The devotion between human and dog is often reciprocal; sometimes a dog is just as much master as pet.

—Man’s Best Friend: An Essential Guide to Dogs

After depositing the still unconscious Darius to a much-relieved staff, they headed home. Or to Gideon’s house, Claire silently amended. When had she started thinking of Gideon’s house as home?

An uncomfortable silence filled the air during the drive. She twisted her fingers in her lap until they were white and bloodless. What now? What did one say when all reason for conversation vanished? When their whole purpose for meeting, for interacting, had ceased to be?

Claire knew one thing for certain. She wasn’t sticking around to find out. She couldn’t bear facing him the day he realized she wasn’t who he thought, the day he discovered she wasn’t the woman he had so brashly claimed to love in that basement. Not even close.

She entered the house ahead of him. Squaring her shoulders, she turned to face him. Best to end it now. She preferred that to witnessing his regret later when he realized she was just a woman. A plain, unexciting woman who didn’t inspire feelings of love.

“I’ll go upstairs and get my things. My parents must be really worried. They expected me to come back home after I got my things from school.” She tried to smile, but felt her lips wobble. “My mom’s probably called missing persons—”

Frowning, he interrupted her. “Claire—”

She threw up a hand to silence him. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I’m lucky you found me and not some other agent.”

His eyes narrowed and he took a menacing step toward her. “Claire, don’t even say—”

“I’d be dead if it weren’t for you. I won’t ever forget that.” She backed away, afraid of what he would say if she let him. “I hope NODEAL takes you back. I know how important—”

He grabbed her by both arms and wrenched her against him. The anger in his eyes stopped her speech cold. “I don’t want your damned gratitude.”

Then he kissed her.

Claire stifled a moan of pleasure at the hard pressure of his lips on hers, forcing her lips to remain still and lifeless beneath his. His hands moved to her waist, slipping beneath her sundress to caress her back. The rough pads of his fingers feathered along her spine. Her skin broke out in goose bumps.

The blood pounded in her head, urging her to respond, but she couldn’t give in. Not this time. She no longer had an excuse. There wasn’t a beast within her anymore demanding she obey primitive sexual urges. It was time to think logically and behave rationally.