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  She played with Eric’s hair, loving the silky feel of it entangled in her fingers. Such soft hair, such soft skin, but all man. She loved his contrasts. His hands slid under her blouse and moved higher, over her stomach. She vibrated under his touch, unable to stop herself. His fingers slid over her rib cage and stopped just below her bra. The feel of his mouth worshipping her and his hands on her skin was too much.

  Sabrina thrust her chest out, telling him without words how much she wanted him to touch her. Eric responded with a groan as he slid her bra up and laid his hands over her breasts. Rubbing his thumbs back and forth over her nipples, he had her squirming and making needy noises in the back of her throat she didn’t know she was capable of making.

  She was lost.

  Eric was lost.

  Sabrina was responding to him the way she always had, without inhibition. So needy, so sensual, so like his little cat. He hardened to the point of pain. If she touched him right now, he would probably explode into a million pieces. She always could do this to him. Make him not only lose control but want to lose control in a way that would leave them both shaking in the aftermath. He knew instinctually that if they made love, he wouldn’t be the same. It would shake his world in a way no one and nothing ever had.

  That thought sobered him. Despite the fact that his mouth watered at the thought of wrapping his lips around her stiff, berry-red nipples, he stopped. He struggled to ignore the feel of her soft, satiny skin under his fingers even though it brought images of her naked and writhing beneath him as he plunged into her sweet woman’s core again and again. He pulled away from her even though her mouth tasted like irresistible ambrosia that he couldn’t get enough of.

  Slipping his hands out of her shirt, he adjusted her clothing, grasped her shoulders again and set her away from him. Eric held her up for a minute because she was still lost in the moment. Sabrina’s eyes were closed and her lush lips slightly parted. She looked like a woman ready and waiting for her man to make love to her. And he wanted to be that man so much that his body screamed for it.

  But he couldn’t. Not now, not ever. She was rainbows and summer days. He was gray and cloudy skies. That’s how it had to stay.

  Reaching over Sabrina, he grasped her seatbelt and buckled her in. She didn’t say a word. She just stared straight ahead, ignoring him. Maybe that was better for now. He needed time to think, to get himself back in control. They both did.

  Sitting back in his seat, he buckled his own belt, started the car and began driving again. He laughed inside at the thought of buckling his seatbelt. He was a dragon slayer. One who fought dragons and was immortal. He could not be killed.

  At least not by a car accident.

  The only thing that could kill him was, ironically enough, a dragon or another dragon slayer.

  Eric was immune to everything else.

  But he could feel pain.

  Oh yeah, most definitely, he could feel that. And he had been in an accident before, one that had left everyone in the car either dead, severely mangled or incapacitated for the rest of their lives. It hadn’t been pretty. And although he had survived and the recovery had been incredibly fast, the pain and torture he’d had to go through to recover had been hell. But even beyond the pain, he’d known that some of the people in the car, people he knew, would have survived if they had been wearing seatbelts.

  That was a fact he would never forget. No matter how loud his friends and coworkers laughed at him, he wore a seatbelt each and every time he drove. And if he were in the car with someone he knew, he would insist that they wear theirs as well.

  Neither of them spoke during the remainder of the drive, until he pulled into the driveway.

  He turned off the engine and turned to Sabrina. She was still staring silently ahead. He waited, gazing at her, urging her to speak, to do something.

  She didn’t. She was stubborn. And she wanted her own way on this. But it just couldn’t be, not this time.

  He broke the silence.

  “Sabrina, there’s no other option. I have to stay with you. Whoever is stalking you has taken this to the second level.”

  That got her attention. She slowly turned to him with curiosity in her eyes.

  “Second level?”

  “Yes. The first level is when someone wants to do harm to another human being but is careful not to involve or hurt others in the process. The second level is when the stalker expands that boundary to include peripheral people in the way of accomplishing his goal. This guy has taken step two. And once it gets to that level, there’s no way of guessing who or what else the perpetrator might see as a threat or obstacle to getting to you. There is a wild card now, one that needs to be kept in check. If I’m with you at all times, watching over you and the situation, I can keep that unknown factor more under control.”

  Sabrina stared into his eyes, as if gauging the truth of what he said. After a minute she looked away and nodded her head.

  “Fine. You can stay with me. But before we go inside, we have to agree on a few house rules. My house rules.”

  Eric wanted to argue, but he remained silent. If this was what it took to allow him to protect Sabrina, then he would try to respect her wishes.

  “Go ahead,” he said with a nod.

  “First of all, there will be no more touching. No more of what just happened back there on the side of the road. If you’re going to stay with me, it has to remain professional. No physical contact besides the necessary kind for the job. Do I have your word on this?”

  Eric stared silently into her emerald eyes. Sabrina was so beautiful, so intelligent, a light to his darkness. He was drawn to her in a way he was with no one else. Could he do it? Could he stay with her and not touch her? He didn’t give his word lightly, but when he did, he kept it. And her protection came first, above and beyond his needs and lack of self-control. Yes, he could do it. And it would be better for everyone involved if he did. He had no business touching her anyway.

  Sabrina was a forever kind of woman and he was just a today kind of man. He couldn’t offer more than that. She would take nothing less than that.

