Fan the Flames by Katie Ruggle Page A

regretted her sleepless night. Rory stared at the paperwork in front of her, but no amount of blinking could keep the print from blurring. Giving in, she folded her arms on the counter and let her head sink down to rest on them.
    â€œRough night?”
    She sat up abruptly and had to catch herself before she toppled off her stool. Ian was standing by the front door, smirking at her. Despite herself, her first feeling was relief. After she’d run away from him, she figured he’d give up on her—and as nervous as the thought of more made her, she couldn’t bear the idea of losing his friendship. Her next thought was panic that he’d gotten into the store without her hearing the alarm.
    Logic pushed aside the last of her sleepiness, and she felt silly as common sense took hold. With a shake of her head, she tried to slow her pounding pulse. The front-door sensor sounded only in the back room. When it was installed, she’d assumed that she wouldn’t need the sensor in the front room, since she’d actually hear and see the person walking into the shop.
    â€œNot a rough night?” Ian must have taken her I’m an idiot head shake as an answer to his question.
    â€œNo. I mean, yes.” She rubbed a hand over her face, surreptitiously checking for any nap drool on her chin. “Never mind. What did you need?”
    â€œJust wanted to check on you.” Moving behind the counter, Ian took his usual position leaning against the wall. She swiveled around on her stool until she was facing him. “Any more trouble with your trespasser?”
    Her yawn turned into a grimace. “Every night.” When Ian’s face went hard, she immediately regretted her words. “The deer cameras I ordered should be arriving today, though. Hopefully, I’ll get a shot of this guy’s face tonight. I’ve come to the realization that my security cameras are crap.”
    â€œRory.” The news about the deer cameras didn’t lighten his scowl. “Has he—or they—gotten in your fence?”
    â€œNo. They tried to cut the lock on the front gates last night, though.”
    He eyed her face closely. “How long’s it been since you’ve slept?”
    â€œA while.” She bit off another yawn. Despite her initial joy at seeing Ian, now she kind of wished he’d leave so she could take a nap.
    â€œYou’re staying at my place tonight.”
    â€œNo. I’m not leaving my shop and all my inventory so whoever it is can go nuts at the gun buffet. I need to be here.”
    He obviously didn’t like that. “I’ll stay here, then.”
    â€œNo.” She rejected the idea immediately as panic coiled in her belly.
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œBecause.” Rory couldn’t give him a reasonable answer, because her feelings weren’t reasonable. If she tried to explain, she’d just end up sounding as loony as her parents had been. She didn’t want Ian to see her like that.
    A smile curled up one corner of his mouth. “What if I promise to behave?” Ian practically purred.
    The suggestiveness in his voice threw her off balance and woke a whole herd of butterflies in her belly. Images of Ian in her home—in her bedroom!—flashed through her mind, and she opened her mouth and then closed it again. It was hard enough to banter with a sexily smiling Ian on a good day, much less when she’d been functioning on little to no sleep for the past four nights.
    Ian’s grin broadened. “I’ll come over around six, then.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œEarlier? I can probably get here around five thirty.”
    Rory pressed the heels of her hands against her eyes. “No. No sleepover.” The word “sleepover” brought up all the tempting mental pictures again. She sighed. Stupid brain.
    â€œI’ll pull up to your gate and spend the night in my truck, then.”
    â€œIan…” Lowering