She’d never done this before. She’d never pretended to seduce a man—a half-naked man—who made her knees weak. Who made her wish that maybe it wasn’t pretend.

He was gorgeously tousled; his blue eyes not their usual too sharp and penetrating, but soft and sleepy, and his dark golden-blond hair deliciously mussed, as if she’d just dragged him from bed—which undoubtedly she had.

But it was his state of clothing—or rather the lack thereof—that truly undid her. He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and in the soft light of the single candle she’d brought with her, his chest glowed like a carved shield of bronze.

Good gracious, she’d thought he’d looked imposing on the practice yard, but it was an entirely different imposing when facing it in the middle of the night—alone—standing no more than a foot away, in a small, intimate, barely lit doorway where she could see up close just how broad his shoulders were, how big the muscles were on his arms, and how steely flat and hard was his stomach.

The breeches that looked to have been haphazardly pulled on hung low on that hard stomach and narrow hips, revealing a thin trail of hair that she dared not follow, no matter how curious she was or how thick and long that column of flesh it led to appeared.

He slept naked, she realized. Which was something else she shouldn’t think about, but her cheeks flushed hot and awareness flooded ever corner of her body as her gaze shot back to his.

She had to get the situation back under control—get herself back under control—but he looked warm and inviting, and entirely too attractive for her peace of mind.

Who was seducing whom?

He recovered before she did, which wasn’t exactly a promising start. “What the hell?” He dragged his hand through his rumpled hair, which forced—for how could she not look?—her gaze back to his chest and the now flexed muscles in his arm. God in heaven! Something low and heavy did a little stutter step in her stomach. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

Her mouth had gone dry again. With considerably more difficulty, she lifted her gaze back to his.

But dear Lord, a man shouldn’t be so enticing!

That was her job.

Remembering what she needed to do, she straightened her spine and shook off the haze that had fogged her brain since he’d opened the door. Without waiting for an invitation—which she knew she would not be receiving—she pushed her way past him into the room, not giving him the opportunity to stop her. She ignored the smell of warm, spicy male as she stood there and tried to keep her knees from wobbling. “You said if I changed my mind, I knew where to find you. Well here I am,” she said with a smile.