The question hit me like a splash of cold water. I froze. My eyes went wide, and before I could stop it, heat rushed straight up my neck and into my face. My cheeks burned hot, and I knew I was blushing.
I opened my mouth, ready to say something, but nothing came out at first. My thoughts were a mess, tumbling over each other. I couldn’t decide if I was more shocked that he’d asked… or more unsettled by the way he’d asked it.
Finally, I found my voice—barely. “T-that’s none of your business,” I stammered. My words came out uneven and too fast. I tried to make my tone sound firm, but it sounded shaky instead. “It’s inappropriate. You’re a prisoner, and I’m your warden.”
Even as I said it, I knew I wasn’t giving him the real answer. The truth was, I had never done anything like what he wa
