Baron froze in surprise, the words catching like a blade between his ribs.

Her lashes fluttered, unfocused at first.

Then her eyes sharpened.

She jolted upright, staring straight at him-Baron, towering by the bed, his expression caught between iron restraint and something he couldn't quite bury.

Her lips parted. "You are-"

"Keep your voice down," he snapped in a hushed growl, glancing toward the door as if the very walls might carry her words away.

The room went still, the air thick with ...