  “You have my word that I will not touch you,” he vowed, then added with a smile, “unless you want me to.”

  She frowned, looking deeply into his eyes, searching for something. After a minute she nodded her head, satisfied by what she saw.

  “Good enough. The next rule is that you will not enter my bedroom or study without my permission. The only exception would be if my life was in danger and you needed to go into those rooms to save my life.”

  “Agreed. But I will have to do a preliminary, cursory check to assure the security in those rooms.”

  Sabrina hesitated before speaking.

  “Okay, but I have to be in the room with you, and you may not go through my drawers or personal belongings.”

  “I already promised not to touch your drawers, gatita,” Eric teased. He couldn’t resist. When she used the word “drawers” he immediately thought of one thing. Just like any man in his position would.

  Sabrina rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest in an unconscious protective act.

  “Very funny, Eric. You know exactly what I mean. Do you agree or not?”

  Eric sobered immediately. He needed to quit while he was ahead, or Sabrina might start balking at the idea of him staying with her again.

  “I agree. I will not go through your drawers or personal belongings,” he said, trying to keep a straight face.

  Sabrina seemed satisfied by his reaction.

  “One more rule. I will not cook for you, clean up for you or serve you in any way. You may be staying with me, but you are not a welcome guest. There is food in the fridge, but you will be responsible for preparing your own meals and cleaning up after yourself. That includes making your own bed, doing your own laundry and washing your own dishes. Do we understand each other?”

  “Completely.”

  “Good. Other than that, there’s one last
thing.”

  “What?” Eric asked warily.

  “I may change, modify and add on to these rules at any time, as I see fit, within reason.”

  Eric thought about her words and slowly nodded his head.

  “Agreed. Within reason.”

  “I have your word?” Sabrina asked, sticking out her hand. “Let’s shake on it.”

  Eric took her hand in his. He had always loved Sabrina’s hands. They were so graceful, soft and feminine. Just like her. No. Those thoughts had to stop. He couldn’t go there, or Sabrina would try to kick him out sooner rather than later.

  “You have my word,” he said, meeting her gaze as they shook.

  Sabrina didn’t look away. Neither did he. The pull between them was strong. It was going to be hell not touching her, but he had given his word. And Eric was his word. That was honor. And he stood by it.

  A loud horn honking interrupted his thoughts. He let go of Sabrina’s hand and looked out her back window. A car screeched to a halt in front of her house. It was a souped-up version of some hot sports car. Malcolm loved fast cars, and he loved making them even faster.

  “I take it Malcolm has arrived.”

  Eric grinned over his shoulder as his friend got out of the car.

  “No doubt.”

  Sabrina still couldn’t get over it. Were there no ugly men working at Sundown Security? Ruben had been right. Everyone she had met had been incredibly good-looking and sexy as hell. As she let both men into her house, she saw that Malcolm was no exception. She was in awe.

  He was over six feet. The tight jeans and snug T-shirt he wore showed her that his body was muscular, hard and tight. She could tell just with a glance that he worked at keeping himself fit. His hair was a rich chestnut brown with reddish-gold highlights. He wore it short, close to his head. The style emphasized the almost chiseled features of his face. His well-trimmed goatee and mustache couldn’t hide his square jaw, strong nose and mouth that looked both cruel and sensual at the same time.

  But it was his eyes that struck her the most. They were two different colors, one a bright emerald green and the other a deep sky blue. And they were intense and probing. It was strange. Though Malcolm was young—she’d guess he was probably in his thirties—his eyes bespoke a much older wisdom. And when he looked at her, it was as if he could read her every thought.

  Maybe it was a prerequisite of the job? You have to be a security specialist and good-looking to work for Sundown? She would have to ask Vlad about that the next time she saw him.

  Malcolm’s smile teased her and his eyes turned mischievous as he shook her hand.

  “Eric’s told me a lot about you. But he didn’t do you enough justice. You’re one beautiful lady.”

  Sabrina couldn’t stop the blush that crept up her cheeks. She wasn’t used to such a good-looking man giving her this kind of attention. Between Eric, Jason and now Malcolm, she didn’t know quite how to handle it.

  “Thank you,” she replied with a shy smile. “Eric’s mentioned you to me also. It’s great to finally meet you.”

  “It’s my pleasure,” he said, bringing her hand to his mouth and giving it a light kiss.

  “Don’t you have to leave, Malcolm?” Eric practically growled.

  Malcolm chuckled softly, releasing her hand and stepping back.

  “Yeah, I do. I have a case that starts tonight, and I’m already running a little behind.”

  “Well, thanks for bringing my things by,” Eric said, walking to the front door. “Good luck with your new client. I hope it goes well.”

  He opened it and waited.

  Sabrina couldn’t get over how rude Eric was being. Malcolm had just gotten there and he was practically kicking him out. His friend had gotten his bags for him and made a special trip over to her house. What was wrong with Eric?

  “You’re more than welcome to stay for a bit, Malcolm. Can I make you a cup of coffee or some tea?”

  Malcolm smiled at her but glanced toward where Eric scowled by the door.

