I knew I had the potential to be a clinger and a bit of a mother hen. Most guys didn't like that, and Kaspian struck me as a guy who would like it, but only because it stroked his ego. It would make him happy but less interested. Fuck, this was why I didn't date. Shit was complicated, and I usually screwed it up. And it seemed to be worse with Kaspian. As if all my squishy instincts were magnified.
One thought of his arrogant expression helped me push that shit down. I left the hallway and went into the kitchen to grab a soda. After gulping down the sugar, I felt a little better. The bite of the carbonation helped too. Carbs and carbonation, what a great combination. I went to grab another and realized I only had a few cans left.
Grimacing, I checked my phone. The delivery guy would be another thirty minutes. I could run to the grocery store and grab a few things. Nah. It'll take fifteen just to get there. I grabbed another can, then went to sit on the chair I had out on the front porch. I needed the fresh air, and I wanted to prove to myself that I could put distance between Kas and me without a problem.
“What the fuck?” I rubbed at my chest as I sat down. Something tensed there. Anxious. Every bone in my body wanted to go back inside. “Oh, this isn't good.” I leaned my head back against the chair and tried to think—really process. “He's from another world. So, what's the end game here? Am I supposed to help him get home? How would I do that?” I shook my head. “Oh, God help me. I don't want to do that.”
This shit was beyond me. I was harboring an illegal alien in the most literal sense of the words. But it wasn't as if there was a law stating that an American couldn't give an immigrant a place to stay. I mean, I guess if you saw Kas as an illegal immigrant—someone who had entered the country improperly, which, technically, he had—then, yeah, there were laws against that. But Kaspian wasn't that kind of alien. What was I supposed to do—turn him in to Mulder and Scully? No way. Those assholes weren't getting their hands on Kas if I could help it.
“Jesus.” I rubbed a hand over my face, wondering if I could actually go to jail for helping Kas. And then I realized it didn't matter. It was a done deal. I had lied to federal agents about him. There was no going back. The relief that came with that thought was shocking. “It has nothing to do with how good he is in bed.”
“Demetrius!” Kaspian's voice rumbled out of the house.
I jerked upright, nearly spilling my Coke, and cursed, “Son of a bitch!” Hurrying to my feet, I called out, “What's wrong?” I hurried inside and met him in the living room.
Kas was naked, dripping wet, and furious. He calmed a little when he saw me.
“Did you run out of hot water?” I asked.
“What?” His expression went baffled.
“Why did you shout?”
“Because I couldn't find you. I thought you left.” He pressed his lips together.
“You couldn't . . .” I blinked. “Are you fucking kidding me? I was on the porch. Go back into the shower. You're dripping water everywhere.”
Kas looked down at himself, then at me. Narrowing his eyes, he pointed at me. Right in my face. “Do not go far.”
“Get back in the fucking shower!”
“Uh, excuse me?”
I jerked around, startled by the sound of someone else's voice. It was the Doordash guy, with his cooler in hand, standing on the porch. Staring at us through the doorway. I had left the front door open in my haste to reach Kaspian. Shit.
“I'll just leave this—”
A snarling came from behind me, cutting him off.
I spun back toward Kaspian. He had his teeth bared, his stare locked on the poor delivery kid, and his hands curled like claws.
“Hey!” I snapped my fingers in front of Kaspian's face. “Cut that shit out!” Pushing Kas toward the hallway, I said to the kid, “Thanks, man! I tipped you on the app. Sorry about him. He's from Europe.” I made a face.
“Oh!” The guy grinned and nodded but also backed away. He set a bag down, a pink box tied atop it. “Sorry to startle you. Your door was open.”
“Yeah, my fault. Have a good one!”
“Thanks. You too.” He ran for the little Honda Civic he had left running in the driveway.
Meanwhile, I hurried to the porch, grabbed our food, and shut the front door. Then locked it. Then peered out the window and watched the guy drive off. Turning around, I was going to call out to Kas that the coast was clear. But he was standing right behind me. Glowering.
“Holy shit!” I jumped. “Don't do that!”
“That man coveted you.”
“He did what now?”
“He wants what's mine!” Kaspian, still naked, tried to step around me.
