"What? Your ego?"

"Lass, ye doona need to carry a weapon. Yer tongue can slash a man to shreds."

She smiled. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"I outgrew my coffin. I'm five inches taller than when I was last here."

Her eyes widened. "Connor mentioned that you'd grown, but I didn't quite believe it. I thought vampires were always stuck at the age when they died."

"That is true, normally. But I aged twelve years over the summer."

"Oh." Her mouth quirked. "Welcome to puberty."

He planted a hand on the wall beside her and leaned forward. "Ye saw under my kilt. Ye know I'm a grown man."

She lifted her chin in a defiant gesture, but her cheeks turned a pale pink. "I'm trying very hard to wipe that unfortunate incident from my memory."

He smiled slowly. "Let me know if ye succeed."

Her blush deepened. "Mr. MacPhie, I should remind—"

"Call me Ian. Is Toni yer full name?"

"No. Look, I'm trying to talk to you since I estimate in about three minutes, you'll keel over dead."

"If I do, will ye put me to bed?"

"This sort of talk is not appropriate—"

"Is yer name Antonia?"

Her eyes darkened. "No."

"Tonatella? Tonisha?"

"No."

"Toni Baloney?"

Her mouth twitched. "I'm trying to be serious."

"Me, too." He let his gaze wander over her. "I'm dead serious."

She snorted. "Mr. MacPhie, I signed a contract two nights ago, and it clearly stated that I am not to become involved with anyone I'm guarding."

His heart stuttered, and it wasn't caused by the rising sun. "I dinna realize we were involved."

"We're not!" She huffed. "But you are flirting with me, and it has to stop."

He blinked. He was flirting? He'd been more tempted to wring her neck than seduce her. "Ye think I was flirting?"