“My lord! We thought you weretaking an afternoon nap!”“Sorry to disappoint you,” the earl of Sheffield drawled, his voice muffled by the rug. “Someone musthave forgotten to tuck me into my cradle.”

“Nursemaid, you mean? Someone who can sing me to sleep at bedtime, spoonporridge into my mouth, and wipe my”—he hesitated just long enough to make both servants cringe withdread—“chinif I dribble?”“I haven’t the voice for lullabies and I’m sure you’re perfectly capable of wiping your own…chin, ”

“Don’t U want someone to complete you the way Mini-Me completed Dr. Evil? Someone who shares the same tastes in music food who will finish … my sentences? The last thing I need is someone stealing the punch lines to all my jokes.”

“Stand and yield," she called out, her voice far steadier than her hands. "For I cannot allow you to pass." Bannor's crooked grin was somehow more intimidating than a snarl. 'Twould have been far easier to despise him if he'd been cursed with horns and a tail instead of twinkling blue eyes and a dimple in his jaw. "What would you have me yield, my lady? My sword or my heart?"-willow&bannor-”

“Of course not! I knew you would protect me. You swore that you were strong enough to protect Vivienne, didn’t you? How can you promise to protect my sister, but not trust yourself to keep me safe?” The music swelled to a crescendo. Although Adrian kept her imprisoned against the muscular length of his body, he gave up all pretense of dancing. “Because I don’t lose my wits every time Vivienne walks into a room. I don’t toss and turn in my bed every night dreaming of making love to her. She doesn’t drive me to distraction with her endless questions, her incessant snooping, her harebrained schemes.” His voice rose. “I can trust myself to protect your sister because I’m not in love with her!”

“To me you are stardust sprinkled across a night sky, forever in my dreams, but out of my reach.”

“You removed my spectacles!”A disbelieving snort of laughter escaped him. “The way you’re taking on, you’d have thought I removedyour clothing!”Samantha clutched at the high-necked bodice of her homely bottle-green day dress. “How do I knowyou didn’t?”Silence hung between them, thicker than the heated air. Then his smoky voice dipped into low anddangerous territory. “If I had removed your clothing, Miss Wickersham, I can assure you it would havebeen worth waking up for.”