no way he would be leaving Tessa’s side.
“I’m sure Dad will be at the hospital as soon as I let him know,” Cassie said.
“That’s fine. I’ve got my cell, so he can call me, too.”
As soon as the squad arrived and loaded Tessa—carefully, as per Grant’s demands—he went to get his rental car to follow. As much as he wanted to ride with her, he needed his vehicle, because when they left, he sure as hell would be the one bringing her back.
* * *
“This is all really silly,” Tessa complained as Grant eased his car into the drive, passing beneath the arched sign for the estate. “I can stay at my house just fine, Slick.”
“We already went over this. You can stay at your house with me or at my house with me. Since you only huffed when I gave you your options, I decided we’d stay here so your dad and sister are closer.”
Tessa rolled her eyes as he parked in front of the cottage. “I only live one property over.”
He turned, offered her that killer smile complete with dimples and said, “Yes, but there are several acres separating the two. Your father and I agreed this was best.”
“My father probably has no clue you have the hots for his daughter, either,” she mumbled.
Grant barked a laugh and came around to help her out. She wasn’t some invalid. She’d fallen off Macduff because she’d not been paying attention, and the once-abused horse was still skittish.
Cassie had bought the horse from an auction, and they all knew he’d been mistreated. But Cassie was a softy for any animal, especially ones not properly cared for. Tessa was confident she could keep him under control...and she had, until she’d seen Grant walking toward the stables, phone to his ear and wearing the most brilliant smile. He’d stolen her breath, and she’d lost her concentration. Macduff was nervous, anyway, but the accident was totally her fault.
Grant slid his arm around her as she started to climb from the car. “Really, I can walk,” she protested. “I won’t fall over.”
“The doctor said you had a concussion, and you admitted you were dizzy.” He tightened his grip. “You’re not going down on my watch.”
Okay, so a bit of her was thrilled at the fact he wanted to care for her, but she seriously could’ve taken care of herself. Did he think she was sharing his bed tonight? Surely that wasn’t a reason behind his insistence to keep her at his place.
Once inside the cottage, Grant gave her no option but to sit on the sofa with her feet propped up. Her protests were completely ignored as he removed her boots.
“Now, what can I get you to eat? You haven’t had dinner.”
Tessa hadn’t given food a thought. “What do you have? Just something light. I’m still queasy.”
“I’m pretty sure there are some cans of soup in the cabinet.”
Laying her head against the back of the sofa, she nodded. “That will be fine. Any flavor, I’m not too picky.”
Even as tired as she was, she couldn’t close her eyes. Watching Grant bustle around the kitchen, getting her dinner ready, really hit her hard. Aaron had never taken this much care of her. He’d never tried to put her needs first. Of course, hindsight was a real eye-opener, because the man had been only out for himself to begin with.
But there was something special about Grant. He obviously loved his family, which was a huge indicator that he was a nurturer. The fact he was so easy to talk to also proved to her that he wasn’t the self-centered city slicker she’d first thought him to be.
When he brought her dinner on a tray, Tessa smiled. “You’re so good to me, Slick. I could get used to this.”
He took a seat on the coffee table across from her and smiled. “I could get used to you lying on my couch watching me.”
After taking a few mouthfuls of chicken soup, she glanced back over at him and sighed. His eyelids were heavy, his hair all messed from running his fingers through it. Normally he looked so polished, the picture of perfection. Now he looked...exhausted.
“I’m sorry, Grant.”
“What for?”
“This. Being a burden, scaring you.”
He blinked and eased forward, cupping her face with one strong, warm hand. “You could never be a burden to me, Tessa. If I didn’t want you here I could’ve taken you to the main house, to Cassie’s or back to your own home. I want you here so I can watch over you, and I want you here because something is building between us and I refuse to ignore it.”
Inching forward, Grant placed his lips softly on hers. “As for scaring me, if you ever do that again I’m going to hack into your computer and delete all your saved spreadsheets.”
Tessa laughed, reaching over to smack his shoulder. “You wouldn’t dare.”
He eased back with a half grin. “Maybe not, but when you fell...there are no words, but I’ll never forget that feeling.”
He glanced aside, almost as if he was trying to compose himself. Had he truly been that scared, that worried for her? This wasn’t the first time she’d seen the stark fear in his eyes when it came to horses. That first day they’d met he’d acted concerned for her safety.
“Hey,” she said, waiting for him to turn back to her. “I’ve been riding since I got out of diapers, Slick. That wasn’t my first fall and it won’t be my last. Yes, it sucks, but sometimes it just happens.”
Raking a hand down his face, Grant sighed and came to his feet. “Why don’t you finish your dinner, and I’ll go find you some more comfortable clothes to sleep in.”
“What about you?” she asked. “You haven’t had dinner.”
“Honestly, my nerves are shot. I couldn’t eat if I wanted to.”
With that revelation, he walked away. Obviously, her fall had torn him up in ways she never would’ve imagined. When she’d been lying on the ground and he’d been at her side, his face had been so pale, his eyes so wide as he’d tried to take in her entire body at once, assessing the damage.
At the E.R., he’d been forceful and matter-of-fact with the staff, almost demanding that she stay overnight for observation. The doctor had assured Grant that since she’d never lost consciousness, she would be fine to go home as long as someone watched her.
So here she was, being watched by a man who made her tingle with a simple touch, who kissed her as if she was the only desirable woman in the world, and who had her rethinking her reasons for remaining innocent.
This should be an interesting night.
“Melanie!”
Fear consumed him, bile rose in his throat as the scene before
