“No,” she denied. Okay, maybe. Roscoe was having a good time with the bone in Nari’s office, and Dana might’ve had a so there moment. “I don’t see how you can be irritated when you won’t listen to me.”

“You’re digging a hole, baby.”

Her lungs felt like she’d swallowed a space heater. She tried to swallow over the lump in her throat, acutely aware she was out of her depth. “Fine, but that was only part of it. Roscoe really was having fun.” She scrambled out of the bed and stood to face him, no longer hiding. “I don’t want you to parachute drop into some hills crawling with armed criminals all alone.”

“Okay.”

“Wait—what?”

His gaze wandered over her baby doll to her bare feet and up her long legs, pausing at her breasts, then returning to her face. “Jethro is going with me.”

Her entire body heated at his look. “Wait. The British professor?” she shrieked.

He winced. “Lower the decibels, would you?”

“Oh, you’re gonna get kicked.” It was too bad she didn’t have on boots.

Wolfe’s gaze heated. “First, if Force trusts him, then I trust him. He’s former MI6, and apparently he knows his stuff.” He held up a hand when she started to argue. “Second, this is what I do. I’m good at it, and I will come back.”

“And third?” she snapped, her ears turning hot. Very.

“Third? This is not what you do, so you will follow all directions until I take out the guy who wants to take us out. It’s simple. Yes, you’re a good journalist. Yes, I understand that your job entails some danger, which I will try to lessen. But this maniac after us, after you, is coming because of me. That makes this my op.”

God, he was sexy when he got all bossy while trying to sound reasonable. “When does it get to be my op?” she asked.

“Next time. Maybe.” He didn’t sound convincing.

She drew in air. “Is this when we discuss my telling your team about your murder board?”

He crossed his arms, and those impressive muscles flexed. “Well, now. I was pissed about that, but turns out that was nowhere near as irritating as you leaving Roscoe at the office and putting yourself in danger.”

She was a fair person, so she gave him the truth. “I’m not sorry I told the team, because I want to protect you, too. As for Roscoe, he was fine and I was fine with Mal next door, so maybe you should just relax.”

“Relax?”

The way he said it sent shivers down her body. She tried to say something, anything, to lessen her challenge, but words died in her throat.

He watched her, his expression knowing. “Are you about done being a brat?”

It was only a semi-fair question. “If I’m not?”