Page 34 of The Playboy Meets His Match
She shook her head in agony. “Jason, I’m sorry about your house. This is my fault for staying here. Whoever did this was after me.”
“Forget it, Merry. I’ve made plenty of enemies before. And I wanted you here. I knew the risks we were running.”
“I didn’t.” While she shivered, he put his arms around her.
“We can stay in the guest cottage. Let’s go up to the house. I want to get a few things and then we can move. Some of the firefighters will hang around to make sure nothing flares up again.”
As they walked toward the house, he draped his arm across her shoulders, and she walked close beside him.
“Merry, when the media interviewed me, I said I thought the explosion was from a gas leak.”
“You told me—”
“I wanted that out in the news. I know Chief Blanton, and he only told them there would be an investigation into the causes of the blaze. It’ll buy us some time before the truth comes out—if it ever does—that the blaze was caused by a bomb. I don’t want that much attention focused on us yet. If Dorian was behind this, I don’t want him brought into it in any way prematurely.”
As they entered through Jason’s bedroom, he removed his pistol and placed it on his desk. She could see down the hall and out into the night. Men moved around, and now, instead of walls and rooms, there was just open space. The smell of the fire and water was stifling, and she shook again.
“Jason, I did this to you. You could have been killed! Your wonderful house—”
“Merry,” he said quietly, drawing her into his arms and tilting up her chin, “I keep telling you that we’re safe. That’s what’s important. We’re both all right. Things and houses can be replaced.”
“You had all those family heirlooms and antiques. The family belongings can’t be replaced.”
“They don’t matter that much. I told those guys that we’d be out on the porch at the guest house. Let’s go down there. I want you to sit with me.”
“Don’t you want to look at the damage?”
“I’ve seen it with the fire chief. I’ve talked to my insurance agent and an adjustor will be out in the morning—in a few hours, actually. I’ll see the ruins more than I want to.”
“How can you be so casual about it?” she asked, amazed at his calm reaction.
“Because we’re both alive. Let’s get our things and move. The guest house will smell better.”
In a few minutes she had her purse and clothes. She had pulled on shorts and kept on his T-shirt. When she joined him, he had a bundle tucked under his arm. He put his arm around her. As they walked to the door, he stopped to pick up his pistol.
“You want to sit outside to keep watch, don’t you?” she asked. “You think he might come back.”
“I don’t think so, but I want to watch in case he does.”
“We’re talking about Dorian, aren’t we?”
“I think so more than ever. You got into his computer and he knew it,” Jason replied as they crossed the yard to the guest cottage.
“The minute the sun comes up, I’m going back to Dallas and maybe your life can get on an even keel. You should be safe.”
Jason halted, turning her to face him. “I’m not worried about being safe. I can get this place under guard and get an alarm for the grounds around the house. You can’t go back to Dallas now. You could be in all kinds of danger.”
“Stop it, Jason. You’re scaring me. I have to go back because if I stay here I put you at risk.”
“Do you want to put your family at risk?”
“No!”
“Merry, I’ve been trained for this sort of thing. You stay here.” There was a steely command in his voice that made her hold back any argument.
She nodded, and they continued walking in silence to the guest house. Inside, when he switched on lights, she looked at a spacious knotty pine room with Navajo rugs and Western art, bronze statues and forest-green leather furniture.
“You call this a cottage?”
