veiled sexual jokes. His businesslike approach to the situation might, in the long run, be for the best, she acknowledged. Jake Devlin wasn't going to be a lot of fun to have around, but she wasn't going to have to fight him off, either.
"That's it for me," she finally announced, locking a suitcase and moving to stand in the bedroom doorway. "I'm going to bed. Turn out the lights, will you? Oh, and, uh, don't forget to lock the front door," she added with dry humor.
He looked up, his cool gaze colliding with hers. If he was aware of her mockery he gave no sign of it. "I'll try to remember. Good night, Sabrina, and ..."
"Yes?" She tilted her head to one side inquiringly.
"And I'm sorry about tonight"
"Uh-huh. Just doing your job, weren't you?" Very firmly she closed her bedroom door.
The light from the hall fixture was switched off fifteen minutes later, just as Sabrina drifted off to sleep. She was vaguely aware of him rustling around in her living room, arranging the sheets and blankets she'd found for him, and then all was quiet But the shaft of light had reappeared under her door two hours later when Sabrina awoke with a start. For long moments she lay very quietly in bed, staring into the darkness and trying to pinpoint whatever it was that had awakened her. Was she nervous because she had a stranger in the house?
Then the light under the door caught her attention and she frowned as she slowly pushed back the covers and reached for her plush yellow robe. What was Jake doing up? He'd gone to bed at the same time she had. Good grief, she thought, glancing at the clock. It was nearly two in the morning and they had a long trip ahead of them the next day.
Knotting the sash of the robe, she padded barefoot to the door of her room and cautiously opened it. If Jake was up, she wanted to be careful about surprising him.
Men like him probably slept in the nude!
With that thought in mind she called his name softly before emerging into the hall.
"Jake?"
Soundlessly he appeared at the far end of the short hall, wearing his jeans, she was relieved to see. That was all he had on, however, and in the soft glow of the lamp behind him the skin of his shoulders appeared very sleek. The that of dark, curling hair on his smoothly muscled chest tapered down to a point and disappeared beneath the waistband of the jeans. He, too, was barefoot and the pelt of hair on his head was tousled from the pillow.
For a startling, uncomfortable moment Sabrina felt as if she'd invited a dangerous and unpredictable male animal into her cozy apartment. Then he spoke, his voice deep and gentle, as if he sensed her unease. "It's all right, Sabrina. Go back to sleep.
I'm sorry I woke you."
"Is anything wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong."
"What are you doing up at this time of night?" she persisted, taking another step out into the hall. Her hair cascaded in disarray around her shoulders and her hazel eyes were half-slumberous, half-questioning. She stood blinking owtishly at him, waiting for some explanation.
"I'm not very sleepy," he muttered, moving back into the living room with a restlessness which surprised her. "Go back to bed, Sabrina."
"Why aren't you sleepy? Are you one of those people who only need a couple of hours a night or something? Is that part of being a good bodyguard?" She traipsed slowly down the hall, realizing that the sliding glass door onto the balcony was wide open. "Good Lord! It's freezing in here! Why on earth is the door open?"
"I wanted a little fresh air," he explained shortly, gliding across the room to shut the offending door with a quick, impatient motion. "Sorry."
Something caught her attention, something about the way he moved, the tone of his voice. "Are you all right, Jake?" she whispered.
His head snapped around and he shot her an unreadable glance. "I'm fine."
"Do you suffer from insomnia or anything?"
"No!" This time the denial was a smaB explosion of sound which he obviously regretted at once. " No, I
"That's it for me," she finally announced, locking a suitcase and moving to stand in the bedroom doorway. "I'm going to bed. Turn out the lights, will you? Oh, and, uh, don't forget to lock the front door," she added with dry humor.
He looked up, his cool gaze colliding with hers. If he was aware of her mockery he gave no sign of it. "I'll try to remember. Good night, Sabrina, and ..."
"Yes?" She tilted her head to one side inquiringly.
"And I'm sorry about tonight"
"Uh-huh. Just doing your job, weren't you?" Very firmly she closed her bedroom door.
The light from the hall fixture was switched off fifteen minutes later, just as Sabrina drifted off to sleep. She was vaguely aware of him rustling around in her living room, arranging the sheets and blankets she'd found for him, and then all was quiet But the shaft of light had reappeared under her door two hours later when Sabrina awoke with a start. For long moments she lay very quietly in bed, staring into the darkness and trying to pinpoint whatever it was that had awakened her. Was she nervous because she had a stranger in the house?
Then the light under the door caught her attention and she frowned as she slowly pushed back the covers and reached for her plush yellow robe. What was Jake doing up? He'd gone to bed at the same time she had. Good grief, she thought, glancing at the clock. It was nearly two in the morning and they had a long trip ahead of them the next day.
Knotting the sash of the robe, she padded barefoot to the door of her room and cautiously opened it. If Jake was up, she wanted to be careful about surprising him.
Men like him probably slept in the nude!
With that thought in mind she called his name softly before emerging into the hall.
"Jake?"
Soundlessly he appeared at the far end of the short hall, wearing his jeans, she was relieved to see. That was all he had on, however, and in the soft glow of the lamp behind him the skin of his shoulders appeared very sleek. The that of dark, curling hair on his smoothly muscled chest tapered down to a point and disappeared beneath the waistband of the jeans. He, too, was barefoot and the pelt of hair on his head was tousled from the pillow.
For a startling, uncomfortable moment Sabrina felt as if she'd invited a dangerous and unpredictable male animal into her cozy apartment. Then he spoke, his voice deep and gentle, as if he sensed her unease. "It's all right, Sabrina. Go back to sleep.
I'm sorry I woke you."
"Is anything wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong."
"What are you doing up at this time of night?" she persisted, taking another step out into the hall. Her hair cascaded in disarray around her shoulders and her hazel eyes were half-slumberous, half-questioning. She stood blinking owtishly at him, waiting for some explanation.
"I'm not very sleepy," he muttered, moving back into the living room with a restlessness which surprised her. "Go back to bed, Sabrina."
"Why aren't you sleepy? Are you one of those people who only need a couple of hours a night or something? Is that part of being a good bodyguard?" She traipsed slowly down the hall, realizing that the sliding glass door onto the balcony was wide open. "Good Lord! It's freezing in here! Why on earth is the door open?"
"I wanted a little fresh air," he explained shortly, gliding across the room to shut the offending door with a quick, impatient motion. "Sorry."
Something caught her attention, something about the way he moved, the tone of his voice. "Are you all right, Jake?" she whispered.
His head snapped around and he shot her an unreadable glance. "I'm fine."
"Do you suffer from insomnia or anything?"
"No!" This time the denial was a smaB explosion of sound which he obviously regretted at once. " No, I
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