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she touched him, and then he’d have to think of some excuse to tell her, and lying wasn’t his style.
    Around one in the morning, the wind picked up, taking his mind off his erotic thoughts. He would doze for a bit then stir every time a gust of wind beat against the window. So far, his slat of wood over the empty pane held, but he wouldn’t be surprised if it eventually came loose.
    After a while, Cord was able to ignore the buffeting wind and force his body to relax. He must’ve fallen asleep because when something hard hit the glass, he jerked awake. Out of habit, he shifted into his panther form so that he could better sense his surroundings. Another bang resonated, only this time it came from Piper’s bedroom. Shit.
    Not wanting to rush into her room in his animal form, he shifted back to human and ran down the hallway. Fearing someone had broken in, he didn’t take the time to stop and listen or analyze the scents. Instead he plowed into her room, the door banging against the wall. He stilled and then scanned the area but found no one other than Piper inside.
    She jerked up and gasped. How stupid of him not to realize she’d think he was the intruder. Damn. That wasn’t like him to be fooled.
    “It’s okay. It’s me—Cord.” He rushed toward her. Crap. He didn’t seem to be able to do much right when it came to her.
    “Cord? Is someone here?”
    The anguish in her voice tore at him. “No, I heard a noise.”
    She clicked on the light next to her bed and when she leaned back, his body inflamed with desire. Her beautiful hair was tangled and mussed, her eyes slightly swollen as if she’d been crying, and her breathing was ragged. The urge to hold her made him ache.
    “You mean that scratching sound?” She sounded more amused than upset.
    He replayed the noise in his head—anything to take his mind off her sensuality—though he’d been certain it was more of a bang. If it really had only been a light tapping or brushing sound, he’d have to admit that he’d lost his touch. “Yes.”
    She waved a hand. “It’s a branch that always hits my window when the wind picks up. I’ve been meaning to get the tree pruned but haven’t had the time.”
    She might be right. Now he felt silly for reacting like that. Had she not been his mate, he probably wouldn’t have been so obsessive. “I’m sorry I woke you.”
    “You didn’t. I haven’t been able to sleep.” She patted the bed next to her, indicating he should sit next to her. “Stay for a bit.”
    It was one thing to sit by her on the sofa in her living room, but it was another to be with her on her bed. His hormones were already soaring, and the urge to kiss her was growing stronger by the minute. “That’s not a good idea,” he said.
    Her jaw slightly dropped. “I just want to talk.”
    Now he’d hurt her feelings. “Then sure.”
    As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he recognized his mistake, but he couldn’t back down now. He sat on the edge and tried not to stare at those kissable lips or lower his gaze to her chest. If he caught sight of her nipples poking through the thin shirt, all bets would be off, because no matter how much he’d try to stop himself, the two animals inside him would gang up and override all of his objections.
    “What if you don’t find the man? Do you think I’ll be safe?”
    For once in his life, he couldn’t tell if she was asking him to stay on as her bodyguard because she was attracted to him, or if she was truly worried she might be harmed.
    “I wish I knew what to tell you. I’m going to do my best to find out who it was.”
    When she took hold of his hand, powerful lust surged through him. Before he could gently pull out of her grasp, Piper leaned forward and kissed him, and his inner beast threatened to erupt. With great concentration, he steeled himself against taking her.
    She broke the kiss a few seconds later. “I know you didn’t have to stay, and I’ll never be able to thank you