Before Sam could make any more decisions for her, she turned and jogged up the stairs, all the way to the top. There, she turned to the room she’d taken for herself.
Not only the largest room, but the one with the best view.
“I haven’t cleaned out the other showers.” She grabbed an afghan off the bed and wrapped it around herself. “You go ahead and I’ll see if I can find you something to wear.”
Sam tossed a duffle onto the bed. “I’ve got stuff.”
She hadn’t even noticed him grab the bag along the way.
But instead of heading into the bathroom, Sam turned her toward it. “You first, Tans. Seriously. You’re shaking like the proverbial leaf. I’m fine.”
And he was. In all the senses of the word.
Sam huffed out a huge breath when Tansy closed the door to the bathroom.
The tiny girl with the sad eyes had grown into a sexy-as-hell woman.
Still tiny.
Still with the sad eyes at times.
He hadn’t been lying about her safety and the reason he’d basically stripped her. But he’d be lying if he said he hadn’t enjoyed the view.
The tight ass and sexy legs jogging up the stairs ahead of him would be a fantasy he’d be revisiting for years.
As if he needed another image for his super-sized Tansy Fantasy Reel.
Lusting after his buddy’s little sister was bad enough.
Sharing a foster home with her made it seem extra creepy.
He hadn’t shown up in Vermont to follow through on the fantasies.
He’d shown up because he was in limbo and needed an anchor.
Tansy had always been his anchor.
Even when she’d seen herself as a burden or invisible, she’d been an anchor to them all.
Joe had probably always been protective of his younger sister, who was smart in all the ways, except for protecting herself. She lived with her mind and her heart wide open.
Sam and Nico had absorbed protector status from Joe and so had any other fosters who’d passed through the house.
The shower blasted on, and part of Sam relaxed. She’d been shaking so badly, he wasn’t sure she’d be able to turn on the shower.
To distract himself from the images of a naked Tansy, pounding water, and sex, Sam looked around the room.
Everything was old and dated, but the building appeared solid.
The bed frame was handmade. Someone had carved the headboard with delicate leaves and flowers. With the rustic quality of the place, he wouldn’t have been surprised to see animal carvings.
This was better. Having animals watching you sleep and play in the bed would be creepy as hell.
The room was neat. Not surprising. Tansy liked being able to find her things. Even with a dozen experiments happening at a time, she kept everything organized.
Wasting time wasn’t one of Tansy’s flaws.
“I’m done. Hurry. Get yourself warm.”