Page 41 of Stripping Bare

“Hey,” she saidquietly.

His focus didn’t waver. He was still glaring at the monitors surroundinghim.

So Tessa strolled into the room and stood between him and his view of the massive screens. She figured if it worked when she was trying to get her dad’s attention during football season, it would be effective here,too.

Jonah’s warp-speed typing came to an abrupt halt, and he jerked at his headphones, letting them drop around his neck. “What’re you doing up? You should get somesleep.”

“I got plenty,thanks.”

“You couldn’t have slept more than…” He glanced around the windowless room as if it could give him some indication of the time of day. Tessa lightly tapped on a screen that showed the current time in the upper right-handcorner.

“Seven fifty-four.”

“In thewhat?”

She couldn’t help but smile. When she’d been at Steele Trap, she’d noticed that he often kept unusual hours, working long into the night and coming in at three in the afternoon. “In themorning.”

“Monday?”

“Yes. Why? Have you skipped daysbefore?”

“Yeah, I think once it was forty-two hours.” He rubbed both palms over his face, making a raspy sound that gave her a girlie ping between the legs. She pressed her thighs together, but the feeling was like an itch that shouldn’t be scratched in a publicplace.

And thinking about an itch like that only made you want to scratch it that muchmore.

Problem was, she needed Jonah forthat.

His words from last night came back to her.There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to keep you safe.But wanting to keep her safe and wantingherwere two differentthings.

“You sat in a chair working on your computer for almost two days straight? How is that even humanlypossible?”

“I have an exceptional ability tofocus.”

“Still, it can’t behealthy.”

Suddenly, Jonah swung out of his chair. “Excuse me for a sec.” Then he loped toward a door near the back of the room. Several minutes later, Tessa heard the muted flush of a toilet and the sink waterrunning.

When he emerged again, he was rubbing his stomach. It let out a sound that would’ve scared smallchildren.

“You haven’t eateneither?”

“I don’t like crumbs on mykeyboard.”

“C’mon.” She motioned for him to follow her. In the sunny hallway, Badger ran over to Jonah and scratched at his leg to be pickedup.

Apparently, her dog had no loyalty to the kibbleprovider.

Without breaking stride, Jonah scooped up Badger as they headed back down the hallway to the kitchen. “I never would’ve taken you for a dogperson.”

“Whynot?”

“They’re…messy. And you’re so…neat.” He scratched Badger’s chest, and her dog somehow wiggled his way onto his back so Jonah was cradling him like a baby. His brown eyes were begging Jonah for a bellyrub.

Pet me. Stroke me. Loveme.

Geez.She and her dog both had the same man-crush. “He came to me from a dachshund rescue group, but I’m pretty sure Badger’s the one who rescued me. Sure, he sheds and poops, but when he snuggles, there’s nothing else like it in the world.” It was like having her own mini canine therapist. She couldn’t count the number of nights she wouldn’t have made it through without him. “He’s a great listener, too.” With a commanding finger, she pointed Jonah to a stool. “Sit and I’ll fix you something toeat.”

A smile touching his lips, he obeyed and let Badger hop to the ground. “My mama would like you. She’s a general, too. Little bitty thing, but she can bring her kids to their knees. In Reid’s case, that’s like chopping down anoak.”