Chapter 25 #3
The way he growled my name in that low, irritated voice wasn’t helping me stay impartial.
With effort, I persevered. “So now you’re just my alien bodyguard?
We’ve graduated from lurking to full-blown shadow status?
” When he simply folded his arms, jaw jutting obstinately, I pushed away from the counter, scooping up my phone and narrowing my eyes at him.
“All because I’ve got some fancy alien tattoo I can’t even read, and you refuse to tell me why it matters?
You realize this is completely insane, right? ”
“Is it?” He squared up to me, eyes sharp. “Which part is insane, exactly? You know I’m right. Something happened to you. You saw your hand glow.”
He had me there. The hand in question tingled.
“Then there’s the fact you withstood a memory wipe,” he continued tightly. “And there’s the signal you emitted. I saw the residual readings with my own eyes. Is that enough for you?”
My pulse quickened, and I ground my molars. He was being infuriatingly rational. I, on the other hand, wasn’t entirely sure why I was pushing back this hard.
Maybe it was because everything felt like it was spiraling so out of control, and this was just one more thing.
Sky’s eyes slid back and forth between mine, too astute. Too perceptive. “You might not remember anything yet, but something’s in there, Rae. And until we figure out what, or at least until we figure out how to block the signal from the Enil, you’re in danger and I’m sticking close.”
We were back to staring at each other again, back to that stand-off. He had me. A phantom fist wrapped my heart, squeezing tight enough to make breathing tough. It was the uncanny sensation of being trapped.
Sky searched my eyes, and like he saw the hopelessness threatening to swell up, his expression softened. “Come on, Rae. You’re smart. One of the smartest people I know. You know I’m right.”
I bit my cheek. Well, wasn’t that just sweet? If I wasn’t damn near miserable at being told my life wasn’t going back to normal anytime soon, I might have basked in the genuine compliment coming from Sky Acosta. Nothing was better than a guy admiring your brain.
Unless he was admiring it because it held alien secrets, that is.
I buried my face in my palms, shoulders slumping, suppressing the urge to yell in frustration.
Dropping my arms, I sighed. “Fine. I won’t go waving my hand at any Enil.
” He started to relax, but I pinned him with a tight stare.
“But if this is all so dangerous, why won’t you tell me what they want with this tablet?
Or what you want with it, while we’re at it. ”
He turned his face away. “I just can’t. It’s better if you don’t know.”
This time I did move closer, shifting to the side until he was forced to look at me. “When is ignorance ever the better option?”
“I can’t, Rae.” White lines formed around his mouth before he bit out, “I told you. It’s complicated. Please don’t push.”
He looked miserable enough, I relented. If only because he’d obviously smashed his rules to bits tonight giving me this much.
I filed it away, though. Bet your ass I’d be trying again later.
“Fine,” I whispered, and his eyes sprang open, lips parting in surprise.
“Fine?”
I spread my free hand in a shrug. “I’d rather not end up as robot bait, so…whatever you need to do to prevent that from happening.”
“Great.” His smile was quick and bright—and damn that stupid dimple. I was still recovering from it when he twisted and gave the living room an assessing glance. “I’ll take the couch.”
Whoa, whoa.
Everything went quiet. My brain. The storm. Possibly my heartbeat, because I was pretty sure I’d just keeled over and died.
Did he mean what I thought he meant?
“The couch?” I repeated, breathing faster. “Are you saying you’re staying here? Now?”
He turned back around and frowned at me. “Well, yeah. That’s the easiest way to make sure you’re safe. Right?”
Seeming not to notice me staring in mute horror, he peeled off his jacket. A bolt of heat flashed through me. His shirt beneath was still damp and stretched tight across his shoulders as he walked away from me, carrying the wet leather into the kitchen.
I turned my attention to the blank wall.
If his synth-skin really mimicked human biology, did it also go out of its way to include underwear model upgrades?
But when he returned from draping his damp coat over the counter, I risked another glance. He appeared annoyingly relaxed now, like he’d decided and that was that. Like he’d already claimed squatters’ rights to my throw pillows.
A flare of panic launched in my belly. Sky couldn’t stay here. I needed to be alone. To think. To think alone.
I couldn’t do that with Sky being here, all confusing and mysterious and—what was wrong with me—still so hot…
“No,” I said firmly. “You don’t have to…stay here. I appreciate the offer and all, but that’s not necessary.”
He ignored me. When he didn’t even turn from adjusting my couch cushions, I marched over to him.
“Did you not hear me? You’re not sleeping with me.”
My mouth formed an O of horror. Lightning flashed. Thunder boomed.
That—that wasn’t what I’d meant to say. A faux pas. A Freudian slip of the highest order.
