bedroom she’d “chosen” was as fusty and dusty as the rest of the house, but at least it had a four-poster bed, covered with what looked like a relatively new duvet set and several plump pillows.
Not that she’d tested its comfort for some time, far too agitated to do anything other than pace the bedroom and mentally berate Seth for being such an insulting and arrogant ass.
She’d finally climbed beneath the duvet fully dressed and fallen into a fitful sleep, waking again at the sound of every creak and unfamiliar settling of the house. And each time she did, she was resentfully aware that Seth was probably sleeping like a baby down the hallway.
She kept her expression deliberately bland as she answered Jonas. “Talk about what?”
He gave a hard grin. “Seth had all the charm of a bear with a sore head this morning.”
Her chin rose. “And…?”
“You don’t look any happier than he did.”
“Your point being?” Two could play this economical word game.
Jonas leaned back in his chair. “You tell me.”
She would rather not. It was too humiliating that she knew she had made a fool of herself last night, and then been insulted for her trouble, without sharing that knowledge with Jonas Grayfeather. A friend of the man who had insulted her.
“Are you really an Apache Indian?” she prompted instead.
“For the main part, yes.”
“Did you grow up on a reserv—”
“Diana.”
“Yes?” She eyed him warily.
“Much as I would love to discuss my upbringing with you”—the hardness of his tone implied the opposite—“we were talking about you and Seth.”
She frowned. “There is no me and Seth.”
“No?”
“No,” she assured him.
He shook his head. “Distraction can get a man killed.”
“Presumably it can get a woman killed too.” Her reply was saccharine sweet.
“Diana.”
“Jonas.” The directness of her gaze openly challenged him. A challenge he silently returned with the rise of one dark eyebrow. “Perhaps we should discuss the arrangements for my going in to work today?” Diana prompted when she couldn’t stand that brooding silence any longer.
He shrugged those broad shoulders. “Nothing to discuss.”
Her eyes widened. “You and Seth have already discussed it?”
“No.”
“No?” A puzzled frown creased her brow.
“No point, when you aren’t going anywhere today.”
“I have to go in to work,” Diana protested as she placed her coffee mug on the tabletop. “They only gave me two days off, and I used them to go to England to ask Seth for help.”
Jonas looked unimpressed. “I need some sleep, Seth is at the pension. It isn’t safe for you to go in to work today.”
She stood. “Couldn’t you walk me there, see me safely inside, and then come back here and sleep?”
“No.”
Her mouth firmed in frustration. “No discussion, just no?”
“Yes.”
“Are you married?”
His mouth quirked with wry humor. “No.”
“I’m not surprised.” She shook her head in exasperation. “It’s usual to discuss things with another adult, not simply tell them what they’re going to do.”
Jonas looked even more unimpressed. “Not when any other course of action could get them killed.”
“You know best?”
“Yes.” He stood up to carry his used plate and cup over to the sink before rinsing them and put them in the drainer. “You came to us, Diana,” he reminded her.
“And I’m seriously starting to regret it.” She glared. “Is everyone who works at Grayson Security as arrogant as you and Seth?”
He seemed to give the question serious thought. “Daisy wasn’t arrogant,” he finally drawled.
“Wasn’t…?”
“She’s no longer works for Grayson Security.”
“Maybe she couldn’t stand working with a load of Neanderthals any longer— She isn’t dead, is she?” Diana gave a wince as she realized it was a distinct possibility, given the line of work the other woman had been in.
“No.” Jonas gave a hard grin. “But if
Not that she’d tested its comfort for some time, far too agitated to do anything other than pace the bedroom and mentally berate Seth for being such an insulting and arrogant ass.
She’d finally climbed beneath the duvet fully dressed and fallen into a fitful sleep, waking again at the sound of every creak and unfamiliar settling of the house. And each time she did, she was resentfully aware that Seth was probably sleeping like a baby down the hallway.
She kept her expression deliberately bland as she answered Jonas. “Talk about what?”
He gave a hard grin. “Seth had all the charm of a bear with a sore head this morning.”
Her chin rose. “And…?”
“You don’t look any happier than he did.”
“Your point being?” Two could play this economical word game.
Jonas leaned back in his chair. “You tell me.”
She would rather not. It was too humiliating that she knew she had made a fool of herself last night, and then been insulted for her trouble, without sharing that knowledge with Jonas Grayfeather. A friend of the man who had insulted her.
“Are you really an Apache Indian?” she prompted instead.
“For the main part, yes.”
“Did you grow up on a reserv—”
“Diana.”
“Yes?” She eyed him warily.
“Much as I would love to discuss my upbringing with you”—the hardness of his tone implied the opposite—“we were talking about you and Seth.”
She frowned. “There is no me and Seth.”
“No?”
“No,” she assured him.
He shook his head. “Distraction can get a man killed.”
“Presumably it can get a woman killed too.” Her reply was saccharine sweet.
“Diana.”
“Jonas.” The directness of her gaze openly challenged him. A challenge he silently returned with the rise of one dark eyebrow. “Perhaps we should discuss the arrangements for my going in to work today?” Diana prompted when she couldn’t stand that brooding silence any longer.
He shrugged those broad shoulders. “Nothing to discuss.”
Her eyes widened. “You and Seth have already discussed it?”
“No.”
“No?” A puzzled frown creased her brow.
“No point, when you aren’t going anywhere today.”
“I have to go in to work,” Diana protested as she placed her coffee mug on the tabletop. “They only gave me two days off, and I used them to go to England to ask Seth for help.”
Jonas looked unimpressed. “I need some sleep, Seth is at the pension. It isn’t safe for you to go in to work today.”
She stood. “Couldn’t you walk me there, see me safely inside, and then come back here and sleep?”
“No.”
Her mouth firmed in frustration. “No discussion, just no?”
“Yes.”
“Are you married?”
His mouth quirked with wry humor. “No.”
“I’m not surprised.” She shook her head in exasperation. “It’s usual to discuss things with another adult, not simply tell them what they’re going to do.”
Jonas looked even more unimpressed. “Not when any other course of action could get them killed.”
“You know best?”
“Yes.” He stood up to carry his used plate and cup over to the sink before rinsing them and put them in the drainer. “You came to us, Diana,” he reminded her.
“And I’m seriously starting to regret it.” She glared. “Is everyone who works at Grayson Security as arrogant as you and Seth?”
He seemed to give the question serious thought. “Daisy wasn’t arrogant,” he finally drawled.
“Wasn’t…?”
“She’s no longer works for Grayson Security.”
“Maybe she couldn’t stand working with a load of Neanderthals any longer— She isn’t dead, is she?” Diana gave a wince as she realized it was a distinct possibility, given the line of work the other woman had been in.
“No.” Jonas gave a hard grin. “But if
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