A faint burning smell woke me from a dead sleep, and I stop-drop-rolled myself right out of bed. I hit the floor with a thump that brought footsteps thundering toward me, but I was cool with lying there, one leg tangled in my sheet on the mattress while the rest of me got reacquainted with the wooden planks.
At least my hands weren’t on fire. That was a plus.
Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.
Maybe I spoke too soon.
Either a Godzilla-sized parrot had sneaked into the house, or the smoke alarm was warning of our imminent demise.
For good measure, I rechecked my hands and then my surroundings.
No smoke. No flames. No screams.
A faint knock on the doorframe prompted me to lift an arm in an imperious wave. “You may enter.”
Rían padded in barefoot, wearing jeans dusted with flour and a tee smeared with batter. “I may, huh?”
“I would stand, but as you can see, I’m all tied up at the moment.”
Hitting his knees beside me, Rían took in my position—trapped—and swung a leg over my hips.
The breath rushed from my lungs, and my heart attempted to leap up my throat and choke me.“Rían.”
He wrestled the fabric while maintaining a gap between our bodies, his jaw flexing as if the restraint pained him. An exhale parted his lips as the sheet came free, and he rolled off, sprawling beside me.
“That was harder than I thought it would be,” he said after a minute.
“I couldn’t tell,” I said dryly, and his face burst into—thankfully not literal—flames.
“Ana.” A groan ripped through him as he threw an arm across his eyes. “I’m trying to be a gentleman.”
“Do gentlemen often straddle women they find bound by sheets in the floors of their spare bedrooms?” I smirked at him, grateful circulation was returning to my leg. “Asking for a friend.”
“Probably not.”
“Then it sounds to me like gentlemen are overrated.”
His faint grunt told me he wasn’t convinced, but he did lower his arm.
“I don’t want my desire,” he murmured, “to scare you.”
Delicious shivers dappled my arms. “Trust me when I say what I was feeling wasn’t fear.”
“Oh?” He wedged his elbow under him. “Tell me more.”
Metallic clatters rang out as two dueling voices spat ripe curses and one airy laugh tinkled through the air.
“Um.” I shivered as he leaned over me. “Should we be worried about that or…?”
“Nah.” Rían slid his hand behind my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair. “Liam is supervising.”
“I’ll ask again.” I raised my face to his. “Should we be worried?”
Gently, Rían brushed his lips over mine. “I’m sure they’re?—”
Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp. Chirp-chirp.
Thump. Thud. Thwack.
