Page 56 of Blake

Blake grinned and then yawned as he set the phone onto his desk.

Emmett was right. He needed sleep. Unfortunately, shutting down his brain wasn’t as easy as turning off his computers.

Saving his work, Blake checked the security display one last time before he stood. He found Willow curled in the hallway outside his bedroom’s double doors.

“Keeping watch?” he asked when she looked his way.

The cat blinked.

“Keep up the good work.”

For several seconds, Blake stood a few feet away, staring at the double doors. As he did, he had to fight the ridiculous urge to open them and go inside.

Not to wake Devon, but to simply make sure she was okay.

She’s here, isn’t she? You know she’s safe.

He’d checked the security system often enough to make himself question his own sanity. Still, knowing she was on the other side of those doors made walking away harder than it should have been.

Blake had wanted Devon for months. Now he knew she wanted him, too. He’d seen it in her eyes both times they’d almost kissed.

That changed things. Not the danger she was in or the work they needed to do. But everything else.

Blake smiled to himself and headed for the guest room.

He could wait a little longer for that kiss. What he couldn’t do was let whoever had targeted her get another opportunity.

Three hours of sleep later, Blake’s alarm dragged him back into consciousness. He showered, dressed in jeans and a dark henley, and then headed down the hall.

The smell of fresh coffee stopped him halfway to the kitchen. Devon stood at the counter, wearing leggings and an oversized sweatshirt. Her hair was piled into a messy bun.

She was studying his coffee maker with the intense concentration she usually reserved for a complicated piece of code.

Blake leaned against the doorway and crossed his arms with a grin. “Having trouble?”

Devon’s gorgeous gaze found his from over her shoulder. “No. I’m judging your equipment.”

“That’s a dangerous statement to make in a man’s home.”

“It’s an expensive coffee maker.”

“Thank you.”

“Who says that was a compliment?”

Blake laughed and crossed the room. She looked better than she had the night before. Still tired, with faint shadows marring the skin beneath her eyes. But at least some of the tension had eased from her face.

“Sleep okay?”

“Surprisingly well.” Her expression softened. “Your bed is crazy comfortable.”

Don’t think about her lying in your bed.

Too late.

“Glad you approve.” He managed to choke out the words.

Devon handed him a mug. Their fingers brushed, and a familiar current of awareness passed between them. Blake looked up to find her watching him with a smile.