four in the morning," she said, her voice steady and authoritative. "Go back to sleep."
"I'm good, I -"
"Mike," she said, cutting him off. The look he gave her almost had her laughing. It was clear he wasn't used to being interrupted. "Just lie back and relax. There is nothing that can't wait another couple of hours."
"I have to..."
"You have to get some sleep, Commander," she interrupted him yet again and this time she did laugh at his expression. "Wasn't that your rank? I think I remember Riley telling me that. Anyway, you're exhausted. You need to sleep. We've only been in here three hours. That isn't long enough."
He did sit up then, in spite of her hand on his chest, which fell away once he w as fully sitting up. He got out of bed and towered over her, glaring down at her.
"Don't try to pull any psycho-babble on me, Ms. Riley," he snapped, "trust me, I've heard it all."
He started to walk off, but she scrambled out of the bed and to his surprise, zipped in front of him to block the door.
"Fine. So, you've heard it all. Wonderful. But you know what you haven't heard? Your friends are worried about you. They all know you haven't been sleeping much since recovering from your last mission. The time after you got shot helping y our friend Colt was probably the first time you've slept more than two hours at a time since returning from Iraq. So, guess what, buddy? While you're here helping me, I'm going to be helping you. And that starts with you turning your stubborn ass around and getting back in that bed, do you hear me?"
Mike stared impassively at her for about two seconds, then picked her up, moved her aside, sat her down and opened the door.
"Is that your solution? To just ignore it and walk away?" she pressed.
He kept walking, down the stairs and into the office, Lainey right behind him. He opened his laptop and settled down behind the desk, ignoring her. Lainey glared at him and settled down in the chair she'd sat in earlier, arms folded across her chest. He kept his eyes on the monitor and she kept her eyes on him. If he thought he could freeze her out, he had another thing coming. She'd grown up with four cousins who were more like brothers and because of that, she knew a bit more about how guys operated than most women did. She'd succe eded in manipulating him into lying down with her tonight, but she was pretty sure that wouldn't work again. But, she had a million tricks up her sleeve. It was just a matter of time. Because she'd find his trigger. And when she did, all bets were off.
She continued to glare at him and she knew she was getting to him; a muscle in his jaw was ticking and she could see a vein popping out at his temple. Oh, this was great, she thought. The Commander had a chink in his armor after all. She wondered how long he would sit there before trying to address...
"Go to bed, Lainey."
She laughed. Not long at all.
"I'm fine right here. "
His eyes flashed at her but he didn't speak again. Lainey wanted to laugh but kept silent. Time with Mike wasn't going to be dull, that was for sure. He would learn soon enough; she wasn't one of his men to be ordered around.
Mike couldn't believe she was being so stubborn. She was sitting there glaring at him, and she'd been doing it for the last hour at least. He was doing his best to ignore her, but it was hard when he could see her in his peripheral vision as he looked at the monitor. He checked his messages and saw that Colt had boarded his plane on time and would be arriving in the next couple of hours. Tessa was on the road and would pick Colt up at the airport and meet them at Lainey's offices.
"We have to be at your offices by seven," he told her, standing.
"Fine."
He stood over her a moment, wanting to say more but sensing it would be pointless. Better to let her think she'd gotten the best of him than to provoke her again. He shook his head and
"I'm good, I -"
"Mike," she said, cutting him off. The look he gave her almost had her laughing. It was clear he wasn't used to being interrupted. "Just lie back and relax. There is nothing that can't wait another couple of hours."
"I have to..."
"You have to get some sleep, Commander," she interrupted him yet again and this time she did laugh at his expression. "Wasn't that your rank? I think I remember Riley telling me that. Anyway, you're exhausted. You need to sleep. We've only been in here three hours. That isn't long enough."
He did sit up then, in spite of her hand on his chest, which fell away once he w as fully sitting up. He got out of bed and towered over her, glaring down at her.
"Don't try to pull any psycho-babble on me, Ms. Riley," he snapped, "trust me, I've heard it all."
He started to walk off, but she scrambled out of the bed and to his surprise, zipped in front of him to block the door.
"Fine. So, you've heard it all. Wonderful. But you know what you haven't heard? Your friends are worried about you. They all know you haven't been sleeping much since recovering from your last mission. The time after you got shot helping y our friend Colt was probably the first time you've slept more than two hours at a time since returning from Iraq. So, guess what, buddy? While you're here helping me, I'm going to be helping you. And that starts with you turning your stubborn ass around and getting back in that bed, do you hear me?"
Mike stared impassively at her for about two seconds, then picked her up, moved her aside, sat her down and opened the door.
"Is that your solution? To just ignore it and walk away?" she pressed.
He kept walking, down the stairs and into the office, Lainey right behind him. He opened his laptop and settled down behind the desk, ignoring her. Lainey glared at him and settled down in the chair she'd sat in earlier, arms folded across her chest. He kept his eyes on the monitor and she kept her eyes on him. If he thought he could freeze her out, he had another thing coming. She'd grown up with four cousins who were more like brothers and because of that, she knew a bit more about how guys operated than most women did. She'd succe eded in manipulating him into lying down with her tonight, but she was pretty sure that wouldn't work again. But, she had a million tricks up her sleeve. It was just a matter of time. Because she'd find his trigger. And when she did, all bets were off.
She continued to glare at him and she knew she was getting to him; a muscle in his jaw was ticking and she could see a vein popping out at his temple. Oh, this was great, she thought. The Commander had a chink in his armor after all. She wondered how long he would sit there before trying to address...
"Go to bed, Lainey."
She laughed. Not long at all.
"I'm fine right here. "
His eyes flashed at her but he didn't speak again. Lainey wanted to laugh but kept silent. Time with Mike wasn't going to be dull, that was for sure. He would learn soon enough; she wasn't one of his men to be ordered around.
Mike couldn't believe she was being so stubborn. She was sitting there glaring at him, and she'd been doing it for the last hour at least. He was doing his best to ignore her, but it was hard when he could see her in his peripheral vision as he looked at the monitor. He checked his messages and saw that Colt had boarded his plane on time and would be arriving in the next couple of hours. Tessa was on the road and would pick Colt up at the airport and meet them at Lainey's offices.
"We have to be at your offices by seven," he told her, standing.
"Fine."
He stood over her a moment, wanting to say more but sensing it would be pointless. Better to let her think she'd gotten the best of him than to provoke her again. He shook his head and
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