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Her big brown eyes were wet from her tears. Her dark lashes were spikey as she stared up at him. In just one day this tiny woman had completely turned his world upside down.
He had no doubt their mate was this one, fragile woman, the female that could tame his beast and bring him to his knees.
“Come on, baby. I think you’d enjoy a soak in the tub.” He rose to stand and kept his arm wrapped around her waist. Thayer stood before them, a pained look on his face.
He handed their mate off to his brother and went to her room to start a bath. While the water ran he braced his hands on the counter and looked at himself in the mirror. His animal moved the surface, pacing for one chance to touch what it knew was his.
His blue eyes flashed at the thought, as if his leopard reaffirmed what Deacon already knew. He didn’t know why he was like this, so much more rugged and unstable than his brother.
If he could think rationally, be one with what he truly was, then maybe he would have been able to let her go. As it stood, there was no fucking way he planned on letting Jessa go. Even when he fixed her car he knew he couldn’t watch her walk away.
He’d find her no matter where she went. There was no place she could hide from him. He didn’t doubt Thayer’s feelings for her, but his brother and the animal that he housed inside of him had boundaries, meshed together so it became one being.
It was always a fucking struggle with Deacon’s beast.
Hanging his head between his shoulders he let the sound of the water filling the tub calm him. Even through the sound of rushing water he could hear Jessa, smell her scent that had him gritting his teeth.
They would have to tread gently with her. Her past was one of pain and fear. He knew she couldn’t possibly feel the same emotions they did for her.
Hell, she didn’t even know who or what they were. Humans didn’t allow their minds to delve into the possibility that not everything was black and white. A whole world of grey existed. He turned and shut off the water and left the bathroom.
Thayer had his arm around Jessa’s small shoulders and led her toward him. She held a tall glass of wine in her hand, and he was thankful to see her tears had dried.
He let Thayer take her into the bathroom but stayed in the doorway. She sat on the lid of the toilet, her shoulders slumping forward. She looked so defeated.
He would have to make sure to put her at ease, however long that took. She would grow to trust them, come to understand that not all men were sadistic fuckers intent on hurting women.
Deacon wanted her, desperately, and he knew Thayer did, too, but they had all the time in the world. Right now she needed to get to know them, the men, so then maybe one day she could come to understand what they truly were.
Watching his brother lean down and kiss her on the forehead brought warmth to his chest. This felt right and perfect. Jessa looked into Thayer’s face and smiled, and then turned her gaze toward him.
Her smile was grateful, but under that he sensed a spark of life. She thought she was broken, but she wasn’t.
The pieces of her life could be put back together, and he and Thayer would make sure she became whole again.
Chapter
Thirteen
Two days had passed since Jessa had confessed her life filled with dirty secrets to Thayer and Deacon.
The fact they hadn’t judged her had her feeling unfamiliar emotions. For the past seventy-two hours they had been gentle with her, letting her get to know them and their lives.
Thayer told her all about his education, about how he trained in the medical field, but had a degree in architecture. He was intelligent and attractive.
She found out he was thirty, younger than Deacon by five years. Even though she was only twenty-two and they were quite a bit older than her, it didn’t feel strange. Deacon shared information about himself, but she picked up that he wasn’t as forthcoming as Thayer.
He was a carpenter, unofficially, and she learned he and Thayer had built the cabin, although Thayer admitted Deacon had done most of the building.
They had given her a tour of the interior and exterior of the cabin. The cabin itself wasn’t overly large. It had three bedrooms, two and a half baths, and the most gorgeous sunroom she had ever seen, although this time of year didn’t allow for much sun to be enjoyed.
Everything was so rustic, but it also held a touch of modern comfort. As far as she could tell neither worked, but she wasn’t nosey enough to ask them how they supported themselves, although clearly they had money.
They had just finished lunch, and she watched Deacon work on her car through the picture window in the living room. A two-car garage sat cattycorner with the cabin, and although it had to be freezing he had the garage doors open.
She could hear the steady thump of a bass from the music he listed to. She turned and looked at Thayer, who hunched over his desk and worked on blueprints for an expansion on the cabin.
Jessa wanted to ask why they needed to add more to the cabin when it was just the two of them, but she figured there wasn’t much else to do out in the middle of nowhere.
