Page 63 of When He Protects

“You have no idea.” A mutter.

“What?”

“I’ll keep you safe while you sleep, Esme.”

Yes, she thought he would.

Her eyes closed. Was she hiding from him? Or from herself?

“And when you wake up…” Low, but this time, she understood him perfectly. “I’ll still be keeping you safe.”

She wasn’t in bed.

Tyler shot upright. “Esme!” Sunlight trickled through the curtains on the other side of the room. His gaze frantically flew around every nook and cranny in the space.

No Esme.

How the hell had she slipped away from him? He usually woke at the slightest sound. But she’d left the bed. Left him, and he leapt across the room and yanked open the bedroom door. His steps thundered down the stairs as a surge of fear spiked through him. “Esme!” A bellow. He hit the landing and turned to?—

Esme strolled out of the kitchen. She carried a covered plate in her hands. She was fully dressed—jeans, a black top, matching black tennis shoes, every hair in place, light make-up on her face and soft pink tint on her lips. Gold hoops hung from her delicate earlobes. A little frown pulledat her eyebrows. “Do you have to yell? This grumpy morning asshole routine of yours has to stop.”

His breath shuddered out. “You weren’t in bed.”

“Absolutely correct.” Her gaze darted down his body. His naked body. Her eyes widened, then her stare whipped right back up. “You’re naked.”

“Because I came looking for you!” He sawed a hand over his jaw. It grated against the stubble. “You weren’t in bed.”

“You said that already.” Her gaze darted down once more. Then right back up. “You need clothes. And you, ah, well, at least we can now say for certain that one part of you wakes up in a good mood, eh?”

“Esme.”

“You looked so peaceful sleeping in the bed. I didn’t want to disturb you.” A shrug. “So I crept out of the room on my tippy toes. No big deal.”

It was a big deal. She shouldn’t have been able to get away from him. He should have heard something. Tyler closed in on her. “How the hell do you slip past my guard? I’m an extremely light sleeper. As soon as you climbed from the bed, my eyes should have been open.”

“Technically, I had to first pry your arm off me, then I climbed from bed. Someone is a bit possessive in his sleep.”

He stopped right in front of her.

“Someone is also not very shy.” She nodded. “Another fun point to know about you. You like being naked, huh? Not that I am complaining. Not at all. I support this life choice that you have.” Again, her stare dropped. Only this time, it didn’t rise. It lingered with definite appreciation.

One part of him had certainly risen to the occasion. How could his dick not salute? Esme was right there. Andthe memories of what they’d done the previous night burned in his mind.

She’s distracting you.Hell, the woman distracted him by breathing. “How’d you get away without waking me?” A point he needed to understand.

“I moved your hand. I rolled to the right. I tiptoed out. Done. Well, I did pause to dress first so…”

And he’d missed all of that?

One of Esme’s hands continued to hold the covered plate. The other rose to lightly tap his cheek. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell the other U.S. Marshals that you slept on the job. No one will kick you out of the cool club.” Soft laughter. “It’s really all right that you didn’t wake up. Even tough guys like you need their beauty sleep.” Her hand fell. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have that good deed to go do.”

What the fuck?

When she moved to the side, so did he. No way was he getting out of her way. “You’re a perfect thief.”

A sigh slipped from her. “This early in the day, and we’ve already started with the name calling?”

“You move soundlessly.Whenyou want to,” he amended as he turned over memories in his mind. “A very impressive trick. I want to know who taught it to you.”

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