“And there it is,” she muttered.
“There what is?”
“That whole bossy thing you have going on,” she replied.
“I am not bossy.”
“You just told me to go back to my apartment.”
“I wish for you and the rest of the Galactic Alliance members to be safe.”
“How much safer can I get? I'm here, locked up in this tower, unable to go anywhere.”
“You should be in your residence.”
She sighed and waved her hand. “Really. Turn around. Walk away big grumpy Kantenan.”
He didn't follow commands very well. Instead, he came toward her, and got within arm's length. His green horns were getting bigger, and the bronze-red of his skin seemed to be getting deeper. Darker.
Changing.
Looked like she was pissing him off.
Oh, darn.
“I am not grumpy.” His voice was low, almost a growl.
“Whatever,” she muttered and started to walk away. Didn't matter that he was really good-looking. Had those darn eyes that she could just stare at. And she hated that. He wasn't supposed to be cute. She didn't expect him, or any of them, to be attractive.
Yet here he was, looking very handsome.
She could pick him out of a crowd in a blink, ever since that initial meeting, she could find him in a sea of Kantenans, without much effort. Not because he was super tall--though he was pretty tall. Not that he was different looking, because he wasn't.
Yet she could find him.
And it annoyed her.
Like a lot.
“You speak as though you know me.”
She spun around and crossed her arms. “I know your type. And you are grumpy.”
He came closer. “Maybe you are the one that is grumpy. I am perfectly pleasant.”
“Whatever. You're bossy and grumpy.”
“And you are not?” he asked.
“Never said I wasn't,” she replied. He took another step toward her, which pushed her back more into the nearby wall. How'd he pin her against the wall like this without her realizing it? What had he done to her?
“You're loud and bossy and presumptuous.”
“That's what I do. Makes it easier if I figure everything out right away. Gets me past the awkward mystery stage.” A piece of her red hair fell in her face, and she exhaled a breath, blowing it out of her face.
He reached up and caught the tendril, letting it wrap around his finger for a second, before brushing it back. “The mystery is what makes existence matter. Finding out the truth of situations.”
“No touchy,” she said as pulled her head back, making sure her hair was out of his reach.