  “Thank you for the offer, Sabrina, but I better go. Keeping a client waiting is never a good thing. Especially in light of the nature of our business,” Malcolm said. “I enjoyed meeting you and look forward to seeing you again.”

  “I enjoyed meeting you also,” Sabrina said, smiling at Eric’s friend.

  Eric was glaring at his friend. Malcolm didn’t seem to notice as he gave him a friendly slap on the back.

  “Take care, man. And, uh, good luck with everything. You’re going to need it.”

  Malcolm’s loud guffaws could be heard as he strode to his car.

  Eric slammed her front door a little harder than he needed to.

  Sabrina was at a loss. What had that been about? She didn’t have time to ponder it as Eric picked up his bag and practically barked at her.

  “Where’s my room?”

  Sabrina stood her ground.

  “Your room is at your house,” she firmly pointed out. “The guestroom is this way. Follow me.”

  Eric didn’t speak as she took him upstairs, but she could almost feel his burning gaze on her as she climbed the stairs ahead of him. She felt it all over, as if he were devouring her with his eyes. She resisted the urge to look back at him, but only barely.

  Walking down the hall as quickly as possible, she opened the guestroom door.

  “Here it is. Go on in and I’ll bring you some towels.”

  Getting the towels gave her a few moments to gather her thoughts and her control. She could do this. She could handle it. They’d set the ground rules. He had agreed. That was that. It would be fine.

  Wouldn’t it?

  Sabrina wasn’t so sure as she returned to her guestroom and found Eric standing by a window, gazing outside. She grabbed the opportunity to look at him like she had been in the desert too long and found water.

  She drank him up with her eyes. Tall, lean and so incredibly sexy. Just standing there, faced away from her, Eric exuded a male sexual energy that called to every molecule in her body. Damn, the man just had something that called out to her. He could be wearing a potato sack and she’d still find him appealing.

  Her eyes strayed to his butt. She couldn’t seem to look away. He had a fine-looking behind. Looking at it brought memories of the times her hands strayed there, feeling its firm roundness.

  Eric picked just that moment to turn around.

  Her eyes flew up to his face, but it was too late. He had seen the direction of her gaze. A slow, sexy smile spread across his full lips. His golden eyes glowed even brighter.

  “See anything you like, gatita?”

  Sabrina felt herself blushing, again, but she refused to back down. That was who she used to be, not who she was now. She raised her chin and met his gaze head-on.

  “Maybe. But my mother always taught me not to touch something that could burn me, no matter how pretty. I had forgotten that for a time, but now that lesson is forever engraved in my mind. I’ll never forget it.”

  They stared at each silently for a few seconds, then Eric let his gaze slide down her body. Slowly, insolently, he took in each and every part of her, making her feel like he was actually touching her. Her body began to tingle with awareness. As his stare moved back up, over her chest, she felt her nipples tighten. He lingered at her breasts as if he knew just what he was doing to her before finally moving back up to her face.

  His expression gave no quarter. It was cold and unemotional. His eyes were shuttered, telling her nothing.

  “I’m glad you learned that lesson, Sabrina. I would hate to have to remind you of it again.”

  Sabrina’s anger flared to life. She wanted to yell at him, she wanted to throw something at him. He deserved it. But she did neither of those things. Instead she smiled coldly.

  “Well, you know the saying, Eric. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I won’t be anyone’s fool—ever again.”

  Eric said nothing. He just continued staring at her in that cold, detache
d way he was so good at. She knew that if she had to see that expression much longer she would explode. It was so different from the passionate way he had once looked at her. And she didn’t want to dwell on that.

  “I’m so glad we had this little heart-to-heart,” Sabrina said, letting sarcasm drip from her voice. “But now I’m going to get something to eat and then grade some papers before going to bed. You know where the kitchen is, so help yourself. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Sabrina backed out of the room and began closing the door.

  “We’re not finished yet, Sabrina.”

  His words stopped her in her tracks.

  Opening the door slowly, she peered back inside.

  “What?”

  Eric brushed past her into the hallway. The scent of him lingered in the air where he passed. She inhaled deeply, unable to help herself. She loved the way he smelled. He could be dirty and sweaty and she would still love it. He always smelled clean, spicy and all male. Memories of their time together slammed into her. Longing and sadness almost took over, but Eric’s words brought her back.

  “I said we’re not finished. I need to do a security check of your house, and then we need to discuss some additional precautions you should be taking,” he explained. “Why don’t you make yourself something to eat while I look around, and then we can talk?”

  Sabrina wanted to refuse him. She didn’t want to talk with him. She just wanted to get away from him. It was hell being this close to him, interacting with him and knowing that she couldn’t, wouldn’t, touch him. She felt like she was suffocating and couldn’t catch her breath.

  “I’m going to start outside.”

  Eric started walking back downstairs and this time she followed him. She let her gaze slide over him. His body was hard and strong, and he moved with a quiet confidence that wasn’t overbearing or obvious, yet it told everyone around him that he was a man who shouldn’t be taken lightly. She had seen the way he affected people when they had gone out. He was given a wide berth by both men and women. Of course she had also noticed that the women he encountered also studied him with more than a little interest. That had always irritated her.