THE PERFECT TEN (Boxed Set)

the note pad. “So how does this work? You send a posse of security people to hang around 24–7 and make sure nothing happens to them?”
    “That’s precisely what we’ll do.”
    “Does Lucy have to know?”
    His eyebrows shot up. “You’re proposing not to tell her?”
    “Not really. Maybe. Oh, hell, I don’t know.” God, she was so tired and stressed. She felt like her gray matter was leaking out.
    “As Eli once pointed out to me, it’s easier to protect someone if they appreciate fully what the dangers are.”
    She rubbed her temple to sooth a ticking muscle that leapt to life there. “You’re right. She deserves to know. And if I don’t tell her, I’d be doing pretty much the same thing I’ve faulted you for. But God help me, Delano, how am I going to explain this? Where will I find the words to make this situation sound halfway believable? I mean, it’s like something out of a Hollywood B-movie.”
    His expression softened. “She trusts you, Ainsley. She’s already trusting you with her life and that of her daughter. You’ll find the words.”
    She chewed her lower lip. “I suppose.”
    “But it will wait until tomorrow afternoon or evening, when you get up. You’ll be more coherent after you’ve slept. In the meantime, I’ll have Eli get a team on them as quickly as possible. They’ll be safe.”
    “Thank you.”
    He took her hand in his and squeezed it. “You’re doing the right thing.”
    It felt good, his warm, strong hand enveloping hers. Too good, dammit. She was still mad at him. She might never stop being mad at him in this lifetime. So why did he tug at her like this?
    Because your emotions have been through the wringer.
    Because your body is still trying to cope with the cascade of physiological responses triggered by the shitload of adrenaline that hit the fan when Radak Janecek took off his fireman’s helmet and announced himself.
    Because you’ve tasted a tiny fraction of the mind-blowing pleasure you know he can give you.
    She pulled her hand away. “Does your offer to answer all my questions have the same shelf life as Cinderella’s carriage, or can I take a rain check? Because I really don’t think I’m up to any more of this tonight. I need to crash.” To her mortification, her voice cracked. She laughed. “What am I saying? I’m already crashing.”
    His eyes darkened. “By all means, get some rest. There’s no expiry date on my offer. I’ll answer your questions whenever you like.”
     
    Two hours later, Ainsley lay in bed looking at the ceiling as the sky lightened outside, etching a thin line of light above and below her floor-to-ceiling blackout drapes.
    She was numb from exhaustion, but every time she started to slide down that slope to sleep, an image of Janecek — beautiful and deadly — leapt into her mind, sending another jolt of adrenaline ripping through her system. At this rate, she’d never sleep, and she’d be even more of a wreck when the time came to pick up the telephone and call Lucy. Her friend would think she’d come unhinged.
    Dammit, enough was enough. Why should she cope with this fear alone? There were two men in this apartment, both of whom played a role in putting her in this predicament. One of them could damn well watch her back while she slept.
    She rolled out of bed, tugged on the t-shirt and boxers she’d earlier discarded in a fit of fury when they’d become twisted in the sheets with all her tossing and turning, and marched out of her bedroom.
    She glanced down the hall toward Delano’s suite. The temptation to point her bare feet in that direction was almost too strong to fight off.
    Stupid. He wouldn’t welcome her.
    Besides, what kind of guardian would a sleeping vampire make? Somehow she imagined the healing, age-erasing day sleep he’d told her about to be … well, deep and coma-like. Logically, then, Eli should be the better protector during daylight hours.
    Not to mention that Delano was the one who’d manipulated her so callously. Eli, on the other hand, was just doing his job, and under protest, at that. According to Delano, Eli had voted to tell her everything. Granted, he may only have wanted to make the job of protecting her easier, but it still put him on the side of the angels as far as she was concerned.
    Also, Eli was a much safer choice, emotionally and every other way she cared to contemplate it. She liked him. A lot. And she admired him. But her pulse didn’t leap jaggedly at the thought