I liked Savannah even more for bothering to ask. Tenn was her boss, in a way. At least, I assumed he was. I was a stranger, yet she was willing to go out on a limb for me. Glancing back into the room where I'd gotten far too comfortable way too fast, I asked what I really wanted to know. "Do you think I need space from Tenn? Am I safe with him?"
"Yes," Savannah answered, without a second of hesitation. "Tenn's a good guy. They all are, really." She stopped herself and drew in a short breath. "Except Bryce. You haven't met everyone yet since you ate dinner up here, but Bryce is their cousin and a total asshole."
"How will I know which one is Bryce?" So far, most of the Sawyers looked alike. Tall, dark-haired, and gorgeous.
"If you meet a guy who looks like the villain in an eighties movie, that's Bryce. Very blond, blue eyes, preppy, and a major jerk. Everyone else is good." She rolled her eyes. "Well, Finn can be an asshole, too, but he's mainly just full of himself. He'd never hurt a woman. And Tenn absolutely wouldn't."
"Thanks," I said, comforted by her reassurance.
"If you need anything, just dial 1 on any house phone and it'll ring through to me. There's tea and coffee and a mini-fridge with water and snacks in the cabinet by Tenn's desk in case he forgot to tell you." She tipped her head at the desk before corralling Nicky one more time and disappearing down the hall.
I grabbed a bottle of water from the cleverly hidden fridge and corralled my own little guy, herding him to the bathroom. After a day of travel and playing for hours with Nicky, August needed a bath. Not a problem here. Tenn's tub was practically a small swimming pool. I started the water and unpacked our toiletries, pouring a slug of bubble bath under the running water. August didn't need much supervision in the bath these days, so I was free to explore.
The bathroom was acres of white marble. Double counters with deep, square sinks. A side room just for the toilet, and another filled with linens and extra toiletries. A third door led to Tenn's expansive walk-in closet. He'd said the house had been neglected. Both the grounds and some of the rooms I'd seen downstairs supported that claim, but Tenn's bedroom and bathroom had to have been recently renovated. I watched enough home improvement shows to know that the fixtures in here were almost brand new. Another mystery. One I could ask about later. For now, I needed to get through tonight.
I'd worried for nothing. Tenn let himself back in quietly, careful not to wake August as he passed through the sitting room into the bedroom. Without a word to me, he disappeared into the bathroom and shut the door. I heard water run, a toilet flush, then nothing. He reappeared a few minutes later in a white t-shirt and boxers.
Opening a leather-strapped trunk at the foot of the bed, he pulled out a soft-looking knit blanket and got into bed on the other side, staying on top of the covers as promised. He fluffed his pillow, tossed the blanket out so it covered him from chest to toes, and rolled over on his side, facing me.
"I usually stay up later," he said, his jaw cracking with a yawn, "but I got up early so I could cover for Royal and I'm dead on my feet after today. Wake me up if you need anything."
And that was it. All that worry and he was three feet away, on the other side of this huge bed, apparently fast asleep. Not only had he not made a move, he hadn't even looked at me. Not really. The female heart of me was miffed that Tenn hadn't spared a tiny glance at my legs, which looked pretty good in my sleep shorts.
Not that I care, I reminded myself. Men that good-looking are nothing but trouble.
Ugh, even I wasn't buying that line anymore. I snuck a peek at Tenn, his face relaxed in sleep, his bare forearm the only part of him I could see. Tanned skin, the hint of muscle. I dragged my eyes back to my book and started the page over. I hadn't read a word since Tenn had opened the door to the room.
After the tenth pass through the same page, I gave up. I thought about the small bottle of melatonin in my toiletries case, convinced there was no way I'd fall asleep with Tenn so close. But no. That stuff always knocked me out, and the last thing I needed was to be out of it in a strange place with August to look out for. Rolling over, my back to Tenn, I closed my eyes and tried to sleep. I must have been more tired than I realized. One second, I was wound so tight I thought I'd snap, and the next, I was out cold.