“You’re incorrigible.” Disbelief shadowed his voice, and he looked almost bewildered.

She smiled. “Don’t forget it.”

“You sidetracked me on purpose,” he accused.

She gave him an innocent look.

“I don’t want you taking that job, Angel. You could find another one close by here. Even if it took you a few weeks. You know I’ll help you.”

“I have no doubt you would,” she said calmly. “I can find a job here if it’ll make you feel better.”

Relief shone stark on his face. He really had been worried.

“I’ll start looking tomorrow while you’re at work.”

He looked disgruntled for a moment, and she laughed.

“Tell me you didn’t think you were going to babysit me twenty-four seven.”

He glared at her and turned back to the TV.

“I think I’ll go to bed,” she said as she stood.

She stretched lazily, forcing Micah’s attention back to her. His gaze was warm on her skin. She walked over to the recliner, and before he could react, she slid onto his lap, dangling her legs over the side of the chair. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him forward to meet her lips.

He was as stiff and unyielding as cement. Her tongue flitted out to playfully lave over his closed lips. The nearly violent thud of his pulse signaled that he was definitely not immune to her.

“Kiss me,” she whispered. “Forget everything but the fact that there’s you and me. Kiss me.”

With a tortured groan, he gave in, opening his mouth to take control of the kiss. She melted against him with a deep sigh. Their tongues met in a heated rush. Like chocolate melting in the sunshine. Sweet. Strong. A little wild.

Her fingers rolled and twisted the hair at his nape while his hands rested at the small of her back, his arms across the tops of her thighs.

She wanted them to move. Wanted him to touch her, to take an active part beyond returning her kiss. But she knew he wouldn’t, just as she knew the instant that the moment was over.

He yanked away, his breath coming in a ragged gasp. His eyes were wild-looking, the pupils dilated, making his brown eyes appear black.

“No. No,” he ground out. “We can’t do this, Angel.”

Silently, she slid from his lap, gaining her footing with trembling legs. She wouldn’t look at him, refused to acknowledge the regret she knew she’d see in his eyes.

Never once looking back, she walked stiffly toward her bedroom, her hands fisted at her sides.

“Angel,” he said in a hoarse, needy voice.

She froze and waited, but he didn’t call her back. Her shoulders slowly drooping downward, she continued her path to the bedroom. When she was inside, she quietly closed the door behind her.

With a dry laugh, she dropped onto the bed. She was probably the first woman Micah had ever said no to. He was a complete and utter pushover when it came to females. He loved them, protected them and didn’t care who knew it.

So why couldn’t he see her? Why couldn’t he love her, desire her, get past the fact that she was David’s sister?

What she needed was a sledgehammer and then she could beat some sense into his thick head.

There were different kinds of sledgehammers, and she’d have to make do with the metaphorical kind. Micah might not see her, might not want to see her, but he wasn’t blind nor was he immune to her as a woman.

She had an edge over most females because she knew what made him tick. Now she just had to use that knowledge to her advantage.

“So what bug’s been up your ass lately, Hudson?” Gray Montgomery asked.

Micah scowled as he handed the menu back to the waitress. He and the other guys from work, Gray Montgomery, Nathan Tucker and Connor Malone, were at their regular lunch haunt, Cattleman’s, only they weren’t usually discussing one another’s personal business.

“You have been unusually cranky. Not get laid lately?” Connor drawled.

At that Nathan scowled, since he was still a little touchy about the fact that his current girlfriend was the last woman Micah would have been with.

“The world doesn’t revolve around when I got laid last,” Micah said dryly.

Gray blinked. “It doesn’t? I thought that was the standard male milestone for keeping time.”

Nathan laughed. “It is, or at least it’s what the women would have you believe.”

“I told Faith I had a headache last night,” Gray said with a straight face. “There’s only so much I can take. She’s an animal!”

Micah hooted with laughter, relaxing now that the focus was momentarily off him.

Connor groaned and covered his ears. “Not cool, man. Not cool at all. I don’t need that kind of information about my sister.”

“Your sister’s hot,” Micah pointed out.

Nathan grimaced. “I’m going to have to go with Connor on this one. I see Faith too much as a little sister to want to imagine her as an animal in bed.”

Gray snorted. “It wouldn’t matter anyway because if you so much as breathed wrong at another woman, Julie would have your nuts.”

Everyone laughed as Nathan turned a dull red.

“The man is completely whipped,” Connor snickered.

Nathan smiled. “I don’t have any problem admitting she’s got me completely wrapped around her finger.”

“There are worse things than having the love of a good woman,” Micah said sincerely, while Gray and Nathan both nodded in agreement.

Connor just studied him curiously. “So is that what has you in a tailspin? A woman?”

Micah let out a grunt. “In a manner of speaking, though it’s not what you dickheads are thinking.”

“Ahh,” Gray said.

Micah flipped him the bird. “The sister of an old friend of mine is in town, and I’ve got my hands full trying to keep her out of trouble.”

Gray frowned. “Trouble? What kind of trouble?”

Trust Gray’s cop instincts to get all riled.

“She’s a good girl,” Micah said with a note of defensiveness even he could hear. “And that’s the problem. She’s a good girl with no idea of what can happen to a good girl in a big, strange city.”

Connor scowled. “Then why the hell is she here and where is her brother?”

“David died a few years ago,” Micah said quietly.

Even now, after so long, it hurt to say out loud that David was gone.

“He was the only family Angelina had.”

“So you feel obligated to look after her,” Connor said.

The others nodded in understanding.

“Well, yeah,” Micah said.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. “Not going well?”

“It’s going just fine. Or it will be as soon as we get a few rules straight.”

Gray choked on his drink and commenced to coughing. “Yeah, good luck with that,” he wheezed.

“How old is she anyway?” Connor asked.

“Twenty-three,” Micah muttered.

“Is she hot?”

“Very,” he said before he could think better of it. Then he swore. “No, she damn well isn’t hot. And I don’t want you to even so much as look in her direction. You got me?”

Connor held up his hands in surrender. “Whatever you say, man. I swear you guys do your best to keep me away from all the good ones. I should be dating Julie. Not bonehead over here,” he said as he jerked a thumb in Nathan’s direction.

Nathan snorted. “You’re not man enough for her.”

Connor scowled. “And I suppose you are?”

“She’s with me, isn’t she?” Nathan returned smugly.

Gray leaned forward, ignoring the bickering between Connor and Nathan. “So you’re spending your evenings babysitting her at her place or what? And what about during the day? Not like you can keep an eye on her all the time.”

“She’s staying with me until we can find her a decent place. She’s going to be looking for a job.”

For once they fell completely silent as they stared back at him. Gray coughed discreetly and Nathan made a show of clearing his throat. Connor’s eyes gleamed with unholy amusement.