And now…silence. Sky, too, stilled mid-pillow fluff, his back to me. Any hope he’d missed it vanished. He’d heard what I’d said.
Every one of my cells screamed in silent, abject misery. Why was I forever making an idiot out of myself around this man?
Around this alien. Alien man. Whatever.
“That’s not what I meant,” I whispered, face flaming. “You’re not sleeping here. In this apartment. Like, with me here, too. That’s what I meant.”
Too late. It was far too late.
When he turned, his slow, crooked grin could’ve melted the polar ice caps.
“I didn’t think you were propositioning me.
I just admitted I was from another planet.
” He waited a beat, then cocked his head and leaned a little closer.
“But you know, if that’s your idea of staying safe, I’m open to negotiations. ”
That smirk deepened. I gazed up at him. “Negotiations...”
I was sure he was good at negotiating. I’d bet he was outstanding at negotiations of all kinds.
When I continued to gaze stupidly up at him, having turned into a stone, his grin faded. “I’m kidding, Rae. It’s just the couch.”
I jerked, coming back to life. “Right. Of course.”
Of course he was kidding.
I shouldn’t be thinking that way, either. I shouldn’t be imagining doing any…negotiating with him.
This was Sky. Alien Sky. From the stars. The sparkly-skin, Enil-fighting, mind-wiping bartender.
Who was now in my living room. Still kind of wet. Being hot. Being…flirty?
Oh my God. He’d been flirting with me. And now he was staring at me, eyes slightly narrowed, like he wasn’t sure what I was thinking.
Bad thoughts.
I pressed my lips together and went into defense mode because it was a much better choice than abandoning all my standards and wrestling him onto my couch.
“Good. I’m glad you’re kidding. Because not in a million years, Starboy,” I said, backing away. I fixed a sneer on my burning face for good measure. “My life is complicated enough. I don’t need alien STDs, too.”
His eyes widened, like I’d stunned him. Then he let out a rich, genuine laugh that did funny things to my insides. I’d only heard that laugh a handful of times in the six months I’d known him. It transformed his face, flashing white teeth and crinkling the skin around his eyes.
Broody Sky was attractive. Happy Sky was gorgeous.
I wondered briefly what it’d take for happy Sky to make more appearances, then pushed aside the thought. That wasn’t something I needed to be worried about right now.
I needed to be concerned with the Sky currently trying to camp out on my couch.
“For the record, I can’t carry anything, remember?” he said, his grin lopsided and maybe a little chagrined. “The suit?”
My face was on fire and having absolutely nothing to say in response to that tidbit of knowledge I could’ve done with never being privy to, I could only stare.
His smile fading, Sky angled his chin to assess his rumpled shirt and reached for its buttons.
“But you’re right. Any of…that would complicate things.
” His fingers stilled and he huffed a weak laugh.
“Well, complicate things more. It’s best we keep our distance if we’re going to work together to fix this. ”
He darted a glance at me, then back down. I opened my mouth to respond, came up blank, and shut it again. Well, at least we agreed on no sexy time. Because that would be, like, the worst idea.
…right?
I didn’t have a chance to analyze what my urge to argue said about me before he began working his way down his shirt. Only then did I realize he was unfastening buttons. It fell open and suddenly I was faced with a chiseled chest and a flat, tanned stomach rippling with eight whole abs.
I swallowed a squeak and spun around. Partially to give him privacy and partially to give myself a breather.
Because damn.
Sky was telling me to keep my distance while stripping in my living room. That seemed counterintuitive. It was also suddenly very hot in here again, too. I gulped air and stopped just short of fanning myself.
“Seriously, Sky. I don’t know if it’s the best idea for you to stay here,” I said, glad my tone came out cool despite my racing heart and very not cool face. “I…I think I need to be alone.”
After that display, possibly with BOB, the battery-operated boyfriend.
ALIEN, Rae. He’s an alien.
Over the blood rushing in my ears, I heard Sky’s frustrated exhale.
“I’m not going to force it, obviously. This is your choice.” It came from much closer than he’d been a second ago, meaning he’d brought his chest and abs with him.
Steeling myself, I turned around. He had closed the distance between us, and all humor had vanished from his expression. I didn’t miss the flash of disappointment. “But at least consider it, okay? For your own safety.”
I kept my eyes firmly fastened on his face despite the fact there was an awful lot of very human-looking skin on display in my periphery.
But he radiated heat. And he smelled good.
“My safety. I like safety,” I whispered weakly. So much skin.
He was looking at me now, too, his arms at his sides. There was caution and something else lurking behind his mask, something that looked like it could be curiosity—
But then a pounding sounded at my door.