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This was going to come as a shock.

“Yes, I am.”

Okay, that wasn’t quite the reaction he was expecting. But then he was starting to learn that the unexpected was normal when it came to Abby.

“No, you’re not.”

“Yes, I am. Because if I’m not sleeping then you’ve come into my house unannounced. Because if I’m not sleeping then you’re in my bedroom. And you now know that I’m a twenty-six-year-old who sleeps with a stuffed toy!” Her voice got louder with each accusing sentence and he winced.

“All right, you’re still sleeping,” he agreed trying to calm her down.

“No, I’m not!” she yelled as she struggled to stand. He applied pressure to keep her seated.

“And here I always thought you were a quiet little thing.”

“I am until someone creeps into my bedroom and wakes me up.” Her eyes were wild as she glared down at him.

“I can assure you, I did not creep,” he said, offended.

She gave him an incredulous look.

Part of him admitted that he could have handled this whole thing differently.

“I knocked. Several times. On the front door which was unlocked, and don’t think we won’t be having a chat about that.” He’d prefer that chat happen over his knee, but he’d have to settle for giving her a very stern talking to. He also hadn’t forgotten what she’d called herself just before.

Stupid klutz?

Nope. She needed to learn that wasn’t acceptable either. Safety and respect were important.

“You knocked? A chat?” She seemed bewildered as though she didn’t understand what he was saying.

“You always wake up so befuddled?” he asked.

“Befuddled?”

He was going to take that as a yes.

“Once I was inside the house, I called out several times. I expected to find you collapsed and unconscious on the ground since that was the only reason I could think of for the door not to be locked and you not to be answering me. Then I knocked on your bedroom door and called out again. I heard something, probably you having a nightmare, so I came in. Do you always sleep that deeply? To the point where a man can be in your house and you don’t even wake up? Do you know how dangerous that is? What if I had been someone intent on doing you harm? Just what were you thinking leaving your door unlocked?”

Huh.

So she was getting that he was mad. Only she didn’t entirely understand why. Because she hadn’t answered the door? Because she hadn’t woken up when he’d called out for her? Was it an ego thing? He didn’t like to be ignored? She hadn’t done it on purpose. She had honestly been so tired that she’d forgotten. Simple as that. Sure, it had been stupid.

But she didn’t get why he was so mad at her about it. It wasn’t his door she’d forgotten to lock.

Which question should she answer first? Which was the least likely to make him madder? She didn’t really know what to say so instead of saying anything she settled for biting on her thumbnail and not saying anything at all.

His eyes narrowed. “Oh no. That is not the way this is going. You get to keep quiet on some things. But not this. Not when it comes to safety. Now, tell me. Do you normally sleep that deeply?”

Well, shoot. “Yes.”

His jaw tightened and a small tic developed by his right eye.

“And the reason that the door wasn’t locked?”

She squirmed around on the bed. Part of her still hoped this was a dream. Please, please let it be a dream.

“Abby, you would do well to answer me right now.”