A rap at the balcony door. Jeremy stood there, shielding his eyes to see past the light reflecting off the glass.

"You were saying?…" Eve began.

"Scoot."

"Leave? Weren't you just saying-?"

I mouthed an obscenity. She grinned and closed her book.

"I'll be on patrol. You need me back, just shout. But something tells me you won't."

She left. Jeremy was leaning against the railing now, confident in his welcome. He looked as sexy as he had last night-hair slightly mussed, feet bare, lips curved in a smile, long fingers tapping the railing with just a touch of impatience, eager to get inside.

A spark of heat flickered. I remembered the night before, him leaning into the gap, that hunger, that desire-and the spark exploded into a flame that licked through me, burning all the hotter as I remembered what had brought him here last night. This time, there was no adrenaline intoxication to blame. He'd made his decision. He was ready to take a chance. After four years of waiting and hoping, he was here, at my door. And just seeing him was enough to make me dizzy with lust.

As I walked to the door, I realized my ni**les were already hard, pressing against my shirt. I tugged it looser to hide them. I'd waited years for this, and no matter how ready I was, I was going to make this last.

I cracked open the door. "Bastard."

His brows shot up. "What did I do now?"

"Pretending you were staying downstairs. Faking being asleep when I slipped down there."

"I've been outside since you first went upstairs, Jaime. I was talking to the officers on duty, then scouting to ensure I could still get up here without being seen." He paused, lips twitching. "So you came back down? Hoping to do what? Sneak me back up to your room?"

"Of course not. I was getting an aspirin and a glass of water."

"You have a headache?"

"No-yes. A bad headache. So sorry. Better luck tomorrow."

I started to close the door, but he wedged his fingers in the gap. A tug and it opened a little farther. Then, one hand still on the door, he reached the other in, fingers brushing my cheek, hand going behind my head to pull me to him. For a second, I hung there, straining for his touch, aching for his kiss… and knowing, if I let him get me closer right now, I wasn't going to make it as far as the bed. And as delicious as that thought was, it wasn't quite what I had in mind. So I stepped back and snapped the lock down, stopping it at a six-inch gap-

"Headache, hmm?" His expression went serious. "Do you know what's the best cure for that?"

"What?"

"Orgasm."

He said it so matter-of-factly I had to sputter a laugh.

"Multiple, if possible," he continued. "It's a proven medical factthat one physiologic event, like orgasm, can cancel out the effects of another physiological process, such as a headache."

His expression was perfectly serious, but I said, "You're full of shit."

"Perhaps. If so, you should call my bluff. Just open the door and we'll test it out."

He gave me a look that was almost enough to let me test it without so much as a touch. Which gave me an idea…

"You're right. Maybe I should." I backed up to the bed, then settled onto the edge. "But I think I can manage by myself. I'm a strong believer in self-reliance."

"I see."

I smiled. "Not yet."

As I eased back onto the bed, my skirt hiked up until it was bunched at my hips. I ran my fingers along the hem, then under, to the inside of my thigh.

"You wouldn't dare," he said.

"That's what you said last night and, as you may have noticed, I'm not the sort of woman to let a challenge pass."

I leaned back and brought my feet up to give him a better view. I stroked the inside of my thigh, fingers climbing higher. A surreptitious look his way. He was pressed against the gap, his nostrils flaring, eyes glinting. His lips parted, tongue slipping between his teeth-

I shuddered and pulled my gaze away. I was already so wet I'd need to peel these panties off.

I slipped my fingertip under my panty leg, running it along the edge, tugging it up just enough to give him a peek at what lay beneath. Then, holding the panties aside with one hand, I teased myself with the other, gasping and arching my hips.

Jeremy gripped the edge of the door frame, fingers flexing as if readying for that lock-breaking yank. But he didn't do it, just stood there, watching me, nostrils flaring, holding back-controlling it and drawing it out until the last possible moment-

I stopped before I hit my last possible moment. I let go of my panties, but kept my finger under them, where he couldn't watch.

"You could open that door, Jeremy," I said. "But that would break it, and then you'd have to explain things and, well, that just wouldn't be proper, would it?"

I leaned back on the bed, fingers still teasing us both. His hand tightened on the door frame, but he only said, "Open the door, Jaime."

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" I slid a finger inside myself and gasped. "I'm doing just fine on my own."

"I can do better."

"Think so? I'm pretty sure I have more practice."

A laugh. Then a roll of his shoulders, as if trying to snap out of the mood. He glanced over his shoulder.

"You really should let me in, Jaime. Before a guard walks by and sees me. That's trouble we don't want."