold you a house that is in a far worse state than you were expecting.’
‘That’s not your fault. It’s mine. I should have been more astute.’ I sipped at the drink. Strong. Warm. Smooth. ‘Don’t they say when something looks too good to be true, it probably is?’ I gave a one-shouldered shrug.
‘That they do.’ He paused. For a moment, I thought he was going to elaborate on the statement but he didn’t. ‘I’ll let you get to your bath and bed. Is there anything else you need?’
‘No. Thank you. You’ve done more than enough already.’
He shook his head. ‘Nothing anyone else wouldn’t have.’
‘Oh, I don’t know about that,’ I said, almost without thinking, my breath expelling a humourless laugh.
Jesse looked at his feet, bare now and oddly sexy.
What?
I did not just have a moment thinking about this man’s feet. Seriously? That whack on the head must have been harder than I thought! My eyes drifted to his forearms. Strong, corded and dark with hair – but not too much. Just the right amount…
‘Are you OK?’ he asked, taking half a step back towards me. ‘You look a little…’
I tilted my head up to meet his eyes. The colour of stormy seas, concern now shining in them, drawing the dark brows closer.
