Page 27

Shit. The look in his eyes told her he wasn’t going to give up on this. And let’s face it, he could easily out-stubborn her. She took a deep breath, braced herself. “I forgot.”

“You forgot?” he asked in a quiet voice. That was unexpected. She’d thought he would yell.

“Umm, yes, see I was so tired when I got home that I just wanted to take some Tylenol and get into bed and I forgot to lock the door. But it was the middle of the afternoon. Lots of people don’t lock their door when they’re home alone during the day.”

“They should. Especially when they’re a five-foot nothing female who lives alone in a less than desirable neighborhood and sleeps like the dead.”

“Do you lock your doors?” she challenged, hardly believing her daring. You didn’t dare a man like Kent Jensen.

“I own the top security business in the world. I lead a group of the most well-trained, most dangerous men in the world. I have the best security system—”

“Let me guess, in the world,” she said dryly. It was a wonder his ego could fit into her small bedroom. And later, she knew she would completely flip out at the fact that Kent Jensen had seen her extremely childish bedroom. Seriously, what other twenty-six-year-old slept in a twin bed with a lacy, pink bedspread and a bunny?

Yep, she was going to totally lose it later. Right now, she had to concentrate on Kent. When he was in the room, there was little else she could think of.

Deep breath in, Abby. He’s not for you. His world is so different from yours it’s impossible.

He raised his eyebrows as though hardly daring to believe her daring.

Him and her both.

“Yes, in the world.”

“So, you don’t lock your doors,” she guessed.

“I do,” he said, surprising her. “I can hardly lecture you on something that I don’t or won’t do myself, can I?”

Well, he could. But it would make him a hypocrite. And a bit of a jerk. He could be stern. Demanding. Overwhelming.

But he wasn’t a jerk.

“So, let me get this straight. You sleep like the dead, so deeply that you don’t even hear someone enter your bedroom calling your name, and yet you forgot to lock the door. Not that the lock is that great, but it could be reasonably expected to keep most people out.”

“Well, I don’t think most people would just wander into someone’s house even if they did find it unlocked,” she pointed out, her temper starting to stir. Who did he think he was? He was the one in the wrong here. He was the one inside her house without invitation, invading her privacy. And he was going to lecture her?

“That is not the point. The point is that it’s not safe to ever leave your door unlocked, let alone while you’re sleeping so deeply.”

“I know that! I didn’t mean to do it.”

He sighed then ran his hand over his face, wincing. She grimaced. Shoot. She didn’t want to feel guilty. She wanted to stay mad at him. But the guilt won. “I’m so sorry.”

“Not your fault. I gave you a fright. I should have woken you up with more care but I was worried you were suffocating.”

“Suffocating?” What was he talking about?

“I thought you were ill or something when you didn’t answer your door. Then when I walked in here you were almost completely under the covers. I was worried you couldn’t breathe.”

She stared at him. Was he for real? People didn’t worry about things like that when it came to adults, right? I mean, kids, sure, but she was a grown woman.

Although sometimes he acted like she was younger.

And sometimes, she kind of liked that. She breathed out a tired sigh. Her head still ached. So did her hands, knees and side. She just wanted to crawl back into bed.

“Kent?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m fine.”