“Make it yourself. You know where everything is.” He stopped halfway down to the room and went back to them. “Do not fucking scare her. She’s had nightmares.” He ignored the narrowed eyes and confused looks.
“Casanova has fallen.”
“Someone mentioned that shit last night,” he tossed over his shoulder in a harsh whisper. They could think what they liked. Protecting Rose and making sure she was safe and comfortable took priority over any discomfort he might feel as the butt of any of their jokes. He remembered to knock on her door and to pause outside it rather than just walking right in. “Rose?”
“Come in.”
“It’s the guys. I don’t know what they want yet, but you can go back to sleep.” He already knew she wouldn’t sleep again as she was shaking her head before he was finished speaking.
“I—” She tugged at her t-shirt. “Umm, I’ll just stay here.”
“You are perfect just as you are.” She looked like she needed a hug, and he gave it to her. She rubbed his chin on the top of her head, and she snuggled into his chest. He freaking loved how she did that. “Not one of them will say a word about you wearing my clothes.” They wouldn’t if they knew what was good for them. But he was totally loving that she was covered by something which belonged to him.
“What do you think will happen?”
“I don’t know. But they’ll tell me what they think should happen when I go out there.”
“When we go out there,” she corrected him softly. “Don’t decide for me. I need you not to do that.”
He nodded. He understood her reasons. Sometime over the last twenty-four hours, she’d become important to him. “I promise we won’t do anything without discussing it with you first.”
She eyed him warily as if she didn’t quite believe him, but the best he could do right now was give her his word. As long as she wasn’t in danger, he’d keep it. The second she was, all bets and promises were off.
“Okay.” She blew out a slow breath, then nodded. “I’m ready to hear what they have to say.”
As they walked to the living room, it stunned him to realize that she might be ready to face his team. He wasn’t so sure he wanted other unattached men around her yet. But keeping her to himself wasn’t possible. Her safety took priority over this possessiveness he was struggling to control.
“Morning,” Kacey said, pointing to some suitcases on the floor near the front door. “I brought your stuff. The girls figured you’d feel better if you had your own things.”
Caleb bit back the growl that rumbled almost silently in his chest when Rose gave his brother a warm smile. He should have noticed those cases and brought them with him to the bedroom. That he hadn’t seen them, never mind brought them to her, only reinforced for him that this was not a mission where he could afford to work alone. Rose’s safety needed more than him because, somehow, she was a distraction who’d stolen his focus.
Are you mad about it?
Hell no. No, I’m not.
He snagged two mugs from the mug tree on the counter. “Rose, do you want coffee, tea, or something different?”
“Coffee, please.”
He filled her mug and jerked his chin toward the sugar and milk. “Help yourself.” Turning back to the bread box, he removed the loaf to get to the pecan and maple syrup pasties he’d hidden behind it. After putting them on a plate, he put them on the table in front of her.
“Thank you.”
Caleb winked and slapped at Kacey’s hand as he reached for a pastry. “If you want some, make them yourself. You’re the damn chef.”
“I’m on vaycay,” Kacey whined. “Cooking isn’t happening until my butt goes home to the ranch.”
“Umm, ranch?”
“Yeah.” He figured now was as good a time as any to mention the only plan he’d been able to come up with in the hours he’d stayed awake watching her sleep. “Remember your wish for the middle of nowhere?”
“Maybe.” She spoke around a mouthful of pastry. “Last night is kind of a blur.”
“I can grant that wish if you want to go.” Crap, he’d made it sound like it was a done deal. “Well, I can talk to Nemesis about granting your wish to disappear into the middle of nowhere. It just so happens that’s where his ranch is.
“But if Janek finds me…”
He didn’t want her to talk herself out of it before he’d had time to lay it out for his boss. “It’s a domestic flight.” That was worth mentioning. “There’s no need for IDs or passports.” It might not exactly be legal, but he’d smuggle her onto the damn plane if he had to.
