"Okay. Ditto, Jack. I want you too." She gave a little laugh. "We're both adults here, so what's the problem?”

Needing to tread carefully, he took a moment to answer. Thomas had instructed him not to tell her about his past yet. Thomas believed Jack to be the best person to protect Mira—and Jack believed that too—but Mira needed to trust him while he did it.

"It would be wrong," he answered. "I'm your bodyguard. I have a job to do and I need to keep my mind on it. I can't guard you if I'm preoccupied with you in my bed. Tell me you don't see that sleeping together would be a mistake." All true.

She picked at the blanket beside her. "I agree that it would be a mistake for me to sleep with you," she finally replied. She turned toward him, her voice angry, "But if I'm just your charge, just your job, then explain all those pictures you have of me.”

He pushed up on his elbows. "What? What—" Realization bloomed. "You broke into my photography room?”

She stood and turned away from him, folding her arms over her chest. "That's not at issue right now.”

He bolted from the bed and stalked to her. "The hell it isn't! You broke into a private room, broke the goddamn lock on a door in my home!”

"I didn't break the lock, I just picked it.”

"Semantics!”

She turned to face him. "Considering I'd been abducted by a strange man claiming he wasn't quite human, I think I had a right to fully explore my surroundings.”

Jack stared at her for a moment and then turned on his heel. He walked through the living room, pounded up the spiral staircase, and kicked the locked door of the photography room open. The door splintered under the force of his anger. The lock was definitely broken now. He flipped the light on and strode to the center of the room. Mira followed.

He swept his arm out. "You want to explore? Go ahead, explore. I have nothing to hide." Liar.

Glaring, she stood for a moment with her arms crossed over her chest, then went straight to the oak desk in the corner and flipped open the book containing the pictures of her. Mira motioned at the album, glaring at him accusingly. "Why, Jack? Why did you take all of these?”

He pushed a hand through his hair and went to stand beside her. She turned the pages, revealing picture after picture of herself. Gods. He had lost control a little.

"Surveillance," he muttered.

She glanced up at him, her eyebrows raised. "Oh, surveillance was it?”