Given little choice, she paused. Then she blew out a slow sigh and turned to face him. I really don't need your disapproval right now, Tegan. I'm exhausted, and I want to get out of these awful clothes. So, if you plan on lecturing me, it's going to have to wait--
He pulled her to him and she fell silent as his arms went around her in a fierce embrace.
He couldn't let go. He couldn't speak. His chest was constricted with an emotion he didn't want to acknowledge, but could hardly deny. It wrenched him, pressing like a vise around his heart.
Ah, f**k.
Elise might have been killed today. She'd managed to get away, sure, but she'd been in serious danger with that Minion and there was always the very good chance that things would end badly.
He might have lost her while he slept. When she'd been out of his reach, and he'd been unable to protect her.
The thought hit him hard.
So unexpectedly deep.
All he could do right now was hold on to her. Like he never wanted to let her go.
Elise had expected anger from Tegan. Perhaps arrogant male censure. She couldn't have been more shocked to feel his arms holding her tight. Good Lord, was he actually trembling?
She stood in the warm, strong cage of his embrace, and felt some of her edgy tension begin to break. The bone-deep fear she'd refused to let herself feel until now started to pour into her limbs. She leaned into Tegan's welcome strength, bringing her hands up to rest against the hard muscles of his bare back, her unhurt cheek lying on the smooth plane of his chest.
There are some papers, she finally managed to say. Petrov Odolf 's brother wrote a bunch of letters. I thought they might be important. That's why I went out to see Irina.
I don't care about that. Tegan's voice was thick, vibrating against her ear. His fingertips pressed into her shoulders as he brought her away from him and stared down into her eyes. That gem- green gaze was penetrating, so intensely serious. Jesus Christ, I don't care about any of that right now.
It could mean something, Tegan. There are some strange verses...
He shook his head, scowling now. It can wait.
He reached out and wiped at an apparent smudge on her chin. Then he tilted her face up to his. He stared at her for a long moment before he kissed her.
It was brief and tender, filled with a sweetness that robbed Elise of her breath.
Everything else can wait for now, he said quietly, a dark ferocity in his voice. Come with me, Elise. I want to take care of you now.
He led her by the hand, out of the foyer and up the main staircase to her guest room on the second floor. She walked inside with him, paused as he turned to close the door behind them. He glanced down to where her packed bag sat on the floor. When he looked back at her, there was a question in his eyes.
I had been planning to leave Berlin today. I was going to go back to Boston.
Because of me?
She shook her head. Because of me. Because I'm confused about a lot of things, and I'm losing focus on what matters. The only thing that should matter--
Your vengeance.
My promise, yes.
Tegan came to stand in front of her, his broad chest filling her vision, radiating a warmth she wanted so badly to feel against her again. She closed her eyes as he began carefully unbuttoning her bloodstained blouse. He peeled the sticky silk off her body and let it drop to the floor.
Maybe she should have felt awkward or at least resistant, allowing him to undress her after the awful way things had gone between them last night. But she was sickened by the gore on her clothes, and there was a shaking, distressed part of her that welcomed Tegan's care. His touch was protective, not sexual, all steady strength now. Capable and compassionate.
Her ruined pants went next, along with her socks and shoes. And then she was standing before him in just her bra and panties.
The Minion's blood soaked through to your skin, he said, frowning as he ran his hand over her marred shoulder and down along the line of her arm. In the adjoining bathroom, the shower turned on. I'll wash it off you.
She walked with him into the spacious bath suite, saying nothing as he gingerly removed the last of her clothing. Come on, he said, guiding her around the wall of mottled glass bricks that separated the large shower area from the rest of the room.
Warm steam rolled around them as they neared the spray.
You're getting all wet, Elise said when Tegan strolled in ahead of her without taking off his jeans.
He merely shrugged. Water sluiced all over him, into his tawny hair and down the thick, banded muscles of his shoulders and arms. Cascading rivulets ran over the beautiful lines of his dermaglyphs, and onto the darkening denim that covered his long, powerful legs.
She looked at him and felt as if she were seeing him with fresh eyes...seeing him for the first time. There was no mistaking what he was--a solitary, deadly male, trained to kill and nearly perfect in his apathy. But there was a stunning vulnerability about him as he stood in front of her now, soaking wet, his hand extended out to her in kindness.
And if the warrior in him gave her pause before, this new vision of him was even more unnerving.
It made her want to run into his arms and stay there, forever if she could.
Step under the water with me, Elise. I'll do the rest.
She felt her feet moving beneath her, her fingers coming to rest in the warm center of Tegan's palm. He brought her into the soft rain of the shower. Smoothed her hair back from her face as they both became drenched together.
Elise melted into the warm water and the even greater heat of Tegan's body brushing against hers. She let him soap her skin and shampoo her hair, glad for his comforting touch after the ugliness of her day.
Feel good? he asked as he rinsed her off, the low vibration of his voice traveling through his fingertips and into her skin and bones.