“Are you satisfied or did you need another look?” he asked.
The teasing challenge brought my eyes up to his. I gave him a coy smile. “I don’t think a look will satisfy. I prefer a more hands-on approach.”
His eyes darkened and he stepped closer. “As the lady prefers.”
I hummed in appreciation, then touched one finger to his chest. He froze. Now that I had his skin under my hands, slight though the contact was, I had to fight to stay on course. I wanted to run my hands across his chest, to see if the muscle was as firm everywhere as it was under my finger. Instead, I pressed him backward two steps.
Then, with fierce reluctance, I pulled my hand away from temptation. I turned and caressed the edge of the door and the handle. “Everything seems to be in order,” I murmured. I winked at him and pulled the door closed while he stood stock-still.
Safely on my side, I blew out a slow, silent breath. Holy hell. A playful Ian was an irresistible Ian.
When a maid knocked on the door a few minutes later with a pot of sweet, milky tea that I hadn’t ordered, I knew exactly who it came from. If I wasn’t careful, Ian Bishop would steal my heart.
And I just might let him.
My alarm tried to drag me from sleep but I fought the pull. I’d slept hard, but I could use another hour or two. The heavy drapes were closed, leaving the room dim. Putting my com on the dresser had seemed like a good idea at the time, but it meant that now I had to drag myself from bed to turn off the cursed beeping.
A knock on the door added to the racket. I pulled a pillow over my head and willed everything to be quiet. A few seconds later, my alarm stopped. I blinked in surprise at the blessed silence, but didn’t question my good luck. Now I could go back to sleep.
“Your alarm has been going off for fifteen minutes,” Ian said. “And you didn’t respond to my knocks.”
I pulled the pillow off my head and glared in his direction. “I was sleeping.”
Ian moved closer and I could tell when he entered the silencer’s circle because his steps paused. “Why are you sleeping with a silencer?”
I peered at him in the faint light. I could just make out his outline near the end of the bed. “Ian, why are you in my room?”
“When you didn’t turn off your alarm or answer the door, I thought something might’ve happened. Instead, I find you sleeping in a silence field where you couldn’t call for help even if you needed it. Why?”
I sighed and gave him one of my truths. “Sometimes I have nightmares. This way I don’t bother anyone.”
“No more silencers. I can’t protect you if I can’t hear you.”
“Not your decision. Now go away so I can sleep.” But even as I spoke, I felt the last vestiges of sleep slipping away. I wouldn’t be able to sleep even if he left, which he showed no sign of doing. I sat up and glared grumpily at him. “Fine, I’m awake. Happy now?”
“No, I’ll be happy when you agree about the silencer.”
“Then I’ve got bad news for you, friend.” I tossed the covers back and slid out of bed. I had on a T-shirt and underwear, so I was decent enough.
Ian moved closer. He was dressed in a dark shirt and dark pants. I was barefoot, and he towered over me by nearly twenty centimeters. Softly, he asked, “Why do you have to fight me on everything?”
“Why do you assume you know what’s best for me?” I responded without missing a beat. “Look, I know it’s a security risk. Of course I do. I weighed the risks and decided it was worth it. I don’t know why you always assume I do things on a whim without a thought to the consequences. I always think about the consequences.”
“And last night? Did you think about the consequences then?”
I glanced away. “I don’t play with fire without realizing I could get burned.”
“And did you want to burn?” His voice whispered around me, a temptation in itself.
Yes. Yes, yes, yes, a million times yes. I’d promised him honesty, so I said nothing at all.
He touched my jaw, turning my face up to his. I could just make out his handsome features, but the darkness washed the color from his eyes. “Tell me,” he urged, his