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Jared walked into the rooently underhand At least he hadn’t fired it at her face with all his strength She caught the clip and immediately pushed her hair up into it She couldn’t look at him

"It’s my breath, isn’t it?"

Startled, she looked up and opened her ht have known he’d turn it into a joke , she thought ruefully and, on the heels of that, You’re not worthy to be sitting on his couch,your hands on his body, so keep it in mind, okay, doll?

He held up his hands Skilled hands, healer’s hands Lover’s hands She tried not to stare at his fingers

"No, no, you can tell er, right? I can take it" He grinned at her, that crooked s to love

"I’m sorry," she said She looked up at him helplessly "I don’t have an explanation"

"That’s okay, I do" He flopped down beside her and put his feet on the coffee table with a satisfying thule into him, the warmth of his body Instead, she stared at the carpet

"You’re secretly in love with me and couldn’t help yourself Or, you’ve been heavily s Or you lost a bet Or--"

"You’re very nice," she interrupted, patting his thigh and then snatching her hand away His thigh was long and heavily muscled; she wondered what he did to stay in shape She wondered what he would think if she kissed him where her hand had just been "But you’re not foryou’d pick up at Macy’s?"

"Not Macy’s," she said, hating her cool tone but helpless to stop "Maybe Kmart"

His eyebrows arched "Mee-yeow! Hey, don’t take it out on me because you’re sexually frustrated, sweetie I was all set to tango… you were the one who called ti Alarmed, she reached for him, then forced her hand to drop back to her lap

He looked up and speared her with his direct gaze "I don’t want to fight Listen, I only kissed you because I couldn’t stand being near you and not touching you And because I really did want to thank you for taking care of the bad guys in the park That’s twice you’ve savedyourself in danger for , but sexy as hell" He picked up her hand and she let hiers "Why are you doing this?

Why me?"

"I don’t know," she said

"Well, I do," he said with ood, you couldn’t stand to see so off his hand and juood!" she practically shouted "I’ine"

His eyebrows arched "So you because you’ve got a nice body and great eyes, okay?

I’ on shoring up your gratitude and trading it for sex, I--stop laughing "

He had actually fallen off the couch, was holding his storinned up at her and said, "Sure you are That’s why you bolted out of my bathroom like your hair was on fire Fess up, Kara Why are you here?"

"A very good question," she gru to tell hi to But if she had been (and she had not been), she wouldn’t now No way Theinto a joke She couldn’t bear it if he turned her life into a punch line "I’ll see you tomorrow Don’t leave your apartrabbed her lower leg Her progress toward the door slowed dra his two hundred pounds "No you don’t," he grunted "You’re not doing one of your Bat to have a real talk like two people in a relationship"

"We’re--not--in--a--relationship" She braced herself and pulled, with no luck He was stuck to her leg like a larip any nuood start--but couldn’t bring herself to hurt hio--before I--put you--in--traction"

"I’ll call that bluff, thanks Bodyguards don’t whup their clients Besides, we both know you’re crazy about ross exaggeration "Now talk! Who are you? Why are you here? When are you going toand looked down at hi onto her calf hite knuckles, looking up at her with touching sincerity "Stop joking"