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 He was not a man.
 A dragon then. She let out a sigh. Maybe she was in shock, because that was surprisingly
believable.  Whatever he was, you killed him.
 I did. He glanced down at the ash on the floor. The smoke had dissipated and the room
was starting to smell of the cool night.
Leeza shivered. Liam grabbed the comforter, and started to put it around her.  No. She
shoved the blanket away, the singed fabric smelling horrible.
 I will get this replaced, he told her. He glanced around the room.  Is there another blanket
somewhere?
 You mean you don t know? Now more than ever, she was certain that he had been in her
home. But she didn t feel upset about it. Why, she wasn t sure, but it was just& It was what it was.
What it was, though, she wasn t quite sure. There was a strange stalker edge to it, but Liam
didn t scare her. Infuriate her? Absolutely. Scare her? Not in the slightest.
He let out a sigh, stroking his hair from the crown to his forehead.  I have been here before.
I have not been through your things.
She arched an eyebrow at him.  So why have you been here?
 To make sure you are safe.
 What, do you come in my house to watch me sleep?
 No.
She shivered again.  In the closet. He took a couple of steps was in and out of the closet in
a moment, a blue quilt in his arms. He wrapped it around her, and she didn t realize how much she
was desperate for the smell of something not singed until she smelled the faint scent of the laundry
soap from the blanket, and she brought it to her face and inhaled.
She glanced around the room.  I can t sleep in here.
Candice Gilmer 69
He nodded his head.  Do you require a hotel?
 No. She stood, the blanket wrapped around her, and headed for the living room. While the
smell was still in the house, it wasn t as bad in there. She began throwing the pillows and cushions
off the couch to get to the hide-a-bed. It was old and stubborn, and even after she yanked on it a
few times, it wouldn t budge.
 Let me, he said, reaching for the handle. He barely moved his arm, and the bed came out,
groaning against being disturbed.
Like a precision machine, the two of them unfolded and readied the bed for her, and she
couldn t help marveling at the fact that he acted like he could read her thoughts he knew exactly
what she wanted, which blankets, sheets, pillows, all of it, as though she spoke the words aloud.
 This will be better, she said as she sat down and started to crawl under the covers when
she realized she was still wearing her pants. Unfastening them, she pushed the pants down her hips.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Liam jerk and spin around, his back to her.
Any other time she would have probably found his gentlemanly behavior amusing, but not
tonight. Tonight, she appreciated it; she appreciated being treated with respect. She shoved the
pants off and slid into bed, taking a moment to stare at his back the muscles tight and tense, like
they were in her office this afternoon.
She had touched those muscles, felt them under her fingertips. While the last thing she wanted
was sex, she couldn t help recalling their few moments together this afternoon. Touching him,
feeling the texture of his body&
Him touching her.
She d always been a sexual person, loved a good erotic romance and everything, but those
moments in her office this afternoon had been so much more&
God, had it just been this afternoon?
That just didn t seem possible.
 I m sorry.
He turned back around.  No need.
 No, there is. She fluffed the blankets around herself.  I m sorry for this afternoon. She
had pushed, she knew she had. She had seen that in his eyes.
She saw it now as he stood at the foot of the hide-a-bed.
His jaw clenched and his eyes went dark, like he held back his emotions, tied them to the
tree outside. Maybe it was just the angles of the light.  It is forgotten.
She almost snorted at that comment. She didn t believe him for a moment.  Are you sure?
His head jerked in a single nod.  Do you require me to stay here?
She smirked at his quick subject change. Still, she wasn t sure how to answer that. The fact
of the matter was that the danger was gone. It wasn t like Orlando was coming back to get her,
waiting in the bushes for Liam to leave.
70 Broken Shine
Yet she still felt scared, like pretty soon, something was going to happen. If he left. Perhaps
it was the shock finally settling in that something was going to come back, to make it worse.
 Would you mind? she heard herself say before she d realized she was thinking it.
A tiny hint of a smile graced his mouth.  I would not mind. He took a seat in the chair cater-
cornered from the couch, but he sat down awkwardly in it, like&
 Didn t you have a sword? she asked.
 I do, he replied, and patted his hip. The hard sound of flesh against metal echoed in the
room.
She squinted at his hip. Even with the light from the hallway, she couldn t see even the
shadow of the weapon.  How come I can t see it?
 It is enchanted.
She shook her head. Why that particular piece of information made her snap, she didn t
know, but it was like the final element. The last thing to click into place and prove she wasn t in